Mideast Unrest Spreads to Gaza as Stabbings Continue

5 Palestinians killed during protest along Israel's border with Gaza

The Associated Press 

A Palestinian protester hurls stones at Israeli soldiers near Gaza City.
At least four attacks, three by Palestinians and one by an Israeli, as well as
deadly clashes along the Gaza border, are threatening to escalate
tensions throughout the country. (Adel Hana/Associated Press)

Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian demonstrators along the Gaza border on Friday, killing five of them, as a rash of stabbing attacks in Israel and the Palestinian territories, including the first apparent revenge attack by an Israeli, raised fears of wider unrest.

In the latest violence, stone-throwing Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces along the heavily guarded border.

Mideast Israel Palestinians

The Israeli military said some in the crowd of 200 Palestinians from Gaza threw rocks and rolled burning tires at soldiers. It said Israeli forces opened fire at the main instigators to stop the advance.

In Jerusalem, a Palestinian wielding a vegetable peeler stabbed and wounded a 14-year-old Israeli on Friday before being arrested. In another attack near the entrance of Kiryat Arba, a West Bank settlement, a Palestinian was shot dead by a police officer after he attacked the officer with a knife and tried to seize his weapon, police said.

In northern Israel, a 29-year-old Arab-Israeli woman was shot and wounded while attempting to stab people at a bus station in the town of Afula, where another stabbing had taken place the day before, police said.

4 Arabs stabbed in Dimona

In what appeared to be the first revenge attack amid the wave of violence, an Israeli man stabbed and wounded four Arabs in the southern Israeli city of Dimona, a police official said.

After his arrest, the man allegedly said he carried out the attacks in retaliation for the numerous Palestinian attacks, Israeli media reported.

Dimona Mayor Beni Bitton called the stabber a "mentally ill man." He told Channel 10 TV that two of the victims worked for city hall, and that passersby quickly rushed to provide first aid to the wounded Arabs.

There-in lies the difference between Arabs and Jews.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "strongly condemned the harming of innocent Arabs," saying that anyone who resorts to violence will be brought to justice.

Four Palestinians have been killed while carrying out attacks against Israelis over the past week, while another three Palestinians were killed in protests and clashes in the West Bank. The Red Crescent medical service says over 500 Palestinians have been wounded in violent protests in the West Bank since the weekend, including about 100 from live fire.

Tensions high in Jerusalem

CBC's Margaret Evans reported on Friday from one potential flashpoint for another Palestinian uprising — the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, where two Jewish men died from stab wounds last Saturday in what is being described as "lone wolf" attacks.

Several Israel flags planted by ultra-nationalist Jews who want to settle in the district could be seen as Palestinians walked through the neighbourhood following Friday prayers at al-Aqsa mosque.

On one side of a barricade running the length of the narrow street, the Israeli government has ordered Palestinian shops to remain closed.

Most of the uprising by Palestinians is being carried out by young people. One has to wonder how much worse it has to get before Israel brings down the hammer again. One also has to wonder if Hamas is ready for another hammering like the summer of 2014? I seriously doubt it. 

And the older generation of Palestinians in Old Jerusalem, probably do not want their many benefits put at risk by reckless kids.

Could this be a case of Hamas' propaganda and brain-washing of young people, working too well?

Ukraine Crisis: 'Russian Special Forces' Captured

Ukraine says rebel forces (pictured) are being helped by regular Russian troops

From BBC Europe

Ukraine's military says its forces have captured two Russian soldiers fighting with rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The troops were seized in the town of Shchastya, near the line of separation.

A video emerged apparently showing one of the soldiers - which it said were members of Russia's elite special forces - saying during questioning that he was a sergeant from the central Russian city of Togliatti.

Russia denies claims that it is sending its forces to help the rebels.

However, it admits that a number of Russian nationals are fighting with the separatists in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

More than 6,000 people have been killed in fighting which began in April 2014 when the rebels seized large parts of the two regions.

This happened a month after Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula.

'Special forces brigade'

On Sunday, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said that the two Russian soldiers were captured by the volunteer Aydar battalion in Shchastya, Luhansk region.

He said this happened close to the front line, without giving further details.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian MP Anton Gerashchenko posted a video purportedly showing the questioning of one of the seized soldiers, who was injured during the fighting.

The soldier identifies himself as Aleksandr Aleksandrov - a sergeant in the third special forces brigade.

He says he was part of a 14-member group, naming the commander and his deputies.

The video has not been independently verified. Russia has not publicly commented on the latest developments.

Ukraine and the West have repeatedly stated than thousands of Russia's regular troops are deployed in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Last year, the Kiev authorities posted a video apparently showing Russian paratroopers seized in the region.

Earlier this week, Russian opposition activists published a report, originally compiled by murdered Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, alleging that 220 Russian soldiers had died in two key battles in eastern Ukraine.

The lull in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since February's ceasefire has been punctuated by frequent violations.

Truth
Truth has been the first casualty in this war, without question. Perhaps the most remarkable characteristic of this war has been President Putin's extraordinary ability to look the world in the eye and lie blatantly, knowing all the while that no-one in the world believes a word he says.

This is classic bullying. Incredibly immature, but it works in the short term. The schoolyard bully claims the little guy's lunch is his and just takes it daring the little guy to do something about it. Most often, the little guy does nothing because there is nothing he can do by himself. His friends and classmates watching, choose not to get involved and turn away.

It's a pity that none of Ukraine's friends, if it has any real friends, were willing to send 'little brown men' in to the Crimea last year to counter the 'little green men', known to be Russian soldiers. You don't appease a bully and expect him to stop. He will only stop when he is confronted by someone(s) willing to stand up to him. 

The west hasn't completely failed Ukraine, but it's close. The sanctions applied to Russia are affecting its economy, but the drop in oil prices are doing as much, if not more, than the sanctions. 

Yet, Putin's genius for knowing his people has kept him as popular as ever. Sanctions won't work until there is pressure on Putin by his own people. The bully's own friends have to turn on him. Fear of an uprising is the only thing that will affect him. It doesn't look like that will occur any time soon.

The situation in eastern Ukraine

Fewer clashes but still occurring daily, with intense fighting around port city of Mariupol

Ukrainian government says it has lost full or partial control of 28 towns and villages since February

Both sides accuse each other of building up weaponry for a new offensive