Israeli Forces Bisect Gaza Strip

As Troops Surround Gaza City, Death Toll Passes 500; U.N. Head Calls For End To Operation; Europe Pledges Aid

(CBS/AP) 

An Israeli army spokesman had no comment, after repeated queries Sunday.

Israeli forces killed dozens of armed Hamas gunmen, an army statement said, but Gaza officials could confirm only a handful of dead fighters - in part because rescue teams could not reach the battle zones.

The new deaths brought the death toll in the Gaza Strip to more than 512 since Dec. 27. The tally is based on figures from the U.N. and Palestinian health officials as well as a count by The Associated Press.

One Israeli soldier died - the first to be killed in the ground operation - and about 40 others were wounded, some of them in heavy exchanges of fire near the militant stronghold of Jebaliya, a town on Gaza City's northern outskirts, the army said. Heavy Israeli casualties could undermine what has so far been overwhelming public support for the operation.


Cries Against Israeli Offensive

Condemnation of Israel's ground operation poured in from around the Middle East and Europe, but the United States blocked approval of a U.N. Security Council statement Saturday night calling for an immediate cease-fire and expressing serious concern at the escalation of violence.

Israeli President Shimon Peres said that Israel had to push forward despite the calls for a halt to the ground offensive and that a cease-fire was pointless without a stop to Hamas rocket fire.

"Well, clearly, if there is somebody (who) can stop terror with a different strategy, we shall accept it," he said on ABC television's "This Week" program. "We shall not accept the idea that Hamas will continue to fire and we shall declare a cease-fire. It does not make any sense."

Peres said Israel is not aiming to reoccupy Gaza or even to crush Hamas, but to "crush terror." And he said that under Israel's blistering assault, Hamas was "now beginning to feel the weight of their mistakes."

The ground operation is the second phase in an offensive that began as a weeklong aerial onslaught aimed at halting Hamas rocket fire that has reached deeper and deeper into Israel, threatening major cities and one-eighth of Israel's population of 7 million people.

More than 45 rockets and mortar shells fell in Israel on Sunday morning, sending Israelis scrambling for bomb shelters. Four Israelis were lightly wounded. Four Israelis have been killed in the attacks since the offensive began.

In Gaza City, civilians cowered inside as battles raged, while terrified residents in other areas fled in fear. In the southern town of Rafah, one man loaded a donkey cart with mattresses and blankets preparing to flee.

Lubna Karam, 28, said she and the other nine members of her family spent the night huddled in the hallway of their Gaza City home. The windows of the house were blown out days earlier in an Israeli airstrike, and the family has been without electricity for a week, surviving without heat and eating cold food.

"We keep hearing the sounds of airplanes and we don't know if we'll live until tomorrow or not," she said.

Severe damage to Gaza's phone network was pushing the strip closure to losing all contact with the world. The Palestinian phone company Paltel Group said 90 percent of Gaza's cellular service was down, as well as many landlines, because of frequent power cuts and the inability of technicians to reach work sites.

In his first public comments on the operation, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet on Sunday that Israel could not allow its civilians to continue to be targeted by rockets from Gaza.

"This morning I can look every one you in the eyes and say the government did everything before deciding to go ahead with the operation. This operation was unavoidable," he said.

The Israeli chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, told a meeting of Cabinet ministers that most of Sunday's fighting was at close range, with Hamas preferring to fight in built-up areas rather than on open ground. Ashkenazi said the operation aimed to take over areas militants use to launch rockets.

Military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet that Hamas was using mosques, public institutions and private houses as ammunition stores.

Yuval Diskin, the head of Israel's Shin Bet security service, told the ministers there was a "weakening" in Hamas' desire to keep fighting. Still, he said, while the Hamas political leadership has been hit hard, its military organization has "yet to be dealt the harsh blow Israel expects it to be dealt." The security officials' comments were relayed to the press by the Cabinet secretary, Oved Yehezkel.

Israel on Sunday approved the mobilization of thousands of reservists, in addition to tens of thousands called up on Saturday. Defense officials said the extra forces could enable a far broader ground offensive.

The troops could also be used in the event Palestinian militants in the West Bank or Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon decide to launch attacks, as Hezbollah did in 2006 when Israel was in the midst of a large operation in Gaza.


"We Would Do Exactly The Same Thing"

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg flew to Israel on Sunday for a daylong trip to express solidarity with Israelis threatened by Hamas rockets and to back the strikes against the militant group.

Bloomberg, accompanied by Congressman Gary Ackerman, a Democrat from New York, visited the southern Israeli towns of Ashkelon and Sderot, both of which have been targeted by Hamas rockets over the past several weeks.

Bloomberg visited a house that had been allegedly struck by a Hamas rocket, and met with New Yorkers who had immigrated.

"We have to stop this carnage and the way to stop it to have Hamas stop trying to kill innocents, and if they won't stop then the Israelis have no choice but to use all of the resources at their command to protect their citizens," Bloomberg said. "We would do exactly the same thing in New York City."


EU Provides €3 Million In Emergency Aid For Gaza

The European Union pledged €3 million ($4.6 million) in emergency aid to the Gaza Strip on Sunday as a high-level E.U. delegation left for the Mideast in a diplomatic push for a cease-fire.

The EU said in a statement that food, emergency shelter items and medical supplies were urgently needed by Palestinians in Gaza and that the aid would be "deployed as rapidly as possible."

Britain and France, meanwhile, warned that Israel's ground offensive marked a dangerous escalation of the conflict. And the Czech Republic, which took over the 27-nation EU's presidency on Thursday, urged Israel to allow humanitarian relief aid into Gaza.
The EU delegation left Prague on a 3-day tour that will include Egypt, the West Bank and Israel. The delegation includes EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the foreign ministers of France and Sweden.

"It is absolutely necessary that the violence has to stop," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said at Prague airport before the delegation boarded their plane.

"Since today all the crossings are closed and it is absolutely necessary that they get fuel, that they get food, that they get water and also hospitals can work," she said.

Schwarzenberg said the EU aims to "open ways for humanitarian aid" and negotiate conditions for a cease-fire.

The military action has sparked protests across Europe. At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI urged Israelis and Palestinians to immediately end the conflict.

France's Foreign Ministry said "this dangerous military escalation" complicates international efforts to get a permanent cease-fire. It also condemned Hamas rocket attacks.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the international community should press for an immediate cease-fire and that the ground offensive marked "a very dangerous moment." Brown said Palestinians urgently need to receive humanitarian aid, and he urged Hamas to end rocket attacks.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier used telephone conversations with his Israeli counterpart and with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to voice his "great concern" over the escalation of fighting in Gaza, his ministry said.

In Cyprus, government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the island could be used as a "bridge" for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. He said Cyprus was in contact with Israel to determine how and when that assistance can be ferried to Gaza.

Turkey also condemned its ally Israel for the ground offensive. A Foreign Ministry statement Sunday urged Israel to immediately end the assault, and appealed to the U.N. Security Council to take steps to end the violence.

EU Development Affairs Commissioner Louis Michel said Sunday that with every passing day, the situation for Gaza's 1.5 million people was becoming more desperate.

"They rely on supplies from outside for their survival." Michel said. "I call on the Israeli authorities to respect their international obligations ... for the delivery of vital relief.


Protests Grow

More protests took hold, both within and beyond Israel's borders.

Christian priests and nuns held a peaceful protest in Bethlehem outside the Church of the Nativity, to protest the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Palestinians in Ramallah and Nablus marched through the streets demanding Israel stop military operations in Gaza, while in Hebron clashes erupted between Palestinian youth and Israeli forces.

Israeli troops shot and killed a 20-year-old Palestinian who was demonstrating against the offensive. The army said troops were quelling a violent demonstration and shot at the man when he tried to climb over Israel's West Bank separation barrier and ignored orders to stop.

In Rabat, Morrocco, police estimated 50,000 people attended a demonstration against the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Protesters emphasized their solidarity with the Palestinians in general and with Gaza residents in particular during Sunday's four-hour march.

In Turkey, thousands of people gathered in one of the Istanbul's main squares to protest the ground offensive. People chanting against Israel in a rally organised by pro-Islamist Virtue Party. Crowd waved Palestinian flags and set Israeli flags ablaze.

Turkey on Sunday condemned Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and warned such action would achieve nothing other than "opening the way to more blood and tears."

In Greece, two demonstrations were held in Athens on Sunday against Israel's offensive in Gaza. One turned violent when protesters smashed windows in several buildings and police fired tear gas and stun grenades.

Police arrested at least two of the rioters, but no injuries were reported.

Several thousand people gathered near the Israeli embassy in Paris on Sunday to support the Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The gathering was organized by the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), an umbrella group of French Jewish organizations.

Demonstrators sang and waved Israeli flags.

[tonyb-d-bing]

IRAN IS TO BLAME FOR GIVING TERRORISTS MISSILES AND WEAPONS!

Stop the evil Hamas and Hizbola terrorists from shooting at Israeli civilians!

Hamas and Hizbola only stands for destruction and murder, and they put their women and children in danger by bringing weapons near them, near schools and near homes,
TO GET THIER OWN PEOPLE AND CHILDREN KILLED FOR THEIR OWN PROPAGANDA!!!

Then they blame the Israelis who have no choice but to knock out the Hamas and Hizbola rockets and weapons!!!

These Hamas and Hizbola devils are getting weapons from the sickos and fascist religious maniacs who run the govt in Iran.

DOWN WITH IRAN!!!

DOWN WITH HIZBOLA!!!

DOWN WITH HAMAS!!!

[claydowner]

If you are oh so concerned about this war then lets all work to end our dependence on OPEC oil. Hamas gets help from Iran from whom we buy oil from. Go buy a 40 MPG car. Join the Pickens energy plan so we can wash our hands of OPEC oil forever.

Why did Hamas not invest its money in schools, roads, hospitals, infrastructure, and small businesses that would create jobs for Palestinians? Instead they chose Qassam rockets with help from Iran to bombard Israeli civilians. Hamas started this whole episode lets see if they have the stomach to see it end over the graves of the Palestinian civilians they are responsible for killing. I hope the Israeli Army tears the guts out of Hamas once and for all. Israel tried to live in peace but instead they got war. Sending rockets into civilian living areas killing women and children is an act of war. Whether you like Israel or not they must defend their families from attack.

There can be no peace in the Middle East until organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas are contained or destroyed. Remember these are the same organizations that encourage their young people to strap on suicide bombs for martyrdom. They are only about themselves exploiting helpless children and families for their own political gain. Lets hope Israel''s soldiers do their duty because they are fighting our fight. God bless them for standing up to these miserable and vile killers.

[dochavoc67]

It always amazes me how some group or country will pick a fight with Israel, vowing to do Allah''s will and destroy the Zionists (remember, Islam is a peaceful religion, right?). When Israel gets tired of having its people killed in terrorist attacks, they go after the responsible parties with a vengance - inevitably kicking a$$ and taking names. When the cowards that picked the fight in the first place get tired of getting stomped, they hide themselves and their weapons amongst innocents and cry ''Foul!'' in the international community. You know what we called chicken-$.h.i.t behavior like that back in the neighborhood? Punk. Giving these scum any more credibility than that word is ridiculous.

Bottom line: if the international community wanted to stop the violence, then they should have gone after Hamas for the missile and mortar attacks that started this whole thing.

[zzy-izzy]

Please lets just give one side the state of Texas and the other side the state of Alaska then the whole world would be happy.

[abrame]

Posted by Abrame at 06:12 AM : Jan 05, 2009
--------

Translation: I''ll say something non sequitur and pretend in means something....and I still won''t admit that the Jews stole Palestine by terrorism.

HAHAHAHAHA!!

Posted by FloydZeppd

(had to edit a mistake I made that reversed a meaning I intended to make )

I don''t much care if the Jews stole a thing, 60 years ago.

I don''t much care about the Korean war, the great drought of the early 50''''s, Joe McCarthy, etc.

There are lessons to be learned but there comes a time to move on.

Arabs and Palestinian terrorists are nut cases to me for choosing to hate Israel more than be good parents and providers and love their children.

Golda Meir was right as far as I am concerned.

I could go one but for me to obsess and hate anything going back that far is ludicrous.

[abrame]

Translation: I''''''''ll say something non sequitur and pretend in means something....and I still won''''''''t admit that the Jews stole Palestine by terrorism.

HAHAHAHAHA!!

Posted by FloydZeppd

FloydZeppd is obsessed that I admit Israel stole Palestine. Amazing. Simply amazing.

[abrame]

Posted by Abrame at 06:12 AM : Jan 05, 2009
--------

Translation: I''''ll say something non sequitur and pretend in means something....and I still won''''t admit that the Jews stole Palestine by terrorism.

HAHAHAHAHA!!

Posted by FloydZeppd

I don''t much care if the Jews stole a thing, 60 years ago.

I don''t much care about the Korean war, the great drought of the early 50''s, Joe McCarthy, etc.

There are lessons to be learned but there comes a time to move on.

Arabs and Palestinian terrorists are nut cases to me for not wanting to hate Israel more than be good parents and providers and love their children.

Golda Meir was right as far as I am concerned.

I could go one but for me to obsess and hate anything going back that far is ludicrous.

[petro49l]

Osama Bin Laden should speak on the Internet during the Jewish offensive. He must condemn the massacres of Arab Children. I thought he championed for oppressed Arabs. He softened his tone with the Israelis. Bin Laden liberalized the agenda for the Knesset.

[kittykatty2]

When is America ever going to call Israeli''s what they truly are? Thugs. And to think my tax dollars are funding their murderous rampages totally incenses me.

[abrame]

. You''''d be proud to be a Palestinian.
Posted by trishab59

Sure, I can just see my self-esteem getting stronger with each terror missile.

[abrame]

Here''s a great CBS article for Palestinians:

Overcoming Unemployment And Mental Illness

Jan. 4, 2009, by Jonathan LaPook

(CBS) While unemployment for the overall population is running at 6.7 percent, for people coping with psychiatric difficulties, it reaches 90 percent. For those struggling with both, there''s a special program that not only dramatically lowers unemployment, but also fosters self-respect, reports CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook...

[grandesign]

In 2006, 31% of the Palestinian children killed were 12 years or younger. 8/ The vast majority of children died as a result of injuries sustained either to the head, chest or to more than one place of their body.
Posted by neoconRcrazy at 05:33 AM : Jan 05, 2009

Did any of those Palestinian children die from suicide vest put on them by their parents? I remember the many pictures of Palestinian five and six year old children, where their parents dressed them up in militant clothes including explosives packed vests. They thought it was their future I guess. Or maybe they thought it was funny, I don''t know. I found it disturbing.

[abrame]

I wonder if Abrame ever looked up Irgun?

Probably not. Didn''''t want to hear about Jew Terrorism that was used to steal Palestine.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Posted by FloydZeppd

Your mind reading is defective, as usual.

[mnbrant]

The problem is land. Not enough to go around. Not enough arable land. people getting shifted off to reservations like the Gaza strip. Unlike the Indians too many Palistinians to go around. Palistinians have no government to help them leading to extremist groups.Hm maybe the Isrealies should offer up some real land in exchange for peace. I hear the settlement villages in Costa Rica are nice. Maybe it doesnt have to be Isreali held land.

[neoconrcrazy]

israel wants an exclusive "right to exist" using the holocaust as their unspoken reference....

what did the palestinians have to do with the holocaust?

israeli existence is not threatened by the palestinians, rather the opposite.

Shalom

[rusure5]

The Israeli Zionists seem to think that they are the only people with an inherent "right to exist", while constantly denying their neighbors this same right, by relentlessly targeting their civilian populations with powerful bombs, claiming the lives of mainly women and children.

[neoconrcrazy]

Is it not AMAZING that our MSM talking insessantly about the thousands of "rockets" hamas fires into israel -

but forgets to mention that israel in 2006-07 alone, fired over 14''000 heavy artillery shells in tiny Gaza?

[wdh3007]

It is clear that the U.S and even Obama himself seems to support Israel''s right to exist during this conflict does anyone still think he should be president?

[neoconrcrazy]

Palestinian Deaths in the Gaza Strip

The vast majority of Palestinian deaths occurred in the Gaza Strip. In 2005, 52% of all fatalities from the Israeli- Palestinian conflict happened there. In 2006 the rate was 78%, and in 2007, 67%. (Similarly in 2005, 58% of deaths from internal violence occurred in Gaza, in 2006, 88% and in 2007, 95% of deaths.) 12/

Palestinians have been killed from Israeli military operations, targeted killings, border incidents, search and arrest operations and undercover operations. However, graphs 4 - 6 show that the circumstances in which deaths occur is different between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Although both areas are subject to Israeli military operations, in the Gaza Strip, targeted killings, incursions and border incident are more prevalent. At least 284 Palestinians have been killed for moving within 150 metres of the perimeter fence with Israel, 117 of them civilians, including 23 children. 13/

During 2006, Israeli Security Forces fired some 14,000 artillery shells into the Gaza Strip which were responsible for killing 59 persons, almost all of them civilians. 14 In November 2006, the Government of Israel placed a moratorium on the use of artillery fire, contributing to a significant reduction of civilian deaths in 2007.

United Nations Office for Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA)

[neoconrcrazy]

Children

A total of 971 children have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian conflict violence, representing 18% of the total number of conflict deaths. Children are protected, in a number of legal instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, against arbitrary loss of life, even in armed conflict.

Of the overall number of children killed, 88% were Palestinian and 12 % were Israeli.The trend of child deaths mirrors the total rate: the number of Israeli children killed has declined markedly while that of Palestinian children remains high.

Palestinian children make up 20% of the total Palestinian deaths while Israeli children represent 12% of total Israeli deaths.

In 2006, 31% of the Palestinian children killed were 12 years or younger. 8/ The vast majority of children died as a result of injuries sustained either to the head, chest or to more than one place of their body.

United Nations Office for Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA)