13 aug 2014
By Alex Shams
The first day the bombs began to fall on Gaza, Refqa al-Hamallawy called a meeting in her office at the al-Najd Developmental Forum where she is president to formulate a plan of action.
As the windows of the Gaza City office were rocked by thuds both near and far from the explosions of Israeli airstrikes, the employees and volunteers of the community organization made a decision that they would stay at their posts for as long as the Israeli assault continued.
Whatever happened, they promised, the organization would keep its doors open to all affected by the crisis.
Thirty-eight days later, al-Hamallawy and the workers at al-Najd are still working overtime, like thousands of others in the Gaza Strip who have dropped everything to help their fellow Palestinians in their time of need.
Even as international organizations have expanded operations to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis, it is the work of ordinary Gazans likes al-Hamallawy that has made a world of difference to the hundreds of thousands of needy and displaced across the still-besieged coastal enclave.
"At the beginning of the war, a lot of the help we were giving was basic stuff," al-Hamallawy told Ma'an via telephone. "We were making sure people had access to their medical needs and getting toys for children."
But as the war dragged on and the Israeli aerial assault turned into a full-scale ground invasion less than two weeks in, the scale of the crisis escalated dramatically.
Displaced 'wandering throughout the streets'
The first day the bombs began to fall on Gaza, Refqa al-Hamallawy called a meeting in her office at the al-Najd Developmental Forum where she is president to formulate a plan of action.
As the windows of the Gaza City office were rocked by thuds both near and far from the explosions of Israeli airstrikes, the employees and volunteers of the community organization made a decision that they would stay at their posts for as long as the Israeli assault continued.
Whatever happened, they promised, the organization would keep its doors open to all affected by the crisis.
Thirty-eight days later, al-Hamallawy and the workers at al-Najd are still working overtime, like thousands of others in the Gaza Strip who have dropped everything to help their fellow Palestinians in their time of need.
Even as international organizations have expanded operations to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis, it is the work of ordinary Gazans likes al-Hamallawy that has made a world of difference to the hundreds of thousands of needy and displaced across the still-besieged coastal enclave.
"At the beginning of the war, a lot of the help we were giving was basic stuff," al-Hamallawy told Ma'an via telephone. "We were making sure people had access to their medical needs and getting toys for children."
But as the war dragged on and the Israeli aerial assault turned into a full-scale ground invasion less than two weeks in, the scale of the crisis escalated dramatically.
Displaced 'wandering throughout the streets'
By Aug. 3, the number of displaced in Gaza had skyrocketed to nearly 485,000, of whom just over half found shelter at UN-designated sites.
"There were people wandering all throughout the streets," al-Hamallawy recounted. "What could we do?"
The organization promptly invited dozens of families to move into their headquarters in a relatively safe area in central Gaza, opening their arms to scores who had fled their homes in the eastern neighborhoods on foot, taking only what they could carry.
As the numbers grew, volunteers at the organization began taking families into their own homes as well, crowding as many as possible to help shelter those with nowhere to go.
"It was very difficult but we had to endure it, because no one else was able to do anything or help people," al-Hamallawy told Ma'an. "Maybe the UNRWA and Red Cross were trying as well, but even they couldn't do enough under the conditions."
"They were taking in people but look what was happening to them," she added. "Israel bombed schools and hospitals as well."
Nearly one-third of Gaza's population were given orders by Israeli forces to leave their homes over the course of the assault. If they stayed, Israel warned, the military would consider them combatants and not hesitate to kill them.
Since all the borders remained closed, however, a deluge of hundreds of thousands poured out of the eastern and northern areas to seek shelter in any nook or cranny they could find closer to the coast.
At the height of the displacement crisis at the beginning of August, however, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that only just over half of all the displaced were in UN shelters. The shelters, meant to hold around 500 people each, were stretched far beyond capacity and were holding an average of 2,800.
It was up to ordinary Gazans to deal with the overflow, and dozens of organizations like al-Najd as well as religious institutions and ordinary people worked overtime to provide for the displaced as much as possible.
Seeking sanctuary
"There were people wandering all throughout the streets," al-Hamallawy recounted. "What could we do?"
The organization promptly invited dozens of families to move into their headquarters in a relatively safe area in central Gaza, opening their arms to scores who had fled their homes in the eastern neighborhoods on foot, taking only what they could carry.
As the numbers grew, volunteers at the organization began taking families into their own homes as well, crowding as many as possible to help shelter those with nowhere to go.
"It was very difficult but we had to endure it, because no one else was able to do anything or help people," al-Hamallawy told Ma'an. "Maybe the UNRWA and Red Cross were trying as well, but even they couldn't do enough under the conditions."
"They were taking in people but look what was happening to them," she added. "Israel bombed schools and hospitals as well."
Nearly one-third of Gaza's population were given orders by Israeli forces to leave their homes over the course of the assault. If they stayed, Israel warned, the military would consider them combatants and not hesitate to kill them.
Since all the borders remained closed, however, a deluge of hundreds of thousands poured out of the eastern and northern areas to seek shelter in any nook or cranny they could find closer to the coast.
At the height of the displacement crisis at the beginning of August, however, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that only just over half of all the displaced were in UN shelters. The shelters, meant to hold around 500 people each, were stretched far beyond capacity and were holding an average of 2,800.
It was up to ordinary Gazans to deal with the overflow, and dozens of organizations like al-Najd as well as religious institutions and ordinary people worked overtime to provide for the displaced as much as possible.
Seeking sanctuary
The St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church in Gaza's Old City was another crucial place of refuge for thousands of Gazans. The church provided refuge for more than 3,000 people during the worst days of the Israeli bombardment, hosting 800 in the church itself and 2,500 in shops and homes in the surrounding community.
The director of religious relations at the church said that hundreds of families streamed toward the church fleeing intense shelling in the nearby neighborhood of Shujaiyya as well as Beit Hanoun.
"When we began to feel that people were in danger and the people started coming, we opened or doors to them to allow them to stay in this safe place," the director, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Ma'an via telephone.
Although the church is a center of community life for Gaza's more than 1,500 Christian Palestinians, it employs only three people full-time.
The director told Ma'an, however, that the church became a center for other organizations working to aid the displaced, and despite the continued shelling community members from nearby also gathered there to do their part to help.
Hundreds crowded into the Sunday school rooms as well as church offices to sleep at night, and when the shelling outside was too heavy to leave, church officials and volunteers slept there beside them.
Despite the fear, however, there were moments of joy, the director recalled.
"When Eid al-Fitr came," he said, "we celebrated together and brought toys and sweets for the children," noting that during the Ramadan month of fasting, church officials served the evening iftar meal and the displaced said their prayers in the church's outer sanctuary.
'Misery and defeat'
The director of religious relations at the church said that hundreds of families streamed toward the church fleeing intense shelling in the nearby neighborhood of Shujaiyya as well as Beit Hanoun.
"When we began to feel that people were in danger and the people started coming, we opened or doors to them to allow them to stay in this safe place," the director, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Ma'an via telephone.
Although the church is a center of community life for Gaza's more than 1,500 Christian Palestinians, it employs only three people full-time.
The director told Ma'an, however, that the church became a center for other organizations working to aid the displaced, and despite the continued shelling community members from nearby also gathered there to do their part to help.
Hundreds crowded into the Sunday school rooms as well as church offices to sleep at night, and when the shelling outside was too heavy to leave, church officials and volunteers slept there beside them.
Despite the fear, however, there were moments of joy, the director recalled.
"When Eid al-Fitr came," he said, "we celebrated together and brought toys and sweets for the children," noting that during the Ramadan month of fasting, church officials served the evening iftar meal and the displaced said their prayers in the church's outer sanctuary.
'Misery and defeat'
Both the church official as well as al-Hamallawy from al-Najd association said that the majority of the hundreds of people they hosted returned to their neighborhoods only to find their homes destroyed and their possessions scattered in the rubble.
"They can't go home, they have nothing there anymore," al-Hamallawy told Ma'an. "What are they supposed to do?"
OCHA estimates that at least 65,000 Gazans no longer have livable homes to return to. With concrete and the vast majority of building supplies still heavily restricted by the Israeli blockade, however, it is unclear how rebuilding will happen.
"If there is a ceasefire, this could help people," al-Hamallawy said. "But our primary demand is the lifting of the siege. This would help all of our issues -- unemployment, reconstruction, everything."
"This is the demand of the people, not the government. It is the people who are deprived by this siege, not Hamas," she added.
The director at St. Porphyrios also noted that although the church was ready and prepared to continue helping people find new apartments, the future was still uncertain.
"The poor people here feel so much misery and defeat," he said, sighing.
"But hopefully God will look upon us and end the war. And God willing, bring peace to all of the Middle East."
"They can't go home, they have nothing there anymore," al-Hamallawy told Ma'an. "What are they supposed to do?"
OCHA estimates that at least 65,000 Gazans no longer have livable homes to return to. With concrete and the vast majority of building supplies still heavily restricted by the Israeli blockade, however, it is unclear how rebuilding will happen.
"If there is a ceasefire, this could help people," al-Hamallawy said. "But our primary demand is the lifting of the siege. This would help all of our issues -- unemployment, reconstruction, everything."
"This is the demand of the people, not the government. It is the people who are deprived by this siege, not Hamas," she added.
The director at St. Porphyrios also noted that although the church was ready and prepared to continue helping people find new apartments, the future was still uncertain.
"The poor people here feel so much misery and defeat," he said, sighing.
"But hopefully God will look upon us and end the war. And God willing, bring peace to all of the Middle East."
On the third day of a 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza, a Palestinian couple is getting married in a UN shelter in Gaza City Wednesday, the groom told Ma'an.
The homes of Omar Saleh Abu al-Nimr and his bride Heba Fayyad were destroyed by Israeli attacks during the month-long offensive, and like hundreds of thousands of other Palestinians, the two were forced to take shelter in schools of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Though the atmosphere is grim in Gaza as Palestinians mourn their dead and medics treat thousands of injured, the couple hoped the wedding would "make room for a bit of happiness" amid the relentless pain felt in the Strip.
The two will be married in UNRWA al-Shati Girls School in al-Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City at 7:00 p.m.
The school has been decorated with colorful balloons and Palestinian flags.
"We wanted to bring joy into our hearts and people's hearts. Despite the siege and the war we will still be joyful," Abu al-Nimr said.
Yahiya Zaqqut, the manager of the UN shelter Yahiya Zaqqut said UNRWA staff has provided Omar and Heba with all their "logistical needs," including food, clothes and a place to sleep.
"This event assures that despite the pain, attacks, and suffering, Palestinians always insist on resisting," Zaqqut said.
After the wedding, the couple will spend two nights at the Movenpick Hotel in Gaza "for a honeymoon," Abu al-Nimr said.
The two will then return to the UNRWA shelter.
Over 400,000 Palestinians, around a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza, have been forced from their homes throughout Israel's offensive.
The homes of Omar Saleh Abu al-Nimr and his bride Heba Fayyad were destroyed by Israeli attacks during the month-long offensive, and like hundreds of thousands of other Palestinians, the two were forced to take shelter in schools of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Though the atmosphere is grim in Gaza as Palestinians mourn their dead and medics treat thousands of injured, the couple hoped the wedding would "make room for a bit of happiness" amid the relentless pain felt in the Strip.
The two will be married in UNRWA al-Shati Girls School in al-Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City at 7:00 p.m.
The school has been decorated with colorful balloons and Palestinian flags.
"We wanted to bring joy into our hearts and people's hearts. Despite the siege and the war we will still be joyful," Abu al-Nimr said.
Yahiya Zaqqut, the manager of the UN shelter Yahiya Zaqqut said UNRWA staff has provided Omar and Heba with all their "logistical needs," including food, clothes and a place to sleep.
"This event assures that despite the pain, attacks, and suffering, Palestinians always insist on resisting," Zaqqut said.
After the wedding, the couple will spend two nights at the Movenpick Hotel in Gaza "for a honeymoon," Abu al-Nimr said.
The two will then return to the UNRWA shelter.
Over 400,000 Palestinians, around a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza, have been forced from their homes throughout Israel's offensive.
A picture taken on August 11, 2014 in Beit Lahiya in Gaza Strip shows a donkey cart in front of the destroyed Nada Towers as Palestinians return to the area to inspect what remains of their homes
As negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli delegations faltered on Wednesday during a 72-hour ceasefire, Israeli forces began redeploying near the Gaza border in advance of the midnight deadline.
Earlier, Egypt called for a three-day renewal in order to press for more time to reach a long-term agreement, even as Israel refused to accede to Palestinian demands for an end to the eight-year Israeli siege on Gaza.
A Palestinian official told Ma'an that Egypt had also suggested a new ceasefire proposal that would include easing the Israeli siege on Gaza as well as restrictions caused by Egypt's closure of the Rafah crossing, a key demand of the Palestinian leadership.
Despite the negotiations, the Israeli army was reportedly deploying forces at the border with the Gaza Strip and authorities on Wednesday afternoon said they were considering calling up more reservists.
The military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, said they would to give a televised speech Wednesday evening to update the public on negotiations and the preparations being made by Palestinian resistance forces.
The move comes as negotiations for peace have reached an impasse amid a five-week Israeli assault on Gaza that has left nearly 2,000 Palestinians dead and around 10,000 injured.
Hamas has insisted that Israel end its eight-year siege on the Gaza Strip, release dozens of prisoners whom Israel has re-arrested that were released in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit exchange, the re-opening of a seaport and airport in Gaza, and the creation of a safe passage between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Hamas' demands are consistent with the terms of the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the Palestinians in the 1990s, but which Israel has failed to abide by amid its refusal to consider direct negotiations of any kind with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group.
Israeli authorities have said that they would be willing to extend the ceasefire indefinitely but have also stressed that a long-term agreement should include the demilitarization of the Strip.
Hamas has scoffed at this demand, saying it was al-Qassam fighters who prevented the full-scale infiltration and re-occupation of Gaza by Israeli forces in recent weeks.
Before another temporary ceasefire last week, Israeli forces pulled out of major Gaza cities and redeployed on the Israeli side of the border, although airstrikes and shelling on Gazan cities continued between temporary ceasefires.
As negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli delegations faltered on Wednesday during a 72-hour ceasefire, Israeli forces began redeploying near the Gaza border in advance of the midnight deadline.
Earlier, Egypt called for a three-day renewal in order to press for more time to reach a long-term agreement, even as Israel refused to accede to Palestinian demands for an end to the eight-year Israeli siege on Gaza.
A Palestinian official told Ma'an that Egypt had also suggested a new ceasefire proposal that would include easing the Israeli siege on Gaza as well as restrictions caused by Egypt's closure of the Rafah crossing, a key demand of the Palestinian leadership.
Despite the negotiations, the Israeli army was reportedly deploying forces at the border with the Gaza Strip and authorities on Wednesday afternoon said they were considering calling up more reservists.
The military wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, said they would to give a televised speech Wednesday evening to update the public on negotiations and the preparations being made by Palestinian resistance forces.
The move comes as negotiations for peace have reached an impasse amid a five-week Israeli assault on Gaza that has left nearly 2,000 Palestinians dead and around 10,000 injured.
Hamas has insisted that Israel end its eight-year siege on the Gaza Strip, release dozens of prisoners whom Israel has re-arrested that were released in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit exchange, the re-opening of a seaport and airport in Gaza, and the creation of a safe passage between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Hamas' demands are consistent with the terms of the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the Palestinians in the 1990s, but which Israel has failed to abide by amid its refusal to consider direct negotiations of any kind with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group.
Israeli authorities have said that they would be willing to extend the ceasefire indefinitely but have also stressed that a long-term agreement should include the demilitarization of the Strip.
Hamas has scoffed at this demand, saying it was al-Qassam fighters who prevented the full-scale infiltration and re-occupation of Gaza by Israeli forces in recent weeks.
Before another temporary ceasefire last week, Israeli forces pulled out of major Gaza cities and redeployed on the Israeli side of the border, although airstrikes and shelling on Gazan cities continued between temporary ceasefires.
Italy's government on Wednesday confirmed the death of Italian journalist Simone Camilli in Gaza during an operation to dismantle an Israeli missile.
"Simone Camilli's death is a tragedy for his family and for the country. Once more a reporter pays the price for a war that has lasted too many years," Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said in a statement.
"Simone Camilli's death is a tragedy for his family and for the country. Once more a reporter pays the price for a war that has lasted too many years," Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said in a statement.
Thousands of Gazans displaced in Israel's recent assault on the besieged enclave will be housed in mobile homes until a permanent solution can be found, a Palestinian official said Wednesday.
Mufid al-Hasaynah, minister for public works and housing, says the ministry is trying to arrange the entry of 3,500 mobile homes donated to Gaza by Turkey.
Over 17,000 homes were completely destroyed while 43,000 suffered damages in over a month of Israeli attacks.
Palestinian deputy prime minister Ziad Abu Amr arrived in Gaza Tuesday to meet with government officials and NGOs and prepare for reconstruction.
The United Nations' Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry is scheduled to visit the Gaza Strip Wednesday where he will meet with Palestinian ministers, al-Hasaynah said.
According to the UN, about 110,000 Palestinians in Gaza are using UNRWA schools as shelter after their houses were destroyed.
Since Hamas took power in 2007, Israel has launched three major offensives on Gaza, including the 22-day Operation Cast Lead over New Year 2009, and the eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012, killing over 3,500 Palestinians.
Mufid al-Hasaynah, minister for public works and housing, says the ministry is trying to arrange the entry of 3,500 mobile homes donated to Gaza by Turkey.
Over 17,000 homes were completely destroyed while 43,000 suffered damages in over a month of Israeli attacks.
Palestinian deputy prime minister Ziad Abu Amr arrived in Gaza Tuesday to meet with government officials and NGOs and prepare for reconstruction.
The United Nations' Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry is scheduled to visit the Gaza Strip Wednesday where he will meet with Palestinian ministers, al-Hasaynah said.
According to the UN, about 110,000 Palestinians in Gaza are using UNRWA schools as shelter after their houses were destroyed.
Since Hamas took power in 2007, Israel has launched three major offensives on Gaza, including the 22-day Operation Cast Lead over New Year 2009, and the eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012, killing over 3,500 Palestinians.
The son of Gaza's French consul bursts into tears upon seeing the damage caused to the family home by an Israeli airstrike
French consul in Gaza Majdi Shaqqura says he is planning to take legal action against Israel after his home was destroyed by Israeli bombardments during a month-long assault on the besieged territory.
"This wasn't the first time Israeli forces bombarded my house," Shaqqura told reporters Wednesday.
His children broke down in tears when they saw the destruction caused to their family home.
"All houses in Gaza have been targets for Israeli warplanes as part of a policy of collective punishment against all Gaza residents," Shaqqura said.
By targeting the house of a diplomat representing an EU country, "Israel is telling the whole world that it's superior to everybody and to international law," added Shaqqura.
The diplomat said he will file a complaint against Israel and is in consultations with human rights groups over the best legal procedures to guarantee success.
The two-story house was completely destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on July 17 in Beit Lahiya.
The consul and his family were not in the house at the time.
French consul in Gaza Majdi Shaqqura says he is planning to take legal action against Israel after his home was destroyed by Israeli bombardments during a month-long assault on the besieged territory.
"This wasn't the first time Israeli forces bombarded my house," Shaqqura told reporters Wednesday.
His children broke down in tears when they saw the destruction caused to their family home.
"All houses in Gaza have been targets for Israeli warplanes as part of a policy of collective punishment against all Gaza residents," Shaqqura said.
By targeting the house of a diplomat representing an EU country, "Israel is telling the whole world that it's superior to everybody and to international law," added Shaqqura.
The diplomat said he will file a complaint against Israel and is in consultations with human rights groups over the best legal procedures to guarantee success.
The two-story house was completely destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on July 17 in Beit Lahiya.
The consul and his family were not in the house at the time.
At least five people were killed and another six were critically injured after an unexploded Israeli missile blew up in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, witnesses and a health ministry spokesman said.
Ashraf al-Qidra identified three of the dead as Bilal Muhammad al-Sultan, 27, Taysir Ali al-Hum, 40, and Hazem Ahmad Abu Murad, 38.
Among the dead are an American reporter for the AP and a local journalist, a Ma'an reporter said.
The bodies and the injured were taken to Kamal Adwan hospital, al-Qidra added.
Palestinian photojournalist Hatem Moussa was also injured in the explosion.
Witnesses said the incident occurred as a police engineering team was attempting to defuse an Israeli missile that hit near the al-Sheikh Zayid towers days earlier, but did not explode.
Witnesses at the scene said six people were killed by the explosion.
Nearly 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive on Gaza, most of them civilians.
Five, Including Italian Journalist, Killed In Gaza
Israelis again open fire at fishermen near Rafah
At least five people have been killed and another six seriously injured by an unexploded Israeli missile which blew up in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, according to witnesses and a spokesman from the Ministry of Health. Near Rafah, now for the second time, the Israeli military has breached the 72-hour truce by firing on Palestinian fishing boats.
The slain men have been identified as:
1. Camille Simon, Italian Journalist, 37.
2. Bilal Mohammad Sultan, 27. (Lieutenant)
3. Taiseer Ali al-Houm, 40. (Engineering Corps)
4. Hazem Abu Morad, 38. (Deputy Head Of The Engineering Corps)
5. Ali Shihda Abu Afsh (Reporter).
Abu ‘Afesh is a Palestinian journalist working for the Doha Center for Media Freedom, and an interpreter. Cameraman, Hatem Mousa, who works for the Associated Press and the Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA), has also been injured, WAFA said.
The bodies and the injured have been taken to Kamal Adwan hospital, Ma'an News Agency has reported.
According to witnesses, a police engineering team was trying to defuse an Israeli missile which hit near al-Sheikh Zayid towers previously, but did not explode, claiming that six people in all were killed.
However, a Palestinian woman died at a Jordanian hospital of serious injuries suffered in an earlier Israeli bombardment of Gaza. She has been identified as:
6. Deema Klob, Gaza.
At least 1,957 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 10,200 have been injured, by Israeli missiles and shells since July 8. The casualties include thousands of children, women and elderly, as well as entire families.
Names of Palestinians Killed in the War on Gaza since 8 July
Witnesses near Rafah, Wednesday, said that Israeli forces opened heavy fire on a Palestinian fishing boat, but reported no injuries.
A similar incident occurred the day before, when a Palestinian fishing boat came under fire by Israeli forces in the same area, making today's incident the 2nd disruption of the temporary ceasefire by Israel since it began.
The Israeli military claims that the boat was out of its designated territory and that this is how the incident occurred.
Gaza has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2006, leading to frequent humanitarian crises. Backed by Egypt, Israel tightened the blockade in 2007, following an election victory by Hamas.
Israel does not even respect their own impositions on Gaza's fishing industry and frequently fires on Palestinian fishermen, often damaging or even confiscating their equipment.
Ashraf al-Qidra identified three of the dead as Bilal Muhammad al-Sultan, 27, Taysir Ali al-Hum, 40, and Hazem Ahmad Abu Murad, 38.
Among the dead are an American reporter for the AP and a local journalist, a Ma'an reporter said.
The bodies and the injured were taken to Kamal Adwan hospital, al-Qidra added.
Palestinian photojournalist Hatem Moussa was also injured in the explosion.
Witnesses said the incident occurred as a police engineering team was attempting to defuse an Israeli missile that hit near the al-Sheikh Zayid towers days earlier, but did not explode.
Witnesses at the scene said six people were killed by the explosion.
Nearly 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive on Gaza, most of them civilians.
Five, Including Italian Journalist, Killed In Gaza
Israelis again open fire at fishermen near Rafah
At least five people have been killed and another six seriously injured by an unexploded Israeli missile which blew up in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, according to witnesses and a spokesman from the Ministry of Health. Near Rafah, now for the second time, the Israeli military has breached the 72-hour truce by firing on Palestinian fishing boats.
The slain men have been identified as:
1. Camille Simon, Italian Journalist, 37.
2. Bilal Mohammad Sultan, 27. (Lieutenant)
3. Taiseer Ali al-Houm, 40. (Engineering Corps)
4. Hazem Abu Morad, 38. (Deputy Head Of The Engineering Corps)
5. Ali Shihda Abu Afsh (Reporter).
Abu ‘Afesh is a Palestinian journalist working for the Doha Center for Media Freedom, and an interpreter. Cameraman, Hatem Mousa, who works for the Associated Press and the Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA), has also been injured, WAFA said.
The bodies and the injured have been taken to Kamal Adwan hospital, Ma'an News Agency has reported.
According to witnesses, a police engineering team was trying to defuse an Israeli missile which hit near al-Sheikh Zayid towers previously, but did not explode, claiming that six people in all were killed.
However, a Palestinian woman died at a Jordanian hospital of serious injuries suffered in an earlier Israeli bombardment of Gaza. She has been identified as:
6. Deema Klob, Gaza.
At least 1,957 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 10,200 have been injured, by Israeli missiles and shells since July 8. The casualties include thousands of children, women and elderly, as well as entire families.
Names of Palestinians Killed in the War on Gaza since 8 July
Witnesses near Rafah, Wednesday, said that Israeli forces opened heavy fire on a Palestinian fishing boat, but reported no injuries.
A similar incident occurred the day before, when a Palestinian fishing boat came under fire by Israeli forces in the same area, making today's incident the 2nd disruption of the temporary ceasefire by Israel since it began.
The Israeli military claims that the boat was out of its designated territory and that this is how the incident occurred.
Gaza has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2006, leading to frequent humanitarian crises. Backed by Egypt, Israel tightened the blockade in 2007, following an election victory by Hamas.
Israel does not even respect their own impositions on Gaza's fishing industry and frequently fires on Palestinian fishermen, often damaging or even confiscating their equipment.
Israeli warships on Wednesday opened fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip, in the second such incident since an agreed-upon 72-hour truce came into effect, witnesses told Ma'an.
Witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire "heavily" at a Palestinian fishing boat in the area, but that there were no injuries.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said a motor boat had "breached the military closure," and that Israeli forces opened fire into the air.
The motorboat then "returned to Gaza," with "no injuries or damages."
A similar incident occurred the day before, when a Palestinian fishing boat came under fire by Israeli forces in the same area, a fishermen union official said at the time.
Israeli naval forces regularly open fire at fishermen in Gaza if they venture further than three nautical miles from shore, in a policy that has had a crippling impact on the fishing industry.
As a part of any lasting ceasefire, Palestinian negotiators have demanded that Israeli forces extend the so-called "designated fishing zone" by several nautical miles.
The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic and military blockade imposed by Israel since 2006.
Witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire "heavily" at a Palestinian fishing boat in the area, but that there were no injuries.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said a motor boat had "breached the military closure," and that Israeli forces opened fire into the air.
The motorboat then "returned to Gaza," with "no injuries or damages."
A similar incident occurred the day before, when a Palestinian fishing boat came under fire by Israeli forces in the same area, a fishermen union official said at the time.
Israeli naval forces regularly open fire at fishermen in Gaza if they venture further than three nautical miles from shore, in a policy that has had a crippling impact on the fishing industry.
As a part of any lasting ceasefire, Palestinian negotiators have demanded that Israeli forces extend the so-called "designated fishing zone" by several nautical miles.
The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic and military blockade imposed by Israel since 2006.
Palestinians crowd a metal window as they try to hand over their documents to UN workers through a window at a UN compound in Gaza City on August 12, 2014, in order to receive food aid
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will enter a final day of ceasefire talks in Cairo on Wednesday, as the clock ticks towards a 12 a.m. deadline ending a 72-hour truce.
By that time, the negotiators must have either agreed on a permanent truce, accepted an extension or risk a resumption of more than a month of bloody fighting.
"There has been progress, but not enough to sign an agreement; the negotiations will resume tomorrow (Wednesday)," a member of the Palestinian delegation told AFP late on Tuesday, without giving further details.
As on previous days, the Israeli team returned home after talks, for likely consultations with their government.
As Gaza's residents ventured out into the quiet to try to piece together their battered lives, negotiators held a second round of indirect talks Tuesday aimed at finding a durable end to the five-week confrontation.
But officials said there was still a way to go to agree an end to the conflict, which erupted on July 8 when Israel launched military operations to halt cross-border rocket fire from Gaza.
"The negotiations are difficult and grueling," a Palestinian official had said of Monday's opening talks, which lasted almost 10 hours and which were described as "serious."
And early on Tuesday, an Israeli official had played down the chances of success.
"The gaps are still very wide. There has not been progress in the negotiations," he told AFP.
The teams gather in separate rooms at the headquarters of the Egyptian General Intelligence and never see each other, with mediators shuttling between them with proposals and counter-proposals, a source said.
Hamas wants Israel to lift the blockade it imposed on Gaza in 2006 before it will stop rocket attacks. Israel has said it will only facilitate Gaza's reconstruction if the enclave is fully disarmed.
In Istanbul, a coalition of pro-Palestinian activists said they would send a flotilla of blockade-busting ships to Gaza by the end of 2014, four years after a similar attempt ended in bloodshed when Israel staged a deadly raid in an attempt to stop it.
In a sign that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced domestic political battles to sell any deal to his fractious coalition, he called off a planned meeting of his security cabinet on Tuesday.
Instead, he invited key ministers, mainly hawks, for private meetings, Israeli media reported.
Poised to resume fire
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will enter a final day of ceasefire talks in Cairo on Wednesday, as the clock ticks towards a 12 a.m. deadline ending a 72-hour truce.
By that time, the negotiators must have either agreed on a permanent truce, accepted an extension or risk a resumption of more than a month of bloody fighting.
"There has been progress, but not enough to sign an agreement; the negotiations will resume tomorrow (Wednesday)," a member of the Palestinian delegation told AFP late on Tuesday, without giving further details.
As on previous days, the Israeli team returned home after talks, for likely consultations with their government.
As Gaza's residents ventured out into the quiet to try to piece together their battered lives, negotiators held a second round of indirect talks Tuesday aimed at finding a durable end to the five-week confrontation.
But officials said there was still a way to go to agree an end to the conflict, which erupted on July 8 when Israel launched military operations to halt cross-border rocket fire from Gaza.
"The negotiations are difficult and grueling," a Palestinian official had said of Monday's opening talks, which lasted almost 10 hours and which were described as "serious."
And early on Tuesday, an Israeli official had played down the chances of success.
"The gaps are still very wide. There has not been progress in the negotiations," he told AFP.
The teams gather in separate rooms at the headquarters of the Egyptian General Intelligence and never see each other, with mediators shuttling between them with proposals and counter-proposals, a source said.
Hamas wants Israel to lift the blockade it imposed on Gaza in 2006 before it will stop rocket attacks. Israel has said it will only facilitate Gaza's reconstruction if the enclave is fully disarmed.
In Istanbul, a coalition of pro-Palestinian activists said they would send a flotilla of blockade-busting ships to Gaza by the end of 2014, four years after a similar attempt ended in bloodshed when Israel staged a deadly raid in an attempt to stop it.
In a sign that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced domestic political battles to sell any deal to his fractious coalition, he called off a planned meeting of his security cabinet on Tuesday.
Instead, he invited key ministers, mainly hawks, for private meetings, Israeli media reported.
Poised to resume fire
Palestinian men sit near a makeshift tent in a street in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip, on Aug. 12, 2014
Egypt brokered the three-day truce which took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, and has urged the warring sides to make every effort to reach "a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire."
Efforts to extend a similar 72-hour lull last week collapsed when Hamas refused to hold its fire beyond the deadline, accusing Israel of rejecting a lifting of the blockade.
Both sides said they were ready to resume hostilities if the talks failed again.
Finance Minister Yair Lapid told AFP earlier this week that he was pushing for an international conference on Gaza's future that would involve regional players as well as Washington, the European Union, and Arab states such as Saudi Arabia.
"We think that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas should take control of Gaza and be active in its reconstruction," the minister told AFP.
Palestinian negotiators have expressed a willingness to see the PA assume responsibility for Gaza's reconstruction and implement any deal signed in Cairo.
Israel has no direct dealings with Hamas.
Anger at UN probe team
Meanwhile, Israel lashed out after the UN Human Rights Council named experts who would be involved in an inquiry into its Gaza campaign, accusing commission leader, William Schabas, of having an anti-Israeli bias.
"This commission's anti-Israeli conclusions have already been written, all it needs is a signature," railed foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.
Schabas denies being anti-Israel.
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said the UN probe would prove Israel committed war crimes and violated humanitarian law during its Gaza offensive.
"We are going to cooperate with this commission when it arrives in Palestine," he said while visiting Caracas.
Egypt brokered the three-day truce which took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, and has urged the warring sides to make every effort to reach "a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire."
Efforts to extend a similar 72-hour lull last week collapsed when Hamas refused to hold its fire beyond the deadline, accusing Israel of rejecting a lifting of the blockade.
Both sides said they were ready to resume hostilities if the talks failed again.
Finance Minister Yair Lapid told AFP earlier this week that he was pushing for an international conference on Gaza's future that would involve regional players as well as Washington, the European Union, and Arab states such as Saudi Arabia.
"We think that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas should take control of Gaza and be active in its reconstruction," the minister told AFP.
Palestinian negotiators have expressed a willingness to see the PA assume responsibility for Gaza's reconstruction and implement any deal signed in Cairo.
Israel has no direct dealings with Hamas.
Anger at UN probe team
Meanwhile, Israel lashed out after the UN Human Rights Council named experts who would be involved in an inquiry into its Gaza campaign, accusing commission leader, William Schabas, of having an anti-Israeli bias.
"This commission's anti-Israeli conclusions have already been written, all it needs is a signature," railed foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.
Schabas denies being anti-Israel.
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said the UN probe would prove Israel committed war crimes and violated humanitarian law during its Gaza offensive.
"We are going to cooperate with this commission when it arrives in Palestine," he said while visiting Caracas.
Palestinian sources have reported that a new round of indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks, mediated by Egypt, ended in Cairo with no concrete results, while the 72-hour ceasefire reaches its end by midnight, Wednesday night.
The Maan News Agency has reported that a 10-hour session was held Tuesday, during which the two sides held indirect talks on various issues, including ending the aggression on Gaza and rebuilding the coastal region.
They also discussed ending the illegitimate Israeli siege, allowing the transfer of money to pay salaries of 40.000 Gaza employees, and the release of all detainees, who were released under the Shalit Prisoner Swap Agreement, and recently rearrested by Israel in the West Bank.
Israel is also holding dozens of Palestinians kidnapped by the army during the current offensive on Gaza.
While Palestinian negotiators remained in Egypt, Israeli negotiators returned to Tel Aviv for consultation with their government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu. Another round of talks is planned for Wednesday.
Mousa Abu Marzouq, deputy head of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement, said there are no real outcomes of talks, adding that the Palestinians are not making statements to the media, while the Israeli media is making so many conclusions, assumptions and statements.
“The Palestinian side is not talking about any outcome or details of what have been discussed”, Abu Marzouq wrote on his Facebook page, “The Israeli media seems to be suffering from a diarrhea of information despite lack of results, underestimating the Israeli stances will cause a negative, but expected, outcome”.
On his part, member of the Political Bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), member of the Palestinian negations team, Qais Abul-Karim (Abu Leila), said the gaps were still wide, and that the Palestinians informed Egypt “this ceasefire is the last”.
Maan quoted an unnamed Palestinian source stating “there is progress on the Palestinian side, seriousness on the Egyptian side, and hesitation on the Israeli side”.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told Agence France Presse that the talks have not led to any progress.
In addition, a Palestinian official told an Israeli Radio station that the Palestinian side is losing trust in Egypt as a mediator, adding that, should Israel insist on its stances, the situation could easily explode.
Israeli sources said Egypt is practicing pressure on both Israel and the Palestinians regarding extending the temporary truce to “give more time for dialogue”.
See also: "Limited Progress in Ceasefire Negotiations"
The Maan News Agency has reported that a 10-hour session was held Tuesday, during which the two sides held indirect talks on various issues, including ending the aggression on Gaza and rebuilding the coastal region.
They also discussed ending the illegitimate Israeli siege, allowing the transfer of money to pay salaries of 40.000 Gaza employees, and the release of all detainees, who were released under the Shalit Prisoner Swap Agreement, and recently rearrested by Israel in the West Bank.
Israel is also holding dozens of Palestinians kidnapped by the army during the current offensive on Gaza.
While Palestinian negotiators remained in Egypt, Israeli negotiators returned to Tel Aviv for consultation with their government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu. Another round of talks is planned for Wednesday.
Mousa Abu Marzouq, deputy head of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement, said there are no real outcomes of talks, adding that the Palestinians are not making statements to the media, while the Israeli media is making so many conclusions, assumptions and statements.
“The Palestinian side is not talking about any outcome or details of what have been discussed”, Abu Marzouq wrote on his Facebook page, “The Israeli media seems to be suffering from a diarrhea of information despite lack of results, underestimating the Israeli stances will cause a negative, but expected, outcome”.
On his part, member of the Political Bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), member of the Palestinian negations team, Qais Abul-Karim (Abu Leila), said the gaps were still wide, and that the Palestinians informed Egypt “this ceasefire is the last”.
Maan quoted an unnamed Palestinian source stating “there is progress on the Palestinian side, seriousness on the Egyptian side, and hesitation on the Israeli side”.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told Agence France Presse that the talks have not led to any progress.
In addition, a Palestinian official told an Israeli Radio station that the Palestinian side is losing trust in Egypt as a mediator, adding that, should Israel insist on its stances, the situation could easily explode.
Israeli sources said Egypt is practicing pressure on both Israel and the Palestinians regarding extending the temporary truce to “give more time for dialogue”.
See also: "Limited Progress in Ceasefire Negotiations"
