BREAKING....Thread 7...Israel At War...OPERATION SWORDS OF IRON

[Right_in_Virginia]

Report: Israeli officials say hostage negotiations are stalled
Today, 8:30 pm   
Times of Israel

Israeli officials are cited as saying that negotiations to free the hostages held in Gaza are currently stalled.

In comments picked up by all the main TV networks, implying a coordinated leak, an unnamed Israeli official claims that military pressure is pushing Hamas toward making a deal.

The reports also imply that Israel is unwilling to compromise on its demand to free all the children being held in Gaza as well as their mothers.

Reports of a deal for a significant number of hostages have been circulating for more than a week but no captives have been released in close to a month.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/report-israeli-officials-say-hostage-negotiations-are-stalled/

[Right_in_Virginia]

Report: Israeli officials say hostage negotiations are stalled
Today, 8:30 pm   
Times of Israel

Shades of 2014?   

[DCPatriot]

'Look us in the eye!’: 30,000 join Gaza hostages’ families on final march into Jerusalem
Rally held outside PM’s office; Gantz and Eisenkot meet with relatives, with latter reportedly assuring them that deal for return of hostages is being deliberated ‘day and night’
By TOI STAFF
Today, 11:42 amUpdated at 9:09 pm   17




https://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-walk-alongside-families-of-gaza-hostages-on-final-leg-of-march-to-jerusalem/

"They're dead, Jim!" --- Dr. McCoy, Starfleet, Enterprise!

The reason the hostage negotiations stalled, is that Hamas is unable to produce the people.  PERIOD.

Not saying they're ALL dead...but it's time to stop talking and keep shooting.

Hamas and Gazans brought this upon themselves.

[DCPatriot]

Shades of 2014?   

???  What happened in 2014?

[Right_in_Virginia]

"They're dead, Jim!" --- Dr. McCoy, Starfleet, Enterprise!

The reason the hostage negotiations stalled, is that Hamas is unable to produce the people.  PERIOD.

Not saying they're ALL dead...but it's time to stop talking and keep shooting.

Hamas and Gazans brought this upon themselves.

Netanyahu knows searching for hostages is an emotional powerhouse in war @DCPatriot  --- both starting one and keeping one going.  Think back to the lead up to the Gaza war in 2014.

[DCPatriot]

Netanyahu knows searching for hostages is an emotional powerhouse in war @DCPatriot  --- both starting one and keeping one going.  Think back to the lead up to the Gaza war in 2014.

@Right_in_Virginia

Got it.  Thanks.

To me, October 7th was the Death Knell for Hamas and Netanyahu is in a 'race' trying to outrun the withering public opinion.

Yet IMO, he's a realist.  If they are rescued?  Great. 

But more likely, they are already dead in quantities that would turn the world against Hamas ...AGAIN.

[mystery-ak]

19 minutes ago
Biden threatens action against 'extremist violence' in West Bank, calls for two-state solution in oped
By David Spector

President Joe Biden voiced support for a two-state solution, and threatened to take action against Israeli settler violence in the West Bank in an op-ed in the Washington Post.

Biden said that a Palestinian state alongside Israel was the "only way to ensure the long-term security" in the region.

President Biden also threatened to issue visa bans on "extremists" perpetrating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Biden also called on the international community to provide "interim security measures," in Gaza after the war and to devote resources to rebuilding the region.

President Biden also said a "revitalized Palestinian Authority" should govern Gaza post-war, in direct contrast with Netanyahu who says the organization is not fit to govern.

Biden also rejected calls for a cease-fire saying that it would only provide Hamas with opportunity to "rebuild their stockpile of rockets," and that a cease-fire would not bring peace for as long as Hamas "clings to its ideology of destruction."

[mystery-ak]

35 minutes ago
Israel vows to expand war to south Gaza, minister says they have 'decades' to destroy Hamas
By David Spector

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the IDF would hunt down Hamas terrorists hiding in the southern part of the Gaza strip.

The defense minister said the IDF is currently in the "second stage" of its invasion and is operating in the east of the strip.

Gallant said terrorists in the south will be struck "soon," as Israel expands its war operations in Gaza.

War cabinet member Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel "decades if needed to destroy" Hamas.

[mystery-ak]

Netanyahu Opposes Biden: No Way Palestinian Authority Runs Gaza Again

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his opposition Saturday night to a proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden to restore control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA) once Hamas is removed from power and destroyed.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/11/18/netanyahu-opposes-biden-no-way-palestinian-authority-runs-gaza-again/

[mystery-ak]

Biden threatens sanctions against Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank
by Jack Birle, Breaking News Reporter
November 18, 2023 04:54 PM

President Joe Biden says the United States is "prepared to take our own steps" to combat alleged attacks by Israelis on civilians in the West Bank.

Biden, in an opinion piece for the Washington Post, outlined his framework for what must be done in the wars in Ukraine and Israel. While discussing the solution for the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, he urged a two-state solution with the Palestinian Authority controlling both Gaza and the West Bank.

"As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution," Biden wrote.

The president also called out Israeli settlers who have reportedly attacked Palestinians in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began, threatening visa bans against the "extremists attacking civilians."

"I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable. The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank," Biden wrote.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/biden-threatens-sanctions-against-israeli-settlers-attacking-palestinians-west-bank

[Right_in_Virginia]

19 minutes ago
Biden threatens action against 'extremist violence' in West Bank, calls for two-state solution in oped
By David Spector

President Joe Biden voiced support for a two-state solution, and threatened to take action against Israeli settler violence in the West Bank in an op-ed in the Washington Post.

Biden said that a Palestinian state alongside Israel was the "only way to ensure the long-term security" in the region.

President Biden also threatened to issue visa bans on "extremists" perpetrating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Biden also called on the international community to provide "interim security measures," in Gaza after the war and to devote resources to rebuilding the region.

President Biden also said a "revitalized Palestinian Authority" should govern Gaza post-war, in direct contrast with Netanyahu who says the organization is not fit to govern.

Germany's Scholz criticises Israel's settlements in occupied West Bank
Reuters, Nov 18, 2023

BERLIN, Nov 18 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticised Israel's settlement policy in the occupied West Bank on Saturday and repeated calls for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

"We don't want any new settlements in the West Bank, no violence by settlers against the Palestinians in the West Bank," Scholz said during a visit to Nuthetal in Brandenburg state.

The best outcome for Israelis and Palestinians remains the two-state solution, he said.

"If some in Israeli politics distance themselves from this, we will not support them," Scholz said.


https://www.reuters.com/world/germanys-scholz-criticises-israels-settlements-occupied-west-bank-2023-11-18/

Arab forces will not go to Gaza, says Jordanian minister in rebuke of Israel
The Guardian, Nov 18, 2023

Jordan’s foreign minister has said Arab troops will not go to Gaza as he delivered a blistering criticism of Israel’s war on Hamas.

Ayman Safadi clashed with Joe Biden’s senior Middle East adviser on Saturday, saying a humanitarian pause should not be conditional on the release of hostages held by Hamas. The US envoy, Brett McGurk, said the onus was on Hamas to release hostages as a pathway to humanitarian aid increasing and a pause in the fighting.

The pair were addressing the IISS Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain, where Arab anger towards Israel’s refusal to negotiate a two-state solution was repeatedly voiced.

Speaker after speaker advised Israel that it would not find security through force.

At the same event, the EU foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, indicated he believed Israel could face charges at the international criminal court, adding: “One horror does not justify another.”

Safadi, in a no-holds-barred attack on Israel and the cover being provided by the US, said faith in peaceful negotiation and international law was being destroyed by the west’s refusal to rein in Israel.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Netanyahu Opposes Biden: No Way Palestinian Authority Runs Gaza Again

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his opposition Saturday night to a proposal by U.S. President Joe Biden to restore control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA) once Hamas is removed from power and destroyed.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/11/18/netanyahu-opposes-biden-no-way-palestinian-authority-runs-gaza-again/

Bibi's not the only one with a say in this decision --- not any more.

[mystery-ak]

Israeli Defense Minister: Hamas Leaders in Exile Are Dead Men Walking

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant vowed Saturday night that all Hamas operatives would be killed — including those outside Gaza, sheltering in comfortable exile in Arab states like Qatar.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/11/18/israeli-defense-minister-hamas-leaders-in-exile-are-dead-men-walking/

[mystery-ak]

an hour ago
IDF lookouts who warned of possible Hamas attack pre-Oct 7 threatened with court martial: bombshell report
By David Spector

IDF lookouts who reported suspicious behavior along the Gaza-Israel border were threatened with court martial when they attempted to alert their commanders, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The lookouts reportedly had been sounding the alarm for months about unusual exercises they were witnessing but felt they were being blown off by their superiors.

One IDF soldier who attempted to raise her concerns to a senior commander directly claims she was told "I don't want to hear again about this nonsense. If you all bother us again with these things, you'll be court-martialed."

Another lookout claims that she was told Hamas is "just a bunch of punks" that "won't do anything," by a superior officer.

[mystery-ak]

2 hours ago
Israel, Hamas reach tentative deal to free hostages, pause conflict in deal brokered by US
By Nikki Mascali Roarty

A tentative US-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas could free several women and children being held hostage in Gaza — and lead to a five-day halt in fighting, the first since the war began six weeks ago, according to a report from the Washington Post.

Dozens of women and children could be freed in the next several days, which would coincide with the first pause since Hamas’ shocking Oct. 7 attack on Israel, sources familiar with the deal told the Washington Post Saturday night.





24 minutes ago
White House official downplays reported deal between Israel, Hamas that would free hostages, pause fighting
By Miles Schachner

A White House official said there is no current deal in place following a Washington Post report that Israel and Hamas had reached a tentative US-brokered deal to free hostages and pause fighting.

"We have not reached a deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get to a deal," Adrienne Watson, the White House National Security Council Spokesperson, said in a post on X Saturday night.

The initial report, citing a "detailed, six-page agreement," said fighting would pause for five days as the initial 50 hostages were released in small groups.

The Washington Post report also said humanitarian aid would enter Gaza through Egypt during the pause in fighting.

[mystery-ak]

5 minutes ago
Israeli air strikes kill 26 in southern Gaza, wound 23 more as deadly offensive looms
By Miles Schachner

An early Saturday morning airstrike in Khan Younis, a residential district in southern Gaza, killed 26 Palestinians and wounded 23 more, according to Reuters.

Continued Israeli attacks in the south, particularly Khan Younis, which has a population of 400,000, could displace more Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of whom fled Gaza City in the north, the report said.

Senior Israeli sources told Reuters an offensive in the southern region could prove more complex and cause more bloodshed, with Hamas having a stronger foothold in the Khan Younis area.

"All of them were martyred. They had nothing to do with the (Hamas) resistance," Eyad Al-Zaeem, who lost his aunt, her children, and her grandchildren in the attack, said to the outlet.

[Timber Rattler]

an hour ago
IDF lookouts who warned of possible Hamas attack pre-Oct 7 threatened with court martial: bombshell report
By David Spector

IDF lookouts who reported suspicious behavior along the Gaza-Israel border were threatened with court martial when they attempted to alert their commanders, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The lookouts reportedly had been sounding the alarm for months about unusual exercises they were witnessing but felt they were being blown off by their superiors.

One IDF soldier who attempted to raise her concerns to a senior commander directly claims she was told "I don't want to hear again about this nonsense. If you all bother us again with these things, you'll be court-martialed."

Another lookout claims that she was told Hamas is "just a bunch of punks" that "won't do anything," by a superior officer.

Kinda like the U.S. Army radar operator who picked up the incoming Japanese warplanes approaching Pearl Harbor but was told, "Don't worry about it."

[Timber Rattler]

Biden orders top aides to prepare reprimands for violent Israeli settlers in West Bank

https://news.yahoo.com/biden-orders-top-aides-prepare-011346879.html

President Joe Biden directed top officials to prepare visa bans and sanctions for extremist Israeli settlers attacking and displacing Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an internal document read to POLITICO.

The Cabinet memo, sent to senior aides like Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday, orders their agencies “to develop policy options for expeditious action against those responsible for the conduct of violence in the West Bank.”

A senior U.S. official read sections of the memo to POLITICO on Saturday evening shortly after Biden published an op-ed in The Washington Post revealing his intentions for such a move. “The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank,” he wrote in the op-ed.

The directive comes as the Biden administration aims to show that it’s supporting Palestinian civilians in need, even as it staunchly defends Israel’s retaliation against Hamas, and while members of the president’s party seek conditions on military aid to Washington’s ally.

The targets for reprimands are broadly defined in the memo. They include people or entities that “have directly or indirectly engaged in actions or policies that threaten the security or stability of the West Bank,” take “actions that intimidate civilians in the West Bank with the purpose or effect of forcing displacement actions in the West Bank,” or make moves “that constitute human rights abuses or violations and actions that significantly obstruct, disrupt or prevent efforts to achieve a two-state solution.”

The memo notes that Biden sees the settler-violence issue as a “serious threat” to peace among Israelis and Palestinians and destabilizing throughout the Middle East.

The decision to issue the directive came after intense debate on the topic, with national security adviser Jake Sullivan and deputy Jon Finer offering their direct input during a dedicated internal process, the official said.

EXCERPT

This is unbelievable.

[Hoodat]

Female hostage dragged through Gaza is peace activist dedicated to Israeli-Palestinian dialogue

ROSA DOHERTY  |  NOVEMBER 07, 2023 13:08



It is hard to forget the footage of 19-year-old Naama Levy being manhandled into a jeep in Gaza, her hands tied behind her back and her grey tracksuit covered in blood on the bottom.

The footage showed men with guns and Naama being dragged from the boot of the car to the passenger seat while others looked on and celebrated.

The teenager is just one of the many hostages who were ripped from their homes on October 7.

In a bitter twist, it has been revealed Naama was a peace activist dedicated to promoting values of mutual understanding between Israelis, and Palestinians.

She was a participant in the "Hands of Peace" project in the USA, where young Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians meet in the pursuit of peace as "a lever for global social change."  .  .  .

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/female-hostage-dragged-through-gaza-is-peace-activist-dedicated-to-israeli-palestinian-dialogue-2Lwa0wy3zA21prW7PQoNg5

[Hoodat]

Biden orders top aides to prepare reprimands for violent Israeli settlers in West Bank

President Joe Biden directed top officials to prepare visa bans and sanctions for extremist Israeli settlers attacking and displacing Palestinians in the West Bank, according to an internal document read to POLITICO.

This simply doesn't happen.  Anyone witnessing an Israeli West Bank settlement can see clearly that the settlement was build from scratch in an area where no one lived.  They aren't displacing anyone.  You can stand on a hill near Jerusalem and look out on a vast expanse of blinding wasteland.  And far off, there will be a tiny patch of green.  That is an Israeli settlement, built up from nothing.  No one got displaced from that spot because no one was there in the first place.  This is THE biggest lie perpetrated by Western media since the Uncle Joe days of the 1930s and 40s.

[mystery-ak]

Israel Defense Forces
@IDF
·
3h
During the operation conducted in the Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal areas, our troops found:
📍Approximately 35 tunnel openings
📍7 rocket launchers
📍Multiple weapons
📍Ammunition depots

In addition, our troops eliminated numerous terrorists.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/i24NEWS_EN/status/1726235016840331470

i24NEWS English
@i24NEWS_EN
🔴 The body of 12-year-old Liel Hatzroni, has been identified, almost a month and a half after being murdered by #HAMAS terrorists who invaded her home in Kibbutz Be'eri on #October7

Liel was murdered along with her twin brother, great-aunt and grandfather

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/i24NEWS_EN/status/1726233929965805670

[mystery-ak]

Israel Defense Forces
@IDF
·
21m
The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence.
The ship departed Turkey on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship.

[mystery-ak]

19 min(s) ago
Israel says Iran-backed terrorists have hijacked an international ship in the Red Sea: 'Not Israeli'

https://twitter.com/IntelCrab/status/1726228826810950046

Israeli officials warned of a "grave incidient" after Iran-backed terrorists in Yemen hijacked an international cargo vessel in the Red Sea on Sunday.

The Houthi terrorist group had claimed to have captured an "Israeli" ship, but Israel says none of the crew on board are Israeli. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says the ship is owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese company.

"The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence.The ship departed Turkey on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship," The IDF said in a statement.

Israel says the ship's crew includes 25 crew members of various nationalities, including Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Filipinos and Mexicans.

"We strongly condemn the Iranian attack against an international ship," the PM's office said.
Posted by Anders Hagstrom