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No let-up in Israeli strikes in Gaza

DUBAI: Hamas fighters have continued to fire rockets inside Israel despite the continuation of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza for the eighth consecutive day.

On Saturday, at least nine long range Grad rockets being used by Hamas targeted the Israeli industrial city of Ashkelon and Ashdod. One of the rockets hit an apartment building in Ashdod while another scored a direct hit on a house in Ashkelon. These attacks caused shrapnel injuries to two persons.

On Saturday, Israel killed a senior Hamas commander, Abu Zakaria Al-Jamal, during an air raid. The total Gaza death toll due to the Israeli raids has risen to at least 435. Among the civilians killed are 75 children and 21 women.

Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal has reiterated in Damascus the group’s terms for a ceasefire. In a televised address, Mr. Mashaal said: “Stop the Israeli attacks immediately, open all crossings and lift the siege.” Addressing Israelis directly, he said the Hamas resistance would win in the war that had been inflicted upon it.

“We will defeat all of your forces. We are the victim and you are the executioners. We are the righteous and you are the exploiters.”

Mr. Mashaal insisted that his group was willing to cooperate with ongoing Arab and international efforts to secure a ceasefire.

However, he clarified that, “We are willing to cooperate with every effort, but we will not surrender our demands.”

Despite amassing its troops on the Gaza border,

Israel has still not launched its much threatened ground operation. Hamas has claimed that it had on Saturday morning successfully repelled what appeared to be the launch of a special operation strike by Israeli commandos in the Shajaiyeh section of Gaza City.

On the diplomatic front, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has decided not to attend an executive meeting of the Organisation of Islamic conference (OIC) in Jeddah on Saturday. He was protesting against the grouping’s response to the Gaza crisis.

On the contrary, Iran and Syria, both allies of Hamas, are stepping up consultations on the Gaza developments.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International’s branch in the U.S. has urged Washington to suspend weapon deliveries to Israel.

“The United States must suspend the transfer of weapons to Israel immediately and conduct an investigation into whether U.S. weapons were used to commit human rights abuses,” it said.

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