‘Children killed in their sleep’: Israeli artillery fire hits UN school, killing at least 20
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- Written by Alex Kane Alex Kane
- Published: 30 July 2014 30 July 2014
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Israeli military fire hit a United Nations-run school in Gaza today, killing at least 20 people and injuring an estimated 90 people. The school under attack, called the Abu Hussein girls’ elementary school, is located in the densely-populated Jabaliya refugee camp.
The United Nations Relief Works and Agency (UNRWA), the group that serves Palestinian refugees, issued a stern statement placing the blame for the attack on the Israeli army.
“Last night, children were killed as they slept next to their parents on the floor of a classroom in a UN designated shelter in Gaza. Children killed in their sleep; this is an affront to all of us, a source of universal shame. Today the world stands disgraced,” said UNRWA Secretary General Pierre Krähenbühl. “We have visited the site and gathered evidence. We have analysed fragments, examined craters and other damage. Our initial assessment is that it was Israeli artillery that hit our school, in which 3,300 people had sought refuge.”
Israel in Gaza: American Values Corrupted
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- Written by Gilbert Schramm, (July 29, 2014) Gilbert Schramm, (July 29, 2014)
- Published: 30 July 2014 30 July 2014
- Hits: 4930 4930
The horrific Israeli assault on Gaza has exposed the extent to which Israeli pressure has infiltrated and corrupted American institutions. Eventually America will pay an enormous price for this. The presidency, the congress, our commitment to international law, even simple regulatory agencies have all been corrupted. It is an orgy of lies unmatched since the lead up to the invasion of Iraq.
Obama repeats Netanyahu’s stock phrase that, “Israel has a right to defend itself”—support that ensures continued Israeli aggression and war crimes. The US Senate approves S.Res. 498 –blaming Palestinians for the violence and demanding the dissolution of the Palestinian national-unity government—even though the lack of a unity government had previously been used by Israel and the US as an excuse NOT to negotiate with Palestinians. The killing goes on.
NBA players call off Israel visit
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- Written by Tzipi Malkov Tzipi Malkov
- Published: 30 July 2014 30 July 2014
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Magic Johnson and other past and present NBA stars will not attend inauguration of Jerusalem's new multi-purpose sports arena in September.
Magic Johnson and other past and present NBA stars, who were slated to attend the inauguration ceremony of Jerusalem's new multi-purpose sports arena in September, have called off their visit to Israel.
The Jerusalem Municipality and the event's production company, Ariel, were surprised to receive a phone call from the stars' representatives on Sunday, informing them that they were cancelling their participation in the festive event.
Ariel and the municipality have been working on the Jerusalem Arena inauguration ceremony, which will take place on September 4, for several months now.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat had invested many efforts to complete the construction and increase the number of seats in the arena after many delays over the years.
The municipality had planned a major opening, which would create a media buzz around the new sports complex. The highlight of the event was supposed to be a festive exhibition game between 10 retired and present NBA players and the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball club.
The guest of honor would have been Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr., one of the greatest basketball players of all times.
The Ariel company had also planned to bring a leading international musician to the ceremony. Talks held with Beyoncé and Kanye West have been unsuccessful so far.
Ariel CEO Zion Turgeman confirmed that the NBA players had canceled their visit to Jerusalem. "This is a serious blow to the arena's inauguration. We have been working on the opening event for a long time, and now we will have to readjust."
Turgeman added there was no plan to postpone the inauguration event. "We intend to invite 5,000 soldiers to the opening in order to thank the IDF for its contribution to the state," he said.
Response from Senator Ron Wyden regarding Gaza
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- Written by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and Omar Baddar Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and Omar Baddar
- Published: 30 July 2014 30 July 2014
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[Senator Wyden's response below has only some relationship to the truth and to the sequences of events culminating in Operation Protective Edge. Read Omar Baddar's article Debunking the myths about Gaza: The truth behind Israeli and Palestinian talking points for providing a proper context rooted in actual events]
Statement: Legal experts and human rights defenders demand international community end Israel’s collective punishment of Gaza
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- Written by Mondoweiss Editors Mondoweiss Editors
- Published: 29 July 2014 29 July 2014
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The International Community Must End Israel’s Collective Punishment of the Civilian Population in the Gaza Strip
As international and criminal law scholars, human rights defenders, legal experts and individuals who firmly believe in the rule of law and in the necessity for its respect in times of peace and more so in times of war, we feel the intellectual and moral duty to denounce the grave violations, mystification and disrespect of the most basic principles of the laws of armed conflict and of the fundamental human rights of the entire Palestinian population committed during the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. We also condemn the launch of rockets from the Gaza Strip, as every indiscriminate attack against civilians, regardless of the identity of the perpetrators, is not only illegal under international law but also morally intolerable. However, as also implicitly noted by the UN Human Rights Council in its Resolution of the 23th July 2014, the two parties to the conflict cannot be considered equal, and their actions – once again – appear to be of incomparable magnitude.