5 mar 2008
Body recovered in Jabalia brings toll to 129 in Gaza incursion
The corpse of a Palestinian man found buried in the Gaza Strip raises the death toll of Israel's five-day incursion that ended Monday to 129.
Palestinian medics found the body of 45-year-old Na'im Hamdiyya in the area of Izbat Abid Rabbu in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
Muawiya Hasanain, the director of ambulance and emergency services in the Palestinian Health Ministry said the victim appeared to have been killed three days ago during the Israeli incursion.
The corpse of a Palestinian man found buried in the Gaza Strip raises the death toll of Israel's five-day incursion that ended Monday to 129.
Palestinian medics found the body of 45-year-old Na'im Hamdiyya in the area of Izbat Abid Rabbu in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
Muawiya Hasanain, the director of ambulance and emergency services in the Palestinian Health Ministry said the victim appeared to have been killed three days ago during the Israeli incursion.
India condemns Israel's use of "disproportionate force" in Palestine
India condemned on Tuesday the use of "disproportionate force" by Israeli troops in Palestine and demanded an immediate end to the "unacceptable" violence in the region, the Representative Office of India in Ramallah reported in a press release.
"Recent events, including the disproportionate use of retaliatory force by Israel, have lead to avoidable civilian casualties, including the death of innocent children. This is unacceptable," Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said in Geneva.
Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee echoed this condemnation in New Delhi and called for the violence to end, noting that both the international community and people in the region want peace. He added, "it is clear that the violence that we have seen, particularly in the recent months, cannot produce peace."
Hamas accuses Israel of "criminal acts" in the Gaza Strip
Hamas declared on Wednesday that they hold Israel, and the international community that has failed to pressure Israel, responsible for "criminal acts" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, their press statement said.
"The blood of Palestinian children will not be forgotten, and the Israeli occupation will pay for shedding that blood," Hamas added.
They also accused Israel of violating international law, which prohibits involving civilians, especially children, in armed conflict. They pointed to the death of a Palestinian baby girl, Amira Abu Asir, who was killed by Israeli troops in Al-Qarara on Wednesday, while pursuing the Islamic Jihad activist Yousif Smairi.
India condemned on Tuesday the use of "disproportionate force" by Israeli troops in Palestine and demanded an immediate end to the "unacceptable" violence in the region, the Representative Office of India in Ramallah reported in a press release.
"Recent events, including the disproportionate use of retaliatory force by Israel, have lead to avoidable civilian casualties, including the death of innocent children. This is unacceptable," Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said in Geneva.
Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee echoed this condemnation in New Delhi and called for the violence to end, noting that both the international community and people in the region want peace. He added, "it is clear that the violence that we have seen, particularly in the recent months, cannot produce peace."
Hamas accuses Israel of "criminal acts" in the Gaza Strip
Hamas declared on Wednesday that they hold Israel, and the international community that has failed to pressure Israel, responsible for "criminal acts" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, their press statement said.
"The blood of Palestinian children will not be forgotten, and the Israeli occupation will pay for shedding that blood," Hamas added.
They also accused Israel of violating international law, which prohibits involving civilians, especially children, in armed conflict. They pointed to the death of a Palestinian baby girl, Amira Abu Asir, who was killed by Israeli troops in Al-Qarara on Wednesday, while pursuing the Islamic Jihad activist Yousif Smairi.
4 mar 2008
Israeli analysts speculate about secret Hamas-Israel ceasefire
Some Israeli analysts are speculating that Hamas and Israel have reached an unannounced ceasefire following the five-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip and projectile attacks on Israeli towns.
Alon Ben David, an Israeli military analyst, said on Israeli Channel 10: "Immediately after Israeli forces withdrew from Jabalia, Hamas launched 3 to 4 projectiles at Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot in a gesture that Hamas has the final word in the battle." Yet he also speculated that Hamas stopped launching more projectiles as a gesture of agreement to an unannounced ceasefire with Israel. He said this also explains the sudden, unexplained Israeli withdrawal from Jabalia.
Some Israeli analysts are speculating that Hamas and Israel have reached an unannounced ceasefire following the five-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip and projectile attacks on Israeli towns.
Alon Ben David, an Israeli military analyst, said on Israeli Channel 10: "Immediately after Israeli forces withdrew from Jabalia, Hamas launched 3 to 4 projectiles at Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot in a gesture that Hamas has the final word in the battle." Yet he also speculated that Hamas stopped launching more projectiles as a gesture of agreement to an unannounced ceasefire with Israel. He said this also explains the sudden, unexplained Israeli withdrawal from Jabalia.
PCHR calls for investigation into death of Palestinian prisoner, citing possible medical negligence
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) has called for an investigation into the death of 47-year-old Fadel 'Ouda 'Atiya Shaheen, who died on 29 February 2008 in the Israeli prison of Be'r al-Saba', saying that there is reason to believe that the prison's administration failed to respond to his deteriorating health condition.
Shaheen, who was from the Al-Jalaa neighborhood in Gaza City, was seized on 15 October 2004 by Israeli troops stationed at the now defunct Abu Houli checkpoint in the central Gaza Strip. He was indicted on 16 November 2004 and sentenced to 8.5 years of prison. PCHR said that at the time of writing the press release, Shaheen's body was in the process of being transported to his family in the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing after an autopsy was performed in an Israeli forensic medicine institute.
Shaheen's brother authorized PCHR to take up the case on 16 October 2004, saying that Shaheen was a diabetic and needed regular insulin injections to keep his health stable. A lawyer appointed by PCHR who visited Shaheen in prison confirmed that he was suffering from acute diabetes
According to information available to PCHR, Shaheen's health condition recently deteriorated. In addition to chronic diabetes, he developed blocked arteries and hypertension. PCHR says that this information raises suspicions about the cause of his death, noting that they have repeatedly received reports about the failure of the Israeli prison authorities to provide appropriate medical care for Palestinian prisoners.
PCHR reported that Shaheen is the second Palestinian detainee to die in an Israeli prison is less than two months. They said that in 2007 four Palestinians died in Israeli jails due to medical negligence, and one was shot dead by Israeli soldiers who stormed the Negev prison.
PCHR called upon "the international community and concerned international bodies to immediately intervene to end the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, as detention condition in Israeli jails are inhuman and violate the international humanitarian law and Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners."
They also reminded the international community that at least 11,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently detained by Israeli forces. This figure includes 720 Gazans who were supposed to be released when the Israeli military government in the Gaza Strip ended, but are being held in violation of international law.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) has called for an investigation into the death of 47-year-old Fadel 'Ouda 'Atiya Shaheen, who died on 29 February 2008 in the Israeli prison of Be'r al-Saba', saying that there is reason to believe that the prison's administration failed to respond to his deteriorating health condition.
Shaheen, who was from the Al-Jalaa neighborhood in Gaza City, was seized on 15 October 2004 by Israeli troops stationed at the now defunct Abu Houli checkpoint in the central Gaza Strip. He was indicted on 16 November 2004 and sentenced to 8.5 years of prison. PCHR said that at the time of writing the press release, Shaheen's body was in the process of being transported to his family in the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing after an autopsy was performed in an Israeli forensic medicine institute.
Shaheen's brother authorized PCHR to take up the case on 16 October 2004, saying that Shaheen was a diabetic and needed regular insulin injections to keep his health stable. A lawyer appointed by PCHR who visited Shaheen in prison confirmed that he was suffering from acute diabetes
According to information available to PCHR, Shaheen's health condition recently deteriorated. In addition to chronic diabetes, he developed blocked arteries and hypertension. PCHR says that this information raises suspicions about the cause of his death, noting that they have repeatedly received reports about the failure of the Israeli prison authorities to provide appropriate medical care for Palestinian prisoners.
PCHR reported that Shaheen is the second Palestinian detainee to die in an Israeli prison is less than two months. They said that in 2007 four Palestinians died in Israeli jails due to medical negligence, and one was shot dead by Israeli soldiers who stormed the Negev prison.
PCHR called upon "the international community and concerned international bodies to immediately intervene to end the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, as detention condition in Israeli jails are inhuman and violate the international humanitarian law and Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners."
They also reminded the international community that at least 11,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently detained by Israeli forces. This figure includes 720 Gazans who were supposed to be released when the Israeli military government in the Gaza Strip ended, but are being held in violation of international law.
Historic mosque in Jaffa attacked
The Jerusalem-based Al-Aqsa Institution for Rehabilitating Islamic Sites claimed on Tuesday that Jewish Israelis assaulted the Hassan Bek Mosque in Jaffa.
The perpetrators reportedly entered the mosque's yard and broke some of the mosque's contents, a statement from the Al-Aqsa Institution added.
According to the statement, the assault was not the first of its kind as several Islamic sites inside Israel have been assaulted before.
The Jerusalem-based Al-Aqsa Institution for Rehabilitating Islamic Sites claimed on Tuesday that Jewish Israelis assaulted the Hassan Bek Mosque in Jaffa.
The perpetrators reportedly entered the mosque's yard and broke some of the mosque's contents, a statement from the Al-Aqsa Institution added.
According to the statement, the assault was not the first of its kind as several Islamic sites inside Israel have been assaulted before.
Gaza's medical system at the breaking point, aid workers say
Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza
Hospitals in the Gaza Strip were struggling to cope with the influx of wounded after five days of intense Israeli military activity, including a ground incursion and repeated air strikes, which has left at least 115 Palestinians dead and over 300 wounded, according to medical sources in the territory.
The Israeli military said the operation was meant to halt rocket attacks on southern Israel, and that about 90 percent of those killed were militants.
However, human rights groups and medical officials said at least a third of the dead were women and children. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement: "Children constitute more than half the population of Gaza and are bearing the brunt of the crisis."
Israeli troops started to withdraw from Gaza on the morning of 3 March, but militants continued to launch rockets which caused damage to homes and slightly injured some Israeli civilians over the weekend (1-2 March). Two Israeli soldiers were also killed in fighting in Gaza.
Medical sector
Aid workers said the medical system was at breaking point, noting that it had been under pressure after earlier violence as well as the blockade on Gaza and rolling power outages.
"We are very overcrowded, especially in the intensive care unit," Hassan Khalaf, director of Gaza's main Shifa hospital, told IRIN. Other units in the hospital were treating serious cases as the intensive care unit had run out of space.
In recent weeks non-urgent surgeries had been cancelled due to power outages, and the latest violence has only further distanced them from treatment. One aid worker said that eventually some non-urgent cases would become emergencies if not treated.
Some patients need to be referred for treatment outside the enclave, which cannot offer certain surgeries. On 2 March several dozen patients were sent to Israel and others were taken to Egypt, after the neighbouring state agreed to open its usually sealed border with Gaza on a one-off basis.
The Israeli Physicians for Human Rights told IRIN that over 20 patients, including the recently injured, still needed to be transferred outside the Strip, though whether those considered militants would be able to leave remained unclear.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was coordinating patient transfers as well as shipments of medical supplies into the enclave. It had provided hospitals with plasma as well as other needed materials and equipment.
Palestinians in the West Bank had answered calls to donate blood, and the ICRC was working to bring the bags into Gaza. Khalaf from Shifa said Gazans had been donating blood "24 hours a day".
Gaza hospitals remained in need of more items, including ventilators and X-ray machines, to properly handle all the wounded.
Jabalya refugee camp
The Jabalya refugee camp saw the worst of the fighting. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, sent teams out following the Israeli withdrawal to investigate the damage. A main concern for UNRWA was that any destruction would not easily be fixed.
"We are not going to be able to repair damage to housing until we can get construction materials into Gaza," John Ging, UNRWA's Gaza chief, told IRIN. For the last eight months UNRWA has not been able to fix homes damaged in internal fighting as well as Israeli military operations due to the restrictions on importing cement.
Ging also expressed concern for the psychological well-being of the camp's residents, some of whom were trapped in their homes for extended periods of time, sometimes days, during the fighting.
The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility said during the fighting water supplies had been cut off for over 200,000 people in areas where fighting took place.
***This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Hospitals in the Gaza Strip were struggling to cope with the influx of wounded after five days of intense Israeli military activity, including a ground incursion and repeated air strikes, which has left at least 115 Palestinians dead and over 300 wounded, according to medical sources in the territory.
The Israeli military said the operation was meant to halt rocket attacks on southern Israel, and that about 90 percent of those killed were militants.
However, human rights groups and medical officials said at least a third of the dead were women and children. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement: "Children constitute more than half the population of Gaza and are bearing the brunt of the crisis."
Israeli troops started to withdraw from Gaza on the morning of 3 March, but militants continued to launch rockets which caused damage to homes and slightly injured some Israeli civilians over the weekend (1-2 March). Two Israeli soldiers were also killed in fighting in Gaza.
Medical sector
Aid workers said the medical system was at breaking point, noting that it had been under pressure after earlier violence as well as the blockade on Gaza and rolling power outages.
"We are very overcrowded, especially in the intensive care unit," Hassan Khalaf, director of Gaza's main Shifa hospital, told IRIN. Other units in the hospital were treating serious cases as the intensive care unit had run out of space.
In recent weeks non-urgent surgeries had been cancelled due to power outages, and the latest violence has only further distanced them from treatment. One aid worker said that eventually some non-urgent cases would become emergencies if not treated.
Some patients need to be referred for treatment outside the enclave, which cannot offer certain surgeries. On 2 March several dozen patients were sent to Israel and others were taken to Egypt, after the neighbouring state agreed to open its usually sealed border with Gaza on a one-off basis.
The Israeli Physicians for Human Rights told IRIN that over 20 patients, including the recently injured, still needed to be transferred outside the Strip, though whether those considered militants would be able to leave remained unclear.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was coordinating patient transfers as well as shipments of medical supplies into the enclave. It had provided hospitals with plasma as well as other needed materials and equipment.
Palestinians in the West Bank had answered calls to donate blood, and the ICRC was working to bring the bags into Gaza. Khalaf from Shifa said Gazans had been donating blood "24 hours a day".
Gaza hospitals remained in need of more items, including ventilators and X-ray machines, to properly handle all the wounded.
Jabalya refugee camp
The Jabalya refugee camp saw the worst of the fighting. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, sent teams out following the Israeli withdrawal to investigate the damage. A main concern for UNRWA was that any destruction would not easily be fixed.
"We are not going to be able to repair damage to housing until we can get construction materials into Gaza," John Ging, UNRWA's Gaza chief, told IRIN. For the last eight months UNRWA has not been able to fix homes damaged in internal fighting as well as Israeli military operations due to the restrictions on importing cement.
Ging also expressed concern for the psychological well-being of the camp's residents, some of whom were trapped in their homes for extended periods of time, sometimes days, during the fighting.
The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility said during the fighting water supplies had been cut off for over 200,000 people in areas where fighting took place.
***This item comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Renewed Israeli airstrikes kill three Palestinians in Gaza
Two Palestinians have been killed and four others injured in two separate Israeli raids on Gaza City and Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, sources in Gaza said.
Twenty-three-year-old Ayman Al-Qahwaji, a fighter with the military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in the attack, the Al-Qassam Brigades said.
The dead body of a Palestinian has at arrived at Kamal Udwan hospital, medics said. The body has not yet been identified.
Israeli warplanes also dropped two bombs on a deserted house in eastern Gaza City. No casualties have been reported in that attack.
Twenty-three-year-old Ayman Al-Qahwaji, a fighter with the military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in the attack, the Al-Qassam Brigades said.
The dead body of a Palestinian has at arrived at Kamal Udwan hospital, medics said. The body has not yet been identified.
Israeli warplanes also dropped two bombs on a deserted house in eastern Gaza City. No casualties have been reported in that attack.
One Palestinian killed in Israeli shelling of northern Gaza
A Palestinian activist was killed on Monday afternoon as the Israeli artillery shelled the area of Izbat Abid Rabbu in the northern Gaza Strip, and three others to succumb to their wounds sustained earlier.
Muawiya Hasanain, the director of ambulance and emergency service in the Palestinian health ministry said that Muhammad Abu Hajar, an activist within Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades was killed in Israeli artillery shelling. A number of others were injured in the Israeli shelling.
Egyptian medical sources said Monday that Walid Abu Yousif, an officer in the Palestinian police affiliated to the Hamas-led de facto government succumbed to his wounds sustained in an air raid on the Nusairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip a few days earlier.
Two more activists affiliated to the Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades died on Monday of their wounds sustained in the Israeli incursion in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Sources in Al-Quds Brigades named them as Hasan Jasir and Ghassan Abid Rabbu.
Muawiya Hasanain, the director of ambulance and emergency service in the Palestinian health ministry said that Muhammad Abu Hajar, an activist within Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades was killed in Israeli artillery shelling. A number of others were injured in the Israeli shelling.
Egyptian medical sources said Monday that Walid Abu Yousif, an officer in the Palestinian police affiliated to the Hamas-led de facto government succumbed to his wounds sustained in an air raid on the Nusairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip a few days earlier.
Two more activists affiliated to the Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades died on Monday of their wounds sustained in the Israeli incursion in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Sources in Al-Quds Brigades named them as Hasan Jasir and Ghassan Abid Rabbu.
Fatah's Abu Ar-Rish Brigades launch two projectiles at Sderot
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades attack Israeli forces at Kerem Shalom crossing
Expecting more Palestinian protests, Israel deploys 3,500 police in Old City Jerusalem
Palestinian military groups continue to launch projectiles at Israeli towns bordering Gaza
Egypt denies mistreatment of wounded Gazans
Israeli forces seize 16 Palestinians in the West Bank
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades attack Israeli forces at Kerem Shalom crossing
Expecting more Palestinian protests, Israel deploys 3,500 police in Old City Jerusalem
Palestinian military groups continue to launch projectiles at Israeli towns bordering Gaza
Egypt denies mistreatment of wounded Gazans
Israeli forces seize 16 Palestinians in the West Bank
