4 apr 2015
Israeli forces head of Southern Command told Israeli media Saturday that the "Gaza conflict was a victory for Israel, defeat for Hamas."
Major General Sami Turgeman said that Hamas had never been hit so hard, citing heavy destruction by Israeli forces of Hamas' underground tunnel infrastructure as well as Israeli interception of thousands of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.
"They are the ones who've been left with the bitter aftertaste because they built up their force over many years, put it into operation for 50 days, and weren't able to achieve what they expected," Turgeman told Israeli media.
"And in the end, the campaign ended on our terms, not on theirs. The bitter aftertaste is definitely with them."
Last summer's war left over 2,200 Palestinians dead, the majority civilians, and over 100,000 Gazans homeless.
Palestinian military groups left 66 Israeli soldiers, 1 security coordinator, and 4 Israeli civilians dead, the highest casualty rate for the military force since Israel was forced to withdraw from Lebanon in 2006 during a partial land invasion targeting Hezbollah.
Israel's aim in the summer offensive had been to end rocket fire from Gaza, which Hamas says comes in response to Israel's continued occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
At the end of 50 days of warfare, however, Palestinian militant groups continued firing rockets into Israel. They also managed to confront Israeli forces in a number of battles across Gaza after the military launched a ground invasion.
Earlier this month the Hamas's official website reported that it had rebuilt a number of military bases near the Israeli border in the Gaza Strip, asserting that it had recovered from Israel's summer offensive and was "not afraid" of confronting the occupation again.
Similar to Turgeman, Hamas claimed victory at the end of the Israeli assault in August.
'Gaza conflict was victory for Israel, defeat for Hamas'
Major General Sami Turgeman said that Hamas had never been hit so hard, citing heavy destruction by Israeli forces of Hamas' underground tunnel infrastructure as well as Israeli interception of thousands of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.
"They are the ones who've been left with the bitter aftertaste because they built up their force over many years, put it into operation for 50 days, and weren't able to achieve what they expected," Turgeman told Israeli media.
"And in the end, the campaign ended on our terms, not on theirs. The bitter aftertaste is definitely with them."
Last summer's war left over 2,200 Palestinians dead, the majority civilians, and over 100,000 Gazans homeless.
Palestinian military groups left 66 Israeli soldiers, 1 security coordinator, and 4 Israeli civilians dead, the highest casualty rate for the military force since Israel was forced to withdraw from Lebanon in 2006 during a partial land invasion targeting Hezbollah.
Israel's aim in the summer offensive had been to end rocket fire from Gaza, which Hamas says comes in response to Israel's continued occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
At the end of 50 days of warfare, however, Palestinian militant groups continued firing rockets into Israel. They also managed to confront Israeli forces in a number of battles across Gaza after the military launched a ground invasion.
Earlier this month the Hamas's official website reported that it had rebuilt a number of military bases near the Israeli border in the Gaza Strip, asserting that it had recovered from Israel's summer offensive and was "not afraid" of confronting the occupation again.
Similar to Turgeman, Hamas claimed victory at the end of the Israeli assault in August.
'Gaza conflict was victory for Israel, defeat for Hamas'
Sami Turgeman: The campaign ended on our terms
In a special Passover interview, the head of the IDF southern command maintains that Hamas had never been hit so hard, but warns that they are gearing up for the next round of fighting.
GOC Southern Command Major General Sami Turgeman spent the first night of the battle in Saja'iyya, during Operation Protective Edge, at the Golani Brigade's forward command post. He got there just after the APC disaster in which seven Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed. It was a rough night. Reports were coming in non-stop – Israeli fatalities and wounded, fierce resistance on the part of Hamas, determined fighting by the Golani troops.
Why was it so tough there, in Saja'iyya?
"Saja'iyya is a very complex expanse, with a densely constructed subterranean infrastructure and five attack tunnels leading to military bases and civilian communities. We knew it would be very difficult there, and that's why we sent in one of the IDF's strongest brigades, the Golani Brigade. It successfully carried out all the tasks assigned to it. It occupied and took control of the entire area and destroyed the tunnels. I went into Saja'iyya. I saw them operating there, with booby traps and explosive devices everywhere. I am full of admiration for the brigade."
Perhaps you failed to prepare sufficiently?
"We prepared very well before going in. We even postponed the operation for 24 hours to soften the area with firepower. In war, there's a very fine line between success without casualties, and success but at a high price. Dozens of clashes took place there, and the Golani fighters came out on top in the vast majority of them, without casualties."
The bitter aftertaste – theirs not ours
Turgeman, 50, doesn't pull his punches; and when I ask him about the bitter aftertaste left behind by Operation Protective Edge, he responds indignantly.
"I don't work for Tnuva; I'm the head of the Southern Command," he says. "I don't deal with cream or bitterness. Protective Edge was a victory. Hamas had plans and put them into practice with the aim of harming civilians and soldiers. They weren't successful because we prepared for their capabilities and managed to neutralize their intention to strike at civilians. Forty-five terrorists infiltrated through tunnels during Protective Edge, but not a single one saw a civilian or encountered a civilian or threatened a civilian. They encountered military forces.
"When I read Hamas' intelligence reports, that's when I come across the bitter aftertaste – the fact that it failed to realize its offensive aims; the fact that around one thousand of its fighters were killed and many others were wounded; the fact that it lost its most significant asset, the attack tunnels that it spent four or five years building; the fact that we destroyed its operational infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip; the fact that it fired 4,500 rockets in the hope of achieving much deadlier results but was thwarted by our defense systems.
"They are the ones who've been left with the bitter aftertaste because they built up their force over many years, put it into operation for 50 days, and weren't able to achieve what they expected. And in the end, the campaign ended on our terms, not on theirs. The bitter aftertaste is definitely with them."
How will this impact Hamas' motivation to initiate another conflict?
"Hamas has never before been hit so hard. Yes, it suffered in Operation Cast Lead, and in Pillar of Defense, too; and in the end, these organizations weigh things up and act in keeping with their own interests and the objectives they wish to achieve. But from a military perspective, there's the potential for a true expression of the hard hit they took, and it could last for a long time."
How long?
"These things are very difficult to foresee. I don't think there's anyone in the State of Israel, not even in the IDF, who would have foreseen nine years of quiet after the Second Lebanon War. And here we are now, nine years after the Second Lebanon War, and we have almost complete quiet along the northern border. It's very difficult to gauge these operations scientifically. In the end, it's an issue that is influenced by other factors too."
Turgeman doesn't know when the next conflict will erupt in Gaza, but he does know that Hamas is doing everything it can to prepare for one.
"Hamas is digging tunnels again," the major general says. "We are monitoring the situation closely, and they are definitely digging again. It's trying to work its way back more or less to the number (of tunnels) it had before Protective Edge, because its subterranean network was one of the things that took the hardest hits. That capability, which it had built up over many years, was severely damaged."
Not an operation – a war Since taking up his position as GOC Southern Command some two years ago, Turgeman was one of the few members of the General Staff who warned repeatedly of the grave threat of the tunnels.
"The issue of the underground tunnels didn't begin with Protective Edge," he says. "The entire security system has been dealing with this challenge for many years already. In 2006, after all, Gilad Shalit was abducted through a tunnel. But yes, the idea of a network of tunnels and the enemy's idea of using this network to move its offensive efforts into our territory has evolved and grown in recent years."
Were you surprised?
"No. I said a year before the operation, in the media too, that an underground network was being dug in the Gaza Strip, and that it wasn't a Metro. Now, too, as we speak, Hamas is digging tunnels."
Were there any warnings about a war in the summer?
"If you're asking me if there was an intelligence report warning of a war in July, then the answer is no. If you're asking me if I was surprised that we got to a point of conflict with Hamas in July, then the answer is no again. We've been keeping track of the Gaza Strip and Hamas for a long time; we witnessed the process Hamas underwent beginning in July 2013.
"The moment (former Egyptian president Mohamed) Morsi was toppled, the strategic reality surrounding the Gaza Strip changed dramatically. Hamas lost its support, lost its strategic backing. Egypt's decision to cut off the Strip from the Sinai Peninsula affected the economic reality in Gaza, the reconciliation with the Palestinian Authority didn't achieve the expected benefits, and the entire system started bubbling over.
"When we saw this reality, at the beginning of 2014, I said at the Command that we need to prepare for war, or a campaign against Hamas, in July 2014. I also passed on my recommendation to the chief of staff, and the chief of staff set a target date for the preparations. So that aspect of the campaign in the summer campaign wasn't a surprise for me; because when you weigh up all the circumstances surrounding the Gaza Strip at the time, you don't need a specific intelligence report that gives you a day, date and time. You understand that the reality is leading you there."
On the eve of the operation, did you think it would continue for 50 days?
"No one planned a campaign of 50 days, and that certainly wasn't our aim. Once we make the decision to launch an operation, our aim as an army is for the campaign to be as short as possible – and certainly when it comes to this type of campaign, when you realize that the entire home front is under threat. But when you embark on an operation, you don't set out to complete it in a short period of time.
"You set out to make operational achievements. It wouldn't be right to embark on an operation and end it after a short period of time only for the sake of calling it a brief operation. You have to accomplish things. Bringing a war to a quick end without achieving what you set out to do is a serious mistake."
That wasn't a slip of the tongue. As Major General Turgeman sees it, Protective Edge was, for all intents and purposes, a war.
"From my point of view, it wasn't an operation but a war," he says. "That's how the forces in the field, the commanders and the soldiers, felt. There's no other way to define it."
In a special Passover interview, the head of the IDF southern command maintains that Hamas had never been hit so hard, but warns that they are gearing up for the next round of fighting.
GOC Southern Command Major General Sami Turgeman spent the first night of the battle in Saja'iyya, during Operation Protective Edge, at the Golani Brigade's forward command post. He got there just after the APC disaster in which seven Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed. It was a rough night. Reports were coming in non-stop – Israeli fatalities and wounded, fierce resistance on the part of Hamas, determined fighting by the Golani troops.
Why was it so tough there, in Saja'iyya?
"Saja'iyya is a very complex expanse, with a densely constructed subterranean infrastructure and five attack tunnels leading to military bases and civilian communities. We knew it would be very difficult there, and that's why we sent in one of the IDF's strongest brigades, the Golani Brigade. It successfully carried out all the tasks assigned to it. It occupied and took control of the entire area and destroyed the tunnels. I went into Saja'iyya. I saw them operating there, with booby traps and explosive devices everywhere. I am full of admiration for the brigade."
Perhaps you failed to prepare sufficiently?
"We prepared very well before going in. We even postponed the operation for 24 hours to soften the area with firepower. In war, there's a very fine line between success without casualties, and success but at a high price. Dozens of clashes took place there, and the Golani fighters came out on top in the vast majority of them, without casualties."
The bitter aftertaste – theirs not ours
Turgeman, 50, doesn't pull his punches; and when I ask him about the bitter aftertaste left behind by Operation Protective Edge, he responds indignantly.
"I don't work for Tnuva; I'm the head of the Southern Command," he says. "I don't deal with cream or bitterness. Protective Edge was a victory. Hamas had plans and put them into practice with the aim of harming civilians and soldiers. They weren't successful because we prepared for their capabilities and managed to neutralize their intention to strike at civilians. Forty-five terrorists infiltrated through tunnels during Protective Edge, but not a single one saw a civilian or encountered a civilian or threatened a civilian. They encountered military forces.
"When I read Hamas' intelligence reports, that's when I come across the bitter aftertaste – the fact that it failed to realize its offensive aims; the fact that around one thousand of its fighters were killed and many others were wounded; the fact that it lost its most significant asset, the attack tunnels that it spent four or five years building; the fact that we destroyed its operational infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip; the fact that it fired 4,500 rockets in the hope of achieving much deadlier results but was thwarted by our defense systems.
"They are the ones who've been left with the bitter aftertaste because they built up their force over many years, put it into operation for 50 days, and weren't able to achieve what they expected. And in the end, the campaign ended on our terms, not on theirs. The bitter aftertaste is definitely with them."
How will this impact Hamas' motivation to initiate another conflict?
"Hamas has never before been hit so hard. Yes, it suffered in Operation Cast Lead, and in Pillar of Defense, too; and in the end, these organizations weigh things up and act in keeping with their own interests and the objectives they wish to achieve. But from a military perspective, there's the potential for a true expression of the hard hit they took, and it could last for a long time."
How long?
"These things are very difficult to foresee. I don't think there's anyone in the State of Israel, not even in the IDF, who would have foreseen nine years of quiet after the Second Lebanon War. And here we are now, nine years after the Second Lebanon War, and we have almost complete quiet along the northern border. It's very difficult to gauge these operations scientifically. In the end, it's an issue that is influenced by other factors too."
Turgeman doesn't know when the next conflict will erupt in Gaza, but he does know that Hamas is doing everything it can to prepare for one.
"Hamas is digging tunnels again," the major general says. "We are monitoring the situation closely, and they are definitely digging again. It's trying to work its way back more or less to the number (of tunnels) it had before Protective Edge, because its subterranean network was one of the things that took the hardest hits. That capability, which it had built up over many years, was severely damaged."
Not an operation – a war Since taking up his position as GOC Southern Command some two years ago, Turgeman was one of the few members of the General Staff who warned repeatedly of the grave threat of the tunnels.
"The issue of the underground tunnels didn't begin with Protective Edge," he says. "The entire security system has been dealing with this challenge for many years already. In 2006, after all, Gilad Shalit was abducted through a tunnel. But yes, the idea of a network of tunnels and the enemy's idea of using this network to move its offensive efforts into our territory has evolved and grown in recent years."
Were you surprised?
"No. I said a year before the operation, in the media too, that an underground network was being dug in the Gaza Strip, and that it wasn't a Metro. Now, too, as we speak, Hamas is digging tunnels."
Were there any warnings about a war in the summer?
"If you're asking me if there was an intelligence report warning of a war in July, then the answer is no. If you're asking me if I was surprised that we got to a point of conflict with Hamas in July, then the answer is no again. We've been keeping track of the Gaza Strip and Hamas for a long time; we witnessed the process Hamas underwent beginning in July 2013.
"The moment (former Egyptian president Mohamed) Morsi was toppled, the strategic reality surrounding the Gaza Strip changed dramatically. Hamas lost its support, lost its strategic backing. Egypt's decision to cut off the Strip from the Sinai Peninsula affected the economic reality in Gaza, the reconciliation with the Palestinian Authority didn't achieve the expected benefits, and the entire system started bubbling over.
"When we saw this reality, at the beginning of 2014, I said at the Command that we need to prepare for war, or a campaign against Hamas, in July 2014. I also passed on my recommendation to the chief of staff, and the chief of staff set a target date for the preparations. So that aspect of the campaign in the summer campaign wasn't a surprise for me; because when you weigh up all the circumstances surrounding the Gaza Strip at the time, you don't need a specific intelligence report that gives you a day, date and time. You understand that the reality is leading you there."
On the eve of the operation, did you think it would continue for 50 days?
"No one planned a campaign of 50 days, and that certainly wasn't our aim. Once we make the decision to launch an operation, our aim as an army is for the campaign to be as short as possible – and certainly when it comes to this type of campaign, when you realize that the entire home front is under threat. But when you embark on an operation, you don't set out to complete it in a short period of time.
"You set out to make operational achievements. It wouldn't be right to embark on an operation and end it after a short period of time only for the sake of calling it a brief operation. You have to accomplish things. Bringing a war to a quick end without achieving what you set out to do is a serious mistake."
That wasn't a slip of the tongue. As Major General Turgeman sees it, Protective Edge was, for all intents and purposes, a war.
"From my point of view, it wasn't an operation but a war," he says. "That's how the forces in the field, the commanders and the soldiers, felt. There's no other way to define it."
3 apr 2015
Israeli forces injured three Palestinians after opening fire on them from the Gazan border, east of Khan Younis, on Friday.
Witnesses said the three were shot at in the al-Sanati area east of Khan Younis, according to Ma'an News Agency.
One was hit in their lower extremities while the injuries of the other two are not yet known.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into the incident.
Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on Palestinian civilians near the border since the ceasefire agreement signed Aug. 26, 2014 that ended a devastating summer long assault on the region by Israel.
In February alone, there were a total of 26 incidents of shootings, incursions into the Strip, and arrests, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
The attacks come despite Israeli promises at the end of the ceasefire to ease restrictions on Palestinian access to the border region near the "security buffer zone".
Witnesses said the three were shot at in the al-Sanati area east of Khan Younis, according to Ma'an News Agency.
One was hit in their lower extremities while the injuries of the other two are not yet known.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into the incident.
Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on Palestinian civilians near the border since the ceasefire agreement signed Aug. 26, 2014 that ended a devastating summer long assault on the region by Israel.
In February alone, there were a total of 26 incidents of shootings, incursions into the Strip, and arrests, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
The attacks come despite Israeli promises at the end of the ceasefire to ease restrictions on Palestinian access to the border region near the "security buffer zone".
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) overnight Thursday apprehended two Gazan youths near the border fence separating the besieged Gaza Strip from the 1948 occupied territories.
Eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the IOF opened fire intensively at three Palestinian young men after they neared the border fence, noting that two of them were detained and one managed to escape the area.
A number of Israeli military jeeps suddenly arrived in the area amid heavy gunfire shortly after capturing the young men.
Eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the IOF opened fire intensively at three Palestinian young men after they neared the border fence, noting that two of them were detained and one managed to escape the area.
A number of Israeli military jeeps suddenly arrived in the area amid heavy gunfire shortly after capturing the young men.
2 apr 2015
Cairo-brokered truce accord signed in the wake of last summer’s offensive on the besieged coastal enclave, which killed over 2,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
Qatar Charity on Wednesday said it would establish several projects in the besieged Gaza Strip worth 70 million dollars.
Senior official of the Palestinian Olympic Committee Abdul-Salam Haneyya said he discussed with CEO of the Charity Sheikh Yousuf al-Kuwari the possibility of establishing a number of health, sporting, and housing projects in Gaza.
Haneyya added that Kuwari pledged to fund the projects and consider sponsoring university students, who suffer from financial hardships as a result of the very difficult humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza.
Senior official of the Palestinian Olympic Committee Abdul-Salam Haneyya said he discussed with CEO of the Charity Sheikh Yousuf al-Kuwari the possibility of establishing a number of health, sporting, and housing projects in Gaza.
Haneyya added that Kuwari pledged to fund the projects and consider sponsoring university students, who suffer from financial hardships as a result of the very difficult humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza.
1 apr 2015
Israeli navy ships opened fire, on Wednesday at dawn, on a number of small Palestinian fishing boats in Palestinian waters, near the Sudaniyya area, northwest of the Gaza Strip.
Eyewitnesses said the soldiers fired several live rounds targeting at least three fishing boats, less the two miles away from the Gaza shore, forcing all fishers back to shore.
The attack is part of ongoing Israeli violations to every ceasefire agreement, mediated by Egypt, and to the Oslo Accords.
There are more than 3800 Palestinian fishers in the Gaza Strip, providing food to dozens of thousands of family members.
Israeli attacks on Gaza fishers led to dozens of casualties, including several fatalities, in addition to dozens of arrests, while the soldiers also confiscated scores of fishing boats.
On Saturday, March 7, a Palestinian fisher was killed by Israeli navy fire, and two others were kidnapped.
Eyewitnesses said the soldiers fired several live rounds targeting at least three fishing boats, less the two miles away from the Gaza shore, forcing all fishers back to shore.
The attack is part of ongoing Israeli violations to every ceasefire agreement, mediated by Egypt, and to the Oslo Accords.
There are more than 3800 Palestinian fishers in the Gaza Strip, providing food to dozens of thousands of family members.
Israeli attacks on Gaza fishers led to dozens of casualties, including several fatalities, in addition to dozens of arrests, while the soldiers also confiscated scores of fishing boats.
On Saturday, March 7, a Palestinian fisher was killed by Israeli navy fire, and two others were kidnapped.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) fired on Tuesday evening artillery shells at Palestinian homes near Kissufim military site east of the Qarara town north-east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip.
No casualties were reported during the attack, local sources said.
Israeli media sources claimed that the Israeli attack came few hours after Palestinian gunmen shot at Israeli troops stationed on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip.
Armed Gazans have allegedly fired several rounds at the Israeli troops deployed to the north of Kissufim military site to the south of the besiege Strip, the sources added.
The alleged attack resulted in no injuries, according to the sources.
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli forces opened their machinegun fire at Palestinian farmers near the border fence.
No casualties were reported during the attack, local sources said.
Israeli media sources claimed that the Israeli attack came few hours after Palestinian gunmen shot at Israeli troops stationed on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip.
Armed Gazans have allegedly fired several rounds at the Israeli troops deployed to the north of Kissufim military site to the south of the besiege Strip, the sources added.
The alleged attack resulted in no injuries, according to the sources.
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli forces opened their machinegun fire at Palestinian farmers near the border fence.
31 mar 2015
|
Eli Yishai nov 18 2012
Months after the last massive Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, thanks to the social and independent media, everyone has read news and seen pictures of the attacks from the Zionist regime against residential buildings, United Nations shelter-schools, hospitals, ambulances, mosques, churches and thousands of family homes. However, little has been said about the almost complete destruction of Gaza’s industry and economy. As the Israeli Minister of Interior Eli Yishai said, the objective of the last operation was to “send Gaza back to the Middle Ages, destroying all of its infrastructure.” One of the more terrible blows committed towards this end has been the total destruction of the Beit Hanoun industrial area. There were around 50 factories in Beit Hanoun, from which only three have been able to resume work seven months after the end of the assault. The factories in this industrial area provided work for 25% to 30% of Gaza’s population. |
Among the destroyed factories are those for paper, construction materials, clothing, medical equipment, plastic products, food and livestock products.
The agricultural industry has also been wounded by Israel’s summer attacks on Gaza. The owner of the Afanah Company showed us the pictures of his 800 cows killed by Israeli attacks during the last war on Gaza. Each cow was going to feed 7 families during the Eid holiday. Besides losing all his cows, Israel also destroyed the four fridges of the company, which contained 400 tons of meat.
Abu Fakhri Abu Ghais, from Beit Hanoun, explained how during the last massacre Israel killed his 17 sheep, and all his sons’ sheep, they destroyed all his farming equipment, worth over 15,000 US dollars. Israeli forces also destroyed the pumps for extracting the groundwater and the 20 tons of reserve of wheat seeds that Abu Fakhri had stored for the current year. The occupation also demolished the cabling that brought electricity to his village, Abu Safiya. He and his family now live in a tent without water or electricity, as his home was also destroyed.
He and his family now live in a tent without water or electricity, as his home was also destroyed. Given the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, the struggling government of Hamas informed him that they don’t know when they’ll be able to restore the power supply, as they do not have available wire that is long enough.
In a Bedouin village located at the North of Beit Lahia, Hassan Sharadkha invited the author and his companions for a cup of tea in the wood cabin that he has built next to the rubble of his home. He showed us the pictures of everything he lost during the last summer at the hands of the Zionist occupation forces: 32 dunums of fruit and olive trees, 27 sheep and their stable, 2 cows, a 200 chicken farm, a horse, the water pump and the car he had just bought. His older son, an electric engineer, was made unemployed because the solar panel company he worked for has also been bombed.
Ninety per cent of the Palestinian farmers in Gaza live in similar or worse circumstances.
These attacks – against factories, farms, farming equipment and homes – were not by chance or accidental. These attacks demonstrate once again that the target of the genocidal Israeli colonialism is the Palestinian people itself, and that the war that has been waging the last 66 years, under cover of Europe and the US, is against a nation, Palestine, that they seek to wipe off the map.
The agricultural industry has also been wounded by Israel’s summer attacks on Gaza. The owner of the Afanah Company showed us the pictures of his 800 cows killed by Israeli attacks during the last war on Gaza. Each cow was going to feed 7 families during the Eid holiday. Besides losing all his cows, Israel also destroyed the four fridges of the company, which contained 400 tons of meat.
Abu Fakhri Abu Ghais, from Beit Hanoun, explained how during the last massacre Israel killed his 17 sheep, and all his sons’ sheep, they destroyed all his farming equipment, worth over 15,000 US dollars. Israeli forces also destroyed the pumps for extracting the groundwater and the 20 tons of reserve of wheat seeds that Abu Fakhri had stored for the current year. The occupation also demolished the cabling that brought electricity to his village, Abu Safiya. He and his family now live in a tent without water or electricity, as his home was also destroyed.
He and his family now live in a tent without water or electricity, as his home was also destroyed. Given the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, the struggling government of Hamas informed him that they don’t know when they’ll be able to restore the power supply, as they do not have available wire that is long enough.
In a Bedouin village located at the North of Beit Lahia, Hassan Sharadkha invited the author and his companions for a cup of tea in the wood cabin that he has built next to the rubble of his home. He showed us the pictures of everything he lost during the last summer at the hands of the Zionist occupation forces: 32 dunums of fruit and olive trees, 27 sheep and their stable, 2 cows, a 200 chicken farm, a horse, the water pump and the car he had just bought. His older son, an electric engineer, was made unemployed because the solar panel company he worked for has also been bombed.
Ninety per cent of the Palestinian farmers in Gaza live in similar or worse circumstances.
These attacks – against factories, farms, farming equipment and homes – were not by chance or accidental. These attacks demonstrate once again that the target of the genocidal Israeli colonialism is the Palestinian people itself, and that the war that has been waging the last 66 years, under cover of Europe and the US, is against a nation, Palestine, that they seek to wipe off the map.
30 mar 2015
On Land Day anniversary, Palestinian activists managed to plant dozens of olive trees in a land threatened with confiscation to the south Jenin despite the heavy presence of Israeli occupation forces (IOF).
Local sources said that a number of Palestinian youths planted olive saplings in a land threatened with confiscation over the past four years in Jenin’s town of Arraba.
Arraba mayor Ahmed Aradaa said that planting the seedlings proves the Palestinians’ strong adherence to their land.
He stressed the need to provide protection to the lands threatened with confiscation.
In Gaza Strip, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) opened fire at dozens of youths near the border fence east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip as they were commemorating Land Day anniversary.
Dozens of Palestinians rallied on the Land Day and marched towards the border fence east of Khan Younis, before setting fire to a number of tires.
The participants chanted slogans against the occupation and managed to place Palestinian flag on the fence before IOF soldiers opened their machineguns at them. No casualties were reported.
On the annual Land Day, demonstrations are held to remember six Arab protesters who were shot dead by Israeli police and troops during mass demonstrations in 1976 against plans to confiscate Arab land in the Galilee.
Local sources said that a number of Palestinian youths planted olive saplings in a land threatened with confiscation over the past four years in Jenin’s town of Arraba.
Arraba mayor Ahmed Aradaa said that planting the seedlings proves the Palestinians’ strong adherence to their land.
He stressed the need to provide protection to the lands threatened with confiscation.
In Gaza Strip, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) opened fire at dozens of youths near the border fence east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip as they were commemorating Land Day anniversary.
Dozens of Palestinians rallied on the Land Day and marched towards the border fence east of Khan Younis, before setting fire to a number of tires.
The participants chanted slogans against the occupation and managed to place Palestinian flag on the fence before IOF soldiers opened their machineguns at them. No casualties were reported.
On the annual Land Day, demonstrations are held to remember six Arab protesters who were shot dead by Israeli police and troops during mass demonstrations in 1976 against plans to confiscate Arab land in the Galilee.
The Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on Monday that approximately 15,000 families whose homes were destroyed during last summer's Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip are to receive financial support for a year.
The ministry's Gaza undersecretary, Yousef Ibrahim, said the project was being financed by international donors and would provide home owners with 1,000 ($250) to 1,500 ($378) shekels per month.
Ibrahim said the project was first presented two months ago, when Minister of Civil Affairs Shawki al-Ayasa made his second visit to Gaza.
According to Ibrahim, up to 15,000 families, whose homes were completely destroyed during the Israeli offensive, will benefit from the project.
According to United Nations Refugee and Works Agency (UNRWA), over 96,000 Palestine refugee family homes were damaged or destroyed during the conflict and $720 million is required to address this need.
As of January, UNRWA had only received $135 million in pledges, and the agency expressed concern that if they could not continue "to provide rental subsidies, large numbers may return to the collective centers, where almost 12,000 displaced Palestinians continue to seek shelter."
Large swathes of the Gaza Strip remain in ruin following the 50-day Israeli assault last summer, which killed more than 2,300 Gazans and left more than 100,000 displaced.
The ministry's Gaza undersecretary, Yousef Ibrahim, said the project was being financed by international donors and would provide home owners with 1,000 ($250) to 1,500 ($378) shekels per month.
Ibrahim said the project was first presented two months ago, when Minister of Civil Affairs Shawki al-Ayasa made his second visit to Gaza.
According to Ibrahim, up to 15,000 families, whose homes were completely destroyed during the Israeli offensive, will benefit from the project.
According to United Nations Refugee and Works Agency (UNRWA), over 96,000 Palestine refugee family homes were damaged or destroyed during the conflict and $720 million is required to address this need.
As of January, UNRWA had only received $135 million in pledges, and the agency expressed concern that if they could not continue "to provide rental subsidies, large numbers may return to the collective centers, where almost 12,000 displaced Palestinians continue to seek shelter."
Large swathes of the Gaza Strip remain in ruin following the 50-day Israeli assault last summer, which killed more than 2,300 Gazans and left more than 100,000 displaced.
Three Palestinians where shot and injured by Israeli forces in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, a medical official said Monday.
Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said two youths were shot east of Khan Younis and were taken to the European Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries.
A third Palestinian was shot earlier in the Absan area east of Khan Younis, where Israeli forces opened fire and shot tear gas at Palestinians, witnesses said.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said Israeli forces fired toward one Palestinian who she called a "main instigator" of a violent riot in southern Gaza.
She said Palestinians rolled burning tires and hurled rocks at troops.
Forces fired warning shots before aiming at the participants' lower extremities, she added.
The incident came the same day as Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza took part in marches to mark the 39th anniversary of Land Day, commemorating Palestinian protests against Israeli land seizures that were violently suppressed on Mar. 30, 1976.
Marches in Gaza were called for by coalition group the National and Islamic Forces, which called for political unity to end the suffering of Palestinians across the occupied territories as well as an end to the Israeli-administered blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The group also used the opportunity to call on the Palestinian political leadership to seek full Palestinian membership at the UN.
Also participating in the march were Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Palestinian Arab Front.
In a statement, the Islamic Jihad movement said that armed resistance was the only means toward ending the Israeli occupation, adding that the Israel-Palestine conflict would not end until "every inch of land in Palestine" had been freed.
The Popular Resistance Committees, meanwhile, said that all differences among Palestinians should be put aside in order to face Israel and fight Israeli policy of confiscating Palestinian land and building illegal settlements.
Israeli forces suppress West Bank marches
The West Bank saw thousands take to the streets in commemoration of Land Day, despite Israeli attempts to suppress protests.
In the village of Huwwara in southern Nablus, Israeli forces attempted to suppress a march in which more than 2,000 Palestinians took part.
More than 15 Palestinians suffered tear-gas inhalation, including Fatah member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Walid Assaf.
Other Palestinian leaders taking part in the march included Mahmoud al-Aloul, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, Qais Abd al-Karim, member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's politburo, and MP Mustafa al-Barghouthi, among others.
Witnesses said that hundreds of Israeli soldiers were deployed.
In Silwad in northeastern Ramallah, several more Palestinians commemorating Land Day suffered tear-gas inhalation when Israeli forces suppressed a march.
Israeli soldiers reportedly assaulted protesters, firing tear-gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets, and targeted journalists covering the march.
Witnesses also said that they fired tear-gas canisters at an elementary school, despite dozens of children still being inside the school.
PLO Executive Committee member and PFLP leader, Abd al-Rahim Maluh, said: "commemorating Land Day demonstrates that Palestinians are loyal to martyrs, prisoners and the wounded."
Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said two youths were shot east of Khan Younis and were taken to the European Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries.
A third Palestinian was shot earlier in the Absan area east of Khan Younis, where Israeli forces opened fire and shot tear gas at Palestinians, witnesses said.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said Israeli forces fired toward one Palestinian who she called a "main instigator" of a violent riot in southern Gaza.
She said Palestinians rolled burning tires and hurled rocks at troops.
Forces fired warning shots before aiming at the participants' lower extremities, she added.
The incident came the same day as Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza took part in marches to mark the 39th anniversary of Land Day, commemorating Palestinian protests against Israeli land seizures that were violently suppressed on Mar. 30, 1976.
Marches in Gaza were called for by coalition group the National and Islamic Forces, which called for political unity to end the suffering of Palestinians across the occupied territories as well as an end to the Israeli-administered blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The group also used the opportunity to call on the Palestinian political leadership to seek full Palestinian membership at the UN.
Also participating in the march were Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Palestinian Arab Front.
In a statement, the Islamic Jihad movement said that armed resistance was the only means toward ending the Israeli occupation, adding that the Israel-Palestine conflict would not end until "every inch of land in Palestine" had been freed.
The Popular Resistance Committees, meanwhile, said that all differences among Palestinians should be put aside in order to face Israel and fight Israeli policy of confiscating Palestinian land and building illegal settlements.
Israeli forces suppress West Bank marches
The West Bank saw thousands take to the streets in commemoration of Land Day, despite Israeli attempts to suppress protests.
In the village of Huwwara in southern Nablus, Israeli forces attempted to suppress a march in which more than 2,000 Palestinians took part.
More than 15 Palestinians suffered tear-gas inhalation, including Fatah member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Walid Assaf.
Other Palestinian leaders taking part in the march included Mahmoud al-Aloul, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, Qais Abd al-Karim, member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's politburo, and MP Mustafa al-Barghouthi, among others.
Witnesses said that hundreds of Israeli soldiers were deployed.
In Silwad in northeastern Ramallah, several more Palestinians commemorating Land Day suffered tear-gas inhalation when Israeli forces suppressed a march.
Israeli soldiers reportedly assaulted protesters, firing tear-gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets, and targeted journalists covering the march.
Witnesses also said that they fired tear-gas canisters at an elementary school, despite dozens of children still being inside the school.
PLO Executive Committee member and PFLP leader, Abd al-Rahim Maluh, said: "commemorating Land Day demonstrates that Palestinians are loyal to martyrs, prisoners and the wounded."
The Israeli navy Sunday targeted Palestinian fishermen with gunfire while they were sailing offshore the city of Gaza, according to a WAFA correspondent.
He said the navy fired heavy gunfire towards Palestinians’ fishing boats despite sailing within the six-nautical-mile zone allocated to fishing activities at four nautical miles.
The fishermen returned to the shore quickly to escape the attack. There were no reports of casualties, however.
On March 7, Israeli naval boats opened heavy gunfire on fishermen sailing within the allowed zone six-nautical miles, killing fisherman Tawfiq Abu Rayyala, 25, who was shot with a bullet in the abdomen before succumbing to his wounds in a local hospital.
Israeli navy and army routinely open fire on Palestinian fishermen sailing within the six-nautical-mile zone, as well as farmers in farmlands along the border.
Israel and the Palestinian factions signed a ceasefire deal on August 26, ending the 2014 summer Israeli onslaught on Gaza that claimed the lives of over 2,200 people, overwhelmingly civilians.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel was to immediately ease the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six-nautical-miles off shore.
Israel has however failed to do so, repeatedly violating the ceasefire deal through opening fire on Palestinian fishermen within the fishing zone and reducing their intake.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza after Hamas won the parliamentary elections and ascended to power in 2006. The blockade was tightened after Hamas’ subsequent takeover of the coastal enclave from Palestinian Authority's security services in 2007.
He said the navy fired heavy gunfire towards Palestinians’ fishing boats despite sailing within the six-nautical-mile zone allocated to fishing activities at four nautical miles.
The fishermen returned to the shore quickly to escape the attack. There were no reports of casualties, however.
On March 7, Israeli naval boats opened heavy gunfire on fishermen sailing within the allowed zone six-nautical miles, killing fisherman Tawfiq Abu Rayyala, 25, who was shot with a bullet in the abdomen before succumbing to his wounds in a local hospital.
Israeli navy and army routinely open fire on Palestinian fishermen sailing within the six-nautical-mile zone, as well as farmers in farmlands along the border.
Israel and the Palestinian factions signed a ceasefire deal on August 26, ending the 2014 summer Israeli onslaught on Gaza that claimed the lives of over 2,200 people, overwhelmingly civilians.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel was to immediately ease the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six-nautical-miles off shore.
Israel has however failed to do so, repeatedly violating the ceasefire deal through opening fire on Palestinian fishermen within the fishing zone and reducing their intake.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza after Hamas won the parliamentary elections and ascended to power in 2006. The blockade was tightened after Hamas’ subsequent takeover of the coastal enclave from Palestinian Authority's security services in 2007.
Truce violations List of names Pictures of martyrs
Days: Aug: 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
July: 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8