The Hamas terrorists who launched last month’s surprise attack on a rave in southern Israel showed no regard for their own survival and were driven to kill as many civilians as possible, a man who lived through the assault said in an exclusive interview. “I just want people to imagine standing in a forest and 30 gunmen running toward them,” Ofek Livni said on Monday. “Their [only] goal is to kill you, and they don’t care about their lives. They don’t want to get out alive. They just want to kill you, and your mission is to survive at the moment, and later on to get back at them.”
Livni said the attack began with rockets being fired at the festival. He and his friends took shelter in some trees, then started hearing gunfire around them. They ran from hiding place to hiding place as they heard the gunmen getting closer to them, all the while seeing people and cattle getting shot around them. It took about 90 minutes for Livni and his friends to find a spot where they could cross a road, which was jammed with hundreds of cars abandoned by fleeing concert-goers. They finally got to his car and picked up several strangers who were also running from the terrorists.
“We were ten people in a five-seat car, until we get to safety, and I took them home, each and every one of them,” Livni recalled. He added that the gunmen were firing toward his car as he drove away. When asked about international criticism of Israel’s retaliatory attacks against Hamas, which have killed thousands of civilians in Gaza, Livni acknowledged that the conflict had stirred more hatred of his country. However, he argued that trying to reach a negotiated solution with Hamas isn’t a viable option. “People say Hamas is equal [to] ISIS,” he said, referring to the terrorist group Islamic State. “I say Hamas is 10 times worse than ISIS. You cannot negotiate. It’s impossible to negotiate with someone who’s willing to die if you’re going to die as well. It’s kind of a joke, to be honest.” Livni added that the conflict has unified Israelis because the survival of the Jewish people is again under threat. “No matter what happened before, people coming to erase us from the world, like [it] happened in the Holocaust, and we are getting together,” he told RT. “This is why the Israeli state existed. This is the whole point of the UN to give us the mandate to be here.”
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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 There are no winners in war, Pope Francis said on Wednesday in an interview with the Italian broadcaster RAI, urging Israelis and Palestinians to live together in peace as neighbors.
“In war, one slap provokes another. One strong and the other even stronger, and so it goes on,” the Pope said, addressing the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s retaliation against Gaza in a lengthy feature that aired right after the evening news. The solution to the cycle of violence, the 86-year-old Jesuit argued, is to recognize an independent Palestinian state. “Two peoples who must live together. With that wise solution: two peoples, two states. The Oslo Accords: two clearly delineated states, and Jerusalem with a special status,” the Pope told RAI. The Oslo Accords were a 1990s US initiative that envisioned the establishment of a Palestinian state. However the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel could not agree on territorial demarcation, the fate of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, the “right of return” of Palestinian refugees, and the status of Jerusalem. The agreement effectively collapsed in 2000 during the Palestinian uprising known as the Second Intifada. Israel has rejected all calls for ceasefire and declared a “total blockade” of Gaza, vowing to eradicate Hamas once and for all. Some Israeli politicians have even advocated the expulsion of all residents of the territory to Egypt and razing the enclave to the ground. “Every war is a defeat. Nothing is solved with war. Nothing. Everything is gained with peace, with dialogue,” the Pope told RAI. “The hour is very dark. One cannot find the ability to think clearly,” the pontiff said in the interview, describing the world as enveloped in darkness since 1945, because the wars did not stop after WWII. He blamed the military-industrial complex for this. “The most serious problem is still the arms industry,” the Pope argued. “A person who understands investments, who I met in a meeting, told me that today investments that generate the most income are weapons factories.” 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. The head of the Muslim Coordination Center in Russia’s North Caucasus, Ismail Berdiev, has condemned the rioters who targeted an airport in Dagestan on Sunday, accusing them of using the term ‘Allahu Akbar’ in an unacceptable way.
Dagestani capital Makhachkala was the scene of unrest when pro-Palestinian protesters broke into the local airport looking for alleged refugees from Israel. In an interview with RIA Novosti on Monday, Berdiev criticized the rioters, noting that “extolling the Almighty by shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ is appropriate only when there is a sound reason for it.” He added that religious holidays, prayers, or family celebrations were suitable occasions, but that praising Allah “during illegal marches and demonstrations, as happened during the storming of the airport in Makhachkala, [is] unacceptable.” Berdiev also noted that rioters had used exclamations of religious praise alongside “blasphemous words” that are forbidden in Islam. “The faithful are barred from uttering profanities. A Muslim must control his actions and not shoot off the mouth, thereby setting a bad example for his brothers,” he insisted. Berdiev’s comments came after hundreds of protesters gathered outside Makhachkala Airport on Sunday, later breaking into the facility and blocking the runway. They then boarded planes in search of “Jewish refugees” allegedly fleeing their homeland following the attack by Palestinian armed group Hamas earlier this month. The unrest at the airport led to clashes with police, resulting in several officers being injured and dozens of protesters being detained. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that the riots had “obviously” been influenced by foreign forces, and stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was paying close attention to the issue. The head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, alleged that Ukrainian nationalists were trying to destabilize the situation in the republic by fomenting ethnic and religious divisions through social media channels. He also vowed that those responsible for the rioting would be held accountable, suggesting that they could atone by joining Russian forces fighting Ukraine. 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. |
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