Because Israel only gave the go signal recently for people with foreign passports to evacuate area .

The current turmoil in Gaza is I think brought about by in fighting within the Palestinian hierarchy. To date, there two groups of Palestinians operating against Israel, one is the Fattahs and the other, the Hamas, both having its own pre conditions as to the terms of the occupation. To make matters worst is, the fact that the Palestinian people are the one suffering from all of these and putting so much international pressure for Israel to negotiate and agree their terms. In war no one wins, everyone loses.
UN would not put its foot on the issue because its protecting its member countries, and not any terrorist group like Hamas.

A PROPOSAL TO LAUNCH AN INTERNATIONAL FACT FINDING MISSION IN GAZA STRIP AS PRACTICAL EXTENSION OF THIS CONFERENCE IN THE LIGHT OF THE THEME REDIRECTING DA’WAH TOWARDS ADDRESSING CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS OF THE MUSLIMS

By Aleem Aboali J. Cali – President, Ulama League of the Philippines
For submission to the Third International Conference of Muslim Leaders in Makati, Manila
January 6, 2009

The Israeli assault of the Gaza Strip is an arrogant abuse of the International Declaration of Human Rights and the Protocol of War. To say the least, this hapless bloodbath displaying unrestrained high-handedness is a deliberate insult to the International diplomatic community. The Muslim World must put an end to its exhaustive tolerance of the Zionist offensive. The Organization of Islamic Conference should immediately intervene, but any decisive action should be guided of the Islamic Prophesies reflective of the endless vendetta of the “wandering Jews.” The Qur’an and Hadith have shed light to what the future brings to the Ummah in this regard. But the bottomline is for the individual Muslim to perform its vicegerent accountability and to gain or lose success in this world and the hereafter.

For the Ulama and the leaders of the Muslim World, we are confronted by the obligations incumbent to us. Even from the secular point of view, the case of Palestine is too much to endure. Let, rational senses prevail and the world will gain from addressing the conflict.

First, the OIC should intervene by sending its International Fact Finding Mission to the Gaza right after preparation from this conference. The Mission can be short-lived, say a three-day exposure in the actual scene should serve a temporal secession of hostilities. Findings should empower further intervention of the international diplomatic community. Besides, overkill in the Gaza should worry the governments of the world for a terroristic spill-over out of their inaction. Again, the Ulama and the leaders of the Muslim World will be confronted by the problems of anti-Muslim hysteria and subsequent social constriction…

(more from the ULP President at 093 Moncado Colony, Marawi City, 9700 Philippines; P.O. Box No.44346; Contact No.: 0920-818-8316; email: ulpsecretariat@yahoo.com

manoling - your analysis about the factional infighting within the Palestinian side is correct, but you must cite the real explanation - the Iranians that use one faction as its proxy in its drive to annihilate Israel.

Yes, unfortunately, without regard for who will get hurt, even if the Palestinians themselves brought these into the fore by electing the Hamas bloc to power.

As for the UN being of help, it has long abdicated its credibility by being too partial to the Palestinians. That is why Israel does not take it seriously, along with the Europeans.

Too bad, you said it right, war is always to the finish a win-lose proposition, no middle ground. That is why all these insistence on annihilating a society is stupid, nobody can give in under that rhetoric, because it is to existential.