Israel invades Gaza

Israel Gaza invasion | World news | guardian.co.uk

Quote:

Israeli tanks and troops have launched a ground invasion to reoccupy parts of the northern Gaza strip as the military escalated its assault on the Palestinian enclave in an attempt to curb Hamas rocket attacks on Israel.

With Israel's chief military spokesman warning that the attack would take "many long days", the Israeli Cabinet also authorised the call of thousands more reservists. As Israeli tanks and infantry crossed into northern Gaza reports began to emerge of fighting between Hamas and Israeli troops. The invasion comes after Hamas warned Israeli forces entering Gaza faced a "black destiny" and vowed that they would be defeated.

Palestinian witnesses said a small column of military vehicles moved across the border firing tracer bullets after dark. The Israeli army said the assault is intended to take control of territory in the north of the Gaza strip from where Hamas fires its rockets.

"The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations," said a spokeswoman, Major Avital Leibovitch. "We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas."

However, Israel said this is not the start of a reoccupation of Gaza.

Hours earlier, an intense Israeli artillery assault along the border, apparently intended to drive away enemy forces and clear mines or roadside bombs, cleared the way for the incursion.

The ground offensive followed a day of heavy air, sea and artillery bombardment of Gaza that left at least 11 people, including children, dead and dozens wounded when an Israeli missile strike hit a mosque in Beit Lahiya as worshippers were praying inside.

The death toll, as the Israeli assault on Gaza entered its second week, rose to about 450 Palestinians, about one third of them civilians or policemen, with four Israelis killed by Hamas rocket fire.

As diplomatic pressure for a truce gained momentum, the exiled leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, rejected a ceasefire in Gaza until Israel agrees to end its three-year blockade of the territory which has caused economic collapse and widespread hardship.

The latest of more than 700 Israeli aircraft strikes over the past week also killed another senior Hamas official, Abu Zakaria al-Jamal, a leader of its armed wing.

Israeli forces attacked the American school in Gaza, killing a guard. The Israeli military said the school, which has no links to the US government, was being used to store Hamas weapons and to shelter its fighters.

But the continued Israeli assault did not stop Hamas from firing rockets. Fifteen hit Israel yesterday, one of which lightly wounded two people when it hit an eight-storey building in Ashdod. Another rocket struck an empty house in Ashkelon, setting it on fire.

As diplomatic efforts continued to reestablish the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that collapsed last month, Meshaal said in a televised address that the organisation had been contacted by European and Arab countries about a truce.

Egypt says it has begun exploratory talks with Hamas.

President George Bush said in his weekly radio address that Hamas must take the initiative to end the fighting by halting its rocket fire into Israel.

"Another one-way ceasefire that leads to rocket attacks on Israel is not acceptable," he said. "There must be monitoring mechanisms in place to help ensure the smuggling of weapons to terrorist groups in Gaza comes to an end... I urge all parties to pressure Hamas to turn away from terror and to support legitimate Palestinian leaders working for peace."

But Meshaal said Hamas would not agree to a truce until Israel stops its attacks and lifts the blockade of Gaza.

"Our demand is clear – that aggression should end immediately. The siege must be ended and the crossings must all be opened," he said. "We will not break, we will not surrender or give in to your conditions."

Meshaal also warned that the organisation would fight an Israeli ground assault if it comes.

"We are ready for the challenge: this battle was imposed on us and we are confident we will achieve victory because we have made our preparations," he said.

Meshaal said Hamas will attempt to capture Israeli combatants and hold them prisoner alongside Gilad Shalit, the soldier who was snatched from his armoured vehicle and taken in to Gaza in June 2006. "If you commit a foolish act by raiding Gaza, who knows – we may have a second or a third or a fourth Shalit," Meshaal said.

A ground offensive carries great risks for the Israeli military and the country's political leaders, particularly the defence minister and Labour party leader, Ehud Barak. His support in the polls in the run-up to next month's general election has risen sharply over his handling of the assault on Gaza. But if Israeli military casualties were to rise sharply, or soldiers were to be captured, as Meshaal threatens, public support for the war is likely to ebb away.

Still, Barak and the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, may feel they have little choice but to escalate if the air bombardment continues to fail to stop Hamas rocket fire. The pressure for more action is likely to intensify further if there are more Israeli civilian deaths.

Meanwhile, the head of the Arab league, Amr Moussa, said he was astonished at claims by the Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, that there is no humanitarian crisis in the densely populated Gaza strip.

"I am greatly surprised by, and I reject, the words of the Israeli foreign minister, who asks: 'Is there a humanitarian crisis? There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza,'" he said. "This is an astonishing thing, that after more than 450 victims and more than 2,000 injured... then it is said there is no humanitarian crisis.

"There may be those that sympathise with such a remark. This is something we must condemn, and we must say there is a major humanitarian crisis."

The UN said there is growing shortages of basic foodstuffs and fresh water because of damage to the infrastructure. The main power plant has shut down. Fuel for cooking is no longer available.

When is this going to stop? Hamas kills what, 20 people in 4 years, and Israel kills 200 in an afternoon - and that's par for the fucking course.

What do you think is going to happen when you take away a people's rights, homes, families, and oppress them for years and years and years? Did Israel honestly expect them to just take it in the ass and be happy about it?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

The blame doesn't lie solely with Israel. The blame doesn't lie solely with Hamas.

This is part of a larger conflict that has been going on for thousands of years. Yes it's terrible that people are dying, but throwing blame around serves no purpose other than to ignite more sectarianism, more antipathy and more violence. That's the last thing the Middle East needs.

How ya doing, buddy?

The religious epicenters in the Middle East aren't much more than a blight to the entire world anymore, and simply emanate violence generation after generation.

I for one, wouldn't mind if that entire region mysteriously disappeared.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

If the Middle East were to disappear anytime soon it wouldn't be very mysterious.

Mushroom clouds do have a tendency to remove all mystery, though.

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My friend was driving back home for Christmas. He heard comments on radio shows in Arkansas that were pretty sad, shit like "Them jews need tah find Jesus already." The situation in the middle east, as Capo already said, is far more complex than "they're good" or "they're bad." There's no point breaking the situation down like that and then trying to have a discussion about it, Locke.

I would like to think we've advanced enough as people to be able to peacefully solve situations like this, but my time in the Middle East has taught me that those folks do not let go of the past. It's a miserable situation in light of that. I also have nothing meaningful to contribute to it beyond that sense of uncertainty.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well even though I believe the overall picture is well beyond the blame game, you can't exactly convince me that Hamas is a victim here. You state that Hamas wasn't going to take oppression but then you expect Israel just to sit back and continue to allow its citizens to subject to rocket fire on a daily basis.

Regardless of the reasons, Hamas was in the wrong by firing rockets. Living under oppression, or poverty or whatever else you want to come up with isn't a valid excuse for the tactic. They ignored the cease fire and now they and the people that allowed Hamas to stay in power are going to stuffer because of it. You don't pick a fight with the school bully then run and cry after he turns around and punches you in the face.

I really hold little love for Israel but at this point Hamas will receive no sympathy either.

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I'll definitely echo the sentiment that this conflict has far too many facets to it that often get ignored/overlooked in these discussions. Neither side's leadership particularly deserving of any sympathy or praise, with both looking like they'll benefit from this operation in one way or another.


It's increasingly clear that a military solution on par with genocide won't resolve this, though that's been known for some time now.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Metal Sphere

It's increasingly clear that a military solution on par with genocide won't resolve this.

Um, quite honestly, genocide is probably the only thing that will ever stop this shit from happening.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Oh crap, the original should've been:

Quote:

It's increasingly clear that a military solution, short of on par with genocide, won't resolve this

But you're right, and definitely not the only one whose come to a similar conclusion. Of course everyone hopes it doesn't have to come to that.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Zephyrin

Um, quite honestly, genocide is probably the only thing that will ever stop this shit from happening.

Putting my hands over my ears works much better and costs much less.

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Originally Posted by Rotardblase

My friend was driving back home for Christmas. He heard comments on radio shows in Arkansas that were pretty sad, shit like "Them jews need tah find Jesus already."

Well it should be said...belief in Jesus does tend to have a negative correlation to mass genocide. But are the negatives of finding Jesus going to counterbalance the negatives of not? HMMM....

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'm pretty sure being an asshole is the proper correlation you're looking for there, champ.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Capo

The blame doesn't lie solely with Israel. The blame doesn't lie solely with Hamas.

This is part of a larger conflict that has been going on for thousands of years. Yes it's terrible that people are dying, but throwing blame around serves no purpose other than to ignite more sectarianism, more antipathy and more violence. That's the last thing the Middle East needs.

You're right, the blame doesn't lie solely on either party, but it does rest pretty goddam heavily on the both of them. It doesn't help to throw blame on just one of them, but I sure don't see a problem with piling that shit on equally. Most people learn to share in kindergarten for fuck's sake.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Thousands of years. For what.

I say if they haven't learned how to live peacefully by now, let them shoot each other.

The efforts have been made. The peace treaties and all that jive get put in place constantly, and SOMEONE violates it. There's no point anymore. It's awful awful AWFUL to say, but holy hell, what's it going to take?

Maybe another 2,000 years....?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Does anybody here honestly buy into the shit that Israel is spewing? Jesus fucking Christ. 600 dead. 600 fucking DEAD. I doubt that half of them are actually members of Hamas, and even fewer those that actually fired rockets. Jesus fucking Christ. Can I go and annex my neighbour's apartment, and then rape and torture his family before murdering them all? Is this the lesson we're fucking learning here.

FELIPE NO

I am curious what evidence you have for these theoretical Crack Jewish Rape Squads.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Pangalin

I am curious what evidence you have for these theoretical Crack Jewish Rape Squads.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Locke

Does anybody here honestly buy into the shit that Israel is spewing? Jesus fucking Christ. 600 dead. 600 fucking DEAD. I doubt that half of them are actually members of Hamas, and even fewer those that actually fired rockets. Jesus fucking Christ. Can I go and annex my neighbour's apartment, and then rape and torture his family before murdering them all? Is this the lesson we're fucking learning here.

Ignoring the sheer levels of idiocy on display here, I think you'll find that that precedent was somewhat set when a US-led coalition stormed into Iraq under the pretence of a pre-emptive strike against terrorists. If you're going to be jumping up and down shouting at people, shout at the US, shout at the UK, and anyone else stupid enough to get involved in Iraq.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

So basically you're saying that the assault on Gaza is totally cool because other countries have also been doing bad things elsewhere.

...

And you talk about sheer levels of idiocy.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by ♪^___^♪

So basically you're saying that the assault on Gaza is totally cool because other countries have also been doing bad things elsewhere.

Take a look at my statement, tell me where I said it was OK. The quick answer to that is, I did not. Because it's not OK. What I actually said was, the precedent for such an action was rather set by the invasion of Iraq.

The point being that by marching ahead with the invasion of Iraq despite objections from various countries those involved implicitly opened the door to other countries following suit as long as it's all part of the guise of going after terrorists. Of course it's not OK, but that doesn't mean the precedent wasn't set.

Try actually, you know, reading before you reach for that post button.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

LOL Israel just bombed a UN School rofl, killed like 14 kids lmao Israel isn't solely to blame kekekekekekeke.

I was speaking idiomatically.

LOL I can make a shit post in this thread and totally get away with it

Because I'm awesome and you can't touch me

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Israel is not at fault, Hamas is not at fault

perhaps the answer lies somewhere in the middle?

FELIPE NO

Go ahead and laugh at me/this question if you want, but... I guess having a joint Palestinian-Israeli country is out of the question?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Dark Nation

Go ahead and laugh at me/this question if you want, but... I guess having a joint Palestinian-Israeli country is out of the question?

Oh, it would be easy. And for our next trick we'd make Sunni and Shi'a share a hotel room together. Just for kicks.

Jam it back in, in the dark.