& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

News Analysis

Ground troops ’burnish’ Israel's iron image

AFP, Jerusalem
Israel's use of ground troops in its offensive against Hamas in Gaza is aimed at restoring the iron image of the Jewish state's military ability, undermined by its 2006 war with Hezbollah, say regional specialists.
We are on the way to restoring our deterrence in a message which is also addressed to Hezbollah so it thinks twice if it is tempted to get involved in a second round (against Israel)," said a senior Israeli military officer, on condition of not being named.
Retired general Shlomo Brom, former head of strategic planning at Israel's staff headquarters, commented: "The best way to halt aggression by groups such as Hamas or Hezbollah is not to go hunting rockets one by one, because that is impossible.
"You need to create a newdeterrent balance," said Brom, now a researcher at thelnstiruteof National Security Studies inTei Aviv.
The land campaign has more impact on the adversary than the air raids, which began on December 27, killing more than 400 people ahead of last Saturday's invasion, say experts in strategic matters.
Ground troops hinder the movement of members of the Hamas armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, commented Jean-Francois Daguzan, research specialist at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris.
But he added: "The ground operations will be extremely cautious, drawing on the lessons from Hezbollah. The Israelis have no desire to go and get themselves into a mess in Gaza, even if Hamas is not Hezbollah '
Tanks and infantry have not deployed throughout the whole of the Gaza Strip but have mainly occupied areas around Gaza City and in the north, which Israel says are used by Palestinian militants to fire rockets into the Jewish state
The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades have been hit but not
hugely for "the simple reasons that the members are hiding," said Shlomo Brom. "But they will have to show themselves if they want to confront Israeli troops."
Without the decision to send ground troops into battle" Hamas would have been able to announce that the Israelis are afraid of us'," he added. "This factor had to be taken into account.”
According to the former officer, "the war in Lebanon scarred the spirits" of the Israelis.
Israel's "military and political leaders have drawn lessons and applied them, starting with the aims of the operation," he added.
Hostilities in Lebanon in 2006 killed more than 1.200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mainly troops.
But Israel failed to break Hezbollah's military infrastructure, to prevent the firing of its rockets into northern Israel, or to free two soldiers captured by the Shiite movement.
"The (military) aims in Lebanon were very ambitious, and that played a big part in the feeling of failure." said Brom. This time, the objective is very modest; it is not to destroy Hamas but to halt the firingof rockets."
The conduct of the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon unleashed a torrent of criticism in Israel, because of the fact that army units were unprepared, confusion was widespread with counter-orders from the commanders, and the military failed to attain its aims.
Anticipating similar reproaches, the Israeli forces in their communique about the launching of the ground offensive, emphasised that the troops involved had "been very well trained and prepared forthismissionoveralongperiod."
Some hours afterwards. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was able to say he could "look in the eyes" of parents of the soldiers engaged in Gaza. It was a gesture he could not have made during the conflict in Lebanon without drawing condemnation from the families of the troops, analysis say.