Israel commences ground operation in Gaza
The Israeli government had made its goal clear prior to starting the military offensive. It said it would do whatever was necessary to eradicate Hamas from its roots irrespective of how long it would take. Yesterday Israel commenced the ground operation it had been preparing to launch since the past couple of days.
With troops moving in on foot the risk of civilian casualties increases. As it is the confrontation has cost over 430 Palestinian lives along with the death of four Israelis up till now.
Gaza is a densely populated region and a ground operation aimed at hunting down Hamas targets is bound to give rise to civilian casualties. At the same time however the Israeli military will also be exposed to new threats. Hamas has been in the region for almost two years within which it has managed to accumulate a considerable amount of ammunition. The world has been witnessing the kind of fire power that Hamas is equipped with in the recent rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli territory. Hamas has been making use of sophisticated long range missiles amidst the Israeli air strikes.
Hospitals in Palestine reported three civilian deaths overnight whereas the Hamas run television channel Al Aksa reported that five Israeli soldiers had been killed. The Israeli military did not confirm the claims made by Al Aksa and dismissed the effort as being a tactic to lower the military’s morale.
International pressure has mounted in the past couple of days urging both the sides to accept an immediate cease fire but such efforts have been shunned completely. Many European cities witnessed protests appealing to Israel to stop the bloody campaign against the Palestinians.
The White House has been rather conservative in restricting Israel from wreaking the havoc that it has been amongst the civilian population of Gaza. The most it could do was issue a statement urging Israel to “be mindful of the potential consequences to civilians.”
The Israeli military is however determined to continue its campaign until it gains control over the missile launching sites Hamas has been using to target southern Israel. Military officials have stated that their aim is not to reoccupy Gaza yet it is engaged in a grueling operation that has resulted in heavy loss of civilian lives.
Indonesia jolted with earthquakes, 3 dead
Indonesia was jolted by a series of powerful Earthquakes this morning. The Indonesian soil of the eastern region shook with force managing to kill three people and injuring scores of others. Power lines in the area were also cut due to the earthquake and it managed to damage a considerable number of buildings.
The earthquake was measured at a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale. It occurred early in the morning at 4:43 am local time. The particular region where the natural disaster took place is situated at a distance of eighty five miles from Manokwari Papua. The U.S Geological Agency further reported that the initial earthquake was followed up by a powerful after shock of 7.5 magnitude.
Rescue workers dug through the rubble discovering the bodies of three Indonesians. One of the victims was a ten year old girl who managed to lose her life in the incident. The Hospital director Hengky Tewu said regarding the body of the girl “Her head was crushed. We have our ambulances picking up two more.” By that time another nineteen patients had been brought to the hospital and were receiving treatment for broken bones, crushed fingers and various other injuries.
The Papua police chief Maj. Gen Bagas Ekodanto said speaking to the news that he had heard reports of a rice warehouse collapsing as well as a huge popular hotel being completely destroyed. The police chief had not received any confirmation of deaths that may have occurred in these buildings.
Rescue workers, Police and ordinary citizens were conducting searches through the affected areas looking for possible victims. The Mutiara Hotel situated at the heart of the city of Manokwari collapsed because of the earthquake, a nurse giving medical treatment to around twenty patients that had sustained injuries in the earthquake.
The earthquake also managed to cut off the electricity supple in the coastal city. More than 167000 people ran out of their homes fearing that another tsunami was on its way. The Indonesian Meteorology and Seismology Agency was quick to issue a tsunami alert which got the frantic people running on the streets. Within an hour however the agency revoked its statement when it became clear that the epicenter of the natural disaster was on land.
China vows to combat Somali pirates
For the majority of us pirates are only associated with the silver screen. China however, is all set to dispatch a naval ensign that will be joining the international forces that are trying to battle the Somali pirates wreaking havoc in the water ways. This is going to be the first such distant mission for the Chinese navy.
The threat of pirates still exists in the real world and international forces have come together to rid the waters of the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast from the menacing Somali pirates. This region is one of the world’s busiest waterways which make it an ideal place for the pirates to come in to action.
Although China has not given any details regarding its preparation to participate in the convoy actions against the pirates it did make it clear that the country is going to play an active role in the pursuit of the pirates. Formal information on the subject would be released later on.
Throughout the history of the republic the Chinese navy has mainly been concerned with coastal defense. The mission to chase down pirates in overseas waters is going to be the first of its kind for the Chinese navy. The fleet that has been set out by the Chinese consists of two cruisers and a large supply ship.
The recent threat of piracy has become a big hurdle to international trade and navigation. The once safe and sound waterways now pose a great risk to all those who make their way through the region.
The piracy activity has picked up in recent times. This is what caused the UN Security Council to take a unanimous decision to combat the growing threat. China has initiated its support following the UN Security Council’s decision.
The number of ships attacked by the Somali pirates in the Gulf has gone up to 300 in the past year. More than 1265 Chinese ships have made their way through the troubled waters during the same period. Chinese authorities have said that around 20% of the Chinese ships that went through the region have been attacked by the pirates.
The Chinese have thus decided to play an active rule in pursuit of the pirates that are posing a great threat to international security on the waterways.