Summary by JW WIlliams
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is a holy site in Jerusalem where Muslims believe Mohammad ascended into heaven. The new war between Hamas and Israel began on October 7 when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltration into Israel by land, sea, and air. Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for increased violence by Israeli settlers and the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Palestine Chronicle reported two days before the attack that 240 illegal Israeli Jewish settlers forced their way into Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, and over 4,500 total stormed the area in the previous five days during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Critics have pointed out that Israel appears have issued stand down orders as it failed to detect the surprise Hamas attack despite its sophisticated surveillance systems, a warning about a Hamas attack from Egyptian intelligence before it happened, and reporting from Israel indicating unusual activity by Hamas. Reports show that Hamas itself was surprised at how many Israelis it was able to kill. Cailtlin Johnstone wrote that the mainstream media consensus is that it is fine for nations to go on murderous rampage whenever something bad happens to them, as the US did following 9/11. This gives intelligence agencies an opportunity to carry out their long-planned agenda, under the guise of retaliation, using it as an excuse to forward the pre-existing agenda, all while pretending to be the victim.
The Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s response has extended into cutting water, food supplies and electricity to Gaza, increasing the misery in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.
At least 3,061 Palestinians have been killed and 13,750 others have been injured in the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry in Gaza said. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the armed conflict.
We previously reported on the claim that 40 Israeli babies were decapitated by Hamas, which elicited a strong emotional reaction, but the claim appears to be false, as no proof was provided.
We also previously reported that it was curious that Israel failed to detect the Hamas attack before it happened and the IDF a delayed reaction time; many critics contend that the Israeli Army was given stand down orders so that Hamas could inflict maximum damage that would lead to retaliation by Israel.
We further reported that Israel funded Hamas in the 1970s. And Netanyahu has allowed suitcases holding millions in Qatari cash to enter Gaza since 2018 to prevent a Palestinian state.
Ben Shapiro provided a photo of an Israeli baby that says was burned beyond recognition by Hamas, but a search showed that it was generated by artificial intelligence. The photo of the baby is similar to another photo of a puppy (note the position of the hands and markings on the sheet are the same in both photos) that is said to be the source of Shapiro’s photo. Shapiro wrote, “You wanted pictorial proof of dead Jewish babies? Here it is, you pathetic Jew-haters. Israel will minimize civilian casualties. But Israel will not allow the pieces of human shit who did this to live. Every ounce of blood spilled in Gaza is on Hamas.” Shapiro has since deleted his tweet.
It is common for leaders to try to manipulate the public into supporting war, therefore, it is reasonable to ask for evidence of war crimes.