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

[PommyMommy]

86 Nobel laureates have taken a stand, submitting a heartfelt petition addressed to the
@UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres and, by extension, leaders of nations across the globe. This petition conveys a profound moral imperative: the immediate release of the kidnapped children in Gaza.

The laureates express a poignant message: “Throughout the annals of human history, wars have unfolded, but humanity has consistently drawn the line between acts of war and war crimes. No war should ever condone mass atrocities. No war normalize acts of rape and torture. Never will war permit the captivity of innocent young children in the throes of hellish confinement.”

Adding to their voice, they emphasize, “during the attack, Hamas kidnapped hundreds of Israeli soldiers and civilians, including children aged between 6 months and 18 years. Children should never be regarded as pawns in the theater of war.”

The Nobel laureates are united in their moral demand for the immediate release of these kidnapped children. They assert, “The soul of a child differs from that of an adult. It is our sacred duty to protect the innocent and shield the vulnerable. It is our sacred duty to save our children. The distressing images and words we witness today evoke memories of darker times, times that we, humanity as a collective, had hoped to leave behind.”

The petition signatories unequivocally declare that the abduction and imprisonment of children is a war crime and a profound moral injustice against humanity as a whole. Their message concludes with a resounding demand: "Let The Children Go."

This unprecedented petition has been presented by Professor Daniel Kahneman, representing the Nobel laureates, and Alana Zeitchik and Liam Lindsay, relatives of abducted 3 year old twins Emma and Julie and 5 year old Amelia, representing the families of the kidnapped children.

Notably, this petition is supported by 86 of the world's foremost scientists and thinkers, including Nobel Laureates such as Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Laureate in Peace 2003; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Laureate in Peace 2011; Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate in Economics 2002; Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2004; Patrick Modiano, Nobel Laureate in Literature 2014; Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Laureate in Peace 1996; Olga Tokarczuk, Nobel Laureate in Literature 2018, among others. A full list of the signatories is attached as part of the petition.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1715744259377086818

 

[PommyMommy]

Alex Danzig (75) is a renowned historian who has dedicated his life to Holocaust education.

He spent the last 30 years working at @yadvashem.

He has been missing since Hamas terrorists attacked his home in Nir Oz.

We stand in solidarity with his family and pray for his return.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1715743467903525370

 

[no nonsense]

Read this at your own risk. It’s very disturbing. Hamas acts confirmed as Israeli forensics institute identifies victims

 

[cottonweaver]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I'm going to ask it.

If there is no power in Gaza or very little, no water, supplies, food, etc and they have been saying for 2 week since this started that there is going to be this huge issue with no power and water and so on.. then how are people getting so much information out of Gaza.. how are they communicating to tell about the kids struggling, etc. Is life even going on at all in Gaza.. school and shopping at stores, etc. I assume a little area cut off from the world and I am curious how is anyone communicating with the world outside that area? How is hostage negotiations happening? Who are they talking to and how do they have phones, or internet, or power. I guess I assumed no power mean zero.. NONE.. clearly that can't be the case. How are all these videos and propaganda getting released from HAMAS? I suppose in the tunnels, but if they can get in and out in the tunnels, then why can't they get supplies that way? If they can get supplies that way then where are the exits at and why aren't those bombed?

It's a good question but I don't have an ' approved msm' link for it

There are a few journalists still in Gaza. ( Not the big name reporters who are reporting from safer locations outside Gaza)
Also, if you go online you can see people who are charging their phones using car and motorbike batteries and such like. I can't post them on WS
Others still have enough diesel for generators.

I've certainly charged a phone on a diesel gen - it's not ideal but I've used those anti-surge plugs. ( Must be some American outbackers in the thread who can chip-in on solar chargers?)

 

[Sarahlou]

Trauma all around - ' no such thing as PTSD' they say ( as far as we'd understand it?)

Gaza children traumatised by bombardment with ground war to start

Gaza's children are showing ever more signs of trauma two weeks into Israel's intense bombardment, parents and psychiatrists in the tiny, crowded enclave say, with no safe place to hide from the falling bombs and little prospect of respite.

www.reuters.com

Gaza’s children are showing ever more signs of trauma two weeks into Israel’s intense bombardment, parents and psychiatrists in the tiny, crowded enclave say, with no safe place to hide from the falling bombs and little prospect of respite.

Reuters reports:

Children make up about half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, living under near constant bombardment with many packed into temporary shelters in UN-run schools after fleeing their homes with little food or clean water.

“Children ... have started to develop serious trauma symptoms such as convulsions, bed-wetting, fear, aggressive behaviour, nervousness, and not leaving their parents’ sides,” said Gaza psychiatrist Fadel Abu Heen.

More than 4,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far, including more than 1,500 children, while 13,000 people have been injured according to the Palestinian health ministry.

“Our children suffer a lot at night. They cry all night, they pee themselves without meaning to and I don’t have time to clean up after them, one after the other,” said Tahreer Tabash, a mother of six children sheltering in a school.

“When there’s an explosion or any target getting hit nearby they are always screaming, always frightened. We try to calm the younger ones, try telling them, ‘Don’t worry, it’s just fireworks’. But the older ones understand what’s going on,” said Ibrahim al-Agha, an engineer sheltering in the house.

A 2022 report by aid group Save the Children found the psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza at “alarmingly low levels” after 11 days of fighting in 2021, leaving half of all Gaza children in need of support.

Mental health experts in Gaza have said there is no such thing there as post traumatic stress disorder because the trauma in the enclave is continuous, with repeated bouts of armed conflict stretching back nearly two decades.'

This is so sad. Nobody should have to experience such trauma. What a horrible life so many people have to live.

 

[Vern]

Trauma all around - ' no such thing as PTSD' they say ( as far as we'd understand it?)

Gaza children traumatised by bombardment with ground war to start

Gaza's children are showing ever more signs of trauma two weeks into Israel's intense bombardment, parents and psychiatrists in the tiny, crowded enclave say, with no safe place to hide from the falling bombs and little prospect of respite.

www.reuters.com

Gaza’s children are showing ever more signs of trauma two weeks into Israel’s intense bombardment, parents and psychiatrists in the tiny, crowded enclave say, with no safe place to hide from the falling bombs and little prospect of respite.

Reuters reports:

Children make up about half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, living under near constant bombardment with many packed into temporary shelters in UN-run schools after fleeing their homes with little food or clean water.

“Children ... have started to develop serious trauma symptoms such as convulsions, bed-wetting, fear, aggressive behaviour, nervousness, and not leaving their parents’ sides,” said Gaza psychiatrist Fadel Abu Heen.

More than 4,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far, including more than 1,500 children, while 13,000 people have been injured according to the Palestinian health ministry.

“Our children suffer a lot at night. They cry all night, they pee themselves without meaning to and I don’t have time to clean up after them, one after the other,” said Tahreer Tabash, a mother of six children sheltering in a school.

“When there’s an explosion or any target getting hit nearby they are always screaming, always frightened. We try to calm the younger ones, try telling them, ‘Don’t worry, it’s just fireworks’. But the older ones understand what’s going on,” said Ibrahim al-Agha, an engineer sheltering in the house.

A 2022 report by aid group Save the Children found the psychosocial wellbeing of children in Gaza at “alarmingly low levels” after 11 days of fighting in 2021, leaving half of all Gaza children in need of support.

Mental health experts in Gaza have said there is no such thing there as post traumatic stress disorder because the trauma in the enclave is continuous, with repeated bouts of armed conflict stretching back nearly two decades.'

I can imagine that the survivors of 7/10 will also suffer the post-traumatic effects of this for remainder of their lives. Likewise all the Israeli's who've been suffering from rocket strikes and suicide bombers for decades, so much so that rocket shelters and safe rooms are abundantly available troughout Israel.

PTSD is far from a one-sided affair.

When one's mental parking lot is full, it's full; no matter how many parking spots it originally had - one or a hundred.

 

[JennieM]

UK foreign secretary calls for Israel to act with 'discipline'​

AFP/Khaled Desouki
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, speaking at an international peace summit in Cairo

Let's turn towards what's happening in Cairo for a moment, where world leaders are meeting for a Peace Summit.

The meeting is part of a collective effort to avoid a wider regional war, and a little earlier we heard from UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

He said that while "Israel has the right to self-defence and the right to secure the release of those who are kidnapped", it also must work to "alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza".

"Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, I have called for discipline and professionalism and restraint from the Israeli military," he said.

The foreign secretary stressed that leaders must work together to prevent further conflict because "that is exactly what Hamas wants".

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

 

[JennieM]

Chance of breakthrough remote at Peace Summit​

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent, in Jerusalem

The grandly named Cairo Peace Summit is a hastily arranged affair. As such, the chances of any kind of meaningful breakthrough seem remote.

The agenda is hazy and it seems differences over a final declaration may mean no text emerges, as is customary for such events.

The US is barely there, represented only by its chargé d’affaires in Cairo.

There’s a smattering of European leaders, while others (including the UK) have chosen to send foreign ministers.

For Arab leaders, it’s an opportunity to voice their fears that Israel’s military offensive in Gaza could result in the forcible displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Egypt’s President Sisi has repeatedly warned that a flood of Palestinians crossing into the Sinai Peninsula could have disastrous security implications in a place known for lawlessness and periodic bouts of Islamist violence.

With the death toll among Palestinians in Gaza soaring above 4,300 (an utterly unprecedented number, compared with previous Gaza wars), Jordan’s King Abdullah condemned the world’s silence.

“The message the Arab world is hearing is that Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli ones,” he said.

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

 

[JennieM]

8 min ago

France and Germany stress that although Israel has a right to self-defense, it must also protect civilians​

From Lina El Wardani and CNN's Niamh Kennedy

The foreign ministers of France and Germany said Saturday that although Israel has the right to self-defense, it also has a responsibility to protect the civilian population of Gaza.

In an address to leaders at the Cairo peace summit, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized that Hamas bears ultimate responsibility for the "suffering of these past weeks."

"It was Hamas that brought horrendous terror on Israel on Oct 7 committing atrocious crimes. Like any other country in the world, Israel has the right to defend itself and to protect its people against this terror within the framework of international law," Baerbock said.

Baerbock warned that that this "fight against Hamas must be carried out with the greatest possible consideration for the humanitarian situation for the innocent men, women, and children in Gaza."

France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also reiterated that "Nothing justifies terrorism. Facing terrorism, Israel has the right to defend itself."

"Israel, in its legitimate response to the terrorist attack it was victim of, must protect the civilian population in accordance with humanitarian law," Colonna continued.

France "condemns the actions of Hamas" but continues to "support the rights of the Palestinian people like we have always done," Colonna remarked, adding that France will soon send an additional 10 million euros ($10.6 million) in aid to Palestinians.

October 21, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news

The first convoy of aid trucks passed through the Rafah crossing and entered besieged Gaza on Saturday morning, as the Israeli military said it's preparing for an operation on the ground there. Follow for live updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[PommyMommy]

Read this at your own risk. It’s very disturbing. Hamas acts confirmed as Israeli forensics institute identifies victims

Noting:

“We hope that with CT and biopsies, we can bring the unidentified down to less than 200. But some people, we will never find. We will never identify them. And people need to be prepared for this.”

Speaking personally, Bublil said that she wants the world to know that “generally, Hamas enjoyed the killing.”

 

[Vern]

1min ago

Foreign citizens not being allowed to leave Gaza despite opening of Egypt border​

Palestinian Americans and other dual citizens rushed to southern Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt as 20 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid entered the besieged strip as the border opened for the first time since the start of the war.

Even as embassies asked their citizens in Gaza to stand ready at the border, crowds of disappointed Palestinians holding American, Canadian, German and British passports waited hours in vain for at least the fifth time this week.

“There is no opening of the crossing, and the suffering is the same,” says US citizen Dina al- Khatib. “They communicate with us, but there is no change.”

Al-Khatib said she and her family were desperate to get out.

“It’s is not like previous wars,” she said. “There is no electricity, no water, no internet, nothing.”

It was not immediately clear if the Palestinians or Egyptians were preventing them from leaving.

At what point do we also place foreign passport holders (foreign citizens and dual Palestinin-foreign citizens) into the group of "being held hostage within Gaza" as well.

 

[JennieM]

6 min ago

"Large fire" breaks out in southern Gaza Strip after airstrike, Palestinian Ministry of Interior says​

From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman in Gaza

A "large fire" has broken out in the Bani Suhaila area in Khan Younis following an Israeli airstrike on a house, according to a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in Gaza on Saturday afternoon.

CNN obtained footage from Khan Younis that shows a large plume of smoke rising above the skyline in the southern Gaza Strip city.

The Israel Defense Forces did not have any immediate information on the circumstances of the apparent strike.

October 21, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news

The first convoy of aid trucks passed through the Rafah crossing and entered besieged Gaza on Saturday morning, as the Israeli military said it's preparing for an operation on the ground there. Follow for live updates.

edition.cnn.com

 

[JennieM]

4m ago

Gaza’s healthcare system is “facing collapse,” Doctors Without Borders said on Saturday.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, the organization said that Gaza’s hospitals are “overwhelmed and lacking resources.”

“We recently made a large donation of medical stock, including medicines, narcotics and medical equipment to Al Shifa hospital, the main surgical facility in the Strip,” the organization added.

“We delivered everything we had left, all our medical supplies, to Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, two days ago. We saw hundreds of people taking shelter and it was difficult to walk inside,” Loay Harb, an MSF nurse in Gaza said.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1715443681765851515

Strikes on Gaza to increase from today, Israeli spokesperson says – as it happened

Israeli Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said: ‘We will deepen our attacks to minimise the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war.’ This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

52m ago

Two Thai nationals have been injured in northern Israel on Saturday, Agence France-Presse reports medics saying.

Since Hamas’s attacks on Israel, Israel’s security forces have been exchanging fire on its northern border with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah as well as other allied Palestinian factions.

On Saturday, there were at least three separate incidents including a strike near the area of Margaliot along the border with Lebanon in which two Thai citizens were injured, AFP reports.

According to medics, one was moderately injured in the chest and the other had a limb injury.

Approximately 30,000 Thai nationals work in Israel, many in the agricultural sector.

Strikes on Gaza to increase from today, Israeli spokesperson says – as it happened

Israeli Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said: ‘We will deepen our attacks to minimise the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war.’ This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

25m ago

Pro-Palestinian views are increasingly being censored in the US as conferences and media appearances are cancelled, while some urge the firing of those who criticise Israeli policies.

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal reports:

Widespread attempts to suppress pro-Palestinian views in the US after the Hamas attack on Israel have forced the cancellation of major conferences, prompted demands for the dismissal of workers who express support for Palestinians and led to intimidation campaigns against Arab American voices critical of Israeli policies.

Earlier this week, a leading US Jewish group forced the cancellation of a major Palestinian campaign organisation’s national conference by alleging it was a front for Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis and abducted about 200 people in its attack from Gaza.

Palestinian American activists say television networks also have censored or cancelled interviews. NPR and the BBC pulled advertising for a widely praised new book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after a campaign of “listener complaints”.

The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce has declared a “victory” after pressuring Hilton hotels into cancelling the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights event in Houston later this month at which the congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was to be the main speaker.

For the full story, click here:
Pro-Palestinian views face suppression in US amid Israel-Hamas war

Strikes on Gaza to increase from today, Israeli spokesperson says – as it happened

Israeli Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said: ‘We will deepen our attacks to minimise the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war.’ This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[PommyMommy]

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Relief over hostage release; aid crosses into Gaza from Egypt (nbcnews.com)
8m ago / 9:31 AM PDT

Hamas says it won't discuss fate of Israeli army captives until Gaza siege ends​

Hamas has a clear stance on Israeli army captives, according to spokesperson Osama Hamdan.

"The issue regarding exchanging captives will not be discussed until the (Israeli) occupation ends its aggression on the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people," Hamdan said in Arabic at a televised press conference.

 

[JennieM]

Up to 100,000 people join march for Palestine in London​

Up to 100,000 people marched in London today in support of Palestine, calling on an immediate end to the war.

The march started at Marble Arch before heading to Whitehall and ending at Parliament Square.

The Metropolitan police estimated that up to 100,000 people had joined the protest as of 2pm local time – increasing their previous estimate of 70,000.

People take part in a ‘March For Palestine’, in London on Saturday to “demand an end to the war on Gaza”. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

Protesters stand in Trafalgar Square in the March for Palestine in London on Saturday. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

People take part in a ‘March For Palestine’, in London on Saturday to “demand an end to the war on Gaza”. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

People take part in a ‘March For Palestine’, in London on Saturday to “demand an end to the war on Gaza”. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

People take part in a ‘March For Palestine’, in London on Saturday to “demand an end to the war on Gaza”. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

Strikes on Gaza to increase from today, Israeli spokesperson says – as it happened

Israeli Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said: ‘We will deepen our attacks to minimise the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war.’ This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[PommyMommy]

3min ago

Police: 74% of civilians killed October 7 identified​

Police figures indicate that approximately 1,033 bodies of civilians killed in Hamas’s October 7 onslaught have been collected, of which 765 have been identified.

Of those, 668 have been transferred to families for burial.

“The 765 victims represent 74% of civilians (non-soldiers) killed in the fighting whose bodies have been brought for identification,” a statement says.

“Thousands of police have been working shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are taking part in the tough work of identification,” police say. Some of the bodies have been badly burned or destroyed, making identification extremely challenging.

Around 300 soldiers killed in the assault and ensuing fighting on the Gaza border have also been identified by the IDF, putting the official death toll at over 1,300.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the toll from the murderous rampage was at least 1,400 and possibly higher.

 

[JennieM]

A sea of umbrellas as protesters reach Downing Street​

Tom Grundy
Reporting from central London

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Let's return to the pro-Palestinian march in London, where those attending have braved the rain and continued on their march to reach the gates of Downing Street.
People are standing on walls and buildings, waving the Palestinian flag, as speakers play to the crowd from a stage erected on Whitehall.

Police have generally kept their distance today - they estimate around 100,000 have taken part in this March.

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

 

[PommyMommy]

Her last words to her mother via text message were “Mom, I love you so much.”

Roni Eshel (19) has been held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Hamas terrorists for two weeks.

Help us bring her home by sharing this. #HamasisISIS

https://twitter.com/x/status/1715695096518074738