Full Coverage: Operation Protective Edge Enters 21st Day
JERUSALEM (Worthy News)– After U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry failed in bringing a ceasefire to the region, U.S. President Barack Obama called and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu to agree to a ceasefire late Sunday night as Operation Protective Edge enters its 21st day. Since the beginning of the operation, 2,538 rockets have been fired into Israel. The death toll in Gaza move above 1,000, while the Israel Defense Forces have lost 43 soldiers.
The White House said in a statement, “Building on Secretary Kerry’s efforts, the President made clear the strategic imperative of instituting an immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire that ends hostilities now and leads to a permanent cessation of hostilities based on the November 2012 ceasefire agreement.”
Related News on the Internet
Israel Says Deaths in UNRWA School Were Not Caused by IDF Fire – Algemeiner
In a statement released Sunday evening, the Israeli army denied that it was responsible for the deaths of some 15 Palestinians in a United Nations Refugee Works Agency (UNRWA) school in the northern Gaza Strip on July 24.
An “inquiry concluded that during the intense fighting between IDF forces and Hamas militants, the militants operated adjacent to the UNRWA school. The militants fired anti-tank missiles at IDF soldiers, who then responded by firing several mortars in their direction,” the army statement said.
Hamas Murders 25 Palestinians, Blames Israel – WND
Hamas killed at least 25 Palestinian civilians it suspected of collaborating with Israel, according to sources close to Gazan jihadist organizations.
Hamas chief: We cannot coexist with occupiers – AFP
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal demanded Israel lift its blockade of Gaza and warned that Palestinians cannot coexist with their neighbors while their land is occupied, in an interview broadcast Sunday.
Ya’alon to Iron Dome troops: Prepare for significant expansion of Gaza op – Ynet News
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon visited an Iron Dome battery deployed in central Israel on Friday evening, telling the troops to be “ready for the possibility that we will instruct the IDF to significantly expand the ground offensive in Gaza very soon.”
Islamic Jihad Said to Have Iranian ‘Judgement Day’ Missile – Arutz Sheva
Islamic Jihad has “many more surprises up its sleeve,” said Abdullah Shalah, head of the terror group said Sunday. In an interview on an Arab satellite station, Shalah said that “We have a store of strategic weapons that we have never used,” but was prepared to bring out against Israel if the war in Gaza continued. With that, he did not specify what those weapons were.
‘Kerry told Hamas many of its demands would be met under ceasefire deal’ – Times of Israel
US Secretary of State John Kerry informed Hamas via Qatar last week that under his proposal for a ceasefire with Israel, based on the original Egyptian initiative, the US would guarantee the fulfillment of many of Hamas’s demands for an end to the war, Palestinian sources told The Times of Israel on Saturday
‘Kerry is seeking to reward a terrorist group’ – Israel Hayom
While Israelis enjoyed a day of relative quiet on Saturday due to the humanitarian truce, the diplomatic arena remained active over the weekend. On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry presented a cease-fire proposal that prompted a vociferous response from the Israeli government.
UN Security Council calls for Gaza cease-fire – Times of Israel
The UN Security Council called for “an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas at an emergency meeting just after midnight Monday morning.
Egypt army destroys 13 more Gaza tunnels – AFP
Egypt’s army said Sunday it has destroyed 13 more tunnels connecting the Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip, taking to 1,639 the overall number it has laid waste to.
At least 160 children died digging tunnels for Hamas – Jerusalem Post
Hamas used children to help them dig numerous tunnels into Israel and Egypt, a 2012 paper written for the Journal of Palestine Studies reported.
Hamas will resume tunneling as soon as we leave – Times of Israel
Israel will not find all of the cross-border tunnels in Gaza during this operation. And if Hamas is able to secure ceasefire terms that give it sufficient room to do so, it will commence digging anew after this conflict is over, a former senior commander in the IDF’s Combat Engineering Corps said Sunday.
Hamas And North Korea Are Working On A Secret Arms Deal – Business Insider
Hamas militants are attempting to negotiate a new arms deal with North Korea for missiles and communications equipment that will allow them to maintain their offensive against Israel, according to Western security sources.
Iran General: We Will Hunt Down Israelis House To House – Daily Caller
The deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards vowed revenge against Israel for its ongoing military incursion into Gaza, which has already killed hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of Israelis.