Gaza Live Coverage: Israel Chooses Air Assault Over Ground Invasion...For Now

See also Gaza Feature: The Names of Those Killed
Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Is Assad's Military Collapsing?
Monday's Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: 30 Killed in Gaza's Bloodiest Day

---

1939 GMT: More audio from @RenaGaza in Gaza recorded just minutes ago, reportedly captures the sound of Apaches and Apache strikes:

listen to ‘Apaches and Apache strikes right now in #Gaza. Nov 20 9:37 pm’ on Audioboo

1935 GMT: The Bedouin civilian who was killed after a rocket attack from Gaza on Eshkol Regional Council has been named as Alayaan Salem al-Nabari from the southern Negev desert.

1931 GMT: Several hours ago, rumours were flying about a possible ceasefire announcement at 1900 GMT. This was subsequently denied by officials on both sides, but the possibility remained. However, things seem far from a ceasefire right now. Al Jazeera English journalist Jacky Rowland reports that there appears to be an "escalation" of attacks on northern Gaza. Speaking to the station she said:

There has been sustained heavy artillery fire coming into the northern Gaza Strip from tanks lined up along the Israeli border.

Citizen journalist @RenaGaza, in Gaza, uploads this audio recording reportedly capturing the sounds of live ammunition, taken about 20 minutes ago:

listen to ‘Live ammunition now. Nov. 20 9:03 pm #Gaza ’ on Audioboo

1857 GMT: Electronic Intifada speaks to workers at the Shifa hospital in Gaza. Ibrahim Jirjawi, a nurse on the orthopedic ward, says:

It's very hard now, with many injured people coming every hour. Women and children outnumbered men, especially with the new wave [of attacks] targeting houses and civilian buildings.

In the last hour, Haaretz reports that Gaza hospitals are reporting severe shortage in medical supplies.

It's more dangerous now than before, and we expect that things will be worse if ground operations start.

1854 GMT: According to IBA Radio, the second person killed after a rocket attack from Gaza on Eshkol Regional Council was a Bedouin civilian. An IDF soldier was also killed in the attack.

1849 GMT: Ceasefire news. The Turkish Foreign Secretary Davutoglu has said:

#FMDavutoglu “ A ceasefire aggrement was reached. The ceasefire will come into effect at midnight” #Gaza

— Foreign Ministry (@MFATurkey) November 20, 2012

1844 GMT: Reuters journalist Noah Browning reports that a third Palestinian journalist was killed today by Israeli attacks:

PS, #Israel airstrike killed tonight's third #Gaza'n journalist, Mhmd Abu Isha, educational progrmming director at al-Quds TV

— Noah Browning (@sheikhNB) November 20, 2012

1842 GMT: The IDF tweets that it has attacked an Islamic Jihad site in Gaza, killing Yunis Shaluf, whom they claim "was responsible for rocket fire on Eilat several months ago".

Click to read more ...

Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: 30 Killed in Gaza's Bloodiest Day

2152 GMT: The Guardian reports:

Two teenage brothers have been killed and an unknown number wounded in an Israeli strike on a home near the Rafah border crossing, according to local reports. The names of the dead were given as Ahmad al-Nasasra, 17, and Mohammed al-Nasasra, 15.

This matches other social media reports we've seen, including this picture which was posted on Facebook:

Ahmad and his brother Muhammed AL-Nasasra were murdered...An Israeli missile leveled a home in Rafah

2132 GMT: Amnesty International has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council "to impose an international arms embargo on Israel, Hamas, and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza".

Speaking about the current crisis, Amnesty International’s MENA Deputy Director Ann Harrison also said that the NGO has "serious concerns" that Palestinians are being killed by "indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks by Israeli forces.

Click to read more ...

Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: Talk of Ceasefire Fades as Israel Pounds Gaza

Journalists run from an Israeli airstrike this morning (Photo: Mohammad Abed/AFP)

See also Gaza Feature: The Names of the 52 People Who Have Been Killed...So Far
Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Insurgents Take a Military Airport in the North
Saturday's Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: Air Assault on Gaza Expands --- Ground War Next?

---

2043 GMT: The Committee to Protect Journalists has said it is "alarmed" by the Israeli attacks on media centres overnight. Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said:

Journalists are civilians and are protected under international law in military conflict. Israel knows this and should cease targeting facilities housing media organizations and journalists immediately.

2035 GMT: Today, Israel bombed a home in the Gaza Strip it said belonged to Hamas official Yehiya Rabiah. At least 12 people were killed by the attack, including 4 children and 5 women, all from the same family. Haaretz reports that the intended target of Israel's "surgical" strike may not have been struck at all:

Earlier reports by the IDF Spokesman to the effect that Israel assassinated the head of Hamas' rocket-launching unit Yehiya Rabiah today in an aerial bombing in northern Gaza appear to have been inaccurate. Apparently, the IAF mistakenly bombed the home of one of his neighbors, Mohammed a-Dallo, killing 10 members of his family and two of his neighbors. Rabiah seems to have survived the attack.

2032 GMT: Up to 500 Egyptian activists have reportedly crossed into Gaza in solidarity with the Palestinian people. They are also bringing with them medical supplies. AP quotes one activist, Adam Mubarak, as saying:

We are telling the Palestinians that we are on their side. Our visit is a message to Israel that we will not abandon the Palestinians in Gaza.

2021 GMT: Another Palestinian has been killed following an airstrike in Jabalia. The death toll now stands at 72.

2020 GMT: After reports of an airstrike in south Gaza killing two more Palestinians, Al-Jazeera English updates on the death toll, now at 71:

Children: 20

Women: 8

Elderly: 9

Adults: 34

Click to read more ...

Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: Air Assault on Gaza Expands --- Ground War Next?

Israeli soldiers on the border look down on the Gaza Strip (Photo: Ronen Zvulon/Reuters)

See also Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Insurgents Change the Situation on the Ground
Friday's Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: The Conflict Escalates from Gaza to Tel Aviv

---

2144 GMT: The Israeli Prime Minister's Office has denied reports that a Government representative was sent to Cairo to conduct ceasefire talks.

2107 GMT: At a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has said, "There are some indications that there could be a ceasefire soon." However, he added that there are "no guarantees" of a halt to fighting.

A Haaretz journalist downplays the possibility:

Israeli government sources tell various media outlets no envoy on way to Cairo for ceasefire agreement

— Chemi Shalev (@ChemiShalev) November 17, 2012

Click to read more ...

Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: The Conflict Escalates from Gaza to Tel Aviv

See also EA Video Analysis: Gaza --- The Top 4 Reasons For Israel's Attack (and Hamas Rockets are Not on the List)
Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: International Meeting in London Discusses Support for "New" Opposition
Thursday's Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: Day 2 of Operation Pillar of Cloud

---

2056 GMT: The Israeli government has approved the activation of up to 75,000 reservists, according to Al-Jazeera English, citing local Israeli media reports.

2049 GMT: Global Post journalist Noga Tarnopolsky reports that Israeli media has confirmed the deaths of senior Hamas commanders Ahmed Abu Jalal and Khaled Sha'er earlier today. Abu Jalal was reportedly killed in an air strike on the in al-Maghazi refugee camp, whilst Sha'er was killed on his motorbike in Deir Al Balah.

2005 GMT: Several sources report that an extremist group with links to Al Qaeda has taken responsibility for a rocket attack from the Sinai peninsula that targeted Israel on Wednesday. This could signal a disturbing escalation in the violence.

Interestingly, Egypt's new government has been actively engaged in fighting these extremist groups in Sinai for well over a year.

1948 GMT: War is often good for arms companies. Reuters reports that Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak "will seek cabinet approval for funds that could provide Israel with three new Iron Dome rocket interceptors". Israel currently has four Iron Dome interceptors and will soon receive a fifth, manufactured by state-owned company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Click to read more ...

Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: Day 2 of Operation Pillar of Cloud

2239 GMT: It's been hard to balance the reports of intense bombing and explosions in Gaza with the similar reports from Israel. The clearest reason for this is that most rockets fired from Gaza do not appear to have landed near residences. Contrast this with the explosions in Gaza which are happening in the center of heavily populated areas.

One need look no further than Israel's own IDF Spokesperson Twitter account to see this play out. Below is their latest summary:

Since start of the operation: 300 terrorist sites targeted in #Gaza. +300 rockets struck #Israel. +130 missiles intercepted by Iron Dome

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 15, 2012

If this is true, then the number of rockets that have been launched from Gaza are equal to the amount of sites in Gaza that Israel says it has hit. However, the IDF has barely produced any pictures or video of the damage on the groun in Israel. Instead, they have focused on how effective their own airstrikes have been:

Video: IDF targeting rocket launching sites in #Gaza youtu.be/nlWiZeR0OoI #Hamas

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 15, 2012

We've contacted IDF's spokesperson and asked them to post more videos from inside Israel. So far we have received no response.

Click to read more ...

Israel-Palestine Special: Getting the Truth in a Phone Call from Gaza

Washington Post front page with BBC Arabic's Jihad Misharawi holding body of his 11-month-old son, killed in Israeli airstrike

---

Can we talk about the attack?

"There is no safe place. You get some flour, some sugar, some other necessities, and you stay home and you wait the rockets out. Remember the last time they attacked Gaza?

"There were about 400 fighters killed, but 1,100 civilians. There is no safe place for people to hide. Gaza is small and pretty much all just houses. Hamas is running about between them. How do you kill Hamas members without killing civilians?"

Does Hamas care?

"It's an investment, both for the Israelis and Hamas. After this operation is finished --- whatever it is --- Hamas will be stronger, people will feel that Hamas is the one fighting israel and giving martyrs from among its leadership. It's not easy to punish the militants. You can kill a few hundred, but it doesn't hurt them. It's very easy to administer Gaza, it's small, you can do whatever you want with a few thousand men. And Israel has an election so [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu will get what he wants."

Click to read more ...

Gaza Feature: Timeline of Events Leading to Israel's "Operation Pillar of Stone"

---

A timeline from the Institute for Middle East Understanding of events leading up to yesterday's Israeli airstrikes and rocket fire from Gaza:

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Following a two-week lull in violence, Israeli soldiers invade Gaza. In the resulting exchange of gunfire with Palestinian fighters, a 12-year-old boy is killed by an Israeli bullet while he plays soccer.

Shortly afterwards, Palestinian fighters blow up a tunnel along the Gaza-Israel frontier, injuring one Israeli soldier.
<

Click to read more ...

Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: New Opposition Coalition Gathers International Support

Israeli military video of the airstrike that killed senior Hamas military commander Ahmed al-Jabari

See also Israel-Palestine Opinion: Why Obama's Re-election Offers Renewed Hope for an Agreement
Tuesday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Fighting Escalates Near Damascus and in East

---

Today's live coverage is closed. Follow the story at Thursday's Israel-Palestine Live Coverage: Day 2 of Operation Pillar of Cloud

---

2228 GMT: Israel-Palestine. The number of rockets fired at Israel may wind up being in the hundreds (it's too early, but clearly many dozens have already been fired), yet the Israel Defense Forces are confident that their missile defense, Iron Dome, is working:

Iron Dome system has so far successfully intercepted 25 rockets fired from #Gaza, aimed at major Israeli cities. #Hamas

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012

2220 GMT: Israel-Palestine. AlAkhbar reports:

Below are the names of Palestinians in Gaza who have been killed so far in this latest attack by Israel:

1. Ahmed al-Jaabari - Hamas leader - 52 years old

2. Mohammed al-Hams - 28 years old

3. Mohammed Kusaih - 18 years old

4. Esam Abu Meza - 19 years old

5. Heba al-Mashharawi - 19 years old

6. Renan Yousif Arafat - 3 years old

7. Omar al-Mashharawi - 11 months old

8. Mahmoud Abu Sawaween - 62 years old

The death toll is expected to rise even further.

More than 50 have been injured.

Many of the victims appear to be children:

@idfspokesperson These are the people you are killing. #GazaUnderAttack twitter.com/Mohamad_AlAssa…

— وطني سوري (@Mohamad_AlAssad) November 14, 2012

Click to read more ...

Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: New Opposition Coalition Formed "In Principle"

---

2015 GMT: Syria. The new opposition umbrella Syrian National Coaliation has chosen Damascus cleric Moaz al-Khatib as its head.

Al-Khatib, the former Sunni Muslim imam of the Umayyad Mosque, left the country for Cairo in July after several periods of detention.

Leading dissident Riad Seif said a "12-point agreement" had been sealed. Proposals include an assembly of 55-60 members, with representation for ethnic Kurds, Christians, Alawites, and women, and from the SNC. The new body will also have a military council that will include the Free Syrian Army.

The Syrian National Council, the previous umbrella leadership, was reportedly given a deadline of 10:00 (0700 GMT) to join the Coalition or risk being left out.

Bassem Said Ishak of the SNC said the Kurds required 48 hours to get the approval of their leadership.

Click to read more ...