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

[JennieM]

It's just past 7.30am in Israel. The US has secured a deal with Egypt to deliver much-needed aid into Gaza, signaling a glimmer of hope for civilians whose supplies have been cut off.

Here is what else you need to know:

• Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has agreed to open up the Rafah crossing at its border with Gaza to allow up to 20 trucks of aid into Gaza. This comes after US President Joe Biden's high-stakes visit to Israel. Biden has said the aid delivery could start arriving from Friday
• There has been no mention of people being allowed to leave Gaza via Rafah. Asked by reporters on the possibility, Biden said: "We’re going to get people out, but I’m not going to go into any detail with you now."
• Meanwhile, throngs of people and trucks carrying aid supplies have lined up on the Gaza and Egypt sides of the crossing, respectively, awaiting its reopening
• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to land in Israel early on Thursday, where he will meet his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog
• The Palestinian miliitant group Hamas blamed Israel for the devastation at the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza, but the Israeli military says the blast was caused by Palestinian rocket which misfired. Biden has backed Israel's claims

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67141589

 

[PommyMommy]

11h ago

Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, hinted that Israel may annex part of Gaza in a radio interview on Wednesday.

Cohen was reported by the Times of Israel as saying:

Israel-Hamas war live: Egypt-Gaza crossing to open for aid on Friday at the earliest, says White House

Egypt’s president agrees to open the Rafah crossing to allow 20 trucks with humanitarian aid into Gaza

www.theguardian.com

Adding context from the original article:

Foreign minister: At war's end, not only will Hamas be gone, but Gaza's territory will shrink | The Times of Israel
The line is an indication of the speculation from some analysts that the IDF will try and create a buffer zone inside Gaza to better protect Israel’s southern border towns so that they are not exposed to the kind of onslaught that Hamas carried out on October 7.

 

[SouthAussie]

<RSBM>

Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah (can anyone trust him based on his name?) Gave an interview and said that there were hundreds dead. (He's British BTW. Is he a member of Hamas?)

"A surgeon from London working in Gaza City has described how police turned up at his UK home to question his wife.

The Met Police said Dr Abu-Sittah's home was visited by officers because the force received a report that "a man was planning to travel to a warzone".

Dr Abu-Sittah explained: "I need to find out why someone thought it would be a good idea to show up at my house and ask my wife which hospital I worked at, why did I go [to Gaza], who paid for my ticket and which charity do I work for.
"My family are seeing this bombing unfold knowing full well that I am in the midst of it... It's a kind of brutish attempt at harassment and silencing."

He said it was his duty "to bear witness to the carnage" seen in Gaza, adding: "As if my wife did not have enough to worry about that she had to endure this today (Monday)."

Met Police question London family of doctor in Gaza

Ghassan Abu-Sittah was treating the injured in Gaza when police questioned his wife about his work.

www.bbc.com

 

[margarita25]

Young lady survivor speaking before Jewish organization

9 hours ago / IDF

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Biden delivers address on Israel; Gaza hospital blast fuels protests (nbcnews.com)
7m ago / 9:30 PM PDT

Biden returns to U.S. after trip to Israel​

President Biden is back in the United States after visiting Israel and affirming support for the country after it was attacked by Hamas.

Air Force One touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after midnight Thursday morning ET.

In Israel, Biden met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. He also met with first responders, families who lost loved ones in the attack and families whose relatives Hamas may be holding hostage in Gaza.

While in Israel, the president also announced $100 million in new U.S. funding for humanitarian aid in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

 

[margarita25]

1 hour ago

 

[JennieM]

Israel war: Israeli foreign minister says Gaza territory will shrink after war​

by Brady Knox, Breaking News Reporter
October 18, 2023 08:30 PM

The Israeli foreign minister said Gaza will be reduced in size after the war.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Israeli Army Radio that Israel's war aims are not just the total destruction of Hamas, but the country also aims to reduce the size of Gaza. The pronouncement is the most explicit indication yet that Israel will move to annex parts of Gaza, as some analysts have speculated.

“At the end of this war, not only will Hamas no longer be in Gaza, but the territory of Gaza will also decrease,” Cohen said.

Israeli officials have previously indicated that Gaza will be changed in some way and that the old order will be upended, but they hadn't spoken of changes to Gaza's territory.

The Times of Israel speculated that the statement indicates that Israel will move to create a buffer zone within Gaza to prevent attacks against Israeli border villages, such as the brutal attack by Hamas earlier this month.

Annexing part of Gaza, or establishing a buffer zone, would be sure to further embitter the Palestinian populace and the Arab world, and it could further complicate peace talks.

President Joe Biden warned against any occupation of Gaza, saying it would be a "big mistake."

Israel war: Israeli foreign minister says Gaza territory will shrink after war

The Israeli foreign minister said Gaza will be reduced in size after the war. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Israeli Army Radio that Israel's war aims

www.washingtonexaminer.com

 

[SouthAussie]

Australia:
The Albanese government has announced $50 million in grants to boost security at religious schools, places of worship and community facilities, amid warnings from intelligence agencies of the increased prospect of civil unrest as the war between Israel and Hamas escalates.

$50m security boost for religious facilities as violence fears flare

The Albanese government has announced $50 million in grants to boost security at religious schools, places of worship and community facilities.

www.afr.com

 

[margarita25]

7 hours ago

11 hours ago

12 hours ago

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel Foreign Ministry reposted

Hamas = ISIS

#HamasTerrorists #HamasISIS #HamasisISIS

https://twitter.com/x/status/1714852465261080769

 

[margarita25]

NBC Nightly News / first time I’ve ever seen a graphic warning on it

2 hours ago

3 hours ago/ IDF SP

 

[JennieM]

6m ago

Xi says will work with Egypt to help stabilise Middle East​

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Egypt’s prime minister on Thursday that Beijing hoped to work with his country to bring “more stability” to the Middle East, state media reported.

“China is willing to enhance cooperation with Egypt... and inject more certainty and stability into the region and the world,” Xi told Mostafa Madbouli at a meeting in Beijing, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“China and Egypt are good friends who share the same goals and trust each other, and good partners who work hand-in-hand for development and common prosperity”, CCTV reported Xi as saying.

“At present, the international and regional situation is undergoing profound and complex changes, and the world is experiencing rapid changes not seen for a century,” Xi added.

Beijing was also willing to work with Cairo to “jointly safeguard international fairness and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries”, he said.

Israel defence minister tells troops they will soon see Gaza – as it happened

This blog is now closed. You can find the latest updates here.

www.theguardian.com

 

[PommyMommy]

7:43 am

Evidence shows Hamas likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel​

Hamas gunmen likely fired North Korean weapons during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel, a terrorist video and weapons seized by Israel show, despite Pyongyang’s denials that it sells arms to the militant group.

The video was analyzed by two experts on North Korean arms. Along with an Associated Press analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield and South Korean military intelligence, the video indicates that Hamas used the F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon that fighters typically use against armored vehicles.

The evidence shines a light on the murky world of the illicit arms shipments that sanction-battered North Korea uses as a way to fund its arms programs.

Rocket-propelled grenade launchers fire a single warhead and can be quickly reloaded, making them valuable weapons for guerrilla forces in running skirmishes with heavy vehicles. The F-7 has been documented in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, says N.R. Jenzen-Jones, a weapons expert who works as the director of the consultancy Armament Research Services.

“North Korea has long supported Palestinian militant groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies,” Jenzen-Jones tells The Associated Press.

Hamas has published images of their training that show fighters with a weapon with a rocket-propelled grenade with a distinctive red stripe across its warhead, and other design elements matching the F-7, says Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher with Small Arms Survey who wrote a guide to Pyongyang’s light weapons.

“It is not a surprise to see North Korean weapons with Hamas,” Schroeder says.

 

[JennieM]

Israel Foreign Ministry reposted

Hamas = ISIS

#HamasTerrorists #HamasISIS #HamasisISIS
View attachment 454360

https://twitter.com/x/status/1714852465261080769

It’s the Palestinians who have run out of everything.

 

[margarita25]

6m ago

Xi says will work with Egypt to help stabilise Middle East​

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Egypt’s prime minister on Thursday that Beijing hoped to work with his country to bring “more stability” to the Middle East, state media reported.

“China is willing to enhance cooperation with Egypt... and inject more certainty and stability into the region and the world,” Xi told Mostafa Madbouli at a meeting in Beijing, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“China and Egypt are good friends who share the same goals and trust each other, and good partners who work hand-in-hand for development and common prosperity”, CCTV reported Xi as saying.

“At present, the international and regional situation is undergoing profound and complex changes, and the world is experiencing rapid changes not seen for a century,” Xi added.

Beijing was also willing to work with Cairo to “jointly safeguard international fairness and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries”, he said.

Israel defence minister tells troops they will soon see Gaza – as it happened

This blog is now closed. You can find the latest updates here.

www.theguardian.com

Hmmm. Jmo.

 

[JennieM]

4m ago
The Gaza health ministry said 3,478 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, and more than 12,000 wounded, mostly women, children and elderly people.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have died, mostly civilians killed during Hamas’ deadly incursion on 7 October.

Arab leaders have told US secretary of state Antony Blinken – who has been crisscrossing the region this past week – that they oppose collective punishment against ordinary Palestinians, which they fear will trigger regional unrest.

The fear among world leaders and diplomats is that the war will spread beyond the confines of Gaza, with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and its backer Iran opening major new fronts in support of Hamas.

The Israeli government struck a Syrian military position in the war-torn country’s south, according to a war monitoring NGO

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a vast network of sources in the country, said the sound of explosions could be heard the Golan Heights.

The reported strike on Syria coincided with an announcement by the Israeli army of strikes against “terrorist positions” of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel defence minister tells troops they will soon see Gaza – as it happened

This blog is now closed. You can find the latest updates here.

www.theguardian.com

 

[margarita25]

Hmmm. NBC Nightly News link says warning from Homeland Security…

I said last night I expected a warning sooner than later…

Is there one at the link I posted, checking

Eta: no

Expecting something on this page sooner than later, jmo.

{{ name }} | Homeland Security

www.dhs.gov

—-


Eta: I have no trouble being chicken little in this situation.

Eta2:

DHS warns of 'heightened threat environment' in U.S. amid Israel-Hamas war

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, a Department of Homeland Security official tells NBC News it is monitoring a "heightened threat environment” in the United States, and that "the intensity has gotten worse."

www.msnbc.com

DHS warns of 'heightened threat environment' in U.S. amid Israel-Hamas war​

“As the Israel-Hamas war continues, a Department of Homeland Security official tells NBC News it is monitoring a "heightened threat environment” in the United States, and that "the intensity has gotten worse.”" Oct. 18, 2023

 

[JennieM]

2 min ago

Gaza conflict spills into the West Bank​

From CNN's Zeena Saifi, Becky Anderson and Kareem Khadder

Ibrahim Wadi, 62, and his son Ahmad, 24, were on their way to a funeral for four Palestinians shot dead by Israeli settlers in their occupied West Bank community when their car came under attack.

The father and son were driving through the small village of Qusra, just south of Nablus, which has become a focal point of violence over recent days, when they themselves were fired upon by armed settlers Thursday. Family members told CNN that the men were transferred to a nearby hospital and died of their wounds soon after.

They are among at least 61 people, including children, to be killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7, when Hamas launched its unprecedented, surprise assault on Israel, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health there. More than 1,250 have been injured.

Hamas’ attack has left more than 1,400 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians, with at least 199 believed to be held hostage inside Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel announced a “complete siege” of the enclave in response, carrying out widespread airstrikes across the Gaza Strip that left at least 3,478 people dead and threatening a ground invasion, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas. Meanwhile, tensions are mounting in the West Bank, where Palestinians have been killed in confrontations with both Israeli forces and settlers.

Hani Odeh, Qusra’s mayor, told CNN that settlers roam freely in the village under the protection of Israeli police. He said he had informed a member of COGAT, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, that he was going to attend the funeral, along with Ahmad and Ibrahim.

A few hours beforehand, the Israeli official told him to take a different route than the one they would usually take, to avoid settlers in the area. But to Odeh’s surprise, the road to which they were diverted was filled with settlers, who eventually shot and killed Ahmad and Ibrahim in their car.

Odeh told CNN he watched the attack happen from his own vehicle while Israeli soldiers patrolled the street. He went up to one officer, urging him to disperse the settlers, but no one did anything. He said it felt like a trap.

CNN reached out to COGAT and the IDF for comment on Odeh’s claims but has yet to receive a response.

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages, Biden to make Oval Office address

Israel and Egypt have signaled readiness for aid to enter Gaza following a high-profile visit to Israel by US President Joe Biden. Follow for live updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Friday Fan]

Israel war: Israeli foreign minister says Gaza territory will shrink after war​

by Brady Knox, Breaking News Reporter
October 18, 2023 08:30 PM

The Israeli foreign minister said Gaza will be reduced in size after the war.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Israeli Army Radio that Israel's war aims are not just the total destruction of Hamas, but the country also aims to reduce the size of Gaza. The pronouncement is the most explicit indication yet that Israel will move to annex parts of Gaza, as some analysts have speculated.

“At the end of this war, not only will Hamas no longer be in Gaza, but the territory of Gaza will also decrease,” Cohen said.

Israeli officials have previously indicated that Gaza will be changed in some way and that the old order will be upended, but they hadn't spoken of changes to Gaza's territory.

The Times of Israel speculated that the statement indicates that Israel will move to create a buffer zone within Gaza to prevent attacks against Israeli border villages, such as the brutal attack by Hamas earlier this month.

Annexing part of Gaza, or establishing a buffer zone, would be sure to further embitter the Palestinian populace and the Arab world, and it could further complicate peace talks.

President Joe Biden warned against any occupation of Gaza, saying it would be a "big mistake."

Israel war: Israeli foreign minister says Gaza territory will shrink after war

The Israeli foreign minister said Gaza will be reduced in size after the war. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Israeli Army Radio that Israel's war aims

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Why????
I think they tried to give Gaza back to Egypt at one point.

 

[SouthAussie]

Hmmm. NBC Nightly News link says Warning from Homeland Security…

I said last night I expected a warning sooner than later…

Is there one at the link I posted, checking

Eta: no

3h ago
Authorities in the U.S. are ramping up security amid warnings about potential violence mounting nationwide over the Israel-Hamas war. A Homeland Security official said DHS is monitoring a “heightened threat environment.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-rcna120978/rcrd22121?canonicalCard=true