Israel escalates Gaza offensive, casualties mount

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-EXCITE

By ARON HELLER AND NAJIB JOBAIN

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel dramatically escalated its aerial assault targeting hundreds of Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip Thursday as Palestinians reported the strikes also hit a home and a beachside cafe, raising the total number of people killed in this week's offensive to at least 85. Israel's missile defense system also once again intercepted rockets fired by Gaza militants at the country's two largest cities, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The Israeli military said it had struck a total of some 500 targets throughout the day, focusing on underground tunnel networks and rocket launching sites. In all, the military said it has hit some 860 sites since the operation started Tuesday.

Gaza militants fired more than 140 rockets at major Israeli residential areas Thursday, Israel's military said. Rockets fired at southern Israel damaged homes, infrastructure and spread panic. Israelis rushed to bomb shelters as sirens wailed in major cities. About 5 million Israelis are in range of the Palestinian rocket attacks. No Israelis have been killed.

A rocket hit a car in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod Thursday night engulfing it in flames. Israel's emergency services said nobody was injured in the attack, reversing an earlier statement in which it said a man was hurt.

FULL story at link.


An Israeli man takes pictures from a hilltop at the Israel-Gaza Border, as Israel continues its strikes in Gaza, Thursday, July 10, 2014. Israel dramatically escalated its aerial assault in Gaza Thursday hitting hundreds of Hamas targets, as Palestinians reported more than a dozen of people killed in strikes that hit a home and a beachside cafe and Israel's missile defense system once again intercepted rockets fired by militants at the country's heartland. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140710/ml-israel-palestinians-0e552349b6.html

[7962]

1. The end is simple: stop firing rockets into Israel every day. Done.

[Hugabear]

2. Maybe Israel should start treating the Palestinians as real people. Done.

Don't treat them like second-class citizens, bulldoze their houses, and force them into smaller and smaller pieces of land.

[7962]

3. They would treat them better if they werent calling for their extinction.

Here's the difference. 3 Israeli teens are murdered and Hamas leaders call the killers "heros" and say ALL Israelis are legitimate targets. They fire rockets into the country EVERY DAY.
An Arab teenager is murdered by Israelis and the killers are arrested and charged. The killing is condemned by a cross section of the whole country.

If Israel puts down their weapons, they would be invaded. If the Arabs put theirs down, they'd be left alone.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. More apologia for the mass murder being visited upon the Palestinians. Sickening.

[backwoodsbob]

6. More apologia the the attempted murder of mass civilians by Hamas

Sickening

[7962]

8. "Mass murder". Ha. Here's your mass murderers......

'The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and
kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the
rocks and trees will cry out: 'O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind
me, come and kill him.' (Article 7 of the Covenant of the Islamic resistance Movement, 1988)

The Preamble:'Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will
obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.'

'[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and
International conferences are in contradiction to the principles of
the Islamic Resistance Movement... Those conferences are no more than
a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of
Islam... There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by
Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a
waste of time, an exercise in futility.' (Article 13)

Gee, I cant seem to find calls for mass murder in Israel's operative "constitution"........

[Sam1]

17. What the hell is the Islamic Resistance Movement?

[7962]

18. Umm....Thats the official name of Hamas.

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

[Sam1]

47. Thanks for the info. If Hamas had a modern Army

and the infrastructure to support it I would consider this as more then mere braggadocio. It would then be a serious threat to Israel.

As to the fact that no such aim exists in the founding documents of Israel I feel I trumped by Israel's actions. The several "wars" Israel has "fought" with the Palestinians are more in the nature of a 200 pound bully beating up a 90 pound weakling and proclaiming How tough he is. These campaigns would better be described as punitive expeditions against an occupied territory and as such violations of international law.

If any one wishes to respond I would appreciate some context, starting with say the Balfour Agreement, rather then the death of three Israeli students and should include Israeli governments gag order on reporting the death of the students and the Prime Minister's announcements that the victims could still be alive and being searched for.

The only honor in this whole sorry episode accrues to the families of the Israeli and Palestinian victims who consoled each other.

[7962]

49. I'd discuss it with you, but I've already had one post blocked!!

According to one juror, I'm a "well known troll". Whatever the hell that means. All I posted was factual events of the time frame you're talking about. But around here, if its not liked, it's "rude, hurtful,..." etc.
Not saying YOU would do it, but some around here are more likely to stick out their bottom lip and alert a post.

[Sam1]

50. I had one blocked too. Mine was a little over the top.

[obama2terms]

25. Let's not pretend Palestine is the only victim here

They are both victims. They are firing at each other. Just because someone is pointing out that it take two to tango in these situations doesn't mean they support the mass murder of anyone.

[IronGate]

27. So what was not true about the post?

Israel did arrest and charge those responsible for the murder of the Palestinian teen, while Palestinian's cheered those that murdered 3 Israeli teens.
See the difference?

[EX500rider]

33. "the mass murder being visited upon the Palestinians"

They hit over 850 targets in a built up area with only 80 some casualties and you think that is "mass murder"?
Sounds more like they are trying as hard as they can not to target civilians and doing a outstanding job at it.

[Gormy Cuss]

34. "only 80" is easy to say when it's not your family.

I generally stay on the sidelines of I/P discussions but when dozens of people have been injured or killed it's not something to dismiss just because it could have been worse.

[EX500rider]

35. My point still stand that in over 1,000 strikes that is incredibly light casualties.

[Gormy Cuss]

36. And my point still stands. n/t

[geek tragedy]

42. "only 80-some casualties"

and how would "80-some casualties" be treated by you if they were Jews instead of Palestinians?

Would you ever refer to a weekend in which 80-100 Jewish civilians died as a positive?

[EX500rider]

43. I'd say no other military in the world could do as well..

...over 1,000 strikes with less then 100 dead in built up areas is actually quite incredible devotion to avoiding civilian casualties.

[geek tragedy]

45. Israel massacred 17 civilians attempting

to assassinate Gaza's police chief:

On Saturday evening, four Israeli missiles hit a three-storey house in Gaza belonging to police chief Tayseer al-Batsh, a Gaza health official said.

The strike killed 17 members of the same family, while Tayseer al-Batsh was wounded but survived, officials added.

The only thing about such incidents that upsets Israel's knee-jerk apologists here is that they lead to criticism of Israel.

This was a war crime--targeting a police official without regard for civilian life. Those who launched the missile, and those who ordered it belong in prison for the rest of their lives.

Instead, Israel will honor these murderers as heroes defending Jews against the Arab enemy.

The only difference between Israel and Hamas is denial.

[Ash_F]

46. The best way to teach Arabs to control their own kind, is to kill their police.

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. The end is simple: Allow the Palestinians their own state.

They've been living under the Israeli jackboot for 47 years. End the occupation, end the daily humiliations, end the beatings, end the killings. No justice, no peace, Israel.

This doesn't end without addressing the root cause.

I used to have sympathy for Israel. Not anymore.

[7962]

7. They had their chance several times. They always refuse to allow Israel's right to exist.

Arafat couldve gotten almost everything they wanted and still turned it down.
Why arent other Arab countries ever offering to help establish a homeland? Jordan was part of the land that Israel was re formed from; why arent they involved or asked for any concessions?

[cpwm17]

9. Everything you wrote is a lie

Israel didn't offer the Palestinians shit. Israel tried to put a bow on apartheid and call it a state. Arafat couldn't accept that scam.

What's this re-formed crap? The Palestinians have lived there for centuries and longer. Only they had any claim to that land.

[7962]

13. Lie? Who are you, Rep. Joe Wilson? Or are you 12? Here are a few facts for you

On the eighth day of the summit Clinton and Barak had an important meeting in which were formed the essentials of Israel's offer. Barak was prepared to offer a contiguous Palestinian state (meaning no cantons) on Gaza and 92% of the West Bank (a 9% annexation with a 1% swap), Palestinian control of 85% of the border with Jordan with an Israeli security presence on the remaining 15%, Palestinian sovereignty over the Muslim and Christian quarters in Old Jerusalem, shared control of the rest of the city based on demographics, custodianship of the Haram ash-Sharif (Temple Mount), and further provisions on security and refugees to be more clearly defined later. The Palestinian team rejected this package. They wanted certain clarifications, but their strongest objection was to the provision on the Haram: the Palestinians did not want custodianship; they wanted full sovereignty.

The fact is, the Palestinians NEVER offered any counter of their own. They just kept waiting for Israel to offer more. After several attempts and rejections, it was over. You cannot have peace with those who do not want it.


"Palestine" was never more than a region which included the Sinai Peninsula and Jordan, among other lands. Read up on the history of the area. And why is Jordan never asked to give any land for a Palestinian country? Why do they keep Palestinians out? Why do the other Arab countries not offer any land to help create a state? Why do the other Arab countries keep Palestinians out or worse, in camps?

Israel will not give up. they will always be there as they were in history. And they dont care who likes it. So get used to it.

[azurnoir]

10. Arafat formally recognized Israel's "right to exist" in 1993

PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:

Mr. Prime Minister,

The signing of the Declaration of Principles marks a new era in the history of the Middle East. In firm conviction thereof, I would like to confirm the following PLO commitments:

- The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security.
- The PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
- The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations.
- The PLO considers that the signing of the Declaration of Principles constitutes a historic event, inaugurating a new epoch of peaceful coexistence, free from violence and all other acts which endanger peace and stability. Accordingly, the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators.

In view of the promise of a new era and the signing of the Declaration of Principles and based on Palestinian acceptance of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the PLO affirms that those articles of the Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel's right to exist, and the provisions of the Covenant which are inconsistent with the commitments of this letter are now inoperative and no longer valid. Consequently, the PLO undertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant.

Sincerely,

Yasser Arafat
Chairman, Palestine Liberation Organization

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/recogn.html

[7962]

11. If the PLO were still in charge, it might mean something. But Hamas is in charge. They refuse. nt

[azurnoir]

12. are you saying that the Democatic POTUS is supporting Hamas?

because he does support the official Palestinian government

[7962]

14. The Palestinians vote for who they vote for. Is Hamas their official government?

According to Wikipedia: "The governance of the Gaza Strip had been carried out by the Hamas administration, led by Ismail Haniyeh, from 2007 until 2014. The Hamas administration was often referred to as the Hamas government in Gaza."

Has anyone asked him?

[azurnoir]

15. you just switched up it seems and BTW the elected head of the PLO is Mahmoud Abbas

you were speaking about Arafat who was Fatah not Hamas

[7962]

16. I understand that, but doesnt Hamas actually RUN the govt?

[azurnoir]

21. you keep switching up be specific please

[sulphurdunn]

20. Hamas isn't in charge of the West Bank.

The Palestinian authority is. They put their guns down and govern under Israeli occupation. How's that worked out for them?

[7962]

23. They ARE in charge in Gaza, and thats where the rockets are coming from.

And thats where israel is attacking targets.

[sulphurdunn]

31. Then they don't need to be occupying

and slowly annexing the West Bank. They should focus on Hamas and Gaza.

[sulphurdunn]

19. The Palestinians don't need a homeland.

They already have one.

[azurnoir]

22. and exactly where is that be specific please n/t

[7962]

24. I'm imagine he's referring to Israel.

[obama2terms]

26. I'm all for a two state solution

But no side seems willing to compromise. Why can't they just share the land and end the fighting? Because it would actually make since. I feel sometimes that Israel and Palestine secretly enjoy all of these conflicts, they have been going on forever and seem to have no sign of ending. People can blame Israel or blame Palestine all they want, but it takes two to tango in these situations.

[sulphurdunn]

29. Everywhere that was not part

of the territory ceded for the creation of Israel in 1948. Specific enough?

[azurnoir]

30. sure some that is within the Green Line these days though

I just wondered if you meant East of the Jordan River -sorry

[sulphurdunn]

32. Good question.

I should have been more specific.

[yeoman6987]

28. I have full support of the Israelis

We need to have compassion for them. No other group has been killed more then this one.

[Ash_F]

37. You remind of the people who decried the "Black violence" of the civil rights movement. /nt

[7962]

38. Except that the comparison is absolute rubbish. Educate yourself, please. nt

[Ash_F]

39. Based on the slam dunk competition that has become everyone's responses to you..

I think you are the one who could use some schooling, other than what you've received in this thread.

[7962]

40. HA! I've posted facts. Most responses have been typical hand-wringing nonsense. Like yours.

I post links to back up my statements. None seen to refute what i've written. Its just the usual anti-anything-Israel by the handful of people who think Israel has no right to try to stop daily rocket fire into their country.
You equate what I've said to blaming blacks for violence during the civil rights movement. Well, I dont remember seeing any stories of blacks trying to kill whites on a daily basis back then. Nor do i remember seeing any blacks involved in suicide bombings or kidnappings. So you're attempt to link the two situations is pathetic.

[Ash_F]

41. Indeed you are the only thing that keeps DU sane.

Keep up the good fight sir!

[7962]

44. Well doggone it, thank YOU too!

[Marrah_G]

48. These threads always make me sick

If it was any country other then Israel the responses would be very different.

[Sunlei]

51. Egypt must be supporting the transport of the launchers and the tunnel system,

through their country? Why doesn't Egypt give the Pals some of the land that is right there and unused next to the gaza strip.

Still have not heard a single report of who built those missiles and launchers! Who paid for it. The Pals can not afford that gear! ridiculous news reporting!

[fujiyama]

52. How effective would a ground offensive really be?

Last edited Fri Jul 18, 2014, 01:00 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm really wondering here. Gaza is VERY densely populated and there isn't much space. Now, I hope for the sake of ending this current bout of bloodletting and utter madness, the IDF finds and destroys all rockets. But that's wishful thinking because A, the rockets will still come in from Iran after their ground offensive ends, B - another incursion by Israel and the killing of more Palestinian civilians isn't going to bring about any lasting peace, and C - there is so much distrust and neither Hamas or Netanyahu are willing to negotiate in good faith. I honestly don't even know what Israel hopes to accomplish with this.

All of this "retaliation" also ignores the very real problem that Israel isn't confronting its long term demographics disadvantage and the simple fact that its legitimacy is at stake, even in many Americans' eyes. Netanyahu is not only unwilling to concede any land in the West Bank, he's actively building MORE settlements, blatantly flouting their only real ally. What a pompous, self righteous, cynical ass hole. But he's a brilliant politician. Because the situation is the following: Hamas constantly fires a bunch of really inaccurate rockets into Israeli territory, terrorizing Israeli civilians, but in reality killing very, very few and causing some property damage. Now, this doesn't justify it of course... But then Israel gets incredibly pissed off and lashes out killing over 300 civilians. There isn't much parity here. We're not talking about targeted killings of just the leaders of these organizations. We're talking about women and children, stuck in a tiny sliver of land. With the help of Hamas, a barbaric and pathetic organization, Netanyahu has been able to freak the public out into launching yet another pointless ground offensive.

This is just a merry go round of stupid, wanton, destruction.