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Gaza: Residents waving white flags 'shot dead as they flee their homes'

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

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Flames and debris rise following an Israeli air strike on January 13, 2009 in Rafah, Gaza Strip

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Israeli forces said they had pushed deeper into Gaza City amid heavy fighting, with some units within a mile of the densely populated urban centre. Terrified residents were said to be fleeing from many homes which had been set alight.

At least three Palestinians in Gaza were shot dead yesterday after Israeli soldiers fired on a group of residents leaving their homes on orders from the military and waving white flags, according to testimony taken by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. The testimony was rejected by the military after what it said was a preliminary investigation.

The thrust by Israeli ground forces into Tel Hawwa was the furthest the Israelis had gone into Gaza City since military operations were launched on 27 December. Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, declared that he would press forward with an "iron fist". While his government in Jerusalem is claiming that Hamas's military capabilities have been severely damaged, its senior intelligence sources have revealed that only a "few hundred" of the movement's 20,000 men have been killed, including several of its key leaders. The officials also stated that Hamas still had significant supplies of rockets left in their arsenal despite firing several hundred of them into Israel since military operations began.

However, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, the Israeli chief of staff, told Israeli MPs: "We have achieved a lot in hitting Hamas and its infrastructure ... but there is still work ahead." Israeli aircraft carried out 60 raids yesterday.

As Palestinian hospital officials revealed that the death toll has risen to at least 952, half of them women and children, John Ging, the UN Relief and Works Agency's director of operations in Gaza, called on the international community to protect civilians in Gaza; he also wants a full investigation into allegations that Israeli military forces have used illegal weapons.

On the relatively peaceful West Bank, a Palestinian man was killed after he tried to grab a gun from an Israeli soldier in Hebron and a 15-year-old boy was shot near the city of Qalqiliya while throwing stones at a road used by soldiers and settlers. Palestinian officials said a settler had fired the fatal shot.

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, is heading to the region for talks with leaders in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Syria. He said: "My message is simple: the fighting must stop. To both sides, I say: Just stop now."

In Gaza, Munir Shafik al-Najar told B'Tselem that members of his extended family started trying to leave their homes after the Israeli army began demolishing buildings in the area of Kuza'a, close to the Israeli border with south-eastern Gaza. Mr Najar said the Israeli soldiers were using gunfire to signify that residents should leave, but then started shooting "indiscriminately".

He testified that his relative Rawhiya had stepped out of the family-owned building, one of whose walls had been destroyed by a bulldozer, expecting her family to follow, but she was shot. The military subsequently attacked another group escaping leaving two more of his relatives dead. The military said late last night that it had found the claim to be "without foundation".

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42 Comments

i think the people who are doing this are people that have have no heart and cannot move out of the past. Just because they went through that does not give them right to do the same to other people. the Palestinians are poor defendless people and no human being should be put through what they are experiencing now. i will pray for them and hope that god touches there hearts.

Posted by sangeeta | 28.01.09, 23:17 GMT

Once, as I heard from a man speak of the situation...both sides need to treat each other as equals and only then may they see how it can be possible to coexist peacefully.

Posted by Morpheous | 19.01.09, 14:27 GMT

This is disgusting! Israel is the source of some of the most horrific memories of the post-holocaust world. (Ironically!)

Posted by Junaid | 17.01.09, 23:44 GMT

Killing innocent people is just not bearable... not matter if they are Jews or muslims... its just not fair...!!
Super powers are sitting Idols....!! If they want they can end this mess in matter of hours...!! but why would they...?? its not the people whom to be blamed... its the Goverments of all the Countries.. Every thing is possible, but only if we want...!!

Posted by Humayun | 17.01.09, 16:12 GMT

"Oh my GOD! If anyone says anything against Israel is antisemit?! Jewish people WHEN DID YOU FORGET? What Israel is doing in Gaza is same what Nazis did to you not so long ago...we still feel about it? Will you EVER?"

Complain about this comment
Posted by Ana | 15.01.09, 18:49 GMT

Ana, your "historical parallel" relating Israel to Nazi Germany and Palestinians to European Jewry falls well short of having any relevance. Even if, for the sake of being more concise, we choose to omit the differences in scale, motive and efficacity of the Nazi German/Israel war efforts, the difference in the Casus Belli of the two aggressions seems enough to dismiss your comment. Namely, in 1933 before kristilnact, how many rockets had Eastern European Jewry launched at Berlin? If the answer is anything greater than 0, I will retract my statement and defer to using your historical lens.

Posted by Gregory | 16.01.09, 20:59 GMT

@ David and other guilt trippers,

human rights is not israel. shut up about antisemitism and get a grip. western support and the israel lobby is the root of all evil. give it a break and stop attempting to guilt the non jew humans out there for you cause - its beyond annoying.

just so you know - i love the human race, jews too! i am not a nazi. i just can see beyond the israel/jew propoganda machine. sorry.

peace on earth

Posted by antibully | 16.01.09, 17:00 GMT

Please prevent from using the "Tu Quoque" fallacy. I see many people are trying to justify Israel's actions by pointing out Hamas' atrocities. Hamas crimes against civilians do not justify Israel's crimes against civilians.

Both parties have a part to play in this. Both Hamas and Israel have done actions which have created an escalation of the conflict before and after the ceasefire. What should be looked into is a bi-national solution, much like the one Albert Einstein endorsed.

Posted by MF | 16.01.09, 09:42 GMT

Why doesn't Hamas just stop shooting rockets at Israel? What could they possibly feel they are accomplishing beyond prolonging this retaliation.
Are those who praise the occasional lower volumes of Hamas rocketfire suggesting they would be ok with their neighboring city lobbing an occasion bomb or two into their neighborhood?

Posted by aaa | 16.01.09, 05:58 GMT

James, are you really that blinded by ideology?

They can't verify it, because ISRAEL WONT LET MEDIA OR THIRD PARTIES INTO GAZA!!!

Posted by Collin | 16.01.09, 04:18 GMT

"The palestinians have an active imagination, the way they play up to the media even makes the republicans and their media manipulation campaigns of the past look ordinary."

It would be easier to verify the truth or falsity of statements like these if the Israeli military permitted independent media to report on the action, but they don't allow them in. We can't believe either side, but it's the Israelis who have made reporting impossible.

Posted by Chris | 16.01.09, 03:50 GMT

Amusing how Israel claims it's trying to "take out" Hamas. They could kill 10,000 Hamas members, the end result is that they are going to create far more terrorism. Many of these children that lost their parents or siblings will grow up to be terrorists and this is exactly what Israel wants. The cycle of violence must continue otherwise Israel has no (supposed) justification for slaughtering these people.

Anyone that supports these zionist animals is sick in the head.

Posted by asdf | 16.01.09, 03:29 GMT

I suggest you take a look at www.honestreporting.com and see how Hamas uses tremendous media manipulation.

Posted by usisee | 15.01.09, 22:47 GMT

The world and the UN are useless entities since they cannot do anything against the carnage against innocent civilians in Gaza.

Posted by Basith | 15.01.09, 21:48 GMT

It's time the western media stop collaborate with the "palestinians". It has already been proven that "pallywood" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pallywood) is one of the best industries that the Arabs has invented and altough the press has admitted the problem of using local people as journalists they prefer to stain Israel instead of being proffessional.
I simply can't believe IDF would shoot at civilians with white flag. Has anyone actually seen it happen? Does anyone has solid proof? Can we rely on the local people who would do anything to delgitimize Israel?
Even if they did shot it is probably because those were hamas terrorists who tried to approach the soldiers and detonate themselves. Those terrorists have no moral code what so ever. Don't forget for one second that they don't hesitate to hide in hospitals, kidnap children to protect them, stash amunition in mosques and schools, and fire from UN fascilities. With such people who mercy no one we have no right to condemn Israel.

Posted by Amit | 15.01.09, 21:24 GMT

The war on Gaza is a publicity stunt by the current Israeli government to improve its chances in next month's election. Too bad it takes so many innocent lives to win an Israeli election.

Posted by Dave | 15.01.09, 21:19 GMT

And I suppose the Un was lying when they stated that their UN HQ was hit by Isrealis. Isreal should be ashamed of their selves remember their history. They are reacting like a cruel adult would react when they are slapped by a child.

Posted by Sharon | 15.01.09, 20:55 GMT

Israel has lost it's collective mind. I'm not saying that Hamas didn't have a part in helping stoke the fire but, this is just stupid. Those whom say that Israel is only defending itself probably that invading Iraq was a good defensive move to protect the US, as well. It honestly sickens me how ignorant, selfish and childish all of the countries act in that area and yet, they claim to be an example of civility and everything right in the world. What a crock. I honestly think we should just let them all fight kill each other. They will only stop fighting when they are either dead or there is nobody else left to fight. Not only that, but, these countries really want to show the world how powerful they are but, because they are small insignificant countries they act out in stead of focusing on being actual contributors to more important things in the world such as science and art, etc. This is natural selection in the works. I nominate the entire mid-east for the Darwin award.

Posted by g.m. | 15.01.09, 20:19 GMT

David,

Palestinians are semitic too. I think it is wrong and unfair to imply that the people who take the Palestinian side in this debate are anti-Jewish. This is a HUMAN RIGHTS issue, not a racist/religious issue.

-Brett

Posted by Brett | 15.01.09, 20:15 GMT

Hamas a terrorist group? Just because the USA says so, doesn't make it so. Hamas is a democratically elected government. Period. You wanted free elections? Next time be careful what you ask for.

Israel is bombing innocent people trapped in a very small area. They aren't allowing enough medical or other supplies in, which is pretty much letting people die.

Hopefully Iran and other Arab states support Palestinian interests and keep Israel from performing this genocide-like agenda.

Posted by Matt | 15.01.09, 20:04 GMT

Arguing about this is a complete waste of time. I've seen three different stories just TODAY on how Israel is purposely attacking civilians. The majority of pictures of dead Palestinians are almost always of civilians: women, children, unarmed people. Yet there are still people who say, "PROVE IT! Show CLEAR evidence Israel is doing something wrong!" Question Israel's intelligence for a change and open your eyes. Look at the facts...a group of people have been systematically pushed into this one strip of land illegally (PROVE Israeli citizens have building and land permits in the homes they live in, it can't be proven, because the opposite is true). And when Israel begins killing people in this small, fish-in-a-barrel situation, we're supposed to sympathize with Israel when Palestinians toss homemade bombs into Israel? What do you expect? Multiple news sources are reporting on the injustices of the Israeli military and government, but some are content to blindly support Israel.

Posted by Jakob | 15.01.09, 19:28 GMT