12 aug 2013
Both Israeli and Egyptian military forces struck targets in the Sinai Peninsula over the weekend in what appears to be a coordinated campaign against Islamist forces active among the Bedouin tribes of the region.
The bloodshed involves at least two separate attacks, the details of which remain shrouded in secrecy. On Friday, a missile, apparently fired from an Israeli drone, slammed into Ajraa in the northern Sinai, near the border with the Gaza Strip. News reports claim the explosion destroyed a rocket launcher aimed at Israel, killing four or five Islamic militants.
On Saturday night, Egyptian army Apache helicopters, supplied by the United States, targeted supposed “terrorist sites” in the town of Al-Thoma, south of Sheikh Zuweid. Several four-wheel-drive vehicles were destroyed and at least 15 people killed. An Egyptian military spokesman later gave the toll as 25 killed or wounded.
Israeli officials, in keeping with their standard practice in regard to cross-border attacks against Arab neighbors, would not even confirm that the Israel Defense Forces had fired missiles into Sinai Friday, although the attack was widely reported in the international media and the death toll was confirmed by a spokesman for an armed Islamic group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.
The incident would be the first in decades in which Israeli forces deliberately attacked a target on Egyptian soil. Israeli forces have killed Egyptian soldiers while allegedly responding to cross-border attacks by Islamists, but the official claim has been that the soldiers were unintended victims.
Acknowledging the political sensitivity of the issue, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that Israel “appreciated” actions taken by Egypt in Sinai over the weekend. He added, “Israel respects the full sovereignty of Egypt.”
Egyptian military officials initially claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack, evidently in an effort to disguise the collaboration between the Egyptian and Israeli armed forces in killing Egyptian citizens. Eyewitnesses on the ground told the press that Egyptian military helicopters had been circling the area before the explosion and may have helped pinpoint the target, but the blast was caused by a missile fired from an Israeli drone.
A Reuters report confirmed inter-state consultations. “Both Israel and Egypt were coordinating closely… this time around. I very much doubt that anything was done outside the framework of that coordination,” the news agency said, quoting a source “who declined to be identified by name or nationality.”
Saturday’s attack was certainly carried out by the Egyptian military. Army troops used loudspeakers to warn residents not to leave their homes as the Apache helicopters swooped in and opened fire. Several houses were set afire as a result of the air strikes, according to the web site of the official newspaper Al Ahram .
An Egyptian army spokesman, Ahmed Ali, addressing a press briefing Sunday, confirmed the Sinai attacks in general terms, but refused to give any details, citing operational security concerns.
“Egypt’s armed forces affirm that it’s working in silence, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, to chase terrorist groups and to destroy criminal spots in North Sinai,” said Ali.
Last week, the Egyptian army announced it had arrested 103 “terrorists,” who are currently being interrogated, meaning they are likely being tortured, in Egyptian military prisons. Another 60 militants have been killed in Sinai during the monthlong period since the July 3 military coup.
Al Ahram carried a report Sunday, citing Egyptian military sources, that 600 Hamas operatives had entered Sinai from the Gaza Strip since the July 3 coup. The report cited this supposed invasion of “terrorists” as another reason for the military crackdown in the peninsula. It could also serve as a justification for further repressive measures against the Muslim Brotherhood by the Egyptian military regime.
The Debka Files web site, with close ties to Israeli military and intelligence services, gave an additional rationale for the intensive Egyptian-Israeli military collaboration. It reported that the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood’s clandestine operations, Mahmud Izzat Ibrahim, had fled Egypt after the July 3 military coup and taken up residence at the Gaza Beach Hotel in the Gaza Strip, under the protection of Hamas, which was founded by Palestinian supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to this Israeli web site, “For effective action in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian military needs help from Israel’s Defense Forces, just as the IDF needs the Egyptian army to counteract Al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists in Sinai who are dedicated to attacking Israel as well as Egypt.”
The Obama administration is encouraging the collaboration between the Egyptian military and the state of Israel, which has been a keystone of the foreign policy of US imperialism since the Camp David accords of 1977. An array of US officials has traveled to the region since the military overthrow of President Mohammed Mursi in Egypt last month.
Most recently, Deputy US Secretary of State William Burns was in Cairo, meeting with the military leadership and its civilian front man, President Adly Mansour. Also visiting Cairo were two Republican senators, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, serving as informal political emissaries of the Obama White House.
Providing political cover for the joint Israeli-Egyptian military operation was the New York Times, which carried on Sunday a lengthy front-page article depicting the Sinai Peninsula as a lawless region beset by “something like an insurgency.” Both the content of the article and its prominence suggested coordination between the US military-intelligence apparatus, the Netanyahu government in Israel and the editorial offices of the leading US newspaper.
The bloodshed involves at least two separate attacks, the details of which remain shrouded in secrecy. On Friday, a missile, apparently fired from an Israeli drone, slammed into Ajraa in the northern Sinai, near the border with the Gaza Strip. News reports claim the explosion destroyed a rocket launcher aimed at Israel, killing four or five Islamic militants.
On Saturday night, Egyptian army Apache helicopters, supplied by the United States, targeted supposed “terrorist sites” in the town of Al-Thoma, south of Sheikh Zuweid. Several four-wheel-drive vehicles were destroyed and at least 15 people killed. An Egyptian military spokesman later gave the toll as 25 killed or wounded.
Israeli officials, in keeping with their standard practice in regard to cross-border attacks against Arab neighbors, would not even confirm that the Israel Defense Forces had fired missiles into Sinai Friday, although the attack was widely reported in the international media and the death toll was confirmed by a spokesman for an armed Islamic group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.
The incident would be the first in decades in which Israeli forces deliberately attacked a target on Egyptian soil. Israeli forces have killed Egyptian soldiers while allegedly responding to cross-border attacks by Islamists, but the official claim has been that the soldiers were unintended victims.
Acknowledging the political sensitivity of the issue, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that Israel “appreciated” actions taken by Egypt in Sinai over the weekend. He added, “Israel respects the full sovereignty of Egypt.”
Egyptian military officials initially claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack, evidently in an effort to disguise the collaboration between the Egyptian and Israeli armed forces in killing Egyptian citizens. Eyewitnesses on the ground told the press that Egyptian military helicopters had been circling the area before the explosion and may have helped pinpoint the target, but the blast was caused by a missile fired from an Israeli drone.
A Reuters report confirmed inter-state consultations. “Both Israel and Egypt were coordinating closely… this time around. I very much doubt that anything was done outside the framework of that coordination,” the news agency said, quoting a source “who declined to be identified by name or nationality.”
Saturday’s attack was certainly carried out by the Egyptian military. Army troops used loudspeakers to warn residents not to leave their homes as the Apache helicopters swooped in and opened fire. Several houses were set afire as a result of the air strikes, according to the web site of the official newspaper Al Ahram .
An Egyptian army spokesman, Ahmed Ali, addressing a press briefing Sunday, confirmed the Sinai attacks in general terms, but refused to give any details, citing operational security concerns.
“Egypt’s armed forces affirm that it’s working in silence, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, to chase terrorist groups and to destroy criminal spots in North Sinai,” said Ali.
Last week, the Egyptian army announced it had arrested 103 “terrorists,” who are currently being interrogated, meaning they are likely being tortured, in Egyptian military prisons. Another 60 militants have been killed in Sinai during the monthlong period since the July 3 military coup.
Al Ahram carried a report Sunday, citing Egyptian military sources, that 600 Hamas operatives had entered Sinai from the Gaza Strip since the July 3 coup. The report cited this supposed invasion of “terrorists” as another reason for the military crackdown in the peninsula. It could also serve as a justification for further repressive measures against the Muslim Brotherhood by the Egyptian military regime.
The Debka Files web site, with close ties to Israeli military and intelligence services, gave an additional rationale for the intensive Egyptian-Israeli military collaboration. It reported that the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood’s clandestine operations, Mahmud Izzat Ibrahim, had fled Egypt after the July 3 military coup and taken up residence at the Gaza Beach Hotel in the Gaza Strip, under the protection of Hamas, which was founded by Palestinian supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to this Israeli web site, “For effective action in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian military needs help from Israel’s Defense Forces, just as the IDF needs the Egyptian army to counteract Al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists in Sinai who are dedicated to attacking Israel as well as Egypt.”
The Obama administration is encouraging the collaboration between the Egyptian military and the state of Israel, which has been a keystone of the foreign policy of US imperialism since the Camp David accords of 1977. An array of US officials has traveled to the region since the military overthrow of President Mohammed Mursi in Egypt last month.
Most recently, Deputy US Secretary of State William Burns was in Cairo, meeting with the military leadership and its civilian front man, President Adly Mansour. Also visiting Cairo were two Republican senators, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, serving as informal political emissaries of the Obama White House.
Providing political cover for the joint Israeli-Egyptian military operation was the New York Times, which carried on Sunday a lengthy front-page article depicting the Sinai Peninsula as a lawless region beset by “something like an insurgency.” Both the content of the article and its prominence suggested coordination between the US military-intelligence apparatus, the Netanyahu government in Israel and the editorial offices of the leading US newspaper.
Israeli soldiers invaded on Monday at dawn [August 12, 2013] various districts in the occupied West Bank, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnapped 10 Palestinians. Soldiers also installed various roadblocks.
Local sources have reported that at least twelve armored Israeli military vehicles invaded the Al-Far’a refugee camp, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and clashes with local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at them.
Soldiers fired gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at the residents, and left the area to invade the central West Bank district of Tubas.
The Maan News Agency has reported that dozens of soldiers invaded Ras Al-Ein, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnaped two identified as Ahmad Mer’ey Hawwash, 21, and Firas Hawwash, 22.
Soldiers also invaded the Balata Refugee camp, in Nablus, and kidnapped one resident identified as Mo’ayyad Hannoun, 24.
Several military vehicles further invaded Rafidia area, in Nablus, fired gas bombs, including gas bombes fired into local homes, and kidnapped a former political prisoner, identified as Khader Khaled As-Sarkaji, 35, from his home in Haifa Street in the city.
In addition, soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, violently broke into and searched the Qalqilia Islamic Club, and kidnapped two of its administrators identified as Mohammad Abu Salman and Monther Nassar.
In Bethlehem district, the soldiers invaded the As-Saff Street, Wad Shahin area, and Doha city, and kidnapped two brothers identified as Fadi and Mohammad Da’amsa, from Wad Shahin.
Furthermore, soldiers invaded various villages and towns in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, violently broke into several homes and searched them leading to excessive property damage.
Palestinian security sources have reported that the soldiers also kidnapped Abdul-Majid Bassam Amro, 21, and Ali Taleb Amro, 20, from Hebron city, and Jalal Yasser Sweity from Doura town, south of Hebron.
Medical sources gave reported that resident Anas Abu Haikal, 23, from Hebron, suffered various cuts and bruises after being assaulted by the soldiers, and was moved to a local hospital.
Media sources in Hebron stated that the soldiers also invaded Taffouh town, and various neighborhoods in Hebron city, before installing several roadblocks.
Dozens of soldiers further invaded the Al-Ezariyya town, east of occupied East Jerusalem, and broke into the home of Ramadan Hijazi in Al-Qastal area, in an attempt to kidnap him, but he was not home. Clashes have also been reported between local youths and the invading soldiers.
The invasions and arrests are part on daily assaults carried out by the soldiers in different parts of occupied Palestine.
Local sources have reported that at least twelve armored Israeli military vehicles invaded the Al-Far’a refugee camp, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and clashes with local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at them.
Soldiers fired gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at the residents, and left the area to invade the central West Bank district of Tubas.
The Maan News Agency has reported that dozens of soldiers invaded Ras Al-Ein, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnaped two identified as Ahmad Mer’ey Hawwash, 21, and Firas Hawwash, 22.
Soldiers also invaded the Balata Refugee camp, in Nablus, and kidnapped one resident identified as Mo’ayyad Hannoun, 24.
Several military vehicles further invaded Rafidia area, in Nablus, fired gas bombs, including gas bombes fired into local homes, and kidnapped a former political prisoner, identified as Khader Khaled As-Sarkaji, 35, from his home in Haifa Street in the city.
In addition, soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, violently broke into and searched the Qalqilia Islamic Club, and kidnapped two of its administrators identified as Mohammad Abu Salman and Monther Nassar.
In Bethlehem district, the soldiers invaded the As-Saff Street, Wad Shahin area, and Doha city, and kidnapped two brothers identified as Fadi and Mohammad Da’amsa, from Wad Shahin.
Furthermore, soldiers invaded various villages and towns in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, violently broke into several homes and searched them leading to excessive property damage.
Palestinian security sources have reported that the soldiers also kidnapped Abdul-Majid Bassam Amro, 21, and Ali Taleb Amro, 20, from Hebron city, and Jalal Yasser Sweity from Doura town, south of Hebron.
Medical sources gave reported that resident Anas Abu Haikal, 23, from Hebron, suffered various cuts and bruises after being assaulted by the soldiers, and was moved to a local hospital.
Media sources in Hebron stated that the soldiers also invaded Taffouh town, and various neighborhoods in Hebron city, before installing several roadblocks.
Dozens of soldiers further invaded the Al-Ezariyya town, east of occupied East Jerusalem, and broke into the home of Ramadan Hijazi in Al-Qastal area, in an attempt to kidnap him, but he was not home. Clashes have also been reported between local youths and the invading soldiers.
The invasions and arrests are part on daily assaults carried out by the soldiers in different parts of occupied Palestine.
Resident Injured East Of Gaza
Palestinian medical sources have reported Sunday [August 11, 2013] that the Palestinian man who was shot and killed by Israeli army fire on Saturday at night has been identified. A Palestinian was shot and injured east of Gaza Sunday.
Dr. Ashraf Al-Qodra, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that Israel handed, on Sunday, the body of Hussein Abdul-Hadi Awadallah, 30, to the Palestinian side, and added that the slain man is from An-Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.
Furthermore, Al-Qodra said that, on Sunday, Israeli soldiers, manning a military across the border east of Gaza city, fired rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian lands and homes, wounding one Palestinian identified as Mahmoud Samir Jundiyya, 25.
Jundiyya was shot in his right foot, and was moved to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza suffering moderate injuries.
Human Rights groups in the Gaza Strip the ongoing Israeli military escalation and ongoing violations against the Palestinians, their lands and property.
They said that, since the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and the resistance in Gaza in November 22 of last year, Israeli soldiers shot and killed six Palestinians, injured and kidnapped dozens, in addition to injuring and wounding more than 40 fishermen, and confiscated several Palestinian fishing boats.
Palestinian medical sources have reported Sunday [August 11, 2013] that the Palestinian man who was shot and killed by Israeli army fire on Saturday at night has been identified. A Palestinian was shot and injured east of Gaza Sunday.
Dr. Ashraf Al-Qodra, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that Israel handed, on Sunday, the body of Hussein Abdul-Hadi Awadallah, 30, to the Palestinian side, and added that the slain man is from An-Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.
Furthermore, Al-Qodra said that, on Sunday, Israeli soldiers, manning a military across the border east of Gaza city, fired rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian lands and homes, wounding one Palestinian identified as Mahmoud Samir Jundiyya, 25.
Jundiyya was shot in his right foot, and was moved to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza suffering moderate injuries.
Human Rights groups in the Gaza Strip the ongoing Israeli military escalation and ongoing violations against the Palestinians, their lands and property.
They said that, since the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and the resistance in Gaza in November 22 of last year, Israeli soldiers shot and killed six Palestinians, injured and kidnapped dozens, in addition to injuring and wounding more than 40 fishermen, and confiscated several Palestinian fishing boats.
11 aug 2013
Israeli troops have shot and injured an unarmed Palestinian farmer in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
Palestinian medical personnel said the farmer sustained moderate injuries in the incident that occurred on Sunday near the apartheid fence in northern Gaza.
An Israeli army spokesman also confirmed the shooting, saying, "A group of Palestinians approached the security fence in the northern (Gaza) Strip, and began sabotaging it while hurling rocks at the (Israeli) soldiers."
He added that one Israeli soldier fired at the legs of a Palestinian man.
On Saturday, Israeli forces shot dead an unarmed Palestinian man on the Gaza’s border.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that the man was killed after he climbed over the separation fence.
The Israeli official claimed that the man was carrying a suspicious item that the troops could not see clearly.
The spokeswoman did not clarify what the man was carrying when he was shot by Israeli troops, but another military source said the man was not carrying any weapons.
The apartheid regime of Israel imposed land, aerial, and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, took over the administration of the territory.
The blockade has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished enclave, having turned the territory into the world’s largest open-air prison.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator James W. Rawley said on April 10 that a new round of Israeli restrictions on the Gaza Strip is impacting food supplies and would have "serious" effects if continued.
Israeli Soldiers Shoot Unarmed Palestinian in Gaza
An unarmed Palestinian farmer was shot and injured by Israeli Occupation Forces in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The farmer had moderate injuries from the incident that happened on Sunday close to the separation fence in northern Gaza.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the shooting, saying “A group of Palestinians approached the security fence in the northern Strip, and began sabotaging it while hurling rocks at the (Israeli) soldiers.”
The army spokesperson said one Israeli soldier fired his gun at the legs of a Palestinian man.
This event happened one day after Israeli Occupation Forces shot dean an unarmed Palestinian man on the Gaza Strip’s boarder.
Another military spokesperson said the shooting happened after the Palestinian man climbed the apartheid fence. The military official claimed the man had been carrying a suspicious item and said the troops had been unable to see it clearly.
The spokesperson failed to clarify what the man had been carrying when the Israeli forces shot him, but another military source confirmed that he had been unarmed.
The Gaza Strip has been under a land, aerial and naval blockade since June 2007, imposed by the Israeli regime after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas was democratically elected to lead administration of the territory.
Since 2007 the blockade has caused the Gaza Strip to become the world’s largest open-air prison, and has severely impacted the humanitarian and economic situation in the isolated area.
In July the Egyptian military destroyed most of the tunnels from Egypt to the Strip, which had become the main entry point for food and supplies into Gaza. This has had a detrimental impact on the already precarious situation in Gaza.
Palestinian medical personnel said the farmer sustained moderate injuries in the incident that occurred on Sunday near the apartheid fence in northern Gaza.
An Israeli army spokesman also confirmed the shooting, saying, "A group of Palestinians approached the security fence in the northern (Gaza) Strip, and began sabotaging it while hurling rocks at the (Israeli) soldiers."
He added that one Israeli soldier fired at the legs of a Palestinian man.
On Saturday, Israeli forces shot dead an unarmed Palestinian man on the Gaza’s border.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that the man was killed after he climbed over the separation fence.
The Israeli official claimed that the man was carrying a suspicious item that the troops could not see clearly.
The spokeswoman did not clarify what the man was carrying when he was shot by Israeli troops, but another military source said the man was not carrying any weapons.
The apartheid regime of Israel imposed land, aerial, and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, took over the administration of the territory.
The blockade has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished enclave, having turned the territory into the world’s largest open-air prison.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator James W. Rawley said on April 10 that a new round of Israeli restrictions on the Gaza Strip is impacting food supplies and would have "serious" effects if continued.
Israeli Soldiers Shoot Unarmed Palestinian in Gaza
An unarmed Palestinian farmer was shot and injured by Israeli Occupation Forces in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The farmer had moderate injuries from the incident that happened on Sunday close to the separation fence in northern Gaza.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the shooting, saying “A group of Palestinians approached the security fence in the northern Strip, and began sabotaging it while hurling rocks at the (Israeli) soldiers.”
The army spokesperson said one Israeli soldier fired his gun at the legs of a Palestinian man.
This event happened one day after Israeli Occupation Forces shot dean an unarmed Palestinian man on the Gaza Strip’s boarder.
Another military spokesperson said the shooting happened after the Palestinian man climbed the apartheid fence. The military official claimed the man had been carrying a suspicious item and said the troops had been unable to see it clearly.
The spokesperson failed to clarify what the man had been carrying when the Israeli forces shot him, but another military source confirmed that he had been unarmed.
The Gaza Strip has been under a land, aerial and naval blockade since June 2007, imposed by the Israeli regime after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas was democratically elected to lead administration of the territory.
Since 2007 the blockade has caused the Gaza Strip to become the world’s largest open-air prison, and has severely impacted the humanitarian and economic situation in the isolated area.
In July the Egyptian military destroyed most of the tunnels from Egypt to the Strip, which had become the main entry point for food and supplies into Gaza. This has had a detrimental impact on the already precarious situation in Gaza.
A young boy bitten by a snake in Nablus on Sunday was refused medical attention by Israeli soldiers manning a checkpoint, the boy's father said.
Tareq Abu Aoun told Ma'an that his son Muhammad was bitten by the snake near the Hamra checkpoint in Nablus and lost consciousness.
He asked Israeli soldiers to allow him to pass the checkpoint and call an ambulance, but they refused.
The soldiers told Abu Aoun that he was obstructing the checkpoint and prevented him from queuing to pass through.
An ambulance from the Palestinian Red Crescent managed to access the area after an hour and a half and transferred the boy to Rafida hospital, where he is said to be in a critical condition.
The boy's father killed the snake and took it to the hospital so doctors would be able to identity the correct antidote.
He said the soldiers were laughing as they left the area.
Palestinians' freedom of movement in the occupied West Bank is severely restricted by a system of "fixed checkpoints, surprise flying checkpoints, physical obstructions, roads on which Palestinians are forbidden to travel, and gates along the Separation Barrier," B'Tselem says.
According to the group, there are 98 fixed Israeli checkpoints in the occupied West Bank and Israeli forces erect hundreds of flying checkpoints during the year.
Tareq Abu Aoun told Ma'an that his son Muhammad was bitten by the snake near the Hamra checkpoint in Nablus and lost consciousness.
He asked Israeli soldiers to allow him to pass the checkpoint and call an ambulance, but they refused.
The soldiers told Abu Aoun that he was obstructing the checkpoint and prevented him from queuing to pass through.
An ambulance from the Palestinian Red Crescent managed to access the area after an hour and a half and transferred the boy to Rafida hospital, where he is said to be in a critical condition.
The boy's father killed the snake and took it to the hospital so doctors would be able to identity the correct antidote.
He said the soldiers were laughing as they left the area.
Palestinians' freedom of movement in the occupied West Bank is severely restricted by a system of "fixed checkpoints, surprise flying checkpoints, physical obstructions, roads on which Palestinians are forbidden to travel, and gates along the Separation Barrier," B'Tselem says.
According to the group, there are 98 fixed Israeli checkpoints in the occupied West Bank and Israeli forces erect hundreds of flying checkpoints during the year.
The headline on the left belongs to Hebrew newspaper Yediot Ahronot. It was published on August 7, 1945, the day after the bestial nuclear attack on Hiroshima. It reads: "Two Jews Helped in the Invention of the Atomic Bomb." It shows better than anything else the attitude of the writers, their disregard for human life. Countless innocents had been incinerated to death, in what by definition was a Holocaust. It didn't matter. "Two Jews Helped" was the headline.
On August 8, 2013, Israel attacked in Sinai with a drone. Four men were killed. The day after, the breaking news headlines were humbler than in 1945; the disregard for life and the rights of others were no less despicable.
On August 8, 2013, Israel attacked in Sinai with a drone. Four men were killed. The day after, the breaking news headlines were humbler than in 1945; the disregard for life and the rights of others were no less despicable.
"Sinai group says it was target of Israeli drone"
The line above was the first headline that appeared on the Hebrew media after the attack. It was a typical attempt to circumvent Israel's Military Censor,* thus giving it credibility despite the phrasing. Yet, I waited a bit, until a senior Hebrew journalist closely related to the IDF published on that using circumventing codes "foreign sources say," "Israeli aircraft, apparently unmanned," and similarly ambiguous phrases.
Yes, an Israeli drone had attacked in Sinai, Egypt. This was the second time Israel attacked in Sinai after it signed a peace agreement with Egypt in 1979. The first event took place on August 18, 2011, when a series of cross-border attacks took place near Eilat, resulting in deaths to all sides involved. After Mubarak was removed from power, the attack was part of the ongoing insurrection in the Sinai.
The current attack must be seen in the context of the events reported in Israeli Anti-Missiles Fail in Eilat Attack. On April 17, 2013, the Iron Dome Antimissile Battery in Eilat failed to intercept an attack by the Salafi organization named "Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem." The attack caused no damage, but it proved that the Israeli antimissile system—as analyzed here—was good only on paper. Since then, it has been downgraded in the IDF Brave New Plan. Instead, offensive platforms, like killer drones, are favored now.
The line above was the first headline that appeared on the Hebrew media after the attack. It was a typical attempt to circumvent Israel's Military Censor,* thus giving it credibility despite the phrasing. Yet, I waited a bit, until a senior Hebrew journalist closely related to the IDF published on that using circumventing codes "foreign sources say," "Israeli aircraft, apparently unmanned," and similarly ambiguous phrases.
Yes, an Israeli drone had attacked in Sinai, Egypt. This was the second time Israel attacked in Sinai after it signed a peace agreement with Egypt in 1979. The first event took place on August 18, 2011, when a series of cross-border attacks took place near Eilat, resulting in deaths to all sides involved. After Mubarak was removed from power, the attack was part of the ongoing insurrection in the Sinai.
The current attack must be seen in the context of the events reported in Israeli Anti-Missiles Fail in Eilat Attack. On April 17, 2013, the Iron Dome Antimissile Battery in Eilat failed to intercept an attack by the Salafi organization named "Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem." The attack caused no damage, but it proved that the Israeli antimissile system—as analyzed here—was good only on paper. Since then, it has been downgraded in the IDF Brave New Plan. Instead, offensive platforms, like killer drones, are favored now.
Launching Site, Sinai
The Attack Hebrew media wasn't a swallow announcing the spring; the first news had arrived from Egyptian officials and a formal announcement by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the victim's organization. Egyptian security officials claimed that at 4:15PM on Friday, two explosions were heard about three kilometers west of the Rafah border line, when an Israeli drone had killed five suspected militants. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said that four of its members were killed while the commander of the unit escaped. The dead were from the Sinai's Bedouin Tribes. IDF Spokesman and Israeli authorities have not released any comments, though they didn't deny the attack.
Casus belli?
The Attack Hebrew media wasn't a swallow announcing the spring; the first news had arrived from Egyptian officials and a formal announcement by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the victim's organization. Egyptian security officials claimed that at 4:15PM on Friday, two explosions were heard about three kilometers west of the Rafah border line, when an Israeli drone had killed five suspected militants. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said that four of its members were killed while the commander of the unit escaped. The dead were from the Sinai's Bedouin Tribes. IDF Spokesman and Israeli authorities have not released any comments, though they didn't deny the attack.
Casus belli?
Israel Egypt Border
Was this a casus belli** event? Can Egypt legitimately declare war on Israel following the latter's aggression of Egyptian citizens on Egyptian land? The AP news agency quoted two senior Egyptian defense sources claiming that the Israeli airstrike had been coordinated with the Egyptian authorities. AP's report and the ongoing reactions within Egypt show that this is not a casus belli. Israel and the military dictatorship in Egypt have declared war on the Egyptian people. Dr. Ahmed Aref—Muslim Brotherhood Media Spokesman—published a statement saying there was ongoing attempts within the army to redefine "enemy" in a bid to turn the army's power inward.
"We hear about the crimes of the Zionist enemy along our borders as well as an infiltration of our borders and the killing of Egyptians," he said. A spokesman for the Justice and Freedom Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, said "Can the leaders of the July 3 revolution (the army deposition of Morsi) attack terrorist inside of Israeli territory the same way they permit Israel to attack Egyptian on Egyptian soil?" nailing the topic in a few words. People are not countries. The latter cannot declare war on individuals, despite the USA obviously thinking otherwise.
Envious of America's drone assassinations, Israel entered the same path with the blessing of the USA-backed military dictators in Egypt. In essence, this is not different from Hiroshima's bestial attack on 1945. Countries cannot declare war on individuals. If the latter are suspected of breaking the law, they are entitled to defend themselves in a proper court acting under published, non-secret laws and in public hearings so that people can see the justice in action. Anything else is State-Terror.
* Israel’s Military Censor is technically part of AMAN, the IDF Intelligence Directorate, but it works as an independent unit. Its head is appointed directly by the Defense Minister—a highly unusual step—and is only subject to parliamentary and judicial oversight. Not even the Minister of Defense can give orders to it.
The Military Censor has authority to suppress information it deems compromising from being made public in the media. Probably the most famous event ever censored was the Kav 300 picture (see Kav 300 Forever); the picture was exposed to the Israeli public only after the New York Times published it. This is typical; Israeli news outlets often circumvent the censor by reporting stories "as quoted from foreign news sources," which are not subject to the restrictions of the Israeli military censor.
The trial of Mordechai Vanunu, the assassination attempt on Khaled Mashal (see Mossad, Sonic Weapons & Haled Mashal) and events related to Operation Defensive Shield and Operation Cast Lead were also famously censored.
** Casus belli is Latin for "incident of war," it refers to an incident that allows starting a war. The UN Charter prohibits signatory countries from engaging in war except as a means of defending themselves or unless the UN gave prior approval to the operation.
Related:
IDF Offensive Redeployment Amid Syrian Fire
Did you know? IDF Photographs its own Defeat
Was this a casus belli** event? Can Egypt legitimately declare war on Israel following the latter's aggression of Egyptian citizens on Egyptian land? The AP news agency quoted two senior Egyptian defense sources claiming that the Israeli airstrike had been coordinated with the Egyptian authorities. AP's report and the ongoing reactions within Egypt show that this is not a casus belli. Israel and the military dictatorship in Egypt have declared war on the Egyptian people. Dr. Ahmed Aref—Muslim Brotherhood Media Spokesman—published a statement saying there was ongoing attempts within the army to redefine "enemy" in a bid to turn the army's power inward.
"We hear about the crimes of the Zionist enemy along our borders as well as an infiltration of our borders and the killing of Egyptians," he said. A spokesman for the Justice and Freedom Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, said "Can the leaders of the July 3 revolution (the army deposition of Morsi) attack terrorist inside of Israeli territory the same way they permit Israel to attack Egyptian on Egyptian soil?" nailing the topic in a few words. People are not countries. The latter cannot declare war on individuals, despite the USA obviously thinking otherwise.
Envious of America's drone assassinations, Israel entered the same path with the blessing of the USA-backed military dictators in Egypt. In essence, this is not different from Hiroshima's bestial attack on 1945. Countries cannot declare war on individuals. If the latter are suspected of breaking the law, they are entitled to defend themselves in a proper court acting under published, non-secret laws and in public hearings so that people can see the justice in action. Anything else is State-Terror.
* Israel’s Military Censor is technically part of AMAN, the IDF Intelligence Directorate, but it works as an independent unit. Its head is appointed directly by the Defense Minister—a highly unusual step—and is only subject to parliamentary and judicial oversight. Not even the Minister of Defense can give orders to it.
The Military Censor has authority to suppress information it deems compromising from being made public in the media. Probably the most famous event ever censored was the Kav 300 picture (see Kav 300 Forever); the picture was exposed to the Israeli public only after the New York Times published it. This is typical; Israeli news outlets often circumvent the censor by reporting stories "as quoted from foreign news sources," which are not subject to the restrictions of the Israeli military censor.
The trial of Mordechai Vanunu, the assassination attempt on Khaled Mashal (see Mossad, Sonic Weapons & Haled Mashal) and events related to Operation Defensive Shield and Operation Cast Lead were also famously censored.
** Casus belli is Latin for "incident of war," it refers to an incident that allows starting a war. The UN Charter prohibits signatory countries from engaging in war except as a means of defending themselves or unless the UN gave prior approval to the operation.
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Several Palestinian young men suffered injuries during violent clashes with Israeli soldiers on Saturday in Kafr Ra'ei town to the south of Jenin. Local sources reported that the Israeli occupation forces intensively fired tear gas grenades and rubber bullets at the angry young men.
They affirmed that the clashes broke out after the IOF raided and ransacked several homes and commercial stores in the town.
Injuries Reported As Army Invades Village Near Jenin
Palestinian medical sources reported on Saturday evening [August 10, 2013] that a number of residents was been injured after dozens of soldiers invaded Kufur Ra’ey village, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
Local sources have reported that the soldiers broke into and searched several stores and shops in the village, causing excessive property damage.
The sources added that the invasion led to clashes between dozens of residents and the invading soldiers.
Local youths hurled stones and empty bottles at the invading soldiers who fired gas bombs, rubber-coated metal bullets and concussion grenades.
Local medics provided the needed treatment to a number of resident who suffocated after inhaling gas fired by the army.
The army conducts daily invasions and attacks in various areas in the occupied Palestinian territories.
They affirmed that the clashes broke out after the IOF raided and ransacked several homes and commercial stores in the town.
Injuries Reported As Army Invades Village Near Jenin
Palestinian medical sources reported on Saturday evening [August 10, 2013] that a number of residents was been injured after dozens of soldiers invaded Kufur Ra’ey village, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
Local sources have reported that the soldiers broke into and searched several stores and shops in the village, causing excessive property damage.
The sources added that the invasion led to clashes between dozens of residents and the invading soldiers.
Local youths hurled stones and empty bottles at the invading soldiers who fired gas bombs, rubber-coated metal bullets and concussion grenades.
Local medics provided the needed treatment to a number of resident who suffocated after inhaling gas fired by the army.
The army conducts daily invasions and attacks in various areas in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Saturday August 10 2013, Israeli military sources have reported that a Palestinian youth was shot and killed by army fire, near the border fence, east of the Gaza Strip.
The army claimed that the soldiers noticed the Palestinian allegedly trying to cross the border fence, ordered him to stop, and shot him dead after he failed to heed to their demands.
The army further claimed that the Palestinian youth carried what was described as a “suspicious object”, and that he was “in an area where Palestinian fighters had previously laid explosives”.
Israel Ynet News reported that several soldiers arrived at the scene and launched an investigation into the incident.
The Ynet added that Israeli Army Engineering Corps also arrived at the scene to determine whether the Palestinian carried explosives, but did not reveal any further information, except that the Air Force was also called to the scene.
Israelis Kill Palestinian on Gaza Border
Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian on the border with Gaza and wounded another, sources on both sides told Agence France Presse on Sunday .
The 30-year-old man, shot east of El-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday night, was named as Hussein Awadallah from Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of the Palestinian enclave.
A Gaza health service official said the body was returned to the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army said the man had been seen behaving suspiciously in an area close to the border fence where explosive devices had been planted in the past.
"Later on, he began crossing the fence with a suspicious object in his possession," a military spokesman told AFP. He said that after warning shots were ignored, soldiers fired at the man.
A military source said he was subsequently found to be unarmed.
On Sunday afternoon, Palestinian medical sources said another Palestinian was shot east of Gaza City when the Israeli army opened fire at citizens near the border fence.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that a group of Palestinians had approached the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip, where "they began meddling with it while hurling rocks."
After requests "to stop and step back," the soldiers "fired warning shots in the air" and when the Palestinian still "failed to comply", the troops "resorted to firing toward the lower extremities of the key instigators."
A security source said the Palestinian was "lightly injured."
The army claimed that the soldiers noticed the Palestinian allegedly trying to cross the border fence, ordered him to stop, and shot him dead after he failed to heed to their demands.
The army further claimed that the Palestinian youth carried what was described as a “suspicious object”, and that he was “in an area where Palestinian fighters had previously laid explosives”.
Israel Ynet News reported that several soldiers arrived at the scene and launched an investigation into the incident.
The Ynet added that Israeli Army Engineering Corps also arrived at the scene to determine whether the Palestinian carried explosives, but did not reveal any further information, except that the Air Force was also called to the scene.
Israelis Kill Palestinian on Gaza Border
Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian on the border with Gaza and wounded another, sources on both sides told Agence France Presse on Sunday .
The 30-year-old man, shot east of El-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday night, was named as Hussein Awadallah from Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of the Palestinian enclave.
A Gaza health service official said the body was returned to the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army said the man had been seen behaving suspiciously in an area close to the border fence where explosive devices had been planted in the past.
"Later on, he began crossing the fence with a suspicious object in his possession," a military spokesman told AFP. He said that after warning shots were ignored, soldiers fired at the man.
A military source said he was subsequently found to be unarmed.
On Sunday afternoon, Palestinian medical sources said another Palestinian was shot east of Gaza City when the Israeli army opened fire at citizens near the border fence.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that a group of Palestinians had approached the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip, where "they began meddling with it while hurling rocks."
After requests "to stop and step back," the soldiers "fired warning shots in the air" and when the Palestinian still "failed to comply", the troops "resorted to firing toward the lower extremities of the key instigators."
A security source said the Palestinian was "lightly injured."
10 aug 2013
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Sources with the United States military say Israel is planning an offensive against the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, a political analyst tells Press TV.
“We are told by sources with the United States military that Israel is engaged in armed reconnaissance into Lebanon planning an offensive against Hezbollah….This offensive is planning on starting very soon,” a senior editor at Veterans Today, Gordon Duff said in an interview with Press TV on Saturday. The analyst said Israel’s primary objective would be destroying Hezbollah, to pave the way for attacks against Iraq, Syria and Iran. “They plan on tying down the Syrian army in the North with an offensives run out of Turkey; and they plan on moving thousands of troops in through |
Jordan; and catching Hezbollah from inside southern Syria and from Lebanon simultaneously,” he added.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese army said an Israeli patrol had crossed the UN-demarcated Blue Line border near the town of al-Labouneh in southern Lebanon, before being hit by a landmine explosion.
A UN peacekeeper deployed in the area said the Israeli army unit, which was made up of 10 soldiers, withdrew after the explosion. Israeli's army has confirmed that four of its soldiers were wounded in the incident.
The United Nations strongly protested to Israel for violating the sovereignty of Lebanon after an investigation into the incident.
On Friday, Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said Beirut would file a complaint with the United Nation about Israel’s violation of UN Resolution 1701.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese army said an Israeli patrol had crossed the UN-demarcated Blue Line border near the town of al-Labouneh in southern Lebanon, before being hit by a landmine explosion.
A UN peacekeeper deployed in the area said the Israeli army unit, which was made up of 10 soldiers, withdrew after the explosion. Israeli's army has confirmed that four of its soldiers were wounded in the incident.
The United Nations strongly protested to Israel for violating the sovereignty of Lebanon after an investigation into the incident.
On Friday, Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said Beirut would file a complaint with the United Nation about Israel’s violation of UN Resolution 1701.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Palestinian children continue to be targeted by Israel
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International rights bodies have time and again warned about the violations of the rights of Palestinian children and teenagers by Israel.
However, Israel seems to be turning a blind eye to all warnings, with its forces and settlers carrying on targeting Palestinian youths. |
IDF forces opened fire towards a Palestinian suspect who attempted to cross the Gaza Strip border fence.
The soldiers fired at the Palestinian, who was carrying a suspicios object, after he touched the ground at a point where exlosives were laid in the past.
IDF forces are on site, and the circumstances behind the event are being investigated.
The soldiers fired at the Palestinian, who was carrying a suspicios object, after he touched the ground at a point where exlosives were laid in the past.
IDF forces are on site, and the circumstances behind the event are being investigated.
Soldiers from the IDF’s Egoz Reconnaissance Unit, which specializes in guerrilla warfare in southern Lebanon.
Two incidents in three days, in which Israel’s military was caught with its hand beyond its borders, raise questions of sovereignty and what it means to Israel.
Sovereignty is a funny thing. Some countries claim more of it than they really have, some don’t have full sovereign control over their territory or airspace, and others willingly cede some of their sovereignty for a number of reasons.
Two cases of Israel violating the sovereignty of its neighbors made headlines in the past few days. The first incident involved Israeli combat soldiers infiltrating Lebanon’s borders on Wednesday.
Israeli violations of Lebanon’s airspace, maritime and land borders are, of course, nothing new. Overflights sometimes reaching as far north as Beirut take place on a near-daily basis. This case only even made headlines because four Israeli soldiers were injured inside Lebanese territory.
Israel doesn’t even deny its incursions into Lebanon and the areas under its control. When Jerusalem sometimes acknowledges the violations, it describes overflights as necessary and defensive. Following the most recent incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded simply, “We will continue to act responsibly in order to defend Israel’s borders.”
Nothing to see here; move along.
The violations of Lebanese sovereignty are a case of one country boldly and arrogantly acting with the knowledge that its superior power allows it to do so. Such acts of military aggression run the risk of escalating into a wider conflict, as occurred in 2006, but as Israel’s repeated airstrikes against targets in Syria show, decision makers in Jerusalem believe the risk to be minimal. In short, they know they can get away with it.
Hezbollah, too, has a history of violating Israeli airspace. Nearly a decade ago the group attempted to send crude UAVs into Israel’s north and more recently, managed to fly a drone deep into the Negev.
As for Lebanon, decision-makers in Beirut have a simple calculation: start a war in response to Israeli aggression or make due with a complaint in the UN and keep on as if nothing happened. It has never opted for any option but the latter.
The second case, of an entirely different nature, took place along Israel’s southern border on Friday. The Israeli Air Force reportedly struck a rocket-launching site on the Egyptian side of the Gazan border in Rafah. The drone strike, first confirmed by unnamed Egyptian officials, most likely carried the approval, or at least acquiescence of Egypt, or its army.
Nearly all Egyptian military activity in the Sinai Peninsula is carried out with, and only with, Israel’s explicit approval. The Sinai was demilitarized following the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty and in recent years, Israel has given the Egyptian military approval to deploy tanks and other armed forces into the Sinai in order to restore order and fight jihadist elements there.
Put together, the existing open lines of communication between Israeli and Egyptian military officials, the fact that the drone strike was first announced by Egypt and warnings Egypt gave Israel the day before about a planned rocket attack, all point toward the likelihood that Cairo either acquiesced to an Israeli request for permission to strike the rocket cell, that Egypt actually asked Israel to carry out the attack on its behalf or that it simply looked the other way. Such cooperation is reminiscent of U.S. drone policy in Yemen.
Sovereignty is a funny and hypocritical thing. While countries demand that others respect their own sovereignty, they readily violate others’. Sometimes it is considered an act of war, sometimes it is ignored because responding would be more trouble than it’s worth.
Of course the most convoluted cases of sovereignty are Israel’s control over the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights. In the West Bank, Israel does not claim sovereignty but is the effective sovereign, ruling the land and people militarily, with both legal and military tools. In Gaza, Israel relinquished physical control but maintains its rule over the Strip’s airspace, maritime zones and land borders.
In East Jerusalem, Israel unilaterally extended its sovereignty by annexing the land. It did not, however annex the people, the vast majority of whom hold revocable permanent residency and are stateless.
In the Golan Heights, Israel extended its sovereignty over Syrian territory, this time offering citizenship to its residents, but many refused, believing that the land will eventually return to Syrian control.
Sovereignty is a funny thing.
Two incidents in three days, in which Israel’s military was caught with its hand beyond its borders, raise questions of sovereignty and what it means to Israel.
Sovereignty is a funny thing. Some countries claim more of it than they really have, some don’t have full sovereign control over their territory or airspace, and others willingly cede some of their sovereignty for a number of reasons.
Two cases of Israel violating the sovereignty of its neighbors made headlines in the past few days. The first incident involved Israeli combat soldiers infiltrating Lebanon’s borders on Wednesday.
Israeli violations of Lebanon’s airspace, maritime and land borders are, of course, nothing new. Overflights sometimes reaching as far north as Beirut take place on a near-daily basis. This case only even made headlines because four Israeli soldiers were injured inside Lebanese territory.
Israel doesn’t even deny its incursions into Lebanon and the areas under its control. When Jerusalem sometimes acknowledges the violations, it describes overflights as necessary and defensive. Following the most recent incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded simply, “We will continue to act responsibly in order to defend Israel’s borders.”
Nothing to see here; move along.
The violations of Lebanese sovereignty are a case of one country boldly and arrogantly acting with the knowledge that its superior power allows it to do so. Such acts of military aggression run the risk of escalating into a wider conflict, as occurred in 2006, but as Israel’s repeated airstrikes against targets in Syria show, decision makers in Jerusalem believe the risk to be minimal. In short, they know they can get away with it.
Hezbollah, too, has a history of violating Israeli airspace. Nearly a decade ago the group attempted to send crude UAVs into Israel’s north and more recently, managed to fly a drone deep into the Negev.
As for Lebanon, decision-makers in Beirut have a simple calculation: start a war in response to Israeli aggression or make due with a complaint in the UN and keep on as if nothing happened. It has never opted for any option but the latter.
The second case, of an entirely different nature, took place along Israel’s southern border on Friday. The Israeli Air Force reportedly struck a rocket-launching site on the Egyptian side of the Gazan border in Rafah. The drone strike, first confirmed by unnamed Egyptian officials, most likely carried the approval, or at least acquiescence of Egypt, or its army.
Nearly all Egyptian military activity in the Sinai Peninsula is carried out with, and only with, Israel’s explicit approval. The Sinai was demilitarized following the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty and in recent years, Israel has given the Egyptian military approval to deploy tanks and other armed forces into the Sinai in order to restore order and fight jihadist elements there.
Put together, the existing open lines of communication between Israeli and Egyptian military officials, the fact that the drone strike was first announced by Egypt and warnings Egypt gave Israel the day before about a planned rocket attack, all point toward the likelihood that Cairo either acquiesced to an Israeli request for permission to strike the rocket cell, that Egypt actually asked Israel to carry out the attack on its behalf or that it simply looked the other way. Such cooperation is reminiscent of U.S. drone policy in Yemen.
Sovereignty is a funny and hypocritical thing. While countries demand that others respect their own sovereignty, they readily violate others’. Sometimes it is considered an act of war, sometimes it is ignored because responding would be more trouble than it’s worth.
Of course the most convoluted cases of sovereignty are Israel’s control over the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights. In the West Bank, Israel does not claim sovereignty but is the effective sovereign, ruling the land and people militarily, with both legal and military tools. In Gaza, Israel relinquished physical control but maintains its rule over the Strip’s airspace, maritime zones and land borders.
In East Jerusalem, Israel unilaterally extended its sovereignty by annexing the land. It did not, however annex the people, the vast majority of whom hold revocable permanent residency and are stateless.
In the Golan Heights, Israel extended its sovereignty over Syrian territory, this time offering citizenship to its residents, but many refused, believing that the land will eventually return to Syrian control.
Sovereignty is a funny thing.
An Egyptian militant group said on Saturday that a strike that killed four of its members in the Sinai peninsula was Israeli.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said four of its members belonging to Sinai tribes had been killed by Israeli drones on Friday.
Egypt's military denied on Friday that there had been any Israeli strikes inside Egyptian territory.
The group accused the Egyptian army of coordinating the attack with Israel, and threatened more strikes against Israel.
"How can the Egyptian army allow the Zionist unmanned planes to cross into Egyptian territory," the statement said.
A funeral was held for the militants on Saturday, with the bodies of the four driven through several border towns in north Sinai.
Dozens of men on pick-up trucks flying a black Jihadi flag paraded through the towns, in an act of defiance to the army, witnesses told AFP.
Militants based mainly in north Sinai near Israel's border have escalated attacks on security forces and other targets since July 3, when the army ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and installed a new government.
But the army has been reluctant to confront the militants inside towns in order not to provoke the tight-knit tribes, military sources say.
There have been conflicting reports about the source of Friday's attack.
Officials told AFP the strike came from the Egyptian military, as part of their campaign to curtail a surge in violence and rein in militant activity in the lawless Sinai.
Witnesses said Egyptian military helicopters hovered above the site after the blasts.
On Friday, the Egyptian military said two explosions were heard in the Sinai peninsula, close to the border with Israel, and that it would investigate their cause.
"There is no truth whatsoever to any Israeli strikes inside Egyptian territory and the claim that there is Egyptian and Israeli coordination on the matter is utterly baseless," military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Aly said in a statement on Friday.
Sinai group says it was target of Israeli drone
Al-Qaeda affiliated Sinai group claims it was target of alleged Israeli drone strike, says 4 – not 5 – killed, with rocket launching cell's leader managing to flee. Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood slams army for allegedly coordinating with Israel prior to attack
An al-Qaeda-linked group active in the Sinai Peninsula says its fighters were the target of a rare Israeli drone strike into Egyptian territory. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, in a statement posted on a militant website Saturday, said that four of its members were killed in the Friday attack as they were preparing a cross-border rocket strike into Israel.
"Our heroes became martyrs during their jihadi duties against the Jews in a rocket attack on occupied lands," the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group said on a jihadist website. It further said the dead were from Egyptian Sinai tribes and that the rocket squad's leader escaped.
Egyptian security officials speaking anonymously Friday said that a drone firing from the Israeli side of the border had killed five suspected militants. The conflicting death tolls could not be reconciled.
Israel maintained official silence about the strike, while an Egyptian military spokesman later denied the report but did not provide another cause for the explosion.
Meanwhile, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has published a statement slamming the army, with which it has faced off against in violent clashes since the army deposed Mohammed Morsi from the Egyptian presidency. Taking a strongly worded jab at the army, Muslim Brotherhood Media Spokesman Dr. Ahmed Aref published a statement saying there was ongoing attempts within the army to redefine 'enemy' in a bid to turn the army's power inwards through the use of propaganda and lies.
Regarding Israel and the alleged attack on ready-to-launch rockets in the Egyptian town of Rafah, Aref said the incident was a breech of Egyptian sovereignty. "Now we hear about the crimes of the Zionist enemy along our borders as well as an infiltration of our borders and the killing of Egyptians, after Israel recognized the new organization in Egypt," he said, hinting at cooperation between the new regime and Israel.
"What happened should prove to every Egyptian that the real enemy is outside of Egypt," he said, calling on the Egyptian army "not to fall into this trap." One of the representatives of the Justice and Freedom Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, also slammed the alleged Israeli attack, saying: "Can the leaders of the July 3 revolution (in which the army deposed of Morsi) attack terrorist inside of Israeli territory the same way they permit Israel to attack Egyptian on Egyptian soil?" he rhetorically asked.
A pro-Morsi umbrella organization also published a scathing statement regarding the alleged attack, calling it an "act of terror," which "threatens Egypt's national security." Target: Eilat? Friday, Egyptian reports which have not received official confirmation claimed that Sinai militant groups decided to launch rockets at Israel, after acquiring various rockets via smuggling routes through the Red Sea.
The AP news agency reported two senior Egyptian defense sources said that the Israeli airstrike was coordinated with the Egyptian authorities. An aircraft fired two rockets toward the target in Rafah, killing five militants and destroying a rocket launching platform, said the AP report.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram quoted the Egyptian army spokesperson who said that on 4:15 pm on Friday two explosions were heard about three kilometers west of the border line. According to him, Egyptian army forces are canvassing the area to find an explanation for the explosions. An Israel source said in response to the reports: "We're aware of the increase Egyptian army activity against terror in Sinai."
Earlier on Friday Ma'an reported that it was an Egyptian alert of anti-aircraft rockets in Sinai which led to the closure of Eilat's airport for two hours on Thursday.
The news agency reported that according to high ranking Egyptian army officer, Cairo alerted Israel to threats made by Sinai Peninsula-based militant groups to attack Israeli targets with 70 km-ranged rockets.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said four of its members belonging to Sinai tribes had been killed by Israeli drones on Friday.
Egypt's military denied on Friday that there had been any Israeli strikes inside Egyptian territory.
The group accused the Egyptian army of coordinating the attack with Israel, and threatened more strikes against Israel.
"How can the Egyptian army allow the Zionist unmanned planes to cross into Egyptian territory," the statement said.
A funeral was held for the militants on Saturday, with the bodies of the four driven through several border towns in north Sinai.
Dozens of men on pick-up trucks flying a black Jihadi flag paraded through the towns, in an act of defiance to the army, witnesses told AFP.
Militants based mainly in north Sinai near Israel's border have escalated attacks on security forces and other targets since July 3, when the army ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and installed a new government.
But the army has been reluctant to confront the militants inside towns in order not to provoke the tight-knit tribes, military sources say.
There have been conflicting reports about the source of Friday's attack.
Officials told AFP the strike came from the Egyptian military, as part of their campaign to curtail a surge in violence and rein in militant activity in the lawless Sinai.
Witnesses said Egyptian military helicopters hovered above the site after the blasts.
On Friday, the Egyptian military said two explosions were heard in the Sinai peninsula, close to the border with Israel, and that it would investigate their cause.
"There is no truth whatsoever to any Israeli strikes inside Egyptian territory and the claim that there is Egyptian and Israeli coordination on the matter is utterly baseless," military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Aly said in a statement on Friday.
Sinai group says it was target of Israeli drone
Al-Qaeda affiliated Sinai group claims it was target of alleged Israeli drone strike, says 4 – not 5 – killed, with rocket launching cell's leader managing to flee. Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood slams army for allegedly coordinating with Israel prior to attack
An al-Qaeda-linked group active in the Sinai Peninsula says its fighters were the target of a rare Israeli drone strike into Egyptian territory. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, in a statement posted on a militant website Saturday, said that four of its members were killed in the Friday attack as they were preparing a cross-border rocket strike into Israel.
"Our heroes became martyrs during their jihadi duties against the Jews in a rocket attack on occupied lands," the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group said on a jihadist website. It further said the dead were from Egyptian Sinai tribes and that the rocket squad's leader escaped.
Egyptian security officials speaking anonymously Friday said that a drone firing from the Israeli side of the border had killed five suspected militants. The conflicting death tolls could not be reconciled.
Israel maintained official silence about the strike, while an Egyptian military spokesman later denied the report but did not provide another cause for the explosion.
Meanwhile, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has published a statement slamming the army, with which it has faced off against in violent clashes since the army deposed Mohammed Morsi from the Egyptian presidency. Taking a strongly worded jab at the army, Muslim Brotherhood Media Spokesman Dr. Ahmed Aref published a statement saying there was ongoing attempts within the army to redefine 'enemy' in a bid to turn the army's power inwards through the use of propaganda and lies.
Regarding Israel and the alleged attack on ready-to-launch rockets in the Egyptian town of Rafah, Aref said the incident was a breech of Egyptian sovereignty. "Now we hear about the crimes of the Zionist enemy along our borders as well as an infiltration of our borders and the killing of Egyptians, after Israel recognized the new organization in Egypt," he said, hinting at cooperation between the new regime and Israel.
"What happened should prove to every Egyptian that the real enemy is outside of Egypt," he said, calling on the Egyptian army "not to fall into this trap." One of the representatives of the Justice and Freedom Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, also slammed the alleged Israeli attack, saying: "Can the leaders of the July 3 revolution (in which the army deposed of Morsi) attack terrorist inside of Israeli territory the same way they permit Israel to attack Egyptian on Egyptian soil?" he rhetorically asked.
A pro-Morsi umbrella organization also published a scathing statement regarding the alleged attack, calling it an "act of terror," which "threatens Egypt's national security." Target: Eilat? Friday, Egyptian reports which have not received official confirmation claimed that Sinai militant groups decided to launch rockets at Israel, after acquiring various rockets via smuggling routes through the Red Sea.
The AP news agency reported two senior Egyptian defense sources said that the Israeli airstrike was coordinated with the Egyptian authorities. An aircraft fired two rockets toward the target in Rafah, killing five militants and destroying a rocket launching platform, said the AP report.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram quoted the Egyptian army spokesperson who said that on 4:15 pm on Friday two explosions were heard about three kilometers west of the border line. According to him, Egyptian army forces are canvassing the area to find an explanation for the explosions. An Israel source said in response to the reports: "We're aware of the increase Egyptian army activity against terror in Sinai."
Earlier on Friday Ma'an reported that it was an Egyptian alert of anti-aircraft rockets in Sinai which led to the closure of Eilat's airport for two hours on Thursday.
The news agency reported that according to high ranking Egyptian army officer, Cairo alerted Israel to threats made by Sinai Peninsula-based militant groups to attack Israeli targets with 70 km-ranged rockets.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) violently attacked the weekly marches against settlement that were organized on the second day of Eid Al-Fitr (lesser Bairam) in the villages of Masarah and Kafr Qaddum. Anti-settlement activist Hasan Berejaih said that Israeli soldiers subdued the march organized on Friday afternoon in Masarah village and prevented the participants from reaching the segregation wall.
He added that the IOF detained some participating activists, including pro-Palestinian foreigners from France and Italy.
In Kafr Qaddum village, five children under age of seven suffered severe suffocation when some tear gas grenades fired by Israeli soldiers fell onto their homes.
The incident happened when the IOF showered the weekly march protesting settlement activities in the village with a hail of tear gas grenades.
Eyewitnesses said that the IOF deliberately fired tear gas grenades over the houses.
Several protestors also suffered injuries during the events in Kafr Qaddum village.
He added that the IOF detained some participating activists, including pro-Palestinian foreigners from France and Italy.
In Kafr Qaddum village, five children under age of seven suffered severe suffocation when some tear gas grenades fired by Israeli soldiers fell onto their homes.
The incident happened when the IOF showered the weekly march protesting settlement activities in the village with a hail of tear gas grenades.
Eyewitnesses said that the IOF deliberately fired tear gas grenades over the houses.
Several protestors also suffered injuries during the events in Kafr Qaddum village.
Egyptian military tanks are deployed in the northern Sinai town of El-Arish.
Egyptian military sources said Saturday that four of the five victims of an airstrike in Sinai a day earlier had been identified.
Senior military sources told Ma'an that one body was too badly burned to identify. They named the others as Ibrahim H. A, Mohmmad M. H. A, Saeed A amd Hussam A. D.
The victims were traveling in two cars and a motorcycle in al-Arja village, three kilometers from the Israeli border south of Rafah, when they were killed, the sources said.
On Friday evening, military sources told Ma'an the strikes appeared to have been carried out by an Israeli drone and that they hit a rocket-launching site.
But Egypt's military spokesman denied any Israeli strike.
"There is no truth whatsoever to any Israeli strikes inside Egyptian territory and the claims that there is Egyptian and Israeli coordination on the matter is utterly baseless," military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Aly said in a statement.
"The armed forces are combing the area of the explosions to find out the cause," Colonel Aly said.
Witnesses said Egyptian military helicopters hovered above the site after the blasts.
Israel's military on Thursday ordered the cancellation of all flights in and out of the Red Sea resort of Eilat, which borders Egypt, due to what is said was a security threat.
Last month, Israel deployed a battery of its Iron Dome missile defense system near Eilat, which has been a target of attacks in the past.
In April the town was struck by rocket fire from the Sinai, and debris from a rocket that hit northern Eilat on July 4 was found days later.
Egypt's army is currently engaged in an offensive in Sinai to curtail a surge in violence since Islamist president Mohamed Mursi was ousted on July 3 in a military-led coup.
The Egyptian military has coordinated the operation in Sinai with Israel, army officials said in July.
The 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt imposes strict controls on deployments in the desert peninsula.
Egyptian military sources said Saturday that four of the five victims of an airstrike in Sinai a day earlier had been identified.
Senior military sources told Ma'an that one body was too badly burned to identify. They named the others as Ibrahim H. A, Mohmmad M. H. A, Saeed A amd Hussam A. D.
The victims were traveling in two cars and a motorcycle in al-Arja village, three kilometers from the Israeli border south of Rafah, when they were killed, the sources said.
On Friday evening, military sources told Ma'an the strikes appeared to have been carried out by an Israeli drone and that they hit a rocket-launching site.
But Egypt's military spokesman denied any Israeli strike.
"There is no truth whatsoever to any Israeli strikes inside Egyptian territory and the claims that there is Egyptian and Israeli coordination on the matter is utterly baseless," military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Aly said in a statement.
"The armed forces are combing the area of the explosions to find out the cause," Colonel Aly said.
Witnesses said Egyptian military helicopters hovered above the site after the blasts.
Israel's military on Thursday ordered the cancellation of all flights in and out of the Red Sea resort of Eilat, which borders Egypt, due to what is said was a security threat.
Last month, Israel deployed a battery of its Iron Dome missile defense system near Eilat, which has been a target of attacks in the past.
In April the town was struck by rocket fire from the Sinai, and debris from a rocket that hit northern Eilat on July 4 was found days later.
Egypt's army is currently engaged in an offensive in Sinai to curtail a surge in violence since Islamist president Mohamed Mursi was ousted on July 3 in a military-led coup.
The Egyptian military has coordinated the operation in Sinai with Israel, army officials said in July.
The 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt imposes strict controls on deployments in the desert peninsula.
Protesters rallied in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners at the weekly demonstration in Bilin near Ramallah on Friday.
Israeli forces fired plastic-coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs toward the demonstrators, activists said. The tear gas canisters set fire to olive trees in the Abu Laimoun reserve, they added.
Protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans for national unity, and demanded the release of all prisoners, particularly those on long-term hunger strikes in Israeli jails.
Israeli forces fired plastic-coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs toward the demonstrators, activists said. The tear gas canisters set fire to olive trees in the Abu Laimoun reserve, they added.
Protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans for national unity, and demanded the release of all prisoners, particularly those on long-term hunger strikes in Israeli jails.
The United Nations has strongly protested to Israel for violating the sovereignty of Lebanon after an investigation showed that Israeli soldiers had crossed the Lebanese border in a recent incident.
Paolo Serra, the commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), told UN spokesperson office on Friday that "it is clear that the presence of Israeli soldiers in Lebanon in violation of the Blue Line constitutes a serious breach of the terms of UN Security Council resolution 1701."
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The UN mission launched an investigation on Wednesday after the Lebanese army said that an Israeli patrol had crossed the UN-demarcated Blue Line border before a blast occurred. Israeli's army has confirmed that four of its soldiers were wounded in the incident.
The UNIFIL says it is working with the Lebanese army to determine on which side of the border the explosion happened.
Serra said the UN mission has called on the Israeli regime to fully cooperate with the investigations.
The Lebanese government has decided to file a complaint with the Security Council over the Israeli regime’s repeated violations of its border and abduction of a Lebanese citizen.
On Friday, Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour tasked the country’s Ambassador to the UN Nawaf Salam with lodging the complaint.
Mansour also said the incident “reveals again the Israeli enemy’s hidden intensions through its infiltration of Lebanese territory.”
The Israeli military frequently violates Lebanon's airspace, territorial waters and border.
Paolo Serra, the commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), told UN spokesperson office on Friday that "it is clear that the presence of Israeli soldiers in Lebanon in violation of the Blue Line constitutes a serious breach of the terms of UN Security Council resolution 1701."
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The UN mission launched an investigation on Wednesday after the Lebanese army said that an Israeli patrol had crossed the UN-demarcated Blue Line border before a blast occurred. Israeli's army has confirmed that four of its soldiers were wounded in the incident.
The UNIFIL says it is working with the Lebanese army to determine on which side of the border the explosion happened.
Serra said the UN mission has called on the Israeli regime to fully cooperate with the investigations.
The Lebanese government has decided to file a complaint with the Security Council over the Israeli regime’s repeated violations of its border and abduction of a Lebanese citizen.
On Friday, Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour tasked the country’s Ambassador to the UN Nawaf Salam with lodging the complaint.
Mansour also said the incident “reveals again the Israeli enemy’s hidden intensions through its infiltration of Lebanese territory.”
The Israeli military frequently violates Lebanon's airspace, territorial waters and border.
Palestinian medical sources in al-Khader town, south of the West Bank Palestinian city of Bethlehem, have reported that several residents have been treated for the effects of teargas inhalation after Israeli soldiers fired gas bombs at them. Ahmad Salah, Coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in al-Khader, told the WAFA News Agency that the soldiers fires gas bombs at residents, including children, celebrating Al-Fitir Muslim feast, in At-Tal area in the Old Town, in al-Khader.
Several residents suffocated after inhaling gas fired by the army, and received treatment by field medics.
Salah said that Israeli soldiers, stationed near the al-Khader Stadium, deliberately targeted the residents, and the children playing in the area and celebrating the feast.
Two days ago, soldiers fired gas bombs at the residents while leaving the al-Khader Stadium following a soccer match between two local teams.
The match is part of the Abu Ammar (Yasser Arafat Cup) held in the West Bank. The attack led to several injuries among the residents.
Several residents suffocated after inhaling gas fired by the army, and received treatment by field medics.
Salah said that Israeli soldiers, stationed near the al-Khader Stadium, deliberately targeted the residents, and the children playing in the area and celebrating the feast.
Two days ago, soldiers fired gas bombs at the residents while leaving the al-Khader Stadium following a soccer match between two local teams.
The match is part of the Abu Ammar (Yasser Arafat Cup) held in the West Bank. The attack led to several injuries among the residents.
File - Children Killed During Israel's War On Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that Tel Aviv would firmly respond to any attack against it from the Gaza Strip or the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula.
His statements came during a visit to a military training area in the Negev. He said that Israel will not allow any side to fire missiles at it.
“My policy is fierce retaliation to any attack against the country”, Netanyahu added, “We act on foiling those attacks, but if they happen, our response will be strong and firm”.
“We have also seen how the army retaliated during the war on Gaza, now there is calm, a calm situation the area did not witness for ten years before the war, I was told”, he said, “No one can guarantee there will be no violations, but if the truce is violated, the other side will face the consequences”.
His statements of retaliation were made despite the fact that Israel repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement with Gaza, that was achieved under Egyptian mediation in November of 2012.
Netanyahu also accused Iran of being behind the attacks that took place on the southern border.
During the 8-day war in November of last year, Israeli missiles and shells killed 191 Palestinians, mainly children, women and elderly, while at least 1492 Palestinians have been injured, dozens seriously.
Israeli shells killed 12 women and 20 elderly and 48 children, including 16 under the age of five during the war.
Israeli fire and shells have also injured 1492 Palestinians, including 533 children (195 under the age of 5), 254 women and 103 elderly.
Following the ceasefire agreement, the army continued its violations against farmers and workers in areas close to the border, and against fishermen in Palestinian territorial water; dozens of casualties and arrests have been reported.
On December 27 2008, Israel launched the Operation Cast Lead war on Gaza, a war that was described by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) as the “single most brutal even in the history of the Israeli occupation”.
“In total, 1,419 Palestinians were killed. 83% of the dead – the overwhelming majority – were civilians, the so-called ‘protected persons’ of international humanitarian law”, PCHR said in its reported, “A further 5,300 were injured, and public and private property throughout the Gaza Strip was extensively targeted and destroyed.”
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that Tel Aviv would firmly respond to any attack against it from the Gaza Strip or the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula.
His statements came during a visit to a military training area in the Negev. He said that Israel will not allow any side to fire missiles at it.
“My policy is fierce retaliation to any attack against the country”, Netanyahu added, “We act on foiling those attacks, but if they happen, our response will be strong and firm”.
“We have also seen how the army retaliated during the war on Gaza, now there is calm, a calm situation the area did not witness for ten years before the war, I was told”, he said, “No one can guarantee there will be no violations, but if the truce is violated, the other side will face the consequences”.
His statements of retaliation were made despite the fact that Israel repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement with Gaza, that was achieved under Egyptian mediation in November of 2012.
Netanyahu also accused Iran of being behind the attacks that took place on the southern border.
During the 8-day war in November of last year, Israeli missiles and shells killed 191 Palestinians, mainly children, women and elderly, while at least 1492 Palestinians have been injured, dozens seriously.
Israeli shells killed 12 women and 20 elderly and 48 children, including 16 under the age of five during the war.
Israeli fire and shells have also injured 1492 Palestinians, including 533 children (195 under the age of 5), 254 women and 103 elderly.
Following the ceasefire agreement, the army continued its violations against farmers and workers in areas close to the border, and against fishermen in Palestinian territorial water; dozens of casualties and arrests have been reported.
On December 27 2008, Israel launched the Operation Cast Lead war on Gaza, a war that was described by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) as the “single most brutal even in the history of the Israeli occupation”.
“In total, 1,419 Palestinians were killed. 83% of the dead – the overwhelming majority – were civilians, the so-called ‘protected persons’ of international humanitarian law”, PCHR said in its reported, “A further 5,300 were injured, and public and private property throughout the Gaza Strip was extensively targeted and destroyed.”
