'Israeli Report: Palestinians No Longer Deterred'

Friday, December 23, 2005
Source: World Tribune

Tel Aviv--Israel's military has concluded that it has lost its deterrence against Palestinian Insurgency Groups.

Military sources said a report submitted to the General Staff asserted that Palestinian Insurgency Groups, particularly in the Gaza Strip, were no longer deterred by Israel.
The report said Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip have failed to stop Palestinian missile attacks on the Jewish State.

On Thursday, Palestinian gunners fired Kassam missiles toward Ashklon. The missiles landed in a military base as well as in the industrial zone south of the city's residential area, Middle East Newsline reported.

"we have lost all of our deterrence against the terrorists in the Gaza Strip," a military source said. "They don't care about our response or even if their missiles go astray and strike Palestinian homes."

An army officer and four soldiers were injured in an attack for which Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, the source said. Near the military base is an industrial zone that contains such strategic facilities as a power station and oil terminal.

Israeli artillery batteries responded by firing toward open fields in the northern Gaza Strip. Minutes earlier, Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim told Israel State Radio that Palestinian Insurgency Groups appeared to have suspended missile strikes.

Military sources dismissed the prospect that the Insurgents would be deterred by Israeli artillery salvos in the northern Gaza Strip. They said the goal of the Insurgents, financed by Iran and Hizbullah, was to attack strategic facilities in the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
The Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad and Fatah have claimed responsibility for most of the missile salvos.

The report said Islamic Jihad and Fatah have been coordinating with Hizbullah, which finances Palestinian gunners. Hizbullah has deployed 15,000 missiles and rockets along the Israeli-Lebanese border, and the report warned that the Shi'ite Militia could launch attacks toward Israel in support of Palestinan Insurgents.

The Defense Ministry agreed with the military assessment, the sources said.
The two bodies, along with Israel's Intelligence Agencies, hold weekly sessions on the security situation and relay recommendations to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz.

"we have to impose here deterence," Amos Gilad, the Director of Political-Military Division of the Defense Ministry, said, "the phenomenon is intolerable. the question is what should be done,"

Over the last week, Palestinian gunners have fired Kassam-class, short-range missiles inside military bases and strategic facilities in the Ashkelon area. So far, nobody has been injured.

The sources said Palestinian gunners have managed to enter former Jewish settlements in the northern Gaza Strip. They said this has enabled the firing of Kassam-3 missiles, with a range of between nine and 12 kilometers.

The Defense Ministry has received a military assessment that Kassam missiles could rain on Ashkelon in January 2006. The assessment said Hamas would use its new extended-range Kassams against Israel when it formerly resumes attacks on the Jewish State.

"currently, there isn't sustained fire at the strategic facilities," Gilad said.

For his part, Mofaz has pledged to review a range of recommendations by the military. But he has ruled out the prospect of a ground invasion, urged by the military's southern command.

"it's not high on the list [of feasible actions]," Mofaz said.

courtesy of:
http://worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/front2453727.197222222.html