Israel Briefly Eases Blockade On Gaza

Closure Imposed After Spike In Rocket Attacks Last Week Cut Off Fuel Supplies

(CBS/AP)  Israel decided to allow one shipment of fuel, food and medicine into Gaza, the first crack in a blockade it imposed on the impoverished territory last week in response to a spike in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.

After Gaza's Hamas government and aid agencies warned of a burgeoning humanitarian crisis following the shutdown of Gaza's only electricity plant, Israel agreed to open the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza on Tuesday, but only once. Israel closed all its crossings on Thursday.

The power outage mainly affected Gaza City, which receives its electricity from the closed plant. Other areas of Gaza are supplied directly by Israel and Egypt, neither of which cut off service.

"We think Hamas got the message," said Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel after Israel announced it was easing the closure. "As we have seen in the past couple of days, when they want to stop the rockets, they can." Two rockets fell in Israel on Monday, compared to dozens a day last week.

Mekel said enough fuel would be shipped to power the Gaza electric plant for a week, as well as fuel for hospital generators and cooking gas, along with 50 truckloads of humanitarian aid, including medicine.

CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports Hamas is vowing to continue rocket attacks and Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri dismissed the decision to ease the blockade. "This does not mean the end of the siege on Gaza," Zuhri said, pledging to continue to fight "until we break the siege."

Raising a possible solution, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas offered to take control of the Gaza crossings from the Palestinian side. One of the reasons Israel closed the crossings was its refusal to deal with Hamas officials in Gaza.

Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum said Hamas would study the proposal. If implemented, it would give Abbas his first foothold in Gaza since Hamas ran his forces out in June. Israeli officials refused to comment.

Even after agreeing to the shipment, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak maintained a tough tone. Speaking at the annual Herzliya Conference on security, Barak called for increased pressure on Gaza. He said he was prepared to hit Gaza in order to restore calm in Israeli towns battered by rockets from Gaza. "I care more about our quiet than their quiet," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert strongly defended the blockade. He told legislators from his Kadima Party, "As far as I'm concerned, Gaza residents will walk, without gas for their cars, because they have a murderous, terrorist regime that doesn't let people in southern Israel live in peace."

Gaza's Hamas government issued emotional appeals to the Arab world, and demanded that Egypt open its border with Gaza to allow in supplies. "We are asking Arab and Muslim nations not to leave the Palestinians alone to face the terrorist country of America and the Zionist entity," said Gaza's Hamas strongman, Mahmoud Zahar, in a televised speech.

During the past seven months, since Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza, Egypt joined Israel in severely restricting access to Gaza, largely keeping its border terminal closed. An opening of the Gaza-Egypt border would mark a victory for Hamas, enabling it to claim credit for restoring the flow of supplies and stabilizing its rule.

However, it appeared unlikely Egypt would comply, since it's concerned about a spillover of Hamas-style militancy into its territory if the border is open. Instead, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called Barak and urged him to ease restrictions, and Barak agreed.

Hamas organized several protests to underscore the suffering of ordinary people, while Israel charged Hamas was manufacturing an artificial crisis to gain sympathy.

Sixty empty fuel trucks lined up along the Gaza-Egypt border by gas station owners who demanded that Egypt and Israel lift the closure. Also at the border, hundreds staged a march, including doctors in white coats, Hamas lawmakers and drivers with their ambulances. "Why are Arab countries partners to this embargo?" said Marwan Abu Ras, a Hamas lawmaker.

On Monday, hospital generators in Gaza City still had enough fuel, but a U.N. agency warned they would run out in a matter of days if supplies are not replenished.

Israeli Defense Ministry spokesman Shlomo Dror and other Israeli officials charged that Hamas was creating a false crisis and could resume the electricity if it wanted.

[feelfree1]

Bignose,

Re: "Feely....you are so full of it, it does''nt warrant a response."

And yet, you responded anyway, and appear helpless to challenge any of the information that I have presented.

[babarzm]

Yeah all of this will definitely win you some hearts and minds in Islamic world.

[dmhphils]

Posted by FeelFree1 at 12:26 AM : Jan 23, 2008
------------------------------------------
Feely....you are so full of it, it does''nt warrant a response.

[feelfree1]

We always hear Israelis threatening this group or that, but as we will recall, Israel was successfully defended against in Lebanon, after the Israelis waged a war of aggression against the people of Lebanon, which included widespread targeting of Lebanese civilians, collective punishment efforts, and environmental devastation, in the summer of 2006.

Here is a very good film that highlights a few of the Israeli war crimes and atrocities that they committed during this failed act of aggression:

"Fog of War"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOpB1x5Qzyg

It seems that the Israelis have a tendency to bite off more than they can chew, and when they are failing, they often resort to some atrocious tactics.

[feelfree1]

Arguably, the Israeli tactic of executing their declared political adversaries, along with their family members and neighbors, using bombs launched from aircraft, is a terrorist tactic. Imprisoning women and children family members of adversaries is another.

Collective punishment, such as we read about in this article, yet another act of terrorism.

But one of the most cowardly and sickening Israeli State-terrorism tactics, in my opinion, has to be their use of "human shields".

The only country that we know of, FOR SURE, with a chronic policy of hiding behind "human shields", is Israel. Their chronic policy of embracing this terrorist tactic has been proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, and condemned before their own Supreme Court, yet ongoing reports of this practice continue to surface.

www.adalah.org/newsletter/eng/oct05/1.php

They often attempt to attribute this cowardly tactic to their adversaries, as a pathetic excuse to justify their own crimes and atrocities, and always without any substantial support.

The Israelis have surrendered any standing to criticize others as "terrorists", a very long time ago.

[rhs648]

j-whitman - Dropping a few aspirin and a few candy bars over the border should satisfy any such requirements. When the missiles, kidnappings, and murders stop, more aid can be provided. Let''s stop talking out of both sides of the mouth. It is time to recognize Israel, to recognize Israel''s right to exist, and to become peaceful members of the world community. The Palestinians have that choice.

[j-whitman]

rhs648 --- Isreal Committed International War Crimes with their actions in Gaza.

Even if Israel''''s control in the Gaza Strip does not amount to "effective control" and the territory is not considered occupied, Israel still bears certain responsibilities under international humanitarian law. IHL is not limited to protecting civilians living under occupation, but includes provisions intended to protect civilians during an armed conflict, regardless of the status of the territory in which they live. Given that Israel contends that an armed conflict exists between it and the Palestinian organizations fighting against it, which has continued even after the disengagement, such provisions apply. These provisions are found, for example, in the Fourth Geneva Convention, pursuant to which Israel must protect the wounded, sick, children under age fifteen, and pregnant women, enable the free passage of medicines and essential foodstuffs, enable medical teams to provide assistance, and refrain from imposing collective punishment.

http://www.btselem.org/english/Gaza_
Strip/Israels_obligations.asp

[rhs648]

Over one million Palestinians depend on international agencies for food yet refuse to be peaceful members of the international community. Let them eat their guns. These people have to be among the most self-destructive people in the universe. Attacking Israel is more important than food, medicine, or their children. How many of us wanr to live like this? When will they choose better?

[j-whitman]

Intresting article on Nuclear Weapons Proliferation from Monterey, Calif. Home of Naval Post Graduate School dated 2006 Center for Contemporary Conflict.

On WMD Supply Networks & Non-State Actors ---- Are we missing the ball by focusing on Al Queda ???

http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/events/recent/NuclearWeaponsProliferation2016Jul06_rpt.asp

[dmhphils]

hungry said: now I see your agenda. You could have said that in the first place and then I could have just dismissed your posts without bothering to respond to them.

--------------------------------------------

Not my agenda dude. It''s the ONE who holds your breath in HIS hand and allows you to keep on living in hopes that you will grope for Him and find Him.

[dmhphils]

Posted by hungry1968 at 10:10 PM : Jan 22, 2008
------------------------------------------------

But in the end, when the music stops, you will be the one left standing, without a chair. You will be the loser.

[grazinggoat]

An interesting article of Oil consumption by military...

Sixteen gallons of oil. That''s how much the average American soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan consumes on a daily basis -- either directly, through the use of Humvees, tanks, trucks, and helicopters, or indirectly, by calling in air strikes. Multiply this figure by 162,000 soldiers in Iraq, 24,000 in Afghanistan, and 30,000 in the surrounding region (including sailors aboard U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf) and you arrive at approximately 3.5 million gallons of oil: the daily petroleum tab for U.S. combat operations in the Middle East war zone.

Multiply that daily tab by 365 and you get 1.3 billion gallons: the estimated annual oil expenditure for U.S. combat operations in Southwest Asia. That''s greater than the total annual oil usage of Bangladesh, population 150 million -- and yet it''s a gross underestimate of the Pentagon''s wartime consumption.

[j-whitman]

Isreal Committed International War Crimes with their actions in Gaza.

Even if Israel ''s control in the Gaza Strip does not amount to "effective control" and the territory is not considered occupied, Israel still bears certain responsibilities under international humanitarian law. IHL is not limited to protecting civilians living under occupation, but includes provisions intended to protect civilians during an armed conflict, regardless of the status of the territory in which they live. Given that Israel contends that an armed conflict exists between it and the Palestinian organizations fighting against it, which has continued even after the disengagement, such provisions apply. These provisions are found, for example, in the Fourth Geneva Convention, pursuant to which Israel must protect the wounded, sick, children under age fifteen, and pregnant women, enable the free passage of medicines and essential foodstuffs, enable medical teams to provide assistance, and refrain from imposing collective punishment.

http://www.btselem.org/english/Gaza_Strip/Israels_obligations.asp

[hungry1968]

The Middle East will be liberated from Islam so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be able to spread through that region.

That is the Big Picture....and God is doing it.

I know this infuriates all the little noisy nipping atheists.....but, so what.

Posted by noseonurface at 09:58 PM : Jan 22, 2008



Ohhhh - now I see your agenda. You could have said that in the first place and then I could have just dismissed your posts without bothering to respond to them.

Thanks for nothing - loser.

[hungry1968]

Isreal committed International War Crimes with their actions

Posted by j-whitman at 09:48 PM : Jan 22, 2008


Does that fall under "AS USUAL" or "STILL"?

[dmhphils]

The Middle East will be liberated from Islam so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be able to spread through that region.

That is the Big Picture....and God is doing it.

I know this infuriates all the little noisy nipping atheists.....but, so what.

[j-whitman]

Isreal committed International War Crimes with their actions

[dmhphils]

hungry.....the man testifies that Saddam moved the weapons before the inspectors got there in 2002. They were moved on commercial aircraft to Damascus and are probably still there. Check out the video of the interview.....Sada has been in Iraq up until 2 weeks ago.....

[dmhphils]

There are weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands," Mr. Sada said. "I am confident they were taken over."

Mr. Sada''s comments come just more than a month after Israel''s top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Moshe Yaalon, told the Sun that Saddam "transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria."

--------------------------------------------
So, now there is proof that the Jihadis are liars.

[hungry1968]

You just sprung a bad leak hungry.....you better start thinking of a new approach with a different argument. You think you know it all and got it all figured out......you have been duped in the same way as you accuse conservatives.

Posted by noseonurface at 08:39 PM : Jan 22, 2008



Yeah I can just see it now. ALL of our military and ALL of our CIA operatives just happened to NOT be paying attention when ALL of those WMD''s were moved out of the country.

I guess it''s just routine that we don''t conduct surveillance on countries that we''re about to invade - right?

And I don''t think I''ve got it all figured out, but I know that when someone publishes a book, they make controversial statements to try and get it''s release as much free publicity as possible. Funny too that this "startling new revelation" comes out 5 years after the war started.....