ISRAEL AT WAR!!!

[ExquisiteGerbil]

All of northern Israel is under attack of multiple drones!!!!

[schwartzie]

Netanyahu: Terrorists Burned People Alive; Every Hamas Member Is ‘a Dead Man’; Gantz Invokes Ten Plagues

JOEL B. POLLAK
11 Oct 2023
3:30


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recounted the horrors of Saturday’s terror attack by the Palestinian terror group Hamas in an address Wednesday evening to his nation introducing his emergency national unity government.



As Breitbart News reported earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz of the Blue and White Party agreed to form an emergency government of national unity, setting aside political differences until the end of the war. Other opposition parties may follow.



As he introduced the new government, a visibly anguished Netanyahu said:



We saw the wild animals, we saw the barbarians we have to deal with. We are fighting a fierce enemy, an enemy worse than ISIS. We saw boys and girls, bound, shot in the head. Men and women who were burned while still alive, young girls who were raped and slaughtered, soldiers with their heads cut off.



In one place, they forced people to enter a place, and put spare tires around them so that there would be fuel, and they burned them alive.



What a great horror. How great the pain.


We all know families whose loved ones were murdered, were kidnapped, were burned. But however great the horror, that is how great our heroism. Men and women, fathers and Mothers, warriors and citizens who have discovered supreme courage and bravery. We are all fighting together, we all fought, and we all will fight for our home.



The horrific practice of burning people with tires was known as “necklacing” in South Africa, and was practiced by the anti-apartheid movement in the 1980s as a way of punishing suspected informers and political rivals. Tires, usually filled with fuel, were placed around victims’ necks, and the tires were then set alight, ensuring a slow, painful, and horrific death.



Netanyahu added that every member of Hamas should be considered “a dead man.”

Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant also spoke, vowing to “wipe Hamas off the face of the earth.”



“What happened has not happened to the Jewish people since 1945,” he added. “There’s no situation in which you kill Israeli kids and we go about our business.”



Those remarks came as the Israeli Air Force (IAF) hit Gaza on what was called an “unprecedented” scale.



Gantz, a former defense minister himself, added: “There’s a time for peace and a time for war, now is the time for war.”

He praised the many Israelis who were returning from around the world to rejoin their units and fight for their country.



He warned: “The reward of our enemies will be blood, fire and pillars of smoke” — a quote from the Book of Joel (3:3) that is also reference, in Jewish tradition, to the Ten Plagues of the Bible that preceded the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.

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[shalom]

TV7 Israel News - "Sword of Iron": Israel at War - Day Five - UPDATE 11.10.23

[maybetoday]

BREAKING: Israelis Report Armored Vehicles Approaching Border from Jordan – Convoys of Muslim Women and Children Evacuate from West Bank

By Jim Hoft
Oct. 11, 2023 4:30 pm


Frontline News has reporters on the ground in Israel near the border with Jordan in the West Bank.



On Tuesday, Khaled Mashal, the former leader and founding member of Hamas, called for a global Muslim uprising in support of Palestine on Friday. Mashal emphasized the need for Muslims to sacrifice and carry Jihad, including the willingness to offer their blood and souls to advance the Palestinian cause.





Armored personnel carriers in Jordan caught on video moving towards Israel’s border. (Yudi Sherman)


Now Israelis in Samaria in the West Bank are reporting armored vehicles approaching the border from Jordan.




There are also reports busloads of women and children evacuating Samaria.


Frontline News reported:



Convoys of Muslim women and children were spotted traveling to Jordan Wednesday from Samaria, raising concerns from the area’s residents about an impending attack.



Israelis remain on high alert after Saturday’s attack in which Muslim forces invaded the country from Gaza, massacring over a thousand Jews and taking dozens back to the Gaza Strip as hostages.



Though Israel has yet to follow through on its promises to exact a “merciless” retaliation, Hamas has called for more massacres this Friday. Khalid Mashal, one of Hamas’ founding members and leaders, urged Muslims around the world in a speech Wednesday “to show anger” and carry out a “global jihad.”



Elhanan Friedlow, who lives in the Eastern Benjamin region, says residents have so far seen over 27 large taxi vans full of Muslim women and children approach the Allenby Bridge that connects Samaria with Jordan. Sources told Frontline News the convoy originated in the village of Al Mughayyir — 45 minutes north of Ramallah — and collected more passengers in the village of Duma before continuing its journey. Military sources stationed in Samaria say the convoy drove through fields to attempt to circumvent IDF checkpoints.



But the convoy did run into a checkpoint, where IDF personnel confirmed that passengers were reportedly carrying plane tickets. Unconfirmed reports add, however, that Jordanian authorities have stopped the convoy at the border…



…The sightings have sparked independent preparation among residents of Samaria’s Jewish cities, towns, and villages. Only some receive adequate military protection against surrounding Muslim villages and are frequently subject to violent attacks. With Israeli troops spread thin between fighting Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south, Israelis are even less hopeful for military protection.





Much more here.

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[shalom]

TV7 Israel News - "Sword of Iron": Israel at War - Day Six - UPDATE 12.10.23

[ExquisiteGerbil]

NONE WERE SPARED: Women, Children, Elderly, Peace Activists, Holocaust Survivor — Victims of Hamas Attacks Faced ‘Evil Not Created Even by the Devil’





JOSHUA KLEIN12 Oct 20233,326

10:40


As the world sets its sights on the unprecedented surprise Hamas attack against Israel, emerging details of just how gruesome their tactics were have left many in the international community in complete shock over the “unimaginable horror” perpetrated against hundreds of innocent civilians, each with their own harrowing ordeal.



(Warning: Graphic content below.)



On Saturday, Hamas’ multiple-pronged attack saw the Gaza-based terror group resorting to abuse, executions, and kidnappings of men, women, children and, at times, full families and even an elderly Holocaust survivor. None were spared.



In southern towns, the terrorists went door-to-door shooting Jews and burning homes with families within, proceeding to murder soldiers and infants alike, all while thousands of rockets rained down on Israeli civilian centers.



While the exact number of individuals abducted remains unclear, Hamas terrorists have claimed more than 100, and one senior Israeli military official shared a preliminary assessment that at least 150 Israelis were taken hostage by the Palestinian terrorists.



Of the hostages, several are reported to be American, with the White House confirming that over 20 Americans are still unaccounted for in Israel.



Hamas has since threatened to execute captives on live television.



Countless accounts from the attacks, which have been described as reminiscent of the Nazi era, have revealed the hideous atrocities that victims faced.



Chicago native Natalie Raanan, 18, is one of the U.S. citizens taken to Gaza and being held hostage by Hamas. She and her mother were both kidnapped while visiting family.



She is one of 20 missing Americans, with 22 others reportedly killed.



“I’m just devastated by it. It’s just very sad,” said Kurt Jung, a neighbor of her mother. “I think it’s sadder knowing they might be held captive.”



Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein of Evanston expressed his fears that the two may undergo torture or be killed.



“Her eyes always glowed,” he said about the mother, whom he has known for 15 years.

On Saturday, Abbey Onn, an American citizen who had been living in Israel for eight years, hid in a safe room with her three grandchildren and son-in-law while Hamas terrorists invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz, threw smoke grenades into homes trying to lure residents out, and eventually set everything on fire.



The next day, a colleague spotted one of the children, Onn’s second cousin Erez Kalderon, in footage reposted by an influencer showing the 12-year-old being manhandled and dragged towards an opening in the border’s fence by armed terrorists.



“I burst into tears. I started shaking,” Onn said. “I’m a mother of three. This is just every parent’s worst nightmare.”



He and his entire family are still unaccounted for.

Erez’s sister, Gaya, told Sky News: “I was terrified to wake up on Saturday morning and receive messages like ‘the terrorists are in my bedroom’ and my 16-year-old sister writing [to] me: ‘I’m so scared.’”



One mother, Shiri, was seen being taken captive along with her husband, her elderly parents, and her two sons, a three year old and a nine month old, as horrified onlookers shouted: “She has a baby.”

There is also footage of a terrified Israeli family being held hostage by Hamas terrorists after they killed one of the daughters. As the children begin to cry, a male voice off camera, believed to be one of their captors, tells them to relax, adding: “She went to heaven.”

Adi Vital-Kaploun, a 33-year-old Canadian citizen, was abducted from Kibbutz Holit and taken from her children, aged four months and four years. She remains missing in the aftermath of the attack, according to her neighbor Avitel Aladjem.

One emotional father described speaking on the phone with his two daughters when he heard the shouting terrorists spraying bullets, followed by the phone call ending.

Another child, Abigail, watched as her parents were murdered in cold blood. She was subsequently kidnapped by Hamas and is being held in Gaza.

More footage shows parents and little children forced by armed Hamas terrorists on to pickup trucks and driven away to Gaza as the terrorists chant “Allahu Akhbar” (Allah is great).

Noa Argamani, aged 25, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists while attending a peace music festival and was dragged on a motorcycle from Israel into Gaza as she pleaded for help.



Her father, Yaacov, struggled as he told reporters that his only child is both sweet and loving. “Please, please, I beg you, don’t hurt her,” he said in a message to his daughter’s captors.



Her boyfriend, Avinatan, was also seen being led away by another group of men and is presumed to have been kidnapped.

In a highly disturbing incident, Hamas terrorists took Yaffa Adar, an 85-year-old wheelchair-bound Holocaust survivor, to Gaza at gunpoint. Begging for her release, her granddaughter explained that she suffers “a lot of pain” without her medication.

Hamas terrorists also livestreamed an entire family being held hostage to their Facebook so their friends and relatives could watch their final moments. They then forced the son at gunpoint to persuade neighbors to leave their homes. They have not been seen since.

Vivian Silver, 74, the founder and director of a pro-peace NGO, was also kidnapped by the terrorists, despite having dedicated her life to improving the plight of Palestinians.



“She is somebody who has always, always worked for what she believes in, and she believes in peace and a shared society in Israel,” said Lynne Mitchell, a friend of Silver’s. “She went there for that purpose when she was very young and has remained true to that her whole life.”

In addition, over 1,000 civilians were slaughtered during the unprecedented attacks that saw children executed before their parents, while parents were executed in front of their children.

One clip shows four Israeli hostages killed by Hamas shortly after their capture.



One survivor described being holed up in a shelter with dozens more when Hamas terrorists tossed grenades inside. His friend, who was suffocating, tried to escape but she was shot point blank and killed by one of the terrorists who continued to spray the room with bullets.

Distressing dashcam footage has also surfaced, revealing Hamas terrorists firing upon music festival attendees at point-blank range and plundering their possessions amidst the chaos.

More clips of point blank executions have also emerged.



In one instance, an entire family of five — three generations — were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Oz after taking shelter in a safe room.



“What type of lowly people kill babies with their parents? It is so hard to think that you are no longer. My heart is with your parents, your siblings, and Johnny’s family,” one family friend said.

After the Israeli army entered Kfar Aza, a village close to the Gaza border, they reportedly found scenes of “unimaginable horror,” including the lifeless bodies of 40 slaughtered babies and children with entire families burned alive in their homes.



Reports of Israeli soldiers discovering dozens of dead babies have also been reported.



“I’m talking to some of the soldiers and they say what they’ve witnessed as they’ve been walking through these different houses, these different communities,” i24news correspondent Nicole Zedeck recounted.



“Babies, their heads cut off. That’s what they said,” she recalled. “Gunned down families — completely gunned down in their beds.”

Other footage of families reportedly burned alive in their vehicles have also emerged.



The attacks also saw “barbaric” acts of young females being raped, while others’ bodies paraded in the streets of the coastal enclave to cheering crowds who further abused and spit on the victims.



According to eyewitness accounts of the festival massacre, “women were raped at the area of the rave next to their friends bodies, dead bodies.”



Numerous assault victims seem to have subsequently faced execution, with others being transported to Gaza. In images shared on the internet, some can be seen being marched through the city streets, visibly bleeding between their legs.

An interrogation of one Hamas operative revealed that the terrorists had set their sights on women, teenagers, and children in order to rape them.

On Monday, Breitbart News reported that families of several kidnap and murder victims from Hamas’ savage attack over the weekend have reported the terrorists using the cell phones and social media accounts of their victims to send them graphic photos and taunting text messages.



One girl, Mor Bayder, said Hamas uploaded a graphic photo taken with her slain grandmother’s phone — of her grandmother’s corpse to her own Facebook account on Saturday morning.



“A terrorist came home to her, killed her, took her phone, filmed the horror and published it on her Facebook wall. This is how we found out,” Bayder said. “The purest thing in the world, the light of my life, my whole world, my grandmother, this can’t be real.”

Footage of celebrations of the savagery have been documented as well.



In one of many instances, Palestinian residents of the Jenin area were seen celebrating while holding rocket fragments believed to be from Gaza.

Eli Cohen, Israel’s foreign minister, said on Monday evening in a press conference that Hamas’ actions constitute “an evil that’s not created even by the devil.”



“I think that in the last decades, I don’t think that we saw such things, maybe only in ISIS what they did,” he said. “ISIS did it to men and woman, but to take an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair captive. Even between the war between Russia and Ukraine, we did not see murdering entire families.”



Such “vicious and evil” was only seen with the Nazis and possibly with ISIS, according to the minister.



“Hamas executed an historical massacre that the world will not forget,” he added.

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[ExquisiteGerbil]

Reports: Up to 600 Americans Estimated in Gaza with Ground Offensive Near


KRISTINA WONG
12 Oct 2023
2:57


The Biden administration estimates there are 500 to 600 American citizens in the Gaza Strip, with some looking for safe passage out, according to two reports.



A senior administration official told the Wall Street Journal that they are talking “intensively” with Egypt and Israel about arranging safe passage out, including over the border into Egypt.



“We have to carefully work with the two governments, and that’s part of what these discussions are about,” the official said.



The Americans and other foreign nationals in Gaza include United Nations workers and members of non-governmental organizations and journalists, U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.



As far as what the U.S. is doing to get them home, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said beginning Friday, the U.S. government will arrange charter flights to provide transportation from Israel to sites in Europe. He said:



Iran - John Kirby, national security council coordinator, speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking American politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years, prompting China to announce missile tests and military drills encircling the island that set the stage for some of its most provocative actions in decades. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

John Kirby, national security council coordinator Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images



They’re still working through some of the details of that to assist U.S. citizens and their immediate family members who have, for whatever reason, not been able to provide commercial transit out of the country. And I would add that we’re also exploring other options to expand the capacity of doing this, including exploring whether it’s possible to help Americans leave by land and by sea.



“So, again, we’re working hard on this, we know there’s a demand signal out there, and we’re going to try the best we can to meet it,” he added. He encouraged Americans wanting to leave to fill out an intake form at Travel.State.gov.



He said the number of Americans killed in Israel was now at least 27, and those missing were at least 14.



The Americans are stuck in Gaza as the Israel Defense Forces are preparing for a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip against Hamas terrorists who committed the attack on Saturday that left more than 1,300 dead and over 3,300 wounded.



There are an estimated 200 hostages that were captured and taken back to the Gaza Strip. The Biden administration has confirmed that 27 Americans were killed in the attacks and at least 17 Americans are missing, with a “number” of Americans held hostage — their conditions and whereabouts are allegedly unknown.



Israeli leaders say they are cutting off water, fuel and electricity to Gaza until hostages are returned. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Force leaders say Hamas is preparing for a long war with Israeli forces, gauged by the slowdown in rockets fired into central Israel. The Times of Israel reported more than 250,000 Gazans have fled their homes, with the vast majority sheltering in schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

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[Honoria]

Israel Warns 1 Million Residents of Northern Gaza to Leave Until War’s End


JOEL B. POLLAK
12 Oct 2023
3:15

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told one million residents of northern Gaza to leave their homes and evacuate southward, beyond Wadi Gaza, a local river, for the duration of the war.



IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Conricus gave an update at 7:20 a.m. Friday morning local time, confirming that Israel had delivered messages to local residents, and had informed the United Nations.

One million people is roughly half the population of the Gaza Strip as a whole.



The Times of Israel reported that Israel gave residents 24 hours to leave, and that the UN responded with incredulity: “The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.”



In response, Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan condemned the UN:



Hitting back, Erdan says, “The UN’s response to Israel’s early warning to the residents of Gaza is a disgrace! For many years, the UN turned a blind eye to the arming of Hamas and its use of civilian populations and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip for murder and for stockpiling its weapons.”



“Now, instead of standing with Israel whose citizens were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists and which still tries to minimize harm to non-combatants, it preaches specifically to Israel,” Erdan says.



“It would be better for the UN to focus now on returning the captives, condemning Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to defend itself,” he adds.



Egypt has refused to allow large numbers of Gaza residents to leave the Strip, and has urged them to stay. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Hamas was reluctant to allow civilians to leave because it did not want them to do so permanently.



Conricus said that residents would be allowed to return when the war was over, but should not attempt to do so before then.



The warning marks the imminent start of a ground invasion, six days after Palestinian Hamas terrorists launched a massive attack after breaching the border, murdering 1,300 Israelis, wounding 3,000 more, and kidnapping more than 100 on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret.



Conricus concluded that Israel was “fully committed to the law of international conflict … in sharp contrast to the enemies around us and to Hamas.


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[Midnight]

Israel Warns UN to Evacuate the Northern Gaza Strip Within 24 Hours

By Jim Hᴏft
Oct. 12, 2023 10:16 pm



The Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have issued an urgent warning to the United Nations, Axios reported.



Just before midnight, the UN was notified to evacuate its staff and inform Palestinians living north of Wadi Gaza to move to the southern part of the Gaza Strip within the next 24 hours. The message was confirmed by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric and another source with direct knowledge of the situation.



More than 1 million Palestinians reside in the area north of Wadi Gaza. The sudden warning from the Israeli authorities could be a precursor to an imminent ground operation by the IDF.



According to sources who spoke to Axios, the IDF’s rationale behind the urgent notification is to minimize civilian casualties during their military operations.


According to IDF, Hamas deliberately hides military targets in residential buildings and civilian areas. Hamas is using children as human shields. Hamas has been using a school—in close proximity to civilian buildings including a hospital—to hide a terror tunnel.



The Israeli military has been carrying out heavy airstrikes in Gaza since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel last Saturday. A “complete siege” has also been imposed on the enclave, home to more than 2 million Palestinians.



Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, told Axios, “Today, just before midnight local time, team leaders of the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Safety and Security in Gaza were informed by their liaison officers in the Israeli military that the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours.”



Dujarric continued, “This amounts to approximately 1.1 million people. The same order applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities – including schools, health centers, and clinics.”



“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” Dujarric added. He also strongly appealed for the order to be rescinded, warning that it could transform an already tragic situation into a calamitous one.”



The following is the IDF announcement sent to civilians of Gaza City:



The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, as shown on the map.



The Hamas terrorist organization waged a war against the State of Israel and Gaza City is an area where military operations take place. This evacuation is for your own safety.



You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel.



Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians.



Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields.



In the following days, the IDF will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians.

During the weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to the Hamas terrorists and vowed to use “all the strength” of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to “destroy Hamas’s capabilities.”



“Hamas wants to murder us all. This is an enemy that murders children and mothers in their homes, in their beds, an enemy that abducts the elderly, children, and young women, that slaughters and massacres our citizens, including children, who simply went out to enjoy the holiday,” Netanyahu said.



Netanyahu assured the Israeli public that the “entire government is behind this decision,” signaling a unified stance among Israel’s political leadership. He also indicated that the IDF would “immediately use all its strength to destroy Hamas’s capabilities.”



“We will destroy them and will forcefully avenge this dark day that they have forced on Israel and its citizens,” he declared.



“‘Revenge for the blood of a little child has yet been devised by Satan.’ All of the places which Hamas is deployed, hiding and operating in, that wicked city, we will turn them into rubble.”



In a direct message to the residents of Gaza, the Prime Minister said, “Leave now because we will operate forcefully everywhere.” He revealed that the IDF is already “clearing the terrorists out of the last communities,” going “community by community, house by house,” to restore Israeli control.



On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “complete siege” on Gaza. The blockade includes a ban on the admission of food, water, electricity, and fuel. This move is seen as Israel’s retaliation against Hamas following their largest attack on the country in decades.



The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have initiated “Operation Swords of Iron”. This military operation aims to strike back at Hamas and protect Israeli citizens from further harm. The operation involves a coordinated effort between various branches of the IDF, including ground, air, and naval forces.

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[Midnight]

Americans Killed By Hamas Rises To 27, Over A Dozen Captive, As US Arranges Evacuation Flights

BY TYLER DURDEN

THURSDAY, OCT 12, 2023 - 01:55 PM


Update(1355ET): The White House has confirmed that it has hostage negotiation experts in Israel working with the government and advising on hostage recovery. This as the death toll of Americans killed in the Saturday Hamas attack has risen to 27.



The numbers of missing Americans now stands at 14, according to a briefing by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. These are presumed to be in captivity in Gaza. "The U.S. does not know anything about the condition of the U.S. hostages held by Hamas," Kirby confirmed.



Additional developments from various news wires and breaking headlines:



*Israel says it has dropped 6,000 bombs in six days of bombardment

*Israeli minister says no electricity, fuel or humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas releases all captives taken in unprecedented attack.

*UK to send navy ships, surveillance planes to support Israel

*Hamas calls high civilian death toll from Saturday assault "collateral damage" - ‘Things went out of control’: Hamas addresses high Israeli civilian death toll

*After Blinken, Pentagon chief to also visit Israel

*Blinken in Tel Aviv: As long as US exists, Israel won’t have to defend itself alone

*Two Israeli police officers wounded, one seriously, in shooting near Old City in Jerusalem

*Blinken says none of $6 billion in Iranian funds in Qatar have been spent or accessed

*Netanyahu: Unity government sends a ‘huge message’; Israel will wipe out ‘barbaric’ Hamas

*US to arrange charter flights for citizens to depart Israel

*Marine unit leaves Kuwait exercise early because of ‘emerging events’

'*No conditions' on use of US military support to Israel: Defence Sec. Austin

*Families of UK citizens held hostage in Gaza beg for help: Captors ‘have no mercy’

*Kirby: we support X taking down some misinformation on conflict

*Kirby: grateful that X removed misinformation on Israel attack

*Russia: Israeli airstrikes on Syria are a gross violation of sovereignty of Syria and basic norms of international law


The IDF build-up ahead of an expected ground assault into Gaza continues...

Testy media exchanges grow...

More calls for US action against Iran...

Pushback against prevailing Western media coverage from Al Jazeera...

New IDF footage of elite team...

Hamas may have released a family from captivity. The following aired on Al Jazeera yesterday...

Growing outrage over mounting Gaza civilian deaths...

* * *



Update(0948ET): Iranian state sources say foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian's plane has landed in Baghdad. It's unclear whether he will continue on his trip to visit Syria, which some reports say is scheduled for tomorrow.



State media said his trip is "in light of the current Palestinian events, the crimes committed against Gaza and their dangerous ramifications." At this moment, it appears the only functioning major airport in Syria is in Lattakia, or there would also be the possibility of the Iranians utilizing the Russian airbase. Syria also has military airports.

The Iranian aircraft that turned around just as Israel attacked the Syrian airports does not appear to have been the government plane carrying the Iranian FM.

* * *



Two days ago rockets were fired from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which regional media sources said was in "solidarity" with the Palestinian cause as war rages in Gaza. Likely it was a Syrian Army strike, but there remains the possibility of associated militias having conducted it, such as 'Iran-linked' groups.



IDF Spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said at the time, "Attacks, rockets were fired from Syria into Israel. We do not yet know if these rockets were fired by the Syrian National Army (SNA), by any of the many Iranian militias that exist and are welcomed by the Syrian regime or Hezbollah or any other faction. What we do know is that we retaliated towards the sources of fire and currently the situation there is quiet and let’s hope that it remains that way."



But it seems Israel is indeed holding the Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad responsible, as on Thursday the IDF has struck back against Syrian targets. Syrian state television is now confirming that Israel has launched attacks on the country's two main international airports, in the capital of Damascus and Aleppo in the north. It happened while an Iranian plane was inbound.


According to Reuters, "Local media channel Sham FM said Syrian air defenses were launched in response to both attacks. It said here had been damage but no casualties at the Aleppo airport, but did not give any information on the impact of the strike on Damascus Airport."



State media has confirmed that the Israeli strikes hit runways and have left both airports out of commission. It's not the first time Israel has attacked these airports, but them being both hit in a simultaneous operation appears a first. The Israeli army spokesman has also announced, "We bombed Damascus and Aleppo airports in response to the firing of mortar shells from Syria."



There are reports that an Iranian plane has turned around due the the strikes on both airports, with Israeli newspaper Haartz writing,



"An Iranian plane turned around towards Tehran following airstrikes at the international airports in Damascus and Aleppo."



Some aviation monitoring sources have speculated this may have been the plane of the Iranian foreign minister; however, there have been somewhat routine Tehran to Syria flights. Israel's fresh attacks have sent a message to Tehran along with being retaliation for the earlier Syrian attack on the Golan Heights.

"The attacks came a day before Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, was due to visit Syria," Reuters notes. "On Thursday, technical teams were out to determine the extent of damage at both sites, Syria's transport ministry said."



Both Washington and Israel have issued strong warnings to Iran, Syria, and Lebanese Hezbollah to not enter the Hamas-Israel conflict.

There have been emerging reports in Western media saying that the Iranians may have actually been taken by surprise with Saturday's major Hamas incursion into southern Israel. The intelligence consensus out of US officials speaking to the media has been that while Iran has financed Hamas for years, it likely didn't have direct involvement in the operation.

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[schwartzie]

Israel Conducts ‘Localized Raids’ in Gaza, Strikes Hezbollah Sites in Lebanon


JOSHUA CAPLAN
13 Oct 2023
2:13


Israel has reportedly conducted “localized raids” in Gaza against Palestinian terrorists and launched strikes against Hezbollah sites in Lebanon as part of the Jewish state’s ongoing response to Hamas’s terror attack that claimed the lives of 1,300 people and wounded 3,000 more.



“We’re just learning this right now, breaking. The IDF tells Fox News that Israeli forces entered the Gaza Strip today, both infantry forces and tanks, to conduct localized raids,” Fox News’s foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported. “This was not the full-scale invasion that everyone is still anticipating, but it was an effort, according to the Israeli military, to eliminate militants along the border and also to gather information on those held hostage inside the Gaza Strip.”



“It appears those raids were successful,” he added.


Additionally, Israeli forces are said to be conducting fresh drone strikes against Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, according to the Times of Israel. There are very few details about the development that are known at this time.



On Thursday, the IDF urged one million residents of northern Gaza to leave their homes and evacuate southward within 24 hours for the remainder of the war as forces prepare for a mass ground invasion to destroy Hamas.



Egypt is refusing to allow a large number of Gaza residents to depart. The Rafah border crossing is the sole corridor between Egypt and Gaza.



Gazans must “stay steadfast and remain on their land,” Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Thursday.



The escalation in Gaza and Lebanon come as Iran issued yet another threat.



Bloomberg News reports:



Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group said it was prepared to act against Israel over its war in Gaza after its sponsor, Iran, warned the continued blockade of the Palestinian enclave could open up a new front in the conflict.



“We are fully prepared — when the time comes — for any action that we will carry out,” Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qasem said, according to the group’s Al Manar TV station.


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[shalom]

TV7 Israel News - "Sword of Iron": Israel at War - Day Seven - UPDATE 13.10.23

[shalom]

Hamas posts footage of terrorists holding kidnapped Israeli children

In one of the clips in the Hamas video, a man is heard telling a child to say “bismillah” before drinking from a cup.

By SAM HALPERN

OCTOBER 13, 2023 21:37

Updated: OCTOBER 13, 2023 21:38




Hamas has released new footage of what seems to show Israeli children they kidnapped during their murderous assault on southern Israel on Saturday.



The video, which was posted to a Hamas telegram channel, was captioned, “Hamas fighters, showing compassion for children in the midst of the Kibbutz ‘Holet’ battles on day one of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”



During Hamas’ attack on Kibbutz Holit, thirteen Israelis were murdered.

As the identities of the children in the video have not yet been confirmed, it remains unclear if their parents were among those killed when they were taken.



Hebrew media sources reported on Friday that the footage from the recent Hamas video appears to show that Hamas has taken the Israeli children back into Gaza.



Palestinian fighters from the armed wing of Hamas take part in a military parade to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel, near the border in the central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

Palestinian fighters from the armed wing of Hamas take part in a military parade to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel, near the border in the central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

Hamas being 'compassionate'

The Hamas video consists of a series of short clips that Hamas claims show their members being “compassionate.”



In the first, a member of Hamas appears to wrap a bandage around the foot of a small child. In subsequent clips, men in body army, armed with assault rifles, carry small children, pat them on the back, and speak to them.



In a clip showing a terrorist rocking a little child back and forth in a stroller, the child can be heard crying.



The final clip included in the video shows a smiling child holding a cup of water.



In English, a man tells the child, “say ‘bismillah’ (in the name of Allah).” The child repeats “bismillah.”



“Yallah, drink,” the man tells the child. The child then proceeds to take a sip.



Israeli social media accounts have subsequently spread the video. Activist Emily Schrader posted it with the caption, "Not gruesome and yet one of the most sickening videos of this entire conflict. Disgusting Hamas savages kidnapping Israeli children from the south."



Activists and social media influencer Hananya Naftali also noted "Hamas publishes footage of its fighters keeping Israeli children as human shields in Gaza."


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[shalom]

IDF says it entered Gaza Strip outskirts, airstrikes continue

Later on Friday, the IDF said it was conducting widespread airstrikes across the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas terrorists.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

OCTOBER 13, 2023 19:05

Updated: OCTOBER 13, 2023 21:10




The IDF carried out localized raids within the outskirts of the Gaza Strip in order to complete scanning the border area for infiltrating Hamas terrorists, the military said Friday.



During efforts to locate missing persons, Israeli forces killed Hamas terror units, including one that fired an anti-tank guided missile.

Later on Friday, the IDF said it was conducting widespread airstrikes across the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas terrorists.



Palestinian reports noted that Al Awda Hospital in the northern Strip was told to evacuate immediately by the IDF.


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[maybetoday]

Israeli Airstrike Destroys Gaza Strip’s Lone Planned Parenthood-Affiliate Clinic

By Anthony Scott
Oct. 13, 2023 8:20 pm




The only Planned Parenthood-affiliate clinic located inside the Gaza Strip was completely annihilated by Israel Defense Force’s strikes.



In an official statement The Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association wrote “On 8 October, PFPPA’s only center in Gaza was destroyed following an Israeli airstrike to an adjacent building, completely cutting off their ability to offer healthcare to women who have already been systematically denied sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights by the Israeli occupation.”



The statement however noticeably refused to mention anything regarding Hamas’ vicious attacks that occuredin the past week.



According to Article 8 of Palestinian Public Health Law abortions are strictly illegal but Live Action reported abortion pills have been known to be supplied by some PFPPA clinics in the region.

Per Newsweek:



The Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association’s (PFPPA’s) only clinic in Gaza was destroyed after an Israeli airstrike hit an adjacent building.



On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. As of Friday, at least 2,800 people had been killed on both sides, the Associated Press reported. The airstrike that impacted the PFPPA location in Gaza was fired on October 8.



PFPPA is a member of the IPPF, with locations in the West Bank areas of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Halhoul. It also has the one location in Gaza. The U.S. member association to IPPF is the Planned Parenthood Federation, but the Gaza clinic is not operated by Planned Parenthood of America.

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[J.J.Gibbs]

Israel Delays All-Out Assault On Gaza Amid Growing International Pressure, As Civilians Flee To South
BY TYLER DURDEN

FRIDAY, OCT 13, 2023 - 05:10 PM


Update(1710ET): International pressure, including from the United States, for Israel to allow more time for Palestinian civilian evacuations of the northern half of Gaza Strip has grown. There appears to be some level of delay at this moment on the part of Israel's military. Currently, there's widespread expectation that Al Awda Hospital is about to be bombed, but Israel has extended an earlier 2-hour evacuation warning and deadline, it appears:



The humanitarion organization had previously said they were given only two hours two evacuate. They now say the order has been extended to 6am local (03 GMT). “The evacuation of patients remains complicated,” the organisation said on X

An Israeli i24 News anchor has also posted the following allegation:

i24 has also highlighted the following new to emerge video from the Saturday music festival massacre by Hamas:

* * *



Update(1425ET): Fears of an imminent all-out ground and aerial assault are growing, after one of northern Gaza's main hospitals has sent out an SOS message. Hospital officials say they've been given two hours to evacuate. The WHO has decried this as life-threatening for patients there:

A Gaza activist organization describes of the hospital:



Al Awda Hospital, established in 1997, is the first-line hospital in the Gaza Strip and provides health services to all inhabitants in the northern part of the region. Al Awda is the main provider of maternity services in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and is the only provider of Fluoroscopy services. It is also authorized as an educational hospital from some universities in the Gaza Strip to train nursing students.



But where will they go?


Over 40 US lawmakers in the House have sent an urgent letter to President Biden:



More than 40 U.S. lawmakers urged the Biden administration to push Israel to follow international law amid Israel's looming military campaign in Gaza and to establish a humanitarian corridor.



“We are deeply concerned about the order to evacuate over a million civilians out of northern Gaza and the devastating humanitarian consequences that would ensue,” wrote the House members.



“As both the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights said, imposing a complete siege on Gaza and depriving 2.3 million Palestinian civilians who have nowhere else to go — half of whom are children — of food, water, and electricity, would be a violation of international humanitarian law,” they added.



* * *



Update(1240ET): As a number of countries, especially regionally (as well as UN representatives), continue calling on Israel's military to halt its impending ground offensive of Gaza given the likelihood for immense civilian casualties, the IDF has announced "localized raids" have begun.



This has included limited incursions into Gaza by infantry and tank units, to both prepare for a broader offensive and in efforts to locate hostages. The IDF said intelligence could be gained by these raids "that may help in the effort to locate the missing."



"The IDF says the troops also killed a number of terrorists in the area, including a Hamas cell that launched anti-tank guided missiles at Israel," Times of Israel reports. "The troops did not enter deep into Gaza."



The IDF further said the infantry has already "thwarted anti-tank guided missile squads that intended to infiltrate into Israeli territory." A statement added: "The forces located findings that may help in the effort to locate the missing."



"We will continue to make every effort to find every detail about the missing and hostages," a spokesman said of the anywhere between 100 to up to 200 people taken hostage in the weekend Hamas raids into southern Israel.



To the north, fighting along the border with Lebanon continues to intensify. Israel has shelled locations in southern Lebanon, reportedly resulting in casualties among journalists, including a Reuters team. This has been confirmed by Reuters in a new statement:



We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed. Issam was part of a Reuters crew in southern Lebanon who was providing a live signal. Our thoughts are with their families at this terrible time.

Footage from today's IDF aerial campaign over Gaza:

The IDF has further confirmed growing military action at the Lebanese border: "An IDF UAV is currently striking terrorist targets belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon," a spokesman said.



The Pentagon has meanwhile confirmed departure of the first evacuation flights of US citizens out of Israel:



FIRST US CHARTER FLIGHT HAS DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL: KIRBY



And a new White House statement:



WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN KIRBY THERE IS NO SPECIFIC INTELLIGENCE INDICATING THREAT TO U.S. STEMMING FROM HAMAS ATTACK



* * *



Starting about six to eight hours ago, Israel's military began announcing that all Palestinian civilians in Gaza have 24 hours to evacuate from the north of the strip to the south. Leaflets are also being mass airdropped over the area. The northern part of Gaza constitutes over one million people, out of a total Gaza population of 2.3 million, all in the densely packed and blockaded strip of land.



"The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, as shown on the map," the Israel Defense Forces alert said. Israel has mobilized some 300,000 reservists and has been engaged in a large-military build-up in the south of the country, readying a presumed major ground assault.

"Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians," the warning said additionally. "Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields."

"You must evacuate your homes immediately and go to the south of Wadi Gaza," leaflets in Arabic being dropped over Gaza City read. Wadi Gaza is about 8 miles southeast of the city center.



The IDF is now claiming that Hamas is preventing civilians from evacuating. Hamas did issue a call for Palestinians to say in their homes and not heed the Israeli 'propaganda' campaign and "psychological war" being waged.



Hamas urges residence to "remain steadfast in your homes and to stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation," AP reports. Gazans say they have nowhere to go, also after the lone Raffah border crossing with Egypt has at this point been bombed multiple times.



So far, the United Nations says that at least 400,000 Gazans have already been displaced. At over 1,500 Palestinians killed and over 6,600 wounded, it's already a humanitarian disaster in the making, also with possibly between 100 and 150 Israeli and foreign hostages still being held by Hamas somewhere in the strip or in underground tunnels.



The UN has been urging Israel to rescind its evacuation order for Gazans, urging restraint:



A U.N. spokesman in New York estimated that there are 1.1 million people in northern Gaza—about half of the strip’s total population—and urged Israel to rescind its announcement to avoid "a calamitous situation."



Critics of Israel's policy say this could be the start of a deliberate mass displacement of Palestinians and an ethnic cleansing campaign. The IDF has shot back that Hamas is using Gazans as human shields:



The IDF is calling for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southward for their own safety and protection.


But the US and others are standing by Israel as this all unfolds. "This is no time for neutrality, or false equivalence, or for excuses for the inexcusable. There is never any justification for terrorism, and that is especially true after this rampage by Hamas," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in fresh statements while meeting with Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv. "Hamas does not speak for the Palestinian people."



"The world has just witnessed a great evil," he added of the terror attacks of Saturday into Sunday, which left some 1,300 Israelis and foreigners dead (also from the rocket attacks).

"Make no mistake. The US will make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself," Austin said, further agreeing with Netanyahu that "Hamas is ISIS" - as the Israeli talking point has been asserting.



Air raid sirens have been blaring in northern Israel as of Friday afternoon, also as southern towns have continued to face rockets fired from Gaza. Also heavy clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police have been reported in West Bank towns.



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[ExquisiteGerbil]

Blockade: No Power or Water for Gaza Until All Hostages Released Says Israel


OLIVER JJ LANE
12 Oct 2023
2:24


Gaza should not expect to see the water or electricity turned back on while it still holds hostages captured during the massive and deadly terror attack on Israel on Saturday, that country’s government has warned.



Humanitarian aid will be forthcoming to Gaza when it shows concern for human welfare itself Israel’s energy minister Israel Katz said on Thursday when he wrote “Humanitarian aid to Gaza?… Humanitarian for humanitarian”. Addressing the tens of dozens of abductees believed held by the terrorist group Hamas, the politician said Israel would continue the state of siege until it had its people home.



Meaning this meant a continued blockade on supplies to Hamas-ruled Gaza, Katz outlined: “No electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home.”



The latest reckonings state some 150 people were abducted from Israel by terrorist fighters on Saturday, part of a major and wide-ranging attack which saw thousands of rockets rain down on southern Israel and terrorist groups raid kibbutzes and music festivals. The known death toll of Israeli residents has passed 1,300 people, many of whom are now reported to have been killed in the most brutal and savage ways possible.

Sharon Lifschitz and Noam Sagi, two London-based British Israelis whose parents are among the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, speaking at a Defend Israeli Democracy UK press conference at Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London. Picture date: Thursday October 12, 2023. (Photo by Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)





Many of those impacted by the attack are from the international community, foreign citizens living or visiting Israel, with 17 nations worldwide thought to have been hit.



Israel’s efforts to get its hostages back have been criticised by some, including a “group of independent United Nations experts” who have said cutting off supplies to Gaza amounts to “collective punishment” which they say indiscriminately targets civilians. The group says, Reuters reports, this constitutes a war crime. The group also called on Hamas to immediately release the civilian hostages and deplored the group’s “horrific” attack.



Israel is reportedly receiving some assistance in retrieving hostages from the United States, although in what form that comes beyond “advise and assist” is not yet clear.



2,400 U.S. Marines of the 26th Expeditionary Unit have been withdrawn from exercises in Kuwait and are on standby to engage with “emerging events” if required, but whether this means Israel has not been confirmed.


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[shalom]

Breaking News from Amir Tsarfati. I suggest you follow him on Telegram - he's had about 150 updates since last night! 

[shalom]

TV7 Israel News - "Sword of Iron": Israel at War - Day Eight - UPDATE 14.10.23

[shalom]

IDF: Israel to attack Hamas by air, sea and land

"IDF battalions and soldiers are deployed throughout the country and are ready to elevate their readiness," the IDF said in a statement.

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN

OCTOBER 14, 2023 18:59


The Israel Defense Forces is preparing to execute a wide-ranging offensive against the Hamas terrorist organization, including coordinated attacks from the air, sea, and land, the IDF said Saturday evening.



"IDF battalions and soldiers are deployed throughout the country and are ready to elevate their readiness for the upcoming stages of the war, with a strong emphasis on significant ground operations," the IDF said.



IDF soldiers have conducted recent battles against terrorists in settlements and various outposts throughout the Gaza Strip, acting "with determination and resolve to regain control of the settlements and outposts, capturing many weapons that were in the possession of the terrorists, while also evacuating injured individuals."



Reservists bolster IDF ranks

The IDF is now backed by a robust team of reservists and extensive logistical support to move to the next stage.



The Ground Forces and the Technology and Logistics Directorate are working to prepare the IDF for an expanded conflict. The IDF said this includes establishing advanced logistics centers to tailor the combat units' equipment to their needs rapidly.
The necessary equipment for the battle has been delivered to the forces, and all that is left is for the various units of the Technology and Logistics Directorate to complete the preparation of the equipment and supply it to the soldiers, the army said.



The IDF announcement came only hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited southern Israel, where he toured Kibbutz Be'eri and Kfar Aza.



"Are you ready for the next stage?" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked soldiers during his visit. "The next stage is coming."


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[maybetoday]

Documents Collected Show Hamas INTENTIONALLY Targeted Elementary Schools and a Youth Center During Attack – And A Dance Concert

By Jim Hoft
Oct. 14, 2023 8:20 pm

New documents released by MSNBC show Hamas killers were targeting elementary schools and a youth center when they stormed the border last week.



Over 1,300 Jews were slaughtered in the Hamas attack. At least another 120 Jews were taken hostage and moved to Gaza.



Now there is evidence that Hamas targeted schools, a youth center, and an outdoor youth concert.



NBC News contributor Anna Schecter: Responder organizations like ZAKA, went in and took information on the deaths, took notes on what they were seeing. The murdered children, women, families killed together. And they also found the bodies of Hamas terrorists who were killed during the violence. And on the bodies of those Hamas terrorists in pockets were these documents. And so the first responders recovered them and photographed them. And currently, the IDF is reviewing a trove of documents, and a source within the Israeli government passed the documents that we reported on to me, and we analyzed them and put out the news last night.



MSNBC reporter: What are some of the most disturbing allegations? Obviously a warning to our viewers that the details are difficult. But what sticks out to you?



Anna Schecter: Well, the directive to take hostages and kill as many people as possible. Those were two bullet points on one of the pages that an NBC News translator translated into English from Arabic. But also there was the old Da’at School, the new Da’at School, and a youth center that were on bullet points. “Search the school number one, search school. Number two, search the youth center.” Then sources also told me that dining halls, dental offices were marked on these maps and were targets. Another directive was to surround and gather hostages within a dining hall. It was so detailed that one Hamas unit was to take the hostages and hand them off to a second Hamas unit. There were even details about how many motorbikes would approach in one unit, how many jeeps, four motorbikes, then two jeeps, four motorbikes, then two jeeps. So the detail is really unprecedented. And what my sources have told me is that this is unprecedented. To find this detailed account and this intelligence on the bodies of the attackers.



The attack was highly organized. Hamas was targeting the children and young adults at a dance party.

Truly wicked.



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[J.J.Gibbs]

‘Sinister’: IDF Blasts Hamas for Stopping Gazan Civilians from Evacuating
JOSHUA CAPLAN
15 Oct 2023
2:38


The Israel Defense Force (IDF) slammed Hamas terrorists for blocking Gazan civilians from evacuating south as the IDF readies expanded operations in the strip, calling the move both “sinister and vile.”



“Hamas has both issued warnings to their civilians not to evacuate, and when people didn’t listen to those warnings of Hamas, they have actually stopped civilians, and have stopped convoys of Gazan civilians trying to flee from the situation,” IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus explained in a daily briefing shared to social media.

Conricus highlighted images purporting to show considerable traffic going south due to a pair of vehicles blocking the road.



“That corresponds with information we have from various sources that Hamas is actively preventing civilians from leaving,” the IDF official explained.



“If that isn’t the most sinister and vile use of civilians during war, I don’t know what is, but it again goes to show the lack of any value for human life from the terrorist organization, Hamas,” he added.

Israel has told residents of northern Gaza to evacuate south as the IDF prepares for a possible ground invasion in response to the Hamas-led terror attack that killed 1,300 people and wounded 3,200 more. At least 27 Americans are believed to be dead, CBS News reported. Israel estimates that 150 people are being held hostage in Gaza.



The IDF have already conducted “localized raids” into Gaza and has deemed them successful. The IDF is in the process of finalizing plans for a “significant ground operation” in the strip, which it said will include a “joint and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land.”



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led an expanded emergency cabinet on Sunday in which he declared the IDF will “demolish” Hamas in Gaza.



“Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas,” Netanyahu said.



Meanwhile, Iran has threatened to escalate the conflict if Israel goes into Gaza.



UPI reports:



Similarly, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned during a visit to Qatar on Sunday that if Israel “does not stop its crimes in Gaza, tomorrow will be too late.”



“Iran cannot just watch this situation as a bystander,” he said in an interview, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. “If the scope of the war expands, heavy losses will be inflicted on the United States.”


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[shalom]

TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day Nine - UPDATE 15.10.23

[shalom]

Lebanon border heats up as IDF Gaza invasion prep rolls on

7 hours ago
Even while the IDF prepares to enter Gaza in force, deadly exchanges of fire with Hezbollah are directing Israel's attention to the northern border.


At the same time, the IDF continued to move closer to the point at which it will invade Gaza, though there were bouts of rain during the day and ongoing negotiations internally within Israel about the war's aims as well as external negotiations about evacuating Palestinian civilians and humanitarian issues.



Sirens were heard in western Galilee on Sunday afternoon close to the Lebanon border in the towns of Nahariya, Rosh Hanikra, Hanita, Gesher HaZiv, Betzet, and Shlomi.



Confusingly, Hamas in Lebanon took responsibility for the rocket fire.



A spokesperson for the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya announced they received eight people who had been wounded by the rocket fire.


Two were taken to the trauma center, they are in a serious but stable condition, both suffering from shrapnel wounds to their limbs, with one more suffering similar injuries but being in a moderate condition.



The remaining five wounded people were in a light condition and were undergoing tests in the emergency room mainly for smoke inhalation and head injuries at press time.



IDF takes action in Lebanon

The IDF responded by attacking military infrastructure in southern Lebanon with helicopters.



Besides Hamas in Lebanon, there were also reports of Hezbollah firing systematically to destroy IDF border surveillance equipment to blind its early warning invasion capabilities, much as Hamas made sure to eliminate many IDF border surveillance capabilities on October 7 as it was invading Israel's Gaza corridor. The IDF returned fire, but Hezbollah has been claiming publicly that it is hitting Israel harder than the hits it is receiving in return.



Hezbollah claims attack on IDF

Further, Hezbollah took responsibility for the firing of anti-tank missiles at IDF outposts near the Lebanon border, killing one man and wounding four others.



On Sunday night, it was released for publication that Lt. Amitai Granot, the son of Rabbi Tamir Granot, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orot Shaul in Tel Aviv, was killed by an anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah earlier in the day.



As a result, the IDF announced on Sunday the creation of a four-kilometer "security zone" on the border to prevent any non-residents from entering the area.



Later on Sunday night, the IDF said it had struck additional Hezbollah infrastructure near the border in response to the earlier incidents.


Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Hezbollah to start lowering the temperature and that Israel's patience with its ongoing keeping the northern border tense could run out, but that Israel also did not want to get into a war in the North.



A Hezbollah spokesperson said: "There are incidents on the border, this does not mean that Hezbollah has decided to fully enter the war."



United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL said on Sunday its headquarters in south Lebanon had been hit by a rocket.



"Our headquarters in Naqoura was hit by a rocket and we are working to verify from where. Our peacekeepers were not in shelters at the time. Fortunately, no one was hurt," UNIFIL said in a statement.



There have been repeated periodic incidents where Hezbollah or its supporters have attacked UNIFIL personnel with the peacekeeping group nearly always turning the other cheek and trying to downplay incidents.



UNIFIL has been deterred from conflict with Hezbollah since the early years of its mandate after the 2006 Second Lebanon War when the terror group was extremely aggressive against UNIFIL if and when it tried to disarm any Hebzollah forces.



Meanwhile, IDF Chief-of-Staff (Lt.-Gen.) Herzi Halevi told troops in the South, "our role is to go into Gaza, to go to the places where Hamas is stationed, acting, planning, and firing, and to strike them very hard, in every place, every officer, every low ranking functionary, to destroy infrastructure."



"In one word: to win," he told them.



Halevi said he knew that the troops would succeed in fundamentally altering Gaza's reality to make Israel safer.



Earlier on Sunday, IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said that "the IDF is ready to crush Hamas' rule" as it prepares for likely the largest land invasion of Gaza since the 2005 withdrawal.



At the same time, Hagari said that Hamas had failed to launch any new even small invasions into the Gaza corridor from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning and failed to launch rockets for half a day. However, by Sunday night Hamas had launched more rockets both on the Gaza corridor as well as on the Tel Aviv and central Israel areas.



Hagari had warned Israeli citizens not to become complacent, noting that Hamas still "has significant capabilities" even after overwhelming IDF air strikes.



In addition, the IDF killed a senior official in Islamic Jihad's rocket firing apparatus.



Once again, Hagari complained that Hamas is systematically preventing many Palestinian civilians from leaving the North, from which the IDF warned them to leave over the weekend.



He said he hoped more Palestinian civilians would join the hundreds of thousands already moving south of Nahal Aza, but that Hamas was trying to prop up its failing rule and to use the civilians as human shields.



Further, he said that the US had sent a second naval strike force, the Dwight D. Eisenhower group, to the region to back Israel versus any adventurism from Iran or Hezbollah, along with the Gaerald Force naval strike group which was already sent to the region several days ago.



Moreover, he said that some parts of the country might start to gradually return to physical school from zoom school, depending on ongoing security developments.



He said the North was still a dangerous front, but that the IDF was responding to all provocations to keep it off the major war playing field.



Likewise he said IDF efforts in the West Bank had kept the area relatively quiet, though IDF raids for terror arrests and extra guard troops are working hard all of the time.



Hagari put the IDF's total dead updated as 286, and total missing or kidnapped at 126.



He declined to say how many of the more than 300,000 reservists are posted in the South for the invasion versus on other borders, saying strategic ambiguity was important to "confuse the enemy."



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with representatives of the families of kidnapped and missing Israelis for the first time on Sunday evening.



During the meeting, the representatives underscored their demand that the government work to free the hostages taken by Hamas immediately and by any means possible.



They told the prime minister that they were aware of the complexity of the issue as well as the opportunities presented to Israel in past days to negotiate the release of the hostages.



Netanyahu, in turn, told the representatives that he was committed to making the hostages' return one of the primary objectives in the war.



There are also ongoing negotiations between the US, other Middle Eastern countries, Israel and Hamas about humanitarian issues, including creating a corridor for evacuations and for sending humanitarian aid into Gaza.



Reportedly on Sunday night, Israel ended its shutting off of water in Gaza at the request of the US and under some rising criticism.



It appeared that Gaza's electricity was still being kept shut off by Israel.



Earlier, Netanyahu convened Israel's expanded emergency cabinet for the first time, saying the national unity on display sent a message at home and abroad as the country gears up to "demolish Hamas" in Gaza.



The meeting, held in military headquarters in Tel Aviv, began with ministers standing for a moment's silence in memory of the 1,300 Israelis killed in Hamas' shocking October 7 onslaught, a video released by Netanyahu's office showed.



Welcoming former opposition lawmaker Benny Gantz, who joined the government along with several members of his party last week, Netanyahu said all ministers were "working around the clock, with a united front."



"Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas," Netanyahu said, adding that the show of unity "sends a clear message to the nation, the enemy and the world."



Reuters contributed to this story.

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[leilani]

Iran Warns Israel of a 'Huge Earthquake' If It Attacks Gaza

BY RICK MORAN 10:13 AM ON OCTOBER 15, 2023


Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made a stop in Beirut on his tour of the Middle East and promptly raised the temperature in the region, threatening to unleash Hezbollah on Israel if the IDF carries out its threatened ground assault on Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian said he met Friday with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and discussed various scenarios that could take place.



“I know about the scenarios that Hezbollah has put in place,” Amir-Abdollahian said. “Any step the resistance (Hezbollah) will take will cause a huge earthquake in the Zionist entity.”



“I want to warn the war criminals and those who support this entity before it’s too late to stop the crimes against civilians in Gaza, because it might be too late in few hours,” he added.



Hezbollah has about 100,000 men under arms, but only about 15,000 are highly trained shock troops. These are the battle-scarred veterans of the Syrian civil war — the Radwan Force. The rest are cannon fodder who would be sacrificed in any war against Israel, protecting the trained fighters.



Similarly, Hezbollah’s 150,000 missiles and rockets are mostly highly inaccurate Grad rockets — the same kind of rockets Hamas fired into Israel at the start of the war. But Hezbollah also sports several hundred deadly accurate Iranian Shabab missiles and sophisticated anti-tank missiles that many Middle East experts say might be a “game changer” if Hezbollah were to go “all in” in a war against Israel.



Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas may very well have decided that this is the moment that calls for maximum effort to humble Israel. The images of hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the streets protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reforms, the dysfunction of the U.S. Congress, the age and infirmity of the U.S. president, and the distraction of the war in Ukraine have combined to — possibly — embolden Iran to let slip their Hezbollah and Hamas dogs of war.



On the other hand, Iran itself is weak and unstable. Its military is a shell of its former self with aging American equipment mixed in with some modern Russian weaponry.



Any attack by Hezbollah will almost certainly force Israel to attack Iran. And given the domestic unrest in Iran, the mullahs would be insane to provoke a war with Israel.



A more likely scenario is Hezbollah continuing to launch a few rockets at Israel, more in solidarity with Hamas than any attempt to provoke Israel into a war.



So the Iranian Foreign Minister’s meeting with both Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah and the UN envoy to the Middle East Tor Wennesland was mostly for show. And his threats were as empty as Iran’s promises.



With an eye toward Hezbollah, President Joe Biden has warned other players in the Middle East not to join the conflict and has sent American warships to the region and vowed full support for Israel.



The Iranian foreign minister said he will be contacting U.N. officials in the Middle East because “there is still an opportunity to work on an initiative (to end the war) but it might be too late tomorrow.”



Once the Israeli ground assault gets going in Gaza, the delusion of Iran offering a “peace initiative” will vanish. Iran will be limited to kibitzing from the sidelines, calling out Israel for war crimes — real and imagined — and trying to organize a pro-Hamas coalition.


It’s not going to have much luck with that.

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