This is one aspect of the current situation in Gaza, Palestine, that was not adequately covered by much of the mainstream media. It helps explain why the ceasefire, which had held for four and a half months, unravelled. The death toll in Gaza now stands at 771, including 189 children and 58 women.
US-MIDEAST: Media Eyeless in Gaza at Key Moment
By Jim Lobe and Ali Gharib
WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (IPS) – Consumed by coverage of the Nov. 4 presidential election, U.S. mainstream media ignored a key Israeli military attack on a Hamas target that some Palestinians claim marked the effective end of the ceasefire between the two sides and set the stage for the current round of bloodletting.
While the major U.S. news wire Associated Press (AP) reported that the attack, in which six members of Hamas’s military wing were killed by Israeli ground forces, threatened the ceasefire, its report was carried by only a handful of small newspapers around the country.
The Nov 4 raid — and the escalation that followed — also went unreported by the major U.S. network and cable television new programmes, according to a search of the Nexis database for all English-language news coverage between Nov. 4 and 7.
But the military action, which was followed up by an aerial attack that killed at least one other Palestinian, appears to have dealt a fatal blow to the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire that had taken effect Jun. 19 and largely held for some four and a half months.
In retaliation for the attack, Hamas launched some 35 Qassam rockets into Israeli territory Nov. 5 which, in turn, provoked Israel to severely tighten its then-17-month-old economic siege of the Palestinian territory.
“While neither side ever completely respected the ceasefire terms, the Israeli raid was far and away the biggest violation,” said Stephen Zunes, an expert on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at the University of San Francisco.
“It was a huge, huge provocation, and it now appears to me that it was actually intended to get Hamas to break off the ceasefire,” he added.
Full article here.
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It’s true, our local guys, eg the Mamak, is kicking the Palestinian football around for political mileage. As if the poor Gazans are not suffering enough.
According to the United Nations weird standards, any person that spent TWO YEARS (!!!) in “Palestine” before 1948, with or without proof, is a “Palestinian”, as well as all the descendants of that person. Indeed, the PLO leaders eagerly demand the “right” of all Palestinians to come back to the land that they occupied before June 1967 c.e., but utterly reject to return back to the land where they lived only 50 years before, namely, in 1917 c.e. Why? Because if they agree to do so, they have to settle back in Iraq, Syria, Arabia, Libya, Egypt… and only a… Read more »
No Fisha, you didn’t use that expression here, of course. But would you believe that war can be holy?
Muslims Against Hamas
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123154855613269959.html?mod=djemEditorialPage
Fisha, first of all, try thinking outside the Creed that teaches some war as holy whereby clearly implying others as not. This is a sort of fatuous nonsense that contradicts any real claimed aversion to war. The term, “holy war” is a contradiction in terms ; if you really subscribe to an even keel understanding of humanism, you would never subscribe to that sort of loaded oxymoronic expression.
# Drachen on January 10th, 2009 at 9.45pm I take over my neighbour’s house and he punches me. I call the police and he gets locked up and I get his house. That’s Israeli justice for you. Nonsense, many Arab sources confirm the fact that the Holy Land was still Jewish by population and culture in spite of the Diaspora: ·In 985 c.e. the Arab writer Muqaddasi complained that in Jerusalem the large majority of the population were Jewish, and said that “the mosque is empty of worshippers…” . ·Ibn Khaldun, one of the most creditable Arab historians, in 1377… Read more »
“Pls stop associating any problem with races, religions and faiths. They all boil down to us as human beings. Are we functioning like one?”
Tell this to the gomen ; that’s where the schism began.
If one wants to think properly, he/she must be to a great degree individualistic. Nothing kiasu about that.
Meditation, e.g. is an individual effort absolutely. It is individualism that makes one realize self-responsiblty, not conformism of the mindless mob driven by a dogmatic creed.
It’s the crowd and partisan followers hooked to peer approval that enables evil and make people blind.
More than 700 killed, Children and women has always been the headlines when Gazan was involved with Hamas, it is not surprise Hamas wanted this, firing rockets from school ? Using Human shield ? During cease fire also firing rockets. Why is Malaysian public get themselves associated with someone like Hamas
?
Do not want go too far, where is our big demo when Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan slaughtered more than 600,000 people.. ? Where was OIC ? Oh sorry. Arab league even condemned it when ICJ trying to arrest him.
Please refer to http://7rangers.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-israel-under-rockets-red-rain-by.html to see if the matter started on 24 Nov.
Fisha, this is not a problem of humanity. it is a arab & jewish problem- Islam vs judaism problem. if it was a problem of humanity, muslims would also be protesting about mumbai blast, the suicide bomber that killed worshippers in irag, the suicide bomber that killed the guests at marriot in pakistan or even the hundreds of thousands that died in darfur ? When has any muslim protested about them, why does humanity comes when arabs are killed ? Please stop being arab wannabes, learn to care for others. Your sreams, shouts & protest when arabs get it ,… Read more »
I take over my neighbour’s house and he punches me. I call the police and he gets locked up and I get his house. That’s Israeli justice for you.
Hello Anil
The link below is a speech by US Rep Ron Paul on the current crisis in Gaza, for your info…
The Hamas fanatics are bombing Israel; it’s ok? Yes, that’s what they are, Islamist fanatics! And stop labelling any critique of Islam or Muslims as racist because Muslims d not represent a race but only as believers of a faith. And yes, they are not untouchables by valid or rational criticism or superior to other human beings either! Imagine, soon, these unthinking protesters might demand these Hamas fanatics be given safe haven in Malaysia! And this Mahathir is a joke; why is he using Islam to cause hatred for the western world, particularly the US? Because, he can tell those… Read more »
I am advocating boycott of “The Loaf” owned by Mahathir Mohd.
Like Fi-sha the MSM, US MSM cannot fool me. The Star Utusan RTM NST can all say what they want but they cannot fool me.
Instead of the vigils n protests I will be at McDonald`s. My crate of coke has already arrived this morning and my Apple will be supplied next week.
I
It is so sad to note that u guys remain ignorant and refuse to accept the truth. Just like our MSM, US MSM is as suck as ours…
Though our country remains peaceful and calm, reading the comments here reflects that there are many people out there in Malaysia being too individualistic, kiasu and paranoid of their own fears.
Pls stop associating any problem with races, religions and faiths. They all boil down to us as human beings. Are we functioning like one?
yesterday’s headlines in the Gulf Times was about 40% drop in car loans. today’s gulf times has more news and photographs about Qatar Tennis open.
there was not a single protest after Friday prayers in UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman or Bahrain. i didn’t check the rest.
why are we Malaysians getting involved in something so far away that we have little understanding, and which the Arabs are staying away!!!!!
Hamas said it had rejected the UN’s call for an immediate ceasefire because it was not to the advantage of the Palestinian people. Ayman Taha, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said: “Even though we are the main actors on the ground in Gaza, we were not consulted about this resolution and they have not taken into account our vision and the interests of our people.” Perhaps it is not surprising that terrorists would ignore what the UN has to say except Hamas can usually be found sitting in the lap of one UN potentate or another so it is a… Read more »
With all the talk of a crippling economic siege on Gaza, the Hamas seem to have no trouble acquiring rockets and artillery.
Maybe they should have used the same route to bring in food and medicine.
But if they did that , they wouldn’t have a sob story to tell to milk international sympathy.
Your neighbour is throwing stones into your house but runs out of stones. He then calls for a ceasefire.During the ceasefire, he replenishes his stock and regroups his people
Why would he do that unless he intends to resume hostilities when better prepared?
What would you do?
Isn’t Israel going what we ourselves would do under these circumstances?
Hamas was using the ceasefire to rearm itself.
Hamas claims it hit IAF base 27km from Tel Aviv Israel’s major daily Haartz is running this as their lead story right now. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it. Tel Nof is one of Israel’s largest air force bases and home to it’s most advanced squadrons. If Hamas’ claim is true, that would be stark evidence that the missiles coming out of Gaza are not only an intolerable threat to the daily lives of civilians within range, but a strategic threat to the country itself. If Tel Nof is in range, so is Hatzor and Hatzerim. Every Israeli understands… Read more »
Why were six members of Hamas’s military wing killed by Israeli ground forces?