28 dec 2008
Dec 28: Tonight’s plans 8.05pm.
Al Shifa Hospital
Explosions begin again near to us and Al Shifa hospital here in Gaza city…
The Rafah three are there continuing to document; we have heard that Palestinians have got through the border to Egypt, and it has been confirmed that Egyptian forces are shooting at them. We have heard also that 12 lorries of aid came through into Gaza. F was speculating Palestinians would try to take the wall down again.
Israeli tanks are massing at Rafah and also at Beit Hanoun. EJ and M have gone to our contacts in Beit Hanoun for the night. On the way, they witnessed rocket attacks in the Jabalia region on a car painting factory and a metal factory.
E, V, A and I are hoping to arrange to travel in pairs with two Ramatan vans to whatever happens, for documentation, but also shifting into high visibility as internationals if there is an incursion – could include being with families or riding with ambulances, for example. If there is an incursion into Jabalia (no tanks there yet but it was an entry point in March) then E and I at least will try to reach the family we stayed with last night as their house was occupied in March.
V’s and my blogs were quoted in a national Italian newspaper today, with the result that I had 1,300 hits of my blog today and V had 1,500. But give me a couple more hours and I might beat him Seriously though, as a new blogger I am overwhelmed to be visited by so many Italian comrades – welcome.
My phone is ringing constantly for press interviews. Maybe the world is finally beginning to listen. I hope so, because we are very much afraid things are going to get worse.
Depending on tonight’s events, some of us will take emergency first aid training in Al Shifa hospital early tomorrow in case of further floods of injured folks, and then possibly ride with the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees mobile clinics, which have turned into extra emergency services, if they would like us.
Explosions begin again near to us and Al Shifa hospital here in Gaza city…
The Rafah three are there continuing to document; we have heard that Palestinians have got through the border to Egypt, and it has been confirmed that Egyptian forces are shooting at them. We have heard also that 12 lorries of aid came through into Gaza. F was speculating Palestinians would try to take the wall down again.
Israeli tanks are massing at Rafah and also at Beit Hanoun. EJ and M have gone to our contacts in Beit Hanoun for the night. On the way, they witnessed rocket attacks in the Jabalia region on a car painting factory and a metal factory.
E, V, A and I are hoping to arrange to travel in pairs with two Ramatan vans to whatever happens, for documentation, but also shifting into high visibility as internationals if there is an incursion – could include being with families or riding with ambulances, for example. If there is an incursion into Jabalia (no tanks there yet but it was an entry point in March) then E and I at least will try to reach the family we stayed with last night as their house was occupied in March.
V’s and my blogs were quoted in a national Italian newspaper today, with the result that I had 1,300 hits of my blog today and V had 1,500. But give me a couple more hours and I might beat him Seriously though, as a new blogger I am overwhelmed to be visited by so many Italian comrades – welcome.
My phone is ringing constantly for press interviews. Maybe the world is finally beginning to listen. I hope so, because we are very much afraid things are going to get worse.
Depending on tonight’s events, some of us will take emergency first aid training in Al Shifa hospital early tomorrow in case of further floods of injured folks, and then possibly ride with the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees mobile clinics, which have turned into extra emergency services, if they would like us.
Sleepless in Jabalia
Kids in basement by Eva Bartlett
Sunday December 28, 5.30am, Jabalia
In the basement, the family begins the night at their allotted sleeping spaces, but as the hours pass, draw closer together until women and children are huddled together in a pile of blankets. The women have slept little, and look exhausted. There are 5 or 6 children under the age of 5, touselled hair and solemn faces. The oldest boy’s face is pinched and distorted with anxiety. Explosions are sporadic; sometimes far off, sometimes close.
The drone of Israeli aircraft is constant. Fragments of news come by the phone. Attack beside Al Shifa hospital; windows break onto patients. Security and Protection Forces attacked. Al Aqsa TV channel attacked. Plastic factory attacked. Al Asaraya building. The number of dead increases in small leaps. Multiple reports that Israel is phoning people at home, telling them “any house with weapons in it is a target and should be evacuated.” And the usual calls about “return Gilad Shalit and everything will be just fine”; as if any of these civilians know the first thing about his detention. If they answer “we don’t have any weapons in our house and we don’t have Gilad Shalit either,” will Israel just bomb the next door neighbours instead?
At 4.30am – deafening bang, flare of fire, some of the windows break, the children shriek and each mother grabs her child. One of the young women was on the basement stairs, and she is carried in, sallow with shock and fear, to be cradled by one of the older women. I give her honey sweets, since the more desirable sugary tea appears beyond anyone’s capacity to produce right now, perhaps there is nothing even to heat water with. We cautiously venture up the stairs; an unfeasibly large crater has appeared beside us, courtesy of an F16. Olive trees are the only casualties, but this is a little field in amongst residential houses. There is nothing here that even Israel, whose definition we are learning is broad, could begin to describe as a legitimate target.
Sunday December 28, 5.30am, Jabalia
In the basement, the family begins the night at their allotted sleeping spaces, but as the hours pass, draw closer together until women and children are huddled together in a pile of blankets. The women have slept little, and look exhausted. There are 5 or 6 children under the age of 5, touselled hair and solemn faces. The oldest boy’s face is pinched and distorted with anxiety. Explosions are sporadic; sometimes far off, sometimes close.
The drone of Israeli aircraft is constant. Fragments of news come by the phone. Attack beside Al Shifa hospital; windows break onto patients. Security and Protection Forces attacked. Al Aqsa TV channel attacked. Plastic factory attacked. Al Asaraya building. The number of dead increases in small leaps. Multiple reports that Israel is phoning people at home, telling them “any house with weapons in it is a target and should be evacuated.” And the usual calls about “return Gilad Shalit and everything will be just fine”; as if any of these civilians know the first thing about his detention. If they answer “we don’t have any weapons in our house and we don’t have Gilad Shalit either,” will Israel just bomb the next door neighbours instead?
At 4.30am – deafening bang, flare of fire, some of the windows break, the children shriek and each mother grabs her child. One of the young women was on the basement stairs, and she is carried in, sallow with shock and fear, to be cradled by one of the older women. I give her honey sweets, since the more desirable sugary tea appears beyond anyone’s capacity to produce right now, perhaps there is nothing even to heat water with. We cautiously venture up the stairs; an unfeasibly large crater has appeared beside us, courtesy of an F16. Olive trees are the only casualties, but this is a little field in amongst residential houses. There is nothing here that even Israel, whose definition we are learning is broad, could begin to describe as a legitimate target.
Crater from house balcony
“Where is grandma?”, asks one of the little girls. Grandma represents sweets and other good things, which would be pretty welcome right now. “Grandma is in paradise,” is the weary answer. This past morning no-one could find any bread in the nearby shops. Sara set off determined to track some down to feed the grandchildren. |
The first sweep of attacks at 11am caught her in the street, and left her covered in dust, dead from shrapnel. E knew her, was a friend of her son (who himself has lost both his legs) and of her daughter-in-law who feeds her small boy under the blankets beside me. So we came to pay our respects, but fearing an Israeli army incursion as happened to them before, the family asked us to stay. Sara’s teenage daughter is helping care for the children, but when things are quiet her face drifts into blankness.
In that first sweep of attacks, in about 10 minutes, 205 people were killed and about 750 injured. Most government buildings and other social infrastructure were destroyed. 80 Israeli planes and helicopters were involved in the attack and over 100 bombs were dropped. So before this night began, the hospitals and mortuaries were full, the staff overwhelmed, the medical supplies exhausted. It will be dawn soon and it is hard to imagine what we will find with the daylight.
In that first sweep of attacks, in about 10 minutes, 205 people were killed and about 750 injured. Most government buildings and other social infrastructure were destroyed. 80 Israeli planes and helicopters were involved in the attack and over 100 bombs were dropped. So before this night began, the hospitals and mortuaries were full, the staff overwhelmed, the medical supplies exhausted. It will be dawn soon and it is hard to imagine what we will find with the daylight.
GAZA: 28 December
More than 60 civilians have died in the Israeli strikes, the UN says
We are working round the clock now to try and get as much medical aid to the hospitals.
As the bombing continues, the hospitals are reaching breaking point. We are doing our best to source the aid needed from local suppliers and our existing stocks. We have enough at the moment but the way things are going we need to start getting aid in from outside Gaza as stocks will be running out very soon. The hospitals were already low on supplies before this crisis - they can barely cope now.
Yesterday we delivered five trucks of aid to the ministry of health in Gaza - they then distributed this to five hospitals. The hospitals seem to be the focus of the aid effort at the moment.
We just met the UN and other aid agencies to help co-ordinate the aid effort and make sure there is no duplication.
I can't bear to think what will happen if the bombing continues. There are not enough beds in the hospitals and they are severely short of equipment, including x-ray machines.
But as we go out and asses the damage, we can see other needs. There is a shortage of food and flour and people are rushing to the bakeries but there's not enough bread.
I can't imagine the fuel lasting much longer. Due to the bombings, people are staying in their homes - they are too frightened to venture out. Aid workers are not exempt - the fact that nobody knows when the next bomb will fall makes our job very dangerous.
The shops are closed and so getting food is not easy. Trying to live in electricity blackouts is difficult - so working becomes that much harder.
Soon we will be distributing food as this is going to be an urgent need in the coming days if the bombing doesn't stop. That's our plan but we are now working to make sure we can source what is needed.
Every day is bringing fresh challenges and we have to find ways of dealing with them. The lack of supplies in hospitals, the food shortage and of course the fear that stalks the streets - I only hope and pray that tomorrow is different.
We are working round the clock now to try and get as much medical aid to the hospitals.
As the bombing continues, the hospitals are reaching breaking point. We are doing our best to source the aid needed from local suppliers and our existing stocks. We have enough at the moment but the way things are going we need to start getting aid in from outside Gaza as stocks will be running out very soon. The hospitals were already low on supplies before this crisis - they can barely cope now.
Yesterday we delivered five trucks of aid to the ministry of health in Gaza - they then distributed this to five hospitals. The hospitals seem to be the focus of the aid effort at the moment.
We just met the UN and other aid agencies to help co-ordinate the aid effort and make sure there is no duplication.
I can't bear to think what will happen if the bombing continues. There are not enough beds in the hospitals and they are severely short of equipment, including x-ray machines.
But as we go out and asses the damage, we can see other needs. There is a shortage of food and flour and people are rushing to the bakeries but there's not enough bread.
I can't imagine the fuel lasting much longer. Due to the bombings, people are staying in their homes - they are too frightened to venture out. Aid workers are not exempt - the fact that nobody knows when the next bomb will fall makes our job very dangerous.
The shops are closed and so getting food is not easy. Trying to live in electricity blackouts is difficult - so working becomes that much harder.
Soon we will be distributing food as this is going to be an urgent need in the coming days if the bombing doesn't stop. That's our plan but we are now working to make sure we can source what is needed.
Every day is bringing fresh challenges and we have to find ways of dealing with them. The lack of supplies in hospitals, the food shortage and of course the fear that stalks the streets - I only hope and pray that tomorrow is different.
Meshaal says Hamas is open to reconciliation with Abbas
Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, has called for Palestinians to wage a new intifada against Israel, including a return to suicide missions.
In an interview on Al Jazeera, Meshaal said: "We called for a military intifada against the enemy. Resistance will continue through suicide missions."
Meshaal's call came after Israel hammered Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 220 people in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.
Meshaal said Hamas had accepted "all the peaceful options, but without results."
He said that for there to be any talks with the people of Gaza, "the blockade must be lifted and the crossings [from Israel] opened ... notably that in Rafah," which leads to Egypt.
Meshaal was referring to a blockade imposed on Gaza after Hamas full seized control of the overcrowded, impoverished strip from forces loyal to moderate Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007.
The Hamas leader, who live in exile in Syria, said he was open to reconciliation with Abbas, but demanded that the Palestinian president cease negotiations with Israel.
"Neither rockets nor suicide operations are absurd, but negotiations are," he said.
Hamas has not carried out a suicide attack on Israel since January 2005.
The first intifada, or uprising, broke out in 1988, and was followed by the 1993 Oslo peace accords, which led to a certain degree of Palestinian autonomy with the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
A second intifada broke out in 2000 and eventually ran out of steam three years later.
Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, has called for Palestinians to wage a new intifada against Israel, including a return to suicide missions.
In an interview on Al Jazeera, Meshaal said: "We called for a military intifada against the enemy. Resistance will continue through suicide missions."
Meshaal's call came after Israel hammered Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 220 people in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.
Meshaal said Hamas had accepted "all the peaceful options, but without results."
He said that for there to be any talks with the people of Gaza, "the blockade must be lifted and the crossings [from Israel] opened ... notably that in Rafah," which leads to Egypt.
Meshaal was referring to a blockade imposed on Gaza after Hamas full seized control of the overcrowded, impoverished strip from forces loyal to moderate Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007.
The Hamas leader, who live in exile in Syria, said he was open to reconciliation with Abbas, but demanded that the Palestinian president cease negotiations with Israel.
"Neither rockets nor suicide operations are absurd, but negotiations are," he said.
Hamas has not carried out a suicide attack on Israel since January 2005.
The first intifada, or uprising, broke out in 1988, and was followed by the 1993 Oslo peace accords, which led to a certain degree of Palestinian autonomy with the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
A second intifada broke out in 2000 and eventually ran out of steam three years later.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Saturday
Three more Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip late on Saturday night.
An Israeli airstrike targeted the men east of Gaza City, where they were apparently launching an operation against an Israeli target.
The three dead were reportedly fighters for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of Islamic Hamas.
Three more Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip late on Saturday night.
An Israeli airstrike targeted the men east of Gaza City, where they were apparently launching an operation against an Israeli target.
The three dead were reportedly fighters for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of Islamic Hamas.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
Seven Palestinians were injured in Israeli shelling near a mosque in Gaza City late on Saturday night.
Seven Palestinians were injured in Israeli shelling near a mosque in Gaza City late on Saturday night.
Israeli fighter jet launches strike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
Israeli airstrikes continued on Gaza throughout Saturday night and into Sunday afternoon. The death toll of the attacks rose to 292, with more than 1,000 injured, 180 of them seriously.
Israel began attacks on Gaza at 11:30 Saturday, ostensibly to root out Palestinian military groups launching rockets at Israeli targets.
Two massive waves of strikes kicked off the operation, known as Operation Cast Lead, and strikes have continued throughout the night and early morning.
The death toll rises with each strike, and as more bodies are pulled out of Saturday's rubble. A timeline of the latest is as follows:
17:30 Hundreds of Gaza residents climb border walls toward Egypt; Egyptian border police use force to prevent entry
17:30 Two dead, 22 injured in Israeli airstrike on Rafah tunnels
14:30 Israeli airstrikes over Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza
13:45 Israeli airstrike hits near school in Az-Zaitoun neighborhood in Gaza City
12:00 Israeli forces launch fresh raids against governmental compound known as "As-Saraya," killing one child and injuring several others
11:45 Israeli bombs target city council offices in Beit Hanoun; several injured
11:00 Israel bombs temporary headquarters of Rafah governorate, injuring several Palestinians; original building destroyed in Saturday's attacks
10:30 Israeli jets target jeep in Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, killing one child; second strike hits Jabalia but no casualties reported
10:00 Three killed after Israeli forces bombard police station in Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City; three homes destroyed in Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood
08:00 Israeli raid targets two de facto government police buildings in evacuated Israeli settlement of Kfar Darum, Al-Matahin
07:30 Al-Qarara greenhouses obliterated in strike in southern Gaza, killing one civilian identified as Nabil Abu Tu'eima
07:15 Bombs hit Shuja'iyya neighborhood in Gaza City, another hits military base called "Sa'd Sayil" in Rafah; Dozens injured
06:45 Israeli bombs land on Gaza City's Shuja'iyya neighborhood, where police center destroyed, several injured
06:30 Airstrike on on a medical storehouse in Al-Junayna neighborhood, another on fuel storehouse in Tal As-Sultan, both in Rafah; three killed
01:00 Israeli fighter jets bombard security room facing Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City; jets hit a mosque in the compound, killing two and injuring seven
00:00 Three Palestinian fighters killed when Israeli strike hits Al-Mansura area, east of Gaza City
23:50 Israeli forces launch airstrikes on Khan Younis Strip, several other northern targets
23:30 Three Al-Qassam Brigades fighters killed when Israeli airstrike hits Al-Mansura neighborhood, east of Gaza City
22:15 Two airstrikes kill three, injure four in Zaitoun neighborhood, Gaza City and Jabalia, northern Gaza
Director of Ambulance and Emergency Services in the de facto Palestinian Ministry of Health Muawiya Hassanein explained that despite media reports to the contrary, a large number of the casualties are civilians, including women and children.
Saturday's attacks
Two massive waves of airstrikes dropped 100 bombs on Gaza at 11:30 and a second at approximately 2pm. Smaller strikes hit northern Gaza at 5:30 and 8pm.
Israeli strikes targeted de facto government buildings; one Hamas source told Ma'an "every de facto security building was targeted." Confirmed casualties include Commander of the de facto Government Police Tawfiq Jabir, Governor of the Al-Wusta (central) Districts Ahmad Abu Aashur and Commander of Security and Protection Services in the de facto government police Ismail Al-Ja'bari.
Islam Shahwan, a Hamas police spokesman, said that the attacks destroyed most of the police headquarters in the Gaza Strip and that a police graduation ceremony was being held during the assault.
Saturday afternoon Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared the 20 square kilometers of Gaza a "special military zone." The classification is one degree below a declaration of total war against an enemy state.
Palestinian response
In Gaza military wings launched homemade projectiles and shells at Israeli targets, killing one man in the western Negev on Saturday afternoon. The launches continued throughout the evening, though no other Israeli damages or casualties were reported.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem demonstrations broke out against the Israeli violence, and clashes erupted in the streets of Jerusalem neighborhoods and in Hebron, where Israeli troops are present.
Israeli airstrikes continued on Gaza throughout Saturday night and into Sunday afternoon. The death toll of the attacks rose to 292, with more than 1,000 injured, 180 of them seriously.
Israel began attacks on Gaza at 11:30 Saturday, ostensibly to root out Palestinian military groups launching rockets at Israeli targets.
Two massive waves of strikes kicked off the operation, known as Operation Cast Lead, and strikes have continued throughout the night and early morning.
The death toll rises with each strike, and as more bodies are pulled out of Saturday's rubble. A timeline of the latest is as follows:
17:30 Hundreds of Gaza residents climb border walls toward Egypt; Egyptian border police use force to prevent entry
17:30 Two dead, 22 injured in Israeli airstrike on Rafah tunnels
14:30 Israeli airstrikes over Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza
13:45 Israeli airstrike hits near school in Az-Zaitoun neighborhood in Gaza City
12:00 Israeli forces launch fresh raids against governmental compound known as "As-Saraya," killing one child and injuring several others
11:45 Israeli bombs target city council offices in Beit Hanoun; several injured
11:00 Israel bombs temporary headquarters of Rafah governorate, injuring several Palestinians; original building destroyed in Saturday's attacks
10:30 Israeli jets target jeep in Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, killing one child; second strike hits Jabalia but no casualties reported
10:00 Three killed after Israeli forces bombard police station in Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City; three homes destroyed in Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood
08:00 Israeli raid targets two de facto government police buildings in evacuated Israeli settlement of Kfar Darum, Al-Matahin
07:30 Al-Qarara greenhouses obliterated in strike in southern Gaza, killing one civilian identified as Nabil Abu Tu'eima
07:15 Bombs hit Shuja'iyya neighborhood in Gaza City, another hits military base called "Sa'd Sayil" in Rafah; Dozens injured
06:45 Israeli bombs land on Gaza City's Shuja'iyya neighborhood, where police center destroyed, several injured
06:30 Airstrike on on a medical storehouse in Al-Junayna neighborhood, another on fuel storehouse in Tal As-Sultan, both in Rafah; three killed
01:00 Israeli fighter jets bombard security room facing Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City; jets hit a mosque in the compound, killing two and injuring seven
00:00 Three Palestinian fighters killed when Israeli strike hits Al-Mansura area, east of Gaza City
23:50 Israeli forces launch airstrikes on Khan Younis Strip, several other northern targets
23:30 Three Al-Qassam Brigades fighters killed when Israeli airstrike hits Al-Mansura neighborhood, east of Gaza City
22:15 Two airstrikes kill three, injure four in Zaitoun neighborhood, Gaza City and Jabalia, northern Gaza
Director of Ambulance and Emergency Services in the de facto Palestinian Ministry of Health Muawiya Hassanein explained that despite media reports to the contrary, a large number of the casualties are civilians, including women and children.
Saturday's attacks
Two massive waves of airstrikes dropped 100 bombs on Gaza at 11:30 and a second at approximately 2pm. Smaller strikes hit northern Gaza at 5:30 and 8pm.
Israeli strikes targeted de facto government buildings; one Hamas source told Ma'an "every de facto security building was targeted." Confirmed casualties include Commander of the de facto Government Police Tawfiq Jabir, Governor of the Al-Wusta (central) Districts Ahmad Abu Aashur and Commander of Security and Protection Services in the de facto government police Ismail Al-Ja'bari.
Islam Shahwan, a Hamas police spokesman, said that the attacks destroyed most of the police headquarters in the Gaza Strip and that a police graduation ceremony was being held during the assault.
Saturday afternoon Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared the 20 square kilometers of Gaza a "special military zone." The classification is one degree below a declaration of total war against an enemy state.
Palestinian response
In Gaza military wings launched homemade projectiles and shells at Israeli targets, killing one man in the western Negev on Saturday afternoon. The launches continued throughout the evening, though no other Israeli damages or casualties were reported.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem demonstrations broke out against the Israeli violence, and clashes erupted in the streets of Jerusalem neighborhoods and in Hebron, where Israeli troops are present.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
The military wing affiliated to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the National Resistance Brigades, fired two homemade projectiles at Israel's Sufa military post near the southern Gaza Strip.
The group said in a statement that the shelling came as part of the ongoing retaliation for the Israeli "massacre" in the Gaza Strip.
The military wing affiliated to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the National Resistance Brigades, fired two homemade projectiles at Israel's Sufa military post near the southern Gaza Strip.
The group said in a statement that the shelling came as part of the ongoing retaliation for the Israeli "massacre" in the Gaza Strip.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
After consultations with several interested parties Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave orders to keep all the Gaza Strip crossings closed Sunday.
Some aid was permitted to enter the Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing, though there has been no indication as to how much went through.
After consultations with several interested parties Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave orders to keep all the Gaza Strip crossings closed Sunday.
Some aid was permitted to enter the Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing, though there has been no indication as to how much went through.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Saturday
Israeli forces called to Gazan families through loudspeakers demanding that they evacuate their homes before intense Israeli shelling began in the northern Gaza Strip.
As the Abu Sultan family in the Jabalia refugee camp prepared their belongings Israeli fire rained down on their home killing several family members and injuring others.
Witnesses of the massacres on Saturday decided to challenge the Israeli order to evacuate and gathered in areas under attack to sit on roofs with families whose homes face imminent destruction.
Despite cold weather and Israeli warplanes flying overhead small crowds could be seen on rooftops across the northern Gaza Strip area. One home with large numbers of Gazans on its concrete roof was that of the de facto government Minister of Communication Yousif Al-Mansi. Citizens stayed on the roof until early morning.
Israeli forces gave no warning to the injured and homeless who sought refuge in the Al-Burno Mosque in the Ash-Shifa medical compound, which was bombed without notification overnight.
On Sunday the streets and squares of the Gaza Strip are empty as a state of fear and sadness overwhelms people who now preferr to stay at home.
Israeli forces called to Gazan families through loudspeakers demanding that they evacuate their homes before intense Israeli shelling began in the northern Gaza Strip.
As the Abu Sultan family in the Jabalia refugee camp prepared their belongings Israeli fire rained down on their home killing several family members and injuring others.
Witnesses of the massacres on Saturday decided to challenge the Israeli order to evacuate and gathered in areas under attack to sit on roofs with families whose homes face imminent destruction.
Despite cold weather and Israeli warplanes flying overhead small crowds could be seen on rooftops across the northern Gaza Strip area. One home with large numbers of Gazans on its concrete roof was that of the de facto government Minister of Communication Yousif Al-Mansi. Citizens stayed on the roof until early morning.
Israeli forces gave no warning to the injured and homeless who sought refuge in the Al-Burno Mosque in the Ash-Shifa medical compound, which was bombed without notification overnight.
On Sunday the streets and squares of the Gaza Strip are empty as a state of fear and sadness overwhelms people who now preferr to stay at home.
Qassam rocket fired from Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip
Palestinian armed groups stepped up rhetoric and retaliatory operations on Sunday, launching dozens of projectiles at Israeli targets following a day of airstrikes that killed nearly 300 Palestinians.
Fatah's militant wing announced that it plans to resume "martyrdom" operations inside Israeli cities and has also threatened to target and destroy Israeli military and security establishments. It also called a state of alert in order to retaliate for Israeli attacks in Gaza.
"The Israelis can choose either to depart or to die on this holy land," a Sunday statement from the Al-Aqsa Brigades said.
Israeli sources said two of the projectiles fired Sunday were Katyusha rockets, a departure from the standard homemade projectiles usually launched. The rockets landed in the northern Negev city of Ashdod.
Israeli authorities said that no other projectiles had ever reached that far into Israel. The two rockets exploded near Ashdod, which is more than 30 kilometers from Gaza, without causing injuries or damage, according to Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.
Israeli sources said 60 projectiles landed in Israeli towns since the country began its military operation on Saturday. They reported eight Israelis were injured when a projectile landed near the city of Ashkelon.
The following armed groups have claimed responsibility for projectile launches on Sunday:
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)'s armed wing claimed responsibility for firing five homemade projectiles on the nearby Western Negev and southern Israeli town of Ashkelon.
Al-Aqsa Brigades
The armed wing of Fatah claimed responsibility for firing two homemade projectiles on Sderot and Ashkelon on Sunday, according to a statement. "This shelling came in retaliation to the ongoing holocaust in Gaza, which claimed the life of hundreds," the statement said.
Al-Qassam Brigades
The militant wing of Hamas claimed to have launched two homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Nir Oz, two Grad missiles at Ashdod and a homemade projectile at Ami Ayalon.
Al-Quds Brigades
Islamic Jihad's militant wing said their fighters launched two homemade projectiles at Ashkelon.
An-Nasser Salah Ad-Din Brigades
The militant wing affiliated with the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) fired an unknown number of projectiles at Israel's Zekeim military post and three others at Sderot.
National Resistance Brigades
The militant wing affiliated to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said it fired four homemade projectiles at Israel's Sufa military post near the southern Gaza Strip. The group said in a statement that the shelling came as part of ongoing retaliation for the Israeli "massacre" in the Gaza Strip.
"Hizbullah Brigades"
Another group calling itself the Hizbullah Brigades claimed to have launched three projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot on Sunday.
On Saturday, one Israeli was killed and six others were injured by projectiles.
According to Israel's Army Radio, towns bordering the Gaza Strip are "living in a state of worry" and radio reports have told citizens to expect as many as 200 projectiles to be launched from the Gaza Strip as Israel carries out its operation there.
Palestinian armed groups stepped up rhetoric and retaliatory operations on Sunday, launching dozens of projectiles at Israeli targets following a day of airstrikes that killed nearly 300 Palestinians.
Fatah's militant wing announced that it plans to resume "martyrdom" operations inside Israeli cities and has also threatened to target and destroy Israeli military and security establishments. It also called a state of alert in order to retaliate for Israeli attacks in Gaza.
"The Israelis can choose either to depart or to die on this holy land," a Sunday statement from the Al-Aqsa Brigades said.
Israeli sources said two of the projectiles fired Sunday were Katyusha rockets, a departure from the standard homemade projectiles usually launched. The rockets landed in the northern Negev city of Ashdod.
Israeli authorities said that no other projectiles had ever reached that far into Israel. The two rockets exploded near Ashdod, which is more than 30 kilometers from Gaza, without causing injuries or damage, according to Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.
Israeli sources said 60 projectiles landed in Israeli towns since the country began its military operation on Saturday. They reported eight Israelis were injured when a projectile landed near the city of Ashkelon.
The following armed groups have claimed responsibility for projectile launches on Sunday:
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)'s armed wing claimed responsibility for firing five homemade projectiles on the nearby Western Negev and southern Israeli town of Ashkelon.
Al-Aqsa Brigades
The armed wing of Fatah claimed responsibility for firing two homemade projectiles on Sderot and Ashkelon on Sunday, according to a statement. "This shelling came in retaliation to the ongoing holocaust in Gaza, which claimed the life of hundreds," the statement said.
Al-Qassam Brigades
The militant wing of Hamas claimed to have launched two homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Nir Oz, two Grad missiles at Ashdod and a homemade projectile at Ami Ayalon.
Al-Quds Brigades
Islamic Jihad's militant wing said their fighters launched two homemade projectiles at Ashkelon.
An-Nasser Salah Ad-Din Brigades
The militant wing affiliated with the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) fired an unknown number of projectiles at Israel's Zekeim military post and three others at Sderot.
National Resistance Brigades
The militant wing affiliated to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) said it fired four homemade projectiles at Israel's Sufa military post near the southern Gaza Strip. The group said in a statement that the shelling came as part of ongoing retaliation for the Israeli "massacre" in the Gaza Strip.
"Hizbullah Brigades"
Another group calling itself the Hizbullah Brigades claimed to have launched three projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot on Sunday.
On Saturday, one Israeli was killed and six others were injured by projectiles.
According to Israel's Army Radio, towns bordering the Gaza Strip are "living in a state of worry" and radio reports have told citizens to expect as many as 200 projectiles to be launched from the Gaza Strip as Israel carries out its operation there.
Nablus rally, December
Rallies calling for an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza began around the world Saturday as citizens took to the streets in Tel Aviv, London, Paris and Toronto.
French citizens called for a rally as the first Israeli bombs hit Gaza buildings Saturday. Organizers called the Israeli decision to bombard Gaza one parallel to the American decision to invade Iraq in 2003. The Israeli government is reversing the roles, said the call to action, they are calling the invasion a legitimate defense, they are "perverting reality and passing the aggressor for the victim."
"Ca SUFFIT!!" was the call that brought 5,000 protesters to Paris streets demanding a halt to Israeli violence.
In Tel Aviv a "near spontaneous protest against the bloodbath on Gaza" saw more than 1,000 march through the streets. Protesters reported being harassed by mounted Israeli police as they walked towards the gates of the Ministry of Defense where outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was holding his press conference.
On Sunday and Monday in London protesters will gather opposite the Israeli Embassy on Kensington High Street. Rally organizers say the western world "including the British government" have supported the Israeli siege on Gaza.
"They have stood by while the people have been reduced to beggars dependent upon food aid, aid which has been consistently denied to them by Israel's siege, resulting in malnutrition, trauma and deaths from medical neglect."
Organizers are calling for the British government to "condemn outright the current assault on Gaza, and immediately demand that the UN takes steps to end the siege with the restoration of full freedom of the borders of Gaza."
In Toronto at 2pm Sunday protesters will gather outside the Israeli Consulate on 180 Bloor Street West in order to express their "outrage at the latest massacre of Palestinians."
Like their British counterparts Canadians are calling for their government to stop supporting Israel's "policy of aggression and siege aimed at Gaza" as well as the apartheid régime in the West Bank.
The Canadian protesters have decried their government for being the first to support the international siege on Gaza and are demanding swift action.
Rallies calling for an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza began around the world Saturday as citizens took to the streets in Tel Aviv, London, Paris and Toronto.
French citizens called for a rally as the first Israeli bombs hit Gaza buildings Saturday. Organizers called the Israeli decision to bombard Gaza one parallel to the American decision to invade Iraq in 2003. The Israeli government is reversing the roles, said the call to action, they are calling the invasion a legitimate defense, they are "perverting reality and passing the aggressor for the victim."
"Ca SUFFIT!!" was the call that brought 5,000 protesters to Paris streets demanding a halt to Israeli violence.
In Tel Aviv a "near spontaneous protest against the bloodbath on Gaza" saw more than 1,000 march through the streets. Protesters reported being harassed by mounted Israeli police as they walked towards the gates of the Ministry of Defense where outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was holding his press conference.
On Sunday and Monday in London protesters will gather opposite the Israeli Embassy on Kensington High Street. Rally organizers say the western world "including the British government" have supported the Israeli siege on Gaza.
"They have stood by while the people have been reduced to beggars dependent upon food aid, aid which has been consistently denied to them by Israel's siege, resulting in malnutrition, trauma and deaths from medical neglect."
Organizers are calling for the British government to "condemn outright the current assault on Gaza, and immediately demand that the UN takes steps to end the siege with the restoration of full freedom of the borders of Gaza."
In Toronto at 2pm Sunday protesters will gather outside the Israeli Consulate on 180 Bloor Street West in order to express their "outrage at the latest massacre of Palestinians."
Like their British counterparts Canadians are calling for their government to stop supporting Israel's "policy of aggression and siege aimed at Gaza" as well as the apartheid régime in the West Bank.
The Canadian protesters have decried their government for being the first to support the international siege on Gaza and are demanding swift action.
Gaza hospital near Khan Younis Refugee Camp
The Ministry of Health of the Caretaker government in Ramallah sent four truckloads of medical equipment to the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Reports of dire conditions in Gaza hospitals were compounded after Israeli airstrikes hit medical supply warehouses and the Ash-Shifa hospital compound Saturday night.
Caretaker Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli called the Israeli attacks "barbarian" and noted that the "ministry is sending this aid to our people in the Gaza Strip to help them treat the large numbers of injuries caused by Israeli aggression."
The minister also highlighted that his ministry tried repeatedly to send medical aid to Gaza, but the Israelis continuously prevented its passage. He called on the international community to ensure that aid is able to get through to Gaza.
Israeli authorities have refused entry to multiple aid trucks, saying that UN trucks must be used to carry the aid.
The Ministry of Health of the Caretaker government in Ramallah sent four truckloads of medical equipment to the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Reports of dire conditions in Gaza hospitals were compounded after Israeli airstrikes hit medical supply warehouses and the Ash-Shifa hospital compound Saturday night.
Caretaker Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli called the Israeli attacks "barbarian" and noted that the "ministry is sending this aid to our people in the Gaza Strip to help them treat the large numbers of injuries caused by Israeli aggression."
The minister also highlighted that his ministry tried repeatedly to send medical aid to Gaza, but the Israelis continuously prevented its passage. He called on the international community to ensure that aid is able to get through to Gaza.
Israeli authorities have refused entry to multiple aid trucks, saying that UN trucks must be used to carry the aid.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
The West Bank Fatah movement accused the de facto government in the Gaza Strip of refusing to release 51 Fatah-affiliated prisoners held in the As-Saraya security compound, bombed by Israeli warplanes Sunday morning.
Families of the prisoners killed in the bombing said "Hamas militants insisted on preventing prisoners from leaving the compound at gunpoint and even gathered all prisoners in one room to be an easy target."
Several prison wardens were also injured.
Fatah spokesperson Ahmad Abd Ar-Rahman called on Hamas to release all political prisoners immediately. He said held Hamas responsible for the death of dozens of Fatah activists detained at the Al-Mashtal and As-Saraya compounds, saying they should have been set free to find shelter and safety.
Abd Ar-Rahman also called on Hamas to allow prisoners who survived the shelling to go free, adding that since the shelling did not discriminate between Palestinians neither should Hamas.
Commenting on the incident at As-Saraya compound, Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said that the International Red Cross informed the de facto government that the compound would not be bombarded. He expressed sadness over the deaths of the prisoners, and noted that Hamas-affiliated wardens were also killed in the attack.
Responding to Barhoum's claims, the Palestinian caretaker Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs contacted a spokesperson for the Red Cross, Iyad Nasr, who confirmed that the Red Cross did not tell Hamas that Israel was not planning to bombard As-Saraya.
He emphasized that the Red Cross exerted pressure on Hamas to release prisoners or provide shelter for them in another area, especially considering that all their prisoners were gathered in one room.
Hamas did not respond to Red Cross pressure, Nasr said.
Furthermore, the Red Cross contacted Israel asking them to avoid shelling As-Saraya, but the army refused, he added.
Hamas was informed of Israel's position, the spokesperson claimed.
The West Bank Fatah movement accused the de facto government in the Gaza Strip of refusing to release 51 Fatah-affiliated prisoners held in the As-Saraya security compound, bombed by Israeli warplanes Sunday morning.
Families of the prisoners killed in the bombing said "Hamas militants insisted on preventing prisoners from leaving the compound at gunpoint and even gathered all prisoners in one room to be an easy target."
Several prison wardens were also injured.
Fatah spokesperson Ahmad Abd Ar-Rahman called on Hamas to release all political prisoners immediately. He said held Hamas responsible for the death of dozens of Fatah activists detained at the Al-Mashtal and As-Saraya compounds, saying they should have been set free to find shelter and safety.
Abd Ar-Rahman also called on Hamas to allow prisoners who survived the shelling to go free, adding that since the shelling did not discriminate between Palestinians neither should Hamas.
Commenting on the incident at As-Saraya compound, Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said that the International Red Cross informed the de facto government that the compound would not be bombarded. He expressed sadness over the deaths of the prisoners, and noted that Hamas-affiliated wardens were also killed in the attack.
Responding to Barhoum's claims, the Palestinian caretaker Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs contacted a spokesperson for the Red Cross, Iyad Nasr, who confirmed that the Red Cross did not tell Hamas that Israel was not planning to bombard As-Saraya.
He emphasized that the Red Cross exerted pressure on Hamas to release prisoners or provide shelter for them in another area, especially considering that all their prisoners were gathered in one room.
Hamas did not respond to Red Cross pressure, Nasr said.
Furthermore, the Red Cross contacted Israel asking them to avoid shelling As-Saraya, but the army refused, he added.
Hamas was informed of Israel's position, the spokesperson claimed.
Israeli soldiers in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv
Thousands of Israeli reservists were recalled to duty one day following the deadliest attack on a Palestinian target since Israel first began its occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
The Israeli army called some 6,500 reservists at the request of the Israeli Cabinet, which approved a proposal sought by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
In preparation for a possible ground invasion, hundreds of other infantry and armored corps soldiers were called to the Gaza Strip border early on Sunday.
Israel's air force launched a barrage of strikes against Palestinian targets in Gaza on Saturday, killing nearly 300 people and injuring close to 1,000, the deadliest day for Palestinians since the Gaza Strip was occupied in 1967.
On Sunday, the air force fired missiles at a mosque and television station, killing three and injuring seven.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Barak ordered the Rafah crossing into Gaza partially opened to allow in medical supplies and basic humanitarian aid.
One day before, Egypt's Sinai governor made the unilateral decision to open the crossing for the transfer of wounded Palestinians to Egyptian hospitals, although shelling in Rafah prevented the transfer of any patients by Saturday night.
Israel is calling the assault "Operation Cast Lead," purportedly intended to root out Palestinian projectile launchers, who have fired dozens of homemade-and largely ineffective-rockets toward Israeli targets in southern Israel.
However, for the first time in months one Israeli and six others were injured during a retaliatory firing on Saturday.
Thousands of Israeli reservists were recalled to duty one day following the deadliest attack on a Palestinian target since Israel first began its occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
The Israeli army called some 6,500 reservists at the request of the Israeli Cabinet, which approved a proposal sought by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
In preparation for a possible ground invasion, hundreds of other infantry and armored corps soldiers were called to the Gaza Strip border early on Sunday.
Israel's air force launched a barrage of strikes against Palestinian targets in Gaza on Saturday, killing nearly 300 people and injuring close to 1,000, the deadliest day for Palestinians since the Gaza Strip was occupied in 1967.
On Sunday, the air force fired missiles at a mosque and television station, killing three and injuring seven.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Barak ordered the Rafah crossing into Gaza partially opened to allow in medical supplies and basic humanitarian aid.
One day before, Egypt's Sinai governor made the unilateral decision to open the crossing for the transfer of wounded Palestinians to Egyptian hospitals, although shelling in Rafah prevented the transfer of any patients by Saturday night.
Israel is calling the assault "Operation Cast Lead," purportedly intended to root out Palestinian projectile launchers, who have fired dozens of homemade-and largely ineffective-rockets toward Israeli targets in southern Israel.
However, for the first time in months one Israeli and six others were injured during a retaliatory firing on Saturday.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon Abbas Zaki denounced the Israeli attacks on Gaza in a Television interview Sunday.
Zaki described the attacks as barbaric war crimes and refused to hold Hamas responsible for what is happening in the area. If the party can respond it must do so now, he said, but if they can't they must stop now and save lives.
He reminded the audience that those being killed by Israeli bombs are not just Hamas members, but are from all parties as well as women and children.
Zaki called on all factions to band together and study the best way to respond, and to establish a joint operations room so operations could bear fruit and steer away from random acts.
Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon Abbas Zaki denounced the Israeli attacks on Gaza in a Television interview Sunday.
Zaki described the attacks as barbaric war crimes and refused to hold Hamas responsible for what is happening in the area. If the party can respond it must do so now, he said, but if they can't they must stop now and save lives.
He reminded the audience that those being killed by Israeli bombs are not just Hamas members, but are from all parties as well as women and children.
Zaki called on all factions to band together and study the best way to respond, and to establish a joint operations room so operations could bear fruit and steer away from random acts.
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
Hamas: No passage of wounded to Egypt until crossings completely open
Hamas: No passage of wounded to Egypt until crossings completely open
Aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, Sunday
The most effective response to the current Israeli violence in Gaza is for Arab countries with diplomatic relations with Israel to sever ties and insist Rafah be opened, announced a Sunday statement from Hamas.
The statement also called on all Arab and Islamic peoples to exert pressure on their governments to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and stop Israeli aggression.
The most effective response to the current Israeli violence in Gaza is for Arab countries with diplomatic relations with Israel to sever ties and insist Rafah be opened, announced a Sunday statement from Hamas.
The statement also called on all Arab and Islamic peoples to exert pressure on their governments to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and stop Israeli aggression.
Days: Jan 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - Dec 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27