Israel, Gaza militants trade fire after talks fail

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By IBRAHIM BARZAK and IAN DEITCH

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian militants launched dozens of rockets and Israel responded with airstrikes on Wednesday after Egyptian efforts to mediate a lasting truce in the monthlong Gaza war collapsed in a hail of fire a day earlier.

One of the Israeli airstrikes appeared to have targeted Mohammed Deif, the Islamic militant group's elusive military chief, who has escaped numerous Israeli assassination attempts in the past.

Five people were killed in the strike on a Gaza house, including Deif's wife and infant son, according to Hamas officials. It was not immediately clear whether Deif was there at the time of the strike.

The fighting resumed late Tuesday when Gaza militants fired rockets at Israeli cities just hours before a temporary cease-fire was set to expire, prompting Israel to withdraw its delegation from Cairo and launch retaliatory airstrikes. Since the truce collapsed, at least 20 Palestinians have been killed and more than 120 wounded, Gaza Health Ministry official Ashraf al-Kidra said.

FULL story at link.



Palestinian medics wheel an injured boy on a stretcher into the Shifa hospital after Israeli strikes hit Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014. Israel resumed its campaign of airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday in response to a barrage of Palestinian rocket fire that shattered a truce. The sudden burst of fighting has threatened to derail an Egyptian effort to end a monthlong war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140820/ml--israel-palestinians-d1762e64bc.html

[abovesobelow]

1. Too bad they didn't get Dief!

" Dov Dribben, z"tl, H"yd, twenty-eight year old son of Hebron veteran Eddie Dribben, was ambushed by eight Arabs as he was working alone, building his new home in the Judean desert near the Jewish community of Maon. Dov was a tall, strong man. He was married and the father of four little boys. He had been threatened by local Arabs in the past, but never backed down to them. His father had been a Texas ranger and taught his son how to fight, to ride a horse and use a gun. No one in his right mind would mess with Dov, or his father, Eddie.

When the Arabs saw Dov working all alone, they decided toattack. Dov was powerful and fearless, but not really prepared for sucha brazen daylight attack. All eight Arabs came at him. He got off one shot with his pistol, wounding one of his attackers before they were able to knock him to the ground. His gun fell from his hand and one of the Arabs picked it up and shot Dov mortally in the head. Two of his friends tried to come to his rescue, but both were shot before the Arabs ran away. One is still recovering in the hospital, and the other only suffered light wounds."

"President Bill Clinton and U.S.Ambassador Martin Indyk: During a March 14, 1996 visit to the grave of one of the victims, Nachshon Wachsman, President Clinton announced that America would make it a “top priority” to capture Mohammed Dief, a primary suspect in the murder. (Jerusalem Post, July 9, 1998) The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, wrote to the Wachsman family on March 26, 1997 that “the arrest of Muhammed Dief…remains a high priority for the U.S. Government.” President Clinton repeated this pledge to American Jewish leaders, again mentioning Dief by name, in August 2000. (Ha’aretz, Aug.25, 2000) Dief’s photograph was even published in the Washington Post on December 8, 2000."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/mohammed-deif-the-shadowy-figure-who-heads-hamass-military-wing/2014/08/02/ed68c46e-1a85-11e4-85b6-c1451e622637_story.html

[Octoberfurst]

2. As Gandhi said--

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. I wish this madness would stop.