Cabinet votes in favor of Gaza ceasefire

[toomuchtime_]

The National Security Cabinet has voted in favor of a unilateral Israeli truce declaration.



Ministers Bar-On and Yishai voted against the decision. (Roni Sofer)

Cabinet votes in favor of Gaza ceasefire - Israel News, Ynetnews

 

[DavidS]

What was the point of this? Hamas had 20,000 fighters and only a few hundred are dead. I can't believe all 20,000 "brave" Hamas soldiers didn't show themselves in front of the IDF and attack them. What cowards. Where are all those suicide bombers and IED's they promised? What wimps.

 

[toomuchtime_]

What was the point of this? Hamas had 20,000 fighters and only a few hundred are dead. I can't believe all 20,000 "brave" Hamas soldiers didn't show themselves in front of the IDF and attack them. What cowards. Where are all those suicide bombers and IED's they promised? What wimps.

The cease fire will begin at 2:00 AM Jerusalem time, 7:00 PM US east coast time, and Hamas has pledged to continue fighting until all their demands are met, regardless of the cost, as one of their spokesmen said, and Israel has promised to return fire if Hamas continues to fight, so this may be the briefest cease fire in history if Hamas is to be believed.

 

[toomuchtime_]

After 21 days, Israel declares end to fighting: The National Security Cabinet voted Saturday evening to end the military operation in the Gaza Strip. Seven ministers supported the decision, two others objected, and one abstained.



In a statement following the vote, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel fully achieved the operation's objectives, adding that the IDF will end its military operations at 2 am Sunday.



The prime minister noted that Hamas sustained hard blows during the operation, adding that the group is an offshoot of Iran.




"Iran, with its weapons smuggling, attempted to do with Hamas what it did with Hizbullah in Lebanon," he said. "This is not a ceasefire with Hamas. These are understanding with elements in the international community which Hamas, as an illegitimate entity, has no place to be involved in."



The PM also noted that for the time being the IDF would not be withdrawing from Gaza.



"These understandings do not guarantee a cessation of Hamas' rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. If they stop, we too shall stop. If not, IDF soldiers will hit back," he said.



Turning his attention to IDF captive Gilad Shalit, Olmert said: "The Israeli government is working in many ways to bring Gilad Shalit home and, during the days of the operation, we did many things that brought us closer to this goal, upon which I will not elaborate."




"Gilad is at the top of our list of priorities," the PM said.