Rolling Updates on the Israeli Invasion of Gaza (7 January)

Later Story: Follow-Up: That State Department Twitter-Diplomacy….Gives the Game Away?
Later Story: Inconvenient (Rocket) Facts: Israel Still Can't Get It Right
Later Story: Rice to UN: US Seeks Regime Change in Gaza
Later Story: Inconvenient (Rocket) Facts: Israel Gets Caught Out by the BBC


12:45 p.m. Relatively quiet on both military and diplomatic fronts --- not expecting much out of any United Nations discussions --- so we're off for some downtime.

Tomorrow should offer some clues on the political direction of the conflict. With Hamas as well as the Palestinian Authority and Israel going to Cairo for negotiations, there may be some indication as to whether Tel Aviv and Washington will accept a settlement that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza or whether they try to isolate the organisation.

Meanwhile, on the military front, we may get some indication --- given the reports of Israeli moblisation around Rafah and warnings to residents --- of whether Tel Aviv is going to take the ground offensive into the cities.

11:30 p.m. Gazan medical sources say 700 Gazans killed in conflict, 219 are children and 89 are women. More than 3000 wounded: 46 percent are women and children.

11:25 p.m. Jabaliya Doubled: The Daily Telegraph of London is reporting the discovery in Zeitoun by a paramedic of between 60 and 70 bodies of the al Samouni clan (initial reports had put the death toll at 13), killed by Israeli shelling.



About 15 members of the clan were injured. Eight were left behind when Israeli troops began firing on ambulances.

So far, Israel has made no claim that there was Hamas members firing mortars from the shelled house.

10:50 p.m. A summary of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah's speech on the Gaza situation --- "The Scheme is to Give West Bank to Jordan, Gaza to Egypt" --- is now posted in English on the Internet.

10:45 p.m. Took a break to post on today's How Not to Spin Information story: the Israeli consulate in New York, trying to prove Hamas was responsible for breaking the cease-fire, actually makes the case that the Gazan organisation was observing it.

8:45 p.m. Apologies --- missed this earlier. Israeli Cabinet postpones votes on expansion of ground offensive

8:40 p.m. Arab fightback? Representatives of Arab League at United Nations reject US-backed initiative for non-binding statement by President of Security Council and urge binding Security Council resolution for immediate cease-fire. Al Jazeera speculates this is because of growing "embarrassment" over Arab passivity in face of Mubarak-Sarkozy process.

8:30 p.m. Israeli military preparing for entry into Rafah in southern Gaza? Reports of leaflets being dropped on residents warning them to evacuate by 8 a.m. Gaza time

8 p.m. On CNN, French Foreign Ministry spokesman tries to reconcile different stories: Israel has welcomed "process" and "approach" of Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal. Tel Aviv is sending senior advisor to Minister of Defense Ehud Barak to Cairo tomorrow.

Spokesman adds that discussions are taking place with Hamas via Egypt and Syria. On the Palestinian Authority-Hamas issue, he talks of "Palestinian reconciliation".

6:15 p.m. Retractions: French President Sarkozy's office acknowledges that Israel has not accepted the Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal while Israeli military says three-hour "respite" --- to take place every other day ---does apply to all of Gaza, not just Gaza City

5:25 p.m. Important development: Ahmed Youssef, political advisor to Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, tells Al Jazeera there are "good elements" in Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal and hopes for clarification of provisions in next 48 hours. Youssef adds that he hopes negotiation of Mubarak-Sarkozy will be in conjunction with movement in United Nations towards a resolution.

Youssef says the "by-product" of rockets will end when the Israeli occupation is terminated, indicating Hamas will not accept a cease-fire which does not mention Tel Aviv's aggression: "As long as the occupation is there, we have to defend ourselves....When we have full control of our destiny....there will be no firing of rockets."

5:20 p.m. Thomas Friedman carries the media flag for Israel. His latest column in The New York Times, "The Mideast's Ground Zero", is being distributed via Twitter by the Israeli Consulate in New York. And no wonder, six years after Friedman marched into war with Iraq, he's still got an Axis of Evil to grind:

No doubt, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran are hoping that they can use the Gaza conflict to turn Obama into Bush. They know Barack Hussein Obama must be (am)Bushed — to keep America and its Arab allies on the defensive. Obama has to keep his eye on the prize. His goal — America’s goal — has to be a settlement in Gaza that eliminates the threat of Hamas rockets and opens Gaza economically to the world, under credible international supervision.

5:15 p.m. Confusion over the Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal and possible embarrassment for the French President. France had announced Israel's acceptance of the limited cease-fire, but Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that proposal is still being studied.

5 p.m. Two hours into the three-hour respite but Al Jazeera says there are reports of fresh fighting in Gaza City. Seven Israeli airstrikes, mainly in northeast Gaza.

The respite has allowed paramedics to get to some areas of Gaza for first time.

4:20 p.m. Israel "clarifies" the three-hour respite: says it applies only to Gaza City

3:45 p.m. A break from Gaza coverage to more important issues: CNN International is running an in-depth investigation of Oprah Winfrey's weight

3:20 p.m. Osama Hamdan of Hamas says organisation is considering Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal along with "other initiatives",  maintains cautious line --- "If we criticise Egypt, it does not mean we cannot discuss with Egypt"

3:12 p.m. Hamas officials say they are considering the Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal.

3:10 p.m. French officials say both Israel and Palestinian Authority have accepted the Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal for a limited cease-fire and talks in Cairo.

3:05 p.m. Respite, after firing from both sides in opening minutes, reported to be "generally holding". At least 683 Gazans killed since start of conflict.

2:20 p.m. Report of "tens of thousands" of mourners at funerals of the victims of Jabaliya school/shelter bombing.

UN officials "99.9 percent certain" that there were no militants in the shelter.

2:00 p.m. An  hour after the "respite" began, shelling resumes north of Gaza City, although more civilians are on the streets in the centre of the city. Machine gun fire near Beit Lahoun.

1:35 p.m. Israeli Defense Forces say they have suspended operations for three hours. Hamas says it will match this by suspending firing of rockets.

1:10 p.m. Israeli airstrikes kill four people outside a  mosque in Gaza City and two people in the Zeitoun district. Explosions reported in Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya.



12:55 p.m. London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi reports that officers of US Army Engineering Corps have been stationed at Rafah to unearth smugglers' tunnels --- unclear whether they are now on Egyptian or Gazan side or border

12:45 p.m. Israel seizes the media initiative, at least with CNN: its headline story is of Tel Aviv's offer of a "short respite" with the three-hour pause in bombing each day, while the Jabiliya deaths are at the foot of the story (and noted with "The Israeli military said Hamas militants were firing mortars from the school").

11:55 a.m. No humanitarian bombing pause yet: Al Jazeera reports heavy Israeli bombing around city of Rafah on Egypt-Gaza border.

11:34 a.m. Dan Gillerman, the former Israeli Ambassador to the UN and the coordinator of Israel's information operations, tells Al Jazeera that the deaths in the Jabaliya bombing are "horrible tragedy" but whereas each death is "a cause for sadness" for Israel, each is "a cause for celebration" for Hamas.

Gillerman refuses to address the question of whether Israel violated international law with the shelling of the school/shelter. John Ging, United Nations Relief and Works Agency official, repeats that the GPS coordinates of the school/shelter were given to Israeli forces, and calls for a "full investigation".

11:10 a.m. Israeli Cabinet currently discussing military operations, including possible expansion of ground offensive with mobilisation of tens of thousands of reservists. Israeli forces reported to be in "holding pattern" around Gazan cities.

11 a.m. Israel announces, for the "humanitarian corridor", that it will halt military attacks for three hours each day. Al Jazeera reports Gazan reaction: "What about the other 21 hours a day?"

10:20 a.m. I have known and learned for 20 years from Professor Avi Shlaim, one of Britain's foremost historians on the Middle East. In today's Guardian of London, he has an opinion piece, "How Israel Brought Gaza to the Brink of Humanitarian Catastrophe", offering the historical context to the current crisis:

This brief review of Israel's record over the past four decades makes it difficult to resist the conclusion that it has become a rogue state with "an utterly unscrupulous set of leaders". A rogue state habitually violates international law, possesses weapons of mass destruction and practises terrorism - the use of violence against civilians for political purposes. Israel fulfils all of these three criteria; the cap fits and it must wear it. Israel's real aim is not peaceful coexistence with its Palestinian neighbours but military domination.

9:40 a.m. The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator has released a situation report, current to 6 p.m. on 6 January, detailing casualties and damages from Israeli bombing and shelling. It also sets out the status of medical services and shelter and the provision of food, fuel, water, and electricity.

9:15 a.m. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the deputy chief of Al Qa'eda, issued a statement calling the Gaza conflict a "gift" from President-elect Barack Obama with "that traitor" Hosni Mubarak as the main partner.

Frankly, I consider this a sign of the relative weakness and peripheral place of Al Qa'eda, except to a small group of core activists, not only in Gaza but in international affairs. Far more important, as Juan Cole has noted, is the impact upon local "insurgents" in places such as Afghanistan, as they use the wider policies of countries like the US to mobilise their supporters.

9:05 a.m. Other success of Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal is pushing the specific incident of the shelling of Jabaliya school/shelter, which killed at least 43 and wounded at least 100 Gazans, and the general humanitarian issue to the background. Al Jazeera is leading with the Jabiliya killings but other news services have put it in the background.

The Israeli proposal for a "humanitarian corridor" appears to be a public-relations success, at least for the moment. And, contrary to my opinion yesterday, it seems that Jabaliya will not be the successor to Qana (Lebanon) 2006, when dozens of civilian deaths in a single incident helped force an end to military operations.

Jabaliya was one of three schools/shelters struck yesterday. More than 660 Gazans have now died.

9 a.m. Lead development is the Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal for immediate cease-fire and meetings in Cairo between Israel and Palestinian "factions"

There is still lack of clarity on proposals such as arrangements for border security and when and to what extent blockade would be lifted. Perhaps most important, no confirmation on whether Hamas would be invited to negotiations. In fact, there is not even agreement on the cease-fire. United States is still holding out against any cessation of military operations.

However, immediate "success" of the proposal is to block any UN resolution on the crisis. Initiative is now clearly with France, Egypt as the Arab "leader", and --- behind them --- the US and European countries. If Israel and the Palestinian Authority play their parts,, then this could be an ambitious move for a "grand design" on Gaza. This would include isolating and possibly overthrowing Hamas.

Comments

[Paul]

Israel may call its aggression self-defense or something they didn’t choose to do… how credible is that? I would call it an INHUMANE act of a desperate & frightened bully who is politically motivated to conduct another war exercise. I suspect many reasonable people might find this characterization much more convincing.

Palestinians should unite in the face of the atrocities, as the Lebanese people did when Israel poured its wrath on Lebanon (another weaker neighbor) in 2006… & then withdrew in shame. Isn’t it ironic that David, an important figure in Judaism, defeated Goliath? I have a strong feeling that recent history is going to repeat itself in Gaza.

Perhaps “might is right” used to work in the old days… but not anymore. This is the dawn of a new age… sadly, Israel thrives on war & knows only one way to co-exist with its neighbors.

[Dave]

I would call it an INHUMANE act of a desperate & frightened bully who is politically motivated to conduct another war exercise. I suspect many reasonable people might find this characterization much more convincing.

------------

Really? And what do you call US military action?

1. After a failed attempt to assassinate H.W. Bush in 1993, the U.S. launched dozens of cruise missiles at Iraq's intelligence headquarters and hit a civilian neighborhood in the process. And Powell later said this was an "appropriate, proportional" response!

2. The U.S. also deployed massive force in the Balkans in the 1990s. In '99, the US accidentally bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade killing three and injuring 20.

3. The U.S. has relied heavily on fighter planes and bombers to conduct its post-September 11 war in Afghanistan. A number of incidents are reported of civilians being killed. About 50 people were killed at a wedding party.

4. Gulf War - More than 30,000 Iraqis died. US deaths? A couple hundred.

5. Colin Powell oversaw the invasion of Panama. Thousands were injured and many were killed.

6. Iraq War and many other atrocities.

And in no way do such dangers pose a direct threat to US shores. No threats to its existence, and it still unleashes overwhelming fire power against its enemies, causing MASSIVE amounts of collateral damage in places that thousands of miles away. Israel is in such close physical proximity with its enemies and everybody wants to put it on the stand!!

Read the Powell Doctrine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powell_Doctrine

"....every resource and tool should be used to achieve decisive force against the enemy."

[eman maslouh]

since the ground invasion the percentage of the killed children and women was raised from 30% to 50%...
it is very clear that israel knows which war she can when..
surely not the one against an armd force but the one against hungry children and women.
Actually the aim of this war was never hamas ...
it was the hungry and thirsty civiliens..

[Shachar]

eman, I don't know where your sources are coming from, but even the people of Gaza, say that less than 30% of the casualties are civilians.

Israel stopped it's operations today for few hours, and what did Hamas do?
A. it continued it's rockets attacks on Be'er Sheva
B. it stole many of the supplies that came in, and gave it to it's terrorists and to the Hospital which is treating only Hamas militants.

[Dave]

$1.7 billion was given to the Palestinians in 2008. Where did all that money go? Why don't they have reserve supplies of food, water, and other things in cases of emergencies?

[Shachar]

these 1.7$ It was used by Hamas to get a new supply of thousands of grad missiles. It's not like Hamas does care about the Gazan people...

[Dave]

Yesterday in New York, thousands marched in support of Israel. More marches are planned over the next few days. It is refreshing to see this after watching the pro-genocide, pro-jihadist anti-Semites marching across major cities in Europe and North America.

"Yesterday I had the honor of being among the speakers at a rally in support of the people of Israel in New York City. In my brief remarks I emphasized the moral challenge and moral imperative that the world faces today: Israel is the front line of the jihad that threatens Europe, America, India, and so many others, and if we don't stand together, as Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, and all free people, it will assuredly prevail. If the appeasers in the EU and UN think they will be spared the same scourge that Israel now faces, they are in for a rude awakening." -- Robert Spencer

You can see pictures here - http://www.jihadwatch.org/

[Mo]

(moderator note: Clip is Al Jazeera report on "More Children Among Gaza Dead")

The clip below is pretty horrible:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=K5wrwZlwAq8&eurl=http://www.iranamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8900

[Dave]

"This brief review of Israel’s record over the past four decades makes it difficult to resist the conclusion that it has become a rogue state with “an utterly unscrupulous set of leaders”. A rogue state habitually violates international law, possesses weapons of mass destruction and practises terrorism - the use of violence against civilians for political purposes. Israel fulfils all of these three criteria; the cap fits and it must wear it. Israel’s real aim is not peaceful coexistence with its Palestinian neighbours but military domination."
--------------------

WMD, state-sponsored terrorism, violence against civilians for political purposes, and other violations of international law.

How is Israel different from so many other countries? Dozens of countries are guilty of at least 2 of the things mentioned above -- and a few of all 3.

He wants to talk about state-sponsored terror? A CIA operative set off a bomb at a news conference in a Costa Rican border town in 1984, killing a number of journalists. Costa Rica attempted to extradite the agent and the US would not co-operate. And I'm sure there have been other incidents that have occured over the years when there were attempts made to bring individuals to justice.

And who's got stockpiles of WMD? Many countries have chemical if not nuclear stockpiles.

[Dave]

"No doubt, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran are hoping that they can use the Gaza conflict to turn Obama into Bush. They know Barack Hussein Obama must be (am)Bushed — to keep America and its Arab allies on the defensive. Obama has to keep his eye on the prize. His goal — America’s goal — has to be a settlement in Gaza that eliminates the threat of Hamas rockets and opens Gaza economically to the world, under credible international supervision."
---------------

Syria is exploring peace prospects with Israel and has been doing so well before this conflict began. Syria also wants to improve its relations with Washington. None of these things are secret. Hamas and Hezbollah don't like any of these developments and I'm sure they know that Obama will want to speed up the process. Obama also wants to engage Iran. If Obama can pull that one off, Hamas and Hezbollah will be ISOLATED. And they know Obama is a different animal from Bush. They know he is willing to talk to America's fellow state enemies. Hamas and Hezb. already on the defensive in the Arab world. The Arab governments have no love for Hamas, even if their peoples do.

Did these developments not give Hamas reason to want the conflict in the first place?

[Mo]

People love Hezbollah and Hamas because they stand up to apartheid and racism. You are absolutely correct, the people love these two groups and their governments hate them. Their governments are undemocratic and despotic regimes which are backed by the US and the EU.

What will happen to the Zionist regime if and when they are finally overthrown?

Despite the fact that the Israeli regime, has used the most barbaric and inhuman methods in waging warfare, it is facing serious trouble in Gaza and it has lost utterly to Hezbollah.

What is it going to do if and when the Jordanian, Saudi, and Egyptian regimes fall?

[Dave]

(edited by moderator)

What will happen to the Zionist regime if and when they are finally overthrown? ....

What do you think would replace those fallen Arab governments? Would Islamic governments take their place? Egypt is approaching a time of transition in its government and Mubarak's main opposition is a popular Islamic group. I hear they are well liked by the people. I can't remember of the name of the party.

How strong and popular is the Islamic movement in the Arab world?

[Vic Lord]

Woe to the miltary regime in Israel, its end is coming soon. The blood of the civilan martyrs massacred by the IDF will haunt them and bring their downfall and the downfall of their allied defeatist regimes of Mubarak, Al Saud and the Hashemite pupet King Abdllah and Morrocan King Mohammed