Israel Strike Hits U.N. Headquarters in Gaza Strip

UN official John Ging stated, via audio report on CNN, that displaced Palestinians had taken refuge at the compound after being bombed out of the area where they had been.

Mr. Ging stated that UN aid workers were in contact, by phone, with the Israeli Army, urgently relaying to them that Israeli bombing was approaching the compound, as the Israeli Army's attack neared the compound.

John Ging stated that parts of the building were on fire, that it looked, smelled and behaved like white phosphorous, judging by the characteristics the substance displayed when attempts were made to extinguish the fires breaking out all over the compound..

He stated that the warehouses containing food and medical supplies, meant for distribution as humanitarian aid, were in jeopardy.

The bombing by Israel of UN buildings in Gaza is deplorable and Israel have attacked the buildings with phosphorus bombs which it continues to deny its using. An UN warehouse which stored urgently needed foodstuffs and other items are burning. Its even more deplorable that the action against the UN compound while the UN Secretary Ban-ki Moon is inside Israel looking for a way to stop the bombing against Gaza.

At least on hospital was also hit.

Will America still remain quiet or will it condemn this latest action against an UN compound?

At a talk last night about the current situation in Gaza, Professor of Linguistics Noam A. Chomsky came down hard on Israel for its frequent violence against Palestinian civilians and chastised the United States for enabling the Jewish state to carry out these actions with impunity. He also used the opportunity to touch upon broader issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The talk, which took place at Sloan’s Wong Auditorium, was part of the Center of International Studies’ Starr Forum lecture series

Chomsky, who first made a name for himself in the fields of linguistics and psychology, is well-known in the political community for his strong criticism of Israel and its supporters. Word of a lecture by Chomsky always spreads fast, so it was no surprise that when he took the podium just after 4 p.m., the room’s nearly three hundred chairs were all occupied — with more watching a video feed in the lobby.

His antipathy toward Israeli actions was immediately clear as he opened his remarks by referring to Dec. 27, 2008 as the first day of the “U.S.-Israel attack on helpless Palestinians” in the Gaza Strip. Calling the military and media campaigns meticulously planned, he likened current Israeli actions in Gaza to its attacks in Lebanon during the summer of 2006. Both actions have come under fire for large numbers of civilian causalities and with allegations of disproportionate use of force, while Israel has maintained that its actions have always been aimed at militant targets.

Chomsky, however, stated that the months of planning behind the ongoing incursion mean that one can be confident that all Israeli actions have been done purposefully. He claimed that the Israelis intentionally scheduled the initial bombardment at a time when children would be returning from school and adults would be milling about the streets.

http://tech.mit.edu/V128/N63/chomskytalk.html

A "must listen to" audio broadcast of Chomsky's talk.

http://www.soundlantern.com/sl234214/SoundFiles/68221101152009094005.mp3

"Deja Vue" in Lebanon last Year.

i have one question when i was reporting a eyewitness murder their were cries that it was too graphic and this is not graphic the gaza fiasco/

First, I think both sdes are idiots in this war.  I condemn Israel and Hamas for not agreeing to a cease fire.

But THIS IS WAR.  When people are shooting at each other innocent people are often caught in the middle.

At this time we know the building was hit by heavy shelling while a batle was going on nearby.

But statements that Israel did this are at this time rumor.  Both sides have artillery. Statements that Israel did it on purpose are even further out of line now. It is possible, even likely, that Israeli shells did this but we need to see what is discovered.

I personally am not concerned about a UN building.  I am greatly  concerned about the Gaza people who are being killed every day in a crossfire between Hamas and Israel.

THIS IS A WAR and the solution is to have an immediate cease fire for both sides.

Hamas shoot  from the Headquarters and the Israelis reply.

It is very nice to comment when your home is safe. However, please imagine that a near country is bombing NY every day and when USA attacks back she finds out that the terrorists are shooting from the Headquarters. What would you do?

Moreover, it is common knowledge that their leaders are hiding at the local hospital, is it right? I am not sure.

I am not saying this is true but it does show there are two sides.

Again I am not defending Israel but I am posting their side of the incident so this is not one sided. And it is possible Israel is not telling the truth,

Is there a way I could have posted this update to the story above?

As I said I am just presenting the other side, not defending anyone.

The Israeli officer could be lying but that is a huge compound. John Ging could not observe every part of it and a few Hamas gunmen could have veen firing from there.  Maybe not.

Again, without defending Israel, why would they want even more negative publicity by firing without cause at the UN compound.

As for trouble from the world community, that amounts to name calling and shouting but little else.

Thank you moonwolf, I support your comments 100%. I'm sick of us cowarding down to Israel. What about when they killed 34 people on the USS Liberty? the victims are still waiting for justice while our congress is refusing to conduct an investigation. Our economy is suffering, our children have no health coverage, no guarantees for their future yet we are sending billions of dollars in aid for Israel!!! give me a break. We should wake up and start asking question and demanding answers. The whole world is condemning Israel for killing civilians yet our government is stuck on "Israel has the right to self defense"! Israel is the root to our problems here. The whole world looks at us as supporting Israel in its killing of women and children and our silence is confirming their claims. We should speak up and tell the world, no not in our name!! America doesn't stand for the crimes of Israel. Enough is enough! Have you tried to travel to Europe and the far east lately? We are not as welcomed and respected as we once were. It's because we are ignorant when it comes to our governments policies and actions around the world. If we want to be safe here at home then we should not inflect pain and suffering on others by supplying weapons to kill children and by using our power of Veto to stop any UN sanction against Israel. Israel as an independent nation has much more responsibility toward civilians life than hamas. First because it has the much more superior millitary power that can do horrific damag as we are seeing now. Second because Israel is occupying that region and it's completely in their control to save these civilians lives, if only they allow the women and children to flee and set up a near by shelter that can serve as a refuge for anyone who is looking for a safe place from their bombs and fires. However, what they are doing is bombing homes and shelters and hospitals and cemeteries, and the thousands of people are without shelter from their bombs and fires. Unable to find a safe place any where. Medics have been killed as well as journalists and no press is allowed from outside to cover their crimes. The Red Cross is fired on if they try to reach victims of shelling to save the injured or rescue children. Many have died from their injuries and of starvation. If this is not a war crime I don't know what is!

About a week ago hamas fired in vicinity of the UN school, it seems obvious that hamas is doing that again.

sorry if I'm a little naive on the whole subject.

But wasn't Hamas running the whole Gaza strip?  And if they sincerely cared about the people they wouldn't have fired >6,000 rockets over the past year?

It just appears to me that Hamas is hoping tons of people get killed so they can win the whole PR campaign like Hezbollah (sp?) did in '06.

I am Jewish and all I can say is this has got to stop, The Hamas rockets were a terrible thing, but mere mosquito bites compared to the mindless violent retaliation by Israel. Its just got to stop, isn't there anyone on either side that is horrified at what they have done? A whole new generation of injured and maimed children in the rubble of their already meager lives. How can soldiers, surrounded by this carnage, continue on?, for what purpose? Decades of hate fueled conflict over semantics and doctrine, for what?? So we can plow through another generation of Palestinians and Jews?? It has got to stop!!! I read all this pro and con bull by academics and fanatics and who cares??? Its ridiculous, explain this crap to a child in the hospital with his or her leg blown off, I dare you. Its just got to stop. Write what you want about this comment, but this is one 47 year old Canadian's view, from my safe quiet home on my safe street, looking at my neighbour and I despair.

justice4,

thanks for the link....I just don't get how Hamas fired their 6,000 rockets over the year and they didn't break the cease fire.  I think we can say there was no cease fire but merely a pause to major combat operations and that over the past year they were skirmishing.

forgot

moon, I don't know if they're using their "hasbro hand" sp??  on me.  Is that common knowledge?  I've never heard it before.

But, I guess the Israeli propoganda is working on me because, if we in the German army have the equipment than the Israelis definitely do.  But I think a soldier is sitting at a fire-finder radar station.  He sees rounds on his radar screen coming out of Gaza city and immediately tells the counter-battery where to fire and they're trying to do it as quickly as possible so they can hit these guys before they shoot and scoot.  So the rounds fall where they fall.  They're not checking the UN map to see where UN facilities are their just firing.

Funky,

Wrong again, and sorry to tell you the reasoning you provide is very childish. As if the all mighty Israel doesn't know where the UN facilities are located. If you are interested in discussing facts and truth I would be happy to continue this discussion, but as it's obviouse from your last comment, you are only interested in spreading propoganda and distoring facts. I strongly urge you to question your moral values and ethics before condoning acts of violence against helpless people suffering under an occupation.

And the Hamas apologists rage on. As if it helps Israel in any way to bomb a UN school or headquarters, unless they are targeting Hamas.....

If you can take that as a justifyable argument then maybe you can tell me how does it help Israel to deny the Red Cross access to injured civilians for four days? Also, they were located less than a 100m from a house that was bombed and there were 3 starving children next to their dead mothers body for four days!! There is no rational behind these crims and if anyone tries to excuse these acts it only speaks about that persons moral conscious or lack of it!!!