Hamas is Angry --Israel Calls it Enemy Entity

Defense Minister Ehud Barak got his wish as the government declared the Gaza Strip an enemy entity today. This is the second time in a little over two year that Gaza was named enemy territory. The last time was in August of 2005 when Jewish Settlers were the enemy.

Hamas did not take the news lightly, they said the action was an "Act of War." Insiders in Hamas have told me that they were not prepared for this action. A High ranking member of the Government said to me, "I don't get it, we love those guys why would they say such mean stuff to us. Shut of our electric....we are nice guys--what did we ever do to them?"

Ok there was no high ranking insider, but my quote was no more ridiculous than their "act of war" statement. So those missiles they have been sending into Sedrot..what the hell were they acts of love?

Government declare Gaza "enemy entity"
THE JERUSALEM POST

The government decided to declare the Gaza Strip an enemy entity on Wednesday, choosing to adopt a plan presented by Defense Minister Ehud Barak during the security cabinet meeting in which it was recommended that electricity be cut off the region's 1.4 million Palestinian residents.

Barak went on to say that he was not in favor of a large-scale military incursion into Gaza.

According to a government press release, Wednesday's unanimous decision determined:

"Hamas is a terrorist organization that has taken control of the Gaza Strip and turned it into hostile territory. This organization engages in hostile activity against the State of Israel and its citizens and bears responsibility for this activity.

"In light of the foregoing, it has been decided to adopt the recommendations that have been presented by the security establishment, including the continuation of military and counter-terrorist operations against the terrorist organizations.

"Additional sanctions will be placed on the Hamas regime in order to restrict the passage of various goods to the Gaza Strip and reduce the supply of fuel and electricity. Restrictions will also be placed on the movement of people to and from the Gaza Strip. The sanctions will be enacted following a legal examination, while taking into account both the humanitarian aspects relevant to the Gaza Strip and the intention to avoid a humanitarian crisis."

Following the decision, a UN official called the move problematic, telling Army Radio that since Gaza was still under Israeli occupation and Israel controlled all crossings in and out of the area, collective punishment of all Gaza residents would constitute a violation of international law.

Meanwhile, however, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Tzahi Hanegbi told Army Radio on Wednesday that a ground incursion into Gaza was unavoidable.

In the meantime, Hanegbi said, there was no need to pamper them with fuel and electricity.

Cutting off electricity would be the most severe of the retaliatory measures Israel has taken recently against near-daily Kassam rocket fire from Gaza into the South. Israel hopes to force Hamas to stop the attacks because Israeli air strikes and land incursions against the rocket launchers have not been effective.

The crude rockets have killed 12 people in southern Israel in the past seven years, injured dozens more and badly disrupted daily life in the region.

Gaza's population, largely impoverished, is almost entirely dependent on Israel for the supply of electricity, water and fuel, and a cutoff would deepen their hardship. Since the Hamas takeover, Israel has closed crossings with Gaza almost entirely, allowing in only humanitarian aid.

Several ministers have expressed support for cutting off the supply of resources to the territory, but such action would draw international condemnation, and Olmert and the IDF are said to oppose it.