Targets: Fish market, university labs, mosque

Another email from Safa Joudeh in Gaza City:

Here's an update on what's happening here from where I am, second night of Israeli air (and sea) raids on Gaza.

It's 1.30 am but it feels like the sun should be up already.  For the past few hours there's been heavy aerial bombardment of Gaza city and the northern Gaza Strip simultaneously.  It feels like the longest night of my life.  In my area it started with the bombing of workshops (usually located in the ground floor of private/family residential buildings), garages and warehouses in one of the most highly condensed areas in Gaza city "Askoola".  About an hour ago they bombed the Islamic university, destroying the laboratory building.  As I mentioned in an earlier account, my home is close to the university.  We heard the first explosion, the windows shook, the walls shook and my heart felt like it would literally jump out of my mouth. My parents, siblings and cousins who have been staying with us since their home was damaged the first day of the air raids, had been trying to get some sleep.  We all rushed to the side of the house that was farthest.  Hala, my 11 year old sister stood motionless and had to be dragged to the other room.  I still have marks on my shoulder from when Aya, my 13 year old cousin held on to me during the next 4 explosions, each one as violent and heart stopping as the next.  Looking out of the window moments later, the night sky had turned to a dirty navy-gray from the smoke .

Israeli warships rocketed the Gazas only port only moments ago, 15 missiles exploded, destroying boats and parts of the ports.  These are just initial reports over the radio.  We don't know what the extent of the damage is.  We do know that the fishing industry that thousands of families depend on either directly or indirectly didn't pose a threat on Israeli security  The radio reporter started counting the explosions, I think he lost count after 6. At his moment we heard 3 more blasts.  "I'm mostly scared of the whoosh", I told my sister, referring to the sound a missile makes before it hits.  Those moments of wondering where it's going to fall are agonizing.    Once the whooshes and hits were over the radio reporter announced that the fish market (vacant of course) had been bombed.

We just heard that 4 sisters from the family of "Ba'lousha" have been killed in an attack that targeted the mosque by their home in the northern Gaza Strip.

You know what bothers me more than the bangs and the blasts, the smoke, the ambulance sirens and the whooshs? The constant, ominous, maddening droning sound of the Apaches overhead that's been buzzing in my head day and night.  It's like I'm hearing things, which I'm not, but I am.

Comments

[Todd]

This is very sad, but the system in the U.S. is broken. There is no honest leadership at the government, media, corporate, academic or religious level in the U.S. Money and support will continue to flow from the U.S. to Israel in conflict with reason, morals and self-interest.

[John Lewis-Dickerson]

******************************************
On the Ground in Gaza: University Bombed, UN Staffers Amongst the Dead

By: Siun @ firedoglake.com - Sunday December 28, 2008 6:00 pm

New Israeli airstrikes are going on now. CNN is broadcasting video of the attacks, Maan News Agency's breaking news includes reports of fires from bombs in the Western Gaza Strip and that the Intelligence and Olympics Committee buildings ahve been leveled. The Israeli news site Ynet reports that "Israeli warplanes bombed the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, a significant Hamas cultural symbol" and Xinhua confirms:

The residents in Remal neighborhood in western Gaza City said they heard four huge explosions that wrecked the whole area, and white and gray pillars of smoke were seen coming out of the building. Several buildings, which surround the Islamic University were badly damaged, said the residents, adding that another college run by the Islamic University in southern Gaza City was hit too. Israeli drones and F16 warplanes still hover over Gaza City. The buzz of the drones and war fighters was strongly heard shortly before the four airstrikes were carried out. The residents said that several buildings at the female campus into the Islamic University compound that include chemical labs were completely destroyed. No injuries were reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli tanks continue to mass at the borders and Time is reporting that support within Israel is very high for these attacks as demonstrated by their description of Israelis gathering on hilltops to watch and applaud the bombs.

Al Jazeera is now reporting "United Nations officials in New York said nine of its staff had been killed in the strikes.".........

ENTIRE ARTICLE - http://firedoglake.com/2008/12/28/on-the-ground-in-gaza/

[John Lewis-Dickerson]

**************************************
Free Gaza is going to try and land the DIGNITY tomorrow. On board will be Cynthia McKinney.

http://www.freegaza.org/index......38;offset=

[Rowan Berkeley]

That buzzing noise is more likely drones than choppers.

[Sin Nombre]

Seems to me one interesting question about all this that's not gotten much attention is why now? Solely because Kadima looked to be in trouble? And one wonders what the Israeli thinking was regarding Obama? Do this now before he has the ability to put the kibosh on anything similar? Send him a message that they don't care about putting him in a pickle right away?

Be interesting to hear from any Israelis out there who might have some closer perspective about this.

[Sword of Gideonthe point.]

I hope they hit the "free gaza' with a spare torpedo. But anyway. You vote for Hamas, they hit southern Israel with missiles and you don't think that there will be repercussions. Come on.

[A blogger from Lebanon]

Sin Nombre,I don't know what Israel's rationale was/is vis-a-vis Obama, but if I were Obama, the first thing I would've done to answer Israel's actions at this transitional phase in American politics, is cut all aid for the entire duration of his first term. Only such firm action, and not just in words but real actions, really cutting the aid, will stop Israeli thirst for blood from being implemented on the ground.

[A blogger from Lebanon]

Israeli heroism of the day:

http://www.daylife.com/photo/01Y80xk2vLcXZ
http://www.daylife.com/photo/08gX1W0b0uahN
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0gtueFE491gaB/gaza

As Mark Regev would say, it sure looks "propagandaish."

[JIM HAYGOOD]

"The constant, ominous, maddening droning sound . . . that's been buzzing in my head day and night. "

Sounds like an excellent description of most of the posters on this site (although I'd add "whining and braying," and, for Glenn, "whinging.")!

[Colin Murray]

A lot of criticism has been directed at P-E Obama for his silence. I would rather hear nothing, than hear him join the chorus of ignorant, arrogant, and self-righteous half-truths spewing from Lobby operatives in Congress. He is very correct not to take a public stance until he is sworn in. 'Having two presidents at a time' truly is an extremely dangerous precedent and is not in our American national interest, which must come first, before EITHER Israeli OR Palestinian interests. He may indeed join the chorus of America-seconders after his inauguration. We do not know, and the only (post-election) datum we have to work with is that thus far, he has not.

[A blogger from Lebanon]

Colin, I understand what you're saying, but allow me to point out that there is a difference between being neutral in negotiations between Israel and Palestinians (rather than acting as Israel's or Palestinians' lawyer), and staying mum on the planned starvation and then mass-slaughter of 1.5 million people, which, if the perpetrator of such a policy had been any other nation or state, America would've probably, and rightly so, intervened, or at the very least expressed harsh criticism of.

[A blogger from Lebanon]

Not being an Arab or Muslim, and having lived all my life amongst Arabs and Muslims, I can tell you that being neutral on mass-murder and war crimes (can one call it a war crime if there is no real "war" since the balance of power is so asymmetrically in favor of Israel?) is most definitely not in America's national interests. In fact, I can't think of ANYTHING ELSE that can match the importance of condemning such policies of starvation, mass-murder, and ethnic cleansing (that's what the occupation amounts to, at the end of the day, that's what it has been since 1948) as far as American foreign policy and America's image in the Arab and Muslim world are concerned. All that is happening today in the Middle East, and in the West in connection to the Middle East, is connected to what happened in 1948, and how the world, and especially America, treated the problem in the years immediately following the first round of ethnic cleansing in Palestine, and has continued to do so since then. I would even go so far as to say that Israel's very existence is not in America's interests, never has been, and never will be.

[Sword of Gideonthe point.]

I have to give you points for honesty. But while you are an advocate of the destruction of Israel and the death and dispersion of all the Jews. there are those of us on the opposite end. But riddle me this. Why should Israel agree to commit suicide. What is the incentive for that. Just curious.

[LeaNder]

A good article by Daniel Levy via the Washington Note.

And thanks to Dan Fleshler for his brilliant article. The tools of PR are indeed blunt when the underlying problems are not addressed.

[stevieb]

In fact, I can't think of ANYTHING ELSE that can match the importance of condemning such policies of starvation, mass-murder, and ethnic cleansing (that's what the occupation amounts to, at the end of the day, that's what it has been since 1948) as far as American foreign policy and America's image in the Arab and Muslim world are concerned.

That is the main point - well said, blogger.

[anonn]

RE Bill Pearlman aka SOG: "But riddle me this. Why should Israel agree to commit suicide. What is the incentive for that. Just curious."

Hey, Bill how many Israelis died from HAMAS rocket attacks in the last eight years? A dozen?

In the goy majority USA, under law, even if protecting your home,
and your person inside, you cannot use spring traps, or disproportionate force.
We should cut off all aid to Israel until it gets a humane consciousness. What is it like for the Bill Pearlman type non-Jewish counterpart in Israel?

Hail to all those poor white trash and beeners and spooks who
protect Bill Pearlman while he sits on his fat rectum, and plays with his PC keys here in the good old USA. Bill, what if you had to
depend on Witty's son to protect you from terror? Think about it.