Israel resumes shelling of Gaza Strip

[Jazzy]

Five Palestinians have been killed in shelling after Israel ended a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, medics said.

In a statement on Sunday the Israeli military attributed its decision to resume aerial, naval and ground activity to "Hamas's incessant rocket fire throughout the humanitarian window, which was agreed upon for the civilian population in Gaza".

Smoke was seen billowing over several locations in Gaza shortly after the Israeli announcement.

The Gaza Ministry of Health said two Palestinians were killed in Nusairat refugee camp in the central area of the Strip and three others in Khan Younis in the south. The death toll now stands at more than 1,000.

An air strike in central Gaza City hit al-Shoroq building, which houses foreign and local media, including Hamas-affiliated al-Aqsa TV. The media offices were evacuated earlier this week.

Earlier on Sunday, Palestinian fighters resumed rocket attacks into Israel, firing 20 rockets overnight and into the morning. Air-raid sirens sounded throughout southern and central Israel during morning rush hour.

At least five rockets landed in Israel and two others were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system, the Israeli military said.

The UN had asked Palestinian factions in Gaza to accept a 24-hour-long ceasefire extension, following Israel's approval to prolong the humanitarian truce for another day.

Israel said, however, that it would continue to target tunnels used by Hamas and other groups.

Hamas rejected the Israeli offer as unacceptable because it did not include a provision for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and for residents in Gaza to return to their homes.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, told Al Jazeera: "Any humanitarian ceasefire that doesn't include the complete withdrawal of its positions in the Gaza Strip, doesn’t enable the residents to go back to their homes and doesn't allow the evacuation of the wounded, is unacceptable."

Full article

So the Israeli military ended the humanitarian ceasefire. Why on earth would they do that? :s

 

[Evil Eye]

Well, according to that article, because Hamas didn't want a ceasefire.

Decision to restart bombardment comes after Hamas rejects Israeli terms for 24-hour extension of humanitarian ceasefire.

The UN had asked Palestinian factions in Gaza to accept a 24-hour-long ceasefire extension, following Israel's approval to prolong the humanitarian truce for another day.

Israel said, however, that it would continue to target tunnels used by Hamas and other groups.

Hamas rejected the Israeli offer as unacceptable because it did not include a provision for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and for residents in Gaza to return to their homes.

 

[DrLeftover]

JULY 28, 2014

NEAR THE ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER — The curved concrete top of the tunnel grazes the dark-brown buzz cut of Lt. Col. Oshik Azulai, putting it 5 feet and 7 inches above the sand floor. The walls are about 30 inches apart — wide enough for two people to squeeze past each other, unless both are in body armor. It is cool in the tunnel, 46 feet under, and dark, of course. Cellphones do not work.

Colonel Azulai, deputy commander of the Israeli military’s Southern Gaza Division, said this tunnel stretched eight-tenths of a mile into Israel, next to a field filled with watermelon, ripe but unpicked because of the war. It ended about 600 yards from Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, a rural enclave of 325, but was unfinished: Unlike the tunnels used to infiltrate Israel from Gaza in recent days, this one still had electric lines along the wall and carriage tracks used to ferry out dirt.

Destroying such tunnels was the stated goal of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza, which began July 17. But 11 days into the mission, and after Israeli officials say they have found 31 tunnels and destroyed 15, Palestinian militants again penetrated underground into Israel on Monday evening and confronted soldiers in a staging area. Multiple soldiers were killed, a senior military official said, as was at least one of the men from Gaza.

“We will not complete the operation without neutralizing the tunnels, the sole purpose of which is the destruction of our civilians and the killing of our children,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel declared in a televised address afterward. “It cannot be that the citizens of the state of Israel will live under the deadly threats of missiles and infiltration through tunnels — death from above and death from below.”

With Video
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/middleeast/tunnels-lead-right-to-heart-of-israeli-fear.html?_r=1

 

[TommyTooter]

this is rather stale and extremely biased.

they hit another school this morning and killed a bunch of kids.


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/world/article/Official-13-killed-as-shells-hit-Gaza-UN-school-5655716.php

A Palestinian girl cries while receiving treatment for her injuries caused by an Israeli strike at a U.N. school in Jebaliya refugee camp, at the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 30, 2014. Several Israeli tank shells slammed into the crowded U.N. school used as shelter for refugees in the Gaza war early on Wednesday, a Palestinian health official and a U.N. official said. Photo: Khalil Hamra, AP

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Stop putting missiles in schools and they will stop bombing them. Wake up Gaza and clean out your own house that is causing all the misery you have.

But Israel needs to stop with these cease fires. They need to bomb day and night. And between bombing drop leaflets saying until every Hamas leader is brought to us dead or alive it will continue.

 

[Baz]

It really is a waste of time them putting ceasfires etc in place as neither side can keep to it. I'm still waiting on the big boys to come in and clear up shop with this whole conflict. Yes it's a political minefield but when innocent kids are being killed, then something needs to be done.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Israel needs to bomb and bomb and bomb some more. And when Hamas asks for a cease fire they bomb some more and then either by dropping leaflets or some other means of communication let the people know when you hand over or kill every last Hamas member we will then stop the bombing. But until that time expect lots of misery, pain and death.