Gaza official: At least 100 killed Tuesday in Gaza

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Palestinian health official says at least 100 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting in Gaza on Tuesday.

The high death toll comes as Israel has escalated its military offensive in the coastal strip.

Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra says the toll counts those killed from midnight on Monday.

FULL short story at link.



Palestinians inspect the damage at the Ameen mosque in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, destroyed by an Israeli strike, Tuesday, July 29, 2014. Early Tuesday, Israel warplanes struck a series of targets in Gaza City, including the top Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh's house and government offices, while Gaza's border area with Israel was hit by heavy tank shelling. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140729/ml--israel-palestinians-aa14f0525f.html

[Sunlei]

1. Hamas rejects call for a 24-hour truce from Palestinian leadership in the West Bank.

This was about an hour ago, CNN. Hamas has cut themselves off from even the WB Palestinian society.

I still wish Egypt would allow the woman and children a safe place to get out of that city. I don't think at all Hamas will die off quietly with the final crush from Israel. If Hamas sets off some final large explosion thousands could die.

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. "If Hamas sets off some final large explosion thousands could die."

You just pulled that out of your butt, didn't you?

The people setting off large explosions in Gaza are the Israelis, and they've already killed more than a thousand.

Hamas is not fighting just for the fun of it. They want the blockade lifted. So does the rest of Gaza. A ceasefire and return to the ghettoized status quo ante isn't going to cut it.

[Marrah_G]

2. And Israel hit and shut down the only power plant trapping workers inside

[riverwalker]

3. time lapse video shows destruction within an hour

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/timelapse-video-shows-gaza-neighbourhood-flattened-in-an-hour--e1SnryRGze
This video purports to show the destruction of entire neighbourhood in Gaza over the space of an hour.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. Israel seems bent on creating another generation of Gazans who hate it.

I gotta tell ya, if someone had just destroyed my home, killed my family, ruined my life, I would be hard-pressed to find any other purpose in life but to get revenge. I know, I'm no saint, but who is?

[cpwm17]

8. Americans would certainly get revenge if we traded places

In fact we got revenge on Iraq and they didn't do anything to us, what-so-ever. We'd do far more than launch some ineffective rockets at our illegal oppressors.

If Palestinians deserve to be obliterated for returning fire towards their oppressors, then what do we deserve for destroying Iraq? I guess there are different rules for brown people.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. Some victims are more equal than others.

Apparently 3 Israeli civilians = 1,000 Palestinian civilians.

About 95% of Israeli casualties are invading soldiers.

[oberliner]

10. Americans would be doing much worse

Look at the numbers of Iraqis killed by US forces (not to mention the awful stories of rape and murder of civilians).

And that was a country that was thousands of miles away.

[cpwm17]

11. That was twenty years of devastation against Iraq by the US

including sanctions on Iraq that for a while were even worse than the blockade Israel imposes on the Gaza Strip. For a while the US even blocked food imports into Iraq when they had previously imported 2/3 of their food. That's Stalin-like behavior. All for incubator babies and WMD's that didn't exist, when all the US really wanted was a new enemy after the Cold War ended. US supported Saddam was perfect for the job.

Though Israel's blockade appears to be permanent and it's obvious what Israel wants for an outcome. In the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians' hope for a future is very grim.

What the US did to Iraq and what the US is helping Israel do to the Palestinians are both unforgivable. US involvement is a big reason so many here are so upset about Israel's atrocities and its general treatment against the Palestinians.

[oberliner]

12. Good points

What I do find odd, though, is how people outside of the US in countries that do not in any way provide aid to Israel are reacting so much more strongly to what is happening to the Palestinians as opposed to what is happening to Syrians or Iraqis, to use the two most obvious examples.

It seems a little weird considering the high number of casualties in Syria over these past two weeks, and the destruction being wrought across Iraq including the bombing of mosques and confiscation of land and the like.

I would also think the Iraqi situation would get more people in the US upset considering the very direct role that the US played in creating a reality where suicide attacks are commonplace occurrences that barely even make the news any more.

[cpwm17]

13. There were huge anti-war protests around the world against US involvement in Iraq

and due to our direct involvement, so too in the US.

I can't speak for everybody. I'm not sure how the news is reported everywhere or about all of their motivations. But the news is often reported more accurately elsewhere than in the US.

Syria is a very new and very fluid conflict so it's difficult to keep up with the players, plus it is farther from the "Holy Land." The "Holy Land" naturally gets a lot of attention. You know it's the location.

Established powers that abuse the weak tend to get the wrath of liberal minded people (as opposed to the weak that strike back at the powerful get the wrath of authoritarians.) That's why Apartheid South Africa received so much attention in the 1980's. It violated the sensibilities of liberals. Israel has yet received the universal condemnation that South Africa got, but that's the direction things are heading. (not in the US)

[oberliner]

14. Indeed there were

My point was more with respect to what is going on in Iraq right now as opposed to the time during the US invasion. In fact, I think it is interesting to note how strong the protest was to the US involvement in relation to how relatively quiet the voices of protest are internationally over what is going on there right now.

I do agree that the "Holy Land" gets more attention then other regions, for a variety of reasons.

I think that is one looks closely at various conflicts around the world, one can find numerous examples of established powers abusing the weak that do not seem to be receiving a fraction of the attention that this particular conflict does.

As I said above, I understand why liberals in the US and here on DU would feel particularly moved to speak out on this conflict due to relations between Israel and the US, I don't quite understand the reaction outside of the US - such as in the UN or, more disturbingly, in Europe where demonstrations sometimes devolve into something less than liberal.

[cpwm17]

16. I know there are some right-wing folks that feign an interest in the Palestinians

but they are a minority. Perhaps someone from Europe can respond and tell us what's really going on over there. Sometimes we just get a snapshot that doesn't represent the truth.

Me, personally, I wasn't upset at all about the huge anti Iraq War protests around the world. There are also other conflicts, but the US still deserved being protested against. We are powerful and we deserved the protests. For liberals in the US, the protesters were on our side. As it turned out, the Iraq War turned into what is probably the world's worst crime this century. And our shenanigans in Syria also harm both the Syrians and the Iraqis.

I'm much more concerned about the Iraqi or Palestinian victims of our crimes. I wish more victimized people around the world got the attention they deserve.

[oberliner]

20. There are right-wings folks whose interest in Palestinian is not feigned

There are, for instance, right-wing fundamentalists Muslims, for whom the Palestinian cause is extremely important. There are also right-wing fundamentalist Jews, specifically the Neturei Karta, who also strongly support the Palestinian cause.

[question everything]

18. And how would you react if you were an Israeli

and an enemy, hell bent on killing you, continue to send rockets at your home?

And enemy that refuses to accept cease fire, an enemy whose goal is to destroy your country?

[Fred Sanders]

6. Fox News calls the bombing of the main power plant a symbolic action against Hamas...fuck Fox.

[Cal Carpenter]

7. Symbolic? Wtf? How removed from reality are they?

fucking hell.

Symbolic? A power plant??!

I know, I know, Fox news blah blah.

[Rhinodawg]

15. This is so sad.

Hundreds die while Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal makes ridiculous demands.

Meanwhile his sits in Qatar all relaxed and happy.

And rejects still ANOTHER ceasefire.

Hamas doesn't give a rats a$$ about the Palestinians.

It's time the Palestinians figure out they are being used by Hamas. Sad.

[question everything]

19. Glad you nolticed it

Under no condition will Mashaal recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Never mind that Lebanon was torn from Syria so that Christians would be the majority. (No longer holds, of course).

[question everything]

17. Hamas should stop using innocent civilians as human shields

It is that simple. Hamas should accept a cease fire and should stop sending rockets into Israel. And destroy the tunnels.

But, no. The head of Hamas will refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state under any conditions. Perhaps will follow the example of Mosul and tell the Jews to convert, leave, or die.

So sad that so many DUers support murderous "leaders."

[Rhinodawg]

21. The Arab Leaders Are Praying That Israel Will Get Rid of the Palestinians

http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/4347.htm

Abd Al-Bari Atwan: The Arab Leaders Are Praying That Israel Will Get Rid of the Palestinians Once and for All


Following are excerpts from an interview with Abd Al-Bari Atwan, former editor-in-chief of Al-Quds Al-Arabi, which aired on Mayadeen TV on July 14, 2014:

Abd Al-Bari Atwan: The vast majority of the countries participating in [the Arab League] summit consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization. These countries pray – all those foreign ministers are praying – that Israel will manage to get rid of Hamas once and for all. They support the Israeli planes bombing the Gaza Strip under the pretext of getting rid of Hamas and stopping the missiles.






That explains why the Arab league has been so silent .
Egypt and the rest of the Arab league has clearly turned it's back on Hamas
They sadly have turned their back on innocent Palestinians as well.