Hamas Leader Killed In Israeli Airstrike

U.S. Rejects Arab Nations' Demand For Gaza Ceasefire, Calls Draft Security Council Resolution "Unbalanced"

(CBS/AP)  Gaza's ruling Hamas group said one of its top figures was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday.

Nizar Rayyan had close ties to the group's military wing. Medics said seven people were killed and around 30 were wounded in the airstrike on Rayyan's house.

This is the first time aircraft have targeted a high-level member of Hamas since Israel launched a bruising offensive in Gaza on Saturday in which 400 people have died and approximately 1,700 people wounded, according to Gaza officials.

Hamas says some 200 uniformed members of Hamas security forces have been killed, and the UN says at least 60 Palestinian civilians have died.

Israel says its offensive is meant to halt militants' rocket fire on southern Israeli communities.

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip for the funeral of a number of Hamas militants killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier on Thursday.

The continuing attacks follow Wednesday's failed emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, at which an Arab League request for a legally binding and enforceable U.N. resolution condemning Israel and calling for a stop to its military attacks on Gaza was rejected by the United States.

The U.S. called the draft resolution circulated by Libya on behalf of the 22-member Arab League "unbalanced" and "one-sided" because it made no mention of halting the Hamas rocketing of southern Israel which led to the Israeli offensive.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States is working very hard to achieve an immediate cease-fire implemented by both sides - but he said Washington has not seen "any evidence" yet that Hamas is willing to end its rocket attacks.

The best way to move forward, he said, would be to get an agreement among the parties for a cease-fire and humanitarian access to Gaza through diplomacy, "and for that agreement to be enshrined in a Security Council resolution if necessary."

Britain's U.N. Ambassador John Sawers also called the resolution "one-sided" but he told reporters a balanced resolution would have "a good chance of support" in the council.

No vote was taken Wednesday.

As diplomatic efforts offered little promise of imminent peace, Israel and Hamas continued assaulting each other, with both munitions and aggressive rhetoric.

CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports from Jerusalem that Israeli warplanes bombed the Hamas parliament in Gaza City early Thursday.

Explosions shook the city as Israeli planes targeted three government buildings, including the parliament. Hospital officials said 25 wounded were evacuated from nearby houses. The military said aircraft also bombed smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border, part of an ongoing attempt to cut off Hamas' last lifeline to the world outside the embattled Palestinian territory.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian rocket hit an apartment building in the Israeli city of Ashdod.

The Israelis say until Hamas rockets stop landing in border cities like Sederot, they won't stop bombing Hamas, reported CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips. Sederot is a frequent Hamas target, where the bus shelters are also bomb shelters.

In the Israeli city of Beersheba the streets were virtually empty on Thursday following rocket attacks from Gaza-based militants.

Most people stayed at home on because of the rocket threat. The 18,000 students at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, southern Israel's only university, were also told to stay home.

Beersheba, a major southern Israeli city 19 miles from Gaza, had never before been within range of Gaza rockets, reflecting the increasing sophistication of Hamas' arsenal.

Many in Beersheba said they were leaving the town in order to escape the danger.

"Everybody is running away and so am I," said one student at Ben-Gurion. "It's frightening not to know when the rockets are going to hit, if we are going to get hit, if someone you know is going to get hit."

Four Israelis have been killed by militant rocket fire, including three civilians, since Israel launched its campaign against Gaza on Saturday.

Despite the loss of civilian life the bombing has caused, Phillips reported, the Israelis say there's another reason they think it's too soon to stop.

"Terror cannot work," said Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni. "Targeting Israel doesn't mean that they are going to get something that even can be perceived as a victory."

Victory is just what Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh promised Wednesday night in a broadcast speech, reported Phillips. It is closer, he claimed, than some people may think.

Separate from the fruitless Security Council meeting, U.N. officials warned Wednesday that Gaza's 1.5 million residents are facing an "alarming" humanitarian situation under constant Israeli bombardment, with the main power plant shut down, overcrowded hospitals struggling to cope and very limited food supplies.

The Gaza power plant shut down on Tuesday because Israel has blocked fuel delivery through the main pipeline since Dec. 26, U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said. This has forced hospitals to use generators, which have limited fuel supplies, and left many of the 650,000 people in central and northern Gaza with power cuts of 16 hours a day or more, he said.

The warning from the U.N. challenged Israel's official, often repeated stance that "there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

"The situation remains alarming," Holmes said. "Hospitals are obviously still struggling very much to cope with the number of casualties. We have continued to get some medical supplies in and to help them cope, but this remains difficult and fragile."

Karen Abu Zayd, commissioner of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which helps Palestinian refugees, told reporters by video link from Gaza that the agency has not distributed any food for two weeks because of the shortage of supplies and the Israeli bombardment.

"I think that means that 20,000 people a day have been without food that they expect - and probably is the bulk of what they get," she said. "So people are doing pretty badly. Everyone we know is sharing whatever they have, not just with their families but with their neighbors."

"We haven't seen widespread hunger. We do see for the very first time ... people going through the rubbish dumps looking for things, people begging, which is quite a new phenomenon as well," she said.

Israeli senior military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovitch told CBS News' partner network Sky News on Thursday "there is no humanitarian crisis," a claim that she and other Israeli officials have made since missile strikes began on Saturday.

Leibovitch said "at least 360 trucks" carrying humanitarian aid had been allowed into Gaza during the last five days, and, "as far as I know, the warehouses are full of food."

She said Hamas was to blame for not distributing stockpiled food aid to Gazans.

Holmes said the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel was open, with 55 trucks of food and medical supplies and five ambulances getting into Gaza on Tuesday, and about 60 trucks on Wednesday. That compares to 125 truckloads a day in October 2008 and 475 truckloads a day in May 2007, just before Hamas took control of Gaza, he said.

Some medical supplies, ambulances and generators also got into Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, he said.

In Crawford, Texas, President Bush's spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters that officials are seeing "a good flow" of medical and food supplies into Gaza.

Abu Zayd stressed that her U.N. agency needs 100 trucks of flour a day to meet the needs of refugees. But she said Israel has closed down the Karni crossing, the main gateway for cargo into Gaza where it is normally delivered, for security reasons.

She said UNRWA was told by the Israeli humanitarian coordinator that all other crossings aren't open because "there is intelligence about serious preparations for security operations."

"We wonder if it's serious enough to really keep things completely closed and to keep people on their edge of subsistence," she said.

Holmes said "the major needs, apart from medical supplies, remain ... grain and wheat flour and fuel - also cash would be very helpful to enable people to buy supplies."

He said the Israelis have been "cooperative in principle about these supplies but we need to see more results."

UNRWA launched an emergency appeal on Tuesday for $34 million for food, medical supplies and other goods, he said, and "there are good indications that the donors will respond generously."

[hermitdave]

SURPISE SURPRISE--According to the Bush gang the Jews are doing no wrong, it is all the PALS fault. Don''t the PALS know how to read the Christian bible? Some God promised all their land to the Jews. Crusader George is a born more than one time dude.

[sgtstedenko]

20 days, Neocons, 20 days, better hurry up...

[whitewolf60]

I say BOTH side are too effin'' stupid to just STOP....

[ghalie123]

The HAMAS denied peace for innocent people in Israel, so what do the arabic leaders think that Israel will cease?

I think those arabic leaders are stupid and lack of consideration to people in other nations.

What is the meaning of peace in arabic world? I think we should ask them to define .... I have some good friends from arabic countries and surprised to learn that they were taught, since very young, the jewish are evil people ...

If that''s the case, seems like HAMAS are more evil than anything on Earth and should be removed sooner than jewish.

[armandbeni]

UNable

[sogaman]

I blogged this the other day and I still feel this way, if the people in Gaza can not feed themselves how is it they can afford to buy millions in rockets, guns, and ammo. This whole situation smells. Why on earth does not the UN, leaders of the world, and even us citizens of the world demand Hamas stop buying weapons or the food/medicine will be shut off. Has anyone noticed that no Arab country has offered to bring the the people of Gaza into their land and help them yet these same Arab countries act like Israel is wrong-always! This whole thing is about running the Jews out of the middle east and using the poor brained washed people of Gaza to do it, there will be no end until the truth, that it is all about death to the Jews, is told.

[jjlewis2000]

Who cares! As long as there are too many people on this earth it will never be peaceful'' Have you all noticed that religous nuts are like children in a sand box. What this earth needs is a humbling such as a plague, famine or all out war to cleanse this s*** hole. Oh I have a question for all of you fanatics out there- which religion do I choose-confused here? See the problem! There is no dought that there is something higher than man-kind, but tf there is-he has to be throwing up about now. Also, they all want the holy land-do you think for one minute that if Jesus came back he would be happy that everyone is fighting over that place when the last thing he remembers was it was the place where he was killed? He is gonna be upset when he returns with you nuts since everywhere he looks is a reminder of the devise used to kill him plastered on everyones neck and on every corner. Let them fight it out for once and for all. It will help with reducing the population so man can buy some more time.

[sogaman]

To BagDadsHere9- we feel the same way, I know Hamas is not paying for rockets, guns, food, etc...but you do not here that brought up on the news cast. It is all "*** the Jews" for hurting these poor people, those poor people want to kill all Jews and take over their land is what this is about.

[kretosdav]

another shame on america ... sharing responsibility with baby killers !!!

[ghalie123]

Wait a minute ...

How many arab and muslim countries (Like Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Jordan etc) have a great proportion of christian community?

And see now how US, UK & Asian country accept muslim community (allow muslim to build mosque, preserve their Quran study, to live peacefully) , I wonder whether there is an imbalance about religion acceptance in Islam ..

Just a question in mind.

[skier0123]

Let''s see. There is no dancing in Israeli streets celebrating the bombing in gaza & the plight of the pals. But if the situation is reversed and the West or Israel is attacked, there is dancing in the Arab world''s streets. Very interesting.

[ghalie123]

"...the West or Israel is attacked, there is dancing in the Arab world''''s streets. Very interesting.
..." Posted by skier0123
-----------------------------------------------------

Well, obviously a lot of muslim disregards innocent people. They think their Quran and Islam religion are more important than innocent human lives. You can''t get lower than this.

What were we taught in religions? Weren''t they all about love?

[neoconrcrazy]

COMMON THEIVES ARE PUT JAIL FOR STEALING A LOAF OF BREAD -

A DENSELY POPULATED CITY IS BOMBED - "IN SELF-DEFENSE" AND IS SUPPORTED BY THE U.S.A.

ANY WONDER WHY THE WORLD HATES U.S.?

[nikkicatt1]

Each religion - from pagan Gods to today''s fanatical extemists - was invented by MAN to either overthrow the current government or to enslave the masses. From history we should learn that if a group wants to control a bigger group, all they have to do is find a common enemy. It is so easy to blame another race or religion for all your problems. Even the Jews have trouble with the Ultra-Orthodox. Christians have fundamentalists. Palestinians have Hamas. As long as we battle over who''s God has a bigger D***, there will never be peace.

[jjlewis2000]

Islam,christian, whatever! They all parallel the same stories and radical fiction. You people are ignorant to the truth-there can only be one truth-so who is right? These people will never or will they ever be capable of being a peaceful society. There own documents speak of the many battles throughout man''s recorded existance. They are destoying there chilren out of ignorance. Learn to live respecting your neighbors belief (what we do in America and why people hate us for it). I do not care if my neighbor worships his dogs rear-end. You people are the child killers since you are in-capable of living peacefully. What did hamas think? Isreal would not respond to missle attacks? Any country in their right mind would. What needs to be done is wipe them all out so we can work on cleansing the next nuts from this place we all call home....

[farkusa]

The problem in Middle East is obvious, with the help of USA in the mid 50s, a group of people invaded and took over another people''s land claiming it belong to their ancestors, they killed the residence in order to have more land, and it is still doing it today, with the help of US also. If you are chased out of your house by terrorist with force and threat to murder your children and blamed you as the terrorist when you resist the invasion, how would you react?

[Jimmy371]

Most so-called Palestinian Arabs are squatters and migrated into the area after the Jews came to buy and reclaim the land. The Arabs forged their documents.

[nikkicatt1]

demswin08 - It is nice to read a comment from someone that is actually looking at the big picture. Thank you

[jjlewis2000]

Many cultures have been envaded throughout history for variuos reasons. The American Indians were indeed givin a dirty blow-but by whom may I ask?-religous fanatics-by our ancestors-not the people living today!!!!! The Indian''s are not terrorizing America today because of what our ancestors did yesterday. It still comes down to simple logic-you people are becoming more ignorant by the moment. Hopefully you will kill yourselves off so the rest of the world can (possibly) live in peace for once in history.

[jjlewis2000]

I wonder? When to sides are praying to their god for victory who does he choose? Well- people-your creater could not be in this man made s***! Whatever your percetion may be- the higher power realizes that this is human made. A just god, rock , buddah, dirt or whatever you nuts may think the higher power is -is nowhere near all this garbage.

[Marie Zarankevich]

Happy New Year, all you hard-working news people! -- Thanks for all you do for us civilians. -- We really appreciate your work. -- Without you, we just would not know anything, and that would be really bad. -- Why are we still kicking up a fuss over what started with Britain wanting to keep its hands on the relics of Christiandom?? -- At its origins, I believe that is what began all the Middle East upheaval in the first place, many, many years ago. -- And perhaps it should be addressed as such.

[fahren451]

Change your nic to KNITA (know nothing Im talking about). Even my 4 years old daughter knows HAMAS is an Iran proxy militia.


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Posted by BagdadsHere9
======================================
====
One queston? why would a 4 year old be knowing about Hamas and terrorists. Isn''''t that a parents job to protect their children from this sort of schit until they are old enough to understand.

Posted by demswin08 at 08:31 AM : Jan 01, 2009

Old Baghy fills his childs head with hate like dumping toxic waste into a pristine waterway. As soon as she was born he put a replica desert eagle into the crib.

[fahren451]

Are you talking about the "truth" of the Torah? Where one mans says he has received revelations from god. That god spoke to him exclusively and that we should just take his word for it that god spoke to him. Is that the kind of "truth" you are talking about?

[fahren451]

That explains why Muslims hate Jews so much.


Muslims believe in death.

Muslims praise lies.

Muslims believe that lies last forever.

Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 08:41 AM : Jan 01, 2009

You are speaking of all religions right?

[johngress]

Yeah, 20 days left to start the worst administration in history. You will miss Bush in the end of 2009.


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Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 08:14 AM : Jan 01, 2009
+ report abuse



Wrong answer Bdad.

The right answer is 20 days left until the end of an error.
The only thing about Bush I will miss is the constant humor he provides with his verbally challenged mangling of the English language. Other than that, don"t let the door hit you.....

[missingamerica]

I have to admit:

The various religions are doing a MASTERFUL job of convincing me that they quit believing what they say they practice!

[juwboy]

Pretty Boy Floydypoo asked how the Jews "stole" Palestine.

Here`s how.

After WWI, the League of Nations assigned the administration of the sections of the former Turkish Ottoman Empire now known as Syria and Lebanon to France, and "Palestine" and Jordan to Britain.

IN 1922, the League of Nations passed a resolution, which stated that "Palestine" was to be become an independent Jewish state while Jordan would be assigned to the Arabs.

The League of Nations was disbanded at the onset of WWII.

Article 80 of the United Nations Charter states that all outstanding League of Nations Resolutions were to be implemented by the UN.

Ergo, the 1947 United Nations resolution which partitioned "Palestine" between Jews and Arabs in violation of Article 80 of its own Charter is null and void.

So, Jews didn`t steal "Palestine".

We are entitled to every square inch of it under international law.

Why don`t you spend some time studying Middle East history instead of wasting ours with your ignorant opinions, Pimply Boy Floyd?

[cox68]

For Israel it''s like somebody being in your back yard with a gun taking shot''s ata you 4-5 times a day and killing one here and there, and what you are suppose to sit there and put up with this? NO your not your going to fire back,so why all the support for the palestinians, and dont give me the *** that the jews stole there land, cause is not any of us sitting on land that WE own, all land was taken from somebody.

[missingamerica]

I hear the descendants of the Jebusites want Jerusalem back.

[sockpuppet4]

U.S. Rejects Unbalanced Gaza Resolution
Blago Appointee Goes To Ill. Supreme Court
Russia Cuts Off Ukraines Gas Supply
Market Closes On Worst Year Since 1931
Citigroup Agrees To Limit Exec. Pay

HAPPY NEW YEAR GREEDY BUSHAHOLICS !

[missingamerica]

Oh boy, here we go again. The old conspiracy theory. The WTC collapse was a controlled implosion right? Do you know the engineers who did the job?

Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 09:04 AM : Jan 01, 2009

A person could make the argument that greed brought down the twin towers...

Greed, of the airlines, who did not take proper security precautions - like Israel has been doing for decades - because they cost money....

[william783]

National Security doesn''t work that way. They''re charged with the nation''s security. They didn''t have to plant any explosives. All they had to do was look away.

At least common sense rules the day for now.

[missingamerica]

All they had to do was look away.

Posted by william783 at 09:09 AM : Jan 01, 2009

lollll...well, all of the evidence to date says that is precisely what they did.

The unanswered questions, of course, are was it intentional or not, and if so, what were the motivations?

The fact that the Administration was stuffed to the gills with PNAC members at the time casts a very murky light on the event, unfortunately...

[docpeter1953]

ISRAEL = MOTHER OF TERRORISM

NO ISRAEL = NO TERRORISTS

by the way , when I posted the above at ABC news...within 2 minutes it was removed and I couldnt log in anymore. JEW media is strong in ABC as well as all the other main american media. Any condemnation of other than JEWS over there were allowed......

Cant handle the truth these JEWs....

Posted by sidekick2009 at 08:59 AM : Jan 01, 2009
_________________

You are neglecting to mention one important detail here.

Hamas and the Palestinians started this round of fighting with rocket attacks on Israel, not Israel. This is an improtant detail.

If you are or I am attacked, will we fight back? Hamas expecting Israel to just lay down and be walked over like a floor mat isn''t even considered reasonable.

Just goes to show the thinking of Hamas and their Iranian supporters. Hamas, Hezbulah, Iran; none of them want peace, but they will *****, moan, and complain when they start a fight they are/did not prepare well enough to win.

[misha128-2009]

Bush is still trying to save face for his legacy yet again. After pushing all parties for predictably ill fated elections in Gaza. Elections that Hamas won to the surprise of only the Bush administration it seems. Bush has to do something to appear as standing tough against the terrorists his administration provided the means to secure political authority over the area.

[william783]

It''d be intentional if there were some sort of exercise.

[prelgovisk]

Israel should give its land back...right after the Americans give their land back to the Indians and the Arabs give their lands back to the Africans they conquered.

[wdrussell1]

Alright wingnuts.
UN ordered a ceasefire, Israel refused.
UN order media to be allowed in, Israel refused.
After you comedic WMD idea got blown out of the water, your next reason was that Iraq did not obey the UN. So we invaded and occupied Iraq.
So when do we invade and occupy Israel?

[william783]

Nobody''s asking anybody to ''give their land back'', I don''t think. But you have to share. Why not have a more diverse government?

[ginger20051]

Time for Israel to end this once and for all - even if it means the elimination of Gaza!!!!!!!

[missingamerica]

Israel should give its land back...right after the Americans give their land back to the Indians and the Arabs give their lands back to the Africans they conquered.

Posted by Prelgovisk at 09:15 AM : Jan 01, 2009

Have to be careful with THAT argument - you are in essence stating that he who has the might to take and hold the land has the right to it...

When it comes right down to it, the U.N. needs to get together and say "OK, boys and girls, the boundaries of all nations are FIXED as they are today, and any attempt to change them through violence will be met with the full force of all nations who are U.N. members."

[beodishazmi]

Nobody''''s asking anybody to ''''give their land back'''', I don''''t think. But you have to share. Why not have a more diverse government?


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

Posted by william783 at 09:18 AM

Exactly ...nobody is wiser then you bud...

Ignorance abounds. Don''t you folks get it? Yes. Various people groups around the world have attacked the Jews. The fact is, mankind is in rebellion against God. It is God who chose Israel to represent Him on earth. We sinful people are NEVER happy with God''s ways so we always raise the fist to God. It''s in our nature. That is why Christ came - to take away this division. Yes. People have done wrong in the name of Christ, but that''s because we are all sinners by nature. No. Allah would not be happy with modern day Muslim terrorists. God would not be pleased with all those who continue to raise the fist of defiance - abortion, murder, etc.

[missingamerica]

Problem there is the UN is nothing but a useless relic these days.

Posted by demswin08 at 09:21 AM : Jan 01, 2009

But not beyond redemption...just need fewer international courts and lawyers and more clear cut international law, is all.

Pretty easy to say "Everybody''s national boundaries are fixed, and any attempt to change them that does not arise from a national or multinational referendum will result in ye olde steel rain, no ifs, ands, or buts."

[juwboy]

sidekick2009:

When Hitler came to power, one of his first acts was the elimination of his political opponents -- Communists, Socialists, Marxists, labor leaders and other left-wingers.

Next he turned his attention to the people he considered were the greatest blemish on his glorious German master-race.

It wasn`t the Jews.

Or the Gipsies.

Or homosex@ls.

It was the mentally-retarded and feeble-minded.

Idiots, imbeciles, half-wits, simpletons, morons and cretins.

People just like you, sidekick2009!!!

[beodishazmi]

Jews = mandingo beasts

[william783]

There are plenty Jews in the United States who''ve learned how to co-exist with people of different faith.

[beodishazmi]

Jew are microbes...

[missingamerica]

Of course, what Hitler excelled at was getting people to hate each other...a simple 5-step process:

1) Tolerate name-calling
2) Provoke name-calling
3) Tolerate violence
4) Provoke violence
5) Make violence official

Is why Palin reminds me of Hitler...she has steps one and two nailed...