Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opened the Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning with a quiet warning to Hamas terrorists that Israeli tolerance for rocket fire from Gaza is waning.
“We are not eager to fight,” he told Cabinet ministers, but we do not fear a battle. In any event, we shall not tolerate the price tag the terror organizations are attempting to set.”
Olmert pointed out that the end of the ceasefire came after repeated violations by terrorists in Gaza, despite Israel’s restraint. Twelve days ago, Israel finally responded to what it said was an intolerable violation of the agreement and destroyed a tunnel that had been prepared for the purpose of kidnapping another IDF soldier.
“The terror organizations have led to the collapse of the truce,” said Olmert, “and have created a situation of ongoing violence, and are trying time after time to thwart the tahadiyeh (“lull” in Arabic –ed.) whether in the tunnels or by firing Grad and Kassam missiles or by attempting to target IDF soldiers near the fence on the border between us and Gaza.”
However, Olmert stopped short of saying there would be a massive response to the attacks, noting “I know there is a lot of anger and the blood is boiling, but the government headed by myself has operated composedly, using judgment… and this is what will happen this time as well.”
Not all ministers agreed with Olmert’s attitude, including the Hamas terrorists who control Gaza and who are behind the attacks. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told Hebrew-language newspaper Yediot Acharonot, “The side violating the truce time after time is the Israeli side operating on Palestinian territory and killing Palestinians from the air.”
The terrorist group’s spokesman made it clear that from Gaza’s viewpoint, the truce was over, and blamed Israeli air strikes on rocket launchers for the violence. “The Israeli threats and the Israeli operations will not prevent Hamas and the other organizations from responding. We won’t live in puddles of blood and with body remains while the Israelis enjoy the truce.”
Religious Affairs Minister Yitzchak HaLevi Cohen told reporters just before entering the Cabinet chambers, “I don’t believe in the “lull.” We must operate intensively from the air against the tunnels, against the terror headquarters and against the strength accumulated by Hamas – and then discuss Israel’s policy.” He was joined by Shas Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Eli Yishai.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, considered a strong candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 10, told a meeting of Kadima ministers prior to the meeting bluntly that “the truce is being violated. This is a fact.”
Livni added that the government had long known that the terrorists could not be relied upon to keep their word, “and therefore we set clear rules that would serve as our condition for an agreement – it will be calm on the Israeli side only if it’s calm on the Palestinian side…. We have said that if they fire, Israel will respond immediately. As for the nature of the response, the army must present us with the options.”