Israeli forces stormed into the southern part of the Gaza Strip this week in heightened efforts to free a 19-year-old corporal, Gilad Shalit, who was captured last Sunday. It is the biggest invasion on Gaza since Israel withdrew its troops and colonists last August.
So far Israel has detained eight Palestinian ministers and 50 members of parliament and administrators and early on Sunday morning hit the Palestinian Prime Minister's office in an air raid. As well as launching air strikes and a ground offensive against Palestine, Israel has also closed borders and wiped out electricity stations and three bridges leaving many in a state of utter distress.
US President George W Bush thinks the solution to the problem is "freeing the Israeli soldier." How do you feel about the latest violence to hit Gaza? Will freeing the Israeli soldier help? What role should the international community take in this instance. Send your comments to feedback@gulfnews.com
A selection of your emails will be published on this page. We reserve the right to edit emails for length and clarity but comments will reflect the balance of opinion. Emails will not be published if no name is provided. If you wish to remain anonymous then please state this at the bottom of your comment.
Why can't the Palestinians just give that one soldier back. Is all this bloodshed and havoc worth being stubborn over?
Lesley Cartier
By email
The Palestinians and Jews have been enemies for a long time. Palestinians should be able to live with Jews but not kill, loot, kidnap or destroy them. Let every one love each other and live happily
Shaji
By email
Israel is trying to capture areas in Gaza. It has its own plan. It is simply a barbaric act. They were looking for a chance to humiliate the Palestinian elected government.
Syed
By email
It is absolutely wrong for Israel to invade, oppress further, destroy infrastructure and vital life giving necessities, collectively punish the population at large, in attempt to retrieve a lost soldier. While the soldier should not have been taken, a greater injustice has been done upon all Palestinians than that wrong which was committed. By international standards this would be a war crime. If we don't act somehow within confines of acceptable behavior, we are no better, and have sold out our brothers and sisters in the interest of our own comfort.
Ismail
By email
This is nothing but pure violence with no reason. It is nothing but an act of terror. Where is Bush now? Whenever they want they attack any point. Aren?t they human? How inhuman of them to cut off electricity and food supply. Where is every one to stop this?
Waqas
By email
The state of Israel has right to exist peacefully along with Palestinians and other Arab states. The disengagement from occupied territories should be followed by firm assurances that kidnappings, firing of Qazzam and Katyusha rockets to civilian areas will be stopped. Jerusalem should be an International city under UN control where all Christian, Jewish and Muslims could come and worship. That would be a real 'Heaven on Earth.' For this to happen, we must realize that Jews have right to live peacefully in Israel along with the Arab population. They all can co-exist peacefully. Then all nuclear weapons, katysusha's, qazzams, suicide bombers will be 'Out of work.'
Jacob
Trivandrum, India
We must keep in mind that if Israel agrees to bargain for this captured soldier, it would invite a grand scale kidnapping of Israeli civilians. No nation in the world would agree to release 1500 criminals from their prisons just because some militant group decides to hold someone ransom. On the other hand it doesn't seem right to punish an entire people for the criminal act of a few.
Ed
By email
It is simply a barbaric act. They were looking for a chance to humiliate Palestinian elected government. The US is a co-partner of state terrorism, equally responsible for the Gaza catastrophe. When will people of the world get back their sense?
Zahir
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Israel's attack on Gaza shows how cheap they are. Just for one army person Israel is shattering poor Palestine. There are thousands of Palestinian including men and women in Israeli prisons and no one cares about them. Now this is not terrorism because it's against Muslims? So far there are no comments from Bush against this action. Yes, comments for Palestine to release the army soldier. For Bush this one person is more important than all those Palestinians.
Khan
By email
Israel is too proud and above the law in all nations.
Gvue
By email
I think that it's another act of Israeli state sponsored terrorism. I don't understand what they have achieved by bombing the elected Palestinian Prime Minister's office and electricity stations in Gaza. It negates the Geneva conventions. I think USA's refusal to abide by the Geneva conventions is prompting Israel to ignore them as well.
Jawad
By email
So Israel is tormenting Palestine because it's lost a soldier? And let me guess. The free world is mutely watching because it's lost its senses?
Roohi
By email
