From my point of view, Hamas will get out stronger from this war since the goals of this war as it was declared by Israel have not been achieved. Israel wanted to topple Hamas in gaza and stop firing the rockets from the strip, but the outcome is different: 1/ Hamas is still standing in and outside the territories (especially with Politburo in Damascus represented even politically and diplomatically in a pan-Arab summit in Doha (a premiere!). 2/ The rockets are still fired from Gaza on the Israelis towns near the strip. Morally Israel has lost this war with the dreadful number of unarmed civilians (half of the death are children, women and elderly people) aired on all the mass media during 3 weeks.

We did not get Shalit, we did not destroy Hamas, rockets are still falling on Israel. On the contrary Israel will open crossings with Gaza. You don't have to be genius to understand that Israel has lost the war while Hamas has become victories. http://israelactnow.blogspot.com/

So what happens when the first rocket enters Israel? Is Israel going back in. I don't buy the fact that Hamas is going to rearm in a weekend. But that doesn't change anything. Until the rockets stop Israel should continue. Israel will know they reached their objectives when the Rockets stop flying. Signing an agreement with the United States is pointless! Hopefully this is another screen.. Here is my thoughts...Israel can sign all the agreement she wants...so long as she keeps fighting and killing Hamas fighters.

If this cease-fire doesn't end in Shalit being returned to Israel, this entire government should get on a plane and leave Israel ahead of everyone running them out of town for their incompetence.

against your perverse enemies. this unilateral thing is pure idiocy. did olmert suggest it? most probably... the idiot.

All I can do is wish you many more such victories.

r so dumb. this war is not close to over. let me tell u how it is. the only reason women and children r dead is because the childrens dumb prents put them in a un school that terrorists where shooting rockets at. there is military photo's proving this. we hand out leaflets, after that it is their rosponsibility to go to a place without terrorists. in case ur ignorance did'nt notice. even though israel has enouph fire power to level that trash dump gaza they call a country. we r using hitec bombs wich r gps guided.so we see mortars on a roof we shoot. if we see rockets being shot out from a house we shoot. if there is civilians in there it was there responsibility to get out a wile ago. u r an ignorant observer. u shold know how to back up ur comments next time. other then ur pathetic propaganda.

Hamas doesn't cease fire we've already learnt that - what's the point? Are the kadimists putting their clown uniforms back on? it appears so, they are going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Israel never wanted to topple Hamas - they wanted to weaken them, which they did - and eventually stop the rockets.

What happened to,stopping rockets, shalit and eliminating Hamas ??

Get out of here: unilateral ceasefire

Would I seem cynical to suggest that Israel will cease it's fire after the Palestinians declare 1300 deaths. Isn't that the going price ? Unless another Israeli is killed, of course. But, a couple of bombs in a Gaza school or hospital (gee, sorry, a mistake, no a missfire but we do not intentionally kill civilians) should do it.

There is no substitute for victory, but I suppose that's too much to expect the corrupt, unprincipled Olmert government to understand. I'm amazed and disgusted.

Send the Ehudim back to Gaza: force Barak and Olmert to live their as punishment for their treachery to the Jewish People. There is no reason for a ceasefire that leaves Hamas intact. The Israeli leadership are either traitors or insane. It's about time that the world realizes this and vomits them out of power.

If the IDF doesn't clean up Gazza properly, they will fire more rockets at Ashkelon! and thats when I will start considering leaving this country because of the dis-honest government!

let's at least hope that the anti-smuggling deal makes up for this! but we still want Shalit back

What about the people down South? Do we have to live with rockets?

This is capitulation to the terrorists. It demonstates a complete lack of integrity of Israel's present leadership. This ensures that Hamas will continue to operate, subjugate the Arab settlers of Gaza and threaten 750,000 Israeli citizens that are within range of the Iranian supplied missiles. How stupid, irresponsible and shameful.

The agreements with Egyptians or Americans in arm-smuggling measures has nothing to do with the offensive on Gaza. This means that Israel was not able to derive any real outcomes from this war, except portraying Israel as a barbaric nation.

yes. Do you prefer switching places with the Palestinian in Gaza, they've been under siege for the past three years, do you like that more ? leave ashdood and go back to New York or where ever. Hamas will not stop firing these rockets until Israel withdraw & open the crossings and send flowers to paris hilton. Bottom line, we lose both ways. Congratulations. See you next war. by the way, why did Hamas start shooting these missiles in the first place, was it because we are occupying Palestinian lands in the west bank, east Jerusalem, or was it because we have 10,000 Palestinian prison, or maybe because we forced million out of their homes and sent them to live in Jordan & Lebanon. donno , beats me, those idiots, we kill them by F16 and laser guided missiles and the return by homemade rockets with funny shapes. We target their militant but somehow end up killing more civilians than they managed to kill from us. Funny how our guided missile works , maybe they need re-calibration, or maybe we should get rid of the guiding system all together , we might succeed in hitting the missile launchers more often this way. Damn the American and their weapons, we should start buying German stuff from now on

This Israel-Hamas war is alsoseen from wise observers as a US-Iran war through 2 proxies: Israel and Hamas...So the other winner here is also Iran, and the big looser is definitly the civilian population especially the Pals in Gaza, and and according to the less degre of casualities the israeli population near the strip.

I mean the arabs in Gaza who suffers the worst casualities and death...The winners are the extremist who kill innocent civilians for the sake of an election or the power in Gaza or Tel-Aviv. Just for the last winners there isone who is winning large and big and will get ever strengthened after this war: Hamas.

Is there some rule I missed? Some international law (everything is international law these days) that says that all wars have to stop before the next US president starts? Is it like kids playing until the teacher comes in to start the next class? Grow up Israel. Although the army has fought brilliantly, you haven't achieved your objectives - so complete the mission - sure do it as quickly as possible but get it done. That includes routing the Hamas in Gaza and terminating or imprisoning their leadership. e.g. If Haniyeh is under the hospital, go get him. Meshaal is disconnected to what is happening on the ground and just a distraction.

but you'll always be an antisemitic bigot

Do you think he would be announcing a unilateral cease fire?

Kadima and labor wouldn't allow idf to go into gaza city to destroy the rocket supply. Kadima and labor wouldn't allow idf to go into gaza city and destroy rocket manufacturing sites. Kadima and labor wouldn't allow idf to go into rafah and destroy 600 tunnels that can't be destroyed from the air. Hamas said they will keep smuggling in long range rockets during a ceasefire and yet leftists give them a ceasefire. During the fighting saudi fighters came through the tunnels and hamas leader zahar went to syria and iran was sending long range rockets through the tunnels. Instead of letting idf take the tunnels kadima said no because they favored disengagement in 2005. Livni and barak want to be ministers of peace before israeli elections. Kadima wants turkey to control the border and stop the smuggling and restrict the idf. Kadima wants eu and abbasa at the crossings which will alllow terrorists in. Simple solution take over philadelphia route and destroy the 600 tunnels and don't let eu and abbas take over rafah crossing and destroy hamas's bunkers of long range rockets in gaza city where they have thousands of long range rockets.

That was reported that one of the reasons to stop now so barak can win back leftist voters.

Livni was the architect of the 2005 disengagement which allowed long range rockets from iran into gaza and allowed hamas bomber to leave gaza through egypt and get to eliat for suicide bombing. Livni it is reported thought it would be crazy to have idf ground troops destroy 600 tunnels. To livni being at the border would be like occupying gaza. Kadima and labor were also against allowing ground troops to destroy bunkers full of rockets in gaza city. Rockets are fired from tunnels in gaza city. Only way to stop rocket fire is to go into gaza city and the refugee camps. Kadima wouldn't let idf troops into urban areas that is why hamas military leaders could hide out in hospital basements. Open border to egypt allowed in saudi fighters and allowed zahar to go back to syria.