by Brandon Turbeville, Activist Post:
On Saturday morning, an ominously quiet region was set alight with rocket fire, gun battles, and declarations of war, the latter threatening to bring in a multitude of other countries on either side. Indeed, the events that took place yesterday in Palestine and Israel could very well be the powder keg that ignites the rest of the world into an open and undeniable Third World War.
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The clash began when fighters from Hamas launched rockets and a ground attack on villages near Gaza. Unlike previous clashes, the fighters used paratroops and parasails and also cut through the border fence to conduct their operations which were also conducted from the sea with Hamas using a number of ships. Hamas was able to capture several villages under Israeli control as well as make off with Israeli soldiers as prisoners. Hamas also reportedly captured Israeli civilians, taking them back across the battle lines into Hamas territory.
Hamas also launched thousands of rockets, with some reports of between 2,000 and 5,000, against numerous cities, with Tel Aviv reporting damage as well. Israeli officials claimed that 300 people were killed and hundreds wounded. Palestinian officials from the Palestinian Health Ministry reported 160 Palestinians had been killed and estimated that 1,000 were wounded.
Reports stated between 13 and 21 Israeli controlled villages were “infiltrated” by Hamas.
As Kyle Anzalone writes for Antiwar,
Human rights groups consider Gaza an “open-air prison.” Most Palestinians living in the region are refugees. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet, with 2 million people living in 140 sq. miles. Israel severely restricts the amount of food, fuel, and water the people of Gaza can access.
An Israeli official said the Palestinian forces were able to capture the headquarters of an Israeli military unit near Gaza. “The headquarters of the Gaza division in camp Ra’im is under the control of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam brigades,” the official explained.
Photos and videos on Twitter show Hamas returning to Gaza with captured Israeli military equipment. Additional images show Israeli Brigadier General Nimrod Aloni was captured by Hamas, although this has not been confirmed by either side.
Hours after the attack began, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the start of Operation Iron Swords. “We are at war, not an operation. Hamas has launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens,” he posted on Twitter. “I ordered first of all to cleanse the settlements of the terrorists who had infiltrated and ordered a large-scale mobilization of reserves. The enemy will pay a price he has never known.”
A spokesman for the Israeli military, Daniel Hagari, said soldiers were being mobilized, and strikes on Gaza have begun. “The IDF [Israeli army] is flooding the area with troops. We are focusing on the fighting on the Gaza border.” He continued, “We have begun a widespread call-up in all parts of the IDF. The air force is also striking in Gaza.”
Tel Aviv reports targeting 21 locations in Gaza, and Palestinian officials say there are dozens of casualties. Israel’s minister of national security, Itamar Ben Gvir, declared a state of emergency. The White House National Security Council spokesperson said Washington “unequivocally condemns” the Hamas attack.
The violence has spread to other regions of Israel. In East Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers fired teargas at Palestinian protesters. An Israeli police station was set on fire in Jerusalem. In the West Bank, occupying forces shot a Palestinian man.
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Predictably, the United States is declaring its unwavering support for Israel, with President Biden stating that military assistance is on its way to Israel and neo-con Nikki Haley, former SC governor and US diplomat currently running for the Republican nomination stating that Israel should “finish them,” meaning the Palestinians.
The United States is joined by much of the Western world including usual suspects Britain and Germany. But the Middle East and other countries are not so willing to throw unquestioning support behind Israel, thus exposing a worldwide rift in the philosophy of the current world order.
The Lead Up
Israel claims that the surprise element of the attacks were the result of a catastrophic failure of intelligence on the part of the Israeli intelligence apparatus. In short, Israel claims that Hamas used methods to bypass its surveillance system and thus avoid detection during a prolonged period of planning. While Israel has a robust system of cameras and internet/cellphone monitoring, it is reported that Hamas used more traditional methods of communication such as in-person meetings and the use of couriers to deliver messages, thus avoiding technology and the pitfalls of technological surveillance.
Something Doesn’t Seem Right
However, something simply doesn’t add up when it comes to the Israeli explanation. Gaza is one of the most surveilled areas of the world. The Israelis are exceptionally good at intelligence gathering and putting that intelligence to use and yet we are supposed to believe there were not enough Israeli intelligence agents on the ground in Palestinian territory to catch wind of such a monumental operation? Anyone who understands geopolitics and has been to the Middle East knows well how powerful and effective Israeli intelligence is in the region.
