Israel's Military Rethinking Action in the Gaza Strip
The debate over what to do about Gaza preoccupied the Israeli government today, and there was a report tonight that the defense minister, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, had decided to delay the Gaza operation. That report could not be confirmed, but Mr. Ben-Eliezer said he had asked the army to re-evaluate its plans for Gaza, which originally had been drawn up more than a month ago, in part because of leaks about operational details.

Some newspapers were already suggesting today that the operation might be canceled because of "strong American pressure."

Senior American officials, however, said Washington had not told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not to act in Gaza, but only "to think about the consequences."

Senior Israeli officials said today that an all-out reoccupation of the Gaza Strip would require too many troops and create too many casualties on both sides, given the number of weapons in Gaza and the time Palestinian militants of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have had to prepare for an assault.

But a strong argument is being made by military leaders like the hawkish chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz, that the Israeli effort to disrupt and destroy the infrastructure of terrorism is incomplete and hollow without a serious strike against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/11/international/middleeast/11MIDE.html?todaysheadlines