Israel Turns Down Truce Proposals, Continues Assault on Hamas Targets
By Sonja Pace
Jerusalem
31 December 2008
Israel has rejected international pressure for an immediate, even if temporary, cease-fire five days into its offensive against Hamas militants and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Despite massive damage and a toll of nearly 400 Palestinians killed, Hamas also remains defiant, continuing to fire rockets ever deeper into Israel.
Israeli war planes struck targets in Gaza Wednesday morning - hitting Hamas government offices in Gaza City and underground tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt border.
At the same time, Israel continues to amass ground troops around Gaza in preparation for a possible ground offensive.
And in parts of Israel the sound of sirens has become a daily occurrence - the warning sounds of incoming Hamas rockets, striking ever deeper into Israel, including Bersheba in the Negev southeast of Gaza.
Home Front Forces commander, Abraham Ben David spoke to reporters in Beersheba about the widening circle of attacks.
Ben David said rockets are now hitting targets in the range of 40 to 50 kilometers. He said people should stay indoors, go to bunkers and secure rooms and avoid crowds.
It's the fifth day of a military offensive that Israel says is designed to hit Hamas targets and infrastructure in Gaza and halt militant rocket attacks against Israel.
So far Israel remains cool to a French proposal for a possible 48-hour cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.
Speaking during a visit to the city of Ashkelon, Israeli President Shimon Peres said the French proposal for a cease-fire is not concrete enough. He said the Israeli military is geared up and prepared - it's not a war we initiated, Mr. Peres said, nor a war we wanted.
Despite international pressure for a cease-fire, Israeli officials say they will press their offensive and they insist any cease-fire must ensure that militant rocket attacks against Israel stop.
Despite massive damage to its manpower and infrastructure in Gaza and rising casualty figures, Hamas also remains defiant. Hamas officials say they are not begging for a truce.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said what's needed immediately is for the Arab and Islamic countries to unite and stop this aggression, lift the siege, open the crossings and rebuild Gaza.
Hamas says the onus is on Israel.
Militants have kept up their rocket attacks, hitting ever deeper into Israel. Rockets have hit not only nearby towns such as Sderot and Ashkelon, but also Ashdod to the north of Gaza and Beersheba some 40 kilometers to the southeast.
As the violence continues, so do diplomatic efforts to stop it. Arab League foreign ministers were meeting in Cairo to discuss the crisis. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on the Arab League to do more than talk - saying action is now needed. Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds talks in Syria and Jordan Wednesday and is also due to visit Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to hold talks in Paris Thursday and French President Nicolas Sarkozy may visit Israel early next week.
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