More suffocating bombings claim lives of children, women in Gaza

by Sameh Habeeb | January 1, 2009 at 12:50 pm

995 views | 46 Recommendations | 12 comments

Gaza Strip,1, January, 2oo9- The scale of Israeli war escalated today by hitting more targets in various places across the occupied Gaza. The army opened the new year with more military fatal actions in Gaza leaving more people dead. Trauma cases raise up and more people are suffering from the air raids.

Many facets of harmed people can be found in Gaza. You either find a hit house with a dead one of the family or a hit house in which its residents traumatized and panics.

Casualties of Israeli heavy bombings reached 415 while wounded rise up to 2100 persons. Many wounded are in critical condition and there is no ability to respond to their deteriorated cases.

Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Tsivi Livini, declared that Israel is only targeting Hamas members indicating that Gaza doesn't suffer from any shortages of humanitarian needs. However, the incoming humanitarian needs are not enough for the populations amounted of 1.5 million.

United nation debunks the allegation of Mrs. Livini and says the incoming materials are not enough. Gaza needs 100 vans of flour. Karin Abu zaid the general commissioner of UNRWA said also that around 20 thousand people face troubles in getting the food supplies.

Main Israeli Military Actions in Gaza:

Now: Loud bombings in all Gaza City and north of Gaza. Naval fire, F16s, Apaches and tanks heavily bombs many targets and darkness prevail Gaza.

*Israel asks International journalists and peace activists to leave Gaza tomorrow.

*Israeli army broke into local radios and tunes some statement for people.

*Israeli F16s destroyed civic defense station and a local organization in the north of Gaza city of Bait Hanon. Many houses partially destroyed.

*Rockets of F16s hit a target in Al Zaytoun area in Gaza City. More bombings in some areas west of Gaza City.

*Heavy bombings in East of Gaza. A house next to an ex-Hamas member destroyed in Al shja'ya area. No news about conditions of house residents.

*Israeli F16s bombed the run Palestinian legislative Council. The air raid destroyed half of the premises and caused massive damage in some of the neighboring houses.

*Israeli heavy artillery takes part in the military operation by hitting many targets in Gaza. Many parts in the eastern areas of Gaza were shelled.

*A house destroyed mid of Gaza city, Al Sabra Quarter, leaving around 13 injured. Most of the wounded are women and children who also turned traumatized.

*Israeli F16s raided on the house of Nizar Rayan, a Hamas key leader. The house is based in Jabalia camp where thousands live in that small refugee camp.

*Nine Palestinians between children and women killed due to the bombing of Rayan's house. Some of the killed children were playing near the targeted house.

*Five houses partially damages while bombing Rayan's house and several other got deadly shrapnel.

*Israeli heavy F16s' rockets destroyed the Agricultural College of Bait Hanon, north of Gaza Strip.

*Israeli navy bombs Gaza shores and open its heavy fire on some buildings, boats and security offices. Many shells fall down behind some densely populated buildings north of Gaza.

*Trauma across the Nusairat Refugee Camp as Israel hit the house of Ahmed Abu Nader twice. The house was totally damaged while neighboring houses partially damaged.

*Israeli F16s raided on a house of Tawfiq Abu Al Ros, in Al Nusairat Refugee Camp. Many civilians injured.

* A house of Hani Abu Al Amrain in Al Shaikh Ridawan area bombed by Israeli Air forces. Medical sources reported that many wounded arrived at Al Shifa' hospital.

*A number of wounded resulted in a rocket hit a house for a Hamas member in Rafah.

*Israeli Air forced totally destroyed two mosques by heavy rockets in Khan Yonis and Rafah cties.

*Few vans of aids, food stuff and medical aids arrived into Gaza. Arab governments to send urgent medical and food aids to Gaza. Airborne assistance expected to land in Al araish Egyptian airport near Gaza.

*Neither fuel, nor gasoline nor Benzin in Gaza. Power cuts up to 21 hours. All aspects of life are not longer available in Gaza.

*Neither spare parts nor Gasoline available to operate pumps of fresh water. A great number of Palestinians don't have an easy access for fresh drinking water.

*Palestinian factions retaliate against Israeli air raids in Gaza. Around 50 homemade rockets fired into Israel with no casualties.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

Sanjay Jha

flagged this story as Eyewitness Report

at 20:26 on January 1st, 2009

This is an eyewitness report from the NowPublic member Sameh Habeeb who is on the scene.

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

Heritage

at 13:02 on January 1st, 2009

Thank you for this Sameh. Your contribution is invaluable.

Related NP story:
Slouching Toward A Palestinian Holocaust

Proud Egyptian (not verified)

at 13:21 on January 1st, 2009

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Egypt Blames Hamas For Violence in Gaza

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has made a public statement of Egypt's assessment of where the blame for the current Gaza conflict resides and blame is being placed with Hamas and it's leadership.
Egypt's foreign minister said on Thursday that Hamas must ensure rocket fire stops in any truce deal to halt Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, criticizing the Palestinian group for giving Israel an excuse to launch the bombardment.
The problems Gheit appears to be referencing would be the daily Kassam rocket and mortar attacks which Hamas has allowed, encouraged and supported on the towns of Southern Israel. He criticized Hamas, saying Egypt had seen "the signals that Israel was determined to strike Hamas in Gaza for the past three months. They practically wrote it in the sky."
"Such an outspoken complaint from Egypt to Hamas signals a significant deterioration in the working relationship between the Militant Hamas and Moderate Egypt.
While the Hamas leadership was safely tucked away in bunkers, the Hamas leadership had left the rank and file security personnel, police and public to their own devices and to protect themselves.
"Where are the Hamas leaders now, when the residents of Gaza are getting killed? All of Hamas's leadership is in bunkers," stated Muhammad Bassiouny

Cantanker (not verified)

at 18:35 on January 1st, 2009

Hard to distinguish a dramatized first person account of victims of a war and propaganda.

When googling Sameh Habeeb it appears as if there are no articles on rockets being fired, for years, from Gaza into Israel. The Hezbollah and Hamas terrorism are not criticized. It isn't suprising that Mr. Habeeb is not reporting how Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia didn't even bother to take in as many Palestinians as the jews they expelled.

Yet the story is all about Israel Bad. Sorry. Don't buy it that it is all Israel's fault.

Sanjay Jha

at 20:25 on January 1st, 2009

Thanks very much Sameh for your on the ground reports. It is sad but have fascinating to read your on the ground reports, Best, Sanjay

158

at 20:51 on January 1st, 2009

This Gaza war is tragic and the people of Gaza are suffering greatly for it.

But the cause of the suffering is Hamas, not Israel.

What would Egypt do if Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Egypt?

What would India do if Bangladesh fired thousands into India?

If no rockets were fired into Israel, there would be no bombing of Gaza.

Heritage

at 22:03 on January 1st, 2009

What would Egypt do if Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Egypt?

Egypt does not Occupy Gaza.

What would India do if Bangladesh fired thousands into India?

India does not Occupy Bangladesh.

If no rockets were fired into Israel, there would be no bombing of Gaza.

If the brutal 40+ year Occupation of Palestine ended, peace would have a chance.

tikun

at 03:15 on January 2nd, 2009

Egypt owned GAZA and didn't want it back after the 67 war. also, Israel does not occupy GAZA. Sorry not true. It will only end when Terrorist groups such as Hamas stop their desire to seek Israel's demise and allow the Palestinians to once again take control of their own destiny. Not the Iran-Hamas axis of destruction.

Heritage

at 03:36 on January 2nd, 2009

Israel does not occupy GAZA. Sorry not true.

So why does the UN and various governments refer to areas like Gaza as Occupied territories?

Gaza is the world's largest prison. It has 1.5 million inmates.

158

at 07:51 on January 2nd, 2009

Israel has no soldiers in Gaza.

You miss the point. It is a war crime to fire rockets across an international border.

It is a war crime to fire rockets at civilians.

Even if the Palestinians are 100% right in the land dispute, any sane person knows that if you shoot at your neighbor, even if he is living in your house, he will shoot back.

Israel's 7 million people will not pack and move to Europe.

If all Palestinians moved to Iraq there would be peace.

Blame Hamas for stupidity in shooting at a well armed neighbor.

peaceguy (not verified)

at 10:22 on January 2nd, 2009

its important to be rationale and get the facts right. There was never a "Palestinian" state. Its just a fiction conjured as a reason for violenceion against Israel. And I'm not a Jew. Just a rationale chap who knows his history.

George Gahooch (not verified)

at 06:08 on January 3rd, 2009

This is not an eyewitness report, it's copied from the Web site freegaza.org, a Hamas propaganda site.

Hamas deliberately hides weapons in homes and they place women and children in weapon stores so they can whine about how evil the Israeli's are when these sites are attacked. They don't care about there own people and they certainly don't care about Israeli civilians whom they harm with their rockets. Israel does not deliberately target civilans, Hamas targets Israeli civilians as well as setting up Gazans as targets.

What other country would send food, fuel, and medicine into a neighbor that returns the favor by firing rockets and sending terrorists into their country? Gaza has received huge amounts of money from the UN and Europe and uses it to build their arsenal, not to help their people.

Hamas is a terrorist organization that not only terrorizes Israel but the Gazans, too. To hell with them. Israel has a responsibility to destroy them.

Luke Jas (not verified)

at 01:05 on January 5th, 2009

The opressing barbaric zionists will not prevail in the long run, these inhumane activities via fighter jets and 100 ton bombs on a small piece of prison holding 1.5 million civillians will bring no peace.. just more years of violence. Stop the murders now !