Over 80 rockets were fired at northern Israel from Lebanon yesterday. Several drones were also launched. No damage or casualties were reported. Air force jets struck launch sites in Lebanon. Several terrorists were killed.
Combat operations in Khan Yunis over the weekend resulted in the elimination of dozens of terrorists, the arrest of hundreds of terror suspects and the destruction of Hamas tunnels and arsenals.
IDF soldiers killed in Gaza:
Maj. (res.) Amishar Ben David, 43, head of the Commando Brigade chief’s forward command team, from Eli.
Sgt. First Class (res.) Michael Gal, 29, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 450th Battalion, from Jerusalem.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Families of victims of the Oct. 7 massacre filed a lawsuit with the District Court in Jerusalem against the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for more than a billion shekels. For more, click here.
Ramadan began today. Arab leaders are urging people to celebrate the month modestly and privately, because of the war in Gaza.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/salute-ad.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-03-11 08:36:112024-03-11 08:39:17Israel News for 3-11-2024
The US carried out another aid drop in Gaza. Several of the parachutes failed to open, resulting in the deaths of 5 Palestinians, including 2 children.
President Biden announced, in his State of the Union address, that the US will build a temporary port in Gaza to facilitate humanitarian aid transported from Cyprus. The aid will be inspected by Israel in Cyprus, before being transported by the US military to Gaza. The European Commission president said that a Spanish ship would make a trial run transporting aid from Cyprus to Gaza this weekend.
Biden also said, “Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the cross fire. To the leadership of Israel I say this. Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.”
He also said, “Israel has a right to go after Hamas,” Biden said. “Hamas could end this conflict today by releasing the hostages, laying down arms, and surrendering those responsible for October 7th. Israel has an added burden because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population. But Israel also has a fundamental responsibility to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.”
Biden also called for a two-state solution. Several families of hostages along with former hostage Mia Schem were at the State of the Union as Biden’s guests.
An IDF investigation has found that IDF troops did not fire on civilians during the stampede on the aid trucks that resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians. Troops did fire on specific suspects that approached them, posing an direct threat.
The U.S., Great Britain and France called for an official meeting of the UN security council to discuss and condemn Hamas sexual crimes against Israelis.
Security forces killed a senior Islamic Jihad terrorist and arrested 9 other terrorists in Samaria last night.
Hezbollah has reportedly rejected attempts by US envoy Hochstein to arrive at a diplomatic solution to avoid a war. They also rejected Israel’s March 15 deadline to reach a solution. Israeli forces are preparing for a major conflict.
Combat operations continue in Gaza.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/salute-ad.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-03-08 08:36:572024-03-08 08:40:06Israel News for 3-8-2024
Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar is reporting that Israel has set a March 15 deadline for reaching a political settlement with Hezbollah. Rockets continue to be fired at towns and cities in northern Israel. The air force is responding.
IDF soldiers killed in Gaza:
Staff Sgt. David Sasson, 21, of the Oketz canine unit, from Ganot Hadar.
Another 12 soldiers were wounded in the same incident, five of them seriously.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Hamas is hardening their stance in the negotiations in Cairo, demanding a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. US optimism that a deal could be reached before Ramadan is fading. At this point, Hamas probably believes that it is to their benefit to keep the fighting going on during Ramadan, raising tensions in the region. According to one report, the US is considering pressuring Qatar to deport Hamas representatives from the country if efforts fail to persuade their Gazan counterparts to agree to the deal.
US media is reporting that the Biden administration is considering prohibiting the use of American weapons by Israel in Rafah. US officials have been clarifying for weeks that they won’t support an operation in Rafah without a clear plan for evacuating its civilian population. For more, click here.
Italy refused to confirm the appointment of Israel’s new ambassador to the country because he served as mayor of Ma’ale Adumim, a city in Judea considered to be a settlement. Irael’s Foreign Ministry officially canceled the appointment and switched the ambassador to Hungary, which is unlikely to have a problem with it.
The state commission responsible for investigating the 2021 Lag B’omer stampede on Mount Meron, in which 45 men and boys were killed, attributed personal responsibility for the disaster to senior officials and indirect blame on Prime Minister Netanyahu. The report said, “based on all the materials and evidence presented to us and our direct impressions from them, our conclusion is that there is a reasonable basis to determine that Netanyahu knew that the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai had been treated with inadequate maintenance for years and that this could pose a risk to the thousands of visitors, especially on Lag B’Omer. Even if, for the sake of caution, we assume that Netanyahu did not have actual knowledge of the matter, under the circumstances, he should have known.” For more, click here.
Jordanian newspaper Rai-al-Youm reported today that the deputy of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar delivered a comprehensive cease-fire proposal to the head of Egyptian intelligence. The proposal reportedly includes the release of hostages in exchange for high-profile Palestinian prisoners involved in the murder of Israeli civilians including Marwan Barghouti and Abdullah Barghouti. The proposal also includes a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza before the second group of hostages is released, and unrestricted movement within Gaza and unhindered access to aid.
A terrorist, 16, stabbed and wounded a soldier at the Yitzhar Junction in Samaria yesterday. Soldiers killed the terrorist. The wounded soldier underwent surgery and is recovering. A 64 year old man waiting at a bus stop in northern Jerusalem was stabbed in his upper body by a terrorist. The man is in moderate condition. The terrorist, 14, fled the scene by was later arrested. He is a resident of East Jerusalem.
Rocket barrages at the north and IDF air strikes at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon continue. Operation continue in Gaza.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Some Gaza clans are reportedly engaged in discussions with Israeli officials regarding assuming administrative responsibilities and managing aid distribution. Clan leaders are denying the claims. On Monday, Palestinian clan leaders published a statement rejecting Israel’s plan to establish a civilian government in the Strip, reaffirming their loyalty to “the legitimate political leadership” represented by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. For more, click here.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel would not impose restrictions on Arabs visiting the Temple Mount during Ramadan. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sought to limit the number of Moslem worshippers to just a few thousand.
The Planning Council in Judea and Samaria approved the construction of 3,500 housing units in Ma’ale Adumim, Efrat, Kedar and other communities.
The UN report on the sexual crimes committed on Oct. 7 and after that was released on Monday certainly lives up to our expectations of UN anti-Israel bias. To read the report, click here.
The UN finally released a report, yesterday, compiled by a team of experts sent to Israel and the West Bank, led by Pramila Patten, the secretary general’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict. In their full report, the experts said they found “reasonable grounds” to believe that sexual violence occurred during the Hamas-led incursion into Israel, including rape and gang rape in at least three locations. But the experts could not determine who was responsible for the sexual assaults.
If you stop reading right here, you’re probably in a fit of rage at how the report minimizes the enormity and barbarity of the horrific sexual crimes committed against scores, if not hundreds, of innocent women, girls and young men by Hamas terrorists and their civilian supporters, many of whom were captured on their own video cams.
The report goes on to state that it found “clear and convincing information” based on firsthand accounts of released hostages that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, was inflicted against some women and children during their time in captivity, and that the abuse was still taking place against hostages still in Gaza.
Finally, perhaps a glimmer of hope that the UN is going to galvanize the nations of the world to demand, or even force, Hamas to release these hostages from their ordeal of rape and torture?
Not a chance.
But wait…there’s more.
The UN report that was supposed to expose and confirm the horrific sexual crimes against innocent civilians by Hamas also said that it heard accounts of sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli security forces. Palestinian officials and civil society representatives told the U.N. team of “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of Palestinians in detention, including various forms of sexual violence in the form of invasive body searches, threats of rape, and prolonged forced nudity, as well as sexual harassment and threats of rape, during house raids and at checkpoints.”
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, told reporters yesterday that Palestinians interviewed by UNRWA reported a “broad range of ill-treatment” from the Israeli soldiers, including being forced to strip naked, verbal and psychological abuse, threats of electrocution, sleep deprivation, extreme noise and the use of dogs to intimidate people.
And there you have it — unsubstantiated threats of rape against Palestinian terrorists or terror suspects, based on unconfirmed allegations, is the equivalent of Israeli female corpses raped and mutilated, video footage of sexual atrocities and eyewitness testimony of rape and sexual assault by the actual victims. Verbal and psychological, sleep deprivation, extreme noise used against captured terrorists vs. rape and mutilation against innocent girls attending a music festival.
Not a single allegation of rape has been brought against even one IDF soldier in this war against Hamas. Stripping down terrorists to make sure they are not strapped with explosives, or in an effort to extract information of impending terror attacks might be traumatizing, but it certainly cannot be equated on any level with the brutal gang rapes, mutilations and barbaric tortures perpetrated against innocent civilians by Hamas. To cite them side by side in the same report is simply reprehensible.
Can the UN’s anti-Israel bias be any clearer?
Just as expected.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Flag_of_United_Nations_at_UN_City.jpeg?fit=836%2C626&ssl=1626836Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-03-05 18:18:202024-03-05 18:18:33UNWRA and the UN Continue to Exceed Expectations [Against Israel]
Hezbollah launched rocket barrages at Kiryat Shemona and other communities in the north. Some damage was reported in Kiryat Shemona. The barrages came shortly after Defense Minister Gallant met with White House special envoy Amos Hochstein, who is in the region to try and reach an agreement that would remove Hezbollah from the border with Israel and avoid a full-blown war. IDF jets strike multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Fighters also shot down a drone that entered the Golan from Syria.
The IDF said it struck 50 Hamas targets over the past day.
I published an article titled, “Can Hamas Actually Win the War?” in the Times of Israel. To read it, click here.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
UN envoy on sexual violence Pramila Patten published a 24 page report confirming that Hamas terrorists committed the barbaric rapes and other indescribable sexual crimes on Oct. 7 that we’ve all known about since that tragic day. Her report also found that hostages were also being raped. It stated, “Based on the first-hand accounts of released hostages, the mission team received clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment occurred against some women and children during their time in captivity and has reasonable grounds to believe that this violence may be ongoing,” and that there were reasonable grounds “to believe that female hostages were also subjected to other forms of sexual violence”.
The report also included allegations by the Palestinian Authorities of sexual violence committed against Palestinian prisoners by Israel security forces. No evidence was found of any cases of rape by Israeli forces. For more, click here.
National Unity party leader Minister Benny Gantz met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday. Harris told him that a reliable and implementable humanitarian aid plan is required before any major military operation in Rafah can be started. She also called on Israel to take further steps in cooperation with the U.S. and international partners to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and ensure its safe distribution. [I don’t think she mentioned anything about the continued rape and torture of Israeli hostages being held captive in Gaza for over 150 days.]
Gantz also met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at the Capitol, and with U.S. President Joe Biden’s envoy to the Middle East Brett McGurk and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Today he’s expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and will then depart for London to meet with the British Foreign Secretary. Gantz said, “This is an important visit, and it’s going well. I think I’m explaining Israeli interests, and how I see the U.S.’s interests in these contexts. I was received warmly.” For more, click here.
After heavy rains in February, the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is less than one meter from full. The lake has risen by almost 1 meter over the past month and is currently 87.5 centimeters from its maximum level of 208.80 meters below sea level. All areas of northern and central Israel have already had well over their average annual rainfall.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/salute-ad.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-03-05 08:47:382024-03-05 08:51:52Israel News for 3-5-2024
To answer the question as to whether Hamas can win this war with Israel, we need to first define what constitutes a win.
An Israeli Win
Israel’s criteria for winning the war are the destruction of Hamas’ military capability to launch a significant attack and the return of the hostages. To that end, the IDF has driven Hamas from most of northern and central Gaza, killed 12,000 Hamas terrorists, demolished miles of tunnels and destroyed almost all of Hamas’ organized fighting brigades and command and control structure. Hamas in Khan Younis has been, for the most part, neutralized, and the remaining Hamas brigades are hiding deep underground, primarily in Rafah.
However, an estimated 15,000 armed Hamas terrorists remain and 135 hostages are still being held in Gaza, alive or dead. Killing or neutralizing the remaining Hamas forces is extremely challenging, since they are choosing to stay underground and mount small scale terror attacks rather than engaging Israeli forces in above ground warfare, which they know they cannot win, given Israel’s air and ground superiority.
The only way Israel can hope to achieve its victory objective is to move large forces into Rafah to attempt to destroy the Hamas brigades there and to destroy the tunnels that still connect Gaza with Egypt. To do that, the IDF has to worry about evacuating or safeguarding around 1,000,000 civilians living or taking refuge in Rafah.
A Hamas Win
Hamas’ criteria for declaring victory is survival of a significant portion of its terrorist ranks. The destruction of large parts of Gaza and the death and suffering inflicted on their civilian population is irrelevant to them, except to the extent that these tragedies bring international pressure against Israel. The greater the destruction and suffering in civilian Gaza, the closer Hamas gets to their conception of victory.
The sheer depravity and barbarity of the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre caused most countries in the free world to recognize Israel’s right to defend itself and avenge the largest massacre of Jews since the holocaust. Much of that support has eroded over the last 5 months of mounting Palestinian civilian casualties.
Many of those former supporters are now demanding a permanent cease fire and full Israeli withdrawal. US President Biden is steadily folding to pressure by the progressive, pro-Palestinian, faction of the Democratic party, which is threatening to withhold its support in key swing states with large pro-Palestinian populations such as Michigan.
Israel still has supporters in the world, and rock-solid support in the US Congress and among the majority of Americans. But the pressure from the White House and the international community, propelled by mainstream and social media, is becoming too strong to ignore. Prime Minister Netanyahu has pledged to finish the job, and the IDF has begun moving towards Rafah and conducting operations there. But there is great uncertainty as to whether Israel will carry out its plans.
Hamas assumed that this would happen. They knew that, while they would take a beating at the hands of the IDF and that thousands of civilians would be killed and that Gaza would sufferer massive destruction, after a certain amount of time, the international community would step in to save them.
They might have been surprised by the scope of the IDF attack and the level of damage inflicted upon them, but they assumed that it would end. Their plan was to survive in their tunnels and emerge to declare victory and fight another day.
If the international community, including the Biden White House, has its way and forces Israel to end the fight against Hamas, then Hamas will, in fact, emerge victorious and ready to launch more attacks against Israel’s population.
Can Hamas actually win this war?
If the world has its way, the answer is a resounding yes.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/gazaRubble.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-03-04 13:04:022024-03-04 13:04:02Can Hamas Actually Win This War?
An anti-tank missile was fired at the community of Margoliot, in the Galilee, this morning killing 1 foreign worker and wounded 9 others. The air force continues to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. One terrorist killed in the strikes is reportedly the grandson of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah.
There were intense air and ground operations in central and southern Gaza this weekend, including Khan Yunis and Rafah. Dozens of Hamas terrorists were eliminated. In an operation in western Khan Yunis, forces arrested 1,200 terrorists, including 85 who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre. Forces also destroyed over 20km of strategic tunnels under Khan Yunis.
IDF soldiers Killed in Gaza:
Sgt. Maj. (res.) Dennis Yekimov, 33, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 17th Battalion, from Be’er Sheva.
Sgt. Dolev Malka, 19, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 450th Battalion, from Shlomi.
Sgt. Afik Tery, 19, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 450th Battalion, from Rehovot.
Over a dozen soldiers from the same unit were wounded in the same incident, as a result of an explosion in a booby-trapped building in the Khan Yunis area.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
The IDF reiterated its commitment to ensuring the continued flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to appoint an independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounded the deaths of dozens of civilians who tried to loot aid trucks in northern Gaza last week. On Saturday, the US air dropped 38,000 meals into Gaza.
Egyptian media reported that there has been significant progress in the negotiations for a truce and the release of hostages. Mediators are anxious to reach a deal before the start of Ramadan, on March 10, but they fear that Hamas leader Sinwar will purposely prevent a deal in order to further destabilize the region. Hamas is refusing to provide a list of living hostages and a finalized list of terrorists it wants released from Israeli prisons. Hamas claims it doesn’t know the location of all of the hostages or which ones are still alive. For more, click here.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/salute-ad.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-03-04 08:45:502024-03-04 08:48:18Israel News for 3-4-2024
Raza Zarei, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps advisor, was killed in an Israeli attack in Syria this morning. Zarei was reportedly involved in transferring Iranian weaponry to and from Syria, Lebanon, Russia on behalf of Iran’s Quds Force. Two other Hezbollah terrorists were also killed in the strike.
The air force continues to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, as Hezbollah continues to fire rockets into northern Israel. At least 5 senior Hezbollah members, including brigade commanders with years of control over certain areas near the Israel border, were eliminated this week. At least 250 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed since Oct. 7.
Two terrorists opened fire on people at a gas station near the settlement of Eli in Samaria, killing Yitzhak Zeiger, 57, a resident of Shavei Shomron, and Uria Hartum, 16, Dolev. One of the owners of the Hummus Eliyahu restaurant at the station, who recently returned from reserve service in Khan Younis, shot and killed the terrorist. The terrorist has been identified as Muhammad Manassara, a resident of the Qalandiya refugee camp who was a Palestinian Authority police officer with the rank equivalent to major. The other terrorists was killed by security forces as he tried to flee. For more, click here.
The IDF spokesman confirmed that IDF soldiers did NOT fire at Palestinian civilians who stormed humanitarian aid trucks, coordinated by Israel, in northern Gaza yesterday. The trucks ran over the looters, killing dozens. Other civilians died in the stampede. The Palestinians are claiming that Israeli forces shot at the crowd, killing 100 civilians, and the media, along with some world leaders (including French President Macron) are perpetuating this blatant lie. [Meanwhile, over 130 Israeli hostages are still being held captive and tortured and raped, in Gaza. All Hamas needs to do is to release them and and the suffering of their own people. Unfortunately, Hamas only cares about its own terrorists, who are safely hidden, and well fed, in their underground sanctuaries beneath the hell of Gaza.]
I’ve published a video and an article titled, “Why Doesn’t the World Treat Hamas Like ISIS?”. to read the article, on Times of Israel, click here. To see the video, click here.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/salute-ad.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-03-01 09:05:092024-03-01 09:08:29Israel News for 3-1-2024
On October 7th, Hamas had 30,000 armed terrorists. Today, around five months after that, Israel has reportedly killed between 10,000 and 12,000 terrorists. That means Hamas has anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000 armed terrorists still active in Gaza. They also have hundreds of miles of tunnels still active, which is where these terrorists are hiding.
Hamas has changed its tactics. At first, at the outset of the war, Hamas attempted to fight Israel in the open, and that’s when most of its terrorists were killed, because Hamas doesn’t stand a chance against the most powerful military in the Middle East in open warfare.
Now, Hamas has changed its tactics, and they are not engaging against Israel other than in sporadic terrorist acts, where groups of one, two, or three terrorists will come out of hiding, fire an RPG or some sort of weapon, and then retreat. In many cases, these terrorists are eliminated, but the brunt of the force remains in hiding.
Why is this?
Hamas leader in Gaza, Sinwar, has made it very clear. He said that his plan is to wait out Israel and let civilian casualties mount, which they inevitably have to in the midst of this warfare, and let the international community come in and stop Israel. When that happens, Hamas emerges from its tunnels with at least 15,000 armed terrorists, and it’s very easy for them to recruit more terrorists. They claim victory against mighty Israel, and they still have the hostages.
At first glance, it doesn’t seem like Israel has a lot of options other than continuing a very long-term fight and occupying Gaza, keeping troops there to make sure that these terrorists don’t attack again. At some point, they will run out of food. They’ll have to emerge from their tunnels, and then they can be eliminated. But of course, the international community does not want Israel to occupy Gaza.
So, it looks like Israel is in a tough spot. The only solution is to continue and wear them down, and it could take years.
But there is one other solution that the world used against another terrorist organization, ISIS.
When ISIS conquered large parts of Iraq and Syria, the United States led a coalition along with many other free countries to defeat ISIS. They fought either with their own troops or supported allied Arab troops and Kurd troops to finally defeat ISIS. They did not quit until they defeated ISIS, because everyone understood that ISIS is a threat to freedom. Their tactics were just barbaric and inhuman. So, the world said, we have to destroy them.
The same thing should be happening here against Hamas. There’s no difference between Hamas and ISIS. They’re as barbaric, as vicious, and they proved that on October 7th.
But what’s the difference? Why isn’t the world forming a coalition to defeat Hamas, even diplomatically, to try to stop Hamas, cut off all their funding, cut off all their supplies, cut off all their support, and bring them to their knees? Why isn’t the world doing that?
Instead, it seems like the world is supporting Hamas, because they are engaging in negotiations. They’re supporting negotiations with them. They’re condemning Israel. They’re demonstrating against Israel. And they are trying to force Israel to cease fire, to let Hamas continue as a viable terrorist organization that can repeat the attacks of October 7th.
Why is the world doing that?
The only answer I can think of is because, in this case, it’s the Jews that are on the other end of this barbarity.
And when Jewish lives are at stake, apparently Jewish lives don’t matter.
We need to stand up against this and recognize that the world doesn’t care about Jewish lives. The only ones that are going to care about Jewish lives are us and our state of Israel.
That’s why we have to just stand strong, support Israel, and stand strong together, united, to protect ourselves wherever we are, whether it’s in Israel or the diaspora, because it’s clearly the world is not on our side. In fact, the world is in many ways supporting Hamas.
So let’s stand firm. Let’s stand together. Let’s stand united. And let’s pray that Hamas finally gets destroyed and Israel can live in peace once again.
https://i0.wp.com/www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Hamas__ISIS_Graffiti.jpg?fit=1600%2C720&ssl=17201600Arnie Singerhttps://www.israelam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/israelam-logoNEW-300x100-300x100.jpgArnie Singer2024-02-29 11:24:582024-02-29 11:27:34Why Doesn’t the World Treat Hamas Like ISIS?
Israel News for 3-11-2024
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Over 80 rockets were fired at northern Israel from Lebanon yesterday. Several drones were also launched. No damage or casualties were reported. Air force jets struck launch sites in Lebanon. Several terrorists were killed.
Combat operations in Khan Yunis over the weekend resulted in the elimination of dozens of terrorists, the arrest of hundreds of terror suspects and the destruction of Hamas tunnels and arsenals.
IDF soldiers killed in Gaza:
Maj. (res.) Amishar Ben David, 43, head of the Commando Brigade chief’s forward command team, from Eli.
Sgt. First Class (res.) Michael Gal, 29, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 450th Battalion, from Jerusalem.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Families of victims of the Oct. 7 massacre filed a lawsuit with the District Court in Jerusalem against the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for more than a billion shekels. For more, click here.
Ramadan began today. Arab leaders are urging people to celebrate the month modestly and privately, because of the war in Gaza.
Israel News for 3-8-2024
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
The US carried out another aid drop in Gaza. Several of the parachutes failed to open, resulting in the deaths of 5 Palestinians, including 2 children.
President Biden announced, in his State of the Union address, that the US will build a temporary port in Gaza to facilitate humanitarian aid transported from Cyprus. The aid will be inspected by Israel in Cyprus, before being transported by the US military to Gaza. The European Commission president said that a Spanish ship would make a trial run transporting aid from Cyprus to Gaza this weekend.
Biden also said, “Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the cross fire. To the leadership of Israel I say this. Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.”
He also said, “Israel has a right to go after Hamas,” Biden said. “Hamas could end this conflict today by releasing the hostages, laying down arms, and surrendering those responsible for October 7th. Israel has an added burden because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population. But Israel also has a fundamental responsibility to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.”
Biden also called for a two-state solution. Several families of hostages along with former hostage Mia Schem were at the State of the Union as Biden’s guests.
An IDF investigation has found that IDF troops did not fire on civilians during the stampede on the aid trucks that resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians. Troops did fire on specific suspects that approached them, posing an direct threat.
The U.S., Great Britain and France called for an official meeting of the UN security council to discuss and condemn Hamas sexual crimes against Israelis.
Security forces killed a senior Islamic Jihad terrorist and arrested 9 other terrorists in Samaria last night.
Hezbollah has reportedly rejected attempts by US envoy Hochstein to arrive at a diplomatic solution to avoid a war. They also rejected Israel’s March 15 deadline to reach a solution. Israeli forces are preparing for a major conflict.
Combat operations continue in Gaza.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Israel News for 3-7-2024
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar is reporting that Israel has set a March 15 deadline for reaching a political settlement with Hezbollah. Rockets continue to be fired at towns and cities in northern Israel. The air force is responding.
IDF soldiers killed in Gaza:
Staff Sgt. David Sasson, 21, of the Oketz canine unit, from Ganot Hadar.
Another 12 soldiers were wounded in the same incident, five of them seriously.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Hamas is hardening their stance in the negotiations in Cairo, demanding a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. US optimism that a deal could be reached before Ramadan is fading. At this point, Hamas probably believes that it is to their benefit to keep the fighting going on during Ramadan, raising tensions in the region. According to one report, the US is considering pressuring Qatar to deport Hamas representatives from the country if efforts fail to persuade their Gazan counterparts to agree to the deal.
US media is reporting that the Biden administration is considering prohibiting the use of American weapons by Israel in Rafah. US officials have been clarifying for weeks that they won’t support an operation in Rafah without a clear plan for evacuating its civilian population. For more, click here.
Italy refused to confirm the appointment of Israel’s new ambassador to the country because he served as mayor of Ma’ale Adumim, a city in Judea considered to be a settlement. Irael’s Foreign Ministry officially canceled the appointment and switched the ambassador to Hungary, which is unlikely to have a problem with it.
The state commission responsible for investigating the 2021 Lag B’omer stampede on Mount Meron, in which 45 men and boys were killed, attributed personal responsibility for the disaster to senior officials and indirect blame on Prime Minister Netanyahu. The report said, “based on all the materials and evidence presented to us and our direct impressions from them, our conclusion is that there is a reasonable basis to determine that Netanyahu knew that the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai had been treated with inadequate maintenance for years and that this could pose a risk to the thousands of visitors, especially on Lag B’Omer. Even if, for the sake of caution, we assume that Netanyahu did not have actual knowledge of the matter, under the circumstances, he should have known.” For more, click here.
To read an article I published in the Times of Israel titled, “The UN Continues to Exceed Expectations”, click here.
Israel News for 3-6-2024
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Jordanian newspaper Rai-al-Youm reported today that the deputy of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar delivered a comprehensive cease-fire proposal to the head of Egyptian intelligence. The proposal reportedly includes the release of hostages in exchange for high-profile Palestinian prisoners involved in the murder of Israeli civilians including Marwan Barghouti and Abdullah Barghouti. The proposal also includes a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza before the second group of hostages is released, and unrestricted movement within Gaza and unhindered access to aid.
A terrorist, 16, stabbed and wounded a soldier at the Yitzhar Junction in Samaria yesterday. Soldiers killed the terrorist. The wounded soldier underwent surgery and is recovering. A 64 year old man waiting at a bus stop in northern Jerusalem was stabbed in his upper body by a terrorist. The man is in moderate condition. The terrorist, 14, fled the scene by was later arrested. He is a resident of East Jerusalem.
Rocket barrages at the north and IDF air strikes at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon continue. Operation continue in Gaza.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Some Gaza clans are reportedly engaged in discussions with Israeli officials regarding assuming administrative responsibilities and managing aid distribution. Clan leaders are denying the claims. On Monday, Palestinian clan leaders published a statement rejecting Israel’s plan to establish a civilian government in the Strip, reaffirming their loyalty to “the legitimate political leadership” represented by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. For more, click here.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel would not impose restrictions on Arabs visiting the Temple Mount during Ramadan. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sought to limit the number of Moslem worshippers to just a few thousand.
The Planning Council in Judea and Samaria approved the construction of 3,500 housing units in Ma’ale Adumim, Efrat, Kedar and other communities.
The UN report on the sexual crimes committed on Oct. 7 and after that was released on Monday certainly lives up to our expectations of UN anti-Israel bias. To read the report, click here.
To read an article I published in the Times of Israel titled, “The UN Continues to Exceed Expectations”, click here.
UNWRA and the UN Continue to Exceed Expectations [Against Israel]
/by Arnie SingerThe UN finally released a report, yesterday, compiled by a team of experts sent to Israel and the West Bank, led by Pramila Patten, the secretary general’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict. In their full report, the experts said they found “reasonable grounds” to believe that sexual violence occurred during the Hamas-led incursion into Israel, including rape and gang rape in at least three locations. But the experts could not determine who was responsible for the sexual assaults.
If you stop reading right here, you’re probably in a fit of rage at how the report minimizes the enormity and barbarity of the horrific sexual crimes committed against scores, if not hundreds, of innocent women, girls and young men by Hamas terrorists and their civilian supporters, many of whom were captured on their own video cams.
The report goes on to state that it found “clear and convincing information” based on firsthand accounts of released hostages that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, was inflicted against some women and children during their time in captivity, and that the abuse was still taking place against hostages still in Gaza.
Finally, perhaps a glimmer of hope that the UN is going to galvanize the nations of the world to demand, or even force, Hamas to release these hostages from their ordeal of rape and torture?
Not a chance.
But wait…there’s more.
The UN report that was supposed to expose and confirm the horrific sexual crimes against innocent civilians by Hamas also said that it heard accounts of sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli security forces. Palestinian officials and civil society representatives told the U.N. team of “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of Palestinians in detention, including various forms of sexual violence in the form of invasive body searches, threats of rape, and prolonged forced nudity, as well as sexual harassment and threats of rape, during house raids and at checkpoints.”
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, told reporters yesterday that Palestinians interviewed by UNRWA reported a “broad range of ill-treatment” from the Israeli soldiers, including being forced to strip naked, verbal and psychological abuse, threats of electrocution, sleep deprivation, extreme noise and the use of dogs to intimidate people.
And there you have it — unsubstantiated threats of rape against Palestinian terrorists or terror suspects, based on unconfirmed allegations, is the equivalent of Israeli female corpses raped and mutilated, video footage of sexual atrocities and eyewitness testimony of rape and sexual assault by the actual victims. Verbal and psychological, sleep deprivation, extreme noise used against captured terrorists vs. rape and mutilation against innocent girls attending a music festival.
Not a single allegation of rape has been brought against even one IDF soldier in this war against Hamas. Stripping down terrorists to make sure they are not strapped with explosives, or in an effort to extract information of impending terror attacks might be traumatizing, but it certainly cannot be equated on any level with the brutal gang rapes, mutilations and barbaric tortures perpetrated against innocent civilians by Hamas. To cite them side by side in the same report is simply reprehensible.
Can the UN’s anti-Israel bias be any clearer?
Just as expected.
Israel News for 3-5-2024
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Hezbollah launched rocket barrages at Kiryat Shemona and other communities in the north. Some damage was reported in Kiryat Shemona. The barrages came shortly after Defense Minister Gallant met with White House special envoy Amos Hochstein, who is in the region to try and reach an agreement that would remove Hezbollah from the border with Israel and avoid a full-blown war. IDF jets strike multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Fighters also shot down a drone that entered the Golan from Syria.
The IDF said it struck 50 Hamas targets over the past day.
I published an article titled, “Can Hamas Actually Win the War?” in the Times of Israel. To read it, click here.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
UN envoy on sexual violence Pramila Patten published a 24 page report confirming that Hamas terrorists committed the barbaric rapes and other indescribable sexual crimes on Oct. 7 that we’ve all known about since that tragic day. Her report also found that hostages were also being raped. It stated, “Based on the first-hand accounts of released hostages, the mission team received clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment occurred against some women and children during their time in captivity and has reasonable grounds to believe that this violence may be ongoing,” and that there were reasonable grounds “to believe that female hostages were also subjected to other forms of sexual violence”.
The report also included allegations by the Palestinian Authorities of sexual violence committed against Palestinian prisoners by Israel security forces. No evidence was found of any cases of rape by Israeli forces. For more, click here.
National Unity party leader Minister Benny Gantz met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday. Harris told him that a reliable and implementable humanitarian aid plan is required before any major military operation in Rafah can be started. She also called on Israel to take further steps in cooperation with the U.S. and international partners to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and ensure its safe distribution. [I don’t think she mentioned anything about the continued rape and torture of Israeli hostages being held captive in Gaza for over 150 days.]
Gantz also met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at the Capitol, and with U.S. President Joe Biden’s envoy to the Middle East Brett McGurk and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Today he’s expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and will then depart for London to meet with the British Foreign Secretary. Gantz said, “This is an important visit, and it’s going well. I think I’m explaining Israeli interests, and how I see the U.S.’s interests in these contexts. I was received warmly.” For more, click here.
After heavy rains in February, the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is less than one meter from full. The lake has risen by almost 1 meter over the past month and is currently 87.5 centimeters from its maximum level of 208.80 meters below sea level. All areas of northern and central Israel have already had well over their average annual rainfall.
Can Hamas Actually Win This War?
/by Arnie SingerTo answer the question as to whether Hamas can win this war with Israel, we need to first define what constitutes a win.
An Israeli Win
Israel’s criteria for winning the war are the destruction of Hamas’ military capability to launch a significant attack and the return of the hostages. To that end, the IDF has driven Hamas from most of northern and central Gaza, killed 12,000 Hamas terrorists, demolished miles of tunnels and destroyed almost all of Hamas’ organized fighting brigades and command and control structure. Hamas in Khan Younis has been, for the most part, neutralized, and the remaining Hamas brigades are hiding deep underground, primarily in Rafah.
However, an estimated 15,000 armed Hamas terrorists remain and 135 hostages are still being held in Gaza, alive or dead. Killing or neutralizing the remaining Hamas forces is extremely challenging, since they are choosing to stay underground and mount small scale terror attacks rather than engaging Israeli forces in above ground warfare, which they know they cannot win, given Israel’s air and ground superiority.
The only way Israel can hope to achieve its victory objective is to move large forces into Rafah to attempt to destroy the Hamas brigades there and to destroy the tunnels that still connect Gaza with Egypt. To do that, the IDF has to worry about evacuating or safeguarding around 1,000,000 civilians living or taking refuge in Rafah.
A Hamas Win
Hamas’ criteria for declaring victory is survival of a significant portion of its terrorist ranks. The destruction of large parts of Gaza and the death and suffering inflicted on their civilian population is irrelevant to them, except to the extent that these tragedies bring international pressure against Israel. The greater the destruction and suffering in civilian Gaza, the closer Hamas gets to their conception of victory.
The sheer depravity and barbarity of the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre caused most countries in the free world to recognize Israel’s right to defend itself and avenge the largest massacre of Jews since the holocaust. Much of that support has eroded over the last 5 months of mounting Palestinian civilian casualties.
Many of those former supporters are now demanding a permanent cease fire and full Israeli withdrawal. US President Biden is steadily folding to pressure by the progressive, pro-Palestinian, faction of the Democratic party, which is threatening to withhold its support in key swing states with large pro-Palestinian populations such as Michigan.
Israel still has supporters in the world, and rock-solid support in the US Congress and among the majority of Americans. But the pressure from the White House and the international community, propelled by mainstream and social media, is becoming too strong to ignore. Prime Minister Netanyahu has pledged to finish the job, and the IDF has begun moving towards Rafah and conducting operations there. But there is great uncertainty as to whether Israel will carry out its plans.
Hamas assumed that this would happen. They knew that, while they would take a beating at the hands of the IDF and that thousands of civilians would be killed and that Gaza would sufferer massive destruction, after a certain amount of time, the international community would step in to save them.
They might have been surprised by the scope of the IDF attack and the level of damage inflicted upon them, but they assumed that it would end. Their plan was to survive in their tunnels and emerge to declare victory and fight another day.
If the international community, including the Biden White House, has its way and forces Israel to end the fight against Hamas, then Hamas will, in fact, emerge victorious and ready to launch more attacks against Israel’s population.
Can Hamas actually win this war?
If the world has its way, the answer is a resounding yes.
Israel News for 3-4-2024
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
An anti-tank missile was fired at the community of Margoliot, in the Galilee, this morning killing 1 foreign worker and wounded 9 others. The air force continues to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. One terrorist killed in the strikes is reportedly the grandson of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah.
There were intense air and ground operations in central and southern Gaza this weekend, including Khan Yunis and Rafah. Dozens of Hamas terrorists were eliminated. In an operation in western Khan Yunis, forces arrested 1,200 terrorists, including 85 who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre. Forces also destroyed over 20km of strategic tunnels under Khan Yunis.
IDF soldiers Killed in Gaza:
Sgt. Maj. (res.) Dennis Yekimov, 33, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 17th Battalion, from Be’er Sheva.
Sgt. Dolev Malka, 19, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 450th Battalion, from Shlomi.
Sgt. Afik Tery, 19, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 450th Battalion, from Rehovot.
Sgt. Inon Yitzhak, 19, Bislamach Brigade’s 450th Battalion, from Mitzpe Ramon.
Over a dozen soldiers from the same unit were wounded in the same incident, as a result of an explosion in a booby-trapped building in the Khan Yunis area.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
The IDF reiterated its commitment to ensuring the continued flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to appoint an independent committee to investigate the circumstances surrounded the deaths of dozens of civilians who tried to loot aid trucks in northern Gaza last week. On Saturday, the US air dropped 38,000 meals into Gaza.
Egyptian media reported that there has been significant progress in the negotiations for a truce and the release of hostages. Mediators are anxious to reach a deal before the start of Ramadan, on March 10, but they fear that Hamas leader Sinwar will purposely prevent a deal in order to further destabilize the region. Hamas is refusing to provide a list of living hostages and a finalized list of terrorists it wants released from Israeli prisons. Hamas claims it doesn’t know the location of all of the hostages or which ones are still alive. For more, click here.
Israel News for 3-1-2024
/by Arnie SingerNews Update
Raza Zarei, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps advisor, was killed in an Israeli attack in Syria this morning. Zarei was reportedly involved in transferring Iranian weaponry to and from Syria, Lebanon, Russia on behalf of Iran’s Quds Force. Two other Hezbollah terrorists were also killed in the strike.
The air force continues to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, as Hezbollah continues to fire rockets into northern Israel. At least 5 senior Hezbollah members, including brigade commanders with years of control over certain areas near the Israel border, were eliminated this week. At least 250 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed since Oct. 7.
Two terrorists opened fire on people at a gas station near the settlement of Eli in Samaria, killing Yitzhak Zeiger, 57, a resident of Shavei Shomron, and Uria Hartum, 16, Dolev. One of the owners of the Hummus Eliyahu restaurant at the station, who recently returned from reserve service in Khan Younis, shot and killed the terrorist. The terrorist has been identified as Muhammad Manassara, a resident of the Qalandiya refugee camp who was a Palestinian Authority police officer with the rank equivalent to major. The other terrorists was killed by security forces as he tried to flee. For more, click here.
The IDF spokesman confirmed that IDF soldiers did NOT fire at Palestinian civilians who stormed humanitarian aid trucks, coordinated by Israel, in northern Gaza yesterday. The trucks ran over the looters, killing dozens. Other civilians died in the stampede. The Palestinians are claiming that Israeli forces shot at the crowd, killing 100 civilians, and the media, along with some world leaders (including French President Macron) are perpetuating this blatant lie. [Meanwhile, over 130 Israeli hostages are still being held captive and tortured and raped, in Gaza. All Hamas needs to do is to release them and and the suffering of their own people. Unfortunately, Hamas only cares about its own terrorists, who are safely hidden, and well fed, in their underground sanctuaries beneath the hell of Gaza.]
I’ve published a video and an article titled, “Why Doesn’t the World Treat Hamas Like ISIS?”. to read the article, on Times of Israel, click here. To see the video, click here.
For a complete list of the soldiers killed in the ground offensive, click here.
Why Doesn’t the World Treat Hamas Like ISIS?
/by Arnie SingerOn October 7th, Hamas had 30,000 armed terrorists. Today, around five months after that, Israel has reportedly killed between 10,000 and 12,000 terrorists. That means Hamas has anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000 armed terrorists still active in Gaza. They also have hundreds of miles of tunnels still active, which is where these terrorists are hiding.
Hamas has changed its tactics. At first, at the outset of the war, Hamas attempted to fight Israel in the open, and that’s when most of its terrorists were killed, because Hamas doesn’t stand a chance against the most powerful military in the Middle East in open warfare.
Now, Hamas has changed its tactics, and they are not engaging against Israel other than in sporadic terrorist acts, where groups of one, two, or three terrorists will come out of hiding, fire an RPG or some sort of weapon, and then retreat. In many cases, these terrorists are eliminated, but the brunt of the force remains in hiding.
Why is this?
Hamas leader in Gaza, Sinwar, has made it very clear. He said that his plan is to wait out Israel and let civilian casualties mount, which they inevitably have to in the midst of this warfare, and let the international community come in and stop Israel. When that happens, Hamas emerges from its tunnels with at least 15,000 armed terrorists, and it’s very easy for them to recruit more terrorists. They claim victory against mighty Israel, and they still have the hostages.
At first glance, it doesn’t seem like Israel has a lot of options other than continuing a very long-term fight and occupying Gaza, keeping troops there to make sure that these terrorists don’t attack again. At some point, they will run out of food. They’ll have to emerge from their tunnels, and then they can be eliminated. But of course, the international community does not want Israel to occupy Gaza.
So, it looks like Israel is in a tough spot. The only solution is to continue and wear them down, and it could take years.
But there is one other solution that the world used against another terrorist organization, ISIS.
When ISIS conquered large parts of Iraq and Syria, the United States led a coalition along with many other free countries to defeat ISIS. They fought either with their own troops or supported allied Arab troops and Kurd troops to finally defeat ISIS. They did not quit until they defeated ISIS, because everyone understood that ISIS is a threat to freedom. Their tactics were just barbaric and inhuman. So, the world said, we have to destroy them.
The same thing should be happening here against Hamas. There’s no difference between Hamas and ISIS. They’re as barbaric, as vicious, and they proved that on October 7th.
But what’s the difference? Why isn’t the world forming a coalition to defeat Hamas, even diplomatically, to try to stop Hamas, cut off all their funding, cut off all their supplies, cut off all their support, and bring them to their knees? Why isn’t the world doing that?
Instead, it seems like the world is supporting Hamas, because they are engaging in negotiations. They’re supporting negotiations with them. They’re condemning Israel. They’re demonstrating against Israel. And they are trying to force Israel to cease fire, to let Hamas continue as a viable terrorist organization that can repeat the attacks of October 7th.
Why is the world doing that?
The only answer I can think of is because, in this case, it’s the Jews that are on the other end of this barbarity.
And when Jewish lives are at stake, apparently Jewish lives don’t matter.
We need to stand up against this and recognize that the world doesn’t care about Jewish lives. The only ones that are going to care about Jewish lives are us and our state of Israel.
That’s why we have to just stand strong, support Israel, and stand strong together, united, to protect ourselves wherever we are, whether it’s in Israel or the diaspora, because it’s clearly the world is not on our side. In fact, the world is in many ways supporting Hamas.
So let’s stand firm. Let’s stand together. Let’s stand united. And let’s pray that Hamas finally gets destroyed and Israel can live in peace once again.