Tuesday, January 06, 2009

UN school buildings that are clearly marked are bombed...

I didn't blog anything here or earlier today because it's getting harder and harder to cover what is happening in the Gaza and not wonder when is the responsibility going to be directed at Israel from our government and other governments? While CNN is pointing out that UN School buildings have been bombed they are also stating that Blair is stating that Hamas must stop smuggling weapons.

In other words, Blair wants them to stop arming themselves so that it's even easier for Israel to control them. That's not realistic as an expectation. Part of the problem is the continual lack of expecting any where close to an equal responsibility factor, Israel, the much more well armed and financed country is allowed to kill people without limit apparently, even including bombing buildings set up as shelters for people to flee too, that are clearly marked and nothing is done.

Hamas isn't stopping, if anything they are increasing, which means all that is happening is more and more innocent people, including children are going to be killed. I don't agree with all of this most recent article from Al Jazeera, Another round of bloodletting especially when it comes to the use of the word "neocon" since there are many who are not conservative who support Israel's position and blame Hamas solely, that's not just something that can be attributed to that one political group in the US. I do however agree with the feeling that more and more are realizing this is not just about Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas faces even more loss of support.

CNN has updated their story with the claim from Israel that there was shots fired from these UN Schools, since they are not allowing any journalists into the area, it's very difficult to be able to get an unbiased report. Israel has been very stringent in trying to make sure that their side of this war is the one that receives the most credibility. It's hard to argue with photos of dead children, though our media for the most part does not show that.

CNN has just reported that Gaza hospital crowded with civilians, doctors say:

Israeli government officials claim Hamas is hiding fighters and weapons at the hospital, but the images from Shifa's emergency ward show families.

"We were hit with a rocket," a boy in the hospital said as his brother wandered in a daze, nursing an injury to his ear. Another child cried nearby, moaning for her mother as doctors tried to treat her injured limbs.

A nurse trying to set up an IV in another room said the hospital is treating five people from one family. Another woman wept for her 6-month-old child, who she said died after four days without food or water.


Maan News Agency has a breaking news headline that Israel will respond to US calls for a cease-fire within 24 hours, but CNN has nothing on the US ceasefire request. It's also being reported that Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations Ambassador Riyad Mansour has written a letter to the UN Security Council that claims excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force by Israel.

Maan has also reported that Venezuela has expelled the Israeli ambassador over the Gaza assault.

There are also unconfirmed reports of at least one Palestinian suicide bomber, Maan is reporting he blew himself up in an Israel tank, the Israelis are reporting that they identified the suicide bomber and killed him with no fatality to Israeli soldiers only a "light wounding," I'm frankly surprised with the ground invasion that this has not happened more frequently, it's been a known threat by Hamas that they had suicide bombers if an ground invasion took place.

Bottom line, it's a depressing situation to continue to cover, women and children dead, thousands wounded, families destroyed, homes destroyed and it's hard to see how either Israel or Hamas will come out as winners when this finally ends. Either way the ultimate victims are those who are stuck in the Gaza who can not even seek safe refuge in a marked UN building.

4 comments:

Barga said...

Lisa, the issue becomes if there are arms stored there as well

Unknown said...

I don't believe there are arms stored there the majority of times, I believe that is used as an excuse when a school or a hospital is bombed but it's pretty easy to see if there were arms stored.

The bomb would set them off...then it would be hard to argue that it was not targeting of innocent civilians trying to seek refuge.

That's the type of footage the IDF would release to the media for all to see. That hasn't happened, nor have they released video of anyone shooting mortars from any of the UN locations, considering how they video, if it was true that these attacks came from those locations? It'd be everywhere...

Barga said...

Don't get me wrong, I do not support this, but I can understand it
also, remember, we did this in Af. and Iraq by accident

Unknown said...

Yes, we have but Israel is not claiming these are accidents. It's been clearly stated they feel they have nothing to apologize for.

We don't always claim responsibility immediately either, but at least in most cases there is some type of a financial pay off to the family. That doesn't happen in Palestine when people are killed "by accident."