Monday, February 19, 2024

02/19 Links Pt1: Stephen Harper: Israel's war is just, Hamas must surrender or be eliminated; Hamas is Intertwined with the UN "Terrorism is a Feature, Not a Bug"

From Ian:

Stephen Harper: Israel's war is just, Hamas must surrender or be eliminated
There is an even bigger picture, however, that we in the West must grasp. This war is not an isolated conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It is the product of a much larger and more dangerous force.

Before Oct. 7, we were on the cusp of a new Middle East. It was being created by a new generation of Arab leaders. Determined to be world-leading societies, they were setting aside the religious hatreds of the past and putting the Abraham Accords in their place. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia itself was deepening its relationship with Israel while continuing an ambitious modernization agenda that remains sadly underappreciated in the West.

Yet, even with these developments, some in western capitals chose to continue seeking reconciliation with an Iranian regime whose vision could not be more different. And so, we turned a blind eye to Tehran’s continued preaching of medieval jihad and its ongoing construction of a theocratic empire. We watched as it slowly took over Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and, of course, Gaza. We ignored advice from both Arab and Israeli allies to counter these threats, and even criticized actions designed to do so.

In this context, the West’s support for Israel’s war effort goes beyond moral obligations. It is but a small step in responding to a much larger challenge coming at us. I am not talking just about reoccurrences of 9-11-style terrorism. Nor am I referring only to the growing attacks on key international shipping lanes, as alarming as they are. I mean the real, potentially global, threat of a powerful regional state that mixes an aggressive and malevolent ideology with the pursuit of nuclear weapons capability. I am hoping that we understand this bigger picture before it is too late.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, I addressed the Israeli Knesset. I said that the Canada I represented would stand with Israel “through fire and water.” I meant it, and the Canadians I spoke for believe it still, as do hundreds of millions like us all over the world.

For we know what history has shown us: that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are always the proverbial canaries in the coalmine. Those who embrace such tribal and sectarian hatreds will invariably, in time, aim their guns well beyond the Jewish people. Indeed, if we open our eyes, we will see that they are already doing so.

This is, in short, a time to support Israel with clarity, consistency, and strength, not only because it is right, but because it is in the best interests of global peace and security.
JPost Editorial: A ceasefire cannot take place without hostages' release and Hamas vanquished
Now is the time for the people of Israel to remain unified and steadfast in fighting terrorism and defeating Hamas. Hamas has sought to divide us and it is trying to get its supporters abroad to save it in Gaza so it can return to threaten us again. Hamas is a vile terrorist organization that has shown what its real ideology looks like on October 7. Any ceasefire is a way for Hamas to prepare for more genocidal attacks.

Today there is a push for a ceasefire that would not bring the hostages home and also not lead to the defeat of Hamas. Israel’s leadership has made it clear that we have several goals in Gaza, two of which are victory over Hamas and bringing all the hostages home.

We must remain steadfast and committed. The war is long but the enemy is too dangerous to leave it in control of the border of Gaza, where it feasts off international aid while it stockpiles weapons.

We have an opportunity now to complete our mission in Gaza. We must continue on this path and at the same time work with our partners abroad to prevent any kind of push for a ceasefire that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza or does not release all the hostages.
NYTs: After Oct. 7, Israelis Can't Live with an Armed Gaza
After the Hamas invasion on Oct. 7, Doron Shabty, his wife, and their two small children hid in Sderot, near the border with Gaza, and survived. A reservist in the infantry, he went into the army the next day.

After more than 100 days in Gaza, Shabty, 31, said that to restore Israelis' faith in their country's ability to protect them, there cannot be a return to the situation of Oct. 6. "We can't live with an armed Gaza - we just can't do that," he said.

The shock of Oct. 7 reminded Israelis that they have powerful enemies next door who wish them dead.

Accompanied by a powerful new sense of Israel's vulnerability, Israeli attitudes toward the war, which Israeli Jews overwhelmingly support, inform virtually their every expectation for the future. It is likely to do so for a long time to come.

According to the latest Peace Index survey from Tel Aviv University, 94% of Israeli Jews and 82% of the total population think the Israeli military has used "adequate or too little force" in Gaza.

Some 88% of all Jewish Israelis think the number of Palestinians killed or wounded in Gaza is justified by the war.

Only 27% of Jewish Israelis (and 24% of Palestinians) support a two-state solution.
US proposes UN resolution supporting temporary ceasefire in Gaza
The United States has proposed a rival draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would underscore the body's "support for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable," according to the text seen by Reuters on Monday.

Washington has been averse to the word ceasefire in any UN action on the Israel-Hamas war, but the US draft text echoes language that President Joe Biden said he used last week in conversations with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US draft text also "determines that under current circumstances a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighboring countries."

Israel plans to storm Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 millions Palestinians have sought shelter, prompting international concern that such a move would sharply worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The draft US resolution says such a move "would have serious implications for regional peace and security, and therefore underscores that such a major ground offensive should not proceed under current circumstances."

It was not immediately clear when or if the draft resolution would be put to a vote in the 15-member council.


The Quad: "Terrorism is a Feature, Not a Bug" - How Hamas is Intertwined with the UN in Gaza
Scandal after scandal has rocked the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) causing investigations to be launched and funding to be frozen by countries around the world. Will UNRWA be defunded once and for all? Can it and should it be replaced? How can the hypocrisy and corruption of the UN be fought? To discuss all this, the Quad interview the man responsible for calling out UNRWA and the United Nations altogether - Hillel Neuer.

The Quad also discuss the rescuing of the two hostages from Gaza and fighting antisemitism at the Superbowl.

And of course, Scumbags and Heroes of the week with special guest Elon Gold!


Biden's 'land for terror' plan will tarnish his legacy forever
A Palestinian state would indeed also be a reward for the Palestinian-Nazis of Hamas, and an official message from the US to all people and the world that all that is required to obtain statehood is the murder of 1,200 civilians – the slitting of many of their throats and the beheading of many of them, the rape of their women and the kidnapping of hundreds of hostages. Such a state would be a prize for the murderers and a shot of energy for Hamas, and it would turn the October 7 war into the Palestinians' "War of Independence" – and turn the mass murderer Yahya Sinwar into the Salah al-Din of our time.

Abbas Zaki, a senior Fatah official who praised Hamas for the massacre, previously predicted that with the implementation of the two-state solution – Israel would collapse. "For the Jews", Zaki identified, "the West Bank is a historic dream. If the Jews leave those places, the Zionist idea will begin to collapse. It will recede on its own. Then we will move forward."

Zaki, who has already made it clear that the ultimate goal of the Palestinians remains the destruction of Israel, is not an exception or an outlier. Many of his comrades share the same view. He is a faithful ambassador of a broad public that sees a Palestinian state only as the beginning – the beginning of our end.

Is Biden aware of the significance of his actions? Is this the historical imprint he seeks to leave behind? Isn't there anyone in the US, even in the Democratic Party, who will point out his colossal mistake to him?

Anyone who has rejected the notion that Israel should rebuild the Gush Katif settlements in Gaza on the grounds that it is not one of the war's objectives, must all the more reject the Biden administration's plan for Israeli concessions.

Our soldiers who fought and fell in Gaza did not go into battle in order to re-establish Gush Katif, and certainly not so that a Palestinian state to be established in Gaza and the West Bank, or to give consent for the establishment of such a state in the future.
Netanyahu doubles down on opposition to any recognition of Palestinian state
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night again came out forcefully against the prospect of any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, amid reports the Biden administration is considering such a move.

The prime minister also announced he would bring a motion against the prospect for a vote in the Knesset plenum.

“For five months we have been running an unprecedented political campaign, which has allowed our fighters the freedom of action to achieve all the goals of the war,” began Netanyahu. “During this period, we resisted many international pressures aimed at stopping the war.

“But in the last few days we are witnessing a new type of pressure: An attempt to unilaterally impose upon us the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the existence of Israel,” continued the premier.

“We reject it outright,” he said.

On Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet unanimously approved a statement rejecting any unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Netanyahu’s office subsequently released the text of the statement:
1. Israel utterly rejects international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. A settlement, if it is to be reached, will come about solely through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions.
2. Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7th massacre would be a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism and would prevent any future peace settlement.


When Obama’s Dreams Became Bibi’s Nightmares
In many respects, Obama’s emphasis on "settlements" as a root cause of the conflict was a throwback: a reversion to decades of failed approaches pushed by the U.S. State Department and presidential administrations of various political stripes.

But by the time Obama took office, the U.S.-Israel relationship was arguably at a historic high, thanks in large part to shared objectives during the war on terror. From 2000 to 2008, Palestinian leaders rejected no fewer than three formal offers for statehood—a fact that wasn’t lost on Obama’s two predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Clinton famously declared, "I killed myself to give the Palestinians a state," and warned his successor not to trust Yasser Arafat. Obama, however, viewed himself as someone apart from historical realities. As Harow notes, Obama "wanted to be the one world leader to finally settle the Israeli-Palestinian issue." Yet, "there was a lot of bloodshed in the wake of men who dreamed of reshaping the Middle East." To many in the region, Obama’s dreams looked more like nightmares.

Obama’s policies toward Iran would lead to real tensions—and not just with Israel. The Islamic Republic is a revisionist power, committed to exporting its twisted ideology and overthrowing the established regional order. By reaching out to Tehran, Obama was unwittingly pushing Gulf Arab monarchies and the Jewish state closer together. This process would eventually culminate in the Abraham Accords under the Trump administration. Harow highlights its origins, correctly noting that Israel gained regional respect when it flexed its muscles and Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress to oppose the emerging Iran nuclear deal.

At the time, Israel had recently emerged from a bloody 50-day war against Hamas, the Iranian proxy that controls the Gaza Strip. That conflict began after Hamas operatives kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenagers. And its characteristics—bloody urban combat, extensive use of human shields, and lengthy terrorist tunnels—were a harbinger of the war that Israel fights today.

"The Middle East," Harow observes, "has a funny way of unraveling the dreams and best intentions of American presidents … the naïve aspirations of the blessed-are-the-peacemakers have inadvertently produced byproducts of bloodshed and anguish." In My Brother’s Keeper, Harow ably and fairly chronicles that unraveling, depicting an American presidency whose ambitions in the Middle East ran counter to the daily realities of many of America’s allies.
WSJ: U.S. Looking to Financially Prop Up the Palestinian Authority
The Biden administration is looking to financially prop up the Palestinian Authority as it hopes the PA will be able to govern Gaza when Israel's war with Hamas is over. The administration is trying to work around a law that prevents it from contributing directly to the Palestinian Authority, while also nudging allies to give more to the PA, U.S. officials said. The PA has been dogged by accusations of corruption and ties to extremists that led to the cutoff of U.S. funds in the first place.

After Oct. 7, Israel suspended the transfer of tax revenue it collects for the PA which was earmarked for PA employees in Gaza, saying the funds go into the pockets of Hamas. In response, the Palestinian Authority said it wouldn't accept any partial revenue transfers. In January, Israel agreed to President Biden's plan to transfer the frozen tax revenues to Norway for safekeeping until an arrangement could be found that would assuage Israel's concerns that the money would fund Hamas.

The U.S. is limited in its ability to provide direct support after Congress enacted the Taylor Force Act in March 2018, suspending U.S. bilateral economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority because of its practice of providing payments to Palestinians accused of terrorism and their relatives.


US readies new weapons shipment to Israel; embassy says no human rights concerns
The Biden administration is preparing to send a new weapons shipment to Israel that would add to its arsenal even as the US seeks to rein in the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip and pushes for a pause in the fighting, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing current and former US officials.

According to the report, the proposed shipment includes around a thousand units of MK-82 bombs, fuses, and Joint Direct Attack Munitions guidance kits, which add precision guidance to bombs.

The package is estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars.

A US official cited by the newspaper says the proposal is still undergoing internal administration review and could change before being sent to congressional committee chiefs for approval.

A former US official told the Journal that the weaponry would be financed by the billions of dollars of military aid the US regularly sends to Israel.

The report also cited an assessment of the proposal by the US Embassy in Jerusalem, which says the Israeli government is seeking “rapid acquisition of these items for the defense of Israel against continued and emerging regional threats.”

The assessment reportedly finds no human rights concerns about the deal. “Israel takes effective action to prevent gross violations of human rights and to hold security forces responsible that violate those rights,” the document says. “In the past, Israel has been a transparent partner in US investigations into allegations of defense article misuse.”


Alan Dershowitz: And the Winner Is — Hamas!
What will happen if Hamas is allowed to win this war? If Hamas is permitted to accomplish what it intended by its mass murders, kidnappings and rapes? If the victims of these atrocities — the people of Israel and all countries fighting terrorism — lose? If the prospects for peace in the region and the Free World are seriously damaged? If the relationship between the US and Israel, and the loss of faith in the US as the guarantor of freedom, continues to be fractured?

Instead, the Biden administration may be rewarding Palestinian terrorists by unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian State, which will, of course, soon become militarized.

The anti-Israel left-wingers are not going to vote for Trump, who is more pro-Israel than Biden. Nor are they likely to stay home on Election Day and help Trump. Centrist voters, on the other hand, are likely to vote against Biden if they think he is beholden to the Squad or other anti-American woke extremists.

As important as are the domestic electoral implications of Biden's weakening support for Israel, the international implications are far more consequential. The world will be a far less safe place if Israel is prevented from defeating Hamas and dismantling its military capabilities.

Israel is doing everything reasonable to decrease civilian casualties, while Hamas tries to increase them on both sides. American policy should be to help Israel defeat Hamas and prevent the recurrence and spread of its terrorism against civilians, rather than to help Hamas secure a victory by tying Israel's hands.

So, unless the Biden administration changes course and encourages Israel to achieve its legitimate military goal of defeating Hamas, terrorism will win and civilization will lose.
J’lem rejects World Court’s authority in second anti-Israel case
Israel has decided not to send a representative to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, aka the “World Court,” for a hearing on Monday regarding the legality of Israel’s “occupation” of Judea and Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank.

The decision was made late last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. Also at the meeting was British law professor Malcolm Shaw, who represented Israel in the genocide case.

On Dec. 30, 2022, a U.N. General Assembly resolution, passed by 87-26, asked the court to issue an advisory opinion on the “legal consequences” of Israel’s “ongoing violation” of “the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” and “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.”

The General Assembly also asked the court to judge alleged actions Israel took to alter “the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem.”

Israeli officials sharply criticized the U.N. resolution, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “disgraceful. …The Jewish people is not occupying its land and is not occupying its eternal capital Jerusalem. No U.N. resolution can distort this historical truth.”

Unlike the genocide case, in which South Africa asked the ICJ to issue a ruling that Israel immediately suspend its war against Hamas while the court decided whether Israel had violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention, a ruling in the “occupation case” would be nonbinding.

Still, there are dangers, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) CEO Jonathan Turner told JNS.


UN court opens hearings on Israeli occupation
Public hearings opened at the International Court of Justice in the Hague (ICJ) on Monday regarding the legal repercussions of Israel's "ongoing occupation" of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The court is hearing arguments due to a request submitted by the UN General Assembly after a December 2022 resolution calling for an examination of the "Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem."

Hearings will be conducted for a full week at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the court.

Hearings opened with an oral statement by Palestinian representatives this morning.

Fifty-two states and three international organizations will participate in the oral proceedings before the court. Among the countries presenting are Belize, Bolivia, Cuba, the Comoros, Namibia, Syria and the Maldives, among others.

In line with a decision made late last week, Israel has chosen not to send a representative, saying the court lacks jurisdiction to consider the matter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the December 2022 resolution “disgraceful," adding, "The Jewish people are not occupying their land and are not occupying their eternal capital Jerusalem. No UN resolution can distort this historical truth.”

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) CEO Jonathan Turner told JNS that the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations and its supporters want the ICJ to rule that Israel is occupying the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, areas captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.

“The verdict won’t be legally binding, but a lot of people will regard it as authoritative and treat it as if it were an accurate statement of the law. It will be quite difficult to displace it in anything but the most friendly tribunals,” said Turner.


Russia's worrisome invite to Hamas, PIJ and its implications
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said over the weekend that Russia invited Palestinian factions to meet in Moscow at some point in late February, the latest Russian move to increase its influence in a post-October 7 world. Moscow hosted a Hamas delegation already in October, as Hamas sought to do outreach to Moscow.

In October, a Hamas delegation set out for Moscow, led by senior Hamas member Mousa Abu Marzouk, and met with the Russian and Iranian deputy foreign ministers, Mikhail Bogdanov and Ali Bagheri Kani. That meeting represented a convening of interests between Russia, Iran, and Hamas. This is concerning because Iran backs Hamas and also supplies Russia with drones for its use in the war in Ukraine. Russia has been particularly cold towards Israel following October 7, slamming its operations in Gaza and particularly Israel’s ambassador to Russia in early February.

Rising trends in Russia's influence
The new invitation comes on the heels of these worrisome trends. The Palestinian Authority has been increasingly open to Hamas, at least in some public statements, since October 7. Hamas sought to increase its influence in the West Bank, for instance, in negotiations over prisoners, it seeks to get prisoners released from other factions.

According to Russian state media TASS, Moscow invited up to 14 Palestinian groups to attend, including those belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization, as well as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. This comes as Algeria pushes the UN to call for a ceasefire and in the wake of Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva slamming Israel for the war in Gaza and even comparing it to the Holocaust. This illustrates a growing aspect of international pressure, showing that Moscow is willing to try to step in and wield influence at a crucial juncture. Israeli media have said that the assessment in Jerusalem is that it will take another two months to defeat Hamas in Rafah and other areas in Gaza.


Arafat’s next successor another reason why a Palestinian state will be a disaster
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to the Middle East this month saying: “One, there needs to be calm in Gaza; two, there needs to be a clear and credible pathway to a Palestinian state.” But who would lead Blinken’s Palestinian state and why?

On February 4, The Jerusalem Post reported, “[Marwan] Barghouti is a popular figure in Palestinian politics, with many seeing him as a successor to 88-year-old Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas.”

Abbas is a member of Fatah and has been in power since the 2004 death of terrorist leader Yasser Arafat.

Barghouti has been a leading figure in Fatah for decades and joined when he was just 15, more than 50 years ago. A convicted mass murderer, Barghouti has been jailed since 2002. He was found guilty in an Israeli civilian court of 26 charges of murder and attempted murder of both Israeli civilians and soldiers. He is not a political prisoner. Barghouti is well known and electable, and the Associated Press reported in December 2023 that “the most popular politician remains Marwan Barghouti.”

The immediate release of terrorists incarcerated by Israel has remained a repeated demand by Hamas and recently, it added Barghouti to the list of those who must be freed.

This should be interpreted as both highly significant and surprising. Hamas’s push for Barghouti as a replacement for Abbas may be based on the assumption that America and Europe believe Barghouti to be someone they will be able to collaborate easily with to create a state.


Gallant: Hamas seeking to replace Sinwar, Khan Younis Brigade is defeated
Hamas’s leadership abroad is looking to replace its Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, as the terror group’s battalions in Khan Younis have been dismantled and an offensive in Rafah looms, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.

Security forces have yet to get their hands on Sinwar, or Hamas’s military commander Mohammad Deif and his deputy Marwan Issa. But Sinwar has reportedly been out of contact with the terror group’s leadership abroad since the end of January and his involvement in ongoing hostage negotiations is in question.

“Hamas does not trust its commanders — this is a very, very noticeable thing,” Gallant said following an assessment with the head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman.

“Hamas-Gaza is MIA, there is no one to talk to among leadership on the ground,” he said, alleging that Hamas leadership abroad was looking for new leaders in Gaza. “That means there is a tender [in Hamas] for who will run Gaza,” he said.

In Khan Younis, Gallant said some 200 terror suspects had surrendered to troops at Nasser Hospital, and dozens more at Al-Amal Hospital, which he argued indicated the loss of Hamas’s “fighting spirit.”

“People armed with RPGs, weapons, and guns came to the moment of truth and did not fight. This indicates something of their understanding of the power differential, that they understood their fate was to surrender or die — there is no third option,” he said.

Gallant said Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade had been “defeated and does not function as a military entity in any way.”

“Hamas is left with marginal [forces] in the central camps and with the Rafah Brigade, and what stands between them and a complete collapse as a military system is a decision by the IDF,” he said.
StandWithUs: Special Briefing - The October 7th War
Join StandWithUs TV Live this Sunday for the latest War Briefing direct from Israel, featuring IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Conricus. We'll be joined by author and activist Dov Forman, who co-wrote the bestselling "Lily's Promise" with his 100-year-old Holocaust-survivor grandmother to discuss current antisemitism and enjoy some light relief with comedian Elon Gold, just back from Israel.


Israel, Hizbullah, Hamas: The Moral Dilemmas of War
JCPA Daily Wartime Briefing

Featuring:
Maj.-Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan - Former head of Israel's National Security Council and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff
Col. Richard Kemp - Former commander of British forces in Afghanistan

Also featuring:
Dr. Dan Diker, President, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Khaled Abu Toameh, Award-winning Israeli Arab journalist and Senior Jerusalem Center Fellow


An Heroic Rescue in the Heart of Enemy Territory
Fernando Marman and Louis Har were rescued from Hamas captivity in the heart of Rafah by Israeli forces on February 12, 2024. Superintendent Y, 35, the commander of the primary assault force for the rescue from Yamam, the National Counter-Terrorism Unit, said the operation took place in a Hamas stronghold that the IDF still hadn't targeted, full of terrorists. The unit had been training for the operation for weeks.

Commander A, 35, a veteran, experienced reservist, explained that this was "an event that we had been training for since the day we were recruited. There's an instructor who always says, 'If you're privileged to be part of this event, then you're privileged to be the first to enter the room where the hostages are held; say thank you and do your best,' and that was the feeling from the first day of preparations, that we were privileged to be part of something big."

The unit's members are young men with families. I asked them if all this risk was worth the rescue of two people. Commander D, 34, answers: "We don't look at it in terms of a person being worth the life of another, and if two soldiers die the operation is a failure. It's not a zero-sum game. There is something here that's far bigger in its substance. I won't say that we in the unit are worth less, but we've taken on ourselves the understanding that we're ready to be harmed for something bigger than a single person, that's who we are."

Yamam has lost nine soldiers since Oct. 7. Before departure, the platoon commander, Chief Superintendent A, came to speak with the soldiers. "The commander spoke with us about the importance of the mission, that the hostages are like our parents, and we'd naturally do everything to save our parents," says Superintendent Y. "He spoke with us about the fallen, about how we're doing the operation for them and we are continuing their heritage, and concluded with the same words as before every departure: 'We leave together and we return together,' and this time it happened."


Israel expects up to 8 weeks of intense fighting in Gaza
Jerusalem expects intense fighting to continue in Gaza for another six to eight weeks, including in Rafah city, before scaling back the war effort, Reuters reported on Monday.

“Military chiefs believe they can significantly damage Hamas’s remaining capabilities in that time, paving the way for a shift to a lower-intensity phase of targeted airstrikes and special forces operations,” the report stated, citing two Israeli officials and two regional officials familiar with the strategy.

Despite international concerns about potential civilian casualties in Gaza’s southernmost city, Jerusalem is determined to proceed with the ground operation in Rafah, according to the Israel Defense Forces Hamas’s last bastion in the Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed the necessity of the Rafah operation to complete the defeat of the terrorist group.

Israel is also planning to destroy the weapons-smuggling tunnels believed to be running underneath the Gaza-Egyptian border.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday said that the IDF fighters would also target Hamas commander centers in Rafah, stressing that “extraordinary measures” would be taken to avoid civilian casualties.

The population of Rafah has swelled in recent months to some 1.5 million after Israeli forces directed residents of northern Gaza to a humanitarian zone there. Israel is reportedly working on a plan to evacuate noncombatants from the city ahead of ground maneuvers there.

“There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza—we have dismantled 18 of them,” Gallant told foreign reporters on Friday. “Now, Rafah is the next Hamas center of gravity.”

Hamas says 6,000 of its fighters killed

A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters that the terrorist group estimates that 6,000 of its fighters have been killed by Israeli forces during the more than four-month-old war in Gaza.

That number is about half of the 12,000 terrorists that Israel said it has killed since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre, with many more wounded and apprehended. Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy announced these numbers a week ago, also saying that “about three-quarters of Hamas’ battalions have been shattered.” The dead, wounded and captured terrorists represent “more than half of Hamas’ fighting force knocked out of action,” he said.

For his part, the Hamas official claimed that the terrorist group can continue fighting for an extended period.

“Netanyahu’s options are difficult and ours are too. He can occupy Gaza but Hamas is still standing and fighting. He hasn’t achieved his goals to kill the Hamas leadership or annihilate Hamas,” the official said.

Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre, is believed to be hiding in the vast tunnel network underneath Rafah.


The bottom line on Sinwar: How much is he in control?
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s public boasts that Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar’s days as the leader of the movement were limited, were a bit exaggerated. But there may be a more important point of optimism to be gleaned from Sinwar’s actions.

After nearly four months of top Israeli defense officials admitting they did not know the answer to an all-important question: it seems likely that Sinwar does want to live, rather than die a martyr.

This does not mean that the Israeli hostages still alive will be returned; there are many obstacles and things could go awry. But it may be the most significant hopeful moment to get them back and end the conflict since Israel took operational control over northern Gaza, but with nothing to show for it in the elimination of Hamas leaders.

But before explaining why, Gallant’s statements need to be examined along with Israeli intelligence and past Israeli developments with Sinwar.

Some believed that his gamble of launching a mega massacre against Israel on October 7 showed that he had become messianic, had a death wish, and was willing to risk his regime just to draw blood. In this narrative, he sought to die in glory, rather than maintain his indefinite control over Gaza, however held back by Israeli power his rule was.

If Sinwar was willing to die, and take the hostages with him rather than face capture or a deal to end Hamas’s rule in Gaza, then it was unclear whether Israel had a clear path to all the hostages’ return. This seemed to be supported by Sinwar’s response to Israel’s capture of northern Gaza.

He was willing to give up some hostages to reconstitute his defenses and to have a chance of dragging the IDF into a full ceasefire, but, even after the IDF flattened northern Gaza, Sinwar was still willing to risk an IDF onslaught in his hometown of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.


IDF soldiers eliminate terrorist minutes after rocket launch detected
Just minutes after a rocket launch was detected in Gaza, soldiers from the Nahal Brigade directed the Israeli Air Force to eliminate the terrorists who attacked the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip, as IDF forces continue operations in Gaza, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported on Monday.

On Sunday evening, a rocket launch was detected from the central Gaza Strip area that crossed into Israeli territory and fell into an open area. The IDF's quick response

A few minutes later, firepower from the Nahal Brigade identified the terrorist who carried out the launch moving in Gaza City, where the Israeli Air Force, directed by Nahal soldiers, attacked and killed the terrorist.

Terrorist squads that operated close to the IDF forces in the area were also eliminated.

Soldiers from the 7th Brigade continue to operate in western Khan Yunis. In the past day, IDF soldiers raided terrorist targets where they found Kalashnikov weapons, drones, an RPG launcher, explosives, and other military equipment.

The 7th Brigade’s firepower, along with aircraft and combat helicopters of the Air Force, eliminated terrorists who were operating near the IDF forces in the area.

In western Khan Yunis, soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade used drones to identify terrorists moving towards them and, in response, directed aircraft to eliminate the terrorist squad. A short time later, four more terrorists were identified in the area and killed by the IDF Air Force.


Wounded Al Jazeera reporter in Gaza, an alleged Hamas operative, flown to Qatar
An Al Jazeera reporter who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike near southern Gaza’s Rafah last week, and who was said by the IDF to also be a Hamas terror operative, has been flown to Qatar for treatment, the Doha-based network said Sunday.

Ismail Abu Omar serves as a deputy company commander in Hamas’s East Khan Younis Battalion, in addition to working for the Qatari-owned station, Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, revealed last Wednesday.

On the morning of October 7, Abu Omar infiltrated into Israel and filmed from inside Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s onslaught, Adraee added.

Abu Omar’s right leg was blown off in the Tuesday drone strike, while doctors were trying to save the left one, Al Jazeera said, quoting an emergency physician.

Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmad Matar was also wounded in the strike.

Channel 12 reported Sunday that Abu Omar was transported to Doha aboard a Qatari evacuation aircraft. It added that Israel had no knowledge of the evacuation.

Al Jazeera slammed the strike and rejected the IDF’s allegation about Abu Omar’s role with Hamas.

In a statement, Al Jazeera said that “targeting the reporter Ismail and cameraman Ahmad is a new episode in a series by the [Israeli] occupation deliberately targeting Al Jazeera crews.”

“The network condemns the accusations against its journalists and recalls Israel’s long record of lies and fabrication of evidence through which it seeks to hide its heinous crimes,” the broadcaster said Thursday.

It added: “Al Jazeera’s employment policies stipulate that employees are not to engage in any political affiliations that may affect their professionalism.”

Earlier this week, the IDF revealed a trove of images and documents it said prove that another Al Jazeera reporter, Mohamed Washah, was a commander in Hamas’s military wing. Adraee said that documents recovered from the laptop revealed that Washah, 37, was a “prominent commander” in Hamas’s anti-tank missile unit, and in late 2022, began to work in research and development for the terror group’s air unit.


IDF jets strike deep inside Lebanese territory
IAF fighter jets attacked two Hezbollah weapons storage facilities near the city of Sidon in Lebanon, the military said on Monday.

The strike was in response to the launch of a UAV toward the Lower Galilee on Monday, the IDF added.

The IDF also said it conducted strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Meiss El Jabal and al-Adisa areas in Lebanon.

This comes following reports in Israeli media, citing the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar newspaper, of Israeli jets attacking near Sidon. The two strikes occurred in the region of Ghaziyeh some 60 km from Israel's northern border.

Earlier on Monday, IAF jets targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in the Dharya region in southern Lebanon, the military said on Monday.

On Sunday, Israeli intelligence identified a terrorist entering a Hezbollah structure in the Ayta ash-Shab region. Following this, fighter jets were dispatched to attack the building where the terrorist was staying.

In the past day, the IDF targeted a Hezbollah launch site in the area of Aitaroun alongside a terrorist infrastructure in the al-Adisa area, in addition to firing artillery in other areas in Lebanese territory, the military added.


Netanyahu urges Jewish American leaders to pressure Qatar on hostage deal
Qatar can do more to pressure Hamas to release the 134 hostages in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Conference of Presidents in Jerusalem on Sunday night as he urged them to intervene with Doha on Israel’s behalf.

“I urge you to press Qatar to press Hamas because we want our hostages released,” Netanyahu told the Jewish American leaders who had gathered for a gala dinner at the Museum of Tolerance.

“Qatar can press Hamas as no one else can. They host Hamas leaders. Hamas is dependent on them financially,” Netanyahu said.

"The release of hostages can be achieved through strong military action and tough negotiations, very tough negotiations. That tough position has to involve the exertion of pressure. And the exertion of pressure is not merely on Hamas itself, but on those who can exert pressure on Hamas, beginning with Qatar,” Netanyahu said.

He spoke as talks for a hostage deal had reached a standstill, with Hamas insisting on a permanent ceasefire and a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza as part of the deal. Qatar and Egypt have been the main mediators for such an agreement. They have worked together with the United States.
IDF finds video of Bibas family alive in captivity in early days of war
The IDF found in recent days a security video showing Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel (4) and Kfir (1) alive in captivity in Gaza in the early days of the war, Israeli media reported on Monday.

Later, at a press briefing, IDF Spokesman Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari explained that, on October 7, Shiri was kidnapped with her children by terrorists and brought to an outpost in Khan Yunis, where they were detained by a terror group by the name of Kataib Mujahadin.

There, Shiri was forced by armed terrorists to wear a piece of cloth with Kfir probably attached in a sling under it, with Ariel following her. The terrorists then forced her and her children into a vehicle and on to a different location.

The video is dated to October 7, and shows they reached Khan Yunis alive, Hagari said.

"From the information available to us, we are concerned for the safety of Shiri and the children, and we will not rest until we bring them home," the spokesman added. Footage from security cameras in the area of Khan Yunis showing the kidnapping of the Bibas family. Published by the IDF February 19, 2024. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Hagari also emphasized that Hamas is the sole responsible party for the Bibas family.

The family was told that the video was found in a tunnel or in a hiding place, N12 reported.

Family responds on the video
Following Hagari's press briefing, the family said in a statement, "These videos tear our hearts out. Witnessing Shiri, Yarden, Ariel and Kfir, ripped away from their home in Nir Oz into this hellscape, feels unbearable and inhumane.

"Kidnapping children is a crime against humanity and a war crime. Ariel and Kfir are victims of monstrous evil. Our whole family has become hostages along with all the hostages.

"We desperately call on all decision makers in Israel and worldwide involved in negotiations: Bring them home immediately. Make it clear to Hamas that taking children is beyond the pale. Prioritize the return of these children first and foremost in any agreement," the statement added.

"We want to thank the public in Israel and worldwide who support us, and ask you to continue the struggle for their return home," it concluded.


Oct 7. victims take sexual violence case to the Hague
Dr. Qanta Ahmed speaks about the upcoming case against Hamas in the ICC.




Douglas Murray Gave the Most Epic Response Ever to an Absurd Leftist Question



Call Me Back PodCast: Is a peaceful Palestinian State even possible? – with Haviv Rettig Gur
Hosted by Dan Senor
On Sunday, Israel’s cabinet unanimously issued a statement rejecting efforts by the international community to force immediate recognition of a Palestinian State, especially so soon after 10/07. This was following an extensive article in the Washington Post last week that revealed plans — according to background sources — for Washington, the EU, and Arab capitals to accelerate the path to recognition of a Palestinian state.

Quoting from the Washington Post article: “The elephant in the planning room is Israel, and whether its government will acquiesce to much of what is being discussed: the withdrawal of many, if not all, settler communities on the West Bank; a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem; the reconstruction of Gaza; and security and governance arrangements for a combined West Bank and Gaza.”

You can read the full Washington Post article here

According to the Israeli cabinet statement in response: “Israel utterly rejects international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. A settlement, if it is to be reached, will come about solely through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions. Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7th massacre would be a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism and would foil any future peace settlement.”

What was even more noteworthy was Benny Gantz said “the pathway to regional stability and peace is not through one-sided actions like recognition of a Palestinian state.”

The real question, embedded in these Israelis responses and others, is whether a peaceful Palestinian State is even possible?

That’s what we discuss today with Haviv Rettig Gur of the Times of Israel, during our weekly check-in.
Israelis ‘struggling to understand’ what the world wants amid war with Hamas
Times of Israel’s Haviv Rettig Gur says Israelis are “struggling to understand” what the world wants amid Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

This comes after Foreign Minister Penny Wong released a statement, declaring a planned ground offensive in Rafah would be “unjustifiable” and urged Israel to “not go down this path”.

Israel is planning an operation into Rafah, a small city in the Gaza Strip, which currently shelters around 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.

“And then the statement ends ‘and Hamas should removed from Gaza’ or something like that,” Mr Gur told Sky News host Chris Kenny.

“And what frustrates Israelis with statements like that is that there’s never quite an explanation of how.”




DFAT accused of not undertaking ‘checks and balances’ for UNRWA funding
Liberal Senator Claire Chandler has taken aim at DFAT for not undertaking their “checks and balances” for their funding of UNRWA prior to the October 7 attacks on Israel.

This comes as UNRWA faces scrutiny for alleged links to Hamas.

“In prior years, 20 per cent of that total 20 million payment has been withheld,” Ms Chandler told Sky News Australia.

“So that the department can do the compliance checks and make sure that UNRWA isn’t undertaking terrorist activity or anything like this.

“Now we found out this week at Estimates that those compliance checks didn’t take place this year, that the department pushed the entire 20 million dollars out the door in one fell swoop.”


Peta Credlin expresses concern over background checks for Palestinian visa recipients
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has revealed that the federal government has granted over 2,000 visitor visas and 148 migration visas to people with Palestinian citizenship, Sky News host Peta Credlin says.

Ms Credlin said so far just over 300 of those have “landed here in Australia”.

“My concern here is these people are coming out of a conflict zone," she said.

“Most we’re told are in the Gaza region or other areas occupied by the Palestinian authority.

“How confident can we be that we’re doing all the proper security checks on these people before they get a visa.”


Sharri Markson slams ‘inadequate’ security screenings for Palestinian visa recipients
Sky News host Sharri Markson has slammed the “inadequate” security screenings for Palestinian visa recipients following revelations some are being granted in potentially an hour.

From October 7th to the 6th of February, 2273 people who hold a Palestinian Authority travel document have been given visas to Australia.

Ms Markson said security checks are essential to ensure the government isn’t bringing in people with links to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad or another terror group.

“We know that Jews are already being persecuted in Australia. Anti-Semitism is rising. There's doxxing, death threats, vandalism, hatred and intimidation; aggressive protests outside of Jewish synagogues, homes and businesses,” she said.

“The last thing we need is Hamas sympathisers to be flown into Australia, undoubtedly at taxpayer expense, to further put at risk the safety of all Australians and to further erode social cohesion.”


Penny Wong shows ‘time and time again’ where she stands on Israel-Hamas war
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has shown “time and time again” where she stands on the Israel-Hamas war, Sky News host Liz Storer says.

“Our foreign minister has shown time and time again where she really stands with regard to this conflict,” she said.

“It doesn’t skip anyone’s mind that she doubled funding UNRWA before the terrorist attacks.

“She has since withdrawn them due to the incomprehensible pressure that was placed upon her.

“She has still got people even on the front bench to reinstate that, I don’t think for a minute she is unaware of the risk she is importing.”




Pro-Palestine activists stage protest on Melbourne factory roof
Pro-Palestine protestors have scaled the roof of an aerospace factory in Melbourne's east.

Police believe the group gained access to the Rosebank Engineering factory on Mountain Highway in Bayswater about 6am.

Whistleblowers, Activists, & Communities Alliance Spokesperson Gaye Demanuele told 9News about eight activists were on the roof protesting against the exportation of weapon components to Israel.

Protestors let off flares and spray-painted the front of the factory with red paint.

Demanueule said the company was the sole global producer for "upload actuators" which were a part of the F35 Striker Jets, believed to be used by Isreal.

"We want to call on the workers to down tolls on F35 parts," she said.

"We need engineering workers to work on components for health, housing and education.


Amy Winehouse’s Star of David covered with Palestinian flag
A statue of Amy Winehouse has been defaced with a sticker of the Palestinian flag covering up the later singer’s Star of David pendant.

A sticker of the Palestinian flag with the name of “Friends of Al Aqsa” appeared over the late star's necklace over the weekend in Camden Market and was seen by passersby this morning.

One local restauranteur, who wanted to remain anonymous and has walked past the statue every day for years, told the JC, “It is clear that her Magen David has been targeted. They could have put the flag anywhere else. Why couldn’t they have put it on her skirt or her top?”

“They had to use the Palestine flag to cover up the one Jewish symbol on her.”

“This statue has been there for years,” the proprietor went on, “people love to go there to take photos with it.”

Amy Winehouse lived and performed in Camden and her statue has become part of the DNA of the market. The statue in Stables Market was unveiled in 2014, three years after the singer’s death.

The Camden market statue depicts Winehouse with her hand on her hip, wearing a Star of David necklace, high heels, and her signature beehive hairstyle. The British sculptor Scott Eaton said it had been designed to convey Winehouse's "attitude and strength, but also give subtle hints of insecurity".




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 19 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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