Hamas launches war on Israel

[Jimbuna]

Hamas leader shrugs off the news his three sons were killed by IDF

Chilling video shows the moment top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh hears for the first time that his t hree sons and 'several' grandchildren have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. A deeply distressed voice can be heard delivering the news to the group's top political leader, sobbing as he says: 'Hazem, Mohammed and Amir have been killed, along with their children.' Haniyeh barely flinches as he hears the information, and remains composed as he nods and takes it in before slowly walking out of the room. 'God rest their souls,' he says, before he is asked by an aide: 'Shall we end the visit?'

The Hamas chief nonchalantly responds: 'No, why? Let's continue,' as he walks to the door, followed by his entourage and officials. The group were meeting wounded Palestinians at a hospital in Qatar, where Haniyeh lives in exile. Haniyeh's family members are said to have been killed in a fatal strike near the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Israel claims Mohammed and Hazem were two Hamas military operatives, while the third, Amir, was a cell commander. Haniyeh, 61, who has 13 sons and daughters according to Hamas sources, later confirmed the news to Al Jazeera, telling the broadcaster: 'I am grateful to God for the honor he has given me in the deaths of three of my children and a few of my grandchildren. My sons were awarded this honor. They remained with our Palestinian people in Gaza, did not leave and did not run,' he said, adding: 'The blood of my sons is not dearer than the blood of our people.'

The terror leader hit out at Israel , stating they are 'driven by the spirit of revenge' as he claimed around 60 members of his family have been killed since the start of the war. Hama later said that four of Haniyeh's grandchildren, named as Mona, Amal, Khaled and Razan, were among those killed in what they described as the 'treacherous and cowardly' strike. The Israeli military did not comment on the reports. A report today has suggested that Israeli forces carried out the air strike without consulting senior commanders or political leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Quoting senior Israeli officials, Walla news agency said neither Netanyahu nor Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had been told in advance of the strike, which was coordinated by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet intelligence service. It said Amir, Mohammad and Hazem Haniyeh had been targeted as fighters and not because they were the sons of Hamas's political leader. No comment on the Walla report was immediately available from the prime minister's office or the military. The IDF claimed that the trio were 'en route to carry out terror activity in the area of central Gaza' when they were hit by the strike. Pictures purporting to show Hazem, Amir and Mohammed Haniyeh have been circulating on Palestinian media channels.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...&ei=18#image=7

[Jimbuna]

US fears most of the hostages held by Hamas could be dead

The United States fears Hamas may not have enough live hostages to secure a deal that leads to a Gaza ceasefire, reports suggest. Israel has demanded the return of at least 40 captives if there was going to be a pause in fighting.

But new reports state that most of those taken during the October 7 terrorist attack may already be dead. International negotiators have been involved in intense talks to reach a deal that leads to a six-week ceasefire. But the troubling latest reports have sparked more alarm bells and could derail future negotiations.

Israeli Defense Forces fear there could be twice as many hostages dead as the 34 who are believed to have died in captivity, the Wall Street Journal reported. Families now face the prospect of never seeing their loved ones again, as the U.S, desperately tries to cut a deal and civilian casualties pile up in Gaza.

Israel has rejected claims they haven't made the safe return of hostages a priority as it continued its strikes and counter offensives. Hostages who have been released in the six months since the war began have shared their harrowing experiences.

They include being [sexually assaulted], beaten and having surgeries done by those holding them captive. Their families have campaigned furiously for their freedom and were this week at the White House petitioning Kamala Harris.

Harris met with family members of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza Tuesday who said they weren't interested in expressions of incremental results. 'We don't want any more progress. We want results,' said Rachel Goldberg (center), mother of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Like other family members of hostages taken in the brazen Oct. 7 attack, Goldberg wore a piece of tape with the number 186 signifying the number of days in captivity. Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen appealed to all sides to reach a deal which 'the horror – the horror – that the civilians of Gaza have been experienced, we've been experiencing for the last six months, to come to an end.'

'There is hope for people on both sides of the border - only after the hostages come home,' he said. 'We are waiting now in the world waits for Hamas to get to yes ... And we all of us will see shortly if Hamas cares enough about its own people, its own people, to say nothing of our loved ones to move towards de-escalation to returning the light to everyone in and around Gaza,' he said.

The Israeli Defense Forces say there are 133 hostages remaining in Gaza as the war continues. Goldberg spoke of the eight Americans held in Gaza, as well as people 'we don't hear about' – including eight Muslim Arabs, seven Thai Buddhists, and two black African Christians.

Earlier at the White House, national security advisor Jake Sullivan sought to pressure Hamas to accept a deal negotiated in Cairo that would include a temporary cease fire and the release of hostages. 'You have a party who is holding innocent people that it took hostage a long time ago doesn't get a lot of attention, unfortunately, in the commentary,' he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...&ei=37#image=6

[Jimbuna]

US restricts travel for diplomats in Israel amid fears of Iran attack

The United States has restricted travel for its embassy personnel in Israel amid fears of an attack by Iran.

The US embassy said staff had been told not to travel outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Beersheba areas "out of an abundance of caution".

Iran has vowed to retaliate, blaming Israel for a strike on its consulate in Syria 11 days ago, killing 13 people.

UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has phoned his Iranian counterpart to urge against further escalation.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the consulate attack but is widely considered to have been behind it.

Iran backs Hamas, the armed Palestinian group fighting Israel in Gaza, as well as various proxy groups throughout the region, including some - such as Hezbollah in Lebanon - that frequently carry out strikes against the Israelis.

Those killed in the consulate attack included a senior commander of Iran's elite Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, as well as other military figures.

The attack came at a time of continuing diplomatic efforts to prevent the war in Gaza spreading across the region.

Speaking on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden warned Iran was threatening to launch a "significant attack" and vowed to offer "ironclad" support to Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was ready to meet any security challenge, warning that Israel would harm any country that caused it harm.

"We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively," he said.

The commander responsible for US operations in the Middle East, Erik Kurilla, has travelled to Israel for talks with officials on security threats.

The Pentagon said the visit had been scheduled previously but had been brought forward "due to recent developments".

Following a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Lord Cameron said he had "made clear... that Iran must not draw the Middle East into a wider conflict".

"I am deeply concerned about the potential for miscalculation leading to further violence," he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to the foreign ministers of China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to argue that further escalation is not in anyone's interest.

Following the call, China urged the US to play "a constructive role" in the Middle East, while also condemning the strike widely believed to have been carried out by Israel on Iran's consulate building in Damascus.

It is not clear what form any reprisal attack would take nor whether it would come directly from Iran or via one of its proxies.

On Sunday an Iranian official warned Israel's embassies were "no longer safe", suggesting a consulate building could be a possible target.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has told his US counterpart that "any direct Iranian attack" on Israeli territory would "require an appropriate Israeli response against Iran".

Asked about the travel restrictions on Thursday, state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said he would not disclose the "specific assessments" behind them, but added: "Clearly we are monitoring the threat environment in the Middle East and specifically in Israel."

The UK Foreign Office has also updated its travel advice for Israel to state that the country's government has raised the "possibility of an attack on Israeli territory from Iran, and that such an attack could trigger wider escalation".

Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October, the Foreign Office has warned against travel to large parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

France similarly warned its citizens to "imperatively refrain from travel in the coming days to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories".

Family members of French diplomats in Iran are being evacuated.

German airline Lufthansa has extended a suspension of flights to the Iranian capital Tehran until Saturday.

The October attack saw gunmen kill 1,200 people and take more than 250 hostage after crossing into Israel from Gaza.

Israel says that of 130 hostages still in Gaza, at least 34 are dead.

More than 33,000 Gazans, the majority of them civilians, have been killed during Israel's subsequent offensive in Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68795021

[Jimbuna]

[mapuc]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Commandos from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled down from a helicopter onto an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and seized the vessel Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks between the two countries.

https://abcnews.go.com/International...rmuz-109196167

Markus

[Jimbuna]

West Bank: Palestinian man killed after Israeli boy goes missing

A Palestinian man has been killed in the occupied West Bank and 25 are reported hurt after dozens of Jewish settlers stormed a village during an Israeli search for a missing teenager.

Israeli troops intervened after dozens of settlers stormed al-Mughayyir armed with guns and stones.

It is not yet clear whether the man who died, Jehad Abu Alia, 26, was shot by an armed settler or Israeli soldier.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said live fire hit at least eight people.

Missing Benjamin Ahimeir, 14, has not been found. A huge search is under way.

Local media said the circumstances around the teenager's disappearance were still unknown and the military was not sure if the incident was terrorism-related. Troops have set up roadblocks in the area.

Israeli media reported that Benjamin Achimeir had left "Gal Farm" in the settler outpost of Malachei Shalom early on Friday, and had not been seen since.

He had been grazing sheep, and the sheep returned to the farm without him, police said. His sister Hannah, quoted by AFP news agency, said he was familiar with the area.

Separately, Israeli forces shot and killed two West Bank Palestinians.

One was confirmed by Hamas to be a local commander of the group. The Israeli military say Mohammed Daraghmeh was killed in a shoot-out with their troops.

There has been a surge in violence in the West Bank since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas's deadly attacks in Israel on 7 October, which killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

At al-Mughayyir, videos posted on X by an Israeli human rights group, Yesh Din, show dark clouds of smoke billowing from burning cars next to an olive orchard, as gunshots are heard. Social media pictures also show what appears to be a crowd of masked settlers.

The father of Jehad Abu Alia, the 26-year-old who was shot, spoke from a hospital in Ramallah, where Jehad's body had been taken. "My son went with others to defend our land and honour, and this is what happened," Afif Abu Alia said.

The IDF says its troops, and not settlers, opened fire at stone-throwing Palestinians as "violent disturbances erupted at several points in the area".

Troops managed to remove the settlers who had entered the village, it said.

"As of this moment, the violent riots have been dispersed and there are no Israeli civilians present within the town," the IDF said.

The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammad Mustafa, has condemned the attack.

Foreign governments including Israel's closest ally, the US, have repeatedly raised concerns over a surge in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank since Israel began its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Israel has built about 160 settlements housing some 700,000 Jews since it occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. The vast majority of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel and the US dispute this.

The Palestinian health ministry says at least 460 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since 7 October.

Israeli sources say at least 13 Israelis have been killed there by Palestinians in the same period.

The surge in West Bank violence has prompted the US, UK and France to impose sanctions on some settlers for the first time.

But the casualties there are dwarfed by the Gaza war: more than 33,600 Gazans, the majority of them civilians, have been killed during Israel's campaign, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

On 7 October gunmen also took more than 250 people hostage. Israel says that of 130 hostages still in Gaza, at least 34 are dead.

The latest violence comes as Israel remains on high alert after US officials warned of an imminent Iranian strike against Israel. Iran has vowed to retaliate for last week's deadly air strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria, in which several senior Iranian military figures died.

Israel has not commented but is widely considered to have carried out that attack targeting the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68803939

[Skybird]

Nothing is certain an dnothing is confirmed, but it seems the Iranian retaliatory attack has started. Dozens of missiles/drones were reported to be in transit to Israel, and dozens of Israeli fighter jets and support aircraft are operating in midair.

The situation is unclear at present. But something is going on. Question is whether it is background noise or the expected big thing.

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Nothing is certain an dnothing is confirmed, but it seems the Iranian retaliatory attack has started. Dozens of missiles/drones were reported to be in transit to Israel, and dozens of Israeli fighter jets and support aircraft are operating in midair.

The situation is unclear at present. But something is going on. Question is whether it is background noise or the expected big thing.

What is the source of those missiles/drones? Iran or Lebanon? Np got the intel:

• Iran confirms 'massive' drone attack, believed to involve over 50 drones launched towards Israel.
• Attack reportedly includes missiles.
• Iranian sources claim drones have also been launched from Yemen.
• Airspace of Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan set to be shut or already have been.
• Iraqi security sources confirm Iranian drone activity over the country.
• Israeli military and air defenses on high alert.
• Israeli war cabinet has convened, Biden set to meet with senior security officials.
• First direct Iranian attack on Israeli territory

[mapuc]

Now we await the arrival of the missiles and drones AND the Israeli response

Which will come

Markus

[Dargo]

According to Channel 12 TV, Iran has launched a total of about a hundred drones and missiles. Some of these are said to have already been shot down over Syria and Jordan. Former Israeli General Amos Yadlin said on Israel's Channel 12 television channel that the drones are each equipped with 20 kilograms of explosives. According to Yadlin, Israeli anti-aircraft units are ready to shoot down the drones.

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Dargo

According to Channel 12 TV, Iran has launched a total of about a hundred drones and missiles. Some of these are said to have already been shot down over Syria and Jordan.

According to the news here Iran has send a warning to these two countries to not open their airspace

Does any of you know where USA standpoint is ?

Markus

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by mapuc

According to the news here Iran has send a warning to these two countries to not open their airspace

Does any of you know where USA standpoint is ?

Markus

The US has warned Iran to not do it, think reaction will be big. U.S. Air Force fighter jets are reportedly working over Iraq in an attempt to intercept Iranian drones flying toward Israel. Jordan's air defense is ready to intercept and shoot down any Iranian drones or aircraft that violate its airspace. This is reported by Reuters news agency based on regional security sources. According to the same sources, the Jordanian army is in a high state of readiness. Radar systems are said to monitor drones.

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Dargo

The US has warned Iran to not do it, think reaction will be big.

Time will tell

It all depend on further development af the situation between Iran and Israel I think.

Markus

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by mapuc

Time will tell

It all depend on further development af the situation between Iran and Israel I think.

Markus

The region is already reacting that includes the US their planes are in the air to counter the threat, this is the war I talked about before, the Gaza conflict became a regional war today. Al-Arabiya reports that US and British forces are engaged in intercepting drones over Syria and Iraq. Egypt's air defense is on highest alert. Jordan and Saudi Arabia are also involved in intercepting drones. ABS News reports that cruise missiles have been launched from Iraq. Forces from Bashar al-Assad's army have launched a number of rockets from Syrian territory towards the Golan Heights. Iranian media says ballistic missiles have been fired towards Israel. Iran is trying to disable Israel's air defense systems. Israel's air defense systems are under cyberattack.

[em2nought]

Stolen elections have consequences.