<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> WorldTribune.com: Mobile — Israel calls ceasefire before inauguration as rockets continue to fall

Israel calls ceasefire before inauguration as rockets continue to fall

Monday, January 19, 2009 Free Headline Alerts

JERUSALEM — Israel has declared a unilateral ceasefire in and withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as Hamas attacks continued.

Officials said Olmert and his senior ministers were pressed by the United States to implement the ceasefire before the onset of the administration of President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 20.

Within minutes of the Israeli announcement, Hamas fired six rockets toward Beersheba, the largest city in southern Israel. The military has warned of an imminent and major missile strike by Hamas and its Palestinian allies.

The government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to begin the ceasefire on Jan. 18.

"Beginning at 2 a.m., Israel will cease its actions against the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and will remain deployed in the Gaza Strip and its environs," Olmert said. "Our goals as they were set at the beginning of the operation were fully realized, and even more than that."

On late Jan. 17, Olmert said the 12-member Cabinet security committee voted to launch the ceasefire at 2 a.m. Jan. 18. The prime minister, citing an Egyptian appeal for an immediate ceasefire, said Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip when Hamas halts missile and rocket fire.

"If the fire stops entirely, the Israel Defense Forces will weigh withdrawing from Gaza at a time that befits us," Olmert said. "If not, the IDF will continue to act to defend our residents."

The ceasefire announcement came one day after Israel and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to help secure the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip. Under the MoU, the United States would help prevent the flow of weapons from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip.

In his address, Olmert said Hamas missile factories were destroyed, dozens of weapons smuggling tunnels were bombed and missile-launch sites were captured by Israel's military. He said Hamas leaders remain underground while many combatants were killed.

"The estimate of all the security services is that the Hamas's capabilities have been struck a heavy blow which will harm its ability to rule and its military capabilities for some time," Olmert said.

The prime minister said Hamas and its patron, Iran, had concluded that Israel would not respond to rocket strikes from the Gaza Strip in late 2008. Olmert said Iran trained and equipped Hamas to become a force similar to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

"Iran, which strives for regional hegemony, tried to replicate the methods used by Hizbullah in Lebanon in the Gaza Strip as well," Olmert said. "Iran and Hamas mistook the restraint Israel exercised as weakness. They were mistaken. They were surprised."

The Israeli military said it was preparing to implement the ceasefire, but warned of a major Hamas missile strike. A military statement said Southern Command, responsible for the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, would order the redeploment of ground forces "in accordance with security assessments."

"The IDF emphasizes that its forces will respond to any attack against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and that any such attack will be met with a harsh response," a military statement said. "The IDF stresses that the current Home Front Command safety instructions to residents of southern Israel remain in effect in light of the possibility that the rocket fire will continue as Hamas cynically seek to have the last word." Hamas Announces Conditional Ceasefire Meanwhile, in Gaza City, the Hamas regime has announced a conditional ceasefire with Israel while pledging to rearm.

Hamas said its ceasefire was dependent on an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Islamic regime, which has redeployed police and security forces, said on Jan. 19 that Israel must pull out of the Gaza Strip within a week and open all border crossings.

"We announce a ceasefire of our factions in the Gaza Strip, and we stress that our demand is the withdrawal of enemy forces from the Gaza Strip within a week, along with the opening of all the crossings for the entry of humanitarian aid, food and other necessities for our people in the Gaza Strip," Mussa Abu Marzouk, the No. 2 figure in Hamas's political bureau, said.

The Hamas announcement came less than a day after Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire that ended the 22-day war in the Gaza Strip. Hamas, however, continued missile and rocket fire on Israeli cities until Jan. 19.

"The enemy has failed to end the rocket attacks, and they are still reaching deep into the Zionist entity," Hamas spokesman Mushir Al Masri said.

Palestinian militia allies of Hamas said they would join the ceasefire under the same conditions set by the Islamic regime. The militias said they would be ready to resume the war against Israel unless it withdraws from the Gaza Strip.

"We the Palestinian resistance factions, announce a ceasefire from our side in Gaza Strip," the joint militia statement said. "We confirm our stance and our demand for Israeli troops to withdraw from Gaza in a week, that Israel opens the borders, and crossing points for humanitarian aid convoys."

On Jan. 19, Hamas said it would resume the production of missiles and rockets in preparation for another war against Israel. Hamas said it has retained most of its weapons production infrastructure.

"Do whatever you want: manufacturing the holy weapons is our mission, and we know how to acquire weapons," Hamas military wing Abu Obeida told a news conference.

Palestinian sources said the Israel Army has begun to withdraw from positions in the northern Gaza Strip. They said ground force units and main battle tanks were seen leaving several areas of the Gaza Strip, where some had been deployed for nearly two weeks.

"Hamas congratulates our people at this victory achieved by our people and their resistance, foremost the Kassam Brigades which forced the occupation forces to withdraw," Hamas said in a message that blared from loudspeakers from a Gaza City mosque.

For its part, Israel's military has confirmed the start of a troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The military also said it has changed the rules of engagement and would not strike rocket launchers near Gaza schools. Officials said the withdrawal would be completed by the U.S. presidential inauguration of Barak Obama on Jan. 20.

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