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| Wednesday, Jul 16 '14, Tammuz 18, 5774 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. Report: Terrorists Offer 10-Year Truce
by Arutz Sheva  Palestinian Arab sources reported Wednesday that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have drafted a ceasefire offer that would involve a 10-year truce with Israel. The terrorists want all crossings into Gaza opened, and an international airport to be opened in Gaza. The Rafah crossing is to be opened up to international traffic, under UN supervision, with international observers along the borders. There is no official confirmation of the offer and it is being greeted with skepticism, as more of a trial balloon than an actual offer. Other articles in the alleged proposal include the withdrawal of IDF tanks from areas they entered in Operation Protective Edge; a complete removal of the blockade on Gaza; an international sea port; no more flights by Israeli aircraft over Palestinian territory and expansion of the fishing zone to 10 km from the shoreline. In addition, the terrorists demand that Israel release the terror prisoners who were freed in the Shalit deal and re-arrested in Operation Brother's Keeper. Other terrorist conditions: Israel will be obliged not to interfere with the activity of the Palestinian unity government, and industrial zones along the border will be rebuilt and renovated.
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2. Radical Jordanian Cleric Says ISIS Caliphate is 'Void'
by Arutz Sheva Staff  Radical Islamic cleric Abu Qatada, who is being tried on terror charges in Jordan, on Tuesday denounced as "void" the declaration of a caliphate by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). "The announcement of a caliphate by the Islamic State is void and meaningless because it was not approved by jihadists in other parts of the world," Abu Qatada was quoted by AFP as having written in a 21-page document published on jihadist websites. ISIS, which has been fighting in neighboring Syria and Iraq, on June 29 proclaimed a "caliphate" straddling both countries and headed by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who now calls himself Caliph Ibrahim. It is now calling itself Islamic State instead of using the full ISIS name. "This group does not have the authority to rule all Muslims and their declaration applies to no-one but themselves," said Abu Qatada, according to AFP. "Its threats to kill opponents, sidelining of other groups and violent way of fighting opponents constitute a great sin, reflecting the reality of the group," wrote the preacher, who is of Palestinian Arab descent. Abu Qatada, who has repeatedly criticized the Islamic State, urged other Muslims against joining the Sunni jihadist group. "They are merciless in dealing with other jihadists. How would they deal with the poor, the weak and other people?" Jordan's jihadist movement is generally dominated by anti-ISIS groups that support Al-Qaeda and its Syrian ally, the Al-Nusra Front. Abu Qatada's statement came after leading Jordanian jihadist ideologist Issam Barqawi, known as Abu Mohammed al-Maqdessi, denounced the declaration of the caliphate on July 2. Abu Qatada, who was deported from Britain in July 2013 after a 10-year legal battle, was acquitted last month of plotting a 1999 attack on the American school in Amman. But he remained in prison, facing another terror charge of plotting to attack tourists in Jordan during millennium celebrations.
Tags: ISIS, Abu Qatada, Caliphate
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3. Homes of Teenagers' Murderers to Be Razed
by Ido Ben Porat, Gil Ronen  The IDF has issued demolition orders for the homes of the terrorists who kidnapped and murdered three Jewish teens – Gilad Sha'ar, Eyal Yifrah and Naftali Frenkel hy”d. Marwan Kawasmeh and Amer Abu Aisha, who abducted and murdered the three boys last month in Gush Etzion, live with their families in Hevron and have disappeared since the abductions. On Monday, the IDF arrested several realtives of Kawasmeh, as part of the ongoing efforts to locate the abductor-murderers. In the course of the arrests, violent disturbances took place in Halhoul, Rachel's Tomb, Bitunia and Jenin. IDF forces uses riot dispersal gear against the rioters. Earlier this month, the home of the terrorist who murdered Baruch Mizrahi hy”d, Ziad Halil Awad, was destroyed at Idna, west of Hevron. The destruction was carried out after the High Court rejected a motion to block it. The family members of the teens' murderers are also expected to file a motion with the High Court. The mother of one of the Hamas kidnappers who the IDF has identified as being behind the June 12 abduction of the three Israeli teens has spoken out, both denying his involvement yet saying if he is behind the abduction "I'll be proud of him till my final day." The revelation comes in an interview with Channel 10 by the mother of Amar Abu-Eisha (33), whose identity, along with that of Marwan Kawasmeh (29) was released by the IDF last Thursday, as the main actors behind the abduction. The two are known Hamas terrorists from the Hevron region. "They're throwing the guilt on him by accusing him of kidnapping. If he truly did it - I'll be proud of him till my final day," said the mother in a cold voice, reports the news channel. Speaking from her home in Judea, the mother claimed that on the day of the kidnapping, Abu-Eisha told his wife he was going to work and could be late coming home. "If he did the kidnapping I'll be proud of him. I raised my children on the knees of the (Islamic) religion, they are religious guys, honest and clean-handed, and their goal is to bring the victory of Islam," continued Abu-Eisha's mother. Abu-Aisha's father, Omar, himself has been arrested numerous times for security offenses according to the IDF, and Amar's brother was killed while committing a terror attack in 2005 against an IDF patrol.
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4. IDF Hits 100 Targets in 24 Hours, Including 47 Buried Launchers
by Arutz Sheva Staff  The IDF Spokesman said Wednesday morning that the military attacked 39 terror targets in Hamas-run Gaza overnight. Over 1,750 terror targets have been hit since Operation Protective Edge began, on July 7. In particular, last night the IDF carried out targeted attacks on four prominent terrorist leaders, and additional attacks on operational infrastructures that serve as part of Hamas's base for terror activity against Israel. In addition, the Navy carried out an attack on a terrorist position on the coast, from which operations were launched against Israel. Tank fire was also directed towards a terrorist position in Khan Yunis, killing one terrorist.   The IDF attacked about 100 targets in the last 24 hours, including 47 buried rocket launchers; "terror tunnels" used to store and transport weapons and facilitate infiltrations into Israel; sites for production and storage of weapons; and military compounds. Among the targets struck overnight was the operational infrastructure of Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Al-Zahar, the operational infrastructure of Ismail al-Ashkar, a senior Hamas leader, and the operational infrastructure of Nasser Abu Nasser, a senior member of Hamas in central Gaza, which serves for the drawing up of wide ranging operational plans. In addition, a compound that serves Hamas's Interior Ministry was struck. The Interior Ministry is in charge of all of Hamas's security mechanisms, except its "military wing" the Ezzadine al-Qassam Brigade. These mechanisms are deeply involved in the organization's military activity and many of the structures serve for storage of weapons, launching of rockets at Israel, coordinating combat in times of emergency and more. Hamas enlists a sizable portion of its assets and members to its “military” terror operations, blurring the distinction between civilian employees and members of the military. This makes many Hamas activists and assets legitimate targets, in terms of international law. Israeli air raids were halted for several hours Tuesday, after Israel agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire to end the fighting. Hamas, however, rejected the truce, and responded to the offer by firing more than 50 rockets at civilian targets in southern and central Israel. In response, the IDF was ordered to restart its military campaign by the prime minister and defense minister, who vowed to ramp-up military strikes as long as Hamas and other terrorist groups continued to target Israeli civilians. The fresh raids hit Gaza City, southern Khan Yunis, Rafah and central Johr al-Deeq, and killed five people, most or all of whom appear to have been Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. Also on Tuesday an Israeli man, 38-year-old Dror Hanin from Beit Aryeh, became the first Israeli fatality after terrorists launched a barrage of mortar fire as civilians were visiting soldiers at the border with Gaza.
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5. As Rockets Strike, Liberman Again Urges Gaza Ground Offensive
by Ari Soffer  Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman is continuing to call for a ground invasion of Gaza, implicitly criticizing the government's official position during a visit to the embattled southern city of Ashkelon with his Norwegian counterpart. "A normal summer for our children can only be ensured with a ground operation in Gaza," Liberman said. But he qualified his statement by adding that the IDF would not necessarily need to fully "reoccupy" the Arab areas of the Gaza Strip. "We don't need to rule there, but to ensure that the terrorists of Hamas will flee or die," he added. Those comments echoed remarks Liberman made yesterday, during a similar visit with his Italian counterpart to the city of Ashdod. Liberan is the msot prominent of several government officials to publicly criticize Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's decision to hold off on a ground offensive in Gaza, continuing to focus on airstrikes to wear Hamas and other terrorist groups down. Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon was fired yesterday for his fierce criticism of the government, with Netanyahu accusing him of abusing his position during a military operation. Meanwhile, the IDF continues with its airstrikes on terrorist targets, after Hamas rejected a ceasefire offer Tuesday. Medical sources in Gaza said that an Israeli Air Force missile killed three men travelling in car in Khan Yunis; the IDF identified them as terrorist operatives and confirmed it carried out a surgical strike on the vehicle. Following the strike terrorists continued to fire rockets at Israeli civilians, directing a barrage of missiles at southern communities, including the city of Be'er Sheva. The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted at least seven rockets over the town of Ofakim, and three more rockets landed in open areas, according to military sources. Another barrage was directed towards the Sedot HaNegev region bordering Gaza, with one rocket striking a house in a Jewish village close and two more falling in open areas. Considerable damage was inflicted on the house, but fortunately there were no injuries. At approximately 9:20 Wednesday morning Hamas fired a large salvo of rockets at the GreaterTel Aviv area in central Israel. Four rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome. Sirens and explosions sounded throughout Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Petah Tikva, Herzliya, Raanana and Kfar Shemaryahu. There were no report of injuries, but nine people were treated for shock in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Holon, Petach Tikva and Kfar Saba.
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6. Danon Unrepentant after Dismissal
by Shimon Cohen, Gil Ronen  MK Danny Danon (Likud) received the letter firing him from his position as Deputy Defense Minister Wednesday morning. The letter reached the media Tuesday night, however, he says. It does not include any explanations regarding the dismissal, only one laconic line informing him of the decision to let him go. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also sent a letter to government ministers informing them of the move. That letter included what Danon said were some “excuses” for the decision. He does not think the dismissal was justified, despite the harsh criticism he had leveled at the government's policies. He notes that he waited for the Gaza operation to end and for the Diplomacy-Security Cabinet to adopt the ceasefire plan, before attacking what he said, again, was a “feeble” decision. Danon disagrees with fellow Likud politicians who say that as a deputy minister, he should have confronted the prime minister directly with criticism instead of taking it to public venues. Danon argues that he always says what he thinks. “Maybe this is not convenient for the prime minister, and maybe he would like us Likud members to be monks who vow a vow of silence – but we are a democratic party and it is my job to tell the truth.” The MK says that Israel has been exhibiting weakness and failures lately – starting with the failure to respond properly to the murder of three teens, through the fact that the homes of the terrorist murderers are still standing, and on to the decision to accept the cease fire offered by Cairo. He revealed that he and Netanyahu had “a difficult conversation” in the period of “waiting and stuttering” that preceded the military operation in Gaza. “I said things clearly: What is self-restraint and containment? What does 'quiet will be answered with quiet' mean? Why is [Meretz MK] Zehava Galon giving us compliments for two weeks running? This is a problem. This is not Likud. We are a nationalist government. We promised that if we were in power we would manage these campaigns differently, and when we are tested, we start to stutter and hesitate? To beg for a ceasfire? That is not the way.” Danon insisted that this is not the first time he has disagreed with Netanyahu “and probably not the last,” citing Netanyahu's announcement of a construction freeze and his Bar Ilan speech on a Palestinian state as previous points of contention. The confrontation with Netanyahu regards matters of substance, he said, and is not an attempt by Netayahu to get revenge for previous rivalries between them regarding the Likud party mechanism. He noted that just before the last Pesach holiday, he said that he would resign if the fourth batch of terrorists in the “gesture” deal was set free. He has no intetion of leaving Likud, he added, but will try to put it back on the nationalist track.
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7. Large Rocket Salvo at Tel Aviv, 4 Rockets Intercepted
by Uzi Baruch, Gil Ronen  Hamas fired a large salvo of rockets Wednesday morning at the Greater Tel Aviv area. Four rockets were intercepted. Sirens and explosions sounded throughout Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Petah Tikva, Herzliya, Raanana and Kfar Shemaryahu. There is no report of injuries. Nine people were treated for emotional shock in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Holon, Petach Tikva and Kfar Saba. The sirens sounded at 9:20. Earlier Wednesday morning, a woman was lightly hurt in one of the communities in the Be'er Tuvia region, from fragments of a rocket that exploded near her. She was taken to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot. More details to come.
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8. Dror was Killed as He Gave Gift Bags to Soldiers
by Oranit Etzer  Dror Hanin, 38, a married father of three from Beit Aryeh in the Shomron,was killed Tuesday by a Hamas mortar shell as he gave out gift bags to soldiers at the Erez Crossing near Gaza. Avi Naim, Head of the Beit Aryeh Council, expressed condolences to Hanin's family and friends, and said, “The residents of Beit Aryeh are shocked at pained by the death of our friend, Dror Hanin, as he gave out gift bags to IDF soldiers near the Gaza Strip. Dror was a special person, motivated by values, who found his death while he did what he loved to do most – expressing love for his fellow man and endless giving. "I hope that the government of Israel completely eradicates the terror threat from Gaza,” he added. The Head of the Hof Ashkelon Local Council, Yair Farjoun, also published a statement in honor of Hanin. “In the course of the day, we managed to enjoy the graciousness, nobility of spirit and wide heart of Dror Hanin, who was killed this evening. Hand in hand with the representatives of the Council, the Director of Social Services and the emergency team of Netiv Haasara, they visited the soldiers in the community. Five minutes later, they drove to Erez Crossing which is located within the Council and sorrowfully, we received the bitter news this evening.” Farjoun called Hanin “a hero of Israel who loved his fellow man.” The Judea and Samaria Firefighting District eulogized Hanin, who volunteered in the local firefighting team. “He was a true fighter, imbued with the spirit of volunteering, the first to initiate and take action, dominant and active in the fire station at Beit Aryeh. Three years ago, he finished his trainng in the firefighting course for adult volunteers and he took part in various events.” Dror was struck by a mortar shell as he gave out food and sweets to soldiers, near Erez. Emergency teams took him to Barzilai Hospital but it was too late to save him. His friend, Beit Aryeh's sceurity officer, was lightly injured. Photos of Dror at Firefighting and Rescue Course (wearing red T-shirt in top and bottom pictures):    Photos by Judea and Samaria Firefighting and Rescue Spokesman
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Everyday of Freedom is an Act of Faith for my writings ============> http://robertoscaruffi.blogspot.com for something on religions ===> http://scaruffi1.blogspot.com
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
