Amidror told Army Radio today that he disagrees strongly with Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim's premise that Israel has essentially used up all its military options. "We must stop fooling ourselves," Amidror said. "Either we want to stop the Kassams on Sderot, or we don't. If we do, then there is a simple way: to conquer the Gaza Strip – or at least those areas from where the rockets are fired, plus an additional two-kilometer zone around it. It will require, in my opinion, about two divisions. True, there will be a price to such an offensive, but just because there will be a price doesn't mean it’s impossible. Those who are afraid to pay this price shouldn't say that we can't do it, but should rather say that they don't want to pay the price. Actually, I don't think that the price will be as heavy as is feared. We did the same thing in Shechem (Nablus) and Jenin, and terrorism there dropped to almost zero."



"Do you know why we don't have Kassams from Kalkilye?" Amidror asked. "Because we conquered Kalkilye, and we don't allow them to produce Kassams. For us to go into Kalkilye requires three jeeps, while when we want to go into Gaza, we need a whole tank unit."



Deputy Defense Minister Boim proposed this morning an IDF artillery offensive against the areas of Gaza from which Arab terrorists have fired rockets at Jewish towns in the western Negev. He said that Israel will give new Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) a limited amount of time to act against the terrorists.



Minister Gideon Ezra, one of the leading supporters of the unilateral withdrawal plan from Gaza and the northern Shomron, said today, "As strongly as I support the disengagement, it cannot be accomplished under fire. If terrorism continues while we withdraw, we must stop the withdrawal until such time as the Gazan terrorism is crushed."