Israel army launches Gaza assault

[dreamer]

LINK. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/5123262.stm

.The Israeli army says it has begun a ground offensive in Gaza, following the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants. Israeli aircraft earlier bombed bridges and a power plant in the Gaza Strip. Cpl Gilad Shalit was abducted by Palestinian militants during a raid on an Israeli post near Gaza on Sunday. Israel had warned of a massive military assault if he was not freed and its tanks have been massing along the border with Gaza for several days. It is unclear how many troops are being used in the incursion, launched from the Kerem Shalom crossing near southern Gaza.

[jose]

By JONATHAN COOK

The killing by Palestinian militants of two Israeli soldiers and the capture of a third from an army post close to the Gaza Strip set the scene for Israeli "reprisals" and "retaliation", according to the reports of BBC correspondents in Israel and Gaza yesterday.

The attack by the Palestinians, who sneaked through tunnels under the electronic fence surrounding Gaza, marked a "major escalation in cross-border tension" (Alan Johnston) that threatened to overturn "a week of progress on two fronts" (John Lyon): namely, the recent talks between Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan, and between rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas.

Thus, according to the BBC's analysis, this attack ends the immediate chances for "peace" negotiations and provides the context for the next round of the conflict between the Israeli army and the Palestinians of Gaza. We are left to infer that all the suffering the army inflicts in the coming days and weeks should be attributed to this moment of "escalation" by the Palestinians.

We can ignore the weeks of shelling by the Israeli army of Gaza, the firing of hundreds of missiles into the crowded Strip that have destroyed Palestinian lives and property, while spreading terror among the civilian population and deepening the psychological trauma suffered by a generation of children.

We can ignore the deaths of more than 30 civilians, and dozens of horrific injuries, in the past few weeks at the hands of the Israeli military, including three children hit in a botched air strike last week, and a heavily pregnant woman and her doctor brother killed a day later as a missile slammed into the room where they were eating dinner.

We can ignore the blockade of Gaza's "borders" by the Israeli army for months on end, which has prevented Palestinians in the Strip from trading goods at crossing points with Israel and from receiving vital supplies of food and medicines. As a captive population besieged by Israeli soldiers, Gazans are facing a humanitarian catastrophe sanctioned by Israeli government policy and implemented by the Israeli army.....
more here: http://www.counterpunch.org/cook06262006.html

[shrike]

Well no wonder that jsoe posting from leftist propoganda sites.That twist the truth and hide behind a shield of lies

[Apeman81]

I find the assertion that " this attack ends the immediate chances for "peace" negotiations..." to be amusing.

I would have thought that Hamas' stated porition that Israel should not exist as a nation had a lot more to do with affecting peace negotiations than this series of skirmishes.

[jose]

ISWAELI warplanes flew over one of President Bashar al-Assad's palaces today to warn Syria against supporting Palestinian militants who abducted an Israeli soldier, the Israeli army said. Israeli media reports said four planes carried out the overflights at low altitude, early in the morning, and created several sonic booms
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...0-1702,00.html
lets see if we can get Syria to respond to this then we can get the Americans involved,hey maybe Iran too

If the Palestinians put down their weapons tomorrow, there would be no more Palestinians but if the Israelis put theirs down, there would be no more money from USA

[Matt W]

Quote by: Apeman81 I find the assertion that " this attack ends the immediate chances for "peace" negotiations..." to be amusing. I would have thought that Hamas' stated porition that Israel should not exist as a nation had a lot more to do with affecting peace negotiations than this series of skirmishes.

You obviously didn't notice Hamas committing to a 2-state solution and implicity recognising Israel earlier this week, then? :rolleyes:

And shrike - if you have nothing to add, don't post.

[Apeman81]

Quote by: Matt W You obviously didn't notice Hamas committing to a 2-state solution and implicity recognising Israel earlier this week, then? :rolleyes: And shrike - if you have nothing to add, don't post.

Oh, I noticed it. One could say the way to end current hostilities is to create two seperate states. Once stabilized, one could then still destroy the other in new and improved hostilities.

Until Hamas makes an explicit statement, uncategorically recognizing Israel's right to exist and no longer calling for the destruction of Israel, their previous position stands.

[bishop]

i just see this as a predictable outcome of hamas's victory in the recent palestinian elections..

not that there ever was a true cease-fire, but this has been continually unravelling ever since hamas won in the polls. i don't have the sources off-hand, but i have read that palestinian kassam rocket attacks have steadily increased (as the israelis predicted) since hamas took the reigns. and on the other hand, israel hasn't hesitated to attack palestinians either. i.e. this is more of the same ol', same ol'... the problems keep escalating, soldiers get kidnapped, israel launches a full assault, and the endless struggle continues..


btw, does anyone know whether/not hamas has been getting any funding? i know several weeks ago they had some serious problems due to a lack of cash on hand..

some links to stories about this topic:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...rticle/Printer
http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/Art...268747,00.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/731937.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060628/...kxBHNlYwN0bQ--
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...06-28-03-15-56

the second and last links show that the problems with israel/palestine are extending into syria - where the IDF is flying into syrian airspace in its hunt for hamas leaders.


and back in the u.s., we just finished debating a friggin flag burning amendment... talk about having your head up your ass..

[Apeman81]

Quote by: bishop i just see this as a predictable outcome of hamas's victory in the recent palestinian elections.. not that there ever was a true cease-fire, but this has been continually unravelling ever since hamas won in the polls. i don't have the sources off-hand, but i have read that palestinian kassam rocket attacks have steadily increased (as the israelis predicted) since hamas took the reigns. and on the other hand, israel hasn't hesitated to attack palestinians either. i.e. this is more of the same ol', same ol'... the problems keep escalating, soldiers get kidnapped, israel launches a full assault, and the endless struggle continues.. btw, does anyone know whether/not hamas has been getting any funding? i know several weeks ago they had some serious problems due to a lack of cash on hand.. some links to stories about this topic: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...rticle/Printer http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/Art...268747,00.html http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/731937.html http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060628/...kxBHNlYwN0bQ-- http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...06-28-03-15-56 the second and last links show that the problems with israel/palestine are extending into syria - where the IDF is flying into syrian airspace in its hunt for hamas leaders. and back in the u.s., we just finished debating a friggin flag burning amendment... talk about having your head up your ass..

And what would you have the U.S. do to alleviate this problem?

[shrike]

You obviously didn't notice Hamas committing to a 2-state solution and implicity recognising Israel earlier this week, then

Maybe you missed what i posted in another thread i will repost it for you.

No room for Jewish state' The BBC's James Reynolds in Gaza says that the central point of the joint manifesto is the creation of a Palestinian state on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Traditionally that is one half of a two-state solution, but the existing drafts of the deal make no mention of the second half of this solution - the state of Israel. This omission is deliberate, our correspondent says. While some have argued that this means Hamas tacitly accepts Israel's right to exist, it is becoming clear that that is not how Hamas sees it. Hamas' Ismail Haniya has yet to reveal details of the deal Hamas negotiators have told the BBC that the entire state of Israel has been built on occupied Palestinian land. They believe that a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza is a first step - not a final step. They believe that future generations of Palestinians will reclaim all their historic homeland. And that, in the end, there will be no room for what is now the Jewish state of Israel, our correspondent says. Mr Zeidan did say, however, that the Palestinian factions had agreed that the Palestinian state would be established inside the 1967 borders - and to delegate Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas "to negotiate with Israel on an agreement, a peace agreement

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5122822.stm

[bishop]

i think it's kind of laughable that anyone would actually believe hamas when it reluctantly recognizes the state of israel... as if that means anything at all... does it mean that suddenly hamas is going to remove that part of its charter that calls for israel's destruction? nope.

actions definitely speak louder than words... and, i wouldn't put much stock in what a terrorist group like hamas says unless it's backed up by visible action - it's idiotic to do otherwise imo. and as for israel... they've never hesitated to wield the sledgehammer to squash the ant in the past, and i doubt that's going to change anytime soon.

[Clarence]

this is pretty big news. It's not really being given enough weight in the MSM articles.

yes, the offensive and everything in it will be in retaliation to the 'escalation'. Intervention not provocation is needed from the world leaders. This shit is wild to watch. We're outta control. The whole world is being provoked into conflict by some who reap profit from conflict. They just signed this treaty two days ago, I think. And then bam! Isreal has got thier tanks on the border ready to invade the slum they created and have a roundup.

I think the biggest news is that Isreali ground troops are joining fray in the middle east en force. Look for more. What these people don't understand is that if Iran lobs one of the nuclear weapons( that everyone knows they probably have) on Isreal, the people stoking this thing up will be elsewhere. It will be the troops and civilians who suffer. I know I'm being a bit presumtuous. I just feel that this assault raises the bar significantly.

[Boetie]

I find it funny when posters post comments such as "when will the Hamas recognize Israel?" or "when will the Palenstinians recognize Israel?" while all the along the Palenstinians has been asking "When is Palenstine?"

The International community has been burying their head in the sand since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire with regards to that question "When is Palenstine?"

I take that back, the International community stuck their head out of the sand long enough to kiss Israel's ass.

[bishop]

the situation keeps getting worse...

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsar...src=rss&rpc=22

GAZA (Reuters) - A spokesman for gunmen in the Gaza Strip said they had fired a rocket tipped with a chemical warhead at Israel early on Thursday. The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the claim by the spokesman from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement. The group had recently claimed to possess about 20 biological warheads for the makeshift rockets commonly fired from Gaza at Israeli towns. This was the first time the group had claimed firing such a rocket. "The al-Aqsa Brigades have fired one rocket with a chemical warhead" at southern Israel, Abu Qusai, a spokesman for the group, said in Gaza. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army had not detected that any such rocket was fired, nor was there any report of such a weapon hitting Israel.

a threat of things to come perhaps?

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...rticle/Printer

Over 60 Hamas members, including ministers in the Palestinian Authority parliament, were arrested overnight Wednesday throughout the West Bank. Detainees included such senior figures as Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek, Labor Minister Muhammed Barghouti, parliament member Mohamemd Abu Teir and the mayors of Kalkilya and Jenin. Army Radio revealed that Deputy Prime Minister Naser a-Din Shaer was not arrested, as was reported earlier. In the cities of Ramallah, Nablus, and Bethlehem security forces arrested the men and took them to a military detention camp to be interrogated under the suspicion of being involved in terror activities against Israel. OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh told Army Radio that IDF troops surrounded a building in Ramallah where some 20 Hamas members were staying. They surrendered without a fight, he said. He added that the arrests were to continue in the future days. Interior Minister Roni Bar-On emphasized Thursday morning, in an interview to Israel Radio, that accusations claiming the men were arrested to be used as bargaining chips to be dealt in exchange for the release of Gilad Shalit were baseless. Bar-On added that if enough evidence was found tying the men to terror activity, they would stand trial in Israel. Within the IDF, however, conflicting voices gave the impression that the men could possibly be used as bargaining chips. Other sources said that the detainees would certainly not be released in exchange for the soldier, and that they were arrested for their involvement in a terror organization.

as always, i'm glad to see we have such active leadership by our president in hopes of diffusing the situation..

[shrike]

I find it funny when posters post comments such as "when will the Hamas recognize Israel?" or "when will the Palenstinians recognize Israel?" while all the along the Palenstinians has been asking "When is Palenstine?" The International community has been burying their head in the sand since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire with regards to that question "When is Palenstine?" I take that back, the International community stuck their head out of the sand long enough to kiss Israel's ass.

The palestinian state could exist if the Arabs would agree to UN partition plan.

[shrike]

IDF commander: Asheri murdered immediately Central Command Chief Naveh says kidnappers of teen settler had no intention of holding negotiations for his release, murdered him one hour after kidnapping him Aviram Zino Central Command Chief Major-General Yair Naveh told a press briefing Thursday that there was no attempt made at negotiations by the Palestinian kidnappers of Eliyahu Asheri, who proceeded to execute the teenager one hour after kidnapping him. The major-general said that after receiving information on the kidnappers, security forces arrested one captor. From the interrogation of the suspect, it emerged that Asheri was kidnapped near Ofra, by Ramallah, by a cell of terrorists belonging to the Resistance Committees.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...268843,00.html

[bishop]

this kid's murder is small potatoes as far as i'm concerned... it's little more than fodder that igorant and emotional people will cling to in order to justify further violence.. all the palestinians and israelis do is tit for tat warfare anyways.

but that said, i have much less love for hamas than i do the israelis. whether/not capturing most of the hamas government is a wise decision remains to be seen.

[Rainbow]

Israel's policy is simple :
- one touches my people and/or my property, one is going to become a subject for termination and/or retaliation
This Israel's policy is well known to us all.
Why somebody decided to go for that ?
That is the real question.

If such incidents (with shooting and/or kidnapping Israeli military personnel) continue, then the whole process for peace in the Middle-East region would take longer time for reaching the deal between Israelis and Palestinians (at least).

[jose]

(snip)
Bombing bridges that can be circumvented both by car and on foot; seizing an airport that has been in ruins for years; destroying a power station, plunging large parts of the Gaza Strip into darkness; distributing flyers suggesting that people be concerned about their fate; a menacing flight over Bashar Assad's palace; and arresting elected Hamas officials: The government wishes to convince us that all these actions are intended only to release the soldier Gilad Shalit.

But the greater the government's creativity in inventing tactics, the more it seems to reflect a loss of direction rather than an overall conception based on reason and common sense.
(snip)
what is the point of pressuring the local Palestinian leadership, which did not know of the planned attack and which, when it found out, demanded that the kidnappers take good care of their victim and return him?
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/733036.html

[dreamer]

Nothing ever changes in my eyes, at each otheirs thoats over the bible for years and ¨Israeli will see the bible to the end.