Israel - Palestinian militants launch massive attack, 7 Oct 2023 #4

[OtisC]

This one of two USAF planes that just left Tel Aviv along with the continuing steady flow of commercial flights. Also, there is a Spain military plane that has left recently.

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

View flight RCH4153 from Tel Aviv to Bitburg on Flightradar24

www.flightradar24.com

 

[Simply Southern]

Harvard is a private university. He left the board for the following reason:

The Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups released a joint statement on October 8 blaming Israel for the attacks by Hamas, triggering a huge amount of backlash and accusations of antisemitism.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called on Harvard University to release the names of students who are members of the groups so that companies don't "inadvertently" hire them. Other CEOs and investors have followed suit.

Harvard struggled to navigate its response to the student groups' statement. In a video on Thursday, Harvard President Christine Gay said that the university rejects terrorism. But she said that Harvard also rejects harassment and intimidation based on people's beliefs and "embraces" a commitment to free expression, including "views that many of us find objectionable, even outrageous."

"We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views," Gay said. "But that is a far cry from endorsing them."

One of Israel's richest men and his wife stepped down from a Harvard board, saying their faith in the school's leadership had been 'broken' over its response to the Hamas attacks

Idan and Batia Ofer said that they hadn't seen "clear evidence" showing the university's support for the people of Israel.

www.businessinsider.com

_______________________________________

Mr and Mrs Ofer also have freedom of speech and they are free to leave the board.

Happy to see Mr and Mrs Oger take a stand. I agree, it hard to support a PRIVATE university that does not align with personal values.

Hope to see more to follow. What's that ole saying....don't bite the hand that feeds you. It's normal behavior, moo.

Moo

 

[Cedars]

Iran and its proxy terrorist groups (Hamas and Hezbollah) had the most to gain, IMO. With Saudi Arabia moving closer to normalization of relations with Israel, this would have been anathema to Iran and left them very isolated. I don't see any of the other countries you listed as being particularly interested in this kind of destablization in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia establishing normalization relationship with Israel would have been a game changer in the Middle East.

I think it will happen at some point, but now it has been put on hold and will be for some time.

Everything I've read agrees with this. Iran doesn't see itself as a minor player in the Middle East, it doesn't cooperate with other countries for a common cause, it seems to see itself as poised to be the major player in the region once the US collapses. It does have relations with Russia, but is not a Russian pawn, far too proud.

"The Iranian government has made an art of avoiding direct conflict with Israel, and it suits Tehran’s purposes, as well as those of its regional proxies and patrons in Moscow, to light the fire but stand back from the flames."

The End of America’s Exit Strategy in the Middle East

Hamas’s assault—and Iran’s role in it—lays bare Washington’s Illusions.

www.foreignaffairs.com

JMO

 

[acutename]

Your allies are quietly helping.

I know that Australia has facilitated Aussie reservists flying to Israel to help. While at the same time pledging $10,000,000 to aid organisations to humanitarianly help the displaced.

imo

This is an interesting article:

Who funds Hamas? A global network of crypto, cash and ...​

Reuters
https://www.reuters.com › world › middle-east › hamas-c...





13 hours ago — Palestinian militant group Hamas uses a global financing network to funnel support from charities and friendly nations, passing cash through ...

so it was typical for Qatar to pay for people's utilities in Gaza- like welfare, though payments went through Israel and through the U.N.

And after that, this earlier article about economic problems just a few months ago:

Hamas unable to pay salaries in Gaza after Qatari aid ...​

Reuters
https://www.reuters.com › world › middle-east › hamas-...





Jul 16, 2023 — Hamas officials say no salary aid has been received since just over half of a $5-million grant to support the May payroll. The reason for the ...

 

[Simply Southern]

US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s team had been trying to negotiate safe passage out through the Rafah crossing for an estimated 500 Palestinian-Americans trapped inside.

The US is only negotiating for US/Palestinian citizens.

Moo... This would be very difficult. How would Egypt prevent others from "storming" the border, to allow only 500 select through?

 

[Vern]

It's my understanding the US is negotiating safe passage to Egypt for American/Palestinian dual citizens, including guaranteed passage out of Egypt, only.

Moo

Exactly; US citizens or dual Palenstinian-Amercian citizens.

Not Palestinian refugees.

 

[JennieM]

23 min ago

Hamas releases video of 21-year-old French-Israeli woman it claims is being held hostage​

From CNN's Kevin Flower and Jeremy Diamond

Hamas released a video Monday night of a young French-Israeli woman being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

In the video, Mia Schem, 21, says she suffered an arm injury and was brought to Gaza.

A representative for Schem's family told CNN they had approved the publication and broadcast of the video.

This is the first video Hamas has released of any of the hostages held in Gaza. Israeli authorities have said that they believe 199 people are being held in Gaza, while a representative of Hamas said Monday that at least between 200-250 captives are being held across the strip.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had informed Schem's family about her kidnapping last week and are keeping in touch with them at this time.

They said further that they are using “all intelligence and operational means to return the abductees” and that “Hamas is trying to present itself as a humanitarian organization while acting as a hideous terrorist organization responsible for killing and kidnapping infants, women, children and the elderly.”

A representative of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' militant branch, earlier said the group was "committed" to protecting hostages and that it would release hostages with foreign citizenship when “the opportunity arises on the ground."

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as crisis deepens in Gaza

Gaza is being "strangled" by Israel's week-long siege and aerial bombardment, UN experts warned, as concerns grow that further escalation and a lack of safety for fleeing civilians risks drawing regional foes into the long-running conflict. Follow here for live updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[SkyBoomer]

That's the nature (more like impact) of terrorism. It's disorganized, unlike a nation state.

Yez! Which makes it all the more dangerous. Nations can be censured, penalized and have world organizations to answer to.

Terrorist groups are amorphous with cells that metastasize chaotically and spread in darkness.

 

[JennieM]

31m ago

Summary of the day so far​

It’s just past 12.30am in Gaza City and Tel Aviv. Here’s where things stand:

• Hamas demanded the release of “6,000 male and female prisoners in Israeli prisons” in exchange for hostages it took during its attacks on 7 October. The group’s captives include “high-ranking officers” of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas’s diaspora office, said. A Hamas spokesperson said there were “about 200-250” Israeli captives in Gaza, contradicting an earlier statement from the Israeli military that said it had confirmed 199 hostages.
• An intense US-led diplomatic effort failed to ease the plight of two million Palestinians trapped under bombardment in Gaza, with supplies of water, food and medicine all running out, raising the prospect of a humanitarian disaster. US media reported that Joe Biden was considering a trip as an already dire situation drastically deteriorated.
• At least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed and 10,850 injured since Israel launched attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has said that Israel has killed 11 Palestinian journalists in its airstrikes on Gaza.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Gaza faces an imminent public health crisis as the Palestinian enclave is “running out of water”.The UN agency said the lives of more than 3,500 patients in 35 hospitals in Gaza are at immediate risk, and called for the unobstructed access for humanitarian aid into the enclave.
• The UN relief and works agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said “there are not enough body bags for the dead in Gaza”. It noted that Gaza had been without electricity for five days, there was limited access to clean drinking water, and more than 1 million people had been displaced.
• The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, sheltered in a bunker for five minutes when air sirens went off during their meeting in Tel Aviv on Monday. In a joint press conference, Blinken said Israel will “always have the support of the United States”, while Gallant warned “a long war” lies ahead.
• Israel activated a plan to evacuate residents within 2km (1.2 miles) of Lebanon, the military said on Monday. It followed exchanges of fire with Hezbollah in parallel to the conflict in southern Israel with Hamas. In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said the plan included the evacuation of 28 villages.
• The armed wing of Hamas, Al Qassam Brigades, said it fired a “barrage of missiles” on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In a statement on Monday, it said the latest attacks were in response to Israel’s “targeting of civilians”.
• The EU announced it will launch a “humanitarian air bridge” consisting of “several flights” to Egypt to bring supplies to humanitarian organisations on the ground in Gaza. The first two flights will take place this week, carrying humanitarian cargo from Unicef including shelter items, medicines and hygiene kits, it said in a statement.

[…]

Iran warns of ‘pre-emptive action’ as Gaza ground assault looms – as it happened

This blog is low closed. The latest live updates are here.

www.theguardian.com

 

[Simply Southern]

Uhmmm, we're here.

Canadians in Gaza can't reach evacuation flights, call for the government to step up

The Canadian government has answered calls to evacuate its civilians trapped in the Israel-Hamas war, sending planes to transport citizens out of Tel Aviv — but the lack of evacuation plans for those in the blockaded Gaza Strip has left trapped Canadians feeling desperate.

www.ctvnews.ca

Canada to continue sending humanitarian aid to Gaza, insists no money will go to Hamas

The Canadian government plans to continue delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank, but insists it will ensure none of the funds end up with Hamas, which it has designated a terrorist organization.

www.ctvnews.ca

Toronto, Canada and Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

Canada committing $10 million in humanitarian aid for Israel, Gaza as Canadian flights leave

OTTAWA - Canada is giving an initial $10 million in aid for urgent needs in Israel and the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday, while refusing to say

www.thestar.com

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-israel-palestinian-aid-1.6991543

Canadians in Gaza can't reach evacuation flights, call for the government to step up

The Canadian government has answered calls to evacuate its civilians trapped in the Israel-Hamas war, sending planes to transport citizens out of Tel Aviv — but the lack of evacuation plans for those in the blockaded Gaza Strip has left trapped Canadians feeling desperate.

www.ctvnews.ca

Canada to provide $10 million in assistance to Canadian Red Cross and partners for crisis in the Middle East

Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepened Thursday with warnings people are at risk of starvation as Israel maintained a siege and bombarded targets in response to the Hamas terror attacks that killed more than 1,200 people.

www.cnn.com

Canada providing $10M in humanitarian aid to address 'urgent needs' in Israel and Gaza: Trudeau

Canada will be providing an initial $10 million in humanitarian assistance to address 'urgent needs' in Israel and the Gaza Strip. 'We're working around the clock to support you, we will continue to follow the situation as it evolves, and continue our efforts with international partners,' Prime...

www.ctvnews.ca

Britain sends spy planes, ships to Mediterranean amid Israel-Hamas war

The U.K.'s deployment package is meant to support Israel, prevent escalation and aid in humanitarian efforts, according to the government.

www.defensenews.com

I admit, I only read the headlines....

My comment refered to troops on the ground and US dollars, equipment, etc to support Israel. We had an entire delegation, zipping back and forth for days trying to help.

Yes, Britain has stepped up, they are always in the lead, as well as the US.

It's commendable for the humanitarian dollars, I hope it doesn't land in terrorist hands.

Moo

 

[acutename]

23 min ago

Hamas releases video of 21-year-old French-Israeli woman it claims is being held hostage​

From CNN's Kevin Flower and Jeremy Diamond

Hamas released a video Monday night of a young French-Israeli woman being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

In the video, Mia Schem, 21, says she suffered an arm injury and was brought to Gaza.

A representative for Schem's family told CNN they had approved the publication and broadcast of the video.

This is the first video Hamas has released of any of the hostages held in Gaza. Israeli authorities have said that they believe 199 people are being held in Gaza, while a representative of Hamas said Monday that at least between 200-250 captives are being held across the strip.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had informed Schem's family about her kidnapping last week and are keeping in touch with them at this time.

They said further that they are using “all intelligence and operational means to return the abductees” and that “Hamas is trying to present itself as a humanitarian organization while acting as a hideous terrorist organization responsible for killing and kidnapping infants, women, children and the elderly.”

A representative of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' militant branch, earlier said the group was "committed" to protecting hostages and that it would release hostages with foreign citizenship when “the opportunity arises on the ground."

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as crisis deepens in Gaza

Gaza is being "strangled" by Israel's week-long siege and aerial bombardment, UN experts warned, as concerns grow that further escalation and a lack of safety for fleeing civilians risks drawing regional foes into the long-running conflict. Follow here for live updates.

edition.cnn.com

when “the opportunity arises on the ground."

would really like to know what that means. sounds ominous to me, IMO

 

[JennieM]

Fourteen UN agency workers killed - spokeswoman​

Nada Tawfik
BBC News

A spokeswoman for the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, said 14 staff members, mainly teachers, have been killed and the number increases as Israeli airstrikes continue almost uninterrupted.

Juliette Touma said the rest of their 13,000 staff are desperate, exhausted and terrified of what the next hour, let alone the next day will bring.

They share that they can’t even reassure their children that everything will be okay. Supplies are running out fast and their offices in south Gaza are down to one litre of water a day.

Touma is concerned about water borne diseases because people in Gaza have resorted to drinking from dirty water sources like wells.

She also said reports that fuel tankers have crossed into Gaza were false. UNRWA was moving existing, but limited stock of fuel, from inside Gaza’s border to health providers in Gaza city. Yesterday, the UN said fuel reserves at all hospitals would only last for 24 hours.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67119233

 

[SkyBoomer]

I can’t believe I forgot to ask-

I have been at work all day and have not had any breaks to check the news-

Did the Rafah Crossing gate ever open? I was up at 2am my time waiting…….


I’d better go look

 

[JennieM]

'There’s no clean water to even wash our faces'​

UGC
Rahaf pictured while sheltering at the Al-Quds hospital

A Palestinian girl whose family fled their home in Gaza said she "can’t even describe the condition" they are living in.

It comes after thousands of people in northern Gaza were told to make their way south by the Israeli government ahead of an anticipated ground offensive.

Rahaf, who is now in Khan Younis, said: "There is no clean water. There’s no water to even wash our faces. We’re all oppressed. We can’t endure this anymore."

She described seeing blood and bodies on the streets, and how she tries to calm her siblings when they hear explosions by telling them the sounds are from a “wedding ceremony”, that they are “normal”.

She hoped she would have something to eat today, after her father waited three hours at a bakery yesterday for some bread, amid a dwindling supply of food and water in the region.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67119233

 

[Vern]

This is an interesting article:

Who funds Hamas? A global network of crypto, cash and ...​

View attachment 453777
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com › world › middle-east › hamas-c...





13 hours ago — Palestinian militant group Hamas uses a global financing network to funnel support from charities and friendly nations, passing cash through ...

And after that, this earlier article about economic problems just a few months ago:

Hamas unable to pay salaries in Gaza after Qatari aid ...​

View attachment 453778
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com › world › middle-east › hamas-...





Jul 16, 2023 — Hamas officials say no salary aid has been received since just over half of a $5-million grant to support the May payroll. The reason for the ...

And yet, we've posted the receipts earlier in this thread of the official pay cheque from the Palestinian Authority (note: not from Hamas) to a mid-ranking Hamas terrorist (found on his remains in Israel) of ~5000 Shekels for the month. Outrageously high pay for the Gaza.

Then there is the "Martyr's Fund" that the Palestinian Authority divests payments from (funding mostly by surreptitious appropriation of European and Western states' money destined for the "Palestinian People"):

Palestinian Authority will pay $2,789,430 to families of 1,500 dead Hamas terrorist murderers, for this month | PMW Analysis

PA will pay $2,789,430 to families of 1,500 dead Hamas terrorists

palwatch.org

Also Known as "Pay for Slay" in this UN Human Rights Council Report (9 May 2022):
Report on Systemic Racism by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, Part II

https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HRCSTATE.A.HRC_.50.3_090622.pdf

United States' Congressional Report (27 September 2023):

No Incentives for Terrorism: U.S. Implementation of the Taylor Force Act and Efforts to Stop ‘Pay to Slay’​

No Incentives for Terrorism: U.S. Implementation of the Taylor Force Act and Efforts to Stop ‘Pay to Slay’

www.fdd.org

That's the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, folks, ... paying Hamas terrorists ... on behalf of, and at the expense of "Palestinians". Really, makes one wonder why the bordering Arabic nations also do not want to take in Palestinian refugees.

 

[JennieM]

20:38

Israeli families anxiously await the return of hostages​

Sara Monetta
Reporting from Israel

handout
Brothers Ilay and Evyatar (right)

The families of the hostages taken by Hamas are awaiting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground operation in Gaza with trepidation and anxiety.

Ilay David, whose younger brother Evyatar was kidnapped at the Nova music festival, tells me he feels torn between the concern his brother might be caught in the crossfire and the desire to have him back home.

He and his mother last heard from Evyatar on the morning of 7 October. Evyatar told them there were men shooting and he was rushing to the car.

For a few hours, Ilay didn’t know if his brother had made it out alive. Then, he received a video on TikTok showing him standing with his shirt torn apart, his neck gripped by a Hamas fighter in Gaza.

He says seeing his brother like that filled him with “so much rage” but the video also gave him hope that his brother could be rescued.

Now that the Israeli army is preparing to enter Gaza, I ask him if he’s worried.

“It’s frightening. It really is. We’re all concerned,” he says. "We don’t know what the IDF are planning to do, and we must count on them.

“We hope that that it will be a smart manoeuvre, with precision, so that the abducted won’t to be harmed, but all we can do right now is to pray.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67119233

 

[Vern]

I can’t believe I forgot to ask-

I have been at work all day and have not had any breaks to check the news-

Did the Rafah Crossing gate ever open? I was up at 2am my time waiting…….


I’d better go look

It did, but I don't think it was open for long. They did manage to get some fuel tankers through to Gaza based on one post I saw in here earlier.

 

[JennieM]

Israeli intelligence head addresses lack of attack warning​

The head of Shin Bet, Israel's intelligence agency, has taken responsibility for the lack of early warning about Hamas's attack on 7 October.

In a statement to agency members, Ronen Bar said: “Despite a series of actions we carried out, unfortunately on Saturday we were unable to generate a sufficient warning that would allow the attack to be thwarted.

"As the one who heads the organisation, the responsibility for this is on me."
He said there will be time for investigations but "now, we are fighting".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67119233

 

[PrairieWind]

23 min ago

Hamas releases video of 21-year-old French-Israeli woman it claims is being held hostage​

From CNN's Kevin Flower and Jeremy Diamond

Hamas released a video Monday night of a young French-Israeli woman being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

In the video, Mia Schem, 21, says she suffered an arm injury and was brought to Gaza.

A representative for Schem's family told CNN they had approved the publication and broadcast of the video.

This is the first video Hamas has released of any of the hostages held in Gaza. Israeli authorities have said that they believe 199 people are being held in Gaza, while a representative of Hamas said Monday that at least between 200-250 captives are being held across the strip.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had informed Schem's family about her kidnapping last week and are keeping in touch with them at this time.

They said further that they are using “all intelligence and operational means to return the abductees” and that “Hamas is trying to present itself as a humanitarian organization while acting as a hideous terrorist organization responsible for killing and kidnapping infants, women, children and the elderly.”

A representative of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' militant branch, earlier said the group was "committed" to protecting hostages and that it would release hostages with foreign citizenship when “the opportunity arises on the ground."

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as crisis deepens in Gaza

Gaza is being "strangled" by Israel's week-long siege and aerial bombardment, UN experts warned, as concerns grow that further escalation and a lack of safety for fleeing civilians risks drawing regional foes into the long-running conflict. Follow here for live updates.

edition.cnn.com

There are reported 200-250 hostages and now only 1 video, and we don't know when it was taken. I suspect few of the hostages will be released, perhaps some of the children. I don't think Hamas was prepared for what has happened. I suspect many of the hostages have been horribly abused and they won't want those stories to be told. Additionally, many would probably be able to give valuable information to Mossad. As such, I suspect and fear most will be killed one way or another.

 

[JennieM]

There are reported 200-250 hostages and now only 1 video, and we don't know when it was taken. I suspect few of the hostages will be released, perhaps some of the children. I don't think Hamas was prepared for what has happened. I suspect many of the hostages have been horribly abused and they won't want those stories to be told. Additionally, many would probably be able to give valuable information to Mossad. As such, I suspect and fear most will be killed one way or another.

As much as I hate to say it, I think very few of them will be rescued alive.