Israel Reopens Cargo Crossings Into Gaza

Suddenly Resumes Letting In Humanitarian Aid Despite Threatening Large Military Operations Against Gaza Militants

(AP)  Israel renewed its transfer of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip on Friday despite continued mortar fire from the coastal strip and Israeli preparations for a large-scale military campaign against the Gaza militants.

The army said the first of approximately 90 trucks had started to deliver medicine, fuel, cooking gas and other vital goods into Gaza. The shipment includes a large donation of goods from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's wife.

Israel's Defense Ministry agreed to open its cargo crossings into Gaza as part of its policy of avoiding a humanitarian crisis there. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the decision came after consultations with defense officials as well as calls from the international community.

Israel had originally agreed to open the cargo crossings with Gaza on Wednesday, but shut the passages when Gaza militants began pummeling southern Israeli towns with more than 80 rockets and mortars. The barrage was the heaviest since before an Egyptian-mediated six-month-long truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers took effect in June.

The army said nine mortars were fired toward Israel early Friday. No injuries were reported.

Israel has maintained a strict blockade of Gaza since the June 19 cease-fire began unraveling six weeks ago, allowing in only small quantities of essential goods. Egypt has also sealed its border crossing with the territory, which is Gaza's main gateway to the outside world.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was in Cairo Thursday for meetings with Mubarak, who urged Israel to exercise restraint in its response to the rocket fire. Israeli leaders have been issuing threats and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert even issued a direct, emotional plea to the people of Gaza to stop firing and turn against their Hamas leaders whom he called "the main reason for your suffering — for all of ours."

Olmert told the Arabic-language Al-Arabiya TV that Israel would not hesitate to respond with force if attacks continued. "I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I'm telling them stop it. We are stronger," he said.

Israel left Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year occupation. Islamic Hamas militants seized control of Gaza in June 2007, after routing security forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel has thus far been reluctant to press ahead with a campaign likely to exact heavy casualties on both sides. Past incursions have not halted the barrages, and officials fear anything short of a reoccupation of Gaza would fail to achieve the desired results.

Israel is expected to continue its military consultations over the weekend.

Also Friday, a poll published in the Maariv daily showed Livni's Kadima Party inching ahead of its main rival Likud for the first time ahead of Feb. 10 elections.

A Teleseker survey showed Kadima winning 30 of parliament's 120 seats, to Likud's 29 seats. The poll surveyed more than 800 people and had a margin of error of 2 seats.

[joule18]

Posted by MiamiDerick at 03:42 PM : Dec 27, 2008

Israel does send aid to the Palestinians when it is needed. They would not let the people their starve. However, when the people in Gaza and the West Bank are sending suicide bombers and rockets into Israel, they do try to control their supple of same by closing the borders.

I guess you don''t remember the ship that was carrying "humanitarian aid" in several years ago. There was no medicine or goods on there except for weapons.

Israel is the size of New Jersey. If the Palestinians were so oppressed and such good people, who wouldn''t Jordan or Egypt absorb them into their vast countries? The answer is because they are troublemakers and bring nothing of value to them.

[joule18]

Only Gaza and the West Bank are currently useless land, because the people who live there and who govern there think it is more important to kill all the jews rather than make their lives better. They have the tools, but their mindset cripples them.

Israel has always let essential, humanitarian aid through and have provided free medical treatment for people in the West Bank and Gaza when they cannot be successfully treated in WB and Gaza.

When Israel dismantled settlements with valuable greenhouses and TOTALLY withdrew in 2005, an American Jew bought the greenhouses so they would be left standing and so the Palestinians would have a good start to grow vegetables and flowers. Instead of being productive, they tore them down and looted the equipment.

The actions of Hamas is what has brought this on and the other people need to get them in check. How long should Israel accept rockets fired indiscriminately at their citizens from Gaza and the West Bank?

Israel, too, was a barren worthless looking piece of land to. But they used their resources and sweat to build it into a prosperous country.

[metsobitso]

Oy Vey - You can bet that the Israelis are stealing a good percentage of everything they let through.

[miamiderick]

Absolute lie. Israel is not sending aid to the Palestinians. The UN is sending aid to the Palestinians and Israel has had to let them through. The Israelis steal land and every thing they can get their hands on from the Palestinians. The genocide and atrocities against the Palestinians are the worst in modern history. We need true and balanced reporting, maybe this media is owned by Israelis.

[juwboy]

IamHungry68:

When Arabs had total control of the Temple Mount from 1948 to 1967, Moslems would wait in line every morning so they could defecate just like the pigs and dogs they despise at the base of the Wailing Wall, the most holy site in Judaism.

Why did they do this?

They were making an offering to their god, All@h the Coprophile, his illustrious prophet, Moh@mmed the Molester, and his child-bride.

[r9119111]

-This is the problem with sinful man, they think it''''''''s about what "man" wants, and not what God''''''''s will is.

Posted by Christ_Truth at 03:48 PM : Dec 26, 2008

Ahhh.. its the Rickster again. Have a merry Christmas? I hope so.

I agree with your premise. However, when YOU pray that His will be done really you''''re just hoping that He approves of YOURS. There in lies your fallacy.

You''''re a talented individual. Quit aligning yourself with organizations and beliefs that grow and thrive on hate and division.

Posted by n_cognito22 at 05:44 PM : Dec 26, 2008

I have been labeled a sinful man because I don''t believe the same as you. What gives you the right to do that? God saved my life and my heart is filled with gratitude every day. I begin every day by asking for knowledge of his will for me and the power to carry it out.

n_cognito22 is right, so I''ll repeat his comment once again. "I agree with your premise. However, when YOU pray that His will be done really you''''re just hoping that He approves of YOURS. There in lies your fallacy.

You''''re a talented individual. Quit aligning yourself with organizations and beliefs that grow and thrive on hate and division."

These are veruy wise words.

[jowand]

You''''re a typical christian hypocrite - nothing more.

Posted by IamHungry68

Kind of like you not seeing anything wrong with your Democrat Party wouldn''t you say?

[jowand]

Egypt has a border cargo crossing into Gaza from Egypt. How come the alphabet media doesn''t want to talk about Egypt refusing to open their border crossing into Gaza?

[toolmangler-2009]

AGAIN - don''''t decry the evil of the "other guy''''s" religion, until you''''re ready to decry the evil of your own.
Posted by IamHungry68 at 06:40 PM : Dec 26, 2008





Seeing that he made us and will receive us at death, judge us worthy to keep or not this seems to give him ownership and the right to do with us as he will. Satan has killed more on purpose than GOD ever did. If you don''t want to worship him, OK. just have a better reason than the one you put forward.

[n_cognito22]

-This is the problem with sinful man, they think it''''s about what "man" wants, and not what God''''s will is.

Posted by Christ_Truth at 03:48 PM : Dec 26, 2008

Ahhh.. its the Rickster again. Have a merry Christmas? I hope so.

I agree with your premise. However, when YOU pray that His will be done really you''re just hoping that He approves of YOURS. There in lies your fallacy.

You''re a talented individual. Quit aligning yourself with organizations and beliefs that grow and thrive on hate and division.