Israeli Warplanes Attack Rafah by Air
Israeli Navy Strikes Unarmed Fishermen by Sea

Israeli warplanes and boats launch attacks on Gaza's civilian populations, again.

An Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet Courtesy: Press TV

(RAFAH / SALEM) - Israeli forces crossed the Gaza border late Wednesday, launching an attack hours after a similar strike happened in the early hours of the day, a Press TV correspondent in Gaza reported.

Israel also launched attacks on fishing boats and international activists in the area to observe Israel's actions.

The Israeli military said its aircraft “targeted two weapons manufacturing sites in the northern Gaza Strip.” The statement said "Direct hits were confirmed and secondary explosions were identified”.

"Israel bombs Gaza after rocket fire" is the headline that was duplicated dozens of times around the world, with the apparent acceptance of this erroneous statement, without question. Neither the inequality of the weapons or injustice of their actions shows up in the many daft reports.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday night that three rockets were fired into southern Israel from Gaza, and noted that none of them caused any casualties but one caused minor damage to a home. It was enough to give them the green light to bomb their neighbors however, reinforcing again that they believe "two wrongs DO make a right".

Salem-News.com writer Yousef Al-Helou said that Israeli warplanes carried out 3 separate air strikes overnight targeting Rafah in the south of the coastal strip and east of Gaza city.

"The 2nd air strike targeted a tire warehouse in Shijaeyyah neighborhood east of Gaza city destroying the place," Al-Helou said. "The explosion was very loud and caused panic among children."

One woman was hurt, according to Palestinian officials, when an Israeli air strike hit east of Gaza City. She was taken to Shifa hospital.

Medical sources said that 5 tunnel workers were injured and one person is still missing in one of the air strikes which targeted a tunnel used to bring gravel and other construction materials near the Egypt-Gaza border.

Israeli fighter jets frequently bomb the tunnel network in Gaza, claiming that Palestinian resistance fighters are terrorists who use the tunnels to store and smuggle in weapons.

Palestinians, however, dismiss such allegations, insisting that they are forced to resort to the underground tunnels to bring in basic living supplies to the impoverished Gazans because the territory has been sealed off to the outside world by an Israeli blockade for over three years.

There is good reason for the recent Freedom Flotilla II's existence; to break the Israeli blockade around Gaza that is illegal under international law, and also to deliver much needed supplies- many that might only be received otherwise through the tunnels. It's that simple.

Attack at Sea

Photo shows Israeli vessel spraying cold water at innocent fishermen. This should anger fishermen everywhere in the world. Photo by Noor Ahmed.

Then we learned from Noor Ahmed in Gaza, that Israel really committed a multi-faceted attack today. She said she had just returned from the Gaza Port where she and others were attacked by the Israeli Navy.

"They were trying to drown our boat (using fire hoses/water cannons) with cold water. We, two internationals and myself, were aboard the CPS (Civil Peace Service Gaza) Gaza Boat Olivia that supports and protects the fishermen from the attacks of the navy".

She explained that they were attacked inside the three-mile fishing limit set by Israel, as their boat was experiencing a mechanical problem. They were in place to protect and observe the Gaza fishermen who are always unarmed and constantly attacked by the Israeli navy, even when they remain inside the highly unfair three-mile limitation imposed on them by Israel, illegally.

According to Yousef Al-Helou, Israeli gunboats have escalated their attacks on fishermen off the seashores of Gaza, also attacking a number of International activtsts with water cannons.

A number of fishing boats sustained damage.

Earlier today we carried the story, 'The Brutal Murder of Vittorio Arrigoni is Still Shrouded in Mystery' by Nicola LoFoco in Rome, which honored and explained the mission of 'Vik' Arrigoni, an Italian activist who waged a battle for peace with immense strength and love. His motto was 'Stay Human' and he loved the Gaza fishermen.

Vik was attacked, shot, hassled and nearly drowned by the Israeli navy while trying to protect these hungry, battered fishermen from Israel's murderous guns so thoroughly dismissive of international law or moral decency.

It is ironic that on this day as we pay tribute to Vik, we learn Israel's crimes against humanity are worse than ever. They are more determined to kill the unarmed Palestinians than they were yesterday.

Some 1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including the freedom of movement and appropriate living conditions, in the coastal sliver. Israeli forces are suspected of war crimes over a number of incidents and people are growing less patient with the world's reluctance to punish Israel for its heinous crimes against unarmed civilians.

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Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.

Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 82 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. You can write to Tim at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com