VOA标准英语2014--Israel, Hamas Trade Blame, Dig in

 

Israel, Hamas Trade Blame, Dig in

The military conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist militant¹ group that rules the Gaza Strip, continues to escalate². Both sides blame each other for provoking the conflict and neither side at this point is ready to back down.

Hamas Thursday released video it says shows rockets being fired from Gaza towards Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities.  

The Israeli army also released video showing the aerial targeting and destruction of a rocket launcher and a tunnel in northern Gaza. The Israelis have launched hundreds of attacks on Hamas targets. Palestinian causalities, including women and children, are mounting. No Israelis have has been seriously injured.

Israel says Hamas must cease the rocket fire from Gaza for Israel to consider a truce³.

"We tried to de-escalate; messages were sent; we told Hamas to stop this rocket fire.  But they continued, and now we are acting⁴," said Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli prime minister. "The Israeli defense⁵ forces are acting to bring about a situation where the people of Israel no longer have to live in fear."

The escalation⁶ in violence was sparked by the abductions and killings⁷ of three Israeli students and a Palestinian teenager. Palestinian leaders say there is also growing frustration⁸ with Israel’s ongoing⁹ occupation of Palestinian areas and the lack of progress towards a political settlement.

“This is a government that does not have a political agenda," said Maen Areikat, the Palestine Liberation Organization's Chief Representative to the United States. "It does not have a peace agenda with the Palestinian people. And each member of the coalition¹⁰ there is competing against the other.  They are trying to out bid and out stage each other for domestic agenda and the Palestinians are paying the price.”

President Obama has urged restraint on both sides, but analyst¹¹ Steve McInerney, with the Project on Middle East Democracy, says the United States can do little to end this conflict.

“The United States has a strong relationship with Israel but the lack of relationship and influence on the other side is extremely limiting and I think the influence that the United States could have to bring about sort of a cease fire is not very likely,” he said.

Neither side is showing any sign of halting their heaviest fighting since an eight-day battle in late 2012. But Israel has stopped short of a ground invasion that could lead to greater casualties on both sides. 

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 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

3 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

7 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

8 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

9 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。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。