Israeli delegation arrives in Cairo for truce talks ( August 11 )

[Jefferson23]

Latest updates [Monday]:

11:26 A.M. The Kerem Shalom crossing reopens for shipment of good to Gaza after being shut on Saturday due to gunfire. (Gili Cohen)

10:36 A.M. An Israeli delegation arrives in Cairo to continue negotiating a truce with Palestinian representatives. (Barak Ravid)

10:18 A.M. A senior UN aid official has warned that a new round of fighting in Gaza is likely unless Israel lifts the blockade on Gaza, AFP reports.

"The blockade must be lifted not only to get material into Gaza in order to rebuild it but to allow Gaza to do what it was doing very well just 10 years ago, to trade with the outside world," said James Rawley, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories.

"Gaza has a tremendous potential. People are very entrepreneurial, they're well educated, they have markets abroad, in Israel and the West Bank. The blockade has to be lifted in order that Gaza can thrive," he told AFP.

10:03 A.M. Four wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip arrived in the Turkish capital early on Monday after being flown in for medical treatment, with more expected, in a move announced by prime minister and president-elect Tayyip Erdogan.

"Our wounded from Gaza have started to come," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters at the airport in Ankara, where he greeted the Palestinians, three women and a youth who were then taken to hospital.

"In the first stage we plan to bring to Turkey, and treat, maybe 200 patients," Davutoglu said, adding that further patients would be brought by planes in groups of around 40 after agreeing the move in talks with Israel and Egypt.

Davutoglu told Reuters in an interview last Wednesday that Turkey was seeking to establish an air corridor to evacuate possibly thousands of injured Palestinians and Erdogan confirmed the move in his first speech after his victory in a presidential election. (Reuters)

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.609933

[Jefferson23]

1. Report: Israel defense minister says Hamas has soldier's body

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Sunday that the body of missing soldier Oron Shaul is "obviously" in the hands of Hamas, Israeli media reported.

"It's obvious to us that Oron's body is in the hands of Hamas, and we're making every effort to retrieve it," Yaalon said, according to the Israeli news site Ynet.

Yaalon said Israel was making diplomatic efforts in ceasefire talks with Hamas to bring Shaul's body back to Israel, the Ynet report said.

Israeli authorities also suspect the body of soldier Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed on Aug. 1. in southern Gaza as a 72-hour ceasefire fell apart, is being held by Hamas.


http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719790

[bemildred]

55. Still nothing from the Palestinians on this subject.

Some displays of captured equipment, lots of bluster, but no bodies.

[Jefferson23]

2. Cairo delegation says next 3 days last chance for Gaza truce

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian delegation in Cairo has told Egyptian mediators that the next three days will be the last chance for reaching a comprehensive truce agreement with Israel, an official said Sunday.

Qays Abu Layla, deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told Ma'an from Cairo that as of Thursday all Israeli responses to ceasefire initiatives have been negative, with Israeli officials seeking a return to the pre-war status quo.

"The Israeli delegation didn't bring anything new during Thursday's meeting. They are talking about types and quantities of commodities to be allowed into Gaza, as well as merchants and other minor issues. Their response was completely negative, and so we rejected it," Abu Layla said.

The Palestinian delegation has been demanding an end to the Israeli blockade, the release of re-arrested prisoners, reconstruction of Gaza, building a seaport and airport, removing the buffer zone, and enlarging the fishing zone.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719749

[Jefferson23]

3. Israeli delegation returns to Cairo after ceasefire maintained

Hamas threatens: 'If we don't reach an agreement within 72 hours, it is likely we'll quit the negotiations and there won't be another ceasefire.'

Attila Somfalvi, Roi Kais
Published: 08.11.14, 09:15 / Israel News

The Israeli delegation returned to Cairo on Monday morning after the 72-hour ceasefire agreed on by both sides has been maintained since midnight.

While the fire may have been halted, Hamas has already threatened, even before the ceasefire began, that they would resume rocket fire if talks in Egypt don't reach a breakthrough by the end of the ceasefire's 72-hour period.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4557397,00.html

[Jefferson23]

4. Analysis || Israel trapped itself into negotiating with Hamas

Israel's insistence on seeing the Palestinian unity government as a 'terrorist entity' has yet again forced it into negotiating with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

By Zvi Bar'el | 16:23 11.08.14 |

Under different circumstances Israel could have held direct negotiations with the Palestinian delegation in Egypt. After all, it is headed by Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah, the representative of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and someone with whom Israel has no problem coordinating a cease-fire. Moreover, representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad could have participated in the...

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.609983

[Jefferson23]

5. Turkey to evacuate wounded Palestinians for treatment: Erdogan

8/11/14

Reuters

ANKARA: The Turkish government will begin transferring wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Turkey for medical treatment, Prime Minister and president-elect Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"Hopefully starting tonight, we are beginning to transfer our wounded Palestinian brothers to Turkey," Erdogan said in his first speech following his victory in a presidential election.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Reuters in an interview last Wednesday that Turkey was seeking Israeli and Egyptian agreement for an air corridor to evacuate possibly thousands of injured Palestinians.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Aug-11/266760-turkey-to-evacuate-wounded-palestinians-for-treatment-erdogan.ashx#ixzz3A6An7las
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

[Jefferson23]

6. Wikileaks: Ban Ki-Moon Worked with Israel to Undermine UN Report

August 9, 2014

The General Secretary of United Nations (UN) Ban Ki-Moon collaborated in secret with Israel and the United States to weaken the effects of a Board of Inquiry's report accusing Israel of human rights violations in Gaza in Dec. 2008 – Jan. 2009.

Wikileaks released documents on Friday that revealed that Ban wrote a letter to the UN Security Council asking its members not to take recommendations by the UN Board of Inquiry about Israeli bombings in Gaza into account.

The report demonstrated that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) had a direct role in seven of the nine attacks against buildings of the UN in Gaza strip, and accused Israel of having breached the inviolability and immunity of UN premises.



http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Wikileaks-Ban-Ki-Moon-Worked-with-Israel-to-Undermine-UN-Report-20140809-0020.html

[bemildred]

7. That was kind of obvious at the time.

Quite a change from Kofi Annan. Ban seems to have changed his tune a lot since then.

At the time he came into office, he seemed to lack experience with this dispute, and more or less seemed to believe what he was told about it.

[Jefferson23]

8. Yea, and I like the timing of the leak..hopefully it will help. n/t

[bemildred]

9. U.N. Names Gaza War Crimes Panel

The United Nations has tapped three experts to investigate possible war crimes and human rights violations committed by both Israelis and Palestinians during the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip, the organization announced Monday.

A Canadian international law professor, William Schabas, will lead the panel, Reuters reports. Other members include British-Lebanese human rights attorney Amal Alamuddin and Doudou Diene, a Senegalese lawyer who has previously worked with the UN on numerous cases. Alamuddin is the highest profile figure of the three, thanks largely to her engagement to the actor George Clooney.

The team will look at “all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law … in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014? and present a report in March 2015, according to the UN

The UN Secretary General has accused Israel of violating international law in attacking UN safe sites, though Israel has said the UN is biased against the country. The UN has also claimed Hamas forces in Gaza violated international laws as well by indiscriminately launching rockets at Israel.

http://time.com/3101220/united-nations-israel-gaza-war-crimes-panel/

[Jefferson23]

10. Things are heating up pretty quick on this:

NGO: William Schabas must recuse himself from UN Gaza inquiry

GENEVA, — A Geneva-based human rights group called on William Schabas to recuse himself from the UN’s new Gaza inquiry, saying that he is legally disqualified by prior statements expressing his wish to see Prime Minister Netanyahu and former President Shimon Peres indicted before the International Criminal Court.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/65216

[bemildred]

13. It's going to get very noisy. It already is.

That investigation, I mean.

I hope that most of the shooting is over now.

It will be indicative what comes out of the current round of negotiations, another round of shooting, or something else? How intransigent are the two parties still?

[Jefferson23]

14. I hope the shooting stops too, but hard to say.

My first impression when I read this was, he is ready to concede based on what up front, I don't know.
But that would be me placing too much emphasis on his words must lead to and goal.

Hamas chief: Durable truce must lead to lifting Gaza blockade

OHA, Qatar (AFP) -- A lasting truce must lead to the lifting by Israel of its blockade of the Gaza Strip, Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal said in an interview in Doha on Sunday.

The 72-hour ceasefire Hamas reached with Israel on Sunday "is one of the ways or tactics to ensure successful negotiations or to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza," said Meshaal.

The final "goal we insist on is having the demands of Palestinians met and the Gaza Strip exist without a blockade".

"We insist on this goal. In the case of Israeli procrastination or continued aggression, Hamas is ready with other Palestinian factions to resist on ground and politically and... to face all possibilities," he said.

The remarks by Meshaal, who lives in exile in Qatar, come as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on Sunday accepted an Egyptian proposal for a 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza from one minute past midnight local time.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719685

[bemildred]

15. I thought "lead to" was intentionally vague.

Some wiggle room. Yaalon was claiming Hamas has bodies to trade too, which I took as looking for reasons to make a deal, since Hamas refuses to comment on that.

[Jefferson23]

16. Mashaal did not mention the soldiers at all in that recent piece.

Netanyahu, defense chief call for patience in Gaza op
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-defense-chief-call-for-patience-in-gaza-op/

As you've said before, between a rock and a hard place.

[bemildred]

21. Canadian leading Gaza war-crimes probe rejects anti-Israel charges

A Canadian law professor chosen to helm a United Nations commission examining possible war crimes in Gaza scoffed Monday at charges he’s biased against Israel, while Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird scoffed at the UN.

“The suggestion that I’m anti-Israel is absurd,” William Schabas said Monday in an interview from Toronto, pointing out that he’s on the editorial board of the Israel Law Review.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-leading-gaza-war-crimes-probe-rejects-anti-israel-charges/article19996056/

[Jefferson23]

23. Wikileaks my good man, wikileaks. Press on. n/t

[bemildred]

11. Known Israel critic to lead UNHRC Gaza probe

International Canadian law expert William Schabas — known for his past criticism of Israel — will head the United Nations Human Rights Council’s probe into the IDF’s action in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the last two months.

The commission is tasked with identifying those responsible for “violations of international humanitarian law,” and with holding the violators accountable and ending their impunity. It’s expected to deliver its report to the UNHRC in March, 2015.

UNHRC President Ambassador Baudelaire Ndong Ella announced the appointments to the three-member panel on Monday in Geneva.

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/UN-names-three-experts-to-Gaza-investigation-commission-370772

[Jefferson23]

12. Laying the foundation..........n/t

[sabbat hunter]

48. so much for

any impartiality in the probe. Already it is being done by the UNHRC, which has a major anti-Israel bias (while turning a blind eye to far greater abuses elsewhere). They are putting someone who is a known critic of Israel in charge of the probe.

I can already predict what the report will likely say. "israel repeatedly violated human rights of the citizens of Gaza" and will barely mention(if they do at all) anything about Hamas hiding weapons in UN sites, firing rockets, weapons from places occupied by civilians.

Sad that the UN could not bring itself to have a true impartial panel conduct the investigation.

[bemildred]

49. Yep, you can kiss that goodbye. Goldstone will look good by comparison. nt

[bemildred]

22. 01:31 A.M. British attorney Amal Alamuddin released a statement ... she will not be serving ...

01:31 A.M. British attorney Amal Alamuddin released a statement on Monday night saying that she will not be serving on the United Nations Human Rights Commission into the war in Gaza.

"There are various reports published today stating that I have been appointed as one of the three members of the UN Commission of Inquiry for Gaza," Alamuddin said in the statement.

"I am horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian causalities that have been caused, and strongly believe that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed."

However, she said, she had decided to turn down the offer of a seat on the commission "given existing commitments—including eight ongoing cases.

"I wish my colleagues who will serve on the commission courage and strength in their endeavors."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.610058

[Jefferson23]

17. UN Watchdog Questions Appointment of Clooney Fiancee, Anti-Israel Lawyer on Gaza Inquiry Panel

A United Nations watchdog NGO slammed the international body’s decision to allow a law professor avowedly hostile to Israel as well as actor George Clooney’s fiancee to head a human-rights inquiry into Israel’s Operation Protective Edge against Palestinian rocket and tunnel attacks from Gaza.

William Schabas, a Canadian international law professor at London’s Middlesex University will head the Human Rights Council’s three-member panel, appointed on Monday.

“Under international law, William Schabas is obliged to recuse himself because his repeated calls to indict Israeli leaders obviously gives rise to actual bias or the appearance thereof,” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said in a statement released in the wake of the UN’s move.

“You can’t spend several years calling for the prosecution of someone, and then suddenly act as his judge,” said Neuer. “It’s absurd — and a violation of the minimal rules of due process applicable to UN fact-finding missions.”

Neuer noted previous statements by Schabas, which, in his words, demonstrated “bias or appearance thereof:”

http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/08/11/un-watchdog-questions-appointment-of-clooney-fiancee-anti-israel-lawyer-on-gaza-inquiry-panel/

[Jefferson23]

18. Quiet remains across Gaza-Israel border as Cairo talks resume

Three-day cease-fire under effect in Gaza; UN official warns of renewed fighting in Gaza if blockade isn't lifted; West Bank gunman shot dead in clash with border police.

By Haaretz | Aug. 11, 2014 | 10:27 PM

Latest updates [Monday]:

10:40 P.M. Finance Minister Yair Lapid on Monday called on the international community to pull together a massive aid package for Gaza conditioned on the Palestinian Authority returning to power in place of the Islamic militant group Hamas.

In a phone interview with the Associated Press, the finance minister argued that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations currently being mediated by Egypt should lead to a reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, with the Gaza side controlled by the Palestinian Authority instead of Hamas. As a next step, he said, Abbas should be in charge of any aid the world community donates to the rehabilitation of Gaza, he said.

"I think this is possible," Lapid said. "We have to remember that the PA was in charge of Gaza and is still the legal ruler of Gaza, and should be there instead of Hamas, which is a terror organization." The involvement of the international community and the Arab world was needed to put pressure on the militants, so "we think we should involve the Arab world into the process, and we should involve the entire international community."

"If they want to rebuild the place they live in, then they will have to accept," Lapid said of Hamas. (AP)

10:27 P.M. Two wounded Syrians treated at Ziv Hospital in Safed. 342 Syrian have been treated at that hospital so far. (Eli Ashkenazi)

7:35 P.M. U.S. lifts travel advisory for embassy employees in region just south of greater Tel Aviv. Travel restrictions remain in place in southern Israel, including Be'er Sheva, and trave; south of Ashdod remains completely off limits. (Haaretz)

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.609933

[Jefferson23]

19. 141 public schools damaged in Gaza

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Some 141 public schools were damaged by the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Ministry of Education on Monday.

The undersecretary of the Ministry of Education said that 22 schools were completely destroyed by the offensive and cannot be used for the upcoming school year.

Anwar al-Baraawi added that 119 schools were partially destroyed, and 25 schools were used as shelters.

“The damage will cost some $10.5 million to be repaired,” said al-Baraawi.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719852

[bemildred]

20. LIVE UPDATES: Cease-fire close as Israel relaxes positions

srael has agreed to substantially ease conditions in the Gaza Strip during the Cairo cease-fire talks, a senior official in Jerusalem said yesterday.

Israel's new position means that the two sides - Israel and the Palestinians, representing Hamas and the other Gazan militant groups - are now close to an agreement on a permanent cease-fire.

A 72-hour temporary cease-fire went into effect at midnight on Sunday and was respected by both sides throughout Monday. With the cease-fire holding, the Israeli delegation to the talks retrurned to Cairo.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.610058

[Jefferson23]

24. Substantially? wow. thanks for the post. n/t

[bemildred]

25. A good sign. nt

[Jefferson23]

26. yes! n/t

[Jefferson23]

27. Israeli delegation open to easing Gaza blockade

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A nine-hour session of indirect negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli delegations in Cairo on Monday ended with a partial draft agreement on easing the blockade on Gaza, sources close to the talks told Ma'an.

Negotiations for a lasting end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip are to resume at noon on Tuesday, the sources said.

Meanwhile, some of the terms of the draft agreement were reported by Israeli media. According to Channel 2, Palestinian factions, the Egyptian mediators, and the Israeli delegation have agreed on six terms so far:

1. Allowing Gaza fishermen to fish 12 nautical miles from shore.
2. Increasing the daily number of trucks importing goods to Gaza to 250.
3. Increasing the monthly number of permits granted to Gazans to pass through Erez crossing to 500.
4. Allowing money to be transferred from the West Bank to Gaza via the Palestinian Authority.
5. Opening the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
6. Freeing prisoners who were rearrested after being released in the Gilad Shalit exchange.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719994

[azurnoir]

33. and a very important item

Additionally, the Israeli news site Ynet said that Israel had agreed to allow construction materials to enter Gaza "under close supervision."

Let's hope we see some movement forward

[Jefferson23]

35. Yea, a lot is not clear, we'll see. n/t

[Jefferson23]

28. Israeli warships open fire at fishermen near Rafah

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli warships on Tuesday opened fire at fishermen off the coast of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, in an apparent violation of an agreed-upon three-day ceasefire, a union official said.

Nizar Ayyash, spokesman for Gaza's fishermen union, told Ma'an that a number of Palestinian fishermen were near the shore when Israeli forces shot at them with machine guns.

No injuries were reported.

Ayyash said Israeli naval forces had been preventing fishermen from fishing in the area, even within the "authorized fishing zone."

An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=720052

[Jefferson23]

29. Noted South Korean film directors denounce Israeli 'massacre' in Gaza

Join 100 countrymen in petition calling on Seoul to stop arms sales to Jerusalem.

By Haaretz | Aug. 12, 2014 | 1:53 PM

Two South Korean directors of recent hit films in the West have joined 100 of their countrymen in signing a petition calling on Israel "stop immediately" the "civilian massacre" in Gaza, which they characterized as a "war crime."

Park Chan-wook directed last year's psychological thriller "Stoker," starring Nicole Kidman, while Ryoo Seung-yong directed the 2013 spy thriller "The Berlin File."

The petition was delivered to the Israeli embassy in Seoul, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Italso called on South Korea, as well as the United States and European countries, to stop arms sales to Israel.

The film directors' protest follows that of Spanish film stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who demanded that the EU condemn "the bombing by land, sea and air against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.610130

[Jefferson23]

30. Ceasefire Talks The Palestinian delegation in Cairo Photo: AFP The Palestinian delegation in Cairo

Member of the Palestinian delegation tells a Islamic Jihad-affiliated website the agreement would include the lifting of the Gaza blockade, while an Israeli official says no progress has been made.

Roi Kais
Published: 08.12.14, 11:39 / Israel News

A long-term ceasefire agreement could be reached by Wednesday, a member of the Palestinian delegation told a Islamic-Jihad affiliated news site on Tuesday.


The source claimed the agreement would include the lifting of the Gaza blockade, but failed to provide any details on that.

Islamic Jihad spokesman Yusef al-Hasayina told the site the Palestinian delegation is halfway through discussions on the major issues on the table.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4557855,00.html

[Jefferson23]

31. Egypt: We won't discuss Rafah until the ceasefire is stable

The Egyptian foreign ministry said Tuesday that the discussion between Egypt and the Palestinian Authority regarding the Rafah border crossing has yet to begin. "It's not possible at the moment to discuss a date to begin talks on the Rafah Crossing because the ceasefire is fragile. We want to stabilize the ceasefire first and foremost without rushing other issues," said the foreign ministry's spokesperson Badr Abdel-Ati.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4557792,00.html

[Jefferson23]

32. Hamas: This is the second and last ceasefire

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook spoke from Ciaro Tuesday where he is taking part in talks to reach a long-term ceasefire saying, "We are standing before a difficult peace process. The first ceasefire passed without any noteworthy achievments. This is the second and the last ceasefire. The severity at the moment is clear. What's needed is for the envoy to get what the Palestinian people want."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4557803,00.html

[Jefferson23]

34. Palestinian delegation chief: Hamas rule in Gaza is over

It’s the PA gov’t that will be in charge now, says Azzam Al-Ahmad; second Palestinian official says he’s not sure Hamas has decided to end the war

By Avi Issacharoff August 12, 2014, 1:00 pm

Progress is being made in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo “but the gaps are still wide,” the head of the Palestinian delegation, Azzam Al-Ahmad, said Tuesday. “There’s a possibility that we’ll reach an overall full agreement, but we still have a long way to go.”



Al-Ahmad told The Times of Israel the Palestinians are still demanding a seaport and airport in Gaza. “These are not new demands. They date back to the days when the Palestinian Authority was set up,” he said. “Israel needs to understand that the period of Hamas rule in Gaza is over and to act in full cooperation with the PA and the government of [PA Prime Minister] Rami Hamdallah, which will be the sovereign authority in the territories, including Gaza.”

Al-Ahmad, who was central to negotiating the PA unity deal with Hamas this spring, did not clarify how the PA would reassert its rule in Gaza seven years after Hamas violently ousted it, nor did he specify whether or how Hamas would be disarmed. A PA “unity” government, headed by Hamdallah and backed by Fatah and Hamas, was established in early June; Israel vowed to boycott it, because it rested on Hamas support.

Another senior Palestinian official, also a member of the delegation, said the Palestinian team may stay in Cairo until an agreement is reached. “It’s not clear what will happen in the remaining hours” of the 72-hour truce, which is due to expire on midnight on Wednesday, he said. “Consideration is being given to extending the truce for an additional 72 hours. The discussions are extremely serious, and it’s clear that all sides — the PA, Israel and Egypt — are trying to make progress.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-delegation-chief-hamas-rule-in-gaza-is-over/

[Jefferson23]

36. Hamas warns Gazans have 'nothing to lose'

August 11, 2014

Hamas reluctantly agreed to a new, 72-hour cease-fire proposed by Egypt, starting Aug. 11, after the first truce expired on the morning of Aug. 8, but much to the angst of its rank and file who are adamant to lift the Israeli siege on Gaza.

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, who is participating in the talks, told Al-Monitor over the phone, “The Palestinian delegation agreed to the new truce after the Egyptian mediator told us that Israel had agreed on it in order to resume the negotiations. The Israeli delegation had arrived in Cairo without any previous conditions — [as] it had tried to impose in the past — and it had started the continuous negotiations in order to answer our people’s demands and rights, after our delegation had presented what the Egyptians offered us. Israel is dodging the issue, trying to waste time and escape its responsibilities. It is held responsible for not being able to reach an agreement yet.”

A Hamas official told Al-Monitor, “The movement has a wide range of options which should not be limited to either extending the truce or renewing the clashes with Israel. When we refused the extension of the cease-fire, we did not fire rockets at Israel as much as we did during the days of war. Al-Qassam Brigades only intervened at the last minute while the other factions continued to fire rockets at a slower pace, since Hamas wished for the negotiations’ success.”

Despite the cease-fire, negotiations don’t appear to be advancing, a PLO member of the delegation told Al-Monitor over the weekend. According to Mousa Abu Marzouk, a Hamas leader who is participating in the talks, the negotiations are failing because Israel has not responded positively to the Palestinian humanitarian demands. “The Palestinians have nothing to lose,” Marzouk said. “They will either die under the siege or under Israeli shelling. The delegation did not sense a true seriousness from Israel in the negotiations, since it is still stalling to answer to the Palestinian demands.”

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/truce-gaza-war-israel-hamas-demands.html#ixzz3ABK9XjfV

[Jefferson23]

37. Gaza war bill estimated at $5 billion

August 11, 2014

Thirty days after the start of Operation Protective Edge on June 8, a three-day cease-fire was announced, and renewed again on Aug. 11. However, the end of the war will reveal a reality that may be harsher than the war itself. The Gaza Strip, a small densely populated area, is perhaps the only place in the world that suffered three devastating wars requiring extensive reconstruction three times in seven years.

Although the assessment of the losses has yet to begin because of the continuing military operations, initial statistics issued by international and governmental institutions are shocking. These figures are expected to double with the start of the assessment of the losses in the field. According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Works in Gaza, 7,000 housing units have been destroyed and 30,000 units have been damaged, about 5,000 of which will no longer be inhabitable. This is in addition to the destruction of roads, water and electricity systems, household items, identification papers, photos and certificates, as well as dozens of factories, mosques, schools, health clinics, hospitals and sewage plants.

Moreover, UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refuges) statistics indicate that the Israeli military operation forced 400,000 Gazans to leave their homes, including 250,000 who took refuge in 18 UNRWA schools, and that 150,000 citizens are now living in public parks, hospitals, churches and on the street. This third war took place in light of the continuous Israeli blockade that was imposed in June 2007 and following the Egyptian campaign to destroy the tunnels between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, which used to be an important source of goods and revenues. Losses were estimated just two weeks after the start of this latest Israeli war at $3 billion, according to a statement by Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs Mohammad Mustafa, while the Palestinian unity government estimated these losses at $5 billion.

The reconstruction process will face numerous dilemmas, such as prioritizing relevant interventions and providing necessary funding. An estimated 12,000 displaced families will not be able to return to their homes and will be forced to stay in schools, which implies that classes will not start for at least another year. This will turn the entire Gaza Strip into a massive refugee camp with tens of thousands of tents occupying vast areas of agricultural lands.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/gaza-war-reconstruction-infrastructure-destruction.html#ixzz3ABLCvudJ

[Jefferson23]

38. Amal Alamuddin says will not serve on UN Gaza probe panel

Amal Alamuddin, a British-Lebanese lawyer, who is also the fiancée of American Hollywood actor George Clooney, said on Tuesday she would not be serving on the three-member UN Gaza probe panel.

The commission will look into the IDF’s actions in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza over the past two months and investigate possible violations of international law.


snip*
Earlier on Monday, as the UN named its appointments to the much-talked about panel, Israel's Foreign Ministry was quick to respond, specifically to the organization naming William Schabas as head of the Human Rights Council’s probe into the IDF’s actions.

The ministry's spokesman Yigal Palmor said nominating a chairman, "whose opinions and positions against Israel are well known, proved beyond any doubt that Israel cannot expect justice from such a body."

Acoording to Palmor, the Council's report "has already been written and remains only to be signed.”

The commission is due to submit its findings to the UNHRC in Geneva in March, 2015.

http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Amal-Alamuddin-says-will-not-serve-on-UN-Gaza-probe-panel-370801

[Jefferson23]

39. Hamas welcomes UN panel on Gaza assault

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas on Tuesday welcomed the UN decision to appoint a panel to investigate possible violations of humanitarian law during Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip, a statement said.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement that Hamas welcomed the move, which he said would be a probe into Israeli "war crimes on Gaza."

The UN Human Rights Council on Monday appointed a three-member panel to look into possible humanitarian law violations throughout the assault.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=720036

[Jefferson23]

40. Court clears way to demolish homes of Israeli teen trio’s killers

Rejects petitions while delaying destruction until Thursday to enable study of how neighboring houses may be affected.

By Revital Hovel

The High Court of Justice yesterday rejected three petitions against the army’s decision to raze the homes of the suspected kidnapper-murderers of three Israeli teens.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.610068

[Jefferson23]

41. Bennett: Salary transfer to Hamas is calm for money to terrorism

Senior minister slams agreement taking shape in Cairo, calling it a 'dangerous euphemism'; 'It's a diplomatic protection: Pay us - we'll shoot at your later, don't pay us - we'll shoot at you now,' Bennett says.

Roi Kais
Latest Update: 08.12.14, 16:10 / Israel News

Economy Minister and member of the Security Cabinet, Naftali Bennett, has gone on the offensive on Tuesday against an agreement taking shape in Cairo with the Palestinian factions, the details of which were published for the first time on Ynet on Monday night.

Details of an agreement obtained by Ynet show Israel has agreed to ease the blockade on Gaza, but not lift it entirely. In contrast, there is no agreement to demilitarize Gaza, as demanded by Israel.

Ynet has learned that Israel will agree to transfer the Hamas government salaries through a third party – facilitating the payment of Hamas officials' salaries. It was further agreed that Israel would gradually expand the fishing area off the Gaza coast, initially expected to be six nautical miles. It was also decided that construction materials will enter Gaza under close supervision.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4557855,00.html

[Jefferson23]

42. Netanyahu fighting for Gaza truce, Bennett fighting against it

Talks resume in Cairo as new political front opens in Jerusalem.

By Barak Ravid

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to persuade cabinet ministers to support the long-term truce with Gaza being negotiated in Cairo – while Economy Minister Naftali Bennett is trying to build opposition to it.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.610169

[bemildred]

43. Former Israeli ambassador to the US: Establish commission of inquiry into IDF conduct during Gaza Op

Former Israeli ambassador to the US Michal Oren has proposed to establish immediately an Israeli commission of inquiry into the conduct of the IDF during Operation Protective Edge. According to Oren, the move is intended to prevent lawsuits from being filed against Israel at the International Criminal Court in the Hague,

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4557991,00.html

[Jefferson23]

44. lol.

Chicken shit that he is...good luck in the court of public opinion too.

[bemildred]

45. INTERVIEW-Israel says no white phosphorous fired in Gaza this time

GROUND FORCES COMMAND BASE, Israel, Aug 12 (Reuters) - I srael fired almost five times more artillery shells into Gaza during the last month of fighting than in the 2008-2009 war there but did not use controversial white phosphorous this time around, an Israeli general said on Tuesday.

Criticised by human rights groups after the previous conflict for posing a burn risk to civilians by shelling the congested Palestinian enclave with white phosphorous to create smoke-screens, Israel said last year it was phasing out those rounds.

In the conflict with Hamas-led Palestinian guerrillas that erupted in July 8, Israeli gunners masked troop advances only with locally made M116 "gray smoke" rounds that contain no white phosphorous, artillery chief Brigadier-General Roy Riftin said.

"Smokescreens based on white phosphorous were certainly not used. We enforced this in an extreme fashion," he said in an interview at ground forces headquarters in southern Israel.

http://www.trust.org/item/20140812143705-pa3oo/

[bemildred]

46. Government announces findings of review of licensed exports to Israel

The government has today (12 August 2014) announced the findings of a review of licensed exports to Israel.

The government has today announced the findings of a review of licensed exports to Israel. It has found that the vast majority of exports currently licensed for Israel are not for items that could be used by Israeli forces in operations in Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas.

Twelve licences have now been identified for components which could be part of equipment used by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza. Currently there is a ceasefire in place and the government continues to urge both sides to respect this and to secure a lasting end to hostilities through the negotiations taking place in Cairo. However, in the event of a resumption of significant hostilities, the government is concerned that it would not be able to clarify if the export licence criteria are being met. It would therefore suspend these licences as a precautionary step.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

We welcome the current ceasefire in Gaza and hope that it will lead to a peaceful resolution. However the UK Government has not been able to clarify if the export licence criteria are being met. In light of that uncertainty we have taken the decision to suspend these existing export licences in the event of a resumption of significant hostilities.

No new licences of military equipment have been issued for use by the Israeli Defence Force during the review period and as a precautionary measure this approach will continue until hostilities cease.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-findings-of-review-of-licensed-exports-to-israel

[Jefferson23]

47. Limited breakthrough in Cairo ceasefire negotiations

CAIRO (Ma'an) -- Ongoing ceasefire talks are slowly beginning to take shape, sources in Cairo told Ma'an, although several outstanding issues need to be finalized to produce a permanent agreement.

Palestinian sources close to the talks said Tuesday that six points have been agreed upon while a further five need to be resolved.

Israel has agreed to increase the daily number of truckloads of goods to Gaza from 250 to 600 via the Kerem Shalom and Nahal Oz crossings, the sources said.

Israel has also agreed to allow money transfers from the Palestinian Authority to Gaza to cover the salaries of former Hamas civil servants.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=720146

[bemildred]

51. UN investigators to start Gaza work next month

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A three-member panel appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate allegations of humanitarian law violations during Israel's Gaza assault will start working in the Gaza Strip next month.

Ibrahim Khreisha, Palestine’s representative at the UN, told Ma'an that William Schabas will be heading the panel along with Canadian international law professor and Doudou Diene of Senegal, the UN's former Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism.

Another woman will be replacing British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who has declined the UN's appointment.

“A team of seven to eight members will be assigned by the High Commissioner’s office to be working alongside with the panel,” Khreisha said.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=720090

[bemildred]

50. IDF Soldiers Claim ‘Hand of God’ and ‘Clouds of Glory’ Saving Israel

One of the more remarkable stories to come out of the latest Israel-Hamas war are reports of recent miracles being witnessed and experienced by Israel Defense Forces personnel.

Jerusalem-based news agency Israel Today translated a Hebrew account of an Iron Dome air defense operator who has reported witnessing a miracle. According to the operator’s account of the events, Israel’s air defense system Iron Dome twice failed to destroy an incoming Gaza missile that was going to kill a lot of innocent civilians until at that very last moment a major east wind pushed it into the sea. The operator assigns credit for the gusty east wind to the “hand of God.”

Israel’s “Iron Dome” is a missile air defense system that has a 90 percent success rate of shooting projectiles aimed at sensitive targets out of the air. So the operator was shocked at its failure to destroy the Hamas missile. Israel Today recorded the Iron Dome air defense operator’s account of what happened:

A missile was fired from Gaza. Iron Dome precisely calculated [its trajectory]. We know where these missiles are going to land down to a radius of 200 meters. This particular missile was going to hit either the Azrieli Towers, the Kirya (Israel’s equivalent of the Pentagon) or [a central Tel Aviv railway station]. Hundreds could have died.

We fired the first [interceptor]. It missed. Second [interceptor]. It missed. This is very rare. I was in shock. At this point we had just four seconds until the missile lands. We had already notified emergency services to converge on the target location and had warned of a mass-casualty incident.

Suddenly, Iron Dome (which calculates wind speeds, among other things) shows a major wind coming from the east, a strong wind that … sends the missile into the sea. We were all stunned. I stood up and shouted, ‘There is a God!’

I witnessed this miracle with my own eyes. It was not told or reported to me. I saw the hand of God send that missile into the sea.”

http://www.thetrumpet.com/article/12005.18.0.0/idf-force-soldiers-claim-hand-of-god-and-clouds-of-glory-saving-israel

[Jefferson23]

52. When logic and proportion

Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head

[bemildred]

53. A stirring testimonial to the efficacy or Iron Dome, I thought. nt

[Jefferson23]

54. They need help, all of them. n/t

[bemildred]

56. Or better drugs. nt

[Israeli]

65. An inside look at IDF's 'faith-driven' warriors .....

read and learn bemildred ......read and learn .......


http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/israel-idf-army-religious-zionism-ofer-winter-ethos-god.html

[bemildred]

69. Oh I know, Israeli.

What always strikes me is the habitual and unthinking dishonesty in how that sort of issue is "explained". That habit of just making some stuff up to explain what it is you want to do for completely different reasons which you cannot discuss explicitly because it would be uncomfortable, and of course the "what are you going to do about it" aspect, the arbitary power.

And also that senior staff officers ALLOW that sort of thing to go on.

I assume that a good deal of the poor performance of the IDF in the current hostilities stems from catering to those sorts of imbeciles. Faith based war does not lead to lower casualties. Wallowing in religious dogma does not improve ones thinking on the front line. That is for the cannon fodder.

Edit: we have similar things going on in our own military, and I think that has much to do with the fecklessness we so often display when asked to do something more tricky than bombing the crap out of somebody.

[Jefferson23]

57. Netanyahu 'Softening' Ministers for Concessions to Hamas?

August 12, 2014

One minister defines personal meetings as 'softening talks' to rally support for highly controversial truce conditions with Hamas.

By Ari Yashar

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held personal talks with party chairperson coalition members Tuesday night to update them on the Cairo truce talks with Hamas, and according to reports, to prepare them to receive controversial concessions to the terror organization.

The ministers Netanyahu met with included Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu), Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), Economics Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (Hatnua), along with Security Cabinet member and Communications Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud).

One of the ministers reportedly defined the meetings as "softening talks" to accept concessions to Hamas, according to Yedioth Aharonoth.

In fact, Netanyahu's private meetings came in place of a security cabinet meeting which the prime minister called off, indicating his attempts to rally support for a potentially highly contentious truce agreement.

Truce condition "rewards" for Hamas

According to the details about the truce conditions Israel has reportedly agreed to in order to stop the terror war launched by Hamas, Israel would pay the salaries of Hamas officials through a third-party country, and the siege on the terrorist enclave of Gaza would be lightened, reports Yedioth Aharonoth.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183984#.U-p952NA2zI

[Jefferson23]

58. Israel, U.S. Reject UN's Gaza Panel

Israel’s Foreign Ministry blasted on Monday the newly appointed United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) panel that will investigate allegations that Israel violated humanitarian law in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry noted that the appointment of Canadian professor William Schabas, who is known for his anti-Israel positions, means that the panel’s report has already been written.

Schabas has in the past called for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to be prosecuted for war crimes.

"The results are known in advance," a Foreign Ministry official said on Monday night.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor added, "If any further proof was required, the appointment of the chairman of the committee, whose views and positions against Israel are known to all, proves beyond any doubt that Israel cannot expect justice from such a body, and that the panel’s report has already been written and all that is left is to determine who will sign it.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department joined in on the criticism on Monday, with deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf telling reporters that any investigation related to Gaza should be done in a way that is non-biased.

“We’ve always said that if there are specific incidents that need investigation, that we think they should be. We said that with UNRWA schools and we’ve said that in other cases as well,” she said.

At the same time, she added, “there’s a way to investigate things that’s not one-sided and biased, and there’s a way that we don’t support.”

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183957#.U-p-7mNA2zI

[azurnoir]

59. but of course did we expect anything else?

[Jefferson23]

60. No.

The report is expected in March, 2015? I think.

[azurnoir]

61. geez nothing like planning ahead

[Jefferson23]

62. How many time have we seen this show? n/t

[hack89]

64. Smart move by the UN

Appoint a panel they know will be rejected so they can claim they tried without actually doing anything. They can toss a bone to the anti-Israel crowd without actually having to try to solve an unsolvable problem.

[azurnoir]

66. like the US and Israel rejecting this was not more predictable than snow in Alaska in January?

doubt it will make very much difference anymore

[hack89]

67. Exactly my point. Nt

[azurnoir]

68. that was before the panel was even established it will go on even without the blessings of the US

and Israel, even though Avigdor Lieberman is saying Israel will not cooperate it will still proceed, the US does not rule the rest of world

[hack89]

70. The UN lives for panels and investigations

it is how they give the impression of doing something. It is the action part they seldom follow up on. The UN is not structured to force change against powerful countries. Which makes sense when you consider that it was created by powerful countries.

[Jefferson23]

63. UK says to suspend some Israel arms exports if Gaza truce fails

After reviewing all licenses to Israel last week, Britain announces sale of 12 military items would be temporarily halted pending further investigation if fighting resumes.

Reuters
Published: 08.12.14, 21:51 / Israel Business

Britain said on Tuesday it would suspend 12 licenses to export military items to Israel, including tank, aircraft and radar parts, if hostilities with Hamas in Gaza resumed, citing concerns the exports may be used to breach international laws.

Britain said last week it was reviewing all arms export licenses to Israel after fierce fighting which has resulted in heavy civilian casualties in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.


That review concluded on Tuesday that 12 licenses would be temporarily suspended pending further investigation if the current truce breaks down and heavy fighting resumes.

"The UK government has not been able to clarify if the export license criteria are being met," Business Secretary Vince Cable said in a statement.

"In light of that uncertainty, we have taken the decision to suspend these existing export licenses in the event of a resumption of significant hostilities."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4558072,00.html