Gaza Facing Genocide: At Least 345 Martyrs, 1650 Injured in Massive "Israeli" Air Attacks on Gaza
"Israel" continued its bloody offensive against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip for the second successive day on Sunday, the worst since 1948, rising the number of martyrs so far to more than 345 people and the number of injured to well over 1650. The death toll is likely to increase dramatically given the number of serious injuries and the lack of medicaments and first aid means. "Palestine has never seen an uglier massacre," said Hamas Chief Ismail Hanieh.
In Damascus, Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Meshaal called for a third Palestinian Intifada against "Israel". Hamas has vowed revenge including martyrdom operations deep inside the Zionist entity.
Barak Willing To Expand Operation; Calls In Thousands Of Reservists
Meanwhile, "Israeli" War Minister Ehud Barak said Sunday that his forces could launch a ground operation in the Strip as part of the offensive dubbed 'Operation Cast Lead'. "We are ready for anything. If it's necessary to deploy ground forces to defend our citizens, we will do so," Barak's spokesman quoted him as saying.
An "Israeli" government official said the "Israeli" army has called in thousands of reservists including combat units and home front units.
Hamas: Egyptian Leaders Deceived Us
The Palestinian and Arab public opinion expressed deep disappointment over the failure of the Arab and Islamic governments to exert pressure on "Israel" to halt its bloody offensive that has been described as a war crime and genocide.
A Hamas official told The Jerusalem Post that the reason why security installations in the Gaza Strip had not been evacuated before the attack was because the Egyptians had assured his movement that there would be no "Israeli" attack in the coming days.
"Only hours before the attack, the Egyptians told our representatives that they were under the impression that ‘Israel' would not launch an operation," the Hamas official said. "We believe the Egyptians deliberately deceived us because they had given ‘Israel' a green light to attack."
"Israeli" Foreign Minister Tsibi Livni announced "Israel's" will to launch an offensive against Gaza from the office of Egyptian President Husni Mubarak, hours before the operation started.
The Hamas official pointed out that both President Mahmoud Abbas and the Egyptian leaders had announced shortly before the "Israeli" attack that they were engaged in attempts to resume "national dialogue" between Fatah and Hamas.
Taher a-Nunu, spokesman for the Hamas government, accused "third parties" of involvement in the "Israeli" effort to overthrow Hamas. However, he refused to name the third parties.
The Jerusalem Post quoted a top Palestinian Authority official in Ramallah as saying that the PA was prepared to assume control over the Gaza Strip if "Israel" succeeds in overthrowing the Hamas government. However, he denied the PA had urged "Israel" to launch a massive attack to overthrow the Hamas government.
Barak warned that tough times lay ahead. "I don't want to deceive anyone," he said. "It won't be easy and won't be quick. We must be resolute." Rocket attacks were expected to continue and to increase during the operation, he added.
Barak also said that the occupation army will deepen and widen its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip as much as needed.
For its part, ‘Israeli' Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said following a security assessment that "Hamas is a terror organization - no one in Hamas is immune." Earlier Livni told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that Hamas is responsible for all violence in the Gaza Strip. She said that she expected the international community to uphold the same stance.
Earlier, ‘Israeli' military spokesman Avi Benayahu told army radio that the massive 'Israeli' bombardment of Gaza was "only just the beginning".
"This is only just the beginning of an operation launched after a security cabinet decision. It could take time. We have not fixed a timeline and we will act according to the situation on the ground," he said.
A series of ‘Israeli' occupation strikes targeted Hamas compounds throughout the Gaza Strip, causing widespread panic, Hamas officials said on Saturday.
Al-Manar correspondent in Gaza said that what is going on is an unprecedented massacre against the Palestinians in the Strip.
"I'm afraid we have at least 40 dead," police spokesman Islam Shahwan told Hamas radio earlier in the day on Saturday. He said a police compound in Gaza City was hosting a graduation ceremony for new personnel when it was attacked.
IAF strikes on Saturday on the police headquarters in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip killed police Chief Tawfiq Jabber, Hamas radio reported.
At least two people were killed and 30 wounded from an attack in Khan Younis, a refugee camp in the south of Gaza.
TV footage showed bodies of more than a dozen black-clad security men lying on the ground in one area. Palestinian witnesses say one of the missiles struck Hamas police headquarters in Gaza City, with at least 50 people among the casualties in the attack.
Residents reported hearing at least 15 explosions. Many of Hamas' security compounds are in residential areas, and the airstrikes took place as children were leaving school. Plumes of black smoke rose over Gaza City, sirens wailed through the streets and women frantically looked for their children.
The aggression followed a decision by ‘Israeli' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet to widen reprisals for cross-border Palestinian rocket attacks on occupied territories.
Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas' Damascus-based political bureau, said his resistance organization would retaliate. "We will defend our women and children by any means necessary. All the options are open," he said.
Minutes after the first wave of occupation air strikes hit areas in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinians reported a second wave which targeted installations in the center and the north of the Strip. Channel 2 reported that 60 planes were involved in the attack, and nearly 100 targets were hit.
In response to the threats, ‘Israeli' sources announced that they were putting their staff on highest alert, and deploying over 200 ambulances throughout the country in the case of a Hamas counterattack. Further, the Home Front Command ordered Settlers in Sderot and the Gaza periphery to stack within reinforced saferooms as much as they can for the time being. Settlers of the western Negev communities have also received instructions from the authorities to remain in their homes and in bomb-proof rooms.
On Friday, Egyptian officials said that Egypt had begun boosting the security along its border with Gaza, in anticipation of the imminent occupation army operation within the territory, fearing an Israeli incursion would result in a breach of the border.
