URGENT: Gaza is burning. The MSM is not just missing the story, it’s a propaganda arm of Israel as it prepared a genocide. I break stories that Israel doesn’t want anyone to know, including its own citizens.
Through all this, Tikun Olam is live-blogging the war. I bring you the latest media coverage from Israel and Palestine. You will be better informed here than almost anywhere else on the internet. Please donate now.
A few days ago, Israel threatened 21 Gaza hospitals with destruction if they did not evacuate immediately. Gazans refused. It also threatened all the 1.1-million residents of northern Gaza with attack, causing a mass exodus of new refugees. Two days ago, the IAF bombed a truckload of these fleeing Gazans, killing 70. An even more massive tragedy today:
Hundreds of Palestinians had taken refuge in al-Ahli and other hospitals in Gaza City in past days, hoping they would be spared bombardment after Israel ordered all residents of the city and surrounding areas to evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip.
The hospital could not close down. There was simply no place for the hundreds of dead, dying and wounded patients to go. Hospitals, as it was, had no electricity, water, or supplies since all these had been cut off by Israel.
As far as I can tell, this video, confirmed by the @washingtonpost, is the only close up footage of the strike. The whistle before the blast does not seem consistent with the remnants of a falling rocket, or a misfire. Comparison in next tweet. pic.twitter.com/kUKtyvnqcB
— Jason Paladino (@jason_paladino) October 17, 2023
Today al Ahli Hospital (affiliated with the Anglican church) in northern Gaza was bombed. At least 500 people died. That would indicate that the numbers likely will be even higher. We won’t know precise figures until rescue workers shift through all the rubble. This raises the death toll to 4,500 (1,200 are estimated to still be buried under rubble). 1,500 of the dead are children.
There are two conflicting accounts of what happened. The Israeli military claims that the Islamic Jihad rockets fired nearby failed and crashed into the hospital causing the explosion. Pres. Biden said that US intelligence agreed with the Israeli account.
The Palestinians, of course, blame Israel. In such cases, I’m always inclined to disbelieve such public statements from Israel since they’re almost always self-serving.
UPDATE: Today, Forensic Architecture released its finding using audio, drone and photographic evidence. It finds the IDF account to be false. It argues that the blast was likely caused by an Israeli artillery shell, and not by an Israeli missile fired from an IAF warplane.
It finds that a recording the IDF released, purporting to be Hamas operatives discusing the blast and declaring IJ responsible, to be manipulated.
This is the strongest evidence to date determining who fired the weapon which devastated the hospital. I can understand Israel falsifying data to absolve itself of guilt. But Biden announcing publicly that Israel was not responsible is inexcusable. Unless US intelligence itself was wrong. My best guess is that whoever told Biden the Palestinians were at fault lied in order to further reinforce US support for Israel.
The NSC released its own statement reported by CNN, which, if FA is correct, further implicates the US in a coverup:
A spokesperson for the NSC…said the assessment was based on available reporting, including “intelligence, missile activity, and open source video and images of the incident.”
“…Our current assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source information, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” Watson said in a statement on Wednesday.
The NSC followed up with an additional statement…leaning further into its assessment. “Intelligence indicates that some Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip believed that the explosion was likely caused by an errant rocket or missile launch carried out by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The militants were still investigating what had happened,” Watson said.
Israeli officials have released audio of what they say is Hamas militants discussing the blast and attributing it to a rocket launched by PIJ.
Officials told CNN separately that the initial evidence gathered by the US intelligence community suggests that the hospital strike came from a rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
I know that many of us, including myself are skeptical of this assessment for obvious reasons. But it has to be taken seriously as a likely explanation. Further, the US has two aircraft carrier strike groups which possess the most advanced surveillance capabilities. They would be monitoring every Gaza strike on either side including the one that destroyed the hospital. That would enable them to assess what caused the explosion. This offers strong evidence that it was not caused by Israel. But I remain open to evidence to the contrary.
Nevertheless, remember that Israel is attacking Gaza. There would be no defense mounted without such an act of aggression and genocide against Gaza. So despite the catastrophic result at the hospital, Israel is still responsible for its own continuing crimes against humanity. We must continue to keep its feet to the fire, holding it accountable for the confirmed, documented war crimes it has committed; regardless of who is responsible for this tragedy.
Lest anyone blame the media for getting it wrong in this case, the reason the world blamed Israel so readily was that it has perpetrated so many such massacres over such a long period of time, that when yet another one happens, it becomes that much easier to assume it is responsible once again. In other words, if Israel didn’t commit war crimes on such a regular basis, the world would maintain skepticism until further evidence was available.
It does seem difficult to account for 500 people could be killed by a single IJ rocket, given that they have killed at most a single Israeli and done only moderate damage to structures when they have struck a target. They also carry limited explosive capability. So I’m waiting for an explanation about this.
The director of Sheba Hospital, where most of the wounded were taken, pleaded for help:
Ambulances and private cars rushed some 350 casualties from the al-Ahli blast to Gaza City’s main hospital, al-Shifa, already overwhelmed with wounded from other strikes, said its director, Mohammed Abu Selmia. The wounded were laid onto bloody floors, screaming in pain.
“We are squeezing five beds into a single tiny room. We need equipment, we need medicine, we need beds, we need anesthesia, we need everything,” Abu Selmia said, warning that the fuel supply for the hospital’s generators will run out Wednesday. “I think Gaza’s medical sector will collapse within hours.”
As I mentioned, Israel threatened northern Gaza residents with attack and warned them to head south. But today’s bombing struck in the very place it told refugees to go, southern Gaza, with many dead. There is no escape. Death is everywhere.
Hundreds gathered in Ramallah and other major West Bank towns to protest the bombing. They demanded the ouster of Mahmoud Abbas, viewed as a corrupt Israeli collaborator. His Fatah is discredited and ineffectual. The only thing it’s good at is cooperating with Israeli security forces. Similar protests happened in Beirut and Jordan, where crowds gathered outside the Israeli embassies. In Amman, they stormed the embassy attempting to break in. Police used tear gas to disperse them. There were also protests in Syria, Turkey and Iraq. This may only be the same start.
Just when Biden thought he had Saudi-Israel normalization in the bag, it blows up in his face. Century-old grievances fester deeply, while artificial constructs like normalization falter at the least obstacle.
Biden administration faltering efforts
Today, at our request, the United States and Israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza, including the possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harm’s way.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 17, 2023
The US is pressuring Israel to permit humanitarian relief enter Gaza. Secretary of State Blinken trumpeted a supposed agreement that would “develop a plan” for aid and explore the “possibility” of creating safe zones for refugees. Given that this is Israel, possibilities and plans are meaningless. As if to bear this out, Israeli immediately issued conditions which eliminated the proposed US deal:
Still, as of late Tuesday, there was no deal in place. A top Israeli official said Tuesday his country was demanding guarantees that Hamas militants would not seize any aid deliveries. Tzahi Hanegbi, head of Israel’s National Security Council, suggested entry of aid also depended on the return of hostages held by Hamas.
Both conditions are an absolute non-starter. Who would deliver the aid if not Hamas? Foreign aid workers? The UN, whose staff have been murdered? Qatar? And why would Hamas release hostages in order to obtain the aid? These are deliberate conditions to sabotage the American intent.
US officials attempted to put a positive spin on the purported agreement:
U.S. officials said the gain might appear modest, but stressed that it was a significant step forward.
“Modest” is a polite way of putting it. It certainly isn’t a “significant” step. That would be a ceasefire. An end to the killing.
To add insult to injury, Pres. Biden is slated to travel to Israel tomorrow. In the midst of the worst war crime in recent memory, Biden will touch down in Tel Aviv and toast bubbly with Netanyahu, telling him what a stellar job he’s doing in protecting Israelis. Palestinians? Not so much. A heartless, badly-timed trip. One that will make Biden look like an Israeli patsy.
UPDATE: King Abdullah has cancelled an Arab-US summit with Egypt, UAE, Jordan and Palestinians that was to be held in Jordan. Biden will not make a stop there. If he continues with his trip anyway, he’s not only a fool; he will lose face in the Arab world for choosing Israel and insulting them.
Today’s tragedy may have just destroyed Israel’s plans for a ground invasion. If it went ahead, it would kill far more than it already has. International uproar would ensue. The hospital catastrophe would spur even greater opprobrium. Israel also would lose its own soldiers in the ensuing conflict. It has already lost 300 in the Hamas attack on southern Israel.
As if to acknowledge this, an IDF spokesperson said it was a mistake to assume Israel would launch such an assault. He said there were other options it might pursue.
Israel’s humanitarian lie
People are dying on a massive scale. Decisive action is needed now. Not plans. Not possibilities. And even if Israel did permit the aid to enter, who would bring it? Which NGO would send its staff into the middle of a war zone.
For example, 24 UN facilities in Gaza have been attacked by Israel, and 14 of its staff have been murdered. Currently it and other Gaza NGOs are sheltering 400,000 refugees. If you ran an NGO would you put your staff in harm’s way, no matter how desperate the need among the victims?
Yesterday, Israel made good (slightly) on its promise to reopen Gaza’s water supply. But like all Israeli promises it was broken as soon as it was given. There was water for 3 hours and it reached only 14% of the population. 300 tons of humanitarian relief stand waiting at the Rafah crossing from Egypt. Israel of course blamed Hamas for the snafu, which is ridiculous since it is not in its interest to prevent aid from reaching the population. Israel confirmed its responsibility for preventing the delivery:
Israel was insisting to search all aid, and wants to “ensure that such aid won’t benefit Hamas.” He said Egypt proposed that the U.N. oversee the whole process, including inside Gaza.
Israel and its apologists regularly make the vain claim that Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza. This confirms that it does. Occupation means control, not necessarily presence.
Why should Israel determine what enters Gaza via an Egyptian crossing? Not to mention that if it did do the inspection it would guarantee weeks’ long delays in delivery. It would certainly throttle approval of shipments in order to do so. And why would Hamas agree to Israel’s proposed role? Why should it? Israel has killed thousands and now Hamas should bow down and thank it for offering crumbs to starving babies?
Ceasefire Now
Ceasefire now. Lobby your senator or representative to sign the statement issued yesterday by 13 progressive Democrats. End the war now. Stop the genocide.
Jewish led protest in DC now on Palestine @jvplive @IfNotNowOrg will be going to White House shortly. Scores reportedly ready to be arrested. pic.twitter.com/WmzKfrhyQz
— Sam Husseini (@samhusseini) October 16, 2023
Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now co-sponsored a DC rally. They blocked entrances to the White House and 50 were arrestd. In Seattle, INN is sponsoring a 4pm rally at the Federal Building tomorrow. Attendees should register for the event online.
13 progressive Democrats signed a call for and immediate ceasefire. After this massacre, every member of the 100-strong Progressive Caucus should and must sign. Tell Biden he must take action. He must force Israel to stop the killing.
Wider War Threatened
The possibility of a three or even four-front war looms. Iran has threatened to intervene if Israel launches its ground invasion. It has also threatened to unleash Hezbollah on its northern border. Over the past week, it has infiltrated several units of fighters into Israel. About 10 of them were killed along with several Israeli soldiers. These incursions were meant as a warning of what may be to come. As many have noted, the Lebanese militia has far more powerful weapons than Hamas. Its 100,000+ missiles can read deep inside Israel and are far more advanced that what Hamas produces. As if to acknowledge the danger and possibility of impending attack, Israel evacuated 28 communities within a mile of the northern “border.”
Iran too has conventional missiles which could reach Israel. It also has allies and insurgents in numerous locations it could activate. They might engage in attacks against US or Israeli targets. Attacks like the ones today make such intervention far more likely. Israel’s Arab and Muslim enemies will not sit back forever as their Arab brothers and sisters die in the thousands.
In the meantime, the US has sent two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean. They are there to serve as a warning to Iran and Hezbollah to stay out of the fight. But once the decision is made to intervene, neither will care much about US firepower. As soon as the first bomb hits, the world will be up in arms. Not to mention the total upheaval of Biden’s foreign policy objectives. The president who said he would take us out of the Middle East, will have gotten us mired in its desert sands once again.
Thx for the update …
Israel has evacuated a stroke of 2 km along Northern border w Lebanon.
Jordan cancels Biden meetings with King Abdullah, Sissi, Abbas in Amman
Turkish Center for Combating Disinformation rebuffs Israeli claims on deadly hospital bombing | Anadolu Agency |
Outdated photos from 2022 and fake ‘Hamas’ account used to make false claims, says Turkish anti-disinformation body
GCC calls for an immediate ceasefire, lifting siege on Gaza …
There you have it … even Israel’s closed ally the Emirates 🇦🇪
A picture from the hospital in daylight
https://x.com/qudsn/status/1714521896723636575
Greetings from Israel,
It’s telling that the Progressive’s call for ceasefire doesn’t mention the hostages that Hamas has kidnapped and now holds.
Shouldn’t the call for a ceasefire also include the immediate release of the 199 hostages Hamas holds? Without their release, what incentive is there for Israel to stop her attacks on Hamas militants and infrastructure?
As far as the hospital bombing, let’s hear the IDF presser later on today that will reveal IDF evidence that an errant PIJ rocket or missile struck the hospital.
BTW, the Financial Times article you linked concluded that Israel probably struck the convoy and killed refugees. The Financial Times came to that conclusion after ruling out a car bomb and Hamas rocket, leaving Israel as the most likely culprit. But the munitions expert that FT utilized in the investigation did not consider that a Hamas anti-tank missile might have been used. Hamas rocket was ruled out, but a Hamas missile wasn’t even considered, so the analysis used incomplete data that skewed the results. It’s GIGO, ‘garbage in, garbage out’.
@ Minuteman:
When has Israel released any of the living or dead hostages? If so, why should Hamas be any different. If you want your hostages released you negotiate as has happened many times in the past. BTW, did you note the report from a survivor that the IDF actually killed hostages? There was little or no attempt to protect hostages during these firefights. You should listen to the Kan interview. It’s instructive.
You must be kidding, right? Hamas releases its hostages and Israel stops the genocide. I’m sure that’s exactly what Israel would do…in your dreams.
No thanks. YOu wait. I don’t need to wait to know what lies it will peddle. Unless it offers incontrovertible and credible evidence I wouldn’t trust the IDF as far as I could throw it.
So you’re claiming that you know better than a munitions expert and one of the most distinguished media outlets in the world what happened. You, w/o any evidence offered know for a fact that Hamas was responsible. And you know exactly what Hamas weapon killed those 70 people. And it was an anti tank missile fired in the middle of a busy highway filled with fleeing Palestinians. That’s undoubtedly what happened.
As for garbage in, garbage out…we know who and what is garbage. Your calling the Financial Times “garbage” makes you look like a fool.
Israel has released thousands of prisoners over the years in lopsided prisoner swaps, even for dead bodies.
@ Yellow: Do not publish a comment without reading the post. You’re wasting my time by having to tell you to do that now. The source’s account is in the post.
The issue of armed resistance is not the topic of this post and was not mentioned in it. Do not stray off-topic. Comments must be on-topic and concern the content and subject of the post and that alone.
@ Dawn: And it will have to release thousands more in order to get its hostages back. OR it can invade Gaza and get most or all of them killed, as it did when the army attempted to retake the southern Israeli towns and killed many Israeli hostages.
@Richard:
I assume that you are aware that among the hostages you are referring to are babies, toddlers, young children, even a demencial old woman – who have been kidnapped.
If not, you are being informed now.
@Eli:
I assume you are aware that 1,200 Palestinian babies, toddler, young children have been murdered.
Israel and the United States lost their criminal war narrative by facts on the ground. Scholz and EU States too are left standing naked. On Monday my headline: “West’s Israel Narrative Challenged”. It was Abbas who first pulled out of Amman meeting due to calls from Ramallah for his resignation. He declared three days of mourning. In Washington DC the press statement:
Universal narrative in Israel supporting EU states and US NATO alliance the explosion was the responsibility of Islamic JIhad in Gaza. A war of words … in the fog of war Disinformation is your best friend. Identical to the 2009 and 2014 wars on Gaza where Israel denied their responsibility in targeting UN refugee buildings, schools and hospitals.
The IDF denials has changed over the first hours … the US bombed the MSF run hospital in Kunduz and too came with days of denial. I just heard from a reporter the hospital had been targeted with explosions as a warning to evacuate.
Netanyahu is totally out of control, on the table in Jerusalem is the plan to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza (and the West Bank). Listening to Egypt’s president Sisi speaking in Caïro with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz some talking points were revealed. Egypt was offered large sums of money to open the Rafah crossing for war refugees … Nakba II.
Master in deceit for international press corps versed in loyalty taking IDF notes. Meet …
IDF Col. Richard Hecht, a Scotsman, explained how his family had moved to the El-Rom kibbutz, built on illegally occupied Palestinian land in the Golan Heights.
IDF Colonel Richard Hecht there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, there’s water and safe havens. I’m focused on the Israeli national crisis resulted from barbaric terror attacks by Hamas.
Stream of LIES as there is a strict military censorship enforced outside the borders of the Gaza Strip. Foreign reporters are threatened.
Excuse … I failed to close bold after “Golan Heights” 😔
Golan heights is Palestinian land now?
@ Dawn: The Golan is Syrian land conquered, annexed and occupied by Israel illegally.
😅
Egypt’s President El-Sisi Warns of Nakba II
All this as a result of Antony Blinken’s travel to “solve” the Palestinian humanitarian crisis … placing the burden elsewhere. Gaza and West Bank are Palestinian lands period!
“There was no evidence of a direct hit on the hospital building itself, no structural damage to nearby buildings and no bomb crater, which would have been consistent with damage from Israel Air Force aerial bombing,” General Hagari said on Wednesday.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-18/ty-article/israeli-army-presents-video-audio-to-show-islamic-jihad-behind-gaza-hospital-blast/0000018b-41f1-d242-abef-53f7d6570000
All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest. –Paul Simon
@ Miroslav: I am constantly updating this post as new information comes in. Your comment is out of date, considering these updates.
Cut out the shit with the lyrics to pop songs. It annoys me.
Richard. What does your ‘security source’ say about the deadly incident at the Gaza hospital?
He should know, right?
BTW. Richard’s claim that occupiers, including their citizens, are legitimate targets for armed resistance is simply false.
‘ Settlers, no matter how objectionable their conduct and in violation of international law, are civilians and may not be made the object of an attack.’
https://www.justsecurity.org/89489/expert-guidance-law-of-armed-conflict-in-the-israel-hamas-war/
@ Yellow: Do not publish a comment without read the post. You’re wasting my time by having to tell you to do that now. The source’s account is in the post.
The issue of armed resistance is not the topic of this post and was not mentioned in it. Do not stray off-topic. Comments must be on-topic and concern the content and subject of the post and that alone.
Joe Biden Absolves Bibi of Atrocities and War Crimes
The Western media from the first instant, when the dead bodies were still warm, laid blame on Islamic Jihad. None excepted within 24 hour period.
Non-NATO countries are de-coupled from Western war porn.
The Western media from the first instant put the blame on Israel. It took about 5 hours until headlines started changing.
Don’t believe me? you’re welcome to Google it and see screenshots.
What strikes me also, is the tendency to immediately believe a terrorist organization, known for its lies and disinformation, without questioning it for one minute. Did they supply any evidence before this was called out? Or was it just Israel who always needs proof?
How is it that within 30 minutes (record time!) from the explosion they already announced 500 casualties? Look at the images – the Islamic Jihad’s rocket hit the parking lot of the hospital.
That does not lead to 500 casualties.
Google is your friend? News is censored, welcome to the real news on Tikun Olam. For you, hasbara master Mark Regev is back in town.
Press Release Al-Ahli massacre: American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ)
On Dutch national news broadcast last night, the high number of casualties was put in doubt. A NATO ally of Joe and friend of Bibi.
Israeli MK Meirav Ben-Ari: “The children of Gaza have brought this upon themselves”
Was my English unclear?
Als ik dit in het Nederlands geschreven had?
Your claim that Western media instantly put the blame on Islamic Jihad is wrong. They put it on Israel and that’s why I suggested you look it up and see homepage screenshots of CNN, BBC, WSJ, etc. I think Google is up for the job, but if that doesn’t satisfy you, we can also try the dark web if that’ll make it feel more credible.
Thank you for enlightening me about reading “real news”. I was under the impression all news outlets had an agenda, but apparently I was wrong – this one doesn’t have one whatsoever!
We are in the fog of war. It would be good to see some proof of who was responsible for the hospital bombing. But this particular tragedy is being used to underline the story that blame belongs to Israel. So Israel has lost some of the sympathy/victimhood it had from October 7th.
Israel and the US have the hospital attack as being an errant bomb or missile from Hamas/ Islamic Jihad. This is from sources that seem credible and that offer some reasoning and proof(?) The truth at this point may not matter. Even so if Israel/US they have anything definitive should show it. They would want to. But what can’t be denied is that the greater tragedy happening in Gaza now, even without the threatened ground offensive, is doing Israel and indeed the US a lot of harm. Biden, from the news, seems over the top in his support of Israel and shows an inability to stop the punishment of Gazans, nor help them much. (The photo of Netanyahu embracing Biden (NYT) is sickening).
Did Hamas know what they set in motion or see some end of it? But this show of desperation to Israel and the world has been long in coming. Israel was ignoring it, secure in the status quo and military might.
US protection killed any chance of peace and Justice for the Palestinian people … still in a refugee status being pushed out of historic lands of its ancestors. The silence of EU states is devastating (sickening). The embrace of German chancellor in Jerusalem and Cairo was hurtful for the fate of Palestinians. My latest: Antony Blinken Offered Palestinians Nakba II. Scholz gave his blessing.
It’s only Palestinians’ 2nd and 3rd generations who are still considered refugees.
I didn’t know you can inherit this status from your ancestors. You’re certainly not a refugee if you’re still living in the same place you were born, because no one has forced you to leave.
However, the UN is doing a fantastic job at maintaining this “refugee” situation in an unprecedented way.
I don’t recall the people of Gaza considering themselves refugees between 1948-1967 (under Egypt).
5 sec. search on Internet …
@ Benjamin:
Not only do I not consider you a refugee expert, it’s the height of condesenscion to decide on behalf of refugees who is or isn’t one.
Palestinians expelled from their homes and forced to flee to a place where they have no food, drink or housing, as they have in Gaza are refugees. Period.
The snark is insulting. Lay off it. The UN does not make up the rules of who is a refugee. There are internationally agreed definitions of the term. The UN follows that guidance. It is not the fault or responsibility of the UN to use other terms that are more convenient to you or Israel. Their physical refugees status is determined by whether or not they and their parents or grandparents have been uprooted from their homes by Israel. They were. Their descendants may not return to their original family homes. Israel doesn’t abscond from responsibility based on refusing to permit them to return for enough generations that such right of return is abrogated.
You have any idea what Palestinian refugees considered themselves during that period. Don’t presume knowledge about something you know nothing about.
Reminder: one comment per thread.
Well Benjamin “Israelis” still see in their “lets say strange” history interpretations and moral attitudes themselves as refugees from ancient Israel. So “Israelis” in your minds inherited your refugee status to justify robbing Palestine from the distance of 1900 years or beyond over 60 generations. You also in your stories inherited “the God’s gift to Israelis” as the main justification. If we eliminate these your two inherited gifts from the past, what actual reasons are left for Zionists to justify robbing the lands of Palestine and your style of behaviour? Nothing, besides, that insane often mentioned excuse, that Palestine was empty when “Israelis” arrived to modern days Israel.
Is this Proof Israel bombed al-Ahli Arab Hospital ???
PALESTINE ONLINE
@OnlinePalEng
American politician @jacksonhinklle posted a video showing the presence of an Israeli warplane over the Baptist Hospital before it was bombed and indicates that the direction of the two missiles’ descent comes from the location of the plane.
https://twitter.com/OnlinePalEng/status/1714709477948059896
Jackson Hinkle
@jacksonhinklle
Why is their an Israeli fighter jet flying above the hospital at the time it was bombed if Israel didn’t bomb it?
https://x.com/jacksonhinklle/status/1714650930300309844?s=20
Looks pretty convincing to me.
Steve- Apparently from a disreputable source. I would say this is no proof at all, especially given the visual tricks and labels possible.
We are in the fog of war.. everyone is taking advantage. People are talking to their sides and this turns the heat up everywhere. All these links! Here is another:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/18/business/media/hospital-blast-gaza-reports.html
Yes, thank you, after I posted it I read further, someone said city lights in the video proves it is not from 2023, and an Australian intelligence guy said it was from 2022 and a few kilometers away.
Nevertheless, I believe it will be shown in time that Israel did this. People are working on it as we speak.
Israel lies everyday to shift blame and justify their crimes in Palestine.
I’m an Engineer, the probability of an accidental hit on that exact spot is almost zero, and Israel warned this would happen in advance.
Also, I believe some, or all, of Richard Silverstein’s sources may be double agents, used to spread disinformation like this. Israel must know who he is talking to. With no disrespect to Richard.
Israel lies.
The US lies.
Australian intelligence guy lies.
Sources are double agents.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are truth tellers.
I’ll be realistic here and say that everyone lies, but why is it that on this specific case you’re so certain Israel is the liar?
You must have seen video footage and heard audio recordings of the people who have seen the rocket debris saying it wasn’t Israeli. Yet, you’re not even doubtful that it may not have been Israel.
And why is the probability of hitting this spot almost zero? Why could it not have been a failed Hamas/IJ rocket launch? Their rockets fail, and quite often.
Here is the latest investigation of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion …
“An Al Jazeera digital investigation found no grounds to the Israeli army claim that the strike on the al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza was caused by a failed rocket launch”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyNLvL_8SeY
“On 19 October, Al Jazeera published its analysis of the hospital explosion. Al Jazeera said they had constructed a second-by-second timeline by analyzing video footage of the event. According to Al Jazeera, a rocket launched from Gaza was intercepted by an Iron Dome interceptor and “completely destroyed” in mid-air 5 seconds prior to the hospital explosion. As no more rocket launches could be seen in video footage from Gaza from this time until the hospital explosion, Al Jazeera said that they found “no grounds” for the IDF claim that the hospital explosion was caused by a failed rocket launch from Gaza. The investigation also identified “four Israeli air strikes on Gaza, targeting the area near the hospital” in the minutes before the explosion.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ahli_Arab_Hospital_explosion
Israel and the United States Government are lying to themselves and to the world to justify more money for Israel, more weapons for Israel, and more UN Vetoes for Israel.
The end result may be a regional war, that may become a nuclear war in time.
@ Benjamin: Israel thrives on your brand of cynicism. It allows Israel to commit horrible crimes and then excuse them by saying: everybody does it. Well, no. That’s now how international law works. You don’t get to say “everybody does it.” If you do it, then you’re liable to end up in the dock in the Hague.
Because it is. Read my new Forensic Architecture post.
[comment deleted: no ‘Palestinians are Nazis’ analogies.]
If the US has data and information that is independent of Israeli and public sources, the US should release such data and information. For a long time, the US covered up what it knew about the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty. Some of the information is still hidden to shield Israel.
Israel may not be able to survive a struggle that lasts more than a month.
A call-up of 100-300,000 reservists severely damages the economy. The most recent immigrants will leave first. Earlier immigrants will eventually leave.
Modern Jews are not rooted in Palestine as Palestinians are.
Without continuous and psychotic indoctrination, Jews don’t want their own country. Jewish communities have for a millennium provided commercial financial services on a contract basis to a state or to a state-like entity.
Zionism is completely insane.
The State of Israel managed to bootstrap the state in 1949 because for at least 4 years, the Zionist colonial settlers had been gathering intelligence on Palestinian agricultural properties and on Palestinian businesses in the cities. Once Palestinians were kicked out, the Zionist movement took over the agricultural properties and businesses in a sort of hijacking. This hijacking became “making the desert bloom” in Zionist PR.
To tell the truth, Zionist agriculture has always been crappy and did not become halfway decent until after 1967 when Zionists hired Palestinians to farm the land that had been stolen from Palestinian communities. The Palestinian hospitality industry — as besieged as it is — is superior to the Zionist hospitality industry — not just my biased opinion.
Coming hours the IDF ground invasion will start … electricity and aggregates will stop due to lack of diesel … there is no water for 2.2 million Gazans caged in prison held by the Jewish State of Israel. The massive GENOCIDE will continue … friendly allied nations are complicit as the “West” and EU states stay silent after voicing support for Netanyahu. 😢 🕯️ 🙏🏽