Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 27 / Trend , U.Sadigova, A.Gut/ Israel's new attack on the Gaza Strip will not stop the resistance of the Palestinian HAMAS movement. The movement will stop its resistance to Israel in case of an armistice is signed, which is not of Tel-Aviv's interest.
Skirmishes between ZAHAL and HAMAS have been lasting at the Israel-Gaza Strip border for a week Every missile attack by HAMAS on Jewish settlements of Ashkelon and Sderot is followed by land and air attacks by the Israeli army on Gaza.
New clashes between HAMAS and Israeli army commenced on Dec. 19 after expiration of a six-month ceasefire agreement.
Although the agreement was extended by 24 hours, shelling was not stopped. Every day, Israel attacks HAMAS military units in Gaza, which leaves civilian victims.
On Dec. 25, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met in Cairo with President Hosni Mubarak to discuss a new ceasefire agreement with Egypt's mediation, according to the Arab Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
However, Livni's sharp speech for HAMAS with a threat to "eliminate the movement in this confrontation" demonstrates that skirmishes between the parties may develop into a large-scale war in near future.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak stated that Tel-Aviv does not intend to bear attacks by HAMAS and would soon launch a military operation against HAMAS members in Gaza.
Unceasing attacks by the Palestinian movement and Israeli army manifest that parties do not intend to sign a new agreement in future, quite the contrary, they are on the verge of a war.
A new armistice is not advantageous to Israel, because it will prolong HAMAS ruling in the Gaza Strip, and this is contrary to Tel-Aviv's interests, said Israel's former deputy defence minister Ephraim Sneh.
"Israel is interested in the soonest removal of HAMAS from power," Sneh told Trend .
After a victory at the parliamentary election of 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement committed a coup and drove out the troops of the governing FATAH party from the Gaza Strip.
Thus, Palestine is divided into two zones of influence: regime of Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Autonomy, dominates over the West Bank and Hamas still continues its control over the Gaza Strip. Israel blocked the Gaza Strip and closed Raffah check point in an attempt to overthrow Hamas regime which led to humanitarian catastrophe among the Palestinian civilians.
Sneh, leader of the Strong Israel party, believes that any truce will enable Hamas to rearm and strengthen control over Gaza, precisely what is taking place at the moment.
For many months Israeli and western media reported that Hamas will purchase new weapons and ammunition from its allies -- Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah-while there is truce with Israel. However, the reports were not officially confirmed by the Hamas leaders.
Israel should not only to stop missiles, but also put and end to Hamas movement, Sneh, member of Knesset (Israeli parliament), said.
"Hamas has strengthened so that it can even overthrow Fatah leadership and announce itself only government in Palestine," he said.
However, not only missiles fired by Hamas, but also Israel's rejection to sign truce are a reason for a new war in the region.
Palestinians analytics argue that the current threats to destroy Hamas are not realistic as the Palestinian movement has improved and its status among the population has increased.
Israel has been in Gaza's territory for 37 years (1967-2005). However, it was not able to protect its own soldiers from Hamas attacks. Therefore, it is difficult to believe that any military offensive, even intervention into the Gaza Strip, will put an end to resistance of the movement, Mohammad Yaghi, said commentator of Palestinian Al Ayyam newspaper.
If in case of a war Hamas feels that it has weakened, leaders of the movement would certainly make every effort to retaliate," Yaghi said to Trend by e-mail.
Missiles fired by Hamas is a response to armament of the Israeli army with high-tech American and British weapons, Hisham Ahmad, professor of political science at Birzeit University, said.
"Israel's purchasing arm from the United States means beginning of a new war in Gaza Strip. Palestinians protect their right by seeking to sign an equal armistice for everybody," Ahmad said to Trend by telephone from the Western Bank.
The United States has been a major arm provider of Israel since a six-day war in 1967. At present Tel Aviv has a well-equipped military and industrial complex and both countries have a close military cooperation, according to Electronic Jewish Encyclopaedia.
However, even good military equipment will not enable Israel to weaken conflict and attacks of the Palestinian movements.
In the case of a large-scale war in Gaza Strip, Israel should determine targets and strategy of this operation in order not to repeat mistakes of the second Lebanese war, Sneh, former deputy defence minister of Israel, said.
As a result of the second Lebanese war in summer 2006 between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah grouping, losses of Israel numbered 165 people, including civilians, although Zahal soldiers had an advantage during this war. The war lasted 33 days and Israel withdrew its troops from the southern territory of Lebanon after the end of the war.
Therefore, Israel needs several-month good work against military infrastructure of the Palestinian movement and other groupings for successful military operation against Hamas, Yaghi said.
"Israel has doubts on success of its incursion, because stay in Gaza Strip means rise of Israeli victims and expansion of Palestinians' resistance," he said.
In the case of weakening of activity of Hamas in Gaza Strip, the resistance movement will develop into blasts in the territory of Israel, as it was earlier, Yaghi said.
"Regardless consequences of this conflict, Hamas will never yield a regime in Gaza Strip, until situation remains unchangeable in the Western Bank," the Arabian analyst said.
"The Islamic Resistance Movement was organized in 1987 and manifested its activity more clearly during the first Palestinian intifada in 1988. Since its establishment, the movement targets to liberate the occupied Palestinian territories.
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