UPDATED ON:
Sunday, January 11, 2009
08:28 Mecca time, 05:28 GMT
News Middle East
Death toll in Gaza exceeds 850
Palestinian children escaped from their homes because of the Israeli offensive
in Jabaliya [AFP]
The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 854 and more than
3,650 injured as the Israeli offensive entered its third week.
The air and ground attacks continued on Sunday with Israeli aircraft bombarding
different targets in the strip and ground forces advancing further into the
outskirts of Gaza City.
Medics in the embattled Strip said three Palestinians were killed and dozens
wounded by heavy Israeli tank fire and air strikes early on Sunday, some
allegedly by banned white phosphorus shells that Israel denied using.
Earlier, eight members of one family were among the fatalities, killed by an
Israeli tank shell in Jabaliya.
"We were at home when the bombing started," Umm Mohammed, one of the survivors
of the attack, said. "We fled towards another house and the tanks started
firing. Several of us were hit."
Warning leaflets
Israel dropped leaflets on Gaza City warning residents that the military was
about to "escalate" the offensive and to begin a "new phase in the war on
terror".
Al Jazeera's Zeina Awad reporting from southern Israel said: "The leaflets are
telling people not to associate themselves with Hamas. They're not an order to
evacuate like previous ones. An Israeli army spokesperson told Al Jazeera that
they were meant to tell Palestinians in Gaza that the offensive will intensify.
"When Israel says they will intensify their operations, they usually do and
from the Israeli point of view, we can expect a radical move from the Israeli
army, which would mean urban warfare and a higher casualty rate for both sides.
"Putting aside the large number of demonstrations that were held throughout
Israel today, the majority of the Israeli public are very much behind their
government's decision to intensify their offensive within the Gaza Strip."
Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza City, said there had been
intense fighting during the day on Saturday.
"The most significant development was the advance of the Israeli military," he
said.
"We understand now they are on the outskirts of Gaza City, still trying to
avoid going in through major population centres, but navigating their way
around those urban areas on the periphery."
Gazans 'locked in'
Mads Gilbert, a Norwegian doctor working at Shifa hospital in Gaza City, told
Al Jazeera: "We have been to many war zones, but the special thing is that the
1.5 Gaza population are completely locked in.
"The civilian population has no way to hide. The population density is so high
you can not do attacks like this without knowing that you are attacking the
civilians.
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"Also, the injuries must come from extremely explosive devices. We suspect that
Israel is using a new type of high explosive called Dime [dense inert metal
explosive].
"We urge the world, stop the bombing of Gaza. Please stop it."
Since Israel launched its offensive 15 days ago, 13 Israelis have died,
including three civilians.
Palestinian fighters fired at least 10 rockets into Israel on Saturday,
slightly wounding two people.
Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher, reporting from the Gaza-Israel border, said that the
number was down significantly over the past two days, from about 30-40 daily
since Israel's assault began.
"It may well be that's because the Israeli army is taking over more of the land
where these rockets are fired from," he said. "But it also may be that Hamas is
running out of rockets to fire into Israel."
"From that point of view, I'm sure the Israeli public believe that this has
been a successful operation because it is reducing the capacity of Hamas to
fire rockets into southern Israel."
The Israeli military also said on Saturday that it had killed a senior Hamas
fighter, who it claimed had supervised rocket launchings.
Amir Mansi was the "leading Hamas authority with regard to the long-range Grad
missile launching programme" and commanded a cell in Gaza City that had fired
dozens of rockets on southern Israel, the military said in a statement.
A Hamas spokesman confirmed that Mansi was a member of the movement's armed
wing but refused to give his rank. He is the son of Yusef Mansi, the minister
of telecommunications in Gaza's Hamas-run government.
Diplomatic efforts
A senior Hamas delegation was in the Egyptian capital to make their remarks on
the Egyptian plan aimed at ending the fighting.
A binding resolution passed by the UN security council late on Thursday failed
to bring peace to the Gaza Strip, with Israel arguing that it has the right to
self-defence.
Egypt's plan includes an immediate cessation of hostilities for a specified
period, the opening of Gaza's crossings, curtailment of arms smuggling into the
Strip and attempts at reconciliation talks between the Palestinian factions.
Gaza's humanitarian situation has only gotten worse as the war continues
[GALLO/GETTY]
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, also in Cairo, said the Egyptian plan
would facilitate progress on a ceasefire.
The UN, meanwhile, has said that it will resume its work in the Gaza Strip
after receiving safety assurances from Israeli authorities.
A UN statement said that Israel had given "credible assurances that the
security of UN personnel installations and humanitarian operations would be
fully respected".
The UN stopped aid shipments after one of its lorries was shot at by Israeli
forces, killing the driver, two days ago.
The majority of the 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip depend on
foreign aid for survival and the humanitarian situation has worsened as the
offensive has continued.
"We are receiving reports that some people are starting to burn their furniture
to bake bread and to cook," Christopher Gunness, UN relief and works agency
spokesman, said on Saturday.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 23
LFC
United Kingdom 10/01/2009
Death Toll
i condem civillian deaths on both sides .That said , i can not understand the
logic of hamas deliberatley placing explosives in civillian houses , the
consequnce of which is only to increase the number of inoccent people being
killed.Is the leadership of Hamas not morally obliged to do all that it can to
protect the people they are supposed to represent ??
Zainab Syed
United Arab Emirates 10/01/2009
Stop shedding the blood of the innocent
Checking everyday's headline is very heartbreaking.I really cant imagine what
kind of people can kill innocent women and children,while some people are happy
and supporting it.It's really easy to speak if it's not your home that is
destroyed, it's not your son who is killed,you can sleep in a comfortable
bed.But what if the world turn upside down and you're the one in their
situation?Ok,both sides have done wrong,but when will they stop?it's a
neverending vengeance and innocents suffer.
Chris Mark
Afghanistan 10/01/2009
Stop killing the Palestinians!
Israel always looks for a pretext to launch military strikes against the
Palestinians. The Western countries have always been supporting Israel for its
actions and the expression that they have always used is that: “Israel has
the right to defend itselfâ€. The West and its so called Human Rights
organizations are blind now. They do not notice all the atrocities and crimes
against humanity and massacres committed by Israel. Stop WAR now! Let the
Palestinians live free in peace as others would.
eini
Israel 10/01/2009
Very sad but Hammas is to blame
It is very sad that innocent civilians are killed. Hammas and extremists have
been terrrorizing southern Israel for over 8 years, shooting rockets and
missiles at innocent civilian towns almost every day. Israel pulled out of Gaza
over 3 years ago. Since then all Hammas did was arm itself with more missiles,
weapons and rockets, instead of trying to rebuild it's economy and prosperity
of Gaza. That's all they care about - trying to harras and ultimately destroy
Israel.
Otto
Sweden 10/01/2009
Arab leaders
Shame on you coward, treasonous arab leaders...the shoes of president Hugo
Chaves have more honour than the whole bunch of you!!! "The Israeli ambassador
to Venezuela was expelled after Hugo Chavez, the president of the Latin
American nation, set a deadline for Shlomo Cohen and some embassy personnel to
leave."
Watcher
United States 11/01/2009
The main problem
The main problem of the Gaza and Palestine is that instead of building their
own country they try to destroy Israel. You can't build anything by destructing
others. Look at the history , both started at the same place. And 60 years
later Palestinians exactly at the same place where they started 60 years ago.
Once again, instead of hating Israel, build your own state and leave as rest of
the normal world. Your children will thanks you for this.
joezeon
United States 11/01/2009
Will the People in Power Kindly Intervene
To end the present crisis, the burden now really lies with Hamas. It should
stop the fighting and call for cease fire for the sake of its people. The way I
see it is Israel will not rest until it wipes Gaza clean. The international
community at the same time should press Israel to enter cease fire. Countless
innocent lives including those of children are being lost in the process of
propagating geo-political agendas by both sides with deadly religious spin
incinerating the violence all the more
sepan
United States 11/01/2009
Are you serious?
I don't care whose fault this whole thing is. Even if this whole thing is
Israel's fault and the Arabs are 110% right it still does not make sense to
send rockets into Israel. If you know that your enemy is probably 100 times
more capable of causing destruction to your women and children than what does
it matter if you are right. Why is Hamas sending rockets into Israel?
Diana
Ukraine 11/01/2009
Gaza
If hamas would only care less about its pride and more about its civilians,the
innocent will stop dieing. Why does hamas think they are in a position to not
accept a ceasefire? Does it not see the suffering of its civilians? As for
israel, although the killing is unacceptable, it was a matter of time untill
they would retaliate on more than 8000 rockets hitting its civilians on a daily
basis. Seems Hamas is satisfied making israel look bad, and getting people's
sympaty, no matter the price!
DoSomething
Finland 10/01/2009
Gaza
Israel has been doing this almost ever since the second world war and any
violence against them has had no effect. My compassion is for the Palestinian
people being attacked in their concentration camps but war against the Zionist
war machine only gives them the excuse to do these things. The back bone of the
IDF is American funding so if you want change do some lobbying or make your
voices heard. Arabs put your oil money on an OBJECTIVE media in the US or cut
their oil supplies! Yes we can!
Nouri
United Kingdom 10/01/2009
HOSNI WANTS TO TAKE THE LIMELIGHT IN GAZA
Hosni Mubarrak and his puppet Abbas are scratching their heads what to do next
in roder to claim the congratulations of the Arab World for solving this
crisis. The only hope for this crisis to be solves is for an independent
mediator to be involved like the Turks. May be Chavez is more patriot and is
not ashamed of what the resistence is doing unlike the trash that exist in the
Arab world.
Isa
Bangladesh 10/01/2009
Arab leaders are guilty
This is not war, this is massacre, this is a complete violation of human rights
charter. The Israelis dared to do that as the undemocratic Arab leaders chose
to lead easy and happy lives rather to do somethiung for the Palestinians. The
Arab leaders are solely responsible for the aggression.
raeesah d
South Africa 10/01/2009
how many ears must one person have before he can hear people cry? and how many
deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died? and how many
years can some people exist before they are allowed to be free? and how many
times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see? GAZA WE
FEEL YOUR PAIN..GAZA WE'RE WITH YOU... Raeesa'h, johannesburg, south africa
Jim
United States 10/01/2009
Freedom is worth fighting for
I can't imagine what life must be like for the Gazans, crammed together in a
tiny enclave that is little more than a prison camp. However, if they want to
change things and gain their freedom, they must be willing to fight for it and
resist the IDF in any way they can. I hope the Gazans show the IDF how much
they want their freedom, in the same way the Americans showed Britain over 200
years ago. Remember "Live Free or Die" - Motto of the State of New Hampshire
Rebecca
Australia 11/01/2009
Sadness
I am disgusted. No words to descibe it. Its war and people die, its unjust and
unecessary. Instead of people in suits doing handshakes and talks there needs
to be more ground work for the real peace to start. Stop this murderous assault
on Paleastine. Innocent children should not have to be slain with rockets n
bombs to make a point. On both sides those who perpetrate these atrocities reap
what you sow. Longer pain and suffering will arise and the peace with be an
everlasting struggle.
Jennifer
United States 11/01/2009
Response to enini
I'm here in America, where news is strictly pro-Israel and I'm sorry to say
that you're not sorry and Hamas is only partly to blame. Come on world, lets
all be smart people and realize that no matter what Hamas has done to Israel,
which guess what has always been both sides mind you, the situation in Gaza is
not acceptable. We can all sit here and choose a side of who is right and who
is wrong all day but that does not change the fact that this is a genocide of
the Palestinians.
jwdone1
United States 11/01/2009
Israels holocaust
Israel has jet fighters with high tech bombs, helicopters (American made) with
bombs, tanks, phosphorous and cluster bombs, high tech soldier weapons, U.S
aided intelligence, rockets, biological weapons, nuclear weapons, 30 billion
dollars of unrestricted foreign aide from the U.S., CIA covert money and the
list goes on. Hamas has few in numbers, AK-47's, suicide bombers, several
hundreds small missiles, rocks, glass bottles and no sugar daddy to fund (30
billion dollar
Jab
Canada 11/01/2009
Israeli public
Israeli public feels satisfied with its military for what it is doing by
killing innocent civilians. They predict they feel quite more safe. But, I ask
What did innocent kids and people of Palestine commit for Israel?
palaque
Australia 11/01/2009
ISRAEL LEADERS HAD COMMITTED WAR CRIME
Israel has the guts to attack Gaza because it knew that Hamas do not possess
such weapons Israel is possessing. It is an imbalance war, just like a 20 year
old guy is hitting a 2 year old boy. Israel leaders are commiting a war crime
for mass killing innocent civilian in Gaza, a place already being victimised by
Israel & Egypt for blocking foods, medical & fuel supplies into Gaza.
hocho
Australia 11/01/2009
Hamas is not to blame.
This is one war which Hamas cannot be blamed for. I am not a Hamas supporter,
nor do I condone their rocket fire. However, after more than 18 months of
Israeli blockade on Gaza, the Gazans have been denied the most basic needs for
their welfare. Israel has violated Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, and they expect a basket of fruits from Hamas? Israel needs to
open its eyes, and look in the mirror. An eye for an eye? This conflict is more
like 'an eye for the world.'
Mary Goldstein
United States 11/01/2009
Im sorry
I am ashamed that my country is supporting this massacre. Though I do not think
Hamas is blameless, the Israeli action is cruel. I can only hope that Barack
Obama will not be labeled as a terrorist if he makes the right decisions in the
middle east regarding this mess.
zener
Wallis and Futuna 11/01/2009
Easy Way To End The War
If hamas were to agree to stop firing rockets at israel this war would quickly
end. Asking for a stop to rocket attacks does not seem like an unreasonable
request.
Shawn
United States 11/01/2009
Death toll
Israel plays the role of victom while perpetrating 60 years of the inhumanity
that they themselves claim to be victoms of... They ignore international law
(political assasinations, cluster munitions among civilians, collective
punishment of an entire people, etc...) as well as their own laws (the Israeli
supreme court ruled that international reporters must be allowed into Gaza),
the Geneva convention, and the U.N. Why are they not subject to the same
sanctions imposed on Iran? Israel has nuke
---------------
Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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