Hamas denies Gaza hands in attacks in Israel

English.news.cn   2011-08-18 22:34:26

GAZA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza Strip ruler Hamas movement denied Thursday Israeli reports that assailants who struck in the Israeli city of Eilat came from the strip.

"The Israeli accusations against Gaza is an attempt to export Israel's internal crisis to Gaza," said Taher Al-Nounou, spokesman for the Hamas government.

Ahmed Yousef, a former adviser to Hamas, said the attacks in Eilat were "a natural response to the Israeli aggressions and to the stalemate of the peace process in the region."

At least five Israelis were killed and dozens wounded in the attacks in the famous Red Sea city of Eilat Thursday noon, as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that these attacks were plotted in Gaza.
"The attacks demonstrate the weakening of Egypt's control over the Sinai peninsula and the expansion of terrorist activity there, " Barak was quoted as saying. "These attacks originated in Gaza and we will act against them with full force and resolve."

The Gaza Strip is controlled by the Islamic Hamas movement, which said last week that it will tighten security along Gaza- Egypt border to restrict the illegal movement of the people through underground smuggling tunnels.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-08/18/c_131059056.htm

Quartet condemns expansion of Israeli settlements

Wednesday, 17 August 2011 09:56

Samar Mohaisen

Palestine, (Pal Telegraph)-The middle east Quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nation condemned on Wednesday the ongoing construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to Israeli newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth", the condemnation came as a formal statement from the Quartet implying great concern over the new decisions issued recently by Israeli government to construct more settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel has announced the construction of 1600 settlement units in the East Jerusalem, 277 settlement units in Ariel settlement in the southwest of Nablus, and 950 settlement units in Abu Ghnaim mountain in Jerusalem.

The newspaper added that the United States expressed concern over the new Israeli's decisions that will obstacle the peace process in the area.

Israeli new actions were taken as a result of the biggest protests in Israel held against housing shortage and high living costs.

http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/9879-quartet-condemns-expansion-of-israeli-settlements.html

Army Bombards Rafah Killing Six Palestinians; Child Killed In Gaza City

Thursday August 18, 2011 20:51 by Saed Bannora & George Rishmawi - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Thursday evening that six Palestinians, including a senior resistance leader, and a child, were killed when the Israeli Air Force fired missiles into a home in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. A Child was also killed and five residents were injured when the army bombarded Gaza City.

The sources stated that the Israeli Air Force fired a missile at the house of one of the leaders of the Popular Resistance Committees in Al Sho’outh neighborhood in Rafah, killing six Palestinians.

Three of them are leaders of the Popular Resistance committees, while one of the three was identified as Awad An-Nairab, the Secretary-General of the Committees. Adham Abu Salmiyya, spokesperson of the Emergency and Medical Services in Gaza, reported that the bodies of four of the slain residents were severely mutilated due to the blast, and that one of them is 2-year-old child.

Besides An-Nairab, the slain residents were identified as Imad Hammad, leader of the Salah Ed-Deen Brigades, Khaled Shaath, and his son Malak, 2 years old, Imad Nassr, and Khaled Al Masry.

In another Israeli military escalation, a 13-year-old child was killed, and 18 other civilians were injured when the army bombarded several areas in northern Gaza and in Gaza City.

The child was identified as Mahmoud Abu Samra. Children and women were among the wounded; they were all moved to the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

The large number of casualties came due to Israeli army bombardment of a home in northern Gaza and a home west Gaza City.

Local sources reported that the Israeli Army and Air Force bombarded several targets in the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, including a training site for the Al Qassam Brigades of Hamas west of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Two more areas were bombarded east of Khan Younis, in addition to a target in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, leading to explosions in Gaza pipelines and destruction to several structures.

On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, vowed to strike Gaza following attacks that targeted Eilat Coastal city, leading to the death of eight Israelis and the injury of more than twenty, five seriously. Barak said that the attackers came from the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Daily, Haaretz, reported that 15-20 fighters from Gaza managed to cross the border carrying rifles, grenades and explosives.

Haaretz added that the fighters killed eight Israelis and wounded more than 30 others in the attack.

It stated that this attack was planned by the Popular Resistance Committee in the Gaza Strip, and that the fighters managed to infiltrate from the Gaza Strip into the Sinai desert through tunnels, and then travelled nearly 200 kilometers to an area that is only protected with tattered wire fence, 15 kilometers north of Eilat. They then opened fire at a bus carrying Israeli soldiers north of Netafim Crossing.

Haaretz further stated that the soldiers managed to kill five of the fighters while the Egyptian Security Forces killed two of them. Israel believes that at least 15-20 fighters participated in the attack, and that most of them managed to escape.

The army believes that the fighters intended to kidnap an Israeli soldier, and that, due to previous warnings, troops increased their presence in the area.

Israeli Air Strike Kills Six Palestinians In Gaza
George Rishmawi, IMEMC & Agencies, Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:51:29

Israeli air force bombarded the Gaza Strip killing at least six Palestinians and wounding some others, Thursday evening.

Palestinian medical sources said six were killed, three of which were leaders of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) in Al-Shu'outh area in Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

The shelling comes hours after a deadly attack that targeted two Israeli buses and two other vehicles in southern Israel killing seven Israelis and wounding around 31 others, one in critical condition.

The Palestine Information Center said the airstrike targeted the house of Abu Awad Al-Nairab, Secretary General of the PRC. He and Imad Hammad leader of Salah Eddin Brigade the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees and a third leader of PRC were killed in the strike.

Abu Mjuahid, spokesperson of Salah Eddin brigade, the armed wing of the PRC said that Israel opened the door for retaliation by bombarding Rafah.

gaza strip | israeli attacks | news report george at imemc dot org

Rafah - Thursday August 18 - Palestine-Info

http://www.imemc.org/article/61854

Palestine UN Observer: “Settlements Jeopardize Peace Efforts”

Thursday August 18, 2011 02:19 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, stated Wednesday that Israel’s insistence on constructing and expanding its illegal settlements in the occupied territories jeopardize all efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Illegal Israeli Settlement - File, Image alnaharegypt.com

Mansour said that peace must be based on a full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, including occupied East Jerusalem.

He also sent a letter to the UN Secretary General, the head of the UN Security Council and the head of the General Assembly.

In his letter, Mansour stated that Israel recently announced a new plan to build 2500 units for Jewish settlers in two illegal settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.

On August 15, Israel announced it will be constructing 277 units in the Ariel illegal settlement, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. The announcement followed a previous plan that was approved the Israel government aiming at building 2800 units in the occupied territories.

Mansour strongly denounced the plans and said that they show Israel’s lack of interest in achieving peace with the Palestinians, adding that Israel wants to change the demography of Jerusalem before any peace agreement is reached.

The ambassador further stated that the Palestinian leadership strongly denounces all Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the illegal and internationally outlawed, Annexation Wall, in the West Bank.

He added that the International Community, the Quartet (UN, US, EU and Russia) must act and oblige Israel to stop the construction and expansion of settlements, and that all Israeli measures will not be recognized by the International Community as they are illegitimate.

Mansour said that the idleness of the International community and the Security Council is encouraging Israel to go ahead with its violations aiming at voiding any chances for a real and comprehensive peace agreement based on the two-state solution.

He also denounced the Israeli military escalation against the Gaza Strip, and the ongoing illegal siege. The most recent attack was carried out by the Israeli army on Tuesday, August 16, when the army bombarded civilian areas in Gaza killing a 29-year-old Palestinian, and a 17-year-old mentally challenged youth who was hit by more than 10 rounds of live ammunition.

Also on Tuesday, soldiers rammed their jeep into a Palestinian resident from Sur Baher, east of occupied East Jerusalem, leading to his death.

Mansour concluded by stating that the International Community must provide protection to the Palestinian people, and must hold Israel accountable “for its crimes, acts of terror, and violations of human rights”. 

http://www.imemc.org/article/61851

In a New Crime, Israeli Military Kills Disabled Child in Central Gaza

Thursday August 18, 2011 00:48 by PCHR

On Tuesday evening, 16 August 2011, the Israeli military killed a Palestinian child from al-Nussairat refugee camp, who was 400 meters from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

The victim's family told a PCHR field worker that their child had a mental disability. The victim was in an area that had not been explicitly declared as prohibited.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 18:00 on Tuesday, 16 August 2011, Israeli soldiers stationed at the border northeast of Deir al-Balah opened fire at a Palestinian, who was nearly 400 meters from the border. As a result, he was wounded by 10 bullets in his head and chest.

He was left wounded without being offered any first aid. After coordination was made with IOF, at approximately 19:20, medical crews were able to retrieve the body, which was then transferred to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

After four hours later, the child was identified as Sa'd Abdul Rahim Mahmoud al-Majdalwai, 17, from al-Nussairat refugee camp. He was hit by 10 live bullets mostly to the head. In his testimony to PCHR, the victim's father said that his son had been suffering from a mental disability and a speech impairment.

The Israeli radio reported that IOF observed a person approaching the security fence, and shot him. This version of events confirms that IOF could have arrested or used less than lethal force against him, especially as he was wearing civilian clothes and there was nothing to indicate that he was a non-civilian.

It should be noted that on Tuesday morning, the Gaza Strip witnessed several shooting and shelling attacks on civilian areas and military training sites. As a result of this shelling and shooting, a Palestinian resistance man was killed and two others were seriously wounded in Gaza City. A child and another person were wounded in Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip.

PCHR condemns and expresses concerned over this crime, and:

1. Asserts that these crimes are part of a series of war crimes committed by IOF in the oPt, which reflect total disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians.

2. Calls upon the international community to take immediate action in order to put an end to such crimes. PCHR further renews its demand for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligation under Article 1, which stipulates "the High Contracting Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances," as well as their obligations under Article 146 which requires that the Contracting Parties prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and under Protocol I Additional to Geneva Conventions. 

http://www.imemc.org/article/61850