IDF: No humanitarian disaster in Rafah

[Gimel]

A stream of humanitarian aid poured into Rafah over the weekend as the IDF prepared to operate in other parts of the town.

<snip>

"To my knowledge there is no humanitarian disaster in Rafah, no starvation or insufficient water, and throughout we have informed the local population either through Palestinian officials or by distributing leaflets asking them to refrain from going out into the streets in order to protect their lives," Brig.-Gen. Shmuel Zakai, the Gaza divisional commander, told reporters on Friday.

<snip>

So far 40 terrorists have been killed, including the local Hamas commander and six civilians, two who were shot by Palestinian gunmen who fired on a group of civilians asked to surrender to troops last week, he said. Four were killed in the parade on Wednesday when a tank shell accidentally blew up near the hundreds of marchers.

Zakai also cited an example of the cynical use made by the terrorists of the civilian population. "A group of armed terrorists was shooting at our troops and wanted to cross the road. They grabbed a young Palestinian boy and used him as a shield as they crossed and continued shooting at soldiers, fully aware that our soldiers would not shoot back because of the boy," he said.

<snip>

Full article here

[minkyboodle]

1. sigh....

I mean really who could question the Jerusalem Post when they are speaking about the humanitarian status of the Palestinians.. :puke:

[Webster Green]

2. Propaganda

Colonial occupation forces always view the local citizens as terrorists.

What a load of bullshit!

[Gimel]

3. Hardship, yes

humanitarian disaster, no.

A UN observer arrived this morning and was greeted with threats and his car windows broken by angry mobs. "Where were you?" they shouted? (Israel radio report)

There is anger about he disruption of lives, and homes destroyed. It will take time to rebuild, but food and aid has gotten in, and people are getting assistance.

[Webster Green]

4. Homes destroyed & people slaughtered.....

No humanitarian disaster here....nothing to see....move along now.

What a load of bullshit!

[Gimel]

8. headlines

The al Jazeera headlines are misleading. Read the fine print, and read more than one report on several sites.

[Webster Green]

11. Israeli apologists are misleading....

The Israeli death squads are destroying homes, marketplaces, crops, ancient groves of olive trees, & killing innocent citizens. They are trying to exterminate the Palestinians.

Enough is enough. What the fuck would you do if you lived under a brutal colonial occupation force that was determined to destroy you and your family.?

[Gimel]

12. The conflict

wasn't born yesterday, and neither was I.

[Webster Green]

13. Really, you had me fooled......

Blinded by ideology I guess. Denial of the facts is the only way you can justify your conclusions.

[Gimel]

14. If the shoe fits

...wear it.

[liberalhistorian]

19. Indeed, and you would do well

to follow your own advice. Talk about blinded by rigid ideology and unable to see anything beyond it or that doesn't corroborate it!

[Gimel]

25. Where is ideology in my replies?

Nothing that I said adheres to ideology. I know that the plight of the Palestinians is difficult day to day. They have had little peace in the past three years. They have had terrorists using their neighborhood to smuggle arms from Egypt, the attack Israeli neighborhoods with mortar shells and rockets, to launch terror attacks. Life couldn't have been very normal.

Cleaning out the terrorists will be an improvement for them. Rebuilding their homes, hopefully without the terrorist infrastructure, instead a greater willingness to pursue peace.

[Forkboy]

16. mores the pity

you could have started from scratch.

[The Magistrate]

29. The Charge Of Extermination, Mr. Green, Is Nonsense

One might as well allege that the various armed Arab Palestinian bodies are trying to exterminate Israelis....

[lumpy]

24. I bet you think the Iraq invasion

was justified and a 'good thing', Gimel.

[dudeness]

17. well fuck me..how lucky are those palestinians

I swear if i ever hear a palestinian whinge again , i will slap them down..ungrateful bastards...thank god for benevolent israel..

[newyorican]

5. If there isn't...

it's because the UN is, once again, cleaning up after the blood-thirsty Israeli Deathsquads...which which causes the same blood-thirsty Israelis to hate the UN...go figure that one out without professional help, if you can...

[newyorican]

6. More excrement from the J-Compost...

with the qualifier..."To my knowledge..."

Well that settles that, he just some uninformed dumb-fuck-wad put out front to sound like a uninformed dumb-fuck-wad.

Or maybe this Zakai goon is talking out of both sides of his mouth:

JERUSALEM (AFP) May 21, 2004
The Israeli army said Friday it fired earlier this week on Palestinian protesters in Rafah -- shots that claimed 10 lives -- to protect a secret special unit from being cut off from the main contingent.
The army feared that Palestinian militants would try to use the hundreds of demonstrators advancing into the sector where the special unit was deployed to surround it, Brigadier General Shmuel Zakai told a press conference.

Israel says it fired on Rafah demo to protect special forces

Where I come from that called getting caught with a slimy forked tongue sticking out of your pie-hole.

[newyorican]

7. BBC: UN man highlights Rafah aid needs

A senior UN official says massive assistance is needed for people who've had their homes destroyed by the Israeli army in Gaza.

<snip>

Meanwhile a senior World Health Organisation official has expressed concern about the health services in Palestinian areas, saying they could be on the brink of collapse.

Dr David Nabarro said the current security crisis and restrictions on movement had left vulnerable people in the Gaza Strip and West Bank at greater risk of malnutrition and disease.

<snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3738449.stm

Hmmm...J-Compost or BBC....whom to believe....Hmmmm....

[Gimel]

9. Not a contradiction

Both observers see necessity. The BBC report looks to the future and what is needed. The people won't be left on their own, unless the PA decides to intervene.

[newyorican]

10. Yuppers!

I see no contradiction said the blind man....of course the audience must also be blind to believe such excrement...

[Forkboy]

15. Bush:Things Going Swell in Iraq

[Darranar]

18. 1600+ people made homeless isn't a humanitarian disaster? n/t

[liberalhistorian]

20. Apparently, not in the poster's

world. Of course, it it were just TWO Israelis made homeless, then it would be an international humanitarian emergency. See how it works, now?

[liberalhistorian]

21. Yeah, and we're supposed to believe the

very IDF that's changed it's story about what, 16, 17 times now in the past four days? Of course, they would NEVER EVER dodge responsibility for anything now, would they, because they're NEVER at fault, now, are they?

And we're also supposed to believe that paragon of unbiased, non-partisan, fair and balanced news, the Jerusalem Post? Um, no, no thank you. Isn't it time for your medication now?

[bemildred]

22. "A slip:

"So far 40 terrorists have been killed, including the
local Hamas commander and six civilians"

[Violet_Crumble]

23. I noticed that one too...

n/t

[Gimel]

26. 40 and 6 =46

Forty were terrorists, including one Hamas commander, and there were 6 civilians killed , "two who were shot by Palestinian gunmen who fired on a group of civilians asked to surrender to troops last week, he said. Four were killed in the parade on Wednesday when a tank shell accidentally blew up near the hundreds of marchers." (speaking of the civilians).


It's all a matter of understanding the intent. Later he again repeats that there were 40 terrorists killed.

[bemildred]

27. Wrong slip.

I was not speculating about the numbers, I was pointing out
the grammar, and the (most likely) unintentional inclusion of
the civilians in the "terrorists". The grammar you use here
is changed from that I cited and the change is telling.

Edit: FWIW, I assumed then and still do that it was (most likely)
an error in translation or some such thing, i.e. I always thought
that the numbers were as you say now.

[Gimel]

32. What is missing

A comma is missing from the sentence, which would clarify it for you. This often happens in newsprint, and especially when taken from an oral statement.

I put the numbers in equation to clarify, I don't think he was trying to include the civilians in the terrorist count. That is a projection of your expectations.

[bemildred]

33. I am well aware of what is missing, since I pointed it out.

There is more than a comma at issue.

You are completely wrong about my intent and my meaning, but
don't let my attempts to explain interfere with your expectations.

[Classical_Liberal]

28. Never trust any organization to police itself.

We need an independent investigation.

[Djinn]

30. So if a Hamas commander

made a statement in a pro-Palestinian paper saying "as far as we know no-one in Israel was hurt by suicide bombers" you'd just beleive it right?

What is this piece of propaganda pish supposed to prove to anyone?

[liberalhistorian]

31. Great point!

I think we both know what the answer would be.