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Analysis: Israeli Forces Strike Into Gaza

Council on Foreign Relations

June 28, 2006
Prepared by: Michael Moran

Led by an air assault, Israeli forces surged across the border into the Gaza Strip (BBC) on Wednesday for the first time since pulling out last summer, as talks to secure the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier failed. The Jerusalem Post quotes an army source saying the operation is part of a "pressure pot" tactic to force the Palestinians to release the Israeli kidnapped over the weekend, and to curb the Palestinian launching of Qassam rockets into Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel will not balk at "extreme action," but does not intend to stay in Gaza (Haaretz).

As Israel mustered its strike force Tuesday, the Hamas-led Palestinian government and the once-dominant Fatah faction neared agreement (BosGlobe) on a way to bridge their differences over the recognition of Israel. Hamas, whose charter pledges Israel's destruction, so far denies any implicit recognition was on the table (al-Jazeera). Yet officials of both Palestinian factions said the Israeli incursion has helped to narrow the differences between them on the so-called "prisoners letter," which among other things recognizes Israel's right to exist in its pre-1967 borders (CSMonitor).

With Israeli troops now inside Gaza (NPR), however, the future of the initiative is uncertain. The Israeli incursion comes after members of Hamas' military wing launched a cross-border raid on June 25, killing two Israeli soldiers and capturing one (CSMonitor). The attack was widely believed to have been ordered by Khalid Meshal, the head of Hamas' political wing in exile in Damascus, and became as much of a burden as a bargaining chip for Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Some commentators said it also reflected a growing split between internal and external Hamas leaders.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.