There is no reason for a cease fire except to save HAMAS and destroy Israel. The UN's sympathy for terrorists has long been documented. Ranging from Palestinians to Iran to Libya and Saddam Hussein. B
U.N. chief: 'No time to lose' in Mideast * Story Highlights * U.N. chief again calls for immediate halt to fighting in Gaza * Al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden calls for jihad to stop Israeli offensive in Gaza * Three rockets from Lebanon fall on northern Israel, striking in open fields * Israel Defense Forces said air force struck about 60 targets in Gaza overnight GAZA CITY, Gaza (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has once again called for an immediate halt to the fighting in Gaza as Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded the region for a 19th day. "I repeat my call for an immediate and durable cease-fire," Ban told reporters in Cairo. "I've been urging in the strongest of possible terms all sides must stop fighting now. We don't have any time to lose." Ban spoke after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, his first stop in a series of direct talks aimed at brokering a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The two sides have ignored a U.N. resolution -- and Ban's earlier calls -- demanding an immediate cease-fire. The secretary-general will also travel to Jordan, Israel and Syria, but will stop short of visiting the Gaza Strip or talking directly with Hamas, which controls the area. "I would have personally liked to visit Gaza at this time. That was in my mind, in my heart. But in view of the current situation in Gaza, I am not quite sure at this time whether I would be able to visit Gaza," he said. Mubarak has hosted peace talks with leaders from Israel and the Palestinian Authority and has acted as an intermediary between <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Hamas> Hamas and <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/israel> Israel. Israel has designated Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, a terrorist organization and has refused to enter direct talks with the group. Meanwhile Wednesday, al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden called for jihad to stop the Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to an audio message posted on a radical Islamist Web site. The Israel Defense Forces said its air force struck about 60 targets in <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Gaza_Strip> Gaza overnight, including the headquarters of the Hamas-run police force in Gaza City and five rocket-launching sites. It also continued to bomb tunnels used to smuggle goods and weapons into the blockaded territory from Egypt, the military said. On the ground, Israeli troops continued to battle Palestinian fighters in Gaza City, while Israeli warships offshore bombarded Hamas targets, the IDF said. But at least 18 rockets fired by Hamas militants fell on southern Israel from Gaza on Tuesday, the IDF said. And early Wednesday, for the second time in a week, rockets fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel. Three projectiles landed harmlessly in fields near the city of Kiryat Shmona, Israeli police said. Several Palestinian militant factions are active in southern Lebanon, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strike. Palestinian medical sources said the death toll in Gaza was nearing 1,000 since the Israeli campaign began December 27. More than 300 children were among the dead, along with 13 medics and four employees of local media outlets, the sources said. The Israeli toll stood at 13, including three civilians. Six soldiers were wounded in the fighting in Gaza overnight, the IDF said, and the International Committee of the Red Cross said four Israeli civilians suffered minor wounds from rocket attacks Monday and Tuesday. The relief agency said more than 28,000 Palestinians are taking shelter at U.N. schools across the territory during the fighting. "Our kids, 14 years and younger, they are wetting their pants of fear. They can't control themselves any more because of the fear, because of the horror," said Abu Majed Sultan, a refugee from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, where heavy Israeli shelling was reported on Tuesday. He said 35 members of his family are staying at a U.N. school there, "and the older ones just slap each other -- no more respect. We all need psychiatrists now to come here so we can go back normal." While the Israeli military has been halting its assault for a three-hour break each day over the past week, few people manage to leave their homes for food and other necessities, the ICRC said -- and those who do often return home empty-handed due to food shortages and long lines. "People who dare to go out rush to supermarkets to try to buy as much food as possible in anticipation of further and more intense fighting in the coming days," said Antoine Grand, head of the ICRC office in Gaza. "The shelves are now almost empty, and prices are soaring." Israel said more than 1,000 truckloads of humanitarian aid has been allowed to enter the territory, carrying nearly 20,000 tons of food, fuel and medical equipment. Israel has defended the incursion as necessary to stop constant rocket fire by Hamas into southern Israel and said it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians. CNN's Talal Abu Rahmi, Ben Wedeman, Nada Husseini and Shira Medding contributed to this report. All About <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Hamas> Hamas . <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Israel> Israel . <http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Gaza_Strip> Gaza http://images.clickability.com/pti/spacer.gif Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/14/israel.gaza/index.html . <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=11648958/grpspId=1705447214/msgI d=84012/stime=1231939788/nc1=3848614/nc2=3848643/nc3=5202317> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
