A statement has been released by almost 200 Hollywood stars condemning the “ideologies of hatred” that drive the terrorist group Hamas along with a call for peace in Gaza.
“We, the undersigned, are saddened by the devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. We are pained by the suffering on both sides of the conflict and hope for a solution that brings peace to the region,” the statement begins.
“While we stand firm in our commitment to peace and justice, we must also stand firm against ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas’ charter, Article 7 of which reads, ‘There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!’ Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields.”
The document was published on the website Creative Community For Peace.
Stars that signed the statement included Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwartenegger and Seth Rogan. The statement even had far-left wing celebrities that normally do not support conservative issues like creator of “The West Wing” Aaron Sorkin and atheist activist and commentator Bill Maher.
The group bills themselves as “an organization of prominent entertainment industry executives devoted to using art and music to build bridges for peace.”
The long-term ceasefire between Israel and terrorist group Hamas appeared to be holding on a second day as Israel took steps to ease the border blockade.
Israel said the economic blockade would allow Gaza residents to return to jobs or interact with businesses that they haven’t been able to do since Hamas began their attacks on Israel.
The ending of the economic blockade and easing of the border blockade was part of the demands of Hamas for entering into a long-term peace. Israel had previously said they were not giving in to any of Hamas’ demands as part of the peace deal.
The chairman of the Council of Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land told the Christian Post the deal had to include the lifting of the economic blockade.
“They want a meaningful ceasefire to end the seven years of blockade and travel restrictions that make Gaza one large prison. They want a deal to make life livable,” Dr. Munir S. Kakish said. “The West did not address the problems in the Gaza strip. The blockade, travel restrictions, economic disaster, lack of any healthcare have all created a condition where life is not acceptable.”
The last long-term truce ended a week of fighting in 2012 when Hamas promised to stop firing rockets into Israel.
An open-ended truce in the conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas goes into effect tonight but it is not being billed as a cease-fire by the terrorists.
Hamas sent out a graphic of three Palestinian gunfighters pointing weapons at an Israeli soldier who was raising his hands in the air while holding a white flag. The caption on the graphic says “and so Gaza has triumphed.”
Hamas also had their members take to the streets after the beginning of the cease-fire to celebrate their “victory.”
Mosques throughout the Gaza strip were broadcasting messages of celebration and celebratory chants of “Allahu Akbar” while Palestinians who had been in shelters because of the conflict made their way outside.
Hamas launched a final barrage of rockets toward Tel Aviv just before the start of the cease-fire.
Israeli officials, however, say the deal does not include any of Hamas’ demands including an airport and a seaport. No prisoners were going to be released as part of the Egyptian-brokered agreement.
A Hamas barrage before the beginning of an open-ended cease-fire struck a home in Ashkelon and a playground in Ashdod.
Initial reports from emergency personnel say that 28 people have been injured in the barrage. The family in the home had just reached their safe room when the rockets struck the roof and were not injured. However, those in the area were wounded by debris.
At least one rocket made it through the Iron Dome defense system and struck the middle of a kindergarten playground. No children were harmed in that attack.
Hamas claims the attack was in retaliation for the IDF destroying an apartment complex in Gaza Tuesday.
The IDF launched an attack before the cease-fire that targeted a boy’s school in Gaza City where Hamas launched a rocket assault that killed 4-year-old Daniel Tragerman. The IDF warned officials in Gaza of the attack so they could make sure no children were inside the building at the time of the attack.
Three times during the conflict Hamas was found to be hiding weapons inside UN schools in Gaza.
A four-year-old Israeli child is dead because of the terrorist group Hamas.
Doctors in southern Israel confirmed the death of Magen David Adom after he was brought into the hospital in “very grave condition.” The boy was struck by shrapnel from a mortar that was launched from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Witnesses said they heard three explosions at the time the boy was wounded. No other reports of injuries or damage were reported as most were focused on rushing the boy to the hospital.
The rocket barrage from the terrorists seemed focused on children as at least one mortar struck near a pre-school Eshkol.
A barrage also struck a synagogue in Ashdod sending three people to the hospital.
IDF forces stepped up their air responses to the missile launches.
Hamas killed 18 people this morning because someone had reported those men had provided information to Israel.
The men were executed without trial or hearing.
Eleven men were brought by Hamas troops to a police headquarters in Gaza City and executed via firing squad. Seven others were ambushed by Hamas fighters as they left a mosque after morning prayers.
Two of those killed in the ambush were women.
Hamas media outlets in the Gaza Strip said they were “choking the necks of the collaborators” and said that any Palestinian believed to be working with Israel would meet the same fate.
The executions come a day after three Hamas leaders were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Israel responded to the Hamas breaking of a ceasefire by launching an assault on a building that was housing a group of Hamas leadership.
Hamas confirmed the deaths of the officials.
Mohammed Abu Shammala, Raed al-Attar and Mohammed Barhoum were inside a four-story building that was hit in an Israeli airstrike. The IDF said the home was targeted specifically as part of the response to the Hamas assault.
Palestinian Authority health officials in Rafah say that dozens of other people are still missing.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the situation during a public statement that Operation Protective Edge is not over despite the recent ceasefire. He said that the response is going to be a “continuous campaign.”
Hamas vowed revenge.
“The assassinations of the three Qassam leaders is a grave crime. But it will not break our people and Israel will pay the price for it,” a Hamas statement read.
The family of the leader of terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza strip were confirmed killed when an Israeli air strike destroyed the building they were living in.
However, there are conflicting reports about whether the strike also cut off the head of Hamas’ leadership in Gaza. Hamas denies that Mohammed Deif was hit while several Israeli sources say he perished in the attack.
The attack was in response to Hamas breaking the cease fire and launching a series of terrorist rocket attacks into Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned Hamas that the IDF was prepared to “strike back hard” if the ceasefire were to be broken and the operation against Deif’s headquarters is believed to have been one of the items referenced by the Prime Minister.
Middle East analysts say that if Deif was killed in the attack it will likely cause Hamas to launch more assaults and refuse to enter back into negotiations to end the hostilities.
The Israeli Defense Forces recalled 2,000 soldiers after the breaking of the ceasefire to provide support for the IDF response.
Egypt has issued a call for both sides to return to the negotiating table in Cairo. Israel had recalled their delegation after Hamas broke the latest ceasefire.
The terrorist group Hamas has once again broken a ceasefire, the eleventh that the group has either rejected or violated.
Rockets from the terrorists rained down on Beersheba during the mid-afternoon local time. Explosions were also seen near Ashdod and Ashkelon within an hour after the initial attack on Beersheba.
“Today’s rocket attack on Be’er Sheva is a grave and direct violation of the ceasefire to which Hamas committed itself,” Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Netanyahu, posted on Twitter. “They shoot rockets into Israel yet demand a more normal relationship? They must first commit to non-violence.”
The Israeli Defense Forces were organizing a response that was scheduled to begin toward the evening hours on Tuesday. Initial reports showed movement toward the northern part of Gaza and at vessels in the waters near northern Gaza.
The negotiating team in Cairo has been recalled to Israel because of the attack according to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office.
