Peres Changes War Objective: To Teach Hamas a Lesson

Source: nowlebanon.com, 04-01-2009
"Israeli" President Shimon Peres on Sunday rejected the possibility of a cease-fire as "Israeli" occupation forces pressed their air, ground and sea offensive against the Gaza Strip but claimed "Israel" does not intend to occupy Gaza.
"We don't intend neither to occupy Gaza nor to crush Hamas, but to crush terror. And Hamas needs a real and serious lesson. They are now getting it," Peres said in an interview on the ABC News program "This Week."
Peres, hence, acknowledged that the objective of the one-day-old ground offensive on Gaza has been changed from controlling areas from where Palestinian rockets are being fired to "teaching Hamas a Lesson." When "Israel" began its Gaza blitz nine days ago, the announced objective was to destroy Hamas, then this objective declined and became "to change the situation in Gaza" and then it declined again to become "to control areas from which rockets are being fired" - although an "Israeli" army spokeswoman acknowledged Saturday that rocket fire, however will not stop - and declined today to become "to teach Hamas a lesson."