Airstrikes rock Gaza as truce remains elusive

[Adsos Letter]

Source: AP

Jan 1, 4:02 AM EST
By IBRAHIM BARZAK and MATTI FRIEDMAN
Associated Press Writers


GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Israeli jets bombed the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza early Thursday and navy ships opened fire at Hamas positions along the coastline as diplomatic pressure to end six days of devastating violence showed little immediate effect.

Explosions shook Gaza City as Israeli planes targeted three government buildings, including the parliament. Hospital officials said 25 wounded were evacuated from nearby houses. The military said aircraft also bombed smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border, part of an ongoing attempt to cut off Hamas' last lifeline to the world outside the embattled Palestinian territory.

One pre-dawn strike targeting the house of a Hamas operative in northern Gaza killed a 35-year-old woman and wounded eight people, a Gaza Health Ministry official said.

Gaza officials said more than 390 people have died and 1,600 have been wounded since Saturday. Hamas says some 200 uniformed members of Hamas security forces have been killed, and the U.N. says at least 60 Palestinian civilians have died.




Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME

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The Israeli navy is actively involved in the shelling now...I had not heard that this was the case in previous days attacks.

[bemildred]

1. The navy has been participating for several days, IIRC.

And I have heard some artillery is being used. And the aircraft of course.

[peacetalksforall]

2. Happy=not New Year! Nor Peace on Earth. Take back your Happy New Year greetings.

. Israeli jets bombed early ... (New Years Day)
. navy ships opened fire at Hamas positions along the coastline
. planes targeted three government buildings, including the parliament.
. 25 wounded were evacuated from nearby houses.
. aircraft bombed smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border, part of an ongoing attempt to cut off Hamas' LAST LIFELINE to the world outside the embattled Palestinian territory.
. pre-dawn strike targeting the house of a Hamas operative in northern Gaza killed a 35-year-old woman and wounded eight people

GAZA STRIP GEOGRAPHY
WALLED IN
ISRAEL BY LAND
EGYPT BY LAND
MEDITERRANEAN SEA (ISRAEL AND U.S. OCCUPIED?)
plus?
(Israel air force missions from U.S. ships?
(With 1000 new style bombs purchased from the U.S.
(Perhaps 700 left?
(How many rocks and missiles left?

This time it was more than an eye for an eye and new bombs were tested and Israel and the U.S. (under Dick Cheney and George Bush and their Military and Think Tanks and funding Foundations and all their Supporters) show themselves once again.

ALL MEN ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!

[ohio2007]

4. you forgot to attache the link

[peacetalksforall]

5. Top part taken from the op. Other parts taken from past five days. Geography

taken off the internet. Sadness taken from the sadness and despair in my heart.

[ohio2007]

3. Hamas leader killed in air strike

A senior Hamas leader has been killed by an Israeli air strike on his home in the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials say. Nizar Rayyan, the most senior Hamas figure to be killed since 2004, had urged suicide attacks against Israel.
snip



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7807124.stm

They are willing to negotiate over the untold story

Gaza - The head of Hamas' government in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniya, called for an unconditional end to the five-day old Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip as the first step toward ending the violence.

Haniya, who gave a speech while in hiding that was broadcast by the pro-Hamas al-Aqsa television, also demanded and end to the blockade of Gaza, the reopening of crossings, and talks on Palestinian reconciliation.

Haniya and his Hamas lieutenants have gone underground over fears of being being targeted by Israeli warplanes.

snip

Haniya's speech came shortly after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gave a televised speech and called on both movements in Gaza, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to hold dialogue about ending the conflict with Israel. Hamas has accused Abbas of conspiring with Israel to weaken the militant's grip on the enclave.

Haniya praised the strength of Palestinians for standing up to the 'crazy Israeli war machines' and denied that Hamas intends to isolate Gaza from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. 'When we call for reopening the crossings, including Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, this doesn't mean that Hamas wants to establish an isolated Palestinian entity and separate it from the rest of Palestine,' Haniya said.

He urged the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to free Hamas prisoners, adding 'for the sake of 400 martyrs killed in Gaza, free 400 political prisoners in the West Bank.'

Haniya meanwhile, denied earlier reports saying that 20 rival Fatah movement prisoners were killed in Gaza central prison on Sunday after Israel bombarded the prisons.
'There are prisoners that we are keeping them in a safe place. They are not political prisoners, they are held for other reasons and they could be freed as soon as we reach a reconciliation after we resume the dialogue,' Haniya said.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1451026.php/Hamas_leader_calls_for_unconditional_end_to_Israeli_assault__Extra__

Hamas should declare victory any day now
so
the band of brothers can regroup while they still hold the upper hand at the negotiating table.....

jmo