I always believed Kadima translates: morons. Destroy ALL rocket launching capabilities and then pick up your one way tickets to Mumbai.

is not the only cabinet member without balls!

What happened to "operation to destroy hamas"? israel is a big fat loser. israel is the impotent man who always has a "headache"

that this "offer" was for misinformation of the PR campaign. Israel, keep on hammering Hamas until they beg you on their knees to stop, and than you continue until you hear only some whining...

as it will cause just encourage Hamas the only option is total victory

From the beginning of its actions, Israel has controlled the field of battle and the tempo of the fighting. HAMAS has been forced to react to its poor decisions. The IDF relearned from the 2006 war how to initiate a battle. Same thing on the public image front with a sustained information campaign explaining the importance of this action. Now, the diplomats are engaged. A 48 hour truce won't improve HAMAS fighting capabilities. The truce, provides Israel with several opportunities. It forces HAMAS to be confronted with its decision to reject the former truce (such as it was) and demand that they afterwards they hold to Israel's demands for a full ceasefire. It places the onus on HAMAS for any decision to continue the fight on the ground. It points out that Israel is interested in the safety of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians by sitting down at the negotiating table. While HAMAS leadership is reeling from the blows of the past few days, it enables Israel to lock in diplomatic gains on its terms, unlike what happened in Lebanon during the 2006 fight. It improves the odds of getting Gilad Shalit back (if he's even alive) forcing his place to the table today!

are less mobile than guerrilla fighters. HAMAS doesn't have exposed barrack's and military bases. It's tough to hit troops that are dispersed from the air; especially in an urban setting where the neighbor is likely a civilian. But the tunnels were crushed HAMAS long-term power is being eroded.

The IDF is trying to confuse Hamas by sending them mixed messages. There will be a relative quiet, Hamas will go above ground, and the IDF will attack again. The IDF will never be able to stop rocket fire without ground operations.

this government agrees to a cease fire without getting their beloved son back while at the same time bring Hamas forever to their knees I have had it! Excuse me for being graphically honest here but this governmental form of 'coitus interruptus' is why Israel stands weak. When will Israel stop caving to international pressure from international leaders who can never be satisfied when it comes to what we do. THEY WILL NEVER LIKE US! Falling into their line will not improve our chances of being liked. Forget them. Think of us! I call upon Israelis to move off their butts and protest. If we don't do it, who will???

Yeah! Pleaaaaaase, don't make it a joke!

Remember the last (non)ceasefire? This would be more of the same. To the arab world, "ceasefire" means "you stop while we keep attacking". Want proof? Did the rockets stop during the last cease fire? Did the arms flow into Gaza to hamas stop during the last ceasefire? Did hamas stop shooting at Israelis during the last cease fire? NO!! to all the above and HELL NO to a cease fire. Only one thing is acceptable: total unconditional surrender by hamas, totally disarming hamas and having all non-Israeli residents of Gaza give up their land to the rightful owners: the Jews that were thrown off their land at the beginning of this fiasco!

If their assessment and intel is correct, one of the REQUIREMENTS of any halt should be an accounting and surrender of their munitions inventory!

Is the Defense Establishment getting flashbacks to Lebanon 2006?

then they do for Israel. Wait: Newsflash: Ditto Israel

Stop start stop start.No wonder Israel has begun to lose wars.These people (Barak ,Livni and Olmert) are gutless and clumsy .For what did Israel have to suffer worldwide criticism and pressure? why ease off when you have your enemy on th ropes.? One should not start something one is not prepared to finish.

Are you kidding! You want to reassess Hama's intentions! I can do that; their intentions are evil to destroy israel! Don't allow them to murder any more Israeli's. Stop them once & for all! God Bless Israel!

we just started enjoying the show, just now you are planning to stop ?! shock and fear is not working ... muhhh ???

Don't back down! Do not give in to international opinion! The Palestinians have had ample time to remove the militant eliments from amongst them and they have chosen not to do so. Let them now all suffer the consequences of their actions and inactions. Bomb them day and night, drive them into the sea, and make Gaza Israel's.

If Barak et al offer a pause (see Lebanon II) than there is no other option than for the IDF to temporarily assume all decision-making authority. Not to continue this all-out war to the final victory is nothing less than treason and a war crime.

s we already know be it PAUSE, be it CEASE FIRE, they are always ONE-SIDED, Ours! Keep they running, keep mopping them up until all of hamas is annihilated. www.yeshabulletin.com

This whole military operation is nothing more than a response to public demand the government do something about the rocket attacks. Air strikes, government can say they are doing something but Hamas can't shoot down F16s so no casualties. There is only so much an F16 can do before you need to send in ground troops if your going to do the job properly make all the money invested in this operation so far worthwhile not just make a few problems for Hamas and without a ground war thats all it will end as. Billions of shekels to destroy a few buildings. Right now the public are seeing the action being taken and it will take Kadima way ahead of Likud in the polls. Carry our a ground operation and if there are any soilders coming back in body bags Likud can criticise and support for the government would drop, the boost they got from air strikes would be lost. Instead the government will do thing on Hamas terms. We agree to a ceasefire on Hamas terms and in exchange they will end the rocket attacks in the election build up .... no more rocket attacks, no need to put men on the ground, the international community is happy. The future of the ceasefire will be negotiated after the election... this is a 6 week hudna. Hamas set the terms Olmert, Livni and Barak take the credit for negotiating a ceasefire and we get another Kadima / Labour government. What the government does after the election doesn't matter they won because they sold out to Hamas. Gilad Shalit will cost us 1000+ terrorists as Hamas will dictate terms. Hamas will keep all their rockets, we promise no more military action and to open all borders, maybe even release a couple of hundred terrorists as a goodwill gesture. WE ARE DROPPING THE BOMBS BUT HAMAS ARE CALLING THE SHOTS ON HOW THIS WILL END

Lior I have relatives in England I was talking with today and from what I have been told the British are being understanding of Israel for once. Other than Syria, Lebanon and Iraq the arab world ( Abbas included ) don't give a dam. If anything Egypt is backing Israel while Abbas blames Hamas and hasn't got much to say about Israel. The only people who are worried about calling for a ceasefire are the Kadima / Likud government who don't want to risk a ground operation and loss of votes if things go wrong. Now they are heros, it LOOKS like somethng is being done about Hamas, rocket attacks are down, now soilders have been killed. If the election was held today Kadima would walk it. They have stolen Bibis main negotiating cards by getting tough on Hamas and Livni can say she now has enough expeience to be the PM... she is popular even without the war put that into the picture the undecided centerists who would have gone with Likud will vote for her. Security, international opinion non of it has anything to do with the reasons for the air strikes or how the war is going to end. As usual we will just surrender and just when it looked like the IDF was going to become a profesional military again it will go back to being a worthless organistaion that never fights long enough to win a war

Israel doesn't have a government. It is being led by the headless horseman. A body with an empty fisbowl for a noggin. I'm about ready to puke......Kadimaaaaaaaaa....barf. Just stand up against a wall with the peace sign being shown with your two itty bitty fingers.....right before Hamas shoots you in the head. This is Olmerts and Livni's great plan? What a bunch of smucks. They probably can't even feed their dog or cat without a housesitter doing it for them.

because you certainly can do nothing but make matters worse. Pathetic

They understand they can do nothing to stop the rockets, given their self-imposed humanist constraints. They'd rather stop than fight a real war. However, they will ensure Israeli civil liberties are constrained to deepen and widen state power.