by Stephen Lendman

State terror is official Israeli policy. Gaza war never ended. Israel breached ceasefire terms straightaway. Repeated violations occur.

Agreements it signs aren't worth the paper they're written on. Rogue states operate this way.

In late August, both sides agreed to open-ended Operation Protective Edge (OPE) ceasefire terms.

Peace talks resuming in Cairo for final resolution. Nothing whatever was accomplished. Peace hangs in the balance.

Israel's war on Gaza continues. Terms it agreed to proved meaningless. Including opening border crossings. They're largely closed. Same as pre-war.

Israel blocks "the rapid entry of humanitarian aid." Construction materials for rebuilding aren't forthcoming.

UN, Israeli and PA authorities conspired. Hanging Gazans out to dry. Letting Israel control Gaza rebuilding. Its economy benefiting hugely.

PA officials siphoning off half the $5.4 billion pledged. For unspecified budget purposes. Money down a black hole.

Terms expanded Gazan fishing waters from three to six nautical miles. Twelve miles by yearend.

Israel agreed to halt targeted assassinations. At the same time, Netanyahu called Hamas leaders legitimate targets.

Israeli hardliners want Hamas and other resistance groups entirely crushed. Rejecting peace out of hand.

Terms largely replicate how both sides ended Israel's November 2012 Pillar of Cloud aggression.

Hamas stuck to the letter of the deal. Israel violated it straightaway. Blaming Hamas for its crimes.

Repeating the same duplicity now. Good faith isn't its long suit. Betrayal is longstanding practice.

Making peace impossible. Palestinians have no legitimate partner. Not earlier. Especially now.

Fascists run Israel. War criminals. Governing ruthlessly. Deploring peace. Breaching every promise made. Straightaway. Unapologetically.

Blaming Palestinians for their crimes. On Saturday, attacking 12 Palestinian fishermen at sea. Arresting them. Confiscating their vessels. Damaging their equipment.

Violating OPE ceasefire terms. Since August, numerous other fishermen assaulted the same way. Defenseless against Israeli viciousness.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) expressed outrage. "Condemn(ing) the continued Israeli attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip…"

"Concerned over the continued targeting of fishermen and their livelihoods. Economic and social rights of fishermen have been violated by the illegal naval blockade imposed by Israeli authorities on the Gaza Sea."

According to PCHR, "Israeli gunboats stationed off northwest of al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within 2-3 miles and then surrounded 5 fishing boats boarded by 12 Palestinian fishermen."

Arresting them for peacefully fishing. Lawfully. Posing no threat. PCHR condemned continued Israeli attacks. Violating OPE peace terms.

Terrorizing defenseless fishermen. Demanding international leaders intervene responsibly. Halt Israeli lawlessness. Let fishermen fish freely. Without fear of attack, arrest or death.

Release those held, said PCHR. Compensate them for damage done. Fourth Geneva protects civilians in times of war. Or under occupation.

High Contracting Parties do nothing to enforce treaty provisions. Ones they're sworn to uphold. Letting Israel get away with high crimes against peace.

Israel banned Norwegian Dr. Mads Gilbert from entering Gaza for life. Outrageously claiming security reasons.

In 2009, he treated Israeli Operation Cast Lead victims. Many with horrific wounds he never saw before.

Severe internal chemical, biological and radiological burns. Effects of toxic gases. Severed arms and legs. Abdomens sliced open. Various other type horrific wounds.

During Operation Protective Edge, he returned to Gaza's killing fields. Witnessed horrors like before. Extreme suffering.

People treated more like animals than human beings. By the self-proclaimed world's "most moral army." Guilty of horrific war crimes.

On Al Jazzera's Without Borders program, Gilbert commented on Israel's banishment, saying:

"This is not about me. This is about Israel denying the Palestinian people in Gaza international support."

""The truth on the ground is very inconvenient for Israel. Anyone who conveys that truth is unwanted."

"Israel does not want anyone to convey the massacres that it committed, against innocent civilians in Gaza, to the out(side) world."

Gilbert knows no other place where people are more trained on handling crisis and emergency management conditions.

Gazans are truly heroic. At the same time, facing longterm health issues. Because of war and blockade conditions.

Children are especially affected. For many, their lives destroyed before they mature. Victims of Israeli viciousness.

The whole world knows about Israeli lawlessness. Wars without mercy. Mass murder and then some.

Occupation harshness. Institutionalized racism. Treating Palestinians like vermin. Slaughtering them with impunity.

Targeting its neighbors. Attacking Lebanon and Syria at its discretion. The latest incident occurring Sunday.

Israeli warplanes attacked two military sites outside Damascus. Near Lebanon's border. Residents reported hearing loud explosions.

Reports indicated at least 10 sorties flown. Naked aggression by any standard. Lebanese sources said Israeli warplanes overflew its territory Sunday morning.

It's unclear whether they attacked from Syrian airspace. Or within Lebanese borders.

Like previous air assaults since 2011, Israel's strike was unprovoked. Without just cause.

Partnering with Obama's war. Wanting regime change. Breaching international law.

Defying overwhelming Syrian support for Assad. Nearly 90%. Deploring outside interference.

On December 7, The Syrian Arab News Agency headlined "Army General Command: Israeli enemy targeted two areas in Damascus Countryside," saying:

"(T)he Israeli enemy targeted two areas in Damascus Countryside in al-Dimas and Damascus International Airport, which is a civilian airport, on Sunday afternoon, causing material damage to some facilities."

"The General Command said this attack proves Israel’s direct involvement in supporting terrorists in Syria against which the Armed Forces achieved significant victories in Deir Ezzor, Aleppo, and other areas."

"The statement said that this attack aimed at raising the morale of terrorist organizations, including the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS, following the consecutive strikes directed against them by the Syrian Arab Army."

"The General Command asserted that such acts of aggression will not dissuade it from continuing its war on terrorism in all its forms across the entirety of Syria."

Syrian Armed Forces commander Lt. General Ali Abdulla Ayoub accused Israel of complicity with Islamic State and other terrorist groups, saying:

"This aggression confirms Israel directly supports terrorism in Syria, in addition to the Western and regional countries known to support terrorist organizations, led by Jabhat al-Nusra, an arm of al-Qaida in the Levant, and ISIS."

Israel was silent on what happened. During a Sunday security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said preparations are ready to "deal (with) threats." Without elaboration.

"We are closely monitoring the Middle East and what is happening with open eyes and ears, and a lot is happening," he added.

"We will stay informed, and we will deal with these unremitting threats and challenges."

"We will deal with them with the same responsibility that we have up until now."

Israel and America partner in each other's crimes. None match the harm they inflict.

Largely on defenseless civilians. Rogue states operate this way. Ruthless by any standard.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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