ISRAEL AT WAR!!!

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IDF says it hit Gaza ambulance carrying Hamas terrorists, several killed

The IDF said a number of Hamas terrorists were killed in the strike and said it had information that Hamas used Gazan ambulances to transport fighters and weapons.

By REUTERS

NOVEMBER 3, 2023 20:24

Updated: NOVEMBER 3, 2023 20:54





Palestinians check the damages after a convoy of ambulances was hit, at the entrance of Shifa hospital in Gaza City, November 3, 2023. (photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED AL-MASRI)

Palestinians check the damages after a convoy of ambulances was hit, at the entrance of Shifa hospital in Gaza City, November 3, 2023.

(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED AL-MASRI)



Israeli forces hit an ambulance that was in control and use of Hamas terrorists, the IDF said on Friday evening.



In a post on X, the Israeli military said that an aircraft struck the ambulance, killing several Hamas terrorists inside.



It said a number of Hamas terrorists were killed in the strike and said it had information that Hamas used ambulances to transport terrorists and weapons.

Israel says that Hamas concealed command centers and tunnel entrances in al-Shifa hospital, and ordered all civilians to leave the north of Gaza last month and its military encircled the area on Thursday.


The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on Friday Israel targeted a convoy of ambulances leaving Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.



Israel's military said on Friday it was looking into the report. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

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Israel's Givati Brigade uncovers Hamas intel in northern Gaza stronghold

Operational maps, command and control tables and personal details of commanders who operate within the terrorist organization, were discovered.

By JOANIE MARGULIES

NOVEMBER 3, 2023 21:43

Updated: NOVEMBER 3, 2023 22:15


Soldiers for the Givati Brigade of the IDF took control over a Hamas stronghold in the northern Gaza Strip, uncovering documentation that could be crucial for the IDF moving forward in the war, according to a Friday statement from the IDF spokesperson.



The facility was said to house Najaba terrorists and the Jabaliya-based Hamas intelligence headquarters.



Within the stronghold, soldiers uncovered Hamas intelligence headquarters and associated documentation, complete with detailed maps, tables, means of communication and personal details about Hamas terrorists and commanders.



Similar content was found on the bodies of both captured and dead terrorists following the October 7th attacks.



Command and control charts as well as operational orders for the terrorist organization were also uncovered.


Givati commander weighs in

Lt. Col. Z, the commander of the Givati brigade commented on the matter. "The Givati brigade raided Gaza City. During the raid, together with the 196th battalion of the armor, the unit went into the stronghold itself, fought hard battles with terrorists, we killed quite a few, destroyed shafts, underground And we brought important intelligence materials," he said.


He added, "We will continue to raid your strongholds and kill you inside the shafts, underground and wherever you wait for us."



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Hezbollah's Nasrallah blames IDF for massacre of Israelis

The Hezbollah leader claimed that a wider conflict in the Middle East was a realistic possibility.

By REUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

NOVEMBER 3, 2023 15:13

Updated: NOVEMBER 3, 2023 19:57




The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah warned the United States on Friday that preventing a regional war depended on stopping the Israeli attack on Gaza, and there was a realistic possibility of fighting on the Lebanese front turning into a "wide war."



Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in his first speech since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, also threatened Israel's main ally the United States, hinting his Iran-backed group was ready to confront US warships in the Mediterranean.



Nasrallah went on to claim that the October 7 massacre was carried out by Israeli forces on Israeli civilians, adding that there was no evidence of Hamas beheading babies.


In the speech, he claimed that "brothers from Hamas" had planned the October 7 attack alone, and they hid it from their other terrorist allies. Despite the secrecy, the terrorist leader insisted that the attack did not upset anyone in the "resistance axis."



Nasrallah, in further praise of the attack, stated that the" Al-Aqsa Flood," as Hamas calls its offensive against Israel, had exposed Israel's weakness. The attack took the lives of 1400 people, including the lives of civilians and Arab Israelis.


He said the Oct. 7 operation led to an "earthquake" in Israel and claimed that it exposed the country's weakness.



Bragging, Nasrallah celebrated that Israel was "under financial pressure" after multiple towns near the Gaza border were evacuated. He claimed that Israel was "anxious that front could escalate..."



Mocking Israel, the terrorist leader said that in a whole month, Israel had failed to rescue any hostage or make any significant military achievement.



Nasrallah's message to the US

"You, the Americans, can stop the aggression against Gaza because it is your aggression. Whoever wants to prevent a regional war, and I am talking to the Americans, must quickly halt the aggression on Gaza," Nasrallah said.



"You, the Americans, know very well that if war breaks out in the region, your fleets will be of no use, nor will fighting from the air be of any benefit, and the one who will pay the price will be ... your interests, your soldiers and your fleets," he said.



Referring to US warships in the Mediterranean, he said Hezbollah was not afraid of these. "I tell you with all sincerity, we have prepared well for your fleets, with which you are threatening us," he said.



Lebanon's terrorist group Hezbollah should not try to take advantage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council said on Friday.



The United States does not want to see the conflict expand into Lebanon, the spokesperson said.



The Hamas-run Gaza health authorities say at least 9,227 people - many of them women and children - have been killed since Israel started its blitz on the small coastal enclave of 2.3 million people.



Lebanon looks to expand role in war

Since the Gaza war erupted, Hezbollah, a formidable military force backed by Iran, has been engaging Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border in the deadliest escalation since it fought a war with Israel in 2006.



In an unveiled threat to Israel, he claimed that a pre-emptive strike on Lebanon would be a "stupid mistake."



He insisted that the first goal was to stop "aggression" against Gaza, and the second goal would be to ensure the victory of Hamas. He insisted that countries end trade with Israel and that Arab and Muslim countries cease sending oil to the United States. He also insisted that there should be a collective effort to open the Rafah Crossing, which connects Gaza to Egypt.


Nasrallah said Hezbollah had been escalating day by day at the Lebanese front, forcing Israel to keep forces near its northern frontier instead of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to the southwest.



"In our front, all options are open," he insisted. "All the options are open to us and we studied all the options. We must be ready and be ready for all the options that could happen in the future."



How that front develops would depend on the course of events in Gaza, and Israeli actions in Lebanon, he said.

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 29 - UPDATE 4.11.23

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 30 - UPDATE 5.11.23

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 31 - UPDATE 06.11.23

[Midnight]

CIA Chief Pressures Israel for ‘Pause’ in Fighting — as Hamas on the Ropes


JOEL B. POLLAK
6 Nov 2023

The Biden administration is ratcheting up pressure on the Israeli government to declare a “pause” in fighting against Hamas — even as Israel continues to push the terror organization into a corner.



On Friday, as Breitbart News reported, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly and publicly rejected calls for a “pause,” saying there would be no stop to the fighting until Hamas released the 240 hostages it still holds in Gaza.



The Wall Street Journal reported Monday:



President Biden, in a phone call Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urged the Israeli leader to declare a humanitarian pause, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.



The conversation came hours after Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burnsarrived in Israel, following a visit to the region by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Biden’s special envoy for the Middle East, David Satterfield, also returned to Israel, seeking to negotiate the terms of a temporary pause in its assault to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.



…



Israeli defiance over a humanitarian pause has been a source of contention with Washington—including with Biden, who has grown increasingly frustrated by Israel’s refusal, officials said.



There is no clear military justification for a “pause”; Biden seems to have embraced the idea following protests by the Muslim- and Arab-American communities, especially in Michigan, a swing state that Biden needs to win to be reelected in 2024.



Israel fears that any stop to the fighting would allow Hamas to regroup, and would create an opportunity for international pressure to build on Israel not to resume the fighting, and therefore to save Hamas from destruction — a strategic defeat.

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 32 - UPDATE 07.11.23

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Hamas tunnels, weapons found near amusement park and university

A weapons warehouse containing chemicals, RPGs, and explosives, among other objects, was found near a university in Gaza.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

NOVEMBER 7, 2023 20:11



Tunnels and weapons warehouses used by Hamas were found near an amusement park and a university in the Gaza Strip during the IDF's ongoing operations in the coastal enclave, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit revealed on Tuesday.



The Paratrooper Brigade found a tunnel opening near an amusement park in the Strip. The opening was destroyed by the IDF.



Maj. Roi, a commander in Sayeret Tzanhanim, stated "we found a logistic tunnel. The tunnels didn't pass over this area. We blew it up now, the opening has been destroyed and we intend to do this in every place we get to."



Explosives, RPGs found near university

The Paratrooper Brigade and the 7th Brigade also found a tunnel opening and a weapons warehouse near a university, uncovering chemicals, RPGs, and explosives, among other objects.


The commander of the 202nd Battalion, Lt.-Col. Almog, stated "we uncovered a very significant tunnel opening seemingly leading to a tunnel system. We'll continue destroying infrastructure."



"All of this is further evidence of the Hamas terrorist organization's cynical use of facilities and the civilian population as a human shield for the terrorist organization's needs," said the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 33 - UPDATE 8.11.23

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WATCH: Hamas uses ambulances to transport terrorists, weapons - IDF

"Most of Hamas' senior political and military figures are hiding in hospitals especially Shifa Hospital," the terrorist said.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

NOVEMBER 8, 2023 21:07

Updated: NOVEMBER 8, 2023 21:11


(photo credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)



The terrorist organization Hamas has been using hospitals, ambulances, clinics, mosques, and schools for purposes of terrorism, a Hamas terrorist admitted in a video of an interrogation of a Hamas terrorist released by the IDF and Shin Bet on Wednesday evening.



The terrorist admitted that Hamas uses ambulances to transport weapons and terrorists throughout the Gaza Strip.



"I can leave with any ambulance I want," the terrorist admitted during the interrogation.



"Al-Qassam has its own ambulances, some of which are also at the military base," the terrorist said. The terrorist was from the Nukhba Force and took part in the massacre on October 7. "The appearance of ambulances is similar to civilian ambulances so that they do not arouse suspicion or be bombed by Israel."







"During combat, ambulances are also used to evacuate fighters and operatives," he said. "They also transport food, IEDs, and weapons because that's the safest way to get there."



"Most of Hamas' senior political and military figures are hiding in hospitals, especially Shifa Hospital. They take advantage of the hospitals so they won't be bombed."


The terrorist then went on to explain how a lot of the Gaza Strip had been booby-trapped with cables leading to the operating systems in Mosques and civilian clinics.

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 34 - UPDATE 09.11.23

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 35 - UPDATE 10.11.23

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Blinken says 'far too many' Palestinians killed as Israel battles Hamas in Gaza

"Far too many Palestinians have been killed; far too many have suffered these past weeks," the US Secretary of State said.

By REUTERS

NOVEMBER 10, 2023 20:29




US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday denounced the soaring number of Palestinians killed as Israel pushed ahead with its war against Hamas in Gaza, saying more needs to be done to protect the civilians.



In his strongest comments to date on civilians bearing the brunt of the war, Blinken welcomed the four-hour humanitarian Israeli pauses the White House announced on Thursday but said further action was required to protect Gaza's civilians.



Speaking to reporters in New Delhi as he wrapped up a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Asia, he said: "Far too many Palestinians have been killed; far too many have suffered these past weeks.



"And we want to do everything possible to prevent harm to them and to maximize the assistance that gets to them," he said, adding that Washington would be discussing further steps with Israel to advance these objectives.



Heavy death tolls

Israel has been pounding Gaza from the air and sea and on the ground since Hamas gunmen broke through the enclave's border fence on Oct. 7 and carried out an attack in which 1,400 Israelis were killed and about 240 abducted.






Palestinians fleeing north Gaza move southward as Israeli tanks roll deeper into the enclave, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip November 10, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)


Palestinian officials say more than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its military campaign, and Gaza's hospitals are struggling to cope, with medical supplies, clean water and fuel to power generators running out.



The White House said on Thursday that Israel agreed to pause military operations in parts of north Gaza for four hours a day, and the army said Palestinians on Friday were allowed to leave over seven hours along a road south, but there was no sign of a let-up in the fighting that has laid waste to the seaside enclave.



Blinken said the United States had concrete plans to get more humanitarian assistance in and steps to ensure more protection for the civilians but achieving those objectives was a process.



"This is a process, and it’s not always flipping a light switch, but we have seen progress. We just need to see more of it," he said.


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What a mamzer!  😡


Emmanuel Macron: 'Israel must stop killing women and children in Gaza'

The French president said that a ceasefire would benefit Israel, but added that Paris recognizes its right to defend itself and condemns the terrorism of Hamas.

By GUY ALISTAIR/WALLA!, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

NOVEMBER 10, 2023 23:40

Updated: NOVEMBER 11, 2023 00:17




French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that Israel is killing women and children in Gaza, in an interview he gave to the BBC at his official residence.



"De facto - today civilians are being bombed," Macron claimed. "These babies, these women, these old people are being bombed and killed. So there is no reason for it and no legitimacy. So we do plead with Israel to stop."



The French president said that a ceasefire would benefit Israel, but added that Paris recognizes Israel's right to defend itself.



He emphasized that France "clearly condemns" the terrorist actions of Hamas. When asked if he wanted other leaders - including in the United States and Great Britain - to join his calls for a ceasefire, he replied: "I hope so." Jerusalem has since rejected calls for a ceasefire.



"These babies, these women, these old people are being bombed and killed. So there is no reason for it and no legitimacy. So we do plead with Israel to stop."



Emmanuel Macron

Israel has agreed to four-hour humanitarian pauses to allow civilians to move south. The IDF presented videos and recordings showing how Hamas makes it difficult for residents to escape from the fighting centers in the northern Gaza Strip and uses them as human shields.


Macron's visit to Israel in October

Macron, who visited Israel last month to show his solidarity with Israel, held that interview a day after a conference in Paris that dealt with humanitarian aid to Gaza. The French president said that the "clear conclusion" of all the governments and agencies present at that summit is "that there is no other solution except first of all a humanitarian truce, beyond a ceasefire, which will allow citizens to be protected who have nothing to do with terrorists."



The French president added "we do share Israel's pain. And we do share their willingness to get rid of terrorism. We know what terrorism is in France." However, he said that there is "no justification" for the ongoing bombings of civilians in Gaza. "It is very important for all of us because of our principles, because we are democracies. It is also important for the medium-long term, for the security of Israel itself, to recognize that all life is important," Macron said.



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In an exclusive interview with the British network, which has already received severe criticism for its biased coverage of the war, the president added that it is not his job to judge whether war crimes are being committed.



On the other hand, Macron said that he disagrees that the best way for Israel to "defend itself is to bomb Gaza." According to him, it would create "resentment and bad feelings" in the region that would prolong the conflict.



According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, 11,078 people have been killed since the start of the war, while 1.5 million residents have fled their homes. Hamas does not specify how many of the dead are from the ranks of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, while according to Israel it is several thousand.



Macron also addressed the tensions in his own country between the Jewish and Muslim communities. He said that France probably has the largest Muslim community in Europe and also a large Jewish community - and that his country and the rest of Europe are experiencing a large increase in antisemitism - all citizens of the republic should be "united against antisemitism," and should "share the pain or the compassion of Palestinians.


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[ExquisiteGerbil]

Netanyahu Rebukes Macron over ‘Babies and Women’: Hamas, not Israel, Causes Civilian Casualties


JOEL B. POLLAK
10 Nov 2023

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron early Saturday morning after Macron called on Israel to stop killing Palestinian “babies and women,” declaring that Hamas was to blame for all civilian casualties.



Macron gave an interview to the BBC, as follows (original emphasis):



Israel must stop killing babies and women in Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron has told the BBC.



In an exclusive interview at the Élysée Palace, he said there was “no justification” for the bombing, saying a ceasefire would benefit Israel.



While recognising Israel’s right to protect itself, “we do urge them to stop this bombing” in Gaza, he said.



But he also stressed that France “clearly condemns” the “terrorist” actions of Hamas.



In response, Netanyahu issued a statement:



“The responsibility for any harm to civilians lies with Hamas – ISIS and not with Israel.



It must be remembered that Israel entered the war due to that terrorist organisation’s brutal murder of hundreds of Israelis and holding hostage more than 200 Israelis.



While Israel does everything in its power to avoid harming civilians and urges them to leave the battle areas, Hamas – ISIS is doing all it can to prevent them from moving to safe areas and uses them as human shields.



Hamas – ISIS is cruelly holding our people hostage – women, children, the elderly – and thus committing a crime against humanity.



Hamas – ISIS is using schools, mosques and hospitals as terrorist command centers.



The crimes being committed today by Hamas – ISIS in Gaza will be committed tomorrow in Paris, New York and all over the world.



The leaders of the world should be condemning Hamas – ISIS, not Israel”.



Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel on October 7, murdering over 1,400 people, wounding thousands more, and taking at least 240 people hostage. It also uses “human shields,” deliberately placing civilians in the line of fire, hoping to protect itself from attack — or, alternatively, to use civilian casualties to drum up international pressure to stop Israel from defending itself.



Real Admiral Daniel Hagari of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) … said that Israel had “prioritized evacuation efforts over other missions.” He said that the Israel Air Force dropped over 1.5 million flyers warning Palestinians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip, which is where Hamas’s strongholds are located, and to move south, beyond the Wadi Gaza wetlands, for their own safety. He added that Israel had made 20,000 personal telephone calls to civilian residents of Gaza, telling them to evacuate the area.



Macron also supported a ceasefire in his BBC interview, though a ceasefire would effectively mean a victory for Hamas.


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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 36 - UPDATE 11.11.23

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 37 - UPDATE 12.11.23

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TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 38 - UPDATE 13.11.23

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IDF attacks have broken effectiveness of 10 of 24 Hamas battalions

Military gives 1st official estimate of Hamas’s total forces since start of war.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB

NOVEMBER 13, 2023 17:58

Updated: NOVEMBER 13, 2023 21:30

]
The effectiveness of 10 out of 24 Hamas battalions has been broken, according to the IDF.



For the first time since the war began, the IDF this week provided official estimates of the size and makeup of what Hamas’s forces were on the eve of the war, which started on October 7.



In addition, the IDF estimated the impact it has had on Hamas’s forces through approximately five weeks of airstrikes and two and a half weeks of the ground invasion.



According to the IDF, Hamas started the war with 30,000 men in five regional brigades, consisting of 24 battalions, or 140 companies. Each battalion contained more than 1,000 men.



Prior unofficial estimates had set Hamas’s forces at 15,000 to 40,000 men.


Hamas and Islamic Jihad's dwindling numbers

Further, prior unofficial estimates before the conflict with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad this past May had set its forces at about 10,000.



On the eve of the war, according to IDF sources, Islamic Jihad forces had shrunk somewhat, possibly due to losses in May.



Each Hamas brigade is divided into specific skill sets, including those who specialize in firing anti-tank missiles, sharpshooting, and engineering. The brigades are comprised of naval units (drones or motorized hang gliders, but no aircraft) and maneuvering battle units.



In addition, each battalion has regional command centers and more local, smaller-scale positions that are the focal point of directing its operations.



The IDF cited two examples of Hamas battalions whose effectiveness has been harmed: the Shaati and the Daraj-Tuffah battalions.



According to the IDF, the Shaati Battalion lost 200 men, including many battalion and company commanders, as well as most of its battalion-level and lower-level command centers and positions.



In the time between initial IDF fighting with the Shaati Battalion until several days later, there was a notable change and loss of effectiveness, IDF sources said.



Coordinated action by Hamas broken up into more chaotic attack

At first, there was a clearly synchronized battle plan by Hamas to ambush IDF forces, using a variety of tactics and specialized units, they said.



Once several Hamas commanders were killed by the IDF, however, the coordination broke down, and the various companies ceased to operate in unison. Sometimes, even only very small groups of Hamas forces were working together, with no awareness or connection to other Hamas forces’ efforts, the sources said.



Moreover, even when some battalions tried to replace lost commanders with commanders from other battalions, the loss of familiarity and expectations was apparent, the IDF sources said, and the battalions did not return to their former effectiveness levels.



This has been crucial for the Shaati Battalion because it is responsible for the Shifa Hospital area where Hamas’s headquarters are situated.



The IDF reported a similar story regarding the Daraj-Tuffah Battalion, which has lost more than 260 men and commanders at all levels.



This is the first in-depth data the IDF has released about its progress, other than that it has killed several thousand Hamas members.



Multiple top IDF sources have expressed doubt about Hamas being close to “breaking,” however, even as leading political and IDF officers publicly say it has lost control of northern Gaza.


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Hamas planned to push October 7 massacre to the West Bank border - report

Under Hamas's original plan, it would have hit many other major Israeli cities and IDF bases and go as far as the West Bank, where it has allies in the form of local terrorist cells.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

NOVEMBER 12, 2023 21:15

Updated: NOVEMBER 13, 2023 13:48


Hamas's original plan for October 7 went beyond just a massacre in the Gaza border area and taking hundreds of hostages, but to continue their assault up to the border with the West Bank, The Washington Post reported Sunday, citing Western and Middle Eastern security officials briefed on collected evidence.



This information was obtained from numerous maps, notes, supplies, and other written instructions found among the bodies of dead Hamas terrorists in the Gaza border area, as well as from interrogations of Hamas captives.



"We know from interrogations that Hamas came in with detailed plans of their attack, including which commander should rape which soldiers in different places," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant explained to The Washington Post, though the quote has since been removed from the original report.



Hamas planned to go much farther into Israel on October 7

On October 7, Hamas terrorists executed a meticulously planned mass infiltration of Israel, under the cover of a heavy rocket bombardment. There, they managed to wreak havoc on at least 22 Israeli towns and military outposts near the Gaza border throughout the day, killing around 1,200 Israelis and abducting hundreds of people to bring back to Gaza as hostages.



The farthest the Hamas terrorists were able to infiltrate was the city of Ofakim in the Western Negev, around halfway between Gaza and the West Bank.


However, according to the Washington Post article, the evidence suggests they were planning on going much farther, hitting major cities and military bases, and could have ended up making it to the West Bank, where Hamas has allies in the form of many local armed Palestinian terrorist cells.



"If that had occurred, it would have been a huge propaganda win — a symbolic blow not only against Israel but also against the Palestinian Authority," a former US security official told The Washington Post under the condition of anonymity.



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This also comes as Israel's attention shifted away from Gaza and Hamas – particularly after the last round of fighting in 2021, Operation Guardians of the Wall – towards the West Bank, which had been seeing a dramatic upsurge in violence and terrorism.



This, however, may have allowed Hamas to discreetly and methodically plot its plan over time, training terrorists and gathering intelligence in the utmost secrecy.



"They were conning Israel on a strategic level, using handheld radios, land-wire networks in the tunnels and other comms that we couldn’t listen to, while using codes on the so-called open networks, which they knew we were listening to," former Israeli National Security Council deputy head Eran Etzion said, according to The Washington Post. "They were creating an alternative reality."



The report further said that this would have come at a high cost, with Hamas knowing the level of Israel's response.



"They were very clear-eyed as to what would happen to Gaza on the day after," a senior Israeli military official told the outlet. "They wanted to buy their place in history — a place in the history of jihad — at the expense of the lives of many people in Gaza."



However, while Hamas may have expected this level of Israeli response, the involvement of the US may have come as a surprise.



"An Israeli response? Yes, we expected that," senior Hamas political leadership member Ali Barakeh told The Financial Times in late October. "But what we're seeing now is the entrance of the US into the battle, and this we didn't count on."



Washington diverted many of its forces to the area amid Israel's launching of Operation Swords of Iron, the latest war with Hamas.



Just a day after Hamas's massacre, the US sent a carrier strike group, featuring the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, closer to Israel. Later in the month, the US sent Lt.-Gen. James Glynn, a three-star Marine general, and other military officers helped Israel plan its ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.



At the time of writing, Israeli troops have managed to make heavy gains in the northern Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas has lost control of the area and has encircled Gaza City.



Efforts to free the remaining hostages and eliminate Hamas remain ongoing.

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[ExquisiteGerbil]

Palestinian Women, Children Joined Hamas in Looting in October 7 Attack



A still from Eyal Barad's home camera shows a female Palestinian civilian joining the looters during the October 7 terror attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, Israel. (Joel Pollak / Breitbart New)Eyal Barad still image via Joel Pollak / Breitbart News


JOEL B. POLLAK
13 Nov 2023
2:53


JERUSALEM, Israel — Photos and victim testimonies have emerged showing that Palestinian women and children joined the looting of at least one Israeli community during the October 7 terror attack by the Palestinian Hamas organization.



It was already known that some Palestinian civilians participated in the looting, and allegedly in some of the atrocities as well, but there has been little direct evidence yet presented to the world of women and children looting devastated Israeli communities.



The evidence was presented by survivors from the community of Kibbutz Nir Oz during a conference for journalists in Eilat, Israel. Nir Oz is 2km away from the Gaza border on a straight road; it lost one fourth of its residents to murder and kidnapping.



Nir Oz resident Eyal Barad, 40, shared still images from a camera mounted on his house in Nir Oz, which captured events throughout the twelve-hour ordeal as he and his family of five hid in their home’s “safe room.” He made screenshots of the camera footage on his smartphone as it was transmitted to him via a related app throughout the October 7 terror attack.



One image shows a Palestinian woman riding a bicycle during the attack — likely one of the many bicycles stored at Nir Oz, a community that banned cars from the grounds.


Several other images show children, apparently between the ages of ten and fourteen, also joining in the looting, also by taking bicycles that appear to have belonged to the kibbutz.





Eyal Barad examines a still photo from a surveillance camera of Palestinian children joining the looting during the October 7 terror attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, November 13, 2023 (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)



Schoolteacher Natalie Yohanan spoke about hiding in her family’s “safe room” while Palestinian civilians, including a woman, made food in her kitchen and stole everything they could — including “women’s items,” such as underwear and toiletries.


Irit Lahav, a survivor who said she had previously supported peace with the Palestinians, told reporters that she now considered there to be no difference between Hamas and the rest of the Palestinian population, since civilians had joined Hamas October 7.



She noted that credit cards belonging to members of the Nir Oz community who had been attacked had been used to purchase goods back in Gaza less than four hours after the attack began. Many residents also had their passports stolen in the attack.

Video at link

[ExquisiteGerbil]

IDF Continues to Defeat Hamas in Gaza; Palestinian Civilians Loot Abandoned Hamas Bases

JOEL B. POLLAK
13 Nov 2023
3:25


The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to win battle after battle with Hamas terrorists inside Gaza, as a widely-circulated photo on social media appeared to show soldiers from the elite Golani brigade posing at the podium of Gaza’s so-called “parliament.”

In a statement Monday evening, defense minister Yoav Gallant said:



I have recently completed another situation assessment. IDF troops are working according to plan and are fulfilling their missions precisely as a result of the cooperation between air and ground forces, using precise intelligence.



Hamas isn’t capable of stopping the IDF. The IDF is advancing to every [necessary] location. The Hamas terrorist organization has lost control of Gaza, terrorists are fleeing south, civilians are looting Hamas bases, and they have no confidence in their government.



Our forces are advancing, carrying out their missions according to plan; when we increase the pressure, we see the results. Every day, we eliminate additional Hamas commanders, dozens sometimes even hundreds of terrorists.



In recent days, we have intensified activities targeting [Hamas] tunnels- this will get the terrorists out of the tunnels, and they will either be eliminated or they will surrender unconditionally; there is no third option.



We will achieve our goals, first of all, a complete victory over Hamas and the return of the hostages to their homes.



IDF casualties thus far in the invasion of Gaza have been fewer than 50 soldiers, though each loss is felt heavily by the Israeli public in a small country where many people’s lives are intertwined.



Israeli forces are closing in on key Hamas facilities, including underneath Shifa Hospital, and are eliminating Hamas commanders.



According to the IDF, it has also thwarted efforts by Hamas to smuggle in more weapons underwater. In addition, the IDF has transferred additional incubating units to Shifa Hospital for the care of infants who have not yet been evacuated fro the facility.


An IDF soldier transfers additional incubation units to Shifa Hospital in Gaza, November 14, 2023. (IDF)



The northern border with Lebanon is a growing concern, as Breitbart News reported on Sunday, with Hezbollah firing rockets at soldiers and civilians alike on a sporadic but daily basis.



One electrical worker was killed Sunday, and over 20 wounded, by an anti-tank missile fired at civilians by Hezbollah on Sunday.

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[ExquisiteGerbil]

Israel Uncovers Hamas HQ in Children’s Hospital; Weapons, Evidence of Hostages


JOEL B. POLLAK
13 Nov 2023


JERUSALEM, Israel — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a video Monday night showing evidence that the Palestinian Hamas terror organization used the Al-Rantisi Hospital for Children in western Gaza to house weapons and perhaps hostages.



Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, visited the site of the hospital and showed that it was near the home of a Hamas naval commando leader, which was also close to a school, putting both of those civilian sites in danger. Hagari also showed a tunnel next to the commando leader’s house, which was supplied with electricity from solar panels. Hagari noted that the IDF was using robots to probe the tunnel and had already found that it led to a bulletproof door that was reinforced against explosions.



Inside the hospital, Hagari showed a cache of Hamas weapons found in the hospital. “This kind of gear is gear for a major fight. These are explosives,” Hagari said, noting that the dangerous items were stored among patients and children. In addition, Hagari showed evidence that Israeli hostages were likely held in the hospital basement: a motorcycle riddled with bullets; a chair with a rope, women’s clothes, and a baby bottle; and an improvised toilet, along with diapers. (Hamas is known to hold at least 30 child hostages, including several infants.)



There was also an improvised ventilation system; and a room in which a curtain had been placed against a blank wall, suggesting that the room had been used for filming hostages. There was also a log of guard duty shifts.



Hagari, in a briefing to reporters about the video, said Hamas was guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel has long maintained that Hamas uses the larger Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as a headquarters. Israel has been helping to evacuate that hospital while fighting Hamas terrorists in the vicinity, with the hope of eventually entering Hamas headquarters.

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[shalom]

TV7 Israel News - Sword of Iron, Israel at War - Day 39 - UPDATE 14.11.23