Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
Israeli FM vows to strike back at Hamas
AFP - 1 hour 25 minutes ago
CAIRO (AFP) - - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni vowed on Thursday to strike back at the Hamas rulers of Gaza after a sharp escalation of violence in the Palestinian territory dashed hopes of a new truce.
"Enough is enough. The situation is going to change," Livni said in Cairo after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip since a truce expired six days ago.
"Unfortunately there is one address to the situation of the people in the Gaza Strip, this is Hamas, Hamas controls them, Hamas decided to target Israel, this is something that has to be stopped and this is what we're going to do," she said in English.
"Yesterday's escalation was unbearable," Livni said after Gaza militants hit Israel with their biggest rocket barrage in six months to avenge the killing of three fighters from the Islamist movement.
"Hamas needs to understand that our aspiration for peace does not mean that Israel will take this situation any longer," Livni said at a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.
"Hamas's control of the Gaza Strip is not only Israel's problem, we understand the needs of Egypt but what we are doing is an expression of the needs of the region."
Abul Gheit, whose government mediated the six-month truce that expired on Friday, called for restraint in the impoverished territory that has been ruled by Hamas since it routed its rival Fatah movement in June 2007.
"Egypt has made clear that there should be restraint and no escalation and an alleviation of the humanitarian situation," he said, saying Israel should refrain from "collective punishment."
He said Egypt would continue its mediation efforts, but expressed pessimism that a new truce could be achieved.
"Egypt wont stop its efforts as long as the parties agree. But I do not imagine that we can convince both parties to return to the truce as long as there is such a strong confrontation between them."
Israel's Maariv newspaper said the security cabinet had given the army the go-ahead to conduct expanded operations in Gaza after a meeting on Wednesday and Defence Minister Ehud Barak warned that Israel would respond to the fire.
"Hamas... will pay a big price," he said Wednesday. "We will not allow this situation to last."
Hamas has vowed to step up attacks if Israel strikes Gaza, a tiny enclave sandwiched between Egypt and Israel that is home to 1.5 million largely aid-dependent Palestinians.
"(Israel) should know that any decision to attack the Gaza Strip will open the gates of hell and we will make you regret your stupidity with tears of blood," the group's armed wing the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said.
Since Friday's expiry of the truce, Israel has threatened to launch a major offensive on Gaza, with top leaders threatening to topple Hamas, considered a terrorist group by Israel and the West.
In turn, Hamas -- which is sworn to the destruction of the Jewish state -- has warned it would retaliate by resuming suicide bombings inside Israel. The last such attack was in January 2005.
A UN statement said UN chief Ban Ki-moon was "gravely concerned" about the situation, that he condemned the rocket attacks and also called for an urgent easing of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
Pope Benedict XVI also urged an end to "hatred and violence" in the Middle East during his midnight mass Christmas homily ahead of a planned trip to the region in May.
Israel kept Gaza sealed off on Thursday but analysts have said its leaders would be wary of launching a major military operation with a general election just weeks away in February.
Opinion polls show the right-wing Likud party of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to win, a result that could put peace talks with the Palestinians on hold.
Aid groups have warned of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has been virtually cut off from the outside world since Hamas violently ousted its rivals from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah faction in June 2007.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: World
For first time, Christmas official holiday in IraqAP - 25 minutes ago
The Nation's WeatherAP - 31 minutes ago
Officials: 19 dead in Ukraine apartment gas blastAP - 55 minutes ago
Tourists, locals pray in Bethlehem on ChristmasAP - 1 hour 2 minutes ago
Coup leader declares himself new Guinea 'president'AFP - 1 hour 22 minutes ago
Enlarge Photo
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (right) shakes hands with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni during a meeting in Cairo. Livni vhas owed to end Hamas's control of the Gaza Strip after an escalation of violence in the Palestinian territory.
Most Popular – World
Viewed
US sees no holiday cheer; Russia, China warn of grim 2009
French investor takes life after massive losses in Madoff scandal
Housing market feels more pain, bottom not yet in sight
Quake zone hero pig named China's animal of the year
Actress Jennifer Aniston appears naked in GQ magazine
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular