War on Gaza (2)

WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report

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WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report Read in this report:

Israel Assassinates Hamas Military Chief (P.5)

Hamas Hits Israeli Aircrafts (P.9)

Horrible Israeli Massacre in Gaza (P.6)

Palestinian Rockets Hits Tel Aviv (P.9)

Hamas Welcomes Arab Delegations (P.13)

Malaysian Parliament Condemns Israel (P.14)

We in Gaza Will Not Die in Silence (P.18)

If it’s Over Now, Hamas Wins Gaza War (P.19)

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WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report

Contents Executive Summary Summary of the war on Gaza .................................................................................................................. 4 Israeli Aggression "Israel” assassinates Hamas military chief.............................................................................................. 5 Horrible Israeli massacres in Gaza.......................................................................................................... 6 Israel bombs media offices in Gaza ........................................................................................................ 6 Mosques and cemeteries targeted by Israelis .......................................................................................... 7 “Israel” targets ambulances and medical centers .................................................................................... 7 Resistance Response Hamas targets Israeli warships................................................................................................................ 8 Al-Qassam Brigades used “SAM” to hit Israeli aircraft ......................................................................... 8 Palestinian rocket hits Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem ...................................................................................... 9 Israelis killed by resistance missiles ....................................................................................................... 9 At least 21 wounded in a bus explosion in Tel Aviv ............................................................................ 10 Hamas armed wing interrupts Israeli broadcasts .................................................................................. 10 Official & Popular Interaction Morsi recalls Egyptian ambassador from Tel Aviv .............................................................................. 11 Erdogan: Egypt and Turkey will defend Gaza whatever the price ....................................................... 11 Tunisian delegation arrives in Gaza for solidarity visit ........................................................................ 12 Hamas welcomes Arab delegation as a "Powerful Response" to US and EU pro-Israel bias .............. 12 Morocco to set up field hospital in Gaza .............................................................................................. 13 West Bank protests against Israeli aggression in Gaza ......................................................................... 13 Malaysian Parliament condemns Israel for Gaza attacks ...................................................................... 14 End of The War Gaza ceasefire goes into effect.............................................................................................................. 15 Mofaz: Hamas Won Upper Hand, Truce a Mistake .............................................................................. 15 Hamas Says Israel Failed In Its Goals .................................................................................................. 16 Articles & Analysis We in the Gaza Strip will not die in silence .......................................................................................... 17 Hamas finds greater support in a changed Middle East ........................................................................ 18 If It's over now, Hamas wins Gaza war ................................................................................................ 19

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WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Summary of the war on Gaza

Israeli occupation has launched its war on Gaza by assassinating Hamas’ military chief Ahmad Aljaabari, the war lasted for 8 days (14/11/2012 – 21/11/2012), resulted in 181 Palestinians killed (42 children, 11 women and 18 elderly) and over 1300 injured.

During 8 days of the war, Israel – in a clear violation to the international laws- has targeted several press offices killing 3 journalists at least, besides targeting PM office, a police station, Islamic National Bank, 6 ambulance vehicles, 3 medical centers, 36 mosques, 6 cemeteries and several residential buildings.

As a response to the Israeli deadly attacks on Gaza, the resistance factions lead by Hamas have fired over a thousand missiles that reached Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem for the first time killing 19 Israelis most of them are soldiers. Besides, the resistance has exploded 2 Israeli military vehicles, took down 3 aircrafts and targeted 2 warships and several tanks surrounding Gaza.

The war on Gaza has attracted a great international interaction; rallies have been organized in over 50 countries around the world, official condemnation to the Israeli aggression by several leaders, several official delegations flowed to Gaza, and an uprising in the West-bank in solidarity with Gaza.

The Israeli occupation has begged a truce via the Egyptian mediator; a ceasefire took effect on 21/11/2012 at 9 pm after the resistance factions have imposed their conditions and demands on the Israeli side. The ceasefire agreement forced an immediate end of the attacks by both sides, end of all forms of aggressions by the Israeli occupation, end of the Israeli assassination policy and targeting the civilians and opening of all boarders’ crossings for Palestinian people and goods.

Source: PCOM + Agencies

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WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report

ISRAELI AGGRESSION

"Israel” assassinates Hamas military chief

Palestinian medical and security sources have

Hamas spokesman Taher Anunu told BBC

confirmed the assassination of Hamas military

Arabic: "This was a heinous crime that will

chief by an Israeli airstrike on Gaza Strip

have

today (14th Nov 2012).

government will call for the trial of those

repercussions.”The

Palestinian

responsible for the crime, and for hitting a Ahmed Al-Jaabari, who ran the Hamas armed

civilian area, but the Palestinian factions have

wing, Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, was

the right to respond in a way they see fit." He

killed along with his guard after their car was

added.

targeted by an Israeli rocket.

Wednesday's attacks that left 6 Palestinian Jaabari is said to have been the head of the

martyrs comes after several days of Israeli air

Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.He co-ordinated

strikes on the Gaza Strip, leaving at least seven

much of Hamas' military capability, its

more Palestinians martyred and several more

military strategy, and the transformation of the

wounded, which sounds the alarm against a

military

new Israeli military operation against Gaza

wing.

He

also

led

the

final

negotiations in Cairo that concluded the

strip.

prisoner swap between Hamas and "Israel” in 2011.

Source: PCOM + Agencies

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Horrible Israeli massacres in Gaza Emergency forces who rushed to the scene had great difficulty locating and removing the bodies from beneath the flattened buildings.

“Israel” has targeted several residential buildings since the start of the war on Gaza last Wednesday (14/11/2012) killing 181 Palestinians most of them are civilians (42 children, 11 women, 18 elderly).

Israeli F16 jets bombed two adjoining Source: MEMO + Agencies

apartment buildings in An Nasr Street in Gaza city last Sunday (18/11/2012); killing 11 civilians, most of them are children and women, all from the Al Dalou family.

__________________________________________________________________________________ news agency, two local radio stations, Al-Aqsa

Israel bombs media offices in Gaza

TV, German ARD, the Al Arabiya television network, Middle East Broadcast Center and production companies that provide services for Fox News, Sky News, CBS and Al Jazeera, 8 journalists reported injured. Two Al-Aqsa TV cameramen have been also killed, on Tuesday (20/11/2012), as the Israeli occupation continues to launch deadly airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip where an Israeli Apache warplane fired a rocket at a car belonging to al-Aqsa TV channel.

On the other hand, the manager of Al-Quds educational radio in Gaza was killed in an Israeli attack on Deir Al-balah on Wednesday (21/11/2012) bringing the death toll among the “Israel” has bombarded two buildings that

media personnel in Gaza to 3.

include offices for several local and international media outlets, including the Ma’an Palestinian

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Source: Aljazeera, AIC, PIC.

WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report

Mosques and cemeteries

military offensive has targeted mosques, other houses of worship and Islamic cemeteries. To-

targeted by Israelis

date, said a ministry statement, two mosques have been destroyed completely during the latest assault; 34 others have been damaged.

Six cemeteries have also been attacked, with body parts and bones being blown from the graves.

Palestinian Minister of Endowment Ismail Redwan expressed his outrage at such desecration of holy and sacred places. "This is a criminal act which breaks all international laws and conventions regarding places of worship and holy places," he said. "However, the international community allows Israel to act with impunity."

The Ministry of Endowment and Religious

Source: MEMO

Affairs in Gaza has said that the Israeli __________________________________________________________________________________

“Israel� targets ambulances and medical centers aircrafts

have

targeted

6

Palestinian

ambulances at least, killing one of the medical staff.

Besides

that,

the

Israeli

aircrafts

have

bombarded 2 medical centers, 1 clinic and bombarded the foyers of European Gaza hospital causing a great damage to its facilities.

Source: Ministry of Health - Palestine Since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza last Wednesday (14/11/2012) the Israeli

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WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report RESISTANCE RESPONSE

Qassam Brigades have announced that they

Hamas targets Israeli warships

targeted an Israeli warship by five missiles on Sunday (18/11/2012). Qassam Brigades also adopted the bombardment of the Israeli warship in Nusseirat Sea with 107 rockets.

Palestinian

resistance

fighters

in

Gaza

continue to fire missiles into “Israel” in response to the ongoing massacres committed by the Israelis since Wednesday.

Source: PIC+ Agencies __________________________________________________________________________________

Al-Qassam Brigades used “SAM” to hit Israeli aircraft

The military wing of the Islamic Resistance

such devastating effect on the civilian

Movement in Gaza has announced that it

infrastructure of the Gaza Strip.

targeted an Israeli aircraft in the northern Gaza Strip last friday (16/11/2012). Al-Qassam Brigade confirmed to have used a surface-toair missile which "hit the target".

Through 8 days of the aggression on Gaza the resistance

factions

have

announced

the

downing of two Israeli war aircrafts and a drone.

If the hit is confirmed, it would be the first time that Palestinians have been able to attack the advanced military aircraft used by Israel to

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Source: MEMO + Agencies

WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report Wednesday night (14/11/2012) as a response

Palestinian rocket hits TelAviv and Jerusalem

to the assassination of Aljaabari. It is the first time since the beginning of the PalestinianIsraeli conflict that Palestinian rockets have hit the economic capital of Israel.

Tel Aviv is 75km from the Gaza Strip and was occupied by the Israelis in 1948. As more than 400,000 Israeli live there.

On the other hand, Al-Qassam announced targeting the occupied Jerusalem with homemade missiles called (M75) last Friday (16/11/2012) and Tuesday (20/11/2012) as a response to the Israeli massacres committed in

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the

Gaza.

Islamic Resistance Movement has claimed that Source: MEMO + PIC

its home-made missiles hit Tel Aviv on

__________________________________________________________________________________

Israelis killed by resistance missiles

6 Israelis soldiers reported killed last Tuesday

in “Ashkelon” by the resistance missiles

(20/11/2012) by resistance missiles fired on

attacks which brings the death toll among the

several Israeli targets.

Israelis - during the 8-days war on Gaza- to 19

The

Israeli

occupation

has

previously

most of them are soldiers besides 650 injured.

announced the death of an Israeli soldier in “Amano'el

Settlement”,

2

soldiers

in

“Southern Tel Aviv”, 1 Israeli in Northern Negev, 1 Israeli in “Beersheba” and 1 Israeli

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Source: PIC

WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report Media reports, on the blast, put the number of

At least 21 wounded in a bus explosion in Tel Aviv

casualties from an initial ten casualties to 25 now wounded with some reports speaking about two or three dead.

Israeli police said that a man put an explosive device in the bus then left it, adding that another device did not explode in the same bus.

No one has claimed responsibility for any of the two explosions.

An explosion took place on a bus travelling on Source: PIC

King David Road in the Tel Aviv wounding at least 21 passengers according to news reports.

This was followed by another explosion in the city the results of which is not known yet.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Hamas armed wing interrupts Israeli broadcasts

Al-Qassam Brigades hijacked Israeli TV channels on Tuesday evening and broadcast messages warning against a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, the group said.

The Israeli news site Ynet said viewers reported that broadcasts were interrupted by short films with Hamas insignia showing an Israeli army tank being hit by a missile.

"This is a message to the armored corps," the text read.

Source: Ma’an Agency

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OFFICIAL & POPULAR INTERACTION

to hand the Israeli ambassador in Cairo an

Morsi recalls Egyptian ambassador from Tel Aviv

official protest about Israel attack on Gaza in which babies and children have been killed.

The president has also asked his representative at the UN to request a special meeting of the Security Council to discuss the on-going Israeli violence. Commentators point out that this would give the United States an opportunity to apply its veto and protect Israel from international censure. On the other hand the

Egyptian

authorities

opened

Rafah

crossing 24 hours a day since the first day of Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has recalled his country's ambassador from Tel Aviv in

the aggression to allow the injured Palestinians to receive treatment in Egypt.

protest at the Israeli offensive against the Gaza

Source: MEMO + PIC

Strip. Morsi asked Foreign Ministry officials __________________________________________________________________________________ Turkey's

Erdogan: Egypt and Turkey will defend Gaza whatever the price

Prime

Minister,

Recep

Tayyip

Erdogan, has said that he will be discussing the brutal Israeli attack on Gaza with President Mohamed Morsi during his visit to Egypt on (17/11/2012). He also affirmed his country's unwavering support for the Palestinian people in the embattled enclave.

Mr Erdogan told journalists in Istanbul that he would be convening a joint press conference with President Morsi in Cairo to announce their joint position. He added, "We will defend Gaza whatever it costs us."

Source: MEMO

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Tunisian delegation arrives in Gaza for solidarity visit The Foreign Minister of Tunisia has arrived in

destroyed by the Israelis overnight. They also

Gaza at the head of a high-level delegation to

visited Al Shifa hospital to witness at first

show solidarity with the people of Gaza.

hand the number of civilian casualties.

Rafiq Abdul Salam and twelve of his

On Friday (16/11/2012), Egyptian Prime

ministerial colleagues entered the beleaguered

Minister Hisham Kandil also visited Gaza

Palestinian

Rafah

Strip and met his Palestinian counterpart

crossing from Egypt. A number of Palestinian

Ismail Haniyeh at the same building. Just

ministers, leaders and officials received the

hours later, Israeli missiles hit the building as

delegates at the border, from where they were

part of the rogue state's assault on Gaza's

escorted to view the Council of Ministers

civilian infrastructure.

territory

through

the

headquarters in Gaza City, which was

Source: MEMO

__________________________________________________________________________________ into the Gaza Strip from Rafah. The delegation

Hamas welcomes Arab delegation as a "Powerful Response" to US and EU proIsrael bias

includes the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and other Foreign Ministers of the Arab League.

The distinguished delegation was welcomed at the border by representatives of the Gaza government. They called for the development of bold and responsible actions to provide protection for the Palestinian people and sanctuaries against Israeli aggression.

It was stressed that the visit represented an expression of Muslim and Arab unity and is a powerful response to the American and European bias towards Israel. It was also asserted that any aggression against Gaza was

Palestinian sources have confirmed that a

aggression against Cairo and Ankara.

delegation led by the Secretary General of the Arab League, Dr Nabil al-Arabi, has crossed

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Source: MEMO

WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report

Morocco to set up field

in Israeli aggression against the beleaguered Palestinian territory.

hospital in Gaza

A spokesman for the Royal Palace, Abdul Haq Almurini, told the Moroccan News Agency that the hospital will be made up of members of specialist medical units of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, as well as civilian doctors and medical teams. "The medical teams will have multiple specialisms in surgery," he pointed out. "The hospital will provide first-class services to those affected by The King of Moroccan has instructed the

the Israeli violence, and will work to enhance

Moroccan army to set up a field hospital in

the current medical facilities in Gaza."

Gaza as soon as possible. King Mohammed VI

Source: MEMO

gave the order following a serious escalation __________________________________________________________________________________ West Bank cities and villages witnessed a

West Bank protests against Israeli aggression in Gaza

wave of demonstrations and protests in solidarity with the Gaza Strip and against the ongoing Israeli aggression which started last Wednesday. A number of Palestinians have been wounded and detained during the clashes.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem also took to the streets in Babul-Amoud district. Protesters raised the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans against Israel’s military occupation and the bombing of Gaza. They also called for Palestinian reconciliation.

National

and

Islamic

forces

called

for

Two Palestinians have been killed during

Palestinians across Palestine and the diaspora

clashes between Israeli occupation forces and

to take to the streets in massive demonstrations

civilians in two cities in the occupied West

on Friday.

Bank.

Source: MEMO

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Special News Report cut off all ties with Israel including selling

Malaysian Parliament condemns Israel for Gaza attacks

palm oil to the state.

In his winding-up speech, Dato' Seri Nazri Aziz said that the PM had spoken to US President Barack Obama over the attacks.

On the other hand, About 1,000 people staged a

peaceful

demonstration

organized

by

"IKRAM" in front of the United States' embassy in Jalan Tun Razak on Friday (16/11/2012) to protest Israel's recent military attacks on Muslims and civilians in Gaza.

Malaysian Parliament today approved an emergency motion to condemn and urge a halt to Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza as the death toll continues to rise in the armed conflict.

Among

others,

the

House

resolved

to

“condemn strongly the Israeli military attacks” and “urge the full withdrawal” of Israel from

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir

Gaza and the West Bank.

Mohamad has called on Malaysians to

MPs from both sides of the political divide agreed to the motion, with some proposing additional points. Opposition Leader Datuk

continue to provide aid in various forms to the people of Gaza, Palestine who are being oppressed by Israel.

Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh)

Tun Mahathir said - during the launching of

said Israel should be called a “terrorist state”,

Gaza emergency fund- that Israel is a

adding that pressure should be imposed on the

"Terrorist State" and the Palestinians have the

US, which he claimed had given space for

right to defend themselves by all means and all

Israel to carry out the attacks. Kamaruddin

weapons they have.

Jaafar (PAS-Tumpat) proposed that Malaysia Source: Bernama + TheMalaysianInsider

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Special News Report

END OF THE WAR

Gaza ceasefire goes into effect A ceasefire has gone into effect in and around

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the

the Gaza Strip, after Israel and Hamas agreed

Egyptian capital, Cairo.

to

cease

hostilities

on

Wednesday Under the ceasefire terms, Israel was to stop

(21/11/2012).

all aggression against the Gaza Strip from Many Palestinians in Gaza City took to the

land, sea and air, including cross-border

streets to celebrate the truce on Wednesday

incursions and targeted killings.

night, blasting car horns and setting off fireworks from rooftops amid celebratory

Palestinian factions were to cease all rocket fire and attacks from Gaza towards Israel,

gunfire.

including along the border.

The Egyptian foreign minister announced the ceasefire agreement hours before it took hold at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday. Mohamed Kamel Amr thanked all parties involved in brokering

the

truce

as

he

made

the

announcement in a joint news conference with

Twenty-four hours after the ceasefire takes effect, Israel will also be committed to opening of all border crossings and ease restrictions on movements of people and goods in and out of the enclave.

Source: Aljazeera

________________________________________________________ Politicians

Mofaz: Hamas Won Upper Hand, Truce a Mistake

to

Prime

Minister

Binyamin

Netanyahu’s Right and Left spoke out against Wednesday night’s cease-fire, with only Labor, Meretz and others on the Left supporting it.

“The goals of his operation were not reached, and the next round is only a matter of time,” Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz said. “We should not have stopped at this stage. Hamas got stronger and we did not gain deterrence, Hamas has the upper hand". He added.

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Kadima MK Ronit Tirosh accused Netanyahu

National Union leader-elect Uri Ariel called

of cynically using the residents of the South

Netanyahu’s press conference with Defense

and making the equation “the higher the

Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister

number of victims, the higher the number of

Avigdor Liberman “a sad performance meant

Knesset seats.”

to give an excuse for the embarrassing surrender.”

National Union MKs Michael Ben-Ari and Arieh Eldad, who will run in the next election

Source: The Jerusalem Post

as the leaders of the newly created Strong Israel party, called the cease-fire a “white flag and a surrender”. ___________________________________________________________________________________

“After eight days, God stayed their hand from

Hamas Says Israel Failed In Its Goals

the people of Gaza, and they were compelled to submit to the conditions of the resistance,” Meshaal said. “Israel has failed in all its goals,” he told reporters in a Cairo hotel.

Meshaal said his movement had “rejected Israel’s conditions” for the ceasefire “except for stopping operations”.

And the Hamas

leader warned Israel against violating the agreement. If you commit, we will commit. If you do not commit, the rifles are in our hands,” he said, adding “we will continue to arm ourselves.”

Hamas

chief

Khaled

Meshaal

said

on

Wednesday (21/11/2012) that Israel had “failed in all its goals” after a Gaza truce deal came into effect, while thanking Egypt’s President Morsi for his support.

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Source: AFP

WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report ARTICLES & ANALYSIS

Brigade, it sabotaged Egyptian efforts to

We in the Gaza Strip will not die in silence

conclude a truce between all Palestinian factions and the Israelis. This was confirmed

by Egypt's president on Saturday.

With the approach of the Israeli elections, the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, wanted to trade with the blood of the Palestinians, especially after his alliance with the ultra-extremist Avigdor Lieberman failed to boost his popularity in the polls as he'd expected. This is not the first time the Israelis have launched a war for electoral gain.

By: Dr. Musa abu Marzouq

Shimon Peres did it to Lebanon in 1996 and

The latest Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip

the Olmert-Livni-Barak alliance did it to Gaza

has prompted several European countries and

in 2008. What is important here is the immoral

the

of

and short-sighted stance of the European and

unwavering support for the aggressor. They

US governments; they have misconstrued the

have all claimed that Hamas's rockets were

facts and displayed complete partiality in

responsible for the crisis and that it is the right

favour of the aggressor.

US

to

reaffirm

their

position

of Israel to defend its citizens. Had they checked the facts, they would have realised Israel started the attacks. The escalation started when an Israeli military incursion into Gaza on 8 November killed a Palestinian child. That was followed by other Israeli incursions and attacks, provoking a response by Palestinian

The western position has given political cover to the Israeli aggression and encouraged its leadership to continue their attacks. Thus, in the eyes of our people and those of the entire region,

western

countries

are

complicit.

European governments, in contrast to their peoples whose majority support Palestinian

factions.

rights, Despite that, there were serious efforts to calm

have

demonstrated

their

double

standards and hypocrisy again.

the situation and reach a truce. But clearly Israel had another agenda. By targeting Ahmed al-Jabari, leader of the al-Qassam

The right of people to resist occupation and confront aggression is guaranteed to all peoples; but if Palestinians seek to exercise

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WAR ON GAZA

Special News Report

this right it immediately becomes terrorism

of any free people. Gaza and Hamas are not

and for this they must be persecuted.

alone, and the enemies of Israel are increasing.

The Arab world is changing. The Palestinian

Hamas has decided to defend the rights of its

people today see in Hamas hope and

people with a measure of deterrence against

leadership.

one of the most well-equipped (and western-

adventure it has not calculated properly. It

funded) armies. As the world refuses to defend

must now bear the consequences. A truce will

Palestinians, we will defend ourselves. Our

be on Hamas's terms, not Israel's. The first of

people have the right to self-defence and we

these will be to lift the oppressive blockade on

will not die in silence anymore. Hamas may

the Gaza Strip.

Israel

has

embarked

on

an

not be able to defeat Israel but we can stand firm against it, and paralyse life in a

Source: the Guardian

significant part of the country. This is the right ___________________________________________________________________________________ influential

friends

—

including

the

democratically elected governments of Egypt,

Hamas finds greater support in a changed Middle East

Tunisia and Turkey, all U.S. allies. Those backers

give

Hamas

stronger

standing

internationally, and perhaps greater room to maneuver as it faces the second major Israeli operation in Gaza in four years.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi signaled the extent of the shift on Friday when he sent his prime minister to Gaza in a show of solidarity with Hamas. The move was a radical break from the policy of Morsi’s ousted predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, and came as

By: Abigail Hauslohner

Israel was attempting to turn up the heat on a

As the conflict between Israel and militants

Hamas. Morsi, meanwhile, warned Israel of a

(Hamas) in the Gaza Strip intensifies, Arab

“high price” for continued military operations

governments are throwing their weight behind

in the coastal enclave.

the territory’s long-isolated Islamist leaders in a reflection of the region’s shifting political dynamics after nearly two years of upheaval.

Hamas has found a new set of highly

“Egypt will not leave Gaza alone,” Morsi said in a speech to a crowd of worshippers at a mosque on Cairo’s outskirts. “I speak on behalf of all of the Egyptian people in saying

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Special News Report

that Egypt today is different from Egypt

Palestinian elections, fenced in by an Israeli

yesterday, and the Arabs today are different

blockade and by the tacit

from the Arabs of yesterday.” Morsi’s words

authoritarian Arab regimes. However, newly

were echoed Friday throughout the region,

democratic Egypt and Tunisia, along with

where Islamic movements with ideological ties

regionally influential Qatar and Turkey, have

to Hamas have gained influence through

increasingly assumed the roles of Hamas’s

popular uprisings and elections.

new allies.

consent of

Hamas has run Gaza in relative isolation since Source: The Washington Post

it seized control following a 2006 victory in

__________________________________________________________________________________ waging jihad against Israel. To be sure, Hamas

If it's over now, Hamas wins Gaza war

Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip may have had the unintended consequence of Hamas

military

infrastructure

inside

Gaza.

Yet

throughout Israel’s campaign, Hamas was able to maintain daily rocketing of Israel’s central

By: Aaron Klein

turning

this last week suffered a major blow to its

into

a

player

on

the

international diplomatic scene.

and southern centers, including reaching Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the first time That rocket-fire establishes a new deterrent posture for Hamas, with Tel Avivians and

In the grand scheme of things, while both sides sustained losses and experienced some gains, Hamas emerges the victor of this latest conflict.

Jerusalemites understanding that any future military incursion into Gaza will result in missiles at Israel’s major population centers and not just the Jewish communities near Gaza.Hamas would get a permanent official

During the height of the fighting, Arab

presence at the Rafah border crossing, which

delegations from Sudan, the Arab League and

lies on the international border between Egypt

even the Iraqi government went on solidarity

and the Gaza Strip. Besides, Hamas is asking

visits to Hamas in Gaza. This was not the

for international guarantees against a further

diplomatic scene during previous Israeli

Israeli military incursion inside the Gaza Strip.

operations.

Any such deal would likely enhance Hamas’ diplomatic position internationally.

The fighting further served to solidify Hamas’ position as the dominant Palestinian faction

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Source: WND

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