18 july 2014
Following a similar resolution passed last week by the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate voted Thursday night to support Israel’s ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip.
No dissenting vote was cast, and no mention was made of the hundreds of Palestinian civilians, most of whom are women and children, that have been killed by Israel in the past ten days.
Senate Resolution 498 was authored by Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), with additional support by Ben Cardin (D-MD) and son of former Republican party politician Ron Paul, Rand Paul (R-KY).
Paul is urging the Senate to pass his own bill, S. 2265, which would end all U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority until Hamas is barred from the new Palestinian unity government, among other stipulations.
The resolution was passed on the very same night Israel launched its current ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.
The United States and Israel, this past week, signed an agreement under which $429 million of American taxpayers’ money "will be transferred immediately to Israel" to further fund the Iron Dome missile system, which has recently come under scrutiny by prize winning Israeli defense and aerospace engineering expert Dr. Moti Shefer.
Related: Egyptian "Ceasefire Proposal" a Scam?
No dissenting vote was cast, and no mention was made of the hundreds of Palestinian civilians, most of whom are women and children, that have been killed by Israel in the past ten days.
Senate Resolution 498 was authored by Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), with additional support by Ben Cardin (D-MD) and son of former Republican party politician Ron Paul, Rand Paul (R-KY).
Paul is urging the Senate to pass his own bill, S. 2265, which would end all U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority until Hamas is barred from the new Palestinian unity government, among other stipulations.
The resolution was passed on the very same night Israel launched its current ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.
The United States and Israel, this past week, signed an agreement under which $429 million of American taxpayers’ money "will be transferred immediately to Israel" to further fund the Iron Dome missile system, which has recently come under scrutiny by prize winning Israeli defense and aerospace engineering expert Dr. Moti Shefer.
Related: Egyptian "Ceasefire Proposal" a Scam?
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Israel advocates sharing video from Syria in attempt to justify slaughter of children in Gaza
As the number of atrocities in which Israel kills children in Gaza mounts, Israel advocates are getting more desperate to find justifications for the slaughter. Many are sharing the above video titled “Hamas using children as human shields.” But the video is not from Palestine. It is actually from Syria. It was first posted to YouTube at least five months ago. Uploaded to YouTube by user “ziv121213” only yesterday, it has been disseminated widely on social media and already has tens of thousands of views. This is an example of how it is being shared on Twitter: A Man out of time @DVATW Wonder why Palestinian kids get killed? Just look at this and ask why the media IGNORES these inconvenient truths. The video shows a man firing a mortar. Behind him is a group of small children huddled with an older man. This version carries a logo in Hebrew at the bottom right of the screen that says Kikar HaShabbat, the name of an Israeli news website oriented toward Orthodox Jews. But I was not able to find any trace of the video or a related story on that site. It could have been published there and later removed, or the logo of Kikar HaShabbat could have been added to the video by a hoaxster in order to give it added credibility in the eyes of an audience that would be receptive to material from Kikar HaShabbat. |
Original video from Syria This version was posted on 12 February 2014 with the title “** MUST SEE ** Syrian Kids Launching Mortar Together!”
A demonstrator throws stones as another holds a Turkish national flag after climbing a wall with a Palestinian flag at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara on July 18, 2014
Israel on Friday ordered some of its diplomatic staff in Turkey to leave the country for security reasons, after protesters angered by its assault on Gaza sought to storm Israeli embassy buildings.
Turkish protesters overnight tried to break into the ambassador's residence in Ankara as well as the consulate in Istanbul, with the diplomatic controversy over the Gaza assault risking a new crisis in relations between Turkey and Israel.
"Foreign Minister (Avigdor) Lieberman issued a statement ... following the demonstrations and instructed the Israeli consulate and embassy to reduce their diplomatic staff in Turkey," an Israeli embassy spokesman told AFP, without stating the numbers concerned.
The spokesman emphasized that the Israeli representation in Turkey would not be completely shut down but would be reduced to minimum staffing. The measure also includes the diplomats' families, he added.
The Israeli foreign ministry also accused Turkey's security officials of failing to prevent the violence, he noted.
Hundreds of protesters attacked the Israeli consulate in Istanbul while similar numbers sought to break into the Ankara residence of the ambassador after the launch of the ground assault in Gaza, according to AFP correspondents.
Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to halt the protests in Istanbul in the early hours of the morning but in Ankara they stood on the sidelines.
The crowds in Istanbul, waving Palestinian flags, hurled stones and smashed the windows of the consulate in the upscale Levent district to denounce the Israeli military operations that have left more than 275 Palestinians dead.
They shouted slogans such as "Murderer Israel, Get Out of Palestine!" and "Strike Hamas, Strike!" while one protester wrote on the consulate wall: "Die, Murderer Jew."
Some of the protesters breached the police barricade and climbed the walls to break into the consulate, prompting police to use tear gas and water cannon.
In Ankara, around 200 people protested in front of the Israeli ambassador's residence under the watch of riot police.
'Israel threatens peace'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has vehemently criticized Israeli actions in Gaza, accusing them of carrying out a "genocide" of Palestinians.
"Israel is a state which knows very well how to kill children," Erdogan said Friday, repeating his famous comments before walking out in 2009 of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"Israel is a country that threatens peace in the world ... Israel has never taken the side of peace," he said.
Erdogan also ruled out any improvement in troubled ties with Israel as long as he remained in power.
"As long as I am in power, I never think anything positive with Israel," he said.
Turkey downgraded its diplomatic ties with Israel after the deadly 2010 maritime raid by Israeli commandos of a Gaza-bound Turkish ship. Ten pro-Palestinian activists were killed as a result of the attack.
Ankara expelled the Israeli ambassador, demanded a formal apology, compensation for the victims, and an end to the Gaza blockade.
After a US-brokered apology issued by Israel, both sides were engaged in contacts to mend fences and were close to a compensation agreement. But the Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip has meant any normalization is out of the question for the moment.
Erdogan, who portrays himself as a global Muslim leader who speaks up for Palestinian rights, also slammed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as an illegitimate "tyrant," saying that Cairo could not be relied upon to negotiate a ceasefire with Israel.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke on the phone with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal Thursday night and Turkey's leaders were due to meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.
Israel on Friday ordered some of its diplomatic staff in Turkey to leave the country for security reasons, after protesters angered by its assault on Gaza sought to storm Israeli embassy buildings.
Turkish protesters overnight tried to break into the ambassador's residence in Ankara as well as the consulate in Istanbul, with the diplomatic controversy over the Gaza assault risking a new crisis in relations between Turkey and Israel.
"Foreign Minister (Avigdor) Lieberman issued a statement ... following the demonstrations and instructed the Israeli consulate and embassy to reduce their diplomatic staff in Turkey," an Israeli embassy spokesman told AFP, without stating the numbers concerned.
The spokesman emphasized that the Israeli representation in Turkey would not be completely shut down but would be reduced to minimum staffing. The measure also includes the diplomats' families, he added.
The Israeli foreign ministry also accused Turkey's security officials of failing to prevent the violence, he noted.
Hundreds of protesters attacked the Israeli consulate in Istanbul while similar numbers sought to break into the Ankara residence of the ambassador after the launch of the ground assault in Gaza, according to AFP correspondents.
Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to halt the protests in Istanbul in the early hours of the morning but in Ankara they stood on the sidelines.
The crowds in Istanbul, waving Palestinian flags, hurled stones and smashed the windows of the consulate in the upscale Levent district to denounce the Israeli military operations that have left more than 275 Palestinians dead.
They shouted slogans such as "Murderer Israel, Get Out of Palestine!" and "Strike Hamas, Strike!" while one protester wrote on the consulate wall: "Die, Murderer Jew."
Some of the protesters breached the police barricade and climbed the walls to break into the consulate, prompting police to use tear gas and water cannon.
In Ankara, around 200 people protested in front of the Israeli ambassador's residence under the watch of riot police.
'Israel threatens peace'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has vehemently criticized Israeli actions in Gaza, accusing them of carrying out a "genocide" of Palestinians.
"Israel is a state which knows very well how to kill children," Erdogan said Friday, repeating his famous comments before walking out in 2009 of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"Israel is a country that threatens peace in the world ... Israel has never taken the side of peace," he said.
Erdogan also ruled out any improvement in troubled ties with Israel as long as he remained in power.
"As long as I am in power, I never think anything positive with Israel," he said.
Turkey downgraded its diplomatic ties with Israel after the deadly 2010 maritime raid by Israeli commandos of a Gaza-bound Turkish ship. Ten pro-Palestinian activists were killed as a result of the attack.
Ankara expelled the Israeli ambassador, demanded a formal apology, compensation for the victims, and an end to the Gaza blockade.
After a US-brokered apology issued by Israel, both sides were engaged in contacts to mend fences and were close to a compensation agreement. But the Israeli military operation in Gaza Strip has meant any normalization is out of the question for the moment.
Erdogan, who portrays himself as a global Muslim leader who speaks up for Palestinian rights, also slammed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as an illegitimate "tyrant," saying that Cairo could not be relied upon to negotiate a ceasefire with Israel.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke on the phone with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal Thursday night and Turkey's leaders were due to meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.
A Palestinian relative mourns during the funeral of Rani Abu Tawila, who was killed during an Israeli raid on Gaza City, on July 18, 2014
Israel warned Friday it could broaden a Gaza ground assault aimed at smashing Hamas's network of cross-border tunnels, as it intensified an operation that has so far killed 278 Palestinians and injured more than 2,000.
With diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire gathering pace, US President Barack Obama said he had telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to voice concerns about the crisis.
And Abbas reached out for French help to lobby Hamas allies Qatar and Turkey to pressure the group into accepting a truce during talks in Cairo with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
In the face of Israel's land, sea and air offensive that has sent terrified civilians running for cover, Hamas remained defiant and warned Israel it would "drown in the swamp of Gaza."
As Gaza residents spoke of a night of terror, with gun battles in the south and all-night shelling in the north, Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to ready for "the possibility of a significant broadening of the ground activity."
Immediately afterwards, he convened his security cabinet to discuss plans for a possible expansion of the campaign, which began on July 8 with the aim of stamping out cross-border rocket fire that intensified in late June and early July as Israeli forces launched a massive campaign against Hamas in the West Bank that led to around 10 deaths, 130 injuries, and more than 600 arrests.
Fleeing westwards
The ground operation, which began in the Gaza periphery at around 10 p.m. on Thursday, sent thousands of people fleeing west to escape the fighting, with a UN agency saying the numbers of displaced had almost doubled overnight.
"The number of people coming to UNRWA seeking sanctuary from the fighting in Gaza has nearly doubled today. It has risen from 22,000 to over 40,000," said Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, saying they were staying in 34 of the agency's schools.
By mid-morning Friday, the road between Gaza City and Khan Yunis was deserted with only a single minibus, packed with passengers, careering south, its windows covered with makeshift white flags, an AFP correspondent said.
During Friday prayers, imams at Gaza's 1,400 mosques relayed a single message to the faithful: "Be patient and strong, victory will come."
But it was little comfort for those on the ground with hospitals overwhelmed by a flood of patients.
"The situation is very, very difficult," said doctor Kamel Zaqzuq at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis
"This is much, much more difficult than the last war," he said, referring to the previous major conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in November 2012.
"At night, it's one constant emergency."
With food supplies running desperately low, the World Food Program said it had already distributed emergency food rations and food vouchers to more than 20,000 displaced people since the conflict erupted on July 8.
But with the ground operation, it was gearing up for a huge increase in the coming days, spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told reporters in Geneva.
"In the next few days, WFP hopes to reach 85,000 people with food distributions," she said.
Gaza was also struggling with a 70 percent power outage after electricity lines from Israel were damaged, officials said.
Tunnel vision
Since midnight, 33 people have been killed across Gaza by Israeli fire, including three teenagers and a five-month-old baby, raising to 274 the total number of Palestinians killed in the past 11 days.
An Israeli civilian and a soldier have also been killed.
Israel has said the aim of the ground operation is to destroy Hamas's network of tunnels which are used for cross-border attacks on southern Israel.
"It is not possible to deal with tunnels only from the air, so our soldiers are also doing that on the ground," Netanyahu said, although he admitted there was "no guarantee of 100 percent success."
Obama told reporters in Washington that while the US supports Israel's right to defend itself, "the United States and our friends and allies are deeply concerned about the risks of further escalation and the loss of more innocent life."
He added that Washington was "hopeful that Israel will continue to approach this process (of destroying tunnels) in a way that minimizes civilian casualties."
Israel pulled out all of its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, but within a year it became the de facto seat of Hamas after it won a landslide victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, Abbas arrived in Turkey where he urged support for an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire proposal.
Shortly before his arrival, Israel said it was pulling out some of its diplomatic staff following violent protests targeting the buildings of its embassy and consulate in Ankara and Istanbul.
Israel warned Friday it could broaden a Gaza ground assault aimed at smashing Hamas's network of cross-border tunnels, as it intensified an operation that has so far killed 278 Palestinians and injured more than 2,000.
With diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire gathering pace, US President Barack Obama said he had telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to voice concerns about the crisis.
And Abbas reached out for French help to lobby Hamas allies Qatar and Turkey to pressure the group into accepting a truce during talks in Cairo with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
In the face of Israel's land, sea and air offensive that has sent terrified civilians running for cover, Hamas remained defiant and warned Israel it would "drown in the swamp of Gaza."
As Gaza residents spoke of a night of terror, with gun battles in the south and all-night shelling in the north, Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to ready for "the possibility of a significant broadening of the ground activity."
Immediately afterwards, he convened his security cabinet to discuss plans for a possible expansion of the campaign, which began on July 8 with the aim of stamping out cross-border rocket fire that intensified in late June and early July as Israeli forces launched a massive campaign against Hamas in the West Bank that led to around 10 deaths, 130 injuries, and more than 600 arrests.
Fleeing westwards
The ground operation, which began in the Gaza periphery at around 10 p.m. on Thursday, sent thousands of people fleeing west to escape the fighting, with a UN agency saying the numbers of displaced had almost doubled overnight.
"The number of people coming to UNRWA seeking sanctuary from the fighting in Gaza has nearly doubled today. It has risen from 22,000 to over 40,000," said Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, saying they were staying in 34 of the agency's schools.
By mid-morning Friday, the road between Gaza City and Khan Yunis was deserted with only a single minibus, packed with passengers, careering south, its windows covered with makeshift white flags, an AFP correspondent said.
During Friday prayers, imams at Gaza's 1,400 mosques relayed a single message to the faithful: "Be patient and strong, victory will come."
But it was little comfort for those on the ground with hospitals overwhelmed by a flood of patients.
"The situation is very, very difficult," said doctor Kamel Zaqzuq at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis
"This is much, much more difficult than the last war," he said, referring to the previous major conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in November 2012.
"At night, it's one constant emergency."
With food supplies running desperately low, the World Food Program said it had already distributed emergency food rations and food vouchers to more than 20,000 displaced people since the conflict erupted on July 8.
But with the ground operation, it was gearing up for a huge increase in the coming days, spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told reporters in Geneva.
"In the next few days, WFP hopes to reach 85,000 people with food distributions," she said.
Gaza was also struggling with a 70 percent power outage after electricity lines from Israel were damaged, officials said.
Tunnel vision
Since midnight, 33 people have been killed across Gaza by Israeli fire, including three teenagers and a five-month-old baby, raising to 274 the total number of Palestinians killed in the past 11 days.
An Israeli civilian and a soldier have also been killed.
Israel has said the aim of the ground operation is to destroy Hamas's network of tunnels which are used for cross-border attacks on southern Israel.
"It is not possible to deal with tunnels only from the air, so our soldiers are also doing that on the ground," Netanyahu said, although he admitted there was "no guarantee of 100 percent success."
Obama told reporters in Washington that while the US supports Israel's right to defend itself, "the United States and our friends and allies are deeply concerned about the risks of further escalation and the loss of more innocent life."
He added that Washington was "hopeful that Israel will continue to approach this process (of destroying tunnels) in a way that minimizes civilian casualties."
Israel pulled out all of its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, but within a year it became the de facto seat of Hamas after it won a landslide victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, Abbas arrived in Turkey where he urged support for an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire proposal.
Shortly before his arrival, Israel said it was pulling out some of its diplomatic staff following violent protests targeting the buildings of its embassy and consulate in Ankara and Istanbul.
The Fatah movement called for Arab and international action to pressure Israel to end the offensive on Gaza as it ended its 11th day.
Fatah spokesperson Ahmad Assaf said in a statement that the group "fully believes in our great Palestinian people that will not give up and will resist for their rights to live and rights of freedom and independence."
Ahmad Assaf added that "everybody should know that all of our people are in one trench facing the Israeli offensive with national unity."
Abbas asks France to lobby Hamas allies for Gaza truce
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas reached out for French help Friday to lobby Hamas's regional allies to influence it into accepting a truce with Israel, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.
Egypt-mediated talks to end the escalating Gaza Strip war have faltered, with Hamas insisting on a comprehensive ceasefire that would end the Israeli blockade of the coastal enclave, Palestinian officials said.
Abbas asked France to lobby Hamas allies Qatar and Turkey to pressure the militants into accepting the truce, Fabius told reporters after meeting the Palestinian leader in Cairo.
He said he had called his Qatari counterpart after Abbas's request and added he would also contact Ankara.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood from power last year, has sought to isolate Hamas allies and initially demanded that the militants unconditionally accept a truce to end the 11-day war, as Israel already had.
The truce stipulated a ceasefire first, followed by easing restrictions on border crossings and negotiations later -- something Hamas says it cannot trust Israel to commit to.
Cairo has worked instead to bolster the role of Abbas -- its ally based in the West Bank and rival to Hamas -- in reaching a deal to end the conflict which has killed at least 278 Palestinians since July 8.
Egypt has also rejected demands by Hamas to involve Turkey and Qatar -- both regional rivals to Egypt's new government -- in the process, Palestinian officials said.
"We demand a complete agreement and the end of the siege. The (Egyptians) respond that Israel can't accept this," said a senior Hamas official.
Pressure on Hamas
Abbas met Fabius at Cairo airport before leaving for Turkey.
"He (Abbas) asked me to contact the Turks and Qataris with whom we have good relations, because they themselves can exert a particular influence on Hamas," Fabius said.
"There can be influences that I hope can let Hamas accept the ceasefire that it has refused," Fabius said.
Later he told reporters that he called Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah.
"He said that in his view, Hamas hopes for there to be negotiation points before a ceasefire , especially relating to the blockade," Fabius said.
It was unclear how receptive Turkey would be to such lobbying.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan again attacked Sisi on Friday, branding him a "tyrant" and suggesting he was unfit to mediate a ceasefire.
The senior Hamas official said the militants, who rejected an initial Egypt-proposed truce they said ignored their demands, will not back down even as Israel launched a ground incursion into Gaza overnight on Thursday.
Hamas also insists that Israel release Palestinian prisoners it had freed but rearrested and lift its siege of Gaza, Ahmed told AFP.
Egypt's foreign ministry has condemned the ground incursion but also lashed out at Hamas, saying the Islamist movement could have saved dozens of lives had it accepted Cairo's proposal.
Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel, shares borders with both Israel and Gaza.
Israel has blockaded the coastal strip since Hamas came into power in 2006, and Hamas later expelled Abbas's Fatah party from the enclave in a week of bloody clashes following what they called a coup attempt against the Hamas government.
Abbas and Hamas have agreed on a unity government of technocrats to end their seven-year split, but Israel has strongly opposed the unity deal.
Fatah spokesperson Ahmad Assaf said in a statement that the group "fully believes in our great Palestinian people that will not give up and will resist for their rights to live and rights of freedom and independence."
Ahmad Assaf added that "everybody should know that all of our people are in one trench facing the Israeli offensive with national unity."
Abbas asks France to lobby Hamas allies for Gaza truce
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas reached out for French help Friday to lobby Hamas's regional allies to influence it into accepting a truce with Israel, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.
Egypt-mediated talks to end the escalating Gaza Strip war have faltered, with Hamas insisting on a comprehensive ceasefire that would end the Israeli blockade of the coastal enclave, Palestinian officials said.
Abbas asked France to lobby Hamas allies Qatar and Turkey to pressure the militants into accepting the truce, Fabius told reporters after meeting the Palestinian leader in Cairo.
He said he had called his Qatari counterpart after Abbas's request and added he would also contact Ankara.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood from power last year, has sought to isolate Hamas allies and initially demanded that the militants unconditionally accept a truce to end the 11-day war, as Israel already had.
The truce stipulated a ceasefire first, followed by easing restrictions on border crossings and negotiations later -- something Hamas says it cannot trust Israel to commit to.
Cairo has worked instead to bolster the role of Abbas -- its ally based in the West Bank and rival to Hamas -- in reaching a deal to end the conflict which has killed at least 278 Palestinians since July 8.
Egypt has also rejected demands by Hamas to involve Turkey and Qatar -- both regional rivals to Egypt's new government -- in the process, Palestinian officials said.
"We demand a complete agreement and the end of the siege. The (Egyptians) respond that Israel can't accept this," said a senior Hamas official.
Pressure on Hamas
Abbas met Fabius at Cairo airport before leaving for Turkey.
"He (Abbas) asked me to contact the Turks and Qataris with whom we have good relations, because they themselves can exert a particular influence on Hamas," Fabius said.
"There can be influences that I hope can let Hamas accept the ceasefire that it has refused," Fabius said.
Later he told reporters that he called Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah.
"He said that in his view, Hamas hopes for there to be negotiation points before a ceasefire , especially relating to the blockade," Fabius said.
It was unclear how receptive Turkey would be to such lobbying.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan again attacked Sisi on Friday, branding him a "tyrant" and suggesting he was unfit to mediate a ceasefire.
The senior Hamas official said the militants, who rejected an initial Egypt-proposed truce they said ignored their demands, will not back down even as Israel launched a ground incursion into Gaza overnight on Thursday.
Hamas also insists that Israel release Palestinian prisoners it had freed but rearrested and lift its siege of Gaza, Ahmed told AFP.
Egypt's foreign ministry has condemned the ground incursion but also lashed out at Hamas, saying the Islamist movement could have saved dozens of lives had it accepted Cairo's proposal.
Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel, shares borders with both Israel and Gaza.
Israel has blockaded the coastal strip since Hamas came into power in 2006, and Hamas later expelled Abbas's Fatah party from the enclave in a week of bloody clashes following what they called a coup attempt against the Hamas government.
Abbas and Hamas have agreed on a unity government of technocrats to end their seven-year split, but Israel has strongly opposed the unity deal.
PPP calls for Gazans to take up arms in self-defense
A member of the leftist Palestinian People's Party on Friday called for people in Gaza to be "armed" as much as possible in order to confront the Israeli ground offensive and "empower the resistance against the offensive."
Nafiz Ghneim said in a statement that the parties of the Palestinian resistance, especially the Hamas-affiliated al-Qassam Brigades should recruit as many Palestinians as they could to help fight the Israeli ground assault that began late Thursday.
Ghneim called upon Gazans to stay as long as they could in their houses in order to prevent Israel from achieving the goals of the ground offensive.
Ghneim also called on all Palestinian parties to continue to fight for the national good and the protection of people.
A member of the leftist Palestinian People's Party on Friday called for people in Gaza to be "armed" as much as possible in order to confront the Israeli ground offensive and "empower the resistance against the offensive."
Nafiz Ghneim said in a statement that the parties of the Palestinian resistance, especially the Hamas-affiliated al-Qassam Brigades should recruit as many Palestinians as they could to help fight the Israeli ground assault that began late Thursday.
Ghneim called upon Gazans to stay as long as they could in their houses in order to prevent Israel from achieving the goals of the ground offensive.
Ghneim also called on all Palestinian parties to continue to fight for the national good and the protection of people.
Report: 3 Israeli soldiers wounded by anti-tank missile in Gaza
Israeli media reported on Friday evening that three Israeli soldiers were wounded by an anti-tank missile strike in Gaza.
Israeli media reported on Friday evening that three Israeli soldiers were wounded by an anti-tank missile strike in Gaza.
Dozens of rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Friday afternoon, as Palestinian militant groups responded to the ground assault launched late Thursday into the besieged coastal enclave.
The Israeli military said in a statement that two rockets were intercepted over Tel Aviv, while Israeli media reported that sirens went off in Herzliya, Ashdod, Beersheba and other towns across central and southern Israel.
One woman was reported injured by Israeli news site Ynet after being struck by glass near Gan Yavne near Ashdod, while a house was also badly damaged in the area.
Rockets attack from the Gaza Strip into Israel have killed one person and injured around six since Israel launched its massive assault onto Gaza 11 days ago.
The Israeli military said in a statement that two rockets were intercepted over Tel Aviv, while Israeli media reported that sirens went off in Herzliya, Ashdod, Beersheba and other towns across central and southern Israel.
One woman was reported injured by Israeli news site Ynet after being struck by glass near Gan Yavne near Ashdod, while a house was also badly damaged in the area.
Rockets attack from the Gaza Strip into Israel have killed one person and injured around six since Israel launched its massive assault onto Gaza 11 days ago.
France calls upon Israel to exercise 'restraint' in Gaza
The French Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed its "deepest concern" over the Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to "exercise utmost restraint."
"It is crucial to protect the civilian populations and avoid further casualties," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius would be visiting the region on Saturday "in order to support sustained efforts for an immediate cease-fire and a lasting truce that meets Israel’s security needs and Palestinian humanitarian and economic needs."
The French Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed its "deepest concern" over the Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to "exercise utmost restraint."
"It is crucial to protect the civilian populations and avoid further casualties," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius would be visiting the region on Saturday "in order to support sustained efforts for an immediate cease-fire and a lasting truce that meets Israel’s security needs and Palestinian humanitarian and economic needs."
Israeli tanks withdrew from Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip after intense clashes with Hamas, only a day after they penetrated hundreds of meters into the area at the beginning of the ground invasion Thursday night.
Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that violent clashes took place in the "Ashkelon" area of Beit Lahiya on Friday afternoon, and that the tanks withdrew in response to positions behind the Israeli border.
Hamas' military wing the al-Qassam Brigades has claimed responsibility for hitting multiple Israeli military vehicles in the area, confirming direct hits with mortar shells and 107 rockets.
The Al-Quds Brigades affiliated with Islamic Jihad also claimed responsibility for the targeting of the military site Dugit, which is on the site of a former Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip, and two wells with four 107 missiles and the Mighen military site north of Beit Lahiya with three mortars.
For its part, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, claimed responsibility for the targeting of Eshkol with three rockets.
Israel has admitted that it is facing tough resistance in areas that it has penetrated in northern and southern regions of the Gaza Strip.
One Israeli soldier died early Friday and two were injured in fighting.
Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that violent clashes took place in the "Ashkelon" area of Beit Lahiya on Friday afternoon, and that the tanks withdrew in response to positions behind the Israeli border.
Hamas' military wing the al-Qassam Brigades has claimed responsibility for hitting multiple Israeli military vehicles in the area, confirming direct hits with mortar shells and 107 rockets.
The Al-Quds Brigades affiliated with Islamic Jihad also claimed responsibility for the targeting of the military site Dugit, which is on the site of a former Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip, and two wells with four 107 missiles and the Mighen military site north of Beit Lahiya with three mortars.
For its part, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, claimed responsibility for the targeting of Eshkol with three rockets.
Israel has admitted that it is facing tough resistance in areas that it has penetrated in northern and southern regions of the Gaza Strip.
One Israeli soldier died early Friday and two were injured in fighting.
You find the photo's/video's disturbing? Remember, this is what Palestinian children see almost every day
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