BREAKING....Thread 9...Israel At War...OPERATION SWORDS OF IRON

[DefiantMassRINO]

Gazans need to turn against Hamas like the Italian populace turned against Mussolini towards the end of World War II.

[DB]

Gazans need to turn against Hamas like the Italian populace turned against Mussolini towards the end of World War II.

Yep, and until they do, they are just as responsible for what goes on there.

[Fishrrman]

Smokin' Joe wrote:
"At the very least, they 'negotiate' to buy time to set up for the next offensive."

In islam, this is known as a "hudna".
A "truce" which is really time to regroup and get ready to attack again.

[Elderberry]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com

Netanyahu's plan: Turn Gaza into demilitarized Singapore-style entity; fully detached from Israel, linked to world via sea route to Cyprus, land passage to Egypt under Israeli monitoring; massive UAE investment in tourism & tech; local government supervised by international body led by US, Arab states. via @ynetalerts

[berdie]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com

Netanyahu's plan: Turn Gaza into demilitarized Singapore-style entity; fully detached from Israel, linked to world via sea route to Cyprus, land passage to Egypt under Israeli monitoring; massive UAE investment in tourism & tech; local government supervised by international body led by US, Arab states. via @ynetalerts

I'm fairly sure BiBi knows what he is doing politically and militarily, so o.k.

Myself...I'd be horrible at this. I'd retake Gaza, deport the inhabitants, make the area closest to Israel a demilitarized zone and turn the coast into coastal resort with some commercial ports.

And that is why I don't rule the world.

[DefiantMassRINO]

I would have firebombed Gaza into oblivion like Hamburg, Tokyo, and Dresden.

If all that remains is ash, there are no starving children for Hamas to use as propaganda props for the Western media.

It's kill or be killed.  Hamas fired the first shot.  Israel will fire the last one.

[Elderberry]

Netanyahu defies Biden, green-lights offensive into Hamas stronghold

WND by Jake Smith Daily Caller News Foundation 3/15/2024

'Preparing for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light on Friday for Israel to launch a ground invasion against a Hamas stronghold in south Gaza, despite the Biden administration’s warnings, according to NBC News.

Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is “preparing for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population” in Rafah, the southernmost region of Gaza bordering Egypt and a hotbed of remaining Hamas terrorists, according to NBC. President Joe Biden said last week that an Israeli operation in Rafah would be crossing a “red line.”

“Israel has no choice but to go into Rafah, where four Hamas battalions and the Gaza-Egypt tunnels that resupply Hamas with weapons are still standing,” Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, previously told the DCNF. “If not, Hamas will emerge victorious and Israel will be vulnerable to more Oct. 7’s as Hamas has threatened.”

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and killed over 1,200 civilians and took hundreds of others hostage, prompting the ongoing counteroffensive by the IDF in Gaza.

    NEW | The IDF said on March 13 that it plans to move civilians from Rafah to “humanitarian enclaves” in the central Gaza Strip before any Israeli offensive into Rafah.

    There are approximately 1.4 million displaced Palestinian civilians currently in Rafah

More: https://www.wnd.com/2024/03/netanyahu-defies-biden-green-lights-offensive-hamas-stronghold/

[Hoodat]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com

Netanyahu's plan: Turn Gaza into demilitarized Singapore-style entity; fully detached from Israel, linked to world via sea route to Cyprus, land passage to Egypt under Israeli monitoring; massive UAE investment in tourism & tech; local government supervised by international body led by US, Arab states. via @ynetalerts

The UAE is not going to waste money investing in a place overrun with Palestinians.  Get rid of the Palestinians first, and then the UAE will pony up.

[mystery-ak]

White House wants to see Netanyahu’s plan to attack Rafah
By
Christian Datoc
March 16, 2024 9:36 am

The White House has yet to review Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s plans to invade Rafah but “would welcome” seeing the specifics.

Netanyahu reportedly signed off on new attack plans on Friday, despite negotiations regarding a six-week ceasefire in Gaza between Israel, Hamas, and third-party nations, including the United States.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby briefed reporters on the latest developments surrounding the Gaza war on Friday.

“We certainly would welcome the opportunity to see it,” he explained when asked about Netanyahu’s potential offensive. “We can’t support a major offensive in Rafah that doesn’t also include a credible, achievable, executable plan to take care and to the safety and security of the more than a million Gazans that are seeking refuge in Rafah.”

“To move in right now in a major way without a proper accounting for all those people would as we’ve said, that’d be a disaster,” he continued. “We’re going to keep talking to the Israelis about this.”

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/2923994/white-house-wants-to-see-netanyahus-plan-to-attack-rafah/

[mountaineer]

The White House has yet to review Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s plans to invade Rafah but “would welcome” seeing the specifics.

'Eff off, White House.

[GtHawk]

'Eff off, White House.

Absolutely! The second those bastard in the White House or the Senate or the House saw what the plans were they would tell Hamas and the Iranians...so the smart move by Netanyahu would be to lie to them and then do something completely different.

[PeteS in CA]

The White House has yet to review Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s plans to invade Rafah but “would welcome” seeing the specifics.

Why in Hades would Israel give LIEden's Israel-Hating staff their plans so they can pass it on to Hamas?!

Israel should give fake plans so Hamas can be shepherded into traps and LIEden's Hamas spies exposed.

[Hoodat]

White House wants to see Netanyahu’s plan to attack Rafah

So that they can turn those plans over to Hamas.

[mystery-ak]

Biden Summons Israel for Talks; Says Netanyahu’s Position on Hamas Is ‘Nonsense’

Joel B. Pollak 18 Mar 2024

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Monday that President Joe Biden had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to oppose Israeli plans to attack Hamas in the city of Rafah.

Sullivan added that the president had asked Netanyahu an “interagency” team of military, defense, and humanitarian officials by “the beginning of next week” to meet with U.S. officials in Washington and negotiate over a Rafah operation.

He said that the Biden Administration might approve limited, targeted strikes in Rafah, but would refuse a broader Israeli invasion of the town, saying that such an invasion would put civilians and humanitarian aid corridors at risk.

Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas, on the Egyptian border in Gaza. It is home to the last four battalions of Hamas, and is thought to be where Hamas leaders are hiding and keeping Israeli hostages. It is also a key smuggling route.

Biden has publicly opposed any Israeli operation in Rafah since February, at least until there is a plan to evacuate the one million Palestinian civilians who have fled there. Netanyahu has said that not to invade Rafah is to lose the war.

Netanyahu and Biden spoke, just days after Biden endorsed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) demand that Israel hold new elections to replace Netanyahu, calling him an “obstacle to peace.” (Netanyahu called his remarks “inappropriate.”

Netanyahu’s version of the call was terse. “We discussed the latest developments in the war, including Israel’s commitment to achieving all of the war’s goals: Eliminating Hamas, freeing all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never gain constitutes a threat to Israel – while providing the necessary humanitarian aid that will assist in achieving these goals,” he said, in a statement released Monday by the Government Press Office.

Sullivan said that Biden had specifically criticized Netanyahu’s plans to attack Hamas in Rafah. Sullivan said that Biden had addressed what he called a “straw man,” the “nonsense” argument that to refrain from attacking Hamas in Rafah means giving up on defeating Hamas.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/18/biden-summons-israel-for-talks-says-netanyahus-position-on-hamas-is-nonsense/

[mystery-ak]

Jake Sullivan Makes Antisemitic Claim Israel Interferes in American Politics

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the antisemitic claim Monday in a White House press briefing that Israel interferes in U.S. politics.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/03/18/jake-sullivan-makes-antisemitic-claim-israel-interferes-in-american-politics/

[Cyber Liberty]

The entire Biteme "Administration" has completely lost it.  It's eating itself.

[Hoodat]

Jake Sullivan Makes Antisemitic Claim Israel Interferes in American Politics

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the antisemitic claim Monday in a White House press briefing that Israel interferes in U.S. politics.

As a general rule, any time Democrats falsely accuse someone of wrongdoing, it is because they are already doing it themselves.

[Elderberry]

i24NEWS English
@i24NEWS_EN
·
IDF kills #Hamas Internal Security head during Shifa operation

i24NEWS @ariel_oseran brings us the details, including the arrest of 200 terrorists, and what was found in the hospital compound

https://twitter.com/i24NEWS_EN/status/1769811095038906509

[Elderberry]

Instant News Alerts
@InstaNewsAlerts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to send a senior delegation to Washington in the next few days to discuss an alternative strategy to an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. (Axios)

[Elderberry]

i24NEWS English
@i24NEWS_EN

WATCH: IDF forces located terror funds intended for distribution to #Hamas operatives and a weapons stash at the Al-Shifa Hospital compound. At least 20 terrorists killed, dozens more detained

https://twitter.com/i24NEWS_EN/status/1769746618473947308

[Right_in_Virginia]

Jake Sullivan Makes Antisemitic Claim Israel Interferes in American Politics

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the antisemitic claim Monday in a White House press briefing that Israel interferes in U.S. politics.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/03/18/jake-sullivan-makes-antisemitic-claim-israel-interferes-in-american-politics/

Antisemetic? A ridiculous assertion.

One can love what Netanyahu did --- AND admit in good conscience that the PM flying 6,000 miles for the sole purpose of personally telling the whole of the elected US Congress --- from the well of the House of Representatives --- to vote against the sitting President's proposed policy initiative is the *quintessential* example of Israeli interference in US politics. And, it's not the only one.

[Smokin Joe]

As a general rule, any time Democrats falsely accuse someone of wrongdoing, it is because they are already doing it themselves.

[mystery-ak]

Report: Biden to Allow Hamas-linked Contractor to Build Gaza Pier

The Biden Administration is preparing to allow a Hamas-linked contractor to earn millions from the construction of the floating port that the U.S. military is preparing to build off the coast of Gaza to assist the delivery of humanitarian aid.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/03/19/report-biden-to-allow-hamas-linked-contractor-to-build-gaza-pier/

[Hoodat]

One can love what Netanyahu did --- AND admit in good conscience that the PM flying 6,000 miles for the sole purpose of personally telling the whole of the elected US Congress --- from the well of the House of Representatives --- to vote against the sitting President's proposed policy initiative is the *quintessential* example of Israeli interference in US politics. And, it's not the only one.

Oh, the irony.  You complain about Israel opposing the US policy of interfering in Israeli politics.

[mystery-ak]

Biden Summons Israel for Talks; Says Netanyahu’s Position on Hamas Is ‘Nonsense’

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Monday that President Joe Biden had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to oppose Israeli plans to attack Hamas in the city of Rafah.

Sullivan added that the president had asked Netanyahu an “interagency” team of military, defense, and humanitarian officials by “the beginning of next week” to meet with U.S. officials in Washington and negotiate over a Rafah operation.

He said that the Biden Administration might approve limited, targeted strikes in Rafah, but would refuse a broader Israeli invasion of the town, saying that such an invasion would put civilians and humanitarian aid corridors at risk.

Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas, on the Egyptian border in Gaza. It is home to the last four battalions of Hamas, and is thought to be where Hamas leaders are hiding and keeping Israeli hostages. It is also a key smuggling route.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/18/biden-summons-israel-for-talks-says-netanyahus-position-on-hamas-is-nonsense/

[GtHawk]

If anyone knows about nonsense, at least speaking it....

[mystery-ak]

Netanyahu to Biden, Sullivan: ‘There Is No Way’ Other than Rafah Invasion

Netanyahu: “I made it as clear as possible to the President that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah, and there is no way to do this without a ground incursion.”

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/19/netanyahu-to-biden-sullivan-there-is-no-way-rafah-invasion/

[mystery-ak]

Report: Biden to Consider Cutting Arms to Israel over ‘Human Rights’

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed Monday that the Biden Administration would consider cutting off arms sales to Israel if it did not submit a report explaining how its use of the weapons complies with international law.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/19/report-biden-to-consider-cutting-arms-to-israel-over-human-rights/

[DefiantMassRINO]

Hamas is getting their just desserts.

Only when Gazans love their children more than they hate Israelis, will there be chance of peace.

October 7th was a wake up call to the danger Iran and its proxies pose to peace and stability in the Middle East.

Gaza is just one theater of operation in Iran's war against Western influence in the MidEast.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Netanyahu to Biden, Sullivan: ‘There Is No Way’ Other than Rafah Invasion

Netanyahu: “I made it as clear as possible to the President that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah, and there is no way to do this without a ground incursion.”

You want to "make it clear", Bibi?  Cut the umbilical cord with the US and stop using us as your ATM, weapons replenisher, global shield AND political nemesis.  Declare your total independence from the US and do whatever you want without pesky questions.

[mystery-ak]

WATCH — Biden Shifts the Goalposts: ‘Degrading,’ Not ‘Defeating,’ Hamas

Joel B. Pollak 19 Mar 2024

State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday that the U.S. shares the goal of “degrading” Hamas — avoiding the use of the word “defeating,” in an apparent shift of U.S. policy on the Gaza war.

On Monday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that President Joe Biden shared Israel’s goal of “defeating” Hamas, but believed it was not necessary for Israel to attack Hamas in the last stronghold of Rafah to do so:

    The President told the Prime Minister again today that we share the goal of defeating Hamas, but we just believe you need a coherent and sustainable strategy to make that happen.

    …

    Now, the President has rejected — and did again today — the strawman that raising questions about Rafah is the same as raising questions about defeating Hamas. That’s just nonsense.

    …

    And from the U.S. perspective, this is not a question of defeating Hamas. And anytime I hear an argument that says, “If you don’t smash into Rafah, you can’t defeat Hamas,” I say, “That is a strawman.”

    …

    [T]he President is not focused on what’s popular, what’s not popular, how do you shape public opinion. He’s interested in how do we get to the right result, and the right result is the enduring defeat of Hamas, a two-state solution that has a secure Israel and a Palestinian state that vindicates the aspirations of the Palestinian people, and a broader normalization of relations so that Israel also has peace with all of its Arab neighbors.

On Tuesday, as Breitbart News reported, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his view that while he was happy to talk to the Biden Administration about it, there was no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/19/biden-shifts-the-goalposts-degrading-not-defeating-hamas/

[berdie]

Netanyahu to Biden, Sullivan: ‘There Is No Way’ Other than Rafah Invasion

Netanyahu: “I made it as clear as possible to the President that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah, and there is no way to do this without a ground incursion.”

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/19/netanyahu-to-biden-sullivan-there-is-no-way-rafah-invasion/

I hope this is true and he holds the line. The only reason, imho, that Biden and Co. are waffling is due to the upcoming election. They are really scared they'll lose the Muslim vote.

[Hoodat]

State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday that the U.S. shares the goal of “degrading” Hamas — avoiding the use of the word “defeating,” in an apparent shift of U.S. policy on the Gaza war.

This is identical to his Ukraine policy, Houthi policy, etc.

Jake Sullivan:   And from the U.S. perspective, this is not a question of defeating Hamas. And anytime I hear an argument that says, “If you don’t smash into Rafah, you can’t defeat Hamas,” I say, “That is a strawman.”

That is not at all a "strawman".  Not even close.  Sullivan is an idiot.

Jake Sullivan:    [T]he President is not focused on what’s popular, what’s not popular, how do you shape public opinion.

Biden changed his position the day after 13.2% of Michigan Democrats voted for "Uncommitted" in their primary.

Jake Sullivan:    [Biden]’s interested in how do we get to the right result, and the right result is the enduring defeat of Hamas, a two-state solution that has a secure Israel and a Palestinian state that vindicates the aspirations of the Palestinian people, and a broader normalization of relations so that Israel also has peace with all of its Arab neighbors.

The Palestinians don't want a two-state solution.  And Israel can't have peace with its neighbors when those neighbors continue to attack Israel.  Sullivan is parroting Iranian rhetoric.

On Tuesday, as Breitbart News reported, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his view that while he was happy to talk to the Biden Administration about it, there was no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah.

Bibi is correct.

[mystery-ak]

Biden Co-Chair, Dem Sen. Coons: ‘Almost Impossible’ for Israel to Do Rafah Operation the Way We Want

On Wednesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Biden Campaign Co-Chair Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) stated that it would be “almost impossible” for Israel to go into Rafah “and conduct an operation in a way that isn’t unreasonably dangerous and unsafe and will result in thousands and thousands more civilian casualties.” And the operation definitely can’t “be safely done in the coming weeks.”

Coons said, “Israel has the right, even the obligation, to defend its civilians against Hamas and to continue pursuing Hamas terrorists. But they have to balance that with their obligation to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid going into Gaza. So, a delegation from Israel is now on its way to Washington to meet with our military leadership to consult on how they could possibly conduct a ground invasion into Rafah, where there are still four battalions of Hamas fighters, and allow for civilians to get out of Rafah and conduct an operation in a way that isn’t unreasonably dangerous and unsafe and will result in thousands and thousands more civilian casualties. It’s exceptionally difficult to do, almost impossible, frankly.”

more
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/03/20/biden-co-chair-dem-sen-coons-almost-impossible-for-israel-to-do-rafah-operation-the-way-we-want/

[mystery-ak]

Biden Co-Chair, Dem Sen. Coons: Israel Has to Move Civilians from Rafah, Others Understandably Won’t Take Them in

On Wednesday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “Morning in America,” Biden Campaign Co-Chair Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said that other nations won’t take Palestinian refugees and “I understand the concerns of others in the region” and so Israel has to help Palestinians in Rafah relocate. He also stated that “Hamas has almost no way to get in or get out, to get re-supplied.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/03/20/biden-co-chair-dem-sen-coons-israel-has-to-move-civilians-from-rafah-others-understandably-wont-take-them-in/

[Smokin Joe]

This is identical to his Ukraine policy, Houthi policy, etc.


That is not at all a "strawman".  Not even close.  Sullivan is an idiot.



Biden changed his position the day after 13.2% of Michigan Democrats voted for "Uncommitted" in their primary.


The Palestinians don't want a two-state solution.  And Israel can't have peace with its neighbors when those neighbors continue to attack Israel.  Sullivan is parroting Iranian rhetoric.


Bibi is correct.

The DOD and State Department concept seems to be one of 'managed conflict' which keeps defense money flowing, golden parachutes for anyone of flag rank, and who knows? the potential for abundant cumshaw and baksheesh abounds. They did this in Afghanistan, and it has cost American Soldiers and their families dearly, not to mention the king's ransom in materiel (and even Americans) abandoned in one of the most ill-conceived withdrawals in history.

But...Funding for everyone! You gotta break a few eggs...

Unfortunately, those eggs are someone's father, son, daughter, wife, mother, someone who just wanted to live in peace. For every square foot of dirt there, there's a gallon of blood been shed, and it won't end until someone ends it. Maybe not even then, if prophecy is correct, not until He returns. In the meantime, Hamas is not some puppy that can be scolded for nipping at their neighbors, it's a rabid critter that needs to be put down.

[SZonian]

Biden Co-Chair, Dem Sen. Coons: ‘Almost Impossible’ for Israel to Do Rafah Operation the Way We Want

On Wednesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Biden Campaign Co-Chair Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) stated that it would be “almost impossible” for Israel to go into Rafah “and conduct an operation in a way that isn’t unreasonably dangerous and unsafe and will result in thousands and thousands more civilian casualties.” And the operation definitely can’t “be safely done in the coming weeks.”

Coons said, “Israel has the right, even the obligation, to defend its civilians against Hamas and to continue pursuing Hamas terrorists. But they have to balance that with their obligation to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid going into Gaza. So, a delegation from Israel is now on its way to Washington to meet with our military leadership to consult on how they could possibly conduct a ground invasion into Rafah, where there are still four battalions of Hamas fighters, and allow for civilians to get out of Rafah and conduct an operation in a way that isn’t unreasonably dangerous and unsafe and will result in thousands and thousands more civilian casualties. It’s exceptionally difficult to do, almost impossible, frankly.”

more
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/03/20/biden-co-chair-dem-sen-coons-almost-impossible-for-israel-to-do-rafah-operation-the-way-we-want/

"...will result in thousands and thousands more civilian casualties." That's a damned lie. The only way there are that many "civilian casualties" is to be counting the exterminated vermin.

[PeteS in CA]

Biden Co-Chair, Dem Sen. Coons: ‘Almost Impossible’ for Israel to Do Rafah Operation the Way We Want

On Wednesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Biden Campaign Co-Chair Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) stated that it would be “almost impossible” for Israel to go into Rafah “and conduct an operation in a way that isn’t unreasonably dangerous and unsafe and will result in thousands and thousands more civilian casualties.” And the operation definitely can’t “be safely done in the coming weeks.”
...

Making the conditions impossible was Foggy Bottom's and LIEden's anti-Semites' purpose.

[Cyber Liberty]

Making the conditions impossible was Foggy Bottom's and LIEden's anti-Semites' purpose.

They never plan for victory, only stalemates.  All wars are now forever wars.

[Elderberry]

Instant News Alerts
@InstaNewsAlerts 3/21/2024

#BREAKING: IDF says forces have now captured more than 600 terrorists in ongoing operations at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, including several senior Hamas and PIJ commanders. Israel forces have killed more than 140 gunmen at the site in ongoing battles.

[Smokin Joe]

"...will result in thousands and thousands more civilian casualties." That's a damned lie. The only way there are that many "civilian casualties" is to be counting the exterminated vermin.

It's war. It isn't safe. People get killed. As for "thousands and thousands" more civilian casualties, maybe Hamas should throw up a white flag, send out the remaining hostages, dead or alive, and come out of their holes.

Otherwise, it will be done the hard way.

[DB]

It's war. It isn't safe. People get killed. As for "thousands and thousands" more civilian casualties, maybe Hamas should throw up a white flag, send out the remaining hostages, dead or alive, and come out of their holes.

Otherwise, it will be done the hard way.

And how many of those "civilians" are actively helping Hamas?

[Smokin Joe]

And how many of those "civilians" are actively helping Hamas?

By the jubilation in their streets after the massacre, most all of them.

[mystery-ak]

Mar 21, 2024 -
World
Blinken: U.S. submitted draft resolution to UN calling for Gaza ceasefire

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that calls "for an immediate ceasefire" in Gaza that's "tied to the release" of hostages held by Hamas.

Why it matters: Both Israel and Hamas are facing pressure to reach a deal to free the hostages and start a truce in Gaza, where over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, per Axios' Barak Ravid, who noted this week that the first detailed negotiations in months were underway.

    Now Blinken has said in an interview with Al-Hadath in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that an agreement was "getting closer" and "the gaps are narrowing," according to a transcript released by the State Department Wednesday. "I think an agreement is very much possible," he added.

The big picture: Blinken said during the interview that the Biden administration was "pressing for an immediate ceasefire" tied to freeing the hostages.

    The interviewer said to Blinken that "some may wonder how are you pressuring Israel to do so while you are still continuing supporting them financially and militarily, and even in the United Nations by vetoing any resolution that commits for an immediate ceasefire."
    Blinken replied that the U.S. resolution before the Security Council "does call for an immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages, and we hope very much that countries will support that." 

more
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/21/us-submits-gaza-ceasefire-resolution-un-israel-hamas

[mystery-ak]

Poll: Majority of Palestinians Want Hamas Control Over Gaza Strip When War Ends


Adam Kredo   
March 21, 2024

A majority of Palestinians want Hamas to retain control of the Gaza Strip after its war against Israel ends, according to a new poll.

"Gazans’ support for continued Hamas control over the Gaza Strip has increased to more than 50 percent, a 14-point rise" during the past several months, according to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, a nonprofit think tank that tracks public opinion in the West Bank and Gaza. "Given the magnitude of the suffering in the Gaza Strip, this seems to be the most counter intuitive finding of the entire poll."

The poll, which surveyed 1,580 adults in early March, determined that "almost all Palestinians think Israel is committing war crimes while almost all believe Hamas is not committing war crimes in the current war," a number that has remained steady throughout the conflict.

While support for Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel dropped by 11 points in the West Bank compared to three months ago, the numbers rose by 14 points among those living in war-torn Gaza.

more
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/poll-majority-of-palestinians-want-hamas-control-over-gaza-strip-when-war-ends/

[mystery-ak]

Netanyahu to Blinken on Rafah: We’d Prefer Your Support, But We’ll Do It Alone

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that there was no alternative to an attack in Rafah, and that Israel was prepared to do so without U.S. support.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/22/netanyahu-to-blinken-on-rafah-wed-prefer-your-support-but-well-do-it-alone/

[240B]

They never plan for victory, only stalemates.  All wars are now forever wars.

Exactly!
America NEVER fights a war to 'win' it. The only wars America won, were the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, and the war with Japan. Many say, "America 'won' WWII". This is not entirely correct, because America refused to attack the USSR. WWII never actually ended per-se, it just rolled over into a new thing which was called the cold war with the Soviet Union. The war did not end, it just went into a semi-dormant or cold state.

We all know that the Korean war is still ongoing, and Vietnam was a total mess. Vietnam was a 20 year war (which was not a war) that accomplished nothing and achieved nothing.

There have been so many American wars and incursions in the Middle East I cannot list them all here. But to summarize, none of them were 'won' in the traditional sense of what 'winning a war' means.

America's modern history of war, is to attack some place with little provocation, very dubious justification, and no defined objectives. Then they annihilate the place for 20 years causing millions of deaths. And then suddenly, America will just pull out. Leaving an incredible mess and all their native wartime supporters stranded in their wake.

This is the paradigm Biden and his staff are trying to force Israel into. Because "20 year wars with no definitive conclusion" is the only definition America has for what they call 'war'. America does not comprehend the very idea of winning, concluding, and finishing a war.

But Israel is not falling for the American "forever war" version of warfare. Israel does not fight random wars all over the world just for the sake of the funding the military industrial complex. When Israel goes to war, they go to war to WIN! - overwhelmingly, conclusively, and decisively. This is what they are doing in Gaza, much to the astonishment of all the milquetoast Liberals who currently run America.

America is aghast/appalled at the very idea of Israel winning a war and completing an objective, because that is simply not how they do it. And therefore they do not understand the idea and want to stop it.

[240B]

A majority of Palestinians want Hamas to retain control of the Gaza Strip after its war against Israel ends, according to a new poll.

This is a great example of 'First World' thinking being imposed on primitive barbarians. There are no factual meaningful "polls" in any Islamic country. People simply respond in whatever way which will not get them arrested, tortured, and killed.

[DefiantMassRINO]

The fact that no Arab / Muslim Middle East country wants to take in Palestinian / Gaza refugees tells you a lot.

[PeteS in CA]

Netanyahu to Blinken on Rafah: We’d Prefer Your Support, But We’ll Do It Alone

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that there was no alternative to an attack in Rafah, and that Israel was prepared to do so without U.S. support.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/03/22/netanyahu-to-blinken-on-rafah-wed-prefer-your-support-but-well-do-it-alone/

Take out an existential threat or knuckle under to hate-driven anti-Semites' demands that the existential threat be allowed to continue. Tough choice.