Day 5 of the Zionist Israeli Terrorist Attacks on Gaza Strip, 20% Palestinian Civilian Victims, 393 Killed, 1800 Injured, Palestinian Missiles Reach Isdood and Be-er Al-Saba'a

ccun.org, December 31, 2008

Editor's Note:

Arab TV stations and news agencies reported that the Zionist Israeli terrorist attacks on Gaza Strip continued for the fifth day. The death toll of Palestinian victims reached 393 and the injuries reached 1800, 20% of whom were civilians, including children, women, and even doctors and medics.

The Israeli terrorist attacks targeted hospitals, houses, mosques, government and police facilities.

Palestinian fighters expanded the range of their missiles to reach the cities of Isdood and Be-er Al-Saba'a, where some Israeli casualties were reported.

Yesterday, Palestinian missiles reached the entire area of the occupied territory of Gaza Strip, according to the 1947 UN Partition resolution 184, which includes the cities of Isdood and Asqalan and the nearby little towns. According to that resolution, Gaza Strip border includes Isdood and its lands but Israeli forces annexed it illegally to Israel during the 1948 war.

The Israeli attacks have been conducted with US-made F-16 jets and Apache helicopters, in a clear violation of US law which prohibits using US weapons against civilians.

The Israeli leaders have rejected European attempts to stop the fighting for 48 hours to allow humanitarian aid to reach the starving Palestinian civilian population.

The Bush administration expressed its support for the Israeli government. President Bush has disappeared inside his ranch in Crawford, Texas and President-elect Obama has disappeared in Hawaii, in an apparent calculated moves to allow the Israelis to continue in their terrorist attacks against the Palestinian population in Gaza Strip, in order to pressure Hamas government to surrender to Israeli conditions.

The Arab League is dragging its feet to avoid taking any action against the Israeli aggressors. It took Arab foreign ministers four days to meet in Cairo, just to meet.

The UN Security Council is absent and paralyzed because of the US-EU shielding of the Israeli attacks.

Israel launches one ton seismic bombs at Rafah tunnels

Date: 31 / 12 / 2008 Time: 11:48
Gaza - Ma'an -

Israeli occupation terrorist forces warplanes targeted Rafah tunnels for a third time Wednesday, launching new one ton seismic bombs are the area.

The bombs, which had not been used before Wednesday, created holes at least 30 meters deep in the areas around the tunnels.

Olmert: War to continue?, Peres: This war is like no other war in Israel's history?

Wednesday December 31, 2008 00:52 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli occupation terrorist government prime minister, Ehud Olmert, stated on Tuesday that the Israeli occupation terrorist army would continue its offensive against the Gaza Strip until “achieving its goals against Hamas”. The Israeli occupation terrorist government president, Shimon Peres, said that “this war is like no other war the Army carried out since Israel was established”.

Olmert said in a statement on Tuesday that the Israeli occupation terrorist army will continue its offensive in Gaza until Israel achieves its goals against the ruling of Hamas.

He added that the Israeli occupation terrorist army will continue to operate according to the plan, “the war has begun, and will not end until we achieve our goals”, Olmert added.

Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that the statement of Olmert came responding to reports that the Israeli occupation terrorist army would agree to a 48-hour truce. He stated that it has become necessary for a ground offensive.

Olmert also said that the offensive is still in its early stages, vowing further and more painful assaults.

Israeli President, Peres, said that this war is like no other war in Israel’s history and added that it would continue.

The Israeli occupation army and its military officials also denied reports of a possible truce, and added that Hamas is still firing homemade shells.

Haaretz also stated that the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, plan to visit Israel on Monday.

Israeli military officials denied reports that Israel is recommending a truce, which was initially proposed by Kouchner, President of the European Parliament.

The Israeli occupation terrorist government infrastructure minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, also denied truce reports and said that “Hamas did not suffer enough”.

Also, Mark Regev, spokesperson of Olmert’s office, said that “Israel wants to see humanitarian aid entering Gaza”, but also added that Israel wants to keep the pressure on Hamas.

The Israeli war of genocide against Gaza is ongoing, more hospitals, houses, mosques, government and military facilities are under fire, and the number of casualties, especially among the civilians is gradually increasing. The death toll has exceeded 393 residents, including children, women and elderly while at least 1800 residents have been injured.

For the fifth day Gaza still under attack, death toll 390

Wednesday December 31, 2008 12:27 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the death toll by Wednesday now stands at 393 as a result of repeated Israeli air raids on the coastal region.

According to the Ministry of Health, at least 1,884 Palestinians have been injured by the relentless Israeli bombing. Among the injured 300 are in critical conditions.

Local sources reported that the Israeli bombing continued on Tuesday night, and Wednesday morning. Targets included ambulance crews and civilian homes.

The Ministry of Health said among those killed on Wednesday at dawn, were Dr. Iyhab Al-Madhom, and medic Mahmoud Abu Hassira. The Ministry said that the two were aiding injured people during the targeting of Gaza City, when an Israeli unmanned plane fired directly at them. Among the civilian targets that were shelled on Wednesday at dawn, was the oxygen refilling plant which is used by local hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

IOTF raids kill paramedic, wounds others

[ 31/12/2008 - 11:32 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

A Palestinian paramedic was killed and a number of other citizens were wounded in fresh Israeli terrorist aerial raids on the Gaza Strip at dawn Wednesday that claimed the lives of almost 390 citizens and wounded 1800 others since Saturday.

Dr. Mu'awiya Hassanain, the director of ambulance and emergency in the health ministry, told the PIC over the telephone that paramedic Mahmoud Abu Hasira was killed, another paramedic and doctor wounded when the IOF warplanes shelled an ambulance car carrying the international Red Cross flag while on its way to rescue wounded persons east of Gaza.

He said that many other casualties were registered in various areas of the Strip, adding that the Israeli occupation terrorist forces (IOTF) warplanes shelled and destroyed nine ambulance cars and three vehicles for civil defense.

Meanwhile, legal centers refuted IOTF claims of bombing a truck loaded with missiles on Tuesday after investigating the incident which the IOTF filmed and circulated. The legal centers said that the truck was carrying gas cylinders and that the seven martyrs who were killed in the shelling were all civilians.

Meanwhile, Egypt closed the Rafah border terminal with Gaza only few hours after opening it before humanitarian assistance on Tuesday evening following IOF threats of shelling the crossing.

The intensified IOF air raids continued for the fifth day unabated killing and maiming hundreds while spreading destruction in each and every area in the Strip.

For its part, the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, declared firing six Grad missiles at Beer Sheba city at dawn Wednesday the damage of which was not revealed by the IOTF.

Osama Hamdan, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, said that the armed wing was defending the people of Gaza in face of the IOF brutal aggression that should come to an immediate end along with the siege.

Despite poor weather, airstrikes continue; 392 killed, 1,900 injured

Date: 31 / 12 / 2008 Time: 10:48
Gaza – Ma’an –

Two People were killed on Wednesday afternoon as the Israeli occupation terrorist air forces resumed raids on the Gaza Strip after having originally suspended them since morning due to rain and cloudy weather.

US-made Israeli warplanes targeted a donkey cart in Bani Suhayla Square in Khan Younis, killing two and injuring many.

Israeli missiles also hit a residential house in the Al-Nusayrat Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip. There was no immediate word on casualties there.

Earlier on Wednesday, US-made Israeli F-16 fighter jets targeted the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City. Despite poor weather, Israeli helicopters, fighter jets and reconnaissance planes continued to fly over the Gaza Strip on Wednesday afternoon.

Israeli terrorist airstrikes were reported earlier on Wednesday as warplanes dropped one-ton seismic bombs on the Rafah tunnel region.

The bombs, which have not yet been used in the Gaza operation, left holes in the earth more than 30 meters deep. While no injuries have been reported, medical crews have not yet been able to reach the area.

Several areas in the northern Strip were also attacked. US-made Israeli F-16 warplanes launched two missiles at the border areas and shells towards Bet Lahia and Bet Hanoun.

Wednesday morning

Rain and overcast skies halted Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Wednesday morning but the Israeli occupation terrorist forces did not stop its barrage of attacks against the area. Israeli terrorist warships and artillery vehicles surrounding the Strip launched volleys of shells at the homes of Palestinians in the north and central regions.

Israeli warships targeted the Gaza port for the second time at 7:00am Wednesday, bombarding the area with shells. The sea port, usually the hub of activity for the Mediterranean community, has been abandoned as Gazans remain indoors and away from border areas.

At the Strip’s eastern border with Israel tanks are lined up firing rounds on the residential areas of Tel Al-Za’atar east of Jabaliya. The bombardment killed a Palestinian doctor and injured several others from the medical crew who had rushed to rescue those injured in an earlier round of shelling in the Jabal Al-Rayis area.

Israeli terrorist shelling continued through the early hours of Wednesday morning. Israeli forces targeted 40 sites in Gaza including the interior ministry and the security buildings in Gaza City, Khan Younis and Jabaliya as well as the naval police headquarters on the coast near Khan Younis.

Tuesday night

Overnight Israeli artillery targeted the headquarters of the de facto government’s General Secretariat of the Council for Ministers and the National Security buildings east of the Al-Buraij refugee camp in central the Gaza Strip. Fire also targeted residential areas where several homes of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades’ leaders are located.

Mounting death toll

According to the de facto government Ministry of Health hospitals have been able to identify 320 of now more than 376 dead in Gaza. According to a statement from the ministry 15% of the dead are women and children. Of the now 1,650 injured, said the statement, almost 45% are children.

Other counts say more than 1,900 are now injured, and that 215 of the injured are in critical condition. Medical sources also said at least 42 of the dead are children.

***Updated 15:45 Bethlehem time

Armed groups step up projectile fire despite five days of attacks

Date: 31 / 12 / 2008 Time: 11:37
Gaza - Ma'an -

"If you assassinate one leader, the body of fighters will continue to act against Israel," said the spokesperson for Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades on Wednesday.

For five days Israel has waged a massive campaign to root out the factions responsible for firing homemade projectiles at towns near the Gaza-Israel border. Israeli warplanes, artillery tanks and warships have been bombarding de facto government buildings, workshops and the homes of known leaders, relentlessly.

Since the start of the Israeli bombardment, however, armed factions have stepped up their projectile attacks. It appears that attacks are now coordinated between factions, meaning volleys of larger numbers of projectiles are being launched over the Gaza border wall.

Factions have also started to launch Grad rockets, used first by Russian soldiers in the 1960s. These projectiles have reached some 40 kilometers into Israel and have hit abandoned buildings near the city of Be-er Al-Saba'a, previously thought to be out of range of Palestinian fire.

In a statement, Abu Ahmed insisted that “the resistance will always remain alive and strong with all determination to attack Israeli cities.”

"Our war with Israel has open options,” said Abu Ahmed, “and we are free to resist their attacks in any way."

"If they dare to conduct a military invasion of the Gaza Strip,” he added, “they will be shocked by our capabilities.”

In the year and a half of projectile fire from Gaza, eight Israelis have been killed. In the past five days that number rose to 11.

Al-Quds, Al-Qassam and Al-Nasser Brigades launch projectiles at Israeli targets

Date: 31 / 12 / 2008 Time: 11:06
Gaza – Ma’an –

Brigades step-up projectile fire on fifth day of Israeli military operation.

Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades announced that they launched 8 projectiles at Be-er Al-Saba'a, Keryat Mlakhi, Ofakim, Sderot, Asqalan and Isdood.

Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades claimed 8 projectiles that landed near Asqalan and Sderot.

The Popular Resistance Committees' Al-Nasser Brigades said they launched a projectile at Sderot.

All factions said their resistance activity is a direct response to the continued Israeli terrorist attacks against the people of Gaza.

Armed groups fire more projectiles at Israeli towns

Date: 30 / 12 / 2008 Time: 19:24
Gaza – Ma’an –

The military wings of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Fatah movement claimed responsibility for launching three mortar shells at Israeli tanks stationed behind the Sufa gate, east of Rafah on Tuesday.

The two wings, PFLP’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades and Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades, claimed responsibility for the shelling in a statement, which said the attacks “came in retaliation for the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.”

Separately, Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for firing a Russian-made Grad missile on the city of Asqalan, which is controlled by the Israeli occupation government to the north of Gaza Strip.

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