Haniya: Israel's aggression will fail to suppress our people

[ 09/04/2011 - 08:07 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Palestinian premier Ismail Haniya strongly denounced the Israeli brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip that targeted children, women, elderly people, and ambulances, stressing this aggression would fail to subdue the Palestinian people or break their will.

Haniya mourned in a statement the death of civilians during the Israeli attacks, highlighting that the faith and steadfastness of the Palestinian people are bigger than Israel's massacres and tyranny.

The premier also in a telephone conversation with health minister Basem Naim deplored deliberate attacks on paramedics and ambulances. He was reassured that the health ministry is prepared to deal with emergencies as Israel is escalating its aggression against the Strip.

In this regard, the Palestinian government on Friday called on the Arab League to hold an urgent meeting to discus Israel's escalating aggression against Gaza and find appropriate mechanisms to confront it.

The government also urged all Palestinian factions and national forces to unite and close ranks to confront the occupation and move at all levels to stop its aggression.

Palestinian Factions In Gaza Declare Ceasefire

Friday April 08, 2011 01:41 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip declared a ceasefire starting at 11 p.m. on Thursday. The declaration came following a day of escalation that led to the death of five Palestinians while dozens of residents, including children, were wounded. One student was seriously injured when a Palestinian shell hit a bus in southern Israel.

The Ministry of Interior in Gaza, run by the Hamas-led government, stated that the ceasefire was declared in an attempt to stop the Israeli escalation against the Gaza Strip.

An Hamas official in Gaza stated that the one-sided ceasefire was declared following meetings with different factions and armed groups in Gaza.

On Thursday, five Palestinians were killed as the army carried a number of air strikes and fired artillery shells into several areas in the coastal region.

Meanwhile, the al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas claimed responsibility for firing the shell that struck the Israeli bus in southern Israel seriously wounding a student.

Official sources in Gaza that the ceasefire was declared after holding talks with several Arab and international officials in an attempt to stop the Israeli military escalation.

On Thursday, president Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to halt the Israeli violations and escalation against the Gaza Strip.

Presidency spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rodeina, denounced the Israeli escalation and said that President Abbas contacted officials in a number of Arab and European countries urging them to intervene to ensure calm.

Abu Rodeina called on the Palestinian factions in Gaza not to give Israel the opportunity to attack Gaza, and to ensure calm. He said that the Israeli occupation does not want the Palestinians to unite and is acting to ensure internal Palestinian divisions remain in place.

Also on Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister stated that the army is acting against the attacks and will do whatever it can to ensure they stop.

Israeli army chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, visited the Sufa military base that was hit by Palestinian shells, and toured areas in southern Israel speaking to locals urging them to remain calm.

Gantz added that “the army will do whatever it can to ensure their security, even if this means a military operation against Gaza”.

Despite Ceasefire Declared by Palestinian Factions, Army Bombards More Areas In Gaza

Friday April 08, 2011 09:29 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Despite the fact that the Palestinian factions, including the Hamas movement, in Gaza declared a ceasefire with Israel starting Thursday midnight, the Israeli army bombarded several areas, and carried out a number of aerial attacks in Gaza.

The decision was made follow talks between different Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, and talks held by the Hamas-led government in Gaza with a number of Arab and international parties.

The ministry of interior in Gaza said that the decision was made to curb any future Israeli assaults against Gaza.

The Israeli strikes were resumed on Thursday afternoon after a Palestinian shell hit a bus in southern Israel seriously wounding one student.

The al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that it came in retaliation to the assassination of three Qassam leaders identified as Ismail Lubbad, Abdullah Lubbad, and Mohammad al-Dahya.

The three were killed in an Israeli Air Strike in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

On Thursday, the army killed three Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 40 others, including children.

Nabil Abu Rodeina, spokesperson of President Mahmoud Abbas, said that the escalation against Gaza is unjustified and that Abbas contacted several world leaders urging them to intervene.

Five Palestinians Killed, 40 Injured By Israeli Missiles In Gaza

Friday April 08, 2011 00:33 Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Thursday that five Palestinians were killed and at least 40 residents, including children, were wounded in several Israeli air strikes and a ground attacks that were initiated on Thursday at noon.

A fighter of the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas movement, was killed when the army bombarded Al Shouka area, in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The fighter was identified as Saleh Al Tarabeen.

Three residents, identified as Mohammad Al Mahmoum, 22, Mos’ab Al Soufy, 17, and Khaled Ad-Dabary, 23, were killed when the army bombarded Al Jaradat area in Rafah.

On Thursday at noon, resident Mahmoud Al Manasra, 50, was killed, and at least five residents, including a child, were injured when the army fired more than 20 artillery shells into Al Shijaeyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Furthermore, four Palestinians were moderately wounded when the army fired three shells into the Gaza International Airport in Rafah. The airport remains nonoperational since 2000, and was repeatedly bombarded and bulldozed by the army.

The army also bombarded several homes east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip; causing damage; no injuries were reported.
One child was wounded by an Israeli artillery shell that hit Al-Qarara area, east of Khan Younis.

The Israeli Air Force fired missiles at a training camp using by the Al Qassam Brigades of Hamas in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and also bombarded an open area close to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

In southern Gaza, the army fired a missile at a local ambulance causing damage and mildly wounding the driver.

Medical sources reported that another ambulance was targeted by the Israeli Air Force in Rafah, and that eight Palestinians, including children, were wounded.

Five Palestinians, including a journalist, identified as Mohammad Al Madhoun, were wounded when the army bombarded a Police training base west of Jabalia, in northern Gaza. The reporter was seriously wounded.

A Palestinian farmer was also wounded when the Israeli Air Force fired missiles into the Al Waha area, north west of Gaza city.

Several Air Strikes also targeted areas east of Dir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, and Al Hawouz area in addition to the Al Rantissi Base, north of Gaza, leading to excessive damage.

Visiting Cairo, Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, told the Maan News Agency that the Israeli threats and escalation jeopardize the security of the region, and that Israel must halt all of its violations against the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, Israeli Army spokesperson, Avichai Adraee, told Maan that the army is evaluating the situation and could resort to a larger scale attack against Gaza.

He added that “what the army is conducting right now is only a routine operation that precedes a larger attack” likely to be carried out after the army and the political leadership in Israel evaluate the situation.

Adraee further stated that the Hamas movement is responsible for the latest escalation.

Also on Thursday, two Israelis, including a school student, were wounded when a shell fired from Gaza hit a school bus in southern Israel.

Furthermore, the Al Qassam Brigades of Hamas fired shells at the Sofa military base, near the Gaza border.

The Brigades said that attack comes in retaliation to the assassination of three fighters who were killed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli army chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, visited the military base and toured the area speaking to locals urging them to remain calm, adding that “the army will do whatever it can to ensure their security, even if this means a military operation against Gaza”.

Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, said that the army is acting against the attacks and will do whatever it can to ensure they stop.

He further stated that the Iron Dome system that was installed to intercept shells fired from Gaza is operational, but added that Israel cannot claim that the system provides full protection.

On Thursday night, approximately at 11, Palestinian factions in Gaza declared a ceasefire while Israeli tanks were seen moving towards the border area.