WORLD at WAR, Official 2012 Thread (TO BE CONTINUED) Israel, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, PA, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, North Korea, Russia, China, U.S.

Stay save in NY the coming days.

Be extra and very within you at all your highstate.

Come back save, Steve.

Thanks bud!

You make some good points!

Extremely frustrating to deal with this threat day in and day out!!!

[link to www.weeklystandard.com]

Hamas Rejects Ceasefire; Decision for Ground Invasion Coming Soon

"Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook said on Sunday evening that the terror group rejected two of Israel’s ceasefire demands out of hand, sinking talks in Egypt," the Times of Israel reports.

The first demand was that Hamas commit to creating a 1-kilometer buffer zone along the border with Gaza, beyond which people cannot enter. The width of the “no-man’s-land” currently varies at different points along the border, and averages about 300 meters.

The second condition laid down by Israel was that Hamas put an end to all weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip.

Abu Marzook said that Israel’s conditions are meaningless and that Hamas demands an immediate ceasefire without any conditions.

With Hamas rejecting a ceasefire, tonight will likely be a critical decision-making moment in Israel. Netanyahu will have to decide whether to approve a ground invasion or seek to stop Hamas rocket fire through airstrikes alone -- which so far have slowed, but not stopped, Hamas attacks.

Get some weeks off, relax, you are very up the edge, that happens, but it is of NO GOOD. Your life here is not supposed to be like that.

Take care, and have faith. Relax.

just sabre rattling that's all it will remain at - prodding and pushing no more

FWIW - Both Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer of CNN are now in Israel and Gaza as of today. Probably not a good sign for anyone expecting a quick cessation of hostilities. They don't send in big wigs like this if they are expecting things to settle down usually!

Guys, a head's up, in case you didn't notice. Trinity has lifted the bans. It's already crazy out there!

So, are the truce talks over?

Looks like Israel has new air strike strategy....Multiple reports of cars being hit....

Take a target out in a car...less collateral damage...

Here's an example tweet...

Mohammed Omer (@Mogaza)
11/18/12, 5:50 PM
Another car was just hit by #Israeli drones. Bodies are burned, but seems fingers of young people. God when is this going to end?

Someone tweeted back "when Islam is wiped off the face of the earth" yikes

<img border=0 src=" [link to i.chzbgr.com]

They are ready in Gaza

Israel says no truce while shots fired...

[link to www.skynews.com.au]

Also...Looks like someone is trying to stabilize Jordan....

Protests started b/c gov't ended fuel subsidies (which were bankrupting it)...

Egypt has just agreed to fully honor a natural gas contract w/ Jordan (which supplies Gas at below market price)....

Should significantly lower gas prices (reason for current protests)...

ME Analyst called it a "game changer"

Is Qatar (which is financing MB led gov't of Egypt) working behind the scenes to help another monarchy?

Bump for active threads!

This ain't happening -

According to reports in Cairo, Israel put forward six key demands for ceasefire, threatened ground offensive in Gaza if no response within 48 to 72 hours

1. A lull for a period of more than 15 years.

2. An immediate cessation of arms smuggling and the transfer of weapons to Gaza.

3. Cessation of rocket fire on the part of all armed Palestinian factions and an end to attacks on soldiers near the Gaza border.

4. Israel has the right to hunt down terrorists in the event of an attack or if it obtains information on an imminent attack.

5. The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain open, but the crossings on the Gaza-Israel border will remain closed.

6. Egypt's politicians, headed by President Mohammed Morsi, will be the guarantors of any ceasefire agreement. Meaning, the agreement will be backed by Egypt's political echelon rather than by its security establishment.

[link to www.ynetnews.com]

agreed, egypt and hamas may sign on this, but they will NEVER live up to it

Thanks for answering my truce question....Looks like its off...

This offer is so good it almost looks like its fake... Actually, I'd guess its a fake or Israel truly is facing an imminent existential threat...

I see 2 take-aways....

1) Point 1 - This is Good Deal for Hamas - One of the big underpinnings of the Arab Spring is arguably the fact that the average Arab "man on the street" has been denied self-respect... This deal allows Hamas to save face & claim a win...It has built-in self-respect... Hamas stood up to the Zionists and got a huge concession (a concession that will affect the life of every Gazan) - the border crossing w/ Egypt will be permanently re-opened... Note - the concessions imposed on Hamas are not that onerous...(No recognize our right to exist - just give us a 15 year lull)....

Reminds me of the final deal offered to Arafat...He was offered the best deal possible & he didn't accept it...Either he was incapable of accepting it (some personal defect) or he wasn't in charge...I read somewhere that, in some respects, Israel offered that deal as a test...If we give them a good deal, what will they do? If that is Israeli strategy - this is an example...

2) Point 2 - This will establish whether the redirect was wise - The political leadership of Egypt will guarantee the deal...Is this an attempt the make a deal with the Moslem Brotherhood (overall & not just Hamas)? Supposedly, the West's entire policy in the MENA is based upon the redirect (we re-allied ourselves with Sunni Islamists to take on Shias)...Israel just offered the Sunni Islamists a truce (the whole underpinning of "the redirect"). If they don't accept it, why the hell have we been helping these guys?

That's just my thoughts...

Hamad, are you smart enough to jump on this?

oh my.

The peace talks are definitely a fail.

The operation could begin at anytime although I believe Israel will prefer the cover of nighttime operation for the initial push in.

It's a trap. Israel should stay out of Gaza.

i can't even see hamas signing it

your asking too much

AFP Article on Cease-Fire Talks...

In Cairo, senior Hamas officials said Egyptian-mediated talks with Israel to end the bloodshed were "positive" but now focused on the possible stumbling block of guaranteeing the terms of a truce.

An outcome acceptable to Hamas would involve assurances about the United States, Israel's main backer, being the "guaranteeing party," one official said on condition of anonymity.

Security officials in Cairo said an Israeli envoy had also arrived in the Egyptian capital on Sunday for the talks.

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi, meanwhile, met with both Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal and Islamic Jihad chief Abdullah Shalah to discuss "Egyptian efforts to end the aggression," his office said without giving details.

But Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman insisted that "the first and absolute condition for a truce is stopping all fire from Gaza," and that all armed groups would have to commit to it.


[link to www.google.com]

Reuters live feed picked up Armored Personnel Carriers lined up somewhere near Gaza City...

[link to twitter.com (secure)]

They have lawn chairs - did they get APC's through the tunnels? that's ridiculous....

Also, Hamas Harry has been knocked off the air...There are pics of building in Gaza City on fire, several Tweeters say it's Harry's building...

Thanks DD for the updates.

Incoming missiles again in Israel.