18/01/2009 | al Manar TV"Trying to hide a smile and a sense of self-satisfaction Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced the cameras at the Defense Ministry and declared to the Israeli public, 'We won.' The Israel occupation forces objectives for its operation in the Gaza Strip were 'obtained in full.' Hamas was 'surprised and badly beaten,' the Israeli government 'made decisions responsibly and wisely,' the Israeli occupation forces' performance was excellent and the southern home front 'displayed resilience", the Israeli newspaper Haaretz said in an analysis published on Sunday.
"Olmert would have loved to have been able to say the same thing back in 2006, at the end of the Second Lebanon War. But then he had to confront a disappointed and outraged public calling for an inquiry into the government's handling of the war. The Gaza operation was undoubtedly intended to redeem Olmert, and will be used as a springboard for a comeback - if he avoids conviction on any of the charges pending against him", the analysis said.
"Israel's military achievement in the fighting was aided by prior preparation and the creation of national and international legitimacy for the operation. The success was further assisted by the weakness of Hamas, in comparison to Hezbollah in the Second Lebanon War, and the Israeli forces' willingness to sustain losses that in the end were less than expected", it added.
Rocket fire from the Strip into Israel continued throughout, and it will take a few weeks to determine whether they will stop.
Olmert finally accepted the suggestions of Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, after a week of delays. Livni was the first to suggest a unilateral cease-fire. She also initiated the "agreement to prevent arms smuggling" that she signed with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday, providing Israel with an excuse to scale back its operations in Gaza.
"Barak was the progenitor of the two-phase truce: First a cease-fire is declared. If Hamas stops firing rockets then Israel pulls its forces out of the Gaza Strip. If rocket fire resumes then the Israeli forces goes back in, this time with the international backing gained by having tried a truce", Haaretz analyzed.
Saturday's decision includes both Livni's unilateralism and Barak's two-phase strategy. Olmert and Barak attempted to present a common front yesterday, after their public disagreement last week.
"But Hamas' gains cannot be ignored: It has won international legitimacy and sympathy, and its forces still control the Gaza Strip", the analysis ended by saying.
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