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YELLOW ALERT

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Updated March 28. 2010

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Israeli Commander Warns of More Fighting


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After withdrawing IDF forces on Saturday, a new column of Israeli armor, including bulldozers moved about 500 yards across the border into the Gaza Strip on Sunday evening. More details, LINK HERE. Additional details, LINK HERE.

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(A-O Newswire) -- IDF ground forces have withdrawn from th Gaza Strip after invading the territory for nearly 18 hours.following a border incident that left 2 Israeli soldiers dead.

The episode began after an IDF border patrol spotted Hamas operatives planting bombs near the border fence. Both sides opened fire killing 2 IDF soldiers and 2 Palestinian gunmen. The Israeli government then ordered a retaliatory operation to cleanse the area of Hamas operatives. The operation included not only ground troops and tanks but also air strikes and a naval bombardment.

The latest fighting followed a week of Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel as tensions have mounted along the border between Israel and Gaza. The IDF issued a public statement on the latest operation which stated:

"We will not tolerate any attempt to harm the citizens of the state of Israel and we will continue to operate firmly against anyone who uses terror against it."

The military clash also comes amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between Israel and the White House after President Obama snubbed Israel's Prime Minister during a White House meeting in which the President reportedly left the Prime Minister alone for nearly an hour while the President had dinner with his family in the residential quarters. It is unclear whether the snub had any connection with Israel's determination to stand up to Hamas as the White House seeks to restart peace talks.

For more details on the clash - LINK HERE.

 

 

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March 26, 2010

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9:30 pm Eastern USA Time Zone 

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(A-O Newswire) --Israel is making a deadly show of force in the Gaza Strip after a violent clash that killed 2 IDF soldiers and 2 Palestinians on Friday.

Friday night, Israeli tanks and infantry rolled into the Gaza Strip backed by helicopter gunships and Israeli Air Force jets in a show of force apparently designed to demonstrate to Hamas that Israel will no longer tolerate Kassam rocket attacks, which had once again become prevalent in the past week. It is the first time Israeli troops have crossed into the Gaza Strip "in force" since the "Gaza War of 2009."

There are also reports that the Israeli Navy has bombarded the Gaza coastline from warships lying offshore. Eyewitnesses report that Israeli tanks and bulldozers were moving towards the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. There are reports of air strikes by Israeli war jets in conjunction with the ground advance.

As the military action swung into motion, Israel's Defense Chief, Ehud Barak issued a warning to Hamas leadership of the ramifications for actions perpetrated by Gaza-based militants.Barak stated on Channel 2 Television in Israel that:

"We have been used to seeing breakaway [Palestinian] groups doing the firing, and Hamas trying to calm things down. Possibly it is loosening its grip, for all sorts of reasons. Should that indeed prove to be the case, then there will also be ramifications for Hamas."

The defense minister's comments came after the worst outbreak of violence between Israel Defense Forces soldiers and Gaza-based militants since the end of Operation Cast Lead in January 2009.

Two IDF soldiers were killed Friday in clashes with Palestinian militants near the Kissufim crossing along the Gaza border, an IDF spokesperson confirmed. One of the soldiers killed was the regiment's deputy commander.

The incident began on Friday morning when IDF troops crossed into Gaza after they spotted militants planting explosives along the security fence on the border. A gunbattle broke out, leaving two soldiers and two militants dead, the IDF said.

 

A-O Analysis


It is entirely possible that this Israeli operation is an effort to trigger a retaliation by Iran or its proxy force, Hezbollah. Israeli leaders may well be looking for any provocation from Hezbollah that would enable Israel to take off the kid-gloves, and take on Hezbollah before striking out against Iran's nuclear sites. As we understand from various intelligence groups and think-tanks, there seems to be indications that Iran is looking for Israel to "start" something so that Iran can in turn strike Israel. We could be witnessing the start of a major conflict, depending upon whether or not Iran is as eager for war as their prior rhetoric indicated.

This development may also be related to the diplomatic rift between Washington and Israel and Netanyahu's meeting on Tuesday with President Obama. That meeting reportedly turned into an ugly meeting in which Obama got up and left the Prime Minister to go eat dinner with his family, leaving the Israeli leader alone with a list of 13 demands presented by the President upon Netanyahu's arrival. It was the President's way of insulting the Israeli leader as a payback for what the President deemed was an insult by Netanyahu towards Vice President Biden during Biden's visit to Israel. The two leaders apparently have more than mere differences on policy. It is reported that there is a personality clash between the two leaders. Obama reportedly has nothing but personal contempt for Netanyahu.

This latest military action by Israel may be a means of testing President Obama, hoping it will generate renewed political pressure against the White House from Israeli supporters in America - especially the American Jewish Community. This latest military action may be testimony to a stiffened resolve by the Israeli government to not let President Obama furhter dictate Israeli policy, as had been the case. Israel may want to use this military operation as a means to destroy Obama's plans for peace talks and thus remove the pressure the White House has placed on Netanyahu to conform to the Presidents demands that would otherwise re-establish peace talks.

It is also possible that the "rift" between the two nations and the reported personality clash - is nothing less than a case of remarkable acting designed to fool and lure Israel's enemies into a trap for war in which Israel and America would have an excuse to finally take out Iran's nuclear program once and for all. Such a view is but a back-channel theory by some pundits and analysts who privately have wondered if perhaps both sides have "protesteth too much" as if the rift was but play-acting for strategic surprise trap that would be sprung open in a series of developments. We don't necessarily think this is the case, but it is perhaps a possibility worth considering.

At the present moment, based upon what little information is available in the first hours of this situation, we strongly suspect that this operation will be short-lived and concluded within the next six to twelve hours unless there is some sort of provocation by Hamas to extend the Israeli operations or there is intervention by Hezbollah or Syria or directly by Iran.

If the operation winds down in the next twelve hours, look for heightened tensions to remain along Israel's northern border and possibly some sort of provocation by Hezbollah. If Hezbollah moves into action, it will be at the direction of Iran and thus holds a strong likelihood for the conflict to spread further.

For mroe details, See the links below. Further Updates will be posted as needed on Saturday or if necessary - we'll move to a RED ALERT for 24/7 news coverage.

 

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