Gaza truce proposed after Israeli shell kills 30

[defendandprotect]

Gaza truce proposed after Israeli shell kills 30

proposal 'very seriously': Israeli UN envoy CBC.ca Play Video Video: Global protests over Gaza offensive BBC AP – Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a street near a U.N. school, after an Israeli … GAZA CITY, Gaza – France and Egypt announced an initiative to stop the fighting in Gaza late Tuesday, hours after Israeli mortar shells exploded near a U.N. school sheltering hundreds of people displaced by the onslaught on Hamas militants. At least 30 Palestinians died, staining streets with blood.

The Egyptian and French presidents didn't release details of their proposal, saying only that it involved an immediate cease-fire to permit humanitarian aid into Gaza and talks to settle the differences between Israel and the Islamic militants of Hamas who rule the small coastal territory.

They said they were awaiting a response from Israel. Israeli officials in Jerusalem declined immediate comment on the announcement, which came amid diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and other nations to resolve a conflict that has seen 600 people killed in 11 days.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090107/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

[TheWraith]

1. A mortar shell wouldn't kill 30. Even an artillery shell would be dubious.

Either that's an overstatement or more likely somebody's mistaking an air-dropped bomb for a shell.

[Adsos Letter]

2. The Israeli's reported, early on, that the initial detonation triggered secondary detonations...

either from ammo stores, or ied's of some kind.

Not sure how much stock to put in anyone's statements anymore....

[TahitiNut]

3. Reuters puts the death toll at 42 ... and cites multiple "shells"

Egypt floats truce plan after 42 killed in Gaza school
Tue Jan 6, 2009 10:05pm EST

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas studied an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday that won immediate backing from the United States and Europe, hours after Israeli shells killed 42 Palestinians at a U.N. school.

However, Israeli officials also said ministers would discuss a major escalation of their 12-day-old offensive that would push troops deep inside Gaza's cities and refugee camps in their bid to end rocket salvoes into Israel by Islamist militants.

A Palestinian official said Gaza's Hamas rulers, who want an end to Israel's blockade of the enclave, had been briefed in Egypt by President Hosni Mubarak and were debating the proposal. More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive.

In New York, where the U.N. Security Council met on Gaza, Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev told reporters: "I am sure that (Egypt's proposal) will be considered and you will find out whether it was accepted. But we take it very, very seriously."

Israel, which has lost seven soldiers and four civilians in the conflict, wants any end to hostilities to satisfy its demand that Egypt cut off Hamas's supplies of smuggled weapons.

<...more...>

[Adsos Letter]

4. Yes...according to Al-Jazeera-English it was tank fire...

whether that is accurate is anyone's guess...all of the media seem to have a dog in this fight.

[TahitiNut]

5. "Truth is the first casualty of war."

The "score" is 660-8.

660 to 8.

660 to 8.

:puke:

[Adsos Letter]

6. Understood, TahitiNut...

and I have no idea how anyone is going to make this stop.

[Adsos Letter]

7. And, also according to al-Jazeera TV...

the Israeli's are seriously considering ramping up to some kind of "phase III" part of the operation, injecting several thousand more infantry troops into Gaza.

I have no idea what their final source is, but it came from one of their reporters in Tel Aviv

[TahitiNut]

8. Yup. That's reported to be the Israeli response to the Egypt/France initiative.

:puke:

[Adsos Letter]

9. I think they've made it pretty clear...

they aren't interested in listening to the UN, or anyone else, for that matter.

I wonder, if this goes on long enough, if Hizbollah will be moved to start action on Israels northern border.

ON EDIT: That was a pretty uninformed speculation on my part...Hizbollah may have "won" in the 2006 war, but I don't think they are ready to trigger that scenario again.

[SoCalDem]

10. This Just In.. New schedule ..1-4 PM humanitarian aid allowed in

How utterly "special"..

Go shopping..stock up.. and then at 4:05 we'll be back to strafing andf blowing up schools :puke:

[defendandprotect]

11. Evidently, the conditions in streets are too impossible for citizens to

even reach hospitals, leave alone find any place with food --

no electricity -- no medicines -- hospitals filled ---

this is a "massacre" on its way to genocide.

GOP has totally derailed and depowered United Nations --

as often predicted.