MSM: Gaza violence rages on despite UN cease-fire call
January 9th, 2009
JERUSALEM – The U.N. Security Council called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, but an intense bombardment of missiles from Israeli jets and helicopters early Friday and a barrage of Hamas rockets indicated there may be no quick end to the fighting.
The Security Council resolution was approved Thursday night by a 14-0 vote, with the United States abstaining. The resolution “stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
Israel and Hamas were not parties to the council vote and it is now up to them to stop the fighting. But a Hamas spokesman said the Islamic militant group “is not interested” in the cease-fire because it was not consulted and the resolution did not meet its minimum demands. Israel’s top leaders were set Friday to discuss the cease-fire — or a possible expansion of the ground offensive.
One Israeli airstrike killed two Hamas militants and another unidentified man, while another flattened a five-story building in northern Gaza, killing at least seven people, including an infant, Hamas security officials said. By mid-morning, 13 Palestinians had been killed.
In all, Israeli aircraft struck more than 30 targets before dawn, and constant explosions continued after first light. Friday’s deaths in Gaza pushed the Palestinian death toll to about 760 in the nearly two-week-old conflict, at least half of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Thirteen Israelis have died.
Israel launched its assault on Dec. 27 in an attempt to halt years of rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled territory.
Despite the devastating offensive, Hamas continued to bombard residents of southern Israel. Rockets hit Friday morning in and around Beersheba and Ashkelon, which — like other cities in Israel’s south — have largely been paralyzed since the fighting began.
Israel called up thousands of reserve troops earlier in the week, and they are now ready for action.
The Security Council action came hours after U.N. agencies suspended food deliveries to Gaza, and the Red Cross accused Israel of blocking medical assistance after forces fired on aid workers. It also followed concerns of a wider conflict which flared as militants in Lebanon fired rockets into northern Israel.
The United States abstained from the Security Council vote even though it helped hammer out the resolution’s text along with Arab nations that have ties to Hamas and the Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. “fully supports” the resolution but abstained “to see the outcomes of the Egyptian mediation” with Israel and Hamas, also aimed at achieving a cease-fire.
The resolution expresses “grave concern” at the escalating violence and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and emphasizes the need to open all border crossings and achieve a lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
It also calls on U.N. member states “to intensify efforts to provide arrangements and guarantees in Gaza in order to sustain a durable cease-fire and calm, including to prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition and to ensure the sustained reopening” of border crossings.
In addition, the resolution “condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians” and calls for “unimpeded” humanitarian access to Gaza.”
Israel has paused its operations for three-hour periods in the last two days to allow aid to reach civilians.
Osama Hamdan, a Hamas envoy to Lebanon, told the al-Arabiya satellite channel that the group “is not interested in it because it does not meet the demands of the movement.”
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the U.N. failed to consider the interests of the Palestinian people. “This resolution doesn’t mean that the war is over,” he told the al-Jazeera satellite television network. “We call on the Palestinian fighters to mobilize and be ready to face the offensive, and we urge the Arab masses to carry on with their angry protests.”
Following the resolution, Egypt was expected to take the lead in persuading Israel and Hamas to accept it. Israeli representatives returned home from talks in Cairo Thursday, and Hamas was due to send political leaders to the Egyptian capital on Saturday.
Israel’s government says any cease-fire must guarantee an end to rocket fire and arms smuggling into Gaza. During a six-month cease-fire that ended with the current operation, Hamas is thought to have used tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border to smuggle in the medium-range rockets it is now using to hit deeper than ever inside Israel.
Hamas has said it won’t accept any agreement that does not include the full opening Gaza’s blockaded border crossings. Israel is unlikely to agree to that demand, as it would allow Hamas to strengthen its hold on the territory which it violently seized control in June 2007.
With Israeli troops now in control of many of the open areas used by militants to launch rockets, gunman have continued shooting from inside populated neighborhoods.
The conflict has left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza increasingly desperate for food, water, fuel and medical assistance, and the situation was expected to worsen as humanitarian efforts fall victim to the fighting.
One of the dead Thursday was a Ukrainian woman, the first foreigner to die in the fighting, according to Gaza Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain. He said the woman was married to a Palestinian doctor who trained in Ukraine and returned with her to Gaza. Her 2-year-old son was also killed in the tank shelling east of Gaza City, he said.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090109/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians
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January 9th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Thousands of american veterans are homeless…
America’s infrastructure is deteriorating and falling apart….
thousands of american lives are lost and billions of tax payer dollars in the iraq war….
This all due to zionists looting and corrupting america, looting american babies food, and homeless shelters…
Bernard Madoff, a zionist that has looted billions of dollars from americans…. in the largest fraud in americas history….
Jack Abramoff corrupted half of our government in the largest government corruption…..
Zionists constantly caught spying on the united states… and the loot our most sensetive technology and sell it to americas enemies….
stop zionist looting and corrutpion of america…
end zionist control in americas media, banking, government….
End all U.S aid to the zionist criminal regim….
January 9th, 2009 at 11:23 am
If the UN, our sole international peace-keeping organization, had any teeth at all, there wouldn’t be anything to report in Gaza right today. It hands out resolutions and sanctions like candy on Halloween, but has no intention of ever enforcing those things in any meaningful way. If the UN did have real fangs, Israel could have gone to it back in 2005 about the missile barrage coming in from Gaza and that would have been it. No more missiles. Same goes in every other trouble spot in the world. The UN is paralyzed by a structure which allows one nation to hobble its usefulness with a single vote in the Security Council. This is the same organization that once put Syria in charge of peace-keeping forces. While it’s true that the U.S. often uses its veto to stop actions against israel, the U.S. is the only balance against a block of overtly anti-Israeli countries who use their votes to pander to the oil rich Muslim countries surrounding Israel. Given the current predicament the world finds itself in, the only way that the UN could be an effective peace-keeping entity is if it were run by extraterrestrials who had no axe to grind in any of these tribal squabbles. That would be the only way to ensure that the resolutions were fair and objectively applied. Alas, there are no ETs in the UN, although some of them definitely act like monsters from outer space.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Why blame Islam?
Individuals, not religions, carry out inhuman acts.
Islam is a religion of peace, accepted and practiced by more than 1.25 billion people worldwide. It is the fastest-growing religion in the world, and if it was what some critics claim, why should the people from all walks of life from around the world keep embracing Islam? Where is the sword now?
In Islam, a person has the right to defend himself, his family, his country or his neighbor(s), which justifies the resistance being offered by the people of Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq, Kashmir and Palestine, to attacks on their soils by the so-called liberators, who are actually the occupiers.
The Holy Qur’an clearly states that if a person saves one life, it’s as if he saved humanity, and if a person kills one human being, it’s as if he killed humanity.
What is happening in the enslaved Muslim countries is a natural reaction to occupation, bombings, killing and terrorizing of innocent civilians (children, old men and women), rapes, in addition to looting of resources, national antiques and artifacts, above all the destruction of their property by the occupiers.
Terror breeds terror.
We assure those who bash Islam that if there was no occupation in this world by foreign invaders, there would be no resistance – the so-called terror.
We would like those who criticize Islam to explain the following acts committed by the Christians on Jews, other Christians and Muslims alike, throughout history:
- Hundreds of thousands of Muslim men, women and children killed by the crusaders, who were Christians.
- Inquisition of Jews and Muslims from Spain by Queen Isabella, a Christian.
- Millions of people killed by the European and American Christians during the two world wars and the civil wars.
- Atrocities committed on millions of Jews and Christians by Adolph Hitler, a professed Christian.
- Hundreds of thousands of Christians killed every year by the Irish Christians, including the British and the IRA, both Catholics and Protestants, during the past few centuries. Why they are not blamed to be “Christian Terrorists, or Catholic Terrorists, or Protestant Terrorists?”
Both of them believe in Jesus Christ, who told them to turn the other cheek, and both of them believe in the same Lord, Who commanded that “Thou shall not kill.” Period.
- Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, in the United States of America, was a Catholic. Are all Catholics terrorists?
For more than sixty (60) years, the Zionists are actively involved in the genocide of a whole nation, killing a number of Muslims in the occupied territories of Palestine on a daily basis with machine guns, missiles from helicopters, tanks, and bombs from F16s, under the watch of the western countries, the so-called champions of the human rights. How do you explain that?
Just by labeling the freedom fighters as terrorists and launching another holocaust on the poor Palestinians as revenge will not wipe out the crimes or the guilt of Hitler! Where are the justice, equality, freedom, and above all the human tights of Palestinians, dead or alive, propagated by these champions of human rights?
Last but not least, how do you explain the bombings, killings, lynching, murders and raping of innocent Native American Indians and black slaves (Afro-Americans) committed by the so-called Christians in the United States during the past 200 years of her history. What about them?
Will those filled with hate for Islam blame Christianity for the above inhuman acts by Christians in various parts of the world since its inception?
If not, then why are they blaming the religion of Islam for what is a natural reaction to occupation of Muslim countries by foreign invaders?
Most importantly, these folks should know that the three (3) great Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – have one common basis, and that is one God Almighty.
“All men (and women) are created equal, and we all are one nation under Almighty God,” is a clear cut statement according to the Holy Qur’an and is very well elucidated in the Constitution of these United States, one of the champions of the human rights.
Lastly, yet importantly, as brothers in humanity, we recommend those Islamophobists filled with prejudice to get life and an education in the history of Islam and Muslims, before they dare to write nasty letters, articles, and news releases, using out of context verses from the Holy Qur’an and distorted statements from the true traditions of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), full of personal, ingrain hate and vendetta against Islam and Muslims.
We would be pleased to provide anyone with free copies of the Holy Qur’an and Islamic literature in English or any other language, which would help them to understand the truth about Islam and Muslims and get rid of all hate from their systems, God willing.
May God Almighty show the light to all those, who believe in one mankind, as children of Adam and Eve, hence brothers and sisters, no matter what they believe in, Amen.
“The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do.”
- Samuel P. Huntington (author The Clash Of Civilizations)
January 9th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
THOU SHALL NOT KILL, PERIOD.
All followers of the three (3) great Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity
and Islam believe in the Ten (10) Commandments. In our humble opinion,
if anyone killed another innocent human being or himself, he is neither a Jew,
nor a Christian, nor a Muslim, because he disobeyed one of the most important
Commandments of Almighty God (Allah): Thou Shall Not Kill (MURDER)!
……..
Given below are some of the verses from the Holy Qur’an and Holy Bible
in support thereof, referring to the number of Surah (Chapter) first followed
by the number of Ayah (Verse), later (from an English translation of the
Holy Qur’an by Mr. Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall).
Yet ye (Children of Israel) it is who slay each other and drive out a
party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against
them by sin and transgression, and if they came to you as captives ye
would ransom them, whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you.
Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof?
(2:85)
Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah (God Almighty),
and slay the Prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who
enjoin equity: announce them a painful doom. (3:21)
O ye who believe! eat not up your property among yourselves in
vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual
good-will: nor kill (or destroy) yourselves (commit suicide): for verily
Allah hath been to you Most Merciful. (4:29)
Never should a believer kill a believer; but (if it so happens) by mistake
(compensation is due): if one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained
that he should free a believing slave and pay compensation to the
deceased’s family, unless they remit it freely. If the deceased belonged
to a people at war with you and he was a believer, the freeing of a
believing slave (is enough). If he belonged to a people with whom ye have
a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation should be paid to his family
and a believing slave be freed. For those who find this beyond their
means (is prescribed) a fast for two months running: by way of repentance
to Allah: for Allah hath all knowledge and all wisdom. (4:92)
If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide
therein (for ever): and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him
and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him. (4:93)
For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever
killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the
earth, it shall be as if be had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the
life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our
messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of Allah’s
sovereignty), but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in
the earth. (5:32)
They are losers who besottedly have slain their children without
knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah bestowed upon them,
inventing a lie against Allah. They indeed have gone astray and are not
guided. (6:140)
Say: “Come I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from”:
join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents: kill not your
children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and for them;
come not nigh to shameful deeds whether open or secret; take not life,
which Allah hath made sacred except by way of justice and law: thus doth
He command you that ye may learn wisdom. (6:151)
O Prophet! when believing women come to thee to take the oath of
fealty to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing
whatever with Allah that they will not steal, that they will not commit
adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that they
will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood, and that they
will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their
fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah
is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (60:12)
Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance
for them as well as for you: verily the killing of them is a great sin.
(17:31)
And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right.
Whoso is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir, but let
him not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. (17:33)
And those who cry not unto any other god along with Allah, nor take
the life which Allah hath forbidden save in (course of) justice, nor
commit adultery and whoso doeth this shall pay the penalty; (25:68)
THOU SHALL NOT MURDER (Holy Bible).
1. Exodus 20:13
“You shall not murder.
Exodus 20:12-14 (in Context) Exodus 20 (Whole Chapter)
2. Numbers 35:12
They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly.
Numbers 35:11-13 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
3. Numbers 35:16
“‘If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
Numbers 35:15-17 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
4. Numbers 35:17
Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
Numbers 35:16-18 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
5. Numbers 35:18
Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
Numbers 35:17-19 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
6. Numbers 35:19
The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
Numbers 35:18-20 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
7. Numbers 35:21
or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
Numbers 35:20-22 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
8. Numbers 35:25
The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
Numbers 35:24-26 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
9. Numbers 35:27
and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder.
Numbers 35:26-28 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)
10. Numbers 35:30
” ‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
Numbers 35:29-31 (in Context) Numbers 35 (Whole Chapter)