Loud explosions rock Jerusalem after air raid sirens sound

[bemildred]

Jerusalem (AFP) - Three loud explosions rocked Jerusalem shortly after air raid sirens wailed across the city on Tuesday night, AFP correspondents said.

The sirens sounded at about 1900 GMT, with at least four bright flashes lighting the sky southwest of the city, a correspondent said.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the attack which took place as Israel began a waging major campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

http://news.yahoo.com/loud-explosions-rock-jerusalem-air-raid-sirens-sound-191914498.html

[bemildred]

1. US weighs in on Israel strikes on Gaza

White House spokesman Josh Earnest urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stay in contact with Palestinians to resolve the conflict Tuesday, but said the US supported the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"We strongly condemn the continuing rocket fire into Israel and the deliberate targeting of civilians by terrorist organizations in Gaza," Earnest said on Tuesday. "No country can accept rocket fire aimed at civilians, and we support Israel's right to defend itself against these vicious attacks," Earnest added.

Israel's government has announced that it gave permission to call up some 40,000 more reservists for "Operation Protective Edge," which was launched Tuesday following .

Earlier on Tuesday, the Palestinian political faction Hamas had announced that an Israeli strike on a residential building killed six people, with children among the dead. The AFP news agency also quoted an emergency services spokesman as saying that children were among the injured.

http://www.dw.de/us-weighs-in-on-israel-strikes-on-gaza/a-17768519?maca=en-rss-en-world-4025-rdf

[bemildred]

2. Israel claims rockets have hit city 62 miles from Gaza

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-07-08/israel-claims-rockets-have-now-hit-city-62-miles-from-gaza/

[bemildred]

3. Palestinian rockets force 'millions' of Israelis into shelters

Millions of Israelis have taken shelter from volleys of rockets fired by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported Tuesday.

Sirens went off in several Israeli cities as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Ashdod, Beer Seva, forcing Israeli residents to take shelter from rockets fired by Palestinian groups, Israeli Channel Two reported.

On Tuesday, the Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, said that it had fired volleys of rockets on Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv and Ashdod.

According to Israeli army, a Palestinian rocket hit an Israeli house in Jerusalem, but no casualties were reported.

http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/355951--palestinian-rockets-force-millions-of-israelis-into-shelters

[bemildred]

4. Hamas sets 4 conditions before Israel 'can enjoy calm'

The Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Gaza-based resistance faction Hamas, has set four conditions for Israel to meet before the Brigades would halt operations against Israel, which on Tuesday launched a major offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip.

"The enemy will not enjoy calm as long as it continues to stage criminal attacks on our people in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza in breach of the [Egypt-brokered] 2012 ceasefire deal," Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said in a recorded statement broadcast on Hamas' Al-Aqsa television channel.

Abu Obeida also said Israel should release a number of West Bank Palestinians who were recently re-arrested after having been released in a 2011 prisoner exchange deal.

He also said Israel should "stop sabotaging" a recent reconciliation deal between Hamas and the rival Fatah movement in the West Bank, which saw the unveiling of a Ramallah-based unity government early last month.

http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/355942--hamas-sets-4-conditions-before-israel-can-enjoy-calm

[bemildred]

10. I have no idea.

I'm not sure anybody does.

[Jefferson23]

5. More horror. n/t

[azurnoir]

6. well the doo-doo has hit the fan now

it should be noted that 'some' of commenters on stories about this seem to feel that this would be an opportune time for Israel to blow up al aqsa/Dome of the Rock and blame it on Hamas

[King_David]

9. That will only happen if Hamas gets lucky with their aim.

And with their little 'firecrackers' (as people have described their rockets in the past )

[azurnoir]

12. Thanks for that particular comment

"King_David
9. That will only happen if Hamas gets lucky with their aim.

View profile
And with their little 'firecrackers' (as people have described their rockets in the past )

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113466490#post9

[King_David]

13. No prob.

Better than the odious suggestion that the Jewish State would blow up a mosque and blame Hamas.

Now that was truly disgusting.

[azurnoir]

14. and "if Hamas gets lucky with their aim" meant?

[King_David]

15. And?

That is it?

An emoticon ?

[bemildred]

11. A good description.

As I told Jeff, Hamas seems up for the argument, we will soon see if they have reason for such enthusiasm.

And yeah, an excellent time for roving bands of vigilantes and terrorists to act out.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

16. You have to excuse them. They are just channeling their inner Irgun.