Israel pounds Gaza, death toll well over 100 and climbing

earth_as_one

Time Out
Jan 5, 2006
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Israel has started bombing Gaza. Latest estimates are that at least 200 people have been killed. One of the primary targets today was a graduation ceremony for new police officers. BTW, Gaza police officers have never been associated with rockets fired into Israel. This attack is about regime change.

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Analysis: Israel's Gaza assault

Interior ministry buildings were targeted in the raid [AFP]
Speaking to Al Jazeera, commentators and political figures share their thoughts on the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.
Osama Hamdan, Hamas representative in Lebanon"I believe what happened today is a continuity of the Israeli collective crime against the Palestinians.
"
What happened in the last three years, the Palestinians were suffering under the siege.
"The Israelis expected that the people will react against the resistance and against Hamas which didn't happen in the past three years. That means they have to start very tough actions against Hamas.
"They attack 32 positions in Gaza, we expect the casualties will ... reach 200 killings.
"There is a clear reaction of the Palestinians in Gaza. They are calling for revenge. They are asking for the Palestinian resistance to react against the occupation.
"I believe Israel is not learning the lesson. They don't know that this kind of aggressive attack against the Palestinians creates a new cycle of violence inside Palestine. It will not defeat the Palestinian resistance.
"We are talking about six decades of occupation and, until now, the Palestinian people are resisting. What has happened today in Gaza will not stop the resistance, will not defeat the Palestinian people. They will find themselves under a reaction from the resistance.
"The peace process has completely failed, so we have to talk about a new process in the region which is supposed to start from the restoring of Palestinian rights and the commitment towards those rights.
"No one will accept now any talk about a peace process, because everyone knows that the Palestinian people are fed up with 17 years of negotiation without any result.
"The second thing which I believe is happening every morning is that Palestinians believe that there is no solution unless there is a resistance."
Azzam Tamimi, director of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought
"If you remember what Tzipi Livni said in Egypt after her meeting with President Hosni Mubarak and the foreign minister, she made a clear warning, not just about a tit-for-tat attitude, but about a change in Gaza.
"That's why I suspect that the operation is not only intended to be limited, but aimed at toppling the regime in Gaza altogether, otherwise why would Israel target the police force?
"They are not the ones firing missiles in Israel - the police force keeps the order in Gaza. This is an operation that will create disorder and I suspect that Egypt and Ramallah are colluding in this.
"Israel would never have carried out such a massive attack had it not been for a green light from people that matter - for instance the United States, some of the European powers and also from Egypt and Ramallah.
"Hamas did not say it wanted the truce to be renewed, it wanted to renegotiate new terms for the truce. Hamas wanted a truce with the Israelis that would bring about the end to the siege.
"Unfortunately, because the Egyptian broker was a dishonest broker, siding by Israel and siding by Ramallah, the truce did not bring the most important dividend which was ending the siege.
"So Hamas said 'if you want to renew the truce, let's end the siege and open the crossings.' The Egyptians would not agree to this. The Israelis would not agree to this.
"The Israelis were not interested in renewing a truce. Cairo was determined to give Hamas a fatal blow and they gave the green light to Israel I suspect."
Ephraim Sneh, former deputy Israeli defence minister
"The target of these operations are governing structures of Hamas in Gaza.
"The fact that Hamas, for a year and half, controlled Gaza and turned it into a Iranian base at the gates of Israel is a situation that is inconceivable and unacceptable to us.
"The blame is on Hamas ... When they took over, they didn't bring in investors, they brought in instructors from the Revolutionary Guards of Iran."
"Gaza will not be governed by Hamas in the long-run. It is inconceivable as far as we are concerned."
"There is no single country in the world that for several years accept their citizens will be under permanent fire of rocket missiles."
Mustafa Barghouthi, former Palestinian information minister
"Israel is not targeting Hamas alone. Israel is targeting the whole Palestinian population, which has left 200 families with dead sons, husbands and fathers.
"Gaza is left today with nothing, no bread, no oil, electricity and medication even to treat the injured people.
"This criminal attack is directed at the will of the Palestinian people. It's an effort to break the Palestinian demand for freedom, independence and justice.
"Israel is responsible for this escalation. There was a ceasefire that everbody respected, including Hamas, and it was Israel that violated that ceasefire ... to prepare the ground for this bloodshed which Israeli politicans are using as their form of competition in the Israeli elections.
"This is a criminal act, unprecedented, unacceptable and Israel would not have dared to go this far if it were not for the silence of the international community at these inhuman crimes.
"It's impossible to equate Hamas with Israel. All the rockets Hamas have shot have not killed a single Israeli till today.
"During the same year of the so-called Annapolis peace process, Israel killed 546 Palestinians, including 76 children, more than half of them in the West Bank.
"The aggression is from one side. Israel has probably the fourth-largest military in the world, it is the fourth-largest military-exporter in the world, it has nuclear heads.
"Today, it used 60 sophisticated jet fighters in Gaza who have nothing to defend themselves with.
"Israel wants this escalation to break the backbone of the Palestinian people, but they won't break us."

Al Jazeera English - Middle East - Analysis: Israel's Gaza assault
 

Risus

Genius
May 24, 2006
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Murdering Israeli scum. They'll get what's coming to them if there's any justice left in the world.

You obviously don't have a clue about what was happening over there in the last month or so. I guess you haven't heard about all the rocket attacks launched by the Hamas into Israel.

Hamas are the ones getting what they deserve. They are the murdering scum.
 

Scott Free

House Member
May 9, 2007
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A lopsided comparison there Risus.

I think it goes an eye for an eye not a whole village.
 

Spade

Ace Poster
Nov 18, 2008
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I always question dehumanizing rhetoric from both sides of this conflict characterizing the other side as "murdering scum." Sort of reminds me of rhetoric from the successor of the Weimar Republic. I guess the cycle of abused becoming abuser is seldom, if ever, broken. A sad commentary on our common humanity.
 

Scott Free

House Member
May 9, 2007
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I always question dehumanizing rhetoric from both sides of this conflict characterizing the other side as "murdering scum." Sort of reminds me of rhetoric from the successor of the Weimar Republic. I guess the cycle of abused becoming abuser is seldom, if ever, broken. A sad commentary on our common humanity.

I tend to agree. In any disagreement it isn' wise to lose sight of the fact any side could be wrong however unlikely it may seem.

In war, however, rhetoric will greatly help to win the day. Once a side has won it is free to make of history what it wants. This is a very poor incentive for civilized behaviour.
 

diamond lady

New Member
Jun 5, 2007
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You obviously don't have a clue about what was happening over there in the last month or so. I guess you haven't heard about all the rocket attacks launched by the Hamas into Israel.

Hamas are the ones getting what they deserve. They are the murdering scum.



Comments like this make me sick, go educate yourself
We all know who the real victim is
 

Just the Facts

House Member
Oct 15, 2004
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Sharon pulled out of Gaza and Hamas played right into his hands. After the events of the past three years, Israel has a giant warehouse of justification for invading Gaza. And yes, war does tend to be about regime change. An eye for an eye is for civil cases. :)

Hamas is getting not only what it deserves, but exactly what it wanted. Just ask Copy And Past....er, I mean Earth As One, that's one thing even we agree on.
 

Just the Facts

House Member
Oct 15, 2004
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The real victims here are the innocent bystanders. Both the Israeli government and Hammas are guilty of aggression.

I agree the real victims are the average people who just want to live their lives. I disagree that the aggression is equal. Certainly there are aggressive elements within Israel who may have some influence on policy. In Gaza, aggression IS policy.
 

earth_as_one

Time Out
Jan 5, 2006
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I agree with the opinions posted by Spade, Cliffy and Scott Free.

Dehumanizing rhetoric doesn't promote peace. The real victims here are the innocent victims on both sides. Israel's attack today is out of proportion. Rocket attacks in response to Israeli truce violations never killed a single Israeli from the time the truce began six months ago until today.

Now its Hamas's turn. I guess we shall see if Hamas has the ability to strike back. Also if Israel invades with ground troops as they hinted, I expect casualties will increase significantly on both sides.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
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I am educated, perhaps you should learn something. Hamas are murdering terrorists, Israel has a right to defend itself.
Spoken like a true fuktard, defence as in actions like this?
Maan News Agency
Gaza – Ma’an – The death toll in the Gaza Strip rose to six on Wednesday morning after another Al-Qassam Brigades fighter died of wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike near Khan Younis.

Five Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades activists were killed earlier on Tuesday evening by Israeli fire in the Al-Qarara area of Khan Younis and at Juhr Ad-Dik, in central Gaza.

An Al-Qassam Brigades leader, Mazin Sa’da, who is also a police officer, was killed and four civilians were injured including a woman as Israeli forces invaded Juhr Ad-Dik and clashed with Palestinian fighters, according to Muawiya Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency service in the Palestinian health ministry.

Separately, an Israeli drone launched a missile at a group of Al-Qassam activists in Al-Qarara, killing four of them. Mu’awiya Hassanein identified the victims as Muhammad Ba’lusha, Omar Al-Alami, Muhammad Awad and Wajdi Muharib.

Israeli sources announced that one soldier was slightly injured in Deir Al-Balah.

Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement that it launched eight mortar shells at Israeli forces in the central Gaza Strip near the military post of Kissufim. They affirmed they would block any Israeli attempt to invade the Gaza Strip regardless of the ceasefire, which would not prevent them from defending the Palestinian people. The statement warned of a tough retaliation to any invasion attempt.

Witnesses told Ma’an that they saw large numbers of Israeli tanks near the abandoned Israeli settlement of Dugit near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, as well as helicopters overhead.

An Israeli military spokesperson claimed that the incursion in the central Gaza Strip came after Israeli intelligence received reports about Hamas plans to abduct an Israeli soldier using a tunnel under the border.

“The Palestinians detonated the tunnel after Israeli forces besieged the building,” he claimed.

With regard to the ceasefire, the spokesperson said the Israeli incursion intended to protect ceasefire.

The de facto government in the Gaza Strip held the Israeli government responsible for all the consequences of their "aggression," describing it as the most serious violation of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire since it went into effect in June.
 

Lithp

Electoral Member
Mar 16, 2005
114
1
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Israel has every right to defend itself and attack the terrorists. The people of the West Bank, Gaza, etc. need to rise up against the Hamas and other terrorist groups and tell them to stop attacking Israel. But they can't. Unlike Israel which allows for its people to criticize its leaders, speaking up against a terror organization in Palestine is suicide.
I can't believe Hamas is so stupid. They continue to put their own people at risk by harassing Israel. When you have a lion in your back yard you don't go throwing sticks at it. One day it will strike.
 

justfred

Electoral Member
Dec 26, 2004
225
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Drumheller
As I have never been in that area of the world, I cannot say what the inherent problem is. But, if any of the information we get here in Canada is correct, then it would appear as if Israel is pissed off. I do not think that each side are saints, but if the Palestinians are shooting rockets over the border to Israel, then why not stop firing them? I guess someone on the Gaza side should take the bull by the horns and if they want the war to stop, kill the people that are shooting the rockets. The last time that I checked, dead people cause little or no problem with the rockets being fired.
From some of the information we are given, they have shot about 50 rockets in the last week or so, or maybe it is 2 days. OK, fine, the Palestinians want to play war, we will play. I guess, however, when you are a little bit hungry, a little bit cold, a little bit thirsty (from little food, very little heating fuel and very little water) then it might be advantageous to not tick off the zoo keeper.
When almost everything that you need to live on is supplied by the zoo keeper, don’t throw rocks at him. He may get a little cranky and throw some rocks back. I guess, however, if you think that by throwing rocks at the zoo keeper, you will get feed and water, you can try this. How many decades has this been going on?, or should we say centuries? If all you know is that you are at war with the enemy, then fight on.
Are the Israelis still building houses on the Gaza land? Are the Palestinians building in Israel territory? I would venture to say that Israel would not let them, so if Israel is building on Gaza to antagonize the Palestinians, it is working.
Maybe a way to solve the problem is to give one, or both sides a gun for each person there and enough bullets to kill the opposition off. When there are 3 left on each side, they can sort out the land issue between them.
 

Risus

Genius
May 24, 2006
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Spoken like a true fuktard, defence as in actions like this?
Maan News Agency
Gaza – Ma’an – The death toll in the Gaza Strip rose to six on Wednesday morning after another Al-Qassam Brigades fighter died of wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike near Khan Younis.

Five Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades activists were killed earlier on Tuesday evening by Israeli fire in the Al-Qarara area of Khan Younis and at Juhr Ad-Dik, in central Gaza.

An Al-Qassam Brigades leader, Mazin Sa’da, who is also a police officer, was killed and four civilians were injured including a woman as Israeli forces invaded Juhr Ad-Dik and clashed with Palestinian fighters, according to Muawiya Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency service in the Palestinian health ministry.

Separately, an Israeli drone launched a missile at a group of Al-Qassam activists in Al-Qarara, killing four of them. Mu’awiya Hassanein identified the victims as Muhammad Ba’lusha, Omar Al-Alami, Muhammad Awad and Wajdi Muharib.

Israeli sources announced that one soldier was slightly injured in Deir Al-Balah.

Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement that it launched eight mortar shells at Israeli forces in the central Gaza Strip near the military post of Kissufim. They affirmed they would block any Israeli attempt to invade the Gaza Strip regardless of the ceasefire, which would not prevent them from defending the Palestinian people. The statement warned of a tough retaliation to any invasion attempt.

Witnesses told Ma’an that they saw large numbers of Israeli tanks near the abandoned Israeli settlement of Dugit near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, as well as helicopters overhead.

An Israeli military spokesperson claimed that the incursion in the central Gaza Strip came after Israeli intelligence received reports about Hamas plans to abduct an Israeli soldier using a tunnel under the border.

“The Palestinians detonated the tunnel after Israeli forces besieged the building,” he claimed.

With regard to the ceasefire, the spokesperson said the Israeli incursion intended to protect ceasefire.

The de facto government in the Gaza Strip held the Israeli government responsible for all the consequences of their "aggression," describing it as the most serious violation of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire since it went into effect in June.

Hey, name calling is what the Hamas does. Maybe you are one of their terrorist idiots?

They were warned by the Israelis that this would happen, but were either too stubborn or too stupid to believe it. They got what they deserved. Live with it.
 

Just the Facts

House Member
Oct 15, 2004
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When there are 3 left on each side, they can sort out the land issue between them.

That's the problem, it's not a land issue, it's an Israel exists issue. The goal of Hamas is not to secure a state for Palestinian Arabs....that could have been done sixty years ago parallel to the formation of Israel, and many times since then. The goal of Hamas is to eliminate Israel. War is what they want, war is what they are getting.
 

Risus

Genius
May 24, 2006
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Toronto
That's the problem, it's not a land issue, it's an Israel exists issue. The goal of Hamas is not to secure a state for Palestinian Arabs....that could have been done sixty years ago parallel to the formation of Israel, and many times since then. The goal of Hamas is to eliminate Israel. War is what they want, war is what they are getting.

Exactly. Unfortunately the Hamas has Iran backing them up, so it will be a tough war.