Fragile 12-hour truce between Israel, Hamas goes into force

The Times of Israel ^ | Saturday, July 26, 2014 | Staff

[Star Traveler]

12-hour humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas went into force on Saturday morning, as top diplomats pressed efforts to secure a longer-term ceasefire.

The fragile ceasefire began at 8:00 am (0500 GMT).

Hamas said it and other groups in Gaza had reached “national consensus on a humanitarian truce”, and Israel later confirmed it would observe “a humanitarian window in the Gaza Strip”.

The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza advised people not to approach bombed-out buildings and militant bases for fear of “explosive objects”.

The Israeli military warned Gaza residents who had been told to evacuate their homes not to return and said “activities to locate and neutralize tunnels in the Gaza Strip will continue”.

[Star Traveler]

This has been in effect for a while now, so it won't continue much longer. If there is any subsequent cease-fire, it should be from the "Egyptian block" and not the "Qatari block". The Egyptian block is working with Israel to hit Hamas hard, while the Qatari block is trying to save Hamas. Obama and Kerry don't have much ability to control these two big players in the Muslim world.

[Star Traveler]

Israel Can Win, If Obama doesn’t save Hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3185241/posts

http://freebeacon.com/columns/israel-can-win/

Secretary Kerry arrived in Cairo earlier this week. No one wanted him there. Egypt’s ruler, General Sisi, has no interest in saving Hamas through international diplomacy: The Muslim Brotherhood is his mortal enemy. Kerry then went from Cairo to Jerusalem, where he met with U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon, who flew to the meeting on a plane chartered by Qatar, Hamas’ primary source of cash. Kerry also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is too gracious to tell the secretary to go back to Boston. (Israel’s former ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, has said publicly what the Israeli government will not: Kerry is an unwelcome guest.) Next up was Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, who honored Kerry’s presence by endorsing Hamas’s call for a “Day of Rage” in the West Bank. Kerry “will soon decide if Hamas and Israel are willing to agree on a Gaza ceasefire,” Reuters says.

Who wants a ceasefire? Qatar. The sheikhs who bankroll the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, and Hamas would see their status rise. A ceasefire would lend credence to the theory that the traditional Sunni powers—Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia—have been eclipsed both by Shiite Iran and by Brotherhood-friendly Sunnis in the Gulf and Turkey. Having lost Egypt and possibly Gaza, the Brotherhood finds itself on the precipice. A Qatari-backed ceasefire that does not include disarmament of Hamas would pull the movement back from the abyss.

— — —

Now, the article does have the headline mentioning Obama, but the real key to this article doesn’t have to do with Obama — it has to do with these two big Muslim blocks described here. Obama and Kerry are simply “fish who are out of water” and are useful idiots ... not much more.

This is really a “game” (so to speak) being played on the “game board” of Israel and Hamas, with Hamas being the central “played piece” — by these two big Muslim blocks described here.

[Diogenesis]

Why do you make this nonsense up?

Egypt has maintained flights to Israel —
even as Obama’s FAA boycotted the Jewish state
and even as Obama FUND Hamas directly and indirectly.

[Star Traveler]

Behind the lines: Hamas desperately seeking relevance [Israel]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3185239/posts

http://www.jpost.com/Features/Front-Lines/Behind-the-lines-Desperately-seeking-relevance-368838

Hamas is not an isolated player. It is part of a Muslim Brotherhood regional alliance bankrolled by the Emirate of Qatar.

The last year has not been good for this alliance. In 2011-12, they were riding high. They had come to power in Egypt and in Tunisia and seemed fairly placed to triumph in Syria too. Hamas elected to back what looked like an emergent Muslim Brotherhood power bloc – and drew away from its alliance with Iran.

Not much is left of all that. Egypt and Tunisia are gone. In Syria, only the regime, Islamic State and the Kurds remain as serious players. The Muslim Brotherhood’s moment in the sun was exceedingly brief.

This left their Palestinian iteration, Hamas, looking somewhat beached in 2014. The Iranian funding declined.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi decimated the tunnel system through which the rulers of Gaza brought in goods and money. Fuel shortages and power outages became part of daily life. There was no money to pay state employees.

The Hamas decision to relaunch its military campaign, its refusal to accept Israel’s offer of “calm for calm,” and its rejection of an Egyptian cease-fire proposal that Israel accepted represent an attempt to bring about a “reset” in the position of Hamas and its backers in the region.

[Star Traveler]

Hamas has been looking for allies, so far in vain [Israel]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3184802/posts

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.607178

While Islamic Jihad remains an Iranian protégé, Hamas decided two and a half years ago to break with Iran and return to its natural Arab and Sunni home. This decision was sparked by the Iranian-backed Syrian government’s slaughter of its largely Sunni citizens, which generated pressure to sever ties from both fellow Palestinians and Arab states. But Hamas also thought this move wouldn’t exact too high an economic price, thanks to the support it received from Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-led government.

That calculation collapsed when Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was ousted last year; Egypt’s new government is waging war on the Brotherhood and all its branches, first and foremost Hamas. But Hamas can no longer return to Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. Qatar and Turkey remain its only refuge, and both are loathed by Egypt and the Gulf states.

[Star Traveler]

In Gaza war, Egypt taking hard line over border [Israel and Hamas]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3184786/posts

http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-gaza-war-egypt-taking-hard-line-over-border/

Vilification of Hamas in Cairo has only increased since Operation Protective Edge erupted.

CAIRO (AP) — In the Gaza war now in its third bloody week, Hamas’ battle isn’t only with Israel, even though that’s the country it is firing rockets at. The terrorist group that rules Gaza is demanding Egypt open its border with the tiny, blockaded strip of territory

Even as it presents itself as a mediator in the conflict, Egypt is taking a hard line, refusing any opening that would strengthen Hamas, a group it accuses of fueling militancy on its soil.

And so far, the Egyptian public has largely gone along.

But as civilian casualties rise in Gaza, Egypt’s government runs the risk that Egyptians will blame it for not making concessions that could stop the bloodshed.

Still, authorities in Cairo have insisted they won’t bend. Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri called Rafah a “red line,” warning against pressuring Egypt on the issue.

Both Israel and Egypt have enforced a crippling, years-long blockade of Gaza. Israel also faces demands to open its crossings, which are vital to reviving the strip’s economy, but it is likely to resist doing so.

For its part, Egypt has made it clear it won’t open the border unless the Gaza side is run by Hamas’ rival, President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority.

[Star Traveler]

Israel singles out Qatar as key Hamas terror sponsor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3184241/posts

http://www.timesofisrael.com/as-it-battles-hamas-israel-singles-out-its-sponsor-qatar/

Gulf emirate is branded the villain behind Hamas belligerence, with PM’s former security adviser saying it funds tunnel diggers and rocket launchers.

President Shimon Peres accused Qatar on Wednesday of becoming “the world’s largest funder of terror” due to its financial support for Hamas in Gaza.

“Qatar does not have the right to send money for rockets and tunnels which are fired at innocent civilians,” the outgoing statesman told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Jerusalem. “Their funding of terror must stop. If they want to build then they should, but they must not be allowed to destroy.”

Qatar’s recently attempted to transfer funds for the salaries of Hamas civil servants in Gaza, following the formation of a Palestinian unity government, but was blocked by the United States, which pressured the Arab Bank not to process them. But former national security adviser Maj. Gen. (res) Yaakov Amidror told The Times of Israel that the emirate’s funding for the organization’s terror apparatus, including tunnel diggers and rocket launchers, has continued unabated.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Will that be enough time for Hamas and the PLO to get an adequate supply of new rockets and munitions through the tunnels, Secretary Kerry?

[Star Traveler]

One thing that must be made clear here is that the USA doesn’t give money or arms to Hamas, but the USA does give humanitarian aid to the People there in Gaza through agencies, such as UNRWA who administers the programs.

And Israel, who controls the goods that go into Gaza (they have a blockade around Gaza) does let the goods that the USA sends in through UNRWA go through their checkpoints, as Israel has no problem with that.

What Israel doesn’t let go through their checkpoints or past their blockade are arms and material for war going to Hamas.

ALSO ... humanitarian aid or aid to the Palestinian Authority, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lobbied and urged Congress to continue supporting (because Israel doesn’t want it’s soldiers administering the PA territories) ... is given to the Palestinians on the West Bank.

And don’t be confused by the “unity pact” which is nothing but a “paper document” for foreign consumption ... with Hamas ... when it is the Palestinian Authority” and Abbas who are fully in control of Judea and Samaria.

The problem some have is that they can’t see the details and distinguish what is going on. And they confuse criminals and criminal actions of terrorists with support that the USA is giving to Palestinians, versus the terror groups.

They ignore that Prime Minister Netanyahu has no problem with humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians and he also wants support for the Palestinian Authority to continue so Israel won’t have to administer the territories.

What neither the USA or Israel wants is any money or arms to the terrorist organization and neither one of them is doing that.

Israel and the USA are against Hamas and against supplying them in Gaza!

[Patton@Bastogne]

.

The German Nazis were "exterminated" in World War II.

Hamas and Hezbolla should be "exterminated". Down to the last bastard.

Questions ?


.

[Star Traveler]

No, Egypt has shut down a majority of the tunnels at their border. Those tunnels that the IDF are demolishing are “attack tunnels” meant for Hamas teams to attack villages in Israel.

The IDF said recently that Hamas still had almost 4,000 rockets left, so they’ve got enough to go for quote a whole lot longer.

What they are trying to do is “go for broke” and get Israel or Egypt to LIFT THE EMBARGO, so that they will be able to get more arms in - in the future.

Right now, Hamas is being squeezed real hard because both Egypt and Israel are cooperating against Hamas.

[Star Traveler]

Israel is working on that with Hamas right now - and doing so in cooperation with Egypt. However Hezbollah is not in the equation at the present time.

[USS Alaska]

Questions ?

Why is it taking so long?

Open a path way to the west bank, screen all civilian on the path, kill all the hamas, then carpet bomb the gaza strip.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

However Hezbollah is not in the equation at the present time.

NEXT!

[reefdiver]

If Hamas wants a cease fire they could drop their weapons and walk backwards. If they don’t do that the war should continue until Hamas is destroyed. Israel is very close to finishing this and should finish it without any regard to what anyone else says. It’s their land that missiles were landing on, no other state would accept that.

[Star Traveler]

You won’t find Israel carpet bombing Gaza ...

Exclusive Interview With IAF Pilots: How They Limit Casualties
http://www.idfblog.com/blog/2014/07/20/exclusive-interview-iaf-pilots-limit-casualties/

While the IDF goes to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties, Hamas deliberately puts civilians in the line of fire. The terrorist organization bases command centers, weapons storage facilities and concealed rocket launchers inside civilian neighborhoods, sometimes even inside houses. Lt. Or and Lt. Omer are two pilots in the Israel Air Force whose work reduces harm to civilians in Gaza.

Lt. Or is a 25-year-old soldier with an enormous responsibility. He decides whether to call off an airstrike in Gaza for the sake of preserving human life.

Lt. Or operates drones over Gaza in order to gather intelligence before airstrikes. The drones provide the IDF with a clear picture of the ground in real time. “Before every flight, we have a briefing about what is happening in the Strip,” said Lt. Or. “Then we perform a reconnaissance mission to ensure the intelligence matches the reality on the ground.”

The purpose of this intelligence gathering is to ensure that a strike on a target will not cause harm to civilians. “Before every airstrike, the pilot needs permission from us,” Lt. Or. emphasized. “We [Israel] are the only side in this conflict that attempts to prevent civilians from being harmed.”

[Star Traveler]

How is the IDF Minimizing Harm to Civilians in Gaza?
http://www.idfblog.com/blog/2014/07/16/idf-done-minimize-harm-civilians-gaza/

The IDF does everything possible to limit civilian casualties in Gaza. Hamas exploits these efforts by encouraging Palestinian civilians to ignore the IDF’s warnings.

Phone Calls and Text Messages

As part of its efforts to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza, the IDF makes phone calls and sends text messages to civilians residing in buildings designated for attack. In the following video, you can hear a recording of an IDF soldier calling a Gazan to warn him of an impending airstrike in his vicinity.

Leaflets

The Israel Air Force has dropped leaflets over Gaza that warn civilians to avoid being present in the vicinity of Hamas operatives. These leaflets urge civilians to move away from Hamas targets, making clear Israel’s intention to minimize civilian casualties. Since the operation began, Hamas has repeatedly instructed Palestinians to ignore these warnings.

Roof-Knocking

“Roof knocking” is when the IAF targets a building with a loud but non-lethal bomb that warns civilians that they are in the vicinity of a weapons cache or other target. This method is used to allow all residents to leave the area before the IDF targets the site with live ammunition.

The following video demonstrates how Hamas exploits the IDF’s efforts to avoid civilian casualties. On July 9, Palestinians fled a Hamas target after the IAF fired a warning shot. Moments later, people in the surrounding area flocked to the roof of the target, acting as human shields. The IAF called off the strike to avoid civilian casualties.

[Balding_Eagle]

Given the time differential, isn’t the ceasefire over already?

[Diogenesis]

One thing is clear.

The IRS smoking gun are the emails which show
even MORE US taxpayer money to Hamas.

New Inconsistencies with Malik Obama’s IRS Paperwork Revealed on Eve of Hearing
the date stamped at the top of the Barack H. Obama Foundation’s 501(c)(3) approval letter
which bears Lerner’s signature, is dated June 26, 2011. That day was on a Sunday.

Lois Lerner approved tax exempt status for foundation
operated by Obama's half-brother on a Sunday

Deleted IRS Emails may be about Obama’s Brother
There is sufficient cause to believe that one of the reasons for
this digital document shredding may have something to do with
President Barack Obama’s brother, Malik Obama,
founder of the Barack H. Obama Foundation (BHOF).

Pictured: Obama’s half-brother wearing Hamas scarf that boasts ‘Jerusalem is ours—WE ARE COMING’

Obama’s Brother Joins Hamas, Wears Scarf Saying ‘Jerusalem Is Ours; We Are Coming’

Barack Obama’s Brother Malik Joins Hamas Terrorist Group

Obama appoints Hamas supporter who called Israelis Nazis to commission on religious freedom

CIA finds 1 in 5 flagged job applicants hail from Hamas, Hezbollah, al Qaeda

Al-Qaeda, Hamas operatives applied for CIA jobs, say new Snowden files

Obama Officials Met with Hamas, Discussed Removing it from Terror List

Summer Camp: Hamas Teaches Children to Kill and Kidnap Israelis

U.S. Muslim Brotherhood/Hamas Support Leader Chosen By Syrian Opposition

How the U.S. Aids Hamas Through the Palestinian Authority

Obama Approves Direct Funding For Hamas

US sends $50M to Gaza

Kerry, Obama, and the WEF’s $4 Billion Bailout Plan for PLO/Hamas

VERY IMPORTANT.. Obama’s Brother Funds Hamas (Proof Below)

Hamas 'happy' with Obama's $900 million pledge [2009 Flashback: Never Forget!!]

U.S. Selling $11B in Weaponry to Gulf State That Supports Hamas, Syrian Jihadists

Why would Hamas negotiate with John Kerry after getting $47 million from him?

Ninth Lesson From the Gaza War: Hamas Will Use Humanitarian Aid for Evil

Will Obama Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory Over Hamas?

Obama to the rescue – of Hamas

The Southern Poverty Law Center Stands Up for Hamas

State Dept: U.S. Supports Palestinian Unity Government (Hamas)

Report: US Holding Backroom Talks with Hamas ‘For Months’

U.S. held secret meeting with Hamas, Terrorist regime still won't recognize Israel's right to exist

Former FBI Agent Says Leading Muslim Group a ‘Hamas Front’ (CAIR)

[Star Traveler]

It probably is, but I haven’t kept up with it. I just saw the news less than an hour ago, and they’re still showing it as active, but it’s footage that is hours old. We’ll see, soon enough, what happens.

I just saw a report that said Hamas may extend it by four hours ... nothing much more.