Israeli airstrike on Gaza home kills 10, mostly children

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By FARES AKRAM and JOSEPH KRAUSS

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli air raid on a densely populated refugee camp in Gaza City killed at least 10 Palestinians from an extended family, mostly children, early Saturday in the deadliest single strike of the current battle with Gaza’s Hamas rulers. Both sides pressed for an advantage as cease-fire efforts gathered strength.

The latest outburst of violence began in Jerusalem and has spread across the region, with Jewish-Arab clashes and rioting in mixed cities of Israel. There were also widespread Palestinian protests Friday in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces shot and killed 11 people.

The spiraling violence has raised fears of a new Palestinian “intifada,” or uprising at a time when there have been no peace talks in years. Palestinians on Saturday were marking Nakba (Catastrophe) Day, when they commemorate the estimated 700,000 people who were expelled from or fled their homes in what was now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation. That raised the possibility of even more unrest.

U.S. diplomat Hady Amr arrived Friday as part of Washington’s efforts to de-escalate the conflict, and the U.N. Security Council was set to meet Sunday. But Israel turned down an Egyptian proposal for a one-year truce that Hamas rulers had accepted, an Egyptian official said Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations.



An Israeli artillery unit fires toward targets in Gaza Strip, at the Israeli Gaza border, Saturday, May 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/israel-west-bank-gaza-middle-east-israel-palestinian-conflict-7974cc0c03897b8b21e5fc2f8c7d8a79

[Lonestarblue]

1. It's time to return Jerusalem to international control.

Jerusalem is a flashpoint for both Jews and Muslims. Resolution 194 that was to establish two states also established Jerusalem as an international city under UN control. It should never have been allowed to be under Israel’s control because Jerusalem is a holy city for all three Abrahamic religions.

Israelis have threatened for years to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in all of Islam. The right wing wants to rebuild the Jewish temple that once stood on the site a few thousand years ago. And then Israelis wonder why Palestinians fight for their religious sites!

This whole mess started during Ramadan, an extremely important religious observance for Muslims, and much of the tension seems to have been caused by Israeli police.

“Tensions started to brew at the start of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan in mid-April when Israeli police put up barriers at the Damascus Gate on the north side of Jerusalem’s walled Old City, where Muslim worshippers gather after their evening prayers at the Al-Asqa Mosque.

Thousands of Palestinians descended on the area to protest the policy, with dozens hurt in clashes with police and nationalist Israelis that saw crowds hurl firecrackers, stones and other objects while police responded with stun grenades and water cannons.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/explainer-how-did-latest-israeli-palestinian-crisis-emerge-n1267399

The Israeli police also entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque and continued the fighting there, which further aggravated the tensions. The violation of a holy site seems to have been the final straw, and Hamas took the opportunity to start shooting rockets.

Hamas and militant Palestinians are not innocent, but over the years Israel has often been the provocateur with their land grabs in the West Bank and their razing of Palestinian homes to make space for Jewish settlers. There are many things to admire about Israel, but in my view their treatment of the Palestinians is not one of those things.

[seta1950]

27. Very well said

Why do the Israelis have to in the mosque at all, that’s what Ariel Sharon did before and started a war. Jerusalem belongs to all not to just Israel.

[Beastly Boy]

29. Not sure if this is realistic, or how this will stop the violence.

Firstly, Hamas doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist, and Israel doesn't recognize Hamas as a legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. All the negotiations over the fate of Jerusalem have involved the Palestinian Authority, and not Hamas.

Secondly, there are seemingly irreconcilable frictions between the PA and Hamas, with the latter gaining ground in both the political and military terms. Until the leadership issues are resolved among the Palestinians internally, there is no one for Israel to negotiate with, and should Hamas prevail, Israel is looking forward to the prospect of negotiating with a hostile power whose goal is the complete destruction of Israel.

How are the negotiations over the fate of Jerusalem conceivable under these circumstances? And how will the change in status of Jerusalem stop the rockets from being launched from Gaza, which is now in full control of Hamas?

[roamer65]

31. The Roman Empire had the right idea.

Invade the whole of the region and force peace upon it.

It may have to be done again.

[Beastly Boy]

36. If you are OK with burning Al Aqsa to a crisp, exiling the Jews and feeding Christians to the

lions, it might work...

[roamer65]

39. Hmmm...feeding ilk like MTG to lions...

[Humanist_Activist]

2. The killing ratio between these two sides is like 10:1...

with about 10 Palestinians killed for every Israeli killed, whether "combatants" or not. Why is this termed as "clashes", that would indicate that both sides are on equal footing, when this isn't the case. This looks more like a superpower smashing an oppressed population.

[Major Nikon]

3. It's not really that simple

Hamas receives funding from all over the world from groups of people who will never accept peace with Israel on any terms. The only reason it's been relatively quiet there for the past decade or so is because there was a worldwide crackdown on so-called Palestinian charities that were in actuality funneling money for terrorism.

It's more like a proxy war with a population oppressed by both sides caught in the middle.

[Dial H For Hero]

4. Israel does not consult the Marquess of Queensberry for war doctrine.

There is no ratio of casualties that is unacceptable because it isn't "sporting" enough. That being said, Israel is showing remarkable restraint under the circumstances. Were their primary goal to be inflicting civilian casualties, rest assured that the ratio would thousands to one or more.

[Humanist_Activist]

5. The United States also showed "remarkable restraint" when attacking Iraq and Afganistan, not...

exactly a ringing endorsement of either conflict.

[oldsoftie]

7. Exactly. They even WARN areas about to be bombed

They've even dropped "dummy" bombs before the real ones to get people to MOVE
But Hamas urges civilians to stay in harms way for the worldwide optics.

[seta1950]

30. But

They are the ones who started this🙁

[oldsoftie]

6. Blame Hamas for launching attacks from civilian areas

And headquartering inside HOSPITALS

[Humanist_Activist]

10. Gaza is one of the most densily populated places on the planet...

and Hamas' military branches are engaged in what are classic guerilla tactics. But on a practical level, what military areas would they launch their attacks from? How are they any different than irregulars in other wars/occupations?

[EX500rider]

11. Gaza has lots of empty spaces between cities they could base from.

If they cared at all about civilian casualties on their side.
And launching hundreds of rockets at Israeli population centers in the attempt to kill as many civilians as they can is hardly "classic guerilla tactics".

[Humanist_Activist]

13. That map is misleading, particularly in mapping out the built up areas...

and not mentioning the exclusion zone.

Better map.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Gaza_Strip_Access_Restrictions.pdf

It appears that while there are many areas that are wide open, most aren't as close to the border as you would want to fire rockets from, not to mention the lack of cover from such positions. From a tactical standpoint, firing from within the cities or some built up areas makes sense.

[EX500rider]

14. "firing from within the cities or some built up areas makes sense"

If you don't care at all about civilian casualties on your side it does, yes.

[Humanist_Activist]

18. This is how asymmetrical war is fought, I'm sure they care...

after all, its not like their families aren't in the crossfire. But they probably also think that the risk is worth it to get out from under the thumb of the Israeli government.

[EX500rider]

20. "This is how asymmetrical war is fought"

Actually no, asymmetrical warfare is using novel tactics to attack the other sides military forces, launching unguided rockets at civilian centers is just plain terrorism and a war crime.

[Humanist_Activist]

55. They attack by whatever means and opportunity presents itself...

These aren't smart bombs, that's part of why Israeli casualties are so low. I don't understand what is so difficult to understand here. They aren't acting irrationally given their beliefs and goals. I'm not saying they are innocent but neither is the Israeli government.

[EX500rider]

59. Israel does have military bases and air bases they could aim at instead of cities

[Beastly Boy]

44. Let me see if I understand your argument:

Given a choice between separating military targets from civilian population and gaining half a mile proximity for rockets to be launched into heavily populated civilian areas, it "makes sense" to sacrifice your women and children in order to get more of the enemy's women and children... Did I get it right?

[EX500rider]

82. "most aren't as close to the border as you would want to fire rockets from"

A few miles either way won't make any difference with the range the rockets have, Hama's just wants to use their own citizens to hide behind.

[oldsoftie]

16. How 'bout NOT launching attacks at all?

KNOWING you're going to get your own people killed?
Novel idea for terrorists, yeah, but still a good idea.
DONE with the pity party for those who are responsible for their own misery

[maxsolomon]

58. Done with pity for dead children, then.

Old, but not exactly a Softie.

[oldsoftie]

65. Not when it comes to the same old crap, I guess not.

Every time there's supposed to be an election in Gaza, they start shit & Abbas "postpones" it. Been doing it for over a DECADE.
THEY are responsible for their dead children by letting Hamas work among them

[joetheman]

54. Blame Israeli settlers for starting this by shooting Palestinians in a Mosque preparing for a march

[Mosby]

67. Do you have a link for that?

[joetheman]

75. Here is one. Looks to me like others were removed because I can't find them now. nt

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-armed-settlers-lod-mosque-attacked-night-curfew

[joetheman]

76. HISTORY!

https://cpj.org/reports/2002/05/israel-cases/

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Gaza tower containing media offices collapses after Israeli strike

A tower block in Gaza, housing the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera news outlets, has collapsed after being hit by an Israeli strike.

The building had been evacuated beforehand after the owner received a warning by Israel in advance of the attack, Reuters news agency says.

In a statement released shortly afterwards, the Israeli military said the building housed military assets belonging to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-57126742

[joetheman]

9. If you want to make it a fair fight, give the Palestinians the same weapons Israel has.

And stop bitching about Iran aiding and supplying Hamas as we continue to arm and aid Israel with superior weapons.

[EX500rider]

12. So do you think Hamas would warn people to evacuate buildings first like the Israeli's do?

I think we know the answer to that.

[Humanist_Activist]

15. Actually I don't see why they wouldn't, if put on equal footing...

for the simple fact that they are well aware of what bad PR it is to kill thousands, Hamas is pragmatic as fundamentalist groups go, and would make the same calculation that the IDF does now.

They know that their rockets aren't a massive threat to Israel's civilian population, with most deaths being attributed to luck more than anything else. But it also massively disrupts people's lives. Then Israel retaliates in a massively disproportionate way, hence the PR war is won by Hamas.

[EX500rider]

19. Please, they are currently firing hundreds if not thousands of rockets..

...at civilian population centers in Israel in the attempt to kill as many civilians as they can, I really doubt that would change with more powerful weapons.

[Humanist_Activist]

25. And how many people have died from those rocket attacks? Not many, they are very ineffective as..

far as military attacks go.

[EX500rider]

26. Just because they are bad at what they are trying to do just not change what they are trying to do.

[oldsoftie]

21. Oh for Pete's sake such blatent nonsense

Hamas has bombed schools & restaurants on purpose. They repeatedly proclaim their goal as the TOTAL removal of Israel.

[Humanist_Activist]

24. That only started after settlers started targeting civilians...

is it a reasonable reaction? No, but it wasn't made in a vacuum.

[Beastly Boy]

48. Settlers (civilians) targeting other civilians with... demands for rent?

and the Hamas military ending up launching a thousand rockets that exclusively targeted civilians?

Unreasonable reaction? No shit!

[Humanist_Activist]

51. No was referring to a massacre from 1994, and there is a dispute about ownership...

In East Jerusalem.

You do realize the settlers are themselves violent extremists?

[Beastly Boy]

60. Which massacre are you referring to?

Is it Goldstein's attack on the Ibrahim mosque in Hebron, a suicide bombing of Israeli bus in Afula, a suicide bombing of an Israeli bus in Hedera or a remotely detinated bomb on a bus in Tel Aviv?

All of these massacres happened in 1994, but none of them in Jerusalem. One of them is attributed to a Jewish settler, and three to Hamas. The one attributed to the settler was universally condemned by just about every Israeli and the Jews in the diaspora. The Hamas attacks on buses (35 dead and 109 wounded) are still awaiting condemnation from the Arab world.

Yes, the setllers are absolutely violent extremists and for the most part religious zealots. But you are comparing apples to oranges. Compare zealot to zealot or army to army. Don't mix the two up.

[JudyM]

74. Hamas and hezbollah have been intentionally aggressing against Israel from residential buildings.

So there’s that little detail that not surprisingly gets lost in the dialogue here.

[former9thward]

23. I don't want it to be a "fair fight"

Hamas is a terrorist organization which kills its political opponents inside Gaza.

Should we have given Japan oil and more aircraft carriers after Pearl Harbor to make it a "fair fight"?

[EX500rider]

32. Exactly, I always think that when I hear cries of "disproportionate force!"

You don't end a battle or war with identical force or casualties.
The Japanese killed 2,000+ Americans at Pearl Harbor, we then killed over 2 million Japanese until they begged for surrender.
The war never would have ended with proportional force.

[multigraincracker]

80. Terrorism by Liberation groups slowed after the end

of the apartheid period. It increased for the other side in South Africa.

[seta1950]

33. Exactly

The palestinians are ruled by an oppressive power, they have no say in their lives and no representation, none their properties are taken from them for so called settlers, they are invaders in my opinion. Two states should of been established and then Israel would have more credibility.

[Marthe48]

17. I knew students from Palestine

and I hate they must endure this terror as a way of life.

I have friends who are Jewish, and I hate that they think this overkill is necessary to survive.

[former9thward]

28. Don't shoot rockets at civilians and they won't have to worry about it.

Do you see rockets being fired from the area where the majority of Palestinians live --- the West Bank? No. Those people are not living under "terror" because they are not firing rockets at Israel. The West Bank is far larger than Gaza and has far more Palestinians. But they are governed by the PLA and the people are far more prosperous than Gaza.

Hamas is in a dying frenzy as it attempts to keep control over Gaza.

[seta1950]

34. I know that part of the world

Israel is far from innocent , they should remember their past, never forget works both ways.

[Beastly Boy]

50. Speaking of the past: Tell me who in this conflict is NOT far from innocent.

Everybody must remember it works both ways.

[roamer65]

22. Deliberate targeting of journalists is REALLY bad move.

World media is now watching.

[Mosby]

35. They were given advance notice.

The building was empty.

[roamer65]

37. So u support the targeting of journalism?

[Mosby]

38. The building was also being used by Hamas.

[roamer65]

40. Prove it.

[oldsoftie]

46. Israel said it was. Prove it wasnt

Its not like blowing up an empty building stops reporters from reporting

[Humanist_Activist]

52. Why are they trustworthy? Nt

[Beastly Boy]

61. Ok, you are casting doubt on israel's trustworthiness. This is not proof they didn't hit a military

target. Hamas is silent on it.

So what's your proof? And make it trustworthy, please.

[Humanist_Activist]

63. How am I supposed to prove a negative?

Israel makes the claim, then Israel should produce the evidence.

[Beastly Boy]

77. Excellent point! Very rational.

Now tell me what is rational about you rejecting anything Israel says as untrustworthy in the context of them providing proof. If you start out with not trusting them, then any information they might provide other than intimate details of their intelligence operations, naming sources and methods, will by definition be unacceptable to you. Or do you expect them to divulge the sources of their clandestine intelligence reports?

This makes the whole exercise of demanding proof completely pointless, doesn't it?

On edit: just wanted to add that your mistrust of the Israeli government doesn't make their statement true or false.

[Humanist_Activist]

78. We shouldn't take anyone at their word, proof would be required to verify claims...

that's why an independent press is important.

[marie999]

64. I stopped trusting Israel on June 8, 1967.

[Devil Child]

81. Agreed and +1, never forget n/t

[Mysterian]

79. Riiiiight. AP and other reputable media organizations

will operate out of the same building Hamas is operating in.

Either that, or the Israeli military is getting a lot of bad press and wants to suppress it.

[Dial H For Hero]

41. Warning someone that the building they're in will shortly be attacked is "targeting" them?

[EX500rider]

42. Are you saying Hamas was not housing military assets in the building as Israel claims?

Because that is certainly something Hamas would do.

[roamer65]

43. Prove it.

I have a problem taking Israel seriously anymore, ever since the murder of PM Yitzhak Rabin.

[EX500rider]

47. If I have to trust the word of the Israel military or terrorist org Hamas the choice is easy.

And Rabin died over 25 years ago.

[joetheman]

53. That actually makes it more difficult to believe. nt

[Beastly Boy]

62. Hamas says their top commander was killed in an Israeli air strike.

https://www.newsweek.com/hamas-senior-commander-bassem-issa-other-militants-killed-israeli-rocket-1590903

Israel says he was killed in an air strike on the building in question. It's almost as if they are talking about the same event.

But now that Hamas confirmed it, it IS more difficult to believe the Israelis, isn't it?

[roamer65]

66. I used to be pro Israel until Rabin was murdered.

Now I am pro peace...from both sides.


Stop the killing.

[chowder66]

45. Children, numerous other humans, dead. That's just great. What power!

Last edited Sat May 15, 2021, 02:26 PM - Edit history (1)

It's all so 11th century.

It tells me that no one in a position of power wants an answer to this otherwise they would already have it and these people (and so many others) would be alive today.

[róisín_dubh]

49. Wow, I'm really floored at some of the responses on here.

A bunch of kids were killed and some of you are like "Bravo."

[Humanist_Activist]

57. To some, only one side has a right to self defense. Nt

[Mosby]

68. 5 synagogues have been torched, is that self defense?

[Humanist_Activist]

69. No more so than the attack on al-Aqsa mosque. n/t

[EX500rider]

70. Firing rockets to kill random civilians is hardly "self defense"

The correct terms would be "terrorism" & "war crimes"

[Humanist_Activist]

71. Displacing people from their homes and land isn't self defense either...

and is also criminal behavior.

Neither side is clean here.

[EX500rider]

72. I'd hardly call evictions and randomly killing civilians anywhere near the same thing. nt

[Humanist_Activist]

73. I mean, there's the targeted killing of Palestinians too, couldn't forget that...

both by settlers and Jewish extremists groups and the IDF. Just talking about the instigating event here, oh and the evictions weren't non-violent.

[people]

56. Israeli airstrike on Gaza

This is a total tragedy. Yitzhak Rabin was a real hope for bringing some kind of peace to this situation but he was murdered by a right wing Israeli. Israel has to stop evicting Palestinians from homes they have occupied for years. The evictions and planned evictions in Jerusalem was one of the major causes of this latest episode of total tragedy. I feel for the civilians on all sides.