Shaky Gaza truce holds
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Daily News with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 20, 2009 00:00
GAZACITY - A tenuous ceasefire held yesterday in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians dug out from the rubble and Hamas put on a show of defiance vowing to fight on after Israel’s deadliest war in the enclave.
No air strikes, rockets or fighting was reported by either side for the first time since Israel's massive assault was launched on Dec. 27, but the full scale of destruction in the Gaza Strip became clear after both Israeli government and Hamas declared cease-fires.
Top Israeli officials, meanwhile, said yesterday that Israel hopes to pull all its troops out of the Gaza Strip by the time Barack Obama is inaugurated as president of the United States. The pullout could only be carried out if militants continue to halt their fire, the officials added.
On the ground, the lull saw early efforts at a return to some sort of daily life amid the desolation, Agence France-Presse reporters said. Some stores raised their metal shutters and banks opened doors. Hamas police reappeared on the streets and directed traffic at intersections.
Many people were scavenging through rubble to salvage what they could - clothes, a television, books, tins of food. Najette Manah, three small children in tow, clutched a box of rice that she found amid the debris of what was her home. "We don't have homes anymore. I don't have anything anymore," she said.
However, Hamas' armed wing spat defiance at a televised media conference, saying it would rearm and demanding Israel to withdraw its forces from the Palestinian enclave or face more rocket attacks.
The movement lost only 48 fighters, the spokesman said, after Israel reported killing more than 500 Hamas members during Operation Cast Lead. He also claimed Israel lost "at least 80 soldiers" in the fighting. Israel listed 10 soldiers killed. Gaza medics said more than 1,300 Palestinians have died. Despite losses suffered, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh claimed "a heavenly victory" in remarks broadcast on Al-Jazeera Arabic news channel.
’No desire to stay in Gaza’
Late on Sunday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his European guests that his country had no desire to stay in Gaza, a Mediterranean strip of 1.4 million people that Israel vacated in 2005, while retaining control of its airspace, coastal waters and border crossings, according to a report by The Associated Press.
"We didn't set out to conquer Gaza. We didn't set out to control Gaza. We don't want to remain in Gaza and we intend on leaving Gaza as fast as possible," Olmert told the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic.
By getting its soldiers out before the Obama inauguration, Israel would spare the new administration the trouble of having to deal with a burning problem in Gaza from day one. Israel also holds elections next month, and polls show Israel's wartime leaders have been strengthened by an offensive that drew overwhelming support at home even as it attracted condemnation across the globe because of the high Palestinian casualties.
Top Israeli officials, meanwhile, said yesterday that Israel hopes to pull all its troops out of the Gaza Strip by the time Barack Obama is inaugurated as president of the United States. The pullout could only be carried out if militants continue to halt their fire, the officials added.
On the ground, the lull saw early efforts at a return to some sort of daily life amid the desolation, Agence France-Presse reporters said. Some stores raised their metal shutters and banks opened doors. Hamas police reappeared on the streets and directed traffic at intersections.
Many people were scavenging through rubble to salvage what they could - clothes, a television, books, tins of food. Najette Manah, three small children in tow, clutched a box of rice that she found amid the debris of what was her home. "We don't have homes anymore. I don't have anything anymore," she said.
However, Hamas' armed wing spat defiance at a televised media conference, saying it would rearm and demanding Israel to withdraw its forces from the Palestinian enclave or face more rocket attacks.
The movement lost only 48 fighters, the spokesman said, after Israel reported killing more than 500 Hamas members during Operation Cast Lead. He also claimed Israel lost "at least 80 soldiers" in the fighting. Israel listed 10 soldiers killed. Gaza medics said more than 1,300 Palestinians have died. Despite losses suffered, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh claimed "a heavenly victory" in remarks broadcast on Al-Jazeera Arabic news channel.
’No desire to stay in Gaza’
Late on Sunday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his European guests that his country had no desire to stay in Gaza, a Mediterranean strip of 1.4 million people that Israel vacated in 2005, while retaining control of its airspace, coastal waters and border crossings, according to a report by The Associated Press.
"We didn't set out to conquer Gaza. We didn't set out to control Gaza. We don't want to remain in Gaza and we intend on leaving Gaza as fast as possible," Olmert told the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic.
By getting its soldiers out before the Obama inauguration, Israel would spare the new administration the trouble of having to deal with a burning problem in Gaza from day one. Israel also holds elections next month, and polls show Israel's wartime leaders have been strengthened by an offensive that drew overwhelming support at home even as it attracted condemnation across the globe because of the high Palestinian casualties.