Israel raids kill 29 in Gaza as truce efforts intensify

Terrible developments!..............This thing is a powder keg which can explode with international ramifications any time ................Pray for peace !.

A truce between these two sides is not even a truce. They need to be forced to make peace.

All in the name of religion and/or nationality. Aren't we humans different than the other species? Humans should be humane but act like robots programmed for bias and hatred. Maybe that is what we have become, well most of us.

Very very sad. Even if it was one death that would be one too many!!! Maybe one day we will really live as equals... Utopic, I know but maybe one day...

Hamas fully realizes there are propaganda advantages in the deaths of Palestinian civilians. After all, what else are they good for? The bombings will also incite Muslims, but none of the countries on Israel's periphery are in any shape to do anything about it, and haven't been since 1974. If anything, the conflict is likely to force Iran's hand, which may be Israel's ulterior motive. Just about everyone seems to be resigned to war between the two countries.

I am constantly amazed at how patient and low key the Israelis are. If I were in their shoes, I would be tempted to turn Gaza into the world's largest parking lot. Hamas and it's supporters have no respect for human life. Perhaps it is time to give them what they want. Then the world would be a better, more peaceful place.

I feel sorry for the people of Israel and palastine. Killing each other never get you heaven. In islam an jews. stupid leaders...

Very sad. OTOH, if you shoot missiles into another country, sometimes bad stuff comes back at you. Hamas is at fault.

All in the name of religion and/or nationality.

Has to do more with land then anything else. It all started after WWII when the U.N democratically voted to redistribute forcibly, land from one group of people to another as a means of war compensation. The result of course is an on going conflict.

The title makes it sound like the truce efforts are responsible for the deaths. Maybe "truce efforts" should be troop efforts.

Back in 2009, Israel and Hamas have agreed for truce. There is no point for making another truce which they will not oblique anyway. Reality is both side need some break for reinforcement for weapons.

Hamas will be run out of the their rockets soon because of current blockage. Israel can not intercept the Hamas rockets for a long time with Iron Dome defense system. One missile cost US $ 62000 for operation. Unless Obama foot the bill for more missiles, Israel will run out missiles soon.

Reality is there will be cease fire anyway not because of fire power. Both side need some break for reinforcement for more weapons. When they are ready, there will be another cycle of bombardment.

With Egypt at the center of efforts to broker a ceasefire, Palestinian officials said it was possible a deal would be reached “today or tomorrow”.

Let's hope. But seems inlikely. And meanwhile more people die and views become even more polarised.

Imagine Utsunomiya shooting rockets at Tokyo. It is less than the distance from Gaza City to Jerusalem. What would the people of Tokyo do? Now imagine the millions of dollars that have been spent on munitions in Gaza. What could have been done for the people? A guess: Everyone would be living in luxury, but the people in the Gaza did not pay the bill. What country in the neighborhood would be willing to waste such resources while keeping its people in poverty? ? Ping-pong.

@noriyosan73:

Imagine the Ainu with some strong lobbies asking for Japan to give up Hokkaido and that it is their ancestral lands. Then the UN allowing the Ainu to have their lands n kicking out of there all of the non-Ainu japanese.

Then the Japanese government going to war against the Ainu but the Ainu being supported by super-powers defeats the Japanese and grab Aomori, Akita and Iwate and then with more and more wars grabbing almost all Honshu apart from Tokyo and lets say Osaka.

Then they call the people of Osaka terrorists for fighting back while making more and more settlements around Tokyo which is not fighting back.

Then impose a blockage on Osaka for years and controlling through checkpoints everything in there.Despite all this the Osakan firing few innacurate rockets out of despair but then some say that the Ainu has the right to defends itself n launch waves of missiles killing militants and civilians all alike but then some people saying that the Osakans had brought it on themselves.

I think I will stop here wont change anything anyway.

afroengineer

You offer a broader and informed perspective of this story that is rare, and a number here don't a grasp on. This view of the conflict is attacked as being biased, Anti-Semetic and a view with 'baggage' by several posters hereabouts - posters who have formulated their own perspective under the guidance of the US/Israeli narrative of the conflict.

In fact, some people lapse into this racist language when discussing the Palestinians that, if applied to the Jews, would be howled down in outrage and fury, but because it's used to describe the Palestinians it passes virtually unnoticed.

I applaud your post.

Why don't we just imagine Hamas not being willing to make peace with Israel? That is the reality. We don't need analogies when the facts are right there. The Israelis act like buffoons and make settlements, but they have left land for peace. Hamas has said they will never make peace with Israel. They have only said they will take a non-renewable truce for the West Bank and Gaza and have further said the final goal is the liberation of all of Israel. Until Hamas changes, nothing will change. Actually, one day when Hamas does change, one of the other parties will do something stupid and it will be back where they started again fighting with each other.

If you want to learn about how people in Gaza feel, look no farther than Hamas' official TV station, Al-Aqsa Television. A lovely network that promotes martyrdom, suicide, and instills in children the absolute necessity of eliminating all Jews from the face of the earth.

the reality that we live in is quite problematic ... we dont want war and we dont want dead people but when Hamas placing is rockets that attack Israel in the middle of civilians centers we cant do nothing ... we do have right to defend our country

some numbers for all over the world about what happen in israel:

12 years of rockets from gaza

6 days of attacks.

3 million people under rockets attacks.

1.5 million israeli's childrens in shelters.

and i even can't say about the people who killed and hurt and how many houses destroyed in 12 years!!!

so, we have the right to defence ourself!!!

The TV station was just destroyed. Amazing accuracy. But it still hasn't stopped the rockets. What a waste of money by a few radical MEN.

Strangely, for many the clock started ticking with rockets from Gaza, forgetting or not being aware that the Israelis have started this. There was a lull until Nov 8, when Israel killed a Palestinian child. The Palestinians retaliated and injured some Israeli soldiers. Then Israel killed two more Palestinian children, and during their funeral Israel fired on the funeral tent. Then during a negotiated ceasefire, Israel decides to murder their enforcer Ahmed Jaabari.

Israel started this massacre, just like they started the massive carnage a few years ago. And lets not forget the decades long illegal occupation of Palestinian land. But too many just continue to parrot the talking points from the zionist propaganda office.

The Israelis act like buffoons and make settlements, but they have left land for peace. Hamas has said they will never make peace with Israel.

Yeah, they have returned a small fraction of the land that they were supposed to return, while continuing to take more land. The entire world is saying they must return to the 67 borders. Not only are they not doing it, they continue to take more.

Shame on both the terrorist organisations - the Hamas militants and the Israeli government. How many more innocent kids and women must be killed in Gaza before the world says enough is enough? I have a feeling that karma is going to catch up to that evil Netanyahu monster and the Israeli interior minister who was quoted as saying he wants to bomb the Palestinians "back to the middle ages". Both should be tried for war crimes.

Hamas needs to renounce terrorism and violence and disarm. Then the international community can put pressure on Israel to change. As long as the Palestinians use violence as their chief negotiating tool the world will sit on the sidelines with their hands tied.

This is all about the religion and the hatred it spawns.

Stop shooting. Start talking!!

Islamist terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda and their affiliates, have continued to target Jewish communities in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas. As a Hamas training manual has stated, "It is foolish to hunt the tiger when there are plenty of sheep around." This is only the beginning of the end....

israel can't talk with terorism organization, not because she doe'snt want because it's impossible. the israelis don't want to rase the kids with alarm and in the shelters. the hamas started shotting rockets on south's israel before killing ahmad jaabari and all of this because 12 years in shelters and alarms, scared people and chidrens, houses destroyed, peple who hurt and killed in oll over south of israel

and a few more things, israel even suplly water, electricity and medical equipment to the gaza strip. and the motto of israeli defence forces, it's defence and not hurt in citizens in the gaza strip. the hamas or other organizations attacking israel from houses and schools. so, they already don't give to children grow up in peace, and they do this because they know that israel don't want to hurt and kill citizens.

Does Hamas think it is a David v. Goliath situation and Hamas is David? How can anyone believe that a group of people who build rockets out of steel canisters and power them by commercial fertilizer go against Israel? Hamas is just trying to pull the neighbors into the conflict.

Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi, meanwhile, met with both Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal and Islamic Jihad chief Abdullah Shalah to discuss “Egyptian efforts to end the aggression,” his office said without giving details.

Did anyone else not notice the new guy in the picture as well? Same old same old I guess.

Strangely, for many the clock started ticking with rockets from Gaza, forgetting or not being aware that the Israelis have started this.

Neither side and both sides started this. What matters is that they finish it already.

Yeah, they have returned a small fraction of the land that they were supposed to return

I don't remember saying that should be the end of it. However, it was returned unilaterally and the Israelis have gotten nothing in return for that besides rockets and refusal to make peace by Hamas. It is hard to escape the fact that Hamas has never wanted to make peace with Israel and says they never want to. The idea is land for peace, not land for more war.

The entire world is saying they must return to the 67 borders.

Yes, for peace. Are you ignoring Hamas on purpose?

As I wrote, there is no doubt both sides are wrong in many ways and both have responsiblity to each other to make peace. Right now, there is only one side, Hamas that competely refuses to do this. Their claim of wanting the West Bank and Gaza in return for a non-renewable ten year truce when they have also said that their final goal is the liberation of Israel as well. Unless there is a change in Hamas' position, I don't see anything else changing for the better. Than again, even if Hamas changes, one side or the other will do something stupid to start things spiraling again anyway. I wish they would all get over themselves and stop wasting the world's time with this and make a deal already.

I don't remember saying that should be the end of it. However, it was returned unilaterally and the Israelis have gotten nothing in return for that besides rockets and refusal to make peace by Hamas. It is hard to escape the fact that Hamas has never wanted to make peace with Israel and says they never want to. The idea is land for peace, not land for more war.

If you are referring to Gaza, it was never returned. The Israelis got out, but they still control it; they prevent aid from entering. Gaza is a concentration camp, the Israelis simply moved the guards outside the camp.

As long as Israel illegally holds on to land that the entire world says does not belong to it, and as long as they abuse, terrorize, and murder Palestinians, they should expect rockets.

If Israel moves back to the 67 border, as the entire world is asking it to, and lets the Palestinians live like free human beings, as they deserve, then the rockets will stop.

If you are referring to Gaza, it was never returned. The Israelis got out, but they still control it;

Never said it was perfect but they got out. They even dragged their crazy settlers out. It should have been an improvement. The reason it was not was that this was used as an opportunity by Hamas to attack Israel.

If Israel moves back to the 67 border, as the entire world is asking it to, and lets the Palestinians live like free human beings, as they deserve, then the rockets will stop.

Hamas does not say that. They say they will not make peace with Israel. They say they want to destroy Israel and take it all for Palestine. Kind of hard to claim they want peace and would stop the rockets when they continue to have that attitude.