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Subscribe to RSSMore than 200 missiles were fired at Israel Thursday; Israel, in turn, launched about 200 missiles against Palestinian targets. NBC's Martin Fletcher reports.
Updated 12:55 a.m. ET: Israeli troops were moving toward the Gaza Strip border, heightening Palestinian fears about a possible ground invasion, NBC News' Martin Fletcher reported late Thursday.
Some 30,000 reservists were also ordered to report for duty by the Israel's defense minister as the region's military showdown lurched closer to all-out war.
"There is a great sense of anxiety and tension in the air here," NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reported from Tel Aviv. "People are very much worried about the ongoing operation. There's no doubt from the perspective of the Palestinians this could possibly escalate even further."
There will be momentary peace, however, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said military would stop offensive action in Gaza during a three-hour Friday visit by Hesham Kandil, Egypt's prime minister. An Israeli official said Netanyahu was acting on an Egyptian request, Reuters reported.
Kandil's visit would be an unprecedented display of solidarity with Hamas militants embroiled in a new escalation of conflict with Israel.
In another sign of the growing fear of danger in Gaza, many humanitarian aid workers have evacuated, NBC News reported.
In the latest air strikes, three people were killed when a missile hit their car in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military also said it had carried out aerial attacks and had destroyed 70 unmanned missile launch sites. Eighteen Palestinians have been killed and 100 injured in Gaza since Wednesday, Reuters reported.
In Gaza, fear of a ground invasion has sent shock waves through the region. Coming days could prove dangerous. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin has more.
Earlier, three Israeli civilians were killed and six injured on Thursday as rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, including a long-range missile that struck a suburb eight miles south of Tel Aviv.
The long-range missile, which landed in an open area outside Rishon Lezion, causing no injuries or damage, was thought to be the first of its kind launched from Gaza. Air raid sirens were later sounded in Tel Aviv, at about 6.30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET), NBC News reported.
The Tel Aviv metropolitan area has more than 3 million people, more than 40 percent of Israel's population.
"This escalation will exact a price that the other side will have to pay," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a television broadcast shortly after the strike.
Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, did not rule out a ground operation in Gaza in an interview with NBC's Andrea Mitchell on Thursday.
"Nobody wants a ground operation, and we are going to try to avoid that," Oren said, "But, again, we're going to have to take all necessary means to defend our citizens against this flagrant aggression. "
The funeral was held Thursday for Ahmed Jabari, the senior Hamas military commander, who was one of those killed in the Israeli Defense Force airstrikes.
The IDF said on its website that the three people killed were civilians in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Malachi.
It added that 43 of the rockets from Gaza had been intercepted by its defense systems, and that it had targeted 156 "terror sites" in Gaza since the start of what it called "Operation Pillar of Defense."
"In the past 24 hours, 245 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel," it said.
Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Thursday condemned the killing of Jabari.
"Men and women in Palestine, we will continue the resistance," Meshaal said at a meeting of Islamic leaders in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting late on Wednesday to discuss the Israeli assault. It called for a halt to the violence, but took no action.
Analysis: Israel, Gaza slide closer to war neither side wants
The Palestinian Authority renewed its call Thursday for the Security Council to stop attacks. (Hamas controls Gaza, not the Palestinian Authority.)
Egypt officially requested on Thursday a full meeting of the Security Council to discuss what it described as Israeli aggression, and withdrew its ambassador from Israel.
Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi said in a televised address to the nation Thursday that Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip were "unacceptable" and would lead to instability in the region.
Morsi said he had discussed "ways to reach calm and end the aggression" in a telephone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Hamas is affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood which now controls Egypt, Israel's most powerful Arab neighbor and a crucial partner in the 1979 peace treaty that stands between fragile stability and regional chaos. The Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday called for all ties with Israel to be severed.
PhotoBlog: Deadly day along Israeli-Gaza border, after Israel kills Hamas military chief
Hamas has been emboldened by the Islamist rise to power in Egypt, viewing Morsi as a "safety net" who will not permit a second Israeli thrashing of Gaza, home to 1.7 million Palestinians.
Expecting days or more of fighting, Israel warned Hamas that all its men were in its sights and dropped leaflets in Gaza telling residents to keep their distance from militants and Hamas facilities.
"The leaflets stress that Hamas is dragging the region toward violence, and that the IDF is prepared to defend the residents of the State of Israel until quiet is restored to the region," the military said in a statement.
Israel also warned its own citizens to stay off the streets.
Israel kills Hamas military chief, 7 others in airstrike, officials say
The United States condemned Hamas, shunned by the West as an obstacle to peace, for its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday called for a de-escalation of the violence in the Middle East and placed the onus for that violence squarely on Hamas.
"There's one clear way to mitigate the tensions,” spokesperson Mark Toner said. “That is for Hamas to stop its rocket attacks on Israel so we can de-escalate the situation and end the violence. That's the clearest path."
Israel says it has already destroyed much of Gaza's longer-range rocket stockpiles. Reuters reported that Hamas had claimed it had fired a 1.1 ton, Iranian-made Fajr 5 rocket at Tel Aviv, but there was no reported impact in the Israeli city.
Few in the Palestinian territory's largest urban area, Gaza City, came out following the call for dawn prayers on Thursday, and the only vehicles plying the streets were ambulances and media cars.
About 400 angry mourners braved the streets, however, to bury Jabari, whose body was draped in the green flag of the Islamic militant Hamas movement. Some fired guns in the air and chanted, "God is Great, the revenge is coming."
When the body was brought into a mosque for funeral prayers, some tried to touch or kiss it. Others cried. BBC producer Paul Danahar posted pictures of the scene outside the mosque on Twitter.
President Barack Obama also spoke to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Morsi on the telephone late Wednesday.
A White House spokesman said Obama reiterated to both leaders the United States' support for Israel's right to self-defense, and agreed with Morsi on the importance of working to de-escalate the situation.
Reuters, The Associated Press, NBC News' Martin Fletcher, Ayman Mohyeldin, Catherine Chomiak and Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.
Scene outside the mosque in #Gaza where funeral for Jabari taking place twitter.com/pdanahar/statu�
— Paul Danahar (@pdanahar) November 15, 2012
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Leave a Comment:
and Israel shall have its war, either direct or indirect with Iran. Provocation, provocation until the bucket runs over. It's becoming a personal goal for Mr. Netanyahu.
Let the innocent be slaughtered for his personal glory.
HaHaHa-mas
every election in israel results in bombing pal women and kids. the old testament genocidal blood lust of the voters must be satisfied with america paying for the bombs
their not too defenseless, they keep firing rockets dont they!
Israel needs to re-enter Gaza on the ground, crush Hamas, and occupy the area. It is nothing but a haven for terrorists.
Since many liberals want to boycott Macy's because of Trump, I guess it is alright for me to continue boycotting Target because they donate a lot of money to the gay movement.
I don't see Israel firing rockets and missiles first. They fire in retaliation. Guess facts are not relevant to the haters of Israel. If Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups laid down their weapons tomorrow, there would be peace. If Israel laid down their weapons tomorrow, there would be genocide.
You don't see it because it's barely and rarely reported. The propaganda is amazing when discussing or researching Israeli attacks on Palestine.
I absolutely think both sides are wrong for using violence and terrorism, because BOTH sides do it. But the facts and the sheer statistics point toward MUCH more Israeli aggression than the other way around.
Here's some facts, the alleged thousands of "rockets" (more like mortars and refurbished out of date rockets) fired from Gaza have killed about 21 Israelis in the last 10 years.
On the flip side, since 2000 almost 1500 Palestinian CHILDREN have been killed by Israeli aggression. Israel has killed close to 3000 Palestinian civilians (Over 1000 children) with US weapons.
Those numbers alone tell me all I need to know.
Hamas is smiling because they killed Israelis. Israel will retaliate ten for one, and the Palestinians will claim they are totally innocent. Palestinians should understand their elected Hamas government is going to get them all seriously dead very soon if this shiite doesn't stop.
Israel is claiming Hamas has been assaulting them for weeks before they launched their attacks ?!? How come we didn't hear about that before they fired their rockets ?
This article mentions the 3 Israelis killed, but what about the 8 Palestinians killed so far by Israeli rockets ? Including 3 children and a pregnant woman ?!?!?
Israel has a long history of killing innocent Palestinians, and nobody says a word, most notably the Office of the President of the United States.
Super, I am sure glad that the Palestinians are 100% peaceful and have never done any violence to Israel. Hamas, Hezbollah, the PLO have a very long history of murdering many innocent civilians, but I guess that is just a fact that your small mind ignores
bill, since we're discussing small minds, I'd like for you to point out when and where I said Hamas, or even all Palestinians are 100% peaceful, and never done any violence to Israel ?
OH, you can't, that was just you attempting to put words in my mouth.
Please, show me this long history, but show BOTH sides, Israel and Palestine.
I'll do it for you. In the last 10 years Palestinian attacks have killed 21 Israelis.
Since 2000 Israeli attacks have killed 1500 Palestinian CHILDREN, and about 8000 Palestinian civilians. To make matters worse Israel has killed about 3000 Palestinians (1000 of which were children) with US weapons.
Something doesn't add up with the Hamas/Palestine as the aggressors and Israel as the righteous defenders stories we are fed. It's quite easy to find information on Palestinian attacks on Israel, but it's quite difficult to find information on Israeli attacks on Palestine. That's what I call proper propaganda.
So it appears Israel is winning. Where is the problem?
The problem is that they kill scores of innocent civilians, a large number of which are children, with nobody raising an eyebrow.
As long as I live in a world where that is accepted, I will speak out against it. And anyone who finds it okay to kill kids is a disgusting, despicable, disgrace to humanity.
So, are we to assume you are opposed to all forms of abortion for any reason?
Actually Mr. Steady, I used to support abortion, but I no longer support it.
I found it quite hypocritical of me to oppose the death penalty and to support abortion.
I wasn't aware that there are multiple forms of abortion. As a man I can't possibly understand or relate to a woman's reason for getting an abortion, so I'll never judge any woman who had or is planning an abortion. But yes, I am opposed to abortion.
I could be wrong, but it seems you are assuming that I'm a Democrat. I am not, I'm against our current bipartisan system, and I despise Democrats and Republicans alike. One of the reasons is their contradictory view of the value of life. One side says the death penalty is okay, but abortion isn't. The other side says the death penalty is wrong, but abortion is okay.
.
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I really got to tell you people this. I don't care anymore. I don't give a crap ass about the entire Middle Eastern states. All I see is corruption, tyrannical power hungry dictators, like that mutt in Israel. I don't care anymore. Here I sit and wait to see that entire region to burn in hell, which includes the damn Israeli country. I don't care anymore. Divide and conquer mentality can kiss my ass. Here we have people saying to one another, "I am superior to you," and then the other says, "No I am superior to you!!" (And on, and on, and on, and on)
Really, an Israeli-Jewish state in the middle of Muslim nations. What brain fart people came up with that idea?
If there is a God out there, this thing you people call Revelations sounds pretty good to me just about now. Don't you think so? Bring it on!!! Really, I am tired of this Holy Crap.
Really, --- mankind? As I look at the entire picture, with the central banks, the Rothschild, the George Soros, and the likes – who purchases presidents, prime ministers, politicians, judges, law enforcement officers, and etc., who has force the re-written of nations constitutions, --- I am really in favor for that asteroid to come and wipe us out.
The majority of you can't even unite and stand up to your damn corrupt government. What do you think the 2nd amendment was created for? And again, here we have them corrupt politicians re-writing our constitution: Military Police State. Really, it's time for all of us to carry our Vaseline tube – DAILY. The book and the movie 1984 is something you all need to read, or see.
And it's really hard to walk out the door, knowing how the world really runs, and knowing how people really are to one another. I have no faith in nothing, thanks to you all.
If Morsi renounces the treaty, we have ourselves an opportunity to reduce the deficit--reduce aid to Egypt to $0.
& do the same for the apartheid zionist state. It worked for South Africa ... and isreal is a million times worse.
Israel will reap what it has sown. It's a racist, apartheid cancer on the world.
I was taught to never argue with an idiot. Have a good day!
@frankle - apparently you never let facts get in the way of your arguments either. Hope you have a nice Gazan day!
Francle,
or to enter into a battle of wits with an unarmed man. I agree, some people do not recognize reality when they see it.
NBC's pro-zionist coverage just plain sucks.
800 projectiles were fired into Israel from Gaza this year -- and only now Egypt wants to take the matter to the UN's Security Council?
Egyptian hypocrites!
NBCwatchman, do you see how the propaganda has you conditioned ?
I agree it's very difficult to find due to the large amount of propaganda supporting Israel, but you only mentioned Hamas attacks. You seem to have left out the Israeli attacks, was that intentional ?
Here's some facts, 21 Israeli civilians killed by Hamas attacks in the last 10 years.
Close to 1500 Palestinian CHILDREN killed by Israeli attacks since 2000. That's JUST the children they've killed, there's thousands of other civilian women and men killed by Israeli attacks.
And how many times has Israel used jet aircraft to bomb and strafe Palestinians???? Palestinains need to attack their oppressors anyway they can. Israel is a totalitarian, war mongering, semi-fascist state. The Nazis would be proud!!!
Where is your proof that Israel started this? You keep posting the same thing since 2000...the above post says that this year 800 projectiles were fired into Israel THIS year - do you dispute this? What has Israel (according to you) done to deserve this?
Through the first 3 months of 2012 Israel launched over 1000 attacks on the Gaza Strip.
That's only 3 months of THIS year !
I don't dispute the fact that Hamas does launch attacks on Israel. I do dispute the volume (The claims of 800 projectiles), because it generally lacks proof.
The proof I do have and know are the numbers of dead and wounded by these attacks, and the sheer number of the attacks. Israel attacks more often than Hamas, and kills THOUSANDS more civilians than Hamas.
Superskunk, It has become abundantly clear from your posts that you only want to believe things that you have read as facts as long as you agree with those facts. Umm. Sorry to tell you this, but reality does not work that way.
I have been hearing about this conflict in the Middle East since I was a little kid. I am sick to death of it. The only way for this to stop is when one side kills all of the other side. Let's get it over and done with so the rest of the civilized world can stop hearing about it. I say we give both sides all the weapons they need and let them kill each other to the extinction of one of them.
How come the Palestinian's Arab brothers with all their oil money has not funded them already? Seems they are being used doesn't it? Or maybe the other Arabs don't give a crap about Palestine either.
Seven, I don't condone the attacks by Hamas. What I'm attempting to do is show BOTH sides of the conflict, which our media and propaganda machine never do. Try and do research on Hamas attacks on Israel, you'll find tons of information. Try and do research on Israeli attacks on Gaza and it's not so easy to find.
I disagree with both sides committing acts of violence, I'm just pointing out that Israel is the much larger aggressor here and they always seem to get a pass.
So you're saying that images and articles reported by numerous agencies and news outlets internationally are making up the numbers of civilians killed ?
Reading something that is a fact is very different than reading something and forming an opinion. I make it perfectly clear in my posts when I'm expressing opinion and when I'm stating facts.
Theres scores of evidence about Israels attacks, but not much legit evidence about Hamas attacks besides what Israel tells the world.
Seems like Israel gets a free pass. They're not supposed to have nukes, yet they have quite the stockpile, and nothing is said about that. Yet Iran is years away from a weapon, if they're developing one, and the world is outraged. To top it all off, US weapons are being used by Israel to kill Palestinians, which is a violation of The Foreign Assistance Act.
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." - Mohandas Karmachand Gandhi
square dude
When were we ever pulled into a war because of Israel? The first Iraq war was because Iraq invaded Kuwait. You do know that Israel and Kuwait are different countries, right? I am still not sure why we invaded Iraq the second time or why we are in Afganistan. But it is not to defend Israel.
Maybe you are thinking of Vietnam? or Korea?
UN is a joke..........kick their *ss Israel
Who cares if only 3 Israelis' were killed?!? Israel has already murdered off dozens of Palestinians including civilians with its' current outburst against people who cannot adequately defend themselves and who are in Israeli concentration camps known as Gaza and the West Bank.
And 9/11......how do you justify that......or don't you see the big picture? And why don't the Palestinians settle in one of the bigger surrounding Muslim states? Why do they have to behave like a cancer, eating away at Israel......you just don't get it.
This tiny island of Jews in an ocean of Muslims is too big for the neo-antisemites.
The Jews are all over the world....that island is their homeland....they will defend it from anywhere and everywhere.
The only thing the arabs will ever understand is a bullet in the side of the head. The only thing stopping Israel from genocide is what happened to them. Since they were Iranian rockets, Israel should bomb the hell out of Iran and be done with it. Screw the Russians and Chinese, just do it and let's get it on!
MacArthur stopped Patton in WWII when he wanted to go after the Russians and Truman stopped MacArthur when he wanted to after the Chinese in the Korean War. The two biggest mistakes this country ever did all because they were war wearied...
If Hamas will not stop these unprovoked missle and rocket attacks, then let all HELL rain down on them ...!!! Use the technology available to identify the source and bomb them into oblivian ... until only the less radical are left, that are willing to peacefully co-exist. This hatred and intollerence for neighboring countries must STOP ...!!! I'm no big fan of Israel, matter of fact I could really care less, but I would be willing to bet that they don't just wake up in the morning and decide to lob a few rockets into Palestine for no good reason. We really need to cleanse the world of these religious extremists so that the rest of us can live in peace.
uka.....you're disgusting......Israel has a right to defend itself from these rocket attacks....you're a bigot.
To Israel.....these Palestinians are a foothold for the Islamic people to destroy you....do what you have to do to drive them out or you will deal with this violence for decades to come.
There is really not much difference between Gaza launching rockets on Israel and Germany launching V-1 and V-2 rockets on Britain in WW2... both are acts of terror.
Following that line of logic, Israel also commits acts of terror.
Hamas has killed 21 Israeli civilians.
Israel has killed close to 8000 Palestinian civilians (Almost 1500 children).
Yes, revenge is coming but to hamass not Israel. Time to clean up this area by ridding it of hezbul@!$%#e and hamass. They hide amongst their children then they will die with their children. And their childrens deaths are on them, not Israel. allah akbar my a$$.