Azerbaijan, Baku, November 14/ Trend , corr U. Sadigova, A. Gut/ Israel wants to show Palestinian Hamas that despite internal political crisis, it is able to respond to any military attack by the movement.
"Israel's decision to launch military operations in Gaza points to a military power despite any political crisis within the country," Neil Quilliam, analyst at Control Risks, London-based Regional Security Research Center, said to Trend by telephone.
At the meeting of the Cabinet of Minister of Israel on November 12, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that despite truce with Hamas, Israel is concerned over the situation on Gaza borders. Prime Minister said therefore Israel can launch new military operations on borders with Gaza. Prime Minister's statements were supplemented with Defense Minister Ehud Barack who said that it is dangerous for Israel to sit on its hands and wait for new fires by the movement, Aljazeera reported.
In June, Israel signed truce with Hamas and other Palestinian armed forces operating in the Gaza strip through Egypt's mediation. However, there was a military clash between two sides on November 4.
"Hamasians took advantage of truce to a great extent by establishing almost autonomy with its own armed forces like Lebanese Hezbollah," said Mordekhay Kedar, analyst at the Israeli Strategic Research Center named after Begin Sadat at Bar Ilan University.
Construction of tunnels and underground shelters by Hamas and mining of fields in the Gaza Strip which has been under Hamas control since 2006 is the reason for Israel's willing to stop truce with the movement.
However, Israel's intentions to resume military operations in the Gaza Strip are of political rather than defense character. Israel should not worry about the security of the West Bank, whose several provinces are under control of US troops. It means it ensures Israel's tranquility on borders of Nablus, Beyt Lahm and other provinces.
However, it s not advantageous for Israel to lose control over the Gaza Strip borders completely. Though Gaza is in full blockade, Israel's intentions to recover its control over the Strip can push it towards confrontation with Hamas, said Mahdi Abdul Hadi, director of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs.
" Israel has good relations with the governing Fatah, therefore there is no need to told talks with the leader of the Palestinian Administration on possible military operations," Abdel Hadi said to Trend by telephone from Jerusalem.
The other reasons prompting Defense Minister Ehud Olmert to threaten Hamas with new military operations is the willing to show that Israel still can protect its interests despite instability in political scene, Palestinian analyst said.
In September, Prime Minister Olmert had to resign because of corruption allegations. After early election his office was taken by Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni. However, new Cabinet of Ministers has not been formed yet because of disagreements with the leader of opposition Likud party Binyamin Netanyagu and Ehud Olmert will act as Prime Minister until 2009 election.
Many Israeli experts on security say that large scale operation in the Gaza Strip is inevitable.
"It would be better to launch it today, but not wait until Hamas will strengthen its military potential," Israeli analyst Kedar said to Trend .
"Delaying military operations plays into the hands of Hamas which gets arms more and more," Kedar noted.
However, settlement of conflict between Israel and Palestine's Hamas movement should be carried out on international level as new confrontation is suitable for none of the sides.
Sides should take advantage of promises by the newly-elected US President Barrack Obama on impartial approach of Washington to the settlement of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to reach long-term truce and ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, independent Arab political expert Ghassan Attiyah said.
"New war will cost too much for both Israel and Hamas. It means that they will fire shells on each other's wrecks as everything has been bombed out in previous clashes," Atiyya, head of Iraqi Foundation of Development and Democracy said to Trend by telephone from London.
Expert said Hamas receives arms from Iran; therefore, Israel fears that Iran's influence will spread all over the region. Earlier Syria's strong pressure on the Palestinian movement undermined indirect talks between Damascus and Jerusalem where key point for Syria is severing ties with Hamas.
If Israel and US hold more open dialogue with the Palestinian Administration which would serve interests of Arabs, Hamas is more likely to join Palestinian-Israeli talks, Atiyya said.
Islamic Resistance Movement founded in 1987, was especially active during first Palestinian Intifad in 1988. Since its early days the chief goal of the movement was to liberate occupied Palestinian lands. Relations between Hamas and West Bank party Fatah undermined after victory in 2006 parliamentary election and taking control over the Gaza Strip.
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