Day 13 of the Zionist Israeli Terrorist War on Gaza, Death Toll 765, Injuries 3200, US-EU Governments Still Block UN Ceasefire Resolution

ccun.org, January 8, 2009, 6:00 pm ET

Editor's Summary and Commentary:

Zionist Savagery Is a Threat to World Peace

The Zionist Israeli terrorist attacks have continued for the thirteenth day killing and injuring Palestinian civilians inside their homes and in UN shelters.

Official statistics indicate that more than 65 Palestinians were killed and about 200 were injured. However, rescuers could not reach many areas, which were hit by Israeli terrorist forces fire. This means that there are many more victims than the official statistics indicate.

The Israeli terrorist attacks expanded to destroy Palestinian homes near the Palestinian-Egyptian border wall, in preparation for a re-occupation of the area.

The Israeli terrorist attacks continued to be conducted with US-made weapons, particularly F-16 warplanes and Apache helicopters as well as with European-made naval vessels.

All indications point to the determination of Palestinian resistance fighters to continue their struggle defending their people until they defeat the invading Israeli terrorist forces. This means that the continuous Israeli terrorist attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip will only lead to more casualties among civilians as well as among Israeli soldiers and Palestinian resistance fighters.

US-EU governments have continued to shield the Israeli terrorist government and its terrorist forces by blocking the Arab proposed resolution in the UN Security Council, which calls for a ceasefire (until the moment of writing this commentary at 6:00 pm ET. This means that the US-EU government are participant in the shedding of the blood of innocent Palestinian children and women for the past 13 days.

The Israeli use of US-made weapons in killing Palestinian civilians in Gaza is in violation of US laws which prohibit that use. The Bush administration officials are in violation of these US laws and federal prosecutors have the responsibility to indict them on that basis.

This Israeli terrorist war on the Palestinian civilian population will only increase Arab-Islamic hostility against the Israeli terrorist government and its backers, particularly the US-EU governments. It has made peace in the Middle East farther away than any time before.

This terrorist war, further, will make it almost impossible for President Obama to proceed toward a peaceful resolution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which could be the main objective of the planners of this savage war.

The Zionists thrive on war. Without it, they cannot justify the looting of the US treasury, or keeping their tight grip on US foreign policy.

Finally, this terrorist Israeli war is just another step in the escalation towards the coming war on Iran, which aims at keeping the Zionist-terrorist state as the only nuclear power in the oil-rich Middle East.

The Neo-Conservative Zionists want to make sure that the Obama administration will be forced to side with the Israeli aggressors, thus keeping the Middle East in a continuous state of war.

It has become clear that there will be no peace in the world as long as Zionists are allowed to control of the US-EU governments.

It's time for a wakening in the US and Europe to stop the Zionist savagery, terrorism, and threat to the world peace.

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US military re-supplying Israel with ammunition through Greece

Report: US military re-supplying Israel with ammunition through Greece

Thursday January 08, 2009 22:04 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

As the Israeli occupation terrorist forces continue to pound the crowded, impoverished and imprisoned population of the Gaza Strip with the full force of its military might, Israel's strongest ally, the United States, announced plans to ship large amounts of ammunition to the Israeli forces – as it did during Israel's 2006 invasion of Lebanon, when the Israelis ran out of (internationally-banned) cluster bombs, and the US shipped them tens of thousands more.

The US Military Sealift Command on Dec. 31st published a solicitation for bids from shipping companies to ship two boats, each containing 168 TEU's (twenty-foot equivalent container units) of ammunition, from Greece to Israel.

The description of the vessels required was brief:

“Required: Request US or foreign flag container vessel (coaster) to move approximately 168 TEU's [standard twenty-foot containers] in each of two consecutive voyages both containing ammunition.”

Bids were requested by January 5th, but it is unclear whether bids were submitted or a contract awarded as of January 8th.

According to the US Military's solicitation, "Funds are not currently available for this procurement. In the event funds remain unavailable, this procurement will be cancelled without an award being made."

During the Israeli assault on Lebanon in the summer of 2006, in which 1200 Lebanese people were killed, 90% of whom were civilians (and 168 Israelis were killed, 10% of whom were civilians), the US Congress approved funding for an 'emergency' shipment of cluster bombs to Israel after Israel had dropped their entire store of the banned weapon on civilian population centers in southern Lebanon. Over one million cluster bomblets were dropped in southern Lebanon, largely due to the US 'emergency' shipment. Many of those bomblets remain on the ground in Lebanon, unexploded two years later. They continue to kill and maim Lebanese civilians, mainly children and farmers, who come across the unexploded bomblets and step on them or pick them up.

According to Wired magazine's security correspondent Nathan Hodge, the current solicitation for a shipment bid is the first such solicitation in several months. He said that, according to his research, the most recent announcement of a potential arms delivery to Israel was posted by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Sept. 29 -- for sale of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Earlier that month, the agency notified Congress of the pending upgrades to Israeli Patriot missile fire units as well as sales of the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb.

Israel has long used US weapons in its attacks on the civilian population of the two Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, the West Bank and Gaza.

$12 Billion Annual US Aid Officially Announced:

In addition to $3 billion in direct aid a year, the US government supplies around $3 billion in weapons transfers to Israel, and $6 billion in loan guarantees (none of which have ever been repaid by Israel).

Gaza: Palestinian journalist, his wife and mother-in-law killed by Israeli artillery

Thursday January 08, 2009 20:28 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that a Palestinian journalist, his wife and his mother in law were killed on Thursday evening when the Israeli terrorist forces shelled their home in Gaza city.

Eyhab Al-Wuhaidi worked as a cameraman for the Palestinian President's Office in Gaza.

The children of Al-Wuhaidi, now orphaned due to the killing of their parents and grandmother, also sustained serious injuries.

While international and Israeli journalists have been kept out of the Gaza Strip throughout the two-week long Israeli offensive, Palestinian journalists who have managed to get reports out of Gaza via the internet and cellular phone have reported being targeted by Israeli forces.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reports that 8 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the Israeli terrorist army between the years of 2000 to 2008.

The Israeli terrorist army embarked on its current military offensive on Saturday December 27, 2008. The Palestinian Ministry of Heath in Gaza stated that the death toll in Gaza by Thursday evening stands at 765; half of them are children and women, in addition to 3,200 injured, among them 500 in critical condition.

13th day under attack; Death toll in Gaza reaches 765

Thursday January 08, 2009 16:39 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Israeli terrorist army continued its military offensive for the 13th consecutive day in the Gaza Strip on Thursday. Palestinian medical sources stated that 50 people were killed by Israeli terrorist army fire since early morning hours on Thursday.

People leaving their homes in Gaza fearing that the Israeli terrorist army will shell it while they are inside- Photo by WAFA News

Dr Mu'awiya Hassanain, the Director of the Ambulance and Emergency Department in the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that 50 dead bodies were retrieved today from several areas of the Gaza Strip as it was impossible to retrieve them yesterday and last night due to the continued Israeli shelling.

Dr Hassanain added that this afternoon, death toll in Gaza reached 765, half of them are children and women, in addition to 3,200 injured residents, among them 500 in critical condition.

According to local sources in the Gaza Strip, today's shelling targeted municipal buildings, homes, and mosques.

Dr Hassanain said that 50% of the Palestinian ambulances in the Gaza Strip are out of service now either from being hit by Israeli fire or due to the lack of spare parts.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza issued a statement on Thursday saying that Gaza hospitals lack 105 types of medicine, in addition lacking over 225 types of medical supplies used in ER rooms.

The Israeli terrorist army embarked on its terrorist offensive on Saturday December 27, 2008. Israeli warplanes started by shelling all the Palestinian security posts there. In the following days the shelling was expanded. Hospitals, homes, blacksmith workshops, schools, and mosques where targeted.

Day and night all the Palestinian coastal region was under attack. On Saturday January 3, 2009 Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza strip and divided it into two sections.

The latest civilian target was hit on Tuesday January 3, 2009; the Israeli terrorist forces launched an attack on a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA in the northern Gaza town of Jabaliya. The attack left 43 Palestinians dead and at least 100 wounded.

Young brothers killed in shelling - Gaza toll rises to 765

Date: 08 / 01 / 2009 Time: 11:21
Gaza – Ma’an –

Israeli terrorist forces shot and killed a United Nations truck driver in Gaza on Thursday.

Witnesses said the UNRWA driver was shot near the Kerem Shalom border crossing at the northern end of the Strip. A bystander was injured in the shooting. The attack occurred two days after Israeli terrorist forces artillery killed 45 civilians at a UN compound in northern Gaza.

According to Palestinian medical officials, more bodies were recovered from previous attacks on Thursday, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 765 over 13 days of the Israeli offensive. Some 3,120 have been injured.

The head of Emergency and Ambulance Services within the de facto Health Ministry confirmed the death toll earlier on Thursday.

He clarified in a phone call to Ma’an that a number of missing persons has been reported and could only confirm that among the 3,120 wounded, 375 a “seriously injured.”

Recent shelling that targeted a house in the eastern area of the Abasan neighborhood of Khan Younis left two brothers dead. They were identified as 13-year-old Muhammad and 11-year-old Ibrahim Abu Daqqa.

Israeli terrorist artillery shells also killed two women who were attempting to flee advancing tanks in the town of Al-Qarrara, southern Gaza. Israeli tanks and armored vehicles have moved into the Abu Sha'ar area, and approached Al-Qarara.

Israeli terrorist forces warplanes also continued intense bombing throughout the Strip. In a recent strike, Israeli bombs destroyed two houses in the Al-Sahabah neighborhood central Gaza City and another house in Al-Sha’af neighborhood in the east of the city. Ambulances rushed to both areas.

Intensive Israeli terrorist forces airstrikes struck the Gaza Strip and demolished two houses in Al-Sahabah neighborhood central Gaza city and another house in Al-Sha’af neighborhood east Gaza city where ambulances rushed to rescue the injuries.

The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, said five of their fighters were killed by an Israeli terrorist forces airstrike near the Al-Qassam Mosque in Bet Lahiya, in the north of the Gaza Strip. Three were identified as Muhammad Al-Hendi, Abdul Nasser Abu Odah and Anwar Abu Salem.

Another member of the Al-Quds Brigades, Tareq Abu Amsh, was killed in what the organization said was fierce fighting with Israeli troops in the town of Beit Hanoon, also in the north. A fifth member of the group was reported killed but not identified by name.

The Israeli terrorist forces confirmed in a statement that one Israeli soldier was killed and another injured in battle with Palestinian fighters in the central Gaza Strip. The two were hit by an anti-tank missile near the evacuated settlement of Nitzarim.

Overnight: Bombing throughout Gaza

Since midnight, Israeli terrorist forces warplanes launched more than 30 airstrikes. In one raid, the Al-Muhammadi Mosque in the Shaikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City was completely destroyed along with houses and shops near the mosque.

Another strike in the Al-Amal neighborhood in the city of Khan Younis, in the south, killed two men, Hussain Sema’an and Hassan Abu Musa, according to Palestinian medics.

Israeli terrorist forces warplanes struck near Ad-Durra Hospital, in the northern Gaza Strip, injuring three.

In Al-Buraij refugee camp, midway down the Strip, Israeli warplanes bombed a house belonging to resident Walid Fadel, killing a man named Ahmad Hussein.

In Rafah, Israeli airstrikes along the Egyptian border have destroyed 25 houses in the last 24 hours.

In Gaza City, Israeli warplanes bombed the houses of leaders in Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades in the Al-Shuja’iyah neighborhood.

The Israeli terrorist forces also bombed the house of Khalil Ahel, a leader in the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), an armed group, in Al-Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. No one was injured.

A man named Abu Abir, also said to be a leader in the PRC, was targeted by an Israeli airstrike, although no one was injured.

Another five houses were bombed in Jabaliya in the north and two in Al-Nussairat, in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli terrorist forces also bombed two police stations in Bani Sahla in the south of the Strip and a Palestinian passport agency in Gaza City which had already been attacked in the opening days of the war. The Al-Sakhra shopping center was also attacked.

***Updated at 21:26 Gaza time

IOF warplanes blast tens of Palestinian homes along borders with Egypt

[ 08/01/2009 - 09:40 AM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)--

Israeli terrorist forces warplanes on Wednesday blasted dozens of Palestinian civilian homes in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, along the borders with Egypt displacing thousands of inhabitants, eyewitnesses reported.

They said that the Israeli terrorist warplanes launched a series of intensified raids destroying scores of those houses using heavy bombs, and noted that thousands fled the area fearing the powerful shelling.

The displaced people sought refuge in a number of shelters provided by UN organizations amidst fears that the Israeli occupation forces might target them as well similar to what happened on Tuesday when the IOF warplanes bombarded a UN school that provided shelter for Palestinian civilians fleeing their homes.

IOF choppers resumed Wednesday evening their bombing of several targets in the Gaza Strip after three hours of suspension, which was granted to allow entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.

Palestinian sources said that the gunships fired missiles at Nussairat refugee camp, in central Gaza, and at Palestinian homes in Shaboura suburb in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli terrorist soldier killed in Gaza

Thursday January 08, 2009 17:41 by Grace Walsh - IMEMC News

An Israeli officer was killed in Gaza following a battle with Palestinian Resistance Groups in Gaza on Thursday

According to media sources, Major Roey Rosner, 27, an officer in the Kfir infantry brigade, was killed when his unit was hit with an anti-tank shell while during the ground offensive the military is conducting in Gaza since a week.

Major Rosney's death marked the seventh Israeli soldier to be killed in Gaza since the commencement of Israel's land offensive in the Palestinian Costal Region.

(Later, Israelis admitted that two other soldiers were killed today).

Other casualties on the Israeli side include 4 civilians who were killed in Southern Israeli villages by Qasaam Home –Made shell fired by the Palestinian residents from Gaza.

The number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli military fire in the 13 days of the offensive, now totals 765, over half of them children and women, in addition to 3,200 injured, among them 500 in critical condition.

Victims of Israeli aggression on Gaza rise to more than 700 Palestinians

[ 08/01/2009 - 10:24 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The death toll of the continued Israeli terrorist forces wanton aggression on the Gaza Strip rose to more than 700 Palestinians, half of them were children and women, and the injuries to at least 3,100.

Dr. Mu'awiya Hassanain, the director of the ambulance and emergency in the health ministry, stated that the number of children rose to 230 and the women to 100.

Israel had intensified on Tuesday its military raids on civilian houses and UN schools sheltering hundreds of innocent Palestinians which resulted in the death of more than 135 civilians in one day.

In another context, Hamas political leader Mohamed Nazzal on Wednesday said that the Palestinian resistance fighters spearheaded by Al-Qassam Brigades managed to kill and wound more than 130 Israeli soldiers in five days.

In a statement to the Aqsa satellite channel, Nazzal added that the Palestinian resistance had killed since the start of the Israeli military aggression on Gaza more than 30 Israeli officers and soldiers and wounded more than 100 others including the commander of the Golani special unit.

Israel, for its part, alleged that only seven soldiers were killed and 103 others were wounded after they were met with fierce resistance during military operations.

The IOF troops also claimed that its warplanes on Wednesday bombed more than 40 Palestinian targets including tunnels in south Gaza in addition to 10 rocket launch areas, but all international reports refute such Israeli allegations, saying that Israel deliberately targets civilians, houses and mosques after failing to deal with the resistance.

ICRC: "Shocking" scenes result after Israeli army blocked ambulances from reaching wounded

Date: 08 / 01 / 2009 Time: 14:16
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) discovered “shocking” scenes, four small children next to their dead mothers, when rescue workers gained access to the Zaytoon neighborhood of Gaza on Wednesday.

The Zaytoon area has been heavily shelled by the Israeli occupation terrorist forces since Saturday. Until Wednesday the Israeli military had made it impossible to reach the area, ICRC said.

The ICRC, in an unusually harsh statement, is accusing the Israeli occupation terrorist army of failing to fulfill its obligations to protect civilians in war.

When they finally gained access to the Zaytoon neighborhood, ICRC found another man alive, too weak to stand up. In all there were at least 12 corpses lying on mattresses.

In another house, the ICRC rescue teams found 15 other survivors of this attack including several wounded. In yet another house, they found an additional three corpses. Israeli occupation terrorist forces posted at a military position some 80 meters away from this house ordered the rescue team to leave the area which they refused to do. There were several other positions of Israeli soldiers nearby as well as two tanks.

"This is a shocking incident," said Pierre Wettach, the ICRC's head of delegation for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. "The Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestine Red Crescent to assist the wounded."

Large earth walls erected by the Israeli occupation terrorist forces had made it impossible to bring ambulances into the neighborhood. Therefore, the children and the wounded had to be taken to the ambulances on a donkey cart. In total, the ICRC rescue team evacuated 18 wounded and 12 others who were extremely exhausted. Two corpses were also evacuated.

The ICRC was informed that there are more wounded sheltering in other destroyed houses in this neighborhood The ICRC said it would recover the remaining corpses on Thursday.

Projectiles fired from Gaza reach Beersheba

Date: 08 / 01 / 2009 Time: 10:28
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Palestinian fighters fired at least four projectiles and rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip just before midnight on Wednesday.

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth, two rockets landed in open areas near the city of Beersheba, far to the east of Gaza and the largest city in the Negev Desert. Another fell near the city of Ashkelon, north of Gaza and a fourth in the Eshkol Regional Council, east of Gaza.

No injuries or damage were reported.

Another newspaper, Maariv, reported that six projectiles had fallen.

Palestinian fighters usually fire small, homemade projectiles that only reach areas in the immediate vicinity of Gaza. Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, however, armed groups have begun using longer-range rockets. By some reports, Russian-made Grad and Katyusha rockets have been used.

Gaza toll passes 700; renewed shelling in Gaza City

Date: 08 / 01 / 2009 Time: 09:45
Gaza – Ma’an –

More than 700 people have now been killed as Israel continues its assault on the Gaza Strip for a 13th day.

Ma’an’s correspondents in Gaza report that Israeli warplanes attacked Ash-Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City, leveling houses and security buildings in an area that has already come under intense bombardment.

Israeli forces also attacked Gaza City from the southeast, near the area of the evacuated Israeli settlement Nitzarim. Witnesses reported plumes of black smoke and fire in the area.

Israeli warplanes also struck intensively in the city of Rafah near the Egyptian border. More than 800 Palestinian families have fled their homes in the area after Israeli planes dropped leaflets ordering residents to evacuate.

Jenny Linnel a British human rights activist in Rafah said, "Shortly before midnight on the 6th of January, missiles began raining down on Rafah in one of the heaviest Israeli air strikes since the current atrocities began. Continuous sorties pounded the southern Gaza city for over 12 hours. Many homes were destroyed or severely damaged, especially in the neighbourhoods along the border with Egypt."

The Israeli military claimed it was targeting smugglers' tunnels and the homes of Hamas fighters in Rafah.

Rockets from Lebanon land in Israel
Israel shells southern Lebanon

Date: 08 / 01 / 2009 Time: 10:01
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies –

At least two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon landed in the town of Nahariyah, in northern Israel on Thursday morning, lightly injuring two people.

Israel responded by shelling across the border into Lebanon. The Israeli army claimed they targeted the source of the attack. There were no reports of casualties on the Lebanese side of the border.

Hizbullah's television station Al-Manar reported the Katyusha attack, but did not attribute the fire to the Shia movement.

Israeli military sources suspect the attack was carried out by a Palestinian organization and not by Hizbullah, in light of the type of rockets used.

Hamas spokesman in Lebanon Ra’fat Murra denied that his movement was responsible for the rocket attack.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera, a leader of the PFLP General Command in Lebanon, Anwar Raja, neither confirmed nor denied that his organization carried out the attack.

At 10:55am local time, another alarm sounded, signaling another attack. Explosions were also heard, but officials said the sound was actually a supersonic boom. The Lebanese military also denied to Reuters that a second round of rockets was launched.

Lebanese intelligence services have reportedly seized Katyusha rockets along the border with Israel.

According to reports in Israeli media, police said one rocket struck a house and another landed on the outskirts of the town.

One damaged several solar water heaters and caused windowpanes to shatter in four buildings in the area.

***Updated at 12:37 local time

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