|
|
|
 
 
 
 
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
Israel strikes Hamas security infrastructure in Gaza killing more than 250 including school children – what does Obama say?
Israeli air offensive followed weeks of intense Palestinian rocket and mortar fire on southern Israel, and Israeli leaders had issued increasingly tough warnings in recent days that they would not tolerate continued attacks.
Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of air strikes Saturday, killing at least 250 and wounding more than 800 in the bloodiest fighting in recent memory.
The strikes caused widespread panic and confusion in Gaza, as black clouds of smoke rose above the territory, ruled by Hamas for the past 18 months. Some of the Israeli missiles struck in densely populated areas as children were leaving school, and women rushed into the streets frantically looking for their children. Most of those killed were security men, but civilians were among the dead.
Interestingly US President Obama is quiet. His transition team and queen Hillary Clinton, the new Secretary of State and a trusted fried of Israel are also quiet. As Biden said, Obama will face real international terror challenge sooner than later – it may be that.
Obama has pledged to make Middle East peace a priority from the beginning of his presidency. Arabs are calling for a more even-handed approach than the Bush administration, but Israel is expecting Obama to stay true to the pro-Israel posture he showed during the campaign.
President-elect Barack Obama spoke with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday about the violence in Gaza, which has left as many as 225 people dead, two transition aides told media reporters.
WORLD ARTICLES
|
|
| Click here to get ad specs and place your ad or Click here to contact the advertisement department |
Send Letters to the Editor
|
Add RSS headlines