Gaza truce 'violated repeatedly'

[Diceman]

A fragile eight-day-old truce between Israel and Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip appears to have been violated repeatedly by both sides.

A UN source says Israeli troops have opened fire on Palestinian farmers several times, causing injuries. Israel says its forces fired warning shots.

Palestinian militants have also broken the ceasefire, firing rockets and mortars into Israeli territory.

Meanwhile, Israel has kept the Gaza border closed for a third day.

The authorities have allowed fuel into the Gaza Strip, but blocked all other supplies including humanitarian and commercial goods.

Deal under strain

Despite the breaches, the ceasefire is officially holding, correspondents say.

Hamas, the main Palestinian group in Gaza, says it is still committed to the truce.

map

But the rocket attacks and mortar fire have come from other Palestinian groups, such as Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is affiliated to the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The BBC's Wyre Davis, in Jerusalem, says it is not clear how much control Hamas has over these other groups.

He says gunfire from the Israelis and continued rocket fire from the Palestinian side are putting the ceasefire under strain.

Israel Radio reported that two mortar rounds landed in an open field on the Israeli side of the border on Friday.

Prior to Friday, four rockets had been fired into Israel by Palestinian militants since the truce was agreed on 19 June.

The militants say they are a response to Israeli violations of the truce.

Fuel delivery

Israel has kept border crossings closed for the third consecutive day in response to the rocket attacks.

An estimated 600,000 litres of industrial fuel will be allowed to pass through the Nahal Oz border terminal for Gaza's only power station, a European Union Official told the Reuters news agency. This will keep the plant running for several days.

The EU funds the deliveries of fuel to the power station.

Israeli officials confirmed the fuel delivery but said other border crossings remained closed.

Gaza's Hamas rulers have called on all groups to respect the ceasefire but say they will not be Israel's "police".

Israel says it will keep the crossings into Gaza closed while rocket attacks continue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7478293.stm

[FreeFocus]

Israeli officials confirmed the fuel delivery but said other border crossings remained closed.

Gaza's Hamas rulers have called on all groups to respect the ceasefire but say they will not be Israel's "police".

Interesting choice of language..Israel has officials, Gaza has "rulers."

I honestly don't expect the truce to remain in force for much longer, the problems in the area are too deeply rooted for a truce to solve or even contain for more than a few weeks at most.

[BandGeekNinja]

:notrust can't they all just get the frick along? I'm getting tired of both Israel and the militants

[beads]

The question is, who violated it first?

[BandGeekNinja]

The question is, who violated it first?

my money's on Israel

[beads]

my money's on Israel

Shhhhhhh, you're not supposed to say that!

[id_1948]

Shhhhhhh, you're not supposed to say that!

It a bit more complicated

Israel killed 2 members of the alaqsa briagade in the west bank which was technically not covered by the truce- hence they didnt break it

So alaqsa brigade in gaza fires a few rockets from gaza in retaliation- technically speaking alaqsa belongs to fatah not hamas... so hamas didnt break the truce... but still this could be considered a violation because armed military activity was launched from gaza which is under hamas rule

confused yet... it gets more twisted

Alaqsa brigade is controlled by fatah... fatah (who lost the elections but are favoured by the west) is supposed to be in direct talks with israel about peace while hamas is shunned by both... so why did this organisation which was mostly quiet the last 4 months decide to suddenly launch an attack during the 5th day of a cease fire which was holding out well??? keep in mind that if this ceasefire works hamas will look stronger while fatah will be weakened among the palestinian people

And why did israel kill these 2 members when it was pretty obvious that any unprovoked escalation of military activity would put further strain on a fragile cease fire??

And lastly what exactly is israels view of the ceasefire now??? Hamas has maintained that they will abide with the truce for now despite a few bumps... but israel is supposed to slowly open the borders which they havent done yet... and they havent issued whether the truce is still in effect (meaning they should start opening the crossing as per timetable) or is techniquely over and the state of seige will be maintained (meaning hamas and israel could start bashing each other again)

Gotta love Middle eastern politics

[batanga]

Unrest? In MY middle-east!?

[Megaharrison]

The question is, who violated it first?

The Palestinians, by firing mortars and rockets at Israel. Israel carried out a raid in the West Bank first, but that was not even part of the agreement and both sides understood that hostilities would continue there.

Israel stuck by the terms of the truce by reopening borders and not attacking targets in Gaza. Hamas and its cronies did not stick by the terms of the truce by ceasing rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli civilians. Who broke the truce first is simple.

It's astonishing they insist upon these idiotic attacks though. The Palestinian "war effort" in Gaza from May 2007-June 2008 cost 18 Israeli's (7 of which are teenagers from the same school massacre) and 700 Palestinians. Who would benefit most from a ceasefire is obvious.

[Nemesis]

Hamas has stuck by the terms. Just because someone else fired does not mean it was Hamas or has the impossible happened and the entire palestinian lot gone under one banner.

[FreeFocus]

The Palestinians, by firing mortars and rockets at Israel. Israel carried out a raid in the West Bank first, but that was not even part of the agreement and both sides understood that hostilities would continue there.

Israel stuck by the terms of the truce by reopening borders and not attacking targets in Gaza. Hamas and its cronies did not stick by the terms of the truce by ceasing rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli civilians. Who broke the truce first is simple.

It's astonishing they insist upon these idiotic attacks though. The Palestinian "war effort" in Gaza from May 2007-June 2008 cost 18 Israeli's (7 of which are teenagers from the same school massacre) and 700 Palestinians. Who would benefit most from a ceasefire is obvious.

Gross distortion of the facts, if the UN and independent news agencies in the OT and Israel are reliable enough for your tastes.

UN records 7 incidents of IDF soldiers attempting to drive Palestinian farmers away from border fence by shooting at them. Only one offence marked against Palestinians for firing on Sderot; report does not include most recent rocket fire. (http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3560972,00.html)

Most of the offences committed by the IDF include shots fired by soldiers at Palestinian farmers attempting to reach their land near the border security fence. According to the UN, on June 20 an IDF patrol shot at Palestinian farmers near the fence east of Rafah. The soldiers fired for ten minutes in order to drive the farmers away, but no injuries were reported.

During the evening of the same day a similar incident was recorded, in which IDF forces shot at Palestinian farmers near the Maghazi refugee camp. Soldiers reportedly fired for five minutes, and no injuries were reported. An hour later soldiers fired towards fisherman near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya in an attempt to drive them away.

On Wednesday morning IDF forces opened fire towards Palestinian farmers near the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. An 82-year old man was seriously injured from the fire, which lasted a few minutes.

Of course though, the only incident worth mentioning is the single rocket launched by Islamic Jihad as of the release of the report, which injured no one.

[Megaharrison]

Gross distortion of the facts, if the UN and independent news agencies in the OT and Israel are reliable enough for your tastes.

UN records 7 incidents of IDF soldiers attempting to drive Palestinian farmers away from border fence by shooting at them. Only one offence marked against Palestinians for firing on Sderot; report does not include most recent rocket fire. (http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3560972,00.html)


What I get from this are stories involving the IDF firing warning shots at individuals near the IDF border defenses from an organization that has called Israeli's Nazi's in the past. Hell, even the article initially admits they were warning shots directed at individuals near the border fence. And given the Palestinians tactics it is difficult to distinguish actual civilians from armed fighters. While the actions in this article can be easily explained, I can't rationally put together why the Palestinians would fire a rocket at Israel save the intent to harm Israeli's.

The IDF randomly firing at Palestinians farmers to drive them off their farms makes little sense. There are no Israeli incursions over the border fence or attempts to resettle the area with Israeli farmers. The only motives are either incidents involving individuals approaching IDF defenses along the Gaza border, or Israeli's being meanies. But we could be meaner in so many other ways.

[Tokoyami]

An eight day truce violated repeatedly.

Lets just blow them all to hell and get on with it.

[Minorin]

In before major flaming.

Both have problems. End of story.
//well, not end of story...
Hope pressure can be put on both especially with their broken promises of truce.

[Gecka]

What a bunch of badasses

[Zabuzalives]

The Palestinians, by firing mortars and rockets at Israel. Israel carried out a raid in the West Bank first, but that was not even part of the agreement and both sides understood that hostilities would continue there.

Israel stuck by the terms of the truce by reopening borders and not attacking targets in Gaza. Hamas and its cronies did not stick by the terms of the truce by ceasing rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli civilians. Who broke the truce first is simple.

It's astonishing they insist upon these idiotic attacks though. The Palestinian "war effort" in Gaza from May 2007-June 2008 cost 18 Israeli's (7 of which are teenagers from the same school massacre) and 700 Palestinians. Who would benefit most from a ceasefire is obvious.

well but you can afford more losses when you get 10 kids a couple.

[Sky is Over]

We all know that the ceasefire will be momentary; it won't be long before they go at it again.

[Darklyre]

What we need in the Middle East is a giant dome.

A Thunderdome, if you will.

TWO COUNTRIES ENTER, ONE COUNTRY LEAVES.

[Sky is Over]

What we need in the Middle East is a giant dome.

A Thunderdome, if you will.

TWO COUNTRIES ENTER, ONE COUNTRY LEAVES.

Or just build a large concrete dome over the region, and forget about the entire thing. :zaru

[BandGeekNinja]

Or just build a large concrete dome over the region, and forget about the entire thing. :zaru

I dunno, I kinda liked the thunderdome idea, it would at least settle things once and for all :oh

[Sky is Over]

I dunno, I kinda liked the thunderdome idea, it would at least settle things once and for all :oh

Ah, the sarcastic comment was based off Blacksite Area 51.