GAZA CITY (CNN) -- The death toll from a weekend of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza has topped 300, Palestinian medical sources said Monday as a third day of air raids hit the Hamas-ruled territory.
Fires rage overnight in Gaza, where Israel has been bombing what it says are Hamas targets.
Fires rage overnight in Gaza, where Israel has been bombing what it says are Hamas targets.
Another 650-plus people have been wounded in the strikes, the sources said The U.N. Security Council has called for an immediate end to the airstrikes, which began Saturday. But Israel says its objective is to stop an ongoing stream of rockets fired by Hamas militants into southern Israel, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Cabinet ministers Sunday that the situation "is liable to continue for some time."
Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, pledges it will defend its land and people in the face of what it calls continued Israeli aggression. Each side blames the other for violating an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire, which formally expired Friday, December 19, but in reality had been weakening for months. Video Watch as Gaza endures third day of attacks »
Israel has struck more than 300 Hamas targets since Saturday, its military said. The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that more than 150 rockets have been launched into Israeli territory from Gaza since the campaign began. One of those hit a home in southern Israel on Saturday, killing one man inside. Video Watch parts of Gaza reduced to rubble »
Palestinian security and medical sources said airstrikes hit the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza early Monday, and a home near Hamas leader Ismail Haniya's residence was hit overnight. Hamas security sources said that raid targeted the home of a senior leader in the group's military wing.
The Jebaliya raid left five children dead in a home that was damaged when a nearby mosque was targeted, said Dr. Mu'awiya Hassanein. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on that claim.
And a few minutes after midnight, an Israeli F-16 fired rockets into at least one building at the Islamic University of Gaza, a Gaza-based journalist at the scene -- whose name was withheld for security reasons -- told CNN. There were no immediate reports of casualties from that strike, which the IDF said targeted "a center for weapon research and development."
The Palestinian television station Ramattan showed firefighters trying to put out a fire at a building identified by the Palestinian network as part of the university, while others sifted through large piles of debris and rubble. Read reactions to Israel's strike on Gaza »
"There was a loud series of explosions ... the entire apartment I'm in was shaking," said Sami Abdel-Shafi, a Palestinian business consultant in Gaza City. "It was scary and a very disappointing position to be in for the 'nth' time."
An Israeli military statement said the targets of the raid were "buildings that were used as meeting places for senior leaders of Hamas." Video Watch an ambassador say Israel is only defending itself »
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"One of the structures struck housed explosives laboratories that were an inseparable part of Hamas' research and development program, as well as places that served as storage facilities for the organization," the IDF statement said. "The development of these weapons took place under the auspices of senior lecturers who are activists in Hamas. Among the weapons that have been developed and manufactured at this site are Qassam rockets."
There was no immediate response from Hamas to the IDF statement.
Guest Comment:The "plight" of the palestinians.
Is it me or is CNN infering that it is civilans that are targeted and
really not mentioning that it is terrorists that are the targets?
Why have they not given the same coverage to the rocket attacks on Israel for the last 5 years?
Time to let CNN know that this slant bias is unacceptable.
Make them docuement the claims of Palestinians instead of publishing the false claims like Jenin and south Lebanon.
CNN's phone number is (404)827-2600.
It will take about 3 minutes, just hold on and let them know in a polite and organized way.
Then pass this on to your list
19 comments:
CNN-
The Obama News Network.
They'll show children getting "massacred" but will not tell the world about the palestinian "martyr" cowards attacking the state of Israel. There are victims too on the cowardly rocket attacks these animals do against the people of Israel. unfortunately the Obama news network, will on air victims of Israeli aggression.
So to the people of Gaza, If you're hungy- I'll send you PORK, anything from a swine should be sufficient to feed you animals. and to CNN- Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo Yankee Oscar Uniform!!!!
I refuse to watch CNN, because they prey on peoples misery- Fcuk CNN!!!!!!
CNN biased?
Ha.
You can't be serious.
There is a humanitarian disaster in Gaza -
The U.N. has launched a humanitarian appeal for Gaza because of what the regional U.N. humanitarian coordinator Maxwell Gaylard called "an assault on human dignity."
Hamas's home-made rockets have killed just 20 Israelis in eight years, but a day-long blitz by Israeli aircraft that kills almost 300 Palestinians is just par for the course.
How much is life worth?
If you're Palestinian, not much. That's the message that the international community is sending out. The death toll from Israel bombardment of Gaza has now reached 350+ in 4 days, and yet leaders in the international community talk about Israel's right to defend itself! Defend itself from what exactly?
Hamas is stupid and irresponsible for sending out those rockets. But for the love of God, these rockets have rarely amount to anything. As of April 2008, 13 Israelis have ever been killed by qassam rockets. That is 13 in 7 years. That doesn't mean that it is acceptable, but Israel has murdered 350 Palestinians in 4 days! This is insane! And the world talks about Israel's right to defend itself. More Israelis will die in car accidents this year.. should Israel be allowed to bomb every car out there, to defend itself.
If you want to read more about the effects of qassam rockets, go to:
http://www.cjpme.ca/documents/35%20En%20Qassam%20Rocket%20Attacks%20v.1.pdf
Is Israel the kind of "friend" the US really wants...the whole world has turned against them now, they are just killers, who keep on killing.The US says "now now" you mustn't do that. What a pitiful response to this slaughter. This is really sickening. The US supplies Israel with nuclear weapons and all the conventional weapons it wants, the Palestinians throw rocks. The day of reckoning is coming for Israel.
Take a close look at many of the Pallywood photos from Hamasastan.
Staged.
The "weeping families" setups are always hilarious stuff.
The videos of the "wounded" kids being suddenly rushed from a vehicle perfectly framed for the cameras is always a laugh riot.
CNN and it's ilk eat it all up without question.
CNN is not a news agency. CNN merely uses a news event to spread it's political agenda. They miss the story and report sub plots. Watching CNN reminds me of the discomfort watching Nikita Kruschev back in the day. Nikita was a powerful speaker but I never quite believed he was telling the truth and certainly not the whole story. Kinda like Wolf and gang.
I strongly agree. they are quick to show dead palestinians, focus on protesters and their issues. Yet were is the same coverage of the situation in Israel. Heck, where were the mangled/dead bodies of Israelis and other tourists/etc following the Indian shootings in mumbai. Very few "candid" images of the dead during that coverage. Tired of CNN, MSNBC, etc....
Oh please! The violence involved in this attack couldn't be seen from a partial point of view. Israelis claimed they were targeting Hamas headquarters after the first attack. When they saw the number of civilian casualties versus the number of Hamas members killed, why didn't they stop? The raids have been proven to be inefficient since they barely get any of their targets, why are they still striking? Since saturday they made more than 300 victims! How are you going to cover this mass murder from a neutral point of view?
Call it whatever you want. Civilians are dying. There's only one way to peace for the Israelis by this action: annihilate every single Palestinian.
It's a bit like the Russian model: They attacked a peacekeeper, so we must invade and destroy them.
It's almost funny the pretenses that are used.
I strongly agree. CNN should cover the Israeli side of the conflict at least with the same amount of coverage it gives to the Arab side.
I recommend to post comments on other blogs and media news to let the world know that Israel is fighting to stop terror while the terrorist Hamas government of the Arabs in Gaza focus their efforts on killing Israeli civillians and on hiding behind their own women and children.
No it's you. For once CNN isn't making Israel the victim but pointing out the real victims, the innocent people caught in the fire on both sides. I don’t see how talking about the death tolls and people affect by this war means Israel is targeting civilians. CNN has mentioned several times that Israel is targeting Hamas areas. Unless Hamas lives on some deserted island I don't see how civilians won't be caught in the middle. So deal with it. If talking about the civilians helps brings aid to them then I'm all for it.
The furor seems to be mostly about Israel firing more missiles than Hamas and basically winning the battle. Hamas draws first blood and expects what to happen?! Japan did the same thing at Pearl Harbor, and did anyone say that it was wrong to defend ourselves, and try to overwhelm the attackers with as much force as necessary to eliminate the attacks now and in the future? If you go up to a sleeping Grizzly Bear and hit him on the nose with a stick, you'd better expect him to kill you, not just hit you back using a stick! If Hamas wanted to have peace, they shouldn't fire rockets at Israel, Period. As far as I'm concerned, Israel didn’t start it, but they are justified in finishing it.
Where do I begin? Mention CNN and it brings such a response-I wonder why? For the record, the USA does not provide/give/sell nuclear weapons to Israel! "Only 8 Israeli deaths" in 7 years-while hundreds are killed in one attack! The worn out "moral equivalency" argument-nice try-it does not play here. Israeli citizens are targeted-Hamas policy-6,000 rockets, millions of dollars damage, killed, wounded. Hamas is at war-during such time fighters are killed-they are known as the enemy-to suggest that this is equivalent is ignorant!
No country would tolerate daily attacks-enough is enough and we have decided to counter our enemy-this is the reality and the truth. Perhaps collateral damage would be reduced if Hamas didn't use human shields-a violation of the Geneva Convention.
doc
Ok so Israel said the attacks happened because they wanted to provide a safe & normal life for it's people.
What about the people of Gaza? or are they not human beings & they don't deserve to live a normal life as well? This has nothing to do with Hamas because if it was, children would not be killed in such a barbaric way.
Israel continues to say that this is not over and they will do anything they could to save their own people, the death toll right now i believe went up to 370, injured 1700.
If the UN said this is a humanitarian crisis and ordered Israel to stop it's attacks on the people of Gaza, why isn't Israel listening or at least cooparting, if it was an other country they would have been forced to listen obey the law one prime example of that is Iraq.
With respect, the moral equivalency argument is absurd. Using your logic why has not or did not the same humanitarian UN not stop Hamas from firing 6000 rockets into Israel proper these last several years? We are at war! Regretably Hamas started this and now it is loosing it cries "foul" as do folks like you-not this time!!
doc
This is for the guys who called Palestinian's animals, in the first comment. Im a Christian Palestian, I used to live in Israel, you think the Jewish people in Israel like Christians? NO! Christians and Muslims are on the same boat in Israel. Calling Palestinians animals, you should be ashamed of yourself. You are a disgusting human being. Feed them PORK? you are an idiot Jewish people can't eat pork either. It just goes to show you the level of education people have obtained. BBC covers the war the best, both sides of the story are shown. American media is not to be trusted, they screwed you over with The 2000 elections, Iraq, who knows maybe IRAN..."PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE AFFRAID OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS, GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE AFFRAID OF THEIR PEOPLE" European Governments are affraid of their people ( cause no one cares to start a riot), but in America and Canada everyone is scared shitless of the government
This one is for Doc Morris! Man you are a professor congratulations, but what stuns me is that you show a biased opinion for someone who is educated. Yes it is wrong to be firing rockets at Southern Israeli cities and towns but using the argument that why didnt the UN prevent hammas from firing those rockets? Well maybe the fact that those rockets have only killed 13 Israeli's in the last 7 years. All of you think your right, It's your land cause a book of FALSE TRUTHS says its your land. The nation of Israel was founded on lies. Do people in your country know that jews never helped to make the pyramids? It was all egypt. There is no scientific evidence that Moses ever existed? HOLY LAND? Israel is probably the most un-holy lands ever devised by mankind, each religion killing innocent people over the course of Human history. "Hammas started it"-doc morris, wow for an educated man you sound like my 5 year old. How does Israel expect to be a nation for much longer? Once America collapses as military superpower, you think the Arab League of nation wants you there, your outnumbered heavily, no matter what kind of weapons you have, the numbers are just to much. Doc Morris you should go back to University, because your idealism is outdated for the 21st century
Anonymous # ??-yes, I am a professor, not sure what that has to do with the post you are so upset with. Of course, I have no idea who you are, such bravery to not identify yourself. You have disgraced yourself-you have disrespected my book of faith-if I did this to the Islamic book-fatwa time. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that in my description I indicate I am an Israeli advocate-this has nothing to do with the post you respond to-thus you use the space provided to display your ignorance. Name calling, false "truths" are no longer accepted and we are holding you accountable.
doc morris
Anonymous # ??-again why is it that none of you who use name calling, disgraceful language have enough courage to identify yourselves? If anything I am an equal and fair responder-I find the comment of making Palestinians eat pork disgraceful and again it represents a disrespectful and off topic message. I publish this to make such a point and do refuse to post such nonsense no matter what side of the issue you take.
If you want to debate, discuss issues within a post,I welcome your comments-otherwise keep your ugly thoughts renting space in your head!
doc
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