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Egypt recalls ambassador after "murder" in Gaza, Rafa border crossing opened
Egyptian riot police stand guard as protestors shout slogans during a demonstration in front of the journalists' syndicate in Cairo against the Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip. Egypt condemned as "murder" Israel's Saturday air raids on Gaza that killed at least 205 Palestinians, opening its Rafah border crossing with the territory to allow the wounded through for treatment.
(AFP/Khaled Desouki)
(AFP/Khaled Desouki)
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(AFP/Mahmud Hams)
(AP Photo/Mohammad abu Ghosh)
REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY)
REUTERS/Zoher Dolah (GAZA)
REUTERS/Zoher Dolah (GAZA)
(AP Photo/Fadi Abou Ghalioum)
(AP Photo/Dan Balilty)
REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun (WEST BANK)
Over 205 killed in Gaza and hundreds have been wounded in a series of massacres and crimes committed by the Zionist occupier against the Palestinian people in Gaza on December 27, 2008. From 11:30 AM to noon, the occupier shot dozens of missiles from Apache helicopters and F-16 planes at dozens of Gaza government buildings, directly in the middle of heavily populated residential neighborhoods and simultaneously with teachers and students returning to school.
Demonstrations have broken out throughout the West Bank and the Arab world in protest and outrage at the brutality and the nature of these massive crimes.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine issued a statement calling for the broadest resistance to meet and confront this aggression against the Palestinian people and to respond to these massacres, and for the unity of the resistance, and the unity of the Palestinian people, to greet the occupier with resistance, strength and steadfastness despite his brutal crimes. The statement stressed the urgent need for national unity immediately to confront the crimes against our people and to greet the occupier and its brutality with tremendous and unified resistance that is capable of shaking its foundations.
The PFLP statement further called upon all resistance forces to come together now and establish unified resistance front to coordinate and take up the challenge of these attacks against our people. It pointed to the responsibility of the United States for these attacks, as a strategic partner of the occupier, working hand in hand with its massacres and crimes against the Palestinian people, and as the source of the arms used by the occupier against our people. It also pointed to the complicity of the Arab regimes in these crimes, particularly the Egyptian regime, for its ongoing and active participation in the blockade and siege of the Palestinian people in Gaza and its meetings and discussions with the occupier about its plans for Gaza. These massacres are taking place because of Arab and international silence and active complicity.
The PFLP further called for the immediate end to any and all negotiations with this brutal occupier who plans massacres against our people and stated that if he will not end the negotiations immediately, Abu Mazen must resign now. The nature of the Zionist enemy and its dedication to the eradication of the Palestinian people is laid bare and clear by this series of attacks, calculated to cause maximum damage and human cost. For the past sixty years, there is an unbroken history of massacres and crimes against our people and this massacre today is yet one more expression of the nature of the illegitimate colonial state that has implanted itself on Palestinian land and continues to live on U.S. support through massacres and crimes against the Palestinian people.
The statement concluded by calling upon all of its fighters and military branches to take the strongest actions and to resist the occupation and its massacres by all methods and forms of action and resistance, and by calling for the broadest solidarity on Arab and international levels, for people to come into the streets, demonstrate, march, and take action to declare that these massacres and crimes are unacceptable, that the Arab people and the world are with Palestine and the Palestinian people, and that they will not allow these crimes to continue nor for the Arab regimes and international regimes to be silently complicity or actively involved in the occupation's crimes.
The Palestinian people will greet these massacres with steadfastness, strength, unity and resistance and all of the crimes, massacres, targeting of civilians, residential neighborhoods, and schoolchildren and teachers will do nothing to crush the resistance of our people, the statement said, it will only ensure Palestinian unity in the face of this brutality which makes clear the true face of the occupier to the world.
http://www.pflp.ps/english/?q=breaking-news-massacres-gaza-kill-over-205-people-
Date: 27 / 12 / 2008 Time: 11:57
[Ma'anImages]
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli airstrikes continue to bombard Gaza and Palestinian military factions launch homemade projectiles at Israeli targets.
The toll for Saturday’s violence is 225 Palestinians dead and 300-600 injured. Medical sources say most victims are arriving to Gaza City hospitals in “pieces,” while Israeli sources reported one dead, five injured.
Two massive waves of airstrikes dropped 100 bombs on Gaza at 11:30 and a second at approximately 2pm. Smaller strikes hit northern Gaza at 5:30 and 8pm.
Israeli strikes targeted de facto government buildings; one Hamas source told Ma’an “every de facto security building was targeted.” Confirmed casualties include Commander of the de facto Government Police Tawfiq Jabir, Governor of the Al-Wusta (central) Districts Ahmad Abu Aashur and Commander of Security and Protection Services in the de facto government police Ismail Al-Ja'bari.
Islam Shahwan, a Hamas police spokesman, said that the attacks destroyed most of the police headquarters in the Gaza Strip and that a police graduation ceremony was being held during the assault.
Saturday afternoon Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared the 20 square kilometers of Gaza a “special military zone.” The classification is one degree below a declaration of total war against an enemy state.
Palestinian projectiles
Following the first wave of airstrikes Gazan militants fired projectiles towards the western Negev town of Netivot. One projectile made a direct hit on a civilian home, killing one man and injuring five others, one seriously.
As fighting petered out Saturday evening Palestinian militants launched a Russian-made Grad missile at the Israeli city of Ashkelon. The projectile did not explode. Several Brigades responded Saturday after dark by launching projectiles at Israeli targets. No new injuries have been reported.
Hamas response
Following the first wave of airstrikes Hamas has ordered its militant wing the Al-Qassam Brigades to respond “by any means necessary.”
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called for a massive response to the airstrikes and a renewal of operations within Israel. He also asked Palestinians to “remain patient in light of these Israeli crimes.”
Islamic Jihad leader Khaled Al-Batsh said that the Israeli attack amounts to “open war” against Palestinians, intended “to put down the resistance.”
Al-Batsh condemned international and Arab States for their “silence on such massacres.” He also swore that what had happened “would never make the resistance factions surrender.”
Later Saturday evening the de facto government announced three days of mourning for the Gaza dead and warned Israel that there would be consequences for their actions.
Hospitals overrun with dead bodies
Palestinian medical sources described at least 80 of the wounded as arriving to hospital in “pieces,” and Head of Emergency and Ambulance Services in the Ministry of Health Muawiya Hassanain confirmed that medical crews were still pulling dozens from underneath rubble.
Hassanain sent a plea to all Arab governments to send medications and operating supplies to Gaza, saying most of the injured were too badly injured to be moved outside the Strip. Hospital corridors are filled with bodies and gurneys, and local morgues have run out of space.
Anyone with mild or moderate wounds has been sent home and refused follow-up treatment.
Palestinian protests in West Bank, East Jerusalem
As the news of the massive Israeli attacks in Gaza spread across the West Bank, demonstrations erupted in all West Bank cities as well as several neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
In Hebron and Jerusalem demonstrating youth clashed with Israeli soldiers resulting in dozens of arrests and injuries.
***Updated 21:00 Bethlehem time
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=34246
Hanan Awarekeh Readers Number : 400
27/12/2008 Hamas vowed Saturday revenge for the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip that killed at least 205 people and injured over 300. Hamas called on all other Palestinian resistance factions to join in the fight.
Today we are stronger then we've ever been," one spokesperson for the group said at a press conference. "We won't raise the white flag, we won't give anything up, and we won't retreat."
"We call on the Arab states in the region to take a stance against this massacre and not to be satisfied with just condemnations," he continued.
In retaliation for the most barbaric crime in Gaza, over 80 rockets and mortar shells struck areas throughout the western Negev. In Netivot, one settler was killed; five others were injured when their house was hit by a rocket. Hamas had launched dozens of projectiles on the settlements. In Ashkelon, at least 10 rocket strikes were reported, with one hitting an apartment building.
Qassam rocket struck Kiryat Gat. The "Color Red" warning siren also sounded for the first time in Ashdod.
"Hamas will continue the resistance until the last drop of blood," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, speaking on a Gaza radio station.
Earlier, and after the Israeli massacres Hamas called on its fighters to hit back at the Zionist entity. "We call on all units to avenge with force against the enemy," a Hamas spokesman said in a message broadcast on the Islamic movement's radio.
“All fighters are ordered to respond to the Israeli slaughter," said a statement by the Islamic Jihad group, echoing statements issued by Hamas and other armed resistance factions.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said that he was in "urgent contact" with numerous countries over the deadly Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. "We have carried out urgent contacts with numerous Arab countries and other nations to stop the cowardly aggressions and massacres in the Gaza Strip," Abbas said from Saudi Arabia which he is currently visiting.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=68386&language=en
(AP Photo/Ahmad Omar)
Date: 27 / 12 / 2008 Time: 22:09
Full morgue in Gaza City
[Ma'anImages]
Bethlehem – Ma’an – Not a single Gazan turned up at Rafah crossing Saturday despite an Egyptian promise to open the crossing and accept wounded Palestinians for treatment in Egyptian Hospitals.
Between three and six hundred Palestinians were injured in Israeli airstrikes throughout the day, and Palestinian hospitals have almost entirely run out of medical supplies. The dead were carried home in cardboard boxes because Gaza City hospitals ran out of sheets.
Palestinian medical sources said mild to moderate cases were turned away for lack of doctors and supplies, and reported bodies in hallways after morgues filled up. Despite Egypt’s offer to accept wounded Gazans medical sources said the condition of most of the injured was too fragile to make the trip to Rafah.
Only if Egypt sent helicopters would the majority of serious cases be able to accept the offer, said Head of Emergency and Ambulance Services in the Ministry of Health Muawiya Hassanain.
Hassanain appealed to Arab states to send medical supplies so cases could be treated without being moved, and Saturday night Egypt made a second promise to send four loads of medical supplies to Gaza hospitals.
The caretaker Ministry of Health praised the Egyptian stance and Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli called on the international community to continue supplying Gaza with medical equipment to ensure civilians get treatment and the number of casualties is reduced.
22:17
27/12/2008 Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades fire nine projectiles at Kerem Shalom, Israeli Kibbutz
22:09
27/12/2008 Mashal: Al-Qassam Brigades in West Bank and Gaza must retaliate
22:08
27/12/2008 Egypt sends four loads of medical supplies to Gaza
21:42
27/12/2008 Palestinian Human Rights groups call for urgent action; say Israeli actions show "criminal intent"
21:19
27/12/2008 Hebron: 40 suffocate on tear gas as Gaza protesters clash with Israeli troops
20:36
27/12/2008 Three killed, four injured in two new airstrikes on northern Gaza
20:25
27/12/2008 Eleven projectiles fired at Israeli targets after day of airstrikes
20:13
27/12/2008 Bush, Rice to meet for talks on Gaza airstrikes
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=BreakingNews
Date: 27 / 12 / 2008 Time: 17:50
[Ma'anImages]
Gaza – Ma’an – Death shrouds the hallways of Gaza City’s Ash-Shefa medical compound Saturday, its smell creeping in from all corners.
Amputated bodies are strewn throughout hallways because morgues in the city can no longer accommodate the dead
In one corner a man stands with his seven year old son in a cardboard box because the hospital ran out of sheets to cover the dead with. This is how he will carry him home and bury him.
Another man stands dazed, in shock after watching his son Mohammed killed during his graduation ceremony at the de facto police headquarters. The father of one of Mohammed’s classmates stood next to his son as he was decapitated. The man is still screaming.
In the packed hospital waiting room a mother sits silently staring into the distance; her son was pronounced dead shortly after she brought him in.
Despite the ugly scene at the medical compound people poured in, seeming not to notice the horror of blood and body parts they hurriedly try to pick out clothing or personal items of loved ones hit by Israeli missiles somewhere in the Gaza Strip.
Twelve year old Ayaman is screaming at his father who tries to prevent him from seeing the bodies of his uncle and brother, torn to pieces under sheets. “I’m not afraid to see them,” he screamed. In a rage as his father holds tight, Ayman catches the hand of a resistance fighter; “shell and kill them as they did to us,” he says.
Yaha Muheisen stops searching for his son’s body for a moment to speak to Ma’an’s reporter. “whatever Israel did it will not defeat us,” he says, “it will not weaken our power.”
Forty-year-old mother Nawal Al-Lad’a did not find the bodies of her two sons in the medical compound, so she left to look amid the rubble.
Husam Farajallah, a university student, was at the hospital collecting the body of his relative. He called what happened in Gaza a “black day” in the lives of all Palestinians, and wondered how the world could watch and do nothing.
Medics in Gaza confirmed that the majority of those killed in the day’s attacks were civilians, including men, women and children. Most were cut to pieces, making the job of doctors and medics difficult, and the task of giving bodies back to families painful and gruesome.
The medics working in the field continue to dig up bodies from the densely populated urban areas of Gaza City.
The scenes remind many Palestinians of the images that came out of the Sabra and Shatila massacres from Beirut in 1982, when thousands of Palestinians were killed by the Lebanese Phalangist militaries.
As the death toll climbs and no word on a halt to the attacks has come from Israel, Gazans fear for their lives and loved ones.
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=34268