Israel should stop the fuel supply while the Qassams are still arriving. Let's see who's tougher.

leaving the occupied city of Bethlehem. Err do the Christians get the right of return. When do the negotiations start?

No electricity no "EVIL-WESTERN INFLUANCE" it is a mamesh "dream come true for jichad-talaban-PLO-Hamas, shamas... every hell rabbit in the region. I they finally did it they have thrown yoke of "oppression" and western - influence. GREAT everyone is happy.. No wander the masters of the DARK AGES need a bit of darkness themselves to .. to do what darkness does I GUESS?

Redmike, you failed to mention a key detail about "Israel Today". It is a Christian missionary paper trying to convert Jews to worship a certain famous, long-dead Israeli Jew.

I personally think that Israel should lock up Gaza and throw away the key. Let Gazans overthrow Hamas and if and when it is replaced by a government that does not want to destroy Israel then Israel should help the new government build a better economy. Until then Gazans should live with the Government that they elected and live or die with the consequences. Anybody that helps someone that wants to kill him is text book insane.

MAy I sign my name beside yours?!

israel would love nothing better than to hand you the free crossings. however, can you guarantee us that no katyoushas or missiles will be sent to our land can you guarantee that no suicide momber will cross the crossing and bomb families in israel? can you guarantee that no hamas terrorists will infiltrate israel's borders and kidnap citizens and soldiers? if you can guarantee all these things that brought about the closure of your crossings, then we'll be more than happy to hand them over to you since we already left gaza. you see, it's a give and take. we need to know that we can be safe in our country and homes and on the streets from the thugs you democratically elected to represent your government. once we know, the crossings are yours and we do noty mind handing them over. period! if the gaza residents mean business and WANT to have full autonomy, they have to understand that israel will grant it with an open heart as long as we have your assurance through actions and deeds, not speeches or promises, that our country is safe from your murderous hamas. israel doesn't care who rules you or what you do in your future independent palestinian state as long as we do not suffer from your actions. once you stop terroristic activity, israel will open crossings and you won't see any tank or jeep in your area. first, hammas has to live to the reputation of a government that controls the warring factions and stops terror activities on jews and israelis. only then can hamas show the world that they mean business....not the business of killing and terror, but the business of peace, building, a future and supporting the future buildup of a palestinian state.

hello!!!!!! we got out of gaza. you COLLECTIVELY selected hamas to rule you, colectively punishing yourselves, knowing what hamas agenda was, knowing what hamas charter was, knowing hamas is not resistance, but terrorism. whta did you think is going to happen to your population? what has hamas given you so far? do you think that if the crossings were open, that hamas would have improved your situation? hamas is no different than fatah. they are the same liars, money grabbers corupt, willing to kill for power and to get their hands on usa and eu monies. no difference between hamas and fatah. they don't fight for you! they fight for control of power and money and the palestinians be damn. they are just using you as pawns and you believe in them. it is time a leader with a vision for palestinian future come along. forget your hate, forget your revenge honor ideology. israel is here to stay and no matter how many bombers and missiles you sent to israel, it'll never secure or better your life and circumstances. you cannot make israel disappear. no matter how much ressistance, you will always suffer the consequences collectively because this is war and this is what your leaders wish to involve you in.

Some of the readers seem to think Israel is still in occupation of the Gaza Strip because it controls the boarders. Lets examine this logic. The boarder between Syria and Israel has no commerce across it. So who is occupying whom? Is Syria conquered? Perhaps it is Syria that occupied Israel. The idiot from Minnisota might think that international lines are like the line between Minnisota and Wisconsin. Wait, even the state lines have wiegh stations and fresh friut are not allowed into California. This, across a line that has with no conflict. Over the past few months we have been subject to recalls of Chinese products. These are supposed to be stopped at the boarder. And the general idea is that China isn't doing everything they can to kill Americans. This in contrast to the Palestinians who produce TV shows for children that show micky mouse spewing hate. Lets just forget about Mr Knownothing.

The fact is arab leaders LOVE "occupation", that's why they are so keen to fabricate them. Look at Hizbollah. Terrified about the prospect of Israel withdrawing fully from Lebanon, it fabricated a claim the Sheba'a farms with not a single map - military, civilian, Lebanese, Syrian, international, French mandate - not one showing the Sheba'a belonging to Lebanon. Now look at Hamas, desparate for an excuse to continue "resisting", it made up that the occupation still continues in Gaza. We only have to look at the pathetic basis for this argument: Control of mutual borders with Israel? So I can stroll across the Lebanese border anytime I like can I? Or the Syrian one? No? Does that mean Syria and Lebanon "occupy" Israel? When the Straits of Tiran were blockaded in 1948-1956, does that mean Egypt "occupied" Israel? We maintain a "draconian grip" on Palestinians lives? How is that? That we don't let them in and out of Gaza with no checks? I have to go through rather stringent checks to get into the US, does the US "occupy" Israel? The bottom line is the leaders of Hizbollah/Hamas LOVE the "occupation" because at the end of the day: No "occupation" = no "resistance" = no money from Iran/Syria/"charities" = no Hamas/Hizbollah. It is that simple. PS I, like most Israelis would HAPPILY leave the UN and I doubt the South Africans really cared either. As for criticisms made by countries like Sudan, KSA, Egypt, Venuzala, China, Syria etc I am PROUD they don't like us.

Yo 16, the democratically elected representatives, Hamas, are also a group which is actively targeting and waging war against Israel. Thus strikes in defense against rocketeers and other Hamas gunmen and fighters are a necessity on the part of Israel, and if it subverts the government, Israel is not in the moral wrong to do so. On top of that, the only thing which actually deligitimized Hamas was their own violent take over of the strip, enough that the main PA governing body has denounced Hamas as filthy terrorists and rules the much more productive West Bank. Now in regards to the article, have any of you critics actually read it? This isn't a deliberate attempt to hurt the Gazans because apparently, one particular crossing, Nahal Oz, has to be closed for some vague reason but, with it closed, Israel is apparently doing everything it can not to create some kind of humanitarian disaster, seeing as 1.3million liters were transferred during the time of the power cut specifically to provide enough fuel. Ok finally to 17, with Hamas in control, the need for humanitarian aid is on the rise massively, and I strongly doubt the new authorities there can deal with it without Israel's help. Now Israel has been pretty lenient when it comes to opening these crossings- if Israel were really in on ruining your lives, they wouldn't be open in the first place and Egypt would be doing all the supplying but, the reason they are being closed is BECAUSE of attacks by hamas rocketeers and smugglers. You're saying that these attacks will end if Israel ensures open crossings but as the past events have shown, it is the other way around- Israel finds it necessary to close the crossings because of Hamas attacks.

I know what I am talking about, I'm not stupid. I am just not comfortable holding arabs accountable for their actions and choices. I know they started wars in 48/67/73....2006 etc., but I think it is a lot easier to hold jews to account than it is arabs. And stop trying to make the arabs pay a price for their choices over the past 100 years. Just stop moving forward and stand still like them. O.K.?

you gaza people have been telling journalists that since hamas took over, everyone misses israel being in control. life was so much better under the occupation. so which is it? is israel still occupying as you claim, or all of these gazans wrong and you are right? and, if israeli occupation was so "brutal", why do you people think of it as a much better tima and situation? doesn't exactly sound "brutal" to me. spread your propaganda if you like, but thankfully there are enough facts available to display your fraud. keep praying and maybe israel will come rescue you gazans from your brutal hamas boys.

Last I heard Israel disengaged. The Israelis who lived there are now wandering Jews. Israel nbo longer has any responsibilit for that land. You made your bed now sleep in it. You want to kill Israelis with your Quassams and bombs you can;t expect Israel to help you.

We know you're really Boriss Badenuff! Trying to peddle your stalinist visions. War crimes? It is the Palestinians who have violated all international laws with their suicide bombings, throat slittings, rocket attacks, shooting attacks and mass mayhem - almost all of it aimed at unarmed civilians in contravention of all human rights laws. Let the Palestinians declare that they actually want peace and will stop their official policy of state-sponsored murder. Yes, enough is enough. Time to crawl back into the hole in Frostbite Falls you came from and leave the civilized world alone.

Israel has left the Gaza strip two years ago . We have'nt any responsability anymore for what happens there . All we give to them , is only by our GOODWILL . We don't want to endanger our people by letting them come near their border . If they want something from us , they can have it . But first they have to behave correctly , not to try to kill our people , not to send quassams to Sderoth . Then , we will consider giving them something

These are the kind of statements Olmert should be making Hamas allready have Gaza he wants Hamas isolated internationaly so why doent the fool say publicly NO FUEL SUPPLIES or anything else will be coming into Gaza via Israel while Gilad Shalit is in Hamas hands. Stop worrying about the comfort of the arabs to override the lives of Israeli soilders. Allways Olmert talks about caring about the humanitarian needs of the palestians but we never hear about the humainatrian needs of Israeli soilder. Last time the man was talking about how many thousands of terrorists some with blood on their hands he would release for Shalit this situation is a gift since Hamas took over Gaza he is in a position to say no prisoner exchanges just Shalit for fuel and other basics. After a week Hamas are going to start having to take these threats seriously if Olmert shows a little courage. Do this it doesnt hurt your new lover Abbas but it does hurt Hamas and it will get Israli boys home .... proove for once Olmert that your not an arab pretending to be a jew.

Gaza resident " Its Israels position to care for the 1.4 inhabitants living in the Gaza Strip, as soon as Israel ends its brutal ocupation of Gaza's crossings then the authorities will find another way to generate electricity " Why is it Israels position to care for the 1.4 million inhabitants of Gaza, fopr years you were saying end the occupation in Gaza and in 2005 Arial Sharon left Gaza. Today there is not a single Israeli soilder or settler in Gaza so why is it Israels duty top care about them. I have never heard anybody say its Israels duty to care for Iraqis so why Gazans, as your people constantly say Gaza is not part of Israel as such iots not Israels problem. Israel is not brutally occupying the border it is using its legal right as an indipendent state to close iots borders to anybody at anytime. The palestians have no legal rights to hold Israel to. "Look after the people and I assure you they will stop bothering you" When Israel left Gaza there was no more occupation but the rockets started firing allmost as soon as Israel left, your people dug a tunnel into Israel, shot 2 soilders kidnapped another. Israel agreed to a ceacefire no Israeli operations in Gaza and in return no rockets fired from Gaza but just hours after this ceacefire came into effect there were rockets being sent over from Gaza and the residents of Sderot still continue to experience regular rocket attacks from Gaza. " This is collective punishment when you starve the people and deprive them of their basic human rights" This is security when your people stop firing rockets and sending in suicide bombers then we can talk about relaxing secutrity but before then its the lives of Israelis that must take precident. Why dont you ask your arab brothers in Egypt to open their crossings, sell you more fuel and all the other things you expect Israel to provide that way Israel could close the crossings forever and it wouldnt affect you. Your arab brothers do less for you than Israel does. "I'm not a Hamas supporter but its disgusting when use all sorts of pretexts" If your not a Hamas supporter then go tell your naighbors and get them to tell their naighbors in and outside Gaza to stop supporting Hamas because without public support Hamas would crumble into nothing.

The EU & Egyptians are no more than clerks or servicemen. They have to handle "passenger" lists to Israel in order to allow them. They have to make sure that every "crossing" person be exposed to Israeli closed-circut TV cameras. There is a crossing lane for supplies, but only for Exporting; that's practically not used at the border with Egypt. Imports to Gaza are not allowed BY Israel.

And you call yourself Mr. Knowitall? HA HA HA HA HA HA! aren't you embarassed? because you should be. Not only do you NOT knowitall, you nothing at all.