Gazans come out shocked after 22 day nightmare

[DogPoundPup]

excerpt~

Israel kept dividing Gaza Strip into two parts and said it will withdraw all forces after it evaluates the situation on the ground, especially as Islamic Hamas movement, which controls the territory, said it won't stop firing rockets into Israel unless the offensive ends completely and Israel opens crossing points into the strip.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian farmer was killed after Israeli troops, stationed on the border in southeast Gaza Strip, opened fire towards Palestinian lands, recording the first casualty after the unilateral ceasefire took effect at 02:00 a.m. (0000 GMT). IsraeliF-16 warplanes also broke sound barrier two times, causing a very loud sound blasts.

The Palestinian paramedics rushed to look for people who remained stuck in the areas where Israeli tanks operated, finding at least 95 dead bodies and tens of wounded people. "There are still more stranded people and we are trying to arrange with the Israeli side to allow the ambulance crews into more advanced areas," said Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of Palestinian ambulance service.

Hassanein added that the latest death toll exceeds 1,300 people and the number of wounded people was 5,450, including 417 children,108 women, 120 old people, 14 paramedics, four journalists and five foreigners.

In al-Zaitoun quarter in southeast Gaza city, a 6-year-old girl named Azza al-Samouni was buried under the ruins of her demolished house. The remaining members of her relatives pulled her out after seeing only some of her fingers coming out from the debris. At least 35 people were killed from her family on January 5 when Israeli forces pushed them out of their houses and struck at a warehouse where the family ended up.

The destruction was wide in al-Zaitoun as tens of houses were demolished and others were turned into black after the white phosphorus shells landed there.

entire article ... http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/18/content_10679302.htm

[geckosfeet]

1. Israeli leadership apologizes - all better.

[ananda]

2. Omnia Gaza in duo partes divisa est.

Olmert: Veni, vidi, vici....

[bushmeister0]

3. What a proud moment for Israel.

AP:

"The fragile cease-fire and first troops withdrawals on Sunday allowed families and medics to intensify the search for bodies — with more than 100 dead recovered Sunday, according to Palestinian health officials. The number of Palestinian dead now stood at more than 1,250, half of those civilians. Thirteen Israelis were killed in the fighting.

In the same area, Palestinian boys, both cynically and desperately, mined for shards of aluminum from the missiles that had killed so many. 'This big bit can bring back 1 shekel' or 25 cents, said Youssouf Dardoum, holding out a large chunk of twisted missile case.

Meanwhile, neighbors frantically dug through mounds of dirt to free a bleating sheep, trapped among duck carcasses."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_gaza_the_aftermath