Something terrible may happen if this goes through- JFR

Hope their ‘secret source’ is wrong about this. I think it would be terrible for all involved.
———————————————————————————-
FOREIGN REPORT – SEPTEMBER 18, 2003

——————————————————————————–

Will you attack Gaza now, Ariel?
Is Israel’s prime minister preparing another assault on the Palestinians?

Foreign Report can reveal that the Israeli government is planning an onslaught on the Gaza Strip. This is because, our informant said, its former policy of containing Palestinian violence, including the murder of the Hamas leadership, has failed.

The idea is to launch an intervention in October, once a series of Jewish holidays have finished. Only suicide attacks in the next couple of weeks requiring prompt retaliation will cut short the timetable.

Since the beginning of the intifada, one of the cornerstones of Israeli military policy has been to kill the leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah-Tanzim. The Israelis believe that these groups are behind Palestinian suicide attacks. In almost three years, more than 100 leading Palestinian militants have been killed by the Israelis.

The Israelis have a reply to the critics of their policy. They claim that the killings have prevented an even greater bloodbath. The Palestinians, on the other hand, claim that the ‘assassinations’ have only embittered young Palestinians and led to more suicide bombs.

But as the intifada moves into its fourth year, the Israelis feel that helicopter and jet attacks are no longer effective. The reason is that leaders of Hamas are taking measures to save their skins. These include: hiding in densely populated areas, making it difficult for the Israelis to target them without risking large civilian casualties; stopping using mobile phones, which have had a habit of being fitted by explosives by the Mossad; walking rather than driving; and the creation of a special squad to hunt down Israeli collaborators.

The Israelis want to prevent Hamas turning the Gaza Strip into another south Lebanon. Can Hamas do it? “‘Hamas is getting professional and financial support from Hizbullah,” said our Israeli source. “Hamas is hectically working on increasing the range of its self-made rockets to reach the southern cities of Israel. Their idea is to build the equivalent of south Lebanon in Gaza, and that Israel will never accept.”

So what is the plan?

Israel is planning a huge call-up of at least 50,000 soldiers. These will be divided into about 10 brigades, most of them reserve soldiers, to cope with the conquering of the Gaza strip. The strip will be divided into three zones, each one controlled by an Israeli division. Special Israeli troops will move from house to house to find and kill militants.

The Israelis are well aware of the difficulties of such an operation. Gaza is the most densely populated place on earth. The Israelis assume they will face serious resistance, which will cause them many casualties. But it seems that the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, is determined to crush Hamas in Gaza.

Our prediction: There will be no political solution. Sharon will not retreat. Suicide bombers will continue their bloody work. Sharon will order the occupation of the Gaza strip and a takeover of most of the West Bank, opening the way for the implementation of what may be Israel’s long-term strategy: the slow but unremitting annexation of Palestinian land and the departure of the Palestinians to wretched places such as West Africa and Paraguay.