Israel Today – Photos and Facts

Today – 10.10.23

Latest Israel Updates

UN Human Rights Council Forgets About Israel

Just prior to a moment of silence to honor the dead, the deputy permanent representative of Pakistan, Ambassador Zaman Mehdi, gave a short memorial speech in which he took jabs at Israel and acknowledged only those killed in Palestinian territory.

“On behalf of the IOC member states, we express our deep concerns over the loss of innocent lives in the occupied Palestinian territory and elsewhere,” Mehdi said. “Regrettably, this huge loss of lives and unabated violence is a sad reminder of more than seven decades of illegal foreign occupation, aggression and disrespect for the international law, including UNESCO resolutions.”

Biden: At Least 11 Americans Killed in Israel

President Joe Biden on Monday confirmed that Americans have died in Israel. Biden said “at least 11 Americans have been killed, and he believes more may have been taken hostage by Hamas,” ABC News reports. “Biden said his administration is aware other US citizens are missing and that they are working with Israeli officials to learn more about their whereabouts,” the network writes.  “‘While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas,’ Biden continued. ‘I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts.’ Late Monday, the White House said Biden would make remarks on the crisis at 1 pm ET [Tuesday].” Related: US fault lines over war in Israel…

Hamas Warns: Will Broadcast Killing of Israeli Captives

The nightmare continues in the Middle East. “The Islamist militant Hamas movement has threatened to execute an Israeli captive every time Israel bombs a Palestinian home without warning, as Israel called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip, raising fears it planned a ground assault,” Reuters reports. “The violence, which has claimed more than 1,500 lives, prompted international declarations of support for Israel after a devastating weekend attack by Hamas, and appeals for an end to the fighting and protection of civilians,” the wire service details.

“The Israeli military states it has hit targets in the Gaza Strip from the sea and air, including a weapons depot it said belonged to Islamic Jihad and Hamas targets along Gaza’s coastline. Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida issued the threat on Monday to kill Israelis among the dozens held captive after the surprise attack on Saturday morning. He said Hamas would broadcast each execution.”

Leading Up To Today

Americans Among Dead, Kidnapped in Israel

Americans are among the victims of the outbreak of war in Israel. “Several US citizens were killed in the onslaught of attacks from Palestinian group Hamas over the weekend while some remain unaccounted for, the White House National Security Council confirmed Sunday,” The Hill reports. “A spokesperson for the NSC said the agency can confirm the deaths of ‘several’ US citizens, but did not provide a specific number,” the news site writes.

‘At Least Four’ Americans Killed: “US lawmakers briefed on the situation in Israel were told at least four Americans have died in the Hamas attacks, and that the number would likely rise, three sources say,” NBC News reports. “The House and Senate legislators were briefed by phone by Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Sasha Baker, according to a Senate source.” Related: US Fault Lines Over War in Israel…

Trump: Ukraine, Israel Wars Avoided With Me in WH

Former President Donald Trump says war in Israel would not have occurred on his watch. “The horrible attack on Israel, much like the attack on Ukraine, would never have happened if I were president,” Trump wrote Sunday in a Truth Social post. “Zero chance.” One day earlier, in a speech in Waterloo, Iowa, Trump excoriated President Joe Biden’s foreign policy. “The Israeli attack was made because we are perceived as being weak and ineffective and with a really weak leader,” Trump said. “As president, I will once again stand with Israel and we will cut off the money to Palestinian terrorists on day one.” Related: Biden’s Pentagon pick, Derek Chollet, under fire…

Blinken Pooh-Poohs Iranian Involvement

“We have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there is certainly a long relationship,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Sunday on CNN. However, reporting by the Wall Street Journal indicates that this is not quite an accurate position. “Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group,” the outlet reports.

Democrats Split Decision on Israel

Rep. Rashida Tlaib – the first Palestinian-American elected to Congress, voiced her opinions on Sunday, October 9. She said:

“I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day. I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity.

“The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance.

“As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”

Israel’s Retaliation Swift and Sure

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is swiftly retaliating for the surprise attack with their own air attacks on a Hamas stronghold in Gaza and mopping up the residue of Hamas fighters. Questions, however, are starting to be asked. Despite the rapid response and mobilization of forces after the initial assaults, why was the IDF unprepared? Did the Biden administration’s cozying up to Iran prompt Tehran’s mullahs to give Hamas the go-ahead for the attack? Reports from Jerusalem have called the fighting some of the most well-coordinated assaults on the Israeli homeland in half a century. How the planning and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition could have been accomplished without the IDF or the Israeli intelligence apparatus knowing what was happening remains a mystery.