Will this increase or decrease the likelihood of terrorist actions in America, Europe and the rest of the world?

If you were a member of a family murdered in this conflict, would you be seeking revenge?

Should Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert, be tried for war crimes if or when this conflict comes to an end?

What will the price of oil be in 4 weeks time?

Dream on......LOL

Exactly. And that is why there will be no peace treaty with any value.

this is ITLOTB in 2006,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5MvQI0dshw&feature=related

Fahel this is for you.

Red Cross: No Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza



"There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza." So states categorically Mathilde Redmatn, the deputy director of the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip.

"If you go to the supermarket, there are products, she said, as reported on the IDF website. There are restaurants and a nice beach. The problem is mainly in maintenance of infrastructure and in access to certain goods such as concrete. Israel has the legitimate right to protect [its] civilian population, this right should be balanced with the right of 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip.

She acknowledged that Israel has eased its closure on Gaza and has partially lifted export bans.

"Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip is against international law because it is directed at civilians," the Red Cross official said. "We conduct confidential or bilateral dialogue with Hamas on the matter. As time passes, the dialogue also develops."

She said that the Red Cross has also asked to meet with captive soldier Gilad Shalit: "When a person's freedom is taken away, he deserves at least contact with his family. We will continue to ask but we do not have the capability to force anything on Hamas. Hamas' refusal is based on security reasons. Hamas is afraid of the IDF's advanced technological capabilities and believes that allowing contact will lead to the location of Gilad

Oh dear Fahel-this video was exposed as a hoax years ago.Only you can dig up old files and cut and paste as you only ever do.

I have only seen the "There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza." comment on Israeli news sites. I have yet to find a Red Cross site saying that. It makes you wonder if it is a hoax. The comments came in an interview with an Israeli spokesman so you might as well ignore the comments. The original interview was posted on the IDF'S official web site (the Israeli Defence Force). It is just propaganda.

There is a comment on the Huffington Post whcih reads as follows: -

The story about Mathilde Redmatn is a fake. I simply called the IRC in Washington DC and they could not find a Mathilde Redmatn in their directory and said there is no such title as "Deputy Director of Gaza".

She says "If you go to the supermarket, there are products, . That is not the problesm. It is supplies of medicine and access to medical treatment that cause humanitarian crises. The lack of fuel to fire power stations causeing power ouages day after day. Building materials are also banned. Israel stops Gaza from exporting anything so they have no income. Money is given to Gaza via the PA and the PA just keep the money.

There is no reason to be cooperative over Shalit as Israel holds several thousand Palestinians, plenty of whom are in solitary confinement and have no visitors or access to Red Cross. It is the same as the Shalit case but much worse. I know that Hamas wants to kidnap a few more Israeli soldiers to help redress the balance with the numbers of Palestinians held by Israel. Israel still tortures captives, but has sub contracted out some of the torture to their colaborators now the PA.

A joke to cheer this miserable thread up......

A fleeing Taliban, desperate for water, was plodding through the Afghan desert when he saw something far off in the distance. Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the oasis, only to find a little old Jewish man at a small stand, selling ties. The Taliban asked, "Do you have water?"

The Jewish man replied, "I have no water. Would you like to buy a tie? They are only $5."

The Taliban shouted, "Idiot! I do not need an over-priced tie. I need water! I should kill you, but I must find water first!"

"OK," said the old Jewish man, "It does not matter that you do not want to buy a tie and that you hate me. I will show you that I am bigger than that. If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you will find a lovely restaurant. It has all the ice cold water you need. Shalom."

Cursing, the Taliban staggered away over the hill.



Several hours later he staggered back, almost dead & said, "Your brother won't let me in without a tie!"__,

:)

that one's as old as moses, but it's still good

A quote from the big "c" or little "i":-

"excuse me guys, but may we keep this thread sensible .... undoubtedly this is a singularly important issue, but to my mind it should not be bound by "party political lines" as seems to be happening here as well as in the big outside world"


8-0

Are Fatah and Hamas getting together to have a party.

Signs of grown up politics?

Interesting!

Also interesting is Peres's response.

it's just a local street party for tomorrow's wedding ..... normal hostilities will be resumed as soon as possible

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/egypt-fm-gaza-border-crossing-to-be-permanently-opened-1.358690

Egypt FM: Gaza border crossing to be permanently opened

Egyptian FM tells Al-Jazeera that preparations are already underway to permanently open Rafah border crossing, which would allow goods and people in and out of Gaza with no Israeli supervision.

Egypt's foreign minister said in an interview with Al-Jazeera on Thursday that preparations were underway to open the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on a permanent basis.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi told Al-Jazeera that within seven to 10 days, steps will be taken in order to alleviate the "blockade and suffering of the Palestinian nation."

The announcement indicates a significant change in the policy on Gaza, which before Egypt's uprising, was operated in conjunction with Israel. The opening of Rafah will allow the flow of people and goods in and out of Gaza without Israeli permission or supervision, which has not been the case up until now.

Israel's blockade on Gaza has been a policy used in conjunction with Egyptian police to weaken Hamas, which has ruled over the strip since 2007. The policy also aims to reduce Hamas' popularity among Gazans by creating economic hardship in the Strip.

Rafah's opening would be a violation of an agreement reached in 2005 between the United States, Israel, Egypt, and the European Union, which gives EU monitors access to the crossing. The monitors were to reassure Israel that weapons and militants wouldn't get into Gaza after its pullout from the territory in the fall of 2005.

Before Egypt's uprising and ousting of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak, the border between Egypt and Gaza had been sealed. It has occasionally opened the passage for limited periods.

This is well worth reading. It outlines Netanyahu's looming problems.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/netanyahu-fell-into-the-palestinians-diplomatic-trap-1.358312

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/egypt-warns-israel-don-t-interfere-with-opening-of-gaza-border-crossing-1.358969

Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces General Sami Anan warned Israel against interfering with Egypt's plan to open the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on a permanent basis, saying it was not a matter of Israel's concern, Army Radio reported on Saturday.

Egypt announced this week that it intended to permanently open the border crossing with Gaza within the next few days.

The announcement indicates a significant change in the policy on Gaza, which before Egypt's uprising, was operated in conjunction with Israel. The opening of Rafah will allow the flow of people and goods in and out of Gaza without Israeli permission or supervision, which has not been the case up until now.

An Israeli official on Friday told The Wall Street Journal that Israel was troubled by the recent developments in Egypt saying they could affect Israel's national security at a strategic level.

Israel's blockade on Gaza has been a policy used in conjunction with Egyptian police to weaken Hamas, which has ruled over the strip since 2007.

it would certainly be good to see israel finally brought to its senses, but whether or not the aftermath will be any more peaceful remains to be seen - and all will be several years away

Things may hot up come September. If Palestinine declares itself as a state as is expected and the UN accepts it then one consequence will be that Israel becomes an occupying force in another sovereign state. That will inevitably bring the possibility of direct sanctions from the UN against Israel if they do not withdraw. Of course, if they do withdraw then you can expect the new state of Palestine to expell the 500,000 Israeli settlers and then allow Palestinian refugees from Jordan, Lebanon etc to replace them.

The other more immediate consequences are that as part of the agreeement to be signed next Wesnesday, Hamas has specified that it requires the freeing of hundreds if not thousands of political prisoners arrested by the PA (close to 100% are Hamas members in the West Bank). The other request is that Fatah change their stance and not recognise Israel anymore.

you are getting way way ahead of the game .... at the moment it is all posturing and jockeying for position .... i'm not sure from where you get you 500,000, but knowing your previous rantings, i suppose you foresee the destruction of israel and the whole of israel being re-defined as palestine - if so and to put it mildly, don't be so bloody silly

It is a figure widely accepted. It includes settlements in East Jerusalem as well. The figure is mentioned by Reuters, the BBC, wikipedia.

widely accepted by whom and covering what precise area?