Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip. The electricity has just gone out leaving the whole village submerged in the oppressive heat but chilling darkness. No one can escape, and the only things you can see are the ambulance’s flashing red lights and the flames of Israeli rockets from Israeli tanks’ indiscriminate shelling. This latest IOF “attack on militants” will lead to nothing but another terrifying night for the people –the human beings!!—living here: the children, women, and the men.
Among these imprisoned and terrorized inhabitants are the students, and the infants who know nothing about life –not even about these regularized horrors in Gaza, much like the international community…There are also the newlywed couples, trying even in these disastrous times to continue with life, and the farmer whose aim is simply to cultivate his land to live off of.
After this night of IOF aggression, I am sure that this time it is the end…
More Military Buildup, More Bloodshed
It was not the end. It was the start of the next bloody night, where an even larger number of tanks and colossal military bulldozers have built up, lending to the inevitability of a larger scale incursion of attacks on the citizens of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military incursions targeted not only the north this time: three IOF invasions throughout the Strip have killed at least 13 Palestinians, in only the past 48 hours.
Among those who were killed, seven were known to be members of The Army of Islam, a new small military resistance faction which are said to have shared responsibility for abducting the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
The first of two air strikes hit near Beit Hanoun, where two Hamas members were killed and five civilians were injured. The second air strike was on a car in eastern Gaza City, in which five members from Army of Islam were killed.
In separate attack, The Israeli Army shelled a building in a northern Gaza City, where many people were seriously injured and killed. In the past few days, in addition to the 13 Palestinians killed, tens more were injured, some critically so. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, at least 14 houses were fully or partially demolished, and the Israeli army razed 258 Dunams of vital agricultural lands during this latest IOF invasion.
Meanwhile, different Palestinian resistance factions continue launching home made rockets towards Israel, despite Israel’s stated belief that strangling the citizens of Gaza of electricity and fuel, and closing the border crossings, in addition to the 16 month economic siege, will lead to the cessation of rocket fire.
Gaza Mourns:
Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi, a Palestinian leader, physician and founder of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza, died at his home in Gaza City early last Tuesday in the age of 88.
Dr. Abdel Shafi was known as being a soft-spoken, gentlemanly figure in Palestine, but also a fiercely independent politician who often went against the Palestinian mainstream. He was among the first of his people to call for the acceptance of Israel alongside a Palestinian State. The Hamas movement considers him as “the most important political figure,” according to a statement from their movement.
Dr. Abdel Shafi has held different positions, from his earlier days as a member of the negotiating delegation at Madrid, to his position as chief Palestinian negotiator in talks with Israel in Washington until 1993.
The respect and esteem many Palestinians felt for Dr. Abdel Shafi was manifest at his funeral, with the participation of different political factions of all colors: Communists as well as Islamist political leaders stood present as he was covered by a Palestinian flag, his body then carried on the shoulders of the people to Al Omari mosque, one of Gaza’s oldest mosques. He was then buried in Gaza City.
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A car bombed by Israeli airplanes in Gaza Strip |
Palestinian child carrying tank gas after their house is being demolsihed by Israeli Occupation Forces in Middle of Gaza Strip |
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Palestinian children are seen through a hole made by Israeli tank shell in Beit Lahya |
Palestinian child carrying blankets and remains of their house after being demolsihed by Israeli Army |
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Palestinian woman collecting the remains of her demolsihed house after the Israeli bulldozers demolsihed it. |
Palestinian man is seen making traditional sweetmeat Kenafah Arabia in one of Gaza shops |
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| Inspecting the damage |
Palestinian worker making Palestinian traditional sweet Awameh in Gaza City |
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| Palestinians inspecting the damage of a house, which was demolished by the Israeli army during an attack in Gaza |
Palestinians mourners carrying the body of Hamas member Imad Abu Ahjayer who was killed during an Israeli attack in Buriej Camp |
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Relative of Emad Abu Ahjayer mourn during his funeral |
Relatives Emad Abu Ahjayer seen during his funeral |
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| Maskedman from Islamic Joiad is seen in Gaza Streets during Israeli attack to Buriej Refugee Camp |
Palestinian boy carrying remains of a window damaged by an Israeli tank shell in Beit Lahya village the north of Gaza Strip |
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Relatives of Emad Abu Ahjayer mourn during his funeral |
Gaza: Hostile Territory, Israel Vows to Choke Electricity and Fuel Supplies
All over the Gaza Strip, months-long Israeli military attacks from every direction, from air, land, and sea, continued yet even Thursday. The latest IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) assault comes just one day after Israel declared all of the Gaza Strip, including residential areas for the 1.4 million civilians, "hostile territory." The declaration opens the way for yet further restrictions on the supply of vital goods, like electricity and gasoline, which come through the Israeli controlled crossings. Israel is already severely restricting movement across the Gaza crossings, allowing only the bare minimum of aid to enter, excluding vital building materials.
Israel has stated that its intention in cutting off vital supplies is to hold Hamas "responsible and accountable" for any further launching of Qassam rockets from Gaza resistance factions. But the reality for impoverished and starved Gazan civilians is that the act is none other than a collective punishment and gross violation of international human rights obligations, to which Israel is party. This is a perspective which was echoed by the European Union, European Commission, and the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki Moon, Thursday, in their call on Israel
to reconsider its vow and to not commit further appalling violations of Gazans’ human rights.
The Hamas perspective differs from that of Gazan civilians: Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, cites the Israeli decision as “a declaration of war against the Palestinian people, an attempt to target resistance forces and to undermine Hamas politically.”
The Israeli cabinet statement said: “additional sanctions will be placed on the Hamas regime in order to restrict the passage of various goods to the Gaza Strip and reduce the supply of fuel and electricity,” as well as further restricting the movement of people in and out of Gaza. Abu Zuhri also pointed out that Israel as an occupier must supply humanitarian needs, and that such a decision to further cut off civilians’ basic needs shows that Israel is not ready for political compromise with the Palestinians.
Worth noting, Israel declared its intent some hours after Gaza-based Prime Minister Ismail Hanyeh met with Islamic Jihad leaders asking them to stop firing rockets in order to broker a ceasefire with Israel. Given the onslaught of IOF attacks and now this latest declaration by Israel, many Palestinians believe that such step is not being honored by the Israeli government.
Abbas, normally in opposition to the democratically-elected Hamas government, has condemned
Israel’s decision. Yet, the decision has been already been put into motion, with Israel imposing further restrictions on Gazans. Particularly affected are people who scheduled to leave Gaza for medicine urgent operations in Israeli hospitals, with financial aid from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The restrictions on exiting Gaza apply even to the thousands of students enrolled to study abroad. Despite having attained clearance to leave, at least 600 still wait to be allowed to leave the Strip and begin their studies.
While attention remains focused on Israel’s declaration and decision to increase tension and hardship in Gaza, IOF attacks continue throughout the Strip, killing four on Thursday, and injuring many more. A 17 year old boy was driven over and crushed by an IOF military bulldozer near central Gaza’s Al Buriej refugee camp. Another of the deceased was a Hamas member, shot and killed during fighting with the invading IOF.
The other two camp residents were killed by military fire during the IOF invasion. Many others were injured as an estimated 30 tanks and bulldozers ravaged the area, firing shells and live ammunition indiscriminately, destroying many acres of agriculture land in the process. As of Thursday evening, the Israel forces’ attack was still under way.
Adding to the devastation and chaos, unknown militants attacked Al Watan Press Office, breaking down the door. The director of the office, journalist Imad Al Ifranji, considers this as a way to shut down the freedom of press.
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Members of the Hamas Executive Force arrest a Palestinian Fatah party during clashes |
Palestinians carry the body of one of the people who were killed by Israeli bullets in Gaza |
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Outdoors Friday prayers in Rafah |
Members of the Hamas Executive Force arrest a Palestinian Fatah party |
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Palestinian woman walking in Gaza main market during Ramadan holy month starting in Palestine as the rest of Islamic world
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Members of the Hamas Executive Force arrest a Palestinian Fatah party |
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Palestinian refugee girl schoolgirls walking inside UNRWA run school in Gaza City |
Palestinian school girls serching for their names to locate their classrooms as the new school year start in Gaza City. |
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Two sisters walking during school break between clases |
Israel Adds Paper to the List of Prohibited Goods
As a new school year starts in Palestine, students in the Gaza Strip have to contend with the on-going grave state of affairs in Gaza while attempting to continue their education. The incessant Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) air and ground attacks across the Strip, the nearly two year long economic siege, as well as the devastation caused by the constant closure of Gazan borders by the Israeli authorities all make up the daily realities of Gaza’s citizens and childrens’ lives.
Not only banning the entry and exit of people to and from Gaza, Israel has also prevented the delivery of essential goods, including building supplies and materials for repairing water sanitation systems. And now forbids the delivery of paper. According to Palestinian sources, Israel has refused to allow five truckloads of paper into the Strip, meaning that students will start their school year without text books, unless some unforeseen source pressures Israel to allow paper into Gaza. Realistically, this pressure must come from the US and EU in order for Israel to open the border. But will this happen in the coming months?
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Israel has long been keeping Gazan borders closed, including at Karni, the main commercial crossing for Palestinian imports and exports. Currently, Israel is using security pretexts to ensure borders sealed shut immediately following the Hamas take-over of Gaza last June remain thus sealed. The UNRWA reports that 200,000 Palestinian children attending school in the Gaza Strip won’t have the books they need.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over 350,000 books still need to be printed for UNRWA schools. Even if Israel opens the border, factories would need up to 25 days for printing. …That’s if Israel doesn’t cut gas and electricity to Gaza, as Israeli authorities have repeatedly threatened to do recently. Israel’s latest act of prohibiting entry of paper basically equates to banning essential humanitarian aid and barring the right of children to education, and is yet another in a succession of violations of human rights.
On the other side, Israel is threatening to cut off the electricity on Gaza for 21 hours and bring it only for three hours a day, this came after a rocket shot by two Palestinian factions where 66 soldiers were wounded, many by horror, as a result, Israel fired rockets at the north area where 4 Palestinians were injured.
Ramadan holy month is starting in Palestine, as well all Islamic and Arab countries, while borders are still closed and possibility for people to travel or visit relatives between Gaza Strip and West Bank, which is the case for many years now, as Israel divides Gaza Strip and West Bank.
Last week, the body of Talat Al Nahhal from Rafah, was found near Shuhada Intersection to the south of Gaza City . The body bore marks of torture and a bullet wound in the head. Al Nahhal was abducted by unknown people prior to his death. Al Nahal is 34 a taxi driver based in Rafah, he was abducted by 4 masked-men in Rafah area where he lives and the was killed in Gaza City, where his found was found later on by medical workers.
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Palestinian father lamenting over the bodies of his children Yahya Ramadan Ghazal, 12, and his cousin Mahmuod Mussa Ghazal, 10 who were killed by Israeli Occupation Forces. |
The bodies of two Palestinian boys Yahya Ramadan Ghazal, 12, and his cousin Mahmoud Mussa Ghazal, 10 who were killed by Israeli Forces |
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Friday's prayer in Rafah the south of Gaza Strip. |
Hamas biggest demonstration against the clousre of Rafah Border for more than two months |
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Palestinian boy praying during Friday's prayer. |
Palestinian man covering his head from the heat of the sun while listening to Friday's speech before prayer |
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Palestinian man carrying one of the people who were injured during the clashes between Hamas affiliated force and Fatah supporters. |
Palestinian students gathering in the first day of the school in Gaza Strip |
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Palestinians listening to Friday's speech in outdoors prayer on Friday |
Palestinians throwing stones during clashes between Hamas and Fatah right after Fridays prayer |
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Rafah Refugee Camp |
The Season to Kill Children?
Once again, disturbing news comes from Gaza: the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) again opened fire on civilians, killing three Palestinian boys and wounding one of their cousins as they played in a field in the northern Gaza Strip just days before the new school year is to start.
According to eyewitnesses and medical sources at Kamala Adwan hospital, 12 year old Yahya Ramadan Ghazal and his 10 year old cousin, Mahmoud Mussa Ghazal, were killed when Israeli artillery fire from across the border slammed into a field east of Jabaliya refugee camp.
Nine-year-old Sarah Suleiman Ghazal was critically wounded and rushed to the Kamala Adwan hospital in the nearby town of Beit Lahiya, while a fourth child suffered less serious injuries in the attack. Sarah died later on due to her critical injuries.
Israel has waged regular strikes and incursions against the overcrowded Gaza Strip ever since democratically-elected Hamas took control of the impoverished territory last June. Concurrently, different Palestinian factions continue to launch rockets towards Israel. The immediate IOF response is heavy rocket fire and tank shelling, usually targeting people in the north of Gaza Strip.
The killing of the children brings yet more death into the lives of Palestinian kids and heightens the fear of going to school anew, as the memory still lingers of the killing of children in Rafah and Jabalya. Painful still is the memory of last year’s incident, when Israeli missiles hit a school bus on its way to school, injuring many of the children.
In an interview, 34 year old Umm Salaman said: “I’m concerned about the safety of my children. I’m afraid that I will receive the news that one of my children has been injured. We have already suffered the tragedy of having our house in Rafah demolished.” The mother of 5 boys who attend UNRWA schools in Rafah refugee camp, she elaborated on her fears: “I’m worried about sending my children to school this week, but we have to send them to school. Education is the real way to end the Israeli Occupation. I had to take the younger one, Sami, 7 years old, to school everyday. He is afraid to go alone; when he hear the Israeli helicopters, he gets scared and starts crying, even if he is at home.”
Monday night, five members from the Fatah movement were kidnapped by unknown militants in Khan Younis City, the south of Gaza Strip.
The Fatah members were identified as Hazem Al Faqawy , Ahmad Kheres, Wael Timraz, Tamer Al Shaqra and Muhammad Kullab, according to a statement issues by Fatah movement.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s municipality workers are still on strike and Gaza stinks with the rot of uncollected rubbish, an accumulation of many weeks.
This morning in Gaza, 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli Occupation Forces in different parts of Gaza Strip, 6 of them militants preparing to launch an attack against an Israel border’s post.
