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U.N. suspends aid work in Gaza

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GAZA CITY, Gaza (CNN) -- The main humanitarian aid group for the United Nations in Gaza has suspended activities in the Palestinian territory, its chief spokesman said Thursday.

The move comes after a U.N. Relief and Works Agency truck driver was killed and two other people were wounded by an Israeli tank shell near the Erez Crossing, said Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the U.N. agency in Gaza.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli military said it is not aware of the attack but said Hamas militants sometimes have targeted U.N. aid trucks to take food.

The U.N. relief agency will suspend activities until the Israeli military can guarantee the safety of its staff, said the agency's chief spokesman, Chris Gunness, in Jerusalem.

The U.N. agency provides food and relief supplies to about 80 percent of Gaza's 1.5 million people.

Israeli artillery and missiles have struck three U.N. schools in Gaza this week. More than 40 civilians were killed in a strike Tuesday on a U.N. school in Jabalya that was being used as a shelter. Three people were killed in airstrike Monday on a school shelter in Gaza City.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israeli forces fired on Hamas militants in "the immediate vicinity" of the Jabalya school. Gunness vehemently denied any militants were inside the school and demanded that Israel agree to an impartial investigation.

FULL STORY
 
The most important part:

The move comes after a U.N. Relief and Works Agency truck driver was killed and two other people were wounded by an Israeli tank shell near the Erez Crossing, said Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the U.N. agency in Gaza.
 
Yes, but all these attacks were on targets Israel clearly intended to hit.

If they had simply used a katysuha then it would have been an act of terrorism.

But since the Israelis decided to take aim at the school, truck, aid, or whatever, it's clearly an act of defense.

Khayembi, you should know that Israel can do no wrong. Duh.
 
From Juan Cole:

The UN is halting its relief works in Gaza, after an Israeli tank fired on a UN truck, killing the driver:

' "The IDF knows all of our movements, and coordinates. Despite that we are still coming under attack," says Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). "Until the [Israeli Defense Forces] can guarantee the safety and security of our staff, everything is suspended."'

It is hard not to suspect that the Israeli army doesn't actually want the aid workers in Gaza (they have already excluded reporters) because of what the workers find when they look into the rubble of buildings the army has hit. AP writes:

' During a three-hour pause in the fighting to allow in food and fuel and let medics collect the dead, nearly three dozen bodies were found beneath the rubble of bombed out buildings in Gaza City. Many of the dead were in the same neighborhood where the international Red Cross said rescuers discovered young children too weak to stand who had stayed by their dead mothers. The aid group accused Israel of an "unacceptable" delay in allowing workers to reach the area."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has admitted that pictures of civilian deaths coming out of Gaza generate pressure on Israel for a cease-fire, which the government is resisting for as long as possible.

Half of Gazans are children, and half of Gazans depend on external food aid. Even with that aid, about 17% of Gazans are malnourished. If the UN doesn't deliever food supplies, you are talking about vulnerable populations facing starvation.
 
From Juan Cole:

The UN is halting its relief works in Gaza, after an Israeli tank fired on a UN truck, killing the driver:

' "The IDF knows all of our movements, and coordinates. Despite that we are still coming under attack," says Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). "Until the [Israeli Defense Forces] can guarantee the safety and security of our staff, everything is suspended."'

It is hard not to suspect that the Israeli army doesn't actually want the aid workers in Gaza (they have already excluded reporters) because of what the workers find when they look into the rubble of buildings the army has hit. AP writes:

' During a three-hour pause in the fighting to allow in food and fuel and let medics collect the dead, nearly three dozen bodies were found beneath the rubble of bombed out buildings in Gaza City. Many of the dead were in the same neighborhood where the international Red Cross said rescuers discovered young children too weak to stand who had stayed by their dead mothers. The aid group accused Israel of an "unacceptable" delay in allowing workers to reach the area."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has admitted that pictures of civilian deaths coming out of Gaza generate pressure on Israel for a cease-fire, which the government is resisting for as long as possible.

Half of Gazans are children, and half of Gazans depend on external food aid. Even with that aid, about 17% of Gazans are malnourished. If the UN doesn't deliever food supplies, you are talking about vulnerable populations facing starvation.

Now, I'm not expressing an opinion as to what actually happened, because I truly couldn't care less about this whole thing, but think logically for a minute.

Juan Cole, disingenuous prick that he is, is claiming that Israel is intentionally killing the UN workers because they want to get them out of Gaza. Why? Because when they're in Gaza, they're supposedly finding dead bodies which creates bad publicity.

Think about that for a second.

If I'm Israel, and I'm trying to avoid bad publicity, do you think I'm going to make killing UN aid workers my top priority? The negative publicity from this outweighs any possible negative publicity that could result from aid workers finding dead bodies in a war zone. It's just idiotic logic.
 
It didn't need to be a direct order; that, as you said, makes no sense. Generally these type of atrocities happen because of an overall idea that permeates the whole, leading some to act in such ways.

Of course, it's not like Israel is doing a good job of covering up the atrocities. When journalists aren't allowed somewhere, it's blatantly obvious that something nefarious is happening.
 
It is a freaking WAR ZONE! Accidents happen in war zones. People die in war zones. Astonishing fact this, I know. People providing aid KNOW they are in a war zone. If you are in a war zone, you may get hit. I am sure people who die from "friendly fire" are the victim of intentional attacks by their own mates. Guys. This is a war zone. War sucks. People die. Live with it.

Is there ANY evidence at all that this was intentional? ANY?!?!?
 
The most important part:

The move comes after a U.N. Relief and Works Agency truck driver was killed and two other people were wounded by an Israeli tank shell near the Erez Crossing, said Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the U.N. agency in Gaza.

That is sick.
A UN envoy carrying aid being attacked by the "civilized" side
 
The UN is a bunch of gutless bastards. People are going hungry and sick because they're afraid of a couple of bullets.
 
If I'm Israel, and I'm trying to avoid bad publicity, do you think I'm going to make killing UN aid workers my top priority? The negative publicity from this outweighs any possible negative publicity that could result from aid workers finding dead bodies in a war zone. It's just idiotic logic.

I'm sure they aren't purposefully targeting the UN. However, Israel has demonstrated many many times that if they think there are terrorists there, they have very little concern for the surrounding area and people. They will take out civilians to get to the terrorists; they have absolutely no problem with it. 100's of civilians for 10 or so terrorists...well worth it.

I don't necessarily buy the "trying to avoid bad publicity" angle. So long as Israel is blindly and unwaveringly supported by the West; particularly America, they have no incentive to change. It doesn't matter if they happen to take out a few UN folk trying to get to terrorists, they will have the same funding and same military hardware and will face no negative consequences because of it. So I would imagine they would continue along the same path they've been traveling for quite some time. Get the terrorists no matter what the cost.
 
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Lol, Israel is tearing it up! :mrgreen:

This should be a message: Israel will take only so many bombshells from you, before they fire bombshell back.

and about time too. With all this fighting for thousands of years, SOMEONE has to win at some point. Its either going to be under Israeli rule, or palestinian rule. I myself, would prefer to have Israel own the ME.

As for the UN relief agency, sad thing, but you know, if they would have done what any sane person would have done, they would have just packed up and left untill the war was over. When you stick your hand in a dog fight, your going to get bit.
 
Why is everyone treating the Palestinians like a bunch of innocent lemmings? Everyone of those suckers has an AK-47 and RPG launcher. All this "poor little Palestinians" blabbering is total bull****. Half of them are probably helping Hamas.
 
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Why is everyone treating the Palestinians like a bunch of innocent lemmings? Everyone of those suckers has an AK-47 and RPG launcher. All this "poor little Palestinians" blabbering is total bull****. Half of them are probably helping Hamas.

This thread is about an attack on UNRWA and doesn't have anything to do directly with Palestinians. Stop ranting.

More on topic, regarding the school that was bombed by Israel:

YouTube - UNRWA spokesman reports Israeli retraction of mortar claims
 
I'm sure they aren't purposefully targeting the UN. However, Israel has demonstrated many many times that if they think there are terrorists there, they have very little concern for the surrounding area and people. They will take out civilians to get to the terrorists; they have absolutely no problem with it. 100's of civilians for 10 or so terrorists...well worth it.

I'd imagine that this is why most civilized people try to locate their troops in places where there are few civilians.
 
It is not clear who fired on the UN aid convoy at the Erez Crossing, and the UN admits it is not sure Israel is to blame. Others point to Hamas gunfire that targeted the UN convoy.

Who fired at a UN convoy? Forecast Highs
 
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GAZA CITY, Gaza (CNN) -- The main humanitarian aid group for the United Nations in Gaza has suspended activities in the Palestinian territory, its chief spokesman said Thursday.

The move comes after a U.N. Relief and Works Agency truck driver was killed and two other people were wounded by an Israeli tank shell near the Erez Crossing, said Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the U.N. agency in Gaza.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli military said it is not aware of the attack but said Hamas militants sometimes have targeted U.N. aid trucks to take food.

The U.N. relief agency will suspend activities until the Israeli military can guarantee the safety of its staff, said the agency's chief spokesman, Chris Gunness, in Jerusalem.

The U.N. agency provides food and relief supplies to about 80 percent of Gaza's 1.5 million people.

Israeli artillery and missiles have struck three U.N. schools in Gaza this week. More than 40 civilians were killed in a strike Tuesday on a U.N. school in Jabalya that was being used as a shelter. Three people were killed in airstrike Monday on a school shelter in Gaza City.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israeli forces fired on Hamas militants in "the immediate vicinity" of the Jabalya school. Gunness vehemently denied any militants were inside the school and demanded that Israel agree to an impartial investigation.

FULL STORY

The UN doesn't know if the convoy was hit by Israeli shells.
Who fired at a UN convoy? Forecast Highs
 
Is there any evidence whatsoever that this was an intentional attack?
ludahai,

February 5th, my boys will be coming to your town to drop a few bombs of their own and there's nothing the UN can do to prevent it. So you might as well hide all your hotel intern's and run for cover, because on February 5th, ya'll gonna see the best in town!

Now back to our regularly scheduled debate>>>
 
ludahai,

February 5th, my boys will be coming to your town to drop a few bombs of their own and there's nothing the UN can do to prevent it. So you might as well hide all your hotel intern's and run for cover, because on February 5th, ya'll gonna see the best in town!

Now back to our regularly scheduled debate>>>

lol - Taiwan's air force is a little more formidible than Gaza's is. :2wave:
 
That is sick.
A UN envoy carrying aid being attacked by the "civilized" side
I well remember one particular UAV video I took of a UN panel truck in Gaza. Not very nice of the UN :naughty

Did you know that you can focus in on individual tank treads from a distance of six miles?
 
lol - Taiwan's air force is a little more formidible than Gaza's is. :2wave:
Taiwan?

Who's talking about Taiwan? Do they make chowder too?
 
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