Heavy Israeli shelling in Rafah in southern Gaza has killed at least 40 Palestinians
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| Israeli tanks opened fire in the southern Rafah area |
At 8 AM local time this morning, the
ceasefire brokered by John Kerry, Bank-in Moon, and the United
Nations representative in Tel Aviv, came into effect. Some three
hours later, the ceasefire, heralded to last for 72 hours, broke
down with Israeli artillery and tank fire continuing the destruction
of suburbs in Gaza, and in those three hours killing more than 40
Palestinian civilians.
The world should not be surprised that
this ceasefire arrangement heralded on the television media around
the world only yesterday afternoon should be shattered so quickly
after its introduction. The ceasefire arrangements provided for
Israeli soldiers to remain within Gaza and to continue their program
of destroying so-called terror tunnels without any firm assurances
from the Israelis to allow food water blankets and other humanitarian
aid into the besieged population. It is inconceivable although not
unprecedented that ceasefire arrangement brokered by the Americans
have always been favourable to the Israelis regardless of what
aggression and other atrocities they have carried out in the
intervening period. It is no wonder that Palestinians who have been
endured three weeks of endless bombardment causing the death of more
than 1000 civilians and serious injury, should feel again, betrayed
by the Western governments who have consistently taken the side of
the Israelis in any previous conflict. Even as the ceasefire
arrangements were being negotiated between the Americans United
Nations and the Egyptians, the United States announced that it was
providing an additional £400 million worth of arms and equipment to
ensure and for their part, the Israeli government announced that it
was calling up an additional 16,000 reservist troops, bringing their
total number of Army personnel to somewhere in excess of 86,000.
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| Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel |
The Egyptian government of al-Sisi, had
agreed to host negotiations in Cairo between the Palestinians and
Israelis, to commence immediately. However, al-Sisi who seized power
in Egypt's two years ago, in a coup organised to overthrow Muhammed
Morsi, with covert assistance of both Israel and America, can never
now be expected to be an honest broker in any negotiations between
the Israelis and the Palestinians. Egypt has sealed all the borders
of Gaza, effectively becoming an ally of Israel in enforcing the
blockade. Humanitarian aid convoys carrying food, blankets water and
other essential supplies to the people of Gaza are still prevented
from crossing the border by Egyptian army personnel. It is difficult
at this time to see any party which might be considered as an honest
broker in any arrangement or discussions which might lead to a
settlement of this problem.
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| Al-Sisi. A less than "Honest Broker" |
Naturally, as news of the breakdown
appeared on the wires of Reuters and the Associated Press, BBC News
and Sky News, began carrying stories of the renewed fighting and the
death of another 40 civilians. It is frustrating and annoying how the
two main news sources on television in this country, can carry news
items with such bias and one-sided coverage is BBC and Sky manage to
achieve. Only on Al Jazeera it seems can we expect a balanced view of
what is actually taking place from reporters and correspondents in
the affected areas. Only last week I commented on how Martine Croxall
demonstrated pro-Israeli bias in both her reporting and questioning
of people in the studio. Today, Sophie Long on BBC News 24, and
Samantha Simonds on sky News, lost little time in heaping blame for
the breakdown of the current ceasefire, squarely on the shoulders of
mass and the Palestinians. In addition there are interviewing
techniques for spokesperson which vary, depending on the person being
interviewed. All too frequently Palestinians or representatives
supporting the Palestinian cause are often interrupted or almost
shouted down. The BBC and Sky do a gross disservice to the cause of
journalism by behaving in this fashion and endorsing their presenters
in this one-sided coverage.
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| Samantha Simmonds Sky News |
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| Sophie Long BBC News 24 |
As the fighting continues it is
difficult to see how any ceasefire or truce, can be brought about
with you intransigent position of Tel Aviv, where at yesterday's news
conference Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that there
would be no ceasefire until all the tunnels had been destroyed, the
Rockets had “stopped raining down on Israeli cities”, and that
Hamass and the Palestinians had been disarmed with Gaza
demilitarised. Under these circumstances than one can hardly criticise the
Palestinian people for fighting on. With so many civilian deaths over
the past three weeks, any capitulation to Israeli or American
pressure, would be an insult to all those killed. They can only ever
be one just solution to this problem. The nine year long blockade of
Gaza must be lifted and the continuing occupation of Palestinian
lands must end. No other solution could bring about an end to
hostilities without these two fundamental points being included. In
the meantime Israeli aggression will continue until the Western
governments understand, as many of their peoples understand, that the
excess is of the Israelis are unacceptable and that now the world
will not tolerate indiscriminate killing of civilians women and
children by a power intent on annexing vast sections of the Middle
East.
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