Rights group: Israel uses incendiary bombs in Gaza

Human Rights Watch said it was clear Israel had fired shells containing white phopshorus[GALLO/GETTY]

By JASON KEYSER, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) – Human Rights Watch said Sunday that Israel's military has fired artillery shells with the incendiary agent white phosphorus into Gaza and a doctor there said the chemical was suspected in the case of 10 burn victims who had skin peeling off their faces and bodies.

Researchers in Israel from the rights group witnessed hours of artillery bombardments that sent trails of burning smoke indicating white phosphorus over the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. But they could not confirm injuries on the ground because they have been barred from entering the territory.

The chief doctor at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said he treated several victims there with serious burns that might have been caused by phosphorus. He said, however, that he did not have the resources or expertise to say with certainty what caused the injuries.

The substance can cause serious burns if it touches the skin and can spark fires on the ground, the rights group said in a written statement calling on Israel not to use it in crowded areas of Gaza.

Military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich refused to comment directly on whether Israel was using phosphorus, but said the army was "using its munitions in accordance with international law."

Israel used white phosphorus in its 34-day war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. The U.S. military in Iraq used the incendiary during a November 2004 operation against insurgents in the city of Fallujah.

An AP photographer and a TV crew based in Gaza visited Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Sunday and recorded images of several burn patients...AP

Related artilce: Israel 'using white phosphorus'

Thousands in anti-Israel protests in KL - Malaysiakini

Thousands of people gathered at the US embassy in Jalan Tun Razak to protest against the ongoing Israeli brutal 13-day attack in Gaza, Malaysiakini reports.

Eye-witnesses said that about 5,000 people started their march from the Tabung Haji building, located less than a kilometre away from the embassy, right after the Friday prayers.

The march was organised by the Coalition of Concerned NGOs - COMPLETE (read here) . The marchers - which included PAS supporters - shouted anti-USA and anti-Israel slogans.

Among the leaders that attended the rally were PAS Kuala Krai MP Dr Hattta Ramli, Youth chief and Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub, PAS vice-presidents Mohammad Sabu and Husam Musa, PSM president and Kota Damansara assemblyperson Dr Nasir Hashim and the party’s secretary-general S Arutchelvan.

They carried Palestinian flags, anti-US and Israel banners. Most of the male protesters were seen wearing the traditional Palestinian scarves 'kaffeiyah' in a symbolic show of solidarity with the victims of the conflict.

One female protester was seen carrying a baby doll wrapped in white cloth with smudges of red paint. Nearly a 100 children and infants have since perished in the conflict. Unlike past demonstrations at the embassy, police presence this afternoon was at a minimal with only members of the Light Strike Force deployed.

The police however stopped the protesters from gathering directly outside the embassy but allowed a 15-member delegation led by Husam to submit a memorandum to the embassy officials.While the delegation met with embassy officials, protesters were seen burning, spitting and stomping on the Israeli flag.

Addressing the protesters after submitting the memorandum, Husam called the US ‘hypocritical’ and said the ‘global police’ would have reacted immediately if the victims were US citizens.

“I told them just now, if the victim was President George W Bush's daughter, the whole nation would act immediately. But since this is just ordinary Palestinian women and children, nobody cares,” he added.

The PAS leader also took a swipe at newly elected US president Barrack Obama for his ‘silence’ in this matter.

Meanwhile, about 200 people gathered at the Kampung Baru mosque to protest against the Israeli invasion, and burnt American and Israeli flags to show their anger.

This group was largely made up by Umno Youth members from the Titiwangsa division. who started their gathering after the Friday prayers and were led by an exco member from the division, Mohamed Muizz Shadik Mohamed.

And at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad addressed some 500 people in condemning the Israeli invasion into Gaza.

He repeated his calls for a boycott of American products and their currency.

"People should boycott McDonalds and Starbucks for a month," he said.

He also urged people to leave their jobs from American firms.

The Malaysian Muslim Consumer Association also launched their boycott US campaign at the gathering. - Malaysiakini

"Save Palestine" peaceful rally...

Date: Today, Friday, Jan 9
Time: 2 pm
Place: Gather behind Tabung Haji building in KL city, walk to US Embassy
Notes: Wear black, red or white if possible. No children, please.

"It's being organised by a coalition of NGOs who bonded under the name of COMPLETE, which stands for Coalition of Malaysian NGOs Against the Persecution of Palestinians.

A key member of COMPLETE, in her email said: "It is now over two weeks since the savage bombardment of the Gaza strip. Now reinforced with a full-fledged ground invasion, the Israeli forces continue their invasion of this already fragile and helpless land – one of the most densely populated areas on the planet, home to over a million people – despite international outrage and in defiance of all international humanitarian laws.

Standing in solidarity against this barbarity, COMPLETE will be holding a peaceful dmonstration and handing over of memorandum to the US Embassy on Friday (Jan 9) after Friday prayers.

Anyone who wish to rally behind the Palestinian struggle are advised to gather at 2 pm outside Tabung Haji Complex in Jln Tun Razak before proceeding with the walk to the US embassy across the road.

Attendees are advised to dress in black, white or red colours and any other Palestinian symbols (badges, scarves, t-shirts). Please bring along relevant placards/banners/posters.

The time has come for us, as citizens of the world, as brothers and sisters in the human family, as conscientious individuals, to link hands across the divides of race, religion, and nationality, and to stand together against the tide of injustice and speak on behalf of the voiceless. It is our duty, our sacred responsibility, not only to humanity, but to ourselves. Say - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" - save palestine now

Read Rocky'sbru Walk for Gaza at US Embassy here
Also Save Palestine Now here

Three Simple Proposals ...

Gaza Seen From Paris

By JEAN BRICMONT and DIANA JOHNSTONE

There are surely millions of us, invisible to each other, enraged and powerless as we watch the massacre of Gaza and listen to our media describe it as a "retaliation against terrorism", "Israel’s right to defend itself".

We have reached a point where answering the Zionist arguments is both useless and unworthy of humanity. So long as it is recognized that the shells landing on Ashkelon are likely to have been fired by descendants of the inhabitants of that region who were driven out by the Zionists in 1948, talk of peace is a smoke screen for continued Israeli assault on the survivors of that great injustice.

What then is to be done? Yet another dialogue between "moderate" Arabs and progressive" Israelis? An umpteenth "peace plan" to be ignored? A solemn declaration from the European Union?

All such mainstream gestures are mere distractions from the ongoing strangling of he Palestinian people. But more radical demands are just as futile. The call to create an international tribunal to judge Israeli war criminals, or for an effective ntervention by the United Nations or the European Union will accomplish nothing. The real existing international tribunals reflect the relationship of forces in the world, and will never be used against the cherished allies of the United States. It is the relationship of forces itself that must be changed, and this can be done only gradually. It is true that Gaza is a dire emergency, but it is also true that nothing really effective can be done today to stop it, precisely because the patient political work that should have been done before still remains to be undertaken. Continue here

Israel 'fires on UN Gaza convoy'

At least one Palestinian has been killed after a UN relief agency convoy came under fire from Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, officials say.

The attack took place on Thursday as the lorries travelled to the Erez crossing to pick up supplies that were to have been allowed in during a three-hour ceasefire.

Thursday's pause in the 13-day Israeli offensive to allow humanitarian aid into the strip was scheduled to last from 1pm (11:00 GMT) to 4pm (14:00 GMT).The Israeli military said that it was checking reports of the incident.

John Ging, the head of the UN relief agency in Gaza, said that the casualties were Palestinian civilian contractors contracted to bring supplies from the crossing points.

"They were co-ordinating their movements with the Israelis, as they always do, only to find themselves being fired at from the ground troops," he told Al Jazeera.

"It has resulted tragically in the death of one and the injury of two others."

Wednesday's three-hour ceasefire allowed beleaguered Gazans and aid workers to recover dead bodies, treat the wounded, and gather much-needed supplies in and around Gaza City.

Read also Nuraina's Israel Forces Delay Help for Wounded Palestinians

And The Guardian's How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe

Sime Darby drops IJN plan - Malaysiakini

Sime Darby Berhad today announced that it would not pursue its ambitious plan to take over the National Heart Institute (IJN), according to a Malaysiakini report .

The multinational company said that the decision was made after taking into consideration the "public sentiment and feedback" on the matter.

The group's chief executive officer and president Ahmad Zubir Murshid said in a statement today that the company has to respect the "wishes of the rakyat" for IJN to remain in its present structure.

He said that the company had written to the government in August expressing interest in a partnership that would be "mutually beneficial in extending the scope and scale of operations of Sime Darby Healthcare and IJN".

The government however, although initially agreed in principle with the proposal, said that it had deferred its decision to allow Sime Darby to begin negotiations with the Finance Ministry on taking a 51 percent stake in IJN.

A strong public outcry, including from the specialists working in IJN, is believed to have reversed the government's decision.

Among the main concerns raised included the possibility of Sime Darby increasing the fee structure at the institute.

On Dec 19, deputy premier Najib Abdul Razak said the deal has been put on hold until an in-depth study is conducted by the relevant ministries.The institute was carved out of the Kuala Lumpur general hospital in 1992.

Specialising in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, it has provided speedy, efficient and affordable treatment. - Malaysiakini.

Dr M blames US for Gaza war

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has blamed the US for backing Israeli military aggression against Palestinians in Gaza, saying it makes the US "much more guilty than even the Israelis".

The former Prime Minister on Monday said that no matter how clever or powerful Israel was it would not be able to carry out the offensive without US support.

"The backing by the US gives it encouragement to do all these things which I think ordinary Americans would not like to see them do," Mahathir said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

"Israelis believe it they go to war there is this big brother that is going to come with the weapons, with the money, so they don’t care what the world thinks."

He also suggested a boycott of the greenback as a way to pressure the US, saying that if the US is impoverished "it cannot undertake all these aggressive acts".

Mahathir, also defended the Palestinians' right to retaliate against the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

Meanwhile Malaysia is leading the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in a bid to seek a special session at the UN General Assembly to stop the escalating violence in Gaza.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Malaysian permanent envoy to the UN will discuss with officials from the 57-member OIC on how best to push for such a session.

"I hope the United States and its allies will not impede efforts to convene the special general assembly," the Bernama national news agency quoted him as saying.

In a separate statement, Abdullah urged the international community not to tolerate Israel's ground offensive which he described as "an act of total war".

The US late on Saturday blocked approval of a UN Security Council statement that called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and expressed serious concern at the escalation of violence, according to council diplomats.

Israel sent troops and tanks into Gaza on Saturday after a week-long aerial bombardment which has left more than 500 Palestinians dead and thousands more wounded so far.

Read Hantu Laut's entry : Gaza:Dirty American,Ruthlessly Cruel Jews And Stupid Arabs

Galadriel's A Palestinian Holocaust?

Gaza burns as Israel intensifies attack...

Smoke from the three-day Israeli air strike over Gaza

At least a dozen Palestinian civilians have been killed on Monday as Israeli forces pushed deeper into the Gaza Strip, medical sources say.

The latest total death count in Gaza stands at 531 people killed and more than 2,000 injured across 10 days, with more than 80 deaths since the ground offensive began two days ago. Overnight and Monday morning air raids were reported in open fields in east Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya and in the Shati refugee camp. Among the dead was a family of seven at Shati refugee camp, who were killed by navy shelling off the coast of Gaza.

As Israeli troops advanced in their ground invasion supported by military helicopters that sporadically dropped bombs and caused mass panic as frantic families fled by car or on foot.

Artillery shells explode over Gaza as Israeli forces invade Gaza. Troops, backed by air and naval support, are reported to have surrounded Gaza City. And with soldiers positioned on the north-south road at Netzarim, the besieged territory has been split into two, effectively blocking Palestinian supply lines.



The Israeli government officials claim they are not targeting civilians, only seeking to halt rocket fire from the Palestinian Hamas movement governing Gaza. But pictures on the ground tell a different story. It is all in the name of self-defence, claim the Israelis.

But in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians rallied for a third day of protests, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a man, Palestinian medical sources said.

Mufid Saleh Walweel, 22, was shot in the head in the West Bank city of Qalqilya during a protest against Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip.

As always, children are the victims... (AFP photo).


Streets remained deserted in Gaza City, capital of the battered and densely populated Palestinian territory, as it was encircled by Israeli forces cutting off the main access roads.

Stores were shuttered and long queues formed outside the few open bakeries, with those residents who decided to stay stocking up on goods for fear of a protracted conflict.

The first night of Israel's ground invasion, Gaza was blasted with explosives from both air and sea .

Artillery shells rained down along the border, tanks firing in support of advancing infantry units in the northern Gaza Strip, and Hamas retaliated with mortar rounds and by setting off roadside bombs.

Aid agencies have condemned Israeli Foreign Minister Livni who claimed there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza where 1.5 million people, are already suffering shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies due to a two-year economic blockade imposed by Israel.

Egypt has also completely closed the Rafah crossing, cutting off aid supplies to the territory.

About 250,000 people in the northern part of Gaza are also reported to be without electricity. The main power plant has been shut down for lack of fuel due to Israel's blockade.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm outraged and angry as I watch helplessly at the TV in front of me showing the carnage going on in Gaza. At the last count, Israeli's bomb had killed 530 Palestinians and injured 2,450 injured since its assault on Gaza last Saturday.

The death toll and the number of those injured are most likely to rise. Hospitals in Gaza are running with no electricity. There is shortage of medical supplies and the injured are being treated on the floor because there are not enough beds and space. And many are dying while waiting to be treated...the majority of them civilians.

Despite the Israelis assurance that civilians are not their target, 20 per cent of those killed were children and women.

Israeli's well-oiled PR machinery has been working overtime. It is a fight to defend itself and it is Israel's war against "Terror" and the terrorists (Hamas) ... always claiming that it is the victim, not the aggressor.

What about the Palestinians right? Their right to defend itself ? You cut off a group of people from the outside world by militarily occupying their land and force them into a state of destitution and then are surprised when they reacted the way they did?

The majority of the families of the people now living in Gaza, one of the most densely populated strip of land on this face of the earth - were from what is now called Israel. They were driven to Gaza to pave the way for the establishment of a Jewish State/homeland , Israel in 1948, for Jews dispersed all over the world. But the Jews claim, the land is theirs by right given by God because they are the Chosen people.

Much has been made of Hamas firing rockets at Israel, but who has been counting how many missiles Israel has fired at Gaza over the past six years? The fact that 3,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks against 30 Israeli deaths suggest that there are many more then 6,000 Israeli missile attacks.

The Israeli reaction now is based purely on posturing for their own elections combined with the certainty that Bush will let them do whatever they want.

During the so-called truce, Israel put up blockades to stop almost all essential goods - food and medicine - from getting into Gaza which angered Hamas who then started firing rockets. The shelling did not kill a single Israeli. Now Israel has decided to bomb any building in Gaza it deems as a 'Hamas institution' - which include mosques, institutions of higher learning, hospitals and refugee camps - to clear that strip of land of "terrorists".

And the US says Hamas is reponsible for the deaths of the Palestinians.

While the killing continues, Israel has closed the Gaza borders to the outside world.

Israel will continue with the carnage as long as there is no word from the White house...to say enough is enough.

Am not surprised. Are you?

For more of the atrocities read here
Read Nuraina's : I weep for you: sons and daughters of Paletine

PAS fields Wahid Endut as the party’s candidate in K.T. by-election – Malaysiakini

Wakaf Mempelam assemblyman Abdul Wahid Endut has been named PAS's candidate for the Jan 17 Kuala Terengganu by-election, reports Malaysiakini.

Announcing his party’s candidacy last night, Pas president Hadi acknowledged it was a last minute change.

He also admitted it had been a difficult decision for him to make because all of the candidates the party had in mind were capable.

PAS fields surprise candidate
Jan 1, 09 11:12pm

PAS tonight named Wakaf Mempelam state assemblyperson Abdul Wahid Endut as the party’s candidate to contest the crucial Kuala Terengganu by-election.

The announcement by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang at 11pm during a rally in Kuala Terengganu stadium came 11 days after rival Umno picked Deputy Home Minister Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh to vie for the parliamentary seat.

Abdul Wahid is a surprise candidate as there were strong speculations that the party would be fielding one of their big guns - popular Batu Burok state assemblyperson Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi or either one of the two PAS veterans, Mustafa Ali and Wan Abdul Mutalib Embong.

The chosen PAS candidate however is not quite a greenhorn as he has been a politician for 16 years and is currently the Terengganu PAS treasurer.

Abdul Wahid, a Universiti Pertanian Malaysia fisheries and marine science graduate, has served as state entrepreneur development, consumer, youth and small medium enterprises committee chairman when PAS ruled Terengganu between 1999 and 2004.

Wakaf Mempelam is one of the four state seats under the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constitutency.

Abdul Wahid, a five-term state representative, has retained the seat with a comfortable margin of 2,193 in the March general elections.

Top contestants to face a few independentsBoth the two top contestants, PAS' Abdul Wahid and Umno's Wan Ahmad Farid, are expected to face a number of independent candidates including Kelantan businessperson Isma Airfath Hassanuddin.

Meanwhile, Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat Malaysia, a PAS splinter party, had picked Haron Abdul Rahman Mohamad as their candidate.

The Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat fell vacant following the sudden death of Razali after suffering a heart attack on Nov 28.

In the March 8 general elections, Razali narrowly defeated PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu by 628 votes. An 85 year-old grandmother, Maimun Yusuf, who ran as an independent and widely seen as a spoiler, polled 685.

According to the Election Commission, there will be 80,229 registered voters, including 1,035 postal votes.

The latest figure is slightly lower than the 80,325 voters recorded in March.

Hadi: Don’t treat this by-election lightly

Abdul Hadi has earlier reminded PAS members through the party's Kuala Terengganu by-election website to be steadfast in campaigning in the polls.

“The challenge facing us is enormous as we are not only facing BN and Umno but also the Terengganu government and federal government election machinery. Continue here...