Israeli soldiers speak next to tanks as military armoured vehicles gather in an open area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip October 18, 2018.
Israel has deployed fresh troops and tanks to the Gaza-Israel buffer zone in anticipation of weekly Friday protests against its 12-year blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reported Friday that the army had deployed “large numbers in south”, referring to the region of Israel that borders Gaza.
“The nature of the Israeli army's response to violence along the fence [i.e., buffer zone] is expected to change with the deployment of armor and engineering and artillery forces around Gaza,” the IBA reported.
On Thursday, Israel’s Security Cabinet ordered the military to step up its response to ongoing Palestinian demonstrations -- now in their seventh month -- along the buffer zone.
Since the demonstrations began on March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred near the buffer zone -- and thousands more injured -- by Israeli army gunfire.
Protesters demand the right to return to their homes and villages in historical Palestine, from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.
They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.
Israel’s Security Cabinet on Thursday ordered the military to step up its response to ongoing Palestinian demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone, according to Israeli media reports.“Starting Friday, the military will intensify its response to airborne firebombs from Gaza and will extend its range of fire during protests along the border,” Israeli daily Haaretz reported.According to the new policy, Palestinian protesters will have to maintain a greater distance from the buffer zone -- otherwise, Israeli troops have been ordered to open fire.“The response to incendiary balloons and kites launched from Gaza will be more forceful,” the paper asserted.According to Haaretz, the Security Cabinet convened for five hours late Wednesday after a number of rockets were fired into Israeli territory from Gaza.Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett have both repeatedly called for a harsher military response to the ongoing rallies along the buffer zone.US to merge Jerusalem consulate in to new embassyMost other members of the Security Cabinet, however, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly want to avoid a broader military operation.Cabinet members were reportedly told not to speak to the media about issues discussed at the meeting.This did not prevent Housing Minister Yoav Galant, however, from making provocative comments to reporters."I am not commenting on the content of the cabinet discussions, but I can say one thing very explicitly: the rules of the game are about to change,” he said.“We will no longer accept the terror along the border fence,” Galant asserted.UN signs agreements with Israeli security firms: ReportIn a related development, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, threatened on Thursday to respond to any Israeli attack on Gaza.On its official website, the Brigades posted a brief video showing a Brigades fighter preparing to fire a salvo of rockets into Israeli territory.Since the rallies along the buffer zone began on March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred -- and thousands more injured -- by Israeli army gunfire. Protesters demand the right to return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.The ongoing Gaza rallies and Palestine’s unsung heroes
Israeli army to step up response to Gaza demonstrations
The UN has recently signed agreements worth tens of millions of Israeli shekels with Israeli security companies headquartered in Africa, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday. According to the newspaper, the UN issued an emergency tender with a view to purchasing defense systems for UN bases and facilities. The UN reportedly approached firms from around the world specialized in making remote sensors capable of detecting precision-guided munitions. “Three of the five companies contacted by the UN were Israeli,” Yedioth Ahronoth reported.Russia and Turkey give more time for Idlib deal in Syria: UNAccording to the paper, the contract was ultimately won by Israeli company MER, with which the UN signed an $8-million deal for the next three years. Israeli water-treatment technology company Odis, meanwhile, reportedly won a separate UN tender worth $42 million. According to Israeli figures, Israeli companies sold a total of $52 million worth of products and services to the UN last year -- and this amount is reportedly expected to rise further in the coming period.Israeli company executives were reportedly introduced to UN officials by Israel’s delegation to the UN headed by Ambassador Danny Danon, who had organized several events to promote Israeli acquisition deals. The ongoing Gaza rallies and Palestine’s unsung heroes"Diplomacy offers numerous opportunities for the advancement of Israel and Israeli industry," Danon was quoted as saying by Yedioth Ahronoth. "I am proud of these Israeli companies for joining forces with the UN and becoming an integral part of the organization's activities worldwide," Danon asserted. There has been no comment from the UN regarding the newspaper’s assertions. The reported acquisition deals come as Israel tries to enhance its ties with African states in hopes of preempting African support for Palestinian statehood in UN forums. Israel frequently accuses the world body of harboring an "anti-Israel", "pro-Palestine" bias.
UN signs agreements with Israeli security firms: Report
A parliamentary committee on Wednesday rebuked Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman for calling Haneen Zoabi, an Arab member of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), a “terrorist”. “The Ethics Committee, chaired by Knesset member Yitzhak Vaknin (of the Shas party), issued a reprimand against Lieberman following a complaint filed by Zoabi (of the Arab Joint List) after Liberman called her a “terrorist” on his Twitter account,” read a statement issued by the assembly on Wednesday.In early June, Lieberman tweeted: “The terrorist Haneen Zoabi is in the Knesset and promoting terrorism against IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] soldiers and citizens of the State of Israel...” Egypt brokers de-escalation deal in Gaza: SourceBut in a Wednesday decision, the Ethics Committee said Lieberman’s use of the word “terrorist” to describe Zoabi constituted “incitement against Arab Knesset members in general and against her in particular”.“The Ethics Committee has repeatedly clarified that such comments… have no place in legitimate public discourse and that such remarks constitute a breach of ethical rules,” it asserted.The committee added: “Considering the fact that Minister Lieberman did not retract the comment mentioned in the complaint, the Ethics Committee has decided… to issue a reprimand to Minister Lieberman.” Israel’s 120-member Knesset currently has 13 Arab members, all of whom belong to the Arab Joint List.Lieberman frequently criticizes Arab Knesset members, calling for their expulsion from the assembly due to their stated support for Palestinian statehood.Palestinian gov’t condemns Israeli attacks in GazaIsrael using Saudi statements on Khashoggi: Official
Israeli Knesset rebukes Lieberman over ‘terrorist’ jibe
The Ramallah-based Palestinian government on Wednesday condemned Israeli airstrikes in the blockaded Gaza Strip.“The non-stop escalation in Gaza is part of [Israel’s] escalation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” government spokesman Yousef al-Mahmoud said in a statement.He held the Israeli government responsible for the safety of Palestinians and their property in the seaside enclave.Palestinian factions slam rocket fire into Israel“Israel is continuing to violate international law and regulations and is committing crimes against the Palestinian people,” he said.Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in response to rocket fire into southern Israel.One person was killed in the Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.The Israeli army said it bombed 20 targets throughout Gaza, including an underground tunnel, going on to hold Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, for the escalation.Gazan martyred in fresh Israeli airstrikeIsraeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also announced on Wednesday that all crossings into Gaza were being shut and the fishing zone around the Palestinian territory was being limited.Since March, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred and thousands more injured by Israeli army fire in anti-occupation protests along Gaza border. Demonstrators demand an end to Israel’s 12-year Gaza blockade and the right to return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. Israel conducts airstrike on Gaza Strip
Palestinian gov’t condemns Israeli attacks in Gaza