The government's National Security Cabinet voted Sunday to give the IDF a green light to begin targeting the leadership of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. This change in policy will be accompanied by a PR and diplomatic effort vis-à-vis the international community.
The cabinet voted in favor of a gradual escalation of the IDF's counter-terror measures, as opposed to a large scale ground operation.
In a statement issued after the cabinet's meeting, the Prime Minister's Office said that "it has been decided to allow the security forces to step up the operative measures against the launching of missiles and against the terror infrastructures behind the missiles. At this stage the operations will focus on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets. If the present steps do not produce calm, the cabinet will meet to discuss additional, more drastic steps."
The IDF will not target the political leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad at this stage. The leaders targeted will only be from the "military" tier.
"The Hamas men are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy personal price."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his ministers that "the Hamas men are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy personal price for these attacks on Sderot and the nearby communities. If the diplomatic steps we are taking do not lead to a calm we will have to take harsher steps," he warned.
After the briefing, the ministers offered their recommendations for action.
Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) said that the IDF needed to enter the Philadelphi Route and divide Gaza into three parts. Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) suggested a two-stage entry into Gaza. In the first stage, he said, military targets should be attacked, and in the second – civilian ones would be fair game.
A majority of the ministers, including Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Peretz, opposed a ground incursion.
108 terror rockets and 33 mortar shells have been fired at Sderot and the area surrounding Gaza in the past few days. More than 10 rockets have been fired at the western Negev since the government session ended.
The cabinet voted in favor of a gradual escalation of the IDF's counter-terror measures, as opposed to a large scale ground operation.
In a statement issued after the cabinet's meeting, the Prime Minister's Office said that "it has been decided to allow the security forces to step up the operative measures against the launching of missiles and against the terror infrastructures behind the missiles. At this stage the operations will focus on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets. If the present steps do not produce calm, the cabinet will meet to discuss additional, more drastic steps."
The IDF will not target the political leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad at this stage. The leaders targeted will only be from the "military" tier.
"The Hamas men are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy personal price."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his ministers that "the Hamas men are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy personal price for these attacks on Sderot and the nearby communities. If the diplomatic steps we are taking do not lead to a calm we will have to take harsher steps," he warned.
After the briefing, the ministers offered their recommendations for action.
Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) said that the IDF needed to enter the Philadelphi Route and divide Gaza into three parts. Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) suggested a two-stage entry into Gaza. In the first stage, he said, military targets should be attacked, and in the second – civilian ones would be fair game.
A majority of the ministers, including Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Peretz, opposed a ground incursion.
108 terror rockets and 33 mortar shells have been fired at Sderot and the area surrounding Gaza in the past few days. More than 10 rockets have been fired at the western Negev since the government session ended.