World News (June 19, 2018 Edition)

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Read moreWorld News (June 19, 2018 Edition)

US Blocking UN Gaza Measures Enables Israel to Continue ‘Onslaught’ – Palestine

US Blocking UN Gaza Measures Enables Israel to Continue ‘Onslaught’ – Palestine:

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement to address the deadly clashes in Gaza which has enabled Israel’s defense forces to continue its onslaught, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN Riyadh Mansour told reporters.

“It’s very unfortunate that a few minutes ago one country out of fifteen broke the silence this evening while the fourteen were ready to adopt this statement,” Mansour said on Friday. “This is very irresponsible and it lacks sensitivity by the delegation of the United States of America.”

Read moreUS Blocking UN Gaza Measures Enables Israel to Continue ‘Onslaught’ – Palestine

UK Labour leader slams Israel’s killing of over 30 Palestinians

UK Labour leader slams Israel’s killing of over 30 Palestinians:

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has condemned the West’s silence over Israel’s killing of over 30 Palestinians during anti-occupation rallies in the Gaza Strip.

Corbyn read a message at a rally on Saturday outside Downing Street in London, saying “The silence from international powers with the responsibility of bringing a just settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict must end.”

“The killing and wounding of yet more unarmed Palestinian protesters yesterday by Israeli forces in Gaza is an outrage,” he told the crowd, adding that “firing live ammunition into crowds of unarmed civilians is illegal and inhumane and cannot be tolerated.”

Read moreUK Labour leader slams Israel’s killing of over 30 Palestinians

IDF Kills 7 Palestinians During 2nd “Great March Of Return” Protest; 2 Teenagers Among The Dead

IDF Kills 7 Palestinians During 2nd “Great March Of Return” Protest; 2 Teenagers Among The Dead:

Update (3 pm ET): Now that the sun has set on Gazans’ second “Great Return March”, Reuters is reporting that Israeli troops shot and killed a total of seven Palestinian protesters while wounding at least 200 along the Israel-Gaza border.

That raises the death toll to 27 between today’s demonstration and last Friday.

The dead include two minors – a 16 and 17-year-old boy.

The crowds were slightly smaller than last week’s demonstration. Protesters gathered around five different encampments set up along the border, Reuters reported.

IDF snipers have been instructed to shoot any demonstrator who wanders too close to the border fence – something that many younger Gazans have tried.

* * *

After more than 20 Palestinians were killed during protests along the Gaza border fence last Friday, all of whom were subsequently labeled as violent terrorists by the IDF, and hundreds more were wounded (many of them under the age of 18), thousands of Gazans marched to the border for the latest in a series of planned demonstrations leading up to the anniversary of Israel’s founding on May 15.

Read moreIDF Kills 7 Palestinians During 2nd “Great March Of Return” Protest; 2 Teenagers Among The Dead

Israel rejects calls for inquiry into Gaza violence

Israel rejects calls for inquiry into Gaza violence:

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister on Sunday rejected international calls for an investigation into deadly violence along Gaza’s border with Israel, saying troops acted appropriately and fired only at Palestinian protesters who posed a threat.

Fifteen Palestinians were killed and over 700 wounded in Friday’s violence near the Israeli border, according to Palestinian health officials. It was the area’s deadliest violence since a war four years ago.

Human rights groups have accused the army of using excessive force, and both the U.N. secretary-general and the European Union’s foreign policy chief have urged an investigation. In an interview, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel would not cooperate with a U.N. inquiry if there were one.

Read moreIsrael rejects calls for inquiry into Gaza violence

Israel Will ‘Respond’ “Inside Gaza Strip” If “Organized Terrorist Operations” Continue

Flashback:

On record:

Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘America is something that can easily be moved.’ ‘The world won’t say a thing.’ ‘The world will say we’re defending.’ (Video & Transcript)

Israel is only ‘defending’ & ‘responding’…

****

Israel Will Respond “Inside Gaza Strip” If “Organized Terrorist Operations” Continue:

As Israel inches ever-closer to an all-out war against Hezbollah in Syria (a war that could expand to encompass southern Lebanon), the IDF this week also mercilessly crushed yet another massive Hamas-organized border protest in Gaza, deploying drones to shower thousands of demonstrators with tear gas while firing live rounds and rubber-coated steel pellets into the crowd. By the time yesterday’s border clashes had ended, at least 15 Palestinians were dead and over 500 were wounded.

Of course, a spokesman for the IDF – a Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis – denied allegations of excessive use of force. He said the men killed by the IDF belonged to a violent, militant faction of Hamas, and that several dozen people – at most – were injured by live fire while the rest were merely impacted by the tear gas and other crowd-control responses. Gaza’s Shifa Hospital received 284 injured people Friday – most of them with bullet wounds. Of those, 70 were under the age of 18. And 11 were women, per the Associated Press.

Read moreIsrael Will ‘Respond’ “Inside Gaza Strip” If “Organized Terrorist Operations” Continue

Palestinians hold day of mourning after 773 ‘shot with live ammunition’

Palestinians hold day of mourning after 773 ‘shot with live ammunition’:

Gaza hospitals, running low on blood and overstretched by the huge number of wounded, were reeling after one of the enclave’s bloodiest days outside of open war, in which Israeli soldiers shot 773 people with live ammunition, according to the ministry of health.

Fifteen of the wounded died, said the ministry spokesperson Dr Ashraf al-Qidra. “Most of the dead were aged between 17 and 35 years old,” he said. “The injuries were on the upper part of the body.” He added that the remainder of the wounded, some of whom were in a critical condition, had been “shot with live ammunition”.

Read morePalestinians hold day of mourning after 773 ‘shot with live ammunition’

Israeli planes spray Palestinian farmlands in Gaza with toxic herbicides

Israeli planes spray Palestinian farmlands in Gaza with toxic herbicides:

Israeli planes have sprayed toxic chemical substances and dangerous herbicides on farmlands across the besieged Gaza Strip as the Tel Aviv regime continues its acts of aggression against the impoverished Palestinian enclave.

Nizar al-Wahedi of the Palestinian Agriculture Ministry said that the herbicides were used along the border between the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories on Sunday.

He said the Palestinian ministry was not aware of the composition of the Israeli chemicals being sprayed on Palestinian farmlands.  

Read moreIsraeli planes spray Palestinian farmlands in Gaza with toxic herbicides

Israel hits Hamas targets in Gaza with tank fire & airstrikes after 4 soldiers wounded in blast

Related info:

Ron Paul: Israel Created Hamas (Video)

Israel hits Hamas targets in Gaza with tank fire & airstrikes after 4 soldiers wounded in blast:

At least four Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were injured when a patrol was hit in an IED explosion in the Gaza Strip. Following the incident, Israel responded with tank fire and airstrikes at Hamas targets.

The IDF troops were patrolling an area near the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip when the explosion took place, the military tweeted. Four servicemen sustained injuries in the incident, the IDF spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, said in a Twitter post, adding that two of them were “severely” injured.

Read moreIsrael hits Hamas targets in Gaza with tank fire & airstrikes after 4 soldiers wounded in blast

Palestinian Double Amputee Killed By Israeli Sniper

“We have the most moral army in the world.”
– Ehud Barak

Palestinian double amputee killed by Israeli sniper:

Two days before he was killed, Ibrahim Abu Thurayyah filmed a message to the Israeli army.

“I am passing a message to the Zionist occupation army,” the 29-year-old double amputee, who lost both of his legs and a kidney in a 2008 Israeli air raid, said.

“This land is our land. We are not going to give up. America has to withdraw the declaration it made.”

Read morePalestinian Double Amputee Killed By Israeli Sniper

More Rockets Fired From Gaza, Israel Responds With Tanks And Airstrikes

– More Rockets Fired From Gaza, Israel Responds With Tanks And Airstrikes:

Following last week’s escalating protests and violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories which also witnessed two days of sporadic rocket volleys out of Gaza and retaliatory air strikes by Israel, there are new reports Monday of a fresh round of rocket attacks.

During Monday evening (local time) the Israeli Army confirmed via the IDF spokesperson that, “A short while ago, rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. Hits have not yet been identified.” And the IDF once again repeated its warning that Hamas would be retaliated against following any and all rocket fire: “In response to the rocket, an IDF tank and the IAF targeted Hamas terror posts in the southern Gaza Strip. The IDF holds Hamas responsible for these aggressive acts originating from the Gaza Strip.”

Read moreMore Rockets Fired From Gaza, Israel Responds With Tanks And Airstrikes

Israel Bombing Targets Inside Gaza After Hamas Missile Intercept

Israel Bombing Targets Inside Gaza After Hamas Missile Intercept:

After a day of escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories which left at least two Palestinians dead and dozens injured in clashes with police and Israeli soldiers, Israel is on high alert with public alarm warnings sounding across multiple communities in the south after at least three rockets were from fired from the Gaza Strip Friday evening. Meanwhile Israel has commenced retaliatory airstrikes on the Gaza Strip just after 9pm local time, and according to early unverified reports there are already possibly dozens Palestinians injured and at least one death.

In the early evening the Israeli Army issued public statements via its IDF spokesperson account saying that Israel’s Iron Dome system intercepted a rocket launched from Gaza, and there were no reports of casualties or damage. The IDF also listed multiple Israeli towns in southern Israel which had rocket alarms sound warnings of potential incoming strikes.


Photograph currently circulating among reporters purporting to show Friday night Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

And later in the evening the IDF confirmed that Israeli Air Force jets struck inside Gaza in response to the rockets: “In response to the projectiles fired at Israel from Gaza earlier today, IAF aircraft targeted a Hamas training compound & an ammunition warehouse in the Gaza Strip.”

Read moreIsrael Bombing Targets Inside Gaza After Hamas Missile Intercept

How Israel engages in ‘water apartheid’

How Israel engages in ‘water apartheid’:

Jordan Valley, Occupied West Bank – Water is not scarce in the Jordan Valley, known as the traditional “breadbasket of Palestine” – yet Palestinian farmers struggle to survive, with little water to nourish their crops. They say the amount of water that Israeli authorities allocate to them has been decreasing daily since the Second Intifada.

Meanwhile, neighbouring settlements consume copious amounts of water. They grow produce, such as bananas, requiring large amounts of water, which is mostly pumped from wells in the occupied West Bank, and they export a rich variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices to Europe and the United States.

In the village of Ein al-Beida, barbed wire divides a field in two.

Read moreHow Israel engages in ‘water apartheid’

Stephen Lendman: Palestine Burns While Trump Lauds Zionist Extremism

Palestine Burns While Trump Lauds Zionist Extremism:

Palestine is a virtual open-air prison, besieged Gaza worst of all, Trump oblivious and uncaring about deplorable conditions. More on this below.

Together with Netanyahu in Jerusalem, he “reaffirmed the unbreakable bond of friendship between Israel and the United States…built on our shared love of freedom, our shared belief in human dignity, and our shared hope for…Israel to have peace.”

Fact: America and Israel deplore peace and stability, partnering in endless wars, seeking unchallenged dominance, wanting the Middle East map redrawn to their advantage, eliminating Syrian and Iranian sovereign independence, keeping Palestinians subjugated under occupation harshness.

Read moreStephen Lendman: Palestine Burns While Trump Lauds Zionist Extremism

In Gaza, we aren’t mourning Clinton’s loss (Just don’t hold your breath for Trump.)

H/t reader squodgy:

“Again, Gaza is pushed to the back, despite continued israeli destruction and murder, with assistance from hypocritical UK & USA.”

And don’t hold your breath for Trump.


shrinking-palestine

In Gaza, we aren’t mourning Clinton’s loss:

Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama, none of them tried to allay Palestine’s misery. Hillary wouldn’t have either.

*****

Lord Balfour-Lord-Rothschild
(Click on image to enlarge.)

Israel-Has-Stolen-Palestine

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Israel Palestine Chris Hedges

Read moreIn Gaza, we aren’t mourning Clinton’s loss (Just don’t hold your breath for Trump.)

Israeli tanks once again fire shells at Gaza homes

Israeli tanks once again fire shells at Gaza homes:

The Israeli military has heavily shelled residential areas in the Gaza Strip days after a similar attack injured three Palestinians in the Israeli-besieged enclave.

The Palestinian Naba news agency reported that Israeli tanks fired artillery shells at Palestinian homes and agricultural lands in the eastern part of Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza early on Tuesday.

Read moreIsraeli tanks once again fire shells at Gaza homes

Ship carrying aid to Gaza leaves Turkish port

Ship carrying aid to Gaza leaves Turkish port:

Ankara sends second aid shipment to besieged Palestinian enclave after Turkish-Israeli deal to normalise ties.

A ship carrying aid to Gaza has departed from the Turkish city of Mersin and is on its way to the Israeli port of Ashdod, according to a senior Turkish official.

“This is the second major shipment of humanitarian aid to Gaza since an agreement was reached with the government of Israel to normalise relations,” the official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera on Saturday.

Read moreShip carrying aid to Gaza leaves Turkish port

State Department Urges US Citizens To Leave Gaza “As Soon As Possible”

State Department Urges US Citizens To Leave Gaza “As Soon As Possible”:

It’s been a busy 24 hours for John Kerry. Between fending off requests for Hillary’s emails, palling it up with Erdogan, and dealing with Afghanistan fallout, The Department of State has just issued a travel alert warning U.S. citizens against all travel to the Gaza Strip and urges those present to depart as soon as possible when border crossings are open. The announcement follows an escalation between Palestinian militants and the Israeli military over the weekend.

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The security situation remains complex in Israel and the West Bank, and can change quickly depending on the political environment, recent events, and geographic location. U.S. citizens should exercise caution and remain aware of their surroundings when traveling to areas where there are heightened tensions and security risks. The Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority both make considerable efforts to police major tourist attractions and ensure security, particularly in areas where foreigners frequently travel. This replaces the Travel Warning issued December 15, 2015.  

Read moreState Department Urges US Citizens To Leave Gaza “As Soon As Possible”

Weaponized Water: Israel Cuts off Palestinian Access to Their Own Water Supplies

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Weaponized Water: Israel Cuts off Palestinian Access to Their Own Water Supplies:

According to an experienced reporter on Palestine, 50 percent of the water to a city of 40,000 people has been cut off during Ramadan, a time “when people need to have access to food and water more than any other time.”

(MINTPRESS) Jerusalem — Israel is limiting access to water in Palestine, a long-standing practice that’s only intensified during the holy month of Ramadan, when access to water becomes even more important than usual.

Cuts in water supply are hitting the Occupied West Bank especially hard, Al-Jazeera reported on June 23.

Read moreWeaponized Water: Israel Cuts off Palestinian Access to Their Own Water Supplies