2 UNWRA forklift truck drivers on Umanitarian mission murdered by IDF - all aid to Gaza grinds to halt

It seemed impossible that the Humanitarian crisis in Gaza could get worse - it has.

A trucking company, Sa'd Shuhaiber Transportation Company, (MD :Osama Shuhaiber Phone Number:97282868521,Fax Number:97282868521 based in Gaza )deliver humanitarian aid as contractors to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA). On Monday 5th January 2 trucks were hit by missiles from a helicopter as the trucks were leaving a garage in Gaza City. That attack left 2 men dead.

Today, 3 forklift trucks operated by the only trucking company authorized to carry out deliveries near the Israeli-Gaza border were collecting food at Kerem Shalom crossing. At 9.am they came under IDF fire.

32 year old Bassem Quta, one of the drivers was killed. This has been verified by , an official of UNWRA. United Nations Relief and Works Agency said.

Andrew Whitley, director of the United Nations relief agency office in New York has announced “We have suspended all food distribution because of lack of security.”

UPDATE : 2100GMT : Channel 4 news report ( and Al Jazeera) that Israeli tanks shelled a UN convoy earlier in the day, killing a Palestinian UN worker and injuring two others, (one of whom has since died Newsnight BBC2 tonight 1100 GMT) as lorries were travelling to the Erez crossing to pick up humanitarian supplies meant to have been allowed in during a three-hour suspension of fire.

Sky interviewed the glamorous, blond, beautifully programmed Miss Avital Leibowitz from the IDF who said that they could not establish the facts, who fired the shots, what happened, when it happened, was it raining , was it sunny, were their tyres the correct pressure, were the drivers licensed ......but she admired the work of Humane organisation throughout the world - which is just as well because the IDF give them so much to do.

In short absolutely fuck all will happen and you will hear no more about it. Ever.

During the 3 hour chance for the IDF top re-arm, re-equip, re-group, block UNWRA supplies, Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Gaza City, said that 50 bodies were recovered , raising the (known) death toll of Palestinians in Gaza to at least 763, including more than 200 children, since air raids first began on December 27.

More than 3,121 people have also been wounded. Eight Israeli soldiers and three civilians have died in the same period.

As a sort of antidote,about 700 people die on Israeli roads a year - their drivers managing to kill 2.8 people per 100,000 of the population compared with the US / UK / Germany / France of aout 1.4 per 100,000.

Missiles from S Lebanon into N Israel - opening 2nd front ?

3 missiles hit Nahariya, 10 km south of the border with Lebanon and left two people slightly injured when one rocket tore a hole in the roof of an old people's home this morning (See pic ,click to enlarge). There has since been another missile fired from S. Lebanon and the Israeli military fired artillery in retaliation at an area close to the southern Lebanese village of Marwaheen, located near the Lebanese-Israeli border.

We first posted about the possibility of a 2nd Front after missiles were uncovered on Christmas Day - Larnaca /Gaza mercy boat is damaged by Israeli Navy and docks in Lebanon - will Hezbollah start 2nd Front ?

Some people are claiming these events today have the halmarks of a "false flag" operation to take heat from the events in Gaza and boost the victim culture within Israel.

The Israeli Army later dismissed the rockets on Thursday as “a minor event” and, in Lebanon, the government said Hezbollah had distanced itself from the attack. The US selected puppet Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of Lebanon immediately condemned the rocket-fire. In a statement, Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri said: “Hezbollah assured the Lebanese government that it remains engaged in preserving the stability in Lebanon and respects Security Council resolution 1701.”

So far there has been no claim of responsibility. ... how very odd. Sky TV Hizbollah Denies Israel Strike

UPDATE :

Urban Myth the smooth MI6 operator on Neesnight is palling out with the IDF (he has had a dramatic haircut - possinly on the way to being called up) tells us (mysteriously) that earlier in the week IDF were briefing their pally journalist that they expected Palestinian breakaway group(s) might send some missiles over from Lebanon on behalf of Hamas.

Which is probably why informed observers on the ground are saying these were "fals flag" attacks.

Good old Urban Myth, first there with the sneaky leaks.