Friday, July 15, 2005

40 Rockets and some Militants

Interesting article at the Toronto Star today (registration required):
A rocket fired from Gaza killed a young Israeli woman today hours after Israeli forces raided the home of a 67-year-old British citizen in the West Bank and killed a militant — incidents that further shook a five-month truce already threatened this week by a suicide bombing.

Two rockets exploded this afternoon in the village of Nativ Haasara. One hit a house and killed a woman in her 20s, the military said. The second destroyed a parked car. A Palestinian militant group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, said the rocket attack was retaliation for the killing of the militant.

Here’s how the Jerusalem Post reported the incident:
Rocket fire at Israeli targets was renewed last night throughout the western Negev, as consecutive barrages pounded towns and kibbutzim, raining over 40 Kassam rockets and mortars and killing Dana Gelkovitz, a 22-year-old resident of Netiv Ha'asara.

In response, the IDF divided the Gaza Strip into three security sectors by setting up checkpoints west of Netzarim in the north, and at Gush Katif Junction in the south. IAF helicopters struck Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip, in Jabalya, Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, while politicians and security sources promised that the recent barrages would not go unanswered, and emphasized that the tentative cease-fire that had been in effect since February was effectively over, as Al-Aksa Martyrs' Brigades and Hamas both took responsibility for the deadly rocket attacks.

Back to the Toronto Star article:
In an angry reaction, David Baker, an official in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s office, charged that the Palestinian Authority was responsible because of its “refusal to fight terror.” He added: “We will not allow our citizens to be murdered, and if the Palestinian Authority doesn’t take necessary steps to prevent terror, we will.”

Rockets also exploded in an army base and a Gaza settlement, slightly wounding several Israelis. In the past, Israel has retaliated for such rocket barrages by sending tanks into northern Gaza, but it has refrained from that since a truce was declared Feb. 8.

Early today, Israeli forces shot and killed a fugitive in the West Bank city of Nablus in one of several arrest raids overnight — a sign of escalating violence that could spiral out of control and torpedo the truce, although Israel and the Palestinians have an interest in maintaining the calm at least until Israel completes its pullout from Gaza and part of the West Bank in the summer.

The militant who was killed, Mohammed Alassi, 28, was a local leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group and was planning attacks against Israel, the army said. Others in Nablus said he was a member of a different militant group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, linked to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement.
(...)
Early today, soldiers surrounded the Nablus house where Alassi was staying and demanded he surrender, said Maj. Sharon Asman. Alassi and another militant fled, and the soldiers ordered them to stop. One man returned to the house and was arrested, but Alassi continued running and was shot and killed, he said. The raid took place at the home of Hannah Alassi, 67, a British citizen who moved to Nablus in 2002 and was not related to the fugitive.

The army said Hannah Alassi was an activist who gave refuge to militants. Hannah Alassi said she was a journalist who made television documentaries and filed stories to radio stations and magazines on the Middle East conflict. She said Mohammed Alassi was not in Islamic Jihad, but rather in Al Aqsa, a militant group responsible for scores of attacks on Israelis but unconnected to the suicide bombing in Netanya. Elsewhere in the West Bank overnight, Israeli forces arrested 10 other Islamic Jihad suspects, the military said.


Now I take issue with the characterization of any member of any organization that targets civilians for murder a "militant" but let’s not quibble, the Star knows better and if a terror attack ever reaches Canadian soil, I sincerely hope they exercise the same bias and will not refer to the perpetrators of such murders as "terrorists" rather than as "militants".

The Star article begins with the death of an Israeli woman killed by a rocket attack and makes no reference to the sum total of size of the rocket barrage (40 Kassams) fired at Israeli targets. That kind 'nuance' puts things into somewhat of a different perspective doesn’t it?

The Star reports that the Israeli’s believe the wanted man who was found in the home of Hannah Alassi was a member of Islamic Jihad while Hannah Alassi and “others in Nablus” take issue with this and claim Mohammed Alassi was a member of Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade – “linked to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement.”

So who to believe? And does it really matter if the wanted man was a member of Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade or Islamic Jihad? Both organizations routinely target Israeli civilians for murder and celebrate that fact. I have yet to know of a mass rally called in celebration in Israel for the death of a Palestinian militant by the IDF. In the rocket barrage that fell on Israeli targets both Hamas and Al Aqsa are claiming responsibility for the death and mayhem that ensued.

Interestingly enough, a search on the alleged British journalist, Hannah Alassi, on Google, Yahoo and MSN turned up no references to her work as a journalist, let alone as a documentary film maker or commentator on the Middle East, but lack of evidence, is not conclusive evidence. It does seem rather curious that a 67 year old British journalist would have not left some trail or taste of her work over the last 20 years or so in the mainstream media.

Debkafile refers to Hannah Alassi as a member of the pro-Palestinian activist group International Solidarity Movement. Front Page Magazine ran an expose of this international group’s activities in recruiting members to take part in the Pro-Palestinian activism inside the Occupied Territories last year. Too bad no one Toronto Star asked the question I wanted to know in order to explain what I find incomprehensive. Why is an experienced journalist, living in known hot spot, thinks it is prudent or wise to meet with known and wanted men in her own home?

In other news today, I discovered that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has declared a State of Emergency in Gaza (reports the Jerusalem Post):
Two Palestinian youths have been killed and more than 16 people have been wounded in a fight between PA security forces and Hamas members in the Gaza Strip. The hospitals have reported that most of those wounded are PA security members, Israel Radio reported. Hamas members set three tPA cars on fire.

The stream of violence in Gaza has lead PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to declare a state of emergency on Thursday night, after dozens of Hamas gunmen stormed two Palestinian police posts in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel Television reported. The assailants threw grenades and fired automatic weapons. The attack came after members of the Palestinian security forces opened fire on a car in the area believed to be carrying Hamas gunmen who refused to stop at a roadblock. Five Hamas gunmen traveling in the vehicle were lightly wounded.

In an updated version of the The Toronto Star online, I did find another article carrying the story of the rocket barrage attacking Israelis under the byline: “Israeli helicopters pound Gaza” without mentioning the scope or size of the assault by Palestinian "militants" or how the Israeli helicopter assault was a direct measured response to the missile barrage that rained down on Israeli civilians. The Toronto Star calls the targeting of 4 known sites by the Israeli’s a pounding; but a 40 rocket missile barrage by "militants" are referred to as only "rockets" and only makes direct mention of 4 targets out of 40. Go figure.

To the Toronto Star’s credit, it does mention that Palestinian Authority police did "clash" with Hamas "gunman" (does that still make them militants?) but makes no mention of Mahmoud Abbas declaring a State of Emergency in Gaza. No need to fret as I am sure that given enough time Toronto Star will figure out how to spin that too.

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