Father Dave
There seems to be some confusion reigning over why Hamas rejected the Israeli offer of a ceasefire.
Hamas is now being held accountable by Israel for all ongoing carnage due to its failure to accept their gracious offer. The proposal had apparently been concocted by the US and Tony Blair, drafted by Israel, and then presented to the Gazans by their enemy to the South – Egyptian dictator, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi – all without any consultation with Hamas! Even so, why didn’t the government of Gaza grab at the offer of a ceasefire with both hands?
All the ceasefire offered was a return to the status quo – ie. the ongoing siege of Gaza where borders are sealed by Israeli troops, commerce and cooperation with the outside world is prohibited, every item of food, medicine and clothing going into Gaza is subject to the discretion of the Israeli military, and farmers and fishermen are prevented from accessing land and sea.
The people of Gaza are fighting back because their status quo is intolerable. Since the siege began in 2005 the people have been subjected to what Israeli historian, Ilan Pappé, refers to as an ‘incremental genocide‘. Even though the bombing of their civilian infrastructure and the murder of their children is terrible, why would they accept a ceasefire simply so that they can return to the mire they were in?
It’s as if a bully were kicking and punching another kid in the playground and he says “if you stop fighting back I will stop kicking you … but I’ll keep on punching you.” Why would you stop fighting back?
P.S. The following video is added as light relief. It includes the gratifying spectacle of watching Israeli propaganda spokesperson, Mark Regev, exposed by British TV interviewer, Jon Snow, as Regev tires to defend the indefensible.
Filed under israel and palestine articles, israel and palestine conflict by on Jul 19th, 2014. Comment. 
This just in from Caritas Jerusalem. It well illustrates why the ‘ceasefire’ such a farce! A ceasefire implies an ending of hostilities – all forms of hostilities – and not just a cessation of the bombing of civilian areas.
Israel continues to strangle Gaza – controlling her borders by land, air and sea. They control her electricity. They limit the flow of goods, block exports, and so make the life of the Gazan people an ongoing misery, and then they breach the very boundaries of military restraint that they themselves agreed to! How can this be called a ‘ceasefire’?
Father Dave
source: www.caritasjr.org……
Caritas Jerusalem points to abuses of Gaza fishermen.
Ongoing Attacks Against Palestinian Fishermen In Gaza
Israel had formally barred Gaza fishermen from heading more than three miles out into the Mediterranean Sea for about three years, its gunboats often enforcing the rule. It said its blockade was a measure to prevent weapons smuggling.
As indirect negotiations continue in Cairo between Israel and the Palestinians over issues like fishing, border crossings and movement in the buffer zone along the land boundary of the Gaza Strip, both sides said Wednesday that the encounter at sea and several other skirmishes in recent days had been problematic. A Palestinian health official said seven Palestinians had been wounded by Israeli gunfire, one of them seriously, in the buffer zone on Wednesday. On Friday, a man was killed in the area as a crowd approached the fence
between Gaza and Israel.
Despite an Israeli concession to permit Gazans to fish up to six nautical miles from shore rather than three, attacks and violations still continue against the fishermen in Gaza by the Israeli forces.
The Continued Attacks against Palestinian Fishermen Prove False Israeli Claims of Permitting Fishermen to Fish up to 6 Nautical Miles.
According to the Palestinian Center For Human Rights: These violations were as follows:
- On Monday, 26 November 2012, Israeli gunboats intercepted a fishing boat while it sailed at 8 nautical miles out of the Gaza city shore. According to fisherman Amjad Ismail Ahmed al-Sherafi (38) from Gaza, at approximately 09:30, he and his brother Mohammad (34) sailed there in the Gaza waters when an Israeli gunboat intercepted him and forced him to stop at gunpoint and sail back without pulling his fishing nets out of the sea.
- At approximately 10:00 on Wednesday, 28 November 2012, Israeli forces chased a fishing boat belonging to Murad Rajab al-Hessi, from Gaza, at nearly 6 nautical miles off the shore from Deir al-Balah. Mohammad Murad al-Hessi (39), Ahmed Murad al-Hessi (32), Murad Mohammad al-Hessi (18) and Rajab Rashad al-Hessi (36) were on board of the boat. 4 Israeli gunboats opened intensive fire at the boat, which caused damage to the boat. The Israeli soldiers then ordered the fishermen to jump into the water and swim towards the gunboat. They were all arrested and interrogated at gunpoint. 3 hours later, 4 of them were released. However, Mohammad Murad al-Hessi remains in detention. In addition, the boat still remains confiscated.
- At approximately 08:00 on Wednesday, 28 November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened intense and direct fire at a Palestinian fishing boat, belonging to Khader Jamal Baker (20), from Gaza, while he sailed at 3.5 nautical miles. As a result, the fishing boat was destroyed. Baker was arrested by Israeli soldiers who interrogated with him at gunpoint for 3 hours before releasing him.
- At approximately 11:00 on Wednesday, 28 November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened intense fire at a Palestinian fishing boat with 3 fishermen on board, belonging to Wafdi Suheil Baker (24), from Gaza, while sailing at 5 nautical miles off the Gaza shore. As a result of the shooting, the engine of the boat was damaged. The soldiers subsequently arrested the three fishermen, who were identified as: Wafdi Suheil Baker (24), Khaled Suheil Baker (20) and Mohammad Suheil Baker (18), all from Gaza.
- At approximately 12:00 on Wednesday, 28 November 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire directly and intensively at two Palestinian fishing boats belonging to Mohammad Najib Baker (60) and Tal’at Kamel Baker (22), both from Gaza, while they sailed at 3 nautical miles off the Gaza shore. As a result of the shooting, both boats were damaged.
- At approximately 10:15 on Thursday, 29 November 2012, Israeli naval forces stationed off the Beit Lahia shore intercepted a fishing boat with 6 fishermen on board, belonging to Fahed Ziad Baker (38), from Gaza, while sailing at approximately 5 nautical miles off the Beit Lahia shore, in the northern Gaza Strip. The soldiers arrested the fishermen and investigated with them aboard the Israeli gunboat at gunpoint. Until now the fishermen remain in detention. The arrested fishermen were identified as: Fahed Ziad Baker (38), Ihab Jawad Baker (36), Mohammad Ziad Baker (32), Nai’m Fahed Baker (16), Ziad Faged Baker (18) and Ali Alaa Baker (18)
The Oslo peace accords signed by Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in September 1993 called for allowing fishing up to 20 nautical miles from shore, but experts say that never came to fruition.
On the 29th of November 2012, the International Community recognized Palestine as a non-member observer state.
Caritas Jerusalem believes in peace and justice and calls upon the International Community to help all those civilians who are victims of human rights violations.
Filed under Israel and Palestine, israel and palestine conflict by on Dec 13th, 2012. Comment.
Father Roy writes:
See my highlights in the report pasted below. Israel has been accused of violating the truce. Also in today’s newspaper: Clinton warns Netanyahu not to punish Palestinian Authority for UN bid and Netanyahu trying to convince Israeli hawks he won Gaza war.
Peace, Roy
Father Roy
source: Haaretz Daily Newspaper
Palestinians: One killed, several wounded by IDF fire on Gaza border
Hamas spokesman accuses Israel of violating the Egyptian-mediated truce, says organization will complain to Cairo; Israeli military spokeswoman says army investigating report.
By Gili Cohen | Nov.23,2012
Israeli gunfire across the Gaza border killed one Palestinian on Friday and wounded several others, medics said, two days after a ceasefire between the territory’s Islamist rulers Hamas and Israel took hold.
A Hamas spokesman accused Israel of violating the Egyptian-mediated truce and said the group would complain to Cairo. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army was checking reports of the incident.
Medics said Anwar Qdeih, 23, was hit in the head by Israeli gunfire after he approached the security fence that runs along the Gaza frontier – an area that Israel has long declared a no-go zone for Gazans.
A relative of the dead man, who was at the scene, told Reuters that Qdeih had been trying to place a Hamas flag on the fence. He added that an Israeli soldier had fired into the air three times before Qdeih was hit in the head by a bullet.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: “We will contact the Egyptian mediator to discuss the incident.”
According to the terms of the accord, both Israelis and Palestinians agreed to stop their hostilities. However, the brief document left details on access to the tense border zone to be worked out in the days ahead.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said on Friday the shooting violated the ceasefire agreement.
Malki, speaking at a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, called the incident “a clear violation of the agreement and should not be repeated.”
Seven other Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli gunfire from the border since the start of the ceasefire, medics said. Six of them were hurt on Friday and one on Thursday, when the Israeli military said 200 Palestinian “rioters” approached the fence.
Israel’s army constantly patrols the border area and says its forces have come under increasing attack this year, with militants planting explosive devices and firing an anti-tank missile on at least one occasion.
The IDF was preparing for possible disturbances in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Friday morning after worshipers emerged from prayer services at the mosques.
In an effort to minimize potential disturbances, the IDF arrested 55 Palestinians in the West Bank on Thursday.
The Shin Bet security service announced on Thursday that the perpetrators of Wednesday’s bus bombing in Tel Aviv, which wounded 28 people, were arrested later that day. It said the security services had arrested several Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, most of them from the West Bank town of Beit Lakiya, who had confessed to preparing the bomb, choosing the target and buying the cellphone that detonated it from a distance.
Wednesday’s ceasefire deal ended eight days of fierce fighting that left 163 Palestinians and six Israelis dead.
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