Vice Premier Haim Ramon and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai were the only two cabinet members to abstain from voting in favor of a ground incursion in Gaza in Friday's special cabinet meetings.The thing is, if you're gonna go... you wanna go hard...
The two reportedly refrained from casting a yea vote, after their demand to include toppling Hamas' regime in the Strip in the operational goals of the incursion was denied.
“The objective of this phase of the operation is to intensify the heavy blow already dealt to Hamas and to take control of area from where most of the rocket attacks against Israel originate,” Israel Army spokesman Brigadier-General Avi Benayahu said in an e-mailed statement.**********
Palestinian gunmen clashed with Israeli troops inside Gaza and more than 30 Hamas militants were killed in the battle, Channel Two television said, citing the army. An army spokeswoman declined to comment.
RELATED: Is it worth it?
In 2008 alone, Hamas fired more than 3,200 rockets and mortars into Israel. When you consider that six months of 2008 was officially considered a ceasefire, it's an astonishing number.*