27 july 2014
The Israeli army said in a statement early Sunday that it would resume attacks on Gaza by air, land, and sea in response to rocket fire from Gaza militants.
Officials had earlier said Israel would extend Saturday's brief humanitarian ceasefire until Sunday, but that its soldiers would continue searching for and destroying tunnels in the Strip throughout that time.
Hamas and other factions rejected the truce extension, with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine saying it was an attempt to ignore Palestinian demands.
"Ceasefire isn't acceptable without accepting the demands of the resistance," PFLP official Jamil Muzhir said in a statement.
Hamas said in a statement that "no humanitarian ceasefire is valid without Israeli tanks withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and without residents being able to return to their homes and ambulances carrying bodies being able to freely move around in Gaza."
An Islamic Jihad official agreed with the response, saying his movement would not commit to any ceasefire that did not guarantee the rights of the Palestinian people.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Popular Resistance Committees released a similar statement.
Militant groups in Gaza held fire during the agreed-upon humanitarian window, but began firing rockets minutes after it expired at 8:00 p.m on Saturday.
Israeli forces responded by shelling areas in the southern and central Gaza Strip, in addition to killing a man in Deir al-Balah, a Ma'an reporter in Gaza said.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the army had announced the death of an additional soldier, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the ground invasion on the Strip to 43.
Three civilians in Israel have also been killed by militant attacks, one of whom was volunteering at a military base when he died.
At least 1,049 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 6,000 injured during Israel's assault on the Strip, some 80 percent of them civilians according to rights groups.
According to the UN agency for children, 192 Palestinian children have been killed during the latest conflict so far.
Officials had earlier said Israel would extend Saturday's brief humanitarian ceasefire until Sunday, but that its soldiers would continue searching for and destroying tunnels in the Strip throughout that time.
Hamas and other factions rejected the truce extension, with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine saying it was an attempt to ignore Palestinian demands.
"Ceasefire isn't acceptable without accepting the demands of the resistance," PFLP official Jamil Muzhir said in a statement.
Hamas said in a statement that "no humanitarian ceasefire is valid without Israeli tanks withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and without residents being able to return to their homes and ambulances carrying bodies being able to freely move around in Gaza."
An Islamic Jihad official agreed with the response, saying his movement would not commit to any ceasefire that did not guarantee the rights of the Palestinian people.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Popular Resistance Committees released a similar statement.
Militant groups in Gaza held fire during the agreed-upon humanitarian window, but began firing rockets minutes after it expired at 8:00 p.m on Saturday.
Israeli forces responded by shelling areas in the southern and central Gaza Strip, in addition to killing a man in Deir al-Balah, a Ma'an reporter in Gaza said.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the army had announced the death of an additional soldier, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the ground invasion on the Strip to 43.
Three civilians in Israel have also been killed by militant attacks, one of whom was volunteering at a military base when he died.
At least 1,049 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 6,000 injured during Israel's assault on the Strip, some 80 percent of them civilians according to rights groups.
According to the UN agency for children, 192 Palestinian children have been killed during the latest conflict so far.
Israel is extending a lull in its devastating Gaza offensive for another 24 hours, officials said, but Hamas and other Palestinian factions warned no ceasefire was valid without the withdrawal of Israeli tanks.
Israel's cabinet "approved the UN request regarding a humanitarian ceasefire to run until midnight Sunday", an Israeli government official told AFP on condition of anonymity late Saturday.
However Hamas responded in a statement that "no humanitarian ceasefire is valid without Israeli tanks withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and without residents being able to return to their homes and ambulances carrying bodies being able to freely move around in Gaza."
Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said Friday that search and rescue teams had been denied access to the Khuzaa neighborhood of Khan Younis, though the area was one of the hardest hit by Israeli attacks in recent days.
An Islamic Jihad official agreed with Hamas' response, saying his movement would not commit to any ceasefire that did not guarantee the rights of the Palestinian people.
Additionally, a spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said the extension, which allowed Israel to continue operations on the ground in Gaza, was an attempt to ignore the demands of the Palestinian people.
"Ceasefire isn't acceptable without accepting the demands of the resistance," PFLP official Jamil Muzhir said in a statement.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine released a similar statement.
Late Saturday the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on southern and central Israel and immediately after the expiry of an initial 12-hour ceasefire both sides had abided by.
The rockets, which set off air-raid sirens throughout the country, were confirmed by the Israeli army.
Overall about 20 rockets were fired at southern Israel between late Saturday and Sunday morning.
The Iron Dome missile interception defenses intercepted some of the rockets, and no casualties were reported.
Israeli artillery responded by opening fire in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, on positions from where the rockets were launched, an army spokeswoman told AFP.
A Ma'an reporter in Gaza said Israeli forces also shot a man dead in Deir al-Balah, and shelled al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip.
Toll: 1,000 Palestinians, 44 Israelis
Israel's unilateral decision to continue the ceasefire signaled a pause in its assault on Gaza, which since July 8 has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians.
Over the same period, 42 Israeli soldiers deployed into Gaza have been killed, according to the latest military toll. Two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker have also died.
The deadly confrontation spurred calls from around the world for both sides to extend the ceasefire to enable negotiations for a longer-term truce.
Israel's security cabinet was to meet Sunday morning to decide the next steps in the military operations.
In Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry met European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers Saturday to push both sides to extend the temporary cessation of hostilities.
Israel agreed to extend its ceasefire for four hours, and then announced the 24-hour prolongation to late Sunday.
"We all call on parties to extend the humanitarian ceasefire," France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters in Paris after the meeting with Kerry and counterparts from Britain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as an EU representative.
A spokesman for the UN chief said in a statement Ban Ki-moon "urgently appeals once again to all parties to declare a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza."
Grim recovery of bodies
During Saturday's 12-hour ceasefire, medics digging through the remains of hundreds of Gaza homes uncovered at least 147 bodies.
On the ground, Palestinian ambulances sped into Gaza neighborhoods that have been too dangerous to enter for days.
Palestinians ventured onto Gaza's streets after the truce began, some eager to check homes they had fled, others to stock up on supplies.
In many places they found devastation: buildings leveled, and entire blocks of homes wiped out by Israeli bombardment.
In northern Beit Hanoun, the hospital was badly damaged by shelling, and AFP correspondents saw the charred body of a paramedic.
There were similar scenes in Shujaiyya, where stiff bodies lay on the floor of a room in one building, one caked in dried blood, all of them covered in dust.
East of southern Khan Younis, residents were denied access most of the day to the heavily-hit Khuzaa neighborhood, with Israeli forces remaining inside the border area.
And in nearby Bani Suheila, where 20 people were killed in a single Israeli air strike shortly before the truce began, women and children wept as they discovered their homes destroyed.
192 children killed so far
Hamas and Israel agreed to Saturday's 12-hour "humanitarian window," after Israel's security cabinet on Friday night rejected a US proposal for a seven-day truce during which the two sides would negotiate a longer-term deal.
Speaking at a news conference in Cairo with UN chief Ban after the rejection, Kerry said Israel and Hamas "still had some terminology" to agree to on a ceasefire, but added they had a "fundamental framework" on a truce.
The two sides remain at odds over the shape of a final agreement to end the fighting, however.
Hamas says any truce must include a guaranteed end to Israel's eight-year blockade of Gaza, while in Israel there are calls for any deal to include the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
The situation in Gaza has created tensions in the West Bank, where protests against Israel's role in the conflict erupted after Friday prayers and again early Saturday, with a total of eight Palestinians shot dead by Israeli soldiers and settlers.
International concern has mounted over the civilian toll in Gaza.
Rights groups say about 80 percent of the casualties have been civilians. UNICEF, the UN agency for children, has said 192 children have been killed during the latest conflict so far.
Israel's cabinet "approved the UN request regarding a humanitarian ceasefire to run until midnight Sunday", an Israeli government official told AFP on condition of anonymity late Saturday.
However Hamas responded in a statement that "no humanitarian ceasefire is valid without Israeli tanks withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and without residents being able to return to their homes and ambulances carrying bodies being able to freely move around in Gaza."
Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said Friday that search and rescue teams had been denied access to the Khuzaa neighborhood of Khan Younis, though the area was one of the hardest hit by Israeli attacks in recent days.
An Islamic Jihad official agreed with Hamas' response, saying his movement would not commit to any ceasefire that did not guarantee the rights of the Palestinian people.
Additionally, a spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said the extension, which allowed Israel to continue operations on the ground in Gaza, was an attempt to ignore the demands of the Palestinian people.
"Ceasefire isn't acceptable without accepting the demands of the resistance," PFLP official Jamil Muzhir said in a statement.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine released a similar statement.
Late Saturday the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on southern and central Israel and immediately after the expiry of an initial 12-hour ceasefire both sides had abided by.
The rockets, which set off air-raid sirens throughout the country, were confirmed by the Israeli army.
Overall about 20 rockets were fired at southern Israel between late Saturday and Sunday morning.
The Iron Dome missile interception defenses intercepted some of the rockets, and no casualties were reported.
Israeli artillery responded by opening fire in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, on positions from where the rockets were launched, an army spokeswoman told AFP.
A Ma'an reporter in Gaza said Israeli forces also shot a man dead in Deir al-Balah, and shelled al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip.
Toll: 1,000 Palestinians, 44 Israelis
Israel's unilateral decision to continue the ceasefire signaled a pause in its assault on Gaza, which since July 8 has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians.
Over the same period, 42 Israeli soldiers deployed into Gaza have been killed, according to the latest military toll. Two Israeli civilians and one Thai worker have also died.
The deadly confrontation spurred calls from around the world for both sides to extend the ceasefire to enable negotiations for a longer-term truce.
Israel's security cabinet was to meet Sunday morning to decide the next steps in the military operations.
In Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry met European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers Saturday to push both sides to extend the temporary cessation of hostilities.
Israel agreed to extend its ceasefire for four hours, and then announced the 24-hour prolongation to late Sunday.
"We all call on parties to extend the humanitarian ceasefire," France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters in Paris after the meeting with Kerry and counterparts from Britain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as an EU representative.
A spokesman for the UN chief said in a statement Ban Ki-moon "urgently appeals once again to all parties to declare a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza."
Grim recovery of bodies
During Saturday's 12-hour ceasefire, medics digging through the remains of hundreds of Gaza homes uncovered at least 147 bodies.
On the ground, Palestinian ambulances sped into Gaza neighborhoods that have been too dangerous to enter for days.
Palestinians ventured onto Gaza's streets after the truce began, some eager to check homes they had fled, others to stock up on supplies.
In many places they found devastation: buildings leveled, and entire blocks of homes wiped out by Israeli bombardment.
In northern Beit Hanoun, the hospital was badly damaged by shelling, and AFP correspondents saw the charred body of a paramedic.
There were similar scenes in Shujaiyya, where stiff bodies lay on the floor of a room in one building, one caked in dried blood, all of them covered in dust.
East of southern Khan Younis, residents were denied access most of the day to the heavily-hit Khuzaa neighborhood, with Israeli forces remaining inside the border area.
And in nearby Bani Suheila, where 20 people were killed in a single Israeli air strike shortly before the truce began, women and children wept as they discovered their homes destroyed.
192 children killed so far
Hamas and Israel agreed to Saturday's 12-hour "humanitarian window," after Israel's security cabinet on Friday night rejected a US proposal for a seven-day truce during which the two sides would negotiate a longer-term deal.
Speaking at a news conference in Cairo with UN chief Ban after the rejection, Kerry said Israel and Hamas "still had some terminology" to agree to on a ceasefire, but added they had a "fundamental framework" on a truce.
The two sides remain at odds over the shape of a final agreement to end the fighting, however.
Hamas says any truce must include a guaranteed end to Israel's eight-year blockade of Gaza, while in Israel there are calls for any deal to include the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
The situation in Gaza has created tensions in the West Bank, where protests against Israel's role in the conflict erupted after Friday prayers and again early Saturday, with a total of eight Palestinians shot dead by Israeli soldiers and settlers.
International concern has mounted over the civilian toll in Gaza.
Rights groups say about 80 percent of the casualties have been civilians. UNICEF, the UN agency for children, has said 192 children have been killed during the latest conflict so far.
Nasri Taqatqa 14
NYC protests held in solidarity with Palestine
Dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured, Saturday, across the West Bank region, with at least two reported dead, including one child who died of critical injuries suffered earlier in the day, during clashes which occured near Bethlehem. Supporters from New York to Paris continue to march in solidarity with Gaza.
WAFA correspondence is currently citing numerous confrontations between Palestinians protestors and Israeli forces, one of which occurred at a rally organized by residents of Beit Fajjar, to the south of Bethlehem.
Demonstrators chanted slogans in condemnation of the Israeli massacres on defenseless Gaza civilians which have taken place over the course of Ramadan, this month, upon which clashes erupted with Israeli troops deployed at the entrance of the town.
Forces reportedly fired live ammunition into the crowd, shooting and injuring four Palestinians, including one 14-year-old Nasri Taqatqa, who was shot in the chest and later died of his wounds.
Red Crescent ambulances rushed to the scene but were delayed by the troops before they finally managed to evacuate all victims to a nearby hospital.
To the north of Bethlehem, in the vicinity of Bilal Bin Rabah mosque, six Palestinians were injured with live ammunition, while dozens of others suffocated from teargas inhalation during similar protests and ensuing confrontations, early Saturday.
Thousands of Palestinians took part in a solidarity march with Gaza, starting at Manager Square and ending up near the mosque, which is also known as Rachel’s Tomb.
Dozens of Israeli troops were stationed at the checkpoint, ready to fire. Live ammunition and tear gas was used on demonstrators, of which six suffered serious injuries and dozens of others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Red Crescent medics said that one protestor was shot with three bullets in the leg, chest and abdomen and suffered from heavy bleeding. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Five additional Palestinians were injured with live ammunition, early Saturday, during clashes with Israeli forces at the entrance of Beit Furik, to the southeast of Nablus, according to WAFA local sources.
Town residents, also rallying in protest of Israel's military assault against the already besieged Gaza Strip, chanted slogans in protest, upon which clashes erupted with Israeli forces, also deployed at the entrance of the town. Five Palestinians were injured by live fire to their lower extremities.
Dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured, by both live fire and rubber-coated steel bullets, while hundreds of others suffocated from teargas inhalation in clashes which erupted across Hebron, as a result of the widespread solidarity marches.
Marches were organized in Ras Al-Joura, Hahul bridge, Beit ‘Inun, Sa‘ir, Zeef junction, As-Samou‘, Idhna, Al-Fawwar and Al-‘Aroub refugee camps and Beit Ummar, where Israeli troops at the entrances fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear-gas canisters and concussion grenades. Israeli undercover units, known as Mistariveem, were reportedly spotted in the clashes, according to WAFA.
Victims were quickly evacuated to Hebron hospitals.
To the north of Jenin, one Palestinian protestor was shot dead and four others were injured during clashes with Israeli forces at Al-Jalama checkpoint.
Demonstrators called for consolidating Palestinian unity and for the prosecution of Israeli officials. They also raised placards which featured the images of Palestinian children and elderly who have been killed during the ongoing Israeli assaults.
The slain Palestinian was identified as Basem Sati Abu Al-Rub, 19, from Qabatiya, to the southwest of Jenin. Among the injured was Jenin-based WAFA correspondent Thaer Abu Baker, who was transferred to a hospital for treatment with the rest of the victims.
Furthermore, in Qarawat Bani Hassan, to the west of Salfit, one Palestinian was shot and injured early Saturday, by Israeli live fire.
Residents also held a rally in solidarity with Gazans, chanting slogans and condemning the Israeli attrocities against civilians.
Forces fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and concussion grenades, injuring the Palestinian in his leg, upon which he was transferred to hospital for treatment.
See related: 931 Palestinians from Jerusalem and inside Israel Taken Captive in 3 Weeks
In France, armor-clad riot police arrested 70 people at a banned pro-Palestinian protest in central Paris, on Saturday, according to Ma'an News Agency.
The rally drew 4,000 people to Place de la Republique, said the interior ministry, while organizers chalked up the turnout at 10,000.
Police stepped in to disperse the rally with tear gas when they were targeted with rocks and other projectiles by the crowd. .
About 12 police were slightly injured..
Nearly 10,000 people turned out in Lyon for a similar protest, though it was not banned and went off peacefully, according to Ma'an.
In Marseille and Nice, hundreds also showed up in support for Palestinians.
Across the Atlantic, approximately two thousand New Yorkers protested, Thursday night, against Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza, in a rally at Foley Square, according to the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel (ADALAH-NY).
According to WAFA's report, a crowd led by protest organizers spoke aloud the names and ages of the over 170 Palestinian children killed in Israel’s current massacre on Gazan civilians.
Protesters marched through lower Manhattan with Palestinian flags and signs demanding an end to the US government’s and New York City elected officials’ support for Israel and its ongoing occupation and colonization of Palestine.
They also cried out for a boycott of companies which profiting from Israeli human rights abuses, and an end to the Gaza siege.
Rude Mechanical Orchestra (RMO) set the tempo of the march, in which protesters chanted:
“Israel bombs, we protest—boycott, sanction, and divest!”
Cars honked in support of the angry demonstrators, tourists recorded the event on camera and gave the thumbs-up as the march passed on and ended next to the Hudson River, where RMO led the group in a round of “Wein a Ramallah”.
The event was part of a national day of action for Gaza endorsed by 55 US rights groups, according to WAFA, including including Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel; Brooklyn for Peace; CODEPINK NYC; Jewish Voice for Peace – NYC; Jews Say No!; New Yorkers Against the Cornell-Technion Partnership (NYACT); New York City International Socialist Organization (ISO); NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QAIA); WESPAC Foundation; and Women in Black, Union Square.
Jewish Voice for Peace – NYC declared:
“Despite the claims by the Israeli government and mainstream American Jewish organizations that Israel's brutality is supported by American Jews, we are part of the thousands upon thousands of Jews for whom this is not the truth, and the numbers are growing. We stand with all those opposing the massacre against the Palestinians of Gaza and the ongoing occupation of Palestine, and we join the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions until Israel adheres to basic principles of international law, human rights, and decency.”
A solidarity protest was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace this past Tuesday, as well, during which nine Jewish activists were arrested for occupying the office of The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces in Manhattan.
See related: Worldwide Outrage Over Israeli Genocide on Gaza
Jerusalem Patriarch Addresses the White House
NYC protests held in solidarity with Palestine
Dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured, Saturday, across the West Bank region, with at least two reported dead, including one child who died of critical injuries suffered earlier in the day, during clashes which occured near Bethlehem. Supporters from New York to Paris continue to march in solidarity with Gaza.
WAFA correspondence is currently citing numerous confrontations between Palestinians protestors and Israeli forces, one of which occurred at a rally organized by residents of Beit Fajjar, to the south of Bethlehem.
Demonstrators chanted slogans in condemnation of the Israeli massacres on defenseless Gaza civilians which have taken place over the course of Ramadan, this month, upon which clashes erupted with Israeli troops deployed at the entrance of the town.
Forces reportedly fired live ammunition into the crowd, shooting and injuring four Palestinians, including one 14-year-old Nasri Taqatqa, who was shot in the chest and later died of his wounds.
Red Crescent ambulances rushed to the scene but were delayed by the troops before they finally managed to evacuate all victims to a nearby hospital.
To the north of Bethlehem, in the vicinity of Bilal Bin Rabah mosque, six Palestinians were injured with live ammunition, while dozens of others suffocated from teargas inhalation during similar protests and ensuing confrontations, early Saturday.
Thousands of Palestinians took part in a solidarity march with Gaza, starting at Manager Square and ending up near the mosque, which is also known as Rachel’s Tomb.
Dozens of Israeli troops were stationed at the checkpoint, ready to fire. Live ammunition and tear gas was used on demonstrators, of which six suffered serious injuries and dozens of others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Red Crescent medics said that one protestor was shot with three bullets in the leg, chest and abdomen and suffered from heavy bleeding. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Five additional Palestinians were injured with live ammunition, early Saturday, during clashes with Israeli forces at the entrance of Beit Furik, to the southeast of Nablus, according to WAFA local sources.
Town residents, also rallying in protest of Israel's military assault against the already besieged Gaza Strip, chanted slogans in protest, upon which clashes erupted with Israeli forces, also deployed at the entrance of the town. Five Palestinians were injured by live fire to their lower extremities.
Dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured, by both live fire and rubber-coated steel bullets, while hundreds of others suffocated from teargas inhalation in clashes which erupted across Hebron, as a result of the widespread solidarity marches.
Marches were organized in Ras Al-Joura, Hahul bridge, Beit ‘Inun, Sa‘ir, Zeef junction, As-Samou‘, Idhna, Al-Fawwar and Al-‘Aroub refugee camps and Beit Ummar, where Israeli troops at the entrances fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear-gas canisters and concussion grenades. Israeli undercover units, known as Mistariveem, were reportedly spotted in the clashes, according to WAFA.
Victims were quickly evacuated to Hebron hospitals.
To the north of Jenin, one Palestinian protestor was shot dead and four others were injured during clashes with Israeli forces at Al-Jalama checkpoint.
Demonstrators called for consolidating Palestinian unity and for the prosecution of Israeli officials. They also raised placards which featured the images of Palestinian children and elderly who have been killed during the ongoing Israeli assaults.
The slain Palestinian was identified as Basem Sati Abu Al-Rub, 19, from Qabatiya, to the southwest of Jenin. Among the injured was Jenin-based WAFA correspondent Thaer Abu Baker, who was transferred to a hospital for treatment with the rest of the victims.
Furthermore, in Qarawat Bani Hassan, to the west of Salfit, one Palestinian was shot and injured early Saturday, by Israeli live fire.
Residents also held a rally in solidarity with Gazans, chanting slogans and condemning the Israeli attrocities against civilians.
Forces fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and concussion grenades, injuring the Palestinian in his leg, upon which he was transferred to hospital for treatment.
See related: 931 Palestinians from Jerusalem and inside Israel Taken Captive in 3 Weeks
In France, armor-clad riot police arrested 70 people at a banned pro-Palestinian protest in central Paris, on Saturday, according to Ma'an News Agency.
The rally drew 4,000 people to Place de la Republique, said the interior ministry, while organizers chalked up the turnout at 10,000.
Police stepped in to disperse the rally with tear gas when they were targeted with rocks and other projectiles by the crowd. .
About 12 police were slightly injured..
Nearly 10,000 people turned out in Lyon for a similar protest, though it was not banned and went off peacefully, according to Ma'an.
In Marseille and Nice, hundreds also showed up in support for Palestinians.
Across the Atlantic, approximately two thousand New Yorkers protested, Thursday night, against Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza, in a rally at Foley Square, according to the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel (ADALAH-NY).
According to WAFA's report, a crowd led by protest organizers spoke aloud the names and ages of the over 170 Palestinian children killed in Israel’s current massacre on Gazan civilians.
Protesters marched through lower Manhattan with Palestinian flags and signs demanding an end to the US government’s and New York City elected officials’ support for Israel and its ongoing occupation and colonization of Palestine.
They also cried out for a boycott of companies which profiting from Israeli human rights abuses, and an end to the Gaza siege.
Rude Mechanical Orchestra (RMO) set the tempo of the march, in which protesters chanted:
“Israel bombs, we protest—boycott, sanction, and divest!”
Cars honked in support of the angry demonstrators, tourists recorded the event on camera and gave the thumbs-up as the march passed on and ended next to the Hudson River, where RMO led the group in a round of “Wein a Ramallah”.
The event was part of a national day of action for Gaza endorsed by 55 US rights groups, according to WAFA, including including Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel; Brooklyn for Peace; CODEPINK NYC; Jewish Voice for Peace – NYC; Jews Say No!; New Yorkers Against the Cornell-Technion Partnership (NYACT); New York City International Socialist Organization (ISO); NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QAIA); WESPAC Foundation; and Women in Black, Union Square.
Jewish Voice for Peace – NYC declared:
“Despite the claims by the Israeli government and mainstream American Jewish organizations that Israel's brutality is supported by American Jews, we are part of the thousands upon thousands of Jews for whom this is not the truth, and the numbers are growing. We stand with all those opposing the massacre against the Palestinians of Gaza and the ongoing occupation of Palestine, and we join the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions until Israel adheres to basic principles of international law, human rights, and decency.”
A solidarity protest was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace this past Tuesday, as well, during which nine Jewish activists were arrested for occupying the office of The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces in Manhattan.
See related: Worldwide Outrage Over Israeli Genocide on Gaza
Jerusalem Patriarch Addresses the White House
His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, met with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, on Saturday, according to the Palestinian News Network (PNN). Present as well was Counselor to the President, John Podestam, during a discussion which took place this morning, over the ongoing plight of Christians in the Holy Land and, specifically, in the context of the ongoing war crimes being committed, by Israel, on Gaza.
Father Michael McDonagh, International Advisor to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Sir Rateb Y. Rabie, KCHS President and CEO of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) accompanied Twal on his visit to the White House, the PNN reports.
In the illegaly occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to the vast number of Palestinian communities existing between the internationally recognized borders of Israel, the excessive and indiscriminate brutality inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli military, police and settlers alike continues to traumatize, disenfanchise, and displace both Christian and Muslim families, with little to no coverage by mainstream media networks -- who, undeniably, continue to control and manipulate mass opinion regarding the situation in the Middle East, thereby securing political backing for policies of which they little to essentially no understanding.
The Patriarch's visit to the White House was organized by HCEF, according to the PNN, and for the purpose of converging across borders with civic, religious and political leaders, in a courageous act of diplomacy for international peace and justice by the trio of representatives, with special regard to policies based on distorted facts.
His Beatitude declared:
"There is no winner in this war on Gaza. There is only loss, pain and death in at the end of this road."
He explained that Israel's self-proclaimed "Operation Protective Edge" is, in fact, a military blunder on the part of the Israeli state and, far from pacifying Gaza, the assault will leave mourning, despair and hatred there, in its wake -- not peace.
The only solution, he said, is to reach an agreement whereby Palestinian rights are recognized, and by which peace is built upon justice.
Twal also noted the residential policies imposed on Palestinians in Jerusalem, which aim to empty the city of its original residents, both Christian and Muslim.
The very first wounds inflicted by this policy are the divisions of families, and they are not exclusive to Palestinians. Now that Israel's current crimes against humanity, in addition to its historically unabated breaching of international law and gross violation of signatory resolutions, are being held to the light by the global community, family division has become a central concern for families around the world living under the constituency of their political representatives.
Furthermore, it was noted that current Israeli policies do not permit Palestinians living in Jerusalem to bring spouses from occupied Palestinian Territories to live with them.
This means that Jerusalemite Palestinians are forced to live separately from spouses, or must begin married life outside of Jerusalem, giving up ancestral homes and residency status, all within the borders of a harrowingly divided and jointly patrolled military state which encompasses an area approximately the size of New Jersey.
Mr. McDonough was said to indicate that the White House is committed to engaging constructively on these issues, proposing family reunification in all of Jerusalem, as well as the rest of the illegally occupied Palestinian territories, as a significant focus of peacemaking endeavors.
Finally, Patriarch Twal noted the "tenuous" status of the Christian Church in both Israel and Palestine, where historic church properties remain under constant threat of confiscation (on top of widespread settler violence and destruction of Palestinan property) in order that the state may continue construction of its massive "security" wall, which courses in and around the West Bank region like a prison, connecting on either end with the Jordan River.
See Wiki Commons file.
The Bethlehem area was particularly noted, in regard to these policies, where and under which the Salesian Monastery of Cremisan is slated for demolition, to make way for the wall.
Mr. McDonough assured the Patriarch of his support in advocating a more just policy.
Following the discussion, Sir Rabie declared:
"We are very honored by this meeting and, more importantly, pleased by the discussion we were able to have. The United States has long played a very powerful role in this part of the world, and the opportunity to meet the Chief of Staff, who is the closest advisor to President Obama, and discuss the situation from the perspective of Palestinians is an enormous step on the path to better policies, and ultimately to a just and lasting peace."
Related: "US Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Supporting Israeli Assault on Gaza"
Father Michael McDonagh, International Advisor to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Sir Rateb Y. Rabie, KCHS President and CEO of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) accompanied Twal on his visit to the White House, the PNN reports.
In the illegaly occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to the vast number of Palestinian communities existing between the internationally recognized borders of Israel, the excessive and indiscriminate brutality inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli military, police and settlers alike continues to traumatize, disenfanchise, and displace both Christian and Muslim families, with little to no coverage by mainstream media networks -- who, undeniably, continue to control and manipulate mass opinion regarding the situation in the Middle East, thereby securing political backing for policies of which they little to essentially no understanding.
The Patriarch's visit to the White House was organized by HCEF, according to the PNN, and for the purpose of converging across borders with civic, religious and political leaders, in a courageous act of diplomacy for international peace and justice by the trio of representatives, with special regard to policies based on distorted facts.
His Beatitude declared:
"There is no winner in this war on Gaza. There is only loss, pain and death in at the end of this road."
He explained that Israel's self-proclaimed "Operation Protective Edge" is, in fact, a military blunder on the part of the Israeli state and, far from pacifying Gaza, the assault will leave mourning, despair and hatred there, in its wake -- not peace.
The only solution, he said, is to reach an agreement whereby Palestinian rights are recognized, and by which peace is built upon justice.
Twal also noted the residential policies imposed on Palestinians in Jerusalem, which aim to empty the city of its original residents, both Christian and Muslim.
The very first wounds inflicted by this policy are the divisions of families, and they are not exclusive to Palestinians. Now that Israel's current crimes against humanity, in addition to its historically unabated breaching of international law and gross violation of signatory resolutions, are being held to the light by the global community, family division has become a central concern for families around the world living under the constituency of their political representatives.
Furthermore, it was noted that current Israeli policies do not permit Palestinians living in Jerusalem to bring spouses from occupied Palestinian Territories to live with them.
This means that Jerusalemite Palestinians are forced to live separately from spouses, or must begin married life outside of Jerusalem, giving up ancestral homes and residency status, all within the borders of a harrowingly divided and jointly patrolled military state which encompasses an area approximately the size of New Jersey.
Mr. McDonough was said to indicate that the White House is committed to engaging constructively on these issues, proposing family reunification in all of Jerusalem, as well as the rest of the illegally occupied Palestinian territories, as a significant focus of peacemaking endeavors.
Finally, Patriarch Twal noted the "tenuous" status of the Christian Church in both Israel and Palestine, where historic church properties remain under constant threat of confiscation (on top of widespread settler violence and destruction of Palestinan property) in order that the state may continue construction of its massive "security" wall, which courses in and around the West Bank region like a prison, connecting on either end with the Jordan River.
See Wiki Commons file.
The Bethlehem area was particularly noted, in regard to these policies, where and under which the Salesian Monastery of Cremisan is slated for demolition, to make way for the wall.
Mr. McDonough assured the Patriarch of his support in advocating a more just policy.
Following the discussion, Sir Rabie declared:
"We are very honored by this meeting and, more importantly, pleased by the discussion we were able to have. The United States has long played a very powerful role in this part of the world, and the opportunity to meet the Chief of Staff, who is the closest advisor to President Obama, and discuss the situation from the perspective of Palestinians is an enormous step on the path to better policies, and ultimately to a just and lasting peace."
Related: "US Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Supporting Israeli Assault on Gaza"
Naim Abdul Aziz Abu Zaher, 36, was shot to death by Israeli forces east of Deir al-Balah around 9 pm Saturday, two hours before the ‘temporary ceasefire’ was scheduled to end. Two other Palestinians died of their wounds early Sunday morning.
Soon after the shooting of Abu Zaher, Israeli authorities announced an extension of the ‘temporary ceasefire’ until Sunday morning at 7 am.
Also, just after midnight, in the early hours of Sunday July 27th, Ikram ash-Shimbari, 23, died of serious wounds she suffered when the army bombarded homes east of Gaza City several days ago.
Yusef Jamil Sobhi Hammouda, 16, also died of injuries sustained two days ago. He had been in the intensive care unit at Shifa Medical Center in Gaza City.
Israeli forces on Saturday released 20 wounded Palestinian civilians that they had abducted, and had been keeping in holding facilities. The wounded have been transferred to Kamal Adwan Hospital. They were released at Erez crossing, at the Gaza-Egypt border. All of the wounded residents were from Khan Younis, which has seen some of the heaviest casualties in the 18-days of Israeli aggression in Gaza.
All day Saturday, crews had been working to uncover bodies from the rubble of what had just last week been homes to thousands of people, mainly in the Shuja’eyya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City. On-the-ground eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces targeted medics and rescue teams a number of times throughout the day, while they were searching for remains of Palestinians buried under rubble.
They were prevented from using any machinery to clear rubble, so they had to pull the cement and cinder blocks off the bodies by hand.
Palestinian medical sources report that a total of 147 bodies have been recovered from the rubble today and brought to morgues in various parts of Gaza which are already overflowing with bodies.
57 bodies were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, locaed in western Gaza City. In Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, 27 bodies were brought to the Nasser Hospital, and 12 were brought to the Gaza European Hospital. In the central District of Gaza, 15 bodies were brought to the Al-Aqsa Hospital.
The bodies pulled from the rubble on Saturday are still awaiting identification. These victims will likely bring the current death toll of Palestinians killed in the past 18 days to over 1000.
The Ministry of Health has stated that a total of 1,049 Palestinians have been killed, and 6,000 injured since the Israeli offensive began on July 8th.
Soon after the shooting of Abu Zaher, Israeli authorities announced an extension of the ‘temporary ceasefire’ until Sunday morning at 7 am.
Also, just after midnight, in the early hours of Sunday July 27th, Ikram ash-Shimbari, 23, died of serious wounds she suffered when the army bombarded homes east of Gaza City several days ago.
Yusef Jamil Sobhi Hammouda, 16, also died of injuries sustained two days ago. He had been in the intensive care unit at Shifa Medical Center in Gaza City.
Israeli forces on Saturday released 20 wounded Palestinian civilians that they had abducted, and had been keeping in holding facilities. The wounded have been transferred to Kamal Adwan Hospital. They were released at Erez crossing, at the Gaza-Egypt border. All of the wounded residents were from Khan Younis, which has seen some of the heaviest casualties in the 18-days of Israeli aggression in Gaza.
All day Saturday, crews had been working to uncover bodies from the rubble of what had just last week been homes to thousands of people, mainly in the Shuja’eyya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City. On-the-ground eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces targeted medics and rescue teams a number of times throughout the day, while they were searching for remains of Palestinians buried under rubble.
They were prevented from using any machinery to clear rubble, so they had to pull the cement and cinder blocks off the bodies by hand.
Palestinian medical sources report that a total of 147 bodies have been recovered from the rubble today and brought to morgues in various parts of Gaza which are already overflowing with bodies.
57 bodies were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, locaed in western Gaza City. In Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, 27 bodies were brought to the Nasser Hospital, and 12 were brought to the Gaza European Hospital. In the central District of Gaza, 15 bodies were brought to the Al-Aqsa Hospital.
The bodies pulled from the rubble on Saturday are still awaiting identification. These victims will likely bring the current death toll of Palestinians killed in the past 18 days to over 1000.
The Ministry of Health has stated that a total of 1,049 Palestinians have been killed, and 6,000 injured since the Israeli offensive began on July 8th.
