AgNoStiC MuSliM
ADVISORS
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2007
- Messages
- 25,259
- Reaction score
- 87
- Country
- Location
UN Outraged As Its Gaza HQ Is Hit
13 mins ago
SkyNews Sky News
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has suspended its operations in Gaza after its headquarters was hit by several Israeli shells, injuring three of its employees.
Chris Gunness of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) told Sky News hundreds of people were taking refuge inside the compound when it was hit by "three white phosphorus" shells.
The chemical weapons burn at extremely high temperatures, starting fires that cannot be put out with fire extinguishers.
Mr Gunness said a blaze is raging in one of the buildings housing hundreds of tons of food aid that was due to be pushed out today.
Israel insists it is only targeting Hamas militants but the headquarters of several media organisations have also reportedly been hit, injuring two cameramen.
UN chief Ban Ki-Moon has said he is outraged by the Israeli strike and demanded a full explanation from the Israeli authorities.
The number of dead in Gaza has reached an "unbearable point", he said, insisting elements are in place for the 20-day-old war to end "now".
Thousands of people in Gaza City have been fleeing their homes as Israeli troops moved into crowded residential areas.
It comes despite signs of progress in attempts to negotiate a ceasefire.
Hamas officials said they agreed with the "broad outlines" of a truce plan put forward by Egypt but stopped short of saying the proposal had been accepted.
"President (Hosni) Mubarak's vision is the only one that was proposed, we don't ask for any amendment to its broad outlines," Salah al Bardawi said.
The Gaza-based Hamas official added: "The movement has presented a detailed vision to the Egyptian leadership so it can continue its pursuit to end the aggression and lift the injustice on our people in the Gaza Strip."
Egyptian mediators will put forward the Hamas point of view to senior Israeli defence official Amos Gilad when he visits Cairo for talks later today.
Israel has already said it will not agree to a truce which would allow Hamas to regroup and rearm.
"Israel seeks a durable quiet that contains a total absence of hostile fire from Gaza into Israel and a working mechanism to prevent Hamas from rearming," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes carried out at least three dozen bombing raids on Gaza's southern border with Egypt overnight.
At least 16 people were killed in the night-time raids, including a 13-year-old boy in Gaza City and two suspected militants near the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north.
Five people were injured when a mosque was bombed in Rafah, according to medical sources.
The Israeli military said its air force hit nine rocket launch pads and three smuggling tunnels, as they continued their efforts to stop Hamas firing rockets across the border.
According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 1,000 Palestinians - around half of them civilians - have been killed during the fighting.
Thirteen Israelis have also been killed - 10 soldiers and three civilians hit by Hamas rocket fire.
Gaza: Israel Continues Air Strikes But Hamas Agrees To Outlines Of Truce Deal In Egypt | World News | Sky News
--------------------------------------------------
The Israelis have a knack for attacking UN structures and large civillian compounds - we have seen that in both Lebanon and Gaza now.
Not surprising though given Israel's attempts to 'isolate Hamas' and remove them from power. They can only hope to turn the people away from Hamas if the people suffer, and since Hamas isn't going to go around blowing up schools full of Palestinian children and buildings full of Palestinian civilians, i is up to the IDF to do the needful, and then bray about how 'Hamas can make this stop by stopping rockets'.
Last I checked, the rockets were because of the Israeli occupation (yes, even in Gaza, where the blockade and restrictions essentially have turned it into a huge ghetto/prison) the denial of Palestinian statehood and continued Israeli greed, where settlements continue to be built, and the land guaranteed to the Palestinians under the UN resolutions (1967 borders) continues to be usurped by the Israelis.
Why in the terrorism sub-forum? It is pretty clear through precedent and Israeli goals in this assault on Gaza and her people that a certain amount of civilian casualties and suffering are necessary if they hope to turn the population of Gaza against Hamas.
State terrorism by Israel - though of course this isn't the first we have seen of it.