Kerry pushing to announce Israel-Hamas ceasefire within hours

[Jefferson23]

Israel’s security cabinet to convene shortly to discuss proposal which would bring about a temporary truce and a start to negotiations.

By Barak Ravid | 15:16 25.07.14

Israel’s security cabinet is set to convene in Tel Aviv at 3 P.M. on Friday to discuss a proposal brought forth by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, to secure a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and begin negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The meeting will follow several hours of intense diplomatic efforts aimed bringing the fighting to a close.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.607222

[Jefferson23]

1. Israel cabinet split on Kerry's Gaza ceasefire bid

NYT reports Kerry offered seven-day Gaza ceasefire deal set to come into effect Sunday, however many in Netanyahu's government object to the deal, cabinet set to convene in afternoon.

Moran Azulay, Attila Somfalvi
Published: 07.25.14, 14:02 / Israel News

US Secretary of State John Kerry offered on Friday a two-stage outline for a truce in the Gaza Strip that would began with a week-long ceasefire starting on Sunday, an American source told the New York Times.

However, the deal could be shot down before it even takes off as some senior Israeli politicians are already vowing to vote against it, only hours before Israel security cabinet was set to convene and discuss the possible deal.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4549842,00.html

[Jefferson23]

2. Politicians sound off on Kerry's latest cease-fire proposal ahead of cabinet meeting on matter

Leaders on the Right call for ministers to vote against newest push for peace with Hamas, saying that "we must not give in to terror."

Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Ze'ev Elkin (Likud) said on Friday that he is adamantly against US Secretary of State John Kerry's latest cease-fire proposal.

The security cabinet was set to meet on Friday afternoon to discuss Kerry's latest push, which would start with a seven day cease-fire that begins on Sunday. IDF troops would remain in Gaza for the time being and the two sides would engage in dialogue.

"I call on the prime minister, the defense minister and all of the MKs not to agree to the cease-fire based on the current conditions. A cease-fire without the army finishing their job of destroying the threat of the tunnels, without Hamas being hit hard like they should be, a cease-fire in which they are promised economic benefits, a cease-fire like that will endless trouble. We are not allowed to show weakness to terror and to give into blackmail," Elkin said in a statement.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Politicians-sound-off-on-Kerrys-latest-cease-fire-proposal-ahead-of-cabinet-meeting-on-matter-368917

[JimDandy]

58. Hamas has fired more than 50 rockets at Israel today.

3 of those were fired toward the airport as the first Air Canada flight since Monday was attempting to land. Dramatically stepping up their attacks and firing at innocent civillian aircraft on the day cease fire talks were proposed indicates Hamas has no interest in de-escalating the conflict.

[shira]

3. Hamas says NO to latest ceasefire offer, per Channel 2 Israel. n/t

[Jefferson23]

4. 4:21 P.M. Security cabinet convenes to discuss John Kerry's cease-fire proposal. (Barak Ravid)

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.607184

[Jefferson23]

5. Gaza conflict deaths pass 800 as Kerry pushes ceasefire

Efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and the militant Hamas movement are intensifying as the death toll in the 18-day conflict continues to climb.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has been in Cairo meeting Egypt's foreign minister and the UN secretary general.

Gaza faced more Israeli shelling and air strikes overnight, while Israeli towns raised the alarm over Hamas rockets on Friday morning.

More than 800 Palestinians have now been killed, as well as 35 Israelis.

Most of the Palestinian deaths have been civilians, while 33 of Israel's dead have been soldiers - the latest on Friday during an operation in northern Gaza, Israel's military said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28478792

[Jefferson23]

7. 4:30 P.M. John Kerry's joint press conference with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon postponed

until 8:30 P.M. (Barak Ravid)

[bemildred]

8. Israel girds for 'day of rage'

As an Air Canada flight from Toronto neared Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport Friday, Israeli air traffic control ordered the plane to circle while officials tried to confirm runways were safe.

Hamas’s armed wing said it tried to strike the airport in Tel Aviv again Friday, after international airlines this week temporarily suspended flights citing security concerns. Israel’s army said its Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted two rockets fired at the Tel Aviv area, and had no reports of injuries or damage.

Airlines are returning to Tel Aviv after the 48 h long disruption. http://t.co/XuOLAL3R08
—
Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) July 24, 2014

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/25/world/meast/mideast-crisis/

[Jefferson23]

12. So we're going to see a game of chicken with whether they close the airport or not again?

snip*Some flights to Israel resume

On Thursday, Delta Air Lines joined Air Canada and United Airlines in resuming flights to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. It had been a day and a half since the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed the prohibition of flights to the city because of security concerns.

Lufthansa Group has canceled all Lufthansa, Germanwings, Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines flights flying to and from Tel Aviv through Friday.

I read somewhere that our stupid Republicans want to open an investigation on Obama and the
FAA decision to close the airport.

[bemildred]

20. I think this is going to go on for a while yet.

I wish I could think otherwise.

[Jefferson23]

22. They've already postponed any press release for several more hours..Hamas

has disrupted their airport, again. Bibi's buddies in his cabinet don't want a cease fire,
Kerry hoping for a calm even for just a few days..that was a red flag to me this
is not likely to stop.

In the mean time, FAA should stop the flights..that is nuts to ask passengers to enter any possible risk.

[bemildred]

24. They will have to talk to Hamas to end it any time soon.

I have been reading in the Arab press, and they are quite happy with how things are going, and every bit as impervious to any worries about a few dead Palestinian people as the Israelis. I was tempted to post one of those today, comparing this to Dien Bien Phu.

At 360 sq. km. or so, it's going to take a while to find all the tunnels. Diskin or one of those guys (I read the Diskin interview) was talking about one to two years. They don't have that much time, or money.

Nobody really knows what is under the ground in Gaza. It is clear that Israel does not have the inside intel in Gaza that it once did. In Cast Lead they started out with a strike that killed hundreds of police, and kept the fighters/civilians ratio not too far out of whack, this time it is very heavily on the civilian side. As I said, the fighters are in the tunnels, and can't be bombed there.

Kerry's problem is that only Hamas can stop the rockets any time soon, and they are not in the mood to compromise.

[Jefferson23]

32. You could post that historical reference for me, if you would not mind..I would appreciate it.

What comes to mind is the overwhelming desperation that rests deeply within Gaza.
I read they blame Israel more than Hamas, and the language used..I should try and
find the quote, so as not to denigrate its meaning. In effect, they would rather
die quickly than slowly under the brutal siege.

That one really got to me...heartbreaking.

Hamas has leverage as long as they are willing to exploit their people, or
however one views that decision..and as long as their arsenal of rockets lasts..I don't know.

[bemildred]

34. Dien Bien Phu was a defeat of the French in Vietnam in the fifties.

It is one of the touchstones for guerilla resistance movements worldwide, like Castro. And a fascinating story:

http://www.dienbienphu.org/english/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90i%E1%BB%87n_Bi%C3%AAn_Ph%E1%BB%A7

And this is the guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B5_Nguy%C3%AAn_Gi%C3%A1p

[Jefferson23]

40. Thank you, a very good read. Bibi is military background, right? He should read this through

over the weekend if no cease fire/truce is reached. Pass it on to his wacky cabinet
members too.

Piroth committed suicide for having underestimated the enemy. And yet no one in early or mid-1953 knew that a showdown would occur at Dien Bien Phu

[bemildred]

43. I haven't studied Bibi, so I won't comment on his military background, but I assume he has some.

His dead brother is a military hero in Israel, apparently not without cause.

And I'm not saying this is a comparable situation, by any means, to Dien Bien Phu. On the other hand it seems clear we are waaaaay off the original plan the IDF began the war with, yes, and Bibi is being dragged along to some extent. Wars never follow the plan.

Hamas, in the terms in which these military shows are conducted, has given a good account of itself, so far, and as noted elsewhere has not suffered much loss of public support among the bombees. So if Bibi wanted to weaken or finish off Hamas, he's not there yet, and he is going in the other direction.

Here is the piece I am talking about with the Dien Bien Phu comparison Take it with a healthy dose of salt, but notice the completely different framing from what we are used to:

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/dialectic-victory-how-i-learned-stop-worrying-and-love-rocket

[Jefferson23]

44. No, and I did not interpret it that way. There are powerful lessons in history, Bibi could

use one, is all I meant.

The OP is intense, and points to stronger possibilities of success for Hamas than I would be
comfortable believing...militarily speaking. Yet, looking at it as objectively as one can, I mean it
is war, so that in itself is not controllable the way anyone plans it to be.

Israel, despite the Goldstone recantation, civilian death toll#'s gives them pause
to continue, I feel. There is more press coverage this time on the devastation of Gaza
than what occurred during the last fighting and OCL, too.

Ground invasion, Israeli soldiers are not accustom to that type of fighting, they do most from the air.
I mentioned before, how long, what number is it the parents of these soldiers are going to tolerate
that will die for the occupation to continue. If the reaction of the mothers for the dead Israeli teens
is any indication, then I would say, probably not too high a number..and those Mom's are settlers.

Tunnels, evidently, as you say...how are they going to penetrate them enough to get to Hamas.
How many rockets are left, no idea..anyone helping Hamas currently? do we even know anyone
in a position to make that a reality? I don't know.

The people of Gaza despite the recent carnage, to say what they have said..that is a very
powerful weapon against Israel..one Netanyahu should not underestimate...as frightening as it is.

Thank you for the article.

[bemildred]

45. Hamas seems to have won Iran and Hezbollah back too.

There is a piece with Nasrallah in full throat on that site, and mass demos in Iran. If this goes on, al Sisi might have to bend too, much as he hates Hamas.

I don't know what the IDF will decide to do, no idea.

[Jefferson23]

46. That's is interesting. I would not have expected that..they have so many other problems.

I have no clue either, maybe their military advisers will say something wise.,,one can
only hope.

[bemildred]

47. Hezbollah leader vows support to Palestinian militants

In his first remarks on the latest Israeli-Palestinian fighting that erupted on July 8, Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel that it would be "suicide" to continue waging war in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah, a Shiite group, has long been one of the closest allies of Hamas, the main Palestinian Sunni faction which controls Gaza. Both militant groups are backed by Iran. But relations between Hamas and Hezbollah soured following the uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule in Syria, which erupted in March 2011, became an insurgency waged by overwhelmingly Sunni rebels, and later descended into full-blown civil war.

Hamas' leader Khaled Mashaal shuttered Hamas' Damascus offices and now spends most of his time in Qatar, the tiny Gulf Arab country that has strongly backed the rebels battling to overthrow Assad.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, is heavily engaged in fighting alongside Assad's forces in Syria.

On Friday, Nasrallah called for putting all disputes aside in support of Gaza.

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/181097/

[Jefferson23]

49. So maybe the hint Hamas gave recently that they had "surprises" for Israel, is what they

are referring to here...hmm. Possible game changer.

[bemildred]

61. Well, you shouldn't believe what Hamas says, either, until you see it.

I imagine getting the IDF to fight them in the tunnels is their goal here, though. Israel will likely, as Hack says, try to destroy the border tunnels, and they can do that too, I think, but they will be well booby-trapped, so they will likely just blow them up, no civilians there.

Getting support from Iran and Hezbollah back is a big deal though, for Hamas.

[Jefferson23]

63. Nope, but they were hinting at something..could be just those traps, as you say.

I am genuinely surprised at the support, mostly due to all the other issues they are facing at home.

Hezbollah convinces me more than Hamas when they say things like that..I could
be wrong but they measure their bluster better, they want to keep their reputation
in tact with regards to Israel.

[bemildred]

67. I have to go spend time with family.

So I have to leave.

The unanimous rejection of Kerry's effort is telling though. We are not done yet.

[Jefferson23]

68. Best place to be, bemildred...enjoy.

Always a pleasure.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

38. Is this what you were looking for?

http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/humiliating-palestinian-addresses.html

In a post the day before, from the Jabalya refugee camp, Sarah Ali (a contributor to a collection of short stories called Gaza Writes Back) wrote: “Last night was horrible. My house shook every five minutes! Except for half an hour in the evening, we’ve been without electricity for over 48 hours. Due to the long blackout, we had no water as well. The Israelis have (again) bombed a main power generator that supplies electricity to many areas. There was Israeli shelling from the sea, air and land. I could hear the kids in our neighbors’ houses crying in terror all night. This is not about destroying Hamas; this is about destroying every Palestinian in Gaza, destroying our lives, crushing our dignity and morale. Let it be known to (Israel) that the more they kill and destroy, the stronger we become. We have nothing left to lose. Now I would rather die with my family under the rubble of our house than have a humiliating truce. No justice, no peace.”

[bemildred]

39. Defeat and defiance among Gaza’s newest refugees

---

But at this stage, it’s possible that A. is in the minority. Another of Gaza’s residents, Shirin, sees things quite differently. “We paid a huge price. We have 600 dead. But I’m telling you, no one wants Hamas to stop now. Gaza chose resistance, not negotiations, because we saw that Israel isn’t serious. Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] failed, and we will see if Hamas’s way or Abu Mazen’s way wins out. I am convinced that Hamas will bring about the end of the blockade.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” she adds, “we are all tired of this war. But we are not ready to give up. Why should we give up? Our demands are basic, nothing out of the ordinary. Why shouldn’t we have a port or an airport? Why can’t we bring all kinds of goods into the Strip when we have a shortage of so many items?”

She doesn’t sound angry at Hamas, not for firing rockets from populated neighborhoods and not for digging tunnels near schools.

---

I asked her if she and her friends are aware of the possibility that the conflict could continue for weeks because of Hamas’s demands. “It won’t continue for much longer, because the fighting is causing significant damage to Israel and the Netanyahu government. Even more than to Hamas. That’s why Israel will give up soon. Your military action failed,” she charged, “and the number of children you killed proves it.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/defeat-and-defiance-among-gazas-newest-refugees/

[Jefferson23]

41. Thank you, Daneel. It is not the same quote, but this one carries the same intent and sentiment. n/t

[bemildred]

36. 'Day of Rage' Protests Erupt in Jerusalem and the West Bank

EAST JERUSALEM, Israel - Thousands of Israeli security forces were deployed around Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday as Palestinian leaders called for a “day of rage” after the biggest protests in years shook the West Bank overnight.

Confrontations between Palestinians and police erupted in East Jerusalem's Wadi al-Joz neighborhood after Friday prayers during a protest to show solidarity with people in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli strikes have killed more than 800 since July 8. Reuters reported that three Palestinians were shot dead in the West Bank in separate incidents involving both the Israeli army and a civilian who appeared to be a Jewish settler, medics and witnesses said. The deaths could not immediately be verified by NBC News.

It was the first time in almost a decade that the Palestinian Authority gave permission for such a march, making a dramatic shift in relations between President Mahmoud Abbas's government and Israel.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/day-rage-protests-erupt-jerusalem-west-bank-n164666

[bemildred]

9. Israel hits 30 Gaza homes, kills senior militant

Jerusalem - Israeli aircraft struck 30 houses in the Gaza Strip early on Friday, killing a leader of the militant Islamic Jihad group and two of his sons, while ground troops and Hamas gunmen fought intense battles in the north and centre of the territory, Palestinian officials said.

The Israeli military confirmed dozens of sites were hit, including what it said were Hamas command posts, but did not elaborate.

With the current round of fighting entering its 18th day, Israel's Security Cabinet was to meet later on Friday to decide whether to expand its operation or consider ideas for a cease-fire.

One plan calls for a five-day humanitarian truce during which Israel and Hamas would negotiate new border arrangements for blockaded Gaza, said Hana Amireh, a senior Palestine Liberation Organisation official in the West Bank, who is involved in cease-fire efforts.

http://www.news24.com/World/News/Israel-hits-30-Gaza-homes-kills-senior-militant-20140725-4

[bemildred]

10. Gallup poll shows low support among young Americans for Operation Protective Edge

A Gallup poll shows support among Americans for Israel during the Gaza Strip conflict is divided, and is low among younger Americans.

The poll posted on the pollster’s website Thursday showed a statistical dead heat between those who believe Israel’s actions against Hamas are justified, 42 percent, and those who believe they are unjustified, 39 percent. The difference was within the poll’s margin of error of four percentage points.

Reactions to Hamas were lopsided, with 70 percent calling the group’s actions unjustified and just 11 percent describing them as justified.

Older Americans were much likelier to say Israel’s actions were justified: 55 percent of those over 65, 53 percent of those between 50 and 64, 36 percent of those 30-49 and just 25 percent of those 18-29.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.607224

[Jefferson23]

14. This will only increase over time among the young. n/t

[bemildred]

21. Well, it's not the outcome they want to see. nt

[bravenak]

26. I'm a milenial and no one in my age group that I know supports this.

My right leaning friends do not want to keep paying for Israel's security and the lefties are looking at the death toll and the carnage. Our generation is not very pro bombing Palestinians.

[bemildred]

28. Yep. nt

[bemildred]

11. Israel soldier killed in Gaza, losses at 33: army

An Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza on Friday, taking the army's losses in the 18-day operation against Islamist foe Hamas to 33, a statement said.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/2014/07/25/israel-soldier-killed-in-gaza-losses-at-33-army

[bemildred]

13. Hamas Rockets Propel Panic at Israel Airport

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/video/hamas-rockets-propel-panic-israel-airport-n164796

[bemildred]

15. Air Canada Flight AC84 Aborts Landing at Ben Gurion Airport

An Israel-bound Air Canada passenger jet was forced to abort its landing after Hamas fired rockets at an airport on Friday. The Boeing 767 was just five miles from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport when it was advised by air traffic control to keep flying "until airspace conditions could be confirmed as safe for landing," Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur told NBC News. After altering course, Flight AC84 landed 10 minutes later at 12:07 p.m. local time (5:07 a.m. ET). The jet originated at Toronto's Pearson airport.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/air-canada-flight-ac84-aborts-landing-ben-gurion-airport-n164781

[bemildred]

16. Why Israel can no longer let the Palestinian Authority be responsible for security in the West Bank

Once again, the Israel Defense Forces have been forced to enter the Gaza Strip to fight for the safety of our citizens. We understand the risks of the current ground operation. Despite the fact that it cost me my position as deputy defense minister, I was willing to pay this personal price and vocally advocate for this operation. It was clear to me that the alternative of leaving Hamas's rocket operation and terror tunnels intact would have been disastrous for the safety and security of all Israelis.

In addition to our fight with Hamas, it is high time to reassess our relationship with the Palestinian Authority (PA). While we have no desire to control the daily lives of the Arab residents of Judea and Samaria — the historical name for the West Bank — the fact is that we can no longer continue to withdraw our security forces and rely on the PA to ensure the safety of Israelis. Numerous events throughout our region, from Israel to Iraq, have proven time and again that when Western forces withdraw and rely on local despots, militias, or even puppet regimes, the forces of Islamic fanaticism quickly fill the void — and put us all at risk.

Hamas is not a lone organization acting in a vacuum. It is a fellow traveler with extreme forces throughout the Middle East working to overthrow Western-allied governments and replace them with an Islamic caliphate operating under sharia law. Over the past few years, Western diplomats' high hopes for the popular uprisings of the Arab Spring proved short-lived. Leaders who on the surface appeared Western-oriented turned out to be either frontmen for Islamic extremists or weak leaders who could not hold onto power in this harsh region.

The current situation in Iraq is the latest example of this phenomenon. Our American friends meant well: They defeated an evil dictator with a history of horrid human rights abuses, a proven record of using weapons of mass destruction, and a record of threatening regional stability. In the aftermath of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the United States invested billions of dollars in rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure and paid an unfathomably high price in terms of American soldiers killed and wounded while attempting to rid the country of Islamist terrorists.

http://theweek.com/article/index/265228/why-israel-can-no-longer-let-the-palestinian-authority-be-responsible-for-security-in-the-west-bank

[bemildred]

17. Hamas leader: No ceasefire with Israel

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas leader and member of parliament Mushir al-Masri said on Friday that the group had not agreed on a ceasefire with Israel, despite tentative reports that an agreement had been worked out.

"There is no ceasefire with Israel at this stage and the resistance still has much to surprise the Israelis with," he said.

Al-Masri added that the resistance is "running the battle wisely."

"Israel is looking for a delusional victory through their massacres, killing children, and destroying houses on the heads of their residents," al-Masri said.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=716105

[bemildred]

18. Iran Gives Gaza Palestinians Huge Show of Support

ANKARA —

Iranians took part in huge rallies across the country on Friday to show solidarity with Palestinians, urging them to keep up their struggle despite the Israeli assault on Gaza, Iranian state television reported.

Footage showed hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating in the capital Tehran. They chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” and carried pictures of Palestinian children killed in Gaza, along with banners reading “Defending Gaza and Palestine is our religious duty.”

State media said “millions” of people joined the rallies nationwide, called to mark Iran's annual day of solidarity with Palestinians, al-Quds Day, on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Quds is the Arabic word for Jerusalem, one of the most important cities in the Muslim faith.

Iran’s late spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had decreed the annual commemoration of struggle against Israel and for the city’s liberation.

http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-gives-gaza-palestinians-huge-show-of-support/1965001.html

[bemildred]

19. . nt

[Jefferson23]

23. Lapid on CNN, recommending people fly to Israel...all is safe. Ted Cruz accusing Obama of politics

with FAA.

[shaayecanaan]

25. Some mixed messages there...

On the one hand, woe is us, Israel, we live in fear of our lives, the Arabs want to throw us into the sea, on the other hand, come to Israel, everything is safe.

[Jefferson23]

29. Yes, exactly. There was a Rabbi on CNN just minutes ago stating while he, with his congreation

which included children, are safe. The CNN journalist said, but you were nervous, with
hearing the rockets, didn't you duck into a US Embassy? We did duck into the embassy, but
I will tell you, I would not tell you we were nervous, we were cautious. The first day we
were in a shop we heard an explosion, we came out, took pictures of the Iron Dome and
we then continued to go shopping.

I fucking kid you not, that is what he recounted.

[bemildred]

27. Most people don't vacation in war zones. Duh. nt

[Jefferson23]

30. Israeli officials have convinced me they will say anything to not give Hamas an edge in the press.

[bemildred]

31. Yeah, words are just weapons, meaning does not matter as long as you can hit out.

See it here all the time, but it's SOP for any contentious political issues, hordes of paid and unpaid partisans duking it out with words on the internet, and largely with negative aims, to suppress and shut up, not to elucidate and inform.

[Jefferson23]

33. True, but in the case of the airport, I will be waiting to see what the FAA decides.

I can only imagine what messages they are receiving about security right now.

[bemildred]

35. They are between a rock and a hard place. nt

[bemildred]

37. Gaza officials accuse Israel of war crimes at ICC

PARIS (AP) -- Top Palestinian officials have filed a complaint to the International Criminal Court, accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza.

Palestinian Justice Minister Saleem Al-Saqqa and Ismail Jabr, the Gaza court public prosecutor, started legal proceedings Friday via a Paris-based lawyer over the 18 days of fighting between Hamas and Israel that's left 800 Palestinians and 35 Israelis dead.

They accuse Israel of war crimes, including apartheid, attacks against civilians, excessive loss of human life and colonization.

To process the complaint, the Hague-based court must first rule if it has jurisdiction in the Palestinian Authority. The territory isn't a U.N. member but became an observer in 2012, a status the ICC chief prosecutor said was required for Palestinians to sign up to the court.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_ISRAEL_WAR_CRIMES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-07-25-11-15-24

[Jefferson23]

42. Gaza Reporter's Family Killed in Israeli Assault

Middle East correspondent Yousef Al-Helou shares his story of how his home was targeted by an Israeli airstrike

July 23, 2014

JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jessica Desvarieux in Baltimore.

We are now joined by one of our Middle East correspondents, Yousef Al-Helou, for a special report.

Yousef, thank you so much for joining us.

YOUSEF AL-HELOU, TRNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Jessica.

DESVARIEUX: So, Yousef, my condolences, because I know that you just got word that 12 of your family members were recently killed in Gaza. Can you just describe for us what you know about the situation?

AL-HELOU: Well, the Israeli attacks on Gaza continued unabated, you know, regular airstrikes and random tank shelling. And today, Khuza'a, a village which is situated in the eastern part of Khan Yunis, is facing the same fate as Shuja'iyya. More than 55 people have been killed and that massacre--this is how people call it.

So the people in Gaza, of course, they are terrified. And these random shellings and airstrikes have forced residents in different locations in Gaza to seek shelter at UN-run schools.

And I've lost, sadly, 12 members of my extended family, and it's really sad to hear this sad news. And my house was targeted and sustained huge damage. Obviously, it's not the first house and it's not going to be the last as long as Israel can carry out these horrendous airstrikes, randomly killing, shelling people, killing children, attacking civilian properties, hospitals, mosques, public buildings, even without warning people, occupants in the house. So death tolls keeps rising.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=12150

[bemildred]

50. Int'l press body says Israel must be held accountable for attacks on journalists

http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2389451&Language=en

[Jefferson23]

53. Horrific, but see what I mean? They're not even done yet and the outrage is out there.

I don't believe these calls will stop.

[bemildred]

48. IDF’s southern commander: Hamas losing morale, but we need more time

Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip are weakening and losing morale “in all parameters,” the commander of IDF forces in southern Israel said Friday, but added that the troops on the ground needed more time to completely root out terror tunnels burrowing into Israel.

"The spirit of the Hamas terrorists is weakening,” Southern Region Commander Maj. Gen. Shlomo “Sami” Turgeman said during a press conference with Israeli media outlets. “I see terrorists in distress, abandoned by their commanders who deserted them at the front and stayed behind… and facing them, our reserve and standing army units led by commanders at the vanguard.”

Turgeman went on to assert that the IDF was claiming significant victories against Hamas on all fronts, and was sufficiently prepared both on the defensive and the offensive side.

“Every day of combat over there is a day of accomplishments for us, both on the issue of tunnels and on the issue of enemy units,” he said.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/idfs-southern-commander-hamas-losing-morale-but-we-need-more-time/

[bemildred]

51. Make no mistake, Israel is targeting citizens in Gaza

When John Kerry said, “some pinpoint operation,” he was asking the obvious question: Why is it that over half the people Israel has killed in Gaza are women and children? More than 150 children. If Israel is trying to avoid hitting civilians, why are over 70 percent of the casualties civilians?

Israel claims it is because Hamas has been using civilians as human shields, but U.N. investigators disproved that claim when Israel made the same claim in 2009. The real explanation is much simpler: Israel is not really trying to avoid killing civilians.

Israel is bombing densely populated areas. Its warnings to civilians have been inadequate and ineffective. A video shows Israel bombing a home 57 seconds after a warning was given — not enough time to escape the blast. Israel told 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate their homes at once — an impossible task in a war zone.

The warnings are mostly for show. Israel is publicizing them to try to excuse its indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas. Indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas meets the definition of a war crime.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/07/25/make-mistake-israel-targeting-citizens-gaza/13159377/

[rateyes]

52. Israel rejected it. They own it now.

[bemildred]

54. Israeli Ambassador Slams CNN for ‘Disservice to Your Viewers’ in Israel–Gaza Coverage

The Israeli ambassador to the United States accused CNN of omitting important details in its coverage of a shelled United Nations shelter in Gaza resulting in the death of 15 Palestinian civilians.

Ambassador Ron Dermer challenged host Erin Burnett about why CNN did “not think that it’s relevant” to note that U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki Moon warned that Hamas is using schools and shelters as “weapon depots.”

“I’ve been listening to two hours of reports on CNN. . . . I have not heard a single person say what I just said to you now,” Dermer said. “I think that does a disservice to your viewers to not give them the context they need to make these judgments.”

Dermer said he did not know whether Israel or Hamas had hit the shelter, but he said the media were at fault ”for not connecting the dots” in holding Hamas ultimately responsible for putting civilians at risk with its tactics.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/383755/israeli-ambassador-slams-cnn-disservice-your-viewers-israel-gaza-coverage-andrew

[bemildred]

55. Palestinian boy once treated in L.A. finds himself under fire again

Abdullah Alathamna was 7 years old the first time the Israeli military shelled his family's home in the northern Gaza Strip in 2006. In a blink, he lost his mother, two sisters and his right foot.

The attack was a mistake, Israeli officials later said. Ehud Olmert, then Israel's prime minister, apologized and said soldiers had misfired while targeting Hamas militants who had launched rockets into Israel.

n time, Abdullah's father remarried, had more children and built a new home in the neighborhood of Beit Hanoun. Abdullah, who had undergone a botched surgery in Egypt immediately after the attack, spent much of the next several years getting the damage corrected. A nonprofit organization that provides medical treatment to injured Palestinian children paid for him to visit hospitals in the United States and Dubai.

In 2010, he spent two months in Los Angeles, where he was fitted with an artificial leg.

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-palestinian-boy-prosthetic-20140724-story.html

[Jefferson23]

56. Unspeakable acts..wake the fuck up, Netanyahu.

On Friday night, with Gaza engulfed in another bloody confrontation between Israeli forces and Hamas, Abdullah’s home was once again struck by Israeli bombs. Shrapnel lodged in his back and in his left leg. It also damaged his prosthetic leg, making it unusable.

He and his family members, who were shaken and bloodied in the attack but who did not suffer life-threatening injuries, fled the home in their pajamas. Abdullah was unable to walk, so his father and grandfather took turns carrying him.

For the last several days the family has been living in their car outside a United Nations-run school in the refugee camp of Jabaliya.

[azurnoir]

57. Israel has unanimously rejected Kerry's offer

http://www.timesofisrael.com/two-killed-in-fierce-clashes-near-jerusalem-rocket-downed-over-eilat/#ixzz38VJdU6iC

[Jefferson23]

59. Into the abyss they go, azurnoir.

Two soldiers killed, and former MIA formally confirmed as dead; Kerry ceasefire plan: stop fighting now, start talks 48 hours later; 5 Palestinians said killed in West Bank clashes after Hamas urges Third Intifada; IDF gen. says Hamas morale weakening

Hamas' morale is weakening? Really??

[azurnoir]

60. well earlier ToI had as part of header "Hamas inclined to accept Kerry cease fire"

that and all reference to it is gone vanished

[Jefferson23]

64. Good catch...thanks. n/t

[azurnoir]

65. actually it surprised me and I was going to post it n/t

[Jefferson23]

66. Yea, makes you wonder what they were told before they yanked it. n/t

[JimDandy]

62. Hamas has unanimously rejected Kerry's offer

See posts #3 and #17.

[Jefferson23]

69. Israel agrees to 12-hour cease-fire

Intensive efforts underway to bring about cease-fire ● IDF confirms death of Sgt. previously declared missing ● Palestinian officials file complaint against Israel to International Criminal Court ● Six Palestinians killed in West Bank.

By Haaretz | Jul. 25, 2014 | 12:26 AM |

Israel's Operation Protective Edge entered its 18th day on Friday, marking the 8th day of the IDF's ground incursion into the Gaza Strip.

Two Palestinians were killed near the Qalandiyah checkpoint in the West Bank and over 200 were wounded, many of them by live IDF fire, when some 10,000 protesters marched from Ramallah toward Jerusalem late on Thursday night. Israeli authorities say live fire was fired at IDF troops from with the crowd. Four Palestinians have been killed during Friday demonstrations.

In Gaza, the Palestinian death toll in Gaza since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge surpassed the 800 mark, most of them since Israel entered Gaza a week ago.

Sgt. Oron Shaul, previously declared missing, was officially declared "killed in action" by the IDF. Israel military fatalities stand at 35 since the operation commenced. 134 soldiers are currently hospitalized due to wounds incurred in the fighting, and one soldier is missing.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.607184

[Jefferson23]

70. IDF determines Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, previously considered missing, is dead

Special committee led by Chief Rabbi of the IDF concludes that Shaul is 'a soldier killed in action whose burial site is unknown.'

By Gili Cohen | 18:08 25.07.14 |

The IDF determined on Friday that Givati Brigade soldier Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul died in battle, and defined him as "a soldier killed in action whose burial site is unknown."

[Jefferson23]

71. 12-hour ceasefire to begin at 7 a.m. as Gaza death toll hits 867

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas and Israel announced late Friday a 12-hour ceasefire to take place beginning Saturday morning, as the day's death toll in the Israeli assault on Gaza topped 67 amid an intense sunset barrage that killed at least 14.

"Israel has agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire from 7:00 a.m. Saturday," said the US official traveling with Secretary of State John Kerry, who was leaving Cairo without securing a longer ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas.

The announcement came immediately after the Israeli cabinet rejected another proposal by Kerry which would have involved a ceasefire followed by negotiations.

For his part, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Hamas and all other militant factions in the Gaza Strip had also agreed to the humanitarian ceasefire.

Netanyahu's government previously said it wanted a ceasefire that would allow its troops to remain inside Gaza in order to destroy tunnels, which it insists that Palestinian militant groups to strike Israeli soldiers across the border. Although they have used these tactics since Israel invaded last week, groups have rarely used it previously.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=716245

[Jefferson23]

72. Israeli army figures suggest only 30% of Gaza dead are militants

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Israeli military said in a statement on Friday that it had killed 240 "militants" in the Gaza Strip since it began a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip last week.

More than 830 Palestinians have been killed in the assault according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, meaning that according to the army's numbers less than 30 percent of those killed have been combatants.

The new figures are quite close to those of Palestinian rights groups inside Gaza, who have claimed that around 80 percent of the dead have been civilians.

The Israeli military has repeatedly emphasized that it has done its utmost to avoid civilian casualties, but the widespread killing of civilians -- including the shelling of four UN-designated shelters in the last three days -- has raised alarm among international watchdogs.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=716174

[Jefferson23]

73. Palestinian minister goes to ICC over Israel offensive

PARIS (AFP) -- A French lawyer said Friday he had lodged a complaint at the International Criminal Court on behalf of the Palestinian justice minister accusing the Israeli army of "war crimes."

More than 800 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza, launched on July 8 in response to Hamas militants firing rockets into Israel.

The complaint targets "war crimes committed by the Israeli army in June and July 2014 in Palestine" in the context of the operation known as Protective Edge, Gilles Devers told reporters.

"Israel, the occupying power, is carrying out a military operation which in principle and form violates the basis of international law," he said.

"Every day new crimes are committed and over 80 percent of the victims are civilians. Children, women, hospitals, UN schools ... the Israeli soldiers respect nothing.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=716175

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

74. The one thing about that is that Hamas will have to be judged with the same measure.

Which is fine by me.

[Jefferson23]

75. Anyone...you play it bad, you get tried and pay..yep.

We'll have to see how Abbas uses it, if at all.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

76. Perhaps if Abu Mazen plays it right and negotiates with Israel in fairness

he will wind up giving most of the West bank and Gaza away in exchange for a timeshare in Miami.

[Jefferson23]

77. Israel, Hamas, may extend cease-fire by 4 hours

Three IDF soldiers killed overnight; Palestinian death toll passes 1,000
Israel, Hamas, may extend cease-fire by 4 hours ● 7 foreign ministers in Paris call to extend the humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza ● IDF death toll rises to 40.

By Haaretz | Jul. 26, 2014 | 7:16 PM |

Israel's Operation Protective Edge entered its 19th day on Saturday, marking the ninth day of the Israel Defense Forces' ground incursion into the Gaza Strip.

A 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire went into effect at 8 A.M., during which the IDF continued to destroy Hamas' tunnel network. On Friday, Israel's security cabinet rejected a proposal brought forth by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to end the fighting and begin negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Five soldiers were killed and 35 were wounded in fighting in Gaza since Friday evening. The fallen are Staff Sgt. Guy Boyland, 21, from Ginosar; Amit Yeori, 20, from Jerusaleml Roy Peles, 21, from Tel Aviv; Avraham Grintzvaig, 21, from Petah Tikva; and Gal Bason, 21, from Holon. Since Operation Protective Edge began, 40 Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, the death toll in the Gaza operation has passed the 1,000 mark. Palestinian officials have filed a complaint to the International Criminal Court, accusing Israel of war crimes.

Meanwhile, Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces continued to clash in the West Bank.

Latest updates

7:24 P.M. Police reverses ban on protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, due to reports of an extension of the cease-fire until 12:00 A.M, the organizers of the demonstration say. Earlier it was reported that police forbade demonstrations against and for the Gaza operations from taking place in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, due to the threat of rockets from Gaza. (Zafrir Rinat)

6:55 P.M. UN envoy Robert Serry says efforts underway to broker an extension of the humanitarian pause for an additional extendable period of 24 hours, to allow vital humanitarian efforts to continue.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.607272

[Jefferson23]

78. Iran, Hezbollah break with Assad to support Hamas

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The current war in Gaza has witnessed renewed contact between Hamas on the one hand, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other, following two years of a chill in relations.

A political official in Hamas confirmed to Al-Monitor that Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas’ politburo, has recently received phone calls from Tehran initiated by Ali Larijani, chairman of the Shura Council, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and a senior Revolutionary Guard officer whose name he did not mention.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called Meshaal on July 20. This was the first official contact between Hezbollah and Hamas since April, a Hamas official informed Al-Monitor.

Hezbollah’s official website reported that, during his phone call with Meshaal, “Nasrallah praised the steadfastness of the resistance fighters in Gaza,” stressing that he “stands next to the Palestinian resistance and supports its conditions to end the battle.”

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/nasralla-relation-renewed-hamas.html#ixzz38avGdJGb

[Jefferson23]

79. IDF names four soldiers killed in Gaza

IDF death toll rises to 40, as military clears for publication the names of four more soldiers killed during Gaza op in last 24-hours, before ceasefire came into effect.

Yoav Zitun
Published: 07.26.14, 17:23

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4550183,00.html

[Jefferson23]

80. In light of ceasefire, police allows protests in Tel Aviv to take place

Following the government's decision to extend the humanitarian ceasefire until midnight, the police decided to allow the protests that were planned to take place in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv.

Earlier Saturday, the police called the public not to attend the protests following Home Front Command security assessments.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4550244,00.html

[Jefferson23]

81. Israel agrees to extend pause in fighting until midnight Sunday

LIVE UPDATES: Rockets fired at Israel's south and center ● 2 IDF soldiers die of wounds, bringing death toll to 42 ● Palestinian death toll passes 1,000.


By Haaretz | Jul. 26, 2014 | 12:08 AM |

11:59 P.M. The Israeli security cabinet voted to ascend to the UN's request and to approve a humanitarian pause in fighting until midnight Sunday. During this period, the IDF will continue to neutralize Gaza tunnels and will respond to violations of the pause. The cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss the next step in the military operation in Gaza. (Barak Ravid)

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.607272

[Jefferson23]

82. What the U.S. military can and cannot learn from the IDF's Gaza operation

Though both armies are fighting Muslim insurgencies, international backlash for Israeli operations and different long-term objectives complicate the comparison. But Israel is still considered the world's 'war laboratory.'

By Noah Smith | 21:37 26.07.14 |

An old joke that made the rounds amongst United States military officers involved with doctrine research went, “At first, the Israeli army admired the American army, then the American army admired the Israeli army, then they admired each other, then they both realized neither one knew what they were doing.”

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.607315