Palestinians are OK to shoot...But no Israelis and foreigners

Israel eases firing regulations at Jerusalem barrier demos

Israel's attorney general has eased firing regulation restrictions against Palestinians demonstrating at the separation barrier near Jerusalem, a justice ministry official said on Wednesday.

The decision allows border police snipers to fire at protesters damaging the controversial barrier that Israel is constructing in occupied east Jerusalem and across the West Bank, he said.

Under the new regulations, snipers may fire at the legs of adults tagged as "key instigators," according to the mass-selling Maariv daily. Firing on Israeli and foreign citizens remains banned.

Border police snipers armed with Ruger 22 rifles have already started applying the new regulations, and over the past month alone 13 Palestinians have been shot in the legs in the Jerusalem area, the report said.

The semi-automatic Ruger 22 is widely used for target shooting sports and for hunting, but Israel's security forces have been using the American-manufactured rifle for sharp shooting.

Israel says the massive barrier, made of electric fencing, barbed wire and concrete walls, is needed to stop potential attackers from infiltrating the country and Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians have denounced it as an "apartheid wall" aimed at grabbing their land and undermining the viability of their promised state.

In 2004, the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding ruling that parts of the 650-kilometre (410-mile) barrier criss-crossing the West Bank are illegal and should be torn down.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080319/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictjustice_080319123933&printer=1

 

Israeli troops attack villages in southern W.B and demolish at least four homes

Wednesday March 19, 2008 12:00 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

On Wednesday, Israeli troops using military bulldozers stormed Um-Nizel, and Briet villages located to the south of Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank and demolished four homes.

Witness to these events, were the Christian Peace Maker Teams-CPT- international peace activists, who said that, three homes were demolished in Um-Nizel, and one house demolished in the village of Briet. The people of both villages are farmers and Shepherds who have lived there for centuries. The Israeli state authorized the construction of three settlements, in late 80's. The settlers have been attacking the villagers regularly, often assisted by Israeli soldiers, ever since. CPT workers, an international human rights group working with the villagers, told IMEMC that army bulldozers and troops continue to destroy homes in the two villages,and say that the army is threatening to demolish all houses in the villages.

http://www.imemc.org/article/53578

 

"Israel eases firing regulations at Jerusalem barrier demos "

Whereas Islamic terrorists seeks out the innocent to detonate their explosives...

 

Yeah, what about that?

I generally avoid these arguments, cause you really can't win, but the fact that Islamic terrorists PURPOSELY go after the innocent makes it nearly impossible to have any sympathy for their cause.

If they did not do this, the entire planet would be sympathetic to their cause. The fact that they do, makes the resolve to clamp down on them even more pronounced, which in turn reinforces their hatred of those in power in the West. Its a downward spiral.

I believe the only way to stop this cycle is for Islamic extremists, (or any other extremists acting this way) to take the high road and stop targeting civilians. Its obvious that the Western powers that be are not going to step aside first. Israel is not going back to the 1967 border (or dissolving completely as many Arabs would prefer). And the US is not backing off anywhere for the time being (that could change obviously under a Democrat administration, but I doubt it).

Yes, civilians are killed by the US, Israel, etc., but they are NOT targeted on purpose. In fact, the US spends a fortune on "smart" weapons specifically to avoid this. Unfortunately, the people firing the weapons are human, and screw up at times. Its usually a matter of bad intel, and they DO NOT do it on purpose.

 

Beit Hanoun / PNN - Israeli forces invaded on ground into the northern Gaza Strip at dawn Wednesday, arresting seven Palestinians.

The target was the northeastern town of Beit Hanoun, already under heavy siege.

Palestinian security sources said that several military vehicles entered this morning under a “barrage of intensive gunfire,” and arrested a father, his sons and a number of his relatives.

The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said that the resistance wing fought against an Israeli special unit in Beit Hanoun after the invasion.

At the level of sustained artillery shelling, the Israeli forces at dawn today opened missile fire from eastern Gaza City, exploding in open areas in the Shajaiyeh neighborhood.

 

Villagers told IMEMC that several boys and old women were grazing their family herds on village land near the Ma'oun Settlement, a group of settlers and Israeli soldiers attacked them and beat them.

Witnesses to the attack added that settlers stole some herbs gathered by the shepherds.

Villagers called Israeli police who arrived at the area of the attack, who refused to press charges and told the villagers that if they want to file charges, they must go to the settlement. The Israeli army forbids locals entrance to the settlement.

Ma'oun along with other two Israeli settlements is built on land stolen from the farmers of Towani in late 80's.

http://www.imemc.org/article/53597

 

Palestinians security sources said early on Thursday that farmer Hassan Abu Abed, 60, was shot dead by the Israeli army fire to the east of Qarrara town, in southern Gaza Strip.

Medics confirmed that Abu Abed was shot in the chest with a live bullet.

Witnesses said that the Israeli soldiers, manning the Gaza-Israel border line, opened fire at Abu Abed, causing his instant death on the spot.

Israeli media sources reported that the Israeli army claimed its soldiers spotted a figure near the border-fence with Israeli, just east of aL-Qarrara town.

The al-Qarrara town is an agricultural area, where many Palestinians have farm lands and earn a living.

Meanwhile, conflicting reports said two Palestinian resistance fighters of the aL-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of the ruling Hamas, were killed and three others wounded in a new Israeli air strike on a Qassam post in the Tal aL-Hawa on the southern Gaza city shores.

Dr. Moawiyeh Hasanin, chief of emergency department at the health ministry, identified the killed as Nour Jendia and Mohamad Bandar and confirmed that three others were wounded.

Hasanin said that one of the wounded has been admitted to the surgery room of the aL-Shifa hospital for severity of his wounds.

In a statement, faxed to press, the aL-Qassam brigades said two of their members were killed and three others were wounded during a 'Jihad (holy war) operation' in the Tal aLhawa neighborhood.

Israeli army spokeswoman denied any involvement in the said incident, Israeli media sources reported.

The Israeli army has been involved in many attacks on the coastal region since the Islamist Hamas group has taken over Gaza in June of last year, as of early March alone, the army killed more than 120 Palestinians including 40 children.

http://www.imemc.org/article/53596

 

Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Wednesday morning and seized a Palestinian teenager after damaging the furniture in his family's house.

The young man's grandfather visited Ma'an office in Bethlehem and explained that more than ten Israeli military vehicles besieged the family's house at As-Saf neighborhood. He said the soldiers completely destroyed the family's furniture before arresting his grandson 17-year-old Abed Al-Hraimi.

The grandfather also said that 480 NIS were missing from a bedroom that the troops destroyed.

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=28366

 

Nablus – Ma'an – Israeli forces seized three Palestinians from the northern West Bank village of Sarra, west of the city of Nablus, at midnight on Tuesday, local sources said.

Witnesses said that several Israeli military vehicles stormed the village and ransacked several houses before arresting 19-year-old Amin Kayid, 20-year-old Qays Abu Turab, and 19-year-old Tariq Abu Turab.

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=28362

 

Witness to these events, were the Christian Peace Maker Teams-CPT- international peace activists, who said that, three homes were demolished in Um-Nizel, and one house demolished in the village of Briet. The people of both villages are farmers and Shepherds who have lived there for centuries. The Israeli state authorized the construction of three settlements, in late 80's. The settlers have been attacking the villagers regularly, often assisted by Israeli soldiers, ever since. CPT workers, an international human rights group working with the villagers, told IMEMC that army bulldozers and troops continue to destroy homes in the two villages,and say that the army is threatening to demolish all houses in the villages.

http://www.imemc.org/article/53578