Monday, 5th January 2009 - 07:32CET
Israel presses on with Gaza attack
Israeli armoured military vehicles move towards the border with the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces today pressed on with a deadly ground, sea and air assaults against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip that has cut the territory in two and France spearheaded diplomatic efforts to obtain a truce.
A Hamas official said a delegation of the Islamist group would head for talks in Egypt, which has also launched contacts to achieve a ceasefire to end Israel's 10-day-old offensive.
Explosions from gunfire rocked Gaza overnight after Israeli soldiers moved into a northern zone and asked residents to leave their homes to avoid being hurt in the fighting. Some families sought refuge in nearby United Nations run schools.
Israeli aircraft bombed more than 30 targets overnight, including several homes of Hamas members used as weapons depots, tunnels and a suspected anti-aircraft rocket launcher, a military spokesman said. There were no reported casualties.
Israeli media said Israeli troops were searching house-to-house in parts of Gaza for Hamas suspects. Israel Radio reported gun battles between Israeli and Hamas militants in the streets of Gaza City, and said Israeli troops thwarted an attempt to capture one of them in a fight inside a house.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had recalled his special Mideast envoy for briefings, adding he was worried about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Israel launched its offensive with aerial bombardments on December 27 to curtail Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza ahead of an Israeli national election next month, then expanded it into a ground invasion on Saturday.
At least 512 Palestinians have been killed at least a quarter of them civilians, a UN agency said. Forty-two, mostly civilians were killed yesterday, a medical source said.
Four Israelis have been killed by rockets and mortars fired at Israel since the offensive began, and an Israeli soldier was killed in fighting yesterday and 48 were wounded after Israel expanded its operation into a ground invasion.
Israel's advances into Gaza have carved the 40-kilometre long coastal territory into two separate zones, and forces have surrounded its largest urban area of Gaza City.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy was expected to arrive in the region today in a fresh diplomatic push for a truce, which Israel has thus far resisted.
Hamas was sending representatives to Egypt for talks for the first time since the fighting began, said Hamas' Ayman Taha.
The United States, the region's powerbroker and Israel's closest ally, looked all but sidelined by the pending handover of its presidency, offering Europe a chance to take the lead and press for an end to the Israeli assault.
US President-elect Barack Obama has been silent on the crisis, his advisers saying only President Bush would speak for Washington until Obama is sworn into office on January. 20.
The Bush administration has supported Israel, saying Hamas had to halt rocket fire at Israel for a truce to take shape.
Sarkozy, who meets Israeli leaders on Monday, has not let the end of France's European Union presidency last week prevent him from taking a vanguard role, but will share the work with a separate delegation led by the Czech foreign minister.
Before heading to Egypt for talks before meetings in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Sarkozy said he "condemned this offensive" for distancing chances for peace and making it harder to get aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Aid groups have warned of a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where water, food and medical supplies were running short.
A foreign Red Crescent doctor said on Sunday: "Civilians are being killed ... shells are severing people's legs, shrapnel is going into people's bodies and into people's homes, a lot of people are being cut down. Everyone is terrified."
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assured Sarkozy in a telephone call yesterday that aid for the 1.5 million people trapped in the Gaza Strip would continue.
Israel said about 80 trucks with humanitarian supplies would be sent to Gaza, in addition to some fuel, and several busloads of foreigners would be permitted to leave Gaza today.
But Israel's president Shimon Peres made clear there would be no military let-up until Hamas stopped firing.
"We shall not accept the idea that Hamas will continue to fire and we shall declare a ceasefire. It does not make any sense," Peres, the largely titular head of state, said.
Israel has said that the Gaza operation, though sparking waves of protests around the world, could last many days.
Government officials said Israel had set several goals, including weakening Hamas by killing its fighters and destroying its rocket arsenal.
In addition Israel hopes to deter cross-border salvoes and win international backing for new security arrangements along the Egyptian-Gaza border to prevent Hamas from rearming through tunnels, which have been bombed in the current campaign.
Iranian-backed Hamas is estimated to have about 25,000 fighters. Israel has not disclosed how many troops are involved in the operation but thousands of reservists were on stand-by.
Hamas called off a six-month truce last month and stepped up its rocket attacks, citing Israeli raids and a continuing blockade of the enclave Israel quit in 2005.
International peace efforts aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state foundered after Hamas won elections in 2006 and drove Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from Gaza a year later.
Hamas has insisted it would not be subdued. "The Zionist enemy must know his battle in Gaza is a losing one," Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas's armed wing said yesterday.
Ali Larijani, speaker for the parliament in Iran, a backer of Hamas, said "the Zionists should know that Gaza will become their graveyard."
Heavy civilian casualties in the territory packed with 1.5 million people could increase world pressure on Israel to halt its biggest military operation in Gaza in four decades.
The fighting also holds political risks for Israeli leaders ahead of next month's election, if its forces take heavy casualties in the ground fighting. Schools and malls have been shut for days in southern Israel, and streets were eerily empty.
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Comments
Joseph Aquilina, CANADA
Here we have another aspirant who wants to turn back the clock and give the original land to the original occupants. How naive! My grandfather built a house in Naxxar 60 years ago and then moved on. Now I will go back and claim it because 60 years ago ... When can we expect the Lebanese from Tyre and Sidon to claim "back" Malta because they were here 2,000 years ago as The Phoenicians?
Time and tide move on, like evolution. It is only the dinosaurs that get left behind and then wither away and die.
@ Ms RUTH GOLDIROVA
Who initiated the Six Day War when the Israelis swept through the Golan Heights, Lebanon, parts of Egypt and what remained of Palestine. Who provoked the Israelis to do this?
This is the great problem - people do not know - or conveniently forget - history.
I am reading with horror at your argument what is done is done, so in your argument what has been done 60 years ago is now done. I do condemn any form of killing! but is defending and claiming back what is rightfully mine terrorism? So Mr fenech when i dare violate your home would you consider calling it what is done done? I am shocked that such ideas. Israel is a religion it should never be a country.
Simple Reminder please.
Israel is still OCCUPAYING parts of both Syria and Lebanon.
Does Israel really mean business? If this is the case (which I much doubt) Mela they should give back the land to both Syrian and Lebanese as a good well sign. Or should we tell the Syrian you must accept the status-quo under gun-machines and let Israel have a border less space? .
Unless we know what are the border of Israel, the whole area is wrapped in a powder keg.
Good night..
You contend the Zionists will not agree to your proposal. Will Hamas when they are being backed by Iran (with armaments and cash) whose current President on election announced that Iran's objective was to wipe Israel off the map? And will Hamas agree when their Syrian backers - together with a number of Arab states - do not recognise Israel and when the Syrians have been doing their best to destabilise their neighbour Lebanon, resulting in the death of hundreds of innocents?
Unless the Arab world put aside all their prejudices (like Egypt has done and as Fatah have) and recognise that Israel is a state of fact, there will NEVER be any progress. In the meanwhile, whilst all these politicians exercise their prejudices, hundreds of innocents are being slaughtered.
It is a crying shame to see the plight of the women and children of Palestine (as well as Israel but greatly less) being sacrificed to satisfy the whims of prejudiced extremists.
Sir, Agreed.
In essence we both have similar logic-base.
But what is out of (my) logic is (unlimited increase of Jew population immigrants from the entire globe and let them settle on the Palestinians lands since the creation of Israel – 60 years ago ).
This a bit sound like, when the EU ask Malta to take unlimited number of legal minority group (RC-Romans or French or Italians … ) immigrants to live permanently here in Malta. Will be doing wrong if we say no, we don’t want huge numbers of immigrants?
Imagine, what would be our reaction if these immigrants in question are well armed? Will we be labeled as racist or terrorists when we defend our lands?
What if these immigrants we don’t look?
As I suggested many times before. the solution is two disarmed (nuclear-free states living peacefully next to each other, however such solution will never be accepted by the Zionist state, I presume!
Let's follow your logic and go back to basics; throw everybody out of Australia and restore the land back to the Aborginal owners; throw everybody out of the United States and give it back to the original Amero-Indian owners; and don't just stop there - throw everybody out of the South American sub-continent and retore the Incas and all the other original owners, and to boot, throw everybody out of Africa and restore the African tribes.
Ms Goldirova - what is done is done and cannot be undone. Israel is a state of fact. At this stage, after so many years, it is totally futile to blame Britain et al. Would it not be better if all the extremists on both sides were to mature and recognise factuality and work towards a common peace and solution without trying to excuse their distorted extremisim by blaming every Tom, Dick and Harry to cover their excesses?
Btw, Ruth is a classical, biblical Jewish name whether you like it or not and Goldirova I pass on - but have my great suspicions!
Its very simple, the whole issue is a UK design.
The no hostile Arabs, Muslim and Jew relation is the longest yet least discussed after 1948. (Why is this happening? - Zionist is the answer)
No need to get through older history pages when Jews were first thrown out by Roman Empire. After the Jews were forcefully (by Hitler) emigrated from Europe, why should the Jews be settled on other peoples (Palestinians) land? – of course every body knows this part of the world was under the UK occupation.
Btw, you assumption about both my name and surname you got it all wrong. Smile. Bye, bless
Please read all my comment slowly. Please do, so we both do not have to repeat.
Occupation + siege + settlements built on other peoples land = WAR
Civilized countries don’t kill kids; civilians and women.
You keyed in:
Answer: No they don't. They have hatred in their hearth and a brain washed with it and if they had a nuke and or cluster bombs they would use them.
War based on (WHAT IF) information base, and or false CIA reports supported with inaccurate information, case in point both USA in Iraq, and now Israel in Gaza are never justified.
Doing so is against all international laws and is simply a state sponsored - terrorism acts.
I quote the Hogwarts motto: Dracio dormiens nunquam titilandus (Never tickle a sleeping dragon)
Are Israel the only country in the world to flout UN resolutions? Does the UN approve of Hamas firing rockets into Israel - no. Has this deterred Hamas - no? In another blog (btw both RUTH and GOLDIROVA appear to be classical Jewish names) you blamed everything on "Zionists". Was the recently burnt Jewish Centre in Mumbai, Zionist? Were the murdered rabbi and family Zionists? Was the Jewish Centre bombed and burnt in Buenos Aires also Zionist? Some extremist elements have declared war on Jewish people worldwide.
@ V Zammit
Are you referring to the Alitalia jet during the 70's that exploded shortly after take-off killing everybody? The Italian government (and the world) clearly blamed an errant Libyan missile. The truth was never established.
@ MARY BRINCAT
Do these "millions" that you claim are protesting also include the majority of Arab governments who have been constantly imploring Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel and who continue doing so even now - to no avail?
@ All
Above law?
What are the borders of Israel state??
Since the illegal creation (60 years ago following Balfour Declaration of dated 2 November 1917) of Israel, how many UN and Security Council resolutions were issued against Israel, and how many of these resolutions did Israel abide with?
"What do you think will happen to Israel if it were to throw away all its own weaponry?"
Can someone please enlighten me by a reply?
Election melee for a terrorist government?
How many kids, women and civilians should be killed to fill a ballot box in Israel Desperate-for-victory (Ms. Tzipi Livni And Mr. E Barak) in the coming?
What would atrocities, infanticides and mass murder of today’s peoples would produce in the coming?
I join my voice the millions of peoples demonstrating on the four corners of the globe and loudly say.
Stop war now. Your self-defense claims do not hold water any more
Answer: No they don't. They have hatred in their hearth and a brain washed with it and if they had a nuke and or cluster bombs they would use them.
How many Israeli and Palestinian men, woman and children have been killed or injured by the firecrackers? Only last week. three Palestinian girls were killed by a rogue Hamas missile.
What would you say about bombing planes?
Libyan Arab Airlines 114
Back to the 1970’s
On February 21, 1973, a Libyan Arab Airways Boeing 727 with 104 passengers was shot down by the Israeli Air Force. The aircraft was shot down by a pair of Israeli Air Force F-4E Phantom. Do you remember about this crash? How do you call this?
@Alex Ellul
‘They have been firing bombs on Israel for years and during the last months hundreds have been shot at Israel while…..’
Does HAMAS got cluster bombs, NUCLEAR BOMBS and F16 war planes too?
@lgalea
I totally agree with you man.
Yes, you TOTALLY misunderstood. If you read matters rightly I was replying to Mr. I. Galea's contention that "Israel is the scourge of the Mediterranean".
Your contribution, Mr. Vassllo is an attempt to put words into my mouth, words I did not use and words that I do not echo the sentiments of.
Of course the poor people of Palestine do not deserve what is happening to them. Like many other populations they are in ransom as pawns to politicians and their henchmen. I have already written elsewhere that the people of Palestine are hard-working, clever, intuitive and innovative and they deserve much better and deserve to live in peace.
So PLEASE don't twist my words Mr. Vassallo.
Although Israel or more the Zionist state has the fourth nuclear arsenal power coupled with the USA unlimited supports , still they will never win a war over Palestinians. The latter have both RIGHT AND WILL. History proved that when peoples have the determination, they will never be defeated!
ALL THOSE EVENTS YOU MENTION INCLUDING THE TWIN TOWERS WERE CAUSED INREPONSE FOR THE USA AND WESTERN WORLD BLIND EYE SUPORT FOR ISRAEL
BEING AN AUSTRALIAN CITINZEN I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE THE AUSTRALIAN PM TALLING HAMAS TO STOP FIRING FIRECRACKERS A DID NOT TELL ISRAEL TO STOP THE MASSACRE
ALSO ONE SHALL NOT FORGET THAT HAMAS IS A DEMOCRATIC ELECTED GOVERMENT AND ISRAEL IS A COUNTRY CREATED BY FORCE WITH NO RESPECT TO INTERNATONAL LAW AND UN RESOLUTIONS
THE ROCKETS OR FIRE CRACKERS STARTED WHEN ISRAEL ILLEGALLY BLOCKED THE GAZA STRIP AND DID NOT EVEN ALLOW PEOPLE TO TRAVEL EVEN FOR HEALTH REASONS
I HATE WARS BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE ARAB WORLD GET TOGETHER AND DEVELOPE NUCLEAR WEAPONS THE ONLY WAY TO GET RESPECT
WHY DOES THE USA TREAT PAKISTAN INDIA NORTH KOREA WITH RESPECT?
BECAUSE THEY ARE NUCLEAR POWERS AND CAN NEVER BE INVADED OR ATTACKED
No normal person can condone or accept the willful killing of innocent people, be they children, woman, men, Palestinian, Jew, Maltese or whatever.
Hamas wish is to annihilate the state of Israel. They have been firing bombs on Israel for years and during the last months hundreds have been shot at Israel while israel was complying with an Egyptian inspired ceasefire. Israel had been warning Hamas all the time, espaecially during the 3 days before the last Israeli offensive commenced.
When Hamas and other terrorist organisations cease their tragic idiocies, then there will be peace. It is in Israel's interest to be in peace with its neighbours, but these neighbours have been brainwashed otherwise, unfortunately.
I sincerely hope that I am completely misunderstanding your comment.
I sincerely hope that no, you are not implying that the death of innocent Palestinians – men, women and children - is acceptable, because Islamic terrorists have killed people elsewhere.
I am sure you are not implying that by killing Palestinians, Israel is doing a favour to the humanity.
So Israel is the "scourge of the Mediterranean"? Was Israel responsible for the Lockerbie bombing? The train bombings in Madrid where hundreds were killed? Was Israel responsible for suicide bombers and the despiccable and cowardly acts of terrorism like the Twin Towers, London, Bali, Mumbai and other places, terroristic acts that claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people?
Who was responsible for THESE acts? And, why were they done? That is what I. Galea should ask himself/herself.
We may sing all the songs ever composed during the last millennium, but peace will still be elusive.
Peace comes after the evil doer is removed, neutralised.
"Israel cannot expect to be excluded from the destruction and carnage caused by their actions", well neither the palestinians.