Hamas strike on Israel - mod warning in OP updated 19/10/23

Someone just said on the Trump thread that supporting Hamas was a 'righteous cause' for the Irish. Kind of matches your combination. Especially the use of 'righteous.'

Two items of note:

IDF soldiers in their excitement at posting extrajudicial killings to their fave social medial accounts have opened themselves up to a trip to The Hague.

There have been many posts categorically attributing all deaths on Oct 7th to Hamas. We know that there are credible reports that Israel implemented the Hannibal Directive and at least 12 confirmed Israelis were killed by friendly fire plus the occupants of 70+ vehicles apparently shredded by attack helicopters (Israeli).

Seems there wasn't just the Hannibal Directive though:

Haaretz:

The IDF said that an investigation of the deaths of two Israelis in Kibbutz Nahal Oz during Hamas' October 7 attack suggests they may have been killed by Israeli soldiers. The findings on the deaths of Tomer Arava Eliaz, 17, and his mother, Dikla Arava, 51, were based on accounts by soldiers, commanders and civilians present in Nahal Oz that day.

"All through the war in Gaza, Israeli soldiers have been leaving behind not only their physical footprints but also digital fingerprints, with many of them posting videos and photos of themselves online – and sometimes recording improper conduct and potential war crimes. This of course breaches IDF regulations, but it has also happened in the course of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Syria – and some soldiers are now paying for it. For many anti-Israel organizations seeking to bring Israeli soldiers to trial, these videos and photos are a digital treasure trove, packed with potential evidence of war crimes in the Gaza Strip… The Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation is once such organization" – Milan Czerny

Who would these "Irish Hamas diehards" be - I'm not aware of any Hamas supporters regularly posting here? Plenty of posts here debating War Crimes and Genocide though.

Trump has sent an envoy to seek peace in Gaza, Maybe he's not as bad as many thought.

https://www.rte.ie/news/middle-east/2025/0111/1490257-gaza-school-strike/

Indeed. That doesn't look good for peace in the region alright.

From a link above Germany, the USA and Uk have sent representatives to lobby on behalf of the Israel hostages still held . No mention of Israel destroying homes and hospitals . Hang your heads in shame .

Sky news published an analysis of some CCTV footage of the most moral army in the world in the West Bank.

It shows how IDF soldiers bravely jumped out of their armoured vehicle in the middle of a lengthy firefight and took out a dangerous terrorist fleeing down the street towards his next target

Just kidding. They were hidden inside the back of an ambulance, and jumped out and shot a random 80 year old woman six times as she walked down the street. Caught on CCTV.

Israel says it will leave Gaza if all hostages are released.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/01/13/israel-hamas-final-ceasefire-draft/

Israel is willing to withdraw its troops from Gaza when all hostages have been released under a ceasefire deal with Hamas, The Telegraph has learned...

Israeli news media reporting the ceasefire deal is done and is likely to be voted on by the Israeli cabinet as early as tomorrow.

Surprising move by Netanyahu. Perhaps he is not at all certain of Trump's support in continuing the operation.

Interesting reports coming out of Israel on the impending ceasefire and political infighting.

It's really no surprise that the despicable duo of convicted terrorist Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are dead set against a deal stating that is a "surrender". Of course, any deal means the settlement of Gaza is off the cards and their mates would be very upset at not getting their prime Mediterranean real estate.

In other news, Italy has been asked to detain an IDF War Criminal; Danes and UK are pressuring Israel for UNWRA to continue providing humanitarian aid; Israel continues to ignore its legal duty to provide aid directly to those who need it.

Of note - the first quote below is very interesting as regards what Trump might do…

Haaretz:

"Whoever is looking for Trump's permission for Israel to finally bring down the Palestinian Authority and annex the Palestinian territories best remember that this is the president who signed an agreement with the Taliban, pushed Saudi Arabia into negotiations with the Houthis and demanded that Turkey reach an agreement with the Kurds. Trump also did not renounce the two-state solution that he explicitly presented in his 'deal of the century'"– Zvi Bar'el

Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held in Gaza, said during a Knesset panel that the Israeli government has "committed crimes and betrayed the State of Israel," which forced him to support the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Netanyahu. Cohen was then attacked by Likud lawmaker Eliyahu Revivo, who told him he was sentencing his son to be "in Hamas-ISIS dungeons for many more years" with his "vile words."

"Humanitarian aid organizations have been arguing for months that the main obstacle to delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is the collapse of civil order and the fact that a huge portion of the aid entering Gaza is looted by criminals, either en route to distribution centers or even within the centers themselves. Organizations point the finger at Israel and the Israel Defense Forces, claiming they fail to prevent the looting and even encourage certain armed groups as part of an effort to bolster families and factions that might collaborate with Israel in the future" – Nir Hasson

The Hind Rajab Foundation announced that it has approached authorities in Italy with a demand to arrest Israeli IDF officer Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, whom the organization claims is currently in the country, for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Monday that Denmark does not see an alternative to UNRWA in Gaza, "for sure not in the near future." Regarding Denmark's position on Israel's decision to stop cooperating with UNRWA, Rasmussen said that "We definitely do not see eye to eye on this issue."

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa'ar, calling for "the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire with all hostages immediately released and all restrictions on aid to Gaza lifted," as well as "urged Israel not to endanger UNRWA's ability to operate, and to prevent the collapse of the humanitarian response" in Gaza.

Biden is a joke of a president. Has been for a long time now.

Deal announcement very close. It would consist of 3 stages

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/01/14/israel-hamas-gaza-war-ceasefire-latest-news/

Stage 1

• Thirty-four Israeli hostages released, mainly children, women, elderly and ill
• Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli jails
• Israeli forces will begin withdrawing from Gaza and Palestinian residents will be able to return to those areas
• Increase in aid trucks entering Gaza

Stage 2

• Male hostages of military age will be released from Gaza
• Fifty Palestinian prisoners will be released for every Israeli soldier
• A total of 50 prisoners serving life sentences will be released
• Israel will withdraw completely from Gaza

Stage 3

• Involved parties will begin talks on reconstructing Gaza
• Talks begin on setting the next ruler of Gaza

The win here for Israelis and Palestinians is that no terror organisation will have any role 'governing' Gaza in future.

I have zero doubt that if Trump wasn't elected this wouldn't be happening. The Israeli right wing are going ballistic over it - a good sign. They thought Trump was their man.

I think Netanyahu is also wary of Trump, which is no bad thing.

https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/gaza-hostage-ceasefire-deal-closer-than-ever-as-trump-pressures-netanyahu-125011400363_1.html