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Tag: Israel

  • Israel knew about Hamas’ October 7 attack, claims New York Times

    Israel knew about Hamas’ October 7 attack, claims New York Times

    A recent report by The New York Times published on November 30 reveals that a blueprint containing the details of the October 7 attack by Hamas was in the knowledge of Israeli officials, however, they dismissed it as aspirational.


    Ronen Bergman and Adam Goldman, both stationed in Tel Aviv, claim to have reviewed the classified 40-page document, code-named ‘Jericho Wall’ by the Israeli authorities.


    The Times team, who reviewed the translated document, stated that it does not point out the exact date for the attack but lays out the detailed methodical assault designed to invade the Israeli region around Gaza. “Hamas followed the blueprint with shocking precision,” reports The New York Times.


    The document was circulated among top intelligence officials in Israel more than a year ago but they deemed it beyond Hamas’ capabilities. The Times team sheds light on the doubtful approach of the Israeli intelligence. “It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.


    However, it is not confirmed if Prime Minister Netanyahu saw the document or not.


    The research also explains that a colonel in the Gaza division brushed off the warning made by an analyst who claimed that Hamas conducted military exercises as per the content of Jericho Wall, according to encrypted emails viewed by The Times.


    The article goes on to explain the glaring similarities between the attack by Hamas and the intelligence report of the Jericho Wall.


    While the October seven attack has been dubbed the deadliest attack in Israel’s history and the Israeli military has accepted that they failed to protect their state, it has netizens wondering if the Israeli authorities deliberately let it happen to have an excuse to attack Gaza.

    However, there are some criticising the government of Israel for putting the life of so many at risk and benefitting from the situation to the fullest.

    White House Correspondent for ABC News has informed on Twitter that a senior official at the White House has denied to have any knowledge about the Jericho Wall document.

  • Iranian delegates walked out of UN climate

    Iranian delegates walked out of UN climate

    AFP – Tehran, Iran: Iranian delegates walked out of UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates on Friday in protest over the presence of Israeli representatives, state media reported.

    The Iranian side considered Israel’s presence at COP28 “as contrary to the goals and guidelines of the conference and, in protest, it left the
    conference venue”, said Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, who headed the Iranian delegation, quoted by the official news agency IRNA.

    The move came only hours after a seven-day truce between Israel and Hamas expired and hostilities between the two resumed in Gaza.

    IRNA had said late Thursday that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would not take part in the talks and Mehrabian would instead attend the summit.

    Delegates from nearly 200 countries are under pressure to step up efforts to limit global warming at COP28, but the Israel-Hamas conflict now in its
    eighth week is casting a shadow over the summit.

    UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan had invited Raisi to attend COP28 during talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in June, IRNA said.

    But the Iranian president had decided not to attend “due to the invitation of the Zionist regime (Israel) officials”, the news agency said.

    In a phone call with his UAE counterpart, Amir-Abdollahian said “the presence… of Israel in this meeting deserves serious consideration” in
    light of its alleged “war crimes and genocide”.

  • Mehdi Hasan’s show cancelled by MSNBC

    Mehdi Hasan’s show cancelled by MSNBC

    The prime-time show anchored by Mehdi Hasan, one of the strongest advocates of the Palestinian cause on American news networks, has been cancelled by MSNBC network.


    The decision was first reported by the news website Semafor on Thursday. The host of The Mehdi Hasan Show is a British-born journalist known for his hard-hitting interviews. He is a rare critic of Israeli policies on USA cable news and has a huge fanbase. The show was broadcast live on Sundays at 8 pm US Eastern time and covered national politics, current affairs, and global news.


    Mehdi Hasan will instead now become an on-camera analyst and guest host. His weekend show will be replaced by an additional hour of Ayman, the news program hosted by Ayman Mohyeldin.


    Hasan was recently very vocal about Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip. Earlier in November, he interviewed Mark Regev, senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s former ambassador to the UK, questioning him firmly on the high Palestinian civilian death toll, the Palestinian children that were killed by the Israeli military, and related matters.
    Hasan asked: “They’re people your government has killed. You’ve killed children. You accept that, right? Or do you deny that?”
    To which Regev replied: “No, I do not.”


    MSNBC President Rashida Jones said the reshuffle aims to “better position” the network as it heads into the 2024 US elections.


    Before what is reportedly the official cancellation of the Mehdi Hasan show, MSNBC faced criticism for temporarily taking Muslim anchors off air during the war in Gaza. The current decision has also attracted a lot of criticism.


    Noura Erakat slammed the network by saying “He should be amplified, not shut down.”

    Columnist and Journalist Owen Jones praised Mehdi’s interviewing skills and said, “Look what’s happening: the few mainstream voices who challenge Israel’s mass slaughter of Gaza are under attack.”


    US journalist David Sirota noted that Hasan has reported critically on both Republicans and Democrats.
    “Canceling him is another step in the deliberate homogenization of news content into pure red-vs-blue infotainment,” Sirota wrote on X.

    Host and author Charlie Skyes appreciated Mehdi and called him the most gifted interviewer in US Media.

    Kenneth Roth, former director of Human Right’s Watch proclaimed the decision as outrageous.

    Race theorist and author Tim Wise lambasted MSNBC that the network should be ashamed of its decision.

  • Israel resumes attacks in Gaza as truce ends

    Israel resumes attacks in Gaza as truce ends

    The additional one-day truce between Israel and Gaza has ended on Friday while the deadline to further extend the truce has passed in vain.

    Israeli Defense Forces wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that IDF has “resumed combat” against Hamas in Gaza because they “violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory.”

    As of yet, Al Jazeera has reported that according to witnesses in Gaza City and the north of the Gaza Strip, “heavy clashes are taking place between Palestinian fighting groups and Israeli troops,” while in the central Gaza Strip, Israeli tanks are also firing near Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps. Additionally, air raids have also resumed.

  • How many Pakistanis are boycotting Israeli products? New reports shed light

    How many Pakistanis are boycotting Israeli products? New reports shed light

    As Israel intensified attacks in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7 attacks, products affiliated with Israel are being boycotted across the world, including Pakistan.

    According to new survey by Pulse, the sentiments of Boycotting the MNC brands are still high.

    The survey was based on more than 1,200 respondents in 12 cities, revealing that while the gravity of sentiments has mellowed, almost eight amongst 10 (78 per cent -previously it was 83 per cent) respondents are in favor of boycotting the brands.

    Seven out of 10 (69 per cent – previously it was 79 per cent) amongst those who are in favor of boycotting brands claim that they are doing it.

    The report further highlights that “the sentiments to boycott are relatively high amongst females ( decision makers for household brands) as compared to males.”

    The most effected products or companies include carbonated soft drinks, followed by fast food, chips , juices, soaps and toothpaste.

  • Avoid calling the Hamas’ people ‘terrorists’, Voice of America tells staff

    Avoid calling the Hamas’ people ‘terrorists’, Voice of America tells staff

    One of the editors of the US state run broadcasting agency Voice of America, has sent an email to staff and journalists, asking that they should avoid using the word ‘terrorists’ for Hamas while reporting on the ongoing siege of Gaza by Israel.


    Washington Post has reported that Republicans are criticising the news organization for deviating from the official government narrative, stating that the government-funded news organization should not shy away from using the word ‘terrorist’.

    The mail suggested, “In covering the Israel-Gaza war — or any other conflict — we need to remember VOA’s commitment to fairness, neutrality and balance. We cannot favor one side over another or do anything that feeds even the perception of bias. The October 7 attacks on Israel may be described as terrorist attacks or acts of terror, but avoid calling Hamas and its members terrorists, except in quotes.”

  • Hamas claims responsibility for West Jerusalem shooting after Israeli forces kills two children in West Bank

    Hamas claims responsibility for West Jerusalem shooting after Israeli forces kills two children in West Bank

    Hamas has claimed responsibility for a West Jerusalem shooting, stating that the two gunmen were their members, one day after Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including two children, in the occupied West Bank.

    The attack was carried out at a bus stop on Thursday, killing three people and wounding several.

    The shooters, too, have been killed.

    “The operation came as a natural response to unprecedented crimes conducted by the occupation,” Hamas said in a statement, highlighting Israel’s military operation in Gaza and their behaviour towards Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

    On Wednesday, two Palestinian children, both boys, aged eight and 15, were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

  • Day-long extension of Israel-Hamas truce agreed

    A truce between Israel and Hamas was extended on Thursday just before it was due to expire, the two sides announced, with mediator Qatar reporting it would continue for one day under the same conditions that saw hostages exchanged.

    Minutes before the halt in fighting in the Gaza Strip was due to expire at 05:00 GMT, Israel’s military said the truce would be prolonged.

    “In light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue,” it said.

    The prime minister’s office subsequently confirmed the extension, saying it had received a new list of hostages.

    “A short time ago, Israel was given a list of women and children in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and therefore the truce will continue,” it said, without specifying the number of captives to be freed.

    Hamas said there was an agreement to “extend the truce for a seventh day”, without further details. It had earlier said Israel initially refused to extend the truce after it offered to hand over seven hostages and the bodies of three more.

    Qatar, which has led the truce negotiations supported by Egypt and the United States, confirmed the pause had been extended for a day “under the same previous conditions”.

    The announcement came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Wednesday night, and with growing pressure for an extension of the pause.

    The truce agreement has brought a temporary halt to fighting in Gaza, where authorities say almost 15,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military campaign. Israeli authorities say some 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage in Hamas’s surprise 7 October attack inside Israel.

    The truce agreement allows for extensions if Hamas can release another 10 hostages a day, but earlier both sides warned they were ready to return to fighting.

  • Risk of famine in Gaza: World Food Programme

    Warnings of a possible famine in Gaza have been issued by the UN World Food Program (WFP), underlining that supplies are starkly inadequate to tackle the hunger levels reported by WFP staff in UN shelters.

    “It is highly likely that the population of Gaza, especially women and children are at high risk of famine if WFP is not able to provide continued access to food,” the WFP said in a statement on Tuesday.

    “The WFP delivered desperately needed food to more than 120,000 people in Gaza during the initial pause,” the statement read.

    “Thanks to the pause, our teams have been in action on the ground, going into areas we haven’t reached for a long time. What we see is catastrophic,” said Corinne Fleischer, the WFP’s director for the MENA and Eastern Europe Region.

    “Six days is simply not enough to provide all the assistance needed. The people of Gaza have to eat every day, not just for six days,” she added.

    The Israel-Gaza four-day truce was to end yesterday, but it has now been successfully extended for two more days in agreement to exchange more Israeli hostages from Gaza with Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

    Samer Abdeljaber, the WFP representative and country director in Palestine, reports that the program’s teams have seen “hunger, despair, and destruction” among people who have not received any aid for weeks.

    He further stated that the humanitarian pause has only provided a momentary relief, “which we hope will pave the way for long-term calm.”

    The humanitarian aid must continue, uninterrupted and without any hindrances, he added.

  • Why is #ElonToGaza trending on Twitter?

    Why is #ElonToGaza trending on Twitter?

    #ElonToGaza is one of the top trends on Twitter right now, appearing on the microblogging site after Elon Musk’s visit to Israel.

    The billionaire tycoon and owner of X (former Twitter), having made a number of controversial statements about the Gaza situation, went to Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog. The tour took place after one of his tweets, dubbed anti-semitic by critics, went viral on social media. The contents of the tweet promoted the conspiracy theory that white people in the West are being “replaced” through immigration from the Global South with the help of progressive Jews – “the actual truth”.

    Details of the visit


    Accompanied by Prime Minister Netanyahu, the tech billionaire also visited a kibbutz that was raided by Hamas fighters on October 7, during an assault that left 1,200 people dead. He was also shown footage of the Hamas attack and met some of the families of people taken into captivity from Israel.


    Elon’s Twitter Space with Netanyahu


    “It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre,” said Musk later in an X Spaces conversation with Netanyahu, adding Israel has “no choice” but to eliminate Hamas.
    In the brief life-streamed conversation on X, Musk and Netanyahu agreed that Hamas needs to be eradicated. “You first have to get rid of the poisonous regime as you did in Germany, as you did in Japan. Yeah, in World War II,” said Netanyahu. Musk replied, “There’s no choice. There’s no choice.”


    Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Musk during a meeting that he had a huge role to play in the global fight against anti-Semitism.“We have to do whatever is necessary to stop the hate,” Musk replied, according to a statement released by Herzog’s office.


    Despite the fact that the Israeli Prime Minister condemned Musk for the tweet, he welcomed the visit by stating that Musk’s visit to Israel points to his solidarity with Israel.

    Purpose of the visit


    Musk reached an agreement with Israel “in principle” that internet access to Gaza may be provided through Starlink, but only using units operated by Israel and with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications.


    In October, CEO Musk said that “Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza.”


    As Gaza plunged into darkness after its communications blackout in October, social media users pleaded with Musk to provide the besieged Gaza Strip with internet access through Starlink.


    Musk was prompted to provide internet connection in Ukraine through Starlink as it uses satellite and not cables to provide internet. People accused him of having “double standards” when it comes to Gaza where a brutal war is being inflicted by Israel. Even Israel has previously opposed Starlink connectivity for Gaza, contesting that Hamas would use it for “terrorist activities”.


    Now netizens are questioning Elon for not visiting Gaza despite the destruction and death that has befallen innocent civilians there.

    Hamas has also sent an invitation to Elon Musk.