VOA常速英语2007年-Israeli Forces Launch Gaza Offensive, 4 Militan

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
11 December 2007

At least four Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the violence is casting a shadow over efforts to revive the peace process.

Israeli tanks pounded Palestinian militant¹ positions as they rolled across the border into southern Gaza Tuesday. The incursion sparked clashes with militants² armed with assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades and landmines³.

Israeli aircraft also fired on militants in northern Gaza.

The army said the raids are aimed at halting Palestinian rocket attacks that have terrorized Israeli border communities.

"Israel's position is clear," said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev. "The current situation is intolerable and we will act to defend our people."

It was the biggest Israeli ground incursion since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized control of Gaza in June, routing the Fatah forces of western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The fighting came a day before Israel and Mr. Abbas's Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are to resume formal peace talks after a seven-year break. The negotiations⁴ were agreed upon at the Annapolis peace conference in the United States two weeks ago.

The radical⁵ Islamic Jihad group, which suffered casualties in the Gaza fighting, said the Israeli ground assault is the fruit of Annapolis.

Islamic Jihad spokesman Daoud Shihab said Israeli aggression⁶ is proof that Annapolis was a failure. Both Islamic Jihad and Hamas refuse to renounce⁷ violence and oppose peace talks with Israel.

Palestinian officials in the West Bank also condemned⁸ the Israeli incursion. They accuse Israel of sabotaging⁹ peace talks even before they begin.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

7 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 sabotaging   

阴谋破坏（某事物）( sabotage的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr Smith fiercely denied any question of sabotaging the talks. 史密斯先生坚决拒绝任何企图阻挠谈话的提问。
• Failed in sabotaging APEC summit in Sydney of Australia. 澳大利亚悉尼APEC会议遭遇惨败。