Zion and the Art of Armageddon

Incursions may be another reason for redeploying IDF units to the center of the Strip; making sure IJ fighters don't slip through to help Hamas trapped in Rafah. Today's the end of Ramjamadan, i think, and although Netnyahu is being coy about the timing of the assault i expect Israeli troops will make it an uncomfortable weekend for Hamas.
 
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A bit of HAMAS history
HAMAS formed in late 1987 at the beginning of the first Palestinian intifada (uprising
Initially mostly associated with refugee camps and food.

HAMAS and Fatah in April 2011 agreed to form an interim government and hold elections, reaffirming this pledge in February 2012. HAMAS departed its long-time political headquarters in Damascus in February and dispersed throughout the region as Syrian President Bashar al-Asad’s crackdown on opposition in the country made remaining in Syria untenable for the group. In May 2012, HAMAS claimed to have established a 300-strong force to prevent other Palestinian resistance groups from firing rockets into Israel. Conflict broke out again in November. While HAMAS had worked to maintain the cease-fire brokered by Egypt that ended the week-long conflict, other Palestinian militant groups flouted the cease-fire with sporadic rocket attacks throughout 2013 and 2014. Fatah and HAMAS in April 2014 agreed to form a technocratic unity government headed by PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and to hold legislative elections within six months. HAMAS has not renounced violent resistance against Israel even while pursuing reconciliation with Fatah.
In July 2014, the uneasy calm between HAMAS and Israel broke down completely after three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed in the West Bank in June—deaths ascribed by Israel to HAMAS—and a Palestinian was killed by Israeli settlers in revenge. Retaliatory rocket attacks by HAMAS’s military wing and other Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip escalated into the longest and most lethal conflict with Israel since 2009.

Bold part Israel's assumption.

August 2005
Monday Israel starts pulling out of 21settlements in the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the West Bank. Afterit's cleared, the land will be handed over to Palestinian control. Jerusalem Bureau Chief Ilene Prusher explains how - and why - this will happen.
.
Mr. Sharon endorsed a view Israel's left-winghas argued for years: Being in some parts of the Occupied Territories was more of a security liability than an asset. And, for the first time ever, Sharon said in 2003 that he wanted to end the occupation. "It is not possible to continue holding 3-1/2 million people under occupation," he told Likud members in May 2003. "You may not like the word, but what's happening is occupation.This is a terrible thing for Israel, for the Palestinians, and for the Israeli economy."
Why did Israel occupy the settlements in the first place?
Israel occupied the territories after taking control of Gaza from Egypt and the West Bank from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israeli political figures - Sharon foremost among them - argued for building settlements in the territories to achieve several goals. The settlements would create "facts on the ground" that would make it impossible for Israel to turn the disputed lands over to the Palestinians. And the settlements might also, in the long term, populate the territories with enough Israelis to warrant annexation.


.The settlement buildings were destroyed
The last part explains what has been going on in the West Bank plus the sudden explosion in more authorised settlement intent since the 7th.

1967 has it's interesting factors. Not all that long after the oil states decided to give us all a fuel crisis. Politics moves slowly and this factor may part explain Israel's withdrawal.
 
A war of two halves?:unsure:
Lets hope it doesn't go to extra time, although a penalty shoot-out would be interesting.
 
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it was a biased report by the Conservative Broadcasting Corporation
No it wasn't really. The Gaza end of things was in some respects rather weak but the BBC have broadcasted info on that end of things on a number of occasions, The Gaza part concentrated on ambulance drivers in Gaza city but just in the early days. Deaths of those, damaged ambulances and etc.

The Israeli side. More complete info on the concert and what happened plus interviews of some of the people directly affected and IDF after a fashion. How a few got there and some general comments.
 
Turkey wanted to air drop aid into Gaza. Israel says no so Turkey has applied some embargoes on some items they export to them. One item is jet fuel. Israel - we aren't going to import anything from you. They are also going to try to get embargoes applied on Turkey. Read the west. That more recently than the initial response.

Palestine will be trying to become a recognised estate again shortly. Many security council members appear to feel that they meet the requirements but US says veto, as they did the last time this was attempted. It's pretty clear from comments that the US wants it's idea of a state and wont accept anything else.
 
Iranian Rial collapsed by 30% the other night, something brewing.
It's been dropping for some time so last night isn't a very good description. Seems they have had the same as all have on inflation and then a further steep decline in the rial value.

It appears that Benjamin saying he has a date for Rafar has come as a bit of a surprise to Blinken. Cameron is over there. Came out in a press conference.
 
As Israel continues the war in Gaza, with no indication of a victory, it risks fomenting endless conflict.

Beyond this assault, what Israel wants in Gaza remains unclear, and there is no Palestinian, international or Israeli consensus on who would administer the enclave in the future. To return to Gaza in the numbers needed to prove effective would be costly. After the call-up for the initial surge into Gaza, the Israeli economy shrank by 7 percent as the war drew workers from their jobs.

Israel will probably “face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralise Hamas’s underground infrastructure, which allows insurgents to hide, regain strength, and surprise Israeli forces”, the US said of the situation in its Threat Assessment in March.

“There is no real plan for Gaza,” said Baraa Shiban of the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI). “Israel just needed to respond forcefully to the [Hamas-led] attack of October 7th and maintain that narrative, which it’s struggled to do.

Allahu Akhbar@Al Jazeera

'Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defines the war aims as defeating Hamas and freeing an unknown number of remaining Israeli captives.' But while his poll ratings plummet and the renewed threat of a return to court to face charges of fraud and further legal action over accusations of war crimes it's possible he'd consider prolonging the war simply to stay in power.
 
Well the UK is not putting an embargo on weapon / arms ( ?) sales to Isreal

Good for Sunack and Cameron for not bowing to
Pressure from the shouty minority ( fruitcakes ) and 600 (?) scheister lawyers and there un important irrelevant petition ??
 
Well the UK is not putting an embargo on weapon / arms ( ?) sales to Isreal
While they have published legal advice on actions etc they wont on weapons to Israel. They have it but wont make it generally available. It's just for the gov to look at. From Cameron during a press conference.
 
While they have published legal advice on actions etc they wont on weapons to Israel. They have it but wont make it generally available. It's just for the gov to look at. From Cameron during a press conference.

Quite right as well

It’s confidential info and top secret (?)
 
Legally they don't have to accept legal guidance. Cameron makes the decision.

The quotes I've heard from him would be just as true if the legal opinion was that there is a genocide being carried out or not.
 
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