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.
