Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 28, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba A6 Winnipeg free press Friday july 28, 2006 Mideast in crisis palestinians get warning of bombings blunders fuel Mideast conflict by Sarah Eldeeb Hezbollah Israel both miscalculated analysts by Charles j. Hanley t to weeks into the latest bout of blood and ruin in the mid dle East a question still reverberates from Jerusalem to Beirut and beyond Why Why did Hezbollah a guerrillas provoke an Israel already under pressure else where Why did Israel hit Back a thousand fold risking condemnation and untold consequences Veteran observers see miscalculation hidden motives a military Blunder. Hezbollah itself says it did to expect the furious backlash of israeli bombs and artillery that have battered Lebanon since july 12, when the islamic groups militiamen killed three israeli soldiers and seized two others in a Cross Border raid. Hezbollah miscalculated said political scientist Farid Khazen a sex intelligence official. Invincibility was for the first Tim Christian member of Lebanon spar some speculate Hezbollah a july compromised said jordanian com lament. They expected pinprick analysis 12 raid into northernmost Israel May men Tator Hasan Abu Nimah. Return fire and then backroom Deal even have been timed to scuttle an they re vulnerable in particular ing to Swap three lebanese prison imminent palestinians Only Deal to the missiles Hezbollah has fired Hezbollah had been Losinger for the israelis he said. Mediated by Egypt. Back longer Range than Ever before. Ground in Southern Lebanon because but they misread the changing the sudden second shoe on the the israeli retaliation was Dis its real claim to Fame was in stand International and regional situation Northern Border proved too much proportionate to the incident buting up to Israel until 2000, when september 11, the Iraq War the for the israelis said Daniel Kurtzer proportionate to the threat said israeli occupation troops withdrew fact Israel had a kidnapped Soldier . Ambassador to Israel in 2001-Alpher. From Lebanon a South said Walker in Gaza. Now with two in Hezbollah a 2005. Could things have been different president of the Middle East inst hands that a a recipe for Israel to if not for the Gaza situation they perhaps said Kurtzer ? if Israel Stute in Washington. Go completely might have responded in a More tra military had to blundered. In the now there was no Israel to Stan events in Lebanon meanwhile Dit ional tit for Tat Way ? bloody North Hezbollah Long boasted it up to had supplied the ingredients for noses and then ending up trading would grab israeli soldiers. It tried but there were still the prisoners. Hezbollah a bold action. Prisoners Kurtzer said. And failed last november. Analysts believe Hezbollah wanted in National dialogue sessions instead Israel responded with i left As ambassador last sep to link a lebanese israeli Exchange that began last March talks among devastating attacks on Lebanon tember and for at least six months with a Swap of palestinian detainees Beirut a sectarian and political fac extending beyond Hezbollah Mili before that Hezbollah was trying Tofor the Soldier seized june 25 on thet ions had focused on Hezbollah tary targets in what analysts see As do what it did recently Kurtzer Southern israeli Border by Gaza a building pressure on this last armed an Effort to pressure other lebanese said. The israelis have to Analyse Hamas fighters. Lebanese militia to disarm As called parties into neutralizing Hezbollah. How they failed so miserably allow Hezbollah acted out of Solidarity for in a in Resolution. I think the israelis reacted As ing it to happen knowing they herewith Hamas to pre empt Hamas tothe shiite cadres needed to revive they did because they Felt for the trying to do get a grip on prisoner exchanges an their cause said Edward Walker jr., first time in Gaza and again in South establish itself in a prominent role a Veteran . Mideast Diplomat. ? associated press Lebanon they Are vulnerable their said israeli analyst Yossi Alpher an Gaza City Gaza strip ? it was a phone Call Ibrahim Mahmoud says hell never forget. The woman on the other end speaking in hebrew accented arabic accused the appliance store owner of being a Hamas militant and informed him the israeli army would bomb his House. Hours later after he had already moved 20 relatives out of the four Storey building she called Back to Tell him she had made a mistake. Be Safe she said and Hung up according to Mahmoud. Dozens of other palestinians have recently received similar phone Calls Many of them on target in a new tactic the army said is meant to reduce civilian casualties in its month Long Offen Sive in Gaza. Palestinian officials dismissed the army a claim that the phone Calls Are meant to reduce deaths. The military is also dropping leaflets from air Craft warning people to stay away from militants. Also the army has taken Over Hamas radio frequencies for Short periods of time warning Resi dents to distance themselves from the militants. Israel launched its offensive after Hamas linked militants killed two soldiers and captured a third in a Cross Border raid on june 25. Since then More than 120 palestinians including Many civilians have been killed. On wednesday palestinians suffered their highest one Day casualty toll when the army killed 23 people among then 16 militants As Well As a Mother and her two Small daughters. Yesterday the israeli army killed five palestinians including a 75-year-old woman and a child. Also a palestinian was shot and killed in Jerusalem after he attacked a police patrol and the severely burned body of a Man thought to be israeli was found in the West Bank. The army has said it regrets the civilian casualties but accuses militants of operating from residential areas. So this week about 1,000 residents in the South Ern Gaza City of Khan Younis answered their phones and listened to a recorded message by the israeli army warning them against harbouring militants or hiding weapons. Government officials said some of the Calls reached hospitals and government offices. The palestinian phone company said the num Bers were apparently picked at random. The army said the Calls Are to specific Homes or areas but refused to say How it picked the numbers. Early today israeli troops and tanks pulled out of Northern Gaza residents said after a bloody two Day sweep. ? associated press ;