15 nov 2012
Gaza TV Leaflets dropped over Gaza
“Important announcement for the residents of the Gaza Strip:
For your own safety, take responsibility for yourselves and avoid being present in the vicinity of Hamas operatives and facilities and those of other terror organizations that pose a risk to your safety.
Hamas is once again dragging the region to violence and bloodshed. The IDF is determined to defend the residents of the State of Israel. This announcement is valid until quiet is restored to the region. Israel Defense Forces Command.”
For your own safety, take responsibility for yourselves and avoid being present in the vicinity of Hamas operatives and facilities and those of other terror organizations that pose a risk to your safety.
Hamas is once again dragging the region to violence and bloodshed. The IDF is determined to defend the residents of the State of Israel. This announcement is valid until quiet is restored to the region. Israel Defense Forces Command.”
Palestinians extinguish a fire after Israeli air strikes targeted an electricity generator that fed the house of Hamas's Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza City November 15, 2012.
A targeted missile strike launched from an Israeli Navy warship has hit a vehicle near the home of Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, according to Israeli media. This comes as Israel intensifies its attacks on Gaza.
Residents say the strike also destroyed an electricity generator near Haniyeh’s house. It was unclear whether he was at home at the time of the assault. No casualties have been reported in the latest attack.
Meanwhile Israeli Defense Force spokesperson has said in an officil Twitter: “During the past hour, the IDF targeted approx. 70 underground medium range rocket launching sites in Gaza. Direct hits were confirmed.”
A targeted missile strike launched from an Israeli Navy warship has hit a vehicle near the home of Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, according to Israeli media. This comes as Israel intensifies its attacks on Gaza.
Residents say the strike also destroyed an electricity generator near Haniyeh’s house. It was unclear whether he was at home at the time of the assault. No casualties have been reported in the latest attack.
Meanwhile Israeli Defense Force spokesperson has said in an officil Twitter: “During the past hour, the IDF targeted approx. 70 underground medium range rocket launching sites in Gaza. Direct hits were confirmed.”
Shortly after one o’clock today an UNRWA teacher was killed by an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. Marwan Abu El Qumsan was in his early 50s and an Arabic teacher at UNRWA’s Preparatory Boys School in Jabalia. Reports indicate that he was in a car near the scene of the airstrike. Marwan's brother, who was with him in the car, was severely injured. UNRWA expresses condolences to Marwan’s family on their tragic loss.
With over a million beneficiaries in Gaza, UNRWA remains deeply concerned about the escalation of violence, which puts civilians on both sides of the conflict at risk. We support the calls of the Secretary-General for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and his demand that both sides should do everything to avoid further escalation and must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians at all times.
Background information
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance.
Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency's General Fund, supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currently the budget deficit stands at USD 37 million.
ShahdAbusalama The IOF just targeted a house in Sikka, northern Gaza. Two brothers were killed and their father is seriously injured (19 killed now)
With over a million beneficiaries in Gaza, UNRWA remains deeply concerned about the escalation of violence, which puts civilians on both sides of the conflict at risk. We support the calls of the Secretary-General for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and his demand that both sides should do everything to avoid further escalation and must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians at all times.
Background information
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance.
Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency's General Fund, supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currently the budget deficit stands at USD 37 million.
ShahdAbusalama The IOF just targeted a house in Sikka, northern Gaza. Two brothers were killed and their father is seriously injured (19 killed now)
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Injuries in Intensive Care Unit,Shifa hospital, GAZA
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Israeli soldier Phones, Palestinian journalist threaten to kill his family & Kids in Gaza
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Hanin Tafish: a 10 month old baby girl wounded in a strike, Nov 15, 2012 died
Israeli aircraft attacked targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday night, unleashing more than 25 strikes in swift succession according to Reuters witnesses.
The aerial bombardment set off earth-shaking thuds and fireballs in the dark sky and were met with screeches of Palestinian rocket fire launched from the outskirts of Gaza City towards southern Israel.
The airstrikes marked an escalation of two days of reciprocal attacks between the Palestinian militant Hamas group ensconced in the coastal enclave and the Israeli military, which killed a top Islamist leader on Wednesday.
One of the sites targeted was an electricity generator that fed the house of Hamas's prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh. It was unclear whether he was at home at the time.
Israeli aircraft also bombed a police station in central Gaza and tunnels on Gaza's border with Egypt through which basic civilian goods and arms destined for militant groups pass into the Strip, which is under a tight blockade by Israel and Egypt.
Hours earlier, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another armed party in Gaza, launched two missiles against Tel Aviv -- the first time Israel's commercial capital has come under such attack since the 1991 Gulf War. No injuries or damage was reported.
Israeli aircraft attacked targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday night, unleashing more than 25 strikes in swift succession according to Reuters witnesses.
The aerial bombardment set off earth-shaking thuds and fireballs in the dark sky and were met with screeches of Palestinian rocket fire launched from the outskirts of Gaza City towards southern Israel.
The airstrikes marked an escalation of two days of reciprocal attacks between the Palestinian militant Hamas group ensconced in the coastal enclave and the Israeli military, which killed a top Islamist leader on Wednesday.
One of the sites targeted was an electricity generator that fed the house of Hamas's prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh. It was unclear whether he was at home at the time.
Israeli aircraft also bombed a police station in central Gaza and tunnels on Gaza's border with Egypt through which basic civilian goods and arms destined for militant groups pass into the Strip, which is under a tight blockade by Israel and Egypt.
Hours earlier, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another armed party in Gaza, launched two missiles against Tel Aviv -- the first time Israel's commercial capital has come under such attack since the 1991 Gulf War. No injuries or damage was reported.
As the Israeli army rains shells on the Gaza strip Thursday, it’s also gone on the offensive online, posting videos of its attacks on Hamas targets and live-tweeting its campaign. Now the hacker group Anonymous has responded with a digital bombardment of its own.
In a series of attacks it’s calling “OpIsrael,” Anonymous went on a spree of website defacement and takedown attacks Thursday, calling on members to flood forty sites with junk web traffic designed to knock them offline and defacing websites including the privacy firm Israeli Security Academy and a blog the group described as belonging to the Israeli Defense Forces. “We Anonymous will not sit back and watch a cowardly Zionist State demolish innocent people’s lives.” reads one message posted to a defaced site, along with an image of smoke rising over what appears to be a Palestinian city.
In a series of attacks it’s calling “OpIsrael,” Anonymous went on a spree of website defacement and takedown attacks Thursday, calling on members to flood forty sites with junk web traffic designed to knock them offline and defacing websites including the privacy firm Israeli Security Academy and a blog the group described as belonging to the Israeli Defense Forces. “We Anonymous will not sit back and watch a cowardly Zionist State demolish innocent people’s lives.” reads one message posted to a defaced site, along with an image of smoke rising over what appears to be a Palestinian city.
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showing the assassination of a Hamas leader, and the
bombing of what the IDF described as a "rocket warehouse”
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Perhaps a bit hyperbolically, the message added, “We have taken down your top security and surveillance website.”
Another message on a hacked site attributes the attack to Pakistani Anonymous hackers: “The people of Pakistan are always supporting the brave people of Gaza, we love you!” Anonymous Twitter accounts provided links to what they described as an Anonymous Gaza Care Package with tools for staying online if Israel cuts Internet service the Gaza Strip during its military action. Another hacker group, Telecomix, provided its own detailed instructions in English and Arabic for using dial-up connections, a technique it first suggested during the Egyptian Internet outage surrounding the Arab Spring protests there last year. “To the people of Gaza and the “Occupied Territories”, know that Anonymous stands with you in this fight,” reads a press statement from the hacker group. “We will do everything in our power to hinder the evil forces of the IDF arrayed against you. We will use all our resources to make certain you stay connected to the Internet and remain able to transmit your experiences to the world.” Gazan and Israeli forces have traded volleys of fire over the last day, inflicting damage on both military and civilian targets. By CNN’s latest count, three Israelis and 13 Palestinians had died as a result of the conflict. Anonymous’ attacks, as usual, achieve more as propaganda than in actual damage. Most of its target sites seem to have remained online, and several downed and defaced sites seemed like random low-hanging fruit: A manufacturing an export company and a real estate law firm, for instance. |
But the online attacks draw attention to the Gazan side of an information war in which Israel has been unusually aggressive: In the days leading up to its attack, the official Israeli Defense Force twitter feed has provided a constant stream of messages about its offensive in the region as well as Israeli civilian and military casualties caused by Hamas rockets fired from Gaza.
Its tweets have linked to aerial videos posted to YouTube.
By the IDF feed’s latest count, it had attacked 250 terrorist sites in retaliation for 274 rockets launched from Gaza, in addition to 105 intercepted by its “Iron Dome” missile defense system.
In one message, a popular Anonymous account offered its gratitude to the IDF for riling somany hackers with its public tweets about the conflict. “We may need to thank [the IDF twitter account],” the message read. “You bonded a lot of Anons together again. Gaining Momentum.”
Its tweets have linked to aerial videos posted to YouTube.
By the IDF feed’s latest count, it had attacked 250 terrorist sites in retaliation for 274 rockets launched from Gaza, in addition to 105 intercepted by its “Iron Dome” missile defense system.
In one message, a popular Anonymous account offered its gratitude to the IDF for riling somany hackers with its public tweets about the conflict. “We may need to thank [the IDF twitter account],” the message read. “You bonded a lot of Anons together again. Gaining Momentum.”
According to Al Jazeera's reporter in Gaza, the three Palestinians killed in the latest Israeli airstrikes on Beit Hanoun were three children aged nine, 14, and 16 years old.
Israeli attacks are still taking place across the Gaza Strip.
Israeli attacks are still taking place across the Gaza Strip.
BBC cameraman Jihad Misharawi at the funeral of his baby son today
Updated below
In a new low for the BBC’s objectively pro-Israel coverage, the British state broadcaster seems to be doing its best to downplay the murder by Israel of family members of one of its own cameramen.
The 11-month-old son of BBC Arabic’s picture editor Jihad Misharawi was killed in Israeli tank shelling last night, along with his sister-in-law, according to BBC journalists on Twitter, and one report online (which didn’t even name him).
Embedded rich on Twitter
Embedded rich on Twitter
Embedded rich on Twitter But these killings were totally ignored on the BBC News at Ten last night, the flagship TV broadcast on the BBC’s most popular domestic channel.
The focus, as always, was on Israel’s false narrative that is it responding to Palestinian rocket fire. The extra-judicial murder of Hamas military leader Ahmad al-Jabari was the emphasis, with the killing of “eight other people” mentioned only in passing.
It was stated that there were “more casualties this evening, among them children and at least one baby,” but this statement was accompanied by footage of a injured (but thankfully alive) child being taken to hospital. So “casualties” seemed to be a reference to the injured, not the dead.
This morning I asked the BBC’s Gaza and West Bank correspondent Jon Donnison why he failed to mention the death of his co-worker’s baby during his report on News at Ten from Gaza.
Embedded rich on Twitter Donnison did not reply (he is currently reporting from the highly dangerous situation in Gaza), but (to his credit) he did mention Misharawi’s loss during a live dispatch to today’s BBC News at One, speaking of civilian casualties “on both sides.”
Meanwhile, this morning’s Washington Post featured Misharawi’s raw grief on its front page.
Wider narrative This slight by the corporation is just the cherry on top of the bitter cake of the BBC’s terrible coverage of Palestine.
Consistent with its previous woeful coverage, the News at Ten program ignored the fact that, once again, Israel has deliberately broken an effective truce with Palestinian armed groups.
One cannot possibly imagine the BBC underplaying the death of family of its own staff in a similar way if they had been killed by, say, Palestinian rocket fire. The blanket coverage given to the kidnapping of BBC journalist Alan Johnston in 2007 demonstrates that (he was eventually rescued by Hamas).
The very first words out of the mouth of the BBC anchor on News at Ten last night was that yesterday’s attack was a “sudden escalation.” But the murder of thirteen-year-old Ahmad Abu Daqqa a week ago today was not mentioned — the murder of Palestinians does not count as “sudden escalation” to the BBC, in common with other mainstream media.
The wider narrative was of course completely absent. According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, in the six days before this new orgy of Israeli violence, Israel killed six Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including three children, and injured 52 others, including 12 children and six women. All reasonable timelines of events, easily checkable by BBC journalists, demonstrate this, as well as Israel’s habitual contempt for ceasefires (EI’s own timeline is here, written by Ali Abunimah)
By way of implied criticism, Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen would only mention that “questions are being asked about the timing of the assassination two months before an [Israeli] election.” Donnison had similarly stated that “there will be questions about the timing of the action.”
In other words, for the mainstream British media, the right of Israel to bomb Palestinians at will is not under question, merely whether its actions are effective or not.
Updated below
In a new low for the BBC’s objectively pro-Israel coverage, the British state broadcaster seems to be doing its best to downplay the murder by Israel of family members of one of its own cameramen.
The 11-month-old son of BBC Arabic’s picture editor Jihad Misharawi was killed in Israeli tank shelling last night, along with his sister-in-law, according to BBC journalists on Twitter, and one report online (which didn’t even name him).
Embedded rich on Twitter
Embedded rich on Twitter
Embedded rich on Twitter But these killings were totally ignored on the BBC News at Ten last night, the flagship TV broadcast on the BBC’s most popular domestic channel.
The focus, as always, was on Israel’s false narrative that is it responding to Palestinian rocket fire. The extra-judicial murder of Hamas military leader Ahmad al-Jabari was the emphasis, with the killing of “eight other people” mentioned only in passing.
It was stated that there were “more casualties this evening, among them children and at least one baby,” but this statement was accompanied by footage of a injured (but thankfully alive) child being taken to hospital. So “casualties” seemed to be a reference to the injured, not the dead.
This morning I asked the BBC’s Gaza and West Bank correspondent Jon Donnison why he failed to mention the death of his co-worker’s baby during his report on News at Ten from Gaza.
Embedded rich on Twitter Donnison did not reply (he is currently reporting from the highly dangerous situation in Gaza), but (to his credit) he did mention Misharawi’s loss during a live dispatch to today’s BBC News at One, speaking of civilian casualties “on both sides.”
Meanwhile, this morning’s Washington Post featured Misharawi’s raw grief on its front page.
Wider narrative This slight by the corporation is just the cherry on top of the bitter cake of the BBC’s terrible coverage of Palestine.
Consistent with its previous woeful coverage, the News at Ten program ignored the fact that, once again, Israel has deliberately broken an effective truce with Palestinian armed groups.
One cannot possibly imagine the BBC underplaying the death of family of its own staff in a similar way if they had been killed by, say, Palestinian rocket fire. The blanket coverage given to the kidnapping of BBC journalist Alan Johnston in 2007 demonstrates that (he was eventually rescued by Hamas).
The very first words out of the mouth of the BBC anchor on News at Ten last night was that yesterday’s attack was a “sudden escalation.” But the murder of thirteen-year-old Ahmad Abu Daqqa a week ago today was not mentioned — the murder of Palestinians does not count as “sudden escalation” to the BBC, in common with other mainstream media.
The wider narrative was of course completely absent. According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, in the six days before this new orgy of Israeli violence, Israel killed six Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including three children, and injured 52 others, including 12 children and six women. All reasonable timelines of events, easily checkable by BBC journalists, demonstrate this, as well as Israel’s habitual contempt for ceasefires (EI’s own timeline is here, written by Ali Abunimah)
By way of implied criticism, Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen would only mention that “questions are being asked about the timing of the assassination two months before an [Israeli] election.” Donnison had similarly stated that “there will be questions about the timing of the action.”
In other words, for the mainstream British media, the right of Israel to bomb Palestinians at will is not under question, merely whether its actions are effective or not.
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The BBC is not alone in this — as Maureen Murphy’s analysis of US media shows.
Channel 4 News, usually regarded as quite liberal in the UK, claimed the new Israeli onslaught was a “response” to weekend Palestinian rocket attacks. The presenter challenged Israeli government propagandist Mark Regev only on the effectiveness of Israel’s actions: will this really achieve the peace you want? he asked with faux naivety. Al Jazeera English has been little better. In his appearance the Qatari state channel last night (see video), EI’s Ali Abunimah criticized the channel: “I know al-Jazeera doesn’t report it every day” he said of their lack of coverage of frequent Israeli attacks on Gaza’s fishermen. |
The channel last night also featured Israeli army propagandist Avital Leibovich twice in less than two hours (not counting recorded repeats) and her lies were allowed to pass largely unchallenged.
Meanwhile, anchor Folly Bah Thibault dismissed as “claims and counter-claims” Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan’s perfectly reasonable statement it Israel was responsible for this upsurge, not Hamas (she did not challenge Leibovich in a similar way).
The BBC’s deference to power The problem is not one of individual journalists, but rather the institutional BBC deference to power and conventional wisdom — which in the Middle East means Israel, to the British, European and American establishments.
The BBC has recently been affected by a story about an alleged massive British establishment cover-up of a ring of child rapists that (according to MP Tom Watson) once went as far as Number 10 (the office of the so-far unnamed prime minister of the time). Yet instead of focusing on this story, and uncovering alleged wrongdoing at the highest levels of power, the BBC has managed to transform the story into a self-indulgent torrent of ongoing coverage of problems … at the BBC.
Don’t tell me they were not able to broadcast a single item about the murder of Jihad Misharawi’s 11-month-old son.
Update 29 November: On Twitter today, the BBC’s Jon Donnison took exception to this article. Although saying I should have called him for comment, he did not specify anything incorrect in the above. But the point of my post was not to criticize Donnison or any other individual BBC journalist. As I wrote in the original article, it is about the emphasis and editorial selection of the BBC’s reporting on Palestine (those interested in how exactly this happens should read the seminal critique of UK TV media coverage of Palestine in the book More Bad News From Israel).
The fact remains that the BBC, on its main UK TV news broadcast the night after, totally ignored the killing by Israel of 11-month-old Omar Misharawi, the son of one of its staff members. Presumably, this was not Donnison’s decision to make and I never wrote that it was.
More recently Donnison has done an excellent and heart-breaking radio report about his friend Jihad and his late son on the Radio 4 and World Service program, From Our Own Correspondent. You can listen to it on the BBC website here or read the transcript here.
Meanwhile, anchor Folly Bah Thibault dismissed as “claims and counter-claims” Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan’s perfectly reasonable statement it Israel was responsible for this upsurge, not Hamas (she did not challenge Leibovich in a similar way).
The BBC’s deference to power The problem is not one of individual journalists, but rather the institutional BBC deference to power and conventional wisdom — which in the Middle East means Israel, to the British, European and American establishments.
The BBC has recently been affected by a story about an alleged massive British establishment cover-up of a ring of child rapists that (according to MP Tom Watson) once went as far as Number 10 (the office of the so-far unnamed prime minister of the time). Yet instead of focusing on this story, and uncovering alleged wrongdoing at the highest levels of power, the BBC has managed to transform the story into a self-indulgent torrent of ongoing coverage of problems … at the BBC.
Don’t tell me they were not able to broadcast a single item about the murder of Jihad Misharawi’s 11-month-old son.
Update 29 November: On Twitter today, the BBC’s Jon Donnison took exception to this article. Although saying I should have called him for comment, he did not specify anything incorrect in the above. But the point of my post was not to criticize Donnison or any other individual BBC journalist. As I wrote in the original article, it is about the emphasis and editorial selection of the BBC’s reporting on Palestine (those interested in how exactly this happens should read the seminal critique of UK TV media coverage of Palestine in the book More Bad News From Israel).
The fact remains that the BBC, on its main UK TV news broadcast the night after, totally ignored the killing by Israel of 11-month-old Omar Misharawi, the son of one of its staff members. Presumably, this was not Donnison’s decision to make and I never wrote that it was.
More recently Donnison has done an excellent and heart-breaking radio report about his friend Jihad and his late son on the Radio 4 and World Service program, From Our Own Correspondent. You can listen to it on the BBC website here or read the transcript here.
The front page photo on Thursday’s Washington Post tells, in a single frame, a very personal story from Wednesday’s Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Jihad Misharawi, a BBC Arabic journalist who lives in Gaza, carries the body of his 11-month old son, Omar, through al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
An Israeli round hit Misharawi’s four-room home in Gaza Wednesday, killing his son, according to BBC Middle East bureau chief Paul Danahar, who arrived in Gaza earlier Thursday.
Misharawi’s sister-in-law was also killed, and his brother wounded. Misharawi told Danahar that, when the round landed, there was no fighting in his residential neighborhood.
An Israeli round hit Misharawi’s four-room home in Gaza Wednesday, killing his son, according to BBC Middle East bureau chief Paul Danahar, who arrived in Gaza earlier Thursday.
Misharawi’s sister-in-law was also killed, and his brother wounded. Misharawi told Danahar that, when the round landed, there was no fighting in his residential neighborhood.
BBC journalist Jihad Masharawi carries his son’s body at a Gaza hospital
“We’re all one team in Gaza,” Danahar told me, saying that Misharawi is a BBC video and photo editor. After spending a “few hours” with his grieving colleague, he wrote on Twitter, ”Questioned asked here is: if Israel can kill a man riding on a moving motorbike (as they did last month) how did Jihad’s son get killed.”
Danahar also shared the following photos of Misharawi’s small Gaza home, which appears to have been heavily damaged. The place where the round punctured his ceiling is clearly visible.
BBC World editor Jon Williams sent a memo about the young child’s death to colleagues, according to The Telegraph:
Our thoughts are with Jihad and the rest of the team in Gaza.
“We’re all one team in Gaza,” Danahar told me, saying that Misharawi is a BBC video and photo editor. After spending a “few hours” with his grieving colleague, he wrote on Twitter, ”Questioned asked here is: if Israel can kill a man riding on a moving motorbike (as they did last month) how did Jihad’s son get killed.”
Danahar also shared the following photos of Misharawi’s small Gaza home, which appears to have been heavily damaged. The place where the round punctured his ceiling is clearly visible.
BBC World editor Jon Williams sent a memo about the young child’s death to colleagues, according to The Telegraph:
Our thoughts are with Jihad and the rest of the team in Gaza.
Misharawi’s small Gaza home
This is a particularly difficult moment for the whole bureau in Gaza.
We’re fortunate to have such a committed and courageous team there. It’s a sobering reminder of the challenges facing many of our colleagues.
Reuters also had a photographer at the Gaza City hospital where Misharawi took his son. The story that these photos tell, of loss and confusion, may help inform the Palestinian reactions – and, as the photos continue to spread widely on social media, perhaps the reactions from beyond the Palestinian territories – to the violence between Israel and Gaza.
Refugee campin Gaza under attack right now
Alqassam Brigades Al Qassam Brigades still shelling Israel's military bases & sites with dozens of projectiles in resopnse on its continued crimes
This is a particularly difficult moment for the whole bureau in Gaza.
We’re fortunate to have such a committed and courageous team there. It’s a sobering reminder of the challenges facing many of our colleagues.
Reuters also had a photographer at the Gaza City hospital where Misharawi took his son. The story that these photos tell, of loss and confusion, may help inform the Palestinian reactions – and, as the photos continue to spread widely on social media, perhaps the reactions from beyond the Palestinian territories – to the violence between Israel and Gaza.
Refugee campin Gaza under attack right now
Alqassam Brigades Al Qassam Brigades still shelling Israel's military bases & sites with dozens of projectiles in resopnse on its continued crimes
Fair use Notice:
What horrors will YOU likely face after a cave-in of YOUR nation’s economy, war, geophysical upheaval, or whatever crisis is bad enough to disturb or stop YOUR nation from working and functioning? There are plenty of very potential SHTF events that are simply awaiting a catalyst to trigger them…- SHTF Plan – When It Hits The Fan, Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You – http://www.shtfplan.com -
Privacy Matters…
This may be old news, but I am, pardon the expression, sick and tired, of the expression “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about…” etc. etc.
To which I emphatically declare: Hell Yes You Do!
The hacktivist group Anonymous is angry at Israel, and not just for launching deadly airstrikes on Gaza. Members say the Israeli government “crossed a line in the sand” when it threatened to sever internet and other telecommunications in Gaza.
In a press statement published online, Anonymous issued a warning to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and the Israeli government, ordering them to not shut down the internet in the occupied territories and to cease and desist from their“terror upon the innocent people of Palestine.”
In a tweet, the collective condemned Israel, saying it has broken 65 UN resolutions with no consequences. It then compared the situation to Iraq, which was “invaded, bombed, and destroyed” for breaking two resolutions.
Anonymous’ online statement warned the Israeli government: “Like all the other evil governments that have faced our rage, you will not survive it unscathed.”
The statement then turned into a message of support for the people of Gaza saying that “We will do everything in our power to hinder the evil forces of the IDF arrayed against you.”
“Know that Anonymous stands with you in this fight. We will use all our resources to make certain you stay connected to the internet and remain able to transmit your experiences to the world,” the statement said.
And it seems their words are being matched with actions.
Anonymous has put together a “Gaza Care Package,” which contains instructions in Arabic and English to assist Palestinians in the event that the Israeli government threatens their internet connection.
The package also includes information on evading IDF surveillance, along with first aid information.
The collective encouraged Palestinians to download and share the package with others. Those behind the project have vowed to expand and improve the document in coming days.
“No matter how dark it may seem, no matter how alone and abandoned you may feel – know that tens of thousands of us in Anonymous are with you and working tirelessly around the clock to bring you every aid and assistance that we can,” the statement said.
Members are taking a more direct approach too, by contacting Israeli forces directly.
A tweet from an Anonymous account to an IDF spokesperson warned, “It would be wise of you to expect us.”
Anonymous has already hacked a number of Israeli websites, including advocate-israel.com. Visitors to the page see a scrolling banner which says the site was hacked by the “MexicanH Team.”
A statement on the webpage says, “Stop bombing Gaza. Millions of Israelis and Palestinians are lying awake, exposed and terrified.”
Anonymous Israel may cut internet in Gaza telecomix has info on alternative networks. http://pastebin.com/6dYQruHu | In Arabic: http://pastebin.com/ZRpnFKP8
What horrors will YOU likely face after a cave-in of YOUR nation’s economy, war, geophysical upheaval, or whatever crisis is bad enough to disturb or stop YOUR nation from working and functioning? There are plenty of very potential SHTF events that are simply awaiting a catalyst to trigger them…- SHTF Plan – When It Hits The Fan, Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You – http://www.shtfplan.com -
Privacy Matters…
This may be old news, but I am, pardon the expression, sick and tired, of the expression “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about…” etc. etc.
To which I emphatically declare: Hell Yes You Do!
The hacktivist group Anonymous is angry at Israel, and not just for launching deadly airstrikes on Gaza. Members say the Israeli government “crossed a line in the sand” when it threatened to sever internet and other telecommunications in Gaza.
In a press statement published online, Anonymous issued a warning to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and the Israeli government, ordering them to not shut down the internet in the occupied territories and to cease and desist from their“terror upon the innocent people of Palestine.”
In a tweet, the collective condemned Israel, saying it has broken 65 UN resolutions with no consequences. It then compared the situation to Iraq, which was “invaded, bombed, and destroyed” for breaking two resolutions.
Anonymous’ online statement warned the Israeli government: “Like all the other evil governments that have faced our rage, you will not survive it unscathed.”
The statement then turned into a message of support for the people of Gaza saying that “We will do everything in our power to hinder the evil forces of the IDF arrayed against you.”
“Know that Anonymous stands with you in this fight. We will use all our resources to make certain you stay connected to the internet and remain able to transmit your experiences to the world,” the statement said.
And it seems their words are being matched with actions.
Anonymous has put together a “Gaza Care Package,” which contains instructions in Arabic and English to assist Palestinians in the event that the Israeli government threatens their internet connection.
The package also includes information on evading IDF surveillance, along with first aid information.
The collective encouraged Palestinians to download and share the package with others. Those behind the project have vowed to expand and improve the document in coming days.
“No matter how dark it may seem, no matter how alone and abandoned you may feel – know that tens of thousands of us in Anonymous are with you and working tirelessly around the clock to bring you every aid and assistance that we can,” the statement said.
Members are taking a more direct approach too, by contacting Israeli forces directly.
A tweet from an Anonymous account to an IDF spokesperson warned, “It would be wise of you to expect us.”
Anonymous has already hacked a number of Israeli websites, including advocate-israel.com. Visitors to the page see a scrolling banner which says the site was hacked by the “MexicanH Team.”
A statement on the webpage says, “Stop bombing Gaza. Millions of Israelis and Palestinians are lying awake, exposed and terrified.”
Anonymous Israel may cut internet in Gaza telecomix has info on alternative networks. http://pastebin.com/6dYQruHu | In Arabic: http://pastebin.com/ZRpnFKP8
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) mounting several armored vehicles stormed Daheria village in Al-Khalil on Thursday igniting clashes with young men.
Local sources said that young men threw stones at the invading troops who fired tear gas bombs and stun grenades at the protestors.
They said that the IOF soldiers were deployed along the main road in the village and set up a roadblock near Kharsa village, south of Al-Khalil.
Local sources said that young men threw stones at the invading troops who fired tear gas bombs and stun grenades at the protestors.
They said that the IOF soldiers were deployed along the main road in the village and set up a roadblock near Kharsa village, south of Al-Khalil.
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Gaza witness: No one's safe, civilians terrified of war threat
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Twitter temporarily suspended the Israel Defence Forces’ (IDF) official account Thursday after it provided a number of updates on the Gaza Strip conflict which escalated 24 hours before.
The IDF used the IDFspokesperson account to first inform the world of a military action in the Gaza Strip, and provided updates as militant groups launched rockets from Gaza into Israel and the Israeli navy targeted a number of sites in Gaza. One tweet in particular appeared to break Twitter’s rule on posting “direct, specific threats of violence against others.” |
The account was suspended for around 40 minutes Thursday morning. (Twitter does not comment on individual accounts for privacy reasons.)
The IDFspokesperson and alqassambrigade (Hamas’s military wing) accounts sparred onTwitter Wednesday as both sides tried to dominate the media narrative and inform the public of events in Gaza from their perspective.
As of 9am ET Thursday, 15 Palestinians (including children) and three Israelis have reportedly died, after Israel killed Hamas' military chief in Gaza with a surgical strike on Wednesday.
The Israeli army says militants have fired around 245 rockets into Israel, with the Iron Dome system intercepting 145.
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi condemned Israel's military action as he recalled the country’s ambassador to Israel and Egypt urged the U.S. to intervene.
Barack Obama spoke with Mohammed Morsi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday. He expressed support for Israel's right to self-defense, and agreed with Netanyahu that Hamas must stop launching rockets towards Israel. The U.S. president also called on Israel to “make every effort to avoid civilian casualties” in its military actions.
Gaza Youth Break Out TWO MASSIVE F16 EXPLOSIONS NEAR MY PLACE, THE WINDOW OF MY ROOM BROKE!
Joe Catron More explosions, followed by F-16s flying low over Shifa hospital.
Hugh Naylor My friend's daughter was injured in an airstrike on Gaza today. She's eight and lost two fingers, but she's alive. My thoughts go out to him
airstrikes on E-Gaza again
The IDFspokesperson and alqassambrigade (Hamas’s military wing) accounts sparred onTwitter Wednesday as both sides tried to dominate the media narrative and inform the public of events in Gaza from their perspective.
As of 9am ET Thursday, 15 Palestinians (including children) and three Israelis have reportedly died, after Israel killed Hamas' military chief in Gaza with a surgical strike on Wednesday.
The Israeli army says militants have fired around 245 rockets into Israel, with the Iron Dome system intercepting 145.
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi condemned Israel's military action as he recalled the country’s ambassador to Israel and Egypt urged the U.S. to intervene.
Barack Obama spoke with Mohammed Morsi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday. He expressed support for Israel's right to self-defense, and agreed with Netanyahu that Hamas must stop launching rockets towards Israel. The U.S. president also called on Israel to “make every effort to avoid civilian casualties” in its military actions.
Gaza Youth Break Out TWO MASSIVE F16 EXPLOSIONS NEAR MY PLACE, THE WINDOW OF MY ROOM BROKE!
Joe Catron More explosions, followed by F-16s flying low over Shifa hospital.
Hugh Naylor My friend's daughter was injured in an airstrike on Gaza today. She's eight and lost two fingers, but she's alive. My thoughts go out to him
airstrikes on E-Gaza again
A Palestinian man and a child Thursday died of their wounds sustained in two separate Israeli airstrikes that targeted locations in the Gaza Strip, said medical sources.
They reported that two-year-old Mahmoud Abadli died in Nasser hospital as a result to heavy wounds he sustained during an air strike east of Kahn Yunis.
Marwan Abu Kumsan died of his wounds in al-Shifa hospital after he was injured during an airstrike targeting al-Tawam district, west of Jabaliya.
The latest two deaths raised the death toll to 15 since the beginning of the Operation “Pillar of Cloud” on November 14th against the Gaza Strip.
They reported that two-year-old Mahmoud Abadli died in Nasser hospital as a result to heavy wounds he sustained during an air strike east of Kahn Yunis.
Marwan Abu Kumsan died of his wounds in al-Shifa hospital after he was injured during an airstrike targeting al-Tawam district, west of Jabaliya.
The latest two deaths raised the death toll to 15 since the beginning of the Operation “Pillar of Cloud” on November 14th against the Gaza Strip.
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Interview with Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan
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Only watch this video if you have a strong stomach!!!
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Gershon Baskin, founder of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information
Hours before Hamas strongman Ahmed Jabari was assassinated, he received the draft of a permanent truce agreement with Israel, which included mechanisms for maintaining the ceasefire in the case of a flare-up between Israel and the factions in the Gaza Strip.
This, according to Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israel and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit and has since then maintained a relationship with Hamas leaders.
Baskin told Haaretz on Thursday that senior officials in Israel knew about his contacts with Hamas and Egyptian intelligence aimed at formulating the permanent truce, but nevertheless approved the assassination.
“I think that they have made a strategic mistake," Baskin said, an error "which will cost the lives of quite a number of innocent people on both sides."
"This blood could have been spared. Those who made the decision must be judged by the voters, but to my regret they will get more votes because of this,” he added.
Baskin made Jabari’s acquaintance when he served as a mediator between David Meidin, Israel’s representative to the Shalit negotiations, and Jabari. “Jabari was the all-powerful man in charge. He always received the messages via a third party, Razi Hamad of Hamas, who called him Mister J.”
For months, Baskin sent daily messages in advance of the formulation of the deal. He kept the channel of communication with Gaza open even after the Shalit deal was completed.
According to Baskin, during the past two years Jabari internalized the realization that the rounds of hostilities with Israel were beneficial neither to Hamas nor to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and only caused suffering, and several times he acted to prevent firing by Hamas into Israel.
He said that even when Hamas was pulled into participating in the launching of rockets, its rockets would always land in open spaces. “And that was intentional,” clarified Baskin.
In recent months Baskin was continuously in touch with Hamas officials and with Egyptian intelligence as well as with officials in Israel, whose names he refuse sot divulge. A few months ago Baskin showed Defense Minister Ehud Barak a draft of the agreement and on the basis of that draft an inter-ministry committee on the issue was established. The agreement was to have constituted a basis for a permanent truce between Israel and Hamas, which would prevent the repeated rounds of shooting.
“In Israel,” Baskin said, “they decided not to decide, and in recent months I took the initiative to push it again.” In recent weeks he renewed he contacts with Hamas and with Egypt and just this week he was in Egypt and met with top people in the intelligence system and with a Hams representative. He says he formed the impression that the pressure the Egyptians applied to the Palestinians to stop shooting was serious and sincere.
“He was in line to die, not an angel and not a righteous man of peace,” Baskin said of Jabari and of his feelings in the wake of the killing, “but his assassination also killed the possibility of achieving a truce and also the Egyptian mediators’ ability to function. After the assassination I spoke to the people in Israel angrily and they said to me: We’ve heard you and we are calling to ask if you have heard anything form the Egyptians or from Gaza.”
Since the assassination, Baskin has been in touch with the Egyptians but not with the Palestinians, According to him the Egyptians are very cool-headed. They said it is necessary to let the fresh blood calm down. The Egyptian intelligence people are doing what they are doing with the permission and authorization of the regime and apparently they very much believe in this work,” he says.
“I am mainly sad. This is sad for me. I am seeing people getting killed and that is what is making me sad. I tell myself that with every person who is killed we are engendering the next generation of haters and terrorists,” adds Baskin.
Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israel and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit, says Israel made a mistake that will cost the lives of 'innocent people on both sides.'
Hours before Hamas strongman Ahmed Jabari was assassinated, he received the draft of a permanent truce agreement with Israel, which included mechanisms for maintaining the ceasefire in the case of a flare-up between Israel and the factions in the Gaza Strip.
This, according to Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israel and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit and has since then maintained a relationship with Hamas leaders.
Baskin told Haaretz on Thursday that senior officials in Israel knew about his contacts with Hamas and Egyptian intelligence aimed at formulating the permanent truce, but nevertheless approved the assassination.
“I think that they have made a strategic mistake," Baskin said, an error "which will cost the lives of quite a number of innocent people on both sides."
"This blood could have been spared. Those who made the decision must be judged by the voters, but to my regret they will get more votes because of this,” he added.
Baskin made Jabari’s acquaintance when he served as a mediator between David Meidin, Israel’s representative to the Shalit negotiations, and Jabari. “Jabari was the all-powerful man in charge. He always received the messages via a third party, Razi Hamad of Hamas, who called him Mister J.”
For months, Baskin sent daily messages in advance of the formulation of the deal. He kept the channel of communication with Gaza open even after the Shalit deal was completed.
According to Baskin, during the past two years Jabari internalized the realization that the rounds of hostilities with Israel were beneficial neither to Hamas nor to the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and only caused suffering, and several times he acted to prevent firing by Hamas into Israel.
He said that even when Hamas was pulled into participating in the launching of rockets, its rockets would always land in open spaces. “And that was intentional,” clarified Baskin.
In recent months Baskin was continuously in touch with Hamas officials and with Egyptian intelligence as well as with officials in Israel, whose names he refuse sot divulge. A few months ago Baskin showed Defense Minister Ehud Barak a draft of the agreement and on the basis of that draft an inter-ministry committee on the issue was established. The agreement was to have constituted a basis for a permanent truce between Israel and Hamas, which would prevent the repeated rounds of shooting.
“In Israel,” Baskin said, “they decided not to decide, and in recent months I took the initiative to push it again.” In recent weeks he renewed he contacts with Hamas and with Egypt and just this week he was in Egypt and met with top people in the intelligence system and with a Hams representative. He says he formed the impression that the pressure the Egyptians applied to the Palestinians to stop shooting was serious and sincere.
“He was in line to die, not an angel and not a righteous man of peace,” Baskin said of Jabari and of his feelings in the wake of the killing, “but his assassination also killed the possibility of achieving a truce and also the Egyptian mediators’ ability to function. After the assassination I spoke to the people in Israel angrily and they said to me: We’ve heard you and we are calling to ask if you have heard anything form the Egyptians or from Gaza.”
Since the assassination, Baskin has been in touch with the Egyptians but not with the Palestinians, According to him the Egyptians are very cool-headed. They said it is necessary to let the fresh blood calm down. The Egyptian intelligence people are doing what they are doing with the permission and authorization of the regime and apparently they very much believe in this work,” he says.
“I am mainly sad. This is sad for me. I am seeing people getting killed and that is what is making me sad. I tell myself that with every person who is killed we are engendering the next generation of haters and terrorists,” adds Baskin.
Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israel and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit, says Israel made a mistake that will cost the lives of 'innocent people on both sides.'
Click to enlarge
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Translation
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(Note: over 1235 people at the time of the screencapture “LIKED” this at Facebook)
Egyptian hospitals are ready to receive Palestinians wounded in Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, a Egyptian official said Thursday.
Tareq Khater, undersecretary of the health ministry in North Sinai, said medical teams were prepared in hospitals in al-Arish, Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid and Bir al-Abd for patients from Gaza.
Sinai's Al-Ismailiya hospital is on emergency standby, Khater told Ma'an, adding that ambulances were waiting to transfer injured Palestinians.
Egyptian officials said earlier the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border would remain open Thursday and Friday.
Tareq Khater, undersecretary of the health ministry in North Sinai, said medical teams were prepared in hospitals in al-Arish, Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid and Bir al-Abd for patients from Gaza.
Sinai's Al-Ismailiya hospital is on emergency standby, Khater told Ma'an, adding that ambulances were waiting to transfer injured Palestinians.
Egyptian officials said earlier the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border would remain open Thursday and Friday.
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip on Thursday struck an apartment building in southern Israel, killing three people after an Israeli airstrike killed two Hamas fighters and a security officer.
The deadly rocket attack was the first since Israel launched an air assault on the Gaza Strip a day earlier.
Early Thursday an Israeli attack killed a senior police official in the Gaza Strip government and two members of Hamas' military wing in early morning attacks, medics said.
Security commander Habes Masmah, 30, was targeted while riding a motorcycle east of Khan Younis, medics said. His body was taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
Two members of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades were also killed in the attack. They were identified as Wael Haidar al-Ghalban and Hisham Muhammad al-Ghalban.
Hamas' armed wing launched dozens of rockets into southern Israel, killing three people.
Israeli police said the three died when a rocket hit a four-story building in the town of Kiryat Malachi, some 15 miles north of Gaza. They were the first Israeli fatalities of the latest conflict.
Israel on Wednesday assassinated Hamas's military mastermind and shelled the enclave from the land, sea and air, killing 13 people, including five militants, three children and a pregnant woman. More than 100 were wounded.
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting late on Wednesday to discuss the Israeli assault. It called for a halt to the violence, but took no action.
Expecting days or more of fighting, Israel warned Hamas that all its men were in its sights and dropped leaflets in Gaza telling residents to keep their distance from militants and Hamas facilities.
"The leaflets stress that Hamas is dragging the region toward violence, and that the IDF is prepared to defend the residents of the State of Israel until quiet is restored to the region," the military said in a statement.
Israel weathered censure from influential Arab powers Egypt and Qatar. The United States condemned Hamas, shunned by the West as an obstacle to peace for its refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel.
Hamas has said the killing of its top commander, Ahmed al-Jaabari, would "open the gates of hell" for Israel. It also appealed to neighbouring Egypt to halt the "barbaric" assault.
The deadly rocket attack was the first since Israel launched an air assault on the Gaza Strip a day earlier.
Early Thursday an Israeli attack killed a senior police official in the Gaza Strip government and two members of Hamas' military wing in early morning attacks, medics said.
Security commander Habes Masmah, 30, was targeted while riding a motorcycle east of Khan Younis, medics said. His body was taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
Two members of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades were also killed in the attack. They were identified as Wael Haidar al-Ghalban and Hisham Muhammad al-Ghalban.
Hamas' armed wing launched dozens of rockets into southern Israel, killing three people.
Israeli police said the three died when a rocket hit a four-story building in the town of Kiryat Malachi, some 15 miles north of Gaza. They were the first Israeli fatalities of the latest conflict.
Israel on Wednesday assassinated Hamas's military mastermind and shelled the enclave from the land, sea and air, killing 13 people, including five militants, three children and a pregnant woman. More than 100 were wounded.
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting late on Wednesday to discuss the Israeli assault. It called for a halt to the violence, but took no action.
Expecting days or more of fighting, Israel warned Hamas that all its men were in its sights and dropped leaflets in Gaza telling residents to keep their distance from militants and Hamas facilities.
"The leaflets stress that Hamas is dragging the region toward violence, and that the IDF is prepared to defend the residents of the State of Israel until quiet is restored to the region," the military said in a statement.
Israel weathered censure from influential Arab powers Egypt and Qatar. The United States condemned Hamas, shunned by the West as an obstacle to peace for its refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel.
Hamas has said the killing of its top commander, Ahmed al-Jaabari, would "open the gates of hell" for Israel. It also appealed to neighbouring Egypt to halt the "barbaric" assault.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Kamel Amr has called on the United States to intervene and end "Israeli aggression" on the Gaza Strip, state media reported on Thursday.
Amr "requested that the United States immediately intervene to stop Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in Gaza", MENA news agency reported, adding that Amr spoke to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by telephone.
Amr "requested that the United States immediately intervene to stop Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in Gaza", MENA news agency reported, adding that Amr spoke to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by telephone.
