Author: Steven Sahiounie

General Halevi has vowed to “dismantle” Hamas after the IDF was caught off-guard The Israel Defense Force did not live up to its responsibility to protect the country when Hamas struck, but now intends to fight the war and destroy the group and its leadership, IDF chief of staff General Herzi Halevi said on Thursday. “The IDF is responsible for the security of our nation and its citizens, and we failed to do so on Saturday morning,” Halevi said, in Hebrew, in his first public remarks since the conflict broke out. “We will look into it, we will investigate, but now it…

The West is using a tried and tested catchphrase for the Israel-Palestine conflict Since Hamas’ surprise attack on the Israeli people on Saturday, the world has been painfully divided. While there is no question that terrorism and deaths of innocent civilians are never an acceptable means of attaining political goals, when it comes to the context, there are two wildly divergent takes. The majority of the Global South (minus India) see that the latest escalation in the Israel-Palestine conflict proliferated over decades. This is reminiscent of a relevant quote by Noam Chomsky in which he noted that it was Israel’s policies, beginning in…

Paris has banned rallies nationwide, claiming they were a threat to public order French police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters who thronged the streets of Paris Thursday in support of the Palestinian people despite a ban on pro-Palestinian rallies initiated earlier in the day. Seemingly undeterred by the prohibition, crowds of demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans before heavily armed riot police arrived on the scene. Video posted to social media shows massive water cannons drenching reluctantly-dispersing crowds. Another clip shows protesters – including elderly and women – being crushed into a stone…

Bloomberg’s New York high-rise changed the light display in a sign that US attention has shifted The top of Bloomberg LP’s Manhattan headquarters is no longer showing solidarity with Ukraine, but has switched to supporting Israel instead, New Yorkers have noticed as of Thursday. Photos and videos circulating on social media show the top six floors of the 731 Lexington Avenue building lit up in light blue and white stripes resembling the Israeli flag. Since February 2022, when the Ukraine conflict escalated, the building’s four top floors had been lit up in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag – until…

The Palestinian enclave is running out of medicine and fuel as patients die in overcrowded hospitals Over 1,500 people, including hundreds of women and children, have been killed and thousands more injured in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliatory campaign against Hamas militants in response to the deadly raid last week, Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra said on Thursday. “The patients and wounded in Gaza’s hospitals are laying on the floor as there are no beds in the ICU units, with patients piling up in front of the operation rooms,” the health official told Al Mayadeen, adding that the Palestinian health sector…

The UK government said it would spend £3 million to boost security in Jewish communities Several Jewish schools in London have suspended classes for the rest of the week, citing concerns over potential anti-Semitic reprisals due to ongoing fighting in Israel and Gaza. Menorah High School, Ateres Beis Yaakov Primary School, Torah Vodaas Primary School – all Jewish educational centers in the London area – announced the move to parents on Thursday evening, according to Sky News. The outlet said a fourth unnamed school would also be closed Friday, with all set to reopen next Monday. A rabbi at Torah…

All residents of Gaza City may be forced to relocate, according to the UN The Israeli military has urged over 1 million people to leave their homes in Gaza City and urgently move south. The UN has warned of “devastating humanitarian consequences.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued the evacuation order, calling it a “humanitarian step.” It did not mention any specific deadline, with a spokesperson acknowledging it would take “some time.” “The IDF calls on all residents of Gaza City to evacuate their homes, move south for their protection and settle in the area south of the Gaza River,” the military said in a post on X. “This evacuation…

Intelligence and plans for the deadly raid show a high level of sophistication, the newspaper said Hamas fighters, who poured into southern Israel last weekend in a massive surprise attack, had detailed maps of their targets and other materials aiding their goals. The Wall Street Journal analyzed samples of the printed documents on Thursday. The maps, operational plans and instructions on how to engage the Israeli military were reportedly recovered from the bodies of killed Hamas militants. They indicate the sophistication of the preparation of the raids as well as confirm that the plans included targeting civilians, the newspaper said.…

The Palestine Red Crescent Society has decided to not evacuate to the south despite the Israeli army’s threats to shell it. “The decision has been made… we will not leave. Our medics will carry on their humanitarian duties. We won’t leave people to face death alone,” the statement said. https://x.com/RZabaneh/status/1712773311015305280?s=20 Source: Aljazeera

The next “24 to 48 hours are going to be crucial” in the conflict, Mahjoob Zweiri of Qatar University, told Al Jazeera after Israel warned Gaza City residents to leave. “It’s obvious there are a lot of diplomatic efforts going on led by the US but also other regional communications as well going on. It’s obvious the US is trying to push for a solution, for a proposal, that makes Israel a winner of this confrontation. “I think that [evacuation order] also pushed the diplomatic effort to be quicker so they can have an impact. The two things are happening…