Israel fights democratically elected Hamas for the benefit of its voters

Israel will win the Palestinian factional strife on Fatah-PLO’s behalf. Olmert finally announces “harsh and severe” measures against Hamas. A happy hour for Abu Mazen. Hamas also welcomes Israeli invasion as a way to unify the Palestinians against the common Zionist enemy.
Hamas, Fatah leaders losing grip over their troops. Cease-fires don’t hold. After the Israeli withdrawal, Gaza is saturated with weapons, earmarked for street violence.
The harsh measures won’t include targeted assassinations of Hamas politicians who are directly responsible for murdering Jewish civilians. Israel will only target the Arabs directly involved in terrorism. A dog bites a stick that hits it.
Israeli government aims at “damaging the terrorist infrastructure.” Olmert didn’t specify what would prevent Hamas from rebuilding the “terrorist infrastructure” weeks after Israel withdraws from Gaza. Olmert understands that the invasion of Gaza is a no-win situation, but he has no choice: Israeli public opinion pressures him into action just like it pushed Itzhak Shamir who has made a policy of no negotiations with Arabs. The problem of terrorism in Gaza is unsolvable in short term except by clearing Gaza from Arabs or intensive police operations. Ariel Sharon pacified Gaza at one time by combing the territory for insurgents and using scores of imformants and provocateurs. Gaza is an Arab pressure cooker: poor, saturated with arms, lacking job opportunities or life prospects, with plenty of unemployed youngsters, and foreign financing of the insurgency. Rationalist people look for fast solutions; there is no fast and politically correct solution to Gazan terrorism.
Tzipi Livni urges the government for diplomatic action. Israel continues to supply Gaza with subsidized electricity and water.