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in June, 2008, Egypt helped broker a 6-month cease-fire agreement
between Israel and Hamas, the ruling body in the Gaza Strip. Though the
cease-fire was broken several times by both sides, it largely held.
Toward the end of the cease-fire in December, Israel, while closing
Gaza's borders since November, indicated that it might extend the
agreement, if Hamas ceased all Qassam rocket attacks. Qassam rockets
are the crude but deadly homemade missiles often launched towards
Israeli territory (over 3,000 times in 2008 alone). Hamas leaders,
angered by the blockade and seemingly little political headway made
over the past 6 months, recently stepped up rocket attacks on Israel
once again. Israel has now responded with five days (so far) of air
attacks and Naval bombardment on Gaza, resulting in over 350 dead,
nearly 1,500 wounded and countless buildings and smugglers' tunnnels
destroyed. Hamas has threatened to increase the rocket attacks send
suicide bombers into Israel in retaliation, and Israel is massing
troops and tanks around Gaza for a possible ground assault
in June, 2008, Egypt helped broker a 6-month cease-fire agreement
between Israel and Hamas, the ruling body in the Gaza Strip. Though the
cease-fire was broken several times by both sides, it largely held.
Toward the end of the cease-fire in December, Israel, while closing
Gaza's borders since November, indicated that it might extend the
agreement, if Hamas ceased all Qassam rocket attacks. Qassam rockets
are the crude but deadly homemade missiles often launched towards
Israeli territory (over 3,000 times in 2008 alone). Hamas leaders,
angered by the blockade and seemingly little political headway made
over the past 6 months, recently stepped up rocket attacks on Israel
once again. Israel has now responded with five days (so far) of air
attacks and Naval bombardment on Gaza, resulting in over 350 dead,
nearly 1,500 wounded and countless buildings and smugglers' tunnnels
destroyed. Hamas has threatened to increase the rocket attacks send
suicide bombers into Israel in retaliation, and Israel is massing
troops and tanks around Gaza for a possible ground assault
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