I hope you guys can get in, Anderson

What makes it worse is that there is no exit for civilians in Gaza in the midst of this war. Gazans are trapped. they cannot flee to neighboring countries as refugees.
and they havent got access to clean water for 250,000 people.
People haven’t got access to humanitarian supplies, like food and medicine, gas for cooking, and fuel for the central power plant;

Hospitals are relying on erratic generators, jeopardizing care in intensive care and neo-natal units. Some 300 babies are born every day in Gaza, but pregnant women are being forced to deliver outside hospitals as all available beds are reserved for war injuries and other emergency cases.

Israel must grant freedom of movement to Gazan civilians to access humanitarian distribution points and hospitals safely

Israel must speed the granting of permission for international medical personnel to access Gaza.

…and Israel must speed access to intl reporters so we can know what is really going on in there

sorry, I meant to say Israel must grant access to international reporters like Anderson Cooper so we can know what is going on

I love to see Anderson out in the field but I can’t say that I wasn’t happy that he was not able to go into Gaza but just stand on a hill overlooking the fray. At least he isn’t really in the thick of it. I know he’s disappointed but he’s a big boy…he’ll get over it! LOL

Cindy…Ga.

Hi Anderson,

Stay away from the blind shooting.

Take care

Hi there,
Interesting view of all the media personnel set up there on the hill. I understand that it would be frustrating and very hard to get details on something happening so far away, but you seem to be doing a great job! Thanks for working so hard today – I’m thinking that you might need some sleep soon. We’re all watching, be safe, take care.

Hi Anderson,
i believe it’s very frustrating for you not to get any closer but you’re doing a great job. Keep going and stay safe.
Laura

We were waiting for their news, with concern.
Unfortunately these stories are so hard. But your work is sensational.
Believe it: his sacrifice of being in a war, is really paying off.

Take care and Thank you!

Anderson, whatever you do and wherever you go, please just know that we need you back safe and sound so you can also cover stories happening in many other countries that are also worth telling. That is all I have to say. Thank you for all you do.

Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington

Gazans are desperate for medical care and humanitarian aids, where is the ethics??, why not US press on Egypt to allow medical doctors and aids to pass through??, what they are doing is unjustified….

I would be very frustrated too. I am so adventurous and would hate to miss all the action. Whatever happens, happens. Go with the flow

Any place in that region is dangerous. I give AC a lot of credit.

Hey Anderson
I like thank you for telling the truth about Israel did not let international reporters to Gaza,and at least for me that meens there must be some pictures or storrys,that Israel dont whant to watch the wold.So i think the situation there must be verry terrible and dangeros.
Stay safe,we need you there for telling us whats going on there.

How is it that reporters from Al-Jazeera are covering the story from inside Gaza?

Anderson,

I´m a fan, a journalist and a Brazilian.

UN has to step up. Israel is not going to stop on it´s own. Plus, they´re taking advantage of the political moment America is going through. At this point, neither Bush nor Obama will do anything cause it is a transitional period in the White House.

And keeping the media out its just unreasonable. This war is running too loose. We´re not on the 40´s anymore. We can´t just hear of it.

Take care.

They aren’t letting reporters in because Israel doesn’t want the world to know what’s really going on. The full extent of what’s really happening in Gaza is just plain evil, hundreds of innocent civilians have died including dozens of children–and there are also children who have severe burns and limbs blown off. No child or innocent person deserves that. How will they grow up? Where’s their future? It’s easy for Israel to just blame the situation on Hamas and not let reporters in so the whole world turns a blind eye to the suffering, but we all know who’s truly being inhumane in this situation.

Israel has also broken cease-fires in the past and has never been penalized for it either yet they use Hamas breaking a cease-fire as an excuse to level and exterminate Palestine and the Palestinians.

Israel has also broken cease-fires in the past and has never been penalized for it yet they use Hamas breaking a cease-fire as an excuse to level and exterminate Palestine and the Palestinians.

Hamas was formed as a result of Israeli oppression and injustice. If the Palestinians had their freedom and human rights and their children weren’t being killed in senseless airstrikes and raids the influence of Hamas would be marginalized. Plain and simple.

May God help the Palestinians because the world sure isn’t.

It’s a war zone. Hamas didn’t allow you to videotape its guerillas launching rockets into Israel either and you weren’t complaining about that, were you? You couldn’t get into the front lines of the Iran-Iraq war or the war in Chechnya or enter the World Trade Center rubble on 911. You could only get into the Iraq front lines if you were “embedded” during the invasion. It’s a war. I’m all for freedom of the press and the public’s right to know, but there is such a thing as military security. I love 99% of your work, and as a truly devoted fan, I must say, quit whining.

Anderson, if the Palistinins are so concerned about Israel’s attack and advancement into Gaza, why don’t they turn in the folks firing the “rockets”? Seems to me that if they are “against” Hamas, it is time for them to stand up and be counted. If your neighbor was breaking the law, killing innocent people via Rocket fire, wouldn’t you turn them in? If the rockets stop, I am sure Israel will halt their response.

If Israel is as careful as they say in how they are shooting why don’t they let reporters in?
What are they trying to hide?

You should air this tonight. It helps give context to the coverage that we’re getting, especially the shot of all the reporters on the hill. Thanks.

Ahh Too bad the big bad reporters can’t get into Gaza. So sorry may sometimes you just need to stay out of it and quit praying on bad events. Hows it feel to be restricted, You wanted change you got it.

Of course they don’t let you in. They don’t want witnesses to their crimes.

Israel has closed off Gaza intentionally. They don’t want reporters in there, reporting to the world what they are doing. It’s a media blackout to hide Israel’s human rights violations. Anyone in the world with any sense of compassion or humanity should stand up and condemn what is happening there.

The persecuted have become the persecutors.

I hope the guilty people using Gaza citizens as shields give themselves up to stop the slayings of innocent civilians. Even though most living in that region are already well-aware of the dangers.

Bring back the truth of whats going in Gaza. I think overkill is inplace

Why won’t Egypt allow Palestinian refugees in? Why won’t Jordan accept the refugees? or Lebanon? or Syria? or Saudi Arabia?

First, I have all respect for AC and his crew, cudos!

This operation reminds me alot of Al Fallujah in Nov 2004..Wow, the memories…
Could these access points be used to aid the militants in Gaza? This would be the only reason why they will not allow access. But the non-combatants in the city of Gaza need to evacuate as soon as possible! Like right now!

I believe militants in Gaza are luring the IGFs deeper into Gaza’a urban areas. Its where the house to house fighting will take many lives on both sides,,,,,,and hopefully not the innocent.

Stay safe AC!!

You are the eyes of the whole world. Your integrity always showes in your reporting, regardless of our blind support for Isreal’s actions.

Sadly Israel doesn’t want the rest of the world to know what’s really going on in Gaza, nor do they want take accept any blame. This conflict needs to end immediately, people are outraged including many non-Muslims around the world. Israel has for too long been allowed to oppress these people, and quite frankly no one seems to care.

The reason they don’t let reporters in, is because it is a war zone. Hamas uses any alternative (schools, reporters, mosques etc.) available to them to cover up the firing of their rockets. Letting reporters in only increases the possibility of civilian death, as it is one more thing to distract Israel from the operation.
What confuses me is how many people seem to miss the point. Israel’s stance is clear, stop firing rockets, and the airstrikes will stop. Yet all of the international pressure is on Israel to stop the “invasion” when the rocket fire is clearly continuing. That is a double standard if I have ever seen one. Realize the fact that hundreds of thousands of people are at risk from Hamas’ rockets, they are just far less accurate than Israel’s rockets.
So ask yourself: If I shoot at you, and miss, are you in the wrong to fire back and hit me? The answer should be simple.

Stay safe

North american media should put this on HEAD LINE news that Israel isn’t let foreign press to get into Gaza even though court approved them to get in. Specially FI(O)X News channel. Israel is doing whatever they want but no one is there to press them to follow international law. I bet if it was Iraq or Iran it would be HEAD LINE news in all north american media.

Isn’t our definition of terrorist “people that kill innocent civilians”? Then what do we consider Israel? Legal terrorists? To target a sub-par “organization” with no army is one thing, to use it as an excuse to execute innocent women and children is another. Dont be blinded by lies people!

Does Hamas ordinarily provide international reporters with access to Gaza?

Of course Israel dosen’t want reporters in Gaza, Israeli soldiers killing unarmed men, women and children they don’t want the whole world seeing that.

We always sugar coat for the Israelis.

This is madness….where is the logic…

It’s very well and noble that the media is battling to get into Gaza to report “what’s happening” so that they can show it on CNN on a loop over and over again.
Yes, there are casualties and civilian deaths, as with any war. However, I do not remember our suddenly self-righteous members of the press getting on the ground in Iraq during the US’ initialincursion and covering the truths there, and showing Iraqi civillians dead due to US’ attacks. Iraq did not attack the US, Hamas attacks Israel every day.
Meanwhile, the war in Iraq gets less and less coverage each day and that is the war the US is fighting. If reporting from war zones is so crucial for the media to spread their truths, let the US reporters stampede all over each other to cover it.

As a follow-up to your previous report, could you tell us what happended to Sam, the business man in Gaza? Does he and his family have a safe exit?

Israel does not want evidence of the genocide taking place… wait since it is only muslims it is not bad… well that is what it feels like when in all the reports and stories.. you would think Israel of all nations would not want to do genocide

The war zone is no place for reporters or any non-combatants. Period.
They are the ones who give a biased opinion on what is happening. The public gets a wrong perception and that is how things get blown out of proportion. If you want an up-close of the conflict, enlist, and see up close. Get a real feel of a bullet cracking past your head! Not from the safety zone miles from the front, in a green zone or the security of an operating base. Hey I have an idea! Why don’t you report on something like how many schools are opening for the first time? Or water treatment facilities or neighborhoods who have power for the first time? No! that wouldn’t be sensationalism! The American public would never go for that !

Anderson Since we cannot trust much of what Israel or Hamas says, the only way the world will know the truth is through your efforts. Israel is blocking the view of the horrendous slaughter that is going on, and as we saw with their fabrications about the relief boat ramming incident, Israel cannot be trusted. Hamas is not much better as they tend to stretch the truth. I fear that Israel is stepping over the line of international law and military protocol as regards civilians. As an old Vietnam Vet, keep your head down and keep moving.

Larry

Stay Safe Mr. Anderson Cooper and crew,

I was amazed watching you last night as you were reporting, you didn’t even flinch hearing those bombs behind you. I hope you still have some fear in you, enough anyway to keep you from getting yourself to close to danger and into deadly trouble. You and your crew be careful out there, reports of extremists taking international reporters hostage keeps your viewers very nervous. A day without you Mr. Cooper is like a day without air for so many of your admirers.

Praying for the safety of all reporters, crew and the innocent living the life of war.

Prayers for Peace

Why do journalists have to go in? Where were they for the last 5 years as rockets were fired by Hamas? Why didn’t they report about 5,000 rockets? As to inhumane conditions, what has Hamas done with the milions of dollars given to it by Arab countries? Built hospitals? Built schools? Roads? They’ve built rockets and bombs. They wanted Israel to leave, and Israel left Gaza – the result – a standard Arab stance – ” I am oppressed but let me send my 8-year old girl as a suicide bomber to an Israeli restaurant.”
Israel is within its rights as a soveriegn nation to protect its citizens any way it wishes. Sit on it, Anderson – we’ll let you in when we want.
Go be a hero somewhere else.

I am very sorry for the Gaza population (excluding HAMAS members) but I can fully understand Israel’s reason for not letting reporters inside Gaza. Israel has been misrepresented enough times by the media and I am glad it finally got the message.
It says it ALL about Hamas – to use schools and hospitals and get their own people killed for their own satisfaction…what decent humans would do that?

Israel must let in international reporters. How can we accept one sided reporting??
Now we have illegal bombings of UN schools and many ambulances and everytime all Israel has to say it that Hamas was involved?
It seems to me that ambulances are actually being targeted.
One wonders why Israel will not allow journalists in
I can only come to a conclusion that they want only their side to be known and not the whole truth.

Anderson I wish you well over there, but there is no need for reporters in a war zone, and I know you may be asking why. The answer is in the question, why go to a war zone? We know what is there, death, destruction, 2 groups which have the single intent to destroy the other, that pretty much covers it. As far as covering the humanitarian (crisis ?????) issue. If the people of Gaza really wanted international help, they should have asked for help in getting rid of Hamas, most of the aid that will go into that area will go to the people shooting the rockets. If you get in there to report good luck, but I would wait for the dust to settle and then report on the changes made.

Gee, didn’t we call this genocide at one time. Aren’t these tactic learned real well from the Warsaw thing in the ’40’s? Why do the countries of the world turn a blind eye to the same hideous tactics used by Israel, the same tactics used by every other tyrant wanting to eliminate opposition? Of course rockets from either side are wrong and needs to be stopped. But the genocide now going on in Gaza is raw unadulterated murder by a military power who professes something about a holocaust that happened 60 years ago as a reason for such blatant murder. What a sad joke on humanity.

Honestly, I’m glad you guys can’t get in. Due to the “instant” receipt of information to viewers today, you guys can give away strategies and soldier locations. wouldn’t be good…..

btw…I LOVE Anderson Cooper’s reporting on the war. Thanks Anderson! Although Christiane is a very good reporter, she can use some lessons from you on how to not be biased towards Christians and Jews. It’s a shame…I could really like her otherwise.

Stay safe!

It’s about time a modern country fights a war the way they should be fought. There are no innocent civilians in a war, just one side versus the other. The people of that region voted for Hamas to be their representation and hence support their tactics and beliefs. It’s time to bring the issues in the middle East to a head and end the decades of living with terror.

This is the whole point. Israel doesn’t want foreign reporters in Gaza simply becuase they don’t want the world to see what is happening. If there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza as they say and their soldiers are upholding human rights then WHY ARE REPORTERS BANNED FROM ENTERING GAZA??????

Stay away Anderson…Its safer to be in Israel and report from there rather than going into Gaza. AC360 is nothing without you…

Cheers!!!

I would like to see what AC has to say about the situation in Gaza… In the war on Lebanon he was quite supportive of the massacres Israel committed on the Lebanese people… Mr. Cooper, over 630 Palestinians have died so far, are you going to say that Israel is still defending itself against rockets that have killed 23 people within the last 15 years.

I hope you can put together news worth watching! Fair News! I don’t watch our news anymore just because of the level of information they hide from the public… I hope this man has some sort of conscious.

Why would Israel want to let in reporters who act as PR agents for terrorists who stage fake attrocities? Where were calls for cease fires and stoppage of violence when it was Jewish civilians being targeted and killed?

Hi Anderson, I would like reporters to be able to get in and report first hand the tragic situation of the palestinians living in Gaza. I believe that to be the only way to show the world that the excuse to defend one’s country does not necessarily mean to wipe out another’s civilization. On the other hand, I do enjoy watching 360 everynight and do not want to see you harm. Good luck to you and Nick Robertson.

Reporters shouldn’t be allowed in, just as you shouldn’t have been allowed into Iraq embedded with the military; you only get in the way and cause problems! The United States should take some notes from Israel on how to handle terrorist and military operations.

Israel should stop the campaign. It is simply unfair.

I think it’s good that reporters can’t get in right now. I know when I was in desert storm you guys were just in the way and not only did we have to watch our own butts we had to look after the reporters also. Let the heavy stuff calm down some before going in that way it helps keep you safe. And please give the full story and not just the one sided like a lot of people do. If this was any other place besides Israel you wouldn’t be hearing much about it.

Anderson, please take care and stay out of harms way. You have been lucky so far. I look forward to your broadcast each day and want to see you home safe once again.

Grandma Doris, AZ

so now Israel won’t let reporters into Gaza so that the world can see what is actually going on over there. This conflict becomes more and more ridiculous every year it continues, I hope you guys can get in.

Nothing is stopping reporters from going to Gaza through Egypt. Reporters do not necessarily have to go into Gaza through Israel. They can even use the tunnels that Hamas uses to smuggle weapons to enter Gaza and provide the world with their bias reports.

Israel is obviously trying very hard to control the messages our of Gaza but this is not being successful. The BBC, for one, is carrying reports from resident correspondents based in Gaza. Are these totally objective? Perhaps not, but the controlled messages out of Israel are certainly not either.

Gaza needs to be open to journalists (and NOT the “imbedded” type!) so this story can get the coverage it deserves. Currently, the best coverage in English is being provided by the BBC, the Websites of the British newspapers, and Al Jazeera.

Linden Best
Toronto

The only reason for Israel not allowing reporters like Anderson Cooper enter Gaza is because they are looking out for their safety. And just like anything else, Israel would be blamed if he were to die there.

Wonder why the only so called “Democracy ” in the middle east always gets away from allowing journalists whenever there is a conflct that will show their atrocities and no western governent pressures them either. This so called democracy also has prevented the UN Atomic Energy Inspecters from visiting its facilities. Hmmm again the western countries never pressure her to submit to the international will. Seems like a theme,,,

We have friends in Israel, and Hamas has been steadily bombing Israel since October. Why hasn’t the news media reported this??

Hey Anderson, can’t you get in from the Jordanian border that way or I guss all borders are closed? Not sure just a suggestion.

Hey Anderson, why aren’t you and the other reporters out there focusing more on the fact that Hamas is hiding their rockets and ammunition in schools,, masques, homes, etc. risking the lives of the Palestinian people?! These terrorists who hide behind their innocent citizens aren’t just committing a crime against Israel – but their own people. You need to give credit where credit is due. Hamas is an organization with amazing P.R. Where else can you find a terrorist group who make their enemies look worse they themselves?!

Unfortunately what he and other reporters may see will be destruction, death, misery, stravation, disease etc. It would be too horrific to see- remember Rwanda, Cambodia etc.
Withouth images of what is going on in Gaza its difficult for the world to feel emotion towards what is going on there….

It’s hard to believe in a just war, as Israel’s government claims this is, when they won’t allow international reporters in to report. I understand the need for national defense; I do not understand, or agree, with terrorizing a civilian population. This is only pouring fuel on the fire of this decades-old crisis. I still wouldn’t be in favor of this action if we had international reporter on the ground in Gaza, but it wouldn’t seem quite so shady on Israel’s part.

Nice view from the hill. Hope you do some sightseeing before you head back home. Someday you should do a broadcast from these places just for fun and not just for a specific story. I’d help you if I could, of course.

Violence from Israel, violence from Gaza which causes even violence from Israel. People have got to stop fighting each other. Time to put the weapons away from both sides.

If you do get in, don’t stand near a school or ambulance. Hamas is using schools to fire rockets and ambulances as troop carriers.

What’s happening to civilians in Gaza is terrible but let’s not forget, THEY elected a known terrorist organization as their government and allow the Hamas “fighters” to perpetuate the violence by lobbing rockets as they please from wherever they please. The blame falls squarely on the Hamas governments heads. They have been trying to twist perception of this for years.

Israel will not let press into Gaza since they don’t want them to report the war crimes they are committing. Women and Children are brutally killed using US tax dollars and arms. This needs to stop.!!!!!!!!!!

The Hamas should have thought of this occurring when they started firing missiles into Israel. If one continues to irritate the lion one must expect to eventually get hurt. As for AC getting into Gaza. Not needed. We have enough information now and do not need exploitive stories that merely further a talking head’s career.

Why should you be allowed to enter a War Zone, that’s the problem with the Media today. They want everything, the Media only makes matters worse. Stay out of the way. You can cover the War from afar. You don’t need to be involved and on front lines. If you want to be on front lines then join the military.

Watch Al Jazeera, they have reporters inside GAZA; Israel does not want the western media in because they don’t want the truth to be told. Occupation is the problem not Hamas rockets.

I can’t help but believe that Israel has gone way too far endangering and killing civilians. World opinion from other sources greatly condemn their approach as do I. The Bush administration by its silence further characterizes who we have become. Our apathy for the truth and detachment from the pain caused by our friends the Israelis is too much. Hamas obviously doesn’t know the difference between diplomacy and suicide, their ignorance aside, we are no longer the champions, but bullying, boasting, rationalizers and we call it justice.

If Israel wants to attack Hamas thats there right to self defense. But a nation like Israel should show more compassion and understanding that the people in Gaza are suffering greatly and need humanitarian help. Its just not good enough for Israel to say they have enough and wash themselves of the problem, If Israel did more then what was needed to help the innocent children and women it would show the world they do care. Anybody can say they care about someone, but if you don’t back it up with deeds then you have failed, and thats how the people of Gaza feel toward the International community. and Israel.

As for the innocent Palestinians seeking cover. Im just curios were does the Israeli government expect these people to go, its unpractical for Israel to demand that they go from one place to another like grasshoppers seeking refuge in place’s were really there is no refuge, even the UN school gets bombed, kills 30 but because of one terrorist who hid there, its justified. thats just crazy.

Hi Anderson,
First, I want to thank you for being there to give us a more clear and balanced picture, unfortunately the Israeli army is not allowing you and other reporters to get into Gaza, maybe they do not want the world to see what they have done to innocent civilians!

Wish you the best, stay safe.

Anderson who cares whether you can get in or not. Get back to America and report on things that most Americans care about. We have lots of news going on in the country that pays your salary.

This is untrue; I have been watching European news stations, mainly Greek, via satellite who have reporters on the ground within Gaza and currently on the ground where the UN school was bombed by the Israelis. American news providers do not want to show the circumstances in Gaza; dead children, women and men. Children and babies bloodied, dead, and severely injured. In the US we are shielded from the reality and severity of the situation mainly to skew the american public opinion against the Palestinian plight. This does not change the reality. The stations here say they want to “protect” the public from such scenes; this is not true. Ask why? The media here paints Hamas and Palestinians as terrorists but a question has to be asked; Why and when was Hamas created? Why were such problems in the Middle East non-existent prior to WWII?

I don’t see how we can have so much news about what’s happening in Gaza if reporters aren’t allowed in there. Are we just taking people’s words? Responding only to official statements is hardly investigative news, just the news media being used as a propaganda tool by Gazan’s and Israeli’s alike. Why can’t we have more Watergate style reporters?

I remember when Rabin was negotiating with Palestinians it seemed like there was progress being made, an air of inevitability with Clinton and Arafat in tow, until an ultra orthodox Israeli assassinated his own leader. I’m just sickened by the lip service to peace both sides are giving, neither want peace, just hate and retribution, with each side wanting an eye for many more eyes.

The Isreal government is blocking international media from access to Gaza because it doesn’t want the world to see that its actions are not only way out of proportion but are, in fact, causing innocent civilians untold misery!

At the very least, Isreal MUST open the borders to humanitarian aid immediately. The WHOLE WORLD is watching!

I think israel has something to hide from the international community . I think it doesn’t want to show the massacre that it is doing in the Gaza strip . i think it doesn’t want the western community to know what is the real Israel is about . I think Israel will allow the media and especially the western media after it cleans its massacres .I hope the truth will come out and real jernoulism will be out AC .

Ok, so reporters can’t get in. From the reports I have seen in the MSM it all seems to be anti Israel. Why should Israel grant reporters access when it seems as though the reporting will only be used to stir up world leaders against Israel. For Israel to negotiate with Hamas is for Israel to accept the status quo. Israel is not bent on the destruction of the Palestinians. However Hamas is bent on the destruction of Israel. Lets keep this in perspective please

it just break my heart seeing civilians killed on both sides. on the palastenian side more than 30% of causalities are children. civilians have no way out , not enough food, no electricity, no place is a safe place, houses been destroyed killing all members of the family living in. until when the international community is going to stay silent ? where is our conscience ? where is our western humane values. nothing in that conflict justify the killing of innocent people on either side. nothing justify that horror look you see on a face of child, nothing justify the tears from the eyes of those with killed brother, wife or children.
let’s stop talking politics and talk like decent humans

There are comments about civilian casualties.
Unfortunately Hamas uses ambulances to carry weapons. They blend in with Civilians while they are fighting. Unfortunately their greatest weapon is the fact that their enemies don’t want to harm civilians.
That is why it is impossible to fight them, without the rest of the world upset about civilian losses.
Israel, regardless of how you view them, could be doing a lot worse to the civilian population.
The numbers of civilian deaths would be far greater if they were the targets. Obviously, the Israelis don’t want to do this, they want to minimize civilian casualties. That is why it has taken them this long to respond to rocket attacks in the first place.

Palestinian Holocaust. Perhaps the best documented holocaust in human history with live images. Every news organization’s dream opportunity to tell a story, denied by the Israeli war criminals. History will not be kind to the Israelis and their collaborators.

Good luck Anderson. Hope you can show the truth.

Hi Anderson-

We are proud of you for your daring work. Be safe!

Keeping reporters out is a sign that some major atrocities are going on. If the reporters are foolish enough to get in the way of shooting them let them take that that risks so that we the world knows what is going on. Punish those who commit crime not the people who are powerless to stop it. Would you shoot an elderly woman or a young child simply because a local gang is terrorizing a neighborhood? If Israel is taking irresponsible action against all Palestinians not just Hamas, then I as an American citizen demand my representatives to not block any sanctions leveled at that aggressor state, I even demand international monitors to be placed there to make sure innocents lives have some protection.

Yes all of Hamas should be taken to the Gallows, but the Palestinian people have a right to voice their anger over their treatment. We Americans enjoy freedom of speech, if we want the world to follow our democracy, our ways then we must ensure everyone has a voice and not live in fear to use it.

Peace found at the edge of a sword awaits the sheathe before falling back into chaos.

I am terribly sorry for the people living on the Gaza strip. This is an abomination. The fact that the International press corp has not been allowed access is truly telling. The horrors that are surely occurring every moment to innocents can only be imagined. And it is pathetic that, once again, as in Lebanon, the Israelis have targeted U.N. schools. (They had the coordinates for these U.N. buildings. They possess weapons from the U.S. that enable pinpoint precision. No foolish pretense about accidental deaths can be proffered by the Israelis.)
Oh Israel…please be done with this wretchedness!!

Hi

We trust you in reporting objectively on the crisis from within. Hope you will be allowed soon.

Fazal

Why don’t the Israeli’s want reporters in Gaza? What are they trying to hide?

So he can’t get in, but he’s still well within range of the Hamas rockets. He’s not really out of the action. He can at least report on the panic level the poor Israelis have had for MONTHS as Hamas has been shooting rockets at them. But Hamas would love to have him inside Gaza to make him another of their human shields. They want him in there so they can make a martyr our of him, just like they’re doing to so many of the innocent Palestinian people. If they really want peace and justice, they need to stop shooting their own rockets. Hamas started this whole thing.

Israel blocking humanitarian aid? Israel isn’t blocking aid, it’s SENDING aid. The question which isn’t being asked is why are the Egyptians blocking aid from coming in from their border with Gaza? Don’t put all this on Israel’s shoulders.

As for Israel blocking reporters access to Gaza, this is because of the debacle it caused during the last war in Lebanon: reporters set up cameras and showed the terrorists where their troops were.

Of course the Israelis have a right to defend themselves from Hamas attacks, however they MUST be very cautious not to kill any civilians. It seems that that Israel is not doing that. If the Israeli forces are in the right like they say they are, then please allow the media to get on the ground there. It’s time for America to take a even-handed policy toward the Israeli/Palenstine conflict. This conflict must be resolved peacefully before it engulfs the whole Middle East!

Anderson,

Great reporting last night! Although I am sure journalists are being kept out mostly because of safety concerns, I wonder if part of the reason authorities have limited your access is to prevent you from being able to confirm or dispel any rumors about what is happening in Gaza.

I hope that you will continue to have communication with people inside Gaza like Sami Abdel-Shafi who you spoke to last night. They will be able to give viewers a unique perspective.

I am certain that you and the other journalists have been surrounded with the best security that money can buy, but please remain alert and don’t leave anything to chance.

Take care,
Jo Ann
North Royalton, Ohio

To Cindy,
Egypt could open it’s border. Israel sent advanced notice and they could have left at that time. Why didn’t they leave when they saw huge Grad rockets being fired from their neighbors backyard – did you see the size of those things – not very conspicuous.
AC
Good luck AC. CNN is doing an ok job for the first time in providing somewhat balanced reporting. CNN still jumps to post things based on speculation and sources with little credibility, takes a long time to undo damage from a bad skewed report and still likes to capitalize on drama more than news. Regardless, there is some improvement. Keep it up.

I’m surprised CNN doesn’t have a sister station that can broadcast from Gaza.

I have mixed feelings about journalists going into Gaza. They should stay out of harm’s way. On the other hand, it would be nice to have an objective picture of what’s happening in Gaza. That being said, no journalist is completely objective.

Although I don’t like the idea of you being in harms’s way, you are one of the very best reporters we have. We need to know exactly what is happening in Gaza; Israel needs to re-think its motives in going into Gaza – far too many civilians are dying. There is no excuse for this.

what would take for the world to show compassion for the Palestinians? Children are hungry, cold, and scared and all what the US media seems to focus on is HAMAS’s homemade rockets and not the much developed technology US made weapons that are used by Israel against civilians. If this is how Israel wants to find peace we are all in trouble.

Sorry, this is not a picnic, and allowing the media to enter a war zone may jeopardize the soldiers and the local general population.
Journalists should never be allowed into a situation such as this.
Israel is only obligated by its citizens and keeping them safe. No other value should supercede in this terrible situation. As one Gaza citizen stated: “We have brought this on by ourselves”

Eygpt should open the border to allow medical and humanitarian aid

adeline…there is a battle going on…he is lucky he is not allowed in

I hope to see that you get into Gaza safely but it’s obvious that not only it is too dangerous but also they don’t want everyone to see the truth. I have Al Jazeera and eventhough some ignorant people think its biased news channel, it shows what is really happening. In my opinion American news is more biased. If only Americans really knew what was REALLY happening in Gaza right now. Not just our Presidency needed a change but also they way we conduct our media. Like your buddy’s slogan…No Bias No Bull. But actually mean it. Wish you well Anderson.

Consequences are a result of your ACTIONS!

Why give Hamas the “gift” of letting ultra Left leaning reporters in, so
they can foster the anti-Israel sentiment?! When Hamas places rocket launchers on top of schools and hospitals, they rejoice in being able to display pictures of wounded children! Does ANYONE remember what Golda Mier said?! “When the Arabs love their children more than they hate the Jews, the violence will stop”……
The Palestinians are the “pawns” of Iran/Syria/Lebanon & don’t even know it!

Please, try to cover the real story inside Gaza. I read from NY Times that Israeli solders are not permitting International journalist to go inside Gaza to cover up the genocide.

A free press protects EVERYONE!

When and wherever, journalists are banned from direct observation,
for accurate reportage, the risk of war crimes and brutalization of the populace is enormously high.

The action or re-action/incursion, can be debated, but to prevent observers and humanitarian aid, does create a backlash that all
will live with internationally.

I don’t see how Anderson could possibly contribute anything to the situation. Let the IDF do their jobs.

It’s sad that Israel is trying to hide the murder its committing from the rest of the world.

Can’t you all see that Israel is trying to protect journalists from Hamas terrorists who would kill them rather than live in a democratic country with free media?

Keeping reporters and the international media out of Gaza makes you wonder what Israel has to hide. Reporters on the front lines have always been the world’s lens on conflict. Why the blackout now? Perhaps the question answers itself. America’s ally indeed. This is pathetic.

Anderson, I hope you can’t get into Gaza.Too much goes on in a war zone.Your very likely to get zapped & for what ? Just report what you can see.
Report where Hamas is firing from.School property,mosques,hospital areas.No place save in a combat zone.And your body armor will just slow down the round that gets you Pal.
Stay away from the combat area.Hamas will aim at you & try to make it look like the fault of the IDF.

Stay low.

Its a sad time in the Middle East, but this fighting in one form or another has been going on for centuries, not really interested in getting involved. If the Gaza People want to, or allow themselves to be run by extremists / terrorists (Hamas) than there is a price to be paid. (right now they are paying it) If they want to finally decide have a legitiment government set up and represent the people there, then maybe the US and other countries (UN) can move in a broker another deal, but again how many deals have there been since the very first one the “Oslo Accoord” might just be better off in the long run to let them play this out and when its over pick up the pieces and move on from there.

Yes, it’s crucial to get in there and find any and all pictures of grieving and death (be they fake or otherwise) to plaster all over the internet, newspapers and your “news reports”. How come you folks weren’t so terribly interested in plastering the pictures of the Tuito brothers, when little 8 year old Oshi lost his leg because of one of these Hamas rocket attacks? Why didn’t we see his crying mother, everywhere? Why didn’t we read her story nonstop? Why don’t we see the pictures of the houses ruined all throughout southern Israel? Why don’t we hear the tales of terror from those living under constant fire in Sderot, fearing that they or their children might end up one of the maimed, like Osher, one of the wounded, like his brother, Rami, or one of the dead? I love your “commitment” now…I just find it funny that you weren’t so committed when it was “only” Jews bleeding and dying…

Hi Anderson:
I always trusted you as a good reporter,I just wanna ask you waht that mean for israeal to prevent media going into Gaza,definitly they are doing some thing iiligal which they do not want world to know about.

Hey Anderson, maybe you should stay out of gaza, you know that hamas is hiding among the civilians and may want to hide next to you and your crew. I hope you don’t have any children around you while trying to enter gaza also, hamas use’s little kids so I wouldn’t want you and your crew from cnn to get injured or worst. I hope a safe return for you and all the media crews in the middle east. Just remember, hamas will dress like you in order to escape their justice so be careful and get home soon.

I am happy to keep the reporters out of Gaza for the time being. They are making the problem worse by playing into the hands of the terrorists. Once things settle down a bit then it will be fine to have them go in and begin their biased reporting.

Is this the 21st century? Bombing of a UN School Shelter? Killing innocent children? Enough to Israel and to all of this cruelty and to whoever supports them. It is insane to allow all this so blindly. Someone should stop this massacre! Israel killed 10 times more innocent civilians than Hamas terrorists. This shows its real intentions. Israel is not defending itself, bombing a school, killing innocent people, children is not self defense! An we are all watching this doing nothing! I am ashamed to see all this…
Good luck Anderson and hope you stay safe out there.

Israel doesn’t want people to know what they are really doing inside Gaza as they continue to kill innocent civilians, destroy hospitals and schools, and refuse humanitarian aid for the people. Its sickening to continue to hear their justification for murder and genocide…..

If you do get in, just make sure you don’t become an unwitting shield for the Hamas terrorists like the children at the UN school…they will stop at nothing to generate civilian casualties for the Arab street…

A free press protects EVERYONE!

When and wherever, journalists are banned from direct observation,
for accurate reportage, the risk of war crimes and brutalization of the populace is enormously high.

The action or re-action/incursion, can be debated, but to prevent observers and humanitarian aid, does create a backlash that all
will live with internationally. More transparency is always best.

Do you think it would hurt to use a Middle Eastern journalist for this job? I mean if Anderson Cooper can’t get the inside story maybe it’s time to give someone involved a chance to tell the story.

as we will know whats going on , terrorist will know too ..
it already “helped” last time there was conflict in israel…
thats why they are trying to stop media from covering whats going on

Welcome to War.

A real war not a media event. Remember Germany, remember Hiroshima, Nagasaki.
Who was in Berlin during WWII?

No way…this is war, bad stuff happens, we settle it at the end. Reporters DO NOT BELONG THERE SHOWING WHAT WE ALL KNOW is going on, on National TV for everyone to see. That is one of the main problems with today’s wars, that the media shows every little thing that is going on, and how many of which vehicle are on which road, and where they’re going, etc…you guys (in this blog) have no taste, and no respect for our military. Anderson, I like you, but you need to let the war finish and then go show what happenED not while it’s still happenING

If people are to stand by while their government fires rockets into neighbooring countries, the people will have to pay for the governments decisions, it would be happening the same way here if someone was in our country making war.

Do anyone think that this is a just and equal fight? Israeli’s tanks and depleted Uranium bombs verses civilian, no mater what they religion and nationalities.

I never seen or read about a war like this where a 1,5 million people locked inside small area,and they do not have at least the right to flee,and no reporter to go inside and have the truth out.then they say we do not target civilian,even in Iraq war USA openned a refugee camps for people to flee,it is your time Anderson to say the truth or you will lose our trust and confidence as a nonbias reporte.

Sorry Anderson you have to suffer because of the majority media bias against Israel. If reporters told the truth about Israel then she would allow reporters. The debacles following 2002 and 2006 showed Israel the majority of the news media was more interested in lynching Israel rather than reporting the facts.
Stay safe over there.

Anderson, why don’t you guys call it as it is? Israel is hiding something or else they should let all of us know what is going on there.

Not letting reporters do their job in Gaza is a scandal. But what a clever way to hide the atrocities, “if nobody can see it, it did not happen”.

Based on Israel’s previous experiences during the War with Hezbollah and the use of reporter’s footage to harm their position, I do not believe that Israel’s current position is unreasonable.

With respect to the prior post, the crossings at Rafah are controlled by Egypt and presumably the Palastinians could utilize it if the Egyptian’s were willing to grant access.

Of course everyone is saddened by deaths of civilians, on both the Israeli and the Palastinian sides, but when the Hamas terrorists shoot rockets from a school and it is subsequently bombed by Israel, the blame for any civilian casualties falls squarely on the Hamas terrorists.

Israel is protecting its civilian citizens – as would the Unites States, Britain, France, Russia or any other government.

Why doesnt the IDF want reporters and the world to see what they are doing inside of Gaza?

Thank you Anderson for talking to the Palestinian Sami in Gaza…I hope that CNN unlike other news shows , will really expose the truth about the Israeli massacre of Palestinian civilians – over 120 children. CNN does an excellent job of trying to be fair to both sides but Israel total ruthlessness is not shown because of their refusal to let journalists in Gaza itself . The three year blockade and total choking and smothering of Gaza has caused this situation not Hamas , why does’nt someone say point out that Israel is not the victim here ..people should live on the West Bank and Gaza and then see how the Palestinians live in terror and everyday hunger and humiliation at the hands of the Israeli army. I beleive Anderson you have seen it first hand. Because of Israeli influence in America , politics here is not about who is being slaughtered but to appease a PAC. Israel has forgotten how they were killed in the past and are commiting a very slow but effective genocide on the Palestinians. Thank you and please just keep being fair and putting a human face to the almost 3000 injured and over 270 dead Palestinians. Their lives are not just numbers, they have weight like the Israelies. Thank you.

Keeping journalists out for now is very reasonable.
covering everything tahts going on is little silly, considering terrorists will know exaclty whats going on and it will help them to think through their moves

What about the Egyption border? Israel is at war, why don’t their brothers in Egypt open up their border?

CNN always says we can reach anywhre in the world except this war,because you do not want to report the truth,can you explain to me how aljazeera news able to get every single details from there and they have too many reporters in every single area in GAZA .

Any way Anderson we love you and wish you the best.come back safe.

Adeeb

Yo Anderseon! Why is it that in all the CNN interviews with diplomats or government officials from Israel, NONE of the CNN reporters have asked
“Why won’t you let us in to cover the story”. I know what the official line is,
but these people should be challenged for their censorship of the truth.

Be safe!

Anderson, are any of the christians in that area expressing beliefs that this was is part of an end time prophecy?

Back in 1968 our rallying cry was “The whole world is watching.” We should update that today. How about “The whole world is watching Israel not let the whole world watch.” And they said “never again.” Thanks for continuing to fight for the truth Anderson.

Anderson,

I would like to see you prioritize. Your safety is more important than any news you could report. You are very important to so many people; I hope you realize that. We can get the news a little later, because it’s not going away and reporting it swiftly doesn’t change anything.

We are tired of this centuries old conflict and the U.S. is not [yet] involved. Please pack it up and come back home. I’d prefer seeing you in the studio in one piece. It’s just not worth it Anderson. Get out of there!

Hamas’ objective in this conflict is for international reporters to flash hundreds of pictures of war deaths in the streets of Gaza on the western world’s evening news channels. Western public out-cry would hopefully force a cease-fire before Israel has a chance to achieve its objectives in Gaza.

Israel has learned from its 2006 Hezbollah encounter and doesn’t want Hamas to win the PR battle in this one. A 21st century information war is just as real to both sides as any shooting war, and so controlling the international press becomes a priority for both sides.

Chris

The people of Gaza tolerated and encouraged Hamas. Hamas launched rockets into a neighboring country. What did they expect? If they did not want this, they should have stopped Hamas from attacking their neighbors. If people in Vancouver launched rockets into Seattle, what do you think would happen?

As long as the people tolerate violent terrorists this will be the inevitable result.

The only legitimate reason one country will not allow the press into a war zone, is that they don’t want any confirmation of committing crimes against the Geneva convention, and crimes against humanity. It would look really bad for “Israel ” to see photos of mutilated children lying about in the streets. Indiscriminate bombings of schools, hospitals, and churches. Most people would be outraged over photos like these.

Even if the Gazans were permitted to move freely into neighboring arab countries, these nations would restrict their entrance. As much as we like to think that arabs stick together the reality is that noone wants to take on the burden of the palestinian conflict. On the other hand, I am pleased reporters are not allowed to enter Gaza. The media is usually extremely bias in these situations and does not portray the true story. Don’t stop unitl we weed out all terrorists

Hamas has brought this pain down on its own people and while the suffering of innocents and militants alike is always a consequence of warfare, no country on earth would tolerate rocket attacks most every day for years without resorting to it, and if it were the US, we would DEMAND action from our leaders.

And then, of course, we would condemn them for it years later…..

Anderson, why not try to go to Gaza from different entrance, am sure the Gaza people will let you in to see what Israel dose not want you or the other world see!!!

Israel must be hiding something if they don’t allow reporters to go in Gaza.

Israel must continue the war against Hamas. Every intelligent guy must understand that this is a war against Radical Islam!! We must all unite together against this danger!! Today it’s in Israel and India but it will get everywhere if we don’t fight it!! Sending my full support to the Israeli troops!!

I think you do very good reporting. I understand how frustrating it must be not to be able to go in, but as a retired soldier, I can tell you that war zones are extremely dangerous for reporters, especially for those with video cameras (which tend to look like RPG’s from a distance). I don’t believe that you need to photograph dead bodies for people to realize that war is terrible. I also (as a military person) understand Israel’s tactical advantage to not having Hamas know their every move on the ground. During the last war with Lebanon, reporters were giving away troop and tank counts and locations. Hezbollah maped out a lot of their targets by what they saw on TV.

I think reporters being kept out of Gaza can certainly be justified. I’ve personally visited both Israel and the Gaza Strip and can honestly say that the “rules” as we know them in America DO NOT apply! The Hamas are an extremist group who thrive on doing damage, not preserving life. Who’s to say that if reporters were allowed in that they wouldn’t be hurt?? We can’t be ignorant and assume that there’s some kind of “safety zone” where the media can just hang out and do their thing! Not everyone in the world is as obsessed with freedom of speech as America is, and I think this is one situation where we need to sit back, and accept that we won’t always get what we want (shocking, I know). Good luck to AC and all other media!

Safety issues aside (and those are big issues), it is convenient not to allow reporters access when what is going on is potentially embarassing.

Although the points can be argued back and forth as to who is right, and who is wrong, it highlights, in the most graphic ways, the truth about war: when there is a war and blood is shed, nobody really “wins”.

When you see little children, no matter what side they are on, suffering or dying, then it becomes apparent that somewhere, somehow, sombody let them down.

I find it ironic that the Holy Land seems incable of peace, forgiveness, and accepting others. Are these not the tenets of the great faiths that reside there? When will faith turn into reality? I am sure that if Moses, or Mohammed, or Jesus were standing on the same hill as you Anderson, they would be weeping.

Instead of tossing out our faith in the “modern” world, we need to reclaim it again. Where are we going without it?

If rockets were being fired into t=your backyards every day tyou would want it stopped. HAMAS puts children in the line of fire to protect themselves. That is why they are being hurt. What don’t the Isreal needs to protect its people. I find it amazing that you can condemn Isreal for protecting its children put never a word about HAMAS.

Hi Anderson,

I love watching your show. I like the way you go right to where the action is instead of sitting in your safe studio. You are one of the best war correspondents around. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

Anderson,
I really hope that you and your team can get into Gaza soon. I am very skeptical about the veracity of information coming from both sides (Palestinian an Israeli) and I believe that CNN will be less biased. I am shocked and saddened by the number of children dying and I am confident that media efforts are likely to mitigate the carnage. Please stay safe.

Lyndon
Richmond, Virginia

Anderson keep up the good work. I am all for Israel bombing Gaza. Hamas is a terrorist organization that needs to be wiped out. The Palestinian people are missing a great opportunity to overthrow Hamas. Now is the time for the Palestinian people to stick together now that Hamas has been weakend from Isralei forces. If Israel doesn’t finish the job this time it will all start over again. I say wipe out the Hamas regime and anyone who may be aiding them and we know who those axis of evil countries are.

Anderson, thank you for reporting what you can about this war. Please ask why Egypt isn’t allowing the injured Palestinians into their country for refuge and medical aid. Israel and Hamas are at war, and people die in wars. Reporters from the West are not going into Gaza, as their safety can’t be assured, and Hamas will use every means possible to take them hostage, along with Gilad Shalit, to use as bargaining tools. If that would happen, Israel again would be held to a higher standard of behavior for not preventing another action by Hamas. Anderson, I beg you to remind people that Hamas stated reason for being is to see the destruction of a recognized nation in the world, with every right to exist, and every right to protect and defend their nation. This action started with Hamas, but will end with Israel making their point. Anderson, please ask the question: where was the world crying out when ‘homicide’ bombers went into markets, schools and synagogues and killed innocent civilians in Israel? Where was the world when rockets fly into Israeli citizen’s neighborhoods? Please, please, ask those questions, or make a statement about this? Where are the other Arab nations to help aid the Palestinians who are without access to basic necessities? Also, at some point, can you address where the billions of dollars in aid that were supposed to build infrastructure for the Gazan’s has gone? Into arms bought from Iran?

Israel is the inocent and victim in any confilict and whoever object to that fact is an antisemite and/or a terrorist! The Israeli Army is built with our Tax Dollars and we the united states and our kids are going to collect all the results and ramifications of our blind support to Israel.

It’s interesting that everyone blames Israel. The Egyptians are blocking the people of Gaza. Let the Egyptians take them!

As always, when 10,000 rockets were fired at Israeli civilians, all the bleeding heart liberals had nothing to say. Now everyone pities all the Palestinians who elected the very government that got them into trouble…

Wait.. I forgot – It’s OK to kill Jews… right?

Anderson, get into Gaza by hook or crook. Show the world Israel’s butchery which american dollars is paying for! The world needs to know about Israel’s war crimes!! The truth is Gaza is so congested (the most cogestion on planet earth) that no matter where the palestinian fighters are, they are among civilians. But unlike a civilized nation, Israel does not care about non-jewish civilians; they do not care if they kill them by the hundreds or thousands. Remember, Israel itself is a nation for its JEWISH citizens according to their own definition. That is the most racist regime on earth now!

I’m tired of Israel’s continued attempts to play the poor victim. They seal off a country, block food, water and aid and then say poor me when those oppressed people fight to be free.

I love the comment by Jack Cohen. Really… why not use the tunnels? They proved to work so far…

Michael……..Israel is occupier. You cannot deprive people of their basic rights and expect them to throw chocolate at you. Palestinians in Gaza are desperate for everything…… People have the right to resist occupation. Get it? End the occupation, violence will end.

But Israel sees all the land of palestine as their god promised land. By their agression, confiscation of land, settlements…they are hoping palestinians will leave. That will never happen………get it?

All I know is the general populous should get away from anyone in Hamas as quick as possible, they are going to get you killed. And if they support Hamas, well, I guess they are also targets. Do I think the Israelis are deliberately targeting civilians? Of course not. Hamas started this round by launching their stupid rockets at Israel, now they are complaining about retaliation. Hamas is a culture of death, they love death, how do you fight insane people?

It’s interesting that everyone blames Israel. The Egyptians are blocking the people of Gaza. Let the Egyptians take them!

As always, when 10,000 rockets were fired at Israeli civilians, none of the people now complaining against Israel had very much to say. Now everyone pities all the Palestinians who elected the very government that got them into trouble…

many of the commentors must be to young to remember the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and it’s leader Yasser Arafat. These people prayed on everyone, blew up planes, killed passengers on cruise ships, killed athletes at the olympics and more. And yes, they killed americans. You have been blinded by the news services and their own political agendas that only show what they feel you should know. If you want the truth, turn off the tv and read a history book.

Where is the sympathy for the millions of innocents that have died since the beginning of recorded history because of conflicts? It is those same people who allowed the aggressors to get into control.

Germany had Hitler and was supported by the people,
Japan had the Empiror and Tojo, again supported by the people.
Ceasers, Atilla, Pharohs, Bush, all had the majority support.

Hamas was elected by the Palestinians. they themselves are not innocent.

For all of those people that are condemning Israel, I would like to know what other option you think Israel had. Diplomacy obviously did not work! Why should we expect Israel to be pushed around by terrorists or allow a terrorist organization, whose mission is to destroy Israel, to gain power/weapons? It is an unfortunate situation civilians in Gaza find themselves, but I suggest next election don’t vote in a terrorist organization.

Be very careful out there.

-Mike

The Israelis are murdering civilians left and right — that’s why they won’t let reporters into Gaza. The Israelis not only have a state based on apartheid, but now they won’t let the world see they have turned into the next Third Reich. Israelis = exterminators.

Hey AC, I like your courage and style of reporting and moreso the courage to report in really tough places like Rwanda, Gaza, under the Ocean, with Gorilla’s in Africa etc etc.

Take care of yourself – those guys don’t quite respect international law and don’t care if you’re CNN or you were with Cathy Grifith on New Years Eve.

Live to ring in another New Year’s.

Our Prayers are with you, Partner….

It is time to eradicate all of the Palistinians. After decades of being offered peace settlements that would end the fighting, they always find an excuse not to accept. At least three generations of Palistinians have been brainwashed by the hate mongers that make up the “Freedom Fighters” of Palistinians.
They can’t get out because all of the other countries close their borders to them as well as Israel. How convinient for Egypt to let Israel take the blame while they look over the wall at the Palistianians. No other country in the world wants the Palistinians. They were a nomadic people, like gypsies, before the United Nations gave the land to Israel that it is on. Then, all of a sudden, those nomads decided it was their homeland.
So tired of the whole mess. The Palestinians are idiots.

I wouldn’t let reporters in either, it’s easy to say how you would like to be in the middle of things in Gaza when there are no buildings exploding around you but you know as well as the IDF knows that at the first sign of trouble some poor solder is going to have to risk his life to save you while your on a mission to get good ratings unless of coarse it’s Geraldo Rivera because we all know he isn’t doesn’t do the things he does for “ratings”

Hey anderson,
I love watching you report from conflicts around the world,but this time i think its best for you to stay out of that chaos in gaza.DONT want you to get hurt.

I can understand israel because last time in lebanon,news reporters were streaming live updates of the israeli forces. locations and other facters that would assist the enemy was being broadcasted live !
so all the Hizballa had to do is watch TV and they would know how to act against the israeli army,setting ambushes and traps.

As a soldier,I know this kind of information can doom any operation.
who ever has more information has the upper hand !
people need to understand that.

I WISH I wouldn’t have to know war tactics but this world is full off unuseful violence !!! when will it END ???

Anderson:

Makes you wonder who the terrorists are. Israel claims that these measures are necessary; I’d imagine that their adversaries share their feelings. We protect Israel because they are our democratic partner in the region…some partnership.

What I wonder is why on earth the civilians didn’t leave Gaza when they were warned? I’ll tell you why, because they didn’t think Israelis had the balls to follow through. Now they are complaining that they are getting shelled. They told you to leave, but you didn’t, and therefore you are considered an active militant. I know for darn sure that if flyers were dropping down on my neighborhood warning me to leave or be bombed, I would be out of there.

Hamas is responsible for what is happening in gaza, they are the ones that said that the cease fire brokered by egypt will not be renew and immediately started to launch more rockets, it’s up to the people in gaza to decide what to do with hamas, hamas has kipnapped their own people and put them in harms way, how long they thought Israel was going to sit back and watch the rockets fly by, now everyone wants israel to stop what everyone new it was comming calling it and atrocity, well folks hamas started it and israel will finish it enough is enough

Hi Anderson,

You’re doing a great job out there covering the story, I hope reporters get in to cover the story and show the world whats really going on there. It is really terrible to see what the civilians are going through in Gaza without a way out of the city, food, water or medical supplies and now with shelter’s being bombed, to me it seems very inhumane of whats going on in Gaza.

Anderson, you’re a wonderful reporter and you know better. It is clear the Israeli’s are protecting the welfare of you and your peers, nothing more, nothing less. They have nothing to hide. They are not covert terrorists lying in wait for the next arab/Palestinian to blow up as their self-made enemies do. Has the world forgotten 9/11? Is terrorism (i.e. Hamas) suddenly in vogue? I cannot believe the responses I’m reading here! Israel, is a tiny, tiny country that everyone seems to want to get their bloody (and I mean that literally) hands on! Why is it there isn’t such an uproar about the fighting in Somalia, the crisis is Dafur? And why is the world standing behind terrorists? Have we already forgotten Mumbai? There is something terribly wrong here.

Stay safe Anderson…

Obviously, as long as Bush can blame Hamas – the duly democratic elected party in Gaza NOT recognized by the USA because they would NOT do the USA’s bidding – Israel will continue to bomb and kill innocent civilians in Gaza. Israel does this with the FULL SUPPORT of the USA; the UN can do NOTHING as long as the USA says NO! [Bush & the USA will NOT ALLOW the UN to stop this senseless slaughter.]

Still wondering why the Arabs have a growing hatred of AMERICA?

am totally disappointed at almost all the responses i have read on this blog about anderson not been able to get into gaza, instead of responders showing their outrage at the isrealis for delibreately blocking access into gaza so they can carry out this modern day massacre of innocent palestinians supported by my hard earned TAX DOLLARS. please enough of this blood letting by blood tasty hounds on the loose

The idiocy of Hamas to sacrifice children is incredible. They will never win approval from the outside world as long as they keep looking like a bunch of vicious, mongrel dogs by firing rockets indiscriminately into Israel. Stop shooting at Israel and they will stop shooting at Hamas. Anderson should focus more on that angle than anything else.

The responsibility for this humanitarian crisis rests squarely on the Palestinian citizens who elected Hamas and support their policies. Israel is defending its people from constant terrorism from Hamas. The press, continuously reporting only the pain suffered by the “innocent civilians” who have done absolutely NOTHING to stop Hamas, is essentially, (surely not unwittingly?) supporting Hamas’ propaganda war.

If the violence is EVER to stop, Palestinians must accept the state of Israel – period. End of discussion. Otherwise, they deserve the pain and suffering they bring upon themselves.

Hamas and the Muslim extremists are at war with the ideals of Israel and US. Their terror will not stop with rockets from Gaza into Israel. Until the Middle East, a breeding ground for Muslim extremists becomes educated enough to recognize Israel’s right to exist and it’s ally the US to live and promote a peaceful democratic society they will continue to fight their Infitada [holy war] against the west’s Ideals. The extremists are prepared to fight to the death. It should be understood then that it is better them than us. It’s an unfortunate tragedy that they hide within their civilian population causing heavy causalities to their own people.

Be safe A.C and make sure to let us know what’s really going on there?

We trust your reports!

Is there such a thing as a palestinian civilian? I mean when you elect a terrorist organization such as Hamas don’t you automatically become a palestinian militant? How is Isreal or anyone supposed to tell the difference a civiian and a run of the mill terrorist. I think Isreal is doing the right thing. Don’t let them out. Keep up the pressure. They brought it on themselves.

If the Cuban government decided to launch rockets into Florida daily and kill civilians, would Americans object to a military retalitation? Would our government just sit around and wait for the UN to try and make Cuba stop rather then take military action? I doubt it. Israel has an inherent right as a nation to defend itself, and unfortunately Hamas is hiding behind the Palestianian civilian population. Also I think Israel is justified in not allowing reporters into a war zone, a simple reason could be safety. Another reason is for military purposes, how can they launch strikes on Hamas if there is a chance a well-known international reporter is in an area that is going to attacked?

Some of you guys skipping the whole truth. The main reason HAMAS got created because of to end occupation of Israel. If Israel wasn’t occuping land they wouldn’t even created at the first place. Recently Israel block access to Gazas air,land and water which promt rocket attacks. I do condemn killing innocent Israelis civilian but we need to look at the root cause and solve that which can bring long lasting peace. Also as a US taxpayer I don’t want to see Israel is getting our FREE arms to kill innocent civilian. Thats needs to end too.

The media shouid not report Israeli propaganda as long as they are being kept from eye witness accounts within Gaza.

After reading the comments, most of which are so supportive of the Palestinians, I recognize that unfortunately we as a country and as a society have not learned anything. 9/11 was not big enough of a tragedy to teach us a lesson. Imagine a mini 9/11 all the time–I want to see how many of these comments would change. Do we have to experience a bigger tragedy to understand a country such as Israel?

And the demands by the so called reporters is quite unreasonable. I think the media is quite biased…towards the Palestinian side.

It’s simple: Israel does not want evidence of the genocide taking place!

It’s clear that human right violation beyound proportion are going on in GAZA, i belive Egpiantian president has been paid off , what the world is allowing to happan is simply barbaric attacks on the civilians.
If Palatinians were allowed to live in dignity, with freedom & allowed free trade and travel there would be no Hammas, that is the root of this conflicts, how would you react if you were held hostage in your own home ( for 40+ years) and you had to check with your neighbor if you were allowed to get food, water and wehather or not you were allowed to go to the park or not ?

Israel finally smartened up. There is no need for foreign reporters in Gaza. They only show Palestinian casualties and rarely mention the damage caused by the Hamas rockets that precipitated this conflict. They fail to show the Hamas rocket launchers or terrorists shooting from the rooftops of schools and hospitals. There is no law that demands journalists be permitted to enter Gaza, just an arrogance by the media. Israel’s decision is a smart way to keep these journalists objective!

People continue to claim that Hamas is using schools and mosques for cover, but the only ‘evidence’ of that is from the Israeli government. Without the media being allowed in Gaza, we will never know the truth.
Also, people continue to forget how Hamas came to power – because they said they would do something about the horrible prison the people have been living in for decades.
Let me ask you, if you were at home in your home state and the rest of the country was given over to a Muslim theocracy that kept encroaching on your land while preventing you from leaving your state or getting food, water, or supplies, what would you do? Would you become a freedom-fighter/terrorist?
I am in no way supporting the rocket fire from Hamas, but I do understand their despair.

Hey Anderson, how is it that Israel lets you into Israel to see whatever
you want but won’t let you into Gaza? Who did you say is keeping
you out of Gaza? That’s not hard to figure out really. While Israel
is protecting you, you want to go into Gaza and find out what is
really happening? How much sense does that make?

Where are those Western governments who demanded open access for the journalists and UN to go into the cyclone stroke area when Burma government closed down the Delta. The first lady Laura Bush should come out and strongly denounce the Israelis. The US and other Western governments have double standards.

There is a reason Anderson is not allowed in. Foreign press has always reported the news in a subjective way and Israel wants to mitigate the damage this does. Israel has nothing to hide- it publishes live videos of the fighting online voluntarily. As to Gazans having nowhere to go- ask their neighbouring Arabs why they won’t take them.

Let’s see… Palestinians voted Hamas into power… Hamas wants nothing less than the destruction of Israel… Meaning that is what the people of PALESTINE (wherever that exists on a map???) want the same thing… Hamas costantly shoots rockets into Israel under a truce but Israel does not respond… Hamas intentionally let the truce not get renewed… Etc…, Etc…

Meanwhile, the CIVILIZED world has to listen to a bunch of people from a certain ethnicity cry and moan and talk about how innocent all the Palestinians are…. Not to mention REPORTERS trying to validate their own screwed up opinions about wha is going on.. So sorry Coop, no go this time because the Israelis are not stupid. They allow the the Al Jazeera in so that they can show what they are doing to the ones that it MATTERS for… All they can do is show it and it is up to that WHACKED OUT media to twist it and turn it into typical MIDDLE EAST DOUBLE TALK……………

GET OVER IT!!

Who said that the Palestinians are killing innocent Israelis. Palestinian home-made rockets did not kill any Israeli view of the vulnerability. Israel cheat the world, and the movement of a false picture of the situation there. Israel has killed 550 in a week, including more than 100 children and master. Israel is bombing the homes, mosques and schools have no mercy on Gaza, Israel the pretext of a mass grave of Palestinian rockets, which killed one Israeli, before the massacre

I think it is great that the reporters can’t get in and report biased information to the public. This undermines war strategies. It seems that the media reports only the bad and taints the public view of the underdog…which is Israel. No one wants to report what Hamas is doing to Israel. They are the ones who are targeting innocent civilians. They are the ones who started this conflict and Israel should not be expected not to respond to these terrorists.

If rockets were being launched from Baja California it would be completely justified to remove the threat. Israel has been dealing with this for years. Hamas broke the cease fire. Terrorists in Gaza use schools and hospitals as launching pads because they know were stupid enough to be outraged at Israel.

January 6th, 2009 9:37 am ET

Don’t you find it curious that in other “wars” the military protect the citizens of their country by providing them with bomb shelters, gas masks, etc. In Gaza, Hamas sends their military leaders into the bunkers and leaves the defenseless citizens above ground with no protection. Why are the leaders in hiding and the children, women and other citizens left unprotected.

Adeline…….That is what the Palestinian people get for electing a terrorist organization as their government. This is brilliant of the Israelis to handle things this way. It is going to force the Palestinian people to realize that their “Government” can not provide for or protect them. In fact they make things WAY worse.

Hmas and the palestinian people are like that child of someone you know that has been in Juvenile Hall 6 times before the age of 10. Sometimes you gotta just teach them a lesson even though it might hurt them.

If the Israelis will not allow reporting (with pictures) from Gaza, all media should not show damage from Hamas rockets in Israel. I am sure that the damage in Israel is minor compared to what is being done to Palestinian cities. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking everything Israel does is in our (America’s) best interests. It’s time we cleared our heads and beheld the truth.

Based on the history of both sides (i.e. suicide bombings and plane hijackings), I would lean more towards trusting Israel. I believe they are more willing to live more peacefully than Hamas. Regarding casualties this is still a war, and there WILL be friendly fire and collateral damage in war – - that’s unavoidable even if it’s unintentional.

You guys talk as if Israelis aren’t suffering at all. The Hamas leaders are the ones putting their people in this situations. They don’t know what “peace” or “negotiation” means. Stop the rockets over Israel and you’ll have peace. That simple.

Am I wrong, or hasn’t Hamas, acting as the elected government for the Gaza Strip area, limited press access for years? As of late 2007, don’t you need specific permission from Hamas to photograph the area? I know it’s a shame that a war zone with hundreds of civilians being killed can’t be filmed from the front lines – but at least Israel may just want to protect the reports from harm, and may not be hoping to just filter information.

Well. Maybe there is the reason(s) why they do not allow anybody in the area.
1. reporters could be killed or injured as is ANY war (especially AC) …..
2. security reasons.

Do reporters really show whats going on?

They also think they are undestructable, does anyone know how many have died in Iraq in recent years? the number is huge.

They run in thinking their press badge is a bullet proof vest

There is enough blame to go around, but the IDF needs to restrict their heavy handed approach. Also, the media seems to be one-sided in their approach. As an American, I’m extremely unhappy with the peace process and I’m ashamed that our military technology and funding is being used to sacrifice women and children.

Israel’s PR campaign is a SHAM. Why not let reporters in so they can cover exactly what is going on?

I thought Israel was a democracy… how stupid of me.

do you think the us will intervene?

Wake Up, this is a war, and the object is to win. Not only should Israel not allow the press in, but they should not give them any relevant information which may compromise their peoples. The “Gaza land giveaway” by Israel to Hamas is a failed experiment. Hamas has proven that they have no interest in providing economic opportunities for their population, so it’s time for them to be replaced. Peace through victory!

If you want a fast track to victory, the worst thing you can do is let a bunch of reporters run around undermining your efforts with position reports etc. It’s called war and it’s not pretty. That said, I can’t believe we are now paying for THREE WARS.

How pathetic, how could one country that calls itself a democracy control the media of every other country in the world?

What do you expect this is a war. They don’t need reporters in Gaza they need medical personnel and undertakers. I don’t blame Israel for this war any more than I would blame India if it attacked Pakistan, or Iraq attacked Iran, or the US attacked Pakistan to enilate the terrorists organizations that are organizing and acting out terrorism against their nations. I think Obama should stick to the agenda set forth by the president in 2001 when he said we are coming after the terrorists and if a country sponsors or protects the terrorists they are not safe from military action either. Maybe the Palestinians will execute the Hamas leaders and their followers and reconcile differences with Israel so they can live as Americans and Canadians do and Americans and Mexicans. The Palistinians obviously support Hamas which is a Terrorist organization determined to enilate the Jews in Israel with help from Iran.

International reporters offer excellent cover for Hamas terrorists, as do Gaza’s suicidal civilians, and UN tools. You know, there’s already plenty of coverage of the combat all over the liberal (anti-semitic) media.

BTW, there’s lots of violence and dead civilians in the Tamil north of Sri Lanka right now… why don’t you go cover that? Or the ongoing Jihad in southern Thailand? Oh right… no Jooooos to demonize.

Not letting reporters in makes one wonder if there is indeed more going on then Israel lets on. We embed journalists into Iraq because we really do not have anything to hide. If we did we would not allow access to those areas. Not letting any journalists in there raises considerable questions. Israel is only diminishing its support among the general population here in the US. If their intentions are as noble as they claim or they are truly fighting in response then let the world see. Bush is essentially gone now and Barack is the President we elected and he seems to follow what the vast majority of Americans believe and think and Israel is rapidly losing support, I know of only a small handful that support them. Without US and international protection Israel would be doomed. They need to walk a thin line here and by not allowing journalists in they are clearly sending the wrong message. I would be tired of having to live my life with rockets and bombings daily and would fight back or try for a sustainable peace but you cannot claim to be a democratic nation and deny access. The journalists are not there for any reason other than to report to the world, and more specifically to the US, the truth as to what is going on. Our government is not pushing because more often then not they are serving their own interests and not the people’s. Hopefully all will change. Hamas is an evil organization but we need to help the people fight them. They are a terrorist organization and are we not fighting a war on terror? Unless Israel has something to hide they need to let the world view what is going on.

Hey Anderson,

During the bombings of Mumbay last month, we watched all the CNN reports from Indian reporters working for CNN.
Don’t you think it’s time for CNN to hire reporters from within the occupied territories, just like it does with other parts of the world. The only news agencies reporting what is exactly happening these days are those who have reporters from within Gaza, like Al Jazeera, Al Arabia, LBC, Future TV, Egypt TV, and of course the Palestinian agency Ramattan. Has the time come for CNN also to hire reporters living in Gaza so they will not need permission from Israel to show the truth.
I hope you can get in soon to show us the size of the massacre.

Lets be honest here. it wouldn’t make the blindest bit of difference whether U.S. reporters get in or not. We only hear one side of anything got to do with Palestine here in the U.S. There isn’t one channell that challenges the propaganda that explains away the murder of innocent Palestinians by Israel every day.

I’ll bet this comment doesn’t get published.

If u get a chance to go in there, try to report israel’s terrorism as a terrorism is supposed to be reported. And you should declare Israel as a terrorist state killing children / infants. A newest Israel’s venture is air attack on UN school where 35 innocent children have been killed. What else can one expect. I am speechless.

I am happy the media is not allowed into Gaza this is Israeli military operation its nobody business how the Israeli deal’s with terrorist.

It never ceases to amaze this American and Jew just how much hate there is for Israel. No one cares about the real genocide in darfur and various other places, but 500 palestinians die (because Hamas, whom they elected, use them as human sheilds) and the whole world is in a tizzy. Sorry but no.

Hamas is a terrorist organization who was elected by the Palestinian people. And since they were elected their rocket attacks to Israel have only increased. If Israel wanted to wipe out the palestinians, they could easily do that. That only 500 are dead in a tightly packed city speaks volumes.

All of those dead palestinian children btw, those deaths are on Hamas. Israel doesn’t launch attacks surrounding themselves with Israeli children, hence this doesn’t happen on the Israeli side.

You people really need to take a deep look at yourselves. Pacifism is one thing but your hatred of Israel (notice very little mention that Egypt too has closed its borders, effectively the same action as Israel, even though Egypt isn’t at war with the palestinians) leads me to think that perhaps just a bit of anti semitism is involved in these responses.

I am very saddened to see the number of comments against Israel. Wake up fellow citizens to the reality we the citizens of the west are going to have to face in this world – a growing Islamic menace that is bend on destroying the world by first removing all Jews from their home-land and then coming after us in America and elsewhere in Europe as we have seen happening in France and other EU countries. Plus, it is time to go back and visit chapters of our modern civilization history – any time an evil force is rising to destroy the Jews, the world ends up paying a price and the evil force is ultimately destroyed (e.g., Hitler). With that in mind, I hope you all will come to sense with the truth and not pretend to be “humanists” at the expanse of the Jewish people. Hamas (and its supporters in Iran) is an evil force that should be defeated.

We, nor anyone enjoy killing civilians. But what is the use in having military muscle if you can’t flex it to protect your citizens? Would you sleep well at night knowing the Canadians are shooting rockets that kill completely indiscriminately (due to the fact that they lack guidance systems) and contently stand by and wait till it hits close to home, or do you send in your fly boys with precision missiles, take steps to keep the enemy in one place, and destroy them no matter where they try to hide. Just as you have seen in Iraq schools, hospitals, and mosques can all be great places to conceil weapons and soldiers dressed as civilians while using guerilla tactics. Using the media as a weapon for support. Stop the media and there is less political fallout. We just want the missiles to stop, the civilians are just as guilty aiding Hamas to conduct operations. So if you don’t have guts, a rifle, and put your life on the line for what you believe in, shut up, we can’t hear you, and we don’t care.

Yep you are all right, the only reason the media is denied access is because of all of the atrocities being comitted by the big bad Israelis. Isreal has said stop the rockets and they stop the air strikes.

No blames Hamas for what they do. Typical double standards. I feel for the innocent lives that are lost. Tell me who wouldn’t defend themselves. The rocket attacks haven’t stopped. They have said they have no intention of stopping. Isreal has had hundreds of rockets fired into it’s border towns in the last few months. When will this stop? (I guess when Hamas lays down it’s demands, get’s a cease fire and re-fortifies itself. Just like it has happened in the past.)

Why should Isreal stop? Should it not defend it’s citizens? Does it not have the right? Is it Isreal’s fault that a TERRORIST ORGANIZATION decided to pick a fight with them?

I guess it is easier to paint Isreal as the bad guy instead of reporting the truth about Hamas. They are the reason civilians are being killed.

Anderson – be safe – I wish the same for the million or so innocent people caught in this mess. Israel is hiding their war crimes by not allowing any press in. This is easy, control the news and you can tell the people whatever you want and they will buy it. The israeli will never show the truth – because deep down inside they know that the rest of the humanity would not stand for this holocaust to continue. I have already started boycotting all things israel and will continue to do so. This is no more than a political stunt to win over elections. Timing is perfect, since worthless Bush is only if office for a few more days (Thank God for that). Obama may have a bit more concsience to allow this massacre to happen. I hope that the world understands that just because Bush is behind Israel, I (a US citizen) am absolutely not for Israel – they started this mess and must be dealt with harshly.

If the people reviewing this blog are not biased, they will go ahead and publish my thoughts.

Peace Out.

We got some serious Ethnic Cleansing going on in Gaza and Israel wants to simply put a lid on it so no one understands their true intent.

I don’t really agree with what Israel is doing right now, but Israel has every reason to block access of foreign film crews to the fighting. Film crews would at best be a distraction to Israeli troops, and at worst broadcast from locations that would alter their military operations or provide free intelligence to any Hamas leader with a satellite tv or video-capable blackberry. And from a political standpoint, most world opinion is already against Israel’s current action anyway – so who cares if some journalists get mad, and why let in a bunch of people who generally portray events by competing to see who can find the most shocking, extreme footage?

Well, many have said that there are no reporters being allowed in Gaza, on the other hand there are hundreds of reporters in Gaza reporting to other mainstream media outlets like AL ARABIA and AL Jazeera. Seems like many reputable news agencies have been able to report from Gaza without hindrance from Hamas. It is only CNN and FOX news that seem to be sitting on a hill far away from the atrocities that are being committed. Interesting, when will we have free press again in the US???

Hamas was formed in response to Israeli occupation. They don’t send rockets just for the sake of it. First don’t forget that Jews stole their land murdering thousands of Arabs down the road. Before 1947 Jewish paramilitary organizations threw grenades into civilian buildings and bombed trains. Isn’t that what you would call today a “terrorism”? During WW2 Polish resistance fought the same way, killing Germans. They hid their weapons in apartments because they didn’t have barracks. The sad fact is that majority of Americans are so ignorant so that their own government can sell them its foreign policy.

There is only one reason Israel does not want reporter into Gaza: the IDF does not want any eye witnesses to the massacre which is taking place there.

Anderson: keep up the good work. You will get a chance to get in there once the killing fields are quite and the dead and mutilated are accounted for. I hope that the decent Israeli people will not let their leaders and military continue this holocaust against the Palestinian people. Its a crime of the worst kind just like the one committed against Jews by the Nazis and Russians by Stalin during the second world war, the Bosnians not so long ago, the recent genocide in Sudan, etc., etc..

i am so sick and tired of who broke what cease fire. enough, this is a war. in wars, sometimes innocent people die and that is unfortunate.

like golda meir once said, “i dont hate arafat for killing my children, i hate him for making me kill his children.”

so do we continue to allow this war to continue???? r do we go to the root of this problem????? the whole world knows, for a fact, that hamas doesnt manufacture rockets and bombs…..so lets completly isolate the culprits….

or in another words, stop punishing the pupets(hamas) and lets go after the pupet masters(iran and syria). once these 2 countries are stopped dead in their tracks from supplying any type of aid to hamas or hezbolah, the free peace loving world could get on with their business….

What’s this about Gazas wanting to flee their homeland?

A) they say they will stay & fight to the end

B) in previous wars when allowed to flee they cried they were being chased out

C) they hate the neighboring countries

D)they love their leadership which was elected in a democratic landslide

Besides, they can raise a white flag & be given entry to Israel if they are refused by their brothers & sisters. They also have access to toll-free confidential telephone lines (all languages) to request an exit permits.

Try this in any other country!

It’s time for Palestinian people to start loving their own children then to hate Israel. When they understand this concept, they will get their peace. Until then, they should learn by getting rockets and artillery shells delivered right into their houses.

Germans learned it, Japanese learned it, why Palesntinians can’t learn it?

I hope that Israel won’t stop till the mission of cleaning Hamas out of Gaza is over.

Michael writes:

“Hey Anderson, why aren’t you and the other reporters out there focusing more on the fact that Hamas is hiding their rockets and ammunition in schools,, masques, homes, etc. risking the lives of the Palestinian people?!”

How can they, Israel won’t let them in to see for themselves and verify things. In a democracy my friend, reporters don’t take the word of the government at face value.

Hamas was founded from people that TRULY understand what Israel has put the Palestinian people through. Al-Jazeera has aired the PM of Turkey and he is calling out Israel and asking them to show proof that these rockets are doing harm. With 50+ rockets a day wouldn’t you think more innocent Israelis would be dieing?

To this minute…..213 Children DEAD….89 women are DEAD…..where is the justice? Where is the world? No reporters allowed..why not? What does Israel have to hide? Why isn’t the world waking up and realizing what is going on…

It’s comforting to see Americans that truly understand the situation because the Palestinian people are hurting and this injustice must stop.

Israel, The new Holocaust perpetrators!!!! That’s what it is. Don’t hide it CNN…

Anderson,

Your reporting is supremely admirable. But don’t go into Gaza! We don’t want anything to happen to you.

Someone explain to me how droping bombs intentionaly on schools, university or mosquee can stop the firing of rockets by Hamas. Someone explain to how a total blockade of a territory of more than a million of people, leaving them without food, clean water, electricity and without medication, is a compliance to a ceasefire?
Israel must stop to be the center and the main reason of the international community instability and conflict. It was first Sadam Hussein with his so-called weapons of mass destruction that threatened Israel, then it became Iran after Saddam was hanged like an animal, then it is Hamas, and so on. Enough is enough. The World needs peace and prosperity, not these unjustified killings of children and vulnerable people. The USA should wake up and let Israel leaders face their criminal actions. No state can be allowed to occupy, to starve, to kill other people in the name of their unjustified fear.

I meant once the killing fields are quiet. And there are other ways to deal with Hamas if the Israeli leadership really wants to instead of killing scores of women and children and destroying the country using mass-killing bombs which are forbidden by humankind including decent Israelis and the Geneva Conventions. Anderson, I know you are not biased, but please do not be influenced by news fed to the media by one side which is the Israeli military side.

Let reporters in? Does this exist anywhere else?

And if granted entry & shot at by either side………will Israel be blamed?

Maybe Israel should allow arab & muslim reporters for some unbiased reporting. Besides, what they write does not require first-hand witnessing. Their articles were written long ago.

Maybe if Hamas stopped using the Gaza residents as human shields, we would not have so many civilian casualties. I think Israel needs to step up the pressure as I am sick and tired of suicide bombings and rocket attacks.

Why is no one upset when an Israeli school is hit by a stray rocket, but everyone is concerned when a mosque is bombed that is being used to store weapons. People should admit they are anti semitic instead of phrasing it any other way.

In response to Harrison – The reason Hamas has to resort to terrorism is because of the way Israel has oppressed the Palestinians since taking away their land and the fact that the rest of the world turns a blind eye to thier plight. We need reportes to tell the world the truth.

Couldn’t you make a deal with Hamas the same way the deal went with Hussein? Then CNN can make up whatever they want! You people think we don’t remember.

Im glad some people are saying what truely is happening. Hamas, a regime of people hiding behind there civilians at church’s, schools, and neighborhoods, are fighting a cowardly war. There are without a doubt going to be civilian casualties, as long has hamas uses such tactics. Where is the uproar that? If the USA was being bombed at times 50x’s a day from Mexico or Cuba would we be so quick to judge an invasion or ground attack?

We had to wait until WWII was over to find all the horros of the holocaust, because reporters were not allowed there either. It is increidible that Israel the very land that asked the world to never forget the tragedies of war is choosing this path to hide what is going on. If there is nothing to see, there is nothing to forget.

Perhaps the UN should impose a “no fly” zone, and the US Navy should enforce it. Let the IDF take on the Fifth Fleet!

Oh, that’s right, Israel attacked the US Navy once before, and nothing was ever done about it.

Until our politicians wake up and put either our national interests or human rights ahead of the special interests that supposedly support them, nothing will change in the Middle East. It sickens me to hear politicians claim to be “friends” of Israel – their allegiance is supposed to be to US!!!!

Give me a break. CNN and Coop think there is some type of international Freedom of the Press. If they dont want them in then good and who cares. How about CNN doing a real story about the crack heads outside their offices in Atlanta beggin for money!

Anderson – Israel is restricting the media because their are enough ideologues running amock to cause great harm by distorring their reporting. I quote from today’s Haaretz reporting on an example of distortions from France: “Public television France 2 on Tuesday revealed they had aired photographs that allegedly showed destruction caused by the Israel Air Force during Operation Cast Lead, which were in fact footage of the devastation caused after a militant’s truck full of explosives blew up in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in 2005.” Palliwood – the staging of death scenes for the press, is standard Hamas and Hezbullah art. Remeber Qana in Lebanon in 2006 or France 2’s fabricated death of Mohammed Al Dura in Sept 2000. Sorry. I know you have personally have integrity; alas, the media as a group do not.

to respond to Michael, the Israelis elected a government that has just massacred 40 people in a school, 600 people in a little over a week. So im not sure what your point is?

I never was more ashamed of Israel than I am now after seeing what they’re doing to these Palestinian people. I can’t believe the world saved the Israelites from Hitler and then moved them into this region and now they think have the right to act exactly like the people they had fled. Come on already. Admit it to yourself once and for all. It’s basically a true statement isn’t it?

While I’m at it, I am also ashamed of our Jewish New York Mayor Bloomberg. He looks giddy as he supports his Israel because he’s trying to become New York’s mayor for the umteenth time. At no point does he even show remorse for all of the babies being mutilated on the Palestinian side .

This war, coming at such a convenient time, as Bush is stepping down, makes me realize why the rest of the planet is pissed at the Israel-US relationship. What a liability this one small country has become for us.

You should be able to easily get into Gaza via the Rafah crossing, which is not controlled by Israel.

Also, the international community should be able to bring as much humanitarian aid via Rafah as it wishes to, to relief the plight of Gazan civilians. Remember, it is not controlled by Israel.

Why is this not happening if the international community is so concerned about the humanitarian situation?

You are foolish LJroy. only one site has taken weapons out. we attacked israel and have been attacking for many years. they are defending themselves.

it isnt their fault that the people sending rockets keep thier children next to them and shoot out of schools.

israel isnt attacking civilians as we have been doing for many years. they are going for military bases, and launching sites. its hamas’s fault for placing civilians in them.

sorry
Israel is doing a mass grave in the grounds of Palestinian rockets, which killed one Israeli,

Israel doesn’t want anyone to witness or record the genocide and the attacks against the civilians and Gaza. It is really pathetic and shameful that the world is sitting watching doing nothing against Israel clear transgression. Israel lamming Hamas for the violence totally ignoring the fact that Israel started the whole mess by closing Gaza as a punishment for electing hamas on jan 2006. Only then Hamas started launching the missiles to the settlement near Gaza which is part of Gaza according the peace treaty and should have been emptied already. It is not Hamas that moved more than 450,000 Israeli settlers to the west bank violating a clear resolution of UN that clearly forbid Israel to build any settlement over there. Last time I remember killing civilians and kids was identified as terrorism , and world must stop the Zionist terrorism.

Responding to a previous comment. An organization that sends suicide bombers into markets and buses, killing and injuring scores of civilians, is a terrorist organization. When Israel gives notice that it will attack, and Hamaas forces women and children to stand in front of and stay inside of Israeli targets, Israel is the terrorist? Hamaas has fired rockets constantly at Israel from Gaza since they were allowed to occupy it. They aren’t fired with any guidance systems or targeting. How then, can anyone compare the two? Did anyone catch the story of two Palestinian girls killed by a Hamaas rocket that misfired?

Hamas rockets must stop. Hamas has brought this calamity on it’s own people for choosing war instead of peace. The real agressors here are the Hamas militants against their own people and the people of Israel. Do you see Israel in the West Bank? No, you don’t. Why? They are not firing rockets and trying to kill Israelis. Hamas’s time is up. Good luck, Israel. Hope you can finish what you started this time.

If a Saudi,Iranian, Syrian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Libyan and who ever else can get into Gaza. What makes you think the Israels can keep a reporter / journalists out of Gaza? I know Anderson can!

Stop the Rockets….its about the ROCKETS!! Stop the Rockets and the war gets stopped.

I feel for the innocents – but what else can you do? Will the USA take daily Rocket fire from Mexico and do nothing??

it must be hard to be a reporter when reporting from a war zone

When Palestinians stop harboring terrorists and it is deamed safe, then the liberal media will have all the time in the world to defend the citizens who hide these Hamas cowards.. If the people turned them in, there wouldnt be retailation from Israel.

Everyday IDF reports rockets hitting Israel. Where are the pictures of the rockets fired by hamas into Israel., of the loss of life and, the injured Israeli people.. Where are the pictures of Israelis running out of food, water, electricity, medicine and have their their schools and homes destroyed .It is one thing to target Hamas but to use it as an excuse to kill innocent defensless people is highly inhuman.

” john beccia January 6th, 2009 1:41 pm ET

Any place in that region is dangerous. I give AC a lot of credit.”

Spent any time in that region, John? Despite public perception, that’s just not true. I’d take my chances on the streets of Cairo than pretty much any street in America. We might do ourselves a favor to clear our heads long enough to see that the Middle East is not the Wild Wild West. And the clearer a picture one paints of this situation in Gaza, the more they’re lying to you.

What you all dont seem to understand is that Israel is not allowing reporters into Gaza for numerous reasons including the fact that it is a closed military zone. dont you recall when the US army kicked Geraldo Rivera out of Iraq for reporting their exact location.
Israel also does not want more civilians in the way when bombs are going off and rockets are being fired.
Besides for the fact that CNN has not showed the footage that the IDF has posted on the internet showing the hamas terrorists firing rockets from the un school, reporters will only twist the truth more, and pretend that the civilians of Israel(who have bombs and rockets falling all day ) are the enemy.

**To Sam @ 2:10 pm ET

You call the Isreali rockets ACCURATE???!! Over 550 deaths and a huge chunk of that is innocent civilian! How is that accurate. Please explain. Hamaz is a creation and a byproduct of Israel’s terror and oppression to the people of Palestine. Why should they stop firing rockets? Why should they stop defending themselves? Israel can kill kill kill but the Palestinians can’t defend themselves?? THAT’S the doulbe standard you fool! Finally the world has come to learn that what Isreal is really about. They stopped being the victims long ago and have proven to be the real terrorists! Banning the media won’t stop the world from knowing this!

AND SHAME ON OBAMA FOR REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IS GOING ON IN GAZA. He should be ashamed of himself. COWARD!

Shame on Bush for not stepping up either. They do not want a ceasefire b/c they want Isreal to find any Iran weapons and that will give them any excuse to declare another war!!

SHAME ON BOTH OF YOU!

I’m a moslem (arguably not a very good/practicing one, but I digress), and I’m also an American. I’ve been getting bits and pieces of information…hard to tell what’s fact, what’s not. At any rate, I’m going to allow equal level of benefit of the doubt to both sides (Hamas/Palestinians, Israel), which essentially means I believe neither. However, we know neither Hamas nor Israel government is innocent. This is not about doing what’s right. This discord had been going on long enough. Neither will seek peace. This conflict is about who can overpower the other. I would much rather have Israel overpower Hamas, than Hamas take over the region. Why? Because I believe you can be powerful without being a terrorist. And there’s no place for humanity for terrorism.

Anderson Copper can’t wait to get into Gaza so he can give the CNN pro-Palestinian outlook. CNN wants Israel’s destruction so bad they actually sent a reported in with the traitorous Cynthia McKinney so they could give their biased outlook on how Israel stopped them from delivering needed medicine and suppliers to Hamas. Maybe Hamas should have thought about this when they were receiving thousands of rockets from Iran and Hezbollah. Hamas broke the truce and CNN needs to stop making this about how poor Palestinians are suffering at the hands of Israel and make it about how Hamas is destroying it own people. CNN needs to quit making up the news.

We don’t know the truth because our only source of information is the government and or the press.

Reports are coming from Gaza eye-witnesses. Email and communications are very spotty, but that’s war for you. There was a cell phone video the other day after a missile hit a crowded marketplace, it was pretty devastating to watch and the screams were loud.

Let’s hope they allow you guys in soon, but be careful!

Seriously. This all feels like a “vote for me I’m the perfect one” race every time a photo is published on the front page.

With the media covering every little bit, it seems like a big giant pity party.

Both warring parties are spoiled little brats, killing for the sake of killing. Ground both of these toddlers right now because the KILLING MUST STOP NOW! I am sick (at heart) of seeing burnt, holey children at every turn. They’re all evil doers imo, no matter who thinks they’re right or who thinks who started it first. It’s 2009 for god’s sake. Grow UP.

CNN Stop covering the war as if you were the E! Entertainment channel.

Israel does not want International reporters to SEE what is going on. Sadly, Israel does not seem to understand that all those victims of this war, especially the children will grow to hate them! And become future terrorists!

All war does in the Middle-East is help recruit more terrorists!

@ Michael……. yes they elected Hamas……. BUT,…..with Bush’s blessing!

Even if you get in all you will find is wounded woman and children because Hamas cowards hide in bunkers away from the soldiers. They sneak out only to fire rockets next to schools and hospitals and and then run away knowing the Israeli military will strike the site. The only way Hamas can win is to have lots of civilian casualties shown on tv and get the public opinion against the Israelis. They are willing to sacrifice their people to save themselves from this war they started. Someone needs to start reporting how Hamas is using their people as human shields. Their leaders do not care about their people. Report both sides, not just propaganda of terrorist cowards.

I wonder why no one at CNN thought there was a problem when the US invaded Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11. Why is it only when Israel is attempting to protect it’s citizens they are suddenly terrorists….come on Anderson, see things for what they really are. If rockets were raining down on you for years on end, don’t you really think you would have had enough too. Its wrong of Hamas to hide behind it’s civilians, but that what terrorists do, they have no respect for human life, otherwise they wouldn’t blow themselves up

Since nobody would help women and children of Gaza, let’s pray for Iran to go in and save them.

Where are all 20,000 Hamas fighters? They are hiding among civilians! How do you expect Israeli army to distinguish them?!

When HAMAS displays dead children I think “YOU KILLED THEM” –YOU MADE THEM DIE”—-be more peaceful–quit sending rockets into Israel….the world is finally tired of HAMAS as are other nations. Israelie children are dying too. Let palestine be run by respectable arabs–not terrorists.

Why aren’t you covering the missile attacks in the Israelis cities – where Hamas terrosits are deliberately exclusively targeting civilians? Or are Jewish casualties not as interesting?

I find it amazing that Israel always has to be the bad guy when they go against there enemies. I have been following the Israeli-Palestianian conflict since 2000, when the suicide bombing began. Yes, I feel sorry for the Palestianian people because many have lost jobs and living in harsh conditions. However, they knew about Hamas when they voted them in as their government. Hamas has no plans to stop shooting rockets into Israel because the want to wipe the Jewish state off the map and reclaim the state of Palenstine. Yes, innocent people are dying on both sides but if one party does not want to end their hatred of another than what is Israel to do, sit back and watch their people die? No and no other nation would allow this to happen either but the world has always viewed Israel as the bully when in fact they are trying to protect their civilians.
As far as Hamas, they are doing the same thing as Hezbolla which is hiding among the civilians causing many deaths. Open your eyes world, the terrorists will not stop the destruction and killings until everyone falls to their knees. Israel is not doing so and neither should the rest of the world. Remember this a fight not against Islam but to those who twist it beliefs and want to kill those who do not believe their faith.

Anderson,
How come you’re just now getting there? Why didn’t you cover the end of the cease fire and the start of the Hamas rocket raids? Have you tried to enter Gaza from the Egyptian border?

The US has only allowed reporters who were embedded with US troops to be in war zones in Iraq and Afganistan. This is not unusual.

In addition, Palestinians have on numerous occassions in the past staged “civilian massacres” which the media has taken at face value and fell for. (see honestreporting.com) I am not saying that there are not significant civilian casualties currently in Gaza but Israel has a valid reason for being wary of the media.

I hear the complaints that the media isn’t being allowed into Gaza by the Israelis. Understandable, given the situation.

Why not try crossing from the Egypt checkpoint? Maybe the Egyption goverment will even help you if any of the reporters get kidnapped or injured.

Since the situation in Gaza is so desperate how come the tunnels are’nt used for smuggling in food and medicine? No wonder Gaza has no infrastructure, they use their monies for weapons.

This is nothing but a genocide against the Palestinian people. They are killing innocent men, women and children. This is clearly a crime against the Palestinian people.

Israel feels the more Palestinians they kill now the less who will confront them later.

Israel is taking advantage of the situation that President Bush is still in the White House and has given them Carte Blanche. When Barak Obama comes into power they will not do this.

I am very dissappointed in the USA for allowing this to continue.

stay safe AC.

Israel is intentionally killing civilian children, paramedics, at citizens so there is nothing to stop them from attacking the media. I hope that you can get in there safely and can show a first hand account of the atrocious war crimes that Israel is committing against the people of Gaza.

Hi AC,
God will take care of you,Whatever you want to do,do its……

The Israelis now conveniently claim that they are worried about any injuries that might be sustained by any journalist and as a result have now decided to deny journalists any access into Gaza.

The public is not that credulous!!

The Israelis like to control the murderous pictures taken by journalists that accurately depict the barbaric, unjustified and undemocratic acts of the Israelis.

Are the honest Palestinian civilian’s lives not as valuable as that of the journalists?
The US apathy towards providing help to the innocent civilians is unequivocally repulsive in the eyes of the whole planet.
The Israelis prior occupation of Gaza air space, land, ports and check points and roots of commence is what sparked this conflict.

Both sides must sit down and work out the mechanics of a sustainable peace agreement.

We must distinguish the innocent Palestinian children and women from Hamas.

Oh great, now Anderson can’t get into Gaza so Anderson again is the story, just the way he likes it.

Perhaps there would be no need for humanitarian aid if Hamas would spend the millions of dollars they get on their people vice rockets and bullets.

Iran continues to be moddycoddles by the political left in Europe and the US yet they continue to export death and destruction to Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon and other locations where they seek to bolster Iranian influence. Iran’s ruling elite only knows violence, they cannot offer anything constructive.

So, before you blame Israel for defending its homes, businesses and schools from incessant rocket attacks from Hamas, look at the blame that should be assigned to the Iranians.

There will never be peace in the Middle East unti the Arabs love their children more than they hate the Jews.

Amazing that nobody cares about the Israeli citizens who are fired upon daily for 8 years. That’s okay in the minds of the anti-semites posting here. Hamas is using its population as human shields. No army on earth “melts in” in the general population. They are just waiting to show the world Israeli “atrocities” when the IDF fires on militants who launch rockets from populated areas, schools, etc.
The only way to deal with terrorists is to strike back ….hard. Hamas is to blame for ANY civilian casualties. You don’t see the IDF hiding in schools in Sderot. Israel did what any nation would do, move its population away from military areas, not hide among the population.

A government organization fires missiles into anothers sovereign territory. Outsiders looking in always ask the question as to why the civilians in that country launching the missiles don’t stop the killing. The fact that they don’t see those civilians attempts is used as justification to go to war.

If this line of reasoning were sound, and it is justified for Israel to continue bombing the population of Gaza, then why was it not acceptable for the Iraqi’s to continue their fight against the Americans?

Is this not the exact same situation with the only difference being the countries involved?

It can’t be considered acceptable to the US, and then not acceptable to the Palestinians!

Who in their right mind would want to go into Gaza in the first place?
Story or no story Hamas has fooled around with Israel and got them fired up and now they will pay. I say go Israel and take them all out!
I do feel sorry for the children etc., but why doesn’t the parents get them out of there? They’ve always had a beef against the Jews and I suppose always will. So not much news there except more violence.

As humans we are oligated to help out in times of need. Everyone is so surprised that the international community is not stepping up to help. only someone like Anderson can do a real stry to show why the international community cant stop this unfortunate event. Everytime UN tries to pass a resolution forcin isreal to stop U.S vetos it and puts a stop to it. this is the time that we have to put politics aside we kep talking about having a better image in the world, lets start here. And i’m by no means blaming Isreal for this whole massacare but come on you guys this is over kill. the media cant get in because the last week all the pictures ae of children dying not good for Isreals image i guess. but like they said they dont care about their image. Anderson stay away bro you dont need to get hurt. we need you to be around and cover the news the way it should be. I can honestly say that you are the only non-biast reporter for cnn. keep up the good work.

It seems to me that is israel is trying to hide the truth. If their concern is the safety of the reporters than the least they could do is allow the reporter to be embedded. I feel sorry for the people living in Gaza since they are unable show their suffering to the rest of the world. All we see on the news are how the israelis are suffering from the militants rockets.
Good luck Anderson in exposing the truth. I have a feeling Israel is not going to allow you to do that. Stay safe.

Why can’t reporters, food, supplies, medical assistance, etc get into Gaza via the water front or throught the border with Egypt?

Gaze can either take it the hard way and let the Israeli soldiers to go in and destroy everything or just point out all the Hamas fighters and let the soldiers go in and finish the job. They wanna make it hard then they deserve whatever they have coming to them.

Let the reporters in but let them know that if they get bombed cause they are interviewing a Hamas “Freedom Fighter” then that is just to bad for them. I’m tired of hearing everyone complain about Israels actions when they are constantly attacked. About time they step up and say those who do harm to us we will harm them!

Israel is wrong and I am glad the US media is largely in support of the Palestinians this time.

I agree with Michael.
Hamas, instead of being in the open, and fighting are using people homes and hospitals to fire and hide in.
Why not cover the Rockets, which have targeted schools,and homes in Israel?
Reporting is so one sided anymore. There is no Free Press or Truth in Reporting anymore.

Hamas is dedicated to the violent overthrow of Isreal. They want all jews dead. The people of “Palestine” knew this when they voted Hamas into power. They got what they asked for. They are now getting what they deserve.

I think it is terrible when any innocent people are killed especially children but, I find it hard to blame anybody but the Palestinians for this mess. They wanted Gaza, so Isreal handed it over to them. They held a free election and chose a terrorist government. Hamas is using the Palestians to hide behind as they launch their missles at Isreal. Isreal is not the enemy of Gaza, it is Hamas. Isreal has a right to defend herself, and they are not to blame for the civiian casualities, no country has invented bullets just hit the bad guys. I pray that the Palestinians will wise up and over throw Hamas, and learn to live in peace with Isreal. If not, they will see much more destruction.

20% of the Palestinians killed have been WOMEN AND CHILDREN!

More Israeli’s have been killed by friendly fire than by Hamas since this started a week ago.

“Hamas is using schools to fire rockets and ambulances as troop carriers” says who???? Thats just the excuse Israel is using to legitimize the slaughter of innocent people. They can make any claim they want. When they rammed the boat carrying humanitarian supplies and reporters they said it was suspected of terrorist activity.

THEY WILL LABEL ANYTHING THEY WANT AS TERRORIST ACTIVITY TO JUSTIFY THEIR WAR CRIMES.

So sad. Keep them out. At least that way there will be accurate reporting and no one sided pro hamas hype being reported especially from the Clinton News Network!!!!! Heh, heh.

Oh my god, you mean if you fire rockets into a neighboring country, they’re going to shoot back! NO WAY!

I doubt this comment will make it up but Al Jazeera- English has reporters inside Gaza, they were inside before the lockdown.

They are doing their best to report. You can check it out on youtube.

This is a joke. so Israel is the real democracy in middle east? I can see that. we all know who the real terrorists are here.

The Anti-Israeli comments on this website are extraordinary. The World cries out about Arab deaths – where is the condemnation for deliberating targeting rockets at Israel??? What is the notion of proportionality – how would the World react if Israel fired makeshift rockets at Gaza – without any aim. The simple truth is that many believe that a Jewish state should not exist.

Hamas and the Arabs that support them reap what the sow – which is hatred and animosity towards them culminating in acts of violence. People in Gaza cheered when the planes attacked the WTC and the Pentagon. They elected a terrorist outfit as their government, and they are too busy smuggling weapons than caring about baby formula. I shed no tears for them – NONE.

Palestinians – give up violence and you can live side-by-side with Israel.

If Israel wanted to kill innocent people don’t you think that more than 555 people would be dead in the most densely populated area in the world. They are not letting the press in because when they struck Lebanon last time the media made up reports and was caught on it later. False pictures, adding items to a scene ie (teddy bears) and many other things that made Israel seem like they were unjust. Jews were persecuted many times in life and did not use terrorism to get their way, but used their knowledge. If Gazan’s are so worried about their future they should help build it through intelligence and not terror. When you see a Jewish man or an Israeli walk into a mosque, a bus, a crowded market or a civilian area and blow himself up in the name of religion (fanaticism) then press some blame. If any other country if they neighbor was constantly sending over rockets, blowing up buses and threatening to annihilate the state there would be some retaliation.

Sorry to hear you guys can not get in to stand in the eye of the storm to boost your ratings. Here is a novel idea. Since you can not get your typical dealth and chaos story, how about reporting on something inspiring and uplifting? Perhaps if more people see more of the goodness in humanity, they will be inspired to mimick that goodness. Seems nowadays the only way to get your 15 minutes of fame is to do something horrible if you want media coverage. Sure you guys report a few feel good stories, but which stories are you going to talk about all night tonight? That was a retorical question.

No moderation

Anderson,
If you and your team do manage to get in just stay safe & Gods Speed.
It is dangerous enough just being in that region . Thoughts and prayers go out to all the reporters and the peoples of both regions.

I just hope that there will be a resolution of some type very soon.
To many innocent people are being injured and killed.

What is Israel hiding that they do not want the world to know?
I cannot believe that the world can sit idly by and watch this horrendous collective punishment inflicted on innocent people.
I saw on the news where a 6 month old baby had to die from lack of water and food!!
This violence will not solve the problem, only perpetrate it.
Until occupation ends and these people can live freely than you will see the breeding of hopelessness, frustration and hate.

Anderson, as much as you love to be in the thick of it all, you are the eyes of this world and we need you. And it’s better off if you stay in Isreal where it’s abit safer.

Praying for yours and the crews safe return. And lets not forget the innocent lifes lost in this war.

Who cares, let them duke it out once and for all. I’m so sick of the Middle East.

It is unfortunate what is happening to the palestinians but the reality is they elected Hamas. They chose to elect a government that would use their children as human shields. I think we need to remember that Hamas is a terrorist organization, Hamas has no intentions of peace. They want nothing less than the destruction of Israel.

If Hamas was in Mexico or Canada and launching rockets into the United States killing Americans, do you honestly think for one moment we would have restraint and do nothing. In reality we would probably use greater force than what Israel is using today.

I am curious why can’t reporters enter through Egypt? Is it because Egypt and the rest of the Arab governments are fed up with Hamas’ ?

Why are we sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians? I ask myself would we be as sympathetic to the Israelis if Hamas was winning and killing thousands of Jews…………

press being pressed to stay out !!!Right there is your answer to this conflict.
might is right!!!…… This is what this world is all about. when the dust settles God is the only true judge of who was right and who was wrong in this conflict and they will be punished in this world or hereafter.there is no escaping the final word.
i have yet to listen to you this evening to formulate an opinion about how unbiased you are.
will pray for your safe return. as you greater things to do in this life
peace!!!

If the Israelis have learned anything about genocide, it would be to make sure that you have the complete backing of the world’s biggest superpower and DON”T take any photographs or let the press in. Who needs to build death camps! Just surround Caza with concrete walls. They have also waged a brilliant public relations campaign in the United States of demonizing the Palestinians and playing the victim, counting on the intellectual laziness of too many Americans.

And the U.S. has blood on our hands too! Our leaders know full well of Israeli war crimes and give them unconditional support anyhow. Like Sabra/Shatila, Lebanon and now Gaza, just to name a few. As far as the U.S. is concerned, Israel can do no wrong. And people wonder why we were attacked on 9/11.

Did you not see these so called “innocents” eat “sweets” to celebrate the rumor that an Israeli soldier was captured during the initial phase of the “incursion”. What do you think they would have done to that soldier, if it was true that one was captured? Watch the video’s sometime, these “innocents” allow their children to play around the Hamas “soldiers” when they are carrying around weapons and firing their rockets. These “innocents” are just as guilty as the actual Hamas “soldiers” for this war. They do nothing to stop the rocket firings themselves. What’s wrong with you people? And what’s wrong with you, Mr. Cooper? What do you really think you are going to report on? You’re going to see the same thing you see in every other war, death and destruction.

Anderson this is samsam Hassan from Omaha I have been following the middle-east crisis and what I would like to know is how the Israelian people feel about the 500 civilians that have lost their lives. What’s Israelis plan for peace continue to airstrike Gaza? I don’t know what exactly is going on in Gaza, but retaliation isn’t one of them.

Israel will allow “civilians” to get out of Gaza as soon as they murderers lobbing rockets into Israeli neighborhoods put on uniforms and fight like men; and stop hiding behind the skirts of the woman and children.

If the election of Hamas political leaders is to believed, then the citizens of Gaza are getting exactly what they asked for.

The Catholics and Protestants of Ireland showed you can learn to life in peace despite decades of violence — time Palestinians with the guts to talk peace tried to replace the fanatics in charge.

For all you people who are criticizing Isreal, I wonder just what you would do if Hamas was firing missles at your home day after day?

Observe the borders, stop building settlements and taking land and this will all end. Just who is being driven into the sea here ? Any objective observer can see what has been going on for decades in Israel. Why not support the Palestinians, arm them to the teeth, as we have Israel, and allow them to build a thousand or so settlements on Israeli soil ? THAT would be fair.

I don’t cry for Palestinians.

They want NO Israel. They elect Hamas. Hamas shoots rockets.

The only way to stop such barbarism is for Israel to smash the living daylights out of Hamas and Gaza.

That’s how wars are won. Unconditional surrender.

I personally think they should put all of the “news media” in there until they learn the meaning of *sensationalism* or get their butt’s shot off.

I for one, am sick of the US media twisting news so it shows their version.

they dont want reporters in cause they want to slaughter the palestinians with no watch.and the problem that cnn and the media in general they believe the claims of the israelis criminals and not the pictures,its a crime ladies and gentlemen,it is a genocide,and if gaza has oil,the american will be so happy to liberate it.

The American people should be outraged with what is going on in Gaza. There is a massacre been perpetrated on the Palestinian civilians by the Israeli army and the president elect is not saying a word. This indicates that American people are supporting the arrogances of the current US government. The president elect should say something to stop the war. School buildings and public places that civilians run for safety are regularly targeted with arms and missiles by the Israeli troops. This is unacceptable and should be condemned. News reporters are reporting that Israel military is not allowing journalists to enter Gaza because they will report atrocities that are been committed by the Israel military.

United Nation is trying to pass a resolution asking for cease fire but American government is blocking everything. What kind of change Obama talked about and he is not talking? This war will not serve America or Israel right. Are they trying to kill everyone living in Gaza? There is no escape route for civilians living in Gaza. Why should will sit and see Palestinian people perish in the name of security?

Keep the reporters out. They do more harm than good. We would all be speaking German now if we had the current set of reporters durning WWII. Let them work it out.

Don’t you get it? It’s because of the media that Israel’s soldiers were easy targets in Lebanon.

It’s the first and last time that I hope the media interferes with Israel’s attempts to defend itself.

Why not talk more about Hamas and how they are using their own people as human shields? They are killing their own woman and children. Terrorists have no limits!

Stop blaming the Jewish people for the world’s problems. After a few thousand years, don’t you think they deserve a break?

The civilian situation in Gaza must be terrible. I would like to know, however, when we hear of civilian casualties or body counts from sources, how do they classify the large and extended family of a hamas fighter/terrorist/extremist (choose your own word)? Is that a civilian? Are they still civilians if they live in a house or apartment or block with a father and brother in Hamas who use the house or apartment or the basement or their neighbors house to store weapons and bombs? It is a tragedy no doubt that many women and especially children are in harms way, but the lines here are very gray and shifting. Hamas must bear much of the responsibliity for choosing to fight using their families to shield themselves.

Stunning that the world is allowing this blackout of reporting inside GAZA–IS the world allowing a genicude without witness

I am bewildered that some people speak about hamas rockets and denounce hamas for shooting to Isreal.
“So ask yourself: If I shoot at you, and miss, are you in the wrong to fire back and hit me? The answer should be simple.”said sam.
But now ask yourself :If I occupy your country and destroy your houses and farms ,dont you have any right to defence yourself and fight with me!!? The answer is simple too!
Isreal has occupied Palestine 60 years ago with aid of England .They have killed many of people and destroyed Palestinians houses and and built their houses and towns on them.

Both sides are at fault here, and innocent civilians on both sides are the victims of the people in power…

But, as Americans, shame on you for your pure ignorance on the matter, for many of you blogging know nothing of this area (me neither).

How would we feel if Canada started firing 100 rockets a day into the US and targeted schools and major cities? Yet other nations told us not to react with force to stop it?

How would you feel if our troops blockaded Canada and killed civilians when they were going after Canadian targets inside schools, because these men and women cower behind children and then fire back?

We don’t know, so we really shouldn’t actually form an opinion on this…

i am disgusted in how the Israeli terrorists aren’t letting the reporters in, they just don’t want the world to see how much of a monster they are. The Arab world must join the fight in getting rid of the terrorist state of Israel if there is ever to be peace in the middle east

Hi Anderson,
It is dissapointing that you guys r are not allowed to enter Gaza. It must be really frustrating for reporters for not being able see whats happening inside Gaza. What is Israel hiding? If they allow foreign media to access the rocket hit Israeli side, they should deffinately allow media to access Gaza as well to see how people are going through there

One of the reasons that Egypt has the border closed is that the U.S. is there watching.

‘NBC anchorwoman and chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell said Sunday that US military officers from the Corps of Engineers had been stationed on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing in order to prevent “arms smuggling from illegal tunnels” by Palestinian fighters.’

Can only visuals evoke emotions towards death. No ! who ever dies in this conflict is a life taken away from their loved ones. mother ,father ,children taken away prematurely .
Anyone who has experienced loss can identify with the horror and helplessness of wars and conflict anywhere in the world.
Darfur, Rawanda, cambodia, iraq, afghanistan, india,middle east. no problem big or small, each has different flavours.
time to really reflect why do we need to follow the routine of survival of the fittest / mightest ??? why can we all peacfully co exist.
this will be my only wish if i could be granted one .

Michael,
You just lestin to what Israel media said. The UNRWA who are responsible for these schools stated that there are no Hamas people inside these schools. Childern and women who ran away from home seeking for safe place are inside these schools. Israel is doing crime against humanity. I wish one day the Israely leaders will have a trial in Holland.
Do not look to one side media.

No military allows access to the media in any War. This has been true since Vietnam. Neither Hamas nor Israel want the media there, because they want to control what the viewers see.

The war would stop as soon as Hamas stopped firing missiles. Why isn’t the world screaming at Hamas for using the Citizens of Gaza as hostages?

There is even a video showing the terrorists launching mortars at the army from a UN school. There’s no safe place in Gaza because Hamas hides in those places, schools and mosques and uses them as stageing areas for weapons.

Israel won’t stop until the rockets stop and Hamas isn’t able to rearm or dig more tunnels. There can be no peace as long as there are leaders willing to kill their own people!

why can’t we all peacefully co exist? this will be my only wish if i culd be granted on . i better start looking hard and fast for my genie to grant me this wish

The amount of ignorance in the comments made here is appalling. People like “Sam” and “Honor” who have never served in any army, let alone any war don’t seem to get it. The reporters are not allowed in because Israel cannot guarantee their safety. It’s quite basic and has repeatedly happened in Iraq, Afganistan, Somalia, ex-Yugoslavia etc.
You only seem to have a voice when it comes to criticizing Israel.
Where have you been the last 8 years as innocent Israeli civilians have been bombarded by rockets and over 400 civilians killed? In fact, not ONE of those deaths was a soldier! If Hamas stopped hiding behind their civilian population and played by Geneva Convention rules, there would be NO civilian casualties in Gaza. Their cowardice withstanding, Israel is still dissecting the areas as much as possible to only reach the actual militants and doing one heck of a job considering the illegal manuvers performed by Hamas. Your responses are quite clear so let’s call it what is is: Anti-Semitism pure and simple in all it’s ugliness. Shame on you.

“Why were such problems in the Middle East non-existent prior to WWII?”

Are you kidding me? Those people over there have been waring and fighting and trying to gain control of “holy land” and what not since biblical times… its just that now they’ve got their hands on big boy weapons and since 911 with the whole “terrorist” scare what a better way for the media to make money than to report on the violence from the area that “terrorists” come from. LOL *sigh* media hype is the life for me blah blah blah… these people will never stop fighting until one side totally dominates that other like every other war in history has been settled.

Anderson Cooper AC360°, Where have you been for 8 years while rockets have been falling. Instead of going into Gaza, How about going to Sederot and reporting from there. You can see the Hamas Qassams up close as they land all around you. Sederot is also in a war zone. lest you forget.

But we want flash not the truth don’t we. Flash looks better on TV. and we all want those High ratings to bring in the $$$$$$

So instead try reporting from Sederot, Askelon, Ashdod, for a change.

foolish to call this Gaza thing “genocide”
poor use of language and hyperbole,
Jordan killed 10,000 people from palistine
in the 80’s on some “Black Friday”
was that genocide?

Israel has always wanted peace.
Stop shooting at them. They will stop shooting at you. Simple.

Do you know how the mideast map looks like? how tiny Israel is against the HUGE arab countries around it? well,
It is constantly attacked because most of the countries around it do not recognize its existence!!! So they DEFEND themselves as well they should.

Since those sneaky terrorists hide in schools etc., that’s where they get hit. Israel never wanted to hurt the innocent. NEVER. Again,
Stop shooting at them. They will stop shooting at you. Simple.
I know, I know, what is to be done with all that jealousy and hate against Jews in general if peace is achieved? hmmm, I don’t know. Take up a hobby?

from inside gaza or outside gaza CNN wont cover it fair. i guess russia can’t do to georgia what they did , but israel can do whatever they wish to the palestinians.

AC keeps forgetting that israel is an occupying nation and he never mentions how many UN resolutionS israel has defied. he is not brave enough to say who actually broke the truce first.

Anderson we wish you good luck and safe return.
If they have nothing to hide, at least they should allow their journalists into Gaza… of course they are concerned about their safety!!!!!!!!!
It is one more time the international community and the FREE world watching the killing of Palestinian while they do nothing… They can find out if really the Palestinians are Terrorists, they do not have just to accuse them. But no one want to say what is the real reason behind all of this. Free world are scared to criticize Israel….WHY?????
JUST LET PRESS IN AND LET THE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD JUDGE HOW BAD THE PALESTINIANS ARE.

I have visited Israel – most recently the first part of December.

This is a war and unfortunately innocent people are killed in wars.

Hamas has been firing these rockets for months -during a cease fire.
Hamas is using the civilian population and areas so they can show the devestation to those people. Hamas does not want a cease fire – they want Israel destroyed.

Excellent….STAY OUT!!! NO REPORTERS….let the military do what they are trained for! Leave the bias reporting on both sides out of the fight area, you can see it later after the cease fire. Tilt then

BUTT OUT NEWS MEDIA!!!!!!

Israel’s recent actions have been disproportionate as is typical for them when toughness is politically expedient. Having acknowledged that, it is difficult to feel sorry for the plight of adult Palestinians whose primary reason for living is the destruction of the Israeli state. I believe Israel would be content to coexist if peace were achieved, but the Palestinian position is not reciprocal.

Golda Meir was correct in stating that “Palestine will find peace when Palestinians learn to love their children more than they hate Israelis”. The current environment is a perfect example. Instead of investing their energy building a nation, lobbying the UN and regional powers for true autonomy, and establishing an economic foothold in the 21st century, they prefer to lob Qassams and encourage retaliation in hopes of drawing other Middle East states into annihilating the Jewish state for them.

Hamas is responsible for all of this.
They ended the ceasefire and started firing rockets into Israeli territory.
Think of what the U.S. response would be if 80 or more rockets were fired into the U.S. from Mexico daily.
Remember the response after 911. Israel is within it’s rights to defend it’s citizens. Any other response would be negligence on behalf of the Israeli government.

Anderson
Other than a boost in ratings brought about by the dramatic images that play upon human emotions: why would reporters need to enter Gaza? The current conflict is but yet one more chapter in a very long and well known conflict where both sides seem to be more willing to shed blood than to compromise. The Israeli government is just being pragmatic in prohibiting access. Any civilian causalities or hardship will be attributed to the Israeli government ‘the aggressor/initiator of the conflict’ and thus any photos or video out of Gaza become Hamas propaganda.

War is war, nothing more. Tactically no army would choose to enter a battle that’s a ‘fair fight’. Unfortunately, even if Israel is tactically successful (barring genocide) strategically Hamas wins. To quote Robert Taber, “A revolutionary can only be defeated; if he admits he is defeated.”

For the viewers who still feel as if they need to see the horrors of war, I would ask you to take a moment and ask yourself ‘why’.

The journalists should have gone to Gaza PRIOR to IDF offense and got embaded into Hamas groups to report all those rocket attacks on Israel citizens. That would be nice to see a report from anyone standing next to Qassam or Grad launcher saying how unhumain it is to kill inoccent jewesh children. I would really like to see for how long that person head would be on his shoulders.

Sorry ladies, i didn’t use word “her”, because under Hamas rule no femail journalist would even be allowed to do her job.

There’s a palpable frustration in reading/seeing/listening that you cannot get any closer to Gaza, your fervent need to get to the heart of the matter is just that much further away being just on the outskirts of it. Take as many precautions you can while pushing on the pursuit of getting the facts – above all stay safe and come home safe – all of you!

for the first time on CNN i can say that was a good coverage , let the world know who are the real murderer , isreal claimd that 5 ,6 has been killed from hamas missles!!,, our number is above 600,, dead, almost 3000 wonded , still counting for more , isreal bombed a school full of children and women ,,killed 45 today and they knew that before they bombd , to them i say stop the blood ,, GAZA is bleeding . childrens of GAZA are screaming to have murcy , if you are human ,, stop this ugly crime ,,
to CNN i say be fair and uncover the truth to the world to know.

Anderson

If the Israeli government isn’t going to allow reporters in to Gaza is there really anything to report other than government processed statements and how many bombs appear to go off? If you can’t report this “war” as it is happening what about doing a background piece on all the fighting that has gone on in that region since 1948 when Israel became a recognized country in the world by the UN and how the Israel of today differs from the Israel then. Knowing the background of all this may help in understanding what is going on now.

It is not like Mexico firing rockets into the Texas. It is more like a group of Native Americans fire some rockets at Texas and kill one person, and then the governement goes in and kills 500 Native Americans including hundreds of civilians. That would be a better analogy. Such a response would be extremely disproportionate. The Israelis’ response is unjust because it has resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths.

Hey Anderson ..Please be safe…but remember ” Beruit 1983″…the cry from inside was “old tell the world”…Areil Sharon was in the refugee camps for days killing women, children and older men….(foreign press was forbidden)…my guess is this is what’s happening in Gaza…
Israel’s military is most capible of protecting its country (from thugs like Hamas) without dropping bombs and shelling babies in Gaza … look forward to you telling the real story…

The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land,
He’s wandered the earth an exiled man.
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn,
He’s always on trial for just being born.
He’s the neighborhood bully.

Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized,
Old women condemned him, said he should apologize.
Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad.
The bombs were meant for him. He was supposed to feel bad.
He’s the neighborhood bully.

i’m sorry but this bob dylan song pretty much sums up the last few millenium for the Jewish people. You get attacked so you fight back, its a war and it doesn’t matter how many die on either side. War means that one side has to win. Which one would you rather have a terrorist organization that uses its own people as shields or the only democracy the size of Lake Ontario in the entire region.

Anderson,
Thanks for sharing with us and coverage for us from Israel….. you’re so amazing reporter tonight… I hope you will be safe area and keep your shelter from shooting……. Please stay safe and more blog for the viewers and me…… Please come home safety….. miss you and love you….. Good Luck to you!!!!!

Reporters are banned from entering Gaza because there are criminal acts in progress. Israel is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, no criminal would want witnesses to their crimes. Did I say enough crimes and criminals??? Just checking. I hope you report on the story objectively since we are not getting an unbiased view of what is happening. Otherwise your reports (not just your but all the reports) would show the massacre of civilians and the outrage of the world.
Israel says that they have killed 100 something militants? I guess the other 400 something was you know collateral damage? These are not just numbers these numbers represent real people, human beings, children, women, men, families. Shame on US for giving Israel the green light for this massacre.

It’s time for Israel to say ‘enough is enough’ and expel all Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. Let the rest of the Arab world deal with them.

I am sure Nazi Germany was also happy there were no International journalists to document what they were doing also.
Shame on the world for allowing this slaughter of innocent people.

@ Isaac- this is not a religious war- it about land, territory & all things political. If this was any other country acting the way Israel is acting it would have faced a much worse reaction, even economic sanctions. Sympathy for Israel has run out!!!!

War crimes like the ones Israel is committing is not a nice thing. If you were a Palestinian civilian caught in the middle of this bloodshed what would you do? Israel is a developed and a powerful country. Gaza is dependant on aid for survival. The use of such disproportionate force is cruel when you know that hundreds of civilians will be killed.

If the war is against Hammas then why kill Civilian children? If the war is against Hammas why not let food and medical supplies into Gaza? If the war is against Hammas let the reporters in! Look at what the U.N has to say about Israel’s actions. Israel can not win respect by doing what it is doing!

This is plain wrong by ANY moral standard. America’s politicians may have their hand tied due the powerful Israeli Lobby and cant speak out against Israel -but that does not make it right. Israel is okay with caring about world opinion when it is in Israel’s favor- if its not then the world is wrong and Israel is right!

DEDUCTION: Israel is always right- the rest of the world if not in Israel’s favor is wrong. Doesn’t sound very logical does it?

Anderson, we love you but just come home safely.

The Israelis will only allow you to report on the minute scratches of their citizens and the minimum destruction of their private property which can be repaired in a day or two while not allowing you to report on the hundreds of Palestinian deaths, thousands of life serious injuries and gargantuan catastrophe to Palestinian infrastructure.

I know that you are fair and balanced but with the restrictions of the Israelis you will not be able to do your job.

Stay safe!!