JERUSALEM – Israeli officials say their troops will leave the Gaza Strip before President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated on Tuesday.This is the first official indication that Israel plans a rapid withdrawal of its forces after announcing a unilateral cease-fire Saturday in its devastating three-week offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Thousands of Israeli troops have begun leaving Gaza. Hamas declared a weeklong truce on Sunday.
The officials spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been publicly announced.
Government spokesman Mark Regev would not confirm the timetable. He says that if Gaza remains quiet, Israel's departure will be "almost immediate."
Source: AP
Thousands of Israeli troops have begun leaving Gaza. Hamas declared a weeklong truce on Sunday.
The officials spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been publicly announced.
Government spokesman Mark Regev would not confirm the timetable. He says that if Gaza remains quiet, Israel's departure will be "almost immediate."
Tuesday, 20 January, 2009
Somehow, I thought that Israel's timing, i.e., invasion of Gaza during a sort of power vacuum in the US, was to "railroad" Obama -- the Israeli action happening before his incumbency is to my mind a form of fait accompli that Israel wanted to impose on the US. There was a fear that Obama might be more of a dove than a hawk, hence, the Israeli invasion timed "perfectly."
Astute but not remarkable move on the part of Israel.
(The sad thing is that a lot of the people have begun to believe their propaganda that it was all in defence of Israel.)
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