With hundreds of Gazan Arabs knocking on Israel's door at the Erez Crossing, the prospect of a humanitarian crisis in the enemy entity of Gaza, and a new radical terrorist entity on our Negev border, incoming Defense Minister Ehud Barak faces complex decisions.
Foreign newspapers are reporting conflicting versions of what Ehud Barak plans to do in his first week in office, which will apparently begin on Monday. The London-based Sunday Times says that Barak is planning a major offensive in order to destroy the Hamas regime, while an Arab newspaper says Israel is willing to promise quiet and even humanitarian help in exchange for the captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
Possibly the most immediate decision Barak will have to make concerns the hundreds of Arabs crowding around the Erez Crossing out of northern Gaza. Some of them have suitcases, and they demand to be allowed out of Gaza and away from their Hamas pursuers, into Judea and Samaria. Their lives are apparently in danger. Israel allowed several Fatah VIPs and their families to escape into Ramallah over the weekend, but then locked the Erez Crossing.
The Sunday Times reports that Defense Minister Barak is planning an attack - not for the immediate future, but rather in response to future Hamas attacks involving Kassam rockets or suicide terrorists.
The paper quotes an unnamed senior Israeli military source as saying that some 20,000 IDF soldiers would take part in the operation. It estimates that 12,000 armed Hamas men are deployed in Gaza, armed with weapons taken from Fatah or smuggled in from Egypt. Hamas has also overtaken the positions and buildings held by Fatah, including hundreds of thousands of secret documents concerning Israel, the U.S., and more.
Help in Exchange for Shalit
On the other hand, Israel is also preparing a very calming approach, according to the Arabic-language Al-Hayat newspaper, also based in London. The paper reports that Israel has transmitted a message via Arab channels saying it is prepared to consider removing the economic siege from upon Hamas, in return for the release of captive soldier Shalit and an end to Kassam rockets.
Shalit was captured by Hamas one year ago, on June 24, 2006, from inside a tank on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border. Hamas terrorists tunneled into Israel, attacked an IDF outpost, killed two soldiers, and made off with Shalit, who has not been heard from since.
Al-Hayat based its report on a Hamas source, who said the offer was not concrete, but merely an attempt to "feel the pulse." Another Gaza-held captive is BBC reporter Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped by terrorists in Gaza over three months ago. Hamas says they will try to have him freed within two days.
MK Zahava Gal'on (Meretz) and other left-wing MKs say Israel must supply Gaza with food and supplies immediately, in order to prevent a humanitarian crisis. Former Justice Minister Tommy Lapid says Israel must provide supplies so as to prevent disease from spreading into Israel.
On the other hand, National Union MK Aryeh Eldad says Israel should not supply "even a grain of food," nor electricity nor other supplies, to the enemy terrorist entity. "Let Egypt or Iran take the responsibility," he said. His party colleague MK Effie Eitam agrees, but says that Israel must stop sending supplies gradually over the course of the next 3-6 months.
A decision regarding the supply of water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza is expected to be made this Wednesday in consultation with Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.
No More Fuel
Ynet reports that the Dor Alon fuel company has already stopped selling fuel to gas stations in Gaza, because of the Hamas takeover. However, it will continue to supply fuel to the electric power station in Gaza, which uses about a third of all gas in the region.