Kerry presents Gaza cease-fre proposal

to Israel and proxies for Hamas

Object1
Israel's security cabinet meets on Friday. A top Israeli ofcial says cease-fre
eorts and t!e possibility of expandin" t!e Gaza oensi#e are bot! on t!e
table. $A%&
'y (illiam 'oot! and )udarsan
*a"!a#an +uly ,- at ./,- A0
GAZA CITY Secretary of State John F. Kerry presented his proposal for a Gaza
cease-fire to Israel and proies for !a"as on Friday# see$in% to c&rtail the 'iolence
that is no( threatenin% to spread to the occ&pied )est *an$ and Jer&sale".
Sal'os fro" Israeli tan$s and roc$ets fro" !a"as fi%hters contin&ed thro&%h the early
afternoon Friday as Kerry "ade a frenetic ro&nd of telephone calls to re%ional players.
The Israeli sec&rity ca+inet (as prepared to de+ate the still-e'ol'in% proposal +&t (as
(aitin% for (ord on !a"as intentions.
Israeli sec&rity forces +raced for another ro&nd of de"onstrations near the )est *an$
crossin% +et(een ,a"allah and Jer&sale"# (hich eploded in an%er o'erni%ht.
Israeli airstri$es Friday hit -. ho&ses in the Gaza Strip# incl&din% the ho"e of Salah
!assanein# a leader of the "ilitary (in% of Isla"ic Jihad# another "ilitant faction in
the Gaza Strip. !assanein# /0# and t(o of his sons# a%e 12 and 10# (ere $illed in the
stri$e in the so&thern city of ,afah# Isla"ic Jihad said. 3ocal reporters in Gaza said the
leader (as not (ell $no(n.
The 4alestinian death toll topped 5.. as the conflict reached its 15th day. 6n the
Israeli side# -2 soldiers# t(o Israeli ci'ilians and a Thai %&est (or$er ha'e +een $illed.
Children payin% a terri+le price in Gaza
6n Th&rsday# the Gaza Strip (itnessed one of the (orst scenes so far in a (ar that has
p&t ci'ilians in the cross hairs. An ele"entary school pac$ed (ith h&ndreds of
4alestinian e'ac&ees see$in% shelter &nder 7.8. protection ca"e &nder hea'y fire
Th&rsday# lea'in% 19 people dead and "ore than 1.. (o&nded# incl&din% (o"en#
children and infants.
The :&estion no( is (ho did it.
A senior Israeli "ilitary spo$es"an# 3t. Col. 4eter 3erner# said Th&rsday ni%ht that
;there (as a possi+ility< shells fro" Israeli forces str&c$ the 7.8.-r&n school in the
northern Gaza Strip. *&t he also s&%%ested that !a"as "ortars or roc$ets co&ld ha'e
+een responsi+le. The Israeli ar"y (as in'esti%atin% the incident ;to see (hat eactly
ca&sed the deaths and in=&ries#< he said.
Kerry# p&rs&in% his cease-fire efforts fro" Cairo# did not cast +la"e for the attac$ on
the school# (hich co"plicates his efforts to sec&re e'en a te"porary tr&ce.
Accordin% to people fa"iliar (ith Kerry>s proposal# it (o&ld call a te"porary cease-fire
lastin% approi"ately se'en days. It is +ac$ed +y 7nited 8ations and is the prod&ct of
7.8.# 7.S.# and ?%yptian ne%otiators# (ith T&r$ey and @atar actin% as %o-+et(eens
(ith !a"as.
The proposed cease-fire (o&ld halt offensi'e acti'ities +&t "ay not re:&ire Israel to
(ithdra( its %ro&nd forces fro" Gaza. Israeli "edia reported that it co&ld allo( for the
contin&ed destr&ction of t&nnels an idea that (o&ld li$ely +e opposed +y !a"as.
The cease-fire "i%ht also incl&de &nspecified incenti'es to !a"as# incl&din% release of
a s"all n&"+er of 4alestinian prisoners held +y Israel and partial pay"ent of
s&spended %o'ern"ent salaries in Gaza# perhaps +y @atar
1!e sc!ool in t!e nort!ern part of t!e Gaza )trip came under s!ellin" on
1!ursday2 lea#in" at least 34 people dead and more t!an 355 6ounded.
July 24, 2014A crater is seen in t!e yard of t!e 7.8. sc!ool in 'eit Hanoun2
in t!e nort!ern Gaza )trip. )!ells !it t!e elementary sc!ool2 9illin" at least
3- people and 6oundin" more t!an 355 6!o 6ere see9in" s!elter from
clas!es on t!e streets outside. Initial reports indicated t!at t!e s!ells came
from Israeli tan9s. Adel Hana:A%
The te"porary tr&ce co&ld +e a +rid%e to a lon%-ter" deal.
Israel>s for"er a"+assador to the 7nited States# Aichael 6ren# said Friday that ;if the
cease-fire proposal calls for a fi'e- or a se'en-day cease-fire that ena+les !a"as to
re%ro&p# reesta+lish its co""&nication syste"s and replenish its a""&nition# then I
don>t thin$ Israel (ill accept that.<
Spea$in% as Israel>s ca+inet (as "eetin% in Tel A'i' to disc&ss acceptin% the proposal
or (idenin% its "ilitary operation in Gaza# 6ren said# ho(e'er# that if the tr&ce ;allo(s
the Israeli ar"y to stay (here it is Binside GazaC and contin&e destroyin% the t&nnels#<
then Israel "i%ht serio&sly consider acceptin% it.
The +i% the :&estion (hat !a"as>s response (ill +e to that#< he said# addin% that
Israel (o&ld li$ely not accept a cease-fire &nless it (as also accepted +y !a"as.
The +o"+in% of the shelter (as follo(ed +y "ore "ayhe" at a "assi'e de"onstration
Th&rsday ni%ht# (hen tho&sands of 4alestinians protestin% the Israeli inc&rsion in
Gaza clashed (ith Israeli sec&rity forces at the @alandia +order chec$point +et(een
Israel and the )est *an$. At least t(o 4alestinians (ere $illed and scores (ere
in=&red# protest leaders said.
It (as one of the lar%est protests in the )est *an$ in recent years# &nderscorin%
"o&ntin% 4alestinian an%er at Israel and the %ro(in% ci'ilian cas&alties in the t(o-
(ee$-old Gaza conflict. As the A&sli" holy "onth of ,a"adan co"es to an end and
the conflict ra%es on# Israeli sec&rity officials are concerned that the )est *an$ and
"ostly Ara+ ?ast Jer&sale" co&ld +eco"e arenas of 'iolent protest
This is the )est *an$ (a$in% &p and sayin%# DGaza is not alone#> < 3ina Ali# one of the
protest>s or%anizers# said in a phone inter'ie(. A"+&lance sirens co&ld +e heard in the
+ac$%ro&nd. ;)e stand +y Gaza.<
As protesters atte"pted to "arch fro" the )est *an$ city of ,a"allah to Jer&sale"#
Israeli forces fired li'e ro&nds# r&++er +&llets and tear %as into the cro(ds# accordin%
to protest or%anizers.
?arly Friday# an Israeli "ilitary spo$es"an said as "any as 1.#... protesters ;(ere
riotin% 'iolently.< They h&rled ;+&rnin% tires# "oloto' coc$tails# roc$s and e'en
fire(or$s< at soldiers and +order police. After riot-dispersal "eas&res failed# the
spo$es"an said# the soldiers fired li'e ro&nds into the cro(ds# $illin% at least one
protester. The spo$es"an said the "ilitary (as loo$in% into the report of a second
death.
If the Israelis t&rn o&t to ha'e fired the deadly sal'o on the school in Gaza#
international conde"nation is li$ely to +e heaped on the Je(ish state# already &nder
press&re fro" the 6+a"a ad"inistration to end its offensi'e a%ainst !a"as# the
"ilitant Isla"ist "o'e"ent that controls Gaza.
If it t&rns o&t !a"as is responsi+le for $illin% its o(n people (ith errant roc$et or
"ortar fire# as Israel initially s&%%ested Th&rsday# then the %ro&p already +randed a
terrorist or%anization +y Israel# the 7nited States and the ?&ropean 7nion co&ld
find itself e'en "ore isolated.
)eries of explosions
)itnesses# still sha$in% fro" the eperience# said the shelter (as filled (ith fa"ilies
(ho had fled their ho"es to escape "ore than t(o (ee$s of hea'y shellin% in the
northern Gaza Strip.
As fi%htin% ra%ed aro&nd the" Th&rsday "ornin%# a series of eplosions first str&c$
the co&rtyard and then the school# (hich is r&n +y the 7.8. ,elief and )or$s A%ency#
$no(n as 78,)A.
7.8. Secretary General *an Ki-"oon called the attac$ appallin% and stron%ly
conde"ned it. !a"as spo$es"an Fa&zi *arh&" called it a ;(ar cri"e< and said it
sho(ed that e'en 7.8. shelters ;are not i""&ne to Israeli a%%ression.<
Soon after the attac$# the school in *eit !ano&n (as e"pty# (ith +lood s"eared in the
corridors and co&rtyard. There (ere sheep r&nnin% thro&%h the corridors# spilled food#
a+andoned shoes and soiled +anda%es a"id o'ert&rned des$s and story +oo$s.
S&r'i'ors said they had +een told to %ather at noon to a(ait +&ses to ta$e the" to
another 78,)A school that (o&ld +e safer. ;)e (ere (aitin% in the co&rtyardE the
+&ses ne'er ca"e#< said Sa+ah Kafarah# 1F. ;Then the +o"+s fell.< She co&nted three.
She spo$e as she cradled her infant nephe( in her ar"s. The +oy>s "other (as in
s&r%ery.
All day Th&rsday# *eit !ano&n (as a site of fierce fi%htin% +et(een Israeli troops and
!a"as "ilitants.
6n the road fro" Gaza City to *eit !ano&n# lar%e +&ildin%s (ere +ein% cons&"ed +y
ra%in% fires as roc$ets fro" !a"as (histled o'erhead and Israeli tan$s po&nded
tar%ets.
The Israel Gefense Forces HIGFI released a state"ent Th&rsday e'enin% that helped
eplain (hy its forces "i%ht ha'e hit the 78,)A shelter.
Fro" initial in:&iries done a+o&t the incident# d&rin% the intense fi%htin% in the area#
"ilitants opened fire at IGF soldiers fro" the school area#< the state"ent read. ;In
order to eli"inate the threat posed to their li'es# they responded (ith fire to(ard the
ori%ins of the shootin%.<
At the near+y *eit !ano&n !ospital# less than a three-"in&te dri'e fro" the 7.8.
shelter# cryin% children (ere clin%in% to their "others as a"+&lance dri'ers s&r%ed to
the door of the e"er%ency roo".
The hospital director# Ay"an !a"dan# said fo&r patients a"on% the first (a'e of
arri'als died on his operatin% ta+les. !e descri+ed "assi'e in=&ries fro" shrapnel.
)o&nded people (ere "issin% li"+s# he said.
Failed coordination eorts
Christopher G&nness# a spo$es"an for 78,)A# said his a%ency ;o'er the co&rse of
the day< had tried to coordinate (ith the Israeli ar"y a (indo( for ci'ilians to lea'e#
+&t ;it (as ne'er %ranted.<
!a"as pre'ented ci'ilians fro" e'ac&atin% the area d&rin% the (indo( that the IGF
%a'e the"#< the Israeli "ilitary co&ntered.
Aore than 1/.#... 4alestinians "ore than F percent of Gaza>s total pop&lation
ha'e fled their ho"es +eca&se of the fi%htin%# and "any of the" ha'e so&%ht ref&%e in
+&ildin%s r&n +y 78,)A.
Th&rsday>s attac$ "ar$ed fo&rth ti"e that a 7.8. facility has +een hit since Israel
+e%an an operation in Gaza on J&ly 5 in a +id to stop roc$et attac$s on Israeli soil fro"
the coastal encla'e. T(o 78,)A schools ha'e +een &sed +y Gaza "ilitants to hide
(eapons and roc$ets# &n+e$no(nst to the a%ency# officials (ith the a%ency said.
Israeli "ilitary analysts said that "ortar shells# rather than roc$ets or "issiles#
pro+a+ly ca&sed the lar%e n&"+er of deaths and in=&ries at the school.
*oth Israel and !a"as ha'e deployed "ortars in the conflict. T(o of Israel>s ci'ilian
cas&alties (ere $illed +y !a"as "ortars fired into Israel.
If so"e of the "ilitants> "ortars ai"ed at Israel fell short# as Israel has s&%%ested# they
co&ld ha'e had ;de'astatin%< i"pact on the %ro&nd# said Airi ?isen# a retired Israeli
"ilitary colonel and for"er "ilitary intelli%ence officer.
,a%ha'an reported fro" Jer&sale". Anne Gearan in Cairo and ,&th ?%lash in
Jer&sale" contri+&ted to this report.
(illiam 'oot! is 1!e %ost;s +erusalem bureau c!ief. He 6as pre#iously
bureau c!ief in 0exico2 <os An"eles and 0iami.
)udarsan *a"!a#an !as been 1!e %ost's bureau c!ief in Africa
since ,535. He be"an !is career as a forei"n correspondent in Africa2 and
co#ered t!e Ira= 6ar as 'a"!dad bureau c!ief.
4osted +y Tha'a"