Israel Airstrike, 12.21 Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has condemned the killing of military commander Ahmed al-Jaabari and vowed to continue the "resistance" against Israel. "Men and women in Palestine, we will continue the resistance," Meshaal said at a meeting of Islamic leaders in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, according to Reuters.
11.46 Minutes after William Hague's statement blaming Hamas for the renewed conflict comes this from Russia, condemning Israel's "disproportionate" use of force in air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
Foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters:Attacks on the south of Israel and the disproportionate strikes on Gaza - especially when civilians are killed on both sides - are completely unacceptable.
We strongly appeal on all the involved parties to immediately end their armed confrontation and to keep the conflict from resulting in still further bloodshed.
We believe that considering the fragile situation in the Middle East and the entire North African region, such large flare-ups of violence are fraught with dangerous consequences, including in other parts of the Arab world.
11.29 The Foreign Office has just released this statement from Foreign Secretary William Hague in which he states that "Hamas bears principal responsibility for the current crisis".I am gravely concerned by the situation in Gaza and Southern Israel and deeply regret the loss of civilian life on both sides. I call on all those involved to avoid any action which risks civilian casualties or escalates the crisis.
“Hamas bears principal responsibility for the current crisis. I utterly condemn rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel by Hamas and other armed groups. This creates an intolerable situation for Israeli civilians in southern Israel, who have the right to live without fear of attack from Gaza. The rocket attacks also risk worsening the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, which is already precarious.
“Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza should cease attacks against Israel immediately. I call on those in the region with influence over Hamas to use that influence to bring about an end to the attacks.
“I also strongly urge Israel to do their utmost to reduce tension, avoid civilian casualties and increase the prospects for both sides to live in peace. It is imperative to avoid the risk of a spiral of violence. The escalation of the conflict would be in no one's interest, particularly at a time of instability in the region.
“These events underline once again the fragility of the situation and the urgent need for progress toward a two state solution which allows Israelis and Palestinians to live alongside each other in peace and security. Britain will do all it can to support such progress and an urgent resumptions of negotiations.”Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has rejected what he calls Israel's "aggression" in Gaza, saying it threatens to destabilise the region, the AFP newswire reports.
In televised remarks, Morsi said:
We are in contact with the people of Gaza and with Palestinians and we stand by them until we stop the aggression and we do not accept under any circumstances the continuation of this aggression on the Strip.
The Israelis must realise that this aggression is unacceptable and would only lead to instability in the region and would negatively and greatly impact the security of the region.
Egypt's Islamist administration, which has close ties with Gaza's ruling Hamas movement, recalled its ambassador in protest at the Israeli operation which killed Ahmed al-Jaabari.
In an earlier telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr "called on the United States to immediately intervene to bring to an end the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza," the ministry said in a statement.
10.45 Despite the ongoing violence and repeated attacks on Gaza over 1,000 people marched in the funeral of Ahmed Jabari today.
In this video interview Phoebe Greenwood, who followed the Jabari funeral procession in Gaza City, says the assassination was "the straw that's broken the camel's back".The latest development is that three Israelis have been killed by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip as the conflict enters a second day. My colleague Barney Henderson writes:
"We have three killed," Israeli police spokesman Luba Samri told AFP, saying four other people were also injured in a "direct hit on a house" in the town which lies 18 miles north of the Gaza Strip.
The rocket attack comes amid a vast Israeli operation against Gaza militants which began on Wednesday with Israel's killing of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jaabari in an air strike on a car in Gaza City.
Iran issued a statement on Thursday morning accusing Israel of "organised terrorism".
"Iran considers the criminal act of Israeli military forces in killing civilians as organised terrorism and strongly condemns it," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
It emerged overnight that the baby son of a BBC worker was among those killed in Israel's air strike on Gaza.
Jihad Misharawi, who is employed by BBC Arabic, lost his 11-month-old baby Omar. His brother was also seriously injured when his house was struck in the Israeli operation and his sister in law was killed.The Telegraph's editorial this morning warns that Israel's action in Gaza highlights the region's volatility and why everyone must tread with care when looking for a settlement.
The National Security Council meets today, ostensibly to discuss the civil war in Syria and consider what, if anything, Britain should be doing to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe there, or to facilitate a political settlement. But as if there were not enough already to preoccupy diplomats and military planners, Israel’s renewed offensive on targets inside Gaza serves as a brutal reminder of the region’s volatility.
It is almost four years since the Israeli Defence Force last entered Gaza in response to rocket attacks against its territory by Hamas. The three-week Operation Cast Lead resulted in a terrible loss of life and was one of President Barack Obama’s first major foreign policy headaches. The reason for Israel’s air assault yesterday was the same as in December 2008 – Hamas has launched 100 missiles over the border since last Saturday. But the political dynamics of the region are fundamentally different today.
10.10 Phoebe Greenwood has also filed this dispatch from Gaza City: 'Israel has 'opened the gates of hell'
It was shortly before four o’clock when Ghalib al Hatour glanced up from sorting through spare parts at his streetside workshop in Gaza City.
Driving towards him in the distance was a grey, Kia saloon – a new model it appeared. As he bent his head down to continue his task, he was thrown backwards, an ear-splitting blast detonating in the relative confines of the quiet, mostly residential street.
When the thick black smoke cleared, Mr Hatour could pick out the severed front of the Kia blazing furiously only yards away.
But only the front. The rest of it was gone, strewn in charred pieces across the road, amid a carpet of glass, blood and blackened metal.
Looking around, he saw pieces of undercarriage and exhaust lying next to him. Blood was splattered on the white walls of one building opposite. Fragments of what appeared to be human flesh reached as far as a fourth floor window, above the height of trees in full leaf.
10.05 Our reporters Phoebe Greenwood, in Gaza, and David Blair, write that Israel's confrontation with Hamas is threatening to escalate into a new war after 20 air strikes rocked the Gaza Strip, killing the radical Islamist group's military chief and nine other Palestinians.
The Associated Press has filed a new wrap of the day's events so far, as the Israeli military presses forward with a second day of intense air raids and naval attacks on militant targets.
With Israel threatening to invade the Palestinian territory, the heaviest fighting between Israel and Hamas in four years shows no signs of letting up:
The fighting, which began Wednesday when Israel assassinated Hamas' military chief, brought life to a standstill on both sides of the border. Gaza's streets were mostly empty as the Israeli air force continued to strike targets. Residents across southern Israel remained huddled indoors or close to home, ordered by authorities to remain close to a network of public bomb shelters.
The deaths in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Malachi were the first in Israel since it launched its operation and raised the prospects of even fiercer Israeli retaliation. Israeli leaders have said they are prepared to broaden the operation to a ground invasion if necessary, though there were no signs of extraordinary troop movements along the border.
"The military will continue acting to establish deterrence against Hamas and to return the calm," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said during a tour of southern Israel. He praised citizens for coping with the "tough moments to come."
Following the assassination of Hamas mastermind Ahmed Jabari on Wednesday, Israeli tanks, gunboats and aircraft struck dozens of sites across Gaza. A total of 13 Palestinians, including four civilians, have been killed and more than 100 people wounded, according to Palestinian medical officials. Among the dead were two children.
Explosions rocked Gaza throughout the day on Thursday as well. Few in the territory's largest urban area, Gaza City, came out following the call for dawn prayers, and the only vehicles plying the streets were ambulances and media cars.
Most Gazans remained in their homes, following developments on Hamas-run TV and local radio stations. Many also provided updates on their Facebook and Twitter accounts, providing news about airstrikes and rocket launches. Others shared prayers and called for militants to stand tough against Israel.The Israeli army said that “Operation Pillar of Defence” was designed to stop Hamas from launching rocket attacks on its territory and that “if necessary” Israel was willing to “initiate a ground operation” inside Gaza.
The air strike killed Ahmed al-Jaabari, commander of the group’s military wing, and another official as they drove through Gaza City. Last night, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) posted video footage online showing the moment his car was struck as it passed along a crowded street.
Israel also bombed 19 more targets across the territory, triggering the most serious confrontation since the Gaza War of 2008-09, which claimed at least 1,200 lives.
Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service confirmed it had carried out the attack, saying it had killed Jaabri because of his 'decade-long terrorist activity' (AFP)
10.00 Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of events in Gaza, where the renewed conflict has entered a second day.
11.46 Minutes after William Hague's statement blaming Hamas for the renewed conflict comes this from Russia, condemning Israel's "disproportionate" use of force in air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
Foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters:Attacks on the south of Israel and the disproportionate strikes on Gaza - especially when civilians are killed on both sides - are completely unacceptable.
We strongly appeal on all the involved parties to immediately end their armed confrontation and to keep the conflict from resulting in still further bloodshed.
We believe that considering the fragile situation in the Middle East and the entire North African region, such large flare-ups of violence are fraught with dangerous consequences, including in other parts of the Arab world.
11.29 The Foreign Office has just released this statement from Foreign Secretary William Hague in which he states that "Hamas bears principal responsibility for the current crisis".I am gravely concerned by the situation in Gaza and Southern Israel and deeply regret the loss of civilian life on both sides. I call on all those involved to avoid any action which risks civilian casualties or escalates the crisis.
“Hamas bears principal responsibility for the current crisis. I utterly condemn rocket attacks from Gaza into southern Israel by Hamas and other armed groups. This creates an intolerable situation for Israeli civilians in southern Israel, who have the right to live without fear of attack from Gaza. The rocket attacks also risk worsening the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, which is already precarious.
“Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza should cease attacks against Israel immediately. I call on those in the region with influence over Hamas to use that influence to bring about an end to the attacks.
“I also strongly urge Israel to do their utmost to reduce tension, avoid civilian casualties and increase the prospects for both sides to live in peace. It is imperative to avoid the risk of a spiral of violence. The escalation of the conflict would be in no one's interest, particularly at a time of instability in the region.
“These events underline once again the fragility of the situation and the urgent need for progress toward a two state solution which allows Israelis and Palestinians to live alongside each other in peace and security. Britain will do all it can to support such progress and an urgent resumptions of negotiations.”Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has rejected what he calls Israel's "aggression" in Gaza, saying it threatens to destabilise the region, the AFP newswire reports.
In televised remarks, Morsi said:
We are in contact with the people of Gaza and with Palestinians and we stand by them until we stop the aggression and we do not accept under any circumstances the continuation of this aggression on the Strip.
The Israelis must realise that this aggression is unacceptable and would only lead to instability in the region and would negatively and greatly impact the security of the region.
Egypt's Islamist administration, which has close ties with Gaza's ruling Hamas movement, recalled its ambassador in protest at the Israeli operation which killed Ahmed al-Jaabari.
In an earlier telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr "called on the United States to immediately intervene to bring to an end the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza," the ministry said in a statement.
10.45 Despite the ongoing violence and repeated attacks on Gaza over 1,000 people marched in the funeral of Ahmed Jabari today.
In this video interview Phoebe Greenwood, who followed the Jabari funeral procession in Gaza City, says the assassination was "the straw that's broken the camel's back".The latest development is that three Israelis have been killed by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip as the conflict enters a second day. My colleague Barney Henderson writes:
"We have three killed," Israeli police spokesman Luba Samri told AFP, saying four other people were also injured in a "direct hit on a house" in the town which lies 18 miles north of the Gaza Strip.
The rocket attack comes amid a vast Israeli operation against Gaza militants which began on Wednesday with Israel's killing of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jaabari in an air strike on a car in Gaza City.
Iran issued a statement on Thursday morning accusing Israel of "organised terrorism".
"Iran considers the criminal act of Israeli military forces in killing civilians as organised terrorism and strongly condemns it," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
It emerged overnight that the baby son of a BBC worker was among those killed in Israel's air strike on Gaza.
Jihad Misharawi, who is employed by BBC Arabic, lost his 11-month-old baby Omar. His brother was also seriously injured when his house was struck in the Israeli operation and his sister in law was killed.The Telegraph's editorial this morning warns that Israel's action in Gaza highlights the region's volatility and why everyone must tread with care when looking for a settlement.
The National Security Council meets today, ostensibly to discuss the civil war in Syria and consider what, if anything, Britain should be doing to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe there, or to facilitate a political settlement. But as if there were not enough already to preoccupy diplomats and military planners, Israel’s renewed offensive on targets inside Gaza serves as a brutal reminder of the region’s volatility.
It is almost four years since the Israeli Defence Force last entered Gaza in response to rocket attacks against its territory by Hamas. The three-week Operation Cast Lead resulted in a terrible loss of life and was one of President Barack Obama’s first major foreign policy headaches. The reason for Israel’s air assault yesterday was the same as in December 2008 – Hamas has launched 100 missiles over the border since last Saturday. But the political dynamics of the region are fundamentally different today.
10.10 Phoebe Greenwood has also filed this dispatch from Gaza City: 'Israel has 'opened the gates of hell'
It was shortly before four o’clock when Ghalib al Hatour glanced up from sorting through spare parts at his streetside workshop in Gaza City.
Driving towards him in the distance was a grey, Kia saloon – a new model it appeared. As he bent his head down to continue his task, he was thrown backwards, an ear-splitting blast detonating in the relative confines of the quiet, mostly residential street.
When the thick black smoke cleared, Mr Hatour could pick out the severed front of the Kia blazing furiously only yards away.
But only the front. The rest of it was gone, strewn in charred pieces across the road, amid a carpet of glass, blood and blackened metal.
Looking around, he saw pieces of undercarriage and exhaust lying next to him. Blood was splattered on the white walls of one building opposite. Fragments of what appeared to be human flesh reached as far as a fourth floor window, above the height of trees in full leaf.
10.05 Our reporters Phoebe Greenwood, in Gaza, and David Blair, write that Israel's confrontation with Hamas is threatening to escalate into a new war after 20 air strikes rocked the Gaza Strip, killing the radical Islamist group's military chief and nine other Palestinians.
The Associated Press has filed a new wrap of the day's events so far, as the Israeli military presses forward with a second day of intense air raids and naval attacks on militant targets.
With Israel threatening to invade the Palestinian territory, the heaviest fighting between Israel and Hamas in four years shows no signs of letting up:
The fighting, which began Wednesday when Israel assassinated Hamas' military chief, brought life to a standstill on both sides of the border. Gaza's streets were mostly empty as the Israeli air force continued to strike targets. Residents across southern Israel remained huddled indoors or close to home, ordered by authorities to remain close to a network of public bomb shelters.
The deaths in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Malachi were the first in Israel since it launched its operation and raised the prospects of even fiercer Israeli retaliation. Israeli leaders have said they are prepared to broaden the operation to a ground invasion if necessary, though there were no signs of extraordinary troop movements along the border.
"The military will continue acting to establish deterrence against Hamas and to return the calm," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said during a tour of southern Israel. He praised citizens for coping with the "tough moments to come."
Following the assassination of Hamas mastermind Ahmed Jabari on Wednesday, Israeli tanks, gunboats and aircraft struck dozens of sites across Gaza. A total of 13 Palestinians, including four civilians, have been killed and more than 100 people wounded, according to Palestinian medical officials. Among the dead were two children.
Explosions rocked Gaza throughout the day on Thursday as well. Few in the territory's largest urban area, Gaza City, came out following the call for dawn prayers, and the only vehicles plying the streets were ambulances and media cars.
Most Gazans remained in their homes, following developments on Hamas-run TV and local radio stations. Many also provided updates on their Facebook and Twitter accounts, providing news about airstrikes and rocket launches. Others shared prayers and called for militants to stand tough against Israel.The Israeli army said that “Operation Pillar of Defence” was designed to stop Hamas from launching rocket attacks on its territory and that “if necessary” Israel was willing to “initiate a ground operation” inside Gaza.
The air strike killed Ahmed al-Jaabari, commander of the group’s military wing, and another official as they drove through Gaza City. Last night, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) posted video footage online showing the moment his car was struck as it passed along a crowded street.
Israel also bombed 19 more targets across the territory, triggering the most serious confrontation since the Gaza War of 2008-09, which claimed at least 1,200 lives.
Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service confirmed it had carried out the attack, saying it had killed Jaabri because of his 'decade-long terrorist activity' (AFP)
10.00 Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of events in Gaza, where the renewed conflict has entered a second day.
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