After meeting for some six hours on Tuesday, the security cabinet issued a laconic and amorphous statement that gave little indication of whether Israel had its sights set on war in Gaza, or a possible cease-fire arrangement.
“The security cabinet discussed the events in the South,” the three-sentence statement read. “The cabinet heard briefings from the IDF and security officials on the attacks and widespread action against terrorist sources in Gaza. The cabinet directed the IDF to continue its actions as needed."
“The security cabinet discussed the events in the South,” the three-sentence statement read. “The cabinet heard briefings from the IDF and security officials on the attacks and widespread action against terrorist sources in Gaza. The cabinet directed the IDF to continue its actions as needed."
Among those who took part in the meeting, in addition to Security Minister Gilad Erdan, were Mossad head Yossi Cohen and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit.
In parallel, Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement signaling that the organization was interested in tamping down the escalation. KAN Bet reported the statement as saying that “if the occupation will stop its aggressive action it will be possible to return to the cease-fire understandings.”
Egypt and the UN had brokered the understandings that would restore the situation in the South to what it was before weekly rioting along the Gaza border fence which had started in March. Those understandings, which included Qatar’s transferring $15 million over the weekend to Gaza to pay salaries, unraveled on Sunday after an IDF intelligence-gathering operation inside Gaza went awry, leading to one IDF officer and seven Palestinians killed.
In parallel, Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement signaling that the organization was interested in tamping down the escalation. KAN Bet reported the statement as saying that “if the occupation will stop its aggressive action it will be possible to return to the cease-fire understandings.”
Egypt and the UN had brokered the understandings that would restore the situation in the South to what it was before weekly rioting along the Gaza border fence which had started in March. Those understandings, which included Qatar’s transferring $15 million over the weekend to Gaza to pay salaries, unraveled on Sunday after an IDF intelligence-gathering operation inside Gaza went awry, leading to one IDF officer and seven Palestinians killed.
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