The war on Gaza
Airstrikes have continued in Gaza overnight. Have a listen to what
happened as our Al Jazeera news presenter was speaking to our
correspondent Nicole Johnston in Gaza. Moments later Johnston tweeted
that the Israeli airstrike hit a police station, some 400m away from Al
Jazeera's offices. Drones and aircrafts are constantly circling the
strip which has about 1,500,000 people living in it.
Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston, reporting from Gaza, says there has
been "a lot of attacks" on the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.
Among those attacks, was the residence of the Dallo family, who lost 11
members on Sunday. Though many of the airstrikes have been over the
so-called buffer zone, a less populated area of the enclave, our
correspondent said "it's only a few kilometres wide", so for residents
of the nearby communities there is still a heightened sense of fear.
The Israeli air strikes and bombardment continues against Gaza, one child was killed in Gaza City, three resident injured, including two women. 83 Palestinians killed since Wednesday, more than 700 were injured
link to www.imemc.org
24, Including 11 Children, Killed Sunday; 69 Killed Since Wednesday
The Israeli army escalated its offensive against the Gaza Strip, Sunday, killing 24 Palestinians, including 11 children of the same family in central Gaza; the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli shells since the war officially started last Wednesday arrived to 76, while more than 680 have been injured.
Three Palestinians, including a father and child, were martyred in two Israeli raids targeting two cars in Gaza.
Attack believed to be aimed at Hamas official increases death toll of military offensive to 67 people. At least 11 members of one family, including five women and four children, were killed when Israel bombed a house in Gaza City on Sunday as the five-day-old war claimed more civilian lives with no sign of a letup in the intense bombardment. The air strike flattened the home of the Dalou family in the Sheikh Radwan district of Gaza City, causing the biggest death toll in a single incident since the offensive began last Wednesday.
UHCC: Israel is using internationally-banned weapons
Union of Health Care Committees (UHCC) charged that the Israeli occupation was deliberately targeting the children and women of Gaza by using internationally prohibited weapons.
Israel's bombardment of Gaza has entered a fifth day. Two media office buildings housing Palestinian and international journalists have been hit. The Israeli military has confirmed it is using war ships in addition to air raids. Al Jazeera's Mereana Hond reports.
Homes, schools, sporting facilities, public buildings and hospital damaged in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The live broadcasts from the house focused on documenting the attempts
to rescue survivors from the ruins, but the cameras recorded only the
discovery of another body there. Those pictures were broadcast all over
the Arab world, on the eve of the arrival of an Arab League foreign
ministers’ delegation, which was supposed to bring with it a cease-fire
agreement. We can assume that just as in 2006, when Hezbollah retracted
its intention of agreeing to a cease-fire in the wake of the Kfar Qana
incident, this event too will only cause Hamas to toughen its positions
toward Israel, in light of very sympathetic Palestinian and Arab public
opinion.
link to www.haaretz.com
link to www.haaretz.com
The Israeli Defense Force has confirmed that while targeting Hamas’
rocket chief it mistakenly bombed the home of the Al-Dalou family,
killing at least 11 civilians, four of them children and toddlers.
2 Women, 6 Children Killed, 381 Including 107 Children and 64 Women Injured. Palestinian Civilian Deaths Rise to 17, Including 2 Women and 6 Children, and 381 Wounded, Including 107 Children and 64 Women
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli warplanes struck sites across the Gaza
Strip on Saturday evening with medics saying five Palestinians were
killed. Another man, Tamer al-Hamri, died from wounds sustained in
Israeli shelling of Deir al-Balah earlier on Saturday, medics said,
bringing the death toll to 48 in four days. Five Palestinians were
killed on Saturday night as Israel's bombardment continued. Samahar
Qidih, 30, died after Israeli forces shelled her home east of Khan
Younis, south Gaza, medics said.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Two children were killed and more than 12 people injured as two houses were bombed in northern Gaza early Sunday, a Gaza official said. The casualties were evacuated to Gaza hospitals after an Israeli airstrike hit the homes in Jabalia camp, Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. Medics identified the two children as Tamer Abu Asaifan and one-year-old Jumana Abu Asaifan. Witnesses said Israel's aerial bombardment of Gaza continued with intensity overnight. Israeli shelling pummeled Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, while fighter jets struck southern Gaza.
link to www.maannews.net
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- An Israeli airstrike damaged a complex of
media offices in Gaza City early Sunday, injuring six journalists,
witnesses said. The Al-Shawa building houses a number of foreign and
Palestinian media organizations, including Ma'an News Agency's
headquarters in the Gaza Strip. A Ma'an correspondent said the impact
was focused on the eleventh floor, where the office of al-Quds TV is
located. Six journalists were moderately injured, five of whom were
identified as al-Quds TV employees.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- An Israeli airstrike hit a second media
complex in Gaza City on Sunday morning, a Ma'an correspondent said. Sky
News Arabia and Al-Arabiya report their offices have been affected in
the al-Shuruq building.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Six people, mostly children and women, have
been injured in an airstrike east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza
Strip, residents say.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- When Israeli warplanes pulverized the home of a
Hamas leader in Gaza at dawn on Saturday, onlookers could not imagine
that any of his family would survive. Witnesses said F-16 aircraft
leveled the two-story home of Suliman Salah in Jabalia refugee camp in
the northern Gaza Strip in the early hours. Neighbors feared the
22-member family would be buried alive. Omer Abu al-Qumsan, who lives
next-door, said he woke to a huge explosion and saw that all remained of
the house was a pile of rubble.
Israeli air strikes level Hamas HQ
Palestinian officials say at least 45 Gazans have been killed and more than 390 wounded since Israel launched its aerial campaign on Wednesday. On Saturday, 15 Palestinians were killed and the Hamas government headquarters was destroyed, as Israel intensified its assault on Gaza. As the toll rises and sirens sounded in Tel Aviv for a fourth day, Israel says it has deployed more tanks to the border and called up thousands more reservists as fears of a ground offensive increase. Meanwhile, an emergency session of the Arab League has ended with calls for a fresh approach to end the crisis between the Palestinians and Israelis. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from Gaza, where ordinary civilians are paying the price for this latest round of fighting.
Palestinian officials say at least 45 Gazans have been killed and more than 390 wounded since Israel launched its aerial campaign on Wednesday. On Saturday, 15 Palestinians were killed and the Hamas government headquarters was destroyed, as Israel intensified its assault on Gaza. As the toll rises and sirens sounded in Tel Aviv for a fourth day, Israel says it has deployed more tanks to the border and called up thousands more reservists as fears of a ground offensive increase. Meanwhile, an emergency session of the Arab League has ended with calls for a fresh approach to end the crisis between the Palestinians and Israelis. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from Gaza, where ordinary civilians are paying the price for this latest round of fighting.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli jets bombed several sites linked to militant groups in southern Gaza before dawn on Sunday, witnesses said. Warplanes hit a training site of the Popular Resistance Committee's al-Nasser Salah Addin brigades in Rafah, without causing injuries. Another raid targeted a location of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades in the city, and another in Gaza City. Also in Rafah, airstrikes flattened the home of an al-Qassam fighter who was killed in 2008, Hamdan Abu Naqira, witnesses said.
link to www.maannews.net
Images documenting Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip and solidarity protests in the West Bank and beyond.
On 14 November Israel assassinated Hamas military leader Ahmad al-Ja'bari, simultaneously blowing up a truce mediated by Egyptian intelligence officials and accepted by Ja'bari, other Palestinian parties and - according to the Egyptians - Israel as well. In this and a further series of air raids eight more were killed, at least two of them children. Claiming these initial attacks had destroyed the long-range missile capability in the Gaza Strip, Israel's strategy of a short, sharp assault that would remind the Palestinians who makes the rules proved illusory. As Israeli planes pounded the length and breadth of the Gaza Strip with increasing ferocity, causing hundreds of mainly civilian casualties, Palestinian rocket fire - while no match for Israel's - extended as far as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
link to photography.jadaliyya.com
Civilians Under Attack in Gaza: a Photo Essay
The Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip have entered their third day. We write this report amid the sounds of incessant bombings, which have continued all day yesterday and throughout the night. The military escalation carried out by the Israeli Army continues all over the Gaza Strip. From Gaza City, we hear incessant noise of drones and F-16 fighter jets crashing through the sky above our heads. Bombs repeatedly fall in our surroundings, in densely populated civilians areas. At this point, Israeli air forces have conducted nearly 200 airstrikes, bringing the death toll to 19. Among the casualties are ten civilians, including six children and one woman. More than 180 people have been injured by the attacks, the vast majority civilians. The areas targeted included Beit Hanoun, Jabalia refugee camp, Sheikh Radwan and al-Nasser neighbourhoods in Gaza City, Maghazi, Deir El Balah, Khan Younis, and the tunnel area in Rafah.
link to www.counterpunch.org
The constant sound of bombs is taking its toll on Palestinian children in Gaza.
Missile attack on house left BBC staffer’s baby and a young woman dead.
I live with my family in a two-story house in the Abu Daqah neighborhood, in Abasan al-Jadidah in the Khan Yunis district. I live on the second floor with my parents, my unmarried brothers and my brother Muhsen, who is married with three young children. In the yard we have a small shed used as an outdoor kitchen, where we store food supplies and baking pans. Our house is next to the Dhaw a-Nurein mosque in Abasan. This morning we heard planes and, by the sound, they were mainly observation aircraft. My mother, Najwa, age 50, told me that she was going outside to prepare dough in the outdoor shed.
I am married, with five children. My eldest son is 16 and the youngest, three years old. We live in the Sheikh Ajlin neighborhood in Gaza City. I am the director of the statistics department of the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners. The situation near our house is relatively quiet because we are far from most of the places that were bombed, in eastern and central Gaza City. Nonetheless, places near us were also bombed, among others the Ministry of the Interior, and there are clouds of smoke in the area. We do feel the shock wave and also hear the more distant bombings. We are all feeling the emotional strain.
Despite Israeli air strikes on their buildings, Palestinian journalists in Gaza are defiant, and say they will continue to report.
But even inland areas are no haven as Israeli air strikes continue in Gaza. One strike today killed 11 civilians including six children in an attempt to kill a Hamas commander.
Gazans in frantic hunt for safety as Israeli forces remain on alert, Harriet Sherwood
In the Gaza Strip, the hail of missiles continues as Israel attempts to destroy Hamas's military infrastructure. Ahead of a feared ground attack, there is a search for any kind of refuge. On an eerily deserted street in the al-Karama district of Gaza City, the Abu Sinan family was waiting – in vain – for a taxi. Clutching two blue plastic bags full of clothing and a black backpack, 19-year-old Tariq alternated between scanning the road for a vehicle and casting his eyes to the sky, from where the buzz of Israeli drones could be heard.
"Nowhere to Run": Israel Fires Over 500 Strikes in Gaza, Civilian Toll Grows in Humanitarian Crisis
Israel is continuing to pound the Gaza Strip with air strikes amidst fears that Israel could soon launch a ground invasion into Gaza. Israeli troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers are now massing near the Palestinian territory. Earlier today, 85 missiles exploded within 45 minutes in Gaza City, sending black pillars of smoke. At least 21 Palestinians have died in the most recent round of violence, while three Israelis died on Thursday. Israel said it launched 150 air strikes overnight, while Palestinians fired a dozen rockets into Israel. Israel has started to draft 30,000 reserve troops in a sign the assault may soon widen. Among the casualties of Israeli violence was the 11-month-old son of a BBC Arabic journalist, Jihad Misharawi. Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil traveled to Gaza today to condemn the Israeli attack. For more, we get a report from Rafah by Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer, who says, "One thing that we ought to talk about here is the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. This is a situation of targeting a population of civilians, exactly like Israel is shooting in a fishbowl. And there is no shelter, and there is nowhere to run for the general population. Gaza is living in a very dire situation." We also speak with Gershon Baskin, the founder of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information, who was the initiator of the secret talks between Israel and Hamas for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
In the Gaza Strip, the hail of missiles continues as Israel attempts to destroy Hamas's military infrastructure. Ahead of a feared ground attack, there is a search for any kind of refuge. On an eerily deserted street in the al-Karama district of Gaza City, the Abu Sinan family was waiting – in vain – for a taxi. Clutching two blue plastic bags full of clothing and a black backpack, 19-year-old Tariq alternated between scanning the road for a vehicle and casting his eyes to the sky, from where the buzz of Israeli drones could be heard.
Israel is continuing to pound the Gaza Strip with air strikes amidst fears that Israel could soon launch a ground invasion into Gaza. Israeli troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers are now massing near the Palestinian territory. Earlier today, 85 missiles exploded within 45 minutes in Gaza City, sending black pillars of smoke. At least 21 Palestinians have died in the most recent round of violence, while three Israelis died on Thursday. Israel said it launched 150 air strikes overnight, while Palestinians fired a dozen rockets into Israel. Israel has started to draft 30,000 reserve troops in a sign the assault may soon widen. Among the casualties of Israeli violence was the 11-month-old son of a BBC Arabic journalist, Jihad Misharawi. Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil traveled to Gaza today to condemn the Israeli attack. For more, we get a report from Rafah by Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer, who says, "One thing that we ought to talk about here is the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. This is a situation of targeting a population of civilians, exactly like Israel is shooting in a fishbowl. And there is no shelter, and there is nowhere to run for the general population. Gaza is living in a very dire situation." We also speak with Gershon Baskin, the founder of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information, who was the initiator of the secret talks between Israel and Hamas for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Palestinian child screams because of the sound of the rockets being
intercepted in the sky, Jabaliya, Gaza, November 16, 2012. (Photo: Anne
Paq/Activestills)
Gaza kids at risk in crowded urban battle zone
The image of a dead preschooler cradled by the prime ministers of Egypt and Gaza in a hospital hallway has drawn attention to the dangers Gaza's children face in this crowded urban battle zone.
LISTEN: With drones buzzing in the background, Rana Baker summarizes Saturday's news from Gaza
EI blogger and correspondent Rana Baker provides an audio summary of news from Saturday, 17 November. Drones constantly buzz in the background.
Video: Israeli bombs disrupt Gaza Parkour Team practice, Maureen Clare Murphy
Video released by the Gaza Parkour Team shows a training practice interrupted by Israeli bombing.
“IDF must learn from the Syrians how to slaughter the enemy,” says prominent Israeli rabbi, Ali Abunimah
Incitement by Israeli religious and political leaders has been common.
Hamas links truce to end of Gaza border blockade
Gaza's Hamas rulers are aiming high in the conditions they place on stopping rocket fire into Israel in indirect cease-fire talks launched this weekend. Emboldened by Arab support and confident in their arsenal, the Islamists say calm can only come if Israel opens the gates of the tiny, closed-off territory.
The image of a dead preschooler cradled by the prime ministers of Egypt and Gaza in a hospital hallway has drawn attention to the dangers Gaza's children face in this crowded urban battle zone.
I’m writing this from near the Gaza seaport from where I can see
smoke rising around me from the bombs that fall down on the Gaza Strip
from the Israeli planes above. Words fail me. Despite the limits to life
from Israel’s five-year siege on Gaza some kind of normality is
attempted in Gaza. How could it be any other way when the majority of
the population are children? Do families have any other option? Yet this
civilian population, most now holed out in the dense, tight refugee
camp buildings and urban centres of Gaza are facing the wrath of some of
the most powerful aerial warfare available to humankind. As I write the
constant bombardments consume my senses and shake the entirety of my
surroundings. For the over 300 people injured or killed so far by the
Israeli F16s, drones and gunboat shellings the loss for them and their
families will never relent.
EI blogger and correspondent Rana Baker provides an audio summary of news from Saturday, 17 November. Drones constantly buzz in the background.
Video released by the Gaza Parkour Team shows a training practice interrupted by Israeli bombing.
Israeli Warmongering
There is no middle path here – either the Gazans and their
infrastructure are made to pay the price, or we reoccupy the entire Gaza
Strip.
“Flatten” Gaza like Hiroshima and “mow” the population, Israeli public figures urge, Ali Abunimah
There are no “innocents” in Gaza say Israeli politicians, egging on soldiers to commit war crimes.
There are no “innocents” in Gaza say Israeli politicians, egging on soldiers to commit war crimes.
Incitement by Israeli religious and political leaders has been common.
"May your children die, you dogs": As Gaza burns, Israelis bay for blood in streets of Tel Aviv, Ali Abunimah
On Israeli campuses, Palestinians calling for peace confronted with calls for "death to the Arabs."
As Children Killed, Israel Supporters Celebrate
Last night a march from the State Department to the White House organized by Palestinian activists to demand Obama pressure Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire and end US military aid was greeted by a group of Israel supporters singing and dancing. Watch what our National Advocacy Director Josh Ruebner had to say to this celebration of death.
Israelis express support for military, reoccupation of Gaza
I spent Thursday in Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malachi, Ashkelon and Sderot–the Israeli cities under Hamas fire. I spoke to dozens of Israelis; support for Operation Pillar of Defense was unanimous, though no one thought it would bring lasting peace. Most felt it would bring temporary quiet; many believe that Israel needs to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.
On Israeli campuses, Palestinians calling for peace confronted with calls for "death to the Arabs."
Last night a march from the State Department to the White House organized by Palestinian activists to demand Obama pressure Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire and end US military aid was greeted by a group of Israel supporters singing and dancing. Watch what our National Advocacy Director Josh Ruebner had to say to this celebration of death.
Foreign minister says military stopped short of carrying out its
objectives four years ago, but still paid a high price in world opinion.
I spent Thursday in Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malachi, Ashkelon and Sderot–the Israeli cities under Hamas fire. I spoke to dozens of Israelis; support for Operation Pillar of Defense was unanimous, though no one thought it would bring lasting peace. Most felt it would bring temporary quiet; many believe that Israel needs to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Resistance Retaliates
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Hamas' armed wing the al-Qassam Brigades says
it has fired 1,093 projectiles at Israeli targets since the start of
Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, which entered its sixth day on
Monday.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- Israel has adjusted flight paths for planes
using its main international airport near Tel Aviv after rockets were
fired from Gaza on the coastal metropolis, the civil aviation chief said
on Monday. Giora Rom said the new regulations at Ben-Gurion Airport had
been in place since Saturday, when an Iron Dome rocket interceptor
battery was installed nearby. There was no indication that takeoffs or
landings at Ben-Gurion had been affected. "Because of the rerouting,
there is no danger" to civilian aircraft, Rom told Israel's Army Radio.
TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- Three rockets landed in southern Israel
on Monday, breaking an overnight lull in fire from Gaza, Israeli news
site Ynet reported. Two rockets hit Eshkol and one rocket landed in
Shaar Hanegev. No injuries were reported.
Gaza's Hamas rulers are aiming high in the conditions they place on stopping rocket fire into Israel in indirect cease-fire talks launched this weekend. Emboldened by Arab support and confident in their arsenal, the Islamists say calm can only come if Israel opens the gates of the tiny, closed-off territory.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas' military wing said Saturday that it is
prepared to confront a potential Israeli ground invasion in the Gaza
Strip, Hamas affiliated websites said. The Al-Qassam Brigades are
prepared to begin operating the moment Israeli forces enter Gaza, the
websites said, adding that the group is ready for fighting on the
ground. The Al-Murabiteen units are the major divisions to face any
Israeli offensive, with the group consisting of five brigades across
Gaza divided into sub-groups and further sub-divisions. These units will
be responsible for defending the border areas and preventing Israeli
forces from further penetrating the Gaza Strip.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The spokesman of Hamas' armed wing made a
televised statement late Saturday in a show of defiance against Israel
as preliminary talks of a truce started in Cairo. Al-Qassam Brigades
spokesman Abu Obaida said Israeli claims it had destroyed the military
capacity of the Palestinian resistance were completely false. He
reiterated claims that the group had downed an Israeli fighter jet,
saying an Israeli pilot fell into the ocean off Gaza's coast, and said
the group had also shot down an unmanned drone. Abu Obeida said the
group has also hit a military jeep 3 km inside Israel from Gaza's
border.
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The military wing of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine said Saturday that it would continue to launch
rockets against Israeli aggression. Abu Jamal, spokesman of the Abu Ali
Mustafa Brigades, said the group had announced a state of alert from the
first day of Israeli aggression on Gaza and had instructed fighters to
"fiercely hit the enemy and try their best to cause causalities." "Our
fighters are tirelessly launching missiles and shells at the enemy’s
sites, firing 97 shells so far," Abu Jamal said, adding that a PFLP
fighter was injured on Friday.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- An explosion was heard in Israel's Red Sea
beach resort of Eilat on Sunday, police said, but there were no reports
of any damage or casualties.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Several rockets hit southern Israel on Sunday
morning after an overnight lull in fire from Gaza, Israel's army
said. Projectiles landed in the Hof Ashkelon and Eshkol regions, without
causing injuries, an army spokeswoman said. Israeli news site Ynet said
a building in Ashkelon was damaged. They were the first rockets fired
from Gaza into Israel since midnight on Saturday, according to the
army. Meanwhile, military jets fired on approximately 70 sites in the
Gaza Strip overnight.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip injured
three Israeli soldiers stationed nearby, the Israeli army announced
early Saturday.
Israel's Iron Dome system intercepted a third strike in as many days on Tel Aviv. This conflict marks the first time Hamas rockets have reached Israel's two largest cities.
Israel's new offensive against the Gaza Strip has turned into a political bonanza for the territory's Hamas rulers, while sidelining Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, their Western-backed rival in the West Bank.
Palestinian militants firing long-range rockets from Gaza into Israel represents a“very significant development” in the conflict with the Jewish state, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has said.
Al-Quds Brigades' intelligence apparatus was able Saturday to
penetrate 5000 mobile phones that belong to Zionist soldiers who are
taking part in the offensive against Gaza, and sent them warning
messages in Hebrew that say: "We will turn Gaza into a graveyard for
your soldiers, and will turn Tel Aviv into flame (Al-Quds
Brigades)". The faction further published files that belong to Zionist
soldiers and that included important information (personal papers,
names, birthdays, duties, private and work phone numbers, emails, jobs,
positions, ID numbers, ages, and addresses).
Humanitarian Crisis
Mahmoud Daher is the head of the Gaza office for the World Health Organisation. He is co-ordinating with other international aid organisations for an effective humanitarian response to the crisis.
GENEVA (Reuters) -- Gaza hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties
from Israel's bombings and face critical shortages of drugs and medical
supplies, the World Health Organization said on Saturday. The UN health
agency appealed for $10 million from donors to meet the need for drugs
and supplies over the next three months. Israel unleashed its massive
air campaign on Wednesday with the declared goal of deterring Hamas, the
Palestinian Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, from launching
rockets that have plagued its southern communities for years.
Let's get more on our top story now and the crisis in Gaza. Paramedics there are battling to save lives of those injured in Israel's bombing campaign. Al Jazeera's Casey Kauffman joined a response team on call.
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has made an urgent appeal for all kinds of support and solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. He especially called for immediate medical aid to overcome the crisis caused by the ongoing Israeli aggression. As a first step, Ihsanoglu ordered the OIC's humanitarian department to coordinate a comprehensive program to face the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, at the top of which are medical needs.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ramesh Rajasingham, of the United Nations
office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the Palestinian
territories, says the current conflict is having an affect on essential
services in the enclave. Rajasingham tells Al Jazeera's Darren Jordon
that "for the time being there is sufficient electricity" in Gaza, but
that may last for only another few days. Describing the overnight
bombings on Saturday as "incessant", he said the conflict has placed a
signifigant amoung to stress "specifically on children' in the Gaza
Strip.
Other Related News
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israel will close the Kerem Shalom crossing
with Gaza on Monday due to ongoing violence in the area, a Palestinian
official said. Border official Raed Fattouh told Ma'an on Sunday that
the Gaza crossing will be closed to the "deteriorating security
situation."
Rockets fail to deter looters in Beersheba
As residents seek cover from rocket attacks, thieves rob kitchen design store. 'No one can be trusted, not even at times like these,' manager says.
As residents seek cover from rocket attacks, thieves rob kitchen design store. 'No one can be trusted, not even at times like these,' manager says.
Israeli officials use fake graphic to justify bombing Gaza hospitals, Ali Abunimah
UN found no evidence to back Israeli claims about misuse of health facilities.
UN found no evidence to back Israeli claims about misuse of health facilities.
TEHRAN — Iran expects regional countries to send weapons to the
Palestinians to help them fight Israel, parliamentary speaker Ali
Larijani said on Sunday. “Although political measures taken by the
regional countries are admirable, they are definitely not sufficient,”
Larijani said in remarks reported by the official IRNA news agency. “It
is expected of them that they send serious military aid to the
Palestinians… why should Islamic countries not send weapons to
Palestine?” he asked, saying Israel receives such aid from the US and
Western countries.
The Freedom and Justice Party called on members of all political
currents to join a delegation to the Gaza Strip Monday, led by party
head Saad al-Katatny, to show solidarity with the Palestinian people
against ongoing Israeli attacks. The delegation would return to Cairo on
the same day, the Muslim Brotherhood website quoted the party's media
adviser Mourad Ali as saying.
US gives 'full backing' to Israel while urging de-escalation of Gaza violence
Israeli ambassador Michael Oren says US supports its 'self-defence' as Palestinian delegation accuses Washington of bias. The Israeli ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, says the US has given his government a free hand in its assault on Gaza as the Israeli cabinet ordered a large call up of military reserves, prompting fears of a ground invasion. The Palestinian delegation to Washington condemned the US response to the crisis as "biased and weak", and called on the White House to stop Israel using American-made weapons against civilians. It also described as "shameful" what it called the justification of the murder of Palestinians by countries supporting Israeli actions, including Britain.
Empty Rhetoric: Arab League 'backs Gaza against aggression'
Hamas chief meets Egyptian president, Qatari emir and Turkish PM, as Arab League foreign ministers issue statement.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Pakistan on Friday condemned Israel's airstrikes in
the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to intervene,
the Karachi-based daily The News reported. "Pakistan strongly condemns
Israeli air attacks in Gaza that have targeted not only the Hamas
leadership but also innocent civilians," the newspaper quoted Pakistan's
foreign ministry as saying. The ministry called on the international
community “to come together to stop the Israeli aggression”.
link to www.maannews.net
Anonymous Threatens To Shut Down 10,000 Israeli Websites
The International Hackers known as Anonymous issued a video on Saturday announcing that the group will shot down 10,000 Israeli websites due to the continued Israeli abuse of human rights.
Israeli ambassador Michael Oren says US supports its 'self-defence' as Palestinian delegation accuses Washington of bias. The Israeli ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, says the US has given his government a free hand in its assault on Gaza as the Israeli cabinet ordered a large call up of military reserves, prompting fears of a ground invasion. The Palestinian delegation to Washington condemned the US response to the crisis as "biased and weak", and called on the White House to stop Israel using American-made weapons against civilians. It also described as "shameful" what it called the justification of the murder of Palestinians by countries supporting Israeli actions, including Britain.
DUBAI: Bahrain rejected requests by several groups to organise a
pro-Gaza march on Sunday, after a protest ban announced last month, but
instead allowed sit-ins in office buildings, the interior ministry said.
Hamas chief meets Egyptian president, Qatari emir and Turkish PM, as Arab League foreign ministers issue statement.
RIYADH: Saudi King Abdullah has called for reason and wisdom during
a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in which
he discussed the latest clashes between Gaza and Israel, state news
agency SPA reported. The monarch, whose country is a heavyweight in the
six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, told Morsi "that things must calm
down and reason and wisdom must reign over passionate reactions," SPA
said late on Thursday. The Egyptian president called King Abdullah on
Thursday evening to discuss "bilateral relations and the situation in
the region as well as developments in the Palestinian territories," it
said.
ABU DHABI (Reuters) -- Qatar's emir, who visited Gaza earlier this
month, said in comments broadcast on Sunday that Israel should lift its
siege of the Gaza Strip. In an interview with the Qatar-based news
channel Al Jazeera, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani also said Israel
would not halt its offensive in Gaza unless it met strong resistance.
link to www.maannews.net
Hackers stepped up attacks on a number of Israeli Web sites on
Friday, including Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the municipal Web site
for Tel Aviv. The attacks are part of a broader campaign that the hacker
collective Anonymous is calling #OpIsrael. The group says the attacks
are in retaliation for Israeli military strikes on Hamas on
Wednesday. The campaign, which began at 3 a.m. New York time on Thursday
— with coordinated attacks on several Israeli Web sites, including
those of an Israeli Defense Forces blog and a private Israeli
surveillance and security company — showed no signs of slowing on
Friday. By Friday, Anonymous hackers claimed to have defaced more than
600 Israeli Web sites, many belonging to private companies. They also
claimed credit for taking down a Tel Aviv municipal site, tel-aviv.gov.il,
and said, in Twitter posts, that they had deleted the Web databases for
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bank of Jerusalem. While
the former site was still offline Friday afternoon, the latter appeared
to be functioning normally.
The International Hackers known as Anonymous issued a video on Saturday announcing that the group will shot down 10,000 Israeli websites due to the continued Israeli abuse of human rights.
Palestinian Solidarity with Gaza and the Resistance / Attacks Against Protesters
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian journalists staged a sit-in Sunday
in Ramallah protesting Israel's attacks on two media offices in the Gaza
Strip that injured at least six journalists. Protestors raised posters
condemning attacks on media and asserting that Palestinian journalists
will continue to do their jobs no matter how fiercely Israel's attacks
them. The head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Abdul-Nasser
al-Najjar, called the attacks on two media building "part of the ongoing
Israeli assaults on journalists."
Palestinian Authority blamed for failing to take action and for co-operating with Israeli security forces against protesters. Fresh clashes erupted in the West Bank on Sunday as Palestinian youths threw rocks at Israeli soldiers, who responded with teargas. But anger in the West Bank has not only been directed at Israel: many also blame the Palestinian Authority for failing to take action over the Gaza offensive and for co-operating with the Israeli security forces against protesters.
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces raided the Palestinian National
Theater in Jerusalem on Sunday and forcibly evicted crowds who had
gathered to express solidarity with Gaza and commemorate the death of
late president Yasser Arafat, a Fatah official said. Dimitri Deliani, a
member of the Fatah party's revolutionary council, told Ma'an that
soldiers stormed the theater located near the American Colony Hotel and
and evacuated the facility. Israeli police officers left a military
order on the main gates saying that the building would be sealed and
inaccessible for 24 hours, Deliani added. Israeli forces also raided a
nearby meeting which had convened to discuss theater related issues
On the third day of Israel’s latest incursion on Gaza, which Israeli officials call “Operation Pillar of Defense”, the number of martyrs rose as air strikes continued to pound the coastal enclave.
The Radio Bethlehem 2000 reported, on Sunday evening, that 31 Palestinians were injured, including one who suffered moderate injuries, after Israeli soldiers fired gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at protesters near Rachel Tomb, north of Bethlehem.
link to www.imemc.org
The governmental Information Office in Gaza said that the
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails started new escalatory steps to
protest the continuous brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Dozens of Palestinians were injured and at
least 10 arrested on Saturday during West Bank demonstrations against
Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to eyewitness reports. In
Nablus, four people were injured and eight arrested when Israeli
soldiers and protesters clashed near Huwwara checkpoint. Ahmad Suboh
suffered serious head injuries and was transferred to Rafidya hospital
in Nablus for treatment.
Three Palestinian civilian were injured, one critically, on
Saturday evening, by Israeli troops gunfire in the village of Al Nabi
Saleh near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
Serious injuries during clashes near the Ofer prison
Violent clashes have erupted between hundreds of Palestinian youths and Israeli occupation forces near the Ofer prison south of Ramallah.
Demonstration in Beit Ommar for Gaza
Today, a coalition of activists in Beit Ommar including the Center for Freedom and Justice, Palestine Solidarity Project, members of the Popular Committee and a new youth group Youth Power of Palestine (find them onfacebook) organized an emergency demonstration in Beit Ommar in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Over 100 people, all Palestinian, marched from the center of town to the Israeli military watch tower at the entrance to the town. They were met by a large Israeli military force which shot tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets at the demonstration. For over 2 hours, the group stayed near the entrance to the village, protesting Israeli aggression and occupation. Israeli soldiers took up posts on the roofs of Palestinian homes and continued to shoot tear gas throughout the town.
Mass Demonstration: Solidarity with Gaza
[ November 18th, 2012; 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. ] In solidarity with GAZA and all Palestinians End the Siege! Stop the Massacres! Free Palestine! End Israeli Apatheid! 1pm Sunday November 18th Hall Building, Concordia University 1455 de Maisonneuve West Metro Guy-Concordia Facebook: On Wednesday November 14th Israel declared its latest war on Gaza “Operation Pillar of Defense” also known as “Operation Pillar of Cloud”.
Demonstrations in 50 countries around the world in solidarity with Gaza
Tens of thousands around the world demonstrated on Friday to protest against the continuous Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian campaign: show solidarity with Gaza by boycotting Israel, Asa Winstanley
Today, the Palestinian Boycott Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) released this statement, emphasising the importance of the BDS campaign now, more than ever.
As Israel assaults Gaza, BBC reporting assaults the truth, Amena Saleem
Shortcomings identified by 2006 independent report on BBC’s Palestine coverage exemplified over past few days
Fares Akram: the man without self-respect
Without a doubt, Fares Akram is an errand boy for the Zionists of the time. He is playing the same despicable role that his predecessor, Taghreed El-Khodari had played during the 2008 assault on Gaza. There is no limit to what the token Arab errand boy (or girl in the case of Taghreed) can do for the Zionist bosses. While Israeli bombs are falling on Gaza, the New York Times bosses order the token Arab errand girl (in 2008) and the token Arab errand boy today to go to Gaza not to report on the plight of the civilian but to write a tribute to the collaborators who are executed for providing information to the enemy (the French resistance used to execute the man, his wife, children and pets and in one province in France, more than a third of all executed collaborators were women). If Fares Akram is ordered to go and cheer for Israeli soldiers, he would jump to follow the order. I have only contempt for one like him, really.
Jewish Voice for Peace Statement on Israel’s Operation “Pillar of Defense”
The international group 'Jewish Voice for Peace' issued a statement Saturday calling for an end to the Israeli attack on Gaza. The group has also participated in and sponsored protests during the last two days in cities across the US and Europe to demand that Israel end its attack and siege on Gaza.
Why Gaza?, Justin Raimondo
The Israeli assault on Gaza was triggered Nov. 8 when the IDF crossed the border and murdered Ahmed Younis Khader Abu Daqqa, a 13-year-old boy playing football in his front yard: the official explanation for this action was an alleged weapons cache, supposedly stored nearby, but no credible evidence supporting this contention has come to...
Child Killed In Qalandia Refugee Camp
Palestinian medical sources reported Sunday that a 20-month-old child was killed when a gas bomb fired by the Israeli army hit him in the head, and burnt his bed, in Qlandia refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem.
Locals: Israeli jeep damaged by firebomb near Nablus
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- An Israeli military jeep was damaged near Nablus late Saturday by a Molotov cocktail thrown by youths, local sources said. Palestinian youths in the village of Sarra confronted Israeli forces in the area and threw stones and a firebomb at a military jeep, causing it to set alight. Soldiers fired large amounts of tear gas and rubber bullets at villagers in response, the sources added. An Israeli spokeswoman said she would look into the incident.
IOF arrests four liberated prisoners from Hamas in the West Bank
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested at dawn Sunday four activists affiliated with Hamas movement after raiding their houses in different districts of the West Bank.
Resistance reduced the pressures on detainees in occupation jails
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the resistance rockets reduced the pressures on Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
Fire exchanges on Syrian border; IDF jeep damaged
Stray fire hits IDF patrol on border area, army responds by firing back at Syrian post; Syrians retaliate by firing mortar that lands in demilitarized zone.
Israel maneuvers itself into a corner as Palestinians seek U.N. bid
Following Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’s confirmation that the Palestinian Authority will present its bid for upgraded status at the U.N. on Nov. 29, an Israeli Foreign Ministry policy paper has proposed “toppling” his “regime” if the bid is approved.
Violent clashes have erupted between hundreds of Palestinian youths and Israeli occupation forces near the Ofer prison south of Ramallah.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli soldiers fired rounds of tear gas at
youths protesting in Bethlehem late Saturday, a Ma'an reporter
said. Youths threw rocks at an Israeli watchtower near Rachels Tomb,
while soldiers fired multiple gas canisters into Bethlehem from behind a
section of Israel's separation wall. The clashes took place near Azza
and Aida refugee camps. Dozens of Palestinians were injured and at least
10 arrested on Saturday during West Bank demonstrations against Israeli
attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Today, a coalition of activists in Beit Ommar including the Center for Freedom and Justice, Palestine Solidarity Project, members of the Popular Committee and a new youth group Youth Power of Palestine (find them onfacebook) organized an emergency demonstration in Beit Ommar in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Over 100 people, all Palestinian, marched from the center of town to the Israeli military watch tower at the entrance to the town. They were met by a large Israeli military force which shot tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets at the demonstration. For over 2 hours, the group stayed near the entrance to the village, protesting Israeli aggression and occupation. Israeli soldiers took up posts on the roofs of Palestinian homes and continued to shoot tear gas throughout the town.
Rallies marked by Hamas flags have been something of a rarity in the West Bank, but they could augur the future.
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — Thousands of angry Palestinians
rallied across the West Bank on Friday, urging Hamas militants to "bomb
Tel Aviv" as Israel pursued a relentless air campaign on the Gaza
Strip. More than 1,000 protesters gathered in central Ramallah, shouting
slogans of support for Gaza's Hamas rulers, and waving the Islamist
movement's green flag, AFP correspondents said. "Hamas, bomb Tel Aviv!"
they chanted a day after a rocket from Gaza struck the sea just offshore
from the sprawling coastal city. Coincidentally, a loud blast rocked
Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon as sirens wailed to warn of an incoming
rocket for the second day running, an AFP correspondent at the scene
said. Police said sirens had sounded but could not immediately confirm
that anything had hit the Tel Aviv area.
International Solidarity with Gaza
As Israel continues to pound Gaza for the 5th day Egyptian
authorities have allowed a five bus convoy of 400 activists to enter
Gaza thru the Rafah border in solidarity with Gazans under siege. This
represents a radical departure from the policies of the Mubarak regime
during Israel's '08-'09 war on Gaza. The activists are also delivering
much needed medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Al Shifaa Hospital,
in Gaza, in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent.
Thousands have gathered outside the Leader Ibrahim Mosque in
Alexandria on Friday to protest against the Israeli assault on the Gaza
Strip. Qatar-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr broadcast
images of protesters raising large banners for Palestinian martyrs who
were killed during the attack. The banners read: "Gaza will never die,"
"We call on the president to open Rafah crossing," and "The Muslim who
is not concerned with the affairs of his fellow Muslims is not one of
them." The protesters chanted in support of the Palestinian resistance,
saying: "O Zahar (Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar) tell Haniyah (Gaza
premier Ismail Haniyah) not to leave the rifle," and "No to Israel's
assault on Gaza." Other protesters raised banners demanding a stricter
application for the Islamic Sharia in the new constitution.
Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza have sparked global protests condemning
the attack. Thousands of people across the Middle East, the West, and
Europe have come out to show their disdain. Yet, some countries remain
convinced of Israel’s right to attack. Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza have
sparked global protests condemning the attack. Thousands of people
across the Middle East, the West, and Europe have come out to show their
disdain. Yet, some countries remain convinced of Israel’s right to
attack. Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense – which began Wednesday and
has taken the lives of 39 Palestinians and three Israelis so far,
according to Palestinian local media – has divided the international
world.
[ November 18th, 2012; 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. ] In solidarity with GAZA and all Palestinians End the Siege! Stop the Massacres! Free Palestine! End Israeli Apatheid! 1pm Sunday November 18th Hall Building, Concordia University 1455 de Maisonneuve West Metro Guy-Concordia Facebook: On Wednesday November 14th Israel declared its latest war on Gaza “Operation Pillar of Defense” also known as “Operation Pillar of Cloud”.
Tens of thousands around the world demonstrated on Friday to protest against the continuous Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Today, the Palestinian Boycott Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) released this statement, emphasising the importance of the BDS campaign now, more than ever.
Media Bias
Shortcomings identified by 2006 independent report on BBC’s Palestine coverage exemplified over past few days
"It’s hard to find fault with the not-subtle argument in support of
Israel’s campaign against the Gaza-based group, which does fire many
rockets at civilian neighborhoods".
Without a doubt, Fares Akram is an errand boy for the Zionists of the time. He is playing the same despicable role that his predecessor, Taghreed El-Khodari had played during the 2008 assault on Gaza. There is no limit to what the token Arab errand boy (or girl in the case of Taghreed) can do for the Zionist bosses. While Israeli bombs are falling on Gaza, the New York Times bosses order the token Arab errand girl (in 2008) and the token Arab errand boy today to go to Gaza not to report on the plight of the civilian but to write a tribute to the collaborators who are executed for providing information to the enemy (the French resistance used to execute the man, his wife, children and pets and in one province in France, more than a third of all executed collaborators were women). If Fares Akram is ordered to go and cheer for Israeli soldiers, he would jump to follow the order. I have only contempt for one like him, really.
Analysis / Op-ed on Israeli War on Gaza
If the world will not defend the Palestinians against Israel, we
have the right to defend ourselves. The latest Israeli aggression on the
Gaza Strip has prompted several European countries and the US to
reaffirm their position of unwavering support for the aggressor. William
Hague, Britain's foreign secretary, Cathy Ashton, the EU high
representative for foreign affairs, and Barack Obama, have all claimed
that Hamas's rockets were responsible for the crisis and that it is the
right of Israel to defend its citizens. Had they checked the facts, they
would have realised Israel started the attacks. The escalation started
when an Israeli military incursion into Gaza on 8 November killed a Palestinian child. That was followed by other Israeli incursions and attacks, provoking a response by Palestinian factions.
GAZA (Reuters) -- The defiance of Gaza's armed struggle bombards
the senses in the city streets. Shrieks of outgoing rockets from
downtown launch pads receive an encore of whistling youths, honking
horns and celebratory calls of "God is Great" from mosque
loudspeakers. Martial songs blare "Strike Tel Aviv!" from one of the few
cars daring to chance the roads.
Palestinians are preparing themselves for possible Israeli ground
operation, as they fear that the IDF could start reoccupation of the
Gaza Strip with tanks and commandos. According to the Israeli Defense
Ministry, it eliminated 90 per cent of Hamas’ military capability, as
they deliver surgical strike aimed only at terrorists. While filmmaker
Harry Fear, who is currently in Gaza, told RT about dead Palestinian
civilians, including children, and an upcoming ground invasion.
Al-Akhbar’s reporters in Gaza examine the Palestinian military
response to the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip. As the resistance
fighters unify, they’ve been able to strike deeper into Israel.
Since November 14, when Israel assassinated Hamas leader Ahmed Jabari, further escalating an already bloody week that began with the killing of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy during an Israeli raid on November 8, at least 52 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including at least 16 civilians,
ten children among them. During the same period, three Israeli
civilians have been killed in southern Israel. This disparity in
civilian casualties is representative of a historic pattern, with a
disproportionate number of Palestinian and other Arab civilians killed
and wounded in virtually every phase of the conflict since Israel’s
creation in 1948.
The Wall Street Journal reports the result of a press conference held on Air Force One by Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes,
who works as one of Obama's main (foreign policy) speechwriters who
helped the President draft his spring 2012 AIPAC address. Rhodes
expressed hope that mediation efforts by the Egyptians -- who had been
brokering a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel the day before Operation
Pillar of Cloud began -- will succeed, but the meat of his remarks comes
in the form of a very clear public declaration the US will have
Israel's back no matter what the government decides.
(WASHINGTON DC) - The following statement by Noam Chomsky indicates
a different stand toward Israeli aggression than Prof. Chomsky has
revealed in the past: "The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not
about destroying Hamas. It is not about stopping rocket fire into
Israel, it is not about achieving peace. The Israeli decision to rain
death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern
battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population, is the final
phase in a decades-long campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians.
Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb
densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and
slums to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no
navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no
command in control, no army… and calls it a war. It is not a war, it is
murder. “When Israelis in the occupied territories now claim that they
have to defend themselves, they are defending themselves in the sense
that any military occupier has to defend itself against the population
they are crushing. You can't defend yourself when you're militarily
occupying someone else's land. That's not defense. Call it what you
like, it's not defense.”
link to www.salem-news.com
link to www.salem-news.com
Use of Iran-developed rocket that can reach Israel's civilian
heartland points to scale of arms smuggling into Gaza. In a straight
fight between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip there is no
question who has the upper hand. Israel's armed forces are among the
world's most sophisticated. Their ability to mount a drone strike of the
kind that killed the Hamas military leader Ahmed Jaabari on Wednesday attests to a deadly combination of precise weaponry and accurate intelligence.
The first Israeli strike was severe. Ahmed al-Jaabari was
assassinated. He was Hamas’ Imad Mughniyeh. His loss may have been even
greater to the movement, given its organizational constraints and
exceptionally centralized decision-making processes, but it can be
recovered nevertheless. Jaabari put plans in place to fill the vacuum.
In this brief study, I examine the many numbers cited by the
Israeli military relating to Gaza rocket attacks into Israel. To begin,
Israeli spokespeople frequently remind the world that a million Israeli
citizens are within range of Gaza rockets, twelve thousand of which have
been fired into Israel in the last twelve years, inflicting thousands
of injuries and several dead. However, we are rarely told exactly how
many people have been killed by these rocket attacks.
Bomb Iran? No. Bomb Gaza? Yes!, Pepe Escobar
So many wars to launch, so little time. When you're the political leader of the most militarized nation on the planet -- as is the case with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu -- you gotta find ways to play with your toys. Even if you're itching to, you can't bomb Iran because you don't have the right bunker buster bombs and enough fighter jet refueling capability. And on top of it, re-elected US President Barack Obama has made it absolutely clear; the way forward is diplomacy, not bombs. This may be an indication that Obama is at least considering a deal: "There should be a way in which they [Iran] can enjoy peaceful nuclear power while still meeting their international obligations and providing clear assurances to the international community that they're not pursuing a nuclear weapon." This had led to the president's commitment to "make a push in the coming months to see if we can open up a dialogue" cutting through the US/Iran Wall of Mistrust.
So many wars to launch, so little time. When you're the political leader of the most militarized nation on the planet -- as is the case with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu -- you gotta find ways to play with your toys. Even if you're itching to, you can't bomb Iran because you don't have the right bunker buster bombs and enough fighter jet refueling capability. And on top of it, re-elected US President Barack Obama has made it absolutely clear; the way forward is diplomacy, not bombs. This may be an indication that Obama is at least considering a deal: "There should be a way in which they [Iran] can enjoy peaceful nuclear power while still meeting their international obligations and providing clear assurances to the international community that they're not pursuing a nuclear weapon." This had led to the president's commitment to "make a push in the coming months to see if we can open up a dialogue" cutting through the US/Iran Wall of Mistrust.
Despite his deserved reputation as an extremist and rejectionist of
the first order, Israel's Binyamin Netanyahu has unlike most of his
predecessors never initiated a war. He appears not to have planned one
this time either. The 1996 Tunnel Intifada, named after several days of
clashes that followed Israel's festive opening of a tunnel in the heart
of occupied East Jerusalem, may well have been Bibi's template for the
current assault on the Gaza Strip. It after all transpired during his
previous term in office, and consists of three simple steps. 1. Launch
outrageous provocation guaranteed to elicit armed response. 2. Use
overwhelming firepower to kill Arabs and remind them who is boss. 3.
Mobilise foreign parties to quickly restore calm on improved conditions.
1. Israeli hawks represent themselves as engaged in a 'peace
process' with the Palestinians in which Hamas refuses to join. In fact,
Israel has refused to cease Colonizing and stealing Palestinian land
long enough to engage in fruitful negotiations with them. Tel Aviv
routinely announces new, Unilateral house-building on the Palestinian
West Bank . There is no peace process. It is an Israeli and American
sham. Talking about a peace process is giving cover to Israeli
nationalists who are determined to grab everything the Palestinians have
and reduce them to penniless refugees (again).
The international group 'Jewish Voice for Peace' issued a statement Saturday calling for an end to the Israeli attack on Gaza. The group has also participated in and sponsored protests during the last two days in cities across the US and Europe to demand that Israel end its attack and siege on Gaza.
Israel’s military assault on Gaza in 2008-09 represented an
important turning point in my own relationship with Israel. I
recall experiencing a new and previously unfamiliar feeling
of anguish as Israel bombarded the people living in that tiny,
besieged strip of land over and over, day after day after day. While I
certainly felt a sense of tribal loyalty to the Israelis who
withstood Qassam rocket fire from Gaza, I felt a newfound sense of
concern and solidarity with Gazans who I believed were
experiencing nothing short of oppression during this massive
military onslaught. And now it’s happening again. Only this time I
don’t think the term “anguish” quite fits my mindset. Now it’s
something much closer to rage.
The Israeli assault on Gaza was triggered Nov. 8 when the IDF crossed the border and murdered Ahmed Younis Khader Abu Daqqa, a 13-year-old boy playing football in his front yard: the official explanation for this action was an alleged weapons cache, supposedly stored nearby, but no credible evidence supporting this contention has come to...
Other West Bank News
Israeli Terrorism / Aggression / Raids in the West Bank
Palestinian medical sources reported Sunday that a 20-month-old child was killed when a gas bomb fired by the Israeli army hit him in the head, and burnt his bed, in Qlandia refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem.
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A Bethlehem man died on Saturday from medical
complications caused by injuries sustained eight years ago after being
assaulted by Israeli forces, Ma'an's reporter said. Omar Mohammad Hmeid,
26, from Tuqu village east of Bethlehem was detained eight years ago
for stone-throwing. During his arrest he was hit over the head with the
butt of an Israeli soldier's rifle, causing severe head injuries. He was
then detained for six months where Israeli prison authorities failed to
provide adequate treatment for his injuries, causing Hmeid to develop
an infection which provoked irreversible brain damage, his family
said. His funeral will take place on Sunday.
NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Settlers torched a Nablus mosque overnight
Sunday, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Daghlas, who
monitors settler activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma'an that a
group of settlers from Yizhar entered the village of Urif and set fire
to the entrance of a mosque. Villagers managed to stop the fire from
spreading and chased the settlers out of the village, Daghlas added.
Eleven Palestinian media outlets have been raided by Israel over the past five years.
Unexpected visitors came Sunday early morning to visit activists of
the anarchists against the wall and others with a "present": It is not
everyday I get a wake up call from the police. Without warrant,they
entered our home and handed over four bits of paper each with a map
showing one of the villages of Bil'in, Kfur Qaddum, Nil'in and An Nabi
Salih. They explained that until mid-March 2013 I cannot go on Fridays
to any of these villages. They recorded the whole thing and insisted on
signing receipt. It took time to understand it was not a legal personal
restriction order, but a bogus act of intimidation which have no legal
meaning. As it was the initiative of the regional commander of the
center of the occupied was bank I joked that may be he want us to shift
the focus of our weekend joint actions to the southern region of
Southern Hebron Hills, Ma'asara, and beit Ommar.
Palestinians in the West Bank Resist
Locals: Israeli jeep damaged by firebomb near Nablus
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- An Israeli military jeep was damaged near Nablus late Saturday by a Molotov cocktail thrown by youths, local sources said. Palestinian youths in the village of Sarra confronted Israeli forces in the area and threw stones and a firebomb at a military jeep, causing it to set alight. Soldiers fired large amounts of tear gas and rubber bullets at villagers in response, the sources added. An Israeli spokeswoman said she would look into the incident.
Illegal Arrests
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested at dawn Sunday four activists affiliated with Hamas movement after raiding their houses in different districts of the West Bank.
Other Prisoner News
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the resistance rockets reduced the pressures on Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
Ofer prisoners form National Unity Section
Palestinian prisoners in Ofer prison declared the establishment of the National Unity Section in section 15 which includes detainees from all Palestinian factions..
Palestinian prisoners in Ofer prison declared the establishment of the National Unity Section in section 15 which includes detainees from all Palestinian factions..
Protests / Solidarity / Activism / BDS
Beit Ommar Participates in West Bank-Wide Demonstrations Against the Occupation
On November 14, a series of coordinated direct actions took place across the West Bank, coordinated by a network of activists throughout the West Bank. Palestinians, along with Israeli and international solidarity activists blocked settler-only roads and checkpoints in Huwarra, Nablus; Ni’lin, Ramallah; Nabi Saleh, Ramallah; Bil’in, Ramallah; Nashash, Betlehem; and Beit Jala, Betlehem. Activists from Beit Ommar and Palestine Solidarity Project joined over 100 other activists at the tunnels checkpoint outside of Beit Jala. For nearly half an hour, activists blocked Israeli settler traffic into Jerusalem through the checkpoint, protesting the ongoing military occupation of the West Bank. While some activists in some areas chose to emphasize the Palestinian bid for an upgrade in status at the UN, the participants in Beit Jala from Beit Ommar chose to focus on the Israeli military occupation and restrictions on freedom of movement.
link to palestinesolidarityproject.org
Beit Ommar Participates in West Bank-Wide Demonstrations Against the Occupation
On November 14, a series of coordinated direct actions took place across the West Bank, coordinated by a network of activists throughout the West Bank. Palestinians, along with Israeli and international solidarity activists blocked settler-only roads and checkpoints in Huwarra, Nablus; Ni’lin, Ramallah; Nabi Saleh, Ramallah; Bil’in, Ramallah; Nashash, Betlehem; and Beit Jala, Betlehem. Activists from Beit Ommar and Palestine Solidarity Project joined over 100 other activists at the tunnels checkpoint outside of Beit Jala. For nearly half an hour, activists blocked Israeli settler traffic into Jerusalem through the checkpoint, protesting the ongoing military occupation of the West Bank. While some activists in some areas chose to emphasize the Palestinian bid for an upgrade in status at the UN, the participants in Beit Jala from Beit Ommar chose to focus on the Israeli military occupation and restrictions on freedom of movement.
link to palestinesolidarityproject.org
Political Developments / Other News
Stray fire hits IDF patrol on border area, army responds by firing back at Syrian post; Syrians retaliate by firing mortar that lands in demilitarized zone.
Palestinian officials: Arafat grave being dug up
Two Palestinian officials say workers with jackhammers are opening the concrete-encased grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in his former compound in the West Bank.
The
spokesperson of the US Department of State urges the Jordanian people
to accept the pain inflicted on them by the puppet King
"MS. NULAND: It’s the IMF who’s made clear that the kinds of subsidies that the government has been providing are not sustainable for a modern economy, and that adjustments need to be made. We have supported the IMF, as in this case, and we support King Abdullah and his government in the change that they’re trying to implement inside Jordan, which they’ve got to do in order to modernize the state.
QUESTION: Well, that’s all well and good, but if I’m a Jordanian and I sit here and listen to the Spokeswoman for the State Department say that this is “necessary pain,” that’s just – who are you to tell me what’s necessary and what’s not?
MS. NULAND: Again, this is a set of reforms that need to be undertaken. It’s not easy. It’s never easy. It’s not easy in the European context; it’s not easy in the American context when we have to make adjustments to deal with our fiscal situation. But all of us are having to deal with these things in one way or another these days.
Please, Said.
Two Palestinian officials say workers with jackhammers are opening the concrete-encased grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in his former compound in the West Bank.
"MS. NULAND: It’s the IMF who’s made clear that the kinds of subsidies that the government has been providing are not sustainable for a modern economy, and that adjustments need to be made. We have supported the IMF, as in this case, and we support King Abdullah and his government in the change that they’re trying to implement inside Jordan, which they’ve got to do in order to modernize the state.
QUESTION: Well, that’s all well and good, but if I’m a Jordanian and I sit here and listen to the Spokeswoman for the State Department say that this is “necessary pain,” that’s just – who are you to tell me what’s necessary and what’s not?
MS. NULAND: Again, this is a set of reforms that need to be undertaken. It’s not easy. It’s never easy. It’s not easy in the European context; it’s not easy in the American context when we have to make adjustments to deal with our fiscal situation. But all of us are having to deal with these things in one way or another these days.
Please, Said.
Analysis / Op-ed / Human Interest
Following Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’s confirmation that the Palestinian Authority will present its bid for upgraded status at the U.N. on Nov. 29, an Israeli Foreign Ministry policy paper has proposed “toppling” his “regime” if the bid is approved.
A majority of Europeans want their governments to vote for Palestinian recognition at the UN, latest polls reveal. Overwhelming majorities in the UK and other western European countries believe Palestinians should have their own state and want their governments to vote for recognition of Palestine at the United Nations at the end of the month, according to latest polls.
Declaring the death of the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become increasingly fashionable among growing sections of both right and left wing streams of Palestinians and Israelis. The late Palestinian intellectual Edward Said was one of the first to propagate this notion in his essays on the failure of the Oslo accords and on bi-nationalism . Since then, and in the wake of a second Palestinian uprising, a unilateral Israeli redeployment from the Gaza Strip, a vicious one-sided Israeli war on the same territory, and a comatose negotiations process, it's little wonder exasperated observers and participants are increasingly declaring the two-state solution dead, while kindling the search for alternatives.
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