Blog Title: UN-Truth

New turn in the war on Gaza? UPDATED

At around 0800 hours in Jerusalem (and Gaza and Lebanon), reports came in of three Katuysha missile attacks on the Israeli coastal city of Nahariyya. Three hours later, there were reports of more Katuyshas falling on the north of Israel. Nahariyya is north of Tel Aviv, south of Haifa. Nahariyya is closer to Lebanon than to read more..

Aid might go in to Gaza, but journalists do not

Yesterday, the Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Israel “requested that the international media be allowed to enter Gaza together with the aid via the other crossings given that EREZ is closed”. Today, that apparently did not happen, despite the three-hour “humanitarian respite” that the IDF promised, on rather notice, for Tuesday afternoon. The FPA also read more..

What provision has the IDF made to help civilians in Gaza?

It was announced today (after a phone call Tuesday night between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert), that the IDF would stop attacking Gaza for three hours today, and perhaps daily, in order to address what was finally recognized Tuesday as a “full-blown humanitarian crisis” (in the words of read more..

“No other country in the world…”

“No other country in the world does what Israel does”, say some of my Israeli friends. “We tell the people to evacuate when we are going to bomb”. Yes, but where do they think the evacuees are going to go? There is really nowhere to go. Nowhere in Gaza is prepared to handle thousands and thousands read more..

Visa problems

Travelled to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge on 4 January, the last day of my journalist Entry visa. “You are not a journalist!”, I was told by the Israeli Government Press Office — because I do not have a job. Of course I am a journalist, I respond — If I do coverage, read more..

USA blocks UN Security Council call for cease-fire in Gaza - UPDATED

Relying on the Associated Press’ indefatigueable Edith Lederer at UNHQ/NY, we learn that “French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert, the council president, said the 15 council members could not agree on a statement in closed discussions held after Israel launched a ground invasion into the Gaza Strip on Saturday. But he said there were ’strong convergences’ read more..

Israel announces naval blockade of Gaza

The IDF spokesperson has announced a naval blockade of Gaza. This announcement says that “In accordance with the decision of the Defense Minister and current security assessments, as of Saturday January 3rd, 2009, the IDF has begun enforcing a naval blockade for 20 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip. The length of Gaza’s shore is read more..

Israel says ground invasion of Gaza is underway - UPDATED

The announcement was made on Israeli television shortly after 8:30p.m. in Jerusalem — and Gaza. The TV showed soldiers, through a night-vision lense, walking in single file, wearing olive green uniforms and carrying backpacks. One soldier had a dog on a leash. They were walking on a dirt road — but it read more..

At the end of Week One of unprecedented Israeli military attacks on Gaza

Already, on Saturday, a half hour before the one week mark to Operation Solid (or Cast) Lead against Gaza, Haaretz reported that “Israel early Saturday morning killed the third top Hamas leader in Gaza since the start of its military offensive in the Strip a week ago. Abu Zakaria al-Jamal, a commander of the read more..

Foreign Journalists still not allowed into Gaza on Friday - UPDATED

Despite an interim decision by the Israeli Supreme Court (or High Court of Justice) on Thursday morning that — when the Erez crossing to and from Gaza is open for passage of humanitarian cases — the IDF should allow small numbers of foreign (not Israeli) journalists, organized into reporting “pools” to distribute their reports to read more..