Is the War on Gaza Really Over? - Teach-in this Weds (21st), 7.30pm, 126 Barrows

We have all watched with disgust and outrage Israel's barbaric assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza over the last three weeks. On Saturday Israel announced a ceasefire, claiming the slaughter was over, and plans to remove it's troops before Obama officially takes office on Tuesday.

But is the war on Gaza, and the Palestinians in general, really over? And why is Israel allowed to get away with such flagrant disregard for human life and international law? Come to a teach-in this Wednesday (21st Jan) to hear some answers to these questions and to find out what we can do to fight Israeli aggression and US imperialism, it's ultimate source of support. Speakers from Berkeley Stop the War Coalition (Nick Kardahji), Students for Justice in Palestine (Allison Deger) & the Muslim Students Association.

This teach-in is part of a series of events organized by the Gaza Solidarity Coalition, in response to Israeli aggression and the mass killings of Palestinian men, women and children. Look out for fliers, emails, Facebook announcements with more info about these events.

Israelis Shell Hospitals and UN HQ

Israelis shell hospitals and UN HQ

Al-Jazeera.net

Three hospitals and a UN compound have been bombed by Israel as troops continue to advance into the densely-populated Gaza City. Around 500 people were sheltering in the Al-Quds hospital in the city's southwestern Tal Al-Hawa district when it was bombed by Israeli jets and set ablaze on Thursday morning. Hospital officials said the fire was sparked by a "phosphorus shell". "We have been able to control the fire in the hospital but not in the administrative building," one hospital official said. "We hope that the flames don't spread again to the wings of the hospital." Two hospitals east of Gaza City were also hit by Israeli shells as Gazans fled tanks advancing into the city. It was no immediately clear if any casualties following the raids. UN fire 'still raging' The Israelis also bombed a UN compound in Gaza City, setting fire to warehouses of badly-needed food and medical aid and prompting international outrage. Around 700 Palestinians were sheltering in the UN complex at the time of the strikes which left two civilians and three staff members injured. Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa), said fires were still raging hours after the attack and "tens of millions of dollars worth of aid" had been destroyed. John Ging, the director of Unrwa operations in the Strip, also accused the Israelis of using phosphorus shells. "They are phosphorus fires so they are extremely difficult to put out because, if you put water on, it will just generate toxic fumes and do nothing to stop the burning," he said. Israel insists all weapons used in the conflict comply with international law. Unrwa officials said they would evacuate the complex. 'Investigation needed' Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, justified shelling the UN headquarters claiming armed Palestinians within it had fired at Israeli troops first. "It is absolutely true that we were attacked from that place … but the consequences were very sad and I apologise for it," he said. However, Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for Unrwa, robustly denied that Palestinian fighters were among refugees sheltering there. "At no stage during the fighting today did any Israeli official pick up the phone and tell us there were militants in our compound. "We always take action against militants ... there were no militants in our compound and now they [the Israelis] are changing their story, saying militants were 'in the vicinity'," he said. Gunness called for a "proper investigation" into the incident. Louis Michel, the European Aid Commissioner, also condemned the bombing of the UN complex, branding it "unacceptable". "I am deeply shocked and dismayed to learn of this incident ... I have made it very clear that all sides must respect international humanitarian law. "It is unacceptable that the UN headquarters in Gaza has been struck by Israeli artillery fire," he said. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, strongly condemned the incident and demanded a full explanation from Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, during talks held on Thursday in Tel Aviv. Ban said Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, had apologised for the attack describing it as a "grave mistake". A Red Crescent office near Gaza City and the main mosque in the southern city of Rafah were also shelled as the Israelis pushed deeper into the Strip.

CAN Statement on Israeli Atrocities in Gaza

This statement was issued on January 7th - the death toll now stands at over 1000 dead with several thousand injured...

Statement of Solidarity with Palestine

The Israeli state continues its campaign against the people of Palestine, this time in the form of 7 days of consecutive aerial bombardment where the Israeli airforce, considered to be the most powerful in the region, has dropped hundreds of tons of bombs indiscriminately on the unarmed residents of Gaza. This assault, along with the most recent ground invasion, has led to the murder of over 500 innocent men, women and children. The focus of Israel's assault has been the destruction of the infrastructure of Gaza, including farms, universities, mosques, hospitals, orphanages, houses and apartments with a complete disregard for human life. The nature of these targets is a clear indication of the criminal intentions that motivate this military aggression. All of this has been done in the name of fighting "terrorism" and rooting out the democratically elected Palestinian government in Gaza led by Hamas. We call on the Palestinian resistance to remain strong and endure this barbaric assault by continuing to resist and stand strong in the face of Israeli terrorism. This aggression by Israel's military is not just aimed at the Palestinians, but is a message to all the oppressed and colonized. Any type of defiance will be met with murder.

The Campus Antiwar Network calls on all its chapters and members to make their voices heard in opposition to the onslaught on Gaza by joining or organizing protests that call for an immediate end to the Israeli land, air and sea assault on Gaza. We also demand an immediate end to the siege that has been strictly enforced for 16 months and has driven people to the brink of starvation. Finally, we demand that the United States end all funding to the state of Israel that helps to make the oppression of the Palestinian people possible.

In Solidarity,

The Campus Antiwar Network