20 july 2014
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Tens of thousands of Palestinian supporters have gathered, in recent days, to take part in mass demonstrations, across the globe, against Israel's ongoing military assault on the Gaza Strip.
The collective outrage incited by the current string of atrocities committed, by Israel against the Palestinian people, has extended as far as Kashmir and Beijing, as photos, footage and eyewitness reports continue to surface on the internet, gripping the international community in an unprecedented state of shock and horror. While newly commenced ground operations continue to stack the human toll in Gaza at an ever-increasing rate, nearly 20,000 people from various |
parts the United Kingdom marched, on Saturday, from PM David Cameron's Downing Street residence to the Israeli embassy, where masses of protesters observed a minute's silence for the victims.
The anti-Israeli demonstration was the largest in recent history, according to Ma'an, and reminiscent of the millions who demonstrated against the West's coalitive war on Iraq, in 2003, when people from over 600 cities around the world came together to voice their communal anti-war dissent.
"Speakers during the rally were shouting their anger, singers sang for Gaza, and there was a very moving minute of silence for Gaza during which many people sobbed," one of the protesters told Ma'an. Helicopters, she said, did not deter anybody from speaking, adding:
"We will be back every Saturday for the foreseeable future; tens of thousands of us will not stop until Gaza's siege is lifted and Palestinians begin to taste freedom."
London photos(s): Guy Smallman, Video: Reel News
Thousands marched in cities around France as well, on Saturday, according to Haaretz, who recently reported Paris demonstrators climbing to the top of a building in order to burn an Israeli flag and at least one car, in the streets.
Last Saturday, the Israeli daily reported that Indian forces fired on protesters in Kashmir, killing a teenage boy; dozens of students were arrested the week prior, while demonstrating outside the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. National Conference constituents marched in Srinagar on Saturday, as well; protesters gathered on Thursday, in Ahmadabad.
Friday gatherings took place in the Indonesian city of Jarkata, as well as in Beijing, China, where protesters gathered outside the Palestinian embassy, voicing their dissent over the recent Israeli airstrikes which have targeted mostly Gazan residential homes, municipal facilities and hospitals, to include centers for the elderly and disabled, while killing hundreds -- young, old, entire families -- and injuring thousands, with tens of thousands left to seek shelter at a small number of UNRWA schools located in the region.
South African supporters cried out for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, in the streets of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
In Turkey, hundreds pelted a top Israeli diplomat's Ankara residence with stones on Friday, also, while police unleashed water cannons on protesters trying to enter the Israeli Consulate grounds in Istanbul.
Just the day prior, protesters gathered at La Constitucion square in Malaga, Spain, as Israeli PM Netanyahu's office announced the ground assault that is now rapidly morphing the Gaza Strip from a heavily militarized zone of occupational siege into a smoking cesspool of chaos and human despair. More than 2,000 gathered in Madrid, on the same day, to protest the atrocity currently taking place under the Israeli regime.
Protests also took place on Thursday, in Seoul, South Korea, as well as Athens, Greece, where demonstrators also burned an Israeli flag outside of the Israeli embassy.
Earlier in the week, on July 11, solidarity movements from London and Berlin to Tunisia and Washington DC organized with banners and shouted slogans, in the streets of their cities, against the devastating and repeated Israeli air strikes.
Mass protests were also organized in the cities of Tokyo, Bogota, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso, Maldives, Milan, Rome, Santiago, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Oslo, Sydney, Houston, Tempe, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, New York City, Columbus, Vienna, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ottowa, Montreal, Metz, Akwar, Haifa and Amman.
To be noted, the Jewish community has played a considerable role in the international outcries of the past week -- as in recent days, when tens of thousands of orthodox patrons gathered in the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan, in mass mourning over the newly proposed Israeli military draft bill which would require all Jewish citizens of Israel to take part in the massacre and ethnic cleansing being perpetrated on Palestinians by the Netanyahu coalition.
Over the past few years, the orthodox community has engaged in a number of related acts of civil disobedience against the increasingly historical abominations of the so-called "Jewish state"from Jerusalem to London and New York City, going so far as to burn the Israeli flag in the streets, also, in mass protest with family members and friends.
The anti-Israeli demonstration was the largest in recent history, according to Ma'an, and reminiscent of the millions who demonstrated against the West's coalitive war on Iraq, in 2003, when people from over 600 cities around the world came together to voice their communal anti-war dissent.
"Speakers during the rally were shouting their anger, singers sang for Gaza, and there was a very moving minute of silence for Gaza during which many people sobbed," one of the protesters told Ma'an. Helicopters, she said, did not deter anybody from speaking, adding:
"We will be back every Saturday for the foreseeable future; tens of thousands of us will not stop until Gaza's siege is lifted and Palestinians begin to taste freedom."
London photos(s): Guy Smallman, Video: Reel News
Thousands marched in cities around France as well, on Saturday, according to Haaretz, who recently reported Paris demonstrators climbing to the top of a building in order to burn an Israeli flag and at least one car, in the streets.
Last Saturday, the Israeli daily reported that Indian forces fired on protesters in Kashmir, killing a teenage boy; dozens of students were arrested the week prior, while demonstrating outside the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. National Conference constituents marched in Srinagar on Saturday, as well; protesters gathered on Thursday, in Ahmadabad.
Friday gatherings took place in the Indonesian city of Jarkata, as well as in Beijing, China, where protesters gathered outside the Palestinian embassy, voicing their dissent over the recent Israeli airstrikes which have targeted mostly Gazan residential homes, municipal facilities and hospitals, to include centers for the elderly and disabled, while killing hundreds -- young, old, entire families -- and injuring thousands, with tens of thousands left to seek shelter at a small number of UNRWA schools located in the region.
South African supporters cried out for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, in the streets of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
In Turkey, hundreds pelted a top Israeli diplomat's Ankara residence with stones on Friday, also, while police unleashed water cannons on protesters trying to enter the Israeli Consulate grounds in Istanbul.
Just the day prior, protesters gathered at La Constitucion square in Malaga, Spain, as Israeli PM Netanyahu's office announced the ground assault that is now rapidly morphing the Gaza Strip from a heavily militarized zone of occupational siege into a smoking cesspool of chaos and human despair. More than 2,000 gathered in Madrid, on the same day, to protest the atrocity currently taking place under the Israeli regime.
Protests also took place on Thursday, in Seoul, South Korea, as well as Athens, Greece, where demonstrators also burned an Israeli flag outside of the Israeli embassy.
Earlier in the week, on July 11, solidarity movements from London and Berlin to Tunisia and Washington DC organized with banners and shouted slogans, in the streets of their cities, against the devastating and repeated Israeli air strikes.
Mass protests were also organized in the cities of Tokyo, Bogota, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso, Maldives, Milan, Rome, Santiago, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Oslo, Sydney, Houston, Tempe, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, New York City, Columbus, Vienna, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ottowa, Montreal, Metz, Akwar, Haifa and Amman.
To be noted, the Jewish community has played a considerable role in the international outcries of the past week -- as in recent days, when tens of thousands of orthodox patrons gathered in the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan, in mass mourning over the newly proposed Israeli military draft bill which would require all Jewish citizens of Israel to take part in the massacre and ethnic cleansing being perpetrated on Palestinians by the Netanyahu coalition.
Over the past few years, the orthodox community has engaged in a number of related acts of civil disobedience against the increasingly historical abominations of the so-called "Jewish state"from Jerusalem to London and New York City, going so far as to burn the Israeli flag in the streets, also, in mass protest with family members and friends.
Israel has begun shelling eastern Gaza, less than an hour into a two-hour truce.
For the moment we can count at least 70 bodies
For the moment we can count at least 70 bodies
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday called for three days of mourning for the more than 400 victims of the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, as the government called the killings a "war crime."
Abbas announced the days of mourning in a statement on Sunday, saying that flags would be lowered across Palestine and on government offices and embassies abroad.
The president also appealed to the international community to intervene immediately to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and ensure the imposition of a ceasefire in order to end the 13-day assault that has left more than 400 Palestinians dead and 3,500 injured.
The Palestinian consensus government in a statement condemned the "massacre" of more than 66 Palestinians in Shujaiyya by Israeli forces on Sunday, in an attack that also left more than 400 injured.
The government said that they considered the killings "war crimes that require immediate international intervention to protect Gaza's civilians under the four Geneva Conventions."
Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi also condemned the attacks, calling the situation "nothing short of a deliberate massacre."
“There is an urgent need for all countries to take their responsibilities seriously and intervene to save lives and to curb Israeli violations and war crimes," she said during a meeting with the British consul general, Alastair McPhail, at PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.
"Blatant war crimes are being committed before the eyes of the entire international community, and yet Israel is still given the means to malign an entire nation and persist with its war crimes against the Palestinian people," she said.
"The right to life, freedom and justice are fundamental rights, and we call on all members of the international community and people of conscience to stand up to Israel and put an end to the bloodshed and loss of innocent lives," she added.
Abbas announced the days of mourning in a statement on Sunday, saying that flags would be lowered across Palestine and on government offices and embassies abroad.
The president also appealed to the international community to intervene immediately to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and ensure the imposition of a ceasefire in order to end the 13-day assault that has left more than 400 Palestinians dead and 3,500 injured.
The Palestinian consensus government in a statement condemned the "massacre" of more than 66 Palestinians in Shujaiyya by Israeli forces on Sunday, in an attack that also left more than 400 injured.
The government said that they considered the killings "war crimes that require immediate international intervention to protect Gaza's civilians under the four Geneva Conventions."
Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi also condemned the attacks, calling the situation "nothing short of a deliberate massacre."
“There is an urgent need for all countries to take their responsibilities seriously and intervene to save lives and to curb Israeli violations and war crimes," she said during a meeting with the British consul general, Alastair McPhail, at PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.
"Blatant war crimes are being committed before the eyes of the entire international community, and yet Israel is still given the means to malign an entire nation and persist with its war crimes against the Palestinian people," she said.
"The right to life, freedom and justice are fundamental rights, and we call on all members of the international community and people of conscience to stand up to Israel and put an end to the bloodshed and loss of innocent lives," she added.
The Ministry of Higher Education in Gaza said on Saturday that 100 schools have been damaged in Israeli attacks in the last 12 days, warning that half a million students were suffering from "trauma" as a result of the ongoing assault.
The ministry said in a report that 50 percent of the victims in the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip have been children or students, and hundreds of the 2,385 injuries have been children and students as well.
The report highlighted that half a million minors in the Gaza Strip were suffering from trauma as a result of the offensive, which entered its 13th day on Sunday, and that large numbers of children were suffering from panic or fear attacks as a result of the assault.
At least 100 educational facilitates, including kindergartens and institutions of higher education, have been damaged, meanwhile.
The ministry demanded the international community, the United Nations, and human rights institutions act and hold Israeli military and political leaders responsible for the ongoing destruction of Palestinian life and Palestinian educational facilities.
The ministry said in a report that 50 percent of the victims in the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip have been children or students, and hundreds of the 2,385 injuries have been children and students as well.
The report highlighted that half a million minors in the Gaza Strip were suffering from trauma as a result of the offensive, which entered its 13th day on Sunday, and that large numbers of children were suffering from panic or fear attacks as a result of the assault.
At least 100 educational facilitates, including kindergartens and institutions of higher education, have been damaged, meanwhile.
The ministry demanded the international community, the United Nations, and human rights institutions act and hold Israeli military and political leaders responsible for the ongoing destruction of Palestinian life and Palestinian educational facilities.
The ongoing Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip have so far displaced more than 135,000 Palestinians and destroyed more than 2,00 homes, the Geneva-based Euro-mid Observer for Human Rights said on Sunday.
The group said in a report that Israeli artillery and warplanes continued to bombard eastern Gaza neighborhoods near the border with Israel haphazardly and had forced thousands of Palestinian residents to leave their homes.
About half of the displaced people had found shelter in UNRWA schools, the report said, adding that many of them have lost their homes in Israeli airstrikes.
The report highlighted that on Saturday alone Israeli forces launched 756 raids on the Gaza Strip including 156 from the air, 210 from the sea, and 390 artillery shells.
The total number of Israeli raids since the beginning of the assault 13 days ago has hit 6,589 including 3,121 airstrikes, 1,545 from the sea, and 1,923 from military tanks, the report said.
The report added that Israeli forces destroyed 263 homes in Gaza on Saturday, including 33 completely leveled, bringing the total number of houses damaged in Gaza to 2,729 of which 404 houses had been leveled to the ground.
Two mosques were also hit on Saturday, bringing the number of mosques attacked to 40, including six completely destroyed.
The group said in a report that Israeli artillery and warplanes continued to bombard eastern Gaza neighborhoods near the border with Israel haphazardly and had forced thousands of Palestinian residents to leave their homes.
About half of the displaced people had found shelter in UNRWA schools, the report said, adding that many of them have lost their homes in Israeli airstrikes.
The report highlighted that on Saturday alone Israeli forces launched 756 raids on the Gaza Strip including 156 from the air, 210 from the sea, and 390 artillery shells.
The total number of Israeli raids since the beginning of the assault 13 days ago has hit 6,589 including 3,121 airstrikes, 1,545 from the sea, and 1,923 from military tanks, the report said.
The report added that Israeli forces destroyed 263 homes in Gaza on Saturday, including 33 completely leveled, bringing the total number of houses damaged in Gaza to 2,729 of which 404 houses had been leveled to the ground.
Two mosques were also hit on Saturday, bringing the number of mosques attacked to 40, including six completely destroyed.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that five Israeli soldiers and officers had been killed and 60 injured in fighting in Gaza since the beginning of the ground invasion.
The statement comes after heavy fighting on Saturday between Hamas militants and Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza killed at least two soldiers, as the army expanded its ground operation while shelling from land and sea as well as airstrikes continued.
Reports of the number of dead and injured was expected to rise due to the military censor, which delays the release of news army casualties by the Israeli media.
The injured included a commander of the elite Golani Brigade, Colonel Ghassan Alian, the bridgade's first Druze commander.
The high numbers of deaths and injured came after Israeli forces encountered encountered intense Palestinian resistance upon entering the Gaza Strip, while two of the deaths came from an infiltration raid and attack on a patrol by Hamas inside southern Israel itself.
64,000 Israeli reserve soldiers have been called up for duty since the beginning of the Israeli assault on Gaza 13 days ago.
The statement comes after heavy fighting on Saturday between Hamas militants and Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza killed at least two soldiers, as the army expanded its ground operation while shelling from land and sea as well as airstrikes continued.
Reports of the number of dead and injured was expected to rise due to the military censor, which delays the release of news army casualties by the Israeli media.
The injured included a commander of the elite Golani Brigade, Colonel Ghassan Alian, the bridgade's first Druze commander.
The high numbers of deaths and injured came after Israeli forces encountered encountered intense Palestinian resistance upon entering the Gaza Strip, while two of the deaths came from an infiltration raid and attack on a patrol by Hamas inside southern Israel itself.
64,000 Israeli reserve soldiers have been called up for duty since the beginning of the Israeli assault on Gaza 13 days ago.
A Hamas spokesman said Sunday there have been no new developments in the ceasefire talks in Cairo.
Fawzi Barhoum told Ma’an that Hamas delivered on Saturday a list of demands to the Arab League, Qatar and Turkey.
“When we rejected the Egyptian ceasefire initiative, that didn’t mean we reject an Egyptian role. It is actually in our interest that Egypt plays a powerful and effective role in the equation, that insures respect to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”
He added that a ceasefire which doesn’t meet the Palestinian resistance’s terms and doesn’t respond to the expectations of the Palestinian people won’t be dealt with, “regardless of who suggests to broker it.”
Speaking about the “massacre” Israeli forces committed in the Shujaiyya neighborhood of Gaza City. Barhoum called it a war crime at all levels. He said the majority of victims were children, women and elderly people.
Barhoum added that “if Gaza hadn’t been under crippling siege, and if the Rafah crossing hadn’t been closed, and if Arab and European countries hadn’t colluded, and if the Americans hadn’t supported the Israeli occupation, it (Israel) wouldn’t have dared to commit such a massacre.”
He added that despite everything, the Palestinian resistance would continue to defend the Palestinian people and their holy places.
“We won’t surrender, nor shall we be broken or defeated, and instead we will go ahead as we have taken an irrevocable decision to resist.”
Fawzi Barhoum told Ma’an that Hamas delivered on Saturday a list of demands to the Arab League, Qatar and Turkey.
“When we rejected the Egyptian ceasefire initiative, that didn’t mean we reject an Egyptian role. It is actually in our interest that Egypt plays a powerful and effective role in the equation, that insures respect to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”
He added that a ceasefire which doesn’t meet the Palestinian resistance’s terms and doesn’t respond to the expectations of the Palestinian people won’t be dealt with, “regardless of who suggests to broker it.”
Speaking about the “massacre” Israeli forces committed in the Shujaiyya neighborhood of Gaza City. Barhoum called it a war crime at all levels. He said the majority of victims were children, women and elderly people.
Barhoum added that “if Gaza hadn’t been under crippling siege, and if the Rafah crossing hadn’t been closed, and if Arab and European countries hadn’t colluded, and if the Americans hadn’t supported the Israeli occupation, it (Israel) wouldn’t have dared to commit such a massacre.”
He added that despite everything, the Palestinian resistance would continue to defend the Palestinian people and their holy places.
“We won’t surrender, nor shall we be broken or defeated, and instead we will go ahead as we have taken an irrevocable decision to resist.”
Israeli forces on Sunday agreed to a two-hour ceasefire in the Shujaiyya area of Gaza City following Red Cross requests to evacuate wounded from a deadly bombardment.
The ceasefire was meant to last from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. to allow Palestinians to evacuate dozens of dead bodies of Palestinians who were killed in the city, and hundreds of injured people who had been unable to go to hospitals.
Hamas had said earlier that Israel rejected a three-hour ceasefire proposed by the Red Cross.
Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said officials of the Red Cross contacted Hamas and suggested to broker a three-hour ceasefire.
Hamas agreed to the proposal, but the Israelis refused it, said Abu Zuhri. He highlighted that Israeli forces prevented ambulance services from doing their work.
"The Israeli occupation is committing a war crime in the full sense of the word in Gaza City and trying to conceal the crime from the world," he charged.
The ceasefire was meant to last from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. to allow Palestinians to evacuate dozens of dead bodies of Palestinians who were killed in the city, and hundreds of injured people who had been unable to go to hospitals.
Hamas had said earlier that Israel rejected a three-hour ceasefire proposed by the Red Cross.
Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said officials of the Red Cross contacted Hamas and suggested to broker a three-hour ceasefire.
Hamas agreed to the proposal, but the Israelis refused it, said Abu Zuhri. He highlighted that Israeli forces prevented ambulance services from doing their work.
"The Israeli occupation is committing a war crime in the full sense of the word in Gaza City and trying to conceal the crime from the world," he charged.
Anguished woman in Gaza City
In what Gazans have already begun to term 'the Shuja'eyya massacre', Israeli strikes in the crowded Gaza City neighborhood Sunday morning have caused the deaths of at least 60 Palestinian civilians, 17 of them children and babies, according to medical sources, and led to a mass exodus of people walking, running and driving out of Shuja'eyya toward hospitals, schools or anywhere they thought they could be safe from the constant bombing.
The Israeli army is continuing to surround the Shuja’eyya neighborhood of Gaza city, firing hundreds of shells into homes, streets, hospitals and medical facilities, and targeted Palestinian ambulances killing medics, and at least two journalists.
Missiles have directly hit five ambulances, while several ambulances were fired at, and were rendered useless.
Eyewitnesses said the bodies are everywhere, injured people, homes turned into rubble, and that every person seen leaving the Shuja’eyya, is directly targeted by the army.
While most of the Israeli strikes Sunday morning are focused on Shuja’eyya neighborhood, Israeli troops have not let up on their bombardment of other parts of Gaza as well. Casualties have been reported Sunday in Khan Younis and Rafah, in southern Gaza, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
A woman and a young man have been killed after the army bombarded a home in Khan Younis, and twelve children were injured.
The army deliberately fired missiles into homes, causing a large number of casualties, and even fired shells at dozens of families fleeing their homes.
Head of the Shifa Hospital in Gaza said the hospital cannot deal with this very large number of casualties, as they do not have enough supplies and equipment, and were forced to move dozens of patients to other hospitals.
Medics are unable to perform their duty as the army is firing missiles at them, rendering them unable to provide essential aid to the wounded, and retrieve the remains of slain Palestinians.
Around 25000 Palestinians have been displaced, and are seeking shelter in hospitals and medical centers, amidst ongoing Israeli bombardment.
Calls have been made to the Red Cross to send ambulances, but it was unable to do so, while the army threatened any person or vehicle that moved in the Shuja’eyya is a direct target for the army.
In an initial reported, the Ministry of Health said that at least 40 Palestinians, including children, have been killed in Shuja'eyya in the early morning hours, and more than 400 wounded, and that the number of casualties is gradually escalating.
Talking al Al-Jazeera, spokesperson of the al-Quds Brigades of Hamas Abu Ahmad, said the large number of remains indicates that the number of killed Palestinians could be higher than 100.
In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that as Israel escalates its aggression against the civilians in their communities, in different parts of the Gaza Strip, it seems Saturday night and Sunday at dawn have been the most violent of the 12-day long assault on Gaza.
Some of the slain Palestinians have been identified as:
1. Ahmad Ishaq Ramlawy.
2. Raed Mansour Nayfa.
3. Osama Rebhy Ayyad.
4. ‘Ahed Mousa Sarsak.
5. Marwa Suleiman Sarsawy.
6. Fuad Jaber, Medic.
7. Khaled Hamed, Journalist.
8. Fahmi Abdul-Aziz Abu Sa’id, 29.
In what Gazans have already begun to term 'the Shuja'eyya massacre', Israeli strikes in the crowded Gaza City neighborhood Sunday morning have caused the deaths of at least 60 Palestinian civilians, 17 of them children and babies, according to medical sources, and led to a mass exodus of people walking, running and driving out of Shuja'eyya toward hospitals, schools or anywhere they thought they could be safe from the constant bombing.
The Israeli army is continuing to surround the Shuja’eyya neighborhood of Gaza city, firing hundreds of shells into homes, streets, hospitals and medical facilities, and targeted Palestinian ambulances killing medics, and at least two journalists.
Missiles have directly hit five ambulances, while several ambulances were fired at, and were rendered useless.
Eyewitnesses said the bodies are everywhere, injured people, homes turned into rubble, and that every person seen leaving the Shuja’eyya, is directly targeted by the army.
While most of the Israeli strikes Sunday morning are focused on Shuja’eyya neighborhood, Israeli troops have not let up on their bombardment of other parts of Gaza as well. Casualties have been reported Sunday in Khan Younis and Rafah, in southern Gaza, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
A woman and a young man have been killed after the army bombarded a home in Khan Younis, and twelve children were injured.
The army deliberately fired missiles into homes, causing a large number of casualties, and even fired shells at dozens of families fleeing their homes.
Head of the Shifa Hospital in Gaza said the hospital cannot deal with this very large number of casualties, as they do not have enough supplies and equipment, and were forced to move dozens of patients to other hospitals.
Medics are unable to perform their duty as the army is firing missiles at them, rendering them unable to provide essential aid to the wounded, and retrieve the remains of slain Palestinians.
Around 25000 Palestinians have been displaced, and are seeking shelter in hospitals and medical centers, amidst ongoing Israeli bombardment.
Calls have been made to the Red Cross to send ambulances, but it was unable to do so, while the army threatened any person or vehicle that moved in the Shuja’eyya is a direct target for the army.
In an initial reported, the Ministry of Health said that at least 40 Palestinians, including children, have been killed in Shuja'eyya in the early morning hours, and more than 400 wounded, and that the number of casualties is gradually escalating.
Talking al Al-Jazeera, spokesperson of the al-Quds Brigades of Hamas Abu Ahmad, said the large number of remains indicates that the number of killed Palestinians could be higher than 100.
In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that as Israel escalates its aggression against the civilians in their communities, in different parts of the Gaza Strip, it seems Saturday night and Sunday at dawn have been the most violent of the 12-day long assault on Gaza.
Some of the slain Palestinians have been identified as:
1. Ahmad Ishaq Ramlawy.
2. Raed Mansour Nayfa.
3. Osama Rebhy Ayyad.
4. ‘Ahed Mousa Sarsak.
5. Marwa Suleiman Sarsawy.
6. Fuad Jaber, Medic.
7. Khaled Hamed, Journalist.
8. Fahmi Abdul-Aziz Abu Sa’id, 29.
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On the 13th day of the ongoing military offensive against the Gaza Strip, residents say invading Israeli forces committed "a new massacre" in the Shujaiyya neighborhood of Gaza City.
At least 40 people have been killed and hundreds have been injured in the eastern neighborhood, medics said Sunday. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are uncovered. Medical sources said seven Palestinians were killed in other areas across the coastal enclave. Spokesman of the Palestinian ministry of health Ashraf al-Qidra said rescue teams evacuated 44 dead bodies from destroyed houses. More than 200 injured people were taken to al-Shifa Hospital. |
Medical sources identified some of the victims in Shujaiyya as Ahmad Ishaq Ramlawi, Marwah Suleiman al-Sirsawi, Raed Mansour Nayfah, Osama Ribhi Ayyad and Ahid Mousa al-Sirsik.
Among the victims was photojournalist Khalid Hamid and paramedic Fuad Jabir.
Dozens of victims in Shujaiyya haven't been identified.
Palestinian medical sources in al-Shifa Hospital told Ma’an that the hospital was unable to cope with the large numbers of residents who fled their homes in Shujaiyya “under fire” to the hospital for shelter. They highlighted that Sunday's death toll hit 20 since midnight.
Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman of the Palestinian ministry of health, said that among Shujaiyya's victims were family members of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya. He identified them as Osamah Khalil al-Hayya, his wife Halah and his sons Khalil and Umamah.
Al-Qidra highlighted that the last few hours were the “fiercest” against Palestinian houses. Residents, he said, have been appealing for help since midnight saying that large numbers of people have been killed or injured in the houses as shells continued to hit them from all directions.
Al-Qidra highlighted that Israeli forces denied ambulances access to attacked houses to evacuate victims despite the uninterrupted efforts to coordinate through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“The Israeli occupation forces told the Red Cross Committee that Shujaiyya was a closed zone because of military operations,” the medical official explained.
As a result, added al-Qidra, Palestinian ambulance teams decided to take the risk and access victims despite the Israeli military orders.
Among the victims in Shujaiyya, according to al-Qidra, were teenage girl 14-year-old Hiba Hamid Sheikh Khalil and 38-year-old Muhammad Ali Jundiyya.
Three unidentified bodies were also received at al-Shifa Hospital Sunday morning.
Earlier, the body of 52-year-old Tawfiq Marshoud was evacuated.
In Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, medical sources said three Palestinians were killed Sunday morning. Al-Qidra identified them as 23-year-old Hamid Abu Fuju, 26-year-old Ahmad Zanoun and 21-year-old Suhayb Abu Qurah.
In addition, an Israeli airstrike on house of the Muammar family killed three brothers. Medical sources said Anas Yousif Muammar died of his wounds shortly after his brothers Muhamamd, 30, and Hamzah, 21, were killed in al-Juneina neighborhood of Rafah. Ten others were injured in the attack.
Also in Rafah, al-Qidra said 56-year-old Husni Mahmoud al-Absi was killed by an Israeli raid which injured five others.
Fahmi Abdul-Aziz Abu al-Said, 29, was also killed Sunday in the central Gaza Strip.
At least 44 killed in Shujaiyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has informed that 44 bodies were pulled from destroyed homes in Shujaiyya, Gaza City, until this moment. Many of those killed were women and children. An ambulance driver and a Palestinian cameraman were also killed in the attacks.
There are also reports from local sources of three people being killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Khan Younis, and many injured.
The death toll is expected to rise as there are still several bodies under the destroyed houses in Shujaiyya neighborhood. More than 200 people have been admitted to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Moreover, medical sources informed that seven other Palestinians had been killed in other areas of the Gaza Strip.
The Shujaiyya neighborhood, located east of Gaza City, was bombed for several hours and residents were unable to flee their homes. Bodies were left in the streets for hours as ambulances were unable to enter the area to take them or even to assist those injured.
Among the victims was photojournalist Khalid Hamid and paramedic Fuad Jabir.
Dozens of victims in Shujaiyya haven't been identified.
Palestinian medical sources in al-Shifa Hospital told Ma’an that the hospital was unable to cope with the large numbers of residents who fled their homes in Shujaiyya “under fire” to the hospital for shelter. They highlighted that Sunday's death toll hit 20 since midnight.
Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman of the Palestinian ministry of health, said that among Shujaiyya's victims were family members of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya. He identified them as Osamah Khalil al-Hayya, his wife Halah and his sons Khalil and Umamah.
Al-Qidra highlighted that the last few hours were the “fiercest” against Palestinian houses. Residents, he said, have been appealing for help since midnight saying that large numbers of people have been killed or injured in the houses as shells continued to hit them from all directions.
Al-Qidra highlighted that Israeli forces denied ambulances access to attacked houses to evacuate victims despite the uninterrupted efforts to coordinate through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“The Israeli occupation forces told the Red Cross Committee that Shujaiyya was a closed zone because of military operations,” the medical official explained.
As a result, added al-Qidra, Palestinian ambulance teams decided to take the risk and access victims despite the Israeli military orders.
Among the victims in Shujaiyya, according to al-Qidra, were teenage girl 14-year-old Hiba Hamid Sheikh Khalil and 38-year-old Muhammad Ali Jundiyya.
Three unidentified bodies were also received at al-Shifa Hospital Sunday morning.
Earlier, the body of 52-year-old Tawfiq Marshoud was evacuated.
In Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, medical sources said three Palestinians were killed Sunday morning. Al-Qidra identified them as 23-year-old Hamid Abu Fuju, 26-year-old Ahmad Zanoun and 21-year-old Suhayb Abu Qurah.
In addition, an Israeli airstrike on house of the Muammar family killed three brothers. Medical sources said Anas Yousif Muammar died of his wounds shortly after his brothers Muhamamd, 30, and Hamzah, 21, were killed in al-Juneina neighborhood of Rafah. Ten others were injured in the attack.
Also in Rafah, al-Qidra said 56-year-old Husni Mahmoud al-Absi was killed by an Israeli raid which injured five others.
Fahmi Abdul-Aziz Abu al-Said, 29, was also killed Sunday in the central Gaza Strip.
At least 44 killed in Shujaiyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has informed that 44 bodies were pulled from destroyed homes in Shujaiyya, Gaza City, until this moment. Many of those killed were women and children. An ambulance driver and a Palestinian cameraman were also killed in the attacks.
There are also reports from local sources of three people being killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Khan Younis, and many injured.
The death toll is expected to rise as there are still several bodies under the destroyed houses in Shujaiyya neighborhood. More than 200 people have been admitted to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Moreover, medical sources informed that seven other Palestinians had been killed in other areas of the Gaza Strip.
The Shujaiyya neighborhood, located east of Gaza City, was bombed for several hours and residents were unable to flee their homes. Bodies were left in the streets for hours as ambulances were unable to enter the area to take them or even to assist those injured.
Israel on Sunday rejected a 3-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza proposed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, a Hamas spokesman said Sunday.
Sami Abu Zuhri said officials of the Red Cross contacted Hamas and suggested to broker a 3-hour ceasefire to enable ambulances to evacuated injured people and dead bodies.
Hamas agreed to the proposal, but the Israelis refused it, said Abu Zuhri. He highlighted that Israeli forces prevented ambulance services from doing their work.
“The Israeli occupation is committing a war crime in the full sense of the word in Gaza City and trying to conceal the crime from the world,” he charged.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into the allegation.
Sami Abu Zuhri said officials of the Red Cross contacted Hamas and suggested to broker a 3-hour ceasefire to enable ambulances to evacuated injured people and dead bodies.
Hamas agreed to the proposal, but the Israelis refused it, said Abu Zuhri. He highlighted that Israeli forces prevented ambulance services from doing their work.
“The Israeli occupation is committing a war crime in the full sense of the word in Gaza City and trying to conceal the crime from the world,” he charged.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into the allegation.
You find the photo's/video's disturbing? Remember, this is what Palestinian children see almost every day
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Al Jazeera Arabic reporter Wael Dahdouh breaks down on air as he describes horrors he saw in Shujaaiya
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