[Transcript]  War on Gaza: Day 14 - 1/9/09

Presenter, MALE, #1
Welcome, and peace be upon you. Israel’s war on Gaza enters the 14th day. Since this morning alone, raids have martyred 25 people and injured dozens. Our reporter said that Israel did not commit to the ceasefire of three hours a day, which it had previously announced. In turn, the resistance has intensified the firing of rockets, firing 30 rockets since this morning, one of which targeted an air base 45 kilometers away. Worry has grown concerning the prisoners held by the Israeli army, and refuses to give their real numbers. According to eye witnesses, the Israeli army killed civilians they were detaining.

Reporter, MALE, #2
The war on Gaza continued for the 14th day in a row, in spite of the Security Council resolution that demanded its end. The Israeli army used planes and boats to attack the Arab Al-Zawayda in the heart of the Gaza strip. A number of people were martyred and injured as a result of a raid targeting a home near Jabaliyah, northern Gaza.


Guest, MALE, #3
The ceiling of the bedroom exploded and it fell over us with the debris. My brother who was martyred was in the apartment on the floor where the rocket exploded. Everyone died immediately.

Reporter, MALE, #2
Violent clashes continued on the ground today in the area of Hay Al Tuffah in the Gaza strip between the occupation forces and Palestinian activists. The Israeli forces withdrew around dawn from Eastern Khan Younis, after an incursion operation that lasted for 24 hours. Deadly clashes occurred with the Palestinian activists, leaving one Israeli soldier killed and injured at least one.
Last night, the corpses of 11 Palestinians martyred were fetched; those included a journalist, his mother, and his wife, as well as a woman of Ukranian citizenship along with her child. Today-Friday, the UN relayed statements made by eye witnesses. They said that early this week, Israeli soldiers struck a home in which they had gathered 110 Palestinians in Gaza; killing thirty people.
Several humanitarian organizations, including the Red Cross, called on the Israeli authorities to allow them to visit the detaining locations where they are holding war prisoners in Gaza. However, Israel treats them as illegitimate fighters, and so refuses to provide lists with their names. Israel had previously mentioned having detained more than 150 Palestinian.
However, it later withheld providing accurate numbers later on, which raised worry about their fate. Meanwhile, the Israeli army admitted that twenty rockets fell in southern Israel.
Eight rockets fell in Beersheba area, while the rest fell on Ashkelon, Sdood, and Eshkol in the Western Negev. Material damage was incurred, in addition to inur8ng one Israeli. Today, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamass, said that they expanded their range and had struck Tel Nov air base with a grad rocket for the first time

Presenter, MALE, #1
Now for the latest developments with our report network in Gaza, Tamer al Misshal, and from the Shifa’ medical center, Samir Abu Shamala. Tamer, what’s the situation now?

Reporter, MALE, #2
It’s been a continuous escalation of rockets and firing, as you can hear from the Eastern area of Gaza city. The land incursion operation is still going on in the Al Tuffah neighborhood, and around the Jabaliyah area in the Eastern part. As you can see, Apache aircrafts are hovering at low altitudes, sporadically firing heavy waves of bullets. Meanwhile, the Israeli artillery continues to blast the circumference of various areas. In the last few hours, the blasts have been centered in the Eastern area of Gaza city. It targeted more than one establishment, including a carpentry workshop, which was blasted with a number of shells. This led to a large fire, because of the highly flammable material inside the workshop. Also, a Garage in the same area was destroyed, and some shells fell onto residential neighborhoods in this area. This area is a fierce battle fields with clashes between the Palestinian activist and the Israeli forces. Resistance factions fired anti tank missiles at the Israeli forces obstructing them from moving deeper into the areas in Gaza city.

Presenter, Male #1
The President of the Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas has emphasized the importance of turning talks into actions. Referring to the resolution passed by the security counsel. Hamas is not interested in this resolution.

Reporter, Female #1
Only a few hours after the security counsel resolution was passed, the scene in Gaza remained the same. In which the Israeli military operations continued with air, land and sea attacks on the Gaza strip, and the number of casualties is increasing. Some Palestinian militant wings has declared their responsibility regarding firing a number a rockets at Israel.

Guest, Male # 2
Israel did not comply with the ceasefire agreement. Israel initiates the ceasefire idea, yet they do not comply with the ceasefire.

Guest, Male # 3
We have no problem with a ceasefire; however, we do have some conditions. Such as living with dignity and the Palestinian people can have a nice life. As you can see we are unarmed people.

Reporter, Female #1
The president of the Palestinian Authority has described this resolution as a very important step.
However, he emphasized the importance of translating talks into actions. At the same time Hamas responded on the contrary.

Guest, Male # 4
Hamas says that they are not interested in this resolution. It is very sorrowing and strange that a resolution is passed while the party that is involved is not in attendance. No one asked for Hamas’s opinion, no one talked to Hamas, Hamas was not even put in the picture when the security counsel passed the resolution. And then asked Hamas to comply the resolution. The content and reality of this is not acceptable.

Guest, Male #5
We heard that the security counsel passed a ceasefire resolution. However, this did not happen and we are still refugees until this day in the UN schools. These resolutions can be applied to the Arab countries but not on Israel.

Guest, Male #6
Bush is not pressuring Israel, he was saying in the security counsel that Israel is protecting itself.
Who is Israel protecting it self from? Do we have tanks, or military planes?

Reporter, Female #1
Tens of resolutions have been passed by the security counsel, but Israel does not commit to these resolutions. This is the last resolution, and both sides keep blaming their failure on each other.
The search for a new method will start again in order to stop this bloody waterfall. Maysa Akbeek, Al Arabiya.

Presenter, Woman # 1
Gaza needs a great deal of humanitarian aid. Its people are not only subjected to death and destruction, they are also suffering from displacement and water and food shortages.
Most of Gaza is in complete darkness. The United Nations Workers and Relief Agency voiced its concerns over the humanitarian situation in Gaza as the fighting continues. We leave with Fatema Taweel.

Reporter, Woman # 2
When the night comes, Gaza falls in darkness. There is no electricity to lighten its neighborhoods; rather one sees sparks of light from the Israeli bombs and missiles. Then when the day light comes, the destruction of the infrastructure is revealed. The United Nation Workers and Relieve Agency said that 75% of Gaza lacks electricity and more than 530,000 people suffer from water shortages. In addition, the communication net works and the roads are destroyed.
Roads are no longer safe even for relieve units; they are consistently being targeted by Israelis missiles. Ambulances also can not reach the injured people for the same reason. Medical teams in Gaza hospitals are exhausted because they have to work a round the clock. They are trying to treat wounds and give support to victims. Hospitals can no longer accommodate the large numbers of martyrs. They are united in death but every martyr has lost their Lives differently.
Some were at homes when Israeli missiles hit, others were at a street corner, or in the market.
Images tell painful and sad stories of people that have been subjected to shelling for days. They moan as the pain of the Israeli “Cast lead military operation” deepens.

Presenter, Male #1
The Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are intensifying their security measures for fear of Israel’s response to the rocket attacks.

Reporter, Male #2
The massacre in Gaza is no longer the main event; everyone now has become busy with the mystery of the rockets shot from southern Lebanon to the North of occupied Palestine. This situation has forced authorities in refugee camps to take additional security measures since the war on Gaza started. This was most evident in the area of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the Nima. Where the situation in all other camps remained normal. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has held their position and refused to claim responsibility for the operation. However, at the same time they did not deny it. A member of the political office Ramiz Mustafa has said that the question needs to be clarified to enable us to give a clear response.

Guest, Male #3
The question is not the way the US or Israel propose it, “you must answer whether or not you are behind the rocket attacks.” The equation does not work this way, we say that no matter who is responsible for this operation and regardless which group did this. We will stand by anyone and support anyone who is trying to eliminate oppression and violence and to resist this occupation.
Now the issue is all over the media, and PFLP is being accused for the operation. The head of the Lebanese forces Dr. Sameer Jaajaa is accusing the PFLP as well. We ask to open all fronts in the Arab world and not to point fingers. The general secretary did not say that we will open the Lebanese front only; he said that many fronts will open as long as the Israeli violence is going on. Now we are talking about this subject in Lebanon, but tomorrow there maybe some rockets being shot from Jordan, From the Syrian front or the Egyptian front.

Reporter, Male #2
Muneer Al Makdah in Lebanon has refused to entangle Lebanon in a mess that it can not handle its consequences.

Reporter, Male # 4
What do you think about the firing of rockets from Southern Lebanon to Northern Palestine? And do you support this type of operation at this time?

Guest, Male #5
We as Palestinian Sects in Lebanon do not want to entangle Lebanon or the Lebanese people in something that they can’t handle. That is why we do not agree with this operation. However, it may be a small group here or there that did it. Us as Palestinian sects assure that we will not do anything from the Lebanese borders. And if any kind of action is to take place, then the action should be from all the Arab countries and not just Lebanon where it will pay the price alone.
We will not go against the Lebanese security. We are on the side of security of Lebanon, and on the side of Lebanon, we are a part of Lebanon.

Reporter, Male #2
As for the Ansar Allah party that is very close to Hezbollah has said that these attacks do not have any advantages.

Guest, Male # 6
Firing random rockets in this way does not do anything. We, the Ansar Allah party are against any kind of individual operations. We respect the Lebanese law, and we follow the Lebanese decision. The fired rockets have not done anything for the situation in Gaza, and it did not stop the Israelis from attacking Gaza.

Reporter, Male #2
The Palestinian sects have agreed to organize with the Lebanese resistance that is represented through Hezbollah. They also agreed not to go against the Lebanese government. The Palestinian camps have not taken any responsibility for the unidentified rockets that were fired from southern Lebanon toward the north of occupied Palestine. The standpoint of different sects has been unified. Either all Arab fronts open for a fight, or we refuse to entangle one country that may not be able to handle it. From Ein El Helwa Refugee camp, Ibrahim Itsooi.

Presenter, FEMALE, #1
The continuous raids and incursions in Gaza have left their mark on the schoolchildren. Operation “Cast Lead” struck several schools, while other schools were turned into shelters for families whose homes had been demolished.
Hiba Shihadeh report.

Reporter, FEMLE, #2
Layan looks at her school bag, books, and coloring pens while innocently recounting images of her demolished classroom after an Israeli raid targeted her school.

Guest, FEMALE, #3
The Jews struck our school so that we cannot learn or study or grow up and learn and fight them.
They told us…They struck our school! I love my school and miss my friends and my teachers; I miss a lot of things.

Reporter, FEMALE, #2
More than three schools were struck; nothing remained but rubble, shattered glass, and rocket shrapnel, which bear witness to the horror of the catastrophe. The first semester was never completed, and the students were unable to finish their mid term exams. They sat in their homes, waiting to join their peers in classrooms. As for other students, their schools were used as shelters for families whose homes has been demolished.

Guest, FEMALE, #4
The people whose homes were destroyed are staying at the school, and we’re staying at home. We didn’t take our exams.

Guest, MALE, #1
It wants to erase everything Palestinian, no education or worship. Why are they blasting the mosques? Is there something in the mosques too, or is it only the word ‘God is high.’ This is to stop people from remembering God, as for the schools, it’s to erase everything that contains knowledge and culture. They want to erase Palestinian identity.

Reporter, FEMLE, #2
Burning tears pour down the students’ cheeks in Gaza. Nothing is left of their houses of knowledge; only piles of dirt. In their hearts are piles of sadness. Schools are beacons for knowledge and light, but with today’s constant raids, knowledge too has become one of the occupation targets. Students’ dreams were stolen when their schools were blasted, and the planes of the occupation assassinated their childhood. They are left with nothing but bloody images of martyrs, injuries, demolitions, and collapses. Hiba Shihadeh, Gaza, Future TV.

Presenter, Man # 1
Official and public activists throughout the Jordanian Kingdom continued to donate blood for their brothers in Gaza. The blood is needed disparately to save thousands of injured people.

Reporter, Man # 2
Jordanian citizens continue to extend their arms to donate blood for their Palestinian brothers led by his highness King Abdulla II. He who was the first to extend his hand to donate blood in support of our families in Gaza in confronting the Israeli aggression which killed many people and injured thousands others. The message is that we are in solidarity with our families in Gaza.
Let the Palestinian blood be mixed with the Jordanian blood. Jordan has managed to send more than three thousands blood units and three thousands plasma units to Gaza hospitals.

Guest, Man # 3
This is my duty to our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank and all Palestine. I want to thank King Abdullah for donating blood to our brothers at this difficult time.

Guest, Man # 4
We came to donate blood to the people in Gaza. We have seen what is happening to them on Televisions. May God help them. We are ready to give our lives to the people in Gaza. The least thing we can do is to donate blood.

Guest, Woman # 1
As you see I’m doing this for the sake of the children in Gaza. Our role model is King Abdullah II. He was the first one to donate his blood. I like to donate blood because it is the least thing I can do for the people in Gaza, considering the images that we have been seeing.

Guest, Woman # 2
For the people in Gaza, for the children, women, and old people. I do not know what to say.
I want to express my sympathy with our families there. We are willing to give them our lives and blood. May God help them? May God help Kind Abdullah our king? May God prolong his life. May God keep his legacy.

Reporter, Man # 2
Dr. Nidal Arshd the director of the Blood Bank confirmed that the donated blood is multiplying due to the large number of people who want to donate blood. He added that he received many requests form private and public institutions for mobile blood drives.

Guest, Man # 5
Jordanian citizens rushed to donate blood. The 28 Blood banks in the kingdom in addition to other blood banks in the universities and armed forces are collecting blood from citizens around the clock. Shipment of blood unites were already sent for the people in Gaza in coordination with the Hashemite Charity organization. Large numbers of people are going to private and public institution to donate blood.

Reporter, Man # 2
Thousands of tested blood units are ready to be shipped and thousands of other blood units have already been sent to our brothers in Gaza in coordination with the Hashemite Charity Organization. Thousands of citizens have registered their names and are now ready to donate blood as soon as more blood is need. They are doing this in support of their brothers in Gaza during this difficult time which is the least thing they can do.

At least 778 Palestinians have been killed and 3,250 injured since the Israeli offensive on Gaza began on December 27. More than 200 Palestinian children are among the dead. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, have been killed during the same period.

Shortly before the war began, I went to Israel and the Palestinian territories to find out whether Palestinians and Israelis saw an opportunity for peace with the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. The launch of operation “Cast Lead” has shattered any remaining hopes.

Fourteen horrific days have passed, and Israel is pushing ahead with its offensive in the Gaza Strip, ignoring a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The UN resolution, which was backed by 14 of the 15-member body with only the US abstaining, calls for an "immediate, durable and fully respected" ceasefire.

It also said border crossings into Gaza should be re-opened and measures put in place to prevent the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip.

The resolution underlined there should be "unimpeded provision" and distribution of aid into the territory, where Gazans have been starved of fuel, food and medical supplies for months following Israel’s crippling blockade.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA) has been forced to suspend humanitarian activities in Gaza after coming under fire from Israeli forces. The humanitarian conditions in Gaza are deteriorating by the minute.

Since the War on Gaza began angry demonstrators have taken to the streets in capitals across the globe. Many of the demonstrators have director their anger towards Israel and the United States. Many of the demonstrators in the Arab world have blamed Arab regimes, particularly Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak.

However, in Israel the majority of the Jewish public opposes a ceasefire in Gaza without kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's release, according to the monthly War and Peace Index poll conducted about a week and a half after the start of Operation Cast Lead. The poll shows the Jewish public supports the Gaza operation and objects to ending it if the kidnapped soldier is not released as part of agreement, even if rocket fire stops.

The respondents were asked, "If a ceasefire agreement with Hamas could be reached, but without including Gilad Shalit's release, do you believe Israel should or should not sign such an agreement?" About 76.5% gave a negative answer, while only 17.5% responded positively.

Meanwhile at midnight Friday, according to Hamas' interpretation of the Palestinian constitution, the tenure of Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian Authority comes to an end. Many in the Arab world believe that Israel’s “all-our war” on Gaza will eventually seal Abbas’ fate and will cost him his legitimacy before his nation.

We leave with these images and voices watched by millions of people across the globe yet ignored on U.S. media.