Category Archives: Palestine

Israel’s far right spreads from the fringes | Middle East | DW.DE | 14.07.2014

According to Rachel Elior, a professor of Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, these are dangerous statements that should be banned.

“There are certain circles that want to deny the fact that Palestinians are people just like us. No more, no less,” she said on Israeli radio. “Unfortunately, many think that we are a holy people, and that non-Jews can be defined as unclean and worthy of death.”

The rabbis base their views on ancient and traditional Jewish texts, said Elior, adding that this doesn’t, however, legitimize racism.

The Jewish people have a long history that stretches back more than 3,000 years, she added. The collective memory is shaped by texts, which resulted, in part, from Jews living as a persecuted minority among other peoples, said Elior.

There are written sources over 3,000 years old, and it’s clear “that over such a long period of time there are all sorts of beliefs that are no longer acceptable today,” she said. “Just as we no longer have slaves or maidservants, although there are religious laws that permit doing so, you cannot allow racist comments based on these Israeli sources.”

via Israel’s far right spreads from the fringes | Middle East | DW.DE | 14.07.2014.

Names of the Victims in Gaza – Continuously Updated | Hummus For Thought

Nour al-Najdi 2004-2014

Relatives and friends carry the body of Nour al-Najdi, 10-years-old, during her funeral in Rafah after being killed by an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip, on July 11, 2014. (Photo: AFP – Said Khatib – retrieved from Al Akhbar)

They will try their best to dehumanize the civilians slaughtered by the terrorist government of Israel, but the Internet allows us to, at least, know their names. Here are the names of the first 100 Gazans murdered by the Occupying force in the past 4 days. The list will be updated daily. I’m dedicating the blog’s Facebook page to reporting on Gaza. I apologize for the disproportionate attention given to Palestine, but international pressure is the only way to stop Israel’s government from continuing the ongoing massacre (despite Netanyahu pretending otherwise.) I’m still sharing Middle East-related links of course, not just on Palestine.

via Names of the Victims in Gaza – Continuously Updated | Hummus For Thought.

LIST OF 102 PALESTINIANS KILLED SINCE TUESDAY

Killed Friday 11/7

1. Anas Rizk Abu el-Kas, 33, was killed in a bombing in Gaza City.

2. Nour Marwan al-Najdi, 10, was killed in a bombing in Rafah.

3. Mohammed Mounir Ashour, 25, was killed in a bombing on the al-Ghanam family home in Rafah.

4. Ghalia Deeb Jabr al-Ghanam, 7, was killed in the same bombing.

5. Wasim Abd al-Rizk Hassan al-Ghanam, 23, was killed in the same bombing.

6. Mahmoud Abd al-Rizk Hassan al-Ghanam, 26, was killed in the same bombing.

7. Kifah Shahada Deeb al-Ghanam, 20, was killed in the same bombing.

8. Ra’ed Hani Abu Hani, 31, was killed in a bombing in Rafah.

9. Shahraman Ismail Abu el-Kas, 42, was killed in a bombing in al-Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza.

10. Mazen Mustafa Aslan, 63, was killed in the same bombing.

11. Shahd Helmi al-Qrynawi, 5, was killed in the same bombing.

12. Adnan al-Ashhab, died from his injuries after attack in Nuseirat a few days ago.

13. Mohammad Rabea Abu-Hmeedan, 65, killed in a bombing in Jabalia.

Killed Thursday 10/7

1. Salem Qandil, 27, Gaza City.

2. Amer al-Fayyoumi, 30, Gaza City.

3. Baha’ Abu al-Leil, 35, Gaza City.

4. Asma’ Mahmoud al-Hajj, Khan Younis.

5. Sa’ad Mahmoud al-Hajj, Khan Younis.

6. Najla’ Mahmoud al-Hajj, Khan Younis.

7. Tareq Sa’ad al-Hajj, Khan Younis.

8. Omar al-Hajj, Khan Younis.

9. Amna al-Hajj, Khan Younis.

10. Amna al-Hajj, Khan Younis

11. Basimah al-Hajj, 57, Khan Younis.

12. Ra’ed Shalat, 30, Nuseirat.

13. Wife of Ra’ed Shalat, Nuseirat.

14. Unidentified child of Ra’ed Shalat, Nuseirat.

15. Unidentified chil of Ra’ed Shalat, Nuseirat.

16. Ibrahim Khalil Qanan, 24, Khan Younis.

17. Mohammad Khalil Qanan, 25, Khan Younis.

18. Hamdi Kamil Sawali, Khan Younis

19. Suleiman al-Astal, 55, Khan Younis.

20. Ahmad al-Astal

21. Mousa al-Astal

22. Mohammad al-‘Aqqad, 24, Khan Younis.

23. Abdullah Ramadan, 5, Beit Lahiya

24. Ismail Abu-Jaame, 19.

25. Khalid Abu-Jaame, 75.

26. Mahmoud Waloud, Jabalia.

27. Hazen Balousheh, Jabalia.

28. Alaa Abdelnabi, Jabalia.

29. Ahmad Zaher Hamdan, 22,northern Gaza.

30. Yasmin Mohammed al-Mutawwaq, 4.

31. Mohammed Kamal al-Kahlout

32. Abdul Rahman Khattab, 8, Deir al-Balah

33. Abdullah Abu Majrouq, Deir al-Balah

Killed Wednesday 9/7

1. Hamed Shihab, Journalist – Gaza.

2. Salmiyya al-‘Arja, 53, Rafah.

3. Nariman Abdul-Ghafour, Khan Younis.

4. Rafiq al-Kafarna, 30.

5. Nayfa Farajallah, 80.

6. Abdul-Nasser Abu Kweik, 60.

7. Khaled Abu Kweik, 31.

8. Ameer Arif, 13.

9. Mohammad Malika, 18 months.

10. Amna Malika (Mohammad’s Mother), 27.

11. Hatem Abu Salem.

12. Mohammad Khaled an-Nimra, 22.

13. Sahar Hamdan (al-Masry), 40, Beit Hanoun.

14. Ibrahim al-Masry, 14, Beit Hanoun.

15. Amjad Hamdan, 23, Beit Hanoun.

16. Hani Saleh Hamad, 57, Beit Hanoun.

17. Ibrahim Hani Saleh Hamad, 20, Beit Hanoun.

18. Mohammad Khalaf Nawasra, 4, al-Maghazi.

19. Nidal Khalaf Nawasra, child, al-Maghazi.

20. Salah Awad Nawasra, al-Maghazi.

21. Somoud Nawasra, al-Maghazi.

22. Mahmoud Nahedh Nawasra, al-Maghazi.

23. Aisha Najm.

24. Amal Yousef Abdul-Ghafour.

25. Ranim Jouda Abdul-Ghafour.

26. Ibrahim Daoud al-Bal’aawy.

27. Abdul-Rahman Jamal az-Zamely.

28. Ibrahim Ahmad ‘Abdin.

29. Mustafa Abu Murr.

30. Khaled Abu Murr.

31. Mazin Al-Jarba.

32. Marwan Eslayyem.

33. Sami al-Arja, 65, Rafah.

Killed Tuesday 8/7

1. Mohammad Sha’ban, 24, Gaza.

2. Amjad Sha’ban, 30, Gaza.

3. Khader al-Basheeleqety, 45, Gaza.

4. Rashad Yassin, 27, Nusseirat.

5. Mohammad Ayman ‘Ashour, 15, Khan Younis.

6. Riyadh Mohammad Kaware’, 50, Khan Younis.

7. Bakr Mohammad Joudeh, 50, Khan Younis.

8. Ammar Mohammad Joudeh, 26, Khan Younis.

9. Hussein Yousef Kaware’, 13, Khan Younis.

10. Bassem Salem Kaware’, 10, Khan Younis.

11. Mohammad Ibrahim Kaware’, 50, Khan Younis.

12. Mohammad Habib, 22, Gaza.

13. Mousa Habib, 16, Gaza.

14. Saqr ‘Aayesh al-‘Ajjoury, 22, Jabalia.

15. Ahmad Nael Mahdi, 16, Gaza.

16. Hafeth Mohammad Hamad, 26, Beit Hanoun.

17. Ibrahim Mohammad Hamad, 26, Beit Hanoun.

18. Mahdi Mohammad Hamad, 46, Beit Hanoun.

19. Fawziyya Khalil Hamad, 62, Beit Hanoun.

20. Donia Mahdi Hamad, 16, Beit Hanoun.

21. Soha Hamad, 25, Beit Hanoun.

22. Suleiman Salam Abu Sawaween, 22, Khan Younis.

23. Siraj Eyad Abdul-‘Aal, 8, Khan Younis.

24. Abdul-Hadi Soufi, 24, Rafah.

via LIST OF 102 PALESTINIANS KILLED SINCE TUESDAY.

Killing of Palestinian Youth Puts an Israeli Focus on Extremism – NYTimes.com

Tamir Lion, an anthropologist who studies youth, said he was troubled by the changing attitudes among Israel’s young people. For many years, Mr. Lion interviewed soldiers about why they chose to enter combat units. “The answers,” he said on Israel Radio, “were always about the challenge, to show I could make it, the prestige involved.”

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That began to change in 2000, he said. “I started to get answers — not a lot, but some — like: ‘To kill Arabs.’ The first time I heard it, it was at the time of the large terror attacks, and since then it has not stopped.”

A generation has grown up in a period of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with suicide bombs and military incursions, rocket fire and airstrikes. Young people on both sides may think about the other more as an enemy than as a neighbor.

Mr. Lion, head of research at the Ethos Institute, said he was troubled. “Today I can say, and everyone who works with youth will say it, Jewish youth in Israel hate Arabs without connection to their parents or their own party affiliation and their own political opinions.”

via Killing of Palestinian Youth Puts an Israeli Focus on Extremism – NYTimes.com.

Third day of raids on Gaza. Caritas Jerusalem: security is not achieved by killing innocent children – Fides News Agency

Gaza (Agenzia Fides) – According to local medical sources, the third day of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip began with 14 deaths including 7 women and 4 children. In one night between Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 July, the Israeli air force carried out more than 300 raids in a few hours. Several concordant testimonies confirm that, unlike previous military campaigns – where the bombing targets were mainly police stations and government buildings in the hands of the Islamists of Hamas – this time civilian houses and building are hit, along with refugee camp areas. Eight victims were reached by a rocket while attending the semi-finals of the World Cup football match Argentina-Netherlands in a bar of a village in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Egypt opened the Rafah crossing to allow wounded Palestinians to be assisted in the health facilities in the north of Sinai.

Faced with a growing number of victims – already more than seventy – and injured, Caritas Jerusalem warns of looming humanitarian emergency on the people of Gaza. The organization supports many projects and activities in the Strip, including a mobile clinic and a health center for psychological assistance for children with artificial limbs because of amputation due to previous Israeli military operations. All activities have been suspended since the start of the raid. Caritas workers present in Gaza are preparing for emergency interventions that will only be carried out when Israeli air strikes end.

In a statement sent to Fides Agency, Caritas Jerusalem condemns “the violence and killing of innocent people, especially those against women and children”. “The people of Gaza – stresses the statement – already lives a tragic situation for the embargo to which it has been subjected for 12 years and has suffered three conflicts in eight years”. The text released by Caritas Jerusalem reaffirms “the right of Israel to live in peace and the Israelis to live in security”, and states that this right can never be guaranteed “by war and aggression against innocent people”. The only way to achieve peace and security is “justice and a resolution of the conflict”, which can make its way only by recognizing the Palestinian people the right to live in freedom in their own land and allowing Gaza to open to the world. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 10/07/2014)

via Third day of raids on Gaza. Caritas Jerusalem: security is not achieved by killing innocent children – Fides News Agency.

Israeli airstrikes kill 30 Palestinians | Maan News Agency

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli airstrikes across the besieged Gaza Strip killed 30 Palestinians overnight Wednesday and Thursday, including a family of eight, bringing the total death toll to 81.

Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a car in the northern Gaza strip killing three Palestinians. A medical official confirmed that the remains of the victims were taken to Kamal Udwan Hospital.

Two of the men were identified as Mahmoud Waloud and Hazim Balousha.

Ismail Abu Jami, 19, was killed in a strike on Khan Younis and Abdullah Ramadan Abu Ghazal, five, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beit Lahiya, Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.

Israeli warplanes also targeted a residential house in al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, with no injuries reported.

In the southern Gaza Strip, an Israeli missile hit a residential building in Rafah. Three men were injured in a car traveling near the building.

Three men were injured, one seriously, in an airstrike targeting a motorcycle in Rafah. Another airstrike struck Gaza City, injuring two, while another airstrike targeted al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

Earlier, an airstrike hit a car in al-Nafaq street in Gaza City, killing three and injuring four.

Bahaa Abu al-Leil, 35, Wisam Qandil and Amir al-Fayoumi were identified as the victims. Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the men were fighters with the al-Quds Brigades.

Early Thursday, Israeli warplanes targeted a building in Khan Younis, killing eight members of the al-Hajj family. Over 30 people were injured in the strike.

Most of the victims were children, al-Qidra said, adding that Israeli forces bombed the building without a warning or asking them to evacuate.

Tariq al-Hajj, Najla al-Hajj, Aminah al-Hajj, Saad al-Hajj, Omar al-Hajj, Aminah al-Hajj, and Basimah al-Hajj, 57, were named as the victims.

Earlier, nine Palestinians were killed and at least 10 injured when Israel targeted Waqt al-Marah coffee shop on a Khan Younis beach.

Locals said dozens of people were watching the World Cup semi-final game when Israel fired a missile at the crowd.

Muhammad Khalid Qannan, his brother Ibrahim, Hamdi Kamil Sawali, Suleiman al-Astal, Ahmad al-Astal, Mousa al-Astal and Muhammad al-Aqqad were identified as some of the victims.

Muhammad Ihsan Farawneh, 18, was found dead on Thursday under the rubble of the cafe.

Another airstrike in the al-Zawayda village in central Gaza killed four members of the Shalat family; a couple and two children.

The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a media vehicle in Gaza late Wednesday.

Late Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike killed Hamdi Shihab, who worked as a driver for local news agency Media 24.

The car had ‘TV’ clearly marked in red paint on the bonnet of the vehicle.

Early on Thursday the Israeli military said that during the course of the preceding day, “at least 82 rockets hit Israel” and 21 were intercepted.

The Israeli army said it launched raids on “322 targets” overnight, taking the total number of Hamas targets hit to 750.

via Israeli airstrikes kill 30 Palestinians | Maan News Agency.

Bombs over Gaza – about Israeli politics – not security, revenge, peace, or… Liberman positions himself as Mr. Security – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

“The approach of ‘quiet will be met with quiet’ is very seriously mistaken, and I can say on my behalf and on behalf of the members of Yisrael Beitenu that we completely reject such an approach,” said Liberman in an obvious effort to paint Netanyahu as a weak leader who is afraid of a confrontation with Hamas. “It is unacceptable that after three of our children were kidnapped and murdered and after two consecutive weeks of rockets falling, Israel’s approach would be that quiet will be met with quiet. … We in Yisrael Beitenu oppose to the cease-fire. There are no arrangements to be made with Hamas.” His stern remarks were more reminiscent of an attack from the opposition than the comments of the country’s foreign minister during a military escalation. These remarks more or less coincided with comments made by Minister Yair Shamir during an interview with Al-Monitor.

via Liberman positions himself as Mr. Security – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East.

“Collective Punishment” for all Gazans for Belief Hamas will Suffer? Israeli official wants fuel, electricity to Gaza cut | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon urged Wednesday his government to immediately cut off fuel and power supplies to the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing Israeli military offensive.

“It is inconceivable that on the one hand we fight Hamas and on the other we provide fuel and electricity that are used to transport missiles that are fired at us,” Danon was quoted as saying by the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

“We need to use all of the levers of pressure that we have at our disposal in order to bring Hamas to sue for a ceasefire,” he added.

Gaza’s only functioning power plant only supplies 65-megawatt – about one third of its total electricity needs, while the besieged enclave buys 120 megawatts of electricity from Israel and 28 megawatts from Egypt every day, according to Gaza’s energy authority.

via Israeli official wants fuel, electricity to Gaza cut | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR.