Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

Israeli War Criminals Continue Killing Palestinian Civilians Even After the Humanitarian Ceasefire, August 4, 2014

Hamas: We do not trust any Israeli humanitarian ceasefire

[ 04/08/2014 - 07:52 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Hamas Movement belittled Israel's declared intention to unilaterally suspend its attacks on the Gaza Strip for seven hours on Monday to allow in humanitarian aid at the request of the UN.

Its spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri described Israel's temporary ceasefire as an attempt to divert the world's attention from the massacres it had committed in Gaza, especially its repeated deadly attacks on UNRWA schools.

"We do not trust such a calm and we urge our people to exercise caution," the spokesman stated.

An Israeli channel quoted a military source as saying that there would be another humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, except for Rafah area, on Monday morning.

The Israeli occupation terrorist army declared a humanitarian truce on Monday starting from 10 o'clock in the morning to five o'clock in the evening, following a request by the UN after attacking a UN school in Rafah.

The Palestinian ministry of interior called on its citizens to be cautious and not to trust Israel's ceasefire announcements.

Previous incidents proved that Israel exploited its declared humanitarian ceasefires and brutally attacked border areas as was the case in Khuza'a and Shujai'ya neighborhoods.

Actually the Israelis violated their own declared humanitarian ceasefire within few hours.

Israeli terrorist government declares 7-hour Gaza truce after fury over attacking a UN school in Rafah

Maan, 04/08/2014 11:30

JERUSALEM (AFP) --

The Israeli occupation terrorist government announced it would be holding its fire in most of Gaza for seven hours Monday, amid world outrage over a deadly strike on a UN school in the Palestinian territory.

The unilateral truce, four weeks into fighting with Hamas, came after world powers fiercely condemned the attack that left 10 Palestinians sheltering at a school dead, as Israel was pulling some of its troops from Gaza.

The Israeli occupation terrorist army said the seven-hour "humanitarian window" would take place between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.in all of the Palestinian enclave except the area east of southern city Rafah, "where clashes were still ongoing and there was Israeli military presence."

The Israeli terrorist army said that residents of Abasan al Kabira and Abasan al Saghira, two villages east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, could return home beginning 8:00 Monday.

The announcement was received with distrust by Hamas, whose spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called on Gazans to proceed with caution.

"The unilateral ceasefire announced by Israel is an attempt to divert the attention from Israeli massacres," he said.

Medical officials in Gaza said over 1,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the July 8 beginning of the confrontation.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the attack on the school sheltering some 3,000 Palestinians who had fled their homes due to the fighting "a moral outrage and a criminal act."

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington was "appalled" by the attack and called for a "full and prompt" investigation.

"Israel must do more to meet its own standards and avoid civilian casualties," she said.

French President Francois Hollande said the bombing of the school was "unacceptable," backing calls by Ban "to ask that those responsible for this violation of international law answer for their actions," without saying who he considered responsible.

In an early Monday statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "Israel does not aim its fire at civilians and is sorry for any attack that unintentionally hits civilians," without directly addressing the attack on the school.

Fabius: Israel security does not justify 'slaughter of civilians'

Maan,  04/08/2014 15:22

 PARIS (AFP) --

 Israel's right to security does not justify its actions in Gaza, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday, as he called for a political solution to be "imposed" by the international community.

"How many more deaths will it take to stop what must be called the carnage in Gaza?" Fabius said in a statement.

"The tradition of friendship between Israel and France is an old one and Israel's right to security is total, but this right does not justify the killing of children and the slaughter of civilians."

The statement comes amid global outrage over an Israeli strike next to a UN school where ten people were killed, among them civilians who had been seeking refuge from the violence.

Fabius said Islamist group Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza, "clearly carries an overwhelming responsibility" for the conflict but that Israel was not justified in carrying out what UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called "a criminal act" with the attack near the school.

"That is why we support and demand the establishment of a real ceasefire as proposed by Egypt and why we are ready, as French and Europeans, to contribute to it in a concrete way," he said.

"It is also why a political solution is essential ... and should in my opinion be imposed by the international community," Fabius said.

7 Palestinian civilians killed in Jabaliya by an Israeli strike after residents were told it was safe to return north

Maan, 04/08/2014 14:52

 GAZA CITY (Ma'an) --

Seven Palestinian civilians were killed in an Israeli terrorist airstrike on their homes in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, a day after Israelis said it was safe for residents of the north to return home.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement that an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house killed seven people in Jabaliya.

He identified six of them as Bilal Abd al-Karim Najim, Abd al-Karim Najim, Ahmad Abd al-Karim Najim, Raghad Najim, Suha Najim, Shayma Wael Qasim.

The seventh body is yet to be unidentified.

Another 30 Palestinians were injured in the strike.

Israeli officials said Saturday that it was safe for residents of the northern Gaza Strip, with the exception of Beit Lahiya, to return to their homes.

The Israeli occupation terrorist army spokeswoman confirmed to Ma'an Sunday that residents of northern Gaza had been informed it was safe for them to go back to their homes.

Asked why the Israeli terrorist army was continuing to strike the north, the spokeswoman said: "We never said there would be no activity in the north."

She had no information about the deadly airstrike in Jabaliya, but said she would look into the incident.

The Israeli terrorist army has repeatedly commanded Palestinians in Gaza to leave their homes throughout the ongoing offensive on the Strip.

Israel's current offensive on Gaza has forced 445,000 people -- a quarter of the Strip's population -- to leave their homes, according to the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs.

Some 10,600 homes have been destroyed and over 26,000 damaged throughout the offensive, OCHA figures show.

Gaza's health ministry says 1,810 people have been killed and 9,324 have been injured since the beginning of the assault.

Israeli terrorist forces kill 16 Palestinians ahead of humanitarian truce

 04/08/2014 14:52 (MaanImages) GAZA CITY (Ma'an) --

Sixteen Palestinians have been killed in attacks on Gaza by Israeli terrorist forces since midnight, on the 28th day of the Israeli war-criminal offensive on the Strip, a health official said Monday.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement that the death toll in Gaza since the beginning of the assault had risen to 1,822.

The lethal attacks came ahead of an Israeli-announced humanitarian ceasefire that was to begin at 10:00 a.m and continue until 5:00 p.m across the Strip, except for areas east of Rafah, where heavy clashes between militants and Israeli forces have been raging for days.

However, it was not immediately clear whether Hamas and other militant factions would respect the unilaterally-declared truce.

"The unilateral ceasefire announced by Israel is an attempt to divert the attention from Israeli massacres," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, calling on Palestinians to proceed with caution.

The Hamas movement "doesn't trust such a ceasefire," Abu Zuhri said.

Israel announced the limited ceasefire after one carrying out a bloody and sustained assault on Rafah from air, land, and sea, leaving some 200 Palestinians dead in 26 hours, according to the Ministry of Health. The announcement also comes after an UN school sheltering 3,000 people was hit by an Israeli strike on Sunday, killing at least 10.

Just before the beginning of the lull, Israeli strikes killed two Palestinians in al-Qarara north of Deir al-Balah. Before that, teenager Raghad Masood was killed and eight of her family members were injured in a shelling on a house in Rafah.

Israeli warplanes also targeted a group of Palestinians near Haifa Mosque in Tal al-Zaatar refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, killing five and injuring several others. The ministry of health identified those who were killed in the attack as Hamada Khalil al-Qaq, Ahmad Khalid al-Qaq, Suleiman Muhammad Maroof, Zahir al-Anqah, and Izz Addin Abu Tueima.

Earlier on Monday morning, the Islamic Jihad movement announced that Danial Mansour, a field leader of its military wing, was killed by an Israeli strike on a house in Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. Another Islamic Jihad fighter, Abd al-Nasser al-Ajouri, was killed in the same raid.

Other Palestinians succumbed to wounds sustained in earlier attacks.

According to the Ministry of Health, the Israeli offensive on Gaza has left 1,822 Palestinians dead, including 398 children. Some 9,370 Palestinians have been injured, 2,744 of them children.

Approximately 373,000 children are in need of psychological support as a result of the trauma of the war, according to UN figures.

Over a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to leave their homes throughout the assault.

Resheq: Cairo’s ceasefire meeting “positive”

[ 04/08/2014 - 07:58 AM ]

CAIRO, (PIC)--

Hamas leader and member of the Palestinian delegation in Cairo, Ezzat al-Resheq, described on Sunday evening Hamas meeting with Egyptian officials over ceasefire talks as “positive”, adding Hamas handed over a list of demands to the Egyptian mediators.

Resheq said another meeting is to be held Monday with the head of the Egyptian intelligence.

The Palestinian delegation handed over a set of demands to the Egyptian officials, updating them on the need to have all of those terms met before any ceasefire sees the day, Resheq said in a statement to al-Aqsa TV channel moments after the end of the meeting Sunday evening.

“We appeal to the Egyptian officials to carry the voice of our people and urge the Israeli occupation to meet all of those demands,” he declared.

“We are quite aware that the affair is never an easy one,” Resheq concluded as he drew attention to Israel’s pre-planned attempts to dash the hopes of the Palestinian nation.

The Egyptian-Palestinian meeting was attended by representatives of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and the Palestine Liberation organization (PLO).

The delegation handed over a list of demands to the Egyptian mediators, ruling most notably for Israel’s immediate withdrawal from Gaza and the end of its military offensive.

Palestinian demands further included a ceasefire and a cessation of Israel’s air, sea, and ground operations, along with the opening of the border crossings so as to smooth the access of passengers, goods and reconstruction materials out of and into the Strip.

The demands included freedom of fishing, the rehabilitation of the Gaza airport, the establishment of a seaport, and the cancellation of the so-called buffer zone along with lifting the sanctions imposed on West Bankers.

The Palestinian demands called for an urgent reconstruction of the Gaza Strip assisted by the national consensus government and the UN.

The Israeli occupation authorities turned down Cairo’s appeals to join Cairo meetings over ceasefire bids under the pretext that Hamas had violated a 72-hour truce moments after it was put into effect on Friday morning.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Israel’s rejection of Cairo’s appeals took place under “feigned pretexts.”

According to Hamas, such an Israeli position is an undeniable proof of Israel’s disregard for the international and Arab efforts and a pretext used to step up its genocides against Palestinian civilians.

Hamas: Israeli shelling of UNRWA school “war crime”

[ 04/08/2014 - 07:50 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- 

Hamas slammed Israel’s attack on a Rafah-based UNRWA school Sunday morning as a “war crime” and a proof of Israel’s disregard for the public opinion.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is a co-partner in such Israeli genocide, denouncing his silence over Gaza’s bloodbaths as opposed to his lamentation regarding the disappearance of the Israeli soldier who took part in mass-murdering hundreds of innocent children in the ongoing military offensive on Gaza.

A barrage of Israeli mortars rocked the UNRWA school in Rafah, a shelter for hundreds of Palestinian refugee children and families.

The attack took away the lives of at least ten civilians and left some 50 others severely injured, Health Ministry spokesman, Ashraf al-Qudra reported as he denounced such escalation of Israeli genocides against families seeking refuge in UN premises, and called on the UN to immediately step in so as to save the lives of some 250,000 displaced Palestinians in the Strip.

A new spate of Israeli mortar shells targeting a Palestinian crowd left seven civilians dead.

The Rafah death toll has been brought to 38 after three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid on Okel’s family home, north of the city.

Three members of al-Sharfi family, two members of Jabara’s, four members of al-Khatat and two members of al-Atar families were all-mass-murdered in a series of brutal raids that struck their homes in Jabaliya, Rafah, and Deir al-Balah.

PIC correspondent said the Israeli occupation army has been unleashing fire on rescue and civil defense crews who rushed to the targeted spots to evacuate the casualties.

By-standers at the scene said rescue crews recovered dozens of dead bodies from beneath the Gaza ruins while scores of other casualties have been covered under their home debris.

Five members of Abu Shalouf family west of Rafah were killed in another wave of Israeli shells.

Nine civilians, including children, were killed in a barrage of Israeli mortars that rocked al-Ghoul’s home in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. 20 more civilians sustained severe injuries in the process.

Israeli rocket fire targeting Abu Jazar’s home and al-Shaer’s in Rafah claimed the lives of five civilians, including two children, and wounded dozens of others.

Two more civilians were killed in a renewed Israeli aerial raid that hit civilian homes in Beit Lahia and the Jabaliya refugee camp.

Hamas calls on international parties to reconsider their pro-Israel positions

 [ 04/08/2014 - 07:36 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas has slammed the Israeli occupation for pulling the wool over the world’s eyes by claiming one of its soldiers was captured by Palestinian resistance elements in Gaza.

Member of Hamas political bureau, Ezzat al-Resheq, said in a statement on Sunday the Israeli occupation misled the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, and UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, into believing that an Israeli soldier was kidnapped in Rafah.

The Israeli occupation admitted later that the soldier was killed in a clash. Israel had been taking advantage of such claims to breach the ceasefire and step up is massacres against Gaza civilians and children.

Resheq urged the UN to alter its biased position and apologize to the Palestinian people for laying the blame on Hamas.

Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said in a statement the Israeli occupation claimed the soldier was kidnapped before admitting later that he was killed in the military operations launched on Gaza. Israel had been taking advantage of such claims to breach the ceasefire and execute its Rafah massacre, he charged.

Hamas has called on Ban Ki-moon and the international parties to reconsider their positions after having realized the malevolent nature of the Israeli-weaved propagandas and smear campaigns, holding the UN partly responsible for the Rafah “bloodbath.”

Israel Withdraws From Gaza Without Achieving Objectives

Monday August 04, 2014 02:27 by Alternative Information Center

The Israeli military withdrew the majority of its ground forces back to staging areas outside of Gaza on Sunday. The air force, however, continues to strike targets in the coastal strip.

Alongside the reorganization of its troops, which may lead to the establishment of a buffer zone wider than the one in existence before the current offensive, the Israeli army also started preparations toward future indictments against it for war crimes.

The withdrawal of the majority of ground forces has allowed divisions to rest soldiers and allow a significant part of the troops to return home for a brief respite from the fighting. The military began withdrawing its forces on Saturday and began preparing a "temporary security strip".

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated the Palestinians would not be bound by any unilateral decisions made by Israel.

"If the occupation unilaterally withdraws, the battle field would decide the response. We're not going to be obligated to anything," he said.

Israeli military commanders assume the Palestinian resistance will not accept the terms of the Egyptian ceasefire initiative and is not ready to surrender, despite the widespread destruction imposed by Israel.