Israeli attack on Gaza

[Windmill knight]

I thought we should open a thread on the latest situation in Gaza to share and keep track of how things develop. In case you somehow missed it, her is how it started. In late October,

Israeli airstrikes kill 4, injure 8 in Gaza

24 October

Gaza City - Multiple Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed four people and injured eight since late Tuesday, medics said.

Israeli warplanes struck a target in Rafah early Wednesday, killing Muhammad al-Sheikh, 32, a member of the PRC's military wing the Nasser Saladin Brigades.

One other person was also injured in the attack.

Israel's army said it was targeting a launching squad which moments earlier had fired a rocket at southern Israel.

At midnight, an airstrike on Beit Lahiya in Gaza's north killed Ismail al-Tille, a member of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, and injured three others, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an.

Another overnight strike in an area northwest of Beit Lahiya killed Loai Abed al-Hakeen Abu Jarad, 24, and Yousef Abu Jalhoum, al-Qidra said. One other person was seriously wounded.

Israel's army said it targeted a squad in the northern Gaza Strip "during its final preparations to fire rockets towards southern Israel."

Hamas officials also reported Israeli tanks firing into Gaza. A military spokesman confirmed that report.

Fast-forward two weeks later:

Here we go again: Israel 'may launch ground invasion into Gaza'

By lunchtime on Sunday, more than 70 rockets and mortars had landed in Israel from Gaza within 24 hours, leaving six Palestinians killed and eight Israelis injured.

At a cabinet meeting on Sunday morning, Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said: "The world needs to understand that Israel will not sit idly by in the face of attempts to attack us. We are prepared to intensify the response."

One unnamed senior Israeli government official, said: "A ground incursion is certainly not out of the question although we hope it won't come to that."

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has confirmed that it is expecting, at the very least, instruction to intensify its campaign of air strikes on Hamas targets.

Commentators have pointed out similarities between this weekend's violence and the last incursion into Gaza in 2008, when Ehud Olmert was drawn into an operation three months before losing elections to Mr Netanyahu. Israel again goes to the polls next January.

This latest escalation in the intractable conflict between Israel and Islamic militants in the Gaza Strip began on Thursday when a booby-trapped tunnel dug by Palestinians underneath the border fence from Gaza into Israel exploded, injuring an Israeli soldier. The Israeli military believes Hamas had planned to use this tunnel for a kidnapping similar to that of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006 or to launch a terror attack inside Israel.

In a separate incident on the same day, a 12 year-old Palestinian boy playing football was killed by fire from an Israeli tank, having been caught in an exchange of fire with Palestinian militants.

A couple days later:

Israel assassinates top Al-Qassam brigade commander

The Israeli army assassinated the deputy chief commander of the Palestinian Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigade, Ahmad al-Jabari, in an air strike on his car near Al-Amal Hotel in Gaza on Wednesday.

The Israeli terror attack killed two Palestinians and injured three others, including senior members of Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigade, the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas.

It seems like Israel was attempting to provoke Hamas before the elections and one key attack that pushed things over was the murder of a 12 year old Palestinian. Hamas retaliated by attacking an Israeli military jeep, at which point Israel began talking of a ground invasion and escalated the provocation.

Israel rejects truce and escalates fighting in Gaza with assassination of Hamas leader; 10 killed, 45 wounded in Israeli attacks

The IDF has announced it has assassinated Ahmed Al-Jabari, the head of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing. It is the start of what an IDF spokesperson on Twitter called "a widespread campaign on terror sites & operatives in the #Gaza Strip, chief among them #Hamas & Islamic Jihad targets." The IDF has named the attack "Pillar of Defense."

One Israeli television analyst reported that the strike on Jabari was planned months ago. The IDF spokesperson's office said that "All options are on the table. If necessary, the IDF is ready to initiate a ground operation in Gaza." RT.com is reporting that Israel has initiated an emergency call up of reservists to prepare for the possible invasion.

More casualties are being reported from Gaza. Israeli channel 10 has reported that Ahmed al-Zahar, the brother of Mahmoud al-Zahar, a major Hamas figure, was killed along with Jabari, although Haaretz is reporting that it was his assistant Mohammed Hams who was killed in the car with him.

The assassination breaks a day-old lull in what was intense fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian fighters in Gaza. A tacit truce was reached with the help of Egypt, but Israel has now broken it decisively.

So it was planned by Israel all along. No surprise there.

Here's a Press TV report that sort of summarizes what's been going on until yesterday. Daniel Pipes gets rightly put in his place by Ken O'Keefe. We also hear from an activist in Gaza:

_http://vimeo.com/53460847

On the following link there seem to be live-streaming reports from central Gaza from a British activist, Harry Fear, although so far every time I try to see it I haven't been able (I'll keep trying):

_http://www.ustream.tv/channel/operation-pillar-of-cloud#utm_campaign=www.facebook.com&utm_source=12576643&utm_medium=social

He's also got a youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/harryfear

Finally, to put things in perspective of what an Israeli invasion in Gaza looks like, here's a link to 'Tears of Gaza', a documentary regarding Operation Cast Lead almost four years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPVarxgj04M

If you have any other interesting links or observations to share, please do so! Thanks!

 

[Windmill knight]

More live updates here:

_http://rt.com/news/gaza-israel-hamas-attack-687/

 

[Redrock12]

Sorry Windmill, but I don't have the stomach to follow this latest persecution and murder of Palestinians.
What's even worse is that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a public broadcaster (_www.cbc.ca), is grossly slanting its coverage in an attempt to justify Israel's actions.
Sickening.

 

[anart]

Sorry Windmill, but I don't have the stomach to follow this latest persecution and murder of Palestinians.
What's even worse is that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a public broadcaster (_www.cbc.ca), is grossly slanting its coverage in an attempt to justify Israel's actions.
Sickening.

The very least you can do for the Palestinians is to be a conscious witness to their suffering. To turn away from it because you "don't have the stomach" is an intensely STS mindset. You can't be bothered to witness the death and suffering of innocents because it's too much for you? Imagine what they're going through and they have NO CHOICE. You do. The very - very - least they deserve is your attention, your compassion and your righteous anger - but if all you can do is turn away because you can't "stomach" it, then, I don't really even have words for that.

 

[Redrock12]

Sorry Windmill, but I don't have the stomach to follow this latest persecution and murder of Palestinians.
What's even worse is that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a public broadcaster (_www.cbc.ca), is grossly slanting its coverage in an attempt to justify Israel's actions.
Sickening.

The very least you can do for the Palestinians is to be a conscious witness to their suffering. To turn away from it because you "don't have the stomach" is an intensely STS mindset. You can't be bothered to witness the death and suffering of innocents because it's too much for you? Imagine what they're going through and they have NO CHOICE. You do. The very - very - least they deserve is your attention, your compassion and your righteous anger - but if all you can do is turn away because you can't "stomach" it, then, I don't really even have words for that.

Thank you for your reply Anart.
And for kicking me where it hurts: my conscience.
The Palestinians do indeed deserve my attention and compassion.
As of now, they are going to get it. It's the least I can do.
Again, thanks for the wake-up call.

 

[Yozilla]

Gog is definitely en route to Armageddon to meet Magog - and they are (according to their own myth) two of the same kind... The question is who will be on the "other" side - US? Is Obama a kind of Trojan Horse (Deep level punctuator)

 

[Yozilla]

Gaza returns fire:

_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20336811

 

[anart]

Gaza returns fire:

_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20336811

Don't believe what you read on the BBC - it's more likely that it's Israelis "returning fire" from Gaza to make themselves look like victims.

 

[Bernhard]

Sorry Windmill, but I don't have the stomach to follow this latest persecution and murder of Palestinians.
What's even worse is that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a public broadcaster (_www.cbc.ca), is grossly slanting its coverage in an attempt to justify Israel's actions.
Sickening.

The very least you can do for the Palestinians is to be a conscious witness to their suffering. To turn away from it because you "don't have the stomach" is an intensely STS mindset. You can't be bothered to witness the death and suffering of innocents because it's too much for you? Imagine what they're going through and they have NO CHOICE. You do. The very - very - least they deserve is your attention, your compassion and your righteous anger - but if all you can do is turn away because you can't "stomach" it, then, I don't really even have words for that.

I agree. Redrock12, if you haven't watched this documentary yet, I encourage you to take 1h 20min out of your life and watch it, because that is what is happening right now:
- Tears of Gaza
http://youtu.be/NPVarxgj04M

 

[Windmill knight]

Looks like Twitter has more guts than all the western corporate media put together (not that it's too hard).

_http://rt.com/news/gaza-israel-hamas-attack-687/

16:20 GMT: Twitter reportedly suspended the IDF's account earlier on Thursday after it posted updates on the Gaza Strip conflict which Twitter deemed to be "direct, specific threats of violence against others."

Speaking of which, I wonder if the BBC will even whisper a protest in support of their photojournalist in Gaza who just lost an 11-month-old son, burned alive in an Israeli attack?

 

[David]

Israeli airstrikes kill 4, injure 8 in Gaza

24 October

Gaza City - Multiple Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed four people and injured eight since late Tuesday, medics said.

Israeli warplanes struck a target in Rafah early Wednesday, killing Muhammad al-Sheikh, 32, a member of the PRC's military wing the Nasser Saladin Brigades.

One other person was also injured in the attack.

Israel's army said it was targeting a launching squad which moments earlier had fired a rocket at southern Israel.

At midnight, an airstrike on Beit Lahiya in Gaza's north killed Ismail al-Tille, a member of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, and injured three others, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an.

Launching squad, probably children with a fire cracker.

 

[Yozilla]

Don't believe what you read on the BBC - it's more likely that it's Israelis "returning fire" from Gaza to make themselves look like victims.

Uh what a misdoing could be taking place there... I also had doubts about BBC considering recent affairs...

Thank you Anart for pointing this out...

 

[1984]

Looks like Twitter has more guts than all the western corporate media put together (not that it's too hard).

_http://rt.com/news/gaza-israel-hamas-attack-687/

16:20 GMT: Twitter reportedly suspended the IDF's account earlier on Thursday after it posted updates on the Gaza Strip conflict which Twitter deemed to be "direct, specific threats of violence against others."

Speaking of which, I wonder if the BBC will even whisper a protest in support of their photojournalist in Gaza who just lost an 11-month-old son, burned alive in an Israeli attack?

Indeed. http://www.sott.net/article/253619-BBC-journalist-cradles-his-dead-baby-son-in-his-arms-after-Israeli-rocket-attack-on-Gaza

 

[Redrock12]

Sorry Windmill, but I don't have the stomach to follow this latest persecution and murder of Palestinians.
What's even worse is that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a public broadcaster (_www.cbc.ca), is grossly slanting its coverage in an attempt to justify Israel's actions.
Sickening.

The very least you can do for the Palestinians is to be a conscious witness to their suffering. To turn away from it because you "don't have the stomach" is an intensely STS mindset. You can't be bothered to witness the death and suffering of innocents because it's too much for you? Imagine what they're going through and they have NO CHOICE. You do. The very - very - least they deserve is your attention, your compassion and your righteous anger - but if all you can do is turn away because you can't "stomach" it, then, I don't really even have words for that.

I agree. Redrock12, if you haven't watched this documentary yet, I encourage you to take 1h 20min out of your life and watch it, because that is what is happening right now:
- Tears of Gaza
http://youtu.be/NPVarxgj04M

I watched it right after Anart's reply to my initial post.
Turning away is no longer an option.
Thanks for your concern Spiral Out.

ps: Watched the other links as well.

 

[loreta]

Gaza returns fire:

_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20336811

Don't believe what you read on the BBC - it's more likely that it's Israelis "returning fire" from Gaza to make themselves look like victims.

They did the same at RFI: they started the news telling first that: rockets were send from Gaza above Israel THAN Israel responded from this ATTACK. So to give us the sensation that the culprits here are from Gaza, not from Israel. Liars, liars, liars. Disgusting. The reporters are complicit with Israel and that makes me puke.