CeaseFire Thursday...Feb 5 2009

More liveblogging at IsraellyCool and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/muqata Keyword #GazaWar

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10:04 PM IDF kills terrorist at North Gaza border as he was throwing a grenade at the forces on the other side of the fence. One of the two terrorists blew himself up after he dropped his grenade when he got shot.

6:15 PM Hamas tries to smuggle in millions in case via Egypt...

Official says Hamas delegation to Cairo meant to discuss ceasefire terms stopped at Rafah crossing upon its return to Gaza with nine million US dollars and two million euro in cash hidden in their luggage. Meanwhile, Israel's Amos Gilad is heading to Egypt to be briefed on the developments. (source)

And Ehud Olmert is trying to send in 175 Million NIS into Gaza to pay for Palestinian Authority (also Hamas) salaries. (source)

Is there anyone out there besides me, not trying to send millions in cash to Gaza?

4:58 PM A Globes election poll raises the number of seats for Leiberman's "Yisrael Bayteinu" party from 17 to 21 seats. They are now vying for the second largest party spot in parallel with Kadima...

4:53 PM Reports from Israel's Northern Border. Things are definitely happening up there. (Official Muqata apology to Israeli Soldier's Mother)

Israeli Force Crosses into South Lebanon: An Israeli army patrol on Thursday crossed into southern Lebanese territory, the state-run National News Agency said. It said a 15-member patrol crossed the electronic fence into the border town of Blida and searched the area for more than 50 minutes before pulling out at around 10:00 am (source)


1:24 PM Shoe thrown at Israel's Ambassador to Sweden.

YNET reports; Apparently only the latest victim in a growing trend, Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Benny Dagan, had a shoe through had him, while giving a lecture at the University of Stockholm on Wednesday.

Dagan was discussing Israel's recent military operation in Gaza – Operation Cast Lead – when a 35-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman threw a shoe and a book at him. Both were apprehended by local police.

Here it is on video...



12:55 PM Despite the headlines everywhere that Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire with Israel, the following AP report just caught my eye:

A senior Hamas official says his group is leaving Cairo without an agreement on a long-term truce with Israel, saying differences remain over opening border crossings into the seaside territory.

Hamas official Mohammed Nasr, who is part of the negotiating team, said Thursday Israel is trying to avoid fully reopening Gaza's borders. He said his group is expecting more answers from the Egyptians who will talk with the Israelis.

Nasr said no date is set for Hamas to return.(AP/JPost)

Meanwhile, everyone else is reporting:

JPost: Hamas official: Ceasefire draft reached
Ha'aretz: Hamas reply to Gaza truce proposal expected by Saturday
YNET: Hamas figure: Ceasefire draft brokered

Additionally, Reshet Bet (Channel B Israel Radio) announced that Olmert, Livni and Barak are attending an unplanned security meeting right now, taking a break from their electioneering activities.

12:54 PM Reports that the "Lebanese Aid Ship" has been dragged to an IDF Navy port in Ashdod.

11:48 AM Which cleric is to blame? UN recants, says IDF did not shell UNRWA school in Gaza, blames "clerical error."

"A clerical error led the UN to falsely accuse Israel of shelling one of its Gaza schools in the Jabalya refugee camp during Operation Cast Lead, the international organization admitted this week.

For close to a month, the UN accused the Israel of hitting the educational compound ran by its Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which was sheltering more than 1,300 Gazans as the IDF battled Hamas in the camp on January 6.

"The humanitarian coordinator would like to clarify that the shelling, and all of the fatalities, took place outside rather than inside the school," the original field report stated. (JPost)

ooops.

11:44 AM Those "Aid ships" to Gaza are such a nuisance.

Reporters on board a cargo ship carrying activists and supplies from Lebanon to Gaza say IDF gunboats have fired on the vessel.

Reporters from Al-Jadeed and Al-Jazeera TVs say the Israeli navy fired three times on the ship. the shooting caused no casualties. The local Al-Jadeed station says Israeli troops then boarded the ship and threatened the crew.

It says the ship was surrounded by 18 Israeli gunboats demanding the crew turn back.

The IDF would neither confirm nor deny the report.

The Togo-flagged "Tali," with about 60 tons of aid and eight activists and journalists, left Lebanon Tuesday. After an overnight stop in Cyprus, it sailed on to Gaza Wednesday morning trying to reach the strip in defiance of the blockade. (JPost)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד