Gaza Plunges Deeper Into Chaos

Israeli Planes Pound Hamas Targets; Fatah And Hamas Clash On Gaza Streets

(CBS/AP) 

Hamas gunmen seized Abdel Salam Abu Askar, a veteran journalist who advises Fatah's Gaza strongman, Mohammed Dahlan. Abu Askar was released after several hours.

The office director of a senior Fatah leader in Gaza, Abdullah Franji, remained in captivity late Friday.

Gun battles between the two factions on Friday killed three people.

Bullets and rocket-propelled grenades flew outside the Islamic University, a Hamas stronghold, in two bursts of fighting. Hamas fighters in control of the university battled Fatah forces who had taken up positions in the nearby foreign ministry building.

Grenades hit the office of university President Kamelen Shaath, who appealed for an immediate halt to the violence.

One person was wounded in the fighting at the school.

Street battles were down from their height two days ago, but the latest truce worked out between the sides on Thursday enjoyed no more success than a series of cease-fires on previous nights. That raised the question of who was in charge — and it appeared the political leaders of both Hamas and Fatah had lost control of their gunmen.

In previous rounds the two sides have fought to a draw, and there seemed to be no decisive winner this time either. Hamas has a better organization, but Fatah can rally more fighters, in part because it controls most of the security forces.

Although Israel said it's not taking sides, its air strikes made it harder for Hamas gunmen to move around, and Hamas used that fact to argue that Fatah and Israel were in collusion. Hamas TV on Friday named three Fatah security chiefs who it said were in secret contact with "foreign" security personnel.

"They are deep into treason, and we will deal with them accordingly," the broadcast said. The TV did not specify which foreigners, but Fatah forces affiliated with Abbas have received advice and training from the U.S.

Earlier in the week, some 500 Fatah security forces trained in Egypt under a U.S.-brokered deal returned to Gaza, passing through the border with Israel's permission.

Washington lists Hamas, which has killed more than 250 Israelis in suicide and other attacks, as a terror group. Hamas' parliamentary election sweep last year provoked punishing sanctions against the Palestinian government that have remained in place despite the formation of a national unity government in March.

International donors are demanding that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist as a condition for restoring aid. Hamas' decision to resume violence in the form of rocket attacks on Israel is likely linked to the unity government's failure to lift the boycott.

Israeli media reported that between 2,500 to 3,000 of Sderot's 23,000 residents have fled the rocket-battered city in recent days.

On Friday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni showed members of the diplomatic corps in Israel video of a Sderot school damaged by rocket fire.

"For too long the international community took the situation in the south of Israel as acceptable, as part of life in Israel, and it's not," she told Tel Aviv-based envoys.

[juwboy]

erasmus6:

Implicit in your response is a basic fact that most journalists choose to ignore -- peace agreements between politicians don't usually change much at street level (as we are seeing in Gaza). Hamas and Fatah politicians agreed that there would be a cease-fire, but the virtual civil war is still going on.

Likewise, the much-hailed, recent agreement between politicians in Northern Ireland is unlikely to have a lasting effect.

I wish I could continue this discussion longer, but I am about to be booted off this public library terminal. My time's up!

[tbweb]

--juwboy

In some context you are correct, I agree with you to some degree. The real problem with trying to establish peace in the Middle East is that there are too many groups hostile to Israel to deal with. All the groups hostile to Israel need to group and speak with one voice and agree to a peace deal whatever that may be collectively. Israel's problem is that when Israel reaches a peace agreement, too many groups hostile to Israel are not included and the fighting expands and continues. There has to be a way to include everyone all at once and then maybe peace can have a real chance. We all get excited when Israel reaches a peace deal only to be disappointed to learn some group was left out of the process, not included and the fighting erupts again! That%u2019s the problem, the Arabs need to get their act together and speak with one voice, one peace agreement. I like Isreal and wish Israel much success but Isreal needs to help its own cause too and be creative and agressively seek ways to deal with its enemies as one, that's the real solution, everyone needs to get on board to a peace process collectively.

[juwboy]

Wrong, tbweb.

After the 1967 war, Israel called for an international peace conference to settle problems in the region once and for all but the Arabics totally rejected the idea.

Going back even further, after the 1948 war, Golda Meir struck a peace deal with the then king of Jordan. Shortly after, the king was assassinated.

When the Arabics show a desire to reciprocate, Israel will be more than willing to strike a peace deal, as they've done consistently in the past.

The major obstacle is the Arabics' wish to see Israel wiped off the face of the earth.

[tbweb]

I%u2019ve always liked the underdog and since Israel is surrounded by so many Arabs in the Middle East I like to see Israel win, being outnumbered by so many. But I have one problem with Israel. Israel never seems to initiate peace first; some country from the outside always seems to need to initiate peace for Israel. I never see Israel reach out, be aggressive for peace. Israel always seems to find excuses for picking up the gun, going to war, keeping the conflicts going. When does Israel seek peace aggressively on its own? Israel does not want war, but Israel does not initiate and aggressively seek peace on its own either, Israel wants to be left alone and since Israel is rich compared to its neighbors that%u2019s not a practical position, Israel needs to share and help its poor neighbors. I like Israel and support Israel but Israel needs to do more for peace and needs to appear sincere in its efforts and not just for window dressing.

[radiob-2009]

Goodnight Sir.
Posted by Stezzer at



Goodnight to you to Sir and have a good weekend.It has been a pleasure.

[stezzer]

radiob

"We should all work for the benefit of all humankind"

Yes, we should. Bless you, I hope I get to chat with you again.

Goodnight Sir.

[radiob-2009]

Goodluck to you Sir, I will say a prayer for you tonight. It'll be a Jewish prayer, hope you don't mind :)
Posted by Stezzer


No I will not mind, we should all "pray" for each other benefit and the benefit of all humankind.We should all work for the benefit of all humankind as well.People allow distorted teachings to shape their views of groups of people instead of trying to understand other people.Certainly not what we were put here on earth for even if a individual is a athetist.

[stezzer]

radiob

I agree with you. You're a nice person.

Hey, one day, maybe all us nice folks will run the world.

Goodluck to you Sir, I will say a prayer for you tonight. It'll be a Jewish prayer, hope you don't mind :)

[radiob-2009]

radiob

Okay, I'm sorry. I appreciate your argument.

However, I'm a Jew. Jesus doesn't come into the equation for me. However, I agree. Surely sometime soon, we can all live in peace.

Thank you for your response.
Posted by Stezzer


No problem. I just think that is wrong for people to critize a teaching that is non violent and equate it with teachings that are violent. The comparision that was made by Patriot9 was not based on the teachings of Jesus.

[stezzer]

radiob

Okay, I'm sorry. I appreciate your argument.

However, I'm a Jew. Jesus doesn't come into the equation for me. However, I agree. Surely sometime soon, we can all live in peace.

Thank you for your response.

[radiob-2009]

radiob

What's your point?

Posted by Stezzer


The point is that the teachings of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins is not the same as extreme Isalm which is what Patriot9 suggested.To suggest that the groups that promote violence against others is not religion. It has nothing to do with religion teachings. The forgiveness of "sins" by "Jesus" is not the same as radical Islam or any group that promotes the destruction of any group of people.

[stezzer]

radiob

"I will not make excuses"

Good, so what's your point?

[radiob-2009]

I will not make excuses for the likes of Jim Jones, Osama Bin Laden,Taggart,Bush, Hitler or anyone else that twist the basic premise of religion for their own personal agendas. None of them are religious.The ten commandments are universal teachings amongst religions, worded phrased differently but the same premise they are the foundation of society. Without them we would be living on instinct and our intellect. Instinct can be a useful tool when used for good but it can also be a tool used for destruction, the same goes with intellect. Laws (ten commandments) are what are supposed to guide us in dealing with each other, not waging war or causing harm to others.

[stezzer]

radiob

What's your point?

[radiob-2009]

Sins comitted by Adam and Eve,Sinners are those innocent Newborn Children who can't even think about comiting a sin and the price is paid by a Third Party named JESUS.


Are you with sin or without causing harm to people you love or those that you do not know? It does not have to be physical, have you ever cheated anyone on a purchase paid less deliberately for what it was worth taken advantage of someone that was in dire straits, turn your back on someone who was suffering? These are all "sins" or atrocities against humankind and are but a few of the many "sins" we as human beings do every day of our lives. No one is perfect and cannot live without causing a injustice to another human being be it deliberate or not.This are what "Jesus" forgave us from, the only truly innocents in the world are the new born babies that do not know wrong from right. Those that do have the option of accepting the teachings of Jesus or ignoring them.As I said I am not a Christian. Part One

[ajmarine1]

Palestinians wants Israel to with draw to the 1967 borders.

This is like 3 of your neighbors coming to your house and trying to kill you and in the process one of them loses his wallet; later he comes back and wants you to give it back to him and he is irate that you won't.

[stezzer]

What.. A.. mess.

Is anyone truly surprised? Did anyone really think that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza was a good thing?

Each time Israel concedes one inch of ground, the terrorists move one inch closer.

[radiob-2009]

Part two

The irony of the Palestinian Israelis conflict is that while middle eastern nations have supported the destruction of the Jewish people by supplying them, training them with weapons, Israel and the US are the two biggest contributors to the Palestinian economy.Have you forgotten when the middle eastern nations throwed out the Palestinian refugees as they were to much of a burden on their economys? This is similiar to the Iraqi refugees who have fled Iraq because of the violence and are now living in Syria and other nations which will not allow them to work in these nations. So much for Arab brotherhood.

[radiob-2009]

reply patriotic9


Hitler,Osama Bin Laden,Bush neither followed the teachings of Christ. I am not a Christian but I have been taught Christianity the real Christianity which has nothing to do with violence or murder. I have also studied other religions Hinduism,Buddish, Islam. None of these religions promote violence or murder. It is the extremist or evil or whatever you wish to label it that distort the teachings that cause violence.The leaders of various nations, churches, mosques over the years have taken the teachings and distorted them for their own personal conquest not for the teachings of the particular religion.Israel is no saint but neither are the Palestinians or the middle eastern nations that are willing to supply them with weapons to wage war but are not willing to invest in the economic growth of the Palestinian territories.Near East Consulting, the Harry S Truman Institute have conducted polls on the people of Israel and the Palestinian territories which demonstrate that the majority of the people on both sides want to live in peace. The radicals on both sides continue to rule and promote war.Show me a passage from Jesus where he advocated violence or the destruction of his fellow man.There are none. Part one

[ajmarine1]

george2221,

Yes, know place like the Holy Land. Can anyone figure up how many people have been kill there over the centuries?