-- two others slightly wounded on Saturday and four others lightly on Sunday,
-- seven lightly injured Israeli civilians on Saturday from nearby rocket explosions, and
-- two others by shrapnel from an exploding Katyusha rocket on Sunday.
But it's just the beginning according to Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He said a large-scale invasion is imminent with IDF forces massed on the border, awaiting orders to invade and attack. It won't be the first time as assaults have gone on for decades. But they became especially frequent after the second Intifada began on September 29, 2000. From then through late January 2008, PCHR documented the extra-judicial killings alone:
-- 705 in total;
-- 478 of them targeted victims;
-- 227 of them innocent civilians; and
-- 68 of them (through June 2006) children.
Total Palestinian deaths and injuries from September 29, 2000 through late January 2008 are as follows, according to PCHR:
-- 4419 Palestinians killed, including 794 children, 152 women, 25 medical personnel and 10 journalists;
-- 11,700 Palestinians injured in Gaza; and
-- 13,550 Palestinians wounded in the West Bank;
Palestinians are attacked on any pretext, but February 28 wasn't typical. A day after a Qassam rocket killed an Israeli in Sderot, Israeli aircraft killed 18 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Five of them were children, and it was after 11 deaths the previous day, including three children. One victim was the son of senior Hamas lawmaker, Khalil al-Haya, a top figure in Gaza and himself a target of previous assassination attempts. Palestinians know what they face - continued attacks from the air or the ground. This is state terrorism, collective punishment, executions without trial, cold-blooded killings, a serious breach of international law and against the 1948 Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide. More on that below, but first some background.
In its June 4, 2001 issue, Israel's largest circulation (Hebrew) newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, published the following statement from an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman: "We set up a list of Palestinian names of individuals whom the Israeli government has approved for physical elimination, among the names are included members of Hamas, Fatah, Popular Front and Islamic Jihad activists."
This is official state policy, and Israel's High Court affirmed it in December 2006. The Court ruled that IDF targeted killings don't categorically violate international law, and each one must be evaluated on its own merit. Specifically, the three justice panel unanimously stated:
I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.
"Hamas has proposed a cease-fire many times and has been clear that it would have to include a cessation of all hostilities: Hamas would cease and impose a halt to all rockets and mortar shells from Gaza provided Israel would end its "targeted liquidations", military incursions and its siege of Gaza...if Israel’s goal is to end rocket attacks from Gaza, the most logical and beneficial step it could take would be to respond positively to Hamas’ repeated cease-fire proposals for a complete end to rocket fire on Israel, most recently, on February 23rd, when Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Hamas will consider any initiative that will bring about a ceasefire. Hamas claims it has secured the agreement of all factions to halt rocket fire and promised to impose the cease-fire provided that Israel reciprocates. Israel’s Prime Miniser Ehud Olmert immediately rejected the cease-fire offer, even though a growing number of Israeli politicians and security officials are calling for Israel to accept a cease-fire. Israel’s current operations are clearly about much more than securing Israeli civilians lives. Israel could easily end the rocket fire by accepting a cease-fire."-Dr. Steve Niva; Member of the Faculty, Middle East Studies, The Evergreen State College
PLEASE dear reader, Do Something and phone, email, FAX your reps and this Administration to demand a Bilateral Ceasfire and Dialogue with the 'enemy' to end the seige on Gaza which is the only way to security for Israel and hope for peace in the Middle East
How true about all you say. Hamas has bent over backwards to accommodate Israel, but, of course, Israel and Washington scorn peace and justice and that cuts to heart of problem. How can there be peace when only one side wants it and dominant media reports lies. The old blame the victim game. Israel didn't end hostilities today. It just paused before the next act of aggression and when victims defend themselves they're called "terrorists."
by
Stephen Lendman (249 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 76 comments)
on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 8:28:45 AM
We living Orwell's nightmare-government and corporate contolled media are in bed together but we are also living in a revolutionary time and our weapons are words disseminated on the world wide web.
Muckrakers like you give me hope, and we the people are better than our current leadership, but as Edward R. Murrow warned 50 odd years ago, as TV went in the direction of mindless entertainment and neglected programs of enlightenment we would end up with a dumbed down republic.
Dissent is what keeps democracies healthy, and in a vibrant democracy the politicians are afraid of the people and the citizenry is well informed and active!
In totalitarian regimes the people are afraid of the government and are kept so busy by Big Brother [Govt. + Media] with mindless entertainment and must work many hours just to keep food on the table, there is no time or energy to THINK DEEPLY, question and dissent.
Keep on fighting the good fight, for "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. ... Genius will not. ... Education will not. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."- Calvin Coolidge
"Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all...and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave...a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils." George Washington's Farewell Address - 1796
In solidarity "we have it in our power to begin the world again."-Tom Paine
by
Eileen Fleming (145 articles, 50 quicklinks, 266 diaries, 579 comments)
on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 10:11:38 AM
What if..Hama takes out its genocidal charter provision against Israel? What if .. after the withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas would have enterted into negotiations for peaceful co-existence instead of raids and rockets into Israel. What if ..Hamas would have consulted Israel on the industries within Gaza instead of destroying them? What if .. Hamas would return Israeli soldiers they kidnapped? What if .. instead of smuggling lethel weapons Hamas would bring vital supplies to its people? What if .. Hamas favored peaceful co-existence in its education instead of preaching jihad and genocide? Did you two ever think of that?
by
philip rosen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 93 comments)
on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 9:01:53 AM
4 comments
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