US Renews Ban On Airlines Flying To Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv Flights Ban Stings An Embattled Ally

Updated: 10:19pm UK, Wednesday 23 July 2014

By Hannah Thomas-Peter, New York Correspondent

News that the Federal Aviation Administration has extended a ban on US flights into and out of Tel Aviv will be met with Israeli dismay.

It may well also make US Secretary of State John Kerry's job even more difficult as he visits the region for crucial talks aimed at ending this wave of violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already issued a direct appeal to the US to reinstate commercial flights.

His officials argued that Ben Gurion Airport is the best protected in the world and the decision hands a victory to Hamas.

His request and the ban that continues to defy it is important in more ways than one.

It matters because Israel wants its close US ally to back it up, to send a message about resilience in the face of fear and terror.

But prohibiting flights from landing in Tel Aviv broadcasts to the world the FAA's assessment - Israel isn't safe enough for our planes.

The move strikes at the heart of a crucial issue for Israel - its ability to defend itself against enemies near and far.

It has prompted questions in US press briefings about the ban, and a State Department travel warning issued at the beginning of the week.

Spokesperson Marie Harf was asked this question on Tuesday: "There is suspicion in Israel and among pro-Israel types in the US that last night's Travel Warning that the State Department issued for Israel, West Bank and Gaza, along with the move by the FAA today to ban US airlines from flying to Tel Aviv for up to 24 hours, is somehow a political move intended to put pressure on the Israelis, on Prime Minister Netanyahu's government to agree to a ceasefire that they might not want to.

"Is there any truth to that? Was the State Department involved in this FAA decision at all that you're aware of?

Ms Harf replied: "We issue travel warnings because one of our top priorities is protecting US citizens overseas.

"So this is a step we have taken when we felt the situation on the ground warranted it.

"Obviously, that is a process that we go through that in no way is policy-related or politically related. It is just related to how we can best protect American citizens.

"On the FAA, we, to my knowledge, were not involved in that decision making."

Following the extension of the ban, Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz released a statement that read: "President Obama has just used a federal regulatory agency to launch an economic boycott on Israel, in order to try to force our ally to comply with his foreign-policy demands."

Ms Harf called his comments "ridiculous and offensive".

The fact that questions are being asked will worry the White House as John Kerry tries to make some headway on the ground.

Above all, the US government supports Israel's right and need to defend itself from rocket attacks.

But there is growing alarm at the number of Palestinian civilian deaths at the hands of Israel's powerful military, and an acknowledgement of the pressing need for a ceasefire.

It is already a relatively precarious position, even for an experienced statesman.

Anything that diminishes the diplomat's ability to influence Israel's approach to this escalating crisis will nott be welcome at all.

Public questions over politically motivated travel warnings and flight bans do just that, even if there is any truth behind what they imply.

10.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hammond: Israel 'War Crimes' Probe Unhelpful

An international inquiry into Israel's actions in Gaza will not help efforts to achieve a ceasefire, according to British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

The UN Human Rights Council has voted to back a Palestinian resolution calling for an investigation, as Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said there was a "strong possibility" Israel was guilty of war crimes.

Ms Pillay also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets and mortars by the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza, into Israel.

But Mr Hammond said the resolution was "fundamentally unbalanced" and would "complicate the process by introducing unnecessary new mechanisms".

Mr Hammond, who held late night talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, said a ceasefire "is not enough", and added he would push for a "stable solution" that allows Palestinians and Israelis to "live in peace together".

Philip Hammond during his meeting with Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah

Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza on July 17 after more than a week of strikes aimed at stopping rocket fire into the country.

More than 700 Palestinians have now died, according to Palestinian medics.

Eighteen people were killed in airstrikes early on Thursday, they said, including a family of six.

The Israeli army said three more soldiers were killed in combat on Wednesday, bringing to 32 the number of soldiers killed since the start of the ground operation.

A Thai farm labourer was also killed when a rocket fired from Gaza struck the greenhouse where he was working in southern Israel.

Smoke rises from a building in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike

US Secretary of State John Kerry is in the region as efforts continue to end the conflict.

Mr Kerry said after meeting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that "some steps forward" have been made, but added "there is still work to be done".

Hamas has meanwhile rejected any truce without the lifting of Israel's eight-year blockade of Gaza.

"We will not accept any initiative that does not lift the blockade on our people and that does not respect their sacrifices," said Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.

Meanwhile, a pro-Gaza rally in the French capital, Paris, has attracted 25,000 people, according to organisers.

Pro-Palestinian protesters hold a Palestinian flag during a march in Paris

More than 1,000 undercover and uniformed officers were deployed for the march, which went ahead after organisers gave security guarantees.

The continued fighting has caused flights into Tel Aviv's Ben Guiron Airport to be affected after a rocket struck close to the runways on Tuesday.

EasyJet has extended the suspension of its services into Thursday, confirming it would not operate flights from Luton, Gatwick, Basel, Berlin Schoenefeld, Geneva, Manchester and Milan Malpensa.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has extended its ban on US airlines flying to Israel by another 24 hours.

The European safety regulator EASA also strongly recommended European airlines against flying there "until further notice".

10.53 | 0 komentar | Read More

MH17 Plane Crash: Around 80 Bodies 'Missing'

Dutch investigators say the remains of only 200 people from flight MH17, in addition to some body parts, have been delivered to forensic teams.

Some 298 people, the majority of them from the Netherlands, were on board the flight.

"At this moment we are talking about 200, that is for sure, 200 victims - which means there are probably remains left in the area where this disaster took place," said Jaan Tunder, from the Dutch forensics team.

Separatist leader Aleksander Borodai (L) handed over the black boxes

OSCE observers at the crash scene on Tuesday confirmed there were still unrecovered human remains and "smaller body parts".

An Interpol team is currently helping examine remains in the first stages of what it calls DVI (Disaster Victim Identification), after the victims recovered so far were transported overnight to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Pro-Russian separatists had said the remains of 282 people would be on board the refrigerated train.

The bodies will be flown to the Netherlands on Wednesday where full identification is to take place.

The black boxes could provide vital clues about the downing of the jet

Dozens of police scientists are on standby to identify the remains and return them to families, but the Dutch prime minister has warned the process could take months.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that British experts based at Farnborough will examine data from the black boxes of flight MH17.

David Cameron confirmed the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) would take the lead in analysing the crucial black box data.

He tweeted: "We've agreed Dutch request for air accident investigators at Farnborough to retrieve data from #MH17 black boxes for international analysis."

The train carrying the victims arrived in Kharkiv overnight

Separatists handed over the black boxes as EU foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on more Russian officials in the wake of the crash.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he wanted President Putin's "cronies" to bear the brunt of the new measures, likely to be visa bans and asset freezes.

The number of Russian officials on the list has not yet been revealed.

Moscow is accused of arming the pro-Russian rebels who are suspected of shooting down the Malaysia Airlines plane.

A senior US intelligence official confirmed evidence suggests the Russian regime was not directly involved, but that it "created the conditions" for the plane to be shot down by mistake.

Malaysia investigators have begun surveying the site

The Russians are still supplying the separatists with tanks and rocket launchers - even after the disaster, claimed the source.

EU ministers said "further significant restrictive measures" would be taken against Russia's defence, energy and financial sectors if it did not comply with a list of demands.

It called on Russia to use its influence over the armed separatists to secure "full, immediate, safe and secure" access to the crash site, and to stop the flow of weapons to the rebels.

Malaysian investigators are now at the scene of the crash, which is still strewn with wreckage and possessions.

Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said it was "noticeably calmer" on Tuesday as investigators began documenting the devastation, making notes and photographing evidence.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Major Airlines Suspend Flights To Israel

Major airlines from the US, Europe and Canada are refusing to fly to and from Israel after a rocket fired from Gaza landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have suspended services between the US and Israel for at least 24 hours, while Germany's Lufthansa and Air France also suspended flights.

Low-fare airline EasyJet is also scrapping its scheduled services for today. The airline said it will "review its operations to and from Israel on a day-by-day basis".

The US bans come after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stopped American flights from travelling to Tel Aviv, citing the "potentially hazardous situation" caused by the ongoing conflict in the region.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has recommended that all European airlines avoid Tel Aviv "until further notice".

An Israeli military excavator searches for tunnels on the border with Gaza

Greece's Aegean Airlines and Air Canada have also grounded flights to Tel Aviv.

But a spokeswoman for British Airways said the airline's twice-daily service from London to Tel Aviv would continue.

"We are continuing to operate to Israel as normal," the spokeswoman said.

Israel's Transportation Ministry has urged the airlines to reconsider their decision, insisting that the nation's busiest air hub was secure.

"Ben Gurion Airport is safe and completely guarded and there is no reason whatsoever that American companies would stop their flights and hand terror a prize," it said in a statement.

The flight cancellations came as Israel continued its offensive in Gaza, where the death toll has passed 620 people.

Israel launched a major offensive on July 8 in Gaza to stop Hamas militants firing rockets over the border.

Palestinian militants have fired more than 2,000 rockets towards Israel, but many have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defence system.

United Airlines planes seen at Newark International Airport

More than 600 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and 29 Israelis, including 27 soldiers, have been killed in the conflict.

Ceasefire negotiations have been taking place in Egypt, where US Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting with regional leaders.

The Palestinian leadership says it has proposed a ceasefire plan to mediators aimed at halting the violence.

On Tuesday, Mr Kerry spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and to Qatari and Turkish foreign ministers after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi for two hours.

"The Egyptians have provided a framework and a forum for them to be able to come to the table to have a serious discussion together with other factions of the Palestinians," Mr Kerry said.

"Hamas has a fundamental choice to make and it is a choice that will have a profound impact for the people of Gaza."

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel 'Hits Hospital' As Death Toll Tops 560

Four people have been killed and a further 70 injured when Israeli tank shells hit a hospital in central Gaza, according to Palestinian medics.

Thirty of those wounded in the attack were reportedly medical staff.

Health official Ashraf al Kidra said 12 shells hit the intensive care unit, surgery department and administration building at the al Aqsa hospital in the town of Deir el-Balah.

A Palestinian man salvages a mattress from the remains of his house

Footage on Hamas' al Aqsa TV station showed chaotic scenes at the facility.

At least 55 Palestinians were killed on Monday, said officials in Gaza, including 28 members of the same family who died in an air strike near Gaza's southern border with Egypt.

Israel also suffered more deaths, with seven soldiers killed in gun battles.

Palestinian men mourn the death of their relatives at a morgue in Rafah

The Israeli army said four of those occurred during a battle with Hamas fighters trying to sneak into the country through cross-border tunnels.

Grainy video released by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) showed what appeared to be Hamas gunmen in a firefight with Israeli forces before they were hit by an airstrike.

The Israeli army claimed it had killed more than 10 Hamas militants in the confrontation.

Officials say thousands of Palestinians have fled the bombardment

Hamas' armed wing the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said it had carried out "an operation behind enemy lines in response to the massacre in Shejaiya [Shaja'iya]".

The tunnel firefight came as the UN Security Council urged an "immediate cessation of hostilities" in a call echoed by US President Barack Obama in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

US Secretary of State John Kerry also announced $47m (£27m) in humanitarian aid for Gaza as he arrived in Cairo to discuss ceasefire plans with UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

However, an end to the violence still appears some way off.

The family of Major Tsafrir Bar-Or during his funeral in Holon, Israel

Ismail Haniyeh, the top Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, has said the group's current aim is to force an end to the blockade of the territory.

Eighty-four rockets hit Israel on Monday, claimed the army, but no injuries were reported. It says Hamas has launched almost 2,000 rockets since the start of the Israeli operation.

Israel's far more destructive aerial bombardment has resulted in an exodus of more than 100,000 Palestinian civilians, according to the United Nations.

Israeli soldiers mourn during the funeral of colleague Bnaya Rubel in Holon

Many have sought refuge in 69 UN-run shelters, said the organisation.

People fleeing Israeli shelling in the Shajaiya district on Sunday described it as a "massacre", with many women and children among the dead during the bloodiest day of fighting so far.

The Israeli army said it had given civilians two days warning to leave the area.

The Palestinian death toll now stands at at least 565, while 25 Israeli soldiers and two civilians have been killed.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the situation in Gaza as "intolerable" and the Israeli attacks a "crime against humanity".

The Shajaiya district is still the focus of attacks, says Israel

The Israeli government has claimed Hamas is hiding behind the civilian population.

Spokesman Naftali Bennet said: "What Hamas is doing is effectively self genocide. They're, in a cowardly and cynical fashion, placing their women and children as shields."

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

MH17 Crash: Rebels Hand Over Black Boxes

Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine have handed over the black boxes from flight MH17 to Malaysian experts.

As an armed rebel placed the boxes on a desk, Aleksander Borodai told a packed room at the headquarters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic: "Here they are, the black boxes."

Both sides then signed a document, which the rebel leader said was to finalise the hand over.

The two flight data recorders from the downed Malaysia Airlines plane are "in good condition", according to Malaysian Colonel Mohamed Sakri.

"I can see that the black boxes are intact, although a bit damaged," he said, extending his thanks to "His Excellency Mr Borodai" for passing them on.

Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, has claimed that pro-Russian rebels have tampered with the black boxes.

Russia has called for the investigation into the shooting down of the plane to be led by the "international community" and not Ukraine, after yet more accusations were traded between Moscow and Kiev over who is to blame.

Borodai (L) hands over the black boxes to Col Sakri (R)

Moscow's ambassador to Malaysia, Lyudmila Vorobyeva, told a news conference the probe should be led by the United Nation's International Civil Aviation Organisation.

"The reason for that is that the rebels, as we understand do not trust the government of Kiev," said Ms Vorobyeva.

"That's why they were reluctant to hand over anything (including) the black boxes to the Ukrainian side because they are afraid the evidence would be tampered with."

A satellite image of the wreckage of MH17. Pic: DigitalGlobe

She added that audio recordings of rebels admitting shooting down the plane are "fake" and a "compilation of different conversations".

On Monday, a train carrying the remains of 282 of the victims left the station where it was being guarded by armed separatists.

The refrigerated wagons were filmed leaving Torez, and will be taken to the city of Kharkiv, some 186 miles (300km) northwest.

Part of the wreckage of flight MH17, which had 298 people on board

There they will be handed over to Dutch officials before being flown to the Netherlands.

It was announced at the press conference that a ceasefire within a six mile (10km) radius around the crash site would be put in place so international investigators can access the area where the jet was shot down last week with 298 people on board.

Fighting between pro-Ukrainian groups and pro-Russian separatists flared in Donetsk on Monday, some 40 miles (60km) from the crash site.

Health officials said four people were killed in the clashes, while rebel military commander Igor Strelkov said up to 12 of his men died in the fighting.

As the diplomatic fallout from the disaster continues, EU foreign ministers will meet on Tuesday to discuss imposing new sanctions on Russia.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel Minister Accuses Hamas Of 'Self-Genocide'

An Israeli minister has defended the ground offensive in Gaza and accused Hamas of "self-genocide" by using women and children as human shields.

Naftali Bennett, appearing on Dermot Murnaghan's programme, insisted Israel would continue to retaliate to rocket strikes from Gaza.

The Israeli economic minister said: "The only difference between us and Hamas in Gaza is that they are deliberately sending their women and children to stand next to missile launchers in order for them to get killed, and then they cry to the world that they are being killed.

"This is cynical and cowardly. Israel has all the right to defend itself.

Israel began a ground offensive in Gaza on Thursday

"They started this, they are continuing this, this can all go away the moment they disarm themselves and stop shooting us.

"Hamas is placing missiles in homes, in living rooms, in schools, in children's rooms, this is their modus operandi.

"If Hamas was shooting missiles at your home, from within a school, what would you do?

"Would you just wait for those missiles to kill you? We fight back.

"Sometimes yes in wars there is collateral damage, but I'm not going to ask forgiveness for defending my four children that had rockets shot at home this very morning.

"What Hamas is doing is effectively self-genocide."

Since the start of fighting nearly two weeks ago, 378 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 3,000 wounded, according to Gaza Health Ministry official Ashraf al Kidra.

A total of five Israeli soldiers have also been killed since the ground offensive began on Thursday. Two Israeli citizens have also been killed in rocket attacks.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israel Denies 'Soldier Captured' Amid Shelling

Israel's UN Ambassador denies reports that Hamas' armed wing has captured an Israeli soldier, amid an assault on the Gaza Strip that has killed at least 100 Palestinians.

Ron Prosor told reporters at the United Nations where an emergency meeting on the crisis is taking place: "There's no kidnapped Israeli soldier and those rumours are untrue."

Earlier, masked spokesman Abu Ubaida, speaking on a Hamas television station, claimed: "We have captured a Zionist soldier and the occupation has not admitted that."

It comes after 13 Israeli soldiers were also killed during the country's ground offensive in Gaza, making it the deadliest day of the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.

People fleeing the shelling in the northeast Gazan neighbourhood of Shaja'iya described it as a "massacre", with many women and children among the dead.

An injured Palestinian woman at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City

But Israel's Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the military incursion to secure the safety of those living in the south of the country.

The Israeli military said the 13 soldiers, from Golani brigade, died during the offensive on Sunday, including seven who were killed after their armoured personnel carrier was hit by an anti-tank missile.

Officials said 35,000 people fled the fighting in Gaza on Sunday as the artillery bombardment began.

Sky's Sherine Tadros, reporting from Shaja'iya, said: "We have seen hundreds upon hundreds of people leaving and they are not carrying bags packed with clothes, they are not carrying anything. They are literally running for their lives.

Israeli mobile artillery fires at targets inside Gaza

"They are leaving this area but of course there is nowhere safe here. You expect to see all these people flee across a border, but they can't cross a border. Gaza is completely locked off."

An Israeli military spokeswoman said residents in Shaja'iya were warned to evacuate the area two days ago through recorded messages.

US Secretary of State John Kerry was overheard expressing what appeared to be pointed concern over the deaths of civilians during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

In a conversation caught on microphone before an interview, Mr Kerry made what seemed to be a sarcastic remark about Israel's insistence it was doing its utmost to avoid civilian casualties in operations against Hamas militants.

Smoke rises after air strikes in Shaja'iya, northeast Gaza

"It's a hell of a pinpoint operation. It's a hell of a pinpoint operation," he said during the call.

Mr Kerry who is expected to travel to the Middle East soon to press for a ceasefire was also overheard saying to an aide: "We got to get over there ... we ought to go tonight. I think it's crazy to be sitting around."

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama told Mr Netanyahu during a telephone call that he had serious concerns about the rising number of casualties, "and stressed the need to protect civilians-in Gaza and in Israel".

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Netanyahu said: "We are carrying out a complex, deep, intensive activity inside the Gaza Strip and there is world support for this ... very strong support within the international community for the activity that the IDF is doing."

Nearly 90 people are thought to have been killed on Sunday alone

Hamas accepted a proposal - secured by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - for a two-hour humanitarian ceasefire on Sunday.

But an Israeli military spokesman said the ground offensive had resumed after the temporary truce was breached by Hamas fighters within an hour.

Earlier Naftali Bennett, Israeli economic minister, told Sky News Hamas was "cynically" using women and children as human shields.

"They only difference between us and Hamas in Gaza is that they are deliberately sending their women and children to stand next to missile launchers in order for them to get killed and then they cry to the world that they are being killed," he said.

The Palestinian leadership slammed the "massacre" in Shaja'iya, while the Arab League claimed Israel had committed "war crimes".

The Israeli military has said it has hit more than 2,500 targets in Gaza, including 1,100 rocket launchers, after nearly two weeks of fighting.

It has said around 70 militants have been killed and another 13 brought to Israel for questioning after more than 1,760 rockets were fired at Israeli cities since July 8.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has travelled to Qatar to try to restart ceasefire efforts.

Last week, Hamas rejected an Egyptian-brokered truce - saying it would only agree if Israel and Egypt significantly eased the border blockade of Gaza.

Since the start of the fighting, more than 425 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,600 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

A total of 18 Israeli military personnel have been killed and two Israeli civilians have also died in rocket attacks.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gunmen Kill 21 Egyptian Soldiers At Checkpoint

Gunmen have killed 21 Egyptian soldiers at a checkpoint near the border with Libya in one of the biggest assaults on Egypt's security forces in years.

Egyptian security officials described the attackers as "smugglers", but an army spokesman said on his Facebook page that "terrorists" - the term authorities use to describe Islamist militants - were behind the attack.

However, no one has claimed responsibility for the killings.

An ammunitions depot at the El-Farafrah post was blown up by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) in an exchange of fire, killing the soldiers and wounding four others. Two of the gunmen died during the assault.

The military said two booby-trapped vehicles were used in the attack, and bomb experts have defused the explosives.

The attack took place in Wadi al Gadid, a desert area 390 miles (630km) west of Cairo, which borders both Libya and Sudan.

It was the second assault on the same checkpoint in less than three months.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi has repeatedly expressed concerns about militants who have stepped up attacks, mainly in the Sinai Peninsula bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip, on security forces since Islamist president Mohammed Morsi was toppled in July 2013.

Security officials claim militants operating in Libya, who have ambitions similar to the al Qaeda breakaway group ISIS that has seized large swathes of Iraq, are trying to forge ties with Sinai militants.

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Israeli Attacks 'Kill Four' In Gaza

Israeli artillery shelling in Gaza kills four people, including two children and the son of a senior Hamas official, medics say.

More follows...

10.52 | 0 komentar | Read More