Israel withdraws from Egypt-Gaza Border
GAZA CITY [MENL] -- A day after Israel threatened a major operation, the military withdrew from the Egypt-Gaza border, the leading route for weapons smuggling to the Palestinian Authority.Israeli and Palestinian sources said about 1,000 Israeli troops, backed by main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, left the 14-kilometer Egypt-Gaza border, termed Philadelphi, on Tuesday. The sources said the Israeli force searched and blew up dozens of suspected weapons tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip that reached the Sinai Peninsula. In all, about 100 tunnels were identified.
"The operation was aborted by the political leadership," an Israeli military source said. "We didn't come close to completing the mission."
The withdrawal came hours after Defense Minister Amir Peretz met senior officers of the military's Southern Command and pledged to continue operations. Peretz said Israel would not allow the smuggling of as missiles and rockets into the Gaza Strip.
I don't get it. The "political leadership" makes no sense. They look like a bunch of bozos (admittedly, from a distance)... So when are Israelis going to get rid of them? After the Summer War, I thought for sure Olmert and Peretz would be in the dustbin by now.
See also (Oct. 24) Chief of Staff: IDF Must Control Philadelphi Route
Comments