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The Israeli war on Gaza

Published on 15 November 2012, by M. Tomazy.
UPDATES:  SPECIAL COVERAGE:Day 4

Nov. 17, 2012
19:29 Six Palestinians injured in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza are evacuated to Egyptian hospital via the Rafah crossing, Egyptian security officials tell Ma'an. 
19:22 Turkey's prime minister praises Egyptian president Muhammad Mursi for recalling his ambassador from Tel Aviv in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza, in a speech at Cairo university.

19:19 Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal and the head of Egypt intelligence have concluded a two-hour meeting in Cairo, where demands for a truce were exchange, informed sources have told Ma'an.

They emphasized the talks were at a preliminary stage. Mashaal is set to meet with later with the Egyptian president, the Qatari emir and the Turkish premier to continue discussions about Gaza.

18:51 At least 10 people were detained by Israel today at protests in support of Gaza across the West Bank, Ma'an correspondents say.

Dozens have been injured in clashes with Israeli forces, several seriously. At a demonstration at Israel's Ofer jail near Ramallah, a man and woman were both hit in the head with a tear gas canister, a reporter says.
Another man suffered serious head injuries from a protest at Nablus' Huwwara checkpoint.
18:50 Israeli PM Netanyahu today called ‏German Chancellor Merkel, Italian PM Monti, Greek PM Samaras and Czech PM Nekas about Israel's Gaza operation, his spokesman says on Twitter.

18:11 Five rockets are fired at Ashdod, four intercepted and one lands in open area, Israeli media reports.
17:55 Palestinians are holding a vigil outside Bethlehem's Nativity Church calling for an end to Israel's deadly assault on the Gaza strip, a Ma'an reporter says.

The group are holding candles, waving Palestinian flags, and holding banners reading "We are all Gaza" and "We would die for Gaza".

17:54 Ben Rhodes, White House deputy national security adviser, tells reporters the United States "wants the same thing as the Israelis want," which is an end to rocket attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
17:39 Islamic Jihad leader Khalid Batsh says Gaza's launch of rockets at Tel Aviv shows "the rules of the game have changed in the region."


 17:38 Reporter: Two rockets fired from Gaza land in open areas in Ashkelon and Beersheva. 

17:21 Update: The Rafah airstrike killed one Palestinian man riding a motorcycle and injured two other people, medics say. In Khan Younis, medics said six Palestinians, mostly civilians, suffered injuries in a separate attack. 

17:14 US President Barack Obama calls Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan about bringing an end to violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip, the White House says. 

 16:54 Israeli army and police say rocket fired at Tel Aviv was intercepted in mid-air, did not hit the city.

 16:50 Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades says it fired Fajr rocket toward Tel Aviv.

 16:48 Israeli ambulance service says no casualties after Tel Aviv rocket attack. 

 16:44 Sirens sound in Tel Aviv, signalling a rocket attack on the city, and an explosion is heard.

 16:33 Air raid siren heard in Tel Aviv.

 16:19 Arab foreign ministers will consider a draft statement that calls for the Arab League chief to lead a delegation to Gaza and voices support for Egypt's efforts to negotiate a truce, an Arab diplomatic source says.
Palestinian firefighters try to extinguish a fire after an Israeli 
air strike on the building of Hamas' Ministry of Interior in Gaza 
City Nov. 16, 2012
16:18 Six people hurt in airstrike east of Khan Younis. 

 16:14 Reports coming in that Palestinian killed, two injured after Israeli airstrike targeting a motorcycle in Rafah.

 16:00 Eleven injured, four seriously, at protest near Nablus. 

 14:49 The military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine says that it will continue to launch rockets to counter Israel's aggression.

 14:40 Huwwara checkpoint near Nablus closed as clashes escalate. 
14:20 Witness says Israeli forces are firing at protesters outside Ofer prison in the West Bank.

 14:16 Airstrikes reported in Gaza City.  
13:45 Muhammad Yasin dies of wounds sustained Saturday in Gaza City's Zaytoun neighborhood, raising the death toll to 40 since Wednesday. 

 13:33 Israeli army says four 4 rockets fired from Gaza strike Ashdod, hitting a house, school, car and open area.
13:34 Protests continue around the world for the third day. Click here to see if one is happening near you.  
13:15 Clashes at Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus, 7 detained. 

 12:52 The Israeli military is rushing a fifth Iron Dome anti-missile battery into service and deploying it in the Tel Aviv area, underscoring concerns over the range of Palestinian rockets.

12:44 A Ma'an correspondent identifies the three Palestinians killed in al-Maghazi refugee camp as members of Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades. 

 11:57 Missile hits home in Rafah, injuring five Palestinians. 

11:55 Six names added to Ma'an's list of confirmed deaths in Gaza, raising the total to 39. 

11:45 Channel 2: Israeli forces begin artillery strikes on Gaza. 

 11:21 Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdesslem, in Gaza, denounces Israel's attacks on the Palestinian enclave as unacceptable and against international law: "Israel should understand that many things have changed and that lots of water has run in the Arab river," Abdesslem says in Gaza City.

11:13 Palestinian resistance factions confirm that their fighters continue to launch missiles toward Israeli towns and military sites bordering the Gaza Strip. 

 10:33 Israel says three soldiers were injured by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip.

10:23 Islamic Jihad says Ayman Salim, who succumbed to previous injuries early Saturday, was a prominent member of its armed wing.

10:03 The foreign minister of Tunisia arrives at Rafah.

09:24 Here is a continuously updated list of confirmed Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip since Wednesday. Death toll is now 31.

09:17 A Palestinian woman and her child are injured in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah.

08:31 Israeli army says overnight attacks targeted "several rocket launching squads", government buildings, the prime minister's headquarters, the ministry of interior and a police compound as well as a "Hamas training facility" in northern Gaza.

08:09 Medics say the death toll since Wednesday is 38 after Israel's overnight airstrikes across the Gaza Strip.

08:06 National and Islamic factions and workers unions say they are planning to hold a demonstration at noon in Yasser Arafat’s square in Ramallah.

07:30 Medics say three Palestinians injured in airstrike on Rafah.

06:50 Thirty people are injured after an Israeli airstrike on a house in Jabaliya. 

06:20 Israeli warplanes attack the headquarters of the government in Gaza. 

06:17 In a New York Times op-ed, Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin argues that Israel's assassination of Ahmad al-Jaabari removed one of the more practical actors on the Hamas side.

05:55 Two injured Palestinians have been moved to a hospital in the Sinai.

05:10 An Israeli army spokesman confirms reports of air attacks and says operations are ongoing in the north and south of Gaza.  

 04:35 Reports of airstrikes in the Rafah tunnel area between Egypt and Gaza.

MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS SHAKES MY HOUS IN #Rafah now #GazaUnderAttack 
— omar jouda (@Ojouda) November 17, 2012

04:01: A US-based Palestinian non-profit group posted a collection of first-person accounts about the situation on the ground in the Gaza Strip.

04:00 Massive explosion reported in Gaza City. A huge earth shaking explosion is being reported in #Gaza right NOW

03:34 More details about the killing of a suspected spy in Gaza City.

03:26 Israeli officials are preparing the ground for a possible Gaza invasion after rockets hit major Israeli cities for the first time in decades.

2:39 More on the call with Mursi: Obama commended Egypt's efforts to help calm the situation in Israel and Gaza and underscored his hope of restoring stability.

02:17 More reports of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. A large explosion just shook windows and rattled doors at the southern end of the #Gaza Seaport. #GazaUnderAttack

02:15 Desmond Tutu: "This new outbreak of violence is heartbreaking – and all too familiar. Once again the people are paying an unacceptable price and innocent civilians in Gaza and Israel, including children, are losing their lives. There will be no peace for Israelis and Palestinians if the cycle of violence continues."

02:03 White House: Obama also spoke to Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi and the two agreed to stay in close contact during the coming days.

01:55 US President Barack Obama has reiterated his support for Israel's right to defend itself in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House says: Obama "reiterated US support for Israel's right to defend itself, and expressed regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives".

01:54 Reports of heavy drone activity over Gaza City.

01:13 Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk does not expect a ceasefire soon: "There are many calls for truce but it will not be soon," he tells Ma'an.

01:02 Who started this, anyway? Robert Wright looks at the timeline.

00:57 Reports that the hacker group Anonymous has disabled more Israeli websites.

00:39 The Israeli military says it is unaware of reports from Egyptian security officials that militant groups in the Sinai launched three rockets toward southern Israel.

00:21 The United States has not been in touch with the Palestinian Authority since Wednesday, a State Department spokeswoman says. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has spoken to the foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. "In all cases, her message has been the same, that we are urging a de-escalation of this conflict."



00:03 New explosions heard in Gaza City. 12:03am huge explosion just heard in #gaza city

[Source: Maan News Agency - Palestine]
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Day 3, Nov. 16, 2012

14:10 Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi denounces Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip as "a blatant aggression against humanity" and says Cairo will "not leave Gaza on its own".
13:58 Hamas' armed wing says it fired the rocket at Israel's commercial center. A police spokesman acknowledged an explosion had been heard but said there was no initial indication a rocket had struck the city nor any immediate reports of casualties or damage.

 13:34 Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and an explosion was heard.

 13:20 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay denounced Israel's aerial attacks on the Gaza Strip as well as rockets fired by Hamas militants into southern Israel and called on both sides on Friday to step back from the brink.

 "She's appalled that once again civilians are losing their lives ... She urges both sides to pull back from an increasingly dangerous confrontation," says spokesman Rupert Colville in Geneva.

 13:04 Palestinians gathered in the West Bank city of Ramallah to protest Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip which entered its third day Friday.

 13:01 German Chancellor Angela Merkel adds her condemnation of Hamas rocket fire, saying the faction is responsible for the outbreak of violence.

 12:51 Tunisia's foreign minister will visit Gaza on Saturday as part of a delegation to offer support to Hamas, spokesman for Tunis presidency says.

 12:41 A Palestinian official close to Egypt's mediators tells Reuters that Kandil's visit "was the beginning of a process to explore the possibility of reaching a truce. It is early to speak of any details or of how things will evolve."

 12:32 "Even though about 50 rockets have fallen in Israel over the past two hours, we chose not to attack in Gaza due to the visit of the Egyptian prime minister. Hamas is lying and reporting otherwise," Israeli army says in a Twitter message.

 11:39 The vehicle of a Reuters photographer was damaged by rocket fire on the Gaza border, a Reuters journalist tells Ma'an. No one was injured.

 Hamas' al-Qassam brigades says it fired at an Israeli military jeep east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

 11:07 EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says she is "deeply concerned" by Gaza fighting, joining the US and UK in blaming Hamas for the violence.

 "The rocket attacks by Hamas and other factions in Gaza which began this current crisis are totally unacceptable for any government and must stop," Ashton said in a statement.

 "Israel has the right to protect its population from these kinds of attacks. I urge Israel to ensure that its response is proportionate," it continued.

 10:59 "Egypt will spare no effort ... to stop the aggression and to achieve a truce," Kandil tells reporters in Shifa hospital.

 10:52 Israeli army spokesperson writes on Twitter that more than 50 Gaza rockets hit Israel in the past two hours.

 Israel denies it has carried out any strikes on Gaza since the arrival of the Egyptian premier, but Palestinian witnesses said bombardment is ongoing.

 Reuters photographer Ahmad Zakot captures firefighters trying to control a blaze in a factory that officials say was hit by an airstrike Friday morning.

 0 The Egyptian premier denounces Israel's attacks in comments to reporters at Gaza's Shifa hospital.

 "This tragedy cannot pass in silence and the world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," Hisham Kandil says.

 10:41 The bodies of two Palestinians are brought in to Shifa hospital during Kandil's visit, after an Israeli airstrike on Jabalia, a Ma'an correspondent says.

 An Israeli military spokesman says he is not aware of any military activity.

 10:09 Hamas source tells Reuters Israeli air force responded to rockets with an attack on the house of Hamas's commander for southern Gaza.

 Hisham Kandil is in Shifa hospital visiting casualties of the latest conflict with Gaza PM Ismail Haniyeh.

 09:52 Gaza government officials greet Egyptian premier Hisham Kandil as he arrives in Gaza.

 He will meet with Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and visit Gaza's main Shifa hospital.

 09:36 More than 20 rockets land in Israel's southern Eshkol region, Israeli daily Haaretz reports. An army spokeswoman says 33 rockets hit Israel since 12 a.m.

 08:59 Egypt's Prime Minister Hisham Kandil has arrived in the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian official says.

 08:44 Israel's army has tweeted that it will begin recruiting 16,000 reserve soldiers as part of Operation Pillar of Cloud.

 07:51 Israel will pause its military campaign during a visit by Egypt's Prime Minister Hisham Kandil to Gaza if there is no fire from Gaza, a senior Israeli official tells Reuters.

 "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to an Egyptian request to cease all offensive operations in Gaza during the visit of the Egyptian prime minister there this morning, which is supposed to last for about three hours," the official said.

 07:36 Israel's military says it hit around 150 rocket launching sites and ammunition storage facilities across Gaza overnight.
Israeli Tank near Gaza bordersAn army statement says it has hit 450 "terror activity sites" in Gaza since Wednesday, while 300 rockets have been fired at Israeli sites.

 07:34 Israel bombed Gaza City 40 times overnight. Airstrikes also targeted Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and Bureij refugee camp.

 07:33 The civil affairs department in Gaza City, hit by an Israeli airstrike, contained 70 years of records for the Palestinian civil registry, the interior ministry says.

 07:08 Israel has bombed the Ministry of Interior's department of civil affairs in Gaza City. The city was struck by at least 40 airstrikes overnight, Palestinian officials say.

 04:44 Israel has released eight Palestinian women who were detained on Thursday after draping a Palestinian flag on the walls of Beit El settlement near Ramallah.

 04:28 Nationwide protests against Israeli attacks on Gaza are planned in Iran today, Press TV is reporting. Iran has condemned the Israeli offensive as "organized terrorism".

 02:15 Egypt's PM writes on Twitter: "Tomorrow, God willing, I will visit the Gaza delegation."

 01:46 Fifteen trucks of medical supplies sent to Gaza by the Palestinian Authority have been held up at an morning, the PA health minister Hani Abdeen says.

 01:38 Israel forces have entered the al-Arroub refugee camp in the southern West Bank and are searching homes, witnesses say.

 Earlier, Palestinians threw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli settler bus in the area, setting fire to the vehicle and lightly injuring one passenger, Israeli media reported.

 01:25 Western media continues to be riveted by Palestinians, Israelis and their supporters using twitter.

 Anonymous has prepared a "care package" offering assistance in case Israel severs Gaza's internet connection, as well as basic first aid and advice on evading surveillance.

 01:13 Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades says it has fired six projectiles at Israel's Nahal Oz military base.

 Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida said Thursday that the group would "teach the Israeli occupation a lesson for assassinating Jaabari in a strike on Wednesday.

 "This will not be the end, but it will be the beginning of the liberation," Abu Obaida said.

 01:07 Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces at protests across the West Bank on Thursday. Seven people protesters were wounded near Ofer military base, including PA police officer Mohammad al-Sheikh who sustained two bullet wounds to his leg.

 Undercover Israeli forces detained including three children, at a demonstration in Jerusalem's Issawiya neighborhood, Hilweh information center said.

 Hamas has declared today the "Friday of Loyalty to Gaza" and called for more rallies in the West Bank.

 An Explosion in Gaza12:52 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon protested to condemn Israel's attack on Thursday evening.

 Demonstrators in Palestinian flags and called on Arab nations to take action to protect residents of Gaza, and condemned US support for Israel.

 12:33 Rival pro-Palestinian protesters converged on the Israeli embassy in London on Thursday.

 Demonstrations against Israel's escalation in the Gaza Strip are being held throughout the world today. Click here to see if one is happening near you.

 12:05 Israel's army says it has targeted 300 resistance sites in the Gaza Strip with air strikes, tank and naval shelling. Over 300 rockets were fired, and the Iron Dome defense system has intercepted over 130 projectiles, a military statement says.

 [Source: Maan News Agency - Palestine]
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Day 2, Nov. 15, 2012

 1. The Angry Arab News Agency:

  Family mourns Gaza boy shot by Israeli forces while playing football:

 "Thirteen-year-old Muhammad Abu Daqqa vividly recalls the moment his friend and cousin Ahmad Abu Daqqa was killed outside his southeast Gaza home while they were playing football last Thursday afternoon.

 “Suddenly, Ahmad fell on the ground and I was surprised to see him sort of bleeding right beneath his heart. An Israeli helicopter was buzzing overhead and other Israeli military jeeps and tanks were seen near the border line,” Muhammad explained.

 According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), the life of the football-obsessed 13-year-old was cut short when a bullet fired by Israeli soldiers stationed nearby hit him in the stomach (“New Israeli escalation against the Gaza Strip,” 11 November).

 Ahmad Abu Daqqa was born and raised in Abbasan al-Kabira town, a rural area east of Khan Younis. The boy is one of several Gaza children who have been killed by Israeli fire in recent days; two teen cousins, 16-year-old Muhammad Harara and 17-year-old Ahmad Harara, were also killed by Israeli fire while playing football near Gaza City on Saturday, according to PCHR."

  ----------------------

 2. Al-Akhbar Newspaper:

This afternoon, Israel launched a wide-scale attack on the densely-populated Palestinian Gaza Strip. In a scene reminiscent of the start of the December 2008 War on Gaza, in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed, Israeli fighter jets struck over 20 targets in the Strip in a very short period of time. Air raids continued throughout the evening.

 Summary:

 ■ Hamas military chief Ahmad Jaabari and Ahmad al-Zahar, the brother of Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar, were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City

 ■ The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a statement that the assassination "has opened the gates of hell" for Israel

 ■ Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh reportedly survived an air strike, Sawt al-Aqsa reported

 ■ Israeli fighter jets targeted Gaza police stations, bringing the death toll to at least 20, including a 4-year old girl, since Israeli air raids against the Strip began on Saturday

 ■ Israeli TV says army unit moving toward Strip for possible land invasion

 ■ Egypt has reportedly recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv over the attacks

 ■ Retaliatory rockets from the Gaza Strip struck Beersheba, Ashkol and Dimona, home to Israel's main nuclear power plant.

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3. OCCUPIED PALESTINE WEBLOG:                  24/24 Updated → twitter:  @occpal

            

CONFIRMED NAMES OF SHUHADA (Martyrs):

Ahmad Masharawi, 11 months oldRanan Yousif Arafat,  7 years oldAbu Alsoawin in Nusseirat,  65 years old (Source)Issam Abu Izah, 23 years oldMohamed Al Kasih, 19 years oldAhmad al-Ja’bari, 52 years oldMohamed al-Hiems, 30 years oldOmar Al-Mashharawi, 1 year old. (Source)Mohammed Ibrahim, 18 years oldEssam Al ma’si, 19 years oldHeba Adel Al Mashharawy, 19 years oldRazan Yusuf Arafat, 3 years old.

 SOME FACTS ALL FORGOT :

 The Israeli narrative of relentless fire from Gaza and so called barrages of rockets is almost embarrassing for one knowing the facts:

Resistance against a violent oppressor is a legal right, resistance started using ‘rockets’ first in 2001. Causing 21 Israeli deaths ever since in totalIsrael killed 2300 in the last 5 years in Gaza onlyIsrael killed in the same 11 year: Over 1477 childrenIsraeli killed 1500 people of which 352 children in 22 days Cast LeadIsrael used over 3000 Tons of bombs on Gaza in 22 days during Cast Lead of which 75 tons consisted of Depleted Uranium and other forbidden weaponryIsraeli defense specialists have said the Qassam rockets are merely a psychological threat than a physical one. 

,