Israel Aims to Curb Rocket Fire, Weapons Smuggling in Gaza

RAY SUAREZ:

Now to the Gaza crisis, entering its sixth day with no immediate end in sight. Israel's government has rejected a cease-fire proposal. Its tanks are massing on the border. And air attacks continue on Hamas targets.

Among those targets are a number of tunnels running underneath the Gaza frontier with Egypt. Palestinians move tons of goods and gallons of fuel into Gaza from Egypt to counter restrictions imposed by Israel. These elaborate hand-dug tunnels have lights, winches, and communication systems. The Israeli government says Hamas is using these tunnels to bring weapons into Gaza.

For more on decisions being made by the Israelis, we go to General Michael Herzog, the chief of staff for Defense Minister Ehud Barak. I talked with him earlier this evening.

General, welcome to the program. Why did your government ultimately reject the calls for the truce?

GEN. MICHAEL HERZOG, Israeli Defense Official:

If we're going to talk about the truce or a cease-fire, we want to make sure that this is a sustainable one. We do not want to go back to a situation where our towns, and villages, and our citizens are being fired daily.

And the purpose of this campaign is to bring Hamas to cease the firing and any other hostile activities against Israel.

Now, we feel that right now Hamas is still not where we want it to be, namely still not willing to accept a sustainable cease-fire under our terms.

And it also referred to a humanitarian cease-fire, and we don't think that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. While we are fighting Hamas, we are allowing all necessary humanitarian supplies to go into Gaza, hundreds of trucks.

So we felt this was too early. We feel that this might help Hamas and not us. And we are continuing our pressure on Hamas.