Israel - Palestinian militants launch massive attack, 7 Oct 2023 #6

[mickey2942]

What should Israel do after their most vulnerable and innocent citizens were brutalized?

Shrug their shoulders and say, “oh, there go those nutty Hamas boys again?”

Hamas brought war to the land of Israel.

People get hurt in war.

Hamas knows that and certainly knew they were exposing Gazans to counterattacks.

Imagine, instead of Israel, this was your own peaceful happy family. Monsters come and do these things to your own loved ones, and you know there are thousands more like them just outside. Do you just yawn?

Speaking for myself, if it were my own family, I would do all I could to destroy those who did this to mine.

JMO

I would not consider killing children part of the equation.

 

[JennieM]

5 min ago

Qatar says it will continue talks with Israel and Hamas in hopes of releasing more hostages​

From CNN’s Mostafa Salem in Amman, Jordan

Qatar confirmed the release of the two American hostages and said it will “continue dialogue with Israel and Hamas in hope of releasing all civilian hostages from every nationality,” the spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, said in a statement.

“Today's breakthrough comes after many days of continuous communication between all the parties involved,” Al-Ansari said.

“We will continue our dialogue with both the Israelis and Hamas, and we hope these efforts will lead to the release of all civilian hostages from every nationality, with the ultimate aim of de-escalating the current crisis and restoring peace,” he added.

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in worsening conditions

Two US hostages are being released by Hamas, according to sources. Meanwhile, Gaza's hospitals are facing collapse as aid trucks line up at the Rafah crossing. Follow here for live news updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Gypsy Road]

Well, just maybe we could have offered aid, once there was a cease fire. Rather than throwing gasoline on a fire by promising Israel everything, including an aircraft carrier presence.

Yes, Hamas attacked Israelis. So, now Isreal is justified in a blitzkrieg in Gaza, until everything is pounded to dust?

One would have hoped that the United States could provide stability, and begin peace talks. Rather than stoking the region with more weapons. How is this going end?

Promise I’m not being a jerk.

So what would you suggest? How do we handle the escalating terrorist situation? Terrorism affects us all. Do we sit in silence and let them take over region by region like Russia is trying to do with Ukraine? Do you want to live under terrorist rule someday and be oppressed and have to live in an open prison like the innocent Palestinian people are living ? Do you want your children or grandchildren to live with the everyday fear that America (or whatever country you reside) will be attacked one day? The Terrorists hate us too, you know. We are SO spoiled here, well most of us, because we don’t live with the constant fear of being attacked, slaughtered in our homes, killed for no reason but hate. Can you imagine living with constant fear and insecurity for your safety?

I laid in bed last night and tried my hardest to image what it’s like to even have a safe room built in my house, a place to go if a terrorist came barging in, a safe room like most Israel’s have in their homes. I got up to get a drink of water and looked out into my wide open backyard through my bathroom window and wondered where I’d run, where I’d hide if the terrorists came knocking on my door. It chilled me to the bone thinking about it - yet the people in Israel are living this nightmare everyday - and many thousands have died, but not before being utterly and brutally tortured.

I feel empathy too for the innocent Palestinians who just want peace and to raise their family with abundant food on their table. Again - with the feeling of safety and security.

If what I read is correct, these terrorists were apparently home grown in Palestine. They are not sympathetic to the Palestinians. They have not improved their life, they have made it worse.

War is ugly. I hate weapons, I hate war. I hate that innocent people have to die. I hate that solders have to die. I despise it all. I would change it if I could. But if we don’t help out our friends and allies- we too could be living in fear, and worse.

How do you reason and have peace talks with unreasonable people? How?

National security has many definitions. But for me - it’s freedom, it’s living in peace, living without fear my house will be bombed, the city I live in, my country, or that someone wants to hurt me because I don’t share their faith.

National security is so very critical and important. I think sometimes we take it for granted.

 

[bmacmillan1]

BREAKING | NBC News: Martin Fletcher confirms his family members identified as Judith and Natalie Raanan from Evanston, Illinois are the two American hostages who have been released. Two officials briefed on the matter also confirm to
@JoshNBCNews and @Tom_Winter those are the 2

https://x.com/Tom_Winter/status/1715440698801979558?s=20

While I'm ecstatic about this news, Its a bitter sweet feeling, thinking of the others who are still being held...but hoping that this also means that they are still alive.
Once mother and daughter are in a well enough position to be able to recount the horror of their ordeal I wonder if we will learn more of what transpired or if it will be kept confidential

 

[JennieM]

‘Day of rage’ erupts across West Bank after Israeli forces attack refugee camp​

Palestinian Islamic Jihad supporters marched through Nur Shams chanting ‘revenge’ and protested against violence on children


[…]

The Palestinian health ministry said 13 people including five children were killed on Thursday in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm. Israeli media said Israeli troops used a drone before engaging in a prolonged gun battle with armed groups in the camp that left civilians and several militants dead.


The organisation Defence for Children International in Palestine said Israeli forces used an American-supplied Apache helicopter, which “fired a missile toward a group of Palestinian civilians, mostly children”, and prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching the wounded.

[…]

BBM

‘Day of rage’ erupts across West Bank after Israeli forces attack refugee camp

Palestinian Islamic Jihad supporters marched through Nur Shams chanting ‘revenge’ and protested against violence on children

www.theguardian.com

 

[margarita25]

 

[Leve]

Well, just maybe we could have offered aid, once there was a cease fire. Rather than throwing gasoline on a fire by promising Israel everything, including an aircraft carrier presence.

Yes, Hamas attacked Israelis. So, now Isreal is justified in a blitzkrieg in Gaza, until everything is pounded to dust?

One would have hoped that the United States could provide stability, and begin peace talks. Rather than stoking the region with more weapons. How is this going end?

If Israel wanted to blitzkrieg Gaza until everything is pounded to dust, the war would have been over in 1 day.

I'm sure Israel has the capability of doing that but they are showing incredible restraint and are very obviously trying to minimize the number of civilian casualties.

Unfortunately terrorist hide, store weapons, and attack from highly populated areas and areas that should be considered safe.

 

[Arkay]

Promise I’m not being a jerk.

So what would you suggest? How do we handle the escalating terrorist situation? Terrorism affects us all. Do we sit in silence and let them take over region by region like Russia is trying to do with Ukraine? Do you want to live under terrorist rule someday and be oppressed and have to live in an open prison like the innocent Palestinian people are living ? Do you want your children or grandchildren to live with the everyday fear that America (or whatever country you reside) will be attacked one day? The Terrorists hate us too, you know. We are SO spoiled here, well most of us, because we don’t live with the constant fear of being attacked, slaughtered in our homes, killed for no reason but hate. Can you imagine living with constant fear and insecurity for your safety?

I laid in bed last night and tried my hardest to image what it’s like to even have a safe room built in my house, a place to go if a terrorist came barging in, a safe room like most Israel’s have in their homes. I got up to get a drink of water and looked out into my wide open backyard through my bathroom window and wondered where I’d run, where I’d hide if the terrorists came knocking on my door. It chilled me to the bone thinking about it - yet the people in Israel are living this nightmare everyday - and many thousands have died, but not before being utterly and brutally tortured.

I feel empathy too for the innocent Palestinians who just want peace and to raise their family with abundant food on their table. Again - with the feeling safety and security.

If what I read is correct, these terrorists were apparently home grown in Palestine. They are not sympathetic to the Palestinians. They have not improved their life, they have made it worse.

War is ugly. I hate weapons, I hate war. I hate that innocent people have to die. I hate that solders have to die. I despise it all. I would change it if I could. But if we don’t help out our friends and allies- we too could be living in fear, and worse.

How do you reason and have peace talks with unreasonable people? How?

National security has many definitions. But for me it’s freedom, it’s living in peace, living without fear my house will be bombed, the city I live in, my country, or that someone wants to hurt me because I don’t share their faith.

National security is so very critical and important. I think sometimes we take it for granted.

Well said.

As you pointed out, MOST Americans do not live with an everyday fear of terrorism.

As a New Yorker, I do not have a safe room and I certainly don’t live with terror every day, like Israelis do.

But I do live with the POSSIBILITY every day.

It took me a long, long time to feel safe after 9/11, having seen it with my own eyes, having known people who died, and having a sense of distrust that anyone around could cause harm. There have been other terror incidents here, as well, such as a man with a truck bomb in Times Square that was noticed by an alert hot dog vendor, IIRC. A terrorist that killed people (with his truck) who were just biking on the West Side. Two guys in Brooklyn who had planned an explosion on the Coney Island Boardwalk but were apprehended in time. Etcetera.

I can’t imagine how difficult life is for Israelis on a daily basis.

JMO

NYC bike path terrorist set to be sentenced to serve life in prison after avoiding death penalty verdict at trial | CNN

The terrorist who drove a rented truck into pedestrians and cyclists on a New York City bike path in 2017, killing eight people, is scheduled to be sentenced to serve life in prison Wednesday after about two dozen people speak about the impact of the attack.

www.cnn.com

City unveils anti-terrorism barriers for Coney boardwalk • Brooklyn Paper

The city is spending $3.2 million to install barriers along the Coney Island boardwalk to protect the People’s Playground from a terrorist attack!

www.brooklynpaper.com

Faisal Shahzad Indicted for Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square

A federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York has returned a 10-count indictment charging Faisal Shahzad for allegedly driving a car bomb into Times Square on the evening of May 1, 2010.

www.justice.gov

 

[JennieM]

9m ago

Israel orders five Gaza schools to evacuate 'as fast as possible', says UN agency​

The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) said it received a warning from Israel to evacuate five schools “as fast as possible”.

All of the schools are in Gaza City, close to the Al-Ahli Baptist hospital in northern Gaza, AFP reported. The Palestine Red Crescent said it faces an“imminent threat” after the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of Al-Quds hospital.

A statement from Unrwa said:

We did what we could to protest and reject this decision, but this means that from now these facilities are no longer safe.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1715423053692166568

Biden ‘didn’t hear the full question’ on whether Israel should delay Gaza ground assault, White House says – as it happened

White House says US president was only commenting on whether he wanted to see more hostages released

www.theguardian.com

 

[Gypsy Road]

Well said.

As you pointed out, MOST Americans do not live with an everyday fear of terrorism.

As a New Yorker, I do not have a safe room and I certainly don’t live with terror every day, like Israelis do.

But I do live with the POSSIBILITY every day.

It took me a long, long time to feel safe after 9/11, having seen it with my own eyes, having known people who died, and having a sense of distrust that anyone around could cause harm. There have been other terror incidents here, as well, such as a man with a truck bomb in Times Square that was noticed by an alert hot dog vendor, IIRC. A terrorist that killed people (with his truck) who were just walking on the West Side. Two guys in Brooklyn who had planned an explosion on the Coney Island Boardwalk but were apprehended in time. Etcetera.

I can’t imagine how difficult life is for Israelis on a daily basis.

JMO

NYC bike path terrorist set to be sentenced to serve life in prison after avoiding death penalty verdict at trial | CNN

The terrorist who drove a rented truck into pedestrians and cyclists on a New York City bike path in 2017, killing eight people, is scheduled to be sentenced to serve life in prison Wednesday after about two dozen people speak about the impact of the attack.

www.cnn.com

My heart is always broken all over again when I meet someone who experienced 911 at ground zero. I’m so sorry.

 

[cujenn81]

Very true, but I suspect the amphetamines enables them to further and longer act out that hate. It intensifies it, and they can stay up for days being hyper focused on their task at hand. I speak from family experience with amphetamine addiction. I can not stress how much it can change a person and make them unbelievably aggressive. I’ll have to reread up on the subject, but amphetamines have been used in battles throughout modern history because it gives soldiers prolonged energy, and cause can aggression.

Methamphetamines were also used by German Nazis during WWII.

Inside the Drug Use That Fueled Nazi Germany | HISTORY

An explosive bestseller mined the records of Adolf Hitler’s personal doctor, among other sources, to uncover details of the long-rumored drug use by many in the Nazi regime.

www.history.com

Ohler found that many in the Nazi regime used drugs regularly, from the soldiers of the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) all the way up to Hitler himself. The use of methamphetamine, better known as crystal meth, was particularly prevalent: A pill form of the drug, Pervitin, was distributed by the millions to Wehrmacht troops before the successful invasion of France in 1940.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I would not consider killing children part of the equation.

I completely agree.

 

[JennieM]

3 min ago

Trucks need enough fuel for distribution of aid shipments in Gaza, UN chief's spokesperson says​

From CNN's Richard Roth and Skylar Harris

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres wants to ensure the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has enough fuel to distribute humanitarian aid shipments by truck to Gaza, deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said Friday.

"It is no use dropping off aid on the other side and then leaving it there because the trucks simply do not have enough fuel on that side to give it to the people who need it,” Haq said.

Haq also pointed out that the secretary-general made it clear: "He called for a humanitarian ceasefire, but he does want the humanitarian ceasefire to be a condition for the aid."

Speaking during a news conference earlier on Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, Guterres emphasized the critical importance of delivering aid to the Gaza Strip.

According to the UN, 219 trucks are currently waiting at the Rafah border crossing, including 15 belonging to the Egyptian Red Crescent and 104 that contain aid originating from other countries.

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in worsening conditions

Two US hostages are being released by Hamas, according to sources. Meanwhile, Gaza's hospitals are facing collapse as aid trucks line up at the Rafah crossing. Follow here for live news updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[JennieM]

1m ago
US secretary of state Antony Blinken is speaking in Washington DC, telling reporters that released American hostages Judith and Natalie Raanan are “safely in the hands of Israeli authorities in Israel”.

He said staff from the US would see them soon, and that “they’ll receive support and assistance they need”.

He also pledged that the US would make every effort to free other US citizens currently being held in Gaza:

There’s still 10 additional Americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict. We know that some of them are being held hostage by Hamas, along with an estimated 200 other hostages held in Gaza.
They include men, women, young boys, young girls, elderly people, from many nations.
It’s impossible to adequately put into words the agony, the feeling of not knowing the fate of loved ones.

Blinken said he could not go into details about the nature of efforts to free them:

All I can say with regard to Qatar is in this instance, we very much appreciate their assistance. Beyond that I really can’t say because we want to focus on making sure that we’re getting those who remain hostage back home and with their loved ones.

Biden ‘didn’t hear the full question’ on whether Israel should delay Gaza ground assault, White House says – as it happened

White House says US president was only commenting on whether he wanted to see more hostages released

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

US Secretary of State says hostages are safe in Israel​

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is now updating media on the release of hostages Judith and Natalie Raanan.

He says the two Americans are safely in the hands of authorities in Israel. Blinken adds that US officials will meet with them as soon as possible.

Blinken also says there's still 10 additional Americans who remain unaccounted for.
"No family anywhere should have to experience this torture," he says.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67165505

 

[JennieM]

2 min ago

IDF will continue fight against Hamas and is preparing for next stages, spokesperson says​

From CNN's Tamar Michaelis and Zahid Mahmood

The Israel Defense Forces are preparing for the "next stages" in the fight against Hamas as the conflict continues, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Friday.

“The top priority of the country is to return all the abductees and locating the missing, in all possible ways: civil, intelligence and military,” Hagari said during a news conference in Tel Aviv.

“At the same time, we are continuing the war against the Hamas. And getting ready for the next stages of the war. As we speak, the crossings are closed and no equipment (aid) is getting into the (Gaza) Strip,” he continued.

Hagari's response came after he was asked a question about further negotiations on the release of hostages, saying the IDF is making a “great effort and prioritizing the return of all the hostages.”

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in worsening conditions

Two US hostages are being released by Hamas, according to sources. Meanwhile, Gaza's hospitals are facing collapse as aid trucks line up at the Rafah crossing. Follow here for live news updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[otto]

I'm curious why these two hostages were released. I would expect that babies, and people who need medications, should be at the top of the request list.

 

[JennieM]

7 min ago

Blinken: US welcomes the release of 2 Americans, but work continues to free all other hostages​

The US welcomes the release of two Americans held hostage by Hamas and "shares in the relief that their families, friends and loved ones are feeling," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a briefing Friday.

"But there are still 10 additional Americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict," Blinken continued, adding that they are among an estimated 200 others from various countries being held in Gaza, including men, women, elderly people and children.

"Every single one of them should be released," Blinken said.

Blinken said "the urgent work to free every single American, to free all other hostages, continues."

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in worsening conditions

Two US hostages are being released by Hamas, according to sources. Meanwhile, Gaza's hospitals are facing collapse as aid trucks line up at the Rafah crossing. Follow here for live news updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[JennieM]

Qatar's involvement in hostage negotiations still unclear​

More now from Blinken, who has spoken about Qatar's involvement in securing the release of two US hostages.

"I want to thank the government of Qatar for their very important assistance," he says, but also states that he "can't speak publicly" about the details.

"But the urgent work to free every single American to free all other hostages continues, as does our work to secure the safe passage out of Gaza," Blinken says.

He calls for the immediate release of all hostages, and also warns media that he "would not take anything that Haas says at face value".

That last statement was regarding reports that Hamas says if air strikes stopped, then hostages would be released.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67165505

 

[JennieM]

45s ago

Blinken said he could not speak to the condition or health of the released US hostages Judith and Natalie Raanan, “first out of respect for their privacy, second because we haven’t had a chance yet”.

Reports earlier Friday suggested they were released by Hamas on humanitarian grounds because the mother was not in the best of health.

The secretary of state also expressed confidence that a humanitarian aid convoy stuck at the closed Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza would be able to enter Gaza shortly:

When some of us were traveling together in the region over the past week, getting assistance moving was among my top priorities. We worked very hard with the government of Israel, the government of Egypt, to do just that. And we secured an understanding that we would develop a plan to move assistance.
That understanding was cemented by President Biden when he was in Israel and also speaking to President [Abdel Fattah] el-Sisi of Egypt. We’ve been working relentlessly with ambassador David Satterfield on the ground, working with the United Nations, with Egypt, with Israel to put that into motion.
My expectation is that you’ll see that moving soon.

Biden ‘didn’t hear the full question’ on whether Israel should delay Gaza ground assault, White House says – as it happened

White House says US president was only commenting on whether he wanted to see more hostages released

www.theguardian.com