According to Netanyahu, the best way to prevent these Hamas hostage smuggling efforts is through maintaining the contested Philadelphi Route – a security corridor that runs between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Archiv: surprise surprise.. oh... really..? never thought of that! / Überraschung.. ach wirklich? sagen Sie bloß.. wären wir NIE drauf gekommen!
Netanyahu is unequivocal about ceasefire and hostage agreement with Hamas: ‘There’s not a deal in the making’
(September 5, 2024)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday was as clear as he has ever been that he does not believe a ceasefire and hostage deal is likely in Gaza in a sharp rebuke to the Biden administration’s insistence it’s close at hand.
“There’s not a deal in the making,” Netanyahu told Fox News. “Unfortunately, it’s not close.”
Netanyahu derailed a potential Gaza hostage deal in July, Israeli newspaper reports
)September 4, 2024)
The report lends credence to charges often leveled at the prime minister – most notably by hostage families – of purposefully prolonging the war and torpedoing deals for his political benefit. Far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition have pledged to bring down the government should he end the war.
Several news outlets, including CNN, have reported on the late July demands made by Netanyahu, but this is the first time the Israeli document has been obtained in full.
Israel, opposition leader accuses Netanyahu: He knew about the threat of October 7 and did nothing
In the weeks that followed, Lapid continued, he viewed classified intelligence provided to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that indicated that deterrence had indeed eroded. He also viewed highly classified material made available to him as a former prime minister. On September 18, 2023, there was “a further warning. For me, what was written there was unmistakable: Israel’s deterrence has eroded dramatically; our enemies think they have a rare opportunity to harm us,” Lapid said.
Netanyahu was warned a year before Oct. 7 that Hamas saw its ‘moment had arrived,’ Lapid tells civilian inquiry
“During the months leading up to the disaster, the prime minister and cabinet ministers received a series of serious, unprecedented warnings. From the middle of 2023 there were more and more voices within the terrorist organizations that said that the moment they had been waiting for had arrived,” he says.
Lapid recalls asking Bar “if these warnings were also brought before the prime minister and cabinet ministers, and the answer was: ‘Of course they were.‘”
Israeli opposition leader Lapid says Netanyahu was warned about Hamas
„I want to refute the statement that is made time and time again by the current government that, somehow, the political echelon was not aware that Hamas was not deterred,“ Lapid told the paper.
„It was indeed informed. I was informed,“ he said, adding that the intelligence material he saw „was of course, also seen by the prime minister and ministers of the Cabinet.“
„It was clear what they [Hamas] wanted,“ he said.
Netanyahu Let Hamas’ Oct 7 Attack Happen? Bombshell Claim By Arch Rival Amid 10 Months Of Gaza War
In a heated exchange, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid clashed over the handling of Hamas’ October 7 attack. Lapid accused Netanyahu of ignoring critical warnings that eroded national security, claiming the PM failed to act despite knowing a violent eruption was looming. In response, Netanyahu fired back, accusing Lapid of ‚spreading lies.‘ Watch for more.
Report: Gaza mediators setting aside Philadelphi Corridor for now, focusing on other issues
Unnamed senior officials tell Channel 12 news that mediators in ceasefire-hostage deal talks have decided to set aside the thorny issue of Israel’s presence in two Gaza corridors under a potential agreement, and are focusing on other matters.
US Won’t Sanction Israeli Military Units That Committed ‘Gross Human Rights Violations’
Blinken claimed that Tel Aviv had taken steps towards accountability and clarified the finding that five Israeli units committed “gross human rights violations” would have no impact on US aid to Israel.
“The Israeli government has presented new information regarding the status of the unit and we will engage on identifying a path to effective remediation for this unit,” Blinken wrote.
Exclusive: USAID officials say Israel breached US directive on Gaza aid
Israel is in violation of a White House directive requiring recipients of American military assistance to comply with international humanitarian law and permit the unimpeded delivery of U.S.-funded humanitarian support, USAID officials concluded in a confidential United States paper reviewed by Devex.
The findings earlier this month follow the Feb. 8 issuance of a national security memo from the White House instructing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “obtain credible and reliable written assurances” from U.S. weapons recipients that they will abide by international humanitarian law, and report those findings to the White House and Congress. In Israel’s case, it would only apply to offensive weapons.
Ukraine Sees ‘Hypocrisy’ in Western Allies’ Defense of Israel
The militaries of the United States, Britain, France and others stepped in to help Israel defend against the fusillade of more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles, nearly all of which were intercepted. A similar number of aerial weapons are fired at Ukraine on a weekly basis, its officials say, with many of the drones in those attacks designed by Iran and now produced by Russia.
Media In Tehran Accuse Russia, Syria Of Betraying IRGC
(10.04.2024)
In an editorial on April 8, Masih Mohajeri, the influential managing editor of Jomhouri Eslami daily, a newspaper that was founded by Ali Khamenei in 1979, asked: „Why Russia, which controls the Syrian airspace does not prevent air strikes on Iranian targets in Syria?“ Also implicating Syria and possibly Iranian infiltrators in tipping off the Israelis, Mohajeri wrote: „We have had too many losses in Syria during the past months and this is certainly because of the treason by infiltrators.“
Since December, Israel has eliminated 18 high ranking IRGC officers in Syria, in what appears to be a systematic campaign to limit the danger of Iranian proxies on its borders.
Scholz: Goals of Gaza war do not seem to justify the means
Germany has been one of Israel’s staunch allies in its war against Hamas.
In a manner akin to the Biden administration, Scholz has a stern message for Netanyahu about the IDF’s conduct during the war, particularly its failure to ensure the distribution of aid, which has led to a hunger crisis in Gaza.
Biden backs Schumer‘s criticism of Bibi
What they are saying: „I‘m not going to elaborate on his speech,“ Biden said in response to a question at the top of his meeting with the prime minister of Ireland at the White House.
„He made a good speech, and I think he expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans,“ Biden added.
Israeli bombing of British doctors in Gaza may have used UK and US arms, investigators find
A UN investigation found that US and UK-manufactured weapons or parts may have been used to bomb British doctors working for British and American organisations in Gaza in January, the organisations involved have highlighted.
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) also said this week that Israeli officials have offered six different explanations about why the residential compound housing their staff was hit.
The compound, which was not close to any other buildings, was struck around 6am on 18 January by an F-16 jet which „most likely'“ fired a 1,000-pound „smart bomb“, the UN investigation found.
The Republican Primary Is Over
The Republican presidential primary is over. Nikki Haley, the last remaining challenger to Donald Trump, plans to leave the race today, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal and other outlets, clearing the way for the former president to claim the GOP nomination.
UPDATED: German navy almost shot down US drone in Red Sea- Reports
The „Hesse“ frigate opened fire after efforts to identify an unknown drone „were unsuccessful“, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said during a visit to the German town of Oberviechtach, adding however that the target was „not hit“.
The drone later turned out to be a „reconnaissance drone“, he said.
According to Der Spiegel weekly, the frigate fired two missiles at the drone but both crashed into the sea because of „a technical defect“.
Bericht: Deutsche Fregatte schoss im Roten Meer irrtümlich auf US-Drohne
Die amerikanische Drohne sei nicht im Rahmen der US-Mission „Prosperity Guardian“, die gegen Angriffe der Houthi-Rebellen im Roten Meer patrouilliert, im Einsatz gewesen. Denn die Besatzung der „Hessen“ sei nach Sichtung der unbekannten Drohne mit Mitgliedern von „Prosperity Guardian“ in Kontakt gewesen. Doch auch diese wussten nicht Bescheid vom Einsatz des Flugobjekts. Diese sei vermutlich für eine andere US-Mission in der Region unterwegs gewesen.
Nach Absprache mit den US-Kollegen habe der Kommandeur der „Hessen“ den Befehl zum Abschuss der Drohne gegeben, die in Richtung des deutschen Schiffes flog. Erst nach dem gescheiterten Manöver sei bekannt geworden, dass es sich um eine US-Drohne gehandelt habe, schreibt der „Spiegel“.
German frigate deployed to Red Sea repels first Houthi attack
This was the German navy‘s first live weapons engagement of the deployment, which began on Friday and is considered one of the German armed forces‘ most dangerous missions in decades.
US says it cannot independently verify Israel‘s UNRWA claims
The intelligence report‘s findings are in stark contrast to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken‘s remarks in January, in which he said that the accusations against UNRWA were “highly, highly credible”.
The Journal also reported that Israel has not “shared the raw intelligence behind its assessments with the US” despite the strong security relationship between the two countries.
Israel has shared a dossier of sorts outlining its accusations, alongside details of where their evidence stems from, with the US and several western news organisations.
A US intelligence report has said that Israel‘s claims that UNRWA staff took part in Oct 7 „cannot be independently verified“, & that it had “low confidence” in the allegation.
Major UNRWA donors, incl the US, have frozen vital funds bcz of Israel‘s allegations.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini says „the UN has never, never, ever received any written dossier, despite our repeated call.“
Forget No Labels. Biden’s Third-Party Peril is on the Left.
Biden’s deep-seated fear: that Netanyahu is eager to drag the U.S. into a wider war in the Middle East, a conflict that would ensure American weapons keep flowing to the region, troops soon follow and, in the maelstrom, international pressure on him to agree to a Gaza cease-fire and his domestic political difficulties both dissipate.
Not that the president would ever say such things in public.
Biden said to have called Netanyahu a ‘bad fucking guy’: Report
Politico cited White House officials on events surrounding Biden’s support for Israel in the war against Hamas and the political backlash with some in his party and amongst voters.
The report says that Biden has „grown suspicious“ of Netanyahu as the war continues, and says that Biden‘s fear is that „Netanyahu is eager to drag the US into a wider war in the Middle East.“
Biden‘s spokesman Andrew Bates denied the report, replying that „the president did not say that, nor would he,“ and added that Biden and Netanyahu have „a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private“.
Israel says UNRWA intel now ‚based on surveillance‘, after earlier ‚confessions‘ claim
„The dossier said that Israeli intelligence officers had established the movements of six of the men inside Israel on Oct. 7 based on their phones; others had been monitored while making phone calls inside Gaza during which, the Israelis say, they discussed their involvement in the Hamas attack,“ the NYT report says, referring to a dossier reportedly handed to US officials in recent days.
(…)
The NYT report on Sunday, based on the dossier seen by its reports, made no mention of confessions.
Israel planning ‚permanent army stations‘ in Gaza
(24 January 2024 16:38 GMT)
The Israeli military officer, who asked MEE not to report his rank and name, said that Netanyahu and his government associates had already asked the army to establish permanent bases in the Gaza Strip, excluding the possibility of any post-war Palestinian administration in the enclave.
The officer said the order to build up the military installations was given verbally.
Israeli Military Chief Says Lebanon War Likely in Coming Months
Lt. Gen Halevi said he believes Israel will be starting the war with more advantages than in the past, and that lessons learned in Gaza will be applied to the situation in Lebanon. Tens of thousands of troops are reportedly being readied for the new offensive.
The comments echo those of Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, the head of northern forces, who said earlier this week that he believes the troops are “ready” for the war in Lebanon, and could start “tonight, if necessary.”
Netanyahu Tells US There Will Be No Palestinian State in Any Post-War Scenario
His comments came after Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the creation of a Palestinian state. Other US officials have floated the idea of linking Israeli-Saudi normalization with the creation of a Palestinian state in the future, but Netanyahu has rejected both ideas.
Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Terrorist Designation of the Houthis
Over the past months, Yemen-based Houthi militants have engaged in unprecedented attacks against United States military forces and international maritime vessels operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism. They have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation. The United States and the international community have been united in our response and in condemning these attacks in the strongest terms.
Today, in response to these continuing threats and attacks, the United States announced the designation of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
Today, in response to these continuing threats and attacks, the United States announced the designation of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist – Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor
UK’s foreign minister worried Israel may have breached international law in Gaza
Britain’s Foreign Minister David Cameron said on Tuesday he was worried that Israel might have breached international law in its war on terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and that though the advice he had received so far was that Israel was compliant, there were still questions to answer.
South Africa Is Right to Invoke the Genocide Convention Against Israel’s War on Gaza
By the 1920s, Lemkin was formulating the concepts and laws that were articulated in his best-known book, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe (1944). His unpublished manuscripts reveal that he saw colonialism as an integral part of a world history of genocide.
Those manuscripts covered an extremely wide range of cases where European colonial powers were responsible for mass killing, from the Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century and the slaughter of indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand to the German massacre of the Hereros in Namibia a few decades earlier.
Israel-Hamas war will go on for „many more months,“ Netanyahu say
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel‘s war on Hamas in Gaza will continue for „many more months,“ pushing back against persistent international cease-fire calls after mounting civilian deaths, hunger and mass displacement in the besieged enclave.
PM: I’m proud I blocked a Palestinian state. Looking at Gaza, everyone sees what would have happened
At the Tel Aviv press conference, Netanyahu is asked by a reporter why he did not withdraw from the Oslo Accords, given that he keeps criticizing them.
“I inherited the Oslo Accords,” he says. “The decision to bring the PLO from Tunis, and plant it in the heart of Judea and Samaria [West Bank], and in Gaza, was a decision made and implemented before I became prime minister. I thought it was a terrible mistake and I still do.”
Turning on the reporter, he says: “You and your journalist friends have been blaming me for almost 30 years for putting the brakes on the Oslo Accords, and preventing the Palestinian state. That’s true,” he says.
Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan, no Oslo 2 – Netanyahu
“Following an intensive dialogue with President Biden and his team, we received full backing for the ground incursion and blocking the international pressure to stop the war,” Netanyahu said
“Yes, there is disagreement about ‚the day after Hamas‘ and I hope that we will reach an agreement here as well,” he explained.
Israel-Palestine: Gaza and Jenin bombed as Netanyahu braces for ‚possible war‘ with Palestinian Authority
In a recorded statement published on X, Netanyahu said he will not let Israel repeat the “mistake” of the Oslo Accords, and that Gaza will neither be “Hamastan nor Fatahstan”.
Earlier, he was quoted on the Israeli public broadcaster as saying that Israel was preparing for a possible war with the PA in the West Bank.
“It can’t be that after the enormous sacrifice of our citizens and fighters, we will let into Gaza those who teach terror, support terror, finance terror,” he said.
Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior PA and Fatah leader, said Netnayhu’s remarks “confirm his war against all Palestinians”.
FBI chief makes fresh pitch for spy program renewal and says it’d be ‘devastating’ if it lapsed
Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, said that during his 13 years on the committee, he’d pressed multiple FBI directors about civil liberties violations associated with the surveillance program and had repeatedly been given false reassurances about the reforms being put in place.
“Every darn one of them has told me the same thing: ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ve got this taken care of, we’ve got new procedures, it’s going to be different now,’” Lee said. “It’s never different. You haven’t changed.”
China presents 5-point proposal at UNSC on Palestine-Israel issue
Only when the two-state solution is truly and comprehensively implemented can peace in the Middle East be achieved, the countries of Palestine and Israel peacefully coexist, and the Arab and Jewish nations develop together, he said.
The Chinese side calls for the convening of a larger scale, broader and more effective international peace conference, and supports Palestine to become a full member of the UN, Wang added.
Gantz says Jerusalem attack strengthens Israel’s resolve to keep up war on terror
“This terror attack is further proof of our obligation to continue to fight with strength and determination against murderous terrorism, which threatens our citizens. In Jerusalem, Gaza, in Judea and Samaria, and everywhere,” Gantz writes on X, using the biblical name for the West Bank.
The polls keep getting worse for Biden
(25.11.2023)
Biden’s recent slide — and his political predicament some 11 months before Election Day — represent a confluence of slippage with reliable Democratic constituencies like young voters, the outbreak of war in the Middle East and the rise of independent and third-party candidates who could siphon votes from both Biden and Trump.
Argentine Markets React With Optimism to Milei Election
(22.11.2023)
Argentina‘s stock market reacted with optimism Tuesday to the resounding election win by libertarian Javier Milei, despite the country being gripped by uncertainty over what changes the self-described ‚anarcho-capitalist‘ will bring.
In surprise delay, top Netanyahu aide says hostage release ‘not before Friday’
National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi circulated a statement that said the negotiations for the hostages “are constantly progressing” and “the release will begin according to the original agreement between the parties, and not before Friday.”
An Israeli source also said the four-day lull in fighting, per the deal, would be on hold and that Israeli military operations in Gaza would continue as long as the agreement is not finalized, Haaretz reported.
Geheime Liste: Wie der Sicherheitsapparat die Chatkontrolle prägt
Auffällig ist, dass die EU-Kommission von den neun Regierungsvertreter:innen auch zwei von der australischen Bundespolizei einlud. Hintergrund könnte hier sein, dass Australien seit 2019 ein Gesetz gegen sichere Verschlüsselung anwendet. Australien gehört wie das Vereinigte Königreich, die USA, Neuseeland und Kanada zum Geheimdienstverbund „Five Eyes“.
Israel-Palestine crisis: Gaza’s north cut off from aid; death toll rising
(November 2, 2023)
OCHA stressed that as Israeli ground operations and bombardments in northern Gaza continued, “among the deadliest incidents” were heavy airstrikes hitting Jabalia Refugee Camp on Wednesday “for the second day in a row and within less than 24 hours”. The strikes reportedly destroyed multiple residential buildings and killed “dozens”, OCHA said.
The UN human rights office OHCHR noted on Wednesday that given the high number of civilian deaths and injuries in Gaza “and the scale of the destruction following Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp, we have serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes.“
Projectile flying horizontally hits French news agency’s Gaza bureau, causes damage
(Today, 6:48 pm)
Asking a question at Secretary of State Blinken’s press conference earlier today, AFP’s Leon Bruneau described the incident as “apparently a missile strike.”
Pentagon confirms that US conducting drone flights over Gaza to locate hostages
(Today, 5:25 pm)
“In support of hostage recovery efforts, the US is conducting unarmed UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partner as they work on their hostage recovery efforts,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder says in a statement.
US and Israel Weigh Peacekeepers for the Gaza Strip After Hamas
(October 31, 2023)
The US and Israel are exploring options for the future of the Gaza Strip, including the possibility of a multinational force that may involve American troops if Israeli forces succeed in ousting Hamas, people familiar with the matter said.
NEWS: Officials exploring future options for Gaza, including oversight by countries from region, possibly backed by troops from US, UK, Germany, France, sources tell @PeterMartin_PCM & me.
(31.10.2023)
Or: peacekeeping force modeled on MFO. Or: temporary UN governance.
Likud Minister Formulates Emergency Regulations to Imprison Citizens Who ‚Harm National Morale‘
Communications Minister Karhi is promoting regulations that would allow him to direct police to arrest civilians, remove them from their homes, or seize their property if he believes they have spread information that could harm national morale or served as the basis for enemy propaganda
Bericht über neue Verzögerung auf Langzeitbaustelle Stuttgart 21
(heute)
Das Projekt werde voraussichtlich auch im Jahr 2025 noch nicht in vollem Umfang in Betrieb genommen werden können, berichtete der „Spiegel“ heute unter Verweis auf interne Dokumente der Deutschen Bahn (DB). Außerdem stiegen die Gesamtkosten um weitere 614 Millionen Euro auf rund 9,8 Milliarden Euro.
Warum Bluesky gerade durch die Decke geht – und was Mastodon daraus lernen kann
„In vielen Fällen siegt Usability über hehre Netz-Ideale.“ Viele Menschen seien eben keine Technik-Afficionados, denen Open Source oder eine nicht-kommerzielle Ausrichtung digitaler Angebote ein Herzensanliegen ist. Solche idealistischen, nicht-kommerziellen Angebote fänden zwar viele in der Theorie gut, in der Praxis setzten sich aber oft jene Angebote durch, die besonders leicht zu benutzen sind und die bereits von vielen Bekannten im eigenen Umfeld genutzt würden.