Sunday
Jan042009
Gaza: The Israeli Invasion (11 a.m. Israel/Gaza; 9 a.m. Britain)
Sunday, January 4, 2009 at 9:00
Latest Post: Rolling Updates on the Israeli Invasion (4 January)
As expected, the UN Security Council could not reach agreement on any action in its emergency session. The US blocked any approval of a resolution calling for an "immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel and expressing concern at the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas".
Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, the only broadcast correspondent inside Gaza, reports fighting in the east of Gaza, with Israeli troops searching house-to-house. The Israeli attack occurred on three fronts, with an Israeli column moving east to west and reaching the Mediterranean to split Gaza in two. Israeli troops have reached the northern towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun and the Jabaliya refugee camp, and eyewitness report Israeli forces on the outskirts of Gaza City.
Israeli Defense Forces say that they wounded a number of Hamas fighters and acknowledge that 30 Israeli soldiers have been hurt. Al Aqsa, Hamas' television station, has just claimed that two Israeli soldiers have been captured. Palestinian medical sources say four Gazans have been killed in the ground assault.
IDF also claims that they hit 45 Hamas targets including the Intelligence Headquarters. Five Palestinians have died in an Israeli artillery strike on a shopping area. The overall Gazan death toll is now 477.
A main water line to Gaza has just been damaged, cutting off supply to 30,000 people at the Nuseirat camp. Aid workers say hospitals in Gaza are overrun and lack medicines, equipment, and staff to cope with the casualties. Most people in northern Gaza have been without electricity for days.
As expected, the UN Security Council could not reach agreement on any action in its emergency session. The US blocked any approval of a resolution calling for an "immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel and expressing concern at the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas".
Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, the only broadcast correspondent inside Gaza, reports fighting in the east of Gaza, with Israeli troops searching house-to-house. The Israeli attack occurred on three fronts, with an Israeli column moving east to west and reaching the Mediterranean to split Gaza in two. Israeli troops have reached the northern towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun and the Jabaliya refugee camp, and eyewitness report Israeli forces on the outskirts of Gaza City.
Israeli Defense Forces say that they wounded a number of Hamas fighters and acknowledge that 30 Israeli soldiers have been hurt. Al Aqsa, Hamas' television station, has just claimed that two Israeli soldiers have been captured. Palestinian medical sources say four Gazans have been killed in the ground assault.
IDF also claims that they hit 45 Hamas targets including the Intelligence Headquarters. Five Palestinians have died in an Israeli artillery strike on a shopping area. The overall Gazan death toll is now 477.
A main water line to Gaza has just been damaged, cutting off supply to 30,000 people at the Nuseirat camp. Aid workers say hospitals in Gaza are overrun and lack medicines, equipment, and staff to cope with the casualties. Most people in northern Gaza have been without electricity for days.
Reader Comments (7)
The USA is just as much implicated in these attacks as Israel given its unconditional support of Israel's indiscriminate slaughter. Without the USA's important international backing, Israel would be significantly less powerful to act in this manner. Israel is a pariah state and needs to be recognised as much by the US government so that its hostilities can cease and its war crimes made accountable. I do not support the loss of civilian life on either side, but the figures prove that this conflict is wholly disproportionate in scale.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/01/03/israel-gaza-ground-offensive-raises-laws-war-concerns
I absolutely agree with Winston. I donot understand why there is such un unconditional support for Israel, as they do violate human rights. The israels can act as they please and the world is talking and watching. There is no excuse whatsoever for the endless suffering of innocent people and it is unproportional compared to the loss of israelian lives. The UN should stand up and give a clear message to Israel to stop the killing !!!!! What are they afraid of???
Winston's accusations are entirely false! "Israel’s indiscriminate slaughter"? If that was the case, how comes palestinians are treated in Isreali hospitals? The whole operation could have ended in two days if it wasn't Israel's main concern to avoid hurting civilians. Israeli soldiers paid with the lives in prvious operations in order to maintain that principle.
And to Moove who asks "What are they afraid of???" The answer is simple: Democratic countries are afraid of creating a precedent where a country was not allowed to protect its own teritory and citizens against attacks by a terrorist entity. Giving way to arabic and anti-israeli pressure in this case might make it more difficult for the USA, the UK and France to maintain their own security in the future. They also know that there is no chance for the peace process unless Hamas forces are severely reduced.
Perhaps you'd like to substantiate your claim of Palestinians being treated in Israeli hospitals? If Israel wasn't conducting an offensive war of indiscriminate slaughter then why have over a quarter of fatalities been civilian, with over 2,000 civilian injuries to boot? Of course Israel could have destroyed Gaza in two days, Israel is applying only the level of restraint required of it by the international community (specifically the USA) - but that is not to say that it is as restrained as it should be. You cannot deny that the current hostilities are wholly disproportionate.
There is no chance for the peace process while Israel continues its ILLEGAL blockade on Gaza, preventing water, food and medical supplies from entering the region. There is no chance for the peace process while Israel ignores it outright. How can you expect Hamas to lie down and let Israel trample over them? Hamas are not fighting a war of aggression, it is trying to defend itself from Israel's blatant disregard for human life. I am happy to agree that it is not achieving anything by continuing to fire missiles, but it is fact that it is more likely to force Israel to make any concessions this way than to sit back and let Israel starve Gazans to death.
Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza according to international law under the UN and the ICJ. Its blockade is collective punishment and its incursion further into the Occupied Palestinian Territories is an invasion; Israel is a criminal state.
The demands are very simple. If Israel will let Palestinians simply LIVE then there will be room for negotiation. It's no wonder that there is a violent backlash to Israel's actions. As soon as Israel withdraws its troops, opens up the borders and allows the desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza then peace talks can begin if Israel will even bother going to the table.
Israel has its own land according to international law, as does Palestine. Israel is in breach of that law by occupying what is rightfully Palestinian land. Israel is an occupying force in Palestine so of course it is going to meet resistance. That is what people must understand. The land is NOT Israel's to defend.
When this is done Hamas will learn the lesson Hezbollah has learned, and that is that they won't attack Israel again; why, because they did not expect Israel to respond the way they did, with brute force
Israel found out that by responding with brute force and destroying their infrastructure, hurt Hezbollah a lot more than anyone though at the time. Hezbollah won't attack Israel again; the price was to high and hamas will learn that too
If someone keeps poking you with a stick day after day after day for years and every time you keep telling them to stop it and they don't and then one day you get tired of it and take a piece of 2x4 lumber and beat the living s**t out of you. Some people would call that disproportionate, but I call that lesson learned.
PS: I bet you that Hamas would think twice before they do it again and if they don't get it the first time then beat them again but this time even harder
O they will clam Victory over Israel, what else can they do
I support Palestinian freedom, but unfortunately, with this last storm trooper style attack by Israel, Hamas will be supported by the more secular Palestinians and Fatah will have little chance of regaining the leadership of the Palestinian people. Not to mention the people of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia who now see their leaders as colaboraters.
As Hezbollah is now the single most powerful political force in Lebanon, Hamas will become the undisputed leader of the Palestinians.
Why didn't Israel just lift the blockade in accordance with the truce agreement? Did they want a reason to re-enter Gaza?
Human Rights Watch worried about its Pro-Israel Donors
Insider in Human Rights Watch is reporting to me that discussions are being held at the HIGHEST LEVEL on how to report on the Israeli attacks on Gaza without displeasing the Pro-Israeli donors. I kid you not.
from: angryarab.blogspot.com