2006年VOA标准英语-Israeli Warplanes Pound Gaza in Bid to Free Kid

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
30 June 2006

Israel is continuing a punishing offensive in the Gaza Strip aimed at winning the release of a kidnapped soldier. But, Israel is also leaving the door open to diplomacy¹.

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Palestinian police gather outside the Palestinian Authority Interior Ministry² after an Israeli strike, early Friday, June 30, 2006
  
  
Israeli warplanes pounded more than 30 targets across Gaza, including the Interior Ministry. Israel is targeting the Palestinian government led by the Islamic militant³ group Hamas, saying it was directly involved in the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier on Sunday. Hamas gunmen took part in the daring raid on an Israeli army base near Gaza in which 19-year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit was seized.

In a further punitive⁴ measure, Israel revoked⁵ the Jerusalem residency of four senior Hamas officials, including a Cabinet minister. The unprecedented⁶ step takes away their right to live in Jerusalem and travel freely in Israel.

"These people are members of a terrorist organization. They're not just members, they're leadership in a terrorist organization," said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev.

On Thursday, Israel arrested more than 60 Hamas officials, including eight Cabinet ministers.

Israeli soldiers run to reload Israeli mobile artillery⁷ piece near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just outside northern Gaza Strip, June 28, 2006
  
  
At the same time, Israel has postponed⁸ a major ground offensive in Gaza to give Egyptian and Palestinian diplomats⁹ a chance to win the release of the soldier.

"And I'd say today, even with the military operation ongoing¹⁰, that if Shalit is released we will immediately de-escalate. That will create a positive momentum¹¹ that will help us get back from the edge of the cliff," said Regev.

Moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged Hamas to free the soldier immediately and avoid further destruction in Gaza.

"We have been exerting maximum effort in order to locate his whereabouts and to bring him out alive. That's what we want," said Palestinian legislator Saeb Erekat.

Israel has rejected the kidnappers¹²' demand to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the captive soldier.

1 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 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。

4 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

5 revoked   

adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付，结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
• A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句

6 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

7 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

8 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

9 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

12 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》