Israeli bulldozers destroy Hamas tunnels in Gaza

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By IBRAHIM BARZAK and IAN DEITCH

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli bulldozers on Saturday demolished more than a dozen tunnels the military said were being used by Hamas gunmen to sneak beneath the southern border of the Jewish state and carry out attacks on its soldiers and civilians.

Palestinians reported intensified airstrikes and shelling as the death toll from Israel's ground offensive rose to at least 342 Palestinians, including many civilians. Five Israelis — three soldiers and two civilians — have also been killed since the fighting began more than 10 days ago, and dozens of Israelis have been injured as Gaza rockets continue to rain down on Israeli cities.

Israeli soldiers uncovered 34 shafts leading into about a dozen underground tunnels, some as deep as 30 meters (yards), the military said. Israel views the tunnels as a strategic threat, and demolishing them is a high priority in their campaign.

Still, Palestinian gunmen disguised in Israeli uniforms managed to infiltrate Israel from Gaza using another tunnel and on Saturday killed two Israeli soldiers and injured several others, the military said. At least one Palestinian was killed in the clash.

FULL story at link.



A Palestinian woman holds her baby as she sits in a classroom at a United Nations school where dozens of families have sought refuge after fleeing their homes following heavy Israeli forces' strikes in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, July 19, 2014. Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Kidra said the new round of strikes raised the death toll from the 12-day offensive to more than 330 Palestinians, many of them civilians. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140720/ml--israel-palestinians-0436d0aa61.html

[Archae]

1. Hamas is scum.

Using civilian innocents to hide among, and using Israeli uniforms.

I expect that from fascists.

[RedFury]

13. Scum?

If so, Israelis are worse. They own every weapon in the known/unknown arsenal and yet they always end-up killing more civilians than anyone else. Say to the tune of 200 to one. Yet we're to believe the former are the ones place Israel in "danger"

Of course if you buy the "shields" bit, all is well...in your conscience. As in such a crowded place as Gaza there's not much room to drop bombs capable of destroying whole buildings on impact, doesn't much matter who is inside.

War crimes. Just not for Israel.

[question everything]

2. About time

I am not holding my breath, however, hoping for the "leaders" to try to make decent life there, to stop using their people and children as canon fodder. Because this is what they have been doing.

Once they will decide to abandon their charter - to destroy Israel - and will commit to being a good neighbor, then they will be able to get their "demands"- to open the border and to allow Gazans to cross to Israel and to work there.

[840high]

9. One can hope.

[JDPriestly]

3. Perhaps destroying the tunnels will relieve some of the tension in the area.

The US destroys tunnels on its border when it finds them. This is the appropriate thing to do. Using tunnels to enter a neighboring country without a visa or without identifying yourself is an invasion. There is no other word for it. Entering a foreign country usually requires a visa. There is nothing unusual about that.

[delrem]

5. Wow. You say this when armored bulldozers and tanks are overturning Gaza.

Just.... wow.

[JDPriestly]

17. Why did the Palestinians build tunnels into Israel?

For what purpose?

[delrem]

18. You do realize that Gaza has been under seige, for years?

Come on, JDPriestly, I don't have to inform you about Israel's dietary restrictions, construction restrictions, etc., do I?

Or the compartmentalization of Judea and Samaria, and the holding of a people under subjugation for over two generations.

Please, don't tell me that you're that dishonest.

Please, don't tell me that there isn't a larger problem than "rockets from Gaza". Not when we have vids of Israelis sitting on couches placed on hilltops, with cool beer at hand, to watch the bombing.

Don't tell me that you can't see the asymmetry. I won't believe you.

[jwirr]

8. If I remember correctly there were tunnels in Vietnam that the Vietcong used. I am sure we also

destroyed those when we could.

Israel said this was their goal. Now hopefully this will end but I doubt it.

[Recursion]

11. Israel is "another country"?

The problem is the answer to that question (affirmative or negative) puts Israel between a rock and a hard place...

[delrem]

19. There was no question there, in the post you respond to.

It was a slip. A slip of the tongue.

No way Israel recognizes any sovereign rights to Palestinians.
No way.

In fact, the total impression that I get from Israel, is that there is no Palestine, there never was a Palestine, and there never will be a Palestine, and this goes doubly for any supposed "Palestinian people". Such a people don't exist now, they never have existed, and they certainly shall not exist.

Can anybody show me something different?

[delrem]

4. Wow, the fullblown hate from DUers, in reaction to your OP, is scary.

How much killing is enough?

[RedFury]

14. American Press

If that's all you read/comment on, turns out Dubya was just a bit touhgher on Israel than "Pants Down Obama."

Amazing

[kelliekat44]

6. Other things than weapons are carried through these tunnels. A blockade by Israel and closed border

makes Gaza almost a open chess pool of human misery. Thanks to Israel there is no economy or safe buildings in Gaza and it boggles my mind that folks here believe that the Palestinians in Gaza have no right to life, liberty or the pursuit of their own happiness. Their farms, water, land and ability to live and thrive have all been taken away by Israel and supported by the west all because they don't like being OCCUPIED.

[Rhinodawg]

7. Uhhhhhhh....wrong tunnels.

[Ducksworthy]

10. Couldn't find the tunnel exist on the Israeli side?

I guess its easier to find the entrances on the Gaza end because of the traffic signs. Also reported today that IDF found zip ties that were to be used to bind captured Israelis. This seems to be in support of the story that all this started because 3 teenagers were kidnapped from a bus stop in the occupied West Bank. Sad.

[SnakeEyes]

12. This started because Hamas started firing rockets into Israel

[RedFury]

15. Yeah,ok

Bottle rockets against the fourth most powerful army in the world...such a "threat"

Meanwhile, I call it like it is: ethic cleansing.

[SnakeEyes]

16. bottle rockets?

unreal the extent the anti-israel crowd will go to downplay things to be able to justify siding with the terrorists, hamas.

And calling this ethnic clensing is extremely offensive to those that have had to deal with real ethnic cleansing and when you use it inappropriately you cheapen it's actual (evil) meaning.

However, everyone that is honest, knows exactly which side would like to commit ethnic cleansing to wipe out the other side.

If I had to run to a bomb shelter 5 times in a single hour because canada was firing rockets across the border into my town I'd sure as hell have no problem with our military striking those that decided to send rockets my way to get them to stop.