Ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza; 225 killed over 700 wounded, Israel prepares for further attacks

Saturday December 27, 2008 20:55 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC Agencies

As instructed by its political leadership, the Israeli occupation terrorist army continued its terrorist attacks against the Gaza Strip and shelled further targets raising the number of deaths among the residents to 225, and at least 700 residents were wounded, dozens seriously.

The Qatar-based Al Jazeera News Satellite news Agency said that the simultaneous and ongoing Israeli strikes also targeted a mosque, the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees, and dozens of civilian homes and facilities.

At least 40 security centers were simultaneously hit; some centers were repeatedly hit which increased the number of casualties as the residents and medics rushed to evacuate the wounded and the casualties before the Israeli force struck the same targets again

AL Shifa hospital in Gaza, the main hospital in central Gaza, is overloaded with killed and wounded residents.

Dr. Hasan Khalaf, head of the hospital, said that the hospital had to use some ordinary rooms as primitive intensive care units due to the large number of injuries.

Dr. Khalaf added that dozens of families were hit, members of the same family killed and wounded after the army shelled their homes.

Dozens of children were also wounded as the shelling was carried out as school children were heading back home from school.

In the west Bank thousands of residents marched in the streets calling for unity and demanding Arab countries to interfere and calling for ending talks with Israel.

President Mahmoud Abbas contacted several Arab leaders asking them to intervene immediately and stop the Israeli assaults.

Also in the West Bank, the army violently attacked hundreds of protesters in villages and towns in east Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron and several other Palestinian areas.

Arab leaders and Arab residents of Israel also took off to the streets protesting against the ongoing Israeli offensives in the Gaza Strip.

Arab member of Knesset, Jamal Zahalka, participated in a protest in Nazareth and called for indicting the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, for war crimes against the Palestinian people.

Mohammad Nazzal, one of Hamas political leaders in Damascus, said that Hamas and all resistance factions are ready to defend the residents of the Gaza Strip, and added that the Israeli crimes in Gaza require a massive response from the resistance in retaliation to the “massacres in Gaza”.

Nazzal demanded Arab countries not only to slam the Israeli offensive, but to act on the ground by cutting their relations with Israel, by breaking the Israeli siege and opening the Rafah Border terminal.

He also demanded the Arab countries and leaders to practice pressure on the international community to stop the Israeli offensive.

In Ramallah, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr, Hanan Ashrawi, said that Europe and the United States are supporting Israel as Europe is upgrading its relations with Israel which is encouraging it to carry further attacks against the Palestinians while the US is sending more financial and military support to Israel.

Ashrawi added that Arab leaders must be decisive in their response to the Israeli offensive and must act to stop these attacks.  

Thousands of Palestinian refugees in Jordan along with Jordanian nationals took off to the street protesting against the Israeli attacks in Gaza and called on Jordan to cut its diplomatic ties with Israel.

Massive protests were also reported in Egypt as the protesters calls for a response to the Israeli offensive and crimes against the Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Protests were also reported in refugee camps in Lebanon calling for unity among the Palestinian factions and demanding Arab unity in order to counter the Israeli crimes.

They also called on all resistance factions to step-up their retaliation against the Israeli offensive and to strike back in the occupied territories and in Israel.

No Safe Place for Gazans

Date : 28/12/2008   Time : 00:08
GAZA, December 27, 2008 (WAFA)-

Amid massive destruction caused by highly-explosive bombs dropped by the Israeli occupation terrorist army, Mahoud Sourani 23, was sitting on the rubble of his house, looking skyward, watching Israeli warplanes which have killed more than 225 Gazans on Saturday.
 
'They destroyed large parts of my house,' said Sourani.' Thank God none of my family was killed or injured; everyone was at work.'
 
'I instantly rushed home when I heard that the area was hit. I saw bodies scattered everywhere in the streets. No one was there to help them. Even ambulances could not move; Gaza was still under attack.'
 
At least 225 Palestinian citizens were killed and more than 400 were injured, Saturday, in one of Israel's fiercest air strikes on the Gaza Strip. The number of martyrs is expected to rise as tens of the injured are in a critical condition, and because a large number of casualties are still being under rummage, according to official medical sources in Gaza.
 
Israel attacked tens of targets all around the besieged Gaza Strip after a six-month Egyptian-brokered truce ended last week.
 
'The situation is so bad. Can you smell death?' Sourani asked; looking at stains of blood spread around. 'There is no safe place in Gaza anymore, many people got killed inside their homes, even school-children were killed inside their schools.'
 
Sourani's neighbor, Hazem Shawwa 32, was at home when the missiles hit. 'It was a massive attack. It was very thunderous, my five-year-old kid could not hear for several hours after,' he exclaimed.
 
Shawwa said, 'it's well-known that home is the safest place at wartimes, 'but not in Gaza, because even houses are openly targeted by Israeli war machines.'
 
Israeli planes have been flying above the Gaza since this morning. They are still targeting tens of buildings in Gaza City,' he said. 'The big problem is that the targeted sites are located in residential areas; this is why civilians are the most affected in this attack.'
 
A 56-year-old lady, whose son was injured while walking in the street, said 'people are really afraid. We should find a safer place for our families, but I doubt that we can find it.
 
'It's hard to find a safe place in Gaza.' Mohammed Bseiso; a 28-year-old lawyer said.
 
'I have seen one of the strikes; it was only 200 m away from my house.' He explained. 'I was standing on the balcony and I have seen the Israeli airplanes hitting the place. My child was injured. It's a very serious situation here in Gaza, people can't do anything except stay indoors.'
 
We have known and witnessed what happened, but we really fear what might happen tomorrow,' Bseiso said in panic.

Israeli airstrikes kill 205 Palestinians in Gaza

Saturday December 27, 2008 19:12 by IMEMC Source

Palestinian medical sources reported that the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli occupation terrorist forces  airstrike against the Gaza Strip Saturday afternoon stands at 205, including policemen, women and children. Over 400 were reportedly wounded in the airstrike.

Bodies of Palestinian Policemen killed in the Israeli airstrike (Photo of Al-Jazeera TV)

Earlier reports said that 140 were killed as 60 Israeli jet fighters launched a simultaneous attack hitting around 50 locations in different parts of the Gaza Strip.  The deadly airstrike came during rush hour, as school children were going home from schools and Palestinian Police officers were celebrating their graduation, which explains the high number of casualties.

As of the time of writing, Israeli war plans were reportedly hovering over the Gaza Strip. Palestinian hospitals in the Gaza Strip declared high alert and are calling upon people to donate blood in order to be able to aid the high number of injuries.

Some Palestinian resistance groups fired a number of home-made shells at Israel killing one civilian and wounding several others, Israeli media sources reported. 

updated from:

 At least 104 Palestinians killed in Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip 

Saturday December 27, 2008 - 10:32 

At least 140 Palestinians were killed, and another 150 injured, when Israeli jetfighters shelled several parts of the Gaza Strip on Saturday before noon. 

The Al-Jazeera TV transmitted images of dead and wounded bodies of the Palestinian policemen and civilians lying in the streets after this morning's offensive. IMEMC correspondent in Gaza Rami Al-Meghari says, it appears the Israeli air strike targeted the Palestinian Police headquarters in the central Gaza Strip and a small police outpost nearby.

Tension has been mounting since the end of a temporary six-month ceasefire that Egypt brokered in June.

Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni stated last week during her visit to the Egyptian capital Cairo that her government would initiate military action to stop the homemade shells fired from Gaza into nearby Israeli towns following the breakdown of a six month truce that obligated Israel to keep the borders open.

Last week, the coastal region saw Israeli air assaults as well as a series of homemade shells land in nearby Israeli towns. In Gaza, seven people including resistance fighters were killed and at least six others wounded during Israeli air raids on eastern and northern Gaza Strip.

In southern Israel, slight injuries were reported due to the firing of dozens of homemade shells into nearby Israeli towns by Palestinian resistance groups. Efforts have been made to contain the situation in an attempt to renew the deal.

Currently, all Gaza's crossings remain closed. With a severe lack of essential goods and commodities such as flour, this blockade is contributing to a serious humanitarian crisis in the area. Bakeries Association in Gaza declared this week that the lack of flour will force Gaza's 47 bakeries to shut down, leaving 1.5 million residents without bread.

Similarly, the United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), a main provider of food supplies to Gaza's 750,000 refugees, announced on December18 that it had run out of wheat.

For over 18 months, Israel has enforced a crippling closure on Gaza which began on June 14 2007 after the Islamist Hamas party gained power in the region, amidst factional fighting with the Fatah Party of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Today, growing tensions erupted as the Israeli Army began an air offensive on various parts of the Gaza Strip. Medical sources in Gaza said that hospitals in the region will be unable to provide help because of inadequate medical supplies.

Barhoum: The IOF air raids mass execution of Gaza inhabitants

[ 27/12/2008 - 02:41 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas on Saturday charged that the Israeli occupation terrorist forces' (IOTF) carnage in the Gaza Strip was made with the green light of regional parties and constituted a mass execution of the Gaza people.

Barhoum, in a statement, pointed out that the raids came 24 hours after Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni's visit to Cairo where it met with the Egyptian president and senior officials then talked in a press conference about toppling Hamas's rule in Gaza.

He said that such a massacre was possible thanks to Arab silence, European collusion and American support for Israeli occupation.

"This bloody day was never witnessed before in the Gaza Strip", Barhoum underlined, adding that 150 martyrs fell in less than half an hour while 200 others were injured.

He finally asked the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, to strongly retaliate to the IOTF aggression and to use all means available to defend the Palestinian people.

Jihad: Official Arab silence toward aggression unjustified

[ 27/12/2008 - 02:26 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Islamic Jihad Movement on Saturday lashed out at the official Arab silence vis-à-vis the Israeli occupation terrorist forces' crimes in the Gaza Strip, describing it as "unjustified".

The movement in a statement said that killing innocents and declaring war in such a manner and voicing threats from the heart of an Arab country against the Palestinian people should not pass unnoticed.

The "Israeli enemy" has launched a "rabid" war on the Palestinians killing dozens with the collusion of many parties with the aim of exterminating resistance, Jihad charged.

It asserted that resistance would not stop in face of those crimes but would rather escalate, and added that scenes of murder and devastation "would not lead us to despair even if we remained alone in the battle".

Islamic Jihad asked the Arab and Islamic masses to hit the streets in support of the Palestinian people and resistance.

Number of victims in IOF massacre in Gaza rises to 155 killed, 200 wounded

[ 27/12/2008 - 12:31 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Israeli occupation terrorist forces' raids on the Gaza Strip on Saturday claimed the lives of 155 Palestinians and wounded 200 others, tens of them in serious conditions, medical sources reported.

Muawiya Hasanien, the director of ambulance and emergency in the health ministry, said that the number could rise as the Israeli intensified raids did not cease and there could be many other victims still under the rubble.

Reports said that Tawfik Jabr, the commander of the Palestinian police, and Abu Ahmed Ashur, the governor of the central district, in the Gaza Strip were among the dead.

Angry demonstrations were seen in various West Bank cities immediately after news of the bloody raids were broadcast along with the horrifying images of the bloodbath.

However, the Israeli premier's office said that the air strikes were just the beginning and that other strikes would follow, the quality of which is left to Israeli chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi to decide.

Ashkenazi was quoted by the Hebrew press as saying, "The military has to study the strike's results before deciding on the next stage of the assault".

Hundreds killed in a series of bloody IOF air raids on Gaza

[ 27/12/2008 - 10:49 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation terrorist forces warplanes on Saturday launched a series of bloody air raids on the Gaza Strip that left at least 120 people killed and 200 others wounded.

Witnesses described the intensified raids as a "real war" where they targeted almost all security headquarters in the Strip killing scores of Palestinians.

They said that IOF F-16s raided residential neighborhoods in north, central and south of the Gaza Strip, noting that the raids coincided with the students' return to their homes from school.

Medical sources said that a preliminary estimate indicates that 120 people were killed and hundreds injured including women and children.

Locals said that the raids did not cease and devastation was immense, noting that the series of air raids were not witnessed before on the Strip.

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, declared full alert, vowing never to surrender.

In an earlier statement, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, the spokesman of Hamas Movement, said that PA chief Mahmoud Abbas's visit to Saudi Arabia was meant to incite against Hamas and to ask the Arab countries to remain silent in the event of any IOF aggression on the Strip.

He asked Saudi Arabia to take care of the "unethical role" of Abbas and to adopt daring steps to deter him.