Israeli offensive in Gaza City kills 2

NF Reporter · 11-21-2006, 05:13 AM

AP - The Israeli army moved into Gaza City early Tuesday, killing a local Hamas leader and an elderly woman in a gunbattle that erupted after troops tried to arrest the commander, the Islamic group and the military said.

More...

waltky · 01-21-2008, 08:41 PM

No problemo!...

Israeli army says Gaza crisis a fake
Monday 21st January, 2008 - The Israeli army has scotched worldwide news coverage that the Gaza Strip is undergoing a humanitarian crisis.

Quote:

Despite major concerns being raised by relief organizations, including the United Nations, that a major crisis was unfolding in Gaza, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman says the publicity is all spin. "There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza," a military official told Ynet news on Sunday night.

"Even today, Israel is behind 70% of the power supply to Gaza, and therefore any claim to the effect that there are electricity problems in Gaza is unfounded," he said. "These are media spins by interested parties. We did not cut back on electricity and don't intend to do so at this point.

"The Palestinians are in fact the ones who shut down power for several hours a day in a bid to create a crisis. At the moment, their fuel supply has not run out yet. If there is shortage of fuel oil at the power plants, they should ask themselves what happened to the supply they received," the military source said.

More Israeli army says Gaza crisis a fake

waltky · 01-22-2008, 01:43 AM

Cut-off got their attention...

Gaza Border Closure Slows Down Rocket Fire
January 21, 2008 - Complaints from the Palestinians aside, Israel's closure of Gaza Strip appears to be working. The rocket attacks on Israel are way down since Israel sealed off the Gaza Strip on Friday.

Quote:

As of midday Monday, three mortars and rockets had been launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip. On Sunday, there were seven launches, the army said. That compares with the 240 Kassam rockets and mortar shells launched at Israel last week alone. So far in January, 590 rockets and mortars have rained down on Israel, following 341 that hit Israel in all of December, the army said.

Israel is watching to see if this is a policy shift in the Gaza Strip or a temporary response to Israel's crackdown, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aryeh Mekel said by telephone. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged on Monday that Israel would not allow the situation in the Gaza Strip to reach crisis proportions, as aid groups claimed was happening.

Israel closed all border crossings into the Gaza Strip, stopping shipments of fuel and other goods, on Friday in an effort to stop the daily rocket barrages. "We will provide the population with everything needed to prevent a crisis, but we will not supply luxuries that would make life more comfortable," Olmert said.

Olmert told the visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen that many Israeli children living in communities around the Gaza Strip suffer from anxiety as a result of the ongoing rocket attacks. Israel does not want to do the same thing in Gaza, he said. Israel is trying to target the terrorists, but it also wants to show Gaza's population "that it cannot shed itself of responsibility for the situation," he was quoted as saying.

MORE

See also:

'Palestinians got the message,' Israeli official says
1.22.08, Senior defense official claims dramatic drop in rocket attacks in last 48 hours attests to effectiveness of closure on Gaza. Hamas leader Mashaal welcomes Israel's decision to allow fuel shipment into Strip

=snip=

Quote:

A senior defense official told Ynet Monday evening that the sharp decrease in rocket attacks from Gaza in the last couple of days proves that "the Palestinians got the message," conveyed by Israel through the closure on the Strip.

"We got the message across. Hamas understood the equation: A continuation of the rocket fire would lead to Israeli pressure against armed groups and civilians. We do not plan to cause a humanitarian catastrophe, but they now realize they will not get fuel or other luxuries as well.

"We will transfer diesel fuel to the power plant, as well as medicines, but not fuel for cars or other commodities. The one-time gesture was meant to aid the civilian population, because we do not wish to harm innocent civilians. But the condition remains – only an end to rocket fire would enable a return to normal life in the Gaza Strip."

Palestinians: Gesture is insufficient