The message must be loud and clear!

So......when is a truce not a truce? Well, when one side thinks it can get away with breaking it without consequence. Israel saw this happen with over two hundred and thirty rockets fired by Hamas during the six month Hudna, which Hamas decided they could do without after December 19th. Israel says it will answer every breach of the current cease fire in a strong manner, but hey, what are they going to do? What can they do?

There are those who say,particularly within the IDF (if we can believe the rumours): that operation Cast lead did not go far enough, that Israel wasted an opportunity to defeat Hamas ouright. Well, "if ifs and buts were pots and pans, there'd be no need for tinkers" as my old gran used to say.

We have a problem, as with all gangs, Hamas need to retain its "street cred". For sure they made sure to get their message out to their rivals in Gaza during the conflict by wandering around the hospitals. looking for Fatah wounded and killing them. They appear to have executed around thirty five and then shot another hundred or so in the feet. This appears to be their equivalent of what we fondly know as "knee capping". Although opportunistic, it was also seen as somewhat ineffective (perhaps not for the families of their victims). Hamas however desperately need somehow to spin a victory out of the debacle that was Cast Lead. The only way they are able to do this is by continuing to be seen to be continuing "resistance". Hence one dead Israeli soldier and another four wounded and a rocket landing in the Negev earlier today.

The world will expect Israel to show "restraint". hell you know what I think of that argument. No i is imperative that Hamas are made to pay and pay heavily for every and any breach of the current cease fire. Let there be no doubt that Hamas lost and lost big time. Let the world see and most importantly let the Palestinians of Gaza see 9as if they had to be reminded) that Hamas have lost and have only brought them death and destruction. Once this is clear then, and only then may we see some kind of progress both in terms of a cease fire, a proper one; in the ability to improve conditions for the Palestinians in Gaza and an agreement which leads to the release of Gilad Shalit. The message much be loud and clear to all.