The Middle-East Observer
Rockets
Report: Palestinian killed, three injured in IAF strike on Gaza sites
One Palestinian man died and three others were injured after strikes of the Israeli Air Force on the north of Gaza. The strikes aimed at tunnels and a weapon depot, and were a reaction to a short-ranged rocket launch from Gaza on Saturday, that wounded an Israeli woman. Haaretz, Israel. Click here for the full story About these … Continue reading
Human Rights Watch urges Israel to grant Palestinian residency rights
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch has released a 90-page report on Sunday, discussing the current situation regarding Human rights in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The group criticizes Israel for the restrictions they place on obtaining Palestinian residency. According to the group, in this way Israel has denied thousands of Palestinians that live … Continue reading
Rocket salvo hits Negev, breaking relative calm
On Wednesday, eight rockets have been fired into Southern Israel by Palestinian militants. There were no injuries or damages reported. After the attack, local officials said that an area between 4.5 and 7 km from the Gaza border is not protected by the Iron Dome Rocket System because it’s out of its range. They called … Continue reading
2 hurt in Israeli attack on north Gaza
A young man and a child were injured as Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip early Friday. In Southern Gaza, Israeli forces also fired on a tunnel and weapon storing facilities. A statement from the Israeli army said that the strike was a response to rocket fire from Gaza on Wednesday. Ma’an News Agency, Palestine … Continue reading
Israel carries out four air strikes on Gaza targets
An Israeli spokesman said on Tuesday Israel had struck four targets in Gaza as a response to six rockets and mortars being launched into Israel by Palestinian militants over the past week. These targets were a weapon factory and three tunnels dug under the Egyptian border with Gaza. No casualties were reported. Haaretz, Israel Click … Continue reading
IDF preparing for major Gaza operation within months
Israel’s Southern Command has been ordered, by the IDF general staff, to prepare for a possible large scale operation into the Hamas controlled strip. Among IDF senior officers, there is growing concern over the smuggling of anti-tank missiles into Gaza and the significant increase in Hamas weaponry. With only operational plans to be finalized and distributed to the … Continue reading
White phosphorus found in mortar shells fired from Gaza
Two mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Sunday morning contained phosphorous, security forces confirmed. The shells landed in open fields, causing no injuries or damage. Mortars containing phosphorous fired from Gaza have landed in Israeli territory in the past. Phosphorous is designed to ignite a fire around the impact zone. The chemical is banned by international … Continue reading
Hamas forces ordered to cease attacks on Israeli targets, Palestinian sources say
Hamas leader Khaled Meshal has instructed the group’s military wing to cease attacks on Israeli targets, senior sources in Fatah say. According to the sources, Meshal ordered a de facto cease-fire with Israel not only in the Gaza Strip, but also in the West Bank. Hamas had already refrained from launching rockets from Gaza. Haaretz, … Continue reading
IDF Chief of Staff: Sooner or later, IDF must strike Gaza
Israel will “sooner or later” need to launch a large-scale operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz said on Tuesday, the third anniversary of Operation Cast Lead. Jerusalem Post, Israel Click here for the full story
Rocket fired at Israel from Gaza, none hurt: police
A rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Wednesday morning without exploding or causing any casualties or damage, Israeli police said. Agence France-Presse, France Click here for the full story
Lebanese defense minister blames Israel for rocket attacks
Lebanese Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn Monday blamed Israel and its agents for the firing of mysterious rockets from Lebanon into the Jewish state in an attempt to undermine security and stability in south Lebanon. The Daily Star, Lebanon Click here for the full story
Lebanon army: We dismantled rockets aimed at Israel
The Lebanese army dismantled on Monday four rockets in southern Lebanon that were set to be fired into Israel, a Lebanese security official said. An Israeli military spokesperson said that the presence of weapons in southern Lebanon was “a concern” and a clear violation of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and … Continue reading
Islamic Jihad’s growing influence
There is concern that growing divisions within Palestinian ranks could jeopardise talks with Israel. It is not just Fatah and Hamas that have trouble finding consensus. Groups such as Islamic Jihad are growing in importance both politically and militarily. Al Jazeera, Qatar
One person wounded in south Lebanon by rocket
One person was injured in southern Lebanon Sunday when a rocket apparently fired toward Israel hit a Lebanese border village, security sources in Lebanon said. Reuters, United States Click here for the full story
Militant groups claim responsibility for firing projectiles
Two militant groups – the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees and a sub-division of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades – in the Gaza Strip on Sunday claimed responsibility for launching homemade projectiles at Israeli towns bordering the coastal enclave. Ma’an News Agency, Palestine Click here for the full story
Opinion: Israel must refrain from launching Gaza offensive
Before the Israel’s air force and the tanks rush once more toward Gaza, carrying out an operation whose beginning is known but not its end, it is essential to examine the possibility of establishing a cease-fire in different ways. Haaretz, Israel Click here for the full story
Hamas, Islamic Jihad say they want to keep truce
Hamas is keen on preserving the state of calm and does not like the idea that other Palestinian groups are launching attacks on Israel, Hamas officials said over the weekend. Islamic Jihad leaders also expressed their readiness to avoid an all-out confrontation with Israel. Jerusalem Post, Israel Click here for the full story
Tensions on Israel-Gaza border escalate as three more rockets fired
Three rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, yet landed in open spaces and caused no injuries or damage. Haaretz, Israel Click here for the full story
Israeli war planes fire on south Gaza
Israeli warplanes fired on an open area west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt on Saturday morning. No injuries have been reported. The Israeli army said it confirmed a “direct hit” on a “terror-affiliated site.” Ma’an News Agency, Palestine Click here for the full story
Hamas contacting Arab states to stop ‘Israeli aggression’
Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh said Friday that his government was holding intensive talks with regional and international parties to stop Israel’s escalation in attacks on the enclave. Cairo is trying to renew a truce to restore calm between its neighbors, Egypt’s ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Yasser Othman said. Ma’an News Agency, Palestine Click … Continue reading
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