Israel enters Gaza (warning: some graphic content)

The Colossus · 4th January 2009, 1:48am

And things just got worse..

Quote:

Israeli ground troops enter Gaza

Thousands of Israeli troops, backed by tanks and helicopters, have entered the Gaza Strip as Israel escalated its offensive into the territory on the eighth day of operations.

Tanks entered the besieged territory through several points mainly in northern Gaza, crossing shortly after nightfall on Saturday, officials said, while the Israeli cabinet said it had also called up about 9,000 reservists.

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher on the Israeli-Gaza border said heavy artillery fire, tracer fire and rockets could be heard in the area as Israeli forces moved in, along with some gunfire.

Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza City, said that the scene in Gaza on Saturday was one of "fear and terror" as Israeli tanks moved in.

He also said that there were reports of heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in areas such as Zaytoun, near Gaza City, as several loud explosions rocked the territory.

As the offensive entered its eighth day, Palestinian medical sources said 464 Palestinians had died and more than 2,000 had been injured.

Four Israelis have also been killed in rocket fire into southern Israel in the past week.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/mi...357629723.html

i_am_blip · 4th January 2009, 1:59am

he looks like he's just been entered.

in serious though, heavy handed.

Dec · 4th January 2009, 3:49am

Kill all invaders.

corky · 4th January 2009, 3:50am

I've been having a look at this.
http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/

crazydiamond85 · 4th January 2009, 3:52am

wee scary burd · 4th January 2009, 4:08am

I have a bad feeling about this...

endless psych · 4th January 2009, 5:33am

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazydiamond85

scum

Israel, the Scottish Palestinian solidarity campaign (who according to stickers on cash machines in the Burger had their account closed by Llyods) or a knee jerk response to a picture of world reknowned flutist Paul Gascogine?

Dec · 4th January 2009, 5:54am

Iran should step the fuck up. Backed by Russia and China.

0x21 · 4th January 2009, 11:40am

It gets worse for the Israelis or the Gazans?

As far as I can tell, Hamas are firing at Israel from within Gaza, and Israels only real option is to stop them. The civilian death is because Hamas have placed their artillery in highly populated civilian areas so that Israel looks bad for trying to stop them.

If thats the case, an Invasion is much more effective than bombing them, but its all the fault of Hamas, and if the civilians want to avoid the situation they shouldn't let Hamas use them for cover by launching rockets from within civilian areas.

beshemoth · 4th January 2009, 12:06pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0x21

if the civilians want to avoid the situation they shouldn't let Hamas use them for cover by launching rockets from within civilian areas.

I kinda see your point, but in all fairness, if a bunch of guys were setting up a rocket launcher outside my flat right now, my options would be pretty much limited to going after them with a ladle and a lot of shouting. Which would not end well (for me)...

Quiz Bhoy · 4th January 2009, 12:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0x21

It gets worse for the Israelis or the Gazans?

As far as I can tell, Hamas are firing at Israel from within Gaza, and Israels only real option is to stop them. The civilian death is because Hamas have placed their artillery in highly populated civilian areas so that Israel looks bad for trying to stop them.

If thats the case, an Invasion is much more effective than bombing them, but its all the fault of Hamas, and if the civilians want to avoid the situation they shouldn't let Hamas use them for cover by launching rockets from within civilian areas.

Sense!

Quote:

Originally Posted by beshemoth

I kinda see your point, but in all fairness, if a bunch of guys were setting up a rocket launcher outside my flat right now, my options would be pretty much limited to going after them with a ladle and a lot of shouting. Which would not end well (for me)...

You could move out until the Israelis bomb them!

endless psych · 4th January 2009, 12:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quiz Bhoy

Sense!

Well if the only problem was nasty Hamas mortaring those nice Israelis then aye. But given a high proportion of Gaza's residents are refugees (or descendants thereof) I don't think its entirely suprising they are mortaring the invader. Indeed you'd be forgiven for thinking that Israel wanted to turn the entire strip (which has one of the highest population densities in the world) into a giant refugee camp. Into which it controlled the flow of people, goods and well everything really.

From the BBC comes perspective

Quote:

The main vehicle of resistance, as the militants describe it, is the firing of short-range homemade rockets which can reach nearby Israeli population centres, such as Sderot, less than a kilometre from Gaza's north-east corner.

These have caused a handful of deaths and injuries, and severe disruption for Israelis living within range.

Israeli shelling and missile attacks, meanwhile, which Israel says are meant to stop the rocket fire, have killed large numbers of Gazans, including many civilians.

Israel, far from having the right to retaliate, has in my opinion a duty to broker peace - perhaps even accepting that given all the options for resettlement after WW2 "the holy land" wasn't the best option...

ETA:- Ratio of Palestinian to Isralei deaths in the 2003 conflict was roughly 3:1 (2.79:1) including "collateral damage" (on both sides)

supernothing · 4th January 2009, 2:23pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0x21

It gets worse for the Israelis or the Gazans?

As far as I can tell, Hamas are firing at Israel from within Gaza, and Israels only real option is to stop them. The civilian death is because Hamas have placed their artillery in highly populated civilian areas so that Israel looks bad for trying to stop them.

If thats the case, an Invasion is much more effective than bombing them, but its all the fault of Hamas, and if the civilians want to avoid the situation they shouldn't let Hamas use them for cover by launching rockets from within civilian areas.

Gaza is nothing but highly populated civilian areas! Its the biggest open prison in the world, what choice do the civilians there have? Hamas have stated thier conditions for a cease fire: the opening of some border posts to allow the mini-state of Gaza to funtion again in a way that even resembles normality - but i guess these are the unacceptable demands of terrorist fundamentalists.

supernothing · 4th January 2009, 2:29pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quiz Bhoy

You could move out until the Israelis bomb them!

Sense!

You could go and stay in the Holiday Inn Tel Aviv, or stay with your parents, or with friends in a nearby arab country, or seek shelter in a religious building. Easy! Except your parents house has been bulldozed in an act of illegal collective punnishment, the other arab countries are doing fuck all and your not allowed to leave Gaza anyway, and the Israelis are bombing mosques even when they're full of people. Too bad eh?

i_am_blip · 4th January 2009, 2:31pm

I was watching the channel 4 news last night and they had an israeli minister on that obviously doesn't give a fuck about the civilians in gaza. He was suggesting they move elsewhere to avoid being slaughtered by the airstrikes. 1.5 million folk live there and they're surrounded by a big fucking wall. Aye good call mate.

One of my best mates is israeli, and we used to have big arguments over the conflict. They've over the last few years started to accept how heavy handed and antagonistic israel are.