Hamas exposes Israeli weakness in Gaza

By Adam Entous - Analysis

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Hamas has exposed Israel's inability to rein in the Gaza Strip, proving it holds the power to blow open the border and turn a crippling Israeli blockade into a public relations nightmare for the Jewish state.

Israel's stated goal last week in tightening its cordon around Gaza and cutting off fuel to its main power plant was to pressure Palestinian militants to halt rocket attacks that have sowed panic in southern Israel.

But a global outcry forced Israel to ease the ban on fuel and aid shipments to the Islamist-run territory and hours later Hamas militants blasted open the wall between Gaza and Egypt to let tens of thousands of Palestinians pour across.

The lights are back on in Gaza City for now and Hamas's leader-in-exile has vowed no let up in the rocket salvoes.

Danny Ayalon, Israel's former ambassador to the United States, said Israel had walked into a Hamas trap.

"This was a resounding failure, a public relations disaster," he said. "And we've lost deterrence for the next time."

Israel had largely avoided Western censure for its military and economic cordon since Hamas seized control of the coastal territory in June after routing rival Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

But by cutting off fuel to the power plant, Israel went a step further than most could accept.

"Israel gave Hamas the justification it needed to take unprecedented measures," said International Crisis Group analyst Mouin Rabbani.

PR VICTORY FOR HAMAS

Israeli officials countered that the public relations fallout from the easing of the embargo and the destruction of the border wall was exaggerated and said it would not constrain the army.

Although repeated raids have failed to end rocket fire since Israel pulled Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005, the army noted a reduction in rocket fire since the fuel cut took hold on Saturday.

Retired Brigadier-General Shalom Harari of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, said the Hamas victory in Gaza would be limited to "PR" but the situation would now put more pressure on Egypt to act -- to Israel's benefit.

"The situation may look worse on the surface but Israel has not lost control on our border," he said.

Some Israeli officials, who believe Egypt should do more to prevent weapons smuggling to Gaza, expressed quiet satisfaction as Gazans streamed into Egypt to stock up on food and fuel. Cairo has rejected accusations it failed to stop smuggling.