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© Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Battles rage across Gaza as Israel indicates it's willing to fight for months or more to beat Hamas
By WAFAA SHURAFA, NAJIB JOBAIN and SAMY MAGDY DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
51 Comments
kurisupisu
Thousands of innocent people dead in Gaza.
Hundreds of thousands of innocent people wounded in Gaza.
Little food and unsanitary conditions.
Millions of people unable to escape.
It’s a massacre….
Redemption
Sadly with this momentum and opportunity Israel has no choice but to eradicate Hamas now.
Fighto!
There is zero chance death cult Hamas can militarily win, despite ludicrous claims by some they are "winning". Their ammunution is exhausted and will not be replenished.
If the leaders of Hamas actually cared for the Palestinian people - highly doubtful - they would lay down their arms and give themselves up. Hiding behind human shields is despicable.
Legrande
The United States has lent vital support in recent days by vetoing a United Nations Security Council effort to end the fighting and pushing through an emergency sale of over $100 million worth of tank ammunition to Israel.
Leaves no doubt as to who the main enabler of the homicide is.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Because you couldn't look up all of the previous resolutions about Israel the US has vetoed?
Toblerone
It has to be done and it will be done. Hamas will be totally annihilated.
Aly Rustom
The war has raised tensions across the Middle East, with Lebanon's Hezbollah trading fire with Israel along the border and other Iran-backed militant groups targeting the U.S. in Syria and Iraq. Israeli artillery, drone, and airstrikes over Lebanon border towns intensified.
This is not going to end well for Israel if this turns into a regional war, which it is slowly inching closer to.
Exactly.
zibala
Israel has to do whatever it takes, by all means, to destroy this terrorist group and its supporters who burn and behead babies, rape young girls, the elderly and the disabled.
International law allows Israel to continue carrying out its operations, which have taken into consideration the safety of civilians.
Hamas and its supporters are responsible for the minimal civilian casualties that have taken place in Gaza. Those terrorist groups are committing wars against humanity in a daily basis by keeping hostages and launching rocket and missile attacks intentionally aimed at civilians in Israel.
Toblerone
Hamas and its supporters are responsible for the minimal civilian casualties that have taken place in Gaza. Those terrorist groups are committing wars against humanity in a daily basis by keeping hostages and launching rocket and missile attacks intentionally aimed at civilians in Israel.
Exactly. And theres never a mention of that from the Aly Rustoms of the world.
TokyoLiving
Hamas stared this..
They must be finished..
Aly Rustom
Because people like me know what they are talking about and are not IGNORANT enough to think that history started on October 7
Fighto!
Death cult supporters attempting to crack jokes.
Fail.
zibala
Are these supposed to be jokes?
These sick, antisemitic expressions show why the people committing the crimes against humanity need to be eliminated in Gaza, and why civilized countries such as Israel and the US support these defensive measures, despite Hamas and its supporters whining about things like water shortages and no electricity.
GuruMick
No I''m not "anti Semitic " and I wouldn't play that card.
I'm anti genocide of the Palestinian people.
However , glad I raised a few hackles.
Kurumazaka 2
Zibala, minimal civilian casualties and whining?
you’re complaining about bad jokes?
Aly Rustom
And just so that everyone knows, here is the update on the Israeli position-
On the 2nd of December Israel OFFICIALLY dropped the allegations of rape. The 40 beheaded babies have been scaled down to 1 dead baby NOT beheaded AND (this is the official Israeli) position "killed by persons unknown."
Other updates on the casualties-
2/3 of the Israeli casualties were military personnel.
the killers of the remaining 1/3 are confirmed to be in part the IDF.
This is the Israeli official position since Dec 2.
Antiquesaving
Did they?
Israel has been killing Palestinians with impunity for decades 2009 to October 7th this year alone well over 6000 with over half being women and children, with 2500 of those killed in not conflicts and 1,000 killed in the west bank non Hamas territory.
Over 5000 Palestinians are in "special detention" at any given time without charges without lawyer without trial and the few that do get a trial it is a secret military one!
Israeli settlers have killed over 600 Palestinians this year alone with 300 prior to October 7th and not one has ever been charged including the ones that killed an old man in a wheelchair and burned his house down took his farm land!
Israel claims they don't have jurisdiction but then the IDF blocks Palestinian authority police from even talking to the settlers.
Who are the terrorists? Hamas.
Who are the racist fascist? Israel!
Sanjinosebleed
Absolutely disgusting that the war criminals in the IDF can be given a black cheque from the US to continue this genocide. They have slaughtered over 12000 children an women along with displacing millions and bombed schools and hospitals! War crimes which should be prosecuted!
Aly Rustom
So you're saying people should be killed for making jokes?
u_s__reamer
To pardon my French and paraphrase the famous, "C'est magnifique mais c'est pas la guerre!" (It's magnificent, but it's not war!), what has been unrolling in Gaza day and night for the last two months before the eyes of the world is not a war, it's a massacre. The powers-that-be in the West who are aiding and abetting this slaughter which was no more necessary than the destruction of Dresden show less concern for the human suffering and more exercised over the definition of antisemitism, gaslighting voters with their sophistry and hypocrisy while criticising, banning and canceling public manifestations of support for the Palestinians who are being exterminated like vermin in Gaza and the West Bank. Our inhumanity reveals itself in seeing their lives only as numbers and feeling nothing. Himmler in a speech admitting to the hard task of the SS (extermination of Jews and other minorities) told his audience that, despite their demanding work , they had remained "decent". I see no difference between Himmler's "decency" and that of American and European leaders and politicians who actively support, aid and abet Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in plain sight (no degree in international law needed to recognize the criminal conduct of Netanyahu's minions in Gaza's living hell). History will not judge these hypocrites kindly.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Really? That's not what this says:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67629181
You should read it if you are convinced Hamas are just perfect gentlemen.
Aly Rustom
The BBC?? the one run by Rupert Murdoch? Yeah.
Please do not put words in my mouth. I quoted the official Israeli postion. Nice try though.
zibala
Is that your interpretation? I would not be surprised though, as you are cheering jokes about massacred civilians.
But what the position of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, and the US is that Hamas must be eliminated, and that Hamas using civilians as human shields is a war crime.
Do you agree using civilians as human shields is a war crime?
Aly Rustom
Really? YOU are the one cheering the massacre of civilians, not me.
the postion of Israel is that every Palestinian is Hamas even the babies
No one believes that crap anymore.
zibala
I never read there were 40 beheaded babies--except from you.
And the Israeli police said, on December 7, it has documented dozens of violent rape incidents.
Since you are trying to downplay the massacre committed by Hamas and its supporters in which over 1400 people were murdered or kidnapped, what about the al-Ahli Arab hospital? Were 500 people killed in an explosion there?
Antiquesaving
Civilized?
The USA lied about Vietnam caused the deaths 3 million, lied about Iraq caused 3 deaths of 1 million, etc.... Israel created Palestinian ghettos, blockes clean water, food, medical supplies, construction materials, Israeli settlers occupy Palestinian land and take more each year with settlers using weapons supplied by the IDF to forcibly take more increasing the settlements since the Oslo supposed freeze at 114 to over 279 today.
Israel detains at any given time over 5000 Palestinians without charges or trial for months to years, no lawyers no contract!
Israel has killed over 6000 unarmed Palestinians between 2009 and October 7th settlers have kill 600 this year alone and the Palestinian authority cannot even arrest them because the IDF won't let them.
21% of Israel's population is Arab only 8% of elected Knesset members are Arabs and there has never been an Arab cabinet member.
Israel has for the first time in 2023 put a single Arab on the Arab affairs committee that has 18 cabinet member and one Arab now!
Arabs Israeli are prohibited from certain jobs and positions under "security" reasons, Arabs are the vast majority of those living in poverty, etc...
Civilized? Israel is a fascist government based on race/religion and those in charge have openly called for ethnic cleansing including the Arab citizens of Israel!
This is what you call civilized!
Aly Rustom
Then you don't keep up with the news. Netanyahu said it.
This has already been retracted
And YOU are downplaying the massacre committed by Israel in which more children ALONE have died than ALL the people on Oct 7 say nothing of the women and elderly.
No. Those were initial reports which were retracted shortly afterwards. And unlike you, I am not still trying to peddle that incident as truth
Aly Rustom
I never read there were 40 beheaded babies--except from you.
One member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who had responded to the site said in an interview with i24NEWS that 40 children had been killed, with some beheaded by Hamas.[17][18] CBS News later interviewed Yossi Landau, regional head of the first responder organization ZAKA, who said that both babies and minors had been beheaded alongside corpses of dismembered adults.[19] Landau later stated to Sky News that 80% of the bodies at Kfar Aza and at Be'eri showed signs of torture.[20]
A statement that a number of babies were decapitated was also made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson, and the most high-profile claim was repeated by U.S. President Joe Biden, who claimed to have seen photographic evidence for it.[21][22] The White House later denied Biden had seen photographic images, and clarified that he was referring to media reports and statements by Netanyahu.[23][22]
The IDF stated to **Business Insider that they would not investigate the allegation further, asserting that it would be "disrespectful for the dead" to do so.[24] Netanyahu's office released photos of dead babies, saying they were killed and burned in the attack.[25] The Jerusalem Post stated that these images which were posted on Twitter/X and shown to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, confirmed that babies were decapitated,[26] while NBC News and CNN reported that claims of beheading could not be confirmed.[27][23] Nevertheless, the reporter from i24NEWS maintains her stance, affirming that she personally witnessed the gruesome scenes.[28] Forensic investigators said that they had seen evidence of decapitated people, including babies, but stated that it was unclear whether the decapitations happened before or after death, and that the decapitations could have resulted from the use of rocket propelled grenades, rather than as a result of intentional cutting with a blade.[29][30]**
The claim that 40 babies had been decapitated gained widespread attention on social media, with over 40 million impressions on X (formerly Twitter), propagated by the Israeli website i24NEWS and the official Israel account. The claim received front-page news coverage on almost a dozen British newspapers. NBC News stated that the report was likely erroneous, and based on the conflation of two separate statements made by IDF soldiers.[23] Haaretz also said the story was false. Only two minors, Yiftach Kutz, 14, and his brother, Yonatan, 16, were named as killed in Kfar Azza, and none of them were decapitated.[31]
Misinformation in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war - Wikipedia
TaiwanIsNotChina
The BBC is run by Richard Sharp. Not sure what you are going on about dragging Rupert Murdoch into this.
Post the link then. I'm sure it is absolute garbage or something like they are still assessing the Hamas sex crimes.
Aly Rustom
A BBC article is not proof of anything. It is one biased reporter's claims. I wouldn't trust the BBC any more than RT.
I did in the above post
there is ALOT of misinformation about the attacks on that day.
Mark
HAMAS has already WON this conflict and anything it gains from this day on is just an ICING ON THE CAKE.
This is the first time in Israel's history to face a real Palestinian fighting force and it is NOT even a well equipped or trained army YET
Hamas has proven to the world that Palestinians are capable of defending themselves with just AK47's RPG, and Handguns and all they need at this point is the Amo. and the TIME to liberate Palestine.
Antiquesaving
Israel prior to October 7th has kidnapped over 6000 Palestinians half from the west bank and has been doing this for decades, Israeli IDF and settlers have killed over 1000 Palestinians before October 7th this year alone.
No charges, no trial, no contact not lawyer for those 6,000 plus in custody prior to October 7th!
So let's count 1400 killed by Hamas on October 7th, another 350 killed between 2009 and October 7th and around 500 hostages!
Israel has killed over 6,000 prior to October 7th kidnapped 6000 this year alone prior to October 7th.
As for hospitals etc...
Israel has killed more than 500 in a single attack on UN facilities throughout the decades, and has a habit of targeting these places and refugee camps even the UN said has no weapons or armed groups in or near we can start with The Qana massacre took place on April 18, 1996, and go up and up from there with Israel committing similar atrocities over and over again!
For every drop of innocent blood on Hamas hands Israel and the IDF have several litres of innocent blood on theirs!
stormcrow
The Israelis are not going to stop pounding Gaza as long as Hamas exists there.
It’s time for Hamas to release the hostages, give themselves up and stand trial for their heinous crimes.
Aly Rustom
Exactly! Well said !
Mark
Israel Has Failed to accomplish each and everyone of it's goals.
Not a single hostage was freed during the fighting.
Hamas is still on the ground fighting an ARMY and inflecting damages daily.
Rockets are still being fired at Israel weekly.
The so called strongest army in the middle east is struggling to hold ground while up against a Militia.
Just Imagine what could the Palestinians do with Tanks and war planes?
Fuji Matsu
HamasIsISIS and has to be eliminated.
HamasIsISIS and is responsible for this war.
Even Gazans are fighting HamasIsISIS because they block any humanitarian aid from reaching the people from Gaza who actually need it.
HamasIsISIS raped, murdered, burnt babies, children, women and elderly.
HamasIsISIS is still holding babies, children, women, elderly hostages under inhuman conditions. Torture, rape and block them from their medicines
HamasIsISIS and has to be eliminated!
Fighto!
What use could a warplane be to them? They have no airport!
There is no physical way death cult Hamas can suddenly be gifted tanks and large artillery. Look at a map.
If death cult Hamas is fighting so well, why on earth are the Palestinians calling for a permanent ceasefire? There is no need for a ceasefire at all in that case, they are clearly on top.
Cat Stevens
MarkToday 10:19 am JST
HAMAS has already WON this conflict and anything it gains from this day on is just an ICING ON THE CAKE.
This is the first time in Israel's history to face a real Palestinian fighting force and it is NOT even a well equipped or trained army YET
Hamas has proven to the world that Palestinians are capable of defending themselves with just AK47's RPG, and Handguns and all they need at this point is the Amo. and the TIME to liberate Palestine.
I guess your definition of winning is different then mine. Attacking innocent civilians is defending yourself?Maybe my Karate sensei was wrong......
Antiquesaving
Hamas doesn't run the West Bank, so why has Israel been killing thousands there?
This year alone over one thousand including the settlers killing with impunity and IDF blessings!
Hamas took around 500 hostages! Israel holds over 6,000 no charges no trial no lawyer most taken illegally in raids on Palestinian territory 1/3 children, and half from the West Bank even getting into gun battles with Palestinian authority police!
So Hamas are terrorist, Israel are state terrorists with the IDF it's armed wing and Mossad as the controller!
Cat Stevens
AntiquesavingToday 10:04 am JST
21% of Israel's population is Arab only 8% of elected Knesset members are Arabs and there has never been an Arab cabinet member.
Men make up 50% of the population, yet are a fraction of the total amount of kindergarten teachers worldwide. White people make up for over 60% of the US population, yet in the NBA, only amount to about 17% of the players. Asians make up a fraction of the total US population and yet are at the top for all metrics of success, education and wealth. What's your point?
Arabs Israeli are prohibited from certain jobs and positions under "security" reasons, Arabs are the vast majority of those living in poverty, etc...
While your second point is true, (I fail to see what relevance this has...this point could be applied to pretty much every single country in the world) I could not find a single source saying Arab Israelis are prohibited from certain jobs, other than Arab Israelis are not required by law to be drafted into the army, which I agree, is not fair to non-arab Israelis. If you are a citizen, you should have to participate. Do you have a link you could provide?
Speed
Hamas should've never slaughtered people on Oct 7th. They brought this on their own people whom they claim to represent.
John-San
I rises over $1500 for The Palestine cause. I went on the net and order TP roll with chairman Net and Star of David printed on every sheet I then replace all the TP rolls in the local public toilets no complaints yet
Chabbawanga
The plot thickens with every passing day. In an interview with the only Bieri kibbutz survivor she admits that the deaths of the 14 hostages were actually at the hands of the IDF
https://www.uncaptured.media/p/fresh-testimony-reveals-how-israel
Chabbawanga
They are still investigating. And they refuse any independent bodies access to the evidence.
The official in charge of the investigation, Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, shared images of dead Kurdish militia on Twitter and tried to pass them off as raped Israeli hostages. Why would she need to do that if there is so much actual evidence she could have shared?
Aly Rustom
Exactly!
zibala
Those darn Americans!
Cake? I hope Hamas enjoys their last meal.
So you agree Israel was not responsible for the deaths of 500 people, as Hamas first reported, yet you are trying to blame Israel for 17,000 deaths reported by Hamas.
First rule of this war--don't believe Hamas.
It's not. Look at the rule above---don't believe Hamas.
But let's look at the facts. Hamas murdered and kidnapped 1400 people, and as a result, Israel is in the process of eliminating Hamas and its supporters, and there is nothing anyone or any country in the world can do.
Because deep down, every country was horrified by Hamas' barbaric acts of burning and beheading babies, raping the elderly and the disabled. All unprovoked attacks intentionally targeting civilians, while Israel complies with international laws, which is why no one in Israel is going to be charged with war crimes.
No mercy.
Aly Rustom
Yes. Unfortunately for you, social media shows us EVERYTHING. We can it with our own eyes
zibala
So you saw Hamas' own videos of their murderous attacks on civilians in Israel.
That's why the world is not interfering with Israel's self-defense measures, which are complying with international laws.
And that's why we saw that Hamas was hiding an AK-47 in a Teddy Bear doll.
owzer
Palestine / Hamas should have let sleeping dogs lie.
Aly Rustom
Really?? what about YOUR very first post??
u_s__reamer
Hitler used the fake attack in Gleiwitz on the Germany's eastern border as an excuse to launch a "counter-attack" on Poland. The Oct 7 military operation of Hamas to attack occupying Israeli forces (legal) and take hostages (illegal) has been used by Netanyahu with help from pro-Israel western governments and media in a deliberate but transparent campaign of outrageous lies and propaganda to justify the IDF's genocidal, liquidation of the Gaza Ghetto. Only power prevents the application of international law that would see many famous names sent to the Hague and locked up for life.