Gaza cut off: Israel closes border crossings indefinitely

Israel has said it’s shutting the only two operating Gaza border crossings indefinitely. This comes a day after a projectile hit Israel from the strip, but caused no damage. Border closures threaten to isolate already devastated Gaza completely.

The move will affect both the Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings, Haartez reported, quoting Israel’s defense establishment. The authorities have notified the Palestinians of the decision.

Meanwhile, the three other crossings into Gaza are still not operational and the passage from the area into Egypt – the Rafah crossing – remains closed.

Gaza cut off: Israel closes border crossings indefinitely

Israel has decided to close its border crossings with Gaza, presumably in response to a recent rocket fired into its territory by unknown perpetrators. The closings come as Israel and Hamas maintain a ceasefire.

Personally, i think it is a drastic action, considering no one knows which organisation is responsible. Add to that the fact that the rocket didn't damage anything. I think it is just Israel positioning themselves before conducting future negotiations with Palestine.

And for those who claim that Israel doesn't occupy Gaza, i think this thoroughly proves that Israel effectively does occupy it through control of the borders, imports and exports.

This is not a situation for this in Gaza, who will be most affected. But hopefully things work out soon.

a reply to: daaskapital

would you prefer them to go back to war as is their right since an attack from Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire? who cares if the attack caused damage or not, an attack, is an attack. also closing of borders is every country's right regardless of provocation or not. perhaps whoever was behind the attack should have thought of that ahead of time. of course they likely figured on a military response they could have used against Israel as per norm.

It's too easy to judge when I'm not an Israeli living in fear of a random terrorist attack,... nor am I an impoverished Palestinian grieving over the loss of a home, land, freedom, dignity, safety, opportunity, and hope. These are human beings on both sides of the struggle, and the suffering of all has been an aching at my heart.

originally posted by: generik
a reply to: daaskapital

would you prefer them to go back to war as is their right since an attack from Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire?

No, of course not.

who cares if the attack caused damage or not, an attack, is an attack.

It is more complex than that. The ceasefire was agreed to between Israel and Hamas. There are many militant groups inside Gaza, and Hamas has actually taken great pains to limit rocket attacks on Israel. Hamas hadn't fired any rockets into Israel since 2012, and only done so this year after Israel bombed them. I don't think this rocket came from Hamas, so i think the reaction of Israel is drastic.

also closing of borders is every country's right regardless of provocation or not. perhaps whoever was behind the attack should have thought of that ahead of time. of course they likely figured on a military response they could have used against Israel as per norm.

Indeed, but Israel is an occupying state. It controls most of the imports and exports of Gaza. It isn't as simple as closing its own borders.

In closing its borders with Gaza, Israel is restricting Gaza's access to imports and exports. All other crossings are currently shut. The closing of the two Israeli/Gaza crossings will further have negative impacts on Gaza.

I think as an occupying state, Israel has a responsibility to ensure the stability and acceptable livelihood of its subjects. Palestinians shouldn't be impacted because of one errant missile which may or may not have come from Hamas.

This is simply Israel positioning itself for future negotiations.

I'm so glad intelligent, loving creatures rule this world.....

So the open air prison continues to be an open air prison. Nothing new here. The # that Israel does makes me feel like I'm in Groundhog Day. Same crap different day, bigger pile, smaller shovel.

originally posted by: generik
a reply to: daaskapital

would you prefer them to go back to war as is their right since an attack from Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire? who cares if the attack caused damage or not, an attack, is an attack. also closing of borders is every country's right regardless of provocation or not. perhaps whoever was behind the attack should have thought of that ahead of time. of course they likely figured on a military response they could have used against Israel as per norm.

I'd prefer logic and reasoning, not apartheid.

originally posted by: Rosinitiate

originally posted by: generik
a reply to: daaskapital

would you prefer them to go back to war as is their right since an attack from Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire? who cares if the attack caused damage or not, an attack, is an attack. also closing of borders is every country's right regardless of provocation or not. perhaps whoever was behind the attack should have thought of that ahead of time. of course they likely figured on a military response they could have used against Israel as per norm.

I'd prefer logic and reasoning, not apartheid.

wouldn't we all. but it seems again as per normal people in Gaza seem to have other ideas. perhaps if the people of Gaza turned in those responsible they would reopen the borders until the next attack (which is sure to occur)

originally posted by: generik

originally posted by: Rosinitiate

originally posted by: generik
a reply to: daaskapital

would you prefer them to go back to war as is their right since an attack from Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire? who cares if the attack caused damage or not, an attack, is an attack. also closing of borders is every country's right regardless of provocation or not. perhaps whoever was behind the attack should have thought of that ahead of time. of course they likely figured on a military response they could have used against Israel as per norm.

I'd prefer logic and reasoning, not apartheid.

wouldn't we all. but it seems again as per normal people in Gaza seem to have other ideas. perhaps if the people of Gaza turned in those responsible they would reopen the borders until the next attack (which is sure to occur)

Normal people in Gaza? What is normal in Gaza? Please explain to me like I'm 2 years old, what is "normal" about being victimized from cradle to grave by your neighbors because they covet your land? What is normal about being sealed off from all other nations? What is normal about children bombed for playing with a soccer ball on a pier?

I'm all ears.

originally posted by: Rosinitiate
I'd prefer logic and reasoning,

Logic and reason would show that it is not wise to attack Israel, or let terrorists use you as a human shield to attack Israel. nor is it wise to elect a government that has vowed to destroy Israel....

Also Egypt has closed it's border crossing with Gaza.

originally posted by: hellobruce

originally posted by: Rosinitiate
I'd prefer logic and reasoning,

Logic and reason would show that it is not wise to attack Israel, or let terrorists use you as a human shield to attack Israel.

I am in agreement sir, which is rarely the case between you and I.

It's also not wise to be born Palestinian.....those dumb asses.

The world needs to do what it did in Germany after WW2 and do a air drop history.state.gov...

That is one way around it

a reply to: daaskapital

Egypt could reopen its border crossing and also Turkey could send another humanitarian fleet of ships.

I don't support Israel, but in this case I don't see them acting in an offensive manner, although I do think the response to the rocket fire was a kneejerk braindead attitude.

Gaza has options here, but its up to other nations and powers to act upon those options!

a reply to: daaskapital

By the way the rockets Hamas have shot recently have no explosive warhead. The mortar fireworks shot into the sky on the 4th have more explosive power than these rockets and by no means justify the bombardment with 115mm shells and white phosphorus which I thought was illegal according to international law.

I think Israel thinks itself as untouchable so to speak and the recent trash talk of the us towards Israel doesn't meant anything as the money still flows to this country.

originally posted by: MGaddafi
and white phosphorus which I thought was illegal according to international law.

Care to show some proof Israel fired WP at Gaza just now? Exactly which "international law" are you on about?

originally posted by: hellobruce

originally posted by: MGaddafi
and white phosphorus which I thought was illegal according to international law.

Care to show some proof Israel fired WP at Gaza just now? Exactly which "international law" are you on about?

First I'm hearing of it but if true and anything like Fallujah, it would/should be considered as a chemical attack and indiscriminate.

originally posted by: hellobruce

originally posted by: MGaddafi
and white phosphorus which I thought was illegal according to international law.

Care to show some proof Israel fired WP at Gaza just now? Exactly which "international law" are you on about?

The use of incendiary weapons against civilians was banned by signatory countries in the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Protocol III. The United States signed Protocols I and II on 24 March 1995 under the Clinton Administration (and the amended article II on 24 May 1999) and later Protocols III, IV, and V, on 21 January 2009 under the Obama Administration.

en.wikipedia.org...

During the 2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict, Israel admitted that it had used phosphorus shells "

Numerous reports from human right groups during the war indicated that white phosphorus shells were being used by Israel in populated areas.

Many other observers, including Human Rights Watch military experts, reported seeing white phosphorus air bursts over Gaza City and the Jabalya refugee camp.[42] The BBC published a photograph of two shells exploding over a densely populated area on 11 January.[43]

a reply to: MGaddafi

really, i suppose this was just a 4th of july fireworks display. this was in Aug of this year.

A four-year-old Israeli boy was killed by a mortar shell fired from the Gaza Strip on Friday afternoon. The boy, Daniel Tragerman, was at home with his parents and siblings at Kibbutz Nahal Oz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Region, close to the border with Gaza, when the attack took place.

An Israeli security source said the fatal shell was fired from near an UNRWA shelter in Gaza.

One person was in critical condition, and two others were lightly injured, in a separate rocket attack in the Ashdod area later Friday.

Sirens wailed only very shortly before the mortar shell struck outside the Tragerman family home at the kibbutz, and his parents — Doron and Gila — were unable to get their son Daniel into their protected room in time. He was killed by shrapnel from the explosion that smashed into the house.

Daniel is the first Israeli child to die in the current Israel-Hamas conflict. His death brought the Israeli death toll since Operation Protective Edge began on July 8 to 68.

Four-year-old boy killed in mortar attack on southern Israel

a reply to: daaskapital

Genocide, right before our ignore it eyes.

Meanwhile, the three other crossings into Gaza are still not operational and the passage from the area into Egypt – the Rafah crossing – remains closed.

Not only but the tunnels they built to smuggle food and medicine under the Egyptian border were bombed shut, as well as the power , water and sewage treatment were bombed to nonoperation. This is called a siege. A starve them out sort of thing. Only there is no 'out' for Gazans.

And the western media will not shed a typo tear.

a reply to: generik

would you prefer them to go back to war as is their right since an attack from Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire?

You call it a "war". Israel is bombing people within their own borders. But you blame the victims for shooting back at the Occupiers of Palestine.

originally posted by: generik
a reply to: daaskapital

would you prefer them to go back to war as is their right since an attack from Gaza is a breach of the ceasefire? who cares if the attack caused damage or not, an attack, is an attack. also closing of borders is every country's right regardless of provocation or not. perhaps whoever was behind the attack should have thought of that ahead of time. of course they likely figured on a military response they could have used against Israel as per norm.

Knowing how slippery and A-moral the Israelis are, it would take no effort and certainly generate NO guilt for them to either outright lie about a non-damaging 'projectile' (sounds like a rock to me) or let one off themselves sans the explosives and blame the Palestinians as per usual.

Borders all closed up, no aid, no nothing getting in or out, and the people of Gaza are even more up crap street without a paddle...just how the Israelis love them to be.

I'd bet money the Israelis set this up as a mini false flag op.