24 july 2014
Bombing of Khuz'aa Wednesday night
The Khuza’a area of east Khan Younis was cut off from the rest of the city for hours on Wednesday night, with medics unable to enter, journalists forced out and Israeli military forces engaged in a ground and air assault that has been ongoing, and has now sparked fears of a massacre similar to the one on Sunday, in Shuja’eyya, in which more than 75 people were killed.
Early Thursday, Israeli forces agreed to let up the assault for an hour to allow medics to retrieve the bodies of the dead and wounded
Doctor Yusef Abu Al-Rish, the Deputy Health Minister of Gaza, issued a statement that reads:
Another massacre is underway in Khan Younis, where relentless Israeli shelling and sniper fire are wreaking death and destruction on all that moves in the zone east of Khan Younis city.
The villages of Khuza’a, Al Fukhari, Abasan Alkabir, Abasan Al Sa’ir, Jarara, and Bani Suhela received no warning of the attacks, and no warnings to evacuate before the bombardment began at around 11pm last night.
The intensity of Israeli shelling around the Algerian Hospital in Abasan Alkabir shattered its windows, and led to its evacuation, leaving only the emergency department operational.
Despite residents’ frantic calls to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for help in finding a safe route and safe vehicles to escape, the ICRC was unable to get a response from Israeli authorities until dawn today, when five bodies and 17 injured were retrieved and taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
An unknown number of dead and injured remain behind, as ambulances are prevented access.
Israeli military has declared the Khuza’a area a closed military zone, preventing even medics from entering it, but reports from Khuza’a stated that 12 were dead by morning.
The casualties in other villages are unable to be established at this time. Random shelling continues unabated, and Israeli snipers inside houses are attacking anything that moves.
Homes are being destroyed over the heads of entire families. Thousands have been displaced, many fleeing to the Nasser and European Gaza Hospitals.
Even hospitals are not safe, however. Monday’s attack on Al Aqsa hospital has left staff and patients alike fearing for their lives even within medical facilities.
The reality is that there is no safe sanctuary, for residents, patients or health personnel alike.
As they did in Shuja’eyya, the Israeli military is indiscriminately attacking civilians.
As they did in Shuja’eyya, the Israelis military is refusing to provide humanitarian access to the dead and injured, in clear breach of humanitarian law.
As they did in Shuja’eyya, the Israeli military is committing war crimes, with apparent impunity.
The Ministry of Health Gaza demands that the international community require the Israeli military to
1. Immediately cease all attacks on civilian targets in Gaza;
2. Immediately cease all attacks on medical facilities and personnel in Gaza;
3. Immediately provides access to the dead and injured, as required by international humanitarian law.
The Khuza’a area of east Khan Younis was cut off from the rest of the city for hours on Wednesday night, with medics unable to enter, journalists forced out and Israeli military forces engaged in a ground and air assault that has been ongoing, and has now sparked fears of a massacre similar to the one on Sunday, in Shuja’eyya, in which more than 75 people were killed.
Early Thursday, Israeli forces agreed to let up the assault for an hour to allow medics to retrieve the bodies of the dead and wounded
Doctor Yusef Abu Al-Rish, the Deputy Health Minister of Gaza, issued a statement that reads:
Another massacre is underway in Khan Younis, where relentless Israeli shelling and sniper fire are wreaking death and destruction on all that moves in the zone east of Khan Younis city.
The villages of Khuza’a, Al Fukhari, Abasan Alkabir, Abasan Al Sa’ir, Jarara, and Bani Suhela received no warning of the attacks, and no warnings to evacuate before the bombardment began at around 11pm last night.
The intensity of Israeli shelling around the Algerian Hospital in Abasan Alkabir shattered its windows, and led to its evacuation, leaving only the emergency department operational.
Despite residents’ frantic calls to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for help in finding a safe route and safe vehicles to escape, the ICRC was unable to get a response from Israeli authorities until dawn today, when five bodies and 17 injured were retrieved and taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
An unknown number of dead and injured remain behind, as ambulances are prevented access.
Israeli military has declared the Khuza’a area a closed military zone, preventing even medics from entering it, but reports from Khuza’a stated that 12 were dead by morning.
The casualties in other villages are unable to be established at this time. Random shelling continues unabated, and Israeli snipers inside houses are attacking anything that moves.
Homes are being destroyed over the heads of entire families. Thousands have been displaced, many fleeing to the Nasser and European Gaza Hospitals.
Even hospitals are not safe, however. Monday’s attack on Al Aqsa hospital has left staff and patients alike fearing for their lives even within medical facilities.
The reality is that there is no safe sanctuary, for residents, patients or health personnel alike.
As they did in Shuja’eyya, the Israeli military is indiscriminately attacking civilians.
As they did in Shuja’eyya, the Israelis military is refusing to provide humanitarian access to the dead and injured, in clear breach of humanitarian law.
As they did in Shuja’eyya, the Israeli military is committing war crimes, with apparent impunity.
The Ministry of Health Gaza demands that the international community require the Israeli military to
1. Immediately cease all attacks on civilian targets in Gaza;
2. Immediately cease all attacks on medical facilities and personnel in Gaza;
3. Immediately provides access to the dead and injured, as required by international humanitarian law.
The European Aviation Safety Agency on Thursday lifted its recommendation for airlines to stop flights to Tel Aviv due to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
It said it had revised its decision adopted Wednesday "on the basis of information provided by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel and following coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration."
Lufthansa suspends flights to Tel Aviv for another 24 hours
It said it had revised its decision adopted Wednesday "on the basis of information provided by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel and following coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration."
Lufthansa suspends flights to Tel Aviv for another 24 hours
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond hold a joint press conference on July 24, 2014 at the Knesset in Jerusalem
Britain is "gravely concerned" by the high number of civilian casualties resulting from Israel's military operation in Gaza, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Thursday.
Speaking on his first official visit to the region since taking over as Britain's top diplomat, Hammond said London would do everything it could to help broker a quick end to the hostilities which have so far claimed the lives of more than 740 Palestinians in Gaza, 34 Israelis, mainly soldiers, and a Thai worker.
At a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hammond expressed Britain's support for Israel's right to self-defense, acknowledging that the current fighting was caused by Hamas firing rockets "indiscriminately" at Israeli towns and cities.
"But we are gravely concerned by the ongoing heavy level of civilian causalities," he said as dozens more Palestinians were killed in ongoing fighting in Gaza on Thursday, among them at least six children.
"We want to see a ceasefire quickly agreed. We welcomed the earlier ceasefire proposal by Egypt and we were grateful to you, prime minister, for your immediate agreement to it.
"We are disappointed that Hamas has apparently once again rejected ceasefire proposals."
A ceasefire supported by Israel, Egypt, and the international community failed to take shape on July 15 when Hamas and other Gaza factions said they were never consulted about the deal.
Hamas has said it refuses to accept any ceasefire that does not involve the lifting of the eight-year siege on Gaza.
Hammond, making his first foreign trip since his appointment last week, later flew to Cairo for further talks, the Foreign Office said.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights published figures on Wednesday showing more than 80 percent of the casualties were civilians, and a quarter of them children.
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos expressed deep concern Thursday about the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza, telling BBC radio that it was "almost impossible" for Palestinians to shelter from Israeli airstrikes.
Netanyahu said Israel was doing everything it could to minimize casualties, pinning the blame on Hamas for using civilians as "human shields".
"We seek as best as we can to target (our attackers) but all the civilian deaths that are there -- and we regret each one of them -- are the responsibility of Hamas," he said, describing its use of civilians as "grotesque (and) inhuman."
But he said a decision by the UN's Human Rights Council to probe Israel's actions in Gaza while ignoring Palestinian rocket fire on Israel, was "equally grotesque," vowing that it would not stop Israel from acting to defend itself.
Netanyahu also expressed gratitude for the fact that British Airways had continued flying to Tel Aviv over the past two days despite many global airlines suspending flights after a rocket from Gaza struck close to the runway of Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.
The suspension of flights was hailed by Hamas as a "great victory" but early on Thursday, US airlines lifted the ban, with European carriers expected to follow suit later in the day.
Britain is "gravely concerned" by the high number of civilian casualties resulting from Israel's military operation in Gaza, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Thursday.
Speaking on his first official visit to the region since taking over as Britain's top diplomat, Hammond said London would do everything it could to help broker a quick end to the hostilities which have so far claimed the lives of more than 740 Palestinians in Gaza, 34 Israelis, mainly soldiers, and a Thai worker.
At a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hammond expressed Britain's support for Israel's right to self-defense, acknowledging that the current fighting was caused by Hamas firing rockets "indiscriminately" at Israeli towns and cities.
"But we are gravely concerned by the ongoing heavy level of civilian causalities," he said as dozens more Palestinians were killed in ongoing fighting in Gaza on Thursday, among them at least six children.
"We want to see a ceasefire quickly agreed. We welcomed the earlier ceasefire proposal by Egypt and we were grateful to you, prime minister, for your immediate agreement to it.
"We are disappointed that Hamas has apparently once again rejected ceasefire proposals."
A ceasefire supported by Israel, Egypt, and the international community failed to take shape on July 15 when Hamas and other Gaza factions said they were never consulted about the deal.
Hamas has said it refuses to accept any ceasefire that does not involve the lifting of the eight-year siege on Gaza.
Hammond, making his first foreign trip since his appointment last week, later flew to Cairo for further talks, the Foreign Office said.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights published figures on Wednesday showing more than 80 percent of the casualties were civilians, and a quarter of them children.
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos expressed deep concern Thursday about the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza, telling BBC radio that it was "almost impossible" for Palestinians to shelter from Israeli airstrikes.
Netanyahu said Israel was doing everything it could to minimize casualties, pinning the blame on Hamas for using civilians as "human shields".
"We seek as best as we can to target (our attackers) but all the civilian deaths that are there -- and we regret each one of them -- are the responsibility of Hamas," he said, describing its use of civilians as "grotesque (and) inhuman."
But he said a decision by the UN's Human Rights Council to probe Israel's actions in Gaza while ignoring Palestinian rocket fire on Israel, was "equally grotesque," vowing that it would not stop Israel from acting to defend itself.
Netanyahu also expressed gratitude for the fact that British Airways had continued flying to Tel Aviv over the past two days despite many global airlines suspending flights after a rocket from Gaza struck close to the runway of Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.
The suspension of flights was hailed by Hamas as a "great victory" but early on Thursday, US airlines lifted the ban, with European carriers expected to follow suit later in the day.
By Sarah Eltantawi
Sarah Eltantawi is a scholar of Islamic studies, a writer, and a political analyst. She is currently a postdoctoral EUME fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin and is an incoming assistant professor of comparative religion at Evergreen State College. Follow her on twitter.
There is absolutely no excuse for Israel's barbarous behavior in Gaza over the past few days.
No historical justification, no current justification, no philosophical or security argument. The people of Gaza are trapped in a land mass of 360 square kilometers. They are blockaded by Israel on one side and closed off by Egypt on the other, and have been bombarded by the fourth largest army in the world, by air and by land for several days.
Over 700 Palestinians have been killed, a huge percentage children. A Palestinian child every hour, on average, has been killed in the last three days.
We've been treated to the usual gutless responses from world leaders. The American media in particular has been grotesque in some of its headlines and editorials, though outrage at the carnage has also hit the mainstream in an unprecedented way.
Israel claims it is "defending itself" against the "rockets" Hamas throws ("rocket" is the hasbara term, they could be called fireworks for all their effectiveness), but the scale of the brutality they have visited upon Gazans rather suggests that Netanyahu is taking the opportunity to ethnically cleanse more Palestinians from so-called "greater Israel."
There is more evidence of Israel's incredible arrogance and impunity, namely that Israel has been enjoying the best possible few years, but even that does not stop them from their death stampede. All of the Arabs, as well as all of their traditional enemies like Iran, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime, are occupied with other wars and revolts.
An organic critique of Islamist groups has developed that has captured the imagination of many Muslims. Largely because of events in Egypt and now the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, it is now more possible than it has been in at least 40 years to criticize Islamic extremism in the Arab world.
This cultural shift is, of course, good for Israel -- but Israel has a leadership that believes suppressing Arabs at every level -- including culturally -- is in their interests. The point is, the heat was off Israel, for once, perhaps more than at any time in its history, and it was too arrogant to care enough to preserve the very faintest seeds of a possible rapprochement in the region.
And now this ghastly operation in Gaza -- the perfect move to unite all Arabs against Israel once again, and focus on the true destabilizer in the entire region, which, once again, has clearly shown itself to be the Israeli occupation.
The Egyptian position on Gaza, which is to keep the Rafah crossing closed completely, to the extent that medical convoys from Malaysia and European states have been inexplicably and bizarrely turned away, has put myself and many others at odds with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's administration.
Still more disturbing are his many supporters in the Egyptian media who pedal embarrassing and absurd arguments in support of Israel's slaughter because of their zeal to attack Hamas. I am not naive about Hamas, and if you have read me here before, you know that I am a critic of the Muslim Brotherhood's behavior while in power in Egypt and have been suspicious of what the groups' ties to Hamas and other regional members of a pan-Islamist alliance could mean for Egypt's security.
But the criticisms of Hamas in this context in the Egyptian media are based in no fact at all, and decontextualize Hamas from the reality of Israel's brutal ongoing occupation. The spurious nature of these arguments have of course lead seamlessly to an alarming increase in openly xenophobic calls for Palestinians to leave Egypt, and, just as one case in point, the incredible spectacle of an Israeli professor lecturing an erstwhile Egyptian Zionist in quite good Arabic about his immorality and ignorance of international law as he pathetically tried to argue that Israel had the right to bomb a hospital.
I do understand that it has been a very tough year in Egypt and that Egypt is threatened by porous borders and terrorist threats. I am not given to platitudes or easy answers about what has been best for Egypt in the past tumultuous year and I recognize the tremendous challenge Sisi or any other leader of Egypt at this time faces.
But as patient as I have tried to be with Egypt's various transitions, as much as I refuse to ever give up on Egypt, and as much as I am totally intolerant of anyone who simply attacks Egypt without appreciating the complexities it faces, I can find no reason not to let in the Palestinian injured and to block medical supplies to dying children for the sake of some school yard nose thumbing to Hamas. In addition, an aspect of the outcome of Sisi's negotiation with Hamas -- which was simply to hand Hamas terms of cessation of hostility approved by Israel -- is simply to position Egypt as a client state of Israel.
And that must be, for all Egyptians, a red line, both morally and strategically.
Sarah Eltantawi is a scholar of Islamic studies, a writer, and a political analyst. She is currently a postdoctoral EUME fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin and is an incoming assistant professor of comparative religion at Evergreen State College. Follow her on twitter.
There is absolutely no excuse for Israel's barbarous behavior in Gaza over the past few days.
No historical justification, no current justification, no philosophical or security argument. The people of Gaza are trapped in a land mass of 360 square kilometers. They are blockaded by Israel on one side and closed off by Egypt on the other, and have been bombarded by the fourth largest army in the world, by air and by land for several days.
Over 700 Palestinians have been killed, a huge percentage children. A Palestinian child every hour, on average, has been killed in the last three days.
We've been treated to the usual gutless responses from world leaders. The American media in particular has been grotesque in some of its headlines and editorials, though outrage at the carnage has also hit the mainstream in an unprecedented way.
Israel claims it is "defending itself" against the "rockets" Hamas throws ("rocket" is the hasbara term, they could be called fireworks for all their effectiveness), but the scale of the brutality they have visited upon Gazans rather suggests that Netanyahu is taking the opportunity to ethnically cleanse more Palestinians from so-called "greater Israel."
There is more evidence of Israel's incredible arrogance and impunity, namely that Israel has been enjoying the best possible few years, but even that does not stop them from their death stampede. All of the Arabs, as well as all of their traditional enemies like Iran, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime, are occupied with other wars and revolts.
An organic critique of Islamist groups has developed that has captured the imagination of many Muslims. Largely because of events in Egypt and now the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, it is now more possible than it has been in at least 40 years to criticize Islamic extremism in the Arab world.
This cultural shift is, of course, good for Israel -- but Israel has a leadership that believes suppressing Arabs at every level -- including culturally -- is in their interests. The point is, the heat was off Israel, for once, perhaps more than at any time in its history, and it was too arrogant to care enough to preserve the very faintest seeds of a possible rapprochement in the region.
And now this ghastly operation in Gaza -- the perfect move to unite all Arabs against Israel once again, and focus on the true destabilizer in the entire region, which, once again, has clearly shown itself to be the Israeli occupation.
The Egyptian position on Gaza, which is to keep the Rafah crossing closed completely, to the extent that medical convoys from Malaysia and European states have been inexplicably and bizarrely turned away, has put myself and many others at odds with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's administration.
Still more disturbing are his many supporters in the Egyptian media who pedal embarrassing and absurd arguments in support of Israel's slaughter because of their zeal to attack Hamas. I am not naive about Hamas, and if you have read me here before, you know that I am a critic of the Muslim Brotherhood's behavior while in power in Egypt and have been suspicious of what the groups' ties to Hamas and other regional members of a pan-Islamist alliance could mean for Egypt's security.
But the criticisms of Hamas in this context in the Egyptian media are based in no fact at all, and decontextualize Hamas from the reality of Israel's brutal ongoing occupation. The spurious nature of these arguments have of course lead seamlessly to an alarming increase in openly xenophobic calls for Palestinians to leave Egypt, and, just as one case in point, the incredible spectacle of an Israeli professor lecturing an erstwhile Egyptian Zionist in quite good Arabic about his immorality and ignorance of international law as he pathetically tried to argue that Israel had the right to bomb a hospital.
I do understand that it has been a very tough year in Egypt and that Egypt is threatened by porous borders and terrorist threats. I am not given to platitudes or easy answers about what has been best for Egypt in the past tumultuous year and I recognize the tremendous challenge Sisi or any other leader of Egypt at this time faces.
But as patient as I have tried to be with Egypt's various transitions, as much as I refuse to ever give up on Egypt, and as much as I am totally intolerant of anyone who simply attacks Egypt without appreciating the complexities it faces, I can find no reason not to let in the Palestinian injured and to block medical supplies to dying children for the sake of some school yard nose thumbing to Hamas. In addition, an aspect of the outcome of Sisi's negotiation with Hamas -- which was simply to hand Hamas terms of cessation of hostility approved by Israel -- is simply to position Egypt as a client state of Israel.
And that must be, for all Egyptians, a red line, both morally and strategically.
Let us not lose sight of the big picture that has been operative in this region since 1979. Some have linked the rise of Sisi in Egypt with Israel's assault on Gaza. I disagree with this causality -- I think it works in reverse: it's Israel's perennial and increasingly bloody "occupation" (this word seems a euphemism at this point, ethnic cleansing is more on the mark) that is at the core of the "security"-obsessed military state in the Middle East.
This militarized mentality is at the heart of western foreign policy logic and policies, and as such provides a rational justification for Arab dictators to stay on their chairs, often with the support of world-weary, realist populations, especially as they've lived the chaos of the Arab Spring.
Until Israel is finally reined in, one can not expect the militarized Arab state to simply dissolve itself. In short, Israeli aggression precedes the Arab dictatorial state -- the latter does not and did not give rise to the former. Hence as much as it might seem logical to link Sisi with the Israeli occupation, it is probably more accurate to argue that the Israeli occupation gave us Sisi.
Egyptians must remember that the Israeli occupation and the exponential Israeli arrogance that grows by the year to its current grotesque form is one of the major reasons the Arab world is stuck in a dictatorships and western-backed military states. Frequently the only alternatives to this sorry status-quo are malignant Islamist groups who themselves would do western bidding at the drop of a hat if it empowered them.
So within this mess, our only moral anchor is the long view, not getting confused about basic facts, and making sure the various evils in the region don't take our humanity away from us, because then they've won.
This militarized mentality is at the heart of western foreign policy logic and policies, and as such provides a rational justification for Arab dictators to stay on their chairs, often with the support of world-weary, realist populations, especially as they've lived the chaos of the Arab Spring.
Until Israel is finally reined in, one can not expect the militarized Arab state to simply dissolve itself. In short, Israeli aggression precedes the Arab dictatorial state -- the latter does not and did not give rise to the former. Hence as much as it might seem logical to link Sisi with the Israeli occupation, it is probably more accurate to argue that the Israeli occupation gave us Sisi.
Egyptians must remember that the Israeli occupation and the exponential Israeli arrogance that grows by the year to its current grotesque form is one of the major reasons the Arab world is stuck in a dictatorships and western-backed military states. Frequently the only alternatives to this sorry status-quo are malignant Islamist groups who themselves would do western bidding at the drop of a hat if it empowered them.
So within this mess, our only moral anchor is the long view, not getting confused about basic facts, and making sure the various evils in the region don't take our humanity away from us, because then they've won.
Hospital Bombarded By Israel
Medics located the remains of two brothers, killed during the massive Sunday bombardment that led to the death of dozens of Palestinians in the Shuja’eyya neighborhood in Gaza, Sunday, while six Palestinians have been killed by Israeli shells in Zahra’ city, in the southern Gaza Strip district of Khan Younis.
Ongoing bombardment in Khuza’a area, in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, led to four more deaths and several injuries.
The four have been identified as Ramsi Mousa Abu Reeda, Mohammad Abu Yousef, Ahmad Qdeih and Rami Qdeih.
The Ministry of Health said the twin brothers have been identified as Anas Akram Skafi, 18, and Sa’ad Akram Skafi, 18.
They were killed in Shuja’eyya on Sunday after the army heavily bombarded dozens of homes killing dozens of Palestinians.
Medics have been unable to enter Shuja’eyya due to heavy Israeli bombardment, as the army also continued to target them, and rescue team whenever they attempt to enter it, causing several casualties.
Three more Palestinians, identified as Ahmad Abdul-Karim Hasan, Mohammad Ismael Khader, and ‘Ola Khalil Abu Aida, 27, died after the army bombarded homes in Zahra city, in Khan Younis.
In Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, medical sources said three Palestinians were killed after by Israeli missiles striking a number of homes.
They have been identified as Mohammad Jihad Matar, Amna Jihad Matar, and Tamam Mohammad Hamad. Several Palestinians have been injured, some seriously.
In addition, one Palestinian, identified as Khader Khalil al-Louh, 50, was killed, and many were injured, when the army fired missiles into homes in the al-Atatra area, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Health said 51 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli missiles and shells, Thursday, while more than 745 Palestinians have been killed and 4640 have been injured since July 8.
Medics located the remains of two brothers, killed during the massive Sunday bombardment that led to the death of dozens of Palestinians in the Shuja’eyya neighborhood in Gaza, Sunday, while six Palestinians have been killed by Israeli shells in Zahra’ city, in the southern Gaza Strip district of Khan Younis.
Ongoing bombardment in Khuza’a area, in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, led to four more deaths and several injuries.
The four have been identified as Ramsi Mousa Abu Reeda, Mohammad Abu Yousef, Ahmad Qdeih and Rami Qdeih.
The Ministry of Health said the twin brothers have been identified as Anas Akram Skafi, 18, and Sa’ad Akram Skafi, 18.
They were killed in Shuja’eyya on Sunday after the army heavily bombarded dozens of homes killing dozens of Palestinians.
Medics have been unable to enter Shuja’eyya due to heavy Israeli bombardment, as the army also continued to target them, and rescue team whenever they attempt to enter it, causing several casualties.
Three more Palestinians, identified as Ahmad Abdul-Karim Hasan, Mohammad Ismael Khader, and ‘Ola Khalil Abu Aida, 27, died after the army bombarded homes in Zahra city, in Khan Younis.
In Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, medical sources said three Palestinians were killed after by Israeli missiles striking a number of homes.
They have been identified as Mohammad Jihad Matar, Amna Jihad Matar, and Tamam Mohammad Hamad. Several Palestinians have been injured, some seriously.
In addition, one Palestinian, identified as Khader Khalil al-Louh, 50, was killed, and many were injured, when the army fired missiles into homes in the al-Atatra area, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Health said 51 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli missiles and shells, Thursday, while more than 745 Palestinians have been killed and 4640 have been injured since July 8.
Israeli forces have shelled a UN school in Beit Hanoun, killing dozens of civilians who had taken shelter there with Israel's coordination, a Ma'an reporter in Gaza said.
The shelling of the school, which is affiliated with the UN's Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, is the fourth time in two days that Israeli forces have bombed schools serving as shelters for the displaced in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Earlier in the day, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said on Twitter that three teachers for the UN agency had been killed, marking the first deaths among UNRWA workers.
"The 1st UNRWA fatalities in Gaza; 3 teachers. 2 women, 1 man killed along with family members by incoming fire. 2 women while in residences," Gunness tweeted.
"Losing a colleague is hard to bear. Losing a colleague in these circumstances is unbearable."
The attacks brought Thursday's total number of deaths to more than 80, as dozens of Palestinians have been killed as Israel continued its bombardment from land, air, and sea.
More than 750 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its attack on the Gaza Strip 17 days ago, the majority since the ground began last week.
Gaza-based rights groups have said that the vast majority of those killed are civilians, including nearly 200 children
Earlier on Thursday, four bodies were pulled from the rubble of buildings in Khuzaa, where dozens were killed in heavy Israeli shelling over night.
The bodies were later identified as Rasmi Abu Reida, Muhammad Abu Yousif , Ahmad Qudeih and Rami Qudeih.
Israeli airstrikes also killed seven Palestinians in western Kkhan Younis. Gaza Ministry of Health spokesman Al-Qidra said that an airstrike killed Ahmad Abdul-Karim, Ahmad Hasan and Muhammad Ismail Khader there.
He added that Ahmad al-Mashhadi and Ahmad Khadir were killed in another raid on Khan Younis.
Earlier, he announced that bodies of Anas Akram Skafi, 18, and his twin brother Saad were removed from rubble in Shujaiyya, the site of the killing of nearly 70 Palestinians in one day over the weekend.
Emergency teams on Thursday also managed to remove the body of a dead woman, identified as Alal Khalil Abu Ayda, and three injured people from the rubble of a home belonging to the al-Bardini family which Israeli missiles demolished earlier in the city of al-Zahraa in the central Gaza Strip.
Al-Qidra said earlier that five Palestinian men were killed by two separate Israeli airstrikes on a motorcycle and a tuk-tuk (auto-rickshaw) in Abasan al-Kabira east of Khan Younis.
Medical sources identified four of the victims as Nabil Shihdah Qudeih, Nadir Suleiman Qudeih, Bakir Fathi Qudeih and Ismail Hasan Abu Rjeila.
Two children were injured in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike hit home of al-Ghusein family.
Earlier, a man was injured as a result of an Israeli airstrike on home of Saadi Daloul in Salah Addin Street in the central Gaza Strip.
1 killed, 3 injured in airstrike targeting home in al-Zahraa
Emergency teams managed to remove the body of a dead woman and three injured people from the rubble of a home belonging to al-Bardini family which Israeli missiles demolished earlier in the city of al-Zahraa in the central Gaza Strip.
The unidentified victim brought the death toll on Thursday since midnight to 38, according to the spokesman of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The shelling of the school, which is affiliated with the UN's Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, is the fourth time in two days that Israeli forces have bombed schools serving as shelters for the displaced in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Earlier in the day, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said on Twitter that three teachers for the UN agency had been killed, marking the first deaths among UNRWA workers.
"The 1st UNRWA fatalities in Gaza; 3 teachers. 2 women, 1 man killed along with family members by incoming fire. 2 women while in residences," Gunness tweeted.
"Losing a colleague is hard to bear. Losing a colleague in these circumstances is unbearable."
The attacks brought Thursday's total number of deaths to more than 80, as dozens of Palestinians have been killed as Israel continued its bombardment from land, air, and sea.
More than 750 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its attack on the Gaza Strip 17 days ago, the majority since the ground began last week.
Gaza-based rights groups have said that the vast majority of those killed are civilians, including nearly 200 children
Earlier on Thursday, four bodies were pulled from the rubble of buildings in Khuzaa, where dozens were killed in heavy Israeli shelling over night.
The bodies were later identified as Rasmi Abu Reida, Muhammad Abu Yousif , Ahmad Qudeih and Rami Qudeih.
Israeli airstrikes also killed seven Palestinians in western Kkhan Younis. Gaza Ministry of Health spokesman Al-Qidra said that an airstrike killed Ahmad Abdul-Karim, Ahmad Hasan and Muhammad Ismail Khader there.
He added that Ahmad al-Mashhadi and Ahmad Khadir were killed in another raid on Khan Younis.
Earlier, he announced that bodies of Anas Akram Skafi, 18, and his twin brother Saad were removed from rubble in Shujaiyya, the site of the killing of nearly 70 Palestinians in one day over the weekend.
Emergency teams on Thursday also managed to remove the body of a dead woman, identified as Alal Khalil Abu Ayda, and three injured people from the rubble of a home belonging to the al-Bardini family which Israeli missiles demolished earlier in the city of al-Zahraa in the central Gaza Strip.
Al-Qidra said earlier that five Palestinian men were killed by two separate Israeli airstrikes on a motorcycle and a tuk-tuk (auto-rickshaw) in Abasan al-Kabira east of Khan Younis.
Medical sources identified four of the victims as Nabil Shihdah Qudeih, Nadir Suleiman Qudeih, Bakir Fathi Qudeih and Ismail Hasan Abu Rjeila.
Two children were injured in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike hit home of al-Ghusein family.
Earlier, a man was injured as a result of an Israeli airstrike on home of Saadi Daloul in Salah Addin Street in the central Gaza Strip.
1 killed, 3 injured in airstrike targeting home in al-Zahraa
Emergency teams managed to remove the body of a dead woman and three injured people from the rubble of a home belonging to al-Bardini family which Israeli missiles demolished earlier in the city of al-Zahraa in the central Gaza Strip.
The unidentified victim brought the death toll on Thursday since midnight to 38, according to the spokesman of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Palestinian children leave their neighborhoods to safer locations amid continuing Israeli bombardment of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on July 24, 2014
President Francois Hollande announced on Thursday an 11-million-euro ($14.8 million) aid package to the besieged Gaza Strip, where an Israeli military offensive has left more than 700 people dead.
An adviser to Hollande said the humanitarian aid, eight million of which will be given to the Palestinian Authority and the remainder to UN bodies and NGOs working in Gaza, was approved after a meeting with non-governmental organizations working in the strife-torn region.
The NGOs "highlighted the gravity of the situation, the scale of the humanitarian needs of the civilian population and the difficulty of humanitarian workers in getting to the victims," Hollande's office said.
France is an ally of Israel and has historically maintained strong economic and political ties.
President Francois Hollande announced on Thursday an 11-million-euro ($14.8 million) aid package to the besieged Gaza Strip, where an Israeli military offensive has left more than 700 people dead.
An adviser to Hollande said the humanitarian aid, eight million of which will be given to the Palestinian Authority and the remainder to UN bodies and NGOs working in Gaza, was approved after a meeting with non-governmental organizations working in the strife-torn region.
The NGOs "highlighted the gravity of the situation, the scale of the humanitarian needs of the civilian population and the difficulty of humanitarian workers in getting to the victims," Hollande's office said.
France is an ally of Israel and has historically maintained strong economic and political ties.
Rabbi Dov Lior, the chief rabbi in Kiryat Arba settlement established on Palestinian land in al-Khalil, has issued an edict a couple of days ago allowing the killing of Palestinian civilians and the total destruction of Gaza. He said, “In all wars the attacked people are allowed to attack fiercely the people from whom the attackers came from and they do not have to check if he personally belongs to the fighters”.
“Therefore, during war the attacked people are allowed to punish the enemy population in any punishment it finds worthy, such as denying supplies or electricity and also to bomb the whole area according to the discretion of the army minister and not to just simply endanger soldiers’ lives but to take crushing deterrence steps to exterminate the enemy”.
“In the case of Gaza, the Minister of Defense will be allowed to instruct even the destruction of Gaza so that the south will no longer suffer and to avoid harm to our people who have been suffering for so long from the surrounding enemies.”
“Therefore, during war the attacked people are allowed to punish the enemy population in any punishment it finds worthy, such as denying supplies or electricity and also to bomb the whole area according to the discretion of the army minister and not to just simply endanger soldiers’ lives but to take crushing deterrence steps to exterminate the enemy”.
“In the case of Gaza, the Minister of Defense will be allowed to instruct even the destruction of Gaza so that the south will no longer suffer and to avoid harm to our people who have been suffering for so long from the surrounding enemies.”
Israeli forces opened fire with tear gas grenades at Palestinian demonstrators in the village of Bilin near Ramallah protesting Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza on Thursday, causing dozens to suffer from excessive tear gas inhalation.
Israeli forces fired tear-gas grandes, rubber-coated steel bullets, and stun grenades at demonstrators, who rallied against the Israeli "massacre" in the Gaza Strip.
Demonstrators set off from the center of the village holding candles and Palestinian flags in honor of the dead, who number more than 730 in the last 16 days.
A local popular committee has also called for a rally under the banner "48 Thousand" that will set off from in front of al-Amari refugee camp near Ramallah at 9:30 p.m.
Israeli forces fired tear-gas grandes, rubber-coated steel bullets, and stun grenades at demonstrators, who rallied against the Israeli "massacre" in the Gaza Strip.
Demonstrators set off from the center of the village holding candles and Palestinian flags in honor of the dead, who number more than 730 in the last 16 days.
A local popular committee has also called for a rally under the banner "48 Thousand" that will set off from in front of al-Amari refugee camp near Ramallah at 9:30 p.m.
Egyptian military sources said that Egyptian troops killed a "suicide bomber" who tried to approach the Israeli border near Kerem Shalom military base on the border on Wednesday night.
The sources told Ma'an that the army also destroyed a vehicle loaded with Grad missiles shortly before they were launched towards Israeli territory.
The vehicle was spotted in Sheikh Zuweid in the North Sinai district before it was hit by artillery shells, killing two individuals inside.
According to the sources, the "suicide bomber" carried an explosive device in addition to an explosive belt on his body.
He was shot dead while running towards the border with Israel south of Rafah in what they said was an attempt to reach an Israeli military base in Kerem Shalom.
The sources told Ma'an that the army also destroyed a vehicle loaded with Grad missiles shortly before they were launched towards Israeli territory.
The vehicle was spotted in Sheikh Zuweid in the North Sinai district before it was hit by artillery shells, killing two individuals inside.
According to the sources, the "suicide bomber" carried an explosive device in addition to an explosive belt on his body.
He was shot dead while running towards the border with Israel south of Rafah in what they said was an attempt to reach an Israeli military base in Kerem Shalom.
The Hamas-affiliated al-Qassam Brigades said on Thursday that they had killed eight Israeli soldiers in northeastern Gaza City in what was potentially the deadliest attack on the military since the ground invasion began last week.
Al-Qassam Brigades said that they infiltrated into the eastern part of al-Tuffah neighborhood earlier on Thursday and launched an attack on Israeli soldiers deployed there.
The group claimed to have destroyed an armored personnel carrier with an RPG 29, a rocket-propelled grenade.
An Israeli military spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment.
The Brigades also declared that their fighters clashed with Israeli soldiers in two areas in northern Beit Hanoun.
On Sunday, Hamas fighters killed seven Israeli soldiers in a similar attack on an armed personnel carrier.
Over the weekend, Hamas announced the capture of Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, who had been previously confirmed as dead by the Israeli military.
The military later retracted that confirmation, seemingly corroborating Hamas' statement.
Palestinian resistance groups have engaged the Israeli military in intense clashes across the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the ground invasion last week, with the military admitting 32 dead and hundreds of wounded.
Al-Qassam Brigades said that they infiltrated into the eastern part of al-Tuffah neighborhood earlier on Thursday and launched an attack on Israeli soldiers deployed there.
The group claimed to have destroyed an armored personnel carrier with an RPG 29, a rocket-propelled grenade.
An Israeli military spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment.
The Brigades also declared that their fighters clashed with Israeli soldiers in two areas in northern Beit Hanoun.
On Sunday, Hamas fighters killed seven Israeli soldiers in a similar attack on an armed personnel carrier.
Over the weekend, Hamas announced the capture of Israeli soldier Oron Shaul, who had been previously confirmed as dead by the Israeli military.
The military later retracted that confirmation, seemingly corroborating Hamas' statement.
Palestinian resistance groups have engaged the Israeli military in intense clashes across the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the ground invasion last week, with the military admitting 32 dead and hundreds of wounded.
The Israeli military said that five rockets fired from Gaza were intercepted over Tel Aviv on Thursday, as militant groups from the Strip continued to rain missiles down on central Israel.
Earlier in the day, the Hamas-affiliated al-Qassam Brigades claimed that it had launched two M75 missiles at Ben Gurion Airport, hours after US air authorities said they were restarting flights into Israel after canceling them two days before.
The cancellation of all flights from the US, as well as from a number of European countries, Turkey, and Jordan, was triggered after a rocket struck a house in the city of Yehud near the airport runway.
The new attack on Ben Gurion raised fears in Israel that flights would shut down again, raising the prospect of major economic consequences for Israel amid the summer tourist season.
Although Israeli authorities have said that the Gaza rockets have the country in a state of siege, disruptions on daily life and on the economy have been relatively minimal for most Israelis.
Two Israelis have died in rocket attacks, as well as one Thai national who was working in a field near the Gaza border, since the Israeli assault on Gaza began two weeks ago.
The Israeli government has constructed an elaborate system of shelters in Jewish-majority areas across the country as well as sirens that warn of incoming rockets.
The Israeli assault on Gaza, meanwhile, has killed more than 730 Palestinians, with thousands more wounded.
Earlier in the day, the Hamas-affiliated al-Qassam Brigades claimed that it had launched two M75 missiles at Ben Gurion Airport, hours after US air authorities said they were restarting flights into Israel after canceling them two days before.
The cancellation of all flights from the US, as well as from a number of European countries, Turkey, and Jordan, was triggered after a rocket struck a house in the city of Yehud near the airport runway.
The new attack on Ben Gurion raised fears in Israel that flights would shut down again, raising the prospect of major economic consequences for Israel amid the summer tourist season.
Although Israeli authorities have said that the Gaza rockets have the country in a state of siege, disruptions on daily life and on the economy have been relatively minimal for most Israelis.
Two Israelis have died in rocket attacks, as well as one Thai national who was working in a field near the Gaza border, since the Israeli assault on Gaza began two weeks ago.
The Israeli government has constructed an elaborate system of shelters in Jewish-majority areas across the country as well as sirens that warn of incoming rockets.
The Israeli assault on Gaza, meanwhile, has killed more than 730 Palestinians, with thousands more wounded.
Ambulance and rescue teams are still unable to easily access the village of Khuzaa east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip in order to help victims of the Israeli assault in the village.
On Sunday, Israeli forces informed Gaza medical authorities that they would need to arrange with the Red Cross to coordinate with the Israeli army in order to reach border areas, but ambulances have complained that this coordination has not been forthcoming.
As a result, tens of thousands of Palestinians living in border areas have had their access to medical services drastically curtailed, with dead bodies piling up and the injured unable to leave for hospitals.
Locals did however tell Ma'an that despite the obstacles, on Thursday ambulances managed to access the western outskirts of the village and evacuate six bodies from Israeli shelling the night before.
Khuzaa is located inside of the "security buffer zone," which extends between 500 meters and 1500 meters into the Strip from the border and is a virtual no-go zone for Palestinians as Israeli forces frequently shoot at civilians if they approach the area.
According to UNOCHA, 17 percent of Gaza's total land area and 35 percent of its agricultural land were within the buffer zone as of 2010, directly affecting the lives and livelihoods of more than 100,000 Gazans.
On Sunday, Israeli forces informed Gaza medical authorities that they would need to arrange with the Red Cross to coordinate with the Israeli army in order to reach border areas, but ambulances have complained that this coordination has not been forthcoming.
As a result, tens of thousands of Palestinians living in border areas have had their access to medical services drastically curtailed, with dead bodies piling up and the injured unable to leave for hospitals.
Locals did however tell Ma'an that despite the obstacles, on Thursday ambulances managed to access the western outskirts of the village and evacuate six bodies from Israeli shelling the night before.
Khuzaa is located inside of the "security buffer zone," which extends between 500 meters and 1500 meters into the Strip from the border and is a virtual no-go zone for Palestinians as Israeli forces frequently shoot at civilians if they approach the area.
According to UNOCHA, 17 percent of Gaza's total land area and 35 percent of its agricultural land were within the buffer zone as of 2010, directly affecting the lives and livelihoods of more than 100,000 Gazans.
You find the photo's/video's disturbing? Remember, this is what Palestinian children see almost every day
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Massacre of 44 Palestinian families
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