Dogs of war and men of hate
With no cause, we don't discriminate Discovery is to be disowned Our currency is flesh and bone Hell opened up and put on sale Gather 'round and haggle For hard cash, we will lie and deceive Even our masters don't know the web we weave One world, it's a battleground One world, and we will smash it down One world, one world Invisible transfers, long distance calls, Hollow laughter in marble halls Steps have been taken, a silent uproar Has unleashed the dogs of war You can't stop what has begun Signed, sealed, they deliver oblivion We all have a dark side, to say the least And dealing in death is the nature of the beast One world, it's a battleground One world, and we will smash it down One world, one world The dogs of war don't negotiate The dogs of war won't capitulate, They will take and you will give, And you must die so that they may live You can knock at any door, But wherever you go, you know they've been there before Well winners can lose and things can get strained But whatever you change, you know the dogs remain. One world, it's a battleground One world, and we will smash it down One world, one world
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In light of issues in Egypt over whether Palestinian refugees should be accepted, the country’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly visited northern Sinai on Tuesday and vowed that his country is determined to safeguard its territory and maintain its sovereignty over it.
Addressing members of parliament, tribal and military leaders as well as public figures assembled at al-Arish near Egypt’s borders with Gaza and Israel, Madbouly said: “We are prepared to sacrifice millions of lives to ensure that no one encroaches upon our territory.” According to the prime minister, Cairo intends to expand its plans to develop and reconstruct the Sinai Peninsula in the near future, demonstrating that “Egypt remains committed to the region.” The UN Secretary General’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the involuntary relocation of Palestinians is unacceptable. “We stand clearly against the forced mass displacement of people, full stop. And we’ve seen in other places around the world and we’ve been consistent in that,” he claimed on Tuesday. President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said on October 21 that Cairo rejected “any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian issue by military means or through the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land.”Egyptians see as a matter of concern that the 2.3 million people currently living in Gaza could end up in Sinai. As the Financial Times reported, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, aimed to persuade European leaders to put pressure on Cairo to accept Gazans last week. According to the source, France and Germany refused the request to persuade Egypt to accept the agreement. Jordan also refused to accept refugees from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically rejected the idea of a ceasefire in Gaza, equating any pause in hostilities to a victory by Hamas during a press conference on Monday.
“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism,” Netanyahu told reporters, vowing, “That will not happen.” “Just as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after the terrorist attack of 9/11, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attacks of October 7,” he continued. “Today, we draw a line between the forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism,” Netanyahu declared, arguing that countries that failed to align themselves with Israel in “a war for our common future” were placing themselves in harm’s way. “If Hamas and Iran’s axis of evil wins, you will be their next target,” he warned, vowing to fight until the Palestinian militant group was wiped out. Unlike Hamas, which he claimed was deliberately targeting civilians with beheadings, rapes, and other atrocities, the PM insisted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were going out of their way to avoid killing Palestinian civilians. “Even the most just wars have unintended civilian casualties,” he said. International human rights observers have repeatedly condemned Israel for its collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population, citing the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure and the withholding of food, water, medicine, and electricity as violations of international humanitarian law. Israel has argued Hamas uses civilian facilities as human shields and commandeers humanitarian aid deliveries. On Saturday, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Just 14 member states – including Israel and the US – opposed the measure, while 45 abstained. Israel has since deployed tanks to Gaza as part of a planned ground invasion. Since declaring war on Hamas following the militant group’s surprise attack on October 7, Israel has reportedly killed over 8,300 Palestinians. The UN’s human rights body has accused West Jerusalem of war crimes, including genocide, describing an evacuation order issued to over 1 million inhabitants of northern Gaza as a thinly-veiled attempt at ethnic cleansing under the fog of war. Last week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres observed in a speech to the Security Council that Hamas’ attack had not occurred “in a vacuum” and condemned Israel for the “56 years of suffocating occupation” it had inflicted on the Palestinian people. Israel subsequently vowed to reject visa applications by UN officials, accusing Guterres of attempting to justify Hamas’ attack. Israel launched massive strikes across northern Gaza, which reports said were the most intense since the start of the war on October 7. Hamas said internet has been snapped in the Gaza Strip. Reports said contact with Gaza is lost:
U.S. forces have struck two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups during the early morning hours of Friday.
“These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement. “The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” he added. A senior military official told reporters two F-16s used precision munitions against a weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage facility near Abu Kamal. Officials could not say at this time whether there were any casualties during the attacks. “We hit precisely what we aimed at,” the official said. Another senior military official said U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria now have been attacked with drones or rockets at least 19 times in recent days. USA has confirmed 17 of these attacks. Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the attacks, said that a drone landed on al-Harir Air Base Irbil but did not explode. Hours later, another drone exploded outside the base in Irbil, causing no injuries or damage, according to the officials. Another attack on Thursday was reported in northeastern Syria, with two rounds of indirect fire near a base in al-Shaddadi, Syria, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder reiterated previous comments blaming Iranian-backed proxies for the near daily attacks on U.S. forces. "We know that these are Iranian-backed militia groups that are supported by Iran and, of course, we hold Iran responsible for these groups," Ryder said. A senior defense official told reporters that the strikes were in defense of U.S. forces in the region and were not connected to any U.S. support to Israel. “What you saw us demonstrate is readiness to take military action to defend our forces, and we're ready to do it again,” the senior defense official said. Officials have raised concerns about the prospect of "more significant escalation" against U.S. military forces and personnel in the region from Iranian proxy groups. The attacks have resulted in 17 minor injuries to Americans in Syria and four minor injuries to American personnel in Iraq, with U.S. officials continuing to monitor any potential traumatic brain injuries, Ryder said. One U.S. contractor at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq suffered a cardiac episode while sheltering in place during a false alarm for an air attack and died. In addition to the three attacks on Thursday, officials say three rockets targeted a base that houses U.S. forces near Kharab al-Jir, Syria, on Wednesday, causing no injuries. At least 13 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria occurred between Oct. 17 and Oct. 23, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked the Qatari government to change its relationship with Hamas, starting with the way Al Jazeera reports on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Blinken reportedly revealed this to a group of America's Jewish community leaders on Monday, according to three people who attended the meeting and spoke with the outlet. The US diplomat visited Doha on October 13, just days after the Hamas incursion into Israel triggered the latest escalation of hostilities in the Middle East. During the visit, according to Axios’ sources, Blinken asked the Qatari government to “change its public posture” towards Hamas. As one example of how this could be done, he reportedly said they could “turn down the volume on Al Jazeera's coverage because it is full of anti-Israel incitement.” Blinken did not offer any examples of the rhetoric he wanted “toned down.” The State Department declined to comment on his reported remarks. The Qatari Foreign Ministry did not respond to Axios’ requests for comment and neither has Al Jazeera. Israel has accused the Doha-based network of being “a propaganda mouthpiece” for the Palestinian militant group, and has been looking at banning the channel. “The government is working on something,” Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat told the Jerusalem Post last week. “The idea is if they are crossing the line in assisting Hamas, we can shut out the entire channel.” Meanwhile, the White House has relied on Qatar’s relationship with Hamas to negotiate the release of some of the hostages taken on October 7. Blinken stated that he was “deeply appreciative of the role Qatar is playing” in freeing American captives amid their release last week, according to an unnamed State Department official speaking in a background briefing. At least 1,400 Israelis were killed and thousands more were injured during the Hamas incursion. West Jerusalem responded by declaring war on the Palestinian group and launching artillery and air strikes against Gaza. Al Jazeera has stated that its bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al Dahdouh, lost his wife, son, daughter, and grandson in what it claimed was an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday. The US and Israel are mulling the creation of an interim administration in Gaza that would be backed by the UN and Arab governments, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing sources.
According to people familiar with US government discussions, the plans are still at an early stage and depend on future developments, including on whether Israel’s ground operation against Hamas is a success. The idea, which would effectively see the Palestinian armed group removed from power, would also require the participation of regional Arab states, which could be tricky to secure, the report says. Commenting on the potential of getting Arab nations on board, William Usher, a former senior Middle East analyst at the CIA, told Bloomberg that it “would require a major shift in how Arab states accept risk and work with one another” as well as a “leap of trust” by Israel at a time when this “commodity [is] in short supply.” After Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, leaving thousands of dead and injured, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush and destroy” the Palestinian group. On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant outlined three phases of war with Hamas. The first would involve aerial bombardment and ground operations, followed by lower-intensity fighting to eliminate “pockets of resistance” in Gaza. The final stage would require “removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a new security reality,” he said. At the same time, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid suggested on Thursday that the best solution for Gaza after the conflict is over would be to return it to the control of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which was ousted by Hamas from the enclave in 2007. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported on Friday that the US and some of its European allies are pushing Israel to postpone its ground operation to win more time to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, which has captured some 200 people since the violence began. The same day, US officials confirmed that the group had set free two American hostages. Washington has also reportedly exerted an unprecedented influence over the plan for the ground operation, fearing that an all-out attack on Gaza may trigger a broader conflict, drawing in Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Islamist military group with close ties to Iran. An explosion at a hospital in Gaza killed at least 500 people on Tuesday, Reuters said quoting the Hamas-run health ministry sources, sparking outrage. Local authorities blamed Israeli airstrikes, while Israel alleged it was Hamas rockets misfiring.The 10 facts as we know so far:
A Reuters journalist was killed Friday while reporting from southern Lebanon, and several others were injured, including two from the same news agency. “We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed,” a Reuters spokesperson said on Friday. Abdallah was part of a Reuters crew in southern Lebanon who were providing a live signal at the time of the strike, the spokesperson said. “We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region, and supporting Issam’s family and colleagues. Our thoughts are with his family at this terrible time,” the spokesperson said in the statement. Reuters journalists Thaer Al-Sudani and Maher Nazeh also were injured and are seeking medical care, the spokesperson added. The broadcaster Al Jazeera said that two of its journalists, Karmen Jokhadar and Eli Brakhia, were injured at the same time. Agence France-Presse also reported that two of its team were injured and that the shelling took place after an attempted push into Israel from Lebanon by a Palestinian faction. The AFP named its injured crew as Christina Assi and video journalist Dylan Collins. Details of the incident were not immediately clear.
The Israeli military has carried out strikes on its border with Lebanon in response to rocket and militant attacks. The Reuters journalists are believed to have been hit by one such strike, according to Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera. VOA could not immediately verify if that was the case. The Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan said Friday he had just learned of the attack and that Israel will "always try to mitigate and avoid civilian casualties." Saying that Israeli forces would never want to "kill or shoot any journalist that is doing the job," Erdan said: "We were in a state of war, things might happen. We regret them, we feel sorry. And we will investigate it. Right now, it's too early to call what happened." The conflict playing out in a densely packed region has already led to media casualties. At least 10 other journalists have been killed while reporting from Gaza since Israel declared war on Hamas following the militant group’s bloody incursion into southern Israel last week, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Friday the U.N. is concerned by reports of explosions in the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission area of South Lebanon and the “distressing reports” of a journalist being killed and others injured. “Journalists need to be protected and allowed to do their work,” Dujarric said. As Israel gears up for an all-out ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, one of the biggest challenges they face is Hamas' extensive tunnel network under Gaza. Several experts have warned that in a ground offensive, Israel will lose its firepower edge and will have to fight the enemy on its terrain. The densely-populated area with a network of tunnels is a key aspect of Israel's tall security challenge. An Israel Defence Forces spokesperson yesterday said they are striking parts of the tunnel network, but it won't be an easy battle. Hamas Tunnels: 'Gaza Metro' In 2021, the Israel Defense Forces had claimed that more than 100 km of Hamas' tunnel networks had been destroyed. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had then claimed that the tunnel network in Gaza is 500 km long and only 5 per cent had been destroyed. To put this into perspective, the entire Delhi Metro network is about 392 km in length. And Delhi is four times the size of Gaza, indicating how elaborate the underground network in the Strip is. Responding to global criticism over the targeting of civilian buildings, the Israeli forces have repeatedly argued that Hamas operatives hide in the tunnels below the civilian buildings. Since taking control of Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas has worked to expand the tunnel networks within the city and also across the Gaza-Israel border, Owing to the elaborate network, Israeli forces refer to the tunnels as 'Gaza Metro'. Past videos of these tunnels show lights installed inside and ample space to hide weapons and ammunition. The walls are made of cement, prompting allegations that humanitarian aid to Gaza was diverted to build infrastructure for Hamas activities. Tunnels' Role In October 7 Attacks Hamas' shocking attacks last weekend were a combination of a massive rocket strike and a simultaneous attack by land and water. Israel's border with Gaza is fenced and has sensors to detect movement. But there was no early warning before Hamas launched a surprise attack on civilians. The tunnels are believed to have played a key role in Hamas operatives crossing into Israel undetected. Now here is a big question. Israel's fence with Gaza is 30 foot high, with an underground concrete barrier. Then how did Hamas operatives enter Israel undetected, unless they dug tunnels under the fence and the barrier. Unlike the more sophisticated tunnels within Gaza city, the cross-border tunnels are rudimentary, Reichman University faculty member Dr Daphne Richemond-Barak has told the BBC. "The cross-border tunnels tend to be rudimentary, meaning they have barely any fortification. They are dug for a one-time purpose - invading Israeli territory," she says. The tunnels inside, she says, are "equipped for a longer, sustained presence". "The leaders are hiding there, they have command-and-control centres, they use them for transport and lines of communication," she says. History Of Gaza Tunnels Before Hamas took control of Gaza Strip, the tunnel network was used for smuggling. Following Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005 and the 2006 polls that Hamas won, Israel and Egypt started restricting the movement of goods and people across their borders with Gaza. Over time, smuggling ceased to be the tunnels' primary purpose. Egypt destroyed the tunnels across their border with Gaza. The tunnels to Israel, however, were expanded and started to be used for more sinister goals. In 2006, Israeli soldier Gilad Shalid was captured and his two colleagues killed in a cross-border raid via tunnels. Hamas held the soldier for two years before releasing him under a prisoner exchange deal. In later years, Israeli started referring to the tunnels as "terror tunnels" and even restricted construction materials' entry into the Gaza Strip. In 2014, an illustration released by Israel Defense Forces showed multiple tunnels across the border. Tunnel Task In Ground Offensive As it prepares for a ground offensive, Israel's key concern is to ensure the safe return of the 150-odd hostages Hamas operatives hold. An Israeli security source has told news agency Reuters that it's possible that the hostages have been kept underground. "Most of the targets, people, equipment, logistics are located underground and it's possible the hostages are located underground. The purpose will be to flatten the ground to then be able to get to the underground bunkers," the source has said. While Israel will rely on bunker buster bombs and its Merkava tanks, it will have to tackle booby traps and Hamas operatives who know the underground well and can use it to strike, hide and escape. Dr Richemond-Barak told BBC how Hamas got plenty of time to booby-trap the tunnel network. "They could just let the soldiers enter into the tunnel network and then eventually blow the whole thing up," she said.
Saleh Al-Arouri, deputy chief of Hamas politburo, has told Al Jazeera that before Hamas attacked Israel, its defence plan "was stronger" than its attack plan. As Israel planes strike Gaza buildings, the UN has raised concerns on the humanitarian crisis facing the two million population in the Strip. As the death count climbs, Tel Aviv is likely to face international pressure to de-escalate. The Gaza tunnels may ensure Israel has a long battle ahead and not enough time. Israel has used white phosphorus in its continuing military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, putting civilians at serious risk, Human Rights Watch has said, following an analysis of video of the conflict.
Human Rights Watch said it verified footage taken in Lebanon and Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, showing multiple uses of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border. Human Rights Watch also interviewed two people who described an attack in Gaza, the rights group said. HRW said the use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas violates Israel’s obligation under international law to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. “Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering,” Lama Fakih, HRW’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement on Wednesday. “White phosphorus is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.” Israel should ban all use of “airburst” white phosphorus munitions in populated areas without exception, the rights group said, noting the availability of non-lethal alternatives. For 16 years, Israeli governments worked to manage the Hamas leaders in Gaza, not topple them. The Islamist group rejected Israel's existence and engaged in violence, but kept order over the territory. Better Hamas than chaos. The carnage last weekend, when Hamas militants killed hundreds of Israeli civilians after a sophisticated breach of the border fence, has shifted official views. Now, the aim is to destroy the organization's military capability and kill its leaders. Left unsaid in Israel but widely assumed is that, when the war ends, Hamas will no longer rule in Gaza. In announcing the formation of an emergency unity government on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the Islamic State organization from the previous decade, saying, "Hamas is ISIS, and we will crush and eliminate it just as the world crushed and eliminated ISIS." Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, a military spokesman, told reporters on Thursday: "Right now, we are focused on taking out their senior leadership, not only the military but also their government leadership." 'Mowing Lawn' This is a change from the previous military policy of occasional invasions, harsh but limited, sometimes referred to as "mowing the lawn," meaning a task to which one is required to return repeatedly. Any operation against the militant group is destined to result in more civilian deaths and raise diplomatic dilemmas. Turkey has already signaled a shift away from the intense diplomacy that was underway to normalize ties with Israel after years of estrangement. Rulers from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates could follow if public opinion in their countriesturns increasingly hostile to Israel. A former top military officer who remains in close touch with the army, speaking on condition of anonymity, said when the war ends, Israel may set up a temporary military regime and hand Gaza over to some international force. The head of the opposition, Yair Lapid, who didn't join the new government with Benny Gantz, another opposition leader, said this week on French television, "The endgame is there will be no Hamas in Gaza." His goal, he said, is for the Palestinian Authority, which holds power in the West Bank and recognizes Israel, would take over. Requests for comment from the prime minister's office and the defense minister weren't immediately answered. Little Mercy Israeli officials are showing no mercy for ordinary Gazans in their campaign, having cut electricity, fuel and food shipments from Israel and given residents few choices of where to hide as heavy bombings continue. At least 1,350 have been killed to date. According to Elai Rettig, an expert of the geopolitics of energy and environment at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, a power cut will result in water shortages in a week or two. That's likely to hinder access to health care or drinkable water for Gaza's 2 million people, half of whom are under the age of 18. Israeli authorities are worried about a humanitarian corridor into Egypt, saying that would allow Hamas leaders to sneak out. Rettig also said Hamas has been given aid to fix and upgrade the electrical system in Gaza but hadn't done so. Hostage Fate Nearly all analysts in Israel believe ground troops are headed in after the aerial pounding. Many of the dozens of Israeli hostages and some of the soldiers seem likely to meet their deaths. And that too is quietly discussed as a price the country is willing to pay to end Hamas's hold on Gaza and send a broader message to the country's enemies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and its Iranian sponsor. Israel's biggest deployment of reserves in its history shows its leaders are aware how difficult it might be to crush Hamas, but eliminating it from Gaza is an even bigger task. An Israeli cross-border operation into southern Lebanon to attack Iran-backed Hezbollah in 2006 ended in massive casualties following more than a month of fighting. Since Saturday's attack, Hezbollah has fired into Israel every now and then, a reminder that it may be tempted to open a new front in the war after the Gaza ground offensive begins. The direness of the rhetoric is driven by the images of inhumanity on display last Saturday and the collective memory of Jews being slaughtered in the Holocaust and in pogroms a century ago. It has made many Israelis feel this is a war for their very existence, and they must show how tough they are. Retired Major General Yaakov Amidror, who was Netanyahu's national security adviser a decade ago, said, "We cannot go back to square one. This will take a few months. How many will be killed? Many, many. It's up to Hamas, which operates from populated areas. This is the last time we allow Hamas to be strong enough to attack Israel."
Asked who will rule Gaza when Israel is finished, he replied, "The people in Gaza will have to decide what is next. That is their problem." Israel has ordered a full siege of the Gaza Strip and vowed to obliterate Hamas after its all-out offensive entered the next phase. Palestinian group Hamas controls the Gaza Strip, a narrow strip of land, where approximately 2.3 million people live. Despite a complete withdrawal in 2005, Israel controls the maritime, air and land borders in the Gaza Strip to keep strict vigilance on supply of weapons to Hamas in the region. The movement of people in Gaza is tightly controlled by Egypt and Israel with only two border crossings in a 365 sq km area of land. How Hamas Gets Weapons In Gaza?
As seen in the map, the Gaza Strip is surrounded by Israel from two sides and shares a border with Egypt. The Western end faces the Mediterranean Sea, where the Israeli Navy restricts the movement of people only up to 12 nautical miles. Arms smugglers drop weapons on the shore along the Mediterranean Sea, these weapons are then supplied to Hamas. Despite maritime control by the Israeli Navy, the arms suppliers succeeded in supplying weapons to the group. The arms smugglers use tunnels as an alternative route to supply weapons. Gaza shares a border with Egypt and tunnels are built to deliver weapons to the region. The tunnel network is used to send weapons such as Fajr-3, Fajr-5, and M-302 rockets from Iran and Syria. The Fajr-3 is an Iranian-built unguided surface-to-surface artillery rocket. The Fajr-3 has a range of 43 km and is found in the stockpile of Hezbollah - a group that has close ties with Iran and Syria. The Fajr-5 has an extended range of 75 km, with a 90 kg high explosive (HE). Meanwhile, the M-302 rocket or Khaibar-1 is also built by Iran and is a long-range unguided rocket used by Hamas, and reportedly supplied by Hezbollah. In the first wave of attacks on Israel, over 5,000 rockets were fired from Gaza. Over the years, Hamas has developed its crude rocket technology to extend its range and weapons reportedly supplied by Iran, were used to overwhelm Israel's nearly impenetrable Iron Dome air defence system. Iran has backed Hamas' Operation Al-Aqsa Flood but has denied any direct involvement in the war and has rejected Israel's claims that they are funding the operation. The US State Department in 2021, said Hamas receives training, funding and weapons from Iran. As per reports, 70 per cent of total funding to Hamas is received from Iran. The Taliban Connection Several reports suggest US-built weapons are being used by Hamas that are supplied from Afghanistan by the Taliban. In 2021, the US ended its operations in Afghanistan and left a stockpile of weapons that were taken by the Taliban after it took control of the country. US Carrier Battle Group In The Mediterranean The US has ordered the movement of warships and aircraft closer to Israel, a move in a show of support for its ally. A Carrier Battle Group led by USS Gerald R Ford and its accompanying warships are moving toward the eastern Mediterranean. Reports suggest the US carrier strike group will help Israel defend the seashore along Gaza to stop the supply of weapons. The United States, a major supplier of arms to Israel, has moved quickly to affirm its backing for Israel after Saturday's surprise attack from the Gaza Strip, vowing "rock solid" support and warning other parties to stay out of the conflict. Relatives of Thai workers kidnapped or killed by Hamas militants have spent the days since the attack on Israel patching together details from social media of what happened to their loved ones. Thailand is emerging as one of the nations most affected by a conflict thousands of kilometers away. Eighteen Thais are feared dead in the violence, the Thai foreign ministry said on Tuesday, with 11 more believed held hostage by Hamas, nearly all from the poor northeastern region known as Isaan. But the ministry said the numbers were unconfirmed in the bloody chaos of recent days with the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok saying a complete count is not immediately possible, given the ongoing military operations. Israel has launched a counteroffensive to the attack, which killed hundreds of Israelis. Hamas has warned it will start executing its hostages if there are Israeli strikes without warning on Gaza, where hundreds have died, including civilians. An estimated 30,000 Thais work in Israel, many at kibbutz farms near the border with Gaza, where they can earn upwards of $1,000 a month, several times higher than the wages in northeastern Thailand. "I want to assure the Thai people that Israel is committed to doing everything in its power to protect the Thai workers in our country," Orna Sagiv, the ambassador of Israel to Thailand, said in a Facebook post on Monday. "Rest assured, they will receive the same treatment and protection as every person in Israel, whether Israeli or foreign national." Devastated relatives of those feared to have been taken hostage have struggled to find information on the whereabouts of their family members, instead relying on videos shared on Facebook and TikTok by fellow Thai workers — or the militants who attacked them. "I can't breathe, I can't sleep," said Piyanus Phujuttu, 27, whose family members believe they saw her cousin, Khomkrit Chombua, being taken into the Gaza Strip by militants on Saturday on a video shared over social media. "Thai officials told me that they would talk to the Israeli government for me and the Israeli embassy in Thailand told me that they have to clear the area first before beginning the search — they've been following the situation, but they haven't confirmed my cousin's whereabouts, nor his fate," Speaking to Thai television, Suda Thepgaew said she believes her husband was one of six Thais gunned down as dozens of militants attacked the workers' dormitory near Gaza. "I just talked to him on Saturday and everything was fine, we were laughing and then suddenly there was gunfire, missile strikes and the connection was lost … his friend at the farm told me later, 'Ball has gone,'" she said, using her husband's nickname. Separately, the visibly distraught mother of a banana farm worker from Kalasin, northern Thailand, spoke about her son, Somkuan Pansa-ard, who was shot dead at Nahal Oz kibbutz in Israel. Noopa Pansa-ard held a portrait of her son as she told reporters she had tried to persuade him to remain in Thailand. She said her son had been on a five-year contract in Israel, sending home nearly $2,000 each month to his family. "I told him I didn't want the money, I just wanted him to be safe. I was just telling him how much I missed him," said Noopa Pansa-ard of her last call with her son. Thailand is among the largest sources of migrant workers for Israel, with the Thai labor ministry saying the majority are employed as farm workers who send home monthly remittances. Around 7,000 Thais may also be working illegally in Israel, the ministry added, raising fears for their safety as they may not have been recorded as missing by employers. Only Taiwan and South Korea have more Thai workers, the ministry says.
The Thai government promises to evacuate all of its citizens. Nearly 4,000 Thais have registered to leave as the situation becomes increasingly volatile, with the first flight due back to Thailand on Thursday, Kanchana Patarachok, a ministry spokesperson, told a press conference Tuesday. But some Thais still in Israel say they want to stay, putting the relatively high wages of overseas work above their safety as they try to help families back home in the rice bowl northeast, where the daily minimum wage is around $8. "I'm the eldest son so I've got to take care of my parents and my wife and two kids (aged 3 and 5)," Jakkapol Wipracha, 35, told VOA from Talmei Yosef, a settlement close to the Israel's southern border with Gaza. Each month working on a tomato farm he says he earns 5,300 shekels ($1,340). "Over nine months, I've sent most of it home." "I haven't been contacted by the Thai government yet but I'm weighing my options up right now. If I go back, I'd still need to go work overseas somewhere else. With all the debt I have, I just can't find work in Thailand that pays enough," he said. |
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