Hello everybody!
Before anybody continues judging about what’s going on in Israel/Palestine – and especially all those 10000% convinced they know better than anybody else – I would recommend watching this video-statement by one of survivors of terrorist attack on Israel from 7 October 2023.
I would recommend keeping it in mind all the time when you’re thinking about this conflict, too.
General
The Western media is hyperventilating about the ‘coming Israeli ground offensive’. Indeed, some of its representatives are ‘expecting it any minute’. And no doubt, Netanyahu and his minister of defence have toured ‘troops in the field’, and promised them it will be ‘real war’ and ‘harder operation than ever’ and so on…
Thus, not few of ‘anchors’ in the Western media were quite disappointed when no ground offensive took no place, yesterday. And then not this night. And not this morning…
Officially at least, the ‘ground offensive’ is ‘postponed’.
There are several reasons. The Israeli government stated that it’s the unsuitable weather that came in between: indeed, the lowlands of the Jaffa area have been flooded after heavy downpour, two days ago. One might argue that this is ‘northern central’ Israel and the weather in the Gaza area is slightly different (as visible on the still from a video taken by one of IDF troops on the ‘frontline’ in that area). And that the severe sandstorm in nearby Jordan doesn’t matter….
I’m not so sure it’s the weather. Of course, strong wind and heavy rain can ruin the work of UAVs and reconnaissance in general. And, it’s not only that the weather might be different at the time various videos of the last few days were taken, and already ‘few minutes later’. Foremost, my impression is that - contrary to Israel, where the government is completely silent about the fate of hostages taken by Hamas and PIJ - and regardless how supportive for Israel, the US government is keen to get its citizens back from the hands of terrorists. That this is the primary reason for ‘delay’. Thus, I guess, it is the US pressure that’s preventing Netanyahu & Co KG GesmbH AG, and the IDF, from attacking. And then, and in the light of Israeli barbarities in the Gaza Strip, the US diplomacy is experiencing its own problems…. (what a surprise).
For example, Egyptians refused to open the Rafah crossing. Indeed, have sealed it with similar concrete walls like the Israelis are using to separate themselves from Palestinians. Moreover, Cairo conditioned the re-opening on Israel re-opening the supply of drinking water to the southern sectors of the Gaza Strip, and permitting deliveries of humanitarian aid from Egypt. Reportedly, a corresponding deal was reached yesterday: water-supply was restored. The Rafah crossing is to open its gates – for holders of foreign passports – around the time this is going to be published.
Gaza Strip
Meanwhile, the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip are going on. For example, two days ago, and after ordering 1.1-1.2 million of Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip to ‘evacuate’ towards the south, and ‘informing’ them about a ‘safe’ routes in that direction (where it might be useful to actually let Palestinians have electricity and internet in the Gaza Strip, otherwise posting this online can only be described as ‘propaganda nonsense for idiots’), Israel bombed out five car convoys, massacring over 100 civilians – almost exclusively women and children (I’m not after posting gore, even without your related request, so no links about ‘videos of the aftermath’).
‘Included’ in what the Western media is widely calling ‘evacuation’ – like it would be something done voluntarily, and a well-organised operation – are also 22 hospitals. In this regards, the UN clearly stated the following:
….which, of course, is conveniently ignored by almost everybody involved. Why should one care about statements by the UN, WHO, and/or such organisations like the UNRWA – where the latter was created to take care about between 700,000 and 1,000,000 of Palestinian Refugees ethnically cleansed from Palestine, back in 1947-1949?
That’s simply ‘normal’ in our ‘Western civilisation’: when solutions are too unpleasant, our governments are ‘‘outsourcing’ problems they have created and go on using our taxpayer’s money to pay somebody to ‘take care of Palestinian refugees’. For 73 years….
…and then the same governments use yet more of taxpayer’s money to ‘help/support’ Israel with arms, so it can create yet more refugees.
….all of which is evidence that the ‘UN is useless’…
….’Arabs are incompatible with democracy….
….and ‘Arabs understand only the language of violence’….
Talking about violence… On 14 October, the IASF claimed to have killed a ‘senior Hamas general’… in form of he CO Nuqba Force, Murad Abu Murad. Actually, it turned out they’ve bombed his headquarters. Somehow, I have some doubts about he being there to have office hours, but lets keep this for the records.
Yesterday, the IASF claimed to have hit another 250 targets and to have liquidated another Hamas commander: Mu’ataz Eid, head of the Southern Security District…probably because the IDF announced that ‘southern Gaza is now safe from Israeli bombardment’…
Actually, the ‘effectiveness’ and ‘precision’ of Israeli bombing can be gauged from the fact that Hamas and PIJ remain capable of striking Tel Aviv. They did so on 14 October, when at last two rockets came through the Israeli defences, and they hey did that – with multiple rockets – the last night again. Ashkelon and Sderot were hit yesterday, too.
Of course, all the ‘military Experten’ I happen to have seen on the TV the last few days are confidently stressing that a ground offensive is going to enable a much more precise targeting of Hamas- and PIJ-operated launch sites.
….all provided the IDF is even seeking for precision. Videos like this one are indicating something else, but: it’s such a spectacular scene and thus why paying attention at the launch of rockets amid an ongoing air strike targeting multiple buildings around the launcher…?
West Bank
The poor command, control, and coordination (C3) – but also ‘nervous fingers’ of the IDF – can be seen from the fact that two days ago the Israelis shot and killed one of their own troops while prosecuting two Palestinians (father and son) that threw rocks at them (along Israeli jurisdiction, for Palestinians in Israel, this is a crime punishable by 20 years of prison). Yesterday, the IDF also shot a terrorist settler in Ofakim – after mistaking him for a Palestinian, and after the Minister of National Security began distributing weapons to the civilians.
All of this happened somewhere in between of the IDF ‘raiding’ Jenin to kill 16 Palestinians and hijack over 120 (thus increasing the total of ‘detained’ Palestinians in the West Bank since 7 October to over 280, of which Israel claims ‘157 are affiliated with Hamas’) – and supporting another ‘advance’ by terrorist settlers…
Northern Border
While its repeated attempts to infiltrate Israel have failed, PIJ in Lebanon continues firing rockets at northern Israel. For example, nine rockets were fired yesterday at Nahariya, Rosh HaNikra, Shtula (where one civilian was killed), and Shlomi. In retaliation, the IDF is shelling ‘all over the place’ in southern Lebanon, so also Reuters journalists, UN bases and observation posts, and – occasionally – Hezbollah positions. In turn, Hezbollah claimed to have destroyed an Israeli tank using ATGMs: AFAIK, the IDF confirmed one soldier killed.
Post Scriptum
It turned out that while reacting to terror attacks of 7 October – foremost in form of hauling troops to the scene of attacks – four helicopters of the IASF have been hit by Palestinian fire. Three came away with different degrees of damage. This Sikorsky CH-53 landed safely but then burned out outside the Kibbutz Be’eri:
Furthermore, on 12 October, Palestinians claimed an ‘F-16 shot down’, and ‘supported’ this by videos from which these stills were made – one of which, supposedly, is showing a ‘pilot that ejected and descended under a parachute’:
Must admit, this is anything else than conclusive evidence – no matter for what. But, let’s keep this ‘for files’.
***
….and that’s about it. Right now, I’ve got nothing else to add in this regards – except a reminder about this video-statement by one of survivors of attack from 7 October 2023.
Thanks a lot Tom
What do you make of this claim that the footage of the attack on the convoy is inconsistent with an air strike and more consistent with a gas canister explosion: https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1713241560752533662