Hamas Breaks Cease-Fire, Britain Ignores It

spectator.co.uk ^ | 21ST JANUARY 2009 | melanie Phillips

[Jet Jaguar]

Well that didn’t last long, did it. The Hamas-declared ceasefire lasted for the whole of Monday. Yesterday, as Israel’s troops tactfully departed Gaza so as not to rain on Obama’s parade gunmen in Gaza fired at IDF patrols in two separate incidents. Today, Ha’aretz reports:

The Israel Air Force on Tuesday attacked areas in the Gaza Strip from which Palestinians fired mortar shells. The Israel Defense Forces said that about eight mortar shells were shot from near a central Gaza refugee camp, apparently by Hamas. Two of the shells landed in the Strip and the rest fell in open territory in the western Negev near the border.

... The Palestinians also fired light weapons into Israel on Tuesday, from both north and south of the Kissufim crossing. An explosive charge was also apparently set off.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s Petra news agency has reported that Hamas hijacked Jordanian aid trucks bound for UNRWA after they crossed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing yesterday. As the aid was unloaded, Hamas gunmen opened fire on them and forced the drivers to go to Hamas-run stores. And Ha’aretz reports:

The liaison office for civilian territories, meanwhile, said Hamas is intentionally harming humanitarian aid transferred from Israel by firing mortars at the Karni, Kissufim and Kerem Shalom crossings. The liaison office and Shin Bet security service both accused Hamas of looting trucks bringing supplies into Gaza. The Shin Bet also reported many instances since the cease-fire of Hamas members shooting and wounding Fatah activists in Gaza.

Finally, here is a video clip of a presenter on the Arabic language television station Al-Arabiya laughing incredulously when she is apparently told live on air that a missile has been launched against the Israelis from beneath the building. When the IDF subsequently shelled the building as a result, drawing international condemnation, TV networks based there denied that rockets had been launched from anywhere nearby.

As far as I can see, apart from a vague and passing reference in the Telegraph to ‘unconfirmed reports’ of rockets fired into Israel yesterday, none of this has made it into the British media. The BBC reports instead that

Gaza also remains under scrutiny from Israeli spy-planes, and its navy vessels are still firing sporadically at Gaza's beaches

without reporting the Palestinian attacks. Wicked, or what?

[erkyl]

Don’t worry...Obama’s on his way. He’s going to just sit everyone down around a conference table to discuss their feelings and we’re just going to work this all out like civilized, mature, grown-ups. And Obama is just the guy to do it, too. Haven’t you seen how the Republicans in Washington are already fawning all over him. People can’t help but love the man, and I’m sure the Hamas and Israeli leaders will be no different! After Obama is finished with them, they’ll all be friends on Facebook!

[sageb1]

Thanks for posting all of these. Great pieces by Melanie Phillips!

[Elsie]

Finally, here is a video clip of a presenter on the Arabic language television station Al-Arabiya laughing incredulously when she is apparently told live on air that a missile has been launched against the Israelis from beneath the building.

Baghdad Bob's wife - Gaza Goofus??