Growing Unrest In Gaza Over Hamas Rule

Participants in the demonstrations in Gaza, March 15, 2019.

Haaretz: Hamas Detains Hundreds After Violently Suppressing Gaza's ‘Revolt of the Hungry’

Young Palestinians took to the streets despite violence, intimidation and Israeli attacks, to protest the dire economic situation. Hamas blames the PA for harming ‘resistance to the occupation’.

Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip violently suppressed demonstrations by hundreds of Palestinians who took to the streets across the Strip on Thursday and Friday, protesting the deteriorating economic situation under its rule. An independent Palestinian source estimates that some 500 people were held in detention on Saturday evening, after some detainees had been released.

Demonstrations were dispersed with live fire into the air, clubs, metal rods and pepper spray, Palestinian human rights organizations said. They reported journalists, some of whom were beaten and detained, were forbidden from documenting the demonstrations and had their phones confiscated, but some women watching the demonstrations from their homes documented the events.

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More News On The Growing Unrest In Gaza Over Hamas Rule

“We want to live!”: protesters in Gaza -- Gulf News
Hamas Forces Clash With Gazans Protesting High Cost of Living -- Haaretz
Hamas pummels protesters in Gaza for third straight day -- JNS
7 reporters held, ‘brutally beaten’ by Hamas for covering Gaza protests -- Times of Israel/AFP
UN envoy says Hamas violently suppressed Gaza protests -- AFP
UN Middle East Coordinator strongly condemns ‘arrests and violence’ by Hamas security forces during Gaza protests -- UN News

Israelis Destroy Mile-Long Tunnel That Stretched From Gaza Under Israel And Into Israel

The IDF will continue its efforts above and below ground to thwart any attempts to harm Israeli civilians pic.twitter.com/YGtJk37MH2

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) January 14, 2018

CNN: Israel says it destroyed mile-long Hamas tunnel

The Israeli military said Sunday it destroyed a mile-long tunnel that stretched from Gaza under Israel and into Egypt.

"Necessary coordination" was made with Egyptian authorities, Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said.

The Israeli military at first described the target as a "terror infrastructure" site, in a statement shortly after the strike, clarifying that it was a tunnel in a conference call with reporters Sunday.

Israel blamed Hamas for building the tunnel and says it holds the Islamist group responsible for all actions emanating from Gaza.

The tunnel, which began approximately 900 meters into the coastal enclave along the Gaza-Egypt border, crossed into Israel under the Kerem Shalom border crossing before continuing into Egypt.

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Update #1: IDF confirms destroying Hamas tunnel stretching into Israel, Egypt (Jerusalem Post)
Update #2: Israel says destroyed Gaza attack tunnel under Israel, Egypt borders (Reuters)

WNU Editor: The Israelis are getting very good at detecting these tunnels. The fact that it ran under an Israeli border crossing (see above video) makes one wonder if this tunnel was also built to not only smuggle goods, but to also target the crossing.

Israel Cuts The Electricity Supply To Gaza

L.A. Times: Israel approves Palestinian move to pressure Hamas with electricity cuts

Israel has approved a request by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to cut by roughly a third the electricity it provides to the Gaza Strip.

The move is aimed at undermining the Islamic militant group Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the last decade.

But the decision reached Sunday by Israel’s security Cabinet is stoking concern that it could trigger a humanitarian crisis among Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians and a new round of fighting between Hamas and Israel.

In a statement on Monday afternoon responding to news of the Israeli decision, Hamas said that power cuts are “dangerous” and would lead to an “explosion.”

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WNU Editor: Egypt is offering a deal to supply electricity .... but with a catch .... Egypt said to offer Hamas electricity in exchange for 17 wanted men (The Times of Israel). Meanwhile .... Hamas is warning of an "explosion" .... Hamas warns Gaza electricity cut will lead to ‘explosion’ (Times of Israel).

More News On Israel Cutting The Electricity Supply To Gaza

Israel cuts Gaza electricity after Palestinian president says he will no longer pay the bill for Hamas -- The Telegraph
Israel Reduces Power Supply to Gaza, as Abbas Pressures Hamas -- US News and World Report/Reuters
Israel cuts power supply to Gaza Strip as Palestinian Authority pressures Hamas -- The Independent
Israel agrees to PA request to reduce Gaza electricity -- Al Jazeera
Israel approves electricity cuts for Gaza Strip -- RT

World Bank: Gaza's Unemployment Rate Is The Highest In The World. Economy On The Verge Of Collapse

Palestinian pedestrians and a motorcyclist commute along a road between ruins of houses, which witnesses said were damaged or destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip September 7, 2014.REUTERS / Mohammed Salem

Reuters: Gaza's economy "on verge of collapse" says World Bank

* Gaza's economic output contracted 15 percent in 2014
* Unemployment the highest in the world
* World Bank warns of collapse, threat of disease

JERUSALEM, May 22 (Reuters) - Gaza's economy is in a worse state than any other in the world, with unemployment at a global high, output contracting sharply and the long-term prospects worrying, the World Bank said on Friday.

Repeated rounds of conflict, internal divisions and the embargo Israel and Egypt impose have left the territory "on the verge of collapse", the report said, with its 1.8 million population facing poverty and destitution despite vast aid.

"Blockades, war and poor governance have strangled Gaza's economy and the unemployment rate is now the highest in the world," said the report, drafted by Steen Lau Jorgensen, the World Bank's director for Gaza and the West Bank.

It is to be presented in Brussels on May 27.

Update #1: World Bank: Gaza's Economy on 'Verge of Collapse' -- VOA
Update #2: Gaza economy 'on verge of collapse' -- Newsweek

WNU Editor: Continuous war has consequences .... and until there is a political solution .... which is nowhere in sight and it will not happen with the current rulers in Gaza (and Israel) .... this misery is only going to continue.

Astronaut Photographs Gaza War From The International Space Station

My saddest photo yet. From #ISS we can actually see explosions and rockets flying over #Gaza & #Israel pic.twitter.com/jNGWxHilSy
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) July 23, 2014

‘Saddest Photo Yet’: Astronaut Photographs Gaza Offensive From Space -- RT

A German astronaut managed to capture the Gaza war zone from space while aboard the International Space Station. He called it his “saddest photo yet.”

Alexander Gerst, a German flight engineer, geophysicist and volcanologist, spread the news with a short tweet on Wednesday, as the ISS was on a flyby over Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. The image went viral.

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My Comment: At least the lights are still on.

With Hama's Massive Tunnel Network Exposed, Will Cement Now Be Restricted In Gaza?

Amir Cohen, Reuters

Gaza's Next Disaster: No Cement For Rebuilding -- Bloomberg Businessweek

To rebuild after its war with Israel, Gaza is going to need tons of cement. But Hamas has a history of using cement for military rather than civilian purposes, and importation of the vital building material is likely to be even more tightly controlled once hostilities end than it has been in the past. So big swaths of Gaza that have been devastated by Israeli bombardment will likely not be rebuilt for many years to come.

The bottom line: Visible scars from this war will last a long time.

Troops of the Israel Defense Forces have been surprised by the number and sophistication of tunnels discovered during their ground incursion, considering that Israel and (sometimes) Egypt have gone to great lengths to prevent Hamas engineers from getting their hands on material for building tunnels. What’s clear now is that those efforts to keep cement strictly for civilian purposes failed miserably. As of July 21, the IDF had found 23 tunnels under the Gaza-Israel border with 66 access points. The soil in the area is soft, which means tunnels are easy to dig but frequently require concrete for reinforcement. The Israeli military estimates that 600,000 tons of concrete—made by mixing cement with sand, gravel, and water—may have gone into the tunnels.

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My Comment: UN cement inspectors .... I can now see that happening.

Gaza Underground Infrastructure (A Photo Gallery)

WNU Editor: An impressive photo gallery from Cryptome on the many tunnel complexes that exist in Gaza. The link is here.

Hat Tip: Good Shit

Anti-Aircraft Missiles Seized By Egyptian Security Forces

Egypt Seizes Gaza-Bound Anti-Aircraft Missiles -- Jerusalem Post

Security forces intercept weapons cache in northern Sinai believed to be slated for smuggling into Strip.

Egyptian security forces seized a weapons cache in the Sinai Peninsula that was suspected of being prepared for smuggling into the Gaza Strip, Palestinian news agency Ma'an quoted officials as saying on Saturday.

A number of anti-aircraft missiles and several tons of TNT were among the weapons seized in the operation in northern Sinai, according to the report.

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My Comment: So the Egyptians got one shipment out of how many? I suspect that smuggling of weapons is more active than what they are telling us.

Gaza's Youth Rage Against Hamas And Israel

Young Gazans Rage At Hamas And Israel -- The Lede/New York Times

Weeks after Hamas shut down an internationally-financed youth group in Gaza, eight Palestinian students, fed up with “living a nightmare inside a nightmare” in the isolated territory have posted a manifesto on Facebook expressing their rage and frustration.

The document, called Gaza Youth’s Manifesto for Change, begins with a string of profane denunciations — of both major Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, as well as Israel, the United Nations and the the United States — that would seem at home in a punk rock anthem. The young authors then explain:

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My Comment: Reading stories like this one will only further exacerbate this sense of victimization and alienation.

British PM Cameron Calls Gaza A 'Prison Camp'. Blames Israel, Ignores Hamas

David Cameron defended his remarks at a press conference with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photograph: Pool/REUTERS

David Cameron: Israeli Blockade Has Turned Gaza Strip Into A 'Prison Camp' -- The Guardian

Prime minister intervenes in Middle East dispute and hopes Turkey can stop Iran's nuclear weapons programme.

David Cameron used a visit to Turkey to make his strongest intervention yet in the intractable Middle East conflict today when he likened the experience of Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip to that of a "prison camp".

Although he has made similar remarks before, his decision to repeat them on a world stage in Turkey, whose relations with Israel have deteriorated sharply since it mounted a deadly assault on the Gaza flotilla, gave them much greater diplomatic significance.

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More News On U.K. PM Cameron's Comments On Gaza

David Cameron describes blockaded Gaza as a 'prison' -- BBC
Gaza is a prison camp, says David Cameron -- The Telegraph
British PM Cameron: Gaza must not remain a prison camp -- Haaretz
Cameron urges lifting of Gaza seige -- Al Jazeera
Cameron calls Gaza 'prison camp' -- AFP
British PM Supports Turkey by Calling Gaza a 'Prison' -- AoL
Cameron Gaza 'prison camp' comments divides conservatives -- The Guardian
David Cameron panders to Turkey -- at Israel's expense -- Washington Post

Israel Warns That They Will Block All Future Aid Ships To Gaza

Israeli soldiers get ready to raid a Gaza-bound aid ship on May 31. Photo AFP

Israel Urges Lebanon To Block Gaza Aid Ships -- Voice of America

Israel is bracing for another attempt to break its blockade on the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip.

Israel has appealed to the United Nations to prevent two ships in Lebanon from sailing to Gaza, in defiance of the Israeli blockade. In a letter to the U.N. secretary-general and the Security Council, Israel accused organizers of trying "to incite a confrontation and raise tensions" in the Middle East. The letter called on the Lebanese government "to demonstrate responsibility" and stop the ships from departing.

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More News On Israel Blocking Aid Ships To Gaza

Israel deploys navy to stop Gaza aid ships -- Herald Sun
Israel will not let ships sail from Lebanon to Gaza -- AFP
Israel Urges Lebanon to Block Ships for Gaza -- New York Times/AP
Aid ships from Lebanon won't reach Gaza: Israel -- Reuters
Israel to Return Three Turkish Ships From Gaza Flotilla, Davutoglu Says -- Bloomberg
Israel Will Return Seized Gaza Aid Ships to Turkey -- Voice of America
UN Appoints Gaza Aid Flotilla Attack Probe Team -- RTT
UN appoints experts to probe Israel flotilla raid -- AFP
UN rights body names team to probe Israeli raid on Gaza aid flotilla -- Haaretz

Life In The Gaza Strip. Good For Some, Horrible For Most

Hamas Imposes New Gaza Taxes To Pay For Burgeoning Bureaucracy -- The Guardian

Taxes even levied on smuggle goods as Gaza's rulers unable to cover pay for 30,000 staff three years into Israeli blockade

Hamas has begun to raise new taxes in Gaza in an apparent effort to shore up their coffers – as the economy of the small, overcrowded strip of land descends into a vast and often unfathomable parallel market.

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More News On Life In The Gaza Strip

Hamas in Gaza takes steps to carry out executions -- AP
Hamas move on Gaza banks fuels banker concerns -- Reuters
Gaza tunnel smugglers trade in new cars -- BBC
Gaza Smugglers Import New Cars -- Arutz Sheva
Russia hopes Israel will lift blockade on Gaza Strip -- RIA Novosti
Four Gaza factions halt rocket fire, in bow to Hamas -- Haaretz
Israel allows commercial goods into blockaded Gaza -- AP
Gaza insecurity causes more early marriages -- Xinhuanet
Israel Destroys Gaza Dairy For Second Time -- Counter Currents
Israel tanks penetrate into Al-Qararah town S. Gaza Strip -- Yemen News Agency
Israel using Facebook as 'spying tool' in Gaza -- The Register
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (01-07 April 2010) -- Relief Web

A Rough Year Ahead For Gaza

Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed Gaza airport after Israeli warplane strike in Rafah city southern Gaza strip, Feb 10, 2010. The Israeli attacks in Rafah came in response to the rocket-fire which was claimed by a previously-unknown Islamist Salafi group, sources said. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar)

Israeli Planes 'Strike Gaza's Disused Airport' -- BBC

Israeli warplanes have hit southern Gaza with missiles in response to rocket fire from Palestinian militants, the military said.

The airstrikes reportedly hit Gaza's disused Yasser Arafat airport near the border town of Rafah, but no injuries have been reported.

Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, says it halted firing rockets after a major Israeli offensive in 2009.

But other Palestinian militant groups have continued to shell Israeli towns.

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More News On Gaza

Israeli warplanes strike southern Gaza -- Xinhuanet
Israeli warplanes bomb southern Gaza -- AFP
Israel strikes Gaza in response to Qassam rockets -- Haaretz

Hamas fails to pay employees' salaries -- Ynet News
Palestinian refugee agency warns of funding gap -- AP
UN says needs $100 in 2010 for Palestinian refugees -- AFP
Israel: Gaza crossing to stay shut as long as Hamas in power -- Haaretz
Hard times in Gaza swell the ranks of Hamas police -- AFP
Can Gaza become a Somalia or Yemen? -- Jerusalem Post
Power struggle could portend a cold, dark winter in Gaza Strip -- L.A. Times
Israel supreme court chief backs inquiry into Gaza war -- AFP
Hamas Gives U.N. Response to Gaza War Crimes Report -- New York Times/Reuters
Gaza's defiant tunnellers head deeper underground -- Robert Fisk, The Independent

Assassination Attempt Against Former President Carter And Former PM Blair Foiled by Hamas?

Photo: Blair waves upon his arrival for a meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in June.
Photo: AP

'We Tried To Kill Carter And Blair' -- Jerusalem Post

The leader of an al-Qaida-inspired group in the Gaza Strip revealed on Sunday that his men recently tried to assassinate former US president Jimmy Carter and Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair.

Mahmoud Taleb, a former commander of Hamas's armed wing, Izzadin Kassam, also threatened that his supporters were planning to launch attacks on Hamas.

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My Comment: It is interesting that this news is only coming out now. Hamas trying to soften up their image?

Hamas Restores Order In Gaza After Bloody Weekend

Abdel-Latif Moussa, right, was killed in an explosion at one of his hide-outs. Hamas officials said one of Moussa's aides had detonated a suicide explosives belt. (Associated Press / August 14, 2009)

Radical Imam's Death Ends Bloody Clash In Gaza Strip -- L.A. Times

A two-day battle in Rafah between followers of the imam, who wanted to impose Islamic law, and Hamas forces left 27 others dead. The crackdown could present Hamas as a bulwark against militancy.

Reporting from Gaza City and Jerusalem - An imam who wanted to impose Islamic law in the Gaza Strip was killed Saturday in an explosion at one of his hide-outs, ending a two-day battle between his armed followers and Hamas government forces that left 27 other people dead.

The security crackdown could allow Hamas, which has tried to court favor with the West, to position itself as a moderate Islamic bulwark against militant forces inspired by Al Qaeda.

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More News On The End of A Bloody Week In Gaza

Hamas: Gaza order restored after bloody weekend -- Yahoo News/AP
Islamists killed after challenging Hamas - 15 Aug 09 -- Al Jazeera (Video)
Abdul-Latif Moussa blows himself up in the Gaza Strip yesterday after Hamas mosque raid -- Times Online
Radical Leader Killed in Gaza Clashes -- New York Times
Hamas destroys al-Qaida group in violent Gaza battle -- The Guardian
ANALYSIS / Hamas swiftly crushes challenge to its rule in Gaza -- Haaretz
Al-Qaida associate among 23 killed in Gaza clashes -- Haaretz
Jonathan Kay on Jund Ansar Allah and the intra-Islamist showdown in Gaza -- National Post opinion
FACTBOX: Facts about Palestinian group Hamas -- Reuters

Heavy Fighting Continues For A Second Day In Gaza Between Hamas And A Radical Islamic Group

Abdel-Latif Moussa, right, makes a declaration at a mosque in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah that reportedly led to fighting in which 16 people were killed. (Associated Press / August 14, 2009)

Radical Muslim Cleric Among 21 Killed In Gaza Clashes -- CNN

GAZA CITY, Gaza (CNN) -- A radical Muslim sheikh's call for the creation of an Islamic emirate in Gaza sparked clashes with Hamas

Hamas forces blew up the home of Sheikh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdessi, leader of the radical group Jund Ansar Allah, or Soldiers of the Partisans of God, Hamas sources said.

Al-Maqdessi, also known as Abdel Latif Musa, was among the 21 dead, a hospital spokesman told CNN.

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More News On The Fighting In Gaza Today

Islamist leader among 22 killed in Gaza fighting -- Yahoo News AFP
Hamas: Leader of al-Qaida-inspired group killed -- Yahoo News/AP
Radical Islamist leader killed in Gaza clashes -- Yahoo News/Reuters
In Gaza Strip, a deadly clash at mosque -- L.A. Times
Hamas interior ministry: Rafah fighting over, "Warriors of God" leader killed -- China View
Clash Breaks Out Between Hamas, Splinter Group -- Washington Post

Hillary Clinton To Offer $1Bn To Gaza In Move To Sideline Hamas

Mrs Clinton has the advantage of already knowing many
of the principal players in the Middle East. Photo: EPA

From The Telegraph:

Hillary Clinton will offer almost $1 billion in aid to moderate Palestinian group Fatah in a move to sideline Hamas militants in Gaza.

The US secretary of state will make her first foray into the minefield of Middle Eastern diplomacy with the announcement of $900 million (£620 million) to help rebuilding.

She arrived in Egypt on Sunday for a meeting of major donors who are expected to pledge money to reconstruct the Gaza Strip, but only if the enclave's rulers Hamas play no role in spending the cash.

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More News On Aid To Gaza

U.S. to pledge over $900 million in Palestinian aid -- Reuters
US to earmark 900 mln dlrs for Palestinians: spokesman -- AFP
Clinton to attend Gaza aid meeting -- ABC News (Australia)
U.S. offers $300 million to Gaza, rest to Abbas -- Reuters
Hillary Clinton To Attend Conference On Gaza Aid -- CBS
Tony Blair makes first trip to Gaza Strip -- Times Online

What Is Happening In Gaza Today

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrived in the region this week to shore up the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and try to get the peace process back on track. But infighting among Palestinian leaders adds another wrinkle to an already difficult task. (Tara Todras-Whitehill/AP)

Dozens Believed Dead In Reprisal Attacks As Hamas Retakes Control -- The Guardian

Suspected collaborators shot during and after war
Escaped criminals killed by relatives of their victims

Evidence is emerging of a wave of reprisal attacks and killings inside Gaza that have left dozens dead and more wounded in the wake of Israel's war.

Among the dead are Palestinians suspected of collaborating with the Israeli military. Others include criminals who were among the 600 prisoners to escape from Gaza City's main jail when it was bombed as the war began. Their attackers are thought to be their victims' relatives.

During and after the war, there have also been attacks on security officials from Fatah, the bitter rival of Hamas, the Islamist movement in control of the Gaza Strip. One witness told the Guardian how her brother, a Fatah military intelligence officer, was shot three times in the legs in an apparent punishment attack by gunmen from Hamas's armed wing.

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More News On Gaza, Hamas, And Fatah

Hamas is accused of turning its weapons on rivals in Gaza -- McClatchy Nespapers
Senior Hamas leader in first showing since Gaza war -- Reuters
Top Hamas official declares victory over Israel in Gaza rally -- Jerusalem Post
Hamas official declare victory in Gaza rallies -- AP
Hamas wants new leadership for Palestinians -- Reuters
Hamas dispenses politics along with aid to Gazans -- Yahoo News/AP
Aid trucks stranded at Egypt's Gaza border -- WTOP/AP
Gaza's economy in tatters, can it be rebuilt? -- Yahoo News/AP
Egypt to host Gaza reconstruction forum March 2 -- AFP
Thousands of al-Qaeda supporters active in Gaza -- YNET News
Hamas officials signal willingness to negotiate -- Yahoo News/AP

As Truce Teeters, Gaza's Tunnelers Dig Undeterred

A Palestinian enters a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip that runs under the Egyptian border and into Gaza at Rafah on January 24. Patrick Baz / AFP / Getty

From Time Magazine:

With the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas militants on the edge of collapse, the most dangerous job in Gaza — digging tunnels into Egypt — just got a lot more dangerous. Destroying the tunnels that allowed the import of both vital food and fuel supplies denied Gazans by the Israeli blockade, but also enabled the ferrying of weapons to Hamas, was a key objective of Israel's 22-day military operation, and its aircraft and artillery pounded the sandy patch of land along the Egyptian border in the hope of collapsing them. But as soon as the truce was declared, the diggers got busy again, using shovels and jackhammers to repair tunnels caved in by bombing, and to begin burrowing new ones.

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My Comment: 10 meters a day, 1 kilometer in 100 days (give or take). That is some digging.

Israeli Strike Kills Palestinian

From The BBC:

A Palestinian militant has been killed in an Israeli strike on the Gaza strip.

The death comes a day after the Islamist militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, ended its six-month-long ceasefire with Israel.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a group of men after two rockets were fired at southern Israel.

Meanwhile, a ship carrying international activists delivering medical aid has docked in the Gaza Strip, despite an Israeli blockade.

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