If Israel has such precise intelligence, one is entitled to wonder, why are Israeli civilians still getting bombarded with rockets? Turns out it has a lot to do with how those real men from Palestinian terror organizations have been putting their launching pads on top of apartment buildings:

The defense establishment presented the cabinet with Cast Lead's accomplishments so far: Four days in, the IAF has struck over 500 targets. Some 370 people were killed and hundreds more were injured, most of them Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees' operatives. Since the Gaza offensive began, Hamas has fired 180 rockers and dozens of mortar shells at Israel - 75% of which landed in open area. A security course noted that the defense establishment was pleased with the way the operation was coming along. One of the major accomplishments over the past four days was the destruction of two-thirds of the Strip's launching pads. The last third, said the sources, has yet to be targeted due to its vicinity to residential areas. The defense establishment estimated that Hamas still has some 2,000 rockets in its arsenal, including several long-rage rockets which could potentially reach Ashdod and Beersheba.

That's the from the bottom half of an article breathlessly reporting that the Israeli defense establishment is recommending a 48 hour truce. Maybe there's something to it: when Livni was asked about it earlier she refused to deny it. But I'm kind of skeptical. Livni's comments felt more like "what the hell?" than "neither confirm nor deny." Plus you don't call up troops unless you're going to use them. Plus Hamas says they won't go for it - which was inevitable because they can't agree to ceasefire terms after the beating they just took - which would have been known in advance - which is why the offer would never have been made. And anyway the IDF is denying it.

In any case it'd be a huge mistake. There are obvious military implications about letting Hamas regroup. But more broadly: for 50 years it's been a rule that the international community starts pushing for a ceasefire as soon as Israel starts winning. A temporary pause in fighting doesn't mean a pause in the clock.

References:
* IDF Gearing Up For A Ground Invasion That Hamas May Or May Not Want [MR]
* Anonymous Mask-Wearing Thugs Who Blindly Launch Rockets At Civilians Before Scurrying Underground, Hiding Behind Human Shields, And Begging For Int'l Protection: Israelis Should "Fight Like Men" [MR]
* Defense establishment to recommend pause in Gaza op [YNet]
* Livni refuses to comment on ceasefire proposal reports [YNet]
* Hamas source: We received message on truce; we won't agree to it [YNet]
* IDF denies exploring possible ceasefire in Gaza op [YNet]

Previously:
* Palestinians Use Children As Human Shields, Nobody Notices. Seriously.
* Like Hezbollah, Hamas Uses Children As Human Shields
* Hamas Prepares 15,000 Soldiers, Civilian Human Shields For Full Confrontation With Israel