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#46 [Permalink] Posted on 31st December 2007 21:22

Palestinian woman dies after being barred from getting treatment abroad
29 December 2007

Palestinian medical sources announced on Friday night the death of a Palestinian woman called Awatif Ibrahim, 52, who was suffering from chronic diseases, because the IOA refused to let her travel to receive necessary medical treatment abroad.

Her death brings the number of Palestinian patients that died because of the Israeli unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip to 53 victims.

The popular committee against siege warned that there is acceleration in the death toll in Gaza, stressing that serious symptoms started to appear amongst the Gaza people which foreshadows a serious health disaster.

For his part, Khaled Radi, the spokesman for the health ministry in the caretaker government, opined that the number of deaths may double in the presence of more than thousand patients suffering serious illnesses and prevented by the IOA to receive medical treatment abroad.

There are 450 cancer patients in the Gaza Strip, 400 suffering kidney failure, and about 450 patients having heart diseases and their lives are seriously threatened due to lack of medicines and medical equipment as a result of the Israeli siege imposed on the Strip.

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ربي زدني علما
(My Lord! Increase me in Knowledge)

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#47 [Permalink] Posted on 13th January 2008 16:23

Two members of thearmed wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas have been killed in anIsraeli air strike on the southern Gaza Strip.

Local medicalworkers and officials said the two Ezzedin al-Qassam fighters werekilled by the explosion of a missile, apparently fired from a drone.

Four other people were wounded in Saturday's attack, which took place east of the town of Khan Yunis, near the Israeli border.

Hamas said themissile hit one of their military positions in Khan Younis and the twodead men belonged to the organisation's armed wing.

An Israeli militaryspokeswoman confirmed the air strike and said it was in response to thefrequent firing of rockets and mortar bombs by fighters into nearbyIsraeli towns.

Foiled attack

In another development in the coastal territory,Hamas security officials said they arrested a Palestinian who was setto detonate a bomb at a gathering hosted by Ismail Haniyah, a Hamasleader, for returning Hajj pilgrims on Saturday afternoon.

Ehabal-Ghsain, spokesman for Hamas's Executive Force, said security mencaught a suspect with 4kg of explosives ready to be detonated bycellular phone at a rally where Haniyah welcomed home hundreds ofpilgrims.

"The investigation is taking several directions [todiscover] whether the aim was to assassinate Haniyah, or to kill asmany people as possible," al-Ghsain said.

Another security official accused Fatah of beingbehind the plot. A Fatah official in the West Bank rejected theallegation as "fabrications and lies".

Ziad abu al-Enain in Ramallah said: "Since Hamasstole the authority in the Gaza Strip it has only been practicing liesand deception."

School shooting

Earlier on Saturday, unidentified gunmen stormed theAmerican International School in the Gaza Strip, smashing windows,seizing computers and torching buses but causing no injuries, securitysources said.

In a leaflet left behind after the attack, the gunmenclaimed affiliation with al-Qaeda and vowed to attack other symbols of"immorality" throughout the coastal territory.

The school is a private Palestinian institution that is part of an association of "American Schools" in the Middle East.

Hamas's interior ministry said in a statement: "Aninvestigation was immediately launched into the attack and we willpursue and bring the attackers to justice regardless of their motives."

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Allah Humma Hasibni Hisabian Yasira

La Ilaha IlAllahu AstaghferULLAH Asalooka wal jannah wa Aouza Bika Mi-Nan-nar

May ALLAH Subhana Wa Tal'a Shower his mercy, blessings and forgiveness on the Umaati of Hazrat Muhammad SallAllahu Alayhi Wasallaam in this Life and in the Hereafter insha ALLAH Ameen

Rabbangh FirLee, Wa Li-Waalidayya, Wa Lil Mu-mineena Yawma Yaqoomul Hisaab

[img:886a39f853]http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q9/shahly/hadith_dhikr.gif[/img:886a39f853]

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#48 [Permalink] Posted on 13th January 2008 16:25

The Pakistan army has reportedly killed up to 50 fighters in a battle near the border with Afghanistan.

The army said onSunday that it inflicted heavy casualties when about 300 fightersstormed a military base in Lhada on Wednesday and Thursday, theAssociated Press news agency reported.

The military used small-arms fire and artillery to beat back the attackers.

The clashes are thebloodiest in weeks in the region, where high-ranking Taliban andal-Qaeda leaders are thought to be hiding and planning operations.

An army statement said: "Intelligence resources revealed the killing of [between] 40 and 50 militants."

Uzbeks shot

Officials also said that two Uzbek "extremist fighters" were shot and killed by pro-government tribesman.

The deaths occurred early on Sunday in South Waziristan.

The Pakistanigovernment has attempted to encourage tribes to fight against what theysee as undesirable groups - many of whom harbour foreign fighters.

Theborder with Afghanistan became a scene of constant battles after theSeptember 11, 2001, attacks and Pakistan's consequent support forAmerica's "war on terror".

Earlier, Pakistani officials said 59 fighters were arrested by security forces on Saturday for attacking police with rockets.

Intelligenceofficials also said that six Pakistani fighters arrested last monthwere "brainwashed" by extremist clerics and had been planning suicideattacks on military targets.

The men were arrested in December in raids in parts of eastern Punjab province.

On Thursday 19 people were killed by a suicide bomb attack near the high court in Lahore.

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#49 [Permalink] Posted on 25th January 2008 13:46

Violence has erupted at the Rafah border after Cairo announced it would close the crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Al Jazeeracorrespondent David Chater said the Egyptian government had orderedguards to close the Rafah border by 13:00 GMT on Friday.

Stones were hurledat Egyptian guards by Palestinians after they raised batons and shieldsand formed a human wall close to one of three crossings.

Witnesses said guards then beat some Palestinians with clubs and fired several shots in the air.

Egyptian forces beganplacing barbed wire near the collapsed steel wall earlier in the dayand began stopping Palestinians from entering Egypt.

Human wall

The movehas triggered fears among Palestinians, who have been flocking intoEgypt for three days for essential supplies following Israel's blockadeof the Gaza Strip, that their access to Egypt was about to be closed.

Al Jazeera's AmrEl-Kahky said: "Security forces aim to seal two of the three crossings... one will stay open, but will direct one way traffic - out of Egypt.

"Tensionseems to be rising ... because the prospect of the borders closingagain, and the Palestinians going back into the so-called prison thatis Gaza, is very frightening for them."

He said: "The government took heavy criticism from the West over the border opening.

"The United States congress has already suspended $100 million of aid to Egypt due to the border breach."

Continued pressure

David Chater, reporting from Jerusalem, said he believed the closure was a result of Washington putting pressure on Egypt.

He said: "Hosni Mubarak [the president], says that the crossing will be closed today.

"Hehas come under pressure as to how he dealt with this situation, and Ithink that the attempt to push the Palestinians back into Gaza is adirect response to US pressure in particular."

He said that the Israeli military establishment had expressed dismay that the border with Egypt had been opened.

He said: "The tight blockade will continue, wth Israel allowing the transfer of limited supplies into the Gaza Strip.

"Thereis now word coming out that Hamas security forces will assist Egyptiansecurity in closing the Rafah crossing. The Palestinian Authority hasalso said that they are prepared to handle the situation."

Political row

The issue has now turned into a political row between Egypt and Israel.

Matan Vilnai, theIsraeli deputy defence minister, said Israel gradually wants torelinquish responsibility for Gaza, now that the territory's borderwith Egypt had been blown open.

Egypt has angrily rejected the suggestion and said it would not change border arrangements.

The blasts thatmade holes in Gaza's border with Egypt came after the Israeligovernment blocked fuel and aid shipments into Gaza beginning last week.

Hamas officials have denied ordering the explosions that blasted open the border walls.

At the WorldEconomic Forum convened in Davos, Switzerland, Salam Fayyad, thePalestinian prime minister whose government is based in the West Bankand has no control over Gaza, called the Israeli blockade of the GazaStrip "absolutely disastrous".

"This is a pressurecooker kind of situation and a very damaging situation - one thatthreatens to spiral out of control," he told delegates.

A series of Israeliair raids on Gaza over the past 10 days also claimed the lives of morethan 40 Palestinian people, most of them fighters.

Israel says itsactions are aimed at halting rockets fired into southern Israel fromGaza by Hamas fighters and denies that it is engaging in "collectivepunishment" against the Palestinian people.

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#50 [Permalink] Posted on 25th January 2008 13:47

FourPalestinians have been killed in two separate Israeli air raids in thesouthern Gaza town of Rafah, security officials and health workers havesaid.

Mohammed Harb - aleader of the Ezzeddine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas- and one of his deputies are believed to be among the dead.

The car they were travelling in was completely destroyed in the attack on Friday morning.

Two other members of the Al-Qassam Brigades were killed overnight in another Israeli raid.

Hamas confirmed the second strike was aimed at two of its local commanders in the area.

AnIsraeli army spokeswoman said the military had carried out both airraids on Friday, saying that the targets had been "terror operatives".

Rafah became the focus of international attention on Wednesday when tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into Egypt from the Gaza Strip to stock up on food and fuel which is in short supply due to an Israeli blockade.

The border wall was breached in a series of explosions that are believed to have been carried out by Hamas.

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#51 [Permalink] Posted on 25th January 2008 19:25

The situation on border between Egypt and Gaza is becomingincreasingly ugly as Egyptian police try to prevent thousands ofPalestinians crossing into Egypt.

There have been a series of skirmishes since rolls of barbed wirewere strung across the gaps blown in the border wall on Wednesday.

Egyptiansecurity forces have used baton charges and fired shots in the air toforce the crowds back into Gaza. The Palestinians have responded bythrowing bottles and stones.

Only people heading back into Gaza from Egypt are being allowed to cross.

Other parts of the border fence are being torn down as the situation becomes increasingly tense.

Sky's Middle East correspondent Dominic Waghorn, who is at theborder said: " What seems to be happening is an attempt tobreach another piece of the wall with a mechanical digger.

"It's an unpredictable and on one is quite sure how it will play out."

Theborder closure appears to confirm comments by a senior Egyptianofficial on Thursday that the country has no intention of taking overresponsibility from Israel for the supply of humanitarian aid,electricity and water to the Gaza strip.

Israel's deputy defence minister had said the Jewish state wanted to cut its links with the Palestinian territory.

On Wednesday large sections of the Egypt/Gaza border fence in response to Israel's blockade of the Gaza.

As many as 300,000 people are estimated to have tried to cross into Egypt to buy, food, water and fuel.

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#52 [Permalink] Posted on 25th January 2008 19:28

Just minutes after a deadline passed for the border between Egypt to Gaza to be officially shut down, Palestinians have again broken through.

Palestinians broke another hole in the border fence with a bulldozer on Friday, and scores of trucks and pedestrians were seen entering into Egypt.

After the 3 pm (1300 GMT) deadline set for the closure, thousands of Gazans were still believed to be on the Egyptian side of the border in the town of Rafah.

The deadline was earlier announced over megaphones on Egyptian security vehicles driving around al-Arish and Egyptian Rafah.

Speaking from the Gaza side of the crossing, Al Jazeera's correspondent Jacky Rowland said the Rafah crossing is open to business.

"The crossing has become open again. Now the Egyptian police have pulled back and the crossing is open and operating again, people are continuing to go cross the border to buy household goods".

Egyptian security forces in full riot gear were deployed along the border in an attempt to prevent Palestinians crossing over to Egypt to stock up on supplies.

Egyptian troops, in green camouflage, bullet-proof vests and helmets and armed with clubs and plastic shields, formed human chains and rolled out barbed wire to prevent more Gazan's from entering Egypt.

At the same time, Gazans were allowed back into the Strip, witnesses said.

Al Jazeera's Amr El Kahky, on the Egyptian side of the Rahaf crossing said there has been no confrontation between the Egyptian and Palestinians.

"The rules of engagement say no engagement. You can't beat the Palestinians or engage with crossfire with them. Egyptians will not use gunfire to deter Palestinians from trying to cross.

Egypt says the borders will inevitablly seal, whether today or a few days later".

Israel in the meantime is on high security alert.

David Chater in Jerusalem said the opening demonstrates that Hamas is in control of the border.

"This will add to the dismay amongst the Israeli security establishment. They know the open border mean Palestinian resistance groups can infiltrate their fighters into Egypt. Israel is on a major security alert".

Egypt's decision to re-close the border followed pressure from the United States and Israel.

Human Wall

Thousands of Palestinians, many of them carrying empty fuel canisters, managed to push through several openings despite the presence of the Egyptians deployed nine rows deep in some places.

At one point, guards aimed a water cannon above the heads of people, not at them, to keep them back. Cranes were positioned next to the border, lifting crates of supplies over into Gaza.

Egyptian forces took up positions a few steps into Palestinian territory, using shields to protect themselves from some Gazans who climbed atop car roofs and threw stones at them.

Violence erupted at the Rafah border after Cairo announced it would close the crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Palestinians have been flocking into Egypt for three days for essential supplies following Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Eygptian government took heavy critisism from the west over the border opening.

Earlier the US congress suspended $100 million of aid to Egypt due to the border breach.

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#53 [Permalink] Posted on 26th January 2008 16:38

Forty Egyptians Hurt In Gaza Clashes

Nearly 40 Egyptian security personnel have been injured, some critically during incidents with Palestinians on the Gaza border during the past two days.

The clashes have come as people short of food and fuel tried to get across the border after part of the wall was blown up.

The casualty total was given by Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit following a meeting with his president and other cabinet ministers.

He said that 10-12 riot police, 26 border guards and two senior officers had been taken to hospital due to "actions by Palestinian elements" over the past two days.

"These provocations cause us concern and our Palestinian brothers should note that the Egyptian decision to host them and ease their suffering should not result in threats to the lives of our sons in the Egyptian forces," said Mr Gheit.

The clear challenge to Egyptian authority forced the stationed riot police to abandon their positions after the threat of human chains, dogs and water cannons subsided.

Thousands of Palestinians are believed to have entered Egypt through several openings along the border.

Cranes positioned next to the border lifted crates of supplies back into Gaza, including camels and cows.

Gunmen fanned out along the Gaza side of the border, the first attempt to establish order for the first time since the border wall was torn down in a series of blasts on Wednesday.

The show of control is seen as a clear attempt by Hamas to flex its muscles ahead of a potential new border agreement with Egypt.

The militants seek an end to a two-year-old blockade imposed by Israel and the West.

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#54 [Permalink] Posted on 26th January 2008 21:49

Palestinians agree to border talks

Both Hamas and Fatah have accepted invitations to hold separate talks with the Egyptian government to discuss the Gaza border, which has been breached to allow blockaded Palestinians into Egypt. Egypt is under pressure to seal the border, but is reluctant to be seen as shoring up a seven-month-old blockade imposed on Gaza to cripple Hamas. Ahmed Abul Gheit, the Egyptian foreign minister, told reporters on Saturday that Hamas leaders and the Palestinian leadership were invited to Cairo. "There is an Egyptian desire to control the border and to control the flow of Palestinians in and out of the Gaza Strip," Abul Gheit said. Thousands of Palestinians have crossed in and out of Egypt to buy food, fuel and other necessities after Hamas fighters used bulldozers to smash through the border wall.

Border proposals

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and Fatah leader has agreed to meet with Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to discuss the crisis, his aide said late on Saturday.

The pair will meet on Wednesday, but Abbas has already said that he plans to retake control of the Rafah border crossing and will urge Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, to accept his proposal at a planned meeting on Sunday.

Security forces loyal to Abbas were forced to leave the border crossing when Hamas seized full control of the territory in June.

Abul Gheit said that Egypt desired "to restore the arrangements which existed on the border" before June.

However, Hamas, in accepting the offer of direct diplomacy with Cairo, challenged Abbas's plan to assume control. "We are offering an alternative, which is the operation of Rafah crossing, and we are ready to co-ordinate this with the Egyptian government," Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official told reporters on Saturday.

Hamas credibility

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, said that the Israeli blockade had failed to damage the Hamas movement. "Many believed their credibilty would crumble in the face of so much pressure, but the border opening and the fact that Gazans can break out of this prison, is now seen to be the work of the Hamas leadership."

The two rival factions are unlikely to hold direct talks any time in the near future because of Hamas's seizure of the Gaza Strip. Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from the West bank town of Ramallah said: "He [Abbas] is sticking by his demands that Hamas withdraw its control of Gaza." Amr El Kahky, Al Jazeera's correspondent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing said on Saturday that indirect measures were being used to ease the influx of Gazans.

"One of these ways was to order shops to close, hotels not to host Palestinians and flat owners not to rent their flat for any Palestinians, these measures are being taken," he said. "Almost 4,000 troops are being sent to Rafah to close and seal the city completely from outside. Every single car is checked thoroughly, no Palestinians can pass through the checkpoint in Egypt."

The Egyptian government has been heavily criticed by the US and Israel for allowing the border to remain open. Israel tightened its blockade of the Gaza Strip last week saying the move was intended to counter cross-border rocket fire by Palestinian groups. The closure of the territory led to dwindling supplies of food, fuel and other basic necessities in the Gaza Strip, which Hamas siezed control of in June last year. Mubarak has called on Israel to "lift its siege" and "solve the problem".

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#55 [Permalink] Posted on 29th February 2008 22:17

Israel is "not afraid" of launching a "major ground" invasion into Gaza, Ehud Barak, the country's defence minister, has said, amid continuing air raids on the territory.
At least 33 Palestinians, nine of them children, have died in three days, with at least 60 others injured.
Three children were injured on Friday in the latest attack.

Thousands of Gazans took to the streets earlier to bury some of those who had died in earlier strikes.
Israel insists the raids will continue until rocket fire into its territory stops.

"The major ground operation is real and tangible. We are not afraid of it," Barak said on Thursday, a participant at a closed-door meeting said.
Israel has in the past been reluctant to invade Gaza, due to concerns of getting "bogged down" there.

A Hamas spokesman told Al Jazeera that Israel should be pressured by other countries to put an end to the raids.

"We know that the Gaza Strip is a small area. It is open for Israel - they can kill most of the Palestinian people and destroy everything," Ghazi Hamad said.

"The job of the international community is to stop the Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip."

Dozens dead

Barak's threat of a full-scale invasion came as the Israeli military pounded Gaza on Thursday, killing 20 Palestinians, including five children playing football.

Khalil Ali, a commander in the armed wing of the Palestinia

n Popular Resistance Commitees, was among those killed on Thursday evening.

The Saftawi neighbourhood headquarters of the General Association of Palestian Workers was also hit.

Hamas, which has de facto control of Gaza, says it hit Israel with more than 80 rockets in the same period.

Israel's deputy defence minister said that if Palestinian fighters were to use weapons with a longer range they would risk bringing a "shoah" - the Hebrew word for holocaust - upon the Palestinian people.

"The more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they [the Palestinians] will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah because we will use all our might to defend ourselves," Matan Vilnai told Army Radio on Friday.

Clarification

However, Arye Mekel, Israel's foreign ministry spokesman, said that Vilnai used the term "in the sense of a disaster or a catastrophe, and not in the sense of a holocaust."

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, strongly criticised Vilnai's comments.

"We are facing new Nazis who want to kill and burn the Palestinian people," he said.

Officials from Hamas struck a defiant tone on Thursday.

"We will never have equipment comparable to our enemy, but we are working all the time to have enough to make any aggression a regrettable adventure for the enemy," Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, said.

Along with its usual Qassam rockets that have a short range, Gaza fighters fired Iranian-made Grad rockets at Ashkelon, 17km north of Gaza.

One hit an apartment building, slicing through three floors and another landed near a school, wounding a 17-year-old girl.

The latest round of rocket fire was the most intense so far, and Uri Bar-Lev, the police chief, said it was the first time a building in Ashkelon was hit.

That pushed Ashkelon residents to demand better protection and Barak pledged to install a warning system within hours, defence officials said.

Peace process

In Tokyo on Thursday, Condoleeza Rice, the US secretary of state, briefly met Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, and said the Hamas rocket attacks "need to stop".

She also expressed concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is suffering shortages of certain basic goods due to a blockade imposed by Israel, and urged calm on all sides.

Rice is expected to visit the Middle East next week to help push peace efforts forward.

Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, who is negotiating with Israel, said in a statement its military actions "meant only one thing: the Israeli government ... aims to destroy the peace process".

Olmert said at the end of a four-day visit to Japan that "the continuous shooting of Qassam rockets against uninvolved, innocent civilians is a major threat to the stability" of Israel's political contacts with Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

He said, however, that he planned to hold another of his regular meetings with Abbas within the next two weeks.

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#56 [Permalink] Posted on 1st March 2008 19:58

Israel's deputy defence minister has warned of a "holocaust" against Palestinian militants in retaliation for a barrage of rocket attacks.

At least 32 Palestinians have been killed in two days of Israeli air strikes in response to rocket attacks from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The Islamist Hamas group's use of Soviet-designed Grad missiles, more powerful and accurate than improvised Gazan Qassams, has raised the stakes in the confrontation.

One Israeli in the southern town of Sderot was killed by a rocket on Wednesday, and many of the rockets have hit the southern city of Ashkelon.

"The more... (rocket) fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, (the Palestinians) will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves," Matan Vilnai told Army Radio.

Mr Vilnai's comments are likely to cause controversy, as the term "holocaust" is rarely used in Israel other than in discussions about the Nazi genocide in the Second World War.

Many Israelis are reluctant to countenance using the word to describe other contemporary events.

"We're getting close to using our full strength. Until now, we've used a small percentage of the army's power because of the nature of the territory," Mr Vilnai added.

Mr Vilnai's spokesman said he meant the word in the sense of "disaster". "He did not mean to make any allusion to the genocide," he added.

Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Arye Mekel, added: "Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai used the Hebrew phrase that included the term 'shoah' in Hebrew in the sense of a disaster or a catastrophe, and not in the sense of a holocaust."

But Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said of Mr Vilnai's comments: "We are facing new Nazis who want to kill and burn the Palestinian people."

The Israeli army said it had shot at several gunmen during a night-time ground incursion into the northern Gaza Strip, but would not give any further details.

After the rocket attacks on Ashkelon, Israel has activated its "Code Red" rocket warning system there.

The system picks up incoming rockets and sounds an alarm in the target area, giving residents a short amount of time to take cover.

Israeli officials have threatened to target both militants who fire rockets as well as Hamas leaders.

"Those who fire rockets at Israeli civilians will find that Israel will seek them out and neutralise them and their rocket-launching squads," said Israeli government spokesman David Baker.

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#57 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd March 2008 09:47

Most Israeli troops have pulled out of northern Gaza after days of fighting that has left more than 100 people dead and drawn protest worldwide.

The Israeli military confirmed that most of the troops sent into the Gaza Strip last week were now back.

Five militants were killed in Israeli air strikes overnight, while several other Palestinians were found dead as Israeli forces withdrew.

Israel said the operation was launched to defend itself against rocket attack.

Medical sources say at least 112 Palestinians have been killed since Wednesday, when Israel intensified its campaign in Gaza.

Three Israelis have died - a civilian killed by a rocket on Wednesday, and two soldiers since.

There has been widespread international alarm at the scale of the Israeli action and West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has formally suspended contacts with Israel in protest.

Metal workshops

On Monday, Israeli armoured vehicles left the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, scene of some of the bloodiest ground fighting.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon told Army Radio: "This operation has run its course. The main goal of the Israeli government... is to end the firing [of rockets] at targets in the south.

"There were dozens of deaths among the Hamas terrorists - this is certainly deterrence."

However, a spokesman for militant group Hamas told Reuters: "The enemy has been defeated."

And the barrage of rockets fired at Israel was not stopped, with more than 25 being launched on Sunday, and several reaching Ashkelon, a city of nearly 120,000 people, the Israeli military said.

At least two more rockets struck Ashkelon on Monday after the Israeli withdrawal.

Israeli aircraft made at least eight different strikes early on Monday, killing five Palestinian militants, Palestinian sources said.

The dead are said to be either members of the ruling Hamas movement or the Popular Resistance Committees group.

In the West Bank, there have been demonstrations against the Israeli raids in Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and the villages around Ramallah.

A teenager was shot be a live Israeli round at a stone-throwing demonstration near Birzeit university.

Most of the aerial attacks in Gaza targeted metal workshops suspected of manufacturing weapons and there are reports that the Israeli navy was involved in the bombardment.

'It needs to stop'

The administration of US President George W Bush joined international calls for a halt to the fighting in Gaza, saying: "The violence needs to stop and the talks need to resume."

With US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice due to arrive for talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, a US state department official said: "We're encouraging Israel to exercise caution to avoid the loss of innocent life."

The European Union criticised what it called Israel's ''disproportionate use of force'' and also demanded an immediate end to Palestinian militant rocket attacks on Israel.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, one of Israel's few Muslim allies, said there was "no humane or legal justification for the attacks on Gaza''.

Mr Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina, blamed Israel for the suspension of talks on all levels.

"In light of the Israeli aggression such communication has no meaning," he said.

A spokesman for Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Arye Mekel, said the Palestinian decision was a mistake and expressed hope negotiations would resume.

Mr Abbas restarted the talks after a conference in November in the US city of Annapolis.

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#58 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd March 2008 12:36

Israel To Press Ahead With Gaza Assault

israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said military operations will continue in Gaza despite the withdrawal of troops from the Hamas-run territory.

More than 100 people have been killed over the last five days as Israeli forces attacked Palestinian militant rocket batteries.

"We are still in the midst of the battle... this is not a one-off," a senior Israeli official quoted Mr Olmert as telling parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee.

"What has taken place in recent days is not an isolated incident," he reportedly said.

"Everything is possible... air strikes, ground strikes and special operations are all being discussed.

"Our operations will bring about the government goals which are the radical reduction of rocket fire and weakening the Hamas regime to an extent that will neutralise its ability to run the Gaza Strip."

Hamas has described Israel's decision to pull troops out of northern Gaza as a "retreat" and an "expression of failure".

Israel's assault has left dozens of militants dead, but has also claimed the lives of Palestinian women and children.

Sky News Middle East correspondent Dominic Waghorn, who is in Gaza, said: "Israel says it's targeting rocket squads but it's also hitting buildings that are symbols of Hamas power.

"Shrapnel from those hits has led to many civilian tragedies."

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas suspended all contacts with Israel over the assault.

And even Israel's closest ally - the United States - has called for a halt to the violence and a return to the negotiating table.

Ya ALLAH help our muslim brothers and sisters suffering around the world at the hands of the Zionists and Amerikans inshaALLAH Ameen

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#59 [Permalink] Posted on 27th December 2008 12:25

Israeli missiles target Gaza

Israelhas launched air strikes on Hamas installations across the Gaza Strip,killing at least 155 people and causing heavy damage, according toofficials and witnesses.

At least 30 missiles were fired at targets on Saturday, with thehead of emergency services in Gaza saying that at least 200 people werealso wounded.

Hoursafter the Israeli strikes Gaza fighters fired rockets into southernIsrael, heeding to calls by Hamas and other affiliated Palestiniangroups to avenge the attacks, unprecedented in their scale.

At least one Israeli was killed in the rocket fire, Israeli medics said.

Among those killed in Israel's massive offensive was Tawfiq Jabber, the Gaza police chief.

Islam Shahwan, a Hamas police spokesman, said the missiles hit a police graduation ceremony in Gaza City.

The Hamas-run interior ministry said all security compounds in Gaza have been destroyed.

'War crimes'

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and leader of Fatah, condemned the "aggression" in Gaza.

Mousa Abu Morzouz, the deputy leader of Hamas, told Al Jazeera:"Until now the aggression didn't stop ... they are targeting all thepolice headquarters and offices.

"We will defend our people, we will retaliate against this aggression ... our military will retaliate."

Marzouz called on the international community to condemn theattacks: "Nobody in this world can accept what happened and the Israeliaggression ... [we expect] the international community to stand agasintthis and say that it is not acceptable."

Mustafa Barghauthi, former Palestinian information minister, said;"This is not an attack on the Hamas. It's an attack on the wholepopulation and the free will of the people of Gaza."

He accused Israel of committing "war crimes" and demanded that Abbas and his government stop all relations with Israel.

'Only just beginning'

The Israel army released a statement saying "terrorist installations" were hit and that all Israeli pilots returned unharmed.

Palestinian officials called on the international community to condemn the raids [AFP]

The operation against the Hamas is "only just beginning," Avi Benayahu, an Israeli military spokesman said.

The air raids follow the decision by the Israeli security cabinet toincrease reprisals for cross-border rocket attacks against Israel, andthe breakdown of a six-month-old Israel-Hamas truce earlier this month.

Hamas ended the ceasefire saying that Israel had violated the trucethe truce by preventing vital food and medical supplies into the GazaStrip.

Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said: "A series of explosions were heard over Gaza City.

"From where we are there are at least seven different clouds of smoke from the strikes.

"We are seeing some casualties being evacuated in cars."

Egypt has opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip toreceive injured people, Egyptian officials said. Ambulances have beendispatched to the crossing and two Egyptian hospitals emptied to takecasualties.

Mohyeldin said that Hamas, who rule the Gaza Strip, was being heldresponsible by Israel for any attacks from the territory into Israel,even if they are undertaken by other Palestinian factions.

Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Jerusalem, saidthat Israel's decision to strike at this moment was down to Hamaswithdrawing from the ceasefire and the intensified rocket fire comingfrom the Gaza Strip in recent days.

"In one day [in the past week] we saw 80 rockets ... which is a huge upsurge," she said.

Source: Al Jazeera

Oh Allah ! Accept those who died as martyrs, and grant their survivors patience.

Oh Allah ! Forgive us for our indifference and open our hearts that we may be true believers as one body.

Oh Allah ! Remove the love of this dunya from our hearts and enable us to strive for the upholding of YOUR TRUE JUSTICE across the earth.

Aameen !

Oh Allah, shower your peace and blessings upon the beloved Muhammad and his family and companions.

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#60 [Permalink] Posted on 4th January 2009 12:35

At
least 11 Palestinians, including one child, have been killed
after Israeli forces struck a mosque during prayers in the town of Beit
Lahiya, north of Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip.

More than 200 people were inside the the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque praying when it was struck.

It is not clear yet whether the mosque was hit as part of the Israeli army's shelling, which started on Saturday afternoon.

At least 50 people were wounded, Hamas and medical officials said.

The Israeli military has destroyed several mosques during its
week-long offensive in Gaza, saying Hamas uses the houses of worship to
store weapons.

Ayman
Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said: "As much as Israel
wants to be surgical in its strikes at the end of the day it is
civilians that are being hit. This is proof that civilians are caught
up in these attacks."

Mohyeldin said doctors in the Gaza Strip were being overwhelmed by
the number of casualties being brought in as a result of the Israeli
offensive and that hospitals were near a state of collapse due to a
lack of medicines and blood.

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The situation on border between Egypt and Gaza is becomingincreasingly ugly as Egyptian police try to prevent thousands ofPalestinians crossing into Egypt.