Posted on 07/18/2014 10:02:14 AM PDT by PoloSec
Israeli troops and tanks are engaged in fierce fighting in Gaza following the launch of a military ground operation on Thursday night with the initial aim of destroying Hamas tunnels that could be used to launch attacks on Israel.
In a night of sustained bombardment as well as fighting on the ground, Israel suffered its first military casualty of the 11-day war. The dead soldier – named as Eitan Barak, 20 – was possibly killed by so-called friendly fire in the north of Gaza. Two others were injured.
The Palestinian death toll since the start of the conflict passed 274, including at least 28 who were killed overnight, according to health officials in Gaza, with more than 2,000 injured. Israel launched air strikes against more than 100 targets overnight. Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said the number of displaced Gazans had almost doubled in the past 24 hours with more than 40,000 seeking sanctuary with the UN.
Hamas has warned Israel of "dreadful consequences" of the conflict's escalation. A statement issued by the Palestinian group warned: "We're with you in the field, and we aren't afraid of the ground assault."
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was visiting Turkey on Friday for talks on a ceasefire to halt Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip after meetings on Thursday with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, as well as a senior Hamas official in Cairo.
Turkey, a long-time supporter of the Palestinian Islamist movement, is trying to use its influence to stop the fighting. On Thursday Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at both the UN and other Muslim countries for not taking action to stop the Israeli offensive against Gaza, which he said amounted to "systematic genocide".
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Israelis use missiles to defend children. palestinians use children to defend missiles.
That's a bet you'll win! Some of those 'victims' probably died multiple times, hauled out of morgues or dug up from graves after death from untimely accidents, sickness or old age. The Pali's have done it before and repeat doing it parading corpses in view of media.
They totally accept ANYTHING the Palestinians say as Gospel
The booms directly overhead made me look up -- and them immediately wish I hadn’t, because the rockets were really DIRECTLY OVERHEAD.
Think about that. Think about what you would do if ONE ROCKET threatened your children.
“BUT xxxx,” shout the Tel Avivim. “WHAT ABOUT THE POOR INNOCENT PEOPLE IN GAZA? OVER 200 HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE LAST 10 DAYS!”
Yes. And that is a tragedy. It really is. Do you know why they have been killed? Because whereas Israel chose to invest in the early warning system of alarms and the Iron Dome anti-missile system, Hamas chose to invest in building underground tunnels for its “army” to use. Ordinary civilians don’t have access to those tunnels. Israel educates its citizens. When we hear the alarm, we know we need to take cover. Hamas instructs women, children, and families to remain in areas the IDF has announced it will target.
Hamas hides its bombs in family homes, in hospitals, in schools. Just today, UNRWA was stunned to discover 20 rockets hidden in one of its schools in Gaza. They were probably the only ones surprised by this incident.
When the IDF plans to target an area, it sends text messages to residents. It drops leaflets warning them to evacuate. It fires warning shots. And Hamas tells the citizens of Gaza: IGNORE THEM. DON’T LISTEN. STAY IN YOUR HOMES.
And then they die. It’s tragic, but it’s also what they are apparently choosing for themselves.
“Even more strange is Egypt refusing to let people leave Gaza.”
Who wants either Palisimians or Hamasimians near them?
274 x 72 virgins = 19,728. That’s making Allah very unhappy.
Here’s a running account of news reports related to these recent events with Israel and Hamas. If you want to catch up on the news accounts ... they are here ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/stisraelhamas/index
It’s listed from newest to oldest, so go to the bottom to start.
Egyptians Hoping Israel Will Destroy Hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3181177/posts
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi has thus far turned down appeals from Palestinians and other Arabs to work toward achieving a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Palestinian Authority [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas telephoned Sisi and urged him to intervene to achieve an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. Abbas later admitted that his appeal to Sisi and (other Arab leaders) had fallen on deaf ears.
Sisi’s decision not to intervene in the current crisis did not come as a surprise. In fact, Sisi and many Egyptians seem to be delighted that Hamas is being badly hurt.
Some Egyptians are even openly expressing hope that Israel will completely destroy Hamas, which they regard as the “armed branch of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization.”
Sisi’s Egypt has not forgiven Hamas for its alliance with Muslim Brotherhood and its involvement in terrorist attacks against Egyptian civilians and soldiers over the past year.
The Egyptians today understand that Hamas and other radical Islamist groups pose a serious threat to their national security. That is why the Egyptian authorities have, over the past year, been taking tough security measures not only against Hamas, but also the entire population of the Gaza Strip.
Arab World Increasingly Frustrated With Hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3181606/posts
While Israel’s response to incessant rocket fire from Gaza drew the requisite condemnations from the Arab world and some in the international community, Arab media is increasingly open in criticizing Hamas for instigating the violence.
Media in Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt blame Hamas’ actions for inviting Israeli counter attacks and prioritizing conflict over the safety of the Gazan population and criticized the leadership for waging war far from the conflict, a Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) report shows.
After Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal criticized Egyptian inaction in Gaza, Egyptian columnists responded emphatically.
“[Meshaal], we are tired of defending the [Palestinian] cause that you have sold for cheap to an MB (Muslim Brotherhood) gang whose way you followed even though they have lost their [own] way,” wrote columnist Hamdi Razaq. He also called Meshaal out for living in luxurious Qatari hotels instead of fighting in Gaza.
Hamas is losing its legitimacy because it was sacrificing Palestinians while using financial aid to promote its interests, wrote Al-Gumhouriyya columnist Nagla Al-Sayyid.
“All the Hamas leaders are doing – as they sit securely in their hiding places while leaving the people of Gaza alone under the fire of the Israeli shelling – is collecting donations in order to use them in the service of their ideas and the political [faction to which] they belong, while allowing the real enemy, the oppressive Zionist enemy, to fight innocents,” Al-Sayyid wrote, adding that Hamas has shown itself to be “an imbecilic and failed movement.”
Hamas and those like them have destroyed Egypt’s tourism industry, a major source of cash for Egypt’s destitute economy. Egypt is desperate to restore their economy. Obama’s Arab Spring just about killed them.
OH - but remember, Israel, Barry said you should be very, very careful to keep casualties down s/
Thanks RoadCat. And you’re correct, the media does just lap that stuff up.
The Arab world is growing increasingly frustrated with the Hamasimians because they are not killing anywhere enough Jews to satisfy the nasty lil’ Sand Savages.
Arab World Increasingly Frustrated With Hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3181606/posts
While Israel’s response to incessant rocket fire from Gaza drew the requisite condemnations from the Arab world and some in the international community, Arab media is increasingly open in criticizing Hamas for instigating the violence.
Media in Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt blame Hamas’ actions for inviting Israeli counter attacks and prioritizing conflict over the safety of the Gazan population and criticized the leadership for waging war far from the conflict, a Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) report shows.
After Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal criticized Egyptian inaction in Gaza, Egyptian columnists responded emphatically.
“[Meshaal], we are tired of defending the [Palestinian] cause that you have sold for cheap to an MB (Muslim Brotherhood) gang whose way you followed even though they have lost their [own] way,” wrote columnist Hamdi Razaq. He also called Meshaal out for living in luxurious Qatari hotels instead of fighting in Gaza.
Hamas is losing its legitimacy because it was sacrificing Palestinians while using financial aid to promote its interests, wrote Al-Gumhouriyya columnist Nagla Al-Sayyid.
“All the Hamas leaders are doing – as they sit securely in their hiding places while leaving the people of Gaza alone under the fire of the Israeli shelling – is collecting donations in order to use them in the service of their ideas and the political [faction to which] they belong, while allowing the real enemy, the oppressive Zionist enemy, to fight innocents,” Al-Sayyid wrote, adding that Hamas has shown itself to be “an imbecilic and failed movement.”
Go 24/7/365 till it's over.
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