Proof that Hamas will not stop the rocket fire on Sderot: It’s working.
About 64% of Sderot’s residents said they would leave the Qassam-stricken city if given the chance, according to a new poll conducted for Yedioth Ahronoth by the Dahaf Institute.
Published Friday, the poll showed that some 86% of Israelis residing in kibbutzim and communities surrounding the Gaza Strip believe that the government failed to protect Sderot from the incessant rocket attacks , and 25% of them also expressed a desire to move from the area.
Some 57% of those who took part in the survey said they knew of at least one neighbor who has relocated in the past year.
This is great news for Hamas, whose members have sworn to make Sderot a ghost town.
The thing is, killing terrorists also works. Which is why Hamas is now suing for a real cease-fire, supposedly unconditional:
A senior Hamas official In Gaza said that his organization may offer Israel an unconditional truce in the Strip, but added that such an offer has not been made yet, London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Saturday.
The official, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Arabic language newspaper that “the debate regarding a hudna has been seriously renewed within Hamas and with the other Palestinian factions, we hope we will be successful in this.â€
He added, “There would be no prior conditions. A truce on our side and a truce on the Israeli side.â€
There are reports that Hamas is actually drafting terms for the cease-fire. The AP report contradicts the al-Awsat report. No big shock there.
Hamas is drafting terms for a temporary cease-fire with Israel while trying to gain support from other Palestinian factions to accept it, Israeli media reported Saturday.
Israel Radio cited senior Hamas officials as saying the militant group is working toward a limited truce with Israel and is in talks with other armed Palestinian groups for their support.
If Olmert sticks to his guns, there will be no cease-fire from the Israeli side. Shimon Peres said the other day: “there will be no peace talks with the Palestinians until Qassam attacks on Israel cease.”
Here’s hoping they mean it this time. Because I don’t believe that the terrorists do. They want a break because Israel killed over 30 terrorists last week—including Hamas terrorists—without a single civilian casualty. The IDF engaged the terrorists on the Gaza border, and a couple of kilometers inside. One soldier was seriously wounded and three others were lightly wounded, but that is the extent of Israeli casualties. It tells Hamas that in a real war with the IDF, they will lose, and lose badly—so Hamas wants to take the opportunity to smuggle in more weapons and get more training in Iran.
The IDF is reestablishing its military superiority against the terrorists. This is a great thing for Israel. And it’s partly the reason why Hamas wants a time-out. Don’t give it to them.
Well, it’s possible that Hamas has decided to be more realistic and responsible. “Possible” here is used in the sense that it’s “possible” that Lucy Lawless could be about to ring my doorbell and ask if she can come up and get out of these wet clothes.
It’s possible–but much more likely–that Hamas is talking truce because the IDF is hurting them hard and hurting them more will have further results. We can guess what the western msm and diplomats will urge the Israelis to do but here’s hoping they’ll do what seems to be working.