Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni talks to SPIEGEL about the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip and why she believes it is a mistake to negotiate with Hamas. Israeli soldiers chant slogans after a briefing before entering Gaza on a combat mission Sunday. SPIEGEL: Ms. Livni, has Israel achieved its aim of destroying the radical Islamist group Hamas? Tzipi Livni: No, but Israel has successfully weakened Hamas and dealt it a heavy blow. The operation was never about destroying Hamas -- rather our aim was to restore our deterrence capability. We took their leaders by surprise with our operation. They will think twice before they dare to fire the next rocket at Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni talks to SPIEGEL about the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip and why she believes it is a mistake to negotiate with Hamas.
Israeli soldiers chant slogans after a briefing before entering Gaza on a combat mission Sunday.
SPIEGEL: Ms. Livni, has Israel achieved its aim of destroying the radical Islamist group Hamas?
Tzipi Livni: No, but Israel has successfully weakened Hamas and dealt it a heavy blow. The operation was never about destroying Hamas -- rather our aim was to restore our deterrence capability. We took their leaders by surprise with our operation. They will think twice before they dare to fire the next rocket at Israel.
Despite the horrifically high death toll among civilians, Israel continues its war in the Gaza Strip, even threatening to launch a full invasion. So far the United Nations and the European Union have failed in their attempts to bring about a cease-fire. They return after the sun has set over Gaza. All that can be heard at first is the droning of diesel engines. Then the headlights cut through the darkness and Israeli Merkava tanks emerge from the clouds of dust churned up by their heavy chains. Soldiers covered in sweat and dirt climb from the cockpits, young conscripts hardly 20 years old. They have spent the last three days and nights in their tanks, where they have eaten, slept and relieved themselves. They embrace each other, sing songs and talk about how smoothly everything went. "How many terrorists did you kill?" someone asks Benni from Petach Tikva. "Three," says Benni, which earns him a congratulatory slap on the back. But Benni isn't in the mood for celebration. "I had to do it, but they are humans, too." "Oh, come on," says the other soldier, "you're a great guy."
Despite the horrifically high death toll among civilians, Israel continues its war in the Gaza Strip, even threatening to launch a full invasion. So far the United Nations and the European Union have failed in their attempts to bring about a cease-fire.
They return after the sun has set over Gaza. All that can be heard at first is the droning of diesel engines. Then the headlights cut through the darkness and Israeli Merkava tanks emerge from the clouds of dust churned up by their heavy chains.
Soldiers covered in sweat and dirt climb from the cockpits, young conscripts hardly 20 years old. They have spent the last three days and nights in their tanks, where they have eaten, slept and relieved themselves.
They embrace each other, sing songs and talk about how smoothly everything went. "How many terrorists did you kill?" someone asks Benni from Petach Tikva. "Three," says Benni, which earns him a congratulatory slap on the back. But Benni isn't in the mood for celebration. "I had to do it, but they are humans, too." "Oh, come on," says the other soldier, "you're a great guy."
Israeli troops have made their deepest push yet into Gaza since the beginning of the 18-day-old conflict, as Palestinians prepare for another night of heavy shelling. The Israeli military said on Tuesday its air force had hit what it described as 60 Hamas targets overnight, while 19 rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel in the same period. Israeli jets have continued to pound the city of Rafah in southern Gaza near the border with Egypt. Israel is using "bunker-busting" bombs in an attempt to destroy underground tunnels it says have been used to smuggle weapons and goods into the blockaded Gaza Strip. Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said tens of thousands of Palestinians had fled their homes after the Israeli military dropped leaflets warning them of intensive air strikes.
Israeli troops have made their deepest push yet into Gaza since the beginning of the 18-day-old conflict, as Palestinians prepare for another night of heavy shelling.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday its air force had hit what it described as 60 Hamas targets overnight, while 19 rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel in the same period.
Israeli jets have continued to pound the city of Rafah in southern Gaza near the border with Egypt.
Israel is using "bunker-busting" bombs in an attempt to destroy underground tunnels it says have been used to smuggle weapons and goods into the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said tens of thousands of Palestinians had fled their homes after the Israeli military dropped leaflets warning them of intensive air strikes.
This is beyond delusional. I don't know where this ends, but I doubt it will end well. If there are people in New York calling for the elimination of all palestinians, you can bet there are siren voices within the Knesset saying similar things. Heck, I could name a couple of likely suspects.
what will become of Israel if they go much further : Their friends should be terrified. keep to the Fen Causeway
TEL AVIV -- Despite heavy air and ground assaults, Israel has yet to cripple the military wing of Hamas or destroy the group's ability to launch rockets, Israeli intelligence officials said on Tuesday, suggesting that Israel's main goals in the conflict remain unfulfilled even after more than two weeks of war. The comments reflected a view among some Israeli officials that any lasting solution to the conflict would require either a breakthrough diplomatic accord that heavily restricts Hamas's military abilities or a deeper ground assault into urban areas of Gaza, known here as a possible "Phase Three" of the war.
TEL AVIV -- Despite heavy air and ground assaults, Israel has yet to cripple the military wing of Hamas or destroy the group's ability to launch rockets, Israeli intelligence officials said on Tuesday, suggesting that Israel's main goals in the conflict remain unfulfilled even after more than two weeks of war.
The comments reflected a view among some Israeli officials that any lasting solution to the conflict would require either a breakthrough diplomatic accord that heavily restricts Hamas's military abilities or a deeper ground assault into urban areas of Gaza, known here as a possible "Phase Three" of the war.
