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© Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Israel moves into Gaza's second-largest city and intensifies strikes in bloody new phase of the war
By WAFAA SHURAFA, JACK JEFFERY and SAMY MAGDY DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
69 Comments
sakurasuki
The whole world watching in silent.
GuruMick
Hmm."..total dominance over the region " is the root cause of the conflict.
Cant see more of the same achieving anything new.
Anyone factoring some justice for Palestinian people in their gung ho assessments ?
Sanjinosebleed
Absolutely disgusting that western govts and politicians are silent over this genocide because they are scared to be labelled antisemitic and face the concerted efforts of Zionist organisations like AIPAC to have them voted out at the next election!
The world stood up to apartheid in Sth Africa, it is time the war criminals is Israel get the same treatment! Sanction Israel and bring war crime charges against the IDf child killers!
Antiquesaving
I noticed you regularly avoid any real reply or comment in the facts that long before Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th Israel has been killing Palestinian civilians not Hamas but civilians including over 3000 women and children, including 1000 in the West Bank, including 2500 not involved in any conflict at the time!
You are upset about Hamas taking hostages, but silent on the over 5,000 held by Israel most taken in raids on the west Bank held without charges in black whole facilities. Oh and one third are children under 18.
Funny how you condemn Hanas taking hostages but support Israel doing the same, funny how you condemn Hanas but Israeli settlers killing old men in wheelchairs and taking his land is fine with you!
You have a very selective outrage!
elephant200
This tragedy and biased view is brought you by America under Biden administration. You will witness the armed israeli settlers resettling back in Gaza strip. For your country prosperity and safety, never believe anything spoken by American politicians or their news medias!
Yrral
No Palestinian Justice No Israelis Peace,Jews will live and reap what they sowed forever, Israel is an occupation army,it has always been and will eventually be brought to it knees
Yrral
NCIS,they been reacting, everyday the state of Israel was established,now that the world is reacting in support of the people of Palestinian
CharlieCroker
I find the whole thing uterly repulsive. History will not judge the West well this. Is double standards, shocking that our elected leaders turn a blind eye. In the long term (has already happened), will just have less faith the people who are supposed to govern on our behalf.
garypen
ALL countries are "fake countries". The borders and governments were all created by people. Do you think those lines on maps are natural formations?
Asnoxeum
Sympathizers can continue to hide their heads in the sand about the reality of Israel, but the course of time will bring about the truth.
Antiquesaving
Again you try deflecting.
Yes Hamas does care about the west bank and that is why support was increasing there in recent years because the people saw nothing change since Oslo.
You think those that Hamas want released are only from Gaza?
OK Hamas is a terrorist group if you want to say. But Israel is supposed to be a civilized country, and if it was it would adhere to its agreements which it hasn't on every level.
And countries other than Israel that act this way we call terrorist states!
If Iran, North Korea, Syria did the things Israel did and does we would call it state sponsored terrorism!
Two faced, double standards hypocrisy.
Asnoxeum
Yeah, so just level the entire region regardless of who is there! /s
Antiquesaving
You mean Palestinians or should I say Arabs?
You know those non people you and the rest of Americans like you don't like!
There aren't 1500 Hamas but that is how many Israel has killed this time around!
Before October 7th israelis killed over 6000 Palestinians half women and children 2500 during non conflict periods 1000 in the west bank no Hamas involved 600 by illegal settlers on unarmed Palestinians in order to take their land.
In the same period fewer than 400 Israelis were killed.
Who are the real killers and criminals?
Antiquesaving
No one can argue that Hamas are an evil group and are not good for the Palestinians or Israelis.
But why do they exist and why do so many support them?
Well since Hamas took over, no land in Gaza until now has been taken by Israel.
In comparison with the West Bank where Israel despite the Oslo agreement to not expand settlements has taken more and more land, increased the settlements from 114 agreed upon in Oslo to now 279 and nearly doubling the population of settlers.
Since 2009 in the West Bank over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis 600 by settlers mostly elderly, women, children, in order to make them leave to take their land and the IDF protects and arms the settlers. Another nearly 600 Palestinians were killed by IDF and no settlers or IDF member has ever been charged nit even in the killing of an old man in a wheelchair and burning his home down.
This along with the over 5000 other Palestinians killed from 2009 to October 7th over half women and children.
But bad old Hamas and Palestinians in that same period killed fewer than 400 Israelis, strange how so many call Hamas killers when even before this conflict Israel has kill over ten times the number of Palestinians!
Everything above is from the UN, Israeli government and isreali news!
Is Hamas taking Israeli land and putting settlers in Israel?
Has Hamas been raiding Israel since 2009 and taking thousands of people holding them without trial, without charges without lawyer?
No Israel has been doing that, raiding Gaza, east Jerusalem, the west bank and taking students teachers professors businessmen etc..and holding them for months even years without charges and the few they do charge are done in secret military courts without lawyer or defense except a military one, talk about judge jury and executioner all in one!
Israel has violated every human right, ever UN resolutions including annexing land like the Golan heights that is not theirs!
But Hamas hasn't even done 10% of what Israel has despite being an evil group.
So the conclusion is a simple one, Hamas is evil but the IDF the Israeli government are far more evil!
Antiquesaving
Well at least you are honest about your support for ethnic cleansing and genocide!
Free like the west bank? Where Israel has full control oversight on everything including water, food, travel, arbitrary arrests, holding Palestinians without charges or trials for years, expanding settlements from the agreed freeze of 114 at Oslo Toba massive 279 today ( that makes 165 illegal settlements put in the West Bank with IDF help and protection!
You mean this type of "free".
Tell that to the Israeli news that broke this news
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231031-israeli-ministry-drafted-concept-proposal-for-transfer-of-gaza-civilians-to-egypt
"Israeli ministry drafted 'concept' proposal for transfer of Gaza civilians to Egypt"
And the fact the present offensive is following the leaked plans to a T.
As opposed to the terrorist attack by the IDF the taking of over 5000 Palestinians held without charges at any given time, the killing of over 6000 Palestinians from 2009 to before October 7th half being children and women 1000 in the west bank 2500 during calm periods!
Let's not forget bombings of UN facilities in Palestinian territories and neighbouring countries!
Funny! Never going to happen because Israel wouldn't be able to used the salted land once it finishes it ethnic cleansing!
Raw Beer
Yes, much of the billions given to israel every year finds its way back in the US where it is used to reward those who support israel or given to the opponents of those who don't support israel. And we also have to wonder who has Epstein's backup data...
Antiquesaving
The Qana massacre took place on April 18, 1996,
That was the first on that location then several more inclined 2006 killing 500.
Israel has a habit of killing journalist, students, hitting refugee camps, hospitals, etc..and even the UN has made it clear no military was present.
Isreal has killed more journalist than In the conflicts in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Kosovo combined!
Before October 7th Israel killed more women and children between 2009 and October 7th by 3 times the total killed by Hamas on October 7th.
Israeli illegal settlers have killed 600 Palestinians this year a record even for them and no investigation no crime because the IDF blocks the PA police from even talking to settlers.
Israel kills with impunity then claim to be the victim
Chabbawanga
Just like the majority of people in Gaza have nothing to do with the actions of Hamas.
Antiquesaving
Liberals!
What are you inventing now?
It didn't have to happen if the right wing like Netanyahu and his right wing support didn't violate human rights, if Israel had actually implemented and followed it's agreement in the Oslo accord.
If the USA and partners told Israel to abide by you and resolutions and not annex the Golan on Heights, if Israel cooperated with the PA instead of blocking every effort to create a functioning society!
If Israel had not let 165 new settlements and nearly half a million new settlers into Palestinian territories and take more land.
Please stop your "left" blaming attempts, this, Hamas, killings, poverty, all of it is from the root cause of the hard right in Israel and USA.
21% of israelis are Arabs, 8% representation in the Knesset, zero in any cabinet!
Even within Israel the Arabs live mostly in poverty, and this is by design.
Raw Beer
The 2,300,000 people of Gaza are hostages. And many of the Palestinians in israeli prison were never charged with a crime.
Yes, I am amazed at how world governments accept this senseless genocide being committed by israel and america.
Antiquesaving
Everything including the fact the beheading thing has been debunked by everyone including the Whitehouse that backtracked on it!
You have asked that before, I posted links to several articles but you have memory loss in that regard.
But in all cases under Oslo Israël is supposed to stay out of Palestinian territories and the Palestinian authority/police is supposed to handle things if Israel has a request.
Instead Israel illegally raids PA territory including getting into armed conflict with Palestinian police while doing so!
Context you want context Israel has broken every Accord agreement and is a vigilanty including ethnic cleansing.
Which is: Israel and israelis can kill Arabs with impunity and as many as they want, ignore all international laws, all agreements they signed and continue ethnic cleansing with your blessing.
Chabbawanga
No-one is denying that Hamas committed atrocities on October 7th. Most Western nations already recognised Hamas as a terrorist organisation before this point. However, we need to be very cautious when discussing the extent of the crimes they committed. The IDF and Israeli government have a pretty poor track record of telling the truth. All claims, whether they be about "40 beheaded babies", "Terrorist hospitals", or the latest "mass rape of civilians" need to be moderated until conclusive evidence has been provided. They may well have happened, Hamas have committed other terrible acts, but don't try and weaponise unsubstantiated claims.
Chabbawanga
This is just one example of ethnic cleansing. This article includes a more comprehensive definition.
https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/ethnic-cleansing.shtml#:~:text=rendering%20an%20area%20ethnically%20homogeneous,and%20terror%2Dinspiring%20means%20the
Antiquesaving
You conveniently forget inside Lebanon!
Meaning Israel invaded illegally into another country and then complains. It came under fire. Funny huh?
And Israel does this all the time but we don't call them terrorists or a terrorist state!
But boy, oh boy. If Iran does it, they're a terrorist state. If Hamas does it their terrorists but Israel does it? Nah, let's just forget it!
Two-Faced hypocrite double standard all of those describe the support and the supporters of Israel.
Antiquesaving
What "War"?
Do the USA government mouthpiece AP mean the final solution to the Palestinian problem?
That phase?
u_s__reamer
Hope Israel will succeed in eliminating Hamas. Gambatte!
Killing fathers, mothers brothers, sisters, sons, friends and other relatives is the best recruitment strategy to swell the ranks of Hamas or whatever replaces it.
It's ironic that Putin makes war on Ukraine, but you'll be jailed if you call it a "war" while Netanyahu calls his attacks on Gaza a "war", but to me and many others it looks like a massacre of an occupied people and Hamas the arm of resistance. We won't be jailed for saying "it's not a war, it's an occupation", but Western leaders through the MSM are still trying to dress the naked aggression of Netanyahu in the "Emperor's New Clothes".
Antiquesaving
Crimes? I guess you can't read properly or don't want to read properly. No one is charges a crime. Not one single Palestinian is charge of the crime except the secret ones. They are taken from non-Israel territory in raids on Palestinian authority territory and held with out charges. Remember that without charges and without trial. If they did a crime then they should be charged, get a lawyer and have a proper criminal trial. None of that is done they illegally enter the Palestinian territories and kidnapped people hold them without trial without charges. A crime according to the United Nation agreements that israel has signed.
As opposed to the extra judicial executions done by the IDF of Palestinians in the thousands, according to United Nations and amnesty international, the torture of prisoners held illegally by the IDF and the Israeli police taken by force illegally from Palestinian territories in illegal raids on Palestinian territories. This includes over half of them being children under the age of 18 held for as long as years.
All of this has been reported even in Israeli newspapers. UN reports amnesty international and several other organizations.
Hatred for Jews this is nothing to do with Jews, this is Israel. Remember, the supposedly multicultural society where 21% of the population is non-Jewish Arabs with less than 8% representation in the government zero in the cabinets where Netanyahu has openly given speeches about eliminating Arabs, but they keep electing him where his coalition partners talk about cleansing Israel of Arabs and non-jews, including Arab citizens!
Israeli settlers with over 165 illegal settlements that took land by force from Palestinians after the Oslo agreement, killing the elderly, women, children with impunity and protection by the IDF in order to take that land and then moving the border every time.
You mean when the IDF deprives entire communities of clean water once the UN and the Palestinian authority build cisterns and the IDF moves in to blow them up because they might steal water from the settlers!
If any group wants to genocide of another, it is clearly Israel doing the best at it!
The attempt to try and equate Israel with Jews or the Jewish people is a false flag. I don't like Israel. I don't like Hamas either, but the fact is I know and like plenty of jewish people but equating Israel with the Jewish people of which the majority do not live in Israel is an attempt to divert and deflect criticism of Israel and what it is doing!
GuruMick
The creation of Israel by the British post WW had a lot to do with establishing a friendly country " in the Middle East to offset the surrounding Arab nations influence {not always pro West }
Palestinians NOT MENTIONED in any of the exchange of views considered by involved parties , nor were Arab nations consulted.
Lots of historical documents and lots of scholarly publications on the facts.
Agree though that many nations in the area have borders of straight lines in the post war colonial carve up between British and France, and other European powers.
It is a fact that the area claimed as "Palestine " was called "British mandated Palestine " in the carve up following the defeat of Axis powers , in this case the Turkish/ Ottoman empire.
Sort of undercuts extreme Zionist views that Palestine never existed.
Antiquesaving
Because that is the plan, push them out into Egypt and Netanyahu gets his Lebensraum!
And look here in the comments section as we saw yesterday, many think or say things like "plenty of other Arab countries, they should go there" "why aren't other Arab countries offering to take Palestinians?" etc..
Yes this was said this was printed in comments and yes main stream news.
Basically asking why other Arab countries don't help Israel in it's ethnic cleansing!
I mean apparently all Arabs are the same according to those using this way of thinking, I guess that is the mostly American thinking, all Arabs are the same, all Asians are the same, all Africans are the same, it is this ignorance of the non western world that lets these people say these things and gets Israel it's support to ethnically cleanse the land it wants.
Chabbawanga
I thought all Palestinians were complicit? Which is it? Are they all guilty, or are they human shields?
Antiquesaving
Goodwin's law!
What did the Palestinians have to do with the Holocaust?
Oh right, nothing but the European thing and then the Europeans decided to take arabland and give it to The Jewish survivors of the Holocaust wow make the Arabs pay.
He really want to have some kind of comparison. No, you're right. They're more like the ghettos and the ghetto uprisings than anything else. And now the cleansing of the ghettos. If you want to use Godwin's law, you better be prepared for a more precise example!
Antiquesaving
But that is the goal!
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231031-israeli-ministry-drafted-concept-proposal-for-transfer-of-gaza-civilians-to-egypt
This was originally leaked to Israeli news!
Israel couldn't do in Gaza what it is slowly doing in the west bank by increasing the number of settlers and settlements forcibly and violently taking Palestinian land! Oslo agreement said no more new settlements the 114 could remain, but now it is 279 settlements. Israël has been slowly but steadily taking more and more if the west bank but couldn't get one cm of Gaza so now it has it's excuse.
Israel Annex the Golan heights which is against international laws and agreements that Israel had signed, but as we know Israel doesn't care and violates every international agreement it claims to follow.
GuruMick
No evidence has been provided on "evil Hamas " beheading babies etc., and even Israeli investigative journalists have debunked the stories.
Evidence of one baby being killed alongside his/her Israeli family has been substantiated.
That of itself is appalling.
Recent news of IDF forcing the abandonment of prem. babies with unfulfilled promises of ambulances to come , at a Gaza hospital, now alleges the babies died, and were found decaying ....with film evidence shot.
That, if true, is appalling.
I think everybody should get on the "call for ceasefire " position before humanity collectively rots from the inside.
kurisupisu
Netanyahu has condemned Jewish people to be the targets of harsh violence for decades to come.
Already there are attacks on Jews throughout the world that are increasing on a weekly basis.
Thinking that Arabs and Muslims across the world will forget the genocide being carried out is a mistake being made by the Israeli government
Chabbawanga
Totally justifies the mass killing of Palestinian children IMO. If the claims are proven to be true of course. Which Im sure they will be. Just like 40 beheaded babies was proven to be true. And The Al Shifa Hospital was proven to be the HQ for Hamas terrorist operations.
Asnoxeum
https://www.rothschildarchive.org/collections/rothschild_faqs/walter_rothschild_and_the_balfour_declaration
JboneInTheZone
Why add the ‘etc’ to the comment if it was only about the babies then?
JboneInTheZone
So having less civilian casualties makes you bad? So according to your logic the Nazis were the gold guys because more German civilians died that American?
GuruMick
And yes bone, attacks by Hamas were evil but the rebuttal was about the "beheaded babies " claim
John-San
Asnoxeum: I will answer your post and hope others read this also. Welcome to the club mate, you not alone and it growing by the millions daily. I am, you are and the rest of humanity are the losers. But the next generation will be the benifitionares. At present we demand that good wins, but good and bad is on a hiding to nothing. We learnt nothing from previous wars. We can blame that, We can blame this, we can blame them, we can blame ourselves but in the end you have blame humanity. Even with this clarity of statement I will get thumb down which prove my point that humanity is the biggest loser.
JboneInTheZone
Israel was under attack by Hezbollah, not the Lebanese army so your point about “being in Lebanon” doesn’t matter, unless you’re trying to say Hezbollah only attacks Israel when they’re in Lebanon which is completely false.
Hamas deliberately attacked civilians. Unless you can prove otherwise Israel hasn’t been deliberately attacking civilians in Gaza
NCIS Reruns
Larry@So you are saying that Hamas' aim is to turn world opinion to support the Palestinian cause? That support has undergone huge fluctuations since 1967, but unfortunately the lot of the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza has only gotten worse.
zibala
No, but it is a habit of students in Arab occupied territories such as Gaza and the West Bank to attack Israeli soldiers and civilians with rocks, guns, knives, and explosives. So naturally Israel will take defensive measures against the terrorists.
Let's see a source for your claim of "40 beheaded babies".
And how about claims 500 people were killed when a hospital was hit by a rocket? Which turned out to be an Islamic Jihad terrorist misfired rocket that landed in a parking lot next to a hospital.
So were 500 people killed by that or not?
JboneInTheZone
Okay? What does that have to do with October 7th? The artillery barrage had been launched to cover an Israeli special forces unit after it had come under mortar fire launched from the vicinity of the compound and radioed a request for support. Qana was clearly in response to enemy shelling whereas October 7th was deliberately targeting civilians. Big difference
Why are you rambling on about irrelevant information? The civilians who were massacred at the festival on October 7th had nothing to do with the Israeli government past actions. If your argument is that they deserved to be killed because of Israel’s past then you’re a hypocrite for thinking the same doesn’t apply to the citizens of Gaza as a result of Hamas’ actions
JboneInTheZone
The PLO didn’t uphold their part either. The Palestinian Authority was doing very little to prevent terrorist attacks emanating from its territory. It refused to take steps towards disarming terrorist militias, permitted terrorist organizations to operate open offices in its territory, and either refused to arrest terrorists or would adopt a policy of “revolving door” arrests–placing terrorists in prison for a handful of days and then releasing them.
NCIS Reruns
Surely Hamas must have anticipated Israel's reaction. So the question is, what, if anything, do they hope to achieve at this stage of the conflict? I'm mystified.
bass4funk
Finally, someone speaking with real common sense.
JboneInTheZone
Are you just going to ignore that they attacked a festival full of innocent civilians? How is that not evil?
zibala
It's good to see Israel not backing down from defending itself against murderous terrorists. All the while complying with international law, and limiting the number of civilian casualties to basically single digits per day.
Israel allows Arabs to occupy Gaza and the West Bank, and in turn those Arabs shoot rockets at Israeli civilians every day in their genocidal pursuit. Thankfully the world supports the right to self defense, so we just have to watch this play out a little while longer until the terrorrists are completely destroyed.
JboneInTheZone
When did I ever say that?
Hamas has a favorable rating among Palestinians, the October 7th attacks are viewed positively amongst polled Palestinians and Hamas uses people as human shields. Anything else you don’t understand?
Attilathehungry
Good. WIpe them out, and anyone who supports them. Then finally Gaza can be free. Thinking that the Israeli government wants Gaza is idiocy. They only want there to be no terrorist attacks from Gaza. Love the photos too- it is good to see Pallywood still hard at work making mockumentaries.
Also read that there are plans for Israel to use seawater and flood the terror tunnels under Gaza City. Great idea! Make them permanently useless for Hamas and their ilk.
Attilathehungry
More what-aboutism trying to justify Hamas and their supporters. This is not about territory- Hamas operated out of Gaza, which is not occupied. Israel did control some of the water and power, mainly because Hamas was incompetent and spent their millions in aid money on terrorism, not infrastructure for the Gazan people.
No, this was actual genocide- killing, raping, and torturing innocent civilians for the crime of being Jewish. I advocate tero-cide, not genocide. Kill the terrorists and their supporters. Give Gazans a chance to rule themselves and rid themselves of the insidious propaganda that has been pumped into them for 15 plus years.
Attilathehungry
Antique; Hamas doesn't care about Oslo. Or raids in the West Bank. They are terrorists. They want to kill as many Jews as they can. Pretty simple. You cannot imbue them with any western-style political motivations or thoughts. They are medieval barbarians. They are about murder and genocide, nothing else.
I will stipulate that no babies were beheaded on October 7. Will you then admit to the mass rapes, mutilations, execution style murders, and sick parading of victims through the streets of Gaza? And the glee with which it was all done?
bass4funk
Good, don’t let up. Get and retire as many Hamas members to permanent retirement status as humanly possible.
bass4funk
Whichever you prefer.
I never said that, but for the record, I hate Hamas and won't shed a tear when one of them is called into retirement.
I don't know, I'm not on the ground, so I won't speculate like other people that think they know despite not being on the ground.
I see.
yes.
Hamas, Iran
JboneInTheZone
Then Hamas should surrender and stop using them as human shields
Attilathehungry
Antiquie; Imprisoning people for crimes is not the same as hostage taking. Not to mention the murder, rape, and torture that went along with Hamas on October 7. The visceral hatred of all things Jewish was an eye opener for the world. And not just the Hamas cowards- the cheering crowds of 'innocent civilians' in Gaza as murdered and raped Jews were paraded through the streets were truly shocking to see. So no moral equivalency please.
bass4funk
Here we go....
bass4funk
I would never take homeosis words on anything, So that excludes them from the conversation.
Yeah, Palestinians always say this.
Well, now you are taking your own advice when it comes to the deaths of Palestinians
There is absolutely no, but!
October 7 didn’t have to happen, but as result, liberals and wisdom do not have moral ground of this issue.
Liberals need to take their own advice for once!
Ass
Better they put a stop to the hamas terrorists once and for all than continue to live under constant attack. Hopefully they assert total dominance over the region soon and peace can be restored.
bass4funk
Because it's irrelevant in its proper perspective
Ok, so what does that have to do with the kidnapping, beading of babies, and raping of women or burning Jews alive regarding 10/7?
frustrated
I want to know more context as to the reasons why they are being held. I'm not going to get outraged if keeping them is justified
I just elaborated on that point. Relax.
Not at all, I just outlined my position.
bass4funk
Sorry, i’m not kicking the White House word on it, and definitely not taking the word of the terrorist organization or the media for the most part, I definitely trust more of the IDF, and some of our intelligence that have stated other things
Then it probably wasn’t correct or irrelevant.
They putting the Palestinians in concentration camps and executing them? Yes or no?
Or you could say, can kill Israel’s community as many as they want they can rape women, they can burn people live, they can be had children.
It wouldn’t matter one bit, Israel could follow every law to a tea, the Arab were complain about something, they could give the entire land up, they could give half of Israel up, and the air would still complain, and would still want them out, from the river to the sea, no, these should not back down, should not give up, and I just do not see it two states solution ever coming to fruition, it’s just not going to.