20 killed in Gaza clashes
GAZA CITY —
Three Israeli soldiers and 17 Palestinians, one a cameraman for an international news agency, were killed on Wednesday as troops backed by helicopters stormed into the Gaza Strip.
Fadel Shana, 23, a Reuters cameraman, was critically wounded when a missile hit his vehicle in the central Gaza Strip. He died after being taken to hospital, Dr Muawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza emergency services, said.
A photographer driving behind the Reuters jeep, which had TV and press stickers plastered across its doors and roof, said the vehicle burst into flames after a missile slammed into it.
When a group of photographers rushed to try to rescue their colleague a second missile struck the area, he said.
Two more people were killed in the air strike, medics said. Their identities were not immediately known.
An Israeli military spokesman expressed regret after the incident.
“We regret the death of a photographer, but it must be pointed out that there’s a war going on against armed terrorists who are extremists and dangerous,” he said.
“Members of the media or civilians put themselves in danger” by entering a combat zone,” the spokesman said.
Shana was driving near the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, where at least nine Palestinians were killed in an earlier air strike, all of them civilians, according to Hassanein.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas strongly condemned the Israeli military assault and called on all sides to respect a ceasefire.
“President Abbas strongly condemned Israel’s escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip,” said spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina, who is traveling with Abbas on a three-day visit to Moscow.
Abbas, whose forces were driven from Gaza in June when Hamas seized power there, has been holding U.S.-sponsored peace talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert since November.
Israel has launched near-daily military operations in the Gaza Strip aimed at halting rocket fire on southern Israel.
The rockets, most of them home-made, have killed 14 people since 2000.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Wednesday: “We are aware of the suffering of the people of Gaza, but in our eyes, the suffering of the residents of communities that border on that area, and those of the Israeli army count more.”
Earlier in the day clashes erupted after Palestinian gunmen approached the security fence separating Gaza from Israel near the Nahal Oz fuel terminal which supplies most of Gaza’s fuel and which was attacked last week.
“Three soldiers were killed and three were wounded in an exchange of fire,” an army spokeswoman said.
Hamas claimed it killed the soldiers in a “sophisticated ambush.”
“This ambush is a message to let the Zionist enemy know that Gaza will remain a cauldron that will break its will and criminal plans,” said Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
Four brigades members were killed earlier by an Israeli unit backed by helicopters, and six others were captured and taken to Israel at dawn, medics said.
Another Palestinian militant was killed in an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip that also wounded three people.
Palestinian militants meanwhile fired at least 11 homemade rockets and 26 mortar shells at southern Israel without causing casualties, the army said.
Wednesday’s toll was the highest in Gaza since March 1, when Israeli forces killed more than 60 Palestinians in a single day during a land and air blitz.
The clashes came one week after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli civilians who worked at the Nahal Oz terminal, prompting Israel to halt all fuel deliveries to Gaza.
A security official said the terminal reopened on Wednesday, but only to transfer fuel for Gaza’s power plant.
The United Nations earlier called for larger quantities of fuel to be supplied and distributed in the impoverished territory, which has been under a crippling Israeli embargo since Hamas seized power in June.
AFP
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sabiwabi
This is how Israel tries to avoid media coverage of its decades-long attempted genocide of the Palestinian people. The consistently and deliberately shoot at media people and UN observers (and ambulances).
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kinniku
Yes, sabiwabi, because members of the media have never been accidently killed in conflicts involving other countries, right? (rolling eyes in sarcasm)
It is this kind of constant attempt on your part to deflect the issue away from talking about true solutions to peace between Israels and Palestinians and on to your efforts to encourage continued conflict by irrationally only seeing fit to blame one side.
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bushlover
And yet they never learn do they? Poor dumb Palestinian extremists.
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sabiwabi
kinniku,
I expected you to pop up to defend these criminals again. You seem to buy their "oops, it was a mistake" excuse. This is too common for them to assume it was an honest mistake.
There are several irrefutable examples of them doing this intentionally. One that springs to mind was their murder of the UN observers during their attack of Lebanon (even Kofi Anan thought that was intentional).
You still fail to realize that the Palestinians are the victims here, the Israelis are the occupiers and aggressors. They stole the land with the help of the west. I hope one day the west will realize what it has done and try to remedy the situation.
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Zaphod
Sabiwabi: *>You still fail to realize that the Palestinians are the victims here, the Israelis are the occupiers and aggressors. *
Can you cut out this nonsense? Israel is not occupying the Gaza strip; to the contrary, Israel has forcibly removed all Jewish settlements from Gaza (some of which dated way back to even before islam).
The Hamas continues to lob rockets across the border into Israel; only the media looks the other way and only reports when Israel finally responds.
As for the "genocide" charge, the population of Gaza has exploded from about 200,000 in 67 to about 2 million now. Some "genocide"...
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sabiwabi
Zaphod,
Gaza is a concentration camp. Israel simply took their guards that used to be inside the camp and placed them outside. As for the population increase inside Gaza, the same could be said about Auschwitz, during a previous alleged genocide. As for Israel being the occupiers, I was referring to their theft and occupation of Palestine, they wiped it off the map.
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thedeath
muslim always come with trouble anyway anywhere.
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kinniku
Ummm...I, in no way, shape or form, have ever defended any criminals. I simply stated the fact that friendly fire accidents are more than common in military conflicts. You seem to want to forget reality and create your own within which you can encourage bias against only one side of the conflict.
Umm...again the telltale lack of facts and proof. UN workers have also been killed in clashes between Palestinian factions in refugee camps, yet I would never suggest linking such an event with a purposeful desire on the part of Palestinians to kill UN workers. It seems you only see something as 'irrefutable' when it involves one side in this conflict and it seems you don't actually need any real proof to draw this conclusion.
Unfortunately, their is a tiny, but loud, vocal minority which prefers encouraging continued hate between Israelis and Palestinians than trying to remedy the situation by encouraging peace between Israelis and Palestinians. You are in this minority.
Well, by your very own askewed 'logic' the Sinai Pennisula is also a 'concentration camp'. After all, the Israelis pull up all the settlements and pulled out completely. One problem with that, huh? The people in Sinai don't seem to have any problem with their lives, do they? The fact is Gaza has been in ruined since the Egyptians took it over and truely made it a prison from which Palestinian Arabs were not allowed to leave. As for the Israeli pull out, it went peacefully and it was complete. Talks were absolutely planned and scheduled for negotiations on border control. Unfortunately, attacks from the Palestinian side into Israel by a minority of extremists caused a situation in which talks never occurred.
That is an ubsurd comparison. Gaza's population increase is from within Gaza and from within the Palestinian population in Gaza. The population of Auschwitz was 'shipped in' box cars for the slaughter.
No. There should have been and should be a Palestine right next to Israel. This was rejected before the 1948 war and Hamas continues to reject it.
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sabiwabi
Here is a report, showing some images of the event. Including the cameraman's clearly marked vehicle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4E4-RZ28j8
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kinniku
Actually, sabiwabi, that was a fairly balanced report by Al-Jazeera. I guess we can assume now that you finally know Al-Jazeera is not owned by Fox, you trust their reports, huh?
I was struck by the fact that although reports suggest the car was 'plastered' with stickers and signs, the sign left on the hood of the car was actually rather smaller than most I have seen in war zones. (I assume the other were blown away in the explosion as there was no longer windows or a roof on the car). It does seem that it is possible that it was hard to see from a distance (if it was seen at all).
In addition, I was also struck by the honesty of the report in describing how Palestinian militants attacked a refueling station that was to supply Gaza with fuel. Certainly acts such as this do nothing to further the Palestinian cause.
Lastly, I think it should be impossible for anyone not to feel absolute sympathy for the loss of innocent lives including Reuters cameraman, Fadel Shana. He was working for all of us in Gaza.
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sabiwabi
kinniku, I'm glad you found the report balanced. It's too bad you can describe it in a balanced way. That sign that we can clearly see on what is left of the vehicle is huge. With the abundant advanced equipment the Israeli side has AND backed by helicopters, its very suspicious.
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kinniku
sabiwabi, it is amazing to me how you feel to describe things as you see fit and ignore what is actually in the video you use in your description. Yes, we can certainly see the sign on the hood. I don't deny that. However, to describe the sign as huge is just plain inaccurate. In general, when TV crews drive through Gaza, they use brightly colored tape to create letters that pretty much cover the length and breadth of the area on to which they are affixed, in this case on the hood. The sign in question clearly is quite a bit smaller than the hood and the letters are actually smaller than the white sign itself. So, in fact, I have described the sign in a quite balanced way, thank you.
Of course, this does not excuse the death of Fadel Shana.
As I have noted earlier, taking this comment from where it comes, it actually carries no weight whatsoever. I would sooner listen to someone who supports and encourages anti-Semitism's opinions on anything to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as I would listen to an anti-Muslim's opinions of the very same conflict...that is I wouldn't believe anything they say.
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sabiwabi
That wouldn't happen to refer to me would it? Why do you continue to use that term when you know very well it does not apply to me or my opinions. That would be like me continually calling you a pedophile.
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GrouchyGaijin
What I always find remarkable when the topic of "israel", Gaza and palestine is brought up, is the seething hatred that jumps off the screen when anyone dares to criticize "israel". Not supporting, or even criticizing "israel" does not make one anti-semitic, an enemy of the Jewish people, or an extremist supporter of violent acts. So, check out the actual throughts and words of successive generations of "israelis" who, it would appear, have absolutely no intention of establishing a peace with the Palestinians, and are systematically, using weapons of mass destruction, collective punishment and with activities that can only be described as barbaric, implementing an extermination. A true Holocaust. The Palestinian Shoah. Gaza is their living Yad Veshem. See their words here http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/palestinians.html Dismantle "israel" and the first major step to peace in the region will be accomplished. The cause of radical Islam is zio-nazi, fascist Zionism, as evidenced by the current plight of the people in Gaza. The world is watching!
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kinniku
Sadly, it is exactly because the term does apply to your opinions. Please look up the term for yourself. You often complain about Jews controlling this or that. By basing your complaint on the religion (specifically being Jewish in this case) of people working in the media, government, or for companies, you are, in fact, expressing anti-Semitic opinions. I feel the same about anyone who would based their opinions solely on religion. This includes extremists on both the Israeli and Muslim sides of the fence.
I am consistently writing about both sides coming to the table and reeling in their extremists. You, on the other hand, are willing to go to the extreme of accusing people of being rabbis when they are not or of Jewish government workers stealing money when they haven't, all to put suspicion on one side and to avoid any advances toward mutual understanding and peace. I firmly believe the attacks on the Nahal Oz fuel terminal and the border fence mentioned in today's article are encouraged by the type of opinions and views you express.
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kinniku
GrouchyGaijin,
Criticsm of Israel is fair game as is critism of any country or its policies. However, when it is preceded, accompanied or followed by anti-Semitic comments, they have no weight whatsoever. Would you say the same thing was true the other way around? If someone berates Muslims or the Muslim faith (I have certainly voiced my opposition to such statements here many times) wouldn't you agree that person's opinion about Hamas or the Palestinians in general would carry no weight to them?
That is just not true. Rabin was willing to make peace, as was Barak. In Barak's case Arafat just walked away from the table. That is a sad, but true fact. It is also true that while Abbas seems to be moving in the right direction, Hamas has not shown an interest in true peace with recognition of Israel. Worse yet, I worry that even if Hamas were to turn around that Olmert (who is an extremely weak prime minister) would not be the one who is willing or able to make peace either.
Yes, the world is watching Hamas and Islamic Jihad continually attacking Israel. Why don't they just stop and make a serious peace. Don't you think that is what is in the best interest of all Palestinians?
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skipthesong
GG: Way off. You are correct that not supporting Israel does not equate anti-semitism. But, this is just more evidence how the left loves to play word games. When the shoe was on the other foot, not a peep out of the left. Any attacks by Palestinians get diluted. Knowing all too well that Hamas practices Islam in a very strict manner, yet the left still want that one enemy, at the same time promoting separation between religion and government.
And again, being true to the New Neo-left, you only put up a site that shows one perspective.
And you know, and you hope, that once the Palestinian issue boils over every Muslim will have their chance to attack Israel and then they wouldn't stop there, they would go on a world quest to rid it of the last Jew.
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SuperLib
"The consistently and deliberately shoot at media people and UN observers (and ambulances)."
Well seeing as you're a person who supports Hamas and the targeting of Israeli innocents, are you sure you're the right one to be giving this lecture?
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redacted
"Palestinians" love their misery. Why else would they elect to political office a monster like this - -
"Then there is an issue unlike any other. The most controversial of the newly elected Hamas women is Miriam Farhat, known as the "Mother of Martyrs" after losing three sons fighting Israel. Her campaign video included a scene of her bidding a son goodbye before he died killing five people in a Jewish settlement. Mrs Farhat said later that she wished she had 100 sons to sacrifice as "shaheeds" - Muslims who die in a holy war. Mrs Naeem, who named her youngest child after a Hamas leader assassinated by Israel, says there is nothing illegitimate about suicide bombers."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/feb/18/israel.islam
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sabiwabi
This is what UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated after the murder of UN observers by Israeli forces during their massacre of Lebanon:
I hope you're not going to simply repeat "friendly fire accidents are more than common in military conflicts" or that Kofi Annan is anti-Semitic?
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kinniku
sabiwabi,
You do realize B'Tselem is an Israeli organization, right? I fully support investigations into any and all incidents such as this one and the ones you mentioned. However, you have yet to show proof of a purposeful attack.
While we are at it, could you point me in the direction of a Middle Eastern based Arab or Muslim organization that makes the same kinds of protests when extremists attack Israel? Could you also point me in the direction of investigations into such attacks that are done by Middle Eastern governments such as Hamas into violent behaviour on the part of their extremists?
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skipthesong
I don't see where you have the right to claim one person to be a Jew and another not. That is like saying some people aren't Muslims..
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SuperLib
May I ask what it is Hamas gets out of an incident like this? They're outmatched militarily with Israel, yet they decide to escalate their level of attacks to include ambushes that kill multiple soldiers now? And they do it at a time when Jimmy Carter is giving them the biggest world stage they've ever had?
If there's any explanation to an incident like this beyond revenge, I'd like to hear it. And if you're trying to sell revenge, then good luck, because the other side has some pretty good options for revenge if you want to legitimize that.
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SuperLib
"Eliminate isreal"
But what if you're caught in a situation where Israel cannot be removed. What do you do?
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Helter_Skelter
You do realize that of the couple of dozens of wars occurring around the world today, essentially all involve Islam. Israel is just another front in Islam's war against civilization. If the death cult of Islam didn't exist, most world conflicts would disappear. What a shame the world is plagued with Islamofacism.
LOL! Another indoctrination from our institutions of lower learning.
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sabiwabi
As for this incident being deliberate; well, it might not be. I am just saying that deliberate targeting of journalists and other observers is typical of the Israeli forces.
Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic.
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Helter_Skelter
Well, we certainly know the countless number of kidnappings and subsequent murders of journalists in Gaza by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other islamoterrorist groups is deliberate.
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SuperLib
"I am just saying that deliberate targeting of journalists and other observers is typical of the Israeli forces."
...and we're just saying that deliberate targeting of women and children is typical of Hamas' forces.
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