Dozens Killed In Escalating Gaza Attacks

Exiled Hamas Leader Calls Israel's Attacks In Which Civilians Are Killed "The Real Holocaust"

(AP)  Israeli troops turned heavy firepower on rocket squads bombarding southern Israel Saturday, killing 54 Palestinians in the deadliest day in Gaza since the current round of fighting erupted in 2000.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven were wounded in the clashes, the military said.

The violence took a heavy toll on Gaza civilians. Moderate Palestinian leaders called the killings a "genocide" and threatened to call off peace talks.

"The response to these rockets can't be that harsh and heinous," said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "It is nowadays described as a holocaust."

The spasm of violence came days before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to arrive in the region to nudge Israel and Palestinians closer to a peace accord. But the rising tensions threatened to mar her visit.

Early Sunday, Israeli aircraft destroyed the office building in Gaza City used by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, witnesses said. Five people were lightly wounded in the raid, seen as a signal that Israel holds the Hamas political leadership responsible for the violence.

While expressing regret for civilian casualties, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak blamed "Hamas and those firing rockets at Israel," his office said in a statement, pledging to continue the offensive to protect Israeli towns and cities.

On Friday, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai renewed a threat to invade Gaza to crush militant rocket squads that attack southern Israel daily.

At least two dozen Palestinian civilians, including a baby, were among those killed, and militants said 25 fighters died. Health officials said about 200 people were wounded, 14 of them critically.

The overall death toll was the highest in a single day since the current round of violence erupted in September 2000. The highest previous death toll was 38 on March 8, 2002.

The intense fighting Saturday pushed the Palestinian death toll to more than 80 since fighting flared Wednesday. About half of those were civilians.

Palestinian fighters kept up a steady stream of rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli targets, firing around 50 on Saturday alone in defiance of the Israeli assault. Six Israelis were injured by rockets that reached as far as Ashkelon, a coastal city 11 miles north of Gaza.

The Israeli military said one of its airstrikes on northern Gaza targeted a parked truck loaded with 160 rockets.

On Thursday, militants raised the stakes by firing Iranian-made rockets into Ashkelon, striking closer to Israel's heartland than ever before and putting more Israelis at risk. Palestinian rocket fire earlier in the week also killed an Israeli man.

Shortly before midnight Friday in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, a 13-month-old girl was killed by shrapnel. Hamas blamed Israel, but residents said a militant rocket fell short and landed near the baby's house. The day's violence snowballed from that point on.

Before dawn Saturday, the battleground shifted to the town of Jebaliya and its nearby refugee camp, a center of militant activity in northern Gaza.

Soldiers backed by tanks and aircraft conducted house-to-house searches and took up positions on rooftops as they clashed with militants detonating land mines and firing heavy machine guns, assault rifles and mortar rounds.

A wounded man and boy lay in a gutter near a dead man. Ambulance workers took away the dead man as a youth appealed to paramedics to treat the wounded.

"Take them, they are still alive," he pleaded. Another man urged the wounded to "bear witness," or proclaim their Muslim faith before they die. The two began reciting a Muslim prayer near a boy whose lower body was ripped by shrapnel.

Tareq Dardouna, a Jebaliya resident, said a relative was killed outside his home in the crossfire that began at 3 a.m.

"His body is still on the ground," Dardouna said in a telephone interview from his home, where he was tending to four wounded people amid screaming children. "Ambulances tried to come, but they came under fire. ... We are in a real war."

[grazinggoat]

CBSNews: ''Journalists came under fire in Jebaliya and a cameraman for Dubai TV, Mahmoud Ajrami, was wounded. Crews from the al-Jazeera Arabic language news channel and a Palestinian news agency came under fire near an ambulance center, and were unable to leave.

The United Nations closed down 37 schools it runs in northern Gaza because of the fighting, affecting some 40,000 students said Christopher Gunness, a U.N. official. ''

-that is it! Not only targetting homes and officials'' locations and offices in Gaza, but IDF is going it on United Nations subsidised schools, and Journalists. What next? kindergartens and hospitals?

[ajayvee]

Over 60 Palestinian killed in less than a week! That usually is very good for Prime-Minister Olmert''s ratings. And that is just the beginning - we have been promised a Holocaust in Gaza. Pastor Hagee must be drooling in anticipation. "Including a 13 month old girl..." Praise Jesus, Hagee, say Glor-ah! (Sick b*st*rd)

[displeased]

Israel has the right to go after the launching sites that causes their population to live in fear on a daily basis.
Posted by joule3

Israeli''s illegal land occupation is causing them to live in fear.

[rowdytexan2]

It''s really sad when all Israel has to do is recognize Hamas as the democratically elected leader of the Palestineans. Abbas did, in fact, get leadership through a coup.

Saudi Arabia has already negotiated a viable peace agreement with Arab leadership and many Israeli leaders which even allows Israel to keep some of the territory they stole in 1967. But Ohlmert, at the prodding of the US, refuses to consider it.

Israel doesn''t want peace. They want to continue to get US dollars, so they will do whatever the Neocons say. It is the sole agenda of the Neocons to keep chaos and hatred alive in the Middle East because they want to force the Middle East to live under a western style democracy which will allow them to steal their oil. This is wrong!

[photty-2009]

Why is the world silent form the new genocide perpetrated by the Zionist state? Why do we wait for the Russians to protest, why GW and Condoleeza sit idly by. Iy is shamefull that the Jewish Lobby has such power in this enfeebled country.

[rowdytexan2]

Israel does not occupy any of Gaza you fool. The land you say they "stole" was won in a battle with all the surrounding Arab states when Israel was attacked from all sides in 1967. And, since you probably don''''t know anyone in Israel, you have no idea how much they want peace. I do. So, stop showing your ignorance.


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Posted by joule3 at 11:08 AM : Mar 01, 2008

Well, then, good. Israel can now sit down at the table and negotiate a peace agreement and quit posturizing about being a victim.

[rowdytexan2]

Rowdy Texan:

Israel does not occupy any of Gaza you fool. The land you say they "stole" was won in a battle with all the surrounding Arab states when Israel was attacked from all sides in 1967. And, since you probably don''''t know anyone in Israel, you have no idea how much they want peace. I do. So, stop showing your ignorance.

The IDF and all of Israel recognize that the daily barrage of rocket attacks are not sent to be friendly. I was there for 2 weeks during the Lebanese war in 2006 and it isn''''t comforting to know that a rocket can strike you at any moment.


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Posted by joule3 at 11:14 AM : Mar 01, 2008

If they don''t like the rocket fire, then quit lobbing off rockets the other direction! Israel itself is fast becoming a terrorist nation itself.

Israel has closed all doors to a negotiation of peace. If they don''t want rockets, quit firing off rockets, and sit down at the table, instead of closing all avenues that will make it stop.

[rowdytexan2]

It is hard to negotiate with someone who doesn''''t recognize your right to exist and who won''''t come to the table. Hamas has said numerous times that it is their objective to push all zionists into the sea.


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Posted by joule3 at 11:16 AM : Mar 01, 2008

Hamas, Hezbollah, et al has said it is willing to negotiate peace, and there is already a plan for peace, giving many concessions to the Israelis.

[hungry1968]

Why is the world silent form the new genocide perpetrated by the Zionist state? Why do we wait for the Russians to protest, why GW and Condoleeza sit idly by. Iy is shamefull that the Jewish Lobby has such power in this enfeebled country.

Posted by photty at 11:02 AM : Mar 01, 2008





Sit idly by?!?!?!

Israel conducts this war on the arabs WITH OUR HELP!!!

That''s why the terrorists attack US AND Israel!!!!

[hungry1968]

Israel does not occupy any of Gaza you fool. The land you say they "stole" was won in a battle with all the surrounding Arab states when Israel was attacked from all sides in 1967. And, since you probably don''''t know anyone in Israel, you have no idea how much they want peace. I do. So, stop showing your ignorance.

Posted by joule3 at 11:09 AM : Mar 01, 2008





The whole nation of Israel was "won" in a war started by Israel in 1948. It''s still raging today, thanks to neither side being willing to capitulate.

[lewiston14]

that is it! Not only targetting homes and officials'''' locations and offices in Gaza, but IDF is going it on United Nations subsidised schools, and Journalists. What next? kindergartens and hospitals?

Posted by grazinggoat

Im afraid if this madness keeps up that is exactly what is going to happen if that is where large amounts of rockets are coming from. You or many might not like the IDF but they dont park their tanks in populated cities to protect them (that im aware of). If it keeps up Gaza is going to have it''s border fence shortened alot of miles. Dont kid youself they are just building up troups and supplies and waiting. You will know when it is about to happen. Gas and electric will be turned off and the Gasa power plant will be a first target. Any preceived stock piles
of anything will be the next targets. And its so easy for Hamas to stop firing rockets.

[chasemonster]

clink-clink-clink - TOAST! TOAST!

"Drink up Drink up!
And fill your cup
With the blood of an innocent child."

[luigi999-2009]

Pepper those Palestinians! It''s OK for them to shoot rockets into another country but it''s not OK for the other country to defend themselves?

HYPOCRISY!

[x32792]

After thousand of years and more recently 60 years of USA taxpayer support (deficit dollars borrowed from China and sent to the ME), we still enjoy the never ending "Crisis In The Middle East" Oh, if only both sides had enough fire powers to finally wipe each other out once and forever. Imagine the blissful silence.

[lewiston14]

Chasemonster:

What the heck does that mean?
%u201CBlood of an innocent child%u201D
Which one? The one who died from an ill aimed rocked or an air strike to blow up the rocket shooter?

[rowdytexan2]

Hamas has agreed "to respect international resolutions and the agreements [with Israel] signed by the Palestinian Liberation Organization," including the Oslo Accords. According to press reports on March 15, the new government, like the present one, will be headed by Ismail Haniya, the Hamas prime minister, but Hamas will get nine of the government''s twenty-four ministries, as well as an additional minister without portfolio; President Abbas and his Fatah party will control six ministries, and independent representatives%u2014some said to be under the control of Hamas or Fatah%u2014and other political factions will fill the nine remaining ministries.

The Saudi government views this accord as the prelude to the offer of a peace settlement with Israel, along the lines of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, a settlement to be guaranteed by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, based on the 1967 borders and full recognition of Israel.

But no progress is possible as long as the Bush administration and the Ehud Olmert government persist in their current position of refusing to recognize a unity government that includes Hamas. The recent meeting between Condoleezza Rice, Abbas, and Olmert turned into an empty formality.

[lewiston14]

Let me make my position straight here. I have no great love or hate for any side Israel or Palestine or Hamas. As far as im concerned they can all vanish off the map because all are nothing but trouble. Don%u2019t think that little excursion into Egypt could have not been stopped. A fist full of 500 meter holes along the roads along with a bunch of helicopters shooting at everything would have done the trick. Just because Israel left Gaza does not mean it cant fly over it and blow that border leak to mars.

[hamiltongrad]

ROCKETS FROM IRAN HIT DEEPER INTO ISRAEL
OVER 4000 ROCKETS POUND ISRAEL !

WHEN WILL THEY FINALLY RESPOND TO PROTECT THEIR CITIZENS ????


Buried in the report is the fact that NOW 1. Rockets made in IRAN have BEGUN falling into Israel - WHAT NEXT FIGHTER BOMBERS ?? IS THAT OK TOO ?? 2. The Rockets hit MUCH deeper location , now targeting a major Is Cities !!!. 3. CBS DID NOT REPORT THIS !!!!That over 4,000 missiles have been fired into Israel over the last year !!!
.....................................................
Can you imagine if the US had over 4000 missiles coming over the boarder of Mexico or Canada ? to kill us ?? (THE LACK OF OUTRAGE is racist.)
When Turkey attacked the Kurds for their terrorism from the north of Iraq killing anybody they could, was there an outrage ?? None. Turkey hasthe right to defend itself. Guess what so does Israel, and it will. TO THE WORLD - get used to it.

[hamiltongrad]

OVER 4000 ROCKETS HIT ISRAEL AFTER THEY HAVE LEFT GAZA !
YESTERDAY : 40 ROCKETS from Gaza pound IS towns, hitting deep into ISRAEL including the CITY OF ASKELON.

CITIZENS FLEE SIDEROT AS SCHOOLS TARGETED BY GAZA ISLAMIC TERRORISTS !

[cbsblogger]

Can you even imagine this absurdity? The USA is now 54 trillion in debt and unfunded liabilities and counting upward? Yet we still borrow 5 billion or so a year from the Chinese so we can give the affluent Israelis their annual allowance to use to kill or evict Palestinians and Lebanese, while America%u2019s schools and infrastructure are crumbling.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-05-28-federal-budget_N.htm

There are always two sides to every story and some of the Palestinians probably deserve it, but we only hear one side. Many are children and innocent civilians and don''t deserve their holocaust. I''m more than weary of our country expending our treasury and world credibility in Iraq and elsewhere for the sake Israel. The political power in the USA is being sabotaged from within by foreign agents called AIPAC.

[hamiltongrad]

AL Queda is our enemy.
HAMAS and AL Queda are allies.
Therefore HAMAS is our enemy.
KILL THEM.

[lewiston14]

RowdyTexan2:

Bring me up to speed here.
Hamas has agreed "to respect international resolutions and the agreements [with Israel]

Then why are they still firing rockets in there?

[rowdytexan2]

RowdyTexan2:

Bring me up to speed here.
Hamas has agreed "to respect international resolutions and the agreements [with Israel]

Then why are they still firing rockets in there?



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Posted by lewiston14 at 12:29 PM : Mar 01, 2008

Because they''re being fired upon!

[lewiston14]

RowdyTexan2:

Bring me up to speed here.
Hamas has agreed "to respect international resolutions and the agreements [with Israel]

Then why are they still firing rockets in there?

Because they''''re being fired upon!

Posted by RowdyTexan2

As far as I am aware Israel only attacts when fired apon ie. rockets. If I am wrong I will trust your reply

[rowdytexan2]

As far as I am aware Israel only attacts when fired apon ie. rockets. If I am wrong I will trust your reply



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Posted by lewiston14 at 12:41 PM : Mar 01, 2008

The point is...Israel has an opportunity to sit down at the table and enter a peace agreement with Arab countries who are offering to recognize their country.

Israel, at the best of the US and their own agenda to keep chaos and hatred spread throughtout the Middle East, are prodding Israel not to sit down at the table, nor to negotiate peace with ANYBODY!

[beehive21-2009]

Nuke em the hamas have shown the world time after time they cannot stop the killings,w/ rockets fit for a third world,nuke em, before they acquire a few good rockets,why are you waiting ? Once again folks what we have here ,two religions killing for the evolution of the best fairy tale,religion should be ban.

[j-whitman]

beehive21,,,, Go see a doctor, your bees have picked up too much insecticicide & it''s poisoned your hive

[j-whitman]

Hamiltongrad,,,,,, What part of killing civilians & children is part of your Pro-Life movement ???

[j-whitman]

Hamiltongrad,,,,, You haven''t learned 1 GD thing from this War on Terror, have you ????

[cfin5]

Come on j,.....The "Hamassmurderers" been begging for it with their "civilian" rocket attacks against Israelis for a long time. The only thing that surprises me is the great amount of patients they''ve shown. If those terrorists would have so much as fired one rocket at your town, you''d be screaming for the USMC to come and save you and your family.

[j-whitman]

If we are ever going to wiln a war on terror, or even begin to fix the problems in our own countries,,,, we have to lock all our own religious nutbags & the politicians that patronize them in a fenced compound.

[jochitragman]

Is Rick here??? I need to know what Jaysus would do!!

[cfin5]

"patience" that is.

[mbievtea]

The Palestinians just don''t get it; you fight the bull you get the horns. They deserve everything Israel can give them.

[kretos-2009]

"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. (Luke 6)

[j-whitman]

cfin5,,,,, Give me a break & start looking at both sides of the decades long problem for once..
,, You would throw rocks, bottles, cans & anything you could find at the people trying to take over your family''s property & you know it

And that is only one part of the problem.

[j-whitman]

cfin5,,,,, Your problem is you can''t see beyond the ignorance you''ve been taught... I don''t blame you for that, just for not being able to do some research & overcome it.

[cfin5]

Is Rick here??? I need to know what Jaysus would do!!

Posted by jochitragman at 01:32 PM : Mar 01, 2008-----Don''t mean to cut in, but "Zechariah 12:2,3" says that the trouble in that area is actually caused by the Lord,.....Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3- And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered against it.------Henceforth is my base reason for voting for Ron Paul; to get us OUT of there seeing we are foremost in meddling with God''s property. We will not survive this if we keep on doing it,.....or God is a liar, which he is not.

[rowdytexan2]

The Palestinians just don''''t get it; you fight the bull you get the horns. They deserve everything Israel can give them.


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Posted by mbievtea at 01:34 PM : Mar 01, 2008

Yeah, and the same applies to the Israeli''s.

It is Israel refusing to sit down at the table, not the Arabs.

[king77shaw]

israel is the original terrorist state

[j-whitman]

cfin5,,,,, I agree with Ron Paul, he doesn''t lay blame on the Palestenians does he ??? He says it''s our bad foreign policies ------ You see, it''s not a religious issue, it''s a fight against opression..

The government of Isreal has lost their Jewish values & principles in a big way.

[jwind11]

cfin5 don''t bother with j-whitman and rowdytexan...they have no clue what they are talking about on any subject except bad spelling and being a hypocrite....they are just angry worthless liberals that like to blame all their issues on Bush....its pathetic I know...but don''t waste your time with them.

[jochitragman]

Its Bush''s fault.

[cfin5]

Posted by j-whitman at 01:56 PM : Mar 01, 2008-----Somewhat correct here. God promised that in the last days he would bring them back from the whole earth to inhabit the land, but not because of anything to do with their righteousness, rather because he made a promise and did/will keep it.

[djphoenix44]

Bush also caused my power steering pump to leak.

[cfin5]

Posted by jwind11 at 01:59 PM : Mar 01, 2008------Then I would still be like them as you say if someone didn''t explain the truth to me. Please don''t take this as me saying I''m perfect. LOL! Just read some of my post sometimes. That should settle it there.

[j-whitman]

cfin5,,,, I''m trying not to sound political or supporting one relition or the other, Ron Paul understands the problem, so did Jimmy Carter.

Seriously amigo, you can''t look at the issue through the lens of the bible, I respect your view but it has absoultly nothing to do with the problem.. It''s a land grab & partially the zionist desire for an all Jewish state. --
-- Many of our politicians know this & only use Isreal for getting elected & party control. The archaic concept of nation building.
.. But it has become a tool for our own fringe Christians & their "Religion of Intolerence" and the politicians that pander to them.

[ajaxtheleast]

Why else would anyone return again and again

to present themselves for receiving such

colorful moral characterizations other than

the abject loneliness of Bushies causing

them to embrace each "you are a scumbag!"

as afirmation of their acceptance or even

of their very existance itself?

[cfin5]

Posted by j-whitman at 02:14 PM : Mar 01, 2008-----I suppose that is the view of most Leaders. But nothing that they do for the most part makes any sense. This is why I don''t go to church as it''s the same thing,....reading one thing in the Bible that is clear while hearing a sermon that is not clear. In fact, it twists the meaning to what I''m reading. Now that is frustrating! Plenty of passing the plate though. They never forget that.

[roadracer9x]

king77shaw and FloydZepp-

What would you want your government to do if terrorists lobbed 8000 missiles and 10000 mortars into your town??? Think about it and think about living day to day under that threat because it is not very far fetched given the ease at which these crude weapons can be made. It could happen anywhere in the world if nations do not fight it. Who is to say that someone across our border could not do the same for no "valid" reason other than to create chaos.