Prime Minister Netanyahu on Gaza Ceasefire

Photo: GPO

PM Netanyahu: Operation Pillar of Defense - Ceasefire
21 Nov 2012
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The State of Israel.
In a phone call I had this evening with President Obama, I agreed with him that we should give the ceasefire a chance in order to enable a lull in the situation and allow for the citizens of Israel to return to routine.

 Egyptian FM Mohamed Kamel Amr in joint news conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a ceasefire to come into effect at 9 pm on Tuesday, November 21.

PM Netanyahu spoke with US President Barack Obama and acceded to his recommendation to give the Egyptian ceasefire proposal a chance and thereby give an opportunity to stabilize and calm the situation before there is a need to use greater force. The Prime Minister expressed his deep appreciation to the President for his support of Israel during the operation and for his contribution to the Iron Dome system. The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel would take all necessary steps to defend its citizens.

PM Netanyahu's Statement at November 21 Press Conference with Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense  - Operation Pillar of Defense - Ceasefire

"Citizens of Israel,

Eight days ago, Israel embarked on operation Pillar of Defense. The Government decided to launch the operation after the frequency of the terror attacks originating from Gaza increased over the last few months. I announced that we would respond forcibly to these attacks when we see fit. I said that we would exact a heavy price from the terror organizations.

Gaza Ceasefire To Start At 9 PM

Gaza Ceasefire
By Doug Mills
RCN America Network
CAIRO-A ceasfire to begin at 9 PM Cairo time was announced this afternoon by, Egypt's Foreign Minister Amr. "A press release, under the auspices of His Excellency President Mohamed Morsi and stemming from Egypt’s historic responsibility towards the Palestinian cause and Egypt’s keenness to stop the bloodshed and preserving the stability of the conditions and security in the region, Egypt has exerted efforts and conducted intensive discussions since the renewed outbreak of hostilities in the Gaza Strip with all parties: the Palestinian leadership, the various resistance factions, the Israeli side, and the international community, most notably the United States of America.

These efforts and communications managed to reach an agreement to a ceasefire and the return of calm and halt of the violence and the bloodshed that was witnessed recently.

The ceasefire is set to start at 9 p.m. Cairo time today, Wednesday, 21st of November 2012. Egypt affirms its commitment to the Palestinian cause and the need to achieve a comprehensive and just resolution. The Government of Egypt will continue its efforts to achieve this noble objective through ongoing attempts to end the divisions between the various Palestinian factions and to assist them in achieving Palestinian national unity on the basis of genuine Palestinian values and interests.

Egypt appreciates the role of the Arab League, the valuable contributions of Turkey and Qatar, and those of the Secretary General of the United Nations to support the efforts of the Government of Egypt to end the violence. At the same time, Egypt calls upon the international community to be engaged in monitoring the implementation of the Egyptian-brokered agreement and to ensure all parties adhere to these agreements. The agreement will be distributed to you after this conference."

Secretary of state Hillery Clinton said of this new ceasefire, "I want to thank President Morsi for his personal leadership to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and end the violence. This is a critical moment for the region. Egypt’s new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability and peace. The United States welcomes the agreement today for a ceasefire in Gaza. For it to hold, the rocket attacks must end, a broader calm return.

The people of this region deserve the chance to live free from fear and violence, and today’s agreement is a step in the right direction that we should build on. Now we have to focus on reaching a durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the security, dignity, and legitimate aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis alike. President Morsi and I discussed how the United States and Egypt can work together to support the next steps in that process. In the days ahead, the United States will work with partners across the region to consolidate this progress, improve conditions for the people of Gaza, and provide security for the people of Israel. Ultimately, every step must move us toward a comprehensive peace for all the people of the region.

As I discussed today with President Morsi, as well as Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas, there is no substitute for a just and lasting peace. Now that there is a ceasefire, I am looking forward to working with the Foreign Minister and others to move this process. Thank you very much, Foreign Minister."

BREAKING NEWS: Gaza Ceasefire at 9 pm

Egyptian FM Mohamed Kamel Amr in joint news conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces ceasefire to come into effect at 9 pm on Tuesday, November 21.
PM Netanyahu spoke with US President Barack Obama and acceded to his recommendation to give the Egyptian ceasefire proposal a chance and thereby give an opportunity to stabilize and calm the situation before there is a need to use greater force. The Prime Minister expressed his deep appreciation to the President for his support of Israel during the operation and for his contribution to the Iron Dome system. The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel would take all necessary steps to defend its citizens.

Operation Pillar of Defense

Operation Pillar of Defense - Selected statements

20 Nov 2012

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The State of Israel

PM Netanyahu: "No government would tolerate a situation where nearly a fifth of its people live under a constant barrage of rockets and missile fire, and Israel will not tolerate this situation."

US President Obama: "If we’re serious about wanting to resolve this situation and create a genuine peace process, it starts with no more missiles being fired into Israel’s territory, and that then gives us the space to try to deal with these longstanding conflicts that exist."

PM Netanyahu at meeting with German FM Westerwelle (20 Nov 2012): "Hamas and the other terror organizations in Gaza have no compunction whatsoever at firing on our civilians while hiding behind civilians. We do the very opposite. For us, every time there are civilian casualties, that's an operational failure. For them, every time there are civilian casualties, that's an operational success. So there's a marked distinction and the people of Israel can’t long tolerate this kind of situation where our cities are under constant rocket attacks."

German FM Westerwelle at meetings with Pres Peres and PM Netanyahu (20 Nov 2012):
The German Foreign Minister conveyed his government's support for Israel's position and told President Peres that the German government is standing by Israel and that Israel has the right to defend itself and its citizens.
The Foreign Minister said that within the international community there is a mistaken impression that the rocket fire against Israel came as a response to the escalation of the last few days but that Germany knows, and explains to others, that the rocket attacks have been occurring for years.

"Israel has every right to defend itself and protect its own citizens against these missile attacks from Gaza into your country. Of course we now have to consider and discuss how a cease-fire is possible. But there is one key condition for everything else, and that is the stop of the missile attacks against Israel."

RCN World News: Israel Under Fire

Israel under fire - November 2012
FROM:Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The State of Israel
19 Nov 2012
More than 1000 rockets have been fired at Israel since Saturday (10 Nov), over 800 since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense (14 Nov), landing mostly in the south, killing three people in Kiryat Malachi.
Following the launch of Israel's operation Pillar of Defense against terrorist targets in Gaza, rocket fire from Gaza  resumed on Wednesday evening (14 Nov), with a salvo of over 50 Grad rockets fired towards Israel's southern cities.
More than 1000 rockets have been fired at Israel since Saturday (10 Nov), over 800 since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense (14 Nov), landing mostly in the south, killing three people in Kiryat Malachi. The Iron Dome anti-missile defense system intercepted over 300 rockets, preventing them from striking populated areas in Israel.
A Grad rocket exploded outside an elementary school in Ashkelon (19 Nov) - none hurt as all schools within a 40-kilometer radius of Gaza are currently closed. Ben Gurion University of the Negev, with 15,000 students, also remains closed.
At least seven people were seriously injured on Sunday (Nov 18) in direct hits on a home in Ashkelon and a car in Ofakim.
Israeli casualties: 3 killed, 6 seriously wounded, 8 in moderate condition and 119 lightly injured (including 7 soldiers).