Gaza Conflict

[cycloneye]

Day 8 of the conflict shows Israel bombing a mosque killing 9 and wounding 60,and another air strike killed a senior commander of the rockets division.Read more below.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast ... index.html

[Brent]

BREAKING NEWS: Israeli defense officials say ground forces are crossing into Gaza, AP reports

[JonathanBelles]

BREAKING NEWS: Israeli defense officials say ground forces are crossing into Gaza, AP reports

Yikes, the confict is about to escalate to a whole new level. I pray for all those in that area.

[RL3AO]

oh boy

[cycloneye]

Follow the Israel ground invasion here.

[cycloneye]

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israeli tanks and infantry entered Gaza after nightfall Saturday, launching a ground offensive that the military said would be a "lengthy operation" in a widening war on Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Israeli security officials said the operation is likely to go on for several days, but that the objective is not to reoccupy Gaza. The depth and intensity will also depend on parallel diplomatic efforts, the officials on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

"We have many, many targets," Israeli military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich told CNN, adding that Hamas has been digging smuggling tunnels and other facilities. "To my estimation, it will be a lengthy operation," she said.

"The goal is to try and take over some of the those launching areas that were responsible for the many launches, thousands of launches in fact, toward Israeli civilians," she said. "The civilians are not our target. We are looking only after militants. Hamas militants."

Heavy gun battles were reported as Israeli tanks and infantry soldiers entered Gaza after dark. The forces stayed close to the border area, witnesses said. Heavy artillery fire hit east of Gaza City in areas where Hamas fighters were deployed.

A text message sent by Hamas' military wing, Izzedine al-Qassam, said "the Zionists started approaching the trap which our fighters prepared for them."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090103/ap_ ... inians_314

[cycloneye]

U.N Security Council Meets

[cycloneye]

U.S. Blocks resolution to have a Cease-Fire.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475644,00.html

[cycloneye]

Israeli forces killed 3 senior Hamas commanders while they surround Gaza City.Read more below about the latest.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast ... index.html

[Derek Ortt]

at least Hamas is fighting in uniform based upon the pictures. This would give them rights under the Geneva Conventions

[cycloneye]

Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel after 9 days of Air Strikes and ground invasion by Israel.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast ... index.html

[HURAKAN]

Norway's PM calls for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 5 (xinhua) -- Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has appealed to Israel to withdraw its troops immediately from Gaza, according to news reports reaching here from Oslo Monday.

The Israeli operation on the ground is a dramatic escalation and Norway is opposed to military operations which hit a large number of civilians, Stoltenberg said in a news program of the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

"We ask that the Israeli troops be withdrawn from the Gaza Strip immediately. This is the most densely populated area in the world which is now exposed to operations on the ground as well as bombing from the air and sea," Stoltenberg said.

The Norwegian Prime Minister also appealed to Hamas to stop the rocket attacks against Israel. The conflict could not be solved through the use of military power and only negotiations can lead to a lasting solution, he added.

Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009- ... 608152.htm

[Derek Ortt]

Shut up Norway!

[Ed Mahmoud]

Palestinian terrorists use UN/Red Cross ambulances as troop transports.


Hamas also operates from civilian neighborhoods and apartment complexes, hoping for civilian casualties and PR points.

[vbhoutex]

Palestinian terrorists use UN/Red Cross ambulances as troop transports.


Hamas also operates from civilian neighborhoods and apartment complexes, hoping for civilian casualties and PR points.

Why in the heck aren't the UN ambulances being controlled by the UN or are they stolen?(I didn't read the article)

[Ed Mahmoud]

Palestinian terrorists use UN/Red Cross ambulances as troop transports.


Hamas also operates from civilian neighborhoods and apartment complexes, hoping for civilian casualties and PR points.

Why in the heck aren't the UN ambulances being controlled by the UN or are they stolen?(I didn't read the article)

Probably stolen. I've seen articles that in Southern Lebanon, the very lightly armed UN "peacekeepers" don't try to stop Hezb'Allah from doing anything that violates the ceasefire there, mainly because they don't want to make the terrorists mad at them.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

I only hope that members or supporters of the Hamas terrorist
organization are stopped/arrested/killed with as little casualty
to innocent civilians as possible.

[cycloneye]

Diplomatic efforts to have a cease-fire is gaining momentum.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28511214/

[Stephanie]

Norway's PM calls for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 5 (xinhua) -- Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has appealed to Israel to withdraw its troops immediately from Gaza, according to news reports reaching here from Oslo Monday.

The Israeli operation on the ground is a dramatic escalation and Norway is opposed to military operations which hit a large number of civilians, Stoltenberg said in a news program of the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

"We ask that the Israeli troops be withdrawn from the Gaza Strip immediately. This is the most densely populated area in the world which is now exposed to operations on the ground as well as bombing from the air and sea," Stoltenberg said.

The Norwegian Prime Minister also appealed to Hamas to stop the rocket attacks against Israel. The conflict could not be solved through the use of military power and only negotiations can lead to a lasting solution, he added.

Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009- ... 608152.htm

How the heck would they feel if they had rockets been sent in daily to their country?

I'd LOVE to see a cease-fire, but I sincerely doubt that Hamas will stop those that have been firing rockets into Israel. If and when it continues, what would these diplomats suggest Israel to do next?

I'm all for diplomatic discussions to avoid war and a catastrophe, but contingency plans must be thought of as well.

[cycloneye]

This is the sad story of wars,as the only hospital in Gaza is overwelmed by dead and wounded people.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_israel_ga ... d_hospital