Israel's Barak doesn''t rule out reoccupying Gaza Strip in future

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Friday that Israel may reoccupy parts of the Gaza strip in the future. Barak's remarks were quoted by Israeli media during a conference on "Operation Cast Lead," an occupation operation into Gaza Strip in 2008-09, noting that his military is capable of reoccupying Gaza again if the political decision on the matter was made. The Israeli minister said that the previous war in 2008 took longer than it supposed to, based on developments on the ground, however it dragged into 22 days, when it should have been 10 days. By the end of 2008 the Israeli Army conducted an all-out war in Gaza which resulted in the killing of 1,500 Palestinians and the injury of around 5,500 others, mainly women and children. In recent days, Israeli increased its military threats to Gaza due increase missiles attacks and mortar rounds targeting south of the occupied territories. Recently also, Israeli Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the 2008 Israeli war in Gaza mainly was to eliminate (Hamas) Gaza run government permanently.