Assuming (for the moment) that Israel is serious in its statments that the purpose of its war with Hamas is not the destruction of Hamas but rather the ending of rocket and mortar fIre into Israel, then the conclusion is inescapable that the IDF will have to occupy significant parts of the Gaza Strip indefinitely.
- The Hamasniks have a virtually inexhaustible supply of ammunition.
- The weapons can be fired from a virtually infinite number of impromptu positions.
- The Hamas habit of firing from outside the towns can be changed so that the weapons are fired from within the population centers.
- The towns will be splendid defensive terrain when they are more thoroughly "trashed." i.e. Cassino, Stalingrad, Hue, etc.
All of this adds up to a long residene for the IDF in Gaza. They now have the Golani, Givati and Paratroop brigades in Gaza backed up by some as yet unidentified armored units. Those are the best troops in the IDF. They will eventually have to be rotated out of there. Who will be next in Gaza? Forty year old reservists from the Tel Aviv suburbs? Yes. I know that the girls won't serve in combat but it is a nice picture.
What am I missing here? pl
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090104/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians
