Death Toll in Gaza Exceeds 800; Over 3,300 Injured

[tekisui]

Source: Al Jazeera

The Palestinian death toll has risen to 815 people and more than 3,300 injured since Israel began its offensive in the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.

Attacks continued on Saturday morning with aerial bombardments and Israeli forces advancing further into the outskirts of Gaza City.

Eight members of one family were among the latest fatalities, killed by an Israeli tank shell in Jabaliya.

Israeli aircraft bombed tunnels used to smuggle goods from Egypt into the besieged strip, weapons-manufacturing sites and depots, an army spokesman said.

Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza City, said: "There was a lot of intense fighting overnight.

"The most significant development was the advance of the Israeli military.

"We understand now they are on the outskirts of Gaza City, still trying to avoid going in through major population centres, but navigating their way around those urban areas on the periphery."

More: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/200911084430400848.html

[cboy4]

1. How sad Hamas felt the need to fire those Grad missiles in order

to provoke one of the most powerful militaries in the world.

It's horrific when you consider and count the number of dead women and children (and of course innocent men), who died because of Hamass.

BTW, I take every letter uttered by Al Jazeera with a grain of salt.

Every single one of them.

When is part of this war going to be Hamnas' fault tekisui?

How sad.

[cali]

2. Part of this war is Hamas's fault but

c'mon, you can't oppress people for decades and expect that they won't fight back. And sorry, but Israel made the decision to go in to Gaza no matter the cost to civilians or infrastructure.

[tekisui]

3. Al Jazeera is a very reputable source.

More so than JPost or Haaretz or CNN for that matter. They are the only international news agency with a journalist in Gaza.

Hamas goaded Israel into attacking, Israel foolishly took the bait. And, likewise Israel goaded Hamas into firing rockets. Israel broke the terms of the 6 month cease-fire and Hamas responded, predictably and stupidly, with rockets.

What happened, as far as I can see, is the leaders of Hamas and the leaders of Israel each prefer war. They depend on the war-like nature of each other to perpetuate their animosity.

There is no military solution, and this was a war of choice on Israel's part. Notice when rockets came into Israel from the North, they responded with precision strikes at the launch sites. They are capable of reacting and dealing with the security threat without waging war on densely populated civilian cities.

Hamas wanted this war. They thrive on this type of reaction from Israel. That is why, IMO, this was a stupid operation by Israel. It is heavy-handed and ineffective. In the end, it will not make Israel safer or bring the region closer to peace.

[cali]

4. I don't think Israel goaded Hamas into firing rockets, at least not initially

Furthermore, if you look into it further, I think it's clear that both sides broke the cease fire, and as someone commented, neither side had any intention of really keeping it intact.

[tekisui]

5. Agreed.

It was only a matter of time.

[Vegasaurus]

6. Because Hamas are nihilists

They are prepared for a good portion of their citizens to die, so that Hamas can continue towards its political goal.

They will outlast Israel in this respect, because when there is no concern for human life, there is really nothing that ISrael can do.

[tekisui]

9. They aren't nihilist.

They have a belief system.

[Duckhunter935]

7. Hamas fired rockets throughout the truce time

That is no cease fire, Israel would open some crossings and Hamas would again fire rockets and Israel would again close the borders. All hamas would of had to do was observe cease fire.

June 19, 2008
Through Egyptian mediation Israel and Hamas agreed to a six month cease-fire on June 17th that went into effect on June 19, 2008 at 6:00 AM.<53><54>
June 20, 2008
Gilad Herman, an Israeli settler in the West Bank settlement of Yashif, unintentionally fires upon an Israeli when he launches a home-made rocket towards Palestinian West Bank. The rocket lands "meters away from a Breslov hassid who was praying in the area." No one is hurt.<55>
June 23, 2008
A single mortar shell was also fired from Gaza late Monday night and landed on the Israeli side of the border fence.<56><57> No organization claimed responsibility for the attack.<58>
June 24, 2008
Three Qassam rockets fired from Gaza on Tuesday struck the Israeli border town of Sderot and its environs, causing no serious injuries but constituting the first serious breach of a five-day-old truce between Israel and Hamas.<59>
Islamic Jihad rocket exploding in the distance, breaking the 5-day truceIslamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had been a response to an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus at dawn on Tuesday, in which a senior Islamic Jihad operative Tareq Abu Ghali, 24 and another Palestinian university student Iyad Khanfar, 21 were killed. An Israeli Army spokesman said that Abu Ghali had been involved in terrorism and that he was "killed in an exchange of fire." The man killed with him was armed, the spokesman said.
The rocket attack occurred hours after Olmert met President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheik to discuss the next steps in the tenuous Egyptian-mediated truce and the renewal of efforts to resolve the case of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli corporal held by Hamas in Gaza since June 25, 2006.
Israeli Defense Ministry decided that Israel would keep the Gaza border crossings closed Thursday, except for special humanitarian cases, in response to Tuesday's Qassam rocket attacks<60>
June 26, 2008
A rocket hit an open area of the industrial zone outside Sderot. There were no reports of injuries or damage, according to army sources. The Fatah-affiliated Aksa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. In a text message sent to reporters, it said "the truce must include the West Bank and all sorts of aggression must stop."
On Thursday morning, Hamas accused Israel of violating the terms of the Gaza cease-fire a day after Israeli Defense Ministry decided that Israel would keep the Gaza border crossings closed Thursday, except for special humanitarian cases, in response to Tuesday's Qassam rocket attacks - "If the crossings remain closed, the truce will collapse", Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Thursday morning.<61>
June 27, 2008
Early on Friday, two mortar shells were fired at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip. One landed near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, and the second one hit an open area. There were no reports of injuries or damage in the latest violation of the fragile ceasefire.
Following yesterday's rocket attack by Aksa Martyrs Brigade a spokesman for the Hamas government, Taher al-Nunu, called Fatah's actions "unpatriotic". He said Hamas was considering the possibility of taking action against those perpetrating the attacks against Israel.
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called Friday on Palestinian factions to adhere to the Gaza Strip lull agreement with Israel. "The factions and the people accepted the lull in order to secure two interests – an end to aggression and the lifting of the siege. Therefore, we hope that everyone honors this national agreement", he said following Friday prayers.<62>
June 28, 2008
Mortar shells were fired at the Karni crossing. No one claims responsibility for the attacks. Israel blocks all shipments into Gaza except fuel, in response to the rocket and mortar attacks.<63>
June 30, 2008
A rocket falls near the town of Mefalsim. Nobody claims responsibility for the attack. In response Israel once again closes the crossings that had previously been reopened on June 29, 2008.<64>

July
July 2, 2008
There were no rocket or mortar attacks so Israel reopens the four Gaza crossings on Wednesday July 2. Since a truce began June 19, Israel has closed the passages a total of six days in retaliation for rocket attacks.<65>
July 3, 2008
A rocket lands in an open area north of Sderot. A previously unknown organization calling itself the "Badr Forces" claims responsibility for the attack. In response Israel temporarily closes the crossings on July 4, 2008.<66>
July 7, 2008
A mortar shell is fired at Israel from Gaza on Monday and lands near the Karni crossing.<67>
July 8, 2008
After two mortar attacks from Gaza at the Sufa crossing, one fell just inside Gaza and the other at the crossing. Israel closed all the crossing. After an Egyptian request they reopened the crossings. Hours after the crossings opened at noon, militants fired another shell into Israel, causing no casualties or damage, the Israeli military said. Israel kept the crossings open. No Palestinian group immediately claimed responsibility.
In all, 15 rockets and mortars have been fired from Gaza since the truce took effect on June 19. Israel has responded automatically by snapping shut the crossings, which have been closed about half of the time. So far the truce has not eased conditions in Gaza because of the frequent closures.<67>
July 10, 2008
Two Qassam rockets were fired at Israel, but caused no damage, after an unarmed Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades infiltrator was killed at the Kissufim crossing. An Israeli Army spokesman said they fired warning shots and when the man did not stop they killed him. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades vowed revenge and claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli troops continued for a fourth straight day a crackdown on institutions it links to the militant Hamas movement. On Wednesday July 10 they shot dead a Hamas member near the West Bank city of Jenin.<68>
July 12, 2008
A rocket lands in an open area in Sha'ar Hanegev regional council. Nobody claims responsibility for the attack.<69>
July 13, 2008
Two mortar shells are misfired and they land on the Gaza side of the border security fence in the Nahal Oz region. Nobody claims responsibility for the attack. Israel responds by only closing the Nahal Oz and Sufa crossings.<70>
July 15, 2008
A mortar hit is identified.<71>
July 25, 2008
A rocket misfires and lands in Gaza near the Kissufim crossing.<72>
July 29, 2008
Another rocket is launched from Gaza and mistakenly lands in Gaza.<73>
July 31, 2008
Again, a rocket misfires and lands in Gaza.<74>

August
August 1-31st
In the month of August 7 rockets and 12 mortars were fired from Gaza into Israel.<75>

September
September 1-30th
The month of September represented a considerable lull in the number of rocket and mortar attacks. In this month, 3 rockets and 2 mortars were fired from Gaza into Israel. They caused no injuries or deaths.<76>

October
October 11th
A single rocket was launched from Gaza into Israel resulting in no injuries or deaths.<77>

November
The Israel Security Agency reports a sharp increase in the number of high trajectory weapon attacks, including towards Ashkelon. This was preceded by an ISA-IDF operation on the evening between November 4th and 5th. Between October 29th and November 6th 48 rockets and 21 mortars were fired from Gaza into Israel.<78>
November 6-12th
Israel attacks a 250 meter tunnel going from Gaza and under its border, claiming the tunnel is designed to capture additional Israeli soldiers and hold them hostage. Six Gaza fighters are killed and four Israeli special forces wounded. Hamas responds by firing 30 Qassam rockets at Israel. The truce agreed to five months ago is starting to founder.<79> Between November 5th and November 12th, 22 rockets and 9 mortars were fired into Israel.<80>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rocket_and_mortar_attacks_in_Israel_in_2008

[tekisui]

8. I've seen your one sided cut and paste before.

Hamas held up their end as much as Israel.

[DogPoundPup]

10. it was the deliberate policy of the Israeli government to refuse the passage of normal supply lines

> We were unable to confirm this in Jerusalem because of Israel's unwillingness to admit to any negotiations with Hamas, but rocket firing was soon stopped and there was an increase in supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel. Yet the increase was to an average of about 20 percent of normal levels. And this fragile truce was partially broken on Nov. 4, when Israel launched an attack in Gaza to destroy a defensive tunnel being dug by Hamas inside the wall that encloses Gaza. <
http://www.truthout.org/010809R