Conflict flares up in Gaza again

Status
Not open for further replies.

Solarion

Honorary Master
Joined
Nov 14, 2012
Messages
21,887
Palestinians are messed up. They remain quiet and complacent when the rockets are going outward, but when they come back then it's all tears and anger. Bunch of idiots.
 

LazyLion

King of de Jungle
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
105,603
ISRAEL DEEPENS GAZA PUSH TO DESTROY HAMAS TUNNELS
By IBRAHIM BARZAK and TIA GOLDENBERG
Associated Press

Israeli troops pushed deeper into Gaza on Friday to destroy rocket launching sites and tunnels, firing volleys of tank shells and clashing with Palestinian fighters in a high-stakes ground offensive meant to weaken the enclave's Hamas rulers.

Israel launched the operation late Thursday, following a 10-day campaign of more than 2,000 air strikes against Gaza that had failed to halt relentless Hamas rocket fire on Israeli cities.

Israel's first major ground offensive in Gaza in just over five years came as Egyptian cease-fire efforts stalled. Earlier this week, Israel accepted Cairo's offer to halt hostilities, but Hamas refused, demanding that Israel and Egypt first give guarantees to ease the blockade on Gaza.

Throughout the night, the thud of tank shells echoed across Gaza, often just a few seconds apart. Several explosions from Israeli missile strikes shook high-rise buildings in central Gaza City.

At Gaza's main Shifa Hospital, casualties quickly began arriving, including several members of the same family wounded by shrapnel from tank shells. Among those hurt were a toddler and a boy of elementary school age, their bodies pocked by small bloody wounds.

Gaza health officials said 19 Palestinians have been killed since the ground operation began. The Israeli military said it killed 14 militants in different exchanges of fire. It was not immediately clear if the militants were among those reported killed by Gaza authorities.

The Israeli military said one soldier was killed in the northern Gaza Strip, the first Israeli casualty among troops. The circumstances behind his death were not immediately clear, with Hamas' military wing saying it ambushed Israeli units in the northern town of Beit Lahiya and caused casualties but Israeli media saying it was likely a case of friendly fire.

Israel's chief military spokesman Brig. Gen. Moti Almoz told Army Radio "there were a number of points of friction through the night" and said the military was investigating the circumstances behind the soldier's death.

In a statement, the military said it targeted rocket launchers, tunnels and more than 100 other targets. The military said "a number" of soldiers were wounded throughout the night.

Israeli officials have said the goal is to weaken Hamas militarily and have not addressed the possibility of driving the Islamic militants from power.

However, Hamas has survived Israeli offensives in the past, including a major ground operation in January 2009 from which it emerged militarily weaker, but then recovered. Hamas has since assembled thousands of rockets and built a system of underground bunkers.

Israel had been reticent about launching a ground offensive for fear of endangering its own soldiers and drawing international condemnation over Palestinian civilian deaths.

Since the July 8 start of the air campaign, 260 Palestinians have been killed -- including 14 children under the age of 12 on Wednesday and Thursday -- and more than 2,000 wounded, Palestinian health officials said. In Israel, one civilian died and several were wounded.

Israeli public opinion appears to strongly support the offensive after days of unrelenting rocket fire from Gaza and years of southern Israeli residents living under the threat. Gaza militants have fired more than 1,500 rockets at Israel over the past 11 days.

Israel said it launched an open-ended assault on several fronts, with the primary aim being to destroy underground tunnels into Israel built by Hamas that could be used to carry out attacks.

On Thursday, 13 heavily armed Hamas militants tried to sneak into Israel through such a tunnel, but were stopped by an airstrike after they emerged some 250 meters (820 feet) inside Israel.

Israeli defense officials said soldiers faced little resistance during the first night of the ground operation, but the longer the military keeps a presence in Gaza, the greater the risk for heavy casualties on both sides.

Forces are expected to spend a day or two staking ground and are working in the north, east and south of the Gaza Strip. Then, they are expected to move to the second phase, which is to destroy tunnels, an operation that could take up to two weeks.

Once Hamas is able to study the military's positions and movements, it may push back more forcefully, the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the military's strategy.

Israel's Cabinet was set to meet later on Friday to be briefed on the assault.

Uri Ariel, a Cabinet minister from the hard-line Jewish Home party, told Israel Radio that airstrikes alone would not neutralize Hamas' weapons. He said he expected that ground forces would penetrate Gaza further.

"There won't be a choice. The military will need to enter deeper," he said.

---

Goldenberg reported from Jerusalem.


Source : Sapa-AP /ar
Date : 18 Jul 2014 10:22
 

LazyLion

King of de Jungle
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
105,603
GAZA TOLL HITS 261 ON DAY 11 OF ISRAELI CAMPAIGN

The Gaza death toll hit 261 on Friday as Israel pressed a major ground offensive on the 11th day of an operation to stamp out militant rocket fire, medics said.

And a soldier was killed as the offensive got under way, raising the Israeli death toll to two, the army said.

During the morning, medics found the body of a man killed in a strike south of Gaza City, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said, raising Friday's toll to 20 dead.

Earlier, two men from the Shami family were killed in the southern city of Khan Yunis.

And four members of the same family were also killed in another strike on the city, he said.

Three more were killed by tank fire there.

Two people died in the northern town Beit Hanun, following another two who were killed by tank fire not long after midnight.

Another was killed in Shejaiya, east of Gaza City, Qudra said.

Five more people were killed by Israeli fire in separate attacks on the southern city of Rafah, including a five-month-old baby.

According to figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, more than 80 percent of the victims have been civilians.

At least 1,920 Palestinians have also been wounded.

Since the Israeli operation began before dawn on July 8, at least 1,164 rockets fired from Gaza have struck Israel, and another 320 have been shot down by the Iron Dome air defence system, army figures show.

On the Israeli side, a civilian was killed by rocket fire earlier this week, and a soldier was killed overnight in Gaza. Another four Israelis have been seriously injured.


Source : Sapa-AFP /ar
Date : 18 Jul 2014 10:59
 

rorz0r

Executive Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Messages
7,968
Reminds me of a saying. "War doesn't determine who's right, it determines who's left". In this case who's left is not going to be Palestine.
 

ph4t3

Expert Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Messages
2,045
GAZA TOLL HITS 261 ON DAY 11 OF ISRAELI CAMPAIGN

The Gaza death toll hit 261 on Friday as Israel pressed a major ground offensive on the 11th day of an operation to stamp out militant rocket fire, medics said.

And a soldier was killed as the offensive got under way, raising the Israeli death toll to two, the army said.

During the morning, medics found the body of a man killed in a strike south of Gaza City, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said, raising Friday's toll to 20 dead.

Earlier, two men from the Shami family were killed in the southern city of Khan Yunis.

And four members of the same family were also killed in another strike on the city, he said.

Three more were killed by tank fire there.

Two people died in the northern town Beit Hanun, following another two who were killed by tank fire not long after midnight.

Another was killed in Shejaiya, east of Gaza City, Qudra said.

Five more people were killed by Israeli fire in separate attacks on the southern city of Rafah, including a five-month-old baby.

According to figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, more than 80 percent of the victims have been civilians.

At least 1,920 Palestinians have also been wounded.

Since the Israeli operation began before dawn on July 8, at least 1,164 rockets fired from Gaza have struck Israel, and another 320 have been shot down by the Iron Dome air defence system, army figures show.

On the Israeli side, a civilian was killed by rocket fire earlier this week, and a soldier was killed overnight in Gaza. Another four Israelis have been seriously injured.


Source : Sapa-AFP /ar
Date : 18 Jul 2014 10:59

80% Civilians. :(

Sigh.
 

Greylor

Expert Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
2,656
Wasn't the EFF going to go in and sort this all out?

Did their plane get delayed?
 

ToxicBunny

Oi! Leave me out of this...
Joined
Apr 8, 2006
Messages
113,505
Wasn't the EFF going to go in and sort this all out?

Did their plane get delayed?

They are hoping we will donate money for plane tickets.....

But yeah, not happening, I will BUY the plane ticket for Juju myself actually... but never give him money directly.
 

marine1

Honorary Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2006
Messages
49,495
Somehow I dont believe you. As you accuse all who opposing views as anti-jews somehow I dont believe you would support action against Israel. But hopefully I am wrong.

You dont believe me? Shock horror
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top