UPDATED ON:
Friday, December 19, 2008
09:18 Mecca time, 06:18 GMT
 
FOCUS: PALESTINE
Gazans: Israel violated the truce

Many Palestinian families in Gaza have had to rely on UN humanitarian assistance [GALLO/GETTY]

 
In June, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to a ceasefire following weeks of intense fighting in Gaza.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas and its affiliates would refrain from firing home-made rockets into Israel and the latter would halt incursions and attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The Egyptian-brokered agreement also called for an easing of Israel's restrictions on the borders, thereby allowing goods into the besieged territory.

However, the fragile truce between Israel and Gaza was breached by an Israeli raid and Palestinian rocket fire on November 4.

Since then Israel has accused Gazan fighters of launching dozens of home-made rocket attacks at Israeli towns and the Hamas leadership has countered by saying Israeli air raids and military action have killed several Palestinians.  

The Israeli blockade on Gaza has sparked much international criticism as precipitating a looming humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

Al Jazeera spoke to residents of the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza about the truce, its effects, and whether it should be renewed.

Abed al-Raouf Saedallah, 61, works in a shop to support a family of 11  

The truce was a rest for both sides, Palestinians and Israelis alike, but Israel has never implemented its part of the agreement.

They kept the crossings closed, and there has been no gas, no electricity and no life even. I believe Israel was not committed to the truce because they are backed by the West and Eastern countries and they never care about what we want as Palestinians. 

All that matters to them is that they don't want to hear any sound of a rocket attack.

From my point of view, Israel is trying to escalate their blockade in order to force Hamas and other Palestinian factions to accept the truce.

Every day there are statements in the Israeli media talking about a possible Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. We Palestinians have nothing to lose either way.

With or without truce, our conditions are the same and nothing changes.

Huda*, 47, housewife  

Since six months ago, we have had almost no supplies through the crossings, no food, no medicine, no gas, no water. 

What truce are you talking about? I support the truce, but a truce that brings us basic rights as Palestinians, not a truce that is only good for Israelis ... this served only one side, Israel.

I don't think that the truce will be extended or that Israel will be committed to the conditions of the truce. So I am against the truce. 

However, if Israel was committed to the truce, then I would support it. How long must we be without food and many other basics? How long must we face such humiliating conditions while Israel gets all the support from world? Israel and the West are facing us from the front, and the Arabs from the back.

So no, I don't think the truce will change anything.

Ismaeel Abu Khalil, 19, high school student who works in a grocery

The Palestinians were more committed to the truce than Israel, as the big Palestinian factions suspended the rocket attacks to nearby Israeli cities.

On the other hand, Israel opened the crossings partially but on most days closed them.

If the situation is maintained as it is now, I believe that Palestinian factions will reject the extension.

I am against the truce extension as it has not brought us anything and our lives have gotten more complicated.

Mueen Muhara, 28, formerly working in Israel; now unemployed  

With or without the truce we are in a dire humanitarian situation.

I think the Palestinian factions will not extend it, so we will go back to a cycle of violence, action and reaction, invasions, assassinations and so on.

I don't expect Israel will do anything in favour of Palestinians, but they always do whatever helps them and only their side as long as they find support from the outside world.

Mohammed Omar, 55, labourer   

 
The truce is good for both sides.

Palestinians needed it as much as the Israelis, but on a humanitarian level it has changed nothing.

Israel needs the truce to be the way that best suits it, and I believe that the truce will be extended because everyone is interested in maintaining it.

With or without the truce we are very much a harmed and poor people, so at least I can be poor and safe, not poor and threatened. 

Aminah*, 60, widow (husband was killed in 2001 in an Israeli air raid) 

Our conditions as Palestinians are very difficult. People are burning wood to cook their food. 

I have no power in my home, so I sit in the street next to my house.

I don't believe in the truce. 

Once I will see gas, electricity and food in the markets, then I will believe in the truce.

I am against any immediate extension of it, because it only serves Israel and not us. We are simple people who ask only for food and a simple life.

* Names have been changed for security reasons.

 Source: Al Jazeera
Feedback Number of comments : 45
 
Farhan
India
18/12/2008
Palstenian truce
It is really shame not on Israel but All Arab nations that such arrogant nation at their backyard barks and bites on their palestinian brothers, and these arab nations are reluctant to even utter one statement in support of their brothers.

Jason
United States
18/12/2008
Power to the Palestinian resolve
I think it's important to keep stressing to the Palestinians, as well as the rest of the world, that the United States people do not unequivocally support Israel. I, for one, despise it's terrorist policies and what they are doing to the Palestinian people. People all around the world feel bad because of the current economic slump, but what if your neighborhood was blockaded and you couldn't have basic necessity. It doesn't make the hard financial times seem so bad now does it?

S
Netherlands
18/12/2008
Where is the honest truth?
" According to the security establishment’s data, 2008 saw an increase of over a thousand rockets and mortars from the previous year. In 2007 over 1,200 rockets and 600 mortar shells were fired towards the western Negev. As 2008 comes to a close, 2,900 rockets have so far been fired at Israel."

Luk
Australia
19/12/2008
shame on US and Israel
Shame on the so called developed world, US and Israel for letting Gaza slip into such an inhuman condition. If they think by collective punishment and torture of all inhabitants the can force the people to give up free thinking then they got it wrong. This stiutation will only lead to fall of US and Israel. History will be the witness.

Brett
Germany
19/12/2008
Israel
of course once again the Jews are the scapegoats of the world. if canada was firing rockets over the US border and the police in canada were doing nothing, the US would definately take action. Luk in Australia-it is not punishment, it is called self defense.

Caring person
United States
19/12/2008
@ steve
for those of us who can read, these people are not emailing Al Jazeera (as you said, they have no electricity) but they are rather talking to the al jazeera reporters. for those who did not even read the article (aka, you) it says "Al Jazeera spoke to residents of the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza about the truce..." Yes, a refugee camp. But i'm sure they're all sitting at their computers there, playing World of Warcraft, right? S, where did you get those statistics?

Denis
Kenya
20/12/2008
Truce.
I think it is really unfair for the world to sit back and watch the deteriorating situation in Gaza strip so much at peace. Had it been the palestinians violating the truce, the west would have reacted so fast. I think both sides needs to be treated the same!

noorahmad
Mauritius
20/12/2008
truce??
how can the Israelis talk of truce they've invaded the Palestinian territory and they talk of ceasefire. the first thing a true truce would include would be the removal of the blockade on the Gaza strip, and secondly to return the stolen lands!!!

Truthman
Canada
18/12/2008
Truce?
Of course Israel has violated the truce. It is in their best interests to maintain war, strife, hunger and unrest. Israel has no other way of life and the U.S. supports this madness. Everyone should wake up and smell the rot that comes from Israel and stand to condemn the atrocities Israel has created world wide.

steve
Afghanistan
18/12/2008
* Names have been changed for security reasons.
This is indeed the bottom line. The problem with Al Jazeera is its Palestinian, Syrian, Lebanese etc. readers/talkbackers are not at liberty to speak their minds. We Israelis sure wish they could, for their sakes as well as ours. Peace. Oh, and by the way. If the Palestinians don't have any electricity, how are they emailing Al Jazeera?

ElectricJaguar
United States
19/12/2008
Fake News Site
More and more al jazeera has proven to be a fan club for Western/Isreali haters to pat themselves on the back. To Truthman: Isreal's only way is war? LOL! But it's okay that Iranian leaders constantly talk of "wiping them off the map" and the only thing any muslim seems capable of discussing is establishing muslim rule across the world (see current Al Jazeera update of Samalia). Islamic nations know only one thing: war, even with each other if they don't have anyone else to hate.

Constantine
Israel
19/12/2008
The border between civilization amd darkness
Hamas can't live with the truce - since it's only purpose is religious war. Like Hizbollah, Fath al-Islam, those who attacked in Mumbai, Bali, NYC, London, Madrid, Moscow etc. From the other side, Israel needs truce to improve it's economy (20th in the world per capita), to develop research (Weizman Institute is less than 80km from Gaza), to host festivals (Gutman, Matzuev, Spivakov and a few other great musicians are today in Israel at 2 different events) etc. That's the difference.

han
United States
19/12/2008
Gaza Seize
In history , it is proven that you will reap what you sow. Israel has cast its sow, now they will reap the rewards. What those rewards are : eye for an eye

orang
Australia
19/12/2008
Electricity in Gaza
Oh yeah that's right, how could they E-Mail Al Jazeera if they didn't have electricity? Just shows how humanitarian like Israel is. How alert that reader is ..

james
Russian Federation
28/12/2008
Mohammed How blinded you are my friend. I believe that hamas has sent roughly 2000 missiles from Gaza over the past year and a half. When are you guys going to get it. When you stop you will get your country.

MichaelGP
Australia
28/12/2008
Israeli Gaza Massacre
There has been severe electricity interruptions, rationing etc, and often some areas have it & others don't. Israel has bombed power stations on numerous occasions. Israel is a Colonialist power occupying stolen land and they have been trying to kill the rightful owners since 1948.

Pierluigi
Italy
28/12/2008
Hamas and its unwillingness to actually have peace.
As long as Hamas has an aim (eg read their manifesto) to destroy Israel there can be no peace in Gaza. The only way they will obtain peace with Israel is if violence stops and the first one to use violence this time was Hamas.

metis
Canada
29/12/2008
Trumped up Truce
There's no truce to support....Israel is only looking for a one sided agreement to ensure the slow genocide of the Palestinian people. Israel can not claim any act in self defense: while Israel is the head bully of a gang of thugs in the world with power(political, military and financial) Palestinians are simply fighting for their inherent human right to exist with throwing rocks and bottles and a shoddy rockets.

cindy lou
United States
29/12/2008
Gaza and Islam
Funny how many Palestinians complain that there is no electricity. Yet, they seem to have computers and know all the news they find acceptable.

tess
Netherlands
28/12/2008
truce ?
what truce ? ok, first, aljazeera, thank you for the truth, you are the only ones who say it like it is and don't b.s. second, how dare any country prevent any people from the basic necessities of life ? poor palestinians were prevented food and water , if canada did that to the u.s, would the u.s agree to a truce ? no. humanitarian needs were denied to these people by israel.......unfreakingbelievably hypocritical and pathetic.

jstar
Philippines
28/12/2008
If you poke the dog enough he will bite.

Bolane
United States
28/12/2008
The truce
If there is no electricity how do you e-mail the media. Why are the shelves of the store so well stocked, and why do all the people look so well fed? Why launch motor shells and then cry when your enemy retaliates? What did u expect them to do, send flowers.

beeden
Australia
28/12/2008
Jewish people starved and beseiged in the ghettoes of Warsaw fought back as freedom fighters. How horrific that such a legacy of oppression has now become their own tools for oppression. The massive incarceration of the Palestinian people, in prisons and their homes, starvation and deprivations, stealing land, were all used against the Jewish people in the past, by the Nazis. How quickly the "holocaust conscience" has forgotten the betrayal of sectors of humanity to become the new oppressors.

Matt Lechner
United States
28/12/2008
GAZA CONFLICT
This can not go on, not the rockets, not the reprisals, not the reprisals, not the rockets - because one day it will escalate probably through some string of miscalculations and errors and it will go nuke. Then both sides (if anyone is left) will wish they had tried to work it out. What do I know, I'm just some American - but I have known Arabs, Persians, and Jews and I know if you set your mind to it you can learn to live near each other. Try being nice to each other. Try being nice.

Shlomi
Israel
28/12/2008
Was there really a truce?
3800 hundred missiles on Israel in one year? you call that truce? Hamas has been teasing Israel for way too long...they've had their chances for truce. It's very easy to sit infornt of the PC and comment on every little move that Israel makes with words like arrogance, hunger, no electricity, etc. while people in Southern Israel get bombarded by Hamas on a daily basis. You should take back your words if you don't know what you're talking about. Hamas has been acting like a bully for too long.

Drew
Canada
28/12/2008
Mr Constantines Worldview
I believe it went like this: Israel supported Hizbollah to successfully weaken the PLO which resulted in the rise of Hamas. Your border between civilization and darkness is not as simple as you would like.

Nir - Israel
Israel
28/12/2008
hamas is to blaim
I used to demonstrate for peace, while suicide bombing attacked everywhere. and still thought it is the right way ! I also (willingly) took part in the evacuation of Gaza as a solider. BUT, now i understand that Palestinian leadership is too proud to make real peace ("Palestine is ours..") and the Palestinian people are too tired to believe the concept of peace (i.e. HAMAS which is a terror organization was elected !!!) and is too morally numb to condemn Gilad Shalit's "show". Hamas is using u!

Brian
United Kingdom
28/12/2008
Gaza
Until the full force of international law is applied to all parties in the area there can be no peace. Peace cannot exist without justice. Those who refuse to ensure that all the relevant UN Resolutions are applied must hold themselves responsible for this conflict, of which the Gaza Ghetto is one tragic aspect.

ahmed
United Arab Emirates
28/12/2008
isreal
isreal was never in truce they allways voilated by stop humanatarian needs to gazans and shame on mahmood abbas he still say hamas is responsible .today is gaza tommorow west bank the reality of isreal . thanx to arabs .

Papias
Somalia
28/12/2008
Truce
The jews got Israel as their country through violence, they increased the size of it by violence. What do they expect from the palestinian people? It is tit for tat until the end of time.

Dick
United States
30/12/2008
JUSTICE for ALL of The Beginning of The End for Controlled US of A
I'm one of the few American that completely support the Palestinian because I have taken the time to go beyond the controlled press and the neocon controlled government. I'm very concerned, if the U.S. does not changes its policies and start addressing the humman rights of the very human Palestinians, then at some point the world will unit against America.

jamie
United States
30/12/2008
humanitarian aid
reuters, cnn, ap news wire and many other websites report that israel is delivering aid to the palestinian hospitals (which includes blood from jordan, because the palestinians - as much as they supposedly don't hate the israelis - won't use jewish blood to save their people's lives). this article/"news" source is silent as to the humanitarian efforts that israel regularly provides (a feat no other country would do for its enemy while at war). no wonder the readers seeth with anti-israel venom

Jack Gold
United States
30/12/2008
I would hope someone would veryfy the details of this story
So far I have seen an objective Aljazeera but this makes me think: Why would Israel break such an agreed to truce. Could it be that Hamas allowed the firing of rockets on Sederot even with a cease fire. Didn't Egypt open its border with Gaza for months before they were swindled by HAMAS with worthless forged currency. The list of HAMAS misdeeds far exceeds Israel's in much of this and why hasn't Shalit been returned as part of the ceasefire agreement. None of this makes sense -recheck the facts

A Man
United States
29/12/2008
We must change
I at no time advocate violence, but what are a people to do when they are backed into a corner and cut off from the basic needs of life. As a christian i do not believe in an eye for an eye. American news has reported that there had been numerous rocket and mortar attacks on israeli cities, but i heard no reports of casualties. But in response the israeli military kills 300 civilians. When is israel and the u. s. going to realize that we are the problem

Leonard Swartz
Canada
29/12/2008
Realpolitik means difficult decisions must be taken on both sides.
The Jewish State has responded to the continuous attacks on Sderot. A Two-State Solution must be found NOW...in time, we'll discover that our shared humanity will preclude violence. In'sh'Allah / G-d willing, a quick ceasefire will be reached. The deaths of our mothers and fathers / sons and daughters must not be in vain...a new era of understanding and peace must prevail.

Ray
United Kingdom
30/12/2008
Is this jounalism?
We need clearer chronology of the truce violation. What kind of journalism is this? You can't have your cake and eat it. If you have a title with a claim in it that Israel violated the truce then why try to undermine the claim in actual text of the article? Is Al-Jazeera now concerned with its own reputation more than telling the truth - as it used to do in the past?

Raymond
United States
30/12/2008
There will never be peace
Hamas has been very honest and open in saying that they will accept nothing less than the complete annihilation of Israel. Israel will never agree to be annihilated. So there will always be a conflict. The only solution is for the international community to set up two countries, that are separated in such a way that they do not interfere in anyway with each other - no rockets, no invasions, no air attacks, no bombers, etc. (Think North and South Korea.)

Jo
Australia
30/12/2008
Statistics
There seems to be a general lack of clarity of the number of civilians who have been killed in these raids. Indeed every life is equally important, but reports never seems to point out/remind that Isreal has targeted Hamas sites, unlike Hamas who indescriminately fire rockets on villages of ONLY civilians in Isreal. This is not a tit for tat game in the number of deaths. Surely if Hamas stops sending rockets into the villages, Isreal will stop its attack?

Alia
United States
31/12/2008
Stop the War on Palestinians
It's hard to fathom a people who claim to have endured so much suffering imposing dehumanizing conditions on others. There is another Holocaust (yes there have been many throughout history but for someone reason the world has an obsession w/just 1) in the Gaza Strip. In America, we only hear about the conflict when Palestine is defending itself. Of course, they are the "villians" and "agressors" when our media is reporting and this sickens me!

Victoria
Kuwait
31/12/2008
Atrocities commited in Gaza
The crimes against humanity being committed in Gaza against the Palestinian civilian population make me sick to my stomach. How can the international community stand by and do nothing while this ethnic cleansing continues?

nihad
Afghanistan
31/12/2008
barett-germany
Dear Mr.Barett, it is not jewish scapegoat of the world now , but it is palastineians. Jewish were scapegot before, that time the butchers were german evils in the leadership Hitlers Nazi movment. So you have to think letting Jewish to build up thair country in germany to wash the signs of blood from the history German People. Palastinians did not do any cruality to jewish. they where showing their humanity to helpless jewish after you massacre them in th hitory. undrstant israel is100%illligal

nihad
Afghanistan
31/12/2008
hamas organization
Dear Mr. Constantine, Hamas is a Social Political liberation/ resistant oraganization striving to protect their land from colonialist power like USA, the US puppett israel,and other europian powers. they are like American,Friench,Indian fereedom fighters who protest British and other colonialists at the past century. If thy are atacking israel it is because your are a illigaly staying in palastine soverign country and making your own borders and calling this area Israel. u r only iligal setler.

m
Palestinian Territory
03/01/2009
Truthman from canada
what are you talking about??? in the six months of "cease fire" with hamas. we set quietly while hamas fires at us 500 rockets and 300 more in the 10 days between the cease fire and the israeli operation. Egypt said that and another nations said that. so open your eyes man. see the prosperity that rammala have and than you could see who you should blame.

Rasha
United States
02/01/2009
As an Arab-Muslim growing up not once was I taught to hate any religion or race and neither were the other children but when a child sees his mother slaughtered in front of his eyes do the Israelis expect a rose! Israel's goal is nothing less than the complete eradication of Palestine as a nation, as a culture, as a living presence in the land that Israel is currently stealing for its exclusive use. Israel's beautiful dream is to reduce a proud and modern nation into a hellish prison camp.

Hugo
Argentina
04/01/2009
Gaza invasion
Palestinian rockets killed 4 israelis. Israeli bombing killed 480 palestinians and injured 2300, all before ground attacking. Can anybody say this is a rational reaction?

 
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