Israel Vows to Expand Gaza Airstrikes as Death Toll Passes 200

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Palestinians use human shield to halt Israeli air strike on militants' homes

Conal Urquhart in Tel Aviv
The Guardian, Monday 20 November 2006

Palestinians yesterday stopped Israel from destroying the home of two militants by surrounding it with a human shield.

In the first incident of its kind, hundreds of neighbours surrounded the home of Mohammed Baroud and climbed on its roof after he received a call from the Israeli army informing him he had 30 minutes to vacate his home before it was destroyed by missiles.

The Israeli airforce called off its strike because of the risk of killing a large number of civilians.

It is the first time Palestinians have thwarted an Israeli air strike in this way. Israel has developed a strategy of telephoning its targets to ensure that nobody is inside when the homes are struck. Residents are given about half an hour to gather some clothes and escape. Neighbours are also contacted if the explosion is likely to be big enough to endanger them.

Dozens of homes have been blown up on suspicion that they are the site for a smuggling tunnel or arms cache. It is likely that Israel will have to find a new way of destroying homes as yesterday's protest began to be copied elsewhere.

Nizar Rayan, a Hamas member who led the Jabalya protest, said Palestinians would continue to rush into every house to be threatened by bombardment. "We will pay with our lives to protect the houses of the fighters so they can resist the enemy assured that their homes are being protected," he said.

The home of Mr Baroud, a member of the Popular Resistance Committees in Beit Lahiya was the first to be saved. Mosques and Palestinian television sent out appeals and protesters gathered outside, chanting "Death to Israel. Death to America," and "We prefer martyrdom to surrender."

Two hours later Israel warned Mohammed Nawajeh, a member of Hamas, that his house would be targeted and the same process occurred. Both men are accused by Israel of involvement in firing rockets at Israel.

There was a sense of euphoria in Gaza that people had managed to stand up to the Israeli airforce but Israel proved its military muscle later yesterday when an aircraft fired a missile at a car in Gaza City, wounding nine, including two Hamas militants. Four were children, aged five, 13, 14 and 16, who suffered shrapnel injuries, hospital officials told Associated Press. Later an elderly man died of his wounds, they added.

The military said the air strike target was a vehicle carrying senior members of the Hamas rocket-launching operation.

Palestinians often avoid peaceful protest against Israel because they fear the army will treat them as if they were armed. However, during Israel's occupation of Beit Hanoun this month, a group of women managed to create a diversion to allow gunmen to flee a mosque, where they had been surrounded.

Israel has been under added pressure to avoid killing civilians after 19 Palestinians were killed by shells in Beit Hanoun.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, visited Mr Baroud's home to offer his support to the protest yesterday.

"We are so proud of this national stand. It's the first step toward protecting our homes, the homes of our children," he said. "This strategy was decided by our people. [It] was decided by our leaders, who were here from all the factions ... and so long as this strategy is in the interest of our people we support this strategy."

A spokesman for the Israeli army confirmed that the strike had been called off. "There was a building targeted last night but once civilians gathered on the roof we cancelled the attack," he said. "We will continue operating against the terrorist infrastructure despite their use of uninvolved civilians as human shields."
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Palestinians use human shield to halt Israeli air strike on militants' homes | World news | The Guardian
 
Yea I remember that. Sad thing is.... I have heard of Hamas hijacking UN ambulances to get inside the area and then shoot at people.
 
DURAY said:
Hamas is a terrorist organization, check out at U.S. Department of State - Home Page (Counterrorism Bureau) and www.cia.gov
Lot of votes for Israel in the U.S. congress......
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Israel's government is also a terrorist organization and they can count the US government as one of their strongest supporters.

In other words, who cares about classifications? The words "terrorist" and "terrorism" are very similar to the anti-communism fervor that used to dominate this country. We also sought to eliminate communism in the world (remember how that worked out?) much like we are doing with terrorism. In other words, our country is run by clueless, inept morons.
 
Jiro said:
PLO-Israel is nothing about religion or government ideal. it's about getting their home back that was taken by Israelis. see the map below again.

slowmogenocidebmp.jpg
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thats good Jiro, did ye colour it in yourself:lol:

loved the tank picture too, my sister lives in the middle east and i sent her a poem to pass to the palestinians, "sticks and stones may break their bones but thier guns will bloomin kill you":lol: joking aside,it's true, they have no means to fight back against such a well armed army

I haven't read all the posts but some i have done are pretty scary, you don't have to hate a race to disagree with their countries policies.

there is no way Israel can justify the murder they have been carrying out, they bomb outside a UN school, their response " well Hamas shouldnt have fired from there" I bet they never did, no witnesses from inside the UN school seen them, they are a rule unto themselves,

think about it another way, a criminal fires at the police from a crowd, is he justified to shoot the crowd down to get him and say, well he fired from there so it was his fault they all died? of course not, not that anyone did fire from the school but even if they did it doesnt justify firing bombs into a UN controlled civilian area.

the UN has condemmed isreals actions, fat lot of good that will do though, as the US government will drag their feet then veto any action the rest of the world demands against Israel.

it's like groundhog day, only with death all around, like jiro says, it's all about the land and oppression.
 
Macian said:
think about it another way, a criminal fires at the police from a crowd, is he justified to shoot the crowd down to get him and say, well he fired from there so it was his fault they all died? of course not, not that anyone did fire from the school but even if they did it doesnt justify firing bombs into a UN controlled civilian area.
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well-said. well-said
clapping.GIF


btw - welcome back! :cool2:
 
Macian said:
...think about it another way, a criminal fires at the police from a crowd, is he justified to shoot the crowd down to get him and say, well he fired from there so it was his fault they all died? of course not, not that anyone did fire from the school but even if they did it doesnt justify firing bombs into a UN controlled civilian area....
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Sorry, but there's a flaw in your analogy.

The criminal (Hamas) kneels amongst a crowd (Palestinian civilians), then fires at another crowd across the street (Israeli civilians), not the policeman. The criminal has already shot the Israeli crowd down before the policemen (Israel military) shoot back at the criminal.
 
So I discussed about this with my friend today, who is very into religious concepts across the world.

So it seems apparent that Israelis rely on the old testament, and the Palestinians form their religion on a a few scriptures out of that testament. Seems kinda interesting how their religions cross paths in some form but yet they still refuse to see eye to eye.
 
naisho said:
So I discussed about this with my friend today, who is very into religious concepts across the world.

So it seems apparent that Israelis rely on the old testament, and the Palestinians form their religion on a a few scriptures out of that testament. Seems kinda interesting how their religions cross paths in some form but yet they still refuse to see eye to eye.
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lol religious war? it never ends. it never did since religion was born. It's that deeply ingrained in the history of humanity.
 
BradB08 said:
Israel's government is also a terrorist organization and they can count the US government as one of their strongest supporters.
In other words, who cares about classifications? The words "terrorist" and "terrorism" are very similar to the anti-communism fervor that used to dominate this country. We also sought to eliminate communism in the world (remember how that worked out?) much like we are doing with terrorism. In other words, our country is run by clueless, inept morons.
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Israel don't kill Americans. Hamas did. So did the old PLO's 6 groups from Fatah to PLEF to (TWA remembered)?
communsim? An ideology meaning no freedom. why no one defected to North KORean, Vietnam, Cuba?????
 
DURAY said:
Israel don't kill Americans. Hamas did. So did the old PLO's 6 groups from Fatah to PLEF to (TWA remembered)?
communsim? An ideology meaning no freedom. why no one defected to North KORean, Vietnam, Cuba?????
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........ because Americans provide weapons, tanks, jets, helicopters, missiles, money, etc. to Israel........
 
most countries in the Middle East liek Egypt and Jordan who recieved millions of tax dollars often voted agains the US at the UN. ISrael which get 6 billion dollars ayear, where the money go back to your employer, your friends, your family to buy weapons.
Hames and Fatah are famous for hiding into buildings where civilians are located. they are not man enough to come out in the street. Remembered Mogadishu in 1993? Somalians hided among the women and children.
 
Macian said:
thats good Jiro, did ye colour it in yourself:lol:

loved the tank picture too, my sister lives in the middle east and i sent her a poem to pass to the palestinians, "sticks and stones may break their bones but thier guns will bloomin kill you":lol: joking aside,it's true, they have no means to fight back against such a well armed army

I haven't read all the posts but some i have done are pretty scary, you don't have to hate a race to disagree with their countries policies.

there is no way Israel can justify the murder they have been carrying out, they bomb outside a UN school, their response " well Hamas shouldnt have fired from there" I bet they never did, no witnesses from inside the UN school seen them, they are a rule unto themselves,

think about it another way, a criminal fires at the police from a crowd, is he justified to shoot the crowd down to get him and say, well he fired from there so it was his fault they all died? of course not, not that anyone did fire from the school but even if they did it doesnt justify firing bombs into a UN controlled civilian area.

the UN has condemmed isreals actions, fat lot of good that will do though, as the US government will drag their feet then veto any action the rest of the world demands against Israel.

it's like groundhog day, only with death all around, like jiro says, it's all about the land and oppression.
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Well said, Macian, and very glad to see you back!
 
Reba said:
Sorry, but there's a flaw in your analogy.

The criminal (Hamas) kneels amongst a crowd (Palestinian civilians), then fires at another crowd across the street (Israeli civilians), not the policeman. The criminal has already shot the Israeli crowd down before the policemen (Israel military) shoot back at the criminal.
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yes.... but so do both sides. Nobody's a saint in here. Remember that horrible news about Israelis violating agreement with USA for improperly using cluster bombs on Lebanon? beside... it's not about who shot who. it's about the disproportionate force. I'm not sure if it's a justifiable cause to send in over 64 fighter jets and assault copters to retaliate when Hamas killed only 4 Israelis.... and Gaza Strip that's barely twice the size of D.C.

I mean for god's sake.... Hamas' using crude missiles with no guidance system... it's no different from fireworks you buy at local store (except it's a bomb). don't get me wrong. I don't support Hamas and I do consider it as a terrorist organization... which was why I supported Israel for a long time but for the past few years - I started feeling disgusted at Israel's handling of this matter after receiving lengthy academic lectures on this. I finally saw thru Israeli's old victim card.
 
ps thanks for the welcome back jillio and jiro, thought I'd see if you were behaving lol
 
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Reba said:
Sorry, but there's a flaw in your analogy.

The criminal (Hamas) kneels amongst a crowd (Palestinian civilians), then fires at another crowd across the street (Israeli civilians), not the policeman. The criminal has already shot the Israeli crowd down before the policemen (Israel military) shoot back at the criminal.
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yes but thats a diff case alltogether reba, as we know the israelis who fired at the School were not surrounded by civilians, I only used it as an example, Israel continue to show a complete disregard of civilian casualties, with the almost childish response of saying "well so do Hamas" you have to remember Israel have herded the palestinians into such a tiny area and left them with nowhere to run to,and hamas nowhere to fight from. the Israelis know there will be high civilian death rate but do they care? 600 or so deaths already
 
Gemma said:
Exactly - that is why I am not taking any sides. I hear this or that....two of my closest friends are Israeli-American Jews so I hear their sides but I have heard stories from PLO too - we will never get to the bottom of this situation. Everyone is a victim yet bully in this one.
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Very true...
 
Liebling:-))) said:
Very true...
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ok lets look at who's benefited from this long dispute? and who has lost things?
forget the fact it is Israel and palastine, or their religions. the bully is pretty obvious.
Any country would fight to get their lands back that were taken by force.

ps thanks for the wb lieblling : )
 
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