Israel - Palestinian militants launch massive attack, 7 Oct 2023 #5

[PommyMommy]

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Biden delivers Oval Office address (cnn.com)
20 min ago

Increased military activity along Israel-Gaza border, CNN reports​

Early Friday morning, CNN's Nic Robertson witnessed increased military activity along Israel's border with Gaza.

Several illumination flares are seen floating down in the distance, while red tracer rounds can be seen accompanied by the sound of heavy machine gun fire.

In the video, Robertson recalled hearing heavy machine gun fire, and distant explosions.

CNN is unable to provide further detail on the type of military activity seen along the border.

When asked for comment on the military activity, Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Lt. Colonel Jonathan Conricus told Burnett, "The reserves are ready, equipped, mission-oriented, and standing by for the next stage of our operations. But at this time, of course, we will not advertise when, where, and how we will advance or do or enhance our military activities."

Israeli politicians have given Israel's military the "green light" to enter Gaza, officials told Robertson on Thursday, and it is now up to the military to decide when to go in.

 

[Momoffourboys]

Did not find a name atm, but apparently the family has been taken hostage.

Parents, Siblings Cry In Disbelief As Hamas Kills Israeli Girl In Front Of Them

The caption of the video read, "This is one of those videos we wish we didn’t have to share. An Israeli child is executed in front of her siblings and parents who are currently being held hostage by Hamas."

www.indiatimes.com

''This is one of those videos we wish we didn’t have to share.

An Israeli child is executed in front of her siblings and parents who are currently being held hostage by Hamas.

If this isn’t pure evil, nothing is.

Please help us make sure the world knows what is happening. pic.twitter.com/soOloHPDFA

— Israel ישראל (@Israel) October 8, 2023''

The daughter’s name is Yael. The father Tzachi. That’s all I’ve seen.
The mother and two kids survived. The older sister was murdered. The father taken hostage.

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live: Biden calls on Congress to support funding for Israel and Ukraine in rare Oval Office address (theguardian.com)
47m ago20.55 EDT

Navy warship shot down missiles appearing to head toward Israel​

US forces in the Middle East are facing increasing threats.

Earlier, the Associated Press reported that a Navy warship shot down missiles appearing to head toward Israel on Thursday.

The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea, intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. The action by the Carney potentially represented the first shots by the US military in the defense of Israel in this conflict, the AP reports.

This image provided by the US Navy shows the USS Carney. Photograph: Ryan U Kledzik/AP
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters the missiles were “potentially” headed toward Israel but said the US hasn’t finished its assessment of what they were targeting.

A US official said they don’t believe the missiles — which were shot down over the water — were aimed at the US warship. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations that had not yet been announced.

But an array of other drone attacks over the past three days did target US bases, including one in southern Syria on Thursday that caused minor injuries and the drones and rockets that targeted Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq.

 

[Momoffourboys]

I need to catch up on this thread! Drugs? Fentanyl!!!?? Wouldn’t surprise me. But I also tend to think if they took anything - it would be amphetamines or methamphetamines because both make you hyper focused on your task.

I did see a report on CNN where one of the survivors being interviewed said he thought the Hamas attackers were on drugs and there was “nothing” in their eyes.

Yeah. Nothing but hate.

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live: Biden calls on Congress to support funding for Israel and Ukraine in rare Oval Office address (theguardian.com)
55m ago20.49 EDT

Rockets, drones hit Iraqi bases housing US forces – security sources​

Reuters: Drones and rockets targeted on Thursday evening the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq, and multiple blasts were heard inside the base, two security sources said.

The Iraqi military said it closed the area around the base and started a search operation. It was not clear yet whether the attacks caused casualties or damages, said the sources.

Rockets have hit another military base hosting US forces near Baghdad’s international airport, Iraqi police said on Thursday, without providing further details.

The latest attacks take to four in the past 24 hours targeting Iraqi military bases that hosts US forces in Iraq.

US military forces in Iraq were targeted on Wednesday in two separate drone attacks, with one causing minor injuries to a small number of troops even though the US military managed to intercept the armed drone.

Last week, Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran threatened to target US interests with missiles and drones if Washington intervened to support Israel against Hamas in Gaza.

The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, and 900 more in neighbouring Syria, on a mission to advise and assist local forces in combating Islamic State, which in 2014 seized swathes of territory in both countries.

Ain al-Asad air base is located in the western Anbar province.

 

[margarita25]

There needs to be a ceasefire, Israel's continued bombing of INNOCENT TRAPPED HUMAN BEINGS NEEDS TO STOP!

Release of the innocent hostages needs to happen NOW!

Both points/viewpoints are valuable, imo. That’s all I want to say about this. I think it is beyond awful unrelated innocents have to suffer and die, children…

I also believe in standing up to terrorists, modern-day Holocaust, and fighting for the hostages and destroying Hamas.

Speaking as minimally as possible on this.

Sadly, it’s like Rambo, Hamas “drew first blood” on Oct 7 (al though their argument includes, I’m sure, prior acts against Palestinians.
Whatever the case, no excuse for the Oct 7 beyond-horrific slaughter on Jews.

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live: Biden calls on Congress to support funding for Israel and Ukraine in rare Oval Office address (theguardian.com)
40m ago21.05 EDT
Israel security officials have signalled their readiness to embark on a ground offensive into Gaza that they say will be far more comprehensive and ferocious than any previous conflict with Hamas.

Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, visited troops on the Gaza border on Thursday, telling them: “You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside. The command will come.”

“I am tasked with leading us to victory,” Gallant told the soldiers. “We will be precise and forceful, and we will keep going until we fulfil our mission.”

Soon after Gallant’s statement, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, broadcast a video of himself with troops near the border also promising victory. At a meeting with his visiting British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, Netanyahu said: “This is our darkest hour.”

Israeli officials are adamant that they have no choice but launch a massive assault, codenamed Operation Swords of Iron. Over the past 16 years since the militant movement seized power in Gaza, they argue, Israel has fought three significant conflicts with Hamas, but they said those campaigns were aimed at keeping Hamas in check rather than destroying it.

“The strategy was to have a longer gap every time between the different conflicts, but it failed and it cannot happen any more,” a senior Israeli security official said. “So the only conclusion is that we have to go in, we have to go in and clean it and to eliminate Hamas from the roots, not only militarily, but also economically, its administration. Everything should go away.”

“That’s the idea now and we are getting prepared for that,” the official said, and warned: “It won’t be clear cut and it won’t be as short as we would like as Israelis. It will be a prolonged campaign. It will take time.”

 

[Momoffourboys]

Israel Defense Forces
@IDF
·
5h

This is the 13th day that Hamas has fired rockets targeting both southern and central Israel—endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands.

https://x.com/IDF/status/1715096399988081130?s=20

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live: Biden calls on Congress to support funding for Israel and Ukraine in rare Oval Office address (theguardian.com)
27m ago21.19 EDT

203 Israeli hostages, says IDF; up to 100-200 unaccounted for​

In an interview with CNN, IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus has said that 203 Israelis are being held hostage by Hamas.

He added that there are “between 100 and 200 Israelis that are still unaccounted for.”

“We do not know if they are dead and their body is somewhere in Israel or somewhere in the Gaza strip whether in the hands of Hamas or other terrorist organisations or not in the hands of anybody, or if they are held hostage,” he said.

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live: Biden calls on Congress to support funding for Israel and Ukraine in rare Oval Office address (theguardian.com)
4m ago02.49 BST

Latest death tolls​

These are the most recent death tolls from Gaza and Israel:

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said 3,785 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, the majority women, children and older adults. Nearly 12,500 were injured, and another 1,300 people were believed buried under rubble, authorities said.

This toll includes 477 people it said were killed in a hospital explosion. This figure is disputed by US intelligence, which estimates the toll was between 100 and 300 people.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians slain during Hamas’ deadly incursion. 203 others were abducted, and between 100 and 200 are missing, the IDF said.

““We do not know if they are dead and their body is somewhere in Israel or somewhere in the Gaza strip whether in the hands of Hamas or other terrorist organisations or not in the hands of anybody, or if they are held hostage,” IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said.

 

[Momoffourboys]

Jonathan Conricus

@jconricus

I update @andersoncooper on the situation of our 203 hostages, and the efforts undertaken to bring them home, including accounting for more than 100 Israelis still missing. Hamas abducted our men, women, children and elderly, and they will pay for what they did.

https://x.com/jconricus/status/1715171671449993617?s=20

 

[margarita25]

I find it, uh, odd only that only this one (hinky) hostage video has been released (including hinky medical care video). I wonder if/when they will release more.

Quick ref:

Mia Shem, 21, from Shoham, appeared in the first hostage video released by Hamas saying that she had been abducted from a party. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed she was taken hostage and said they were in touch with her family, who agreed images from the video could be shown.

Image caption,
Mia Shem pleaded for her release in the first hostage video released by Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades

Hamas hostages: Stories of the people taken from Israel

It is thought 116 Israelis and foreigners remain unaccounted for after the 7 October attacks.

www.bbc.com

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

The daughter’s name is Yael. The father Tzachi. That’s all I’ve seen.
The mother and two kids survived. The older sister was murdered. The father taken hostage.

The parents are Gali and Tzachi Idan and the children are Maayan, Yael and Shahar. 18 year old Maayan was killed.

There’s a heartbreaking interview of Gali and her daughter Yael. I believe it was done by News 13 Israel - if someone could please find a linkable source.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

The parents are Gali and Tzachi Idan and the children are Maayan, Yael and Shahar. 18 year old Maayan was killed.

There’s a heartbreaking interview of Gali and her daughter Yael. I believe it was done by News 13 Israel - if someone could please find a linkable source.

I think this is ok to link -

אביה של יעל נחטף, אחותה נרצחה: "אמרתי למחבלים שיקחו אותו, רק שלא יהרגו" | חדשות 13

אחד הסרטונים הראשונים שנחשפו ביום שבת הנורא הוא של משפחת עידן. המחבלים הגיעו אליהם הביתה, פתחו לייב ושידרו את כל מה שקרה בבית. מעיין, הבת הגדולה, נרצחה מירי והאבא, צחי, נחטף. שבוע אחרי, גלי ויעל עידן התראיינו וסיפרו על אותו היום השחור

13tv.co.il

There is a translation on You Tube.

ETA—more video footage from the incident

 

[margarita25]

38 minutes ago:

1 hour ago:

17 hours ago:

 

[Momoffourboys]

'We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting': The Pentagon said that a US Navy warship intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen, possibly aimed at Israel https://reut.rs/3PZI1Jb

https://x.com/Reuters/status/1715188586155512270?s=20

 

[PommyMommy]

14m ago03.07 BST
Israel-Hamas war live: Biden calls on Congress to support funding for Israel and Ukraine in rare Oval Office address (theguardian.com)
14m ago03.07 BST

On a visit to Cairo, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, said: “We need food, water, medicine and fuel now. We need it at scale and we need it to be sustained, it is not one small operation that is required.”

The threat of a ground assault on top of the constant airstrikes, now threatens to cut off even this slim lifeline to Gaza at any moment.

“There will be many injured who will lose their lives if sufficient fuel, medical supplies and life-saving aid is not delivered to hospitals in Gaza which are full of injured civilians from the continuous bombing and Israeli airstrikes,” said Riham Jafari, the communications and advocacy coordinator at ActionAid Palestine.

“Insufficient aid will cause health disasters and starvation as patients with chronic diseases and pregnant women and their infants will be unable to receive the medical care and nutrition they need, and this will endanger their lives. We know that the 20 trucks of aid currently promised is simply not enough.”

 

[Kaylison]

Hadn't seen this shared (apologies, I'm not very tech savvy) --

As Gaza crisis escalates, some experts fear a Hamas ‘surprise

• The terrorist group is known to have acquired underwater drones and other novel weapons. It hasn’t used them – yet.

As the intensity of the Gaza war increases, so do the odds that Hamas will unveil a deadly surprise, according to analysts who study the group’s military capabilities.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/19/hamas-weapons-drones-submersible-missiles/

 

[fred&edna]

More from article about peace activist Vivian Silver via @fred&edna

A Terrible Hope

Vivian Silver's family and friends hold on to the memory of her work for peace between Israelis and Palestinians

time.com

Vivian Silver, left, with Susan Levinstein, right, in fields near Kibbutz Be'eri. Courtesy Susan Levinstein

This photo... the flowers in the field are Israel's national flower, the "Calanit" (Red Anemone Coronaria), I think.

 

[PommyMommy]

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Biden delivers Oval Office address (cnn.com)
7 min ago

Here's how Biden appealed to Americans for Israel and Ukraine funding during a primetime address​

US President Joe Biden directly appealed to Americans Thursday evening for US support for the wars in Israel and Ukraine during a primetime address from the Oval Office.
Here are key lines from his speech:

• An "inflection point in history": Biden has often cast this moment in history as an “inflection point” — a battle between the world’s democracies and autocracies. On Thursday, he argued that “this is one of those moments,” making a direct appeal to the American people as he sought to build support for US funding for wars abroad that could face a challenging path in Congress, where the House of Representatives remains unable to pass legislation in its second week without a speaker.
• War comparisons: Biden compared the events this month in Israel to nearly 20 months of war in Ukraine. He accused both Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin of wanting to "completely annihilate a neighboring democracy," but noted that they "represent different threats."
• Call for support: The president said that support for both wars in Israel and Ukraine are "vital for America’s national security.” And he warned, more broadly, that US adversaries and competitors “are watching.” He announced he would be submitting an “urgent budget request” for supplemental funding for Israel and Ukraine, among other national security priorities, to Congress on Friday.
• A firm stance against hate: Biden spoke out against Islamophobia and antisemitism, both of which have intensified in recent days, offering comfort and condemnation. Biden acknowledged the fear from Jewish families “worried about being targeted in school, wearing symbols of their faith walking down the street, or going out about their daily life.” And he empathized with Muslim-Americans who are “outraged … saying to yourself, ‘here we go again, with Islamophobia and distrust we saw after 9/11.'” He offered a message of recognition to those impacted: “To all of you hurting, those of you hurting, I want you to know I see you. You belong. I want to say this to you: you're all American.”
• Israel trip reflection: Biden reflected on his recent trip to Israel, where he met with Israeli officials and reaffirmed support for the country. He said that while there, he "saw people who are strong, determined, resilient and also angry, in shock and in deep, deep pain."
• Hostage promise: The president also renewed his promise of getting American hostages home to America, saying that "there is no higher priority for me than the safety of Americans held hostage."
• Two-state solution: He reiterated support for a two-state solution, saying “Israel and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity, and peace.”
• Hamas clarification: Biden sought to draw a clear distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people. He said the militant group "does not represent the Palestinian people" and accused it of using Palestinians "as human shields." He said he is "heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life" and added that the US "remains committed to the Palestinian people's right to dignity and to self-determination