16 july 2014
Israeli prime minister fires deputy defence minister Danny Danon for saying Hamas humiliated Israel by setting peace conditions
Binyamin Netanyahu's cabinet was in disarray as the Israeli prime minister came under fire from several of his most senior ministers for his handling of the crisis in Gaza.
The storm of public criticism from his own ranks resulted in the sacking on Tuesday night of the deputy defence minister, Danny Danon, a member of Netanyahu's own Likud party.
Danon told media on Tuesday that Hamas had humiliated Israel by setting conditions for peace, after Netanyahu said he was willing to accept the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. Hamas claimed that it had not been consulted over the ceasefire conditions and rejected it.
"At a time when … Israel and the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] are in the midst of a military campaign against the terrorist organizations and taking determined action to maintain the security of Israel's citizens, it cannot be that the deputy defence minister will sharply attack the leadership of the country regarding the campaign," Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday.
"These sharp remarks on the deputy defence minister's part are irresponsible, especially given his position. They also serve the Hamas terrorist organisation as a tool to attack the government with."
The divisions within the Israeli cabinet have been mocked by Hamas, with spokesman Fauzi Barhoum calling the Danon sacking a "victory for the resistance".
Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's hawkish foreign minister, split his Yisrael Beiteinu party from Likud – dismantling a critical alliance for Netanyahu – having accused the prime minister of hesitation over a ground invasion of Gaza.
Lieberman also criticised the government for accepting an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday and called for an IDF ground assault and occupation of the Gaza Strip, arguing that a ceasefire would allow Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups to replenish their stock of weapons.
"All this hesitation works against us. We must go all the way, there is no alternative. We have to end this conflict with the IDF in control of all of Gaza … There is no other way to tackle the Hamas and Islamic jihad terror that rules Gaza," Lieberman said at a press conference on Tuesday night.
Netanyahu's election last year was only possible at the head of a shaky coalition of rightwing parties, the cracks in which appear to be emerging over the war in Gaza.
Danon and Lieberman are not Netanyahu's only critics. Israeli media reported that another senior figure on the Israeli rightwing, Naftali Bennett, who leads the Jewish Home party, also voted against a ceasefire. Haaretz reported yesterday that Lieberman and Bennett both claimed they were not informed about the ceasefire by the government but heard about the proposed deal through the Israeli media.
Four rockets were shot down over Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning at about 9am, with reports of shrapnel falling in the north of the city. Israel also suffered its first casualty on Tuesday, after a civilian was killed by a mortar shell outside the Erez crossing into Gaza. The Palestinian death toll now stands at 205, with Israel warning 100,000 Palestinians to leave their homes on Wednesday ahead of further aerial bombardment of the strip.
Binyamin Netanyahu's cabinet was in disarray as the Israeli prime minister came under fire from several of his most senior ministers for his handling of the crisis in Gaza.
The storm of public criticism from his own ranks resulted in the sacking on Tuesday night of the deputy defence minister, Danny Danon, a member of Netanyahu's own Likud party.
Danon told media on Tuesday that Hamas had humiliated Israel by setting conditions for peace, after Netanyahu said he was willing to accept the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. Hamas claimed that it had not been consulted over the ceasefire conditions and rejected it.
"At a time when … Israel and the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] are in the midst of a military campaign against the terrorist organizations and taking determined action to maintain the security of Israel's citizens, it cannot be that the deputy defence minister will sharply attack the leadership of the country regarding the campaign," Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday.
"These sharp remarks on the deputy defence minister's part are irresponsible, especially given his position. They also serve the Hamas terrorist organisation as a tool to attack the government with."
The divisions within the Israeli cabinet have been mocked by Hamas, with spokesman Fauzi Barhoum calling the Danon sacking a "victory for the resistance".
Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's hawkish foreign minister, split his Yisrael Beiteinu party from Likud – dismantling a critical alliance for Netanyahu – having accused the prime minister of hesitation over a ground invasion of Gaza.
Lieberman also criticised the government for accepting an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday and called for an IDF ground assault and occupation of the Gaza Strip, arguing that a ceasefire would allow Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups to replenish their stock of weapons.
"All this hesitation works against us. We must go all the way, there is no alternative. We have to end this conflict with the IDF in control of all of Gaza … There is no other way to tackle the Hamas and Islamic jihad terror that rules Gaza," Lieberman said at a press conference on Tuesday night.
Netanyahu's election last year was only possible at the head of a shaky coalition of rightwing parties, the cracks in which appear to be emerging over the war in Gaza.
Danon and Lieberman are not Netanyahu's only critics. Israeli media reported that another senior figure on the Israeli rightwing, Naftali Bennett, who leads the Jewish Home party, also voted against a ceasefire. Haaretz reported yesterday that Lieberman and Bennett both claimed they were not informed about the ceasefire by the government but heard about the proposed deal through the Israeli media.
Four rockets were shot down over Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning at about 9am, with reports of shrapnel falling in the north of the city. Israel also suffered its first casualty on Tuesday, after a civilian was killed by a mortar shell outside the Erez crossing into Gaza. The Palestinian death toll now stands at 205, with Israel warning 100,000 Palestinians to leave their homes on Wednesday ahead of further aerial bombardment of the strip.
China's Special Envoy to the Middle East Wu Sike will be visiting a number of states in the Middle East, including Palestine and Israel, in a tour of the region that began yesterday and will continue until 26th of July. Anadolu news agency quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hong Lei, as saying that his country's special envoy will be holding meetings in relevant states in a bid "to ease tensions in the region".
Lei stressed that China is willing to cooperate with the international community to reach a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel as soon as possible and to end the conflict through political means.
"China would like to play a positive and constructive role for the early realisation of Palestine-Israel peace," he added.
Israel has been waging a relentless air and sea assault on the Gaza Strip for more than a week. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported yesterday that 194 Palestinians had been killed as a result.
Israeli media announced yesterday the first Israeli death from Palestinian rockets.
Lei stressed that China is willing to cooperate with the international community to reach a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel as soon as possible and to end the conflict through political means.
"China would like to play a positive and constructive role for the early realisation of Palestine-Israel peace," he added.
Israel has been waging a relentless air and sea assault on the Gaza Strip for more than a week. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported yesterday that 194 Palestinians had been killed as a result.
Israeli media announced yesterday the first Israeli death from Palestinian rockets.
Widowed Balssam al-Nabaheen waited impatiently for the crack of dawn.
She immediately packed enough clothes for herself and her five children and abandoned her home in Beit Hanoun on the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip.
"Now I feel a bit more secure being surrounded by sisters and their children," al-Nabaheen told Anadolu Agency after arriving to the family house in central Gaza City.
"I could no longer hide my fear in front of my kids," she said.
"The endless Israeli strikes and the threat of an extended war were just too much for me to handle," added the Gazan widow.
At least 205 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the besieged coastal enclave since July 7.
Fatalities include at least 39 children, according to Palestinian health officials.
More than 1530 people have also been injured, many seriously, in the aerial attacks, which reportedly aim to stop rocket firing from Gaza.
Like many other families in the northern Gaza Strip, she decided to seek relative peace in Gaza City with her extended family.
"At least now my kids feel safer being around their family," said the Palestinian widow.
"The area here is also less dangerous," she added, with a sigh of relief.
Israeli forces have ordered more than 225,000 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes ahead of fresh airstrikes.
"Israeli army sent SMSs to residents in the areas of al-Shujaya, Zaitoun and Beit Lahia to leave," Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee tweeted late Tuesday.
According to Palestinian official statistics, some 50,000 people live in the southern Gaza City neighborhood of Zaitoun while 100,000 reside in the eastern al-Shujaya neighborhood.
More than 75,000 Palestinians also live in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahia, according to the same statistics.
Thousands of Palestinians have already been forcibly displaced from their homes because of the ongoing Israeli military onslaught against the blockaded coastal enclave.
Ghost Area
Mariam al-Zaanein says her neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahia has become like a ghost city.
"The Israeli threats of a ground invasion have scared away most of the local families," she told AA, noting that Israeli incursions always start from the northern areas of the Strip.
"Eventually, we decided to leave like others and seek shelter elsewhere," said al-Zaanein, 20.
She has since moved to her grandfather's house in central Gaza City.
"I know it is dangerous everywhere in the Gaza Strip and that death is lurking, but being around my relatives makes me less worried," said al-Zaanein.
"My heart goes out for other families who have no safer place to run to," she added.
She immediately packed enough clothes for herself and her five children and abandoned her home in Beit Hanoun on the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip.
"Now I feel a bit more secure being surrounded by sisters and their children," al-Nabaheen told Anadolu Agency after arriving to the family house in central Gaza City.
"I could no longer hide my fear in front of my kids," she said.
"The endless Israeli strikes and the threat of an extended war were just too much for me to handle," added the Gazan widow.
At least 205 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the besieged coastal enclave since July 7.
Fatalities include at least 39 children, according to Palestinian health officials.
More than 1530 people have also been injured, many seriously, in the aerial attacks, which reportedly aim to stop rocket firing from Gaza.
Like many other families in the northern Gaza Strip, she decided to seek relative peace in Gaza City with her extended family.
"At least now my kids feel safer being around their family," said the Palestinian widow.
"The area here is also less dangerous," she added, with a sigh of relief.
Israeli forces have ordered more than 225,000 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes ahead of fresh airstrikes.
"Israeli army sent SMSs to residents in the areas of al-Shujaya, Zaitoun and Beit Lahia to leave," Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee tweeted late Tuesday.
According to Palestinian official statistics, some 50,000 people live in the southern Gaza City neighborhood of Zaitoun while 100,000 reside in the eastern al-Shujaya neighborhood.
More than 75,000 Palestinians also live in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahia, according to the same statistics.
Thousands of Palestinians have already been forcibly displaced from their homes because of the ongoing Israeli military onslaught against the blockaded coastal enclave.
Ghost Area
Mariam al-Zaanein says her neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahia has become like a ghost city.
"The Israeli threats of a ground invasion have scared away most of the local families," she told AA, noting that Israeli incursions always start from the northern areas of the Strip.
"Eventually, we decided to leave like others and seek shelter elsewhere," said al-Zaanein, 20.
She has since moved to her grandfather's house in central Gaza City.
"I know it is dangerous everywhere in the Gaza Strip and that death is lurking, but being around my relatives makes me less worried," said al-Zaanein.
"My heart goes out for other families who have no safer place to run to," she added.
Palestinian firefighters and residents try to extinguish fire at a house destroyed by an overnight Israeli air strike, on July 16, 2014, in Gaza City.
This year, some of Gaza’s graduating students will not have a chance to celebrate because, very simply, they are no longer with us, leaving behind nothing but their family’s sorrow and grief. What these students did not know is that the Israeli occupation will not only cut short the waiting period for the results of their high school exams, but that it was going to hand out their martyrdom before they get a chance to earn their high school diplomas.
On July 15, the Education Ministry in the unity government announced the results of the General Secondary Certificate exams after it had postponed doing so for several days hoping the war would end. But the media in Gaza refrained from publishing the results.
The celebrations of a number of graduating students were muted and lacking joy because of the ubiquitous specter of death surrounding them and the large numbers of injured and dead people. Announcing the results of the General Secondary Certificate exams reignited the grief in the hearts of those whose loved ones were supposed to graduate high school this year but received their martyrdom at Israel’s hands before they had a chance to receive their high school diplomas.
Even though the media in Gaza boycotted the results of the General Secondary Certificate, they showcased stories of student martyrs who would have gone on to attend college and study what they desired, had they survived.
“Thank God, I finished my high school exams completely and I pray to God to grant me success after studying hard and I ask you to pray for me and all the students.” The young man who wrote these lines is now gone. He will not have a chance to bask in academic success. A few days ago, a huge explosion in the Gazan sky turned out to be a missile fired at the al-Batsh family home; a massacre that claimed 18 martyrs including student Ibrahim Majed al-Batsh.
Ibrahim scored 55 out of a 100, which means he passed, but the music of the famous Abdel Halim Hafez song “Wehyat Alby,” about the joy of academic success and graduation, will not be played in his home and he will not step foot on any of Gaza’s campuses. The bereaved family has opened its doors to receive condolences despite all the doors that have been slammed in its face. Yousef al-Batsh, a relative of the two student martyrs – Yehia and Ibrahim, recalls some of his memories with them. He tells Al-Akhbar: “Yehia and Ibrahim were full of life and were eager to go to college but with the war on Gaza, they have received a much higher degree than a high school diploma.”
Ibrahim al-Batsh befriended three other students on the journey of their martyrdom, they are Yehia Alaa al-Batsh, Tarek Mahmoud al-Hajj and Imad Odeh. Israeli missiles put an end to their youthful adventures. They will not fall in love, as young people in college do, and their diaries will remain empty, unwritten.
Bilal Abu Yousef is another student with a sad story. Bilal received a score of 95 out of a 100 on the religious section of the exam. Despite this high score, there were no signs of joy on his face because his brothers were killed in the war. Bilal tells Al-Akhbar: “My two brothers Mohammed and Ahmed died and I am now receiving mourners instead of well-wishers,” adding: “Despite all this pain, we ask the Resistance forces to continue on their path and not allow anyone to turn Gaza into a game.” In solidarity with the student martyrs, the highest ranking students in Gaza did not receive journalists. They checked their scores online, but Al-Akhbar was able to get a statement from Rana al-Buhaisi who came in second place in the Gaza Strip. She told Al-Akhbar: “My happiness is mixed with the pain of our neighbors and friends who have been affected by the war... The ululations of joy will not ring high in my home because our neighbors lost their homes and loved ones.”
The scene was repeated in Jerusalem. A number of students there hung signs that read, “I dedicate my success to Gaza” and “Missiles of the Resistance, bring us good tidings.”
Yesterday, Gaza was supposed to live the joy of celebrating the academic achievements of its students, instead, the day passed quietly, without much fanfare. Blood is still trickling on its streets and school doors are shut, except to host refugees. Gazans replaced the roses and sweets of happy occasions with cautious movement under the Israeli planes hovering over them in the Gazan sky, except for some fireworks that were set off, as though sparring with the occupation’s planes.
This year, some of Gaza’s graduating students will not have a chance to celebrate because, very simply, they are no longer with us, leaving behind nothing but their family’s sorrow and grief. What these students did not know is that the Israeli occupation will not only cut short the waiting period for the results of their high school exams, but that it was going to hand out their martyrdom before they get a chance to earn their high school diplomas.
On July 15, the Education Ministry in the unity government announced the results of the General Secondary Certificate exams after it had postponed doing so for several days hoping the war would end. But the media in Gaza refrained from publishing the results.
The celebrations of a number of graduating students were muted and lacking joy because of the ubiquitous specter of death surrounding them and the large numbers of injured and dead people. Announcing the results of the General Secondary Certificate exams reignited the grief in the hearts of those whose loved ones were supposed to graduate high school this year but received their martyrdom at Israel’s hands before they had a chance to receive their high school diplomas.
Even though the media in Gaza boycotted the results of the General Secondary Certificate, they showcased stories of student martyrs who would have gone on to attend college and study what they desired, had they survived.
“Thank God, I finished my high school exams completely and I pray to God to grant me success after studying hard and I ask you to pray for me and all the students.” The young man who wrote these lines is now gone. He will not have a chance to bask in academic success. A few days ago, a huge explosion in the Gazan sky turned out to be a missile fired at the al-Batsh family home; a massacre that claimed 18 martyrs including student Ibrahim Majed al-Batsh.
Ibrahim scored 55 out of a 100, which means he passed, but the music of the famous Abdel Halim Hafez song “Wehyat Alby,” about the joy of academic success and graduation, will not be played in his home and he will not step foot on any of Gaza’s campuses. The bereaved family has opened its doors to receive condolences despite all the doors that have been slammed in its face. Yousef al-Batsh, a relative of the two student martyrs – Yehia and Ibrahim, recalls some of his memories with them. He tells Al-Akhbar: “Yehia and Ibrahim were full of life and were eager to go to college but with the war on Gaza, they have received a much higher degree than a high school diploma.”
Ibrahim al-Batsh befriended three other students on the journey of their martyrdom, they are Yehia Alaa al-Batsh, Tarek Mahmoud al-Hajj and Imad Odeh. Israeli missiles put an end to their youthful adventures. They will not fall in love, as young people in college do, and their diaries will remain empty, unwritten.
Bilal Abu Yousef is another student with a sad story. Bilal received a score of 95 out of a 100 on the religious section of the exam. Despite this high score, there were no signs of joy on his face because his brothers were killed in the war. Bilal tells Al-Akhbar: “My two brothers Mohammed and Ahmed died and I am now receiving mourners instead of well-wishers,” adding: “Despite all this pain, we ask the Resistance forces to continue on their path and not allow anyone to turn Gaza into a game.” In solidarity with the student martyrs, the highest ranking students in Gaza did not receive journalists. They checked their scores online, but Al-Akhbar was able to get a statement from Rana al-Buhaisi who came in second place in the Gaza Strip. She told Al-Akhbar: “My happiness is mixed with the pain of our neighbors and friends who have been affected by the war... The ululations of joy will not ring high in my home because our neighbors lost their homes and loved ones.”
The scene was repeated in Jerusalem. A number of students there hung signs that read, “I dedicate my success to Gaza” and “Missiles of the Resistance, bring us good tidings.”
Yesterday, Gaza was supposed to live the joy of celebrating the academic achievements of its students, instead, the day passed quietly, without much fanfare. Blood is still trickling on its streets and school doors are shut, except to host refugees. Gazans replaced the roses and sweets of happy occasions with cautious movement under the Israeli planes hovering over them in the Gazan sky, except for some fireworks that were set off, as though sparring with the occupation’s planes.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that an Israeli drone fired a missile at a civilian car in the Bani Soheila area, in the southern Gaza Strip district of Khan Younis, killing three family members, including a child, and wounding five Palestinians.
The Ministry said that the missile directly struck the car, as the family was heading to a local hospital to visit a wounded family member, and killed the following family members:
1. Khadra Al-Abed Salama Abu Doqqa, 65, Khan Younis.
2. Omar Ramadan Abu Doqqa, 24, Khan Younis.
3. Ibrahim Ramadan Abo Doqqa, 10, Khan Younis.
Their remains, and the wounded Palestinians, were moved to the Gaza European Hospital.
The latest attack brings the number of Palestinians killed since Israel launched its war on Gaza to 208, most of them civilians, including children, women and elderly.
The army escalated its bombarded, including aerial attacks, against different parts of the Gaza Strip, killing ten Palestinians, and wounding at least thirty others.
The strikes targeted dozens of homes, roads, farmlands, facilities, infrastructure, and a playground that was bombarded at least three times.
The ongoing Israeli war on Gaza led to the death of 208 Palestinians since Tuesday, July 8, 2014, at least 1550 Palestinians have been wounded; most of the casualties are civilians, including children, women and elderly.
The Ministry said that the missile directly struck the car, as the family was heading to a local hospital to visit a wounded family member, and killed the following family members:
1. Khadra Al-Abed Salama Abu Doqqa, 65, Khan Younis.
2. Omar Ramadan Abu Doqqa, 24, Khan Younis.
3. Ibrahim Ramadan Abo Doqqa, 10, Khan Younis.
Their remains, and the wounded Palestinians, were moved to the Gaza European Hospital.
The latest attack brings the number of Palestinians killed since Israel launched its war on Gaza to 208, most of them civilians, including children, women and elderly.
The army escalated its bombarded, including aerial attacks, against different parts of the Gaza Strip, killing ten Palestinians, and wounding at least thirty others.
The strikes targeted dozens of homes, roads, farmlands, facilities, infrastructure, and a playground that was bombarded at least three times.
The ongoing Israeli war on Gaza led to the death of 208 Palestinians since Tuesday, July 8, 2014, at least 1550 Palestinians have been wounded; most of the casualties are civilians, including children, women and elderly.
Dr. Basman Alashi, director of al-Wafa hospital, cares for two paralyzed patients as Israel threatens to strike the building again
International activists have returned to maintain a presence at al-Wafa hospital in eastern Gaza City after the Israeli military threatened to strike the hospital again, ordering its evacuation by tomorrow morning local time.
On Friday, as The Electronic Intifada reported, the Israeli military dropped five “warning rockets” on the building, sending vulnerable patients, nurses and hospital staff into a panic. Al-Wafa staff say that the hospital received several calls again from the Israeli military on Tuesday, warning the hospital staff to evacuate the building and that residents from the densely-populated Shujaiya neighborhood, where al-Wafa is located, should evacuate as well.
In the last two days, the Gaza ministry of health declared a state of emergency as Israel pounds hundreds of targets while hospitals face severe shortages of medical supplies and basic medications. In an interview on Saturday, Basman Alashi, al-Wafa hospital’s executive director, said that there is nowhere to evacuate his patients to, as many of the patients are in need of constant care and the hospitals across Gaza are already full.
Today, the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported [PDF] that since Israel’s assault began last week, “79 schools and 23 health facilities in Gaza have sustained damage.” As of today, nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed and approximately 1,200 wounded since last Monday.
Joe Catron, activist and contributor to The Electronic Intifada, has been live-tweeting from al-Wafa and published an on-the-ground report earlier today on Middle East Eye. He spoke to us at 3am local Palestine time Wednesday morning.
Joe Catron: My name is Joe Catron, I’m a solidarity activist and sometimes Electronic Intifada contributor, from the United States, currently in the Gaza Strip. It’s 2:57am local time, and I’m currently at al-Wafa medical rehabilitation hospital, which is in the Shujaiya neighborhood on the eastern edge of Gaza City, by the separation barrier with Israel.
Nora Barrows-Friedman: Joe, can you tell us what you’ve been hearing the last few hours as you’ve been at al-Wafa?
JC: Certainly. It was quiet for some time after we arrived, then we began hearing what sounded like artillery, I think, in the area of the separation barrier. It’s hard to say — we don’t have direct line of sight with it except at a very distant approach. When it gets close to us, it’s blocked by a row of warehouses so we can’t see it directly.
Recently, this has been growing much louder. We’ve heard some explosions in the last few minutes, it sounded like tank shells being fired directly outside our window. I’m sure they weren’t actually that close, but whatever it is, it’s not very far away. There’s also been sporadic gunfire coming from the direction of the barrier, and various noises that are hard to place. I’ve been here a while, but I don’t recognize all the Israeli military machinery by sound yet.
NBF: Joe, reports say that the staff at al-Wafa have been called by spokespersons for the Israeli military, saying that they need to evacuate the patients because of a possible missile strike, can you talk more about that?
JC: Yes. Yesterday they received, I believe, a total of three calls from the Israeli military, warning them to evacuate the hospital, and also saying that residents from the Shujaiya neighborhood, where it’s located, should evacuate their homes. We’ve heard recently that the Israeli military has said — through the World Health Organization — that because it’s a hospital and a civilian institution, that it does not need to evacuate, but the original word that came through the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] earlier, and also directly from the Israeli military, was that there was going to be heavy shelling in this area beginning tomorrow morning, and that anyone remaining here would be in danger.
When they say one thing directly, and another thing through the World Health Organization, of course no one is sure exactly what to expect.
NBF: Joe, when we spoke with Basman Alashi, the executive director of al-Wafa hospital, over the weekend, he described the level of trauma and terror and panic inflicted not just on the patients who are very vulnerable, but the staff and caregivers as well. Can you talk about the kinds of patients that al-Wafa houses and takes care of, and whether it is even possible to evacuate these patients?
JC: Al-Wafa is the only hospital in the Gaza Strip specializing in occupational and physical therapy. The patients here have survived various kinds of accidents and traumas, automobile and industrial accidents, near-drownings, et cetera, and many of the cases remaining here are quite critical. Those who were capable of being sent to stay temporarily with their families were evacuated something like ten days ago, now. And the cases remaining are those needing the most constant attention and care.
Additionally, new patients are now coming in from the outside; I believe two were transferred in yesterday from Shifa, the main hospital in Gaza which Rana Baker just interviewed her father about for EI, and another one was supposed to come in today. I haven’t actually heard whether he arrived or not. But Shifa, like most other hospitals dealing with emergency care in the Gaza Strip, is simply full. They cannot possibly accept an influx of patients from existing institutions. They’re beyond capacity with new casualties from Israeli attacks coming in all the time.
So there’s very little that they’re capable of doing, or can be expected to do, in terms of relieving an institution like this one, unfortunately.
NBF: Finally, Joe, can you talk about the reason why you and the other international activists have come to al-Wafa hospital and locked yourselves down as the Israeli military threatens to strike the hospital again?
JC: After the hospital was struck early Friday morning with four of what the Israelis call “warning rockets” — small, non-explosive missiles that are often fired at targets by the Israeli military before a larger airstrike — the hospital’s administration called together a number of the international activists and foreign supporters of Palestine here in Gaza. Shortly after that, the hospital was struck yet again, this time with a much larger missile which slammed into its fourth floor. And unlike the warning rockets which had broken some windows and dislodged a few doors, I believe, the rocket in the afternoon did a great deal of damage, creating a gaping hole in a wall, and really reducing a large portion of the fourth floor, which it struck, to rubble.
A little while later, the hospital received its first call, most of us assume, from the Israeli military — it was someone speaking Arabic, who did not identify themselves, who had a distinctive Israeli accent — and that person asked a number of questions about whether anyone had been injured in the strike, and whether the hospital planned to evacuate. I believe they also asked whether the fourth floor, where the missile had struck, had been empty at the time.
So a number of the foreign activists here were asked by the administration to come and maintain a presence in the hopes of deterring further Israeli attacks, which seems to have worked up until now. We’re hopeful that it will continue to do so, moving forward. Of course, the next 24 hours in this area will be interesting, since a mass evacuation has been ordered, and large amounts of shelling have been promised.
Of course, when the Israeli military says they’re going to do something, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen, we’re all just waiting to see.
International activists have returned to maintain a presence at al-Wafa hospital in eastern Gaza City after the Israeli military threatened to strike the hospital again, ordering its evacuation by tomorrow morning local time.
On Friday, as The Electronic Intifada reported, the Israeli military dropped five “warning rockets” on the building, sending vulnerable patients, nurses and hospital staff into a panic. Al-Wafa staff say that the hospital received several calls again from the Israeli military on Tuesday, warning the hospital staff to evacuate the building and that residents from the densely-populated Shujaiya neighborhood, where al-Wafa is located, should evacuate as well.
In the last two days, the Gaza ministry of health declared a state of emergency as Israel pounds hundreds of targets while hospitals face severe shortages of medical supplies and basic medications. In an interview on Saturday, Basman Alashi, al-Wafa hospital’s executive director, said that there is nowhere to evacuate his patients to, as many of the patients are in need of constant care and the hospitals across Gaza are already full.
Today, the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported [PDF] that since Israel’s assault began last week, “79 schools and 23 health facilities in Gaza have sustained damage.” As of today, nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed and approximately 1,200 wounded since last Monday.
Joe Catron, activist and contributor to The Electronic Intifada, has been live-tweeting from al-Wafa and published an on-the-ground report earlier today on Middle East Eye. He spoke to us at 3am local Palestine time Wednesday morning.
Joe Catron: My name is Joe Catron, I’m a solidarity activist and sometimes Electronic Intifada contributor, from the United States, currently in the Gaza Strip. It’s 2:57am local time, and I’m currently at al-Wafa medical rehabilitation hospital, which is in the Shujaiya neighborhood on the eastern edge of Gaza City, by the separation barrier with Israel.
Nora Barrows-Friedman: Joe, can you tell us what you’ve been hearing the last few hours as you’ve been at al-Wafa?
JC: Certainly. It was quiet for some time after we arrived, then we began hearing what sounded like artillery, I think, in the area of the separation barrier. It’s hard to say — we don’t have direct line of sight with it except at a very distant approach. When it gets close to us, it’s blocked by a row of warehouses so we can’t see it directly.
Recently, this has been growing much louder. We’ve heard some explosions in the last few minutes, it sounded like tank shells being fired directly outside our window. I’m sure they weren’t actually that close, but whatever it is, it’s not very far away. There’s also been sporadic gunfire coming from the direction of the barrier, and various noises that are hard to place. I’ve been here a while, but I don’t recognize all the Israeli military machinery by sound yet.
NBF: Joe, reports say that the staff at al-Wafa have been called by spokespersons for the Israeli military, saying that they need to evacuate the patients because of a possible missile strike, can you talk more about that?
JC: Yes. Yesterday they received, I believe, a total of three calls from the Israeli military, warning them to evacuate the hospital, and also saying that residents from the Shujaiya neighborhood, where it’s located, should evacuate their homes. We’ve heard recently that the Israeli military has said — through the World Health Organization — that because it’s a hospital and a civilian institution, that it does not need to evacuate, but the original word that came through the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] earlier, and also directly from the Israeli military, was that there was going to be heavy shelling in this area beginning tomorrow morning, and that anyone remaining here would be in danger.
When they say one thing directly, and another thing through the World Health Organization, of course no one is sure exactly what to expect.
NBF: Joe, when we spoke with Basman Alashi, the executive director of al-Wafa hospital, over the weekend, he described the level of trauma and terror and panic inflicted not just on the patients who are very vulnerable, but the staff and caregivers as well. Can you talk about the kinds of patients that al-Wafa houses and takes care of, and whether it is even possible to evacuate these patients?
JC: Al-Wafa is the only hospital in the Gaza Strip specializing in occupational and physical therapy. The patients here have survived various kinds of accidents and traumas, automobile and industrial accidents, near-drownings, et cetera, and many of the cases remaining here are quite critical. Those who were capable of being sent to stay temporarily with their families were evacuated something like ten days ago, now. And the cases remaining are those needing the most constant attention and care.
Additionally, new patients are now coming in from the outside; I believe two were transferred in yesterday from Shifa, the main hospital in Gaza which Rana Baker just interviewed her father about for EI, and another one was supposed to come in today. I haven’t actually heard whether he arrived or not. But Shifa, like most other hospitals dealing with emergency care in the Gaza Strip, is simply full. They cannot possibly accept an influx of patients from existing institutions. They’re beyond capacity with new casualties from Israeli attacks coming in all the time.
So there’s very little that they’re capable of doing, or can be expected to do, in terms of relieving an institution like this one, unfortunately.
NBF: Finally, Joe, can you talk about the reason why you and the other international activists have come to al-Wafa hospital and locked yourselves down as the Israeli military threatens to strike the hospital again?
JC: After the hospital was struck early Friday morning with four of what the Israelis call “warning rockets” — small, non-explosive missiles that are often fired at targets by the Israeli military before a larger airstrike — the hospital’s administration called together a number of the international activists and foreign supporters of Palestine here in Gaza. Shortly after that, the hospital was struck yet again, this time with a much larger missile which slammed into its fourth floor. And unlike the warning rockets which had broken some windows and dislodged a few doors, I believe, the rocket in the afternoon did a great deal of damage, creating a gaping hole in a wall, and really reducing a large portion of the fourth floor, which it struck, to rubble.
A little while later, the hospital received its first call, most of us assume, from the Israeli military — it was someone speaking Arabic, who did not identify themselves, who had a distinctive Israeli accent — and that person asked a number of questions about whether anyone had been injured in the strike, and whether the hospital planned to evacuate. I believe they also asked whether the fourth floor, where the missile had struck, had been empty at the time.
So a number of the foreign activists here were asked by the administration to come and maintain a presence in the hopes of deterring further Israeli attacks, which seems to have worked up until now. We’re hopeful that it will continue to do so, moving forward. Of course, the next 24 hours in this area will be interesting, since a mass evacuation has been ordered, and large amounts of shelling have been promised.
Of course, when the Israeli military says they’re going to do something, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen, we’re all just waiting to see.
|
|
Israeli forces have ordered more than 225,000 Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes ahead of fresh airstrikes.
"Israeli army sent SMSs to residents in the areas of al-Shujaya, Zaitoun and Beit Lahia to leave," Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee twitted late Tuesday. The Israeli radio said the army had given the Palestinians until Wednesday morning to comply. According to Palestinian official statistics, some 50,000 people live in the southern Gaza City neighborhood of Zaitoun while 100,000 reside in the eastern al-Shujaya neighborhood. |
|
|
More than 75,000 Palestinians also live in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahia, according to the same statistics.
Thousands of Palestinians have already been forcibly displaced from their homes because of the ongoing Israeli military onslaught against the blockaded coastal enclave. At least 200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in unrelenting Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since July 7. Fatalities include at least 39 children and 24 women, according to Palestinian health officials. More than 1500 people have also been injured, many seriously, in the |
Israeli aerial attacks, which Israel say aim to stop rocket firing from Gaza.
Gaza-based resistance factions, for their part, have continued to fire rockets into Israel – some of which have reached Tel Aviv – in response to the airstrikes.
One Israeli has been killed as a result of rocket firing from Gaza.
The ongoing military operation - dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – is Israel's third wide-scale offensive against the blockaded Gaza Strip - home to some 1.8 million Palestinians - within the last six years.
Gaza-based resistance factions, for their part, have continued to fire rockets into Israel – some of which have reached Tel Aviv – in response to the airstrikes.
One Israeli has been killed as a result of rocket firing from Gaza.
The ongoing military operation - dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – is Israel's third wide-scale offensive against the blockaded Gaza Strip - home to some 1.8 million Palestinians - within the last six years.
At first the Israeli government accepted the ceasefire proposed by Egypt. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it offered an opportunity to clear out rockets from the Gaza Strip.
The plan called for both sides to end all hostilities. That meant Israel would have to stop its air strikes and refrain from staging a ground invasion. In return, all Palestinian factions would have to stop firing rockets into Israel.
The proposed ceasefire also called for border crossings to open once the security situation stabilised, and for talks on a long-term truce to be held in Cairo within 48 hours.
But Hamas says it was not involved in any negotiations over any truce.
So, is a ceasefire still possible? Or will there be a further escalation in the violence?
The plan called for both sides to end all hostilities. That meant Israel would have to stop its air strikes and refrain from staging a ground invasion. In return, all Palestinian factions would have to stop firing rockets into Israel.
The proposed ceasefire also called for border crossings to open once the security situation stabilised, and for talks on a long-term truce to be held in Cairo within 48 hours.
But Hamas says it was not involved in any negotiations over any truce.
So, is a ceasefire still possible? Or will there be a further escalation in the violence?
Rafah July 15th
Israeli warplanes targeted homes of Hamas officials early Wednesday, security sources said, as a campaign against Gaza militants entered day nine with no sign of an end to hostilities.After a brief respite, Israel had resumed Tuesday its punishing air campaign against the Palestinian territory, which has killed more than 200 people, as international efforts towards a ceasefire collapsed.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the army would "expand and intensify" its operation after Hamas snubbed the Egyptian cease-fire proposal.
The first major strike Wednesday hit the western Gaza City home of senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar, flattening the building, security officials said, but witnesses said the house had been empty. Separate strikes in Gaza City and Jabalia in the north targeted the homes of at least three other Hamas officials, with no immediate reports of casualties. Wednesday's first deadly strikes, in the southern city of Rafah, killed three men, one of whom witnesses said was an Islamic Jihad militant, bringing the death toll in Gaza to 200. The early morning raids came after the first Israeli fatality from a total of nearly 1,000 rockets fired into the Jewish state by Gaza militants.
The civilian man, 37-year-old Dror Hanin, was killed in a rocket attack on an Israeli position near the Erez crossing with Gaza late Tuesday after delivering food to soldiers, medics said. Israel’s Security Cabinet had said early Tuesday it would accept an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire to begin at 0600 GMT. But Hamas officials said they had not been consulted on the proposal and would not halt fire without a full-fledged deal including Israeli concessions. The movement's armed wing continued to fire dozens of rockets into Israel after the truce deadline, sending tens of thousands scrambling for cover. At 1200 GMT, the Israeli army announced it was resuming air strikes, after militants fired 47 rockets from Gaza.
"This would have been better resolved diplomatically ... but Hamas leaves us no choice but to expand and intensify the campaign against it," Netanyahu said Tuesday. Later, the Israeli army said it was sending messages to residents of parts of eastern and northern Gaza, "requesting them to evacuate their homes for their own safety" ahead of new strikes. The army issued similar messages to north Gaza residents Sunday, causing the exodus of 17,000 people who took shelter in United Nations schools. Hamas's Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades armed wing had almost immediately rejected the Egyptian proposal for a truce to be followed by talks. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the movement had not been consulted on the truce bid, and called the idea of halting fire before agreeing on terms "unacceptable".
A top member of Hamas's exiled politburo, Mussa Abu Marzuq, sounded a more cautious note, saying the movement had no official position on the proposal and discussions were continuing.
Hamas has said it wants the end of Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as part of a truce deal. It also wants Israel to free Palestinians it rearrested after releasing them in a 2011 exchange for an Israeli soldier held by Gaza militants for more than five years. In his remarks on Tuesday evening, Netanyahu hit back at domestic critics of his decision to accept Egypt's proposal. "These are moments when decisions must be made coolly and with patience, not hastily or noisily," Netanyahu said. The Israeli premier also fired Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon, a firebrand member of his Likud party, who was a vocal critic of him during the operation.
Cairo's proposal was announced overnight, and urged both sides to halt the violence and travel to Egypt for talks. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was due in Cairo Wednesday, but it was unclear if Hamas officials there were continuing to discuss the truce bid and if Israeli officials would also travel to Egypt. The proposal had won support from Western governments with U.S. President Barack Obama saying he was "encouraged" by Egypt's efforts and hoped to see calm restored. And even after the violence resumed, US officials said Secretary of State John Kerry remained engaged and had spoken late Tuesday with Netanyahu and other regional leaders about the crisis from his plane on his flight back to Washington.
Israel launched Operation Protective Edge before dawn on July 8, hitting Gaza with an intensive air and artillery bombardment aimed at stamping out rocket fire. Since then, 960 rockets have hit israel, while another 215 have been intercepted by its Iron Dome air defense system, the army said.
Israeli warplanes targeted homes of Hamas officials early Wednesday, security sources said, as a campaign against Gaza militants entered day nine with no sign of an end to hostilities.After a brief respite, Israel had resumed Tuesday its punishing air campaign against the Palestinian territory, which has killed more than 200 people, as international efforts towards a ceasefire collapsed.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the army would "expand and intensify" its operation after Hamas snubbed the Egyptian cease-fire proposal.
The first major strike Wednesday hit the western Gaza City home of senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar, flattening the building, security officials said, but witnesses said the house had been empty. Separate strikes in Gaza City and Jabalia in the north targeted the homes of at least three other Hamas officials, with no immediate reports of casualties. Wednesday's first deadly strikes, in the southern city of Rafah, killed three men, one of whom witnesses said was an Islamic Jihad militant, bringing the death toll in Gaza to 200. The early morning raids came after the first Israeli fatality from a total of nearly 1,000 rockets fired into the Jewish state by Gaza militants.
The civilian man, 37-year-old Dror Hanin, was killed in a rocket attack on an Israeli position near the Erez crossing with Gaza late Tuesday after delivering food to soldiers, medics said. Israel’s Security Cabinet had said early Tuesday it would accept an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire to begin at 0600 GMT. But Hamas officials said they had not been consulted on the proposal and would not halt fire without a full-fledged deal including Israeli concessions. The movement's armed wing continued to fire dozens of rockets into Israel after the truce deadline, sending tens of thousands scrambling for cover. At 1200 GMT, the Israeli army announced it was resuming air strikes, after militants fired 47 rockets from Gaza.
"This would have been better resolved diplomatically ... but Hamas leaves us no choice but to expand and intensify the campaign against it," Netanyahu said Tuesday. Later, the Israeli army said it was sending messages to residents of parts of eastern and northern Gaza, "requesting them to evacuate their homes for their own safety" ahead of new strikes. The army issued similar messages to north Gaza residents Sunday, causing the exodus of 17,000 people who took shelter in United Nations schools. Hamas's Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades armed wing had almost immediately rejected the Egyptian proposal for a truce to be followed by talks. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the movement had not been consulted on the truce bid, and called the idea of halting fire before agreeing on terms "unacceptable".
A top member of Hamas's exiled politburo, Mussa Abu Marzuq, sounded a more cautious note, saying the movement had no official position on the proposal and discussions were continuing.
Hamas has said it wants the end of Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as part of a truce deal. It also wants Israel to free Palestinians it rearrested after releasing them in a 2011 exchange for an Israeli soldier held by Gaza militants for more than five years. In his remarks on Tuesday evening, Netanyahu hit back at domestic critics of his decision to accept Egypt's proposal. "These are moments when decisions must be made coolly and with patience, not hastily or noisily," Netanyahu said. The Israeli premier also fired Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon, a firebrand member of his Likud party, who was a vocal critic of him during the operation.
Cairo's proposal was announced overnight, and urged both sides to halt the violence and travel to Egypt for talks. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was due in Cairo Wednesday, but it was unclear if Hamas officials there were continuing to discuss the truce bid and if Israeli officials would also travel to Egypt. The proposal had won support from Western governments with U.S. President Barack Obama saying he was "encouraged" by Egypt's efforts and hoped to see calm restored. And even after the violence resumed, US officials said Secretary of State John Kerry remained engaged and had spoken late Tuesday with Netanyahu and other regional leaders about the crisis from his plane on his flight back to Washington.
Israel launched Operation Protective Edge before dawn on July 8, hitting Gaza with an intensive air and artillery bombardment aimed at stamping out rocket fire. Since then, 960 rockets have hit israel, while another 215 have been intercepted by its Iron Dome air defense system, the army said.
