Gaza Death Toll Hits 57 as Rockets Fall near Dimona Reactor and Abbas Slams 'Genocide'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza Wednesday, killing at least 30 people in a major new confrontation with Palestinian militants, as Hamas flexed its firepower and sent thousands running for shelters across Israel.
As the death toll from Israel's two-day Operation Protective Edge reached 57, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared bent on ploughing ahead, warning of even tougher action against Hamas.
There have been no Israeli deaths so far, but Hamas began flaunting its firepower overnight. It launched waves of long-range rockets across central Israel that triggered sirens in cities as far away as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The alarms even sounded in the northern port city of Haifa, as unconfirmed reports spoke of a rocket hitting near Caesarea and another even further north.
Tanks massed on the Gaza border, Agence France Presse correspondents reported, as Netanyahu came under mounting pressure from hardliners within his governing coalition to send ground forces into the territory from which it pulled all troops and settlers in 2005.
"We have decided to further intensify the attacks on Hamas and the terror organizations in Gaza," his office quoted him as saying.
President Shimon Peres warned that, "if the fire continues we do not rule out a ground incursion," his office quoted him as saying in an interview with CNN.
This "may happen quite soon," said Peres, who retires later this month.
The escalation comes with Arab riots inside Israel over the burning to death of a Palestinian teenager by Jewish extremists and the region in flames, with civil war raging in neighboring Syria and conflict intensifying in Iraq.
The European Union and the United States both called for restraint in the confrontation.
It came as the Palestinians moved towards greater unity following a reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Abbas that ended seven years of rival administrations.
That deal came after nearly a year of U.S.-brokered peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed, to the satisfaction of Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners.
The Palestinian teenager was murdered in apparent revenge for the kidnap on June 12 of three Israeli youths in the occupied West Bank, who were subsequently killed.
Their abductions sparked a huge Israeli assault on Hamas' infrastructure in the territory and retaliatory rocket fire from the Islamists' Gaza power base.
Six women and nine children were among at least 30 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Wednesday, medics said.
The deadliest single strike took place shortly after midnight when a missile slammed into a house in northern Gaza, killing an Islamic Jihad militant and five of his family members.
Raids to the north and east of Gaza City killed two women and four children, while a strike on Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza killed a woman and four of her children, emergency services said.
Another 13 Palestinians died in other raids across Gaza throughout the day, they said.
But the strikes failed to staunch the rocket fire by Gaza militants, which sent Israelis scurrying into shelters across an ever broadening swathe of the country.
Two long-range rockets crashed into the sea off the northern port city of Haifa Wednesday, Israeli media reported, in an attack Hamas militants claimed.
Haifa lies 165 kilometers (100 miles) north of Gaza and, if confirmed, it would be the furthest a rocket fired from there has ever traveled.
Public radio said one struck near the seaside resort of Caesarea and another in the Carmel Beach region, both south of Haifa.
Another three were fired at the southern town of Dimona where Israel has a nuclear reactor, the military said on Twitter.
"Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired three rockets at Dimona. Two fell in open areas; Iron Dome intercepted the other," it said, referring to the Israeli missile defense system.
The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Gaza-based Hamas, said it "launched three M75 rockets at Dimona," referring to the Gaza-produced rockets with a range of about 80 kilometers (50 miles).
Army radio quoted a military source as saying Hamas had dozens of such rockets in its arsenal.
Later on Wednesday, Israeli troops killed two Gaza militants in a seafront gunfight, close to the site of an attack on a military base a day earlier, media said.
"Two armed terrorists came out of the sea more or less in the same area where the incident took place 24 hours ago," public radio said. "Army lookouts spotted them and there was a gunfight which ended with both terrorists killed."
So far, neither side has shown any sign of backing down, as Israel stepped up its preparations for a possible ground assault, approving the call up of 40,000 reservists.
09 July 2014, 07:24
136
Hamas and Israel are both enemies of Lebanon. To hell with them both.
09 July 2014, 11:25
165
Not a fan of Hamas, but nothing can justify the israeli criminal madness. They turned Gaza into a concentration camp, and every few year they launch offensives that invariably turn out to be riddled with war crimes
09 July 2014, 14:15
48
Mowaten it is Hamas that started sending rockets into Israel. Do you expect the Israeli to sit hands crossed.
09 July 2014, 14:40
44
Were the Israelis not laying siege to gaza before this wave began? Were the Israelis not conducting their random "surgical and tactical" operations in gaza before this wave began?
You must be right...Israel is just all that innocent in this (sarcasm)
09 July 2014, 15:27
25
Hammouds, Gaza is not under "siege." It has a border with Egypt, a fellow Muslim state. Lebanon doesn't allow Israel passage. Gaza should be able to get what it need through its border with Egypt.
These battles happen every few yrs-- they're terrible. Gaza can put intense pressure on Israel by declaring that they are no longer firing rockets on Israeli civilain towns. There will be an immediate demand by EU, US, UN etc. for Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza. Not sure why Gaza doesnt take that approach.
09 July 2014, 15:36
132
Gaza IS under siege. the rafah crossing being controlled by egypt, which is complicit on that siege, does not make it any less a siege.
09 July 2014, 18:26
14
Isn't Egypt also complicit in the siege on Gaza? "A fellow Muslim state". What does Muslim/not Muslim have to do with it? Turkey and Saudi are "Muslim" states but we all know where their respective governments allegiances are...allied with the same entities that the Egyptian govt is allied with. Being a Muslim or non Muslim state has nothing to do with it. And maybe "allegiance" is the wrong word. I should be using "puppets".
09 July 2014, 20:40
13
What? How about the Palestinians accept their position in history and negotiating table, bow their heads and make peace with all their enemies for the sake of their children. Isn't it obvious what they want? Surely, the Palestinians have not demonstrated that they want true and lasting peace as they had ample changes. The hell with both of them.
09 July 2014, 22:48
31
To hell with both... But Israel is an enemy to mankind. Like the nazis, no matter their justifications, were an evil ppl. Like them, the Israelis, are beyond right and wrong, they are in a class of their own.
09 July 2014, 11:29
142
What about the hundreds of innocent victims? You don't care do you? Bunch of hateful bloodthirsty thieves
The rockets of hamas are practically harmless, but i certainly hope one falls on your family, so we can see if you'll care then
09 July 2014, 14:18
51
You cry foul about innocent civilians in Gaza but you say nothing about the barrels sent by Assad into Syrian civilians. We are not talking about 20 Civilians as in Gaza but 10 if thousands civilians liked by Assad. You should be more consistent my dear.
09 July 2014, 15:17
122
you're so self centered you dont even realize that Palestinians have no army, no shelters. you say "cowardly Muslims" but the only cowards here are you, overindulging in this completely disproportionate fight where you have all the weapons in front of a completely defenseless people. you killed them, stole their land, parked them in that concentration camp, besieged them, bomb them regularly, and you cry about a few desperate rockets they fire back? how can one be so deprived of any sense of shame or justice?
all you are is sick bullies relentlessly persecuting the weak and thinking they're very tough.
09 July 2014, 15:18
131
are you seriously comparing the palestinian rockets that can barely pierce a hole in a wall, to the israeli missiles that level entire neighborhoods at once? i know you guys are completely deluded, but try to concentrate real hard and find the difference between this
http://hopestreet.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/gaza-bomb.jpg
and that
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1203191.1353084708!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/rocket.jpg?enlarged
09 July 2014, 15:24
101
and about those kids who were killed, did it occur to you that they got on the roof to say "hey look at us, we're just kids dont blow up our house!"? what kind of sick animal sees them and fires the missiles anyway? and what kind of sick animal defends and justifies that?
who can even say there was a hamas target in that building? are we expected to take the IDF excuses for its massacres as gospel truth?
09 July 2014, 17:23
32
Respectable FT Hamas started sending rockets onto Israel. That's how it started.
09 July 2014, 17:47
92
yes pierro, that's when it started in your mind, because when israel started bombing you were looking the other way. it's only when a Palestinian fires a rocket that you start feeling concerned
09 July 2014, 20:44
12
Bow your heads and make peace for the sake of your children. Neither the Jews nor the Palestinians are going to give up and vacate. The hell with both.
09 July 2014, 22:23
31
Bow your heads? :/... Go fk urself. Since 2000 an offer of full peace and normalization with Israel has been on the table, Israel has ignored it, never even mentioning it.
Israel doesn't want peace, it wants the whole of Palestine. It's held this land for only 66yrs, how long will it hold out for, a hundred? Our history is mentioned in thousands!
Until u cease or be deceased, there will be no peace!
Btw I always respected posters like annonytex, and still do... But the opinions on this matter is sickening. Never, no matter what, does Israel have a right to do what it does. Never!
09 July 2014, 12:58
13
World is unfair this is a crime pounding people with planes no matter what the reason is .
09 July 2014, 13:11
53
Just to be clear, the IDF gave warning that they were going to hit the houses. Hamas chose to try human shields and the result was the civilian casualties. Hamas misunderstood the nature of Israel's resolve.
09 July 2014, 15:27
122
who would even try to use human shiled, when everybody knows the IDF never hesitated to kill civilians? stupid propaganda, trying to give yourselves a good conscience while murdering innocents.
09 July 2014, 17:54
93
delusional israeli idiot. the list of civilians purposefully massacred by israel is endless. but certainly, for its supporters there will always be an excuse to make it okay
09 July 2014, 18:32
82
thousands of civilians were killed in 2006 in lebanon and in 2009 in gaza but that was just bad luck, it wasnt on purpose. sure.
i guess what is asaf saying, is that even though israelis have all those "smart bombs" thanks to US charity, they're to dumb to use them correctly.
09 July 2014, 20:53
43
mowaten which alias you prefer, crusher or full.disclosure? I think both suit you
09 July 2014, 20:58
11
Should we accept that premise that either the three clueless slain Israeli kids were killed by Israeli forces as a prelude to attack Gaza, or that Israel was just going to ignore it and give the Palestinians thugs who killed the kids a pass. OK and then what? So, what would happen next? When is this going to end? Does it look like the Palestinians truly want peace when they had ample chances to do so? Have they not dragged Lebanon is their deadly agendas and despicable behaviors? Some of you people are sick in the mind to point fingers and blame Israel alone without equally factoring the Palestinians.
09 July 2014, 22:30
31
There are videos online showing idf snipers shooting kids, or members of the press. But I'm sure it wasn't on purpose...
09 July 2014, 13:16
63
32 Palestinians killed out of 430'targets, you have got to be kidding me on the idiotic strategy. If 117 rockets fell on Israel it takes 430 sorties to quiet them and kill 20 women and children at least if your claim is true that 12 out of 32 are militants. The fact of the matter IDF is always blind and scared so they rage blind massive destruction to inflict the most damage without any accuracy of the target, so do not play the exposing civilian game because of your continued failure despite all the massive support of money and technology from the US.
09 July 2014, 22:28
31
Cause the Israeli strategy is not about the numbers... It's solely for the purpose of keeping an entire nation under the fear of death. It's to make their lived unbearable. To make them lose all hope. To make them how their heads, as some posters here want. It's a terrorist strategy, plain n simple.
09 July 2014, 13:20
414
you both are laughable. So, your hizb and its paymaster iran will not help the palestinian people coz they are upset with Hamas?:)) Hamas is a political movement and its leaders are now hiding underground similar to Nasrallah while the normal palestinian people, women and children are dying! What a convincing argument both of you have!
09 July 2014, 13:22
411
What is it that you disagree with? HA is not killing women and children in Syria or Israel is not killing women and children in Gaza? Or perhaps that HA is a sectarian militia taking orders from Iran. Tell me which part you disagree with? Frankly speaking, the only propaganda is what you and your likes post day in and day out.
09 July 2014, 14:42
35
The weapons being fired from gaza come from Iran. And heZb has always vowed not to step in on behalf of the palis
09 July 2014, 15:29
132
you are out of your mind.. sick israeli showing us how completely deluded he is.
are you seriously comparing the hamas rockets with the WWI london bombings??? in that case what would the israeli bombing of gaza be compared to? even hiroshima wouldnt be the proportional equivalent
09 July 2014, 17:37
00
veritas what about the rest of the arabe world like ksa and emirates ....are they enemies of Israel or allies or they lie about their politics ???
09 July 2014, 17:56
54
Happy that our Israeli friends have joined our new Iranian friends with their Lebanese guards Hezbollah and Iraqi and Syrian friends in the "War On Terror".
09 July 2014, 18:04
44
One piece of advice to our great Israeli ally, you can save a lot of money if you stop using missiles from planes, tanks and artillery to fight terror, use exploding barrels instead our Syrian friends have found it a very frugal, useful and effective weapon in the "War On Terror".
09 July 2014, 18:47
33
haha ado took you ten minutes to decide, wrong not wrong, love you man
09 July 2014, 19:10
73
No here I am... Just finished watching the state of origin. Flattered that u missed me:)
09 July 2014, 19:17
24
been a busy boy..
ado.australia 52 minutes ago Historic 7-1 World Cup Rout on Brazil
ado.australia 41 minutes ago under Jumblat-led Initiative
...
of course just finished watching.. you just got in.. nowhere near Naharnet hahah... ado love you man
09 July 2014, 19:35
23
as you guys say no worries, I git my presidential pension so I'm good to go.. ado your use full.disclosure supposed to be ironic because it is and very clever, haha love you man
09 July 2014, 18:29
74
dream on lol...
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/85/219054105_98a93ab70b.jpg
09 July 2014, 18:34
103
"uuuuh wait, when you buy a house, doesnt it include the whole country with it?" wondered the israeli very candidly
09 July 2014, 18:44
14
http://world.mediamonitors.net/Headlines/Forgotten-History-The-Case-of-Libyan-Arab-Airlines-Flight-114
Death to Iran USA and isreal
09 July 2014, 18:47
23
The day will come when every zionest (that includes ASSad and nASSri) will have their day of doom upon them... Inshallah soon.
09 July 2014, 20:24
93
Yawn. Israel is going down whether u like it or hasbara artist scum
09 July 2014, 21:10
31
I wrote Zionist which means the Israeli Zionist PLUS aASSad and nASSri who I strongly believe are Zionist lovers too.
PAY ATTENTION WHEN YOU READ ... Disclosure ...
09 July 2014, 19:03
92
Like 2006 German World cup? This time I think Netenyahou has dug himself into a hole by rushing to so aggressively inciting against the killing of the 3 Zionist settlers in the west bank. It unleashed right wing Zionist reactions that ended in the kidnapping and burning alive, the 16 year old boy. Imagine pouring petrol and lighting up, an innocent 16 year old... Allowing him to burn alive as he gasped for air as his lungs filled with fire? This innocent child killed because of the incitement of a prime minister. Netenyahou tried to stop this now inevitable cycle of violence he encouraged that could end in a third intifada that will end his political career. God help the innocent civilians that will now be killed... What is the tally? 9 children, 14 teenagers, 8 women... That's worth at least 3 Israelis, no asef?
09 July 2014, 21:03
33
Sir, it looks like you have clear logic or not. No wonder why people in the Middle East are still killing each other.
09 July 2014, 21:16
31
What stolen land? What do you stand to accomplish by claiming that the Jews "stole" the land. You may make a valid argument over the building of Israeli settlements on "questionable" land, but make sure you have the correct facts and no Palestinian benefited from the land deal. That land belongs to both the Jews and the Palestinians, and they need to make peace to co-exits with each other. Or the other choice is to eliminate each other.
09 July 2014, 21:25
13
The logic of this Israeli action defies logic. They have spent millions killing 45 innocent people in Gaza and that is supposed to make alleged HAMAS rocket fire from Gaza end?? More than likely, HAMAS will keep up the fire so that the innocent people will not have died in vain. This incites more rocket fire, not less.
Palestinians live by the same code as the Israelis, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. If the objective is peace, this policy works at 180 degrees against such an objective.
09 July 2014, 21:55
32
@ultrahaboub: If people don't know you the way I do, they might think you are shia and a sectarian. I care about you
09 July 2014, 22:35
22
Hahahaha yes exactly like when Germany bombed England... If England was occupying England for 66yrs, building on their land, evicting its ppl, destroying their homes, terrorizing the population... And also if Palestine had the number one air force of its time, a ground force to be reckoned with, and a violent stance towards all it's neighbors.
If anything, Israel is like nazi germany... And the Palestinians are like the Jews in that time!
09 July 2014, 22:43
13
Dw the war isn't over yet. Throughout history, in every society u infiltrate, the same happens. Wether it's Rome, Babylon, Egypt, Germany... Ur ppl are evil ppl.
09 July 2014, 22:46
23
The Jews have never lived in peace with their neighbors. They are hated throughout history, and are always blamed for doing evil deeds. When does it stop being a coincidence?
10 July 2014, 00:28
11
Oh yes always the victims booohoooooo let's kill 57+ and throw a temper tantrum. You're an absolute joke dude and fool nobody. You are a Zionist Jew .. Victims eh? All you are cultureless money driven egomaniacs who steal culture food and land. Basically the scum of mankind
10 July 2014, 00:30
00
You can't cheat nature. And the Zionist state is unnatural by definition. Ask the boers in South Africa, your time is coming you conniving scum
10 July 2014, 16:41
00
Everyone seems to have forgotten the Palestinians. All eyes on ISIL and bombs rain freely on innocent civilians. I am not a fan of the Palestinians,scars serve as a reminder of what they did in Lebanon. With that being said I wouldn't wish anyone the vengeance that Israel is unleashing on the Palestinians. This has nothing to do with the death of the three Israeli teenagers. The blind bombing of supposed Hamas targets is just them taking advantage of the surrounding chaos. The so called Arab brothers are too busy comparing ď-ck sizes to even condemn such crimes against humanity. God help the innocent.
10 July 2014, 16:42
00
Everyone seems to have forgotten the Palestinians. All eyes on ISIL and bombs rain freely on innocent civilians. I am not a fan of the Palestinians,scars serve as a reminder of what they did in Lebanon. With that being said I wouldn't wish anyone the vengeance that Israel is unleashing on the Palestinians. This has nothing to do with the death of the three Israeli teenagers. The blind bombing of supposed Hamas targets is just them taking advantage of the surrounding chaos. The so called Arab brothers are too busy comparing ď-ck sizes to even condemn such crimes against humanity. God help the innocent.
