Death Toll Climbs As Israel Bombards Gaza

[Wilikon]

I just think its insane that anyone would commit jihad suicide and seriously think 72 "virgins" await them in heaven. And think about the perspective of the virgins, is that their heaven??? Talk about a fairy tale!

... And the fact that those 72 virgins may not all be females... Or even humans... Just sayin'...

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[Nemo1024]

Western media have trouble with geography - again.

ABC airs Gaza bombing devastation images - says it's in Israel
http://rt.com/news/172080-gaza-israel-bombing-abc/

In the latest case of Western mainstream media confusing the geographical location of warzones, an ABC News anchor described footage of Gaza homes shortly after their destruction by the IDF as belonging to Israel.

[keyscore44]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/11/israel-air-strikes-gaza-foreign-criticism-netanyahu


The UN's top human rights official has called for an investigation into Israeli air strikes on Gaza, on the grounds that the targeting of Palestinian homes – resulting in a high death toll among civilians, particularly children – could violate international law. The warning from Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, came on the fourth day of Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip and a rocket barrage of Israel by Islamic militants.

However, the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said his government would not be deflected by criticism from abroad, refusing to rule out a ground offensive and vowing there would be more air strikes. So far more than 100 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, including at least 23 children. More than 670 have been injured. There have as yet been no Israeli fatalities.

Pillay said her office had received "deeply disturbing reports that many of the civilian casualties, including children, occurred as a result of strikes on homes" in Gaza. "Such reports raise serious doubt about whether the Israeli strikes have been in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law."

Pillay added that the "indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza" could also constitute a breach.

"Every alleged breach of international law must be promptly, independently, thoroughly and effectively investigated, with a view to ensuring justice and reparations for the victims," she said.

Netanyahu shrugged off foreign criticism and said the Israeli bombing would continue unabated. "No international pressure will prevent us from acting with all power," he said, claiming to have had "good conversations" with several world leaders in recent days, including Barack Obama and European heads of government. He claimed Israeli planes and drones had attacked more than 1,000 targets in Gaza so far this week, adding, "there are still more to go". The Israeli prime minister said Israel had already struck Gaza with twice the force used during the last offensive of its kind in 2012, and he would not rule out following the air campaign with an incursion by ground troops. "We are weighing all possibilities and preparing for all possibilities," he said.

Israeli forces have been warning of imminent air strikes with the use of mobile phone texts and warning shots on the roofs of targeted buildings, but children are believed to constitute such a high proportion of the dead partly because they are often the most afraid to leave their homes while their neighbourhoods are being bombed. When Pillay visited Gaza and Israel in 2011 in the wake of a similar exchange of fire, she said that both Hamas and the Israeli government should be held liable for war crimes and that Israeli forces had committed crimes against humanity.

"Israel, Hamas, and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza have been down this road before, and it has led only to death, destruction, distrust and a painful prolongation of the conflict," Pillay said on Friday. UN officials said the current air strikes would have to be investigated further before a judgment on potential war crimes could be made.

Israel was reported to have been hit by 809 rockets and 61 mortars from Gaza this week. While nobody has been killed, according to local media reports, nine Israeli civilians have so far been hurt in the scramble to take cover after air-raid sirens. Jens Laerke, spokesman of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told journalists: "More than 340 housing units in Gaza have been severely damaged or completely destroyed. As a result, more than 2,000 people have been displaced.

"Our aid workers on the ground report that people in Gaza are gripped by fear, the streets are empty and the shops are closed."

[u9y42]

This article sounds like what Israel is doing is a bad thing. If this were any other country who was fighting back against the rockets that have been launched at them for over a week now. We would be cheering them on. But because it's Israel this is a bad thing? Maybe I'm reading this wrong. But that is what it sounds like to me

you are reading it wrong because it didn't start with hamas firing rockets

israel killed palestinian civilians and bulldozed houses in the search for suspects in murder case of the 3 settlers (not murdered by hamas), only then did hamas respond with rockets

Oh, didn't you hear? Those were Palestinian suicide homes ramming themselves into peaceful Israeli bulldozers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3by9FoEFB8).

Now, seriously, when I hear people defending Israel's every move in all this, I can't help but wonder what they would do if they were in the Palestinian's place. I mean, driven out of your homes; having your people's land and water supplies constantly stolen from you; the economy purposefully kept on the brink of collapse, just slightly above a humanitarian crisis, by the occupying power; and being beaten or killed if you look at the nearest Israeli soldier the wrong way. Doesn't sound like a fun place to me.

Not that any of this justifies attacking civilians in retaliation, but I think many people here completely fail at putting themselves in others' shoes.

[coory]

Israel is the biggest terrorist in the world !
Donation for Palestinian:  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=687319.0
 

[Honeypot]

Death to liars and deceivers.

Death to these 'palestinians' and their criminal ways that wrap the truth while clearly ignoring their own faults that dwarfs the mistake of israel.

Hard to receive what you try to dish out eh?

You made your bed when you stole. Crawl back to jordan or syria or lebanon and leave the jews to their place on earth. Let me squat in your house for a change. I might use your women while I'm at it

[Divinespark]

Why is it that nobody gives a damn about palestinian lives lost?
Life is life surely
Hope things cool off soon, what's going on is scary

[Nemo1024]

"When you have to carry you own daughter to a hospital in a pool of blood, you are in Gaza."

That statement is now scarily applicable to Novorossia as well.

[Nathonas]

Israel-Palestine is really just a non-ending shithole of hate and retaliation killings for decades. Both sides are guilty, and both need to let it go and work out their territorial disputes through compromise.

[hologram]

Don't forget Israel phone call Palestinian before fire. Hamas said Israel call random people and they will not fire...
Hamas fire rocket from civil building with family so Israel fire back one them, it's a war crime...
Sometimes Hamas even lock building door to be sure civilian will be killed...

[tsoPANos]

Ahh I really disagree in the way Jews handle this.
They have one of the most advanced anti air systems, while Hamas has some poor rockets.
Therefore, the Palestinians can't harm the Jews.
For every launched rocket, the Jews will launch their aircraft and bombard the Palestinians.
That is unfair. The Jews need to stop that shit. They are killing little kids. PERIOD

[hologram]

That is unfair. The Jews need to stop that shit. They are killing little kids.

hamas do whatever they can to help it happen...

[ShakyhandsBTCer]

This article sounds like what Israel is doing is a bad thing. If this were any other country who was fighting back against the rockets that have been launched at them for over a week now. We would be cheering them on. But because it's Israel this is a bad thing? Maybe I'm reading this wrong. But that is what it sounds like to me

you are reading it wrong because it didn't start with hamas firing rockets

israel killed palestinian civilians and bulldozed houses in the search for suspects in murder case of the 3 settlers (not murdered by hamas), only then did hamas respond with rockets

The palistines are keeping their army mixed in with civilians forcing collateral damage when Israel tries to defend itself.

[hologram]

The palistines are keeping their army mixed in with civilians forcing collateral damage when Israel tries to defend itself.

for the UN Gaza still an Egyptian territory, so hamas is not an army but a terrorist militia...

[u9y42]

Don't forget Israel phone call Palestinian before fire. Hamas said Israel call random people and they will not fire...
Hamas fire rocket from civil building with family so Israel fire back one them, it's a war crime...
Sometimes Hamas even lock building door to be sure civilian will be killed...

If you mean the 100.000 that were apparently told to leave their homes in Gaza, perhaps a prelude to another ground invasion, you're missing a couple of things there. The vast majority of those living there are already refugees; they are already displaced. Also, there are no shelters in Gaza, and Egypt will almost certainly not let them leave; there is nowhere else for them to go. It makes for nice propaganda to say that, but it serves no practical purpose.

Also, again contrary to this idea that Israel does its best to avoid civilian casualties, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has put out a statement saying that "the targeting and destruction of residential properties in Gaza is the main cause of civilian casualties". And notice, Israel is targeting the homes of people suspected of being involved in attacks. Again I stress, these are suspects that they are killing; maybe they're guilty, maybe they're innocent, but they die either way, sometimes along with their whole family in the process. And then there are other attacks like the one on Tuesday in which an Israeli missile hit a busy intersection near the main market, or the attack on a cafe by the beach in which people were watching the world cup, which killed I don't know how many civilians needlessly. And this to say nothing of the day to day lives of Palestinians, when the cameras aren't there.

These are war crimes. And so is intentionally keeping the economy of the occupied territories on the brink of collapse, or if you will, according to Israeli officials themselves, just slightly above a humanitarian crisis.

Do us both a favor before you answer; see this video (it's 8 minutes long): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DX6XWwnago. My sentiments mirror his: I'm not saying these things because I don't like Israel or some such; I'm saying it because I see that this can't possibly end well for either side, and would really like to not see that happen.

[ShakyhandsBTCer]

The palistines are keeping their army mixed in with civilians forcing collateral damage when Israel tries to defend itself.

for the UN Gaza still an Egyptian territory, so hamas is not an army but a terrorist militia...

Regardless of how you define hamas they are still mixing their "fighters" and weapons in with the civilian population.

[hologram]

Regardless of how you define hamas they are still mixing their "fighters" and weapons in with the civilian population.

They are good at asymmetric war, more Israel kill civilian cause of them more world will have sympathy for them, and sadly it work, this thread prove it.

[u9y42]

The palistines are keeping their army mixed in with civilians forcing collateral damage when Israel tries to defend itself.

for the UN Gaza still an Egyptian territory, so hamas is not an army but a terrorist militia...

Regardless of how you define hamas they are still mixing their "fighters" and weapons in with the civilian population.

Regardless of how you define hamas they are still mixing their "fighters" and weapons in with the civilian population.

They are good at asymmetric war, more Israel kill civilian cause of them more world will have sympathy for them, and sadly it work, this thread prove it.

And you guys are just avoiding the issues; the main problem here isn't where Hamas has it's forces (not saying I like it), as I've just gave examples of, Israel doesn't care either way and is more than capable of attacking civilians on its own, not to mention the conditions it forces on the occupied territories.

If you're serious about this, address my previous comment:

Don't forget Israel phone call Palestinian before fire. Hamas said Israel call random people and they will not fire...
Hamas fire rocket from civil building with family so Israel fire back one them, it's a war crime...
Sometimes Hamas even lock building door to be sure civilian will be killed...

If you mean the 100.000 that were apparently told to leave their homes in Gaza, perhaps a prelude to another ground invasion, you're missing a couple of things there. The vast majority of those living there are already refugees; they are already displaced. Also, there are no shelters in Gaza, and Egypt will almost certainly not let them leave; there is nowhere else for them to go. It makes for nice propaganda to say that, but it serves no practical purpose.

Also, again contrary to this idea that Israel does its best to avoid civilian casualties, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has put out a statement saying that "the targeting and destruction of residential properties in Gaza is the main cause of civilian casualties". And notice, Israel is targeting the homes of people suspected of being involved in attacks. Again I stress, these are suspects that they are killing; maybe they're guilty, maybe they're innocent, but they die either way, sometimes along with their whole family in the process. And then there are other attacks like the one on Tuesday in which an Israeli missile hit a busy intersection near the main market, or the attack on a cafe by the beach in which people were watching the world cup, which killed I don't know how many civilians needlessly. And this to say nothing of the day to day lives of Palestinians, when the cameras aren't there.

These are war crimes. And so is intentionally keeping the economy of the occupied territories on the brink of collapse, or if you will, according to Israeli officials themselves, just slightly above a humanitarian crisis.

Do us both a favor before you answer; see this video (it's 8 minutes long): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DX6XWwnago. My sentiments mirror his: I'm not saying these things because I don't like Israel or some such; I'm saying it because I see that this can't possibly end well for either side, and would really like to not see that happen.

[hologram]

If you're serious about this, address my previous comment:

Yes, i will answer it if i find the time, i come here to distract me i don't feel any obligation to answer your post...

First, you say that Israel kill people "suspected" of being terrorist, but how do you want to make a trial for them ? you support ground operation ?

[u9y42]

If you're serious about this, address my previous comment:

Yes, i will answer it if i find the time, i come here to distract me i don't feel any obligation to answer your post...

That's fine of course, but remember that if you're answering without taking those things into consideration, it's hard to take you seriously.

First, you say that Israel kill people "suspected" of being terrorist, but how do you want to make a trial for them ? you support ground operation ?

The two options that are implicit there aren't the only possible alternatives: it isn't only either kill them, guilty or not, along with anyone nearby; or invade the territories, causing even more deaths, so that you can capture them and determine their guilt. That's a fallacy.

These attacks don't happen without there being a context to them, an underlying set of problems; so address those problems first and perhaps there will be a way to reach a peaceful settlement. As I said in previous posts, the way I see it, the best alternative would be to stop expanding settlements immediately; retreat from the occupied territories as much as possible; stop the blockade of the occupied territories to avoid an humanitarian crisis; stop these largely one sided military offensives; and return to the negotiating table.

After a peaceful settlement has been reached you can hunt for the criminals in either side to your heart's content.