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Last update - 10:18 19/11/2008
Israel outraged at UN remarks urging end to Gaza blockade
By Barak Ravid and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies
Tags: Gaza, Hamas, Israel News, IDF

Israel reacted angrily to comments made Tuesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, in which she called for an immediate end to its blockade of the Gaza Strip, which she said breached international and humanitarian law.

In a statement from her Geneva-based office, Pillay urged Israel to allow the flow of aid including food, medicines and fuel to resume, and to restore electricity and water services in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Pillay was also quoted as saying that 1.5 million Palestinian men, women and children have been forcibly deprived of their most basic human rights for months.
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She also called for Israel to end airstrikes and incursions in Gaza, and for Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets into Israel.

Israel imposed a blockade of Gaza after the Islamic group Hamas violently seized control of the territory in June 2006. It recently tightened the sanctions because of rocket fire at Israeli towns.

Pillay's demands provoked an angry response from Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Aharon Leshno-Yaar, who accused her of being utterly shortsighted and repeating blatant misinformation.

"Overall responsibility for the situation in the Gaza Strip lies with Hamas, which invests all of its resources in arms and terrorism instead of providing for the civilians that it brutally controls," Aharon Leshno-Yaar said, adding that Palestinian groups had fired more 170 rockets and mortars at Israel during the past 10 days.

Leshno-Yaar also rejected Pillay's claim that Israel has cut off essential supplies to Gaza.

"Electricity and water continue to flow from Israel to Gaza, and 33 trucks laden with supplies arrived in Gaza yesterday, with more waiting to enter as soon as Hamas ends its violent attacks," he said.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel resealed border crossings with the Gaza Strip, citing continued rocket fire at its towns, despite warnings from world aid groups of looming shortages of food and fuel supplies in the coastal territory.

Israel had allowed supplies into Gaza for the first time in two weeks on Monday, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas he would not permit a humanitarian crisis to develop there.

"The crossings are shut because of ongoing rocket fire," Peter Lerner, a defense spokesman said, referring to several barrages of rockets fired from Gaza on Monday that slammed into Israeli towns, causing no injury.

International aid groups said the supplies sent in on Monday were not enough to alleviate food shortages.

Israel has also held up fuel shipments to Gaza's main power plant, leading to daily periodic electricity blackouts for many of 1.5 million Palestinians living in the territory.

Israel had not allowed UNRWA, a United Nations agency that aids some 750,000 refugees in Gaza, to bring in supplies since Nov. 4 during cross-border fighting in which more than a dozen Palestinian militants were killed.

Several Israelis have been lightly wounded by dozens of rockets fired by gunmen after the Israel Defense Forces raids.

Palestinians: IDF tanks roll into the southern Gaza Strip

IDF tanks forged into the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, drawing rocket and mortar fire from Palestinian militants, militant groups said, intensifying violence that has chipped away at a tenuous cease-fire.

Israel and Hamas have been trading fire for two weeks after nearly five months of relative quiet. The June 19 truce is due to expire next month, and both sides might be trying to dictate more favorable terms in anticipation of the agreement's renewal.

The tanks, backed by a bulldozer and military jeep, rumbled about a half a kilometer deep into the tiny seaside strip, residents and Gaza security officials said. Residents said they leveled lands along the border east of the city of Rafah. It was the first ground action in a week.

The IDF described the activity as a routine operation to uncover
explosive devices near the border fence in the southern Gaza Strip. It said two mortars were fired at troops, causing no injuries or damage.

The tanks did not respond to the Palestinian fire.

By the army's count, militants have fired more than 140 rockets and mortars at Israel since the truce began unraveling.

At least 17 militants have been killed over the past two weeks, and Israel in an effort to squelch the rocket fire, has kept cargo crossings into Gaza clamped shut for the most part, drastically restricting vital supplies.

Both Israel and leaders of Gaza's ruling Islamic militant Hamas movement have said they hoped the Egyptian-brokered truce could be preserved. But a small, Hamas-allied group said they consider the truce to have broken down, and Israel has threatened to hit hard if the rocket fire persists.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Hamas-run Interior Ministry accused Israel of subverting the truce.

"We call on the Palestinian factions to meet to begin an immediate re-evaluation of the calm," spokesman Ihab al-Ghussein said.

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      1.   Israel is subverting the truce????? WHAT 12:17  |  Steve 18/11/08
      2.   #1 You are a laugh, Steve. 12:55  |  Johnboy 18/11/08
      3.   "despite warnings from world aid groups" 16:46  |  Silvienne 18/11/08
      4.   Silly Vienne 18:02  |  Brad 18/11/08
      5.   Silvienne - I see you`re still in a state of denial 18:17  |  * BEN JABO 18/11/08
      6.   Silvienne #2 guess you don`t read much 18:18  |  Gee 18/11/08
      7.   Hamas is developing weapons to use against Israeli fighter planes 18:24  |  Jean Van Daem 18/11/08
      8.   Poor Silvienne -- just clueless 19:19  |  SDHD 18/11/08
      9.   no palestinian civilians hurt? 19:21  |  odles 18/11/08
      10.   #2 silvienne suggests we wait until they hurt us 19:23  |  odles 18/11/08
      11.   gaza blockade 19:23  |  vivian 18/11/08
      12.   The Likud`s Qassam`s Against Livni That Are the Issue 19:26  |  Binyamin 18/11/08
      13.   pals bringing grief upon them selves 19:30  |  Adrian de Klerk 18/11/08
      14.   #2 Silvienne 19:34  |  Ronald 18/11/08
      15.   The pals have yet to actually keep the 19:35  |  Adrian de Klerk 18/11/08
      16.   to #2 Silvienne 19:41  |  Dik 18/11/08
      17.   Silvienne, how many injured/killer Jews would justify it? 20:16  |  Emanuel 18/11/08
      18.   Silvienne 20:17  |  Dan 18/11/08
      19.   palestinian failure 20:23  |  real vision 18/11/08
      20.   Silvienne that is offensive 20:26  |  Dave Duncan 18/11/08
      21.   Israel taking the bait as usual 20:27  |  Labhras 18/11/08
      22.   ignore world opinion 20:28  |  real vision 18/11/08
      23.   Israel Can`t Abide Overt Resistance 20:33  |  chet 18/11/08
      24.   If the UN and all these aid groups would exert pressure 20:41  |  Jon 18/11/08
      25.   Israel Can`t Abide Overt Resistance - cont`d 20:44  |  chet 18/11/08
      26.   Israel seems to spend mosty of it`s time being outraged 20:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/08
      27.   Electricity and water still flowing to Hamas! 21:11  |  Realist 18/11/08
      28.   Silvienne`s lies 21:19  |  Philippe 18/11/08
      29.   Starving? Not so far as I have seen 21:22  |  Jackie 18/11/08
      30.   UN Commissioner for "Human Rights" has never heard of Darfur 21:23  |  Genuine Tosefta 18/11/08
      31.   Violation of International Humanitarian Law? 21:29  |  Angel 18/11/08
      32.   earth to un, earth to un free shalit as you were supposed to, 21:35  |  ralph 18/11/08
      33.   Silvienne # 2 21:39  |  ChanahS 18/11/08
      34.   By the way silly Silvienne 21:40  |  ChanahS 18/11/08
      35.   #6 Emanuel youre side is already using 6 million as an excuse 21:41  |  Labhras 18/11/08
      36.   Adrian de Klerk 7 - why are yu surprise 21:41  |  ChanahS 18/11/08
      37.   Duncan, Israel`s actions are offensive... 21:47  |  BBSNews 18/11/08
      38.   When will israel end it,s illegal settlement Expansio 21:47  |  Labhras 18/11/08
      39.   Prejudiced Ms Pillay or just ignorant? 21:49  |  x-ray 18/11/08
      40.   Unfortunately For UNHCHR Navi Pillay, 21:51  |  Jeff Northridge 18/11/08
      41.   chet`s nonsense 21:52  |  ChanahS 18/11/08
      42.   I cannot believe it 21:54  |  Outraged of Israel 18/11/08
      43.   This chet person is a master of bullshit 21:54  |  x-ray 18/11/08
      44.   #27 Jeff Northridge 22:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/11/08
      45.   So Chris L how did Great Britain treat Israel during the siege of 22:04  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/11/08
      46.   Chet #21 & #23 might try a history class or dozen 22:06  |  Gee 18/11/08
      47.   To stop criticizm, Israel should cut off everything from GAZA. 22:07  |  Vittorio 18/11/08
      48.   Israel stamps its little feet yet again 22:13  |  Clickfool 18/11/08
      49.   She called on Hamas to cease rocket fire... 22:15  |  Jasper 18/11/08
      50.   #29 Jeff Northridge 22:39  |  Boycott 18/11/08
      51.   Chet 22:42  |  Philippe 18/11/08
      52.   Too Bad Bolton Isn`t There 22:42  |  Tod Zuckerman 18/11/08
      53.   Linthwaite 22:43  |  Philippe 18/11/08
      54.   #4 Ben Jabo likes to make things easy for us. ; ) We should... 22:44  |  Maureen Ann 18/11/08
      55.   Fair is fair, enough is enough 22:45  |  Nechama 18/11/08
      56.   Israel is acting stupid, destructive, ultimately SELFdestructive 22:48  |  Ernst 18/11/08
      57.   Chris Linthwaite #25 22:48  |  BRL 18/11/08
      58.   Vivian: It is obvious 22:49  |  Arie 18/11/08
      59.   Chet lies 23:04  |  Stephen in New York 18/11/08
      60.   The entire world is outraged at the siege of Gaza. 23:06  |  Maki 18/11/08
      61.   to Chris #25 23:10  |  judith 18/11/08
      62.   #25 Chris Abdullah Linthwaite 23:13  |  Ronald 18/11/08
      63.   No reason to be outraged 23:13  |  judith 18/11/08
      64.   x-ray - : Prejudiced 23:19  |  17 18/11/08
      65.   UN reaction predictable- blockade of Gaza ,disaster for israel. 23:21  |  paulo2005 18/11/08
      66.   Not a war crime so what? 23:25  |  Dave Duncan 18/11/08
      67.   Chris Linthwaite`s fake outrage 23:25  |  rich 18/11/08
      68.   Ben Jabo - collective punishment 23:26  |  Palestinian Brit 18/11/08
      69.   Chet, you`re so ignorant of the facts, I feel 23:27  |  * BEN JABO 18/11/08
      70.   You damn right its an outrage, these animals are firing rockets. 23:28  |  Jordan 18/11/08
      71.   UN Membership/Mistake 23:31  |  Mary 18/11/08
      72.   "palestinians" reap what they sow...they have only themselves to 23:33  |  tony 18/11/08
      73.   hamas must be laughing at the world... 23:34  |  Sammy 18/11/08
      74.   Jon 23:35  |  TonyL 18/11/08
      75.   "palestinians" have failed the test of statehood... 23:39  |  Chris 18/11/08
      76.   #33 Excuse me you`re ignorant 23:39  |  Captain Obvious 18/11/08
      77.   #30 Ernst - There`s a simple solution 23:40  |  * BEN JABO 18/11/08
      78.   Chris In 1948 the Jews were besieged in J`lem: who fed them? 23:51  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/11/08
      79.   Ernst thank you but enough of Hamas;s friendly side to Shalit 23:53  |  x-ray 18/11/08
      80.   #29 Such nonsense, Jeff 23:56  |  Johnboy 18/11/08
      81.   Silviennes , Labhrases , Luftwathes and other 23:59  |  TOMY 18/11/08
      82.   #73 TonyL....off topic but important 00:12  |  Lynn 19/11/08
      83.   Pal Brit + Maki - so now you are both speaking 00:12  |  ChanahS 19/11/08
      84.   BSNews lies 00:19  |  Stephen in New York 19/11/08
      85.   The world should act against Israel & save the Palestinian people 00:25  |  Dutch 19/11/08
      86.   #6 Pals to take out IDF planes 00:28  |  American Patriot 19/11/08
      87.   #39 Jeff Northridge, evidence forthcoming in new ICRC report 00:37  |  Ben Alofs 19/11/08
      88.   The UN today 00:37  |  The Teacher/Instruct 19/11/08
      89.   Thou dost protest too much ! 00:37  |  zaz 19/11/08
      90.   #61 Judith 00:47  |  Boycott 19/11/08
      91.   Thank you Navi Palivy, Americans love you *& hate Israelis now 00:47  |  Dutch 19/11/08
      92.   #84 Stephen in NY - You just found that out? 00:49  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/08
      93.   STEVE - TEL AVIV 00:54  |  shoshanna 19/11/08
      94.   #54 Maureen Ann - Maybe you can understand 00:56  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/08
      95.   She is from South Africa that is why 00:58  |  Liliane 19/11/08
      96.   SNY, your ignorance is showing... 01:01  |  BBSNews 19/11/08
      97.   ISRAEL, A WORLD WITHIN A WORLD 01:02  |  VIPER 19/11/08
      98.   #84, STEPHEN IN N.Y, twists things again 01:11  |  VIPER 19/11/08
      99.   What about Egypt? 01:20  |  Angus 19/11/08
      100.   70 Jordans, The real animals are in the IAF`s cockpits 01:23  |  Dutch 19/11/08
      101.   Both sides guilty of offences 01:26  |  Morris Valentine 19/11/08
      102.   Johnboy still at it 01:29  |  Peter Williams 19/11/08
      103.   Chris Linthwaite # 44 Has He Been Convicted On That Charge 01:53  |  Jeff Northridge 19/11/08
      104.   What`s the difference Peter Williams? 02:15  |  BBSNews 19/11/08
      105.   #90 Peter Williams is still at it. 02:24  |  Johnboy 19/11/08
      106.   Thank you , Navi Pilay for your moral conscience 02:28  |  Dutch 19/11/08
      107.   Ben Jabo 92-I frequently confront BSNews 02:40  |  Stephen in New York 19/11/08
      108.   BSNews-know anything about warfare, Bucko? 02:46  |  Stephen in New York 19/11/08
      109.   Viper- I seldom respond to you because 02:51  |  Stephen in New York 19/11/08
      110.   Dutch # 91 02:51  |  Philippe 19/11/08
      111.   Johnboy shows his true colours 03:26  |  Peter Williams 19/11/08
      112.   #111 Peter Williams needs to see the world as it is 05:44  |  Johnboy 19/11/08
      113.   #98 S.VIPER - tell me how 06:02  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/08
      114.   Johnboy that`s your world, not mine 08:07  |  Peter Williams 19/11/08
      115.   Johnboy on retaliation 08:40  |  Peter Williams 19/11/08
      116.   stephen in ny 108 10:47  |  potobac 19/11/08
      117.   #115 Yah got no idea, Peter 12:11  |  Johnboy 19/11/08
      118.   "Responsibility lies with Hamas?" 14:26  |  Ronnie 19/11/08
      119.   Potobac 15:40  |  Stephen in New York 19/11/08
      120.   #115 Johnboy - I know something that elude3s you 16:39  |  * BEN JABO 19/11/08
      121.   #113, Ben Jabo to VIPER.... 17:11  |  Silvienne 19/11/08
      122.   #115, Peter Williams, for once we agree... 17:14  |  Silvienne 19/11/08
      123.   #108, Stephen in NY to BBSNews... 17:20  |  Silvienne 19/11/08
      124.   Stephen in New York... 17:24  |  Silvienne 19/11/08
      125.   #34, ChanahS...leave out the childish namecalling... 17:27  |  Silvienne 19/11/08
      126.   Johnboy: really poor analogy 22:48  |  Peter Williams 19/11/08
      127.   Johnboy, really poor analogy 22:54  |  Peter Williams 19/11/08
      128.   Ben Jabo & Guns... 23:32  |  Silvienne 19/11/08
      129.   Ben Jabo & Guns... 05:52  |  Silvienne 20/11/08
      130.   stephen in ny 119 11:31  |  potobac 20/11/08
      131.   ben jabo 120 11:35  |  potobac 20/11/08
      132.   #128 Silvienne - Stop citing the exceptions 13:23  |  * BEN JABO 20/11/08
      133.   Potobac-tunnels are 10-15 meters underground and run for hundreds 19:46  |  Stephen in New York 20/11/08
      134.   #127 You jest, Peter Williams 03:13  |  Johnboy 21/11/08
      135.   ben jabo 132 04:52  |  potobac 21/11/08
      136.   Johnboy...anyone would think... 18:13  |  Silvienne 21/11/08
      137.   #135 potobac - you sound like a parrot 03:29  |  * BEN JABO 22/11/08
      138.   a big thank you 08:24  |  Torquemada 22/11/08
      139.   #136 Silvinne - Anyone would think you should 18:32  |  * BEN JABO 22/11/08
      140.   #136-2 Silvienne - I thought you would have asked 05:27  |  * BEN JABO 23/11/08
      141.   #140, Ben Jabo...I did ask... 05:58  |  Silvienne 24/11/08
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