Friday, August 1, 2014

Hamas broke the Cease Fire - America admits, UN hedges

Israeli Hadar Goldin - Hadar ben Chedva Leah - is now a captive of Hamas. He was captured in a surprise attack by Hamas, during the cease-fire.

Per Voice of America (US Condemns Gaza Cease-fire Violation), the US acknowledges that this is what happened:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon had announced the 72-hour cease-fire late Thursday, in a statement Friday decried its “outrageous violation" and called for the missing soldier's immediate release.
Kerry called upon the international community to "redouble its efforts to end the tunnel and rocket attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israel and the suffering and loss of civilian life."
White House spokesman Josh Earnest, speaking on CNN, said the attack posed a "barbaric violation of the cease-fire agreement'' and repeated the call for the Israeli soldier's release.
The United States urged the international community to condemn the Hamas cease-fire violation in the "strongest possible terms,'' Earnest said.

The UN, on the other hand, isn't ready to admit wrongdoing by Hamas. From the International Business Times (Gaza conflict: Israeli soldier reportedly captures as ceasefire unravels):
"The United Nations is not in a position to independently confirm these reports," said United Nations Envoy Robert Serry. "However, if corroborated, this would constitute a serious violation of the humanitarian cease-fire in place since 8 A.M. this morning by Gazan militant factions, which should be condemned in the strongest terms." However, it’s still unclear if Hamas fired during “ongoing operations,” in the tunnels.

I guess those are the "strongest possible terms" the UN could come up with... and I bet Jon Stewart thinks this whole thing is really funny, and presents more opportunities for sarcasm aimed at reinforcing his particular perspective. Any jokes for the Goldin family, Jon? How about for all the people who will die during what should have been a 72-hour cease-fire?

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