WN: 70 Palestinians killed in IDF operation in Gaza - Ynet News

[David of Derby]

Elchingen, it isn't the "Palestinian's" land, it's Israel's. The state of Israel exists, whether the Islamic (and everyone else, it seems) world likes it or not. The land is legally part of Israel. End ex.

If Hamas terrorists want to lob rockets at Israel for "stealing" "their" land, they can reap the whirlwind. What a shame the decent people who live out there don't do anything about these murderous scum so that the IDF could go home and stop bombing them. The Israelis don't want to do it, they're driven to it. They'd be much happier to sit in their barracks and do drill all day. It's a lot safer.

[nebula]

It is always regretable when a people resort to violence to attempt to achieve some meaningful end.

Yeah - that's why America did it's best to keep stay out of WW1 and WW2.

As I said above, the history of the conflict here bears revisiting in order to understand the nature and root of the "conflict".

Yes, let us look at this root. Israel's existence is a slap in the face to Islam. The Arab lands are doing all they can to drive the Jews out to sea - including making pawns out of the Palestinians. If the other nations of the Middle East truly cared about the Palestinians, they would work to build up the people. Instead, they refuge any refugees and pour their funds into ammunitions. (I've seen the news articles on this.)

As far as greenhouses go, I'm not familiar with that issue.

Really - you weren't paying attention to the news when The Palestinians took a hold of Gaza?

If you have enough passion about the Palestinians to be posting this big argument, one would think you would be reading up on what is going on with them?

I can only assume, however, that since the ration of water is so crippling for Palestinians

umm . . . the destroying of the greenhouses came at the same time they moved in - as in before they had a chance to settle into homes - as in before anyone could begin new operations - as in before water rationing would have been an issue.

Likewise, it should be noted that although the Israeli settlers left Gaza, Israel always made clear that they had a right, and intended to exercise it, to patrol, occupy, or reoccupy Gaza at any time they wished. This does not technically constitute "giving back" a territory.

The question is whether or not Israel wants peace, not if the Palestinians do.

Yeah - I agree with the responses from the others.

BTW - Hupo actually lives in Israel. You might want to pay attention to what he said to you.

I only seek to interject a bit of realistic perspective here.

No - you have shown you know very little about the situation.

It is a complicated and difficult situation no matter what side you view it from.

Well, I can agree with that statement, at least.

(NOTE: I ran a search on "Gaza greenhouses" and found that the remaining 100 hectares of greenhouses, out of 400 original, were in fact being used by Gaza residents to grow and export produce. You can find a few other articles, all from two and half years ago, about this.)

OK - I googled "Gaza geenhouses" and all I'm seeing is the articles on how the greenhouses were destroyed, parts getting sold to Egypt, oh I did see one about a recovery effort that had been made, . . . . How long did it take you to find that piece of info? Where is it?

But I am glad to see that there is 100 hectares being used for good. It's a shame and irresponsible about the other 300 hectares, though - don't you agree?

[nebula]

Here - before you continue, please consider these words from another man living in Israel:

*************

Sadly St.-Sgt. Maj. Doron Asulin, 20 of Be'er Sheva, , and St.-Sgt. Maj. Eran Dan-Gur, 20 of Jerusalem, both from the Givati Brigade's reconnaissance battalion -- were killed, and five others wounded over Shabbat . They were involved in a foray into terrorist strongholds in an attempt to minimize the daily barrage of katushya, kassam and now Grad missiles on the civilian towns of Sderot, Ashkelon, and Netivot. Before dawn on Shabbat, IDF soldiers entered areas on the outskirts of dense population centers that are frequently used to launch rockets at Sderot. The soldiers who were killed, Doron Assulin ( HY”D)and Eran Dan-Gur, (HY”D) were hit in the early stages of the operation , just as the trops were setting up positions. Israel Air Force aircraft targeted Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's Gaza headquarters early Sunday, firing three missiles at the compound.

The building completely collapsed, and wounding several people

Israel Air Force aircraft also targeted a Hamas weapon warehouse in northern Gaza. As it seems the Hamas forces always place their rocket launchers and supply depots in civilian locations hoping that it would deter Israeli counterattacks. That tactic has worked until this weekend. The Israeli retaliatory airstrikes has killed 70 Palestinians according to Israeli sources (Most were from Hamas, but a few were from the Popular Resistance Committees and from Islamic Jihad. Many civilians were also killed in the operation.) and 56 according to Palestinian sources. The Palestinian hospitals are being overwhelmed by the over 200 wounded Palestinians. This situation after months of warnings and a daily barrage of murderous and terrorizing barrages of Palestinian terror rockets aimed at civilian towns. One has to be careful with some of the reports coming from Palestinian sources. One such report described the death of a baby but according to AP quoting local residents that have said that the baby was killed when one of the rockets launched at Israel fell short and landed on the baby's house.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the meantime is holding talks with military leaders today on the situation in the Gaza Strip while Defence Minister Barak explained the state of affairs to Britain, Russia and the US and told their respective foreign ministers that if the Gaza situation deteriorates further, Hamas will be responsible for the consequences.

Meanwhile the PA authority which supposedly represents moderate Palestine has cancelled the Peace talks for now. Prime Minister Abbas said that the Israeli action is "worse than the Holocaust."This is the same Abbas who recently declared that the military option is not "practical" for the moment." "At present," Abbas told the Jordanian newspaper A-Doustour, "I am against an armed struggle against Israel because we can't do it, but in the coming stages, things may change." Ahmed Qurie, head of the PA negotiating team, said, "What is happening in Gaza is a massacre of civilians, women and children, a collective killing, genocide. We can't bear what the Israelis are doing, and what the Israelis are doing doesn't [give] the peace process any credibility."

The Israeli foreign ministry came out surprisingly with a correct response; Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel stated that as far as Israel was concerned, the talks were "based on the understanding that when advancing the peace process with" pragmatic sources" ( a euphemism for the Fatah wing under Abbas)], Israel will continue to fight terror that hurts its people."

While the southern border seethes the rest of Israel continues to live out its life regularly. There is concern for the residents of the south and for the boys on the front but Israel prides itself on showing strength by continuing the pace of life.

By Moshe Kempinski

posted with permission

Source

[nebula]

And here is another article for you to read and consider:

A SABBATH UNDER FIRE IN SDEROT..AND ITS AFTERMATH.

(this comes from early February)

[Old Timer]

As Hamas continues to fire rockets, engage in terrorist actions and therefore bring down Israel retaliation on itself, I am reminded of an old Arabian proverb:

Edited March 2, 2008 by Old Timer

[sweetycakes]

As Hamas continues to fire rockets, engage in terrorist actions and therefore bring down Israel retaliation on itself, I am reminded of an old Arabian proverb:

“The forest is only burn by its own trees.”

I don't even know what that means!

[Elchingen]

Eichingen,

Without going into a detailed history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict let me just address one statement you made:

The question is whether or not Israel wants peace, not if the Palestinians do.

That drives me to tears!

When the State of Israel was created by the United Nations in 1947 and given statehood in 1948 the

[nebula]

I disagree that Hamas stopping their rocket attacks would bring peace. I say this because over the past forty years there have been many times when Israel said, for instance, the suicide bombings have to stop, or the terror raids have to stop, or the hijackings have to stop. Over the past few years the suicide bombings had stopped, and for quite some time, but this did not in any way change the conditions the Palestinians suffered. There were still random killings, rationed water and electricity, encroachment by settlers, and the same overall disregard for Palestinian lives--which is, of course, why the world cries out.

How can Israel quit defending itself as long as the rocket attacks continue?

As for the "random killings," you err in your understanding of the situation. Israel does not engage in "random killing." They go after terror targets. Unfortunately, the terrorist leaders and rocket launchers are hidden behind civilians. They intentionally put the civilians in harms way for this very purpose. If they cared about their citizens, they would not use them as human shields.

[Elchingen]

nebula:

I can't abide your tone in the above responses. Obviously you're getting very upset. I assure you I have read quite a bit on the subject, and because I am trying to be objective here, I think the best response for me is to simply disengage. I regret that the discourse had turned less than amicable, but the subject is a passionate one.

In Christ.

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

Actually, in the Mid East Peace accords at Camp David, MD in the year 2,000 President Bill Clinton actually got Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to agree to everything you have stated and even the future dividing of Jerusalem. Know what the insane terrorist leader of the PLO, Arafta did at the time? He walked out and went home and started a continuation of the never ending intifada.

Peace,

Dave