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Israel Won't Repeat Ground Campaign in Gaza as Strikes Continue

by Rob Walker | February 2, 2009 at 01:01 pm

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While truce talks continued among a number of parties, including the new US envoy to the middle east and French president Sarkozy, a Palestinian mortar attack and Israeli missile strike threatened the uneasy calm.

Only a day after Israeli Prime Minister promised a 'disproportionate' response to the rocket fire, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said the government has no plans to carry out another Operation Cast Lead.

However on Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said the government has no plans to carry out a repeat of Operation Cast Lead, the recent 22-day military campaign aimed at ending Hamas rocket attacks, said Reuters.
"It is not our intention to have an Operation Cast Lead 2," he said in an interview with the YNet news website. "We said there would be a response and there was a response last night."

George Mitchell, the United States envoy to the Middle East, has met with the French president after completing his first round of regional meetings in which he is aiming to revive peace talks in the troubled area.

While the United Nations continues to ask for funds to bring more humanitarian aid to Gaza, the United States pledged $20.3 million for emergency food and medical aid for the strip.

US President Barack Obama has designated 20.3 million US dollars for emergency food and medical aid for the Gaza Strip, Obama's envoy to the Middle East announced on Friday.
US Envoy George Mitchell made the announcement during a visit to the headquarters of UNRWA, the UN's relief agency for Palestinian refugees, which serves hundreds of thousands in Gaza.

The appeal, meant to help 1.4 million people over the next nine months, was delivered to diplomats at the U.N.'s Geneva headquarters by U.N. Undersecretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes.

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Red Cyclon

at 15:46 on February 2nd, 2009

While the truce talk continues the Gaza Blockade continues , only 10 % of the relief supplied been allowed. I agree Israel do not need to carry out Cast Lead 2 since the siege and blockade will do the job and kill more Palestinians.

tikun

at 03:45 on February 3rd, 2009

Free Shalit and then the borders in Israel will open fully. Btw, there are plenty of trucks filled with aid making its way into Gaza from Israel in spite of what you may think.