Israel continued its bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip through Tuesday and into Wednesday morning as the death toll continues to mount. So far, at least 69 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, including 17 children.
Israel started bombing Gaza on Monday, which was framed as retaliation for rocket fire from Gaza that did minimal damage. After the first series of Israeli airstrikes targeted residential neighborhoods and killed 20 Palestinians, including 10 children, the rocket fire out of Gaza has stepped up. According to Haaretz, at least five Israelis have been killed.
The initial rocket attacks from Gaza were a response to violence against Palestinian protesters in occupied East Jerusalem who are demonstrating against planned evictions of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood that will make way for Jewish settlers. Amid the chaos, Israeli police stormed al-Aqsa mosque and fired rubber bullets and tear gas, wounding hundreds of Palestinians.
Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday targeted a 13-story residential building in Gaza. The building’s residents were reportedly evacuated before the strike, and Hamas responded by firing rockets towards Tel Aviv.
Israel shows no signs of seeking a de-escalation of the situation. The Jerusalem Post quoted an unnamed Israeli official who said Israel is not ready for a ceasefire. “There will be a ceasefire when we’re ready for it,” the official said. A report from Israel’s Channel 12 News said Israel declined an offer from Egypt to negotiate a ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel will step up the “might and frequency” of the attacks on Gaza. “We are in the midst of a campaign,” he said. “Since yesterday, the IDF has carried out hundreds of attacks on Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. We have taken out commanders, attacked a large number of their high-quality targets. It was concluded that we will increase both the might and the frequency of the attacks.”
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz also said Israel will continue bombing Gaza. “The purpose of the operation is to strike Hamas hard, to weaken it and to make it regret its decision,” he said. “Every bomb has an address. We will continue this in both the coming hours and the coming days. It’s hard to estimate how long it will take.”
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman said the military is launching a major offensive in Gaza using about 80 fighter jets, including F-35s. The IDF has named the offensive “Operation Guardian of the Walls.”
Over in the US, Biden administration officials have condemned rocket attacks coming out of Gaza, called for a de-escalation, but have failed to denounce or even mildly criticize the Israeli airstrikes that killed Palestinian children.
F-35’s are bombing Gaza. Not only is that absurd overkill, it shames the US before the world.
Israeli overreaction yes, but this site is too tolerant (and silent) on Hamas’s role in the action. It needs understood that Hamas fires rockets purposely from schools and areas with dense civilian populations to deter responses.
That certainly doesn’t warrant the Israel airstrikes on those civilian areas, but the way its covered by antiwar.com skews one way. Give me all the facts of both sides, and let me make up my own mind on which is side is wrong (or which side is more wrong, when they’re both wrong like in this case). Your skewed covered leaves me to question your credibility.
“Hamas fires rockets purposely from schools and areas with dense civilian populations”
There isn’t any place else inside the tiny Gaza prison with near 2 million prisoners.
That’s overly simplistic, and still doesn’t make it right.
Again, present both sides, and feel free to interject that tidbit if you wish. Otherwise I have to assume things are being omitted to push an agenda, and I lose trust in the outlet. I don’t see a single thing on antiwar.com about Hamas’s role, and they are not innocent in this either.
It’s “antiwar.com”… rockets being fired by anyone should be seen as bad
“I don’t see a single thing on antiwar.com about Hamas’s role”
Then you didn’t read the article you’re commenting on.
One sentence?
I mean, you guys should just change the site to “antiisrael.com” and let your bias flags fly.
I’ll stick to my principles that any side that fires rockets at civilians OR airstrikes civilians deserves condemned.
Putting it legally, and absurdly mildly, Israel is the occupier. International law allows resistance by the Palestinians.
In 1967, Moshe Dayan told a journalist that if in ten years Israel was still an occupier, it would be the end of the idea of Israel.
He also said the Palestinians would be made to live like dogs.
In 1967, after the war they started, after the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty.
If we want to talk legalities, then international law also allows airstrikes as retaliations for the rockets. I think we both agree that doesn’t make them right.
I think your justifications are gross, however, for attacks at civilians. If the Palestinians want to resist against the actual Israeli government, that’s one thing, and I’d be more than fine with that. “Resistance” against civilians is not.
To say that an illegal occupier has the right to retaliate against resistance is absurd. Israel has only one legal option, get out.
The occupier has to no longer occupy. Israel and the Western world will not let families of those driven from their home return, so they must have freedom to have what the rest of the Western world has.
Self determination.
Very true and nice.However, the Palestinians, just like the Israelis, want it all. Both sides want the other guys gone or dead.
Please look up the tally as to how many children have been killed by Israeli air strikes. Look up the video of Palestinian children strafed as they played on a beach.
The civilians in the occupied territories are settlers, with automatic weapons. They come from within Israel, Tel Aviv perhaps, and the Bronx, U.S.A. (WTF!).
There is no army, navy, air force, coast guard in the occupied territories. Palestinians are trapped in a nightmare. Nightmare.
How are Palestinians suppose to “resist” against the Israeli government with no fighter jets, no drones, no guided missiles, no naval ships, no submarines?You really have no soul.
Good! Then take yourself elsewhere where your propaganda will be appreciated – like Times Of Israel… Or Stormfront.
Good! Then take yourself elsewhere where your propaganda will be appreciated – like Times Of Israel… Or Stormfront.
And I’ll stick to the same principles. It’s just that I’ll also stick to the facts instead of making shit up about the reportage.
What about a reference to Likud’s role? Where’s that?
The “antiIsrael” attitude is the creation made by Israel from the day that 700,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes, to the continuing brutality inflicted on the Palestinian. It is funny though, that some of the Jews seeking to steal Palestinian home have Brooklyn accents, like the man in the viral video who moved into a Palestinian home, because he could, then flat out told that woman he intended to steal her home, or, “someone else will”.
You just don’t get it, or, you just don’t give a sh-t.
And I’ll stick to the same principles. It’s just that I’ll also stick to the facts instead of making shit up about the reportage.
The hypocrisy among you people is astounding. Theft, murder, etc., and you make excuses. Sick!
“Again, present both sides, and feel free to interject that tidbit if you wish.”
“Tidbit”? It destroys your entire argument. Unless of course you’re saying Hamas doesn’t have ANY right to defend itself.
Just the kind of responses I’d expect from fake “anti-war” folks. You’re just as bad as the propagandists at those crap sites, or the ones on the left and right, unable to see the nuanced, principled positions. No, targeting (or accepting the collateral damage of) civilians by any side is wrong, no matter which side you favor.
The point was Hamas can’t fire rockets anywhere from Gaza that aren’t “dense civilian populations” because people are crammed into the strip like sardines in a can. It wasn’t about condoning Hamas targeting civilians. To say it was a “tidbit” is ridiculous.
Hamas rejected the Oslo peace talks-they threw away any chance for peace,however difficult.
Hamas rejected the Oslo peace talks-they threw away any chance for peace,however difficult.
Completely irrelevant.
Quite relevant-given the choice of talking about peace, Hamas chose war.
The Oslo peace talks doesn’t have anything to do with what the conversation was about. It was about the fact that Gaza is packed like a sardine can with people and there is no place for Hamas to fire off rockets that isn’t densely populated. This conversation was about this confrontation. So no, it wasn’t relevant.
So, you use the Trump, “there are good people on both sides” argument.
Well yes, Palestinians walk around Tel Aviv with automatic weapons, move into Israeli homes with the intent to steal the homes, etc.
Hamas was born in a refugee camp. You lack understanding as to why there is a Hamas. Unlike the PLO, Hamas did things for the people, did not horde money for their own pleasure. It is the reason they were successful in winning an election (which brought an immediate response from Israel and the U.S. ).
So, you would advise Palestinians to accept what is, the continuing Nakba, just be so very happy, greet settlers who have automatic weapons with a friendly “hello” and invite them to dinner, over which they can discuss when their home will be bulldozed or stolen, help the settlers burn Palestinian crops, pump sewage into the irrigation canals?
Gee, why don’t the Palestinians see that things are really not that bad. Kumbaya!
“F-35’s are bombing Gaza.”
That isn’t “overreaction”. That’s outright vile, inhuman terrorism.
Just like sending rockets at civilian targets. I don’t disagree with you, fyi.
And I don’t disagree with you, fyi. But one side doesn’t know where their rockets are going while the other has precision munitions that are sent exactly where they are intended. That’s why it’s terrorism and not an overreaction.
Hamas does know where their rockets are going.They sacrifice lives of Israeli civilians and their own civilians who will be killed in return,to will a propaganda victory.
Sure lets say that. But even a die hard firster like yourself would have to admit that Israel’s F-35’s are above anything Hamas can throw their way. And isn’t Israel doing the same thing as Hamas? Sacrificing the lives of the civilians in Gaza and their own civilians who will be killed in return, also “to will” a propaganda victory? So the fact that you call Hamas terrorists, what does that make Israel? And since they’re using much more lethal weaponry to carry out their terrorism, wouldn’t that make them terrorists worse than Hamas?
Would WW2 era heavy mortars be more humane-stop being an infant.
And that’s what you got from my comment? Jesus Christ, you are a certifiable moron.
“Hamas fires rockets”…who told you that ? Rockets were fired, you don’t know who fired them, and neither do I.
Apparently sources with less bias than antiwar.com
“‘Hamas fires rockets’…who told you that ?”
Um … Hamas.
You mean the military wing of Hamas ? The disjointed, isolated cells of fighters has a “spokesman” ?
So the narrative goes…”Hamas” fires rockets into Israel to kill civilians, then Israel responds by attacking military targets. Very handy….if the Israeli militancy chose to write the narrative, seems that is exactly how it would sound…year after year. Then, they empty missile stocks, and Raytheon, or some such, restock the shelves.
Of course, for as long as there has been a militant Palestinian resistance, none of them have read Che Guevaras’ “Guerilla War” in which he describes terror and guerrilla targets to be military, or leadership targets, not civilians.
So much “new and approved” dishsoap.
You mean the military wing of Hamas ? The disjointed, isolated cells of fighters has a “spokesman” ?
So the narrative goes…”Hamas” fires rockets into Israel to kill civilians, then Israel responds by attacking military targets. Very handy….if the Israeli militancy chose to write the narrative, seems that is exactly how it would sound…year after year. Then, they empty missile stocks, and Raytheon, or some such, restock the shelves.
Of course, for as long as there has been a militant Palestinian resistance, none of them have read Che Guevaras’ “Guerilla War” in which he describes terror and guerrilla targets to be military, or leadership targets, not civilians.
So much “new and approved” dishsoap.
I don’t approve of it but I acknowledge it the same way I acknowledge a prison riot. In Attica, correction officers were killed which is a terrible thing but at the end of the day we accepted that we had to improve our prisons.
Gaza is an open air prison. Just calling them terrorists as if they are irrational and have no grievances and destroying their apartment buildings is not going to solve anything unless you are willing to go all the way.
1. the IDF attacked Al Aqsa mosque.
2. evicted long term residents of Jerusalem and other places.
3. have denied them fishing in the Mediterranean.
4. Closed their airport.
5. Controls the clean water.
6. Controls how many hours per day the Palestinians receive electricity to run water and sewage pumps.
7. Settlers release sewage on Palestinian crops.
8. Settlers burn crops, steal homes, run around in occupied territories with automatic weapons.
9. There is natural gas in the waters besides fish that Israel will not let Palestinians extract.
10. Getting back to the attack on the mosque, how would anyone react to a police force barging in on services and f-cking people up?
I hope you’re not directing at me those assumption… calling them terrorists, or that they have no grievances. I completely acknowledge their grievances and right to resist.
At the same time, when they direct their efforts at civilians, they are in the wrong and deserve calling out by anyone that claims to be antiwar.
The d-mn rockets they fire have no guidance, unlike the rockets fired from Israeli jets. There is no comparison. No different from the bombing campaign we have had in Afghanistan, where our bombing has killed 1600 children.
We paid for the Israeli jets, rockets, ammo. Since the days of Alan Cranston Israel has been forgiven money owed by them for weapons.
Israel has the bomb. Israel commits acts against humanity. Under the Leahy Rules, we should send no more money. FORTHWITH!
solipsism
Yes, it appears there’s no criminality so shameful Israel/US wont practice on this helpless population in order to “cleanse” them and acquire their coastal real estate.
They aren’t civilians, they’re settlers and a key component of the Zionist war machine.
There’s nothing antiwar about this comment. Its gross. Its the same as saying you deserve death because you (presumably) are a US citizen and the US govt is also a killing machine. If so, I’ll wait patiently for you to take your own life for your presumed role in the atrocities and war machine. Most civilians are useful idiots, pawns… but innocent lives.
Warmongering Moron.
Its still funny to me you think I support Israel. Nuance is lost on the fervently, religiously biased.
I’m saying they’re not civilians but heavily armed irregulars of the IDF who backs them to the hilt on their regular pogroms against the people of the land… They’re fare game.
That may not be anti-war but it is pro-justice and justice is the precursor for peace.
They should also not be referred to as “settlers,” which implies that they’re moving onto unoccupied land.
They’re armed squatters.
If you live anywhere in the US, you are living on lands stolen from the Native Americans-give yours back. The
majority of Jews living in Israel are descendants of peoples driven from their homes in Europe and the Mid-east. Check the waves of peoples into the Roman empire and the UK. People have to learn to live together.
Then let them seek recompense from the Europeans… Leave the Palestinians alone, they’re innocent.
All the money in the world wont buy people a safe place to live.Let the Arab nations who expelled their Jewish peoples take the Palestinians in.
Let the Arab countries provide recompense for the provide recompense for the Jewish peoples they abused and expelled.
They left on their own volition for the opportunity to be second class citizens and farm workers to the Zionist colony in Palestine.
so you rewrite the word “civilian”-how modest of you.
Yes, it appears there’s no criminality so shameful Israel/US wont practice on this helpless population in order to “cleanse” them and acquire their coastal real estate.
They have tried peaceful resistance only to be, like Rachel Corrie, run over by a bulldozer. Even BDS got criminalized here and in Europe.
I don’t approve of it but I acknowledge it the same way I acknowledge a prison riot. In Attica, correction officers were killed which is a terrible thing but at the end of the day we accepted that we had to improve our prisons.
Gaza is an open air prison. Just calling them terrorists as if they are irrational and have no grievances and destroying their apartment buildings is not going to solve anything unless you are willing to go all the way.
1. the IDF attacked Al Aqsa mosque.
2. evicted long term residents of Jerusalem and other places.
3. have denied them fishing in the Mediterranean.
4. Closed their airport.
Factum fundamentum: Israel is a 19th century colonial race state with an ideology cognate and coeval with Nazism.
Factum fundamentum: Israel is a 19th century colonial race state with an ideology cognate and coeval with Nazism.
You clowns think I disagree with you. I don’t. Yet how you can’t see that targeting civilians by Hamas is also evil escapes me.
That isn’t how it started according to the article.
What makes you think they have sophisticated missile guidance systems to make surgical strikes; or the ability to overpower the Iron Dome protection of BB & Co., and the military military compounds?
Yes, the Palestinians need to learn to turn the other cheek and offer up their sufferings.
For this we will pay.
For this we will pay.
Israel is acting just like the Nazis with a 10 kills policy for every one of their own dead after an attack by a band of partisans. Except they’ll probably exceed that ratio. Did those doggone Warsaw Ghetto inhabitants harm any “civilians” when they had nothing to lose and did that insurrection?
When your side behaves so badly it cannot be defended, attack the reports for telling anyone about it. We see a lot of that right now.
When your side behaves so badly it cannot be defended, attack the reports for telling anyone about it. We see a lot of that right now.
A concentration camp, a Muthla Pass that Israelis can bomb at will, and do.
Not a single word of criticism from the British government or the Opposition,
And from our President. Joe, that is. Scared to death of AIPAC.
In other article on anti-war.com:
“Not just Sheikh Jarrah: Palestinians elsewhere are facing eviction
Palestinian families across Israel and the occupied territories have been confronting ongoing eviction and demolition threats for decades”
The ethnic cleansing continues unabated by the “only Western-style democracy in the Middle Easts” to make room for the foreign Settlers
Israel propagandists always refer to the Palestinians as “Arabs”, which they are, but the broadening from the former term to the latter, implies, “Well those Arabs have all those countries, so little bitty Israel gets to have all the land of Ancient Israel.”
The Western media also ALWAYS portrays Israeli actions as retaliation, but this story and a few other media sources indicate the recent genesis of this crisis.
There never ever was any serious consideration of a viable Two State solution by Israel’s government, and probably not ours either.