Former Israeli President Shimon Peres Proposes ‘UN for Religions’ to Vatican
Former Israeli President Shimon Peres emerged from a Vatican City audience with Pope Francis Thursday after proposing a kind of United Nations for religions.
Hamas
Netanyahu Met Abbas Before Gaza Ceasefire, Report Says
Prime Minister Netanyahu met in secret with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan before the Gaza ceasefire was announced Tuesday.
Hamas Claims Victory as Ceasefire Goes Into Effect
As a ceasefire has been holding overnight, Hamas claimed victory in the recent conflict as Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said Palestinians would build their own airport and seaport without asking for anyone’s permission to prepare for the “project of liberation” of all of Palestine.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad Reportedly Accept Egyptian Ceasefire Proposal
Despite continuing rocket fire, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have reportedly accepted the language of an Egyptian ceasefire proposal.
Israel Closer to Full-Scale War, Hamas Vows to “Liberate Jerusalem”
Hamas defiantly vowed, after the killing of three of its senior commanders by Israel, that it would be “strengthened” in its quest “to lift the siege on Gaza” and “liberate Jerusalem and Palestine from the neo-Nazi occupier who destroys houses and kills women and children.” Meanwhile, Israel is closer to a full-scale ground operation than any point since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge, an Israeli minister told Israel’s Army Radio.
Israel Kills Three Senior Hamas Commanders As Rockets Rain Down on Israel
Israel killed three of Hamas’ senior commanders in overnight strikes as at least 168 rockets were launched at Israel since midnight breaking the previous high of 154 rockets fired in a day. Meanwhile, Israeli ministers called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to wage a ‘war of attrition’ with Hamas, but to overwhelm the terrorist organization with military force.
Ceasefire Broken as Rockets Rain Down on Israel, Ministers Call for Action
Hamas violated an extended ceasefire some 8 hours before it was set to expire by firing over 50 rockets into Israel on Tuesday evening. Israel responded by killing a Hamas military chief and destroying some 30 terror targets in Gaza. Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said Israel had ‘opened the gates of hell on itself’ by the killings and warned that the Jewish state would pay for its crimes. Israel recalled 2,000 reservists, as it prepares for a possible ground operation into the Gaza Strip.
Deadline Looms at Midnight as Hamas Threatens ‘War of Attrition’, Israel Will Respond in Full Force to any Hamas strikes
Israeli and Palestinian delegations restarted indirect talks in Cairo over the weekend, however Israeli officials were skeptical a truce could be reached by Monday’s midnight deadline. Over the weekend, Hamas threatened a “war of attrition” if its demands were not met. Meanwhile, Israel threatened “harsh strikes” if Hamas broke the ceasefire with any type of fire against the Jewish state and Israeli officials said “quiet and security’ will be restored ‘one way or another.’
New 5 Day Truce Begins on Rocky Ground
Amidst rocket attacks and Israeli retaliatory strikes within the Gaza Strip, both sides agreed to extend a three-day truce by an additional five days.
Egypt Presents Proposal to End War in Gaza
Egypt presented a proposed cease-fire to Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the month-long war, Palestinian officials said early Wednesday after negotiators huddled for a second day of Egyptian-mediated talks aimed at ending the crisis and bringing relief to the embattled Gaza Strip.
U.N. Gaza Probe Panel Proves Anti-Israel Bias
The head of the UN’s Gaza probe, Canadian legal expert William Schabas, said he would investigate possible Israeli human rights violations in Operation Protective Edge, but balked on Tuesday at clarifying whether his mandate included Hamas.
Long-Term Ceasefire Agreement Sought, Wide Gaps Remain
While reports from Palestinian media outlets say a long-term ceasefire could be reached by Wednesday, Israeli officials contend that the “gaps are still very wide, there has been no progress in the negotiations.” The blockade and the demilitarization of Gaza remain as points of contention between the two sides.
New Floatilla To Challenge Gaza Blockade
A Turkish aid group said on Monday it would send a new flotilla of ships to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, four years after the deadly storming of one of its vessel by Israeli commandos.
Hamas Fired Rockets from Church in Gaza
A Catholic Archbishop ministering to Gaza’s Christian minority said Hamas had forced him to allow the use of his church to fire rockets at Israel during Operation Protective Edge, according to The Algemeiner.
72-Hour Truce Goes Into Effect
As a 72 hour truce went into effect at midnight, Israel sent a delegation to Egypt to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas. Over the weekend, Hamas claimed it still had tunnels going into Israel. In order to conceal its extensive tunnel system, Hamas has killed dozens of diggers fearing they would reveal site locations to Israel.
Is Israel Indiscriminately Killing in Gaza? Data says No
While protests around the world condemned Israel’s “indiscriminate” killing of civilians, the hard data does not support their assessment. In the latest figures coming from Gaza, a disproportionate number of men ages 20 to 29 — which represent a mere 9 percent of the population, represented nearly 35 percent of those killed in the Gaza Strip over the past month. At the same time, 725 men were killed compared to 214 women.
Israel Agrees to Extend Ceasefire; Hamas Vows to Renew Fighting
Israel has reportedly agreed to extend the current ceasefire in Gaza Strip Wednesday as indirect Israel-Palestinian negotiations over extending a truce in Gaza got underway in Cairo. However, Hamas was quick to deny the reports, saying it will renew fire at Israel as soon as the current lull has ended, Ynet News reported. Meanwhile, EU powers proposed Gaza rehabilitation in exchange for disarmament.
Ceasefire Appears to Be Holding, Details Emerge as Journalists Leave Gaza (Video)
As journalists left the Gaza Strip more details emerged as television crews showed detailed footage of how Hamas assembled rockets and then fired them from residential areas just before a 72-hour ceasefire went into effect. Meanwhile, Israel-U.S. relations have hit a new low after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry haven’t spoken since their short phone conversation last week was disconnected due to “communications problems”. Lastly, Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said the U.S. and E.U. must “recognize” Hamas as a “legitimate political actor” in order to bring peace to the region.
Israel, Hamas Agree to 72-hour Truce
As Operation Protective Edge enters its fifth week, Israel and Hamas have agreed to an Egyptian proposal for a 72-hour ceasefire beginning Tuesday morning.
Pro-and-Anti-Israel Rallies Take Place Throughout the World
As the conflict in Gaza entered its third week, pro-and-anti Israel rallies took place throughout the world. Since the beginning of the war, a surge in anti-Jewish hate crimes has taken place especially in Europe, leading to fears among Jewish communities that Europe is no longer a safe haven for its population.