UNITEDNATIONS (IPS) - After an emergency closed-door session Sunday night, the 15-member Security Council issued a politically bland statement expressing “serious concern” over the devastating Israeli air strikes on Gaza and calling for an “immediate halt to all violence.” The statement was predictable because the United States, a traditionally loyal Israeli ally, would never agree to anything smacking of a “censure” or “condemnation” of Israel — even as the death toll rose to more than 300 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Read more about Only mild Security Council criticism for Israeli attacks
In one of its bloodiest military operations, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) initiated a wide-scale air strike operation against the Gaza Strip. Dozens of targets were attacked from the air simultaneously using heavy missiles and bombs. Mostly, the strikes targeted police and security installations across the densely populated Gaza Strip, which is indicative of IOF’s disregard for civilian life and well-being. Read more about Most Gaza casualties were non-combatants, civilians
Palestinian human rights organizations strongly condemn the recent military attacks carried out by the Israeli occupying forces in the Gaza Strip on 27 December 2008. The attacks began at approximately 11:30am and lasted for approximately three hours. These attacks have destroyed most of the Gaza security offices including police stations, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 Palestinians. Read more about Rights orgs: Israel's willful killings a war crime
RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has sent urgent letters to Palestinian leaders in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, urging them to commute the death sentences of 11 Palestinians currently awaiting execution. The death-row inmates, including one who was a juvenile at the time of his conviction, were sentenced this year by Palestinian military and state security courts. Read more about Death penalty in Palestinian territories alarms rights groups
Earlier this month, Israeli authorities deported Professor Richard Falk, United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who had arrived in the country to conduct his duties to investigate rights abuses in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Electronic Intifada contributor Victor Kattan interviews Falk about the motivation behind his deportation. Read more about Championing global human rights: interview with Richard Falk
Aat approximately 11:00am on Saturday, 20 December 2008, dozens of Israeli prison guards, accompanied by representatives of Ofer the detention facility administration arrived at Department B to conduct a search without prior coordination with the representatives of detainees. They provocatively searched the department and violently beat a number of detainees. Read more about Israeli forces assault Palestinian prisoners
Salah Oukal, 46 years old, had gone outside to collect herbs for dinner, harvesting in the dark as the power was out again. It was just before 9pm and he was watering the trees next to his home in Jabaliya, when the missile struck, killing him instantly. A second missile followed immediately but did not explode. Oukal’s family spent the next hour searching without success for the father of seven and the family’s sole provider. Read more about More missile strikes, more victims
Jewish peace groups have accused the Israeli police of fueling racism by canceling a “Jewish Pride” march by a far-right group that was to have taken place through one of the largest Arab towns in Israel. The police postponed the march, due last Monday, claiming they had evidence extremist residents of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel would open fire on the marchers and police. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Arab town blamed for Jewish Pride march's cancellation
QALQILIYA, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Qalqiliya has been an encircled town since the Israeli West Bank barrier was built around it in 2003. Only one narrow gate guarded by Israeli soldiers allows access. The anger, disbelief and protests over this situation have become muted. The people of Qalqiliya are waking up to the reality of near imprisonment. The town’s legislators spend most of their time in Israeli prisons without being charged of anything. Read more about Sun sets on an encircled town
Israeli forces today, stationed on the borderline east of Jabaliya, launched a ground-to-ground missile that exploded in the house of 47-year-old Salah Abdul-Hadi Oukal. The victim was in his house’s garden in Tel al-Za’tar area in Jabalia when the missile struck him. Oukal, who was the breadwinner of a family of eight, including three children, was blown into pieces as the missile hit him directly. Read more about Israeli forces attack Gaza areas, killing father of three
