Israeli ground war bisects Gaza, deepens humanitarian crisis

[DogPoundPup]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

ON THE ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER — Israeli tanks and ground troops moved swiftly Sunday to seize large sections of Gaza, encircling its largest city and cutting the narrow strip of land in two in what military officials called a "real war" on the militant Islamic group Hamas.

On the first full day of ground operations following an eight-day air assault, Israeli infantry units, backed by firepower from Apache helicopters and Navy warships, swept into the Hamas-controlled coastal territory in the early morning hours and began going house-to-house in search of Palestinian militants, witnesses said.

Seventy Palestinians were killed, including 21 children, and another 140 people injured, according to Gaza medical officials.

While heavy fighting and airstrikes echoed across northern Gaza, terrified residents hunkered down in their homes as relief agencies described a deepening humanitarian crisis. The Israeli military campaign has knocked out power and running water to most of the strip's 1.5 million residents, and all of Gaza's hospitals are running on generators that "are close to collapse," the U.N. said.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/58951.html

[Karenina]

1. Kill them all?

Will THAT bring "security?"

[Pavulon]

8. That is actually easier and cheaper than targeted fire.

Just dropping firebombs and dumb bombs until they are "all dead or tired of fighting" is not on their agenda.

[Karenina]

48. However, starvation, dehydration, poisoning and psychological trauma

may be. Takes a bit longer.

[Karenina]

2. dupe

[DogPoundPup]

3. A Palestinian in Gaza chronicles life under Israeli bombardment

Saturday 27 December

I go to visit friends in the Block J neighbourhood in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. While I am in a friend's house, my phone rings. It's a friend from Gaza City, calling for a chat. Suddenly I hear the sound of an explosion at his end. At the same time I hear an explosion in Rafah too. Just outside, somewhere near. My friend says: "Fida, they are attacking nearby." I say: "They are attacking here too."

I run into the street and everybody is running, children and grown-ups, all looking to see if their relatives and friends are alive. It is the time for children to go to school for the second shift, after the first shift finishes at 11.30am.Naama is aged 13. This is what she tells me: "I was sitting in the classroom with my friends when the attack happened. We were scared and we ran out of our school. Our headmaster asked us to go home. We saw fire everywhere."

People are looking at the remains of a police station. There are still bodies under the wreckage. It is scary because the attack isn't over, and from where we are we can see an Israeli airplane attacking another police station.

At the hospital, I speak to a wounded police officer, aged 39. "We were at the police station," he said. "The Israeli planes came and suddenly the building collapsed on us. I saw four dead bodies near me. They were in pieces. Outside there were more bodies. Everyone was shouting. I lost consciousness and then found myself in hospital."

Later I am at home with my family. We've just received a phone call on our land line. It's the Israeli defence ministry, and they say that any house that has guns or weapons will be targeted next, without warning and without any announcement. Just to let you know, we don't have any weapons in our house. If we die please defend my family.

Read more entries up to Jan. 2nd here...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/03/gaza-diary-israel

[MadMaddie]

4. So Israels plan is to bomb every building because there may

be weapons inside?

Sound like Pre-Emptive strikes? It was not legal when the US does it and it is not right for Israel to do it.

Israel has the right to protect itself but to committ slaughter of innocents is unacceptable.

[NutmegYankee]

5. Not every house.

Probably just the ones picked up by surveillance of militants.

[Duckhunter935]

7. I disagree with you on that

After looking at the coverage on the news after many days of bombing there are more undamaged buildings than destroyed ones. I have been even hearing phone calls on the news from Gaza and that should have been one of the first things hit to take out command and control.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. K&R. Dear God, can it get any worse?!

Probably... Sounds like they're aiming for a Carthaginian Peace, to me... ;(

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

45. Oh, it can get worse.

Hospitals overloaded, no running water or electricity. Perfect conditions for an epidemic.

[Rhiannon12866]

58. Exactly. And isn't that already happening?

Lack of clean water, food and medical supplies. After "shock and awe," Iraq experienced much the same thing and ended up with widespread cholera, on top of everything else. Like I said, the only peace I can imagine if this "conflict" continues to escalate, is a Carthaginian Peace. ;(

[DogPoundPup]

9. Gaza death toll surpasses 500

Source: UPI

GAZA, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Israel said it sustained its first troop fatality Sunday in its offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza, which has claimed more than 500 lives.

The Daily Mail reported Monday at least 512 people had died through Sunday, the ninth day of Israeli attacks dubbed Operation Cast Lead.

~snip
In addition, to the fatality, 30 Israeli soldiers have been wounded, the Daily Mail said.

"Civilians are being killed ... shells are severing people's legs, shrapnel is going into people's bodies and into homes, a lot of people are being cut down. Everyone is terrified," the Daily Mail quoted an unnamed foreign doctor working for the Red Crescent as saying.

Israeli troops wrested control of the eastern section of northern Gaza, engaging in heavy battles with members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, CNN reported. A statement issued by the Israeli military Sunday morning claimed dozens of Hamas fighters were "hit" in the fighting, although it did not say how many were killed, while Palestinian medical sources told CNN at least 21 were slain.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/01/04/Gaza_death_toll_surpasses_500/UPI-67861231071940/

[stillcool]

10. every male over the age of 10 is

a militant. I learned that from Iraq 101.

[otherlander]

26. Well, no, but that might be true soon.

Islamic fundamentalism that squeezes people into narrow gender rolls, hates on people who aren't hetero, and encourages military agression is not a pretty thing, but if boys becoming men in beseiged lands will naturally get pissed off and take whatever allies they can get, even if those allies are authoritarian anti-semites. Does anyone honestly believe that Israel thinks it can "wipe out Hamas" by doing this? Does anyone honestly believe that Ehud Barak is stupid enough to think that we won't be hearing about Hamas 10 years from now, or that, if Hamas is gone, the same Islamicists won't resurface in new, similar organizations?

[stillcool]

27. there's always an excuse

..for the mass killing of people. It's kind of necessary. If it's not the Muslims, it will be the Christians, or the Buddhists, or the Reds, the Browns, the whoever's. But it's really just human beings and geography.

"There was no corner of the known world where some interest was not alleged to be in danger or under actual attack. If the interests were not Roman, they were those of Rome's allies; and if Rome had no allies, the allies would be invented. When it was utterly impossible to contrive such an interest --why, then it was the national honor that had been insulted. The fight was always invested with an aura of legality. Rome was always being attacked by evil-minded neighbours...The whole world was pervaded by a host of enemies, it was manifestly Rome's duty to guard against their indubitably aggressive designs."
Joseph Schumpteter, Imperialism and Social Classes, 1919

"A victorious Roman general, when he entered the city, amid all the head-turning splendor of a `Triumph,' had behind him on the chariot a slave who whispered into his ear that he was mortal. When our statesmen are in conversation with the defeated enemy, some airy cherub should whisper to them from time to time this saying: Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland; Who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; Who rules the World-Island commands the World."
- Sir Halford Mackinder, 1919

Colin Gray : "By far the most influential geopolitical concept for Anglo-American statecraft has been the idea of a Eurasian `heartland,' and then the complementary idea-as-policy of containing the heartland power of the day within, not to, Eurasia. From Harry S Truman to George Bush, the overarching vision of US national security was explicitly geopolitical and directly traceable to the heartland theory of Mackinder. . . . Mackinder's relevance to the containment of a heartland-occupying Soviet Union in the cold war was so apparent as to approach the status of a clichι."

[babylonsister]

11. ... nt

[balantz]

12. How many will be dead and maimed for life before this is over? n/t

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

15. I believe the goal is "all of them".

:cry:

[GoesTo11]

18. Link please?

I hadn't heard that from any reputable source.

Thanks!

[Duckhunter935]

19. I really do not think so

It would be a lot easier to just carpetbomb but they have not. last I have been hearing is around 25% civilian. I hate too be crass but that is not bad being in a very congested area.

All deaths are sad and there are too many on both sides

[razors edge]

30. You can't be serious.

Out of 500+ dead only 125 civilian, Livni, is that you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlZd3vR6Kzk

[Duckhunter935]

33. I have never said no civilians so please do not put words

in my mouth

You have uniformed combatant mixed in with civilians in the middle of a very congested city and civilians will and are being killed. Just not everyone being killed is a civilian.

[High Plains]

37. "Civilians will and are being killed."

Yes, because Israel is bombing Gaza. This isn't something unavoidable and oh-so-regretable. This is a deliberate decision by the Israeli authorities with full knowledge that many civilians will be killed by their bombardments. Their actions speak louder than their words: They could give a rat's ass about dead Palestinian civilians.

[Duckhunter935]

44. On both sides

As Hamas has been firing rockets only at Israeli civilians for years. Hamas has targeting only Israeli civilians with suicide bombers for years. I guess those civilians must just deserve to DIE. Civilian casualties during a war are regretable and that happens yes it is bad. Deliberatly targeting civilians is wrong and I do not think Israel is ONLY targeting civilians as Hamas has been.

List of Hamas suicide attacks

1994
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Afula Bus suicide bombing April 6, 1994 Afula 9 Hamas claimed responsibility
Hadera central station suicide bombing April 13, 1994 Hadera 6 Hamas claimed responsibility
Tel Aviv bus 5 suicide bombing October 19, 1994 Tel Aviv 22 Attributed to Hamas
Netzarim Junction November 11, 1994 Netzarim 3 Hamas claimed responsibility


that is just one year, this has been going on for years and I have not heard one of you condemn this, more here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hamas_suicide_attacks

These are not civilians



The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (كتائب الشهيد عز الدين القسام; named after Izz ad-Din al-Qassam) is the military wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas. Created in 1992 under the direction of Yahya Ayyash, the primary objective of the group was to build a coherent military organization to support the goals of Hamas, which was at the time concerned with blocking the Oslo Accords negotiations. From 1994 to 2000, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades carried out a number of attacks against both Israeli soldiers and civilians that endangered the peace process, ultimately giving way to the "Al-Aqsa Intifada", which Hamas enthusiastically supported.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izz_ad-Din_al-Qassam_Brigades

[Karenina]

46. Neither side has a lock on stupid parents.

[Duckhunter935]

51. I agree with you on that

That is just not right

[High Plains]

47. That three-year-old kid is not a civilian?

Nice list of Hamas attacks from 1994. Now, why don't you post the rest of the story (Gawd, I sound like Paul Harvey)? I suppose the Israelis were just sunning themselves on the beach while this was going on?

[Duckhunter935]

49. Just another victim of hate

I did think I should list all the other years as it is a very long list. All. of those bombings is the main reason that Israel has closed off free access to Israel as Hamas and the PLO haved used that access to kill CIVILIANS. I do agree they should allow food and non-military supplies into Gaza.

[Duckhunter935]

50. Here you go, find the military targets

1994
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Afula Bus suicide bombing April 6, 1994 Afula 9 Hamas claimed responsibility
Hadera central station suicide bombing April 13, 1994 Hadera 6 Hamas claimed responsibility
Tel Aviv bus 5 suicide bombing October 19, 1994 Tel Aviv 22 Attributed to Hamas
Netzarim Junction November 11, 1994 Netzarim 3 Hamas claimed responsibility


1995
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Egged bus 36 bombing April 9, 1995 Vicinity of Kfar Darom 9
Ramat Gan bus 20 bombing July 24, 1995 Ramat Gan 6
Jerusalem bus 26 bombing August 21, 1995 Jerusalem 4 Police Chief Noam Eisenman was killed


1996
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Ashqelon bus station bombing February 25, 1996 Ashqelon 1
First Jerusalem bus 18 suicide bombing February 25, 1996 Jerusalem Central Bus station 27
Second Jerusalem bus 18 suicide bombing March 3, 1996 Jaffa street, Jerusalem 20
Dizengoff Center suicide bombing March 4, 1996 Tel Aviv 13 Attributed to Hamas


1997
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Cafe Appropo Bombing March 21, 1997 Tel Aviv 3
Mahane Yehuda Market attack July 30, 1997 Jerusalem main market 16
Ben Yehuda Street Bombing September 4, 1997 Jerusalem Ben Yehuda Street 5


1999
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Egged Bus 960 bombing September 5, 1999 Tveria None
Haifa Central Bus Station bombing September 5, 1999 Haifa None


2000
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Mechula bombing December 22, 2000 Mechula Junction None


2001
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Netanya centre bombing January 1, 2001 Netanya None
Netanyah bombing March 4, 2001 Netanya 3
Mifgash Shalom attack March 28, 2001 Mifgash Shalom gas station, Kfar Saba 2
Kfar Saba bombing April 22, 2001 Kfar Saba 1
Kenyon HaSharon bombing May 18, 2001 HaSharon shopping mall, Netanya 5
Hadera Mall bombing May 25, 2001 Hadera None
Binyamina train station bombing July 16, 2001 Binyamina 2 Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing August 9, 2001 Downtown Jerusalem 15 Carried out together with Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Nahariya train station bombing September 9, 2001 Nahariya train station 3 Suicide bomber was an Arab Israeli citizen
Erez Passage bombing October 7, 2001 Erez Passage near Gaza None
Ben Yehuda Street Bombing December 1, 2001 Downtown Jerusalem 11
Haifa Bus 16 attack December 2, 2001 Haifa 15
Neve Dkalim bombing December 12, 2001 Neve Dkalim None


2002
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Jaffa Street bombing January 27, 2002 Jerusalem 1 First Female suicide bomber in Al-Aqsa Intifada
Taibe bombing January 31, 2002 Taibe None
Maccabim bombing February 27, 2002 Maccabim None
Cafι Moment bombing March 9, 2002 Rehavia, Jerusalem 11
Egged bus 22 bombing March 17, 2002 Jerusalem None
Passover massacre March 27, 2002 Park Hotel, Netanya 30
Matza restaurant suicide bombing March 31, 2002 Haifa 15
Efrat Medical Center March 31, 2002 Efrat None
Rishon LeZion attack May 7, 2002 Rishon LeZion 16
Netanya Market bombing May 19, 2002 Netanya 3 Carried out together with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Afula road bombing May 20, 2002 Afula None
Rothschild Street bombing May 22, 2002 Rishon Lezion 2
Shawarmat Jamil Sokolov Street bombing June 11, 2002 Herzliyyāh 1
Patt junction bus bombing June 18, 2002 Jerusalem 19
Emmanuel bus attack July 16, 2002 Emmanuel-Bnei Brak bus 189 9
Neve Shanan Street bombing July 17, 2002 Southern Tel Aviv 5
Neviim Street bombing July 30, 2002 Jerusalem None
'Frank Sinatra' bombing July 31, 2002 Hebrew University, Jerusalem 9 Included American and French casualties. Bomber was from East Jerusalem
Meron Junction Bus 361 attack August 4, 2002 Meron Junction 9 Bomber with Israeli citzenships
Tel Aviv synagogue attack September 19, 2002 bus 4, bear the Great Synagogue, Tel Aviv 6
Geha road bombing October 10, 2002 Bar-Ilan interchange, Geha road 1
Jerusalem bus 20 suicide bombing November 21, 2002 Kiryat Menahem, Jerusalem 11


2003
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing March 5, 2003 Carmeliya neighborhood, Haifa 17 Carried out by Hamas member and attributed to Hamas, yet never acknowledged.
Mike's Place bombing April 30, 2003 Mike's Place pub, Tel Aviv 3 Carried out by British citizens of Pakistani descent
Gross square attack May 17, 2003 Gross square, Hebron 2
Jerusalem bus 6 bombing May 18, 2003 Jerusalem 7
Kenyon Afula bombing May 19, 2003 Afula shopping center 3
Jerusalem bus 14A attack June 11, 2003 Downtown Jerusalem 17
Bus station Ariel bombing August 12, 2003 Ariel 2
Jerusalem bus 2 suicide bombing August 19, 2003 Shmuel Hanavi, Jerusalem 23
Tzrifin attack September 9, 2003 Bus stop near Tzrifin army base 8
Hillel Cafe bombing September 9, 2003 Hillel Cafe, Jerusalem 7


2004
Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Ashdod Port attack March 14, 2004 Port of Ashdod 10 Carried out together with Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
First Erez border crossing attack April 14, 2004 Erez Crossing, Gaza Strip 4 Carried out together with Fatah
Second Erez border crossing attack April 17, 2004 Erez Crossing, Gaza Strip 1 Carried out together with Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
Beersheba attack August 31, 2004 Downtown Beersheba in buses 7 and 12 16


2005
In 2005, Israeli security forces foiled and arrested 29 Hamas suicide-bombers.

Name Date Location Death Toll Notes
Karni border crossing attack January 13, 2005 Karni crossing, Gaza Strip 6 Carried out together with Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committees
Gush Katif checkpoint attack January 18, 2005 Gush Katif, Gaza Strip 4


Total number of fatalities, by year
Year Total
1994 38
1995 10
1996 59
1997 24
2001 78
2002 141
2003 89
2004 31
2005 10
Total 480


See also

[ProgressiveProfessor]

39. Prior to the ground war, that was the generally accepted number

Now, who knows...

[snappyturtle]

13. sad nt

[democrank]

14. ~PEACE~

[madrchsod]

16. 1 israeli-512 palestinians...that`s quite a kill ratio....

[ProgressiveProfessor]

40. Actually its more and less

512 is since the air strikes, Hamas rockets have killed people in that time frame as well

While 512 is the current number, doubling of it will not surprise me. Lots of buildings and tunnels have gone down and there has been no opportunity to excavate them.

Hamas affiliates should be broken out from the raw number

That Hamas has tried to kill many more but has been unable to should factor in as well.

That Israel has built shelters and a warning system for S'derot while Hamas has placed their goals above the welfare of the people of Gaza is in there too.


Just to quote unbalanced numbers is far to simplistic a view...

[emilyg]

17. Dear God.

This must stop.

[zonmoy]

20. You mean they are only admitting to killing 500

the actual number is undoubtedly a lot higher.

[Duckhunter935]

24. Numbers are very hard , an example

Battle of Jenin

During the fighting, a rapid cycle of rumors purported that a massacre of as many as thousands of Palestinians had occurred.<4> While Jenin remained sealed during the invasion, stories of civilians being buried alive in their homes as they were demolished, and of smoldering buildings covering crushed bodies, spread throughout the Arab world. Various casualty figures circulated as Palestinian sources, as well as human rights organizations, described the events as "the Jenin massacre" in the international media.

While a large area in the camp was destroyed as a result of the fighting, subsequent investigations found no evidence to substantiate claims that a massacre had taken place. However, human rights organizations held on to allegations of war crimes being committed in the fighting and criticized the conduct of both sides. The final death toll was confirmed at from 52 to 56 Palestinians – anywhere between 5 and 26 of whom were estimated to have been civilians – while 23 IDF soldiers were killed as well.

[zonmoy]

28. And how many unaccounted for.

easy enough to simply not claim people as dead but simply not accounted for.

500 dead in a small area with a population of 1.5 million sounds real damn suspicious to me. sort of like having an invader attack new york city and then claim that they only killed 500.

[cat allergy]

29. Jenin massacre

Israel supporters always bring up the Battle of Jenin as some kind of rebuttal, as if that clears them of their wrong doing. You can add an extra 40 deaths to that "official" death toll of 56 Palestinians. Those people remain missing, most likely buried under the rubble of their destroyed homes. But because their bodies were never recovered, Israel won't count them.

If anything the Battle of Jenin shows us that Israel loves surrounding an area, blockading everyone in, (refusing to allow humanitarian aid and reporters in as well), and blow the hell out of everyone. Its very noble of you to defend such actions.

And what categorizes a massacre btw? Is it the number of deaths, or the way in which they were killed?

[Duckhunter935]

32. I did not bring that up as a rebuttal

I just wanted to point out that some had said "many as thousands of Palestinians" were killed and the end number was much much less even if you add your other 50. Numbers are always hard to pin down during a conflict.

"And what categorizes a massacre btw? Is it the number of deaths, or the way in which they were killed?"

very subjective, But it all depends on circumstances, in the middle of a shooting war in a congested area with uniformed fighters in among civilians, I do not think this is.

[unkachuck]

21. "...a lot of people are being cut down."

....doesn't Israel, the obvious innocent victim, do an excellent job of slaughtering women and children with our high-tech weapons?....they're most proficient; it makes me proud to have Israel for an ally....

....if I was a US weapons designer I'd feel even more proud....like I really did something positive and meaningful with my life and work....

"Civilians are being killed ... shells are severing people's legs,..."

"...a lot of people are being cut down. Everyone is terrified,"

....man, I'm proud to be an American!

[Duckhunter935]

22. It would be a whole lot more

If they were not using guided bombs

[High Plains]

38. Well, isn't that special!

Thank you, Israel, for bombing us with precision weapons where only one out four dead is a civilian.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

42. It is...it shows intent which is a key element for war crimes

The defense is already written...they used the most accurate technology they had to minimize civilian casualties, as well as leaflets, good intel etc. That civilians are dieing is not prima facie a war crime.

Not saying it will work, not saying it will hold in the court of public opinion, but clearly the approach being taken will lessen or eliminate ICC/Hague action.

[Arctic Dave]

43. Maybe Isreal should share some of thier guided munitions with

Hamas. Then they would be able to just hit military targets.:evilgrin:

[Duckhunter935]

52. They are not even trying, they would not target military anyway

Even when using suicide bombers (very smart bombs) they go after busses and civilian gatherings

[bluesmail]

23. The emotional/psychological scars of the youngest. n/t

[laststeamtrain]

25. AFP: Israeli army moves on Gaza City as war toll passes 510

Israeli army moves on Gaza City as war toll passes 510

by Mai Yaghi – 1 hr 5 mins ago


GAZA CITY, (AFP) – Tens of thousands of Israeli troops battled Hamas fighters in Gaza early on Monday amid tank, artillery and air strikes, as the death toll from the offensive to end rocket attacks passed 510.

Israeli forces moved into the fringes of Gaza City as families fled or hid on the second night of combat.

<snip>

At least 70 Palestinians have been killed since the ground offensive began on Saturday night, Gaza medics said.

<snip>

Fierce clashes were also reported around the northern towns of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanun and Jabaliya.

Moawiya Hassanein, head of Gaza medical emergency services, told AFP the number of Palestinians killed since the Israeli operation was launched on December 27 was now 512, including 87 children.

<more>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090105/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgaza_090105024519

[cambie]

31. Just the other day Laura was saying

"I think the fact that this president has laid the groundwork for a Palestinian state, being the first president, as a matter of policy, to say that there should be one, and now, I think, laying the foundation that's going to lead to that Palestinian state.."

There goes the last of the legacy. Bush is into biblical stuff, seems his handlers have dressed up the lame-duck as a scape-goat. A lot of bad things will happen in the next week, and they will be his fault. He has just one last chance at a legacy. The President of the United States could pick up that phone and DO SOMETHING.

[Idealism]

34. You won't ever hear Bush himself utter those words

Jimmy Carter once spoke out in favor of a "Palestinian homeland" and AIPAC was so far up his ass about it he apologized later.

[Hulk]

35. They are "only Arabs", right? So, why worry?

We are talking about 500+ dead men, women and children....Arabs. It doesn't matter to us, cause we all know they are "different". They are evil.

But God help those poor four israeli citizens who were killed. Oh, whoa is me.

Such a f*cking shame. We are really a dispicable society of morons.

[HEyHEY]

36. Tactically Hamas should smarten up

And perhaps stop shooting rockets into Israel. The more they fire back the longer this will go on. I'm not placing blame here. I think both sides are idiots, personally. But, it seems to me that Hamas now finds themselves in an actual war, and they know they cannot win this war. They'd be smarter to back off and re-group.

THIS IS ALL JUST ME TALKING TACTICS, I HAVE NO PREFERENCE IN THIS SICK DISPLAY OF HUMANITY AT ITS WORST.

[Scurrilous]

41. Report: 7 family members killed in IDF shelling

Sources in Gaza say father, mother, their five children killed by shell fired from Navy ship Monday morning. Man, grandson killed in Strip's Zeitoun neighborhood early before dawn

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3650578,00.html

<snip>

"Fighting in crowded areas continues to claim lives of Palestinian civilians in Gaza: Palestinian sources in the Strip reported Monday morning that seven family members – a father, a mother and five of their children – were killed in the Shati refugee camp in the western part of Gaza City.

According to the Palestinian report, a shell fired by Navy ship hit the family's home and caused their death.

The Shifa Hospital in Gaza reported that some of the bodies of the family members were scorched. The Israel Defense Forces has yet to respond to the report.

A separate incident took place before dawn Monday in the Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, where according to the Palestinians two family members – an elderly man and his grandson – were killed, in addition to several people who died in various incidents overnight.

The Palestinians report that more than 80 people have been killed since the IDF launched its ground operation in Gaza, and that more than 520 people have been killed and more than 2.500 injured since the start of Operation Cast Lead 10 days ago.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported Sunday that 107 children and youths were among the dead. This figure does not include the people killed in the evening and night hours, as well as those killed Monday morning."


Haaretz news flash: UN: Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 517, a quarter of them civilians (AP)

[DogPoundPup]

53. Crisis takes toll on Gaza's seasoned doctors, medics

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — They come in waves, usually not long after a blast rattles the building or a black cloud of smoke rises up over the apartment buildings.

First come the ambulances, careening through Shifa Hospital's crowded courtyard as frenzied medics rush bloody patients through mobs of Palestinians who've come in previous waves to find out if their relatives are alive or dead.Then come beat-up cars packed with Palestinians injured by Israeli shrapnel: brothers carrying bloodied younger sisters, fathers carrying lifeless sons, uncles carrying wailing nephews.

snip~
Now the military strikes are also taking a toll on the harried medical crews sent into the urban battlefields to rescue wounded survivors.

At least six medics have been killed by Israeli strikes and three ambulances have been destroyed by Israeli fire, according to United Nations officials. "There are no safe areas, and Gazans who want to flee the fighting have been prevented from leaving the Strip," said John Prideaux-Brune, the head of Oxfam-Great Britain's Palestinian office.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/59026.html

[MadMaddie]

57. I thought that Internatiional laws prohibited the murder of

medics etc.

Wait...that's right * decided to ignore international treaties so everything goes. This is a disaster.

[DogPoundPup]

54. UN contradicts Israel over depth of crisis in Gaza

Source: Yahoo / AP

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations said Monday there is an "increasingly alarming" humanitarian crisis in Gaza, directly contradicting Israeli denials that its offensive caused the growing problem.

U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes told reporters Monday that U.N. officials believe as many as 25 percent of the 500 people killed in the fighting are civilians and that Gaza's health system is "increasingly precarious" due to the more than 2,500 injured.

He said Gaza is running low on clean water, power, food, medicine and other supplies since Israel began launching a heavy attack on the militant Islamic group Hamas that controls Gaza's government, first with airstrikes and then with troops and tanks.

Israeli leaders have maintained consistently there is no humanitarian crisis for the Palestinians living in the densely populated territory, and that they have been keeping the border crossings open and are delivering vital supplies.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_un_gaza_humanitarian_crisis

---

Crisis takes toll on Gaza's seasoned doctors, medics...

Excerpt~
At least six medics have been killed by Israeli strikes and three ambulances have been destroyed by Israeli fire, according to United Nations officials.

"There are no safe areas, and Gazans who want to flee the fighting have been prevented from leaving the Strip," said John Prideaux-Brune, the head of Oxfam-Great Britain's Palestinian office.

Prideaux-Brune lost one Palestinian colleague on Sunday when an Israeli shell hit the ambulance he was in as it tried to spirit a wounded patient away from advancing Israeli forces in the northern Gaza City town of Beit Lahiya.

The increasing risk to medics means that some emergency calls are going unanswered because ambulances can't safely navigate the battlefield.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/59026.html

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The London Times quotes a text message sent by Dr. Gilbert:

“We are wading in death, blood, and amputees. Many children. A pregnant woman. I have never experienced anything so terrible. Now we hear tanks. Pass it on, send it around, shout it out. Anything. DO SOMETHING! DO MORE! We are living in a history book now, all of us.”

Watch these, and do something to stop the slaughter:
http://psychoanalystsopposewar.org/blog/2009/01/05/norwegian-doctor-and-unrwa-on-civilian-casualties-in-gaza/

[rustydad]

55. Just wondering

I am following the Gaza event closely. I try and look at the issues discussed here and in the I/P forum. I also have seen stories from sources that claim that Israel has a program for leaving messages supporting Israeli actions on discussion groups such as DU. I just wonder how many supporters of Israel's actions are trolls? Seems to me that most Israeli supporters pretty much follow scripted talking points. Just wondering. Bob

[DogPoundPup]

56. Israeli Forces Cut Gaza in 3; More Than 500 Palestinians Killed

Source: ABC News

Israeli troops moved deeper into the Gaza Strip Monday, attempting to slice Gaza into three sections to strengthen their grip around the territory's cities.

Israel's assault on the governing Hamas regime has raised the Palestinian death toll to 550, with more than 2,800 injured, and Gaza's main hospital has seen a major influx of civilian casualties since Israeli troops crossed the border Saturday.

~snip
ABC News' producer in Gaza, Sammi Zyara, said that Israeli forces opened fire on the roof of his home today. His wife and eight children have not left their house in 10 days.

Dr. Mads Gilbert is working in Gaza's main hospital, Al Shifa Hospital, and told the BBC by phone that Israel's claim that it isn't targeting civilians is "absolutely stupid."
http://abcnews.go.com/International/Story?id=6576365&page=2

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=6576365&page=1

[Hatalles]

59. Gaza hospital overwhelmed by dead, wounded

Source: Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Wailing in grief, Salah Samouni banged his head against a wall inside the hospital morgue where the bodies of his three young nephews lay on the floor Monday.

After 10 days of a relentless Israeli assault, Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest, is overwhelmed. Bodies were crowded two to a morgue drawer, and some — like 3-year-old Issa, 4-year-old Mohammed and 5-year-old Ahmad — were on the floor.

Shifa's shabby halls echoed Monday with the sounds of people screaming and the wail of ambulance sirens. Many of the wounded were being treated in hallways by harried doctors and nurses running on little sleep. The hospital was powered by emergency generators after shelling damaged power lines.

Since Israel began a ground offensive Saturday, most of the dead and wounded arriving at Shifa are civilians, as Israel's offensive shifts from airstrikes to artillery shelling and fighting close to densely populated areas.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_israel_gaza_overwhelmed_hospital

[Sultana]

60. the hospitals will also get bombed

:cry:

[patrice]

61. Church/State collude to kill the Innocent. Sound familiar?

The Reich Wing "Christians", used by trans-national corporations to put their puppet Bush in office, have a special place in their hearts for Israel, for how it supposed to cause "the 2nd Coming". I'd say Jesus is here again, and again, and again in these INNOCENTS, just like he was the "first" time, murdered by a mutually beneficial collaboration between Church/Religion and Government.

I am trying not to despair that so many, who claim to care about what The New Testament shows us, just simply don't care about the People in the Gaza.

[liberalhistorian]

62. Please don't think that's true of all of us who

care about what the New Testament and Christ have to say about treating others. Many of us DO care very much about the poor souls in Gaza and are in despair over it. We also share your despair over the undeniable fact that too many of those who claim to be Christians not only don't appear to care too much, but are actually rooting for those who are responsible.

[patrice]

67. I don't think that about all Christians. I count myself as one too, one of the

fallen Catholic variety, but I still love the Lord, so I belong to the Church with No Walls now.

[earcandle]

64. I hear you. ....

how can the soldiers pull it off?
what are they getting for this genocide?
is this loyalty?
what is this that people do for a living?
doesn't it hurt them more in the end?
they go home broken and irreparable.
and some become menaces to themselves and others.

why do we do this?
why do we do this??
for whom, who are the owners of the weapons factories?
which stocks are they offered through, or it is all in mutual funds?
how is this dismantled?

[Beacool]

63. The needless deaths on both sides are horrible,

particularly the death of children is heartbreaking.

And all for what, some land?

:-(

[earcandle]

65. uuuuugggghhhhhh......

this is heartbreaking, and more so, it is psychotic.

[otherlander]

66. Israel

doesn't really want to be our ally, they just do it because they have to. The neocons are telling Israel "do like we say or we'll throw you to the wolves". Everyone knew this was a bad idea, but the White House has the Israelis in their control. You think anyone in Israel with a brain actually likes America? We helped the fucking NAZIS escape to Argentina. We gave them cushy jobs in the CIA. Israel has no reason to like us, but they need our "help". There are so many Israelis who know this is a bad idea and so many Palastinians who know that Islamic extremism won't help anyone, but you never hear their voices. Our government could create forums for those voices if they wanted to. They could support peace and reconciliation. But they'd rather pressure Israelis into doing destructive shit.