Last night, Israel finally struck back against Iran. 
Last weekend, Iran struck Israel with some 350 drones and missiles. Israel was expecting that it was going to have to fire back against Iran in some form or fashion. 
There are a few different options that were tabled that had been considered. One was a full-scale attack on Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities, completely degrading their nuclear program. Another option would have been to do virtually nothing, which is what Joe Biden wanted to do. 
Israel last night decided on a third option that would be a targeted strike, limited in nature inside Iran, to warn the Iranians that if they decided that they were going to escalate this confrontation, Israel would get to them much more than they would get to Israel. 
That is what Israel pursued last night: a useful means of deterrence, probably the best available scenario for both America and for America&#8217;s allies in the region. If Israel had gone really heavy, there was always the possibility of serious escalation via Hezbollah in Israel&#8217;s north that could have turned into a larger, full-blown war.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1951-israel-strikes-back-against-iran-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
Now, would it have been more in Israel&#8217;s interest to completely destroy Iran&#8217;s nuclear facility? Sure. It also would have been a lot riskier. Right now, the United States and Israel have been in this very fraught negotiation over what the United States will allow Israel to do. And so the Israeli government took a middle road by issuing this targeted strike against Iran. 
The message was “Listen, you guys fired 350 drones, missiles. We knocked nearly all of that down. We basically can hit you anytime, anywhere we want, so you guys better stand down.” 
That was the goal of the Israelis. And it also offered, because it was so limited in nature, the Iranians an off-ramp, to deny that any of this ever happened or minimize it, which is exactly what Iran did. Iran had been mouthing off a lot about the idea that if Israel launched a serious strike into Iranian territory, then Iran would up the ante with a broader retaliatory strike and then you would have an escalating conflict. Israel issued a strike limited in nature so as to allow the Iranian government the possibility of basically denying that anything had ever happened. 
Israel is playing a different game than Joe Biden is used to. Israel is playing in the Middle East, where what you do matters a hell of a lot more than what you say. Joe Biden has spent his entire career in places where what you say matters a hell of a lot more than what you do. He is completely unfamiliar with the foreign policy realm where what you do matters an awful, awful lot. 
That’s why reality keeps clocking Joe Biden directly in the face. Forget about Israel and Iran for a second. Think about the Saudi Arabian government. When Joe Biden was a candidate for the presidency of the United States, he was extraordinarily critical of Mohammad bin Salman, the heir-apparent in Saudi Arabia and the de facto ruler of the country. Biden suggested that he was a mass human rights violator. 
This meant that the United States had to take a very harsh tactical look at our alliance with Saudi Arabia, up to and including giving the green light to the Houthis in Yemen, an Iranian proxy group, by de-listing them as a terror group. 
And then it turns out that reality intervened. And the Houthis, as it turned out, hate the United States more than they hate the Saudis. It turns out that the Saudis have control over oil supply. And Joe Biden had to go on bended knee to Mohammed bin Salman because what you say in the Middle East does not matter nearly as much as what you do. 
So Israel, without making a big statement, made it clear to Iran: we are going to knock you guys back to the Stone Age. Israel simply did the thing and they let Iran know that if, in fact, Iran decides to escalate, it will do significantly more damage to the Islamic Republic than it will do to Israel. 
All of this again was prefaced by the U.N. Security Council being a completely useless and garbage institution. Israel did what it had to do because the U.N. Security Council could not even bring itself to condemn Iran for a full-scale attack on another nation, an act of war. The U.N. Security Council not only did not condemn Iran for that attack last weekend, they allowed Iran to then lecture Israel, suggesting, “Israel must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests.” 
The absolute unmitigated sheer gall of that is astonishing. Consider that it is Iranian military adventurism that has led to the entire conflagration in the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon to the Gaza Strip to Judea and Samaria to Yemen. That is Iranian military adventurism that has led to all that and the U.N. Security Council — because the United Nations is the Mos Eisley of international politics, a wretched hive of scum and villainy — the U.N. Security Council was never even willing to take up the possibility of condemning Iran. 
They did, however, take up the possibility in the last 48 hours of a resolution to unilaterally declare Palestinian statehood, which would be an incredibly audacious and stupid move, considering there is no actual government for a Palestinian state. The Gaza Strip is currently governed by Hamas, a terror group that is in an existential war with the state of Israel. The Palestinian Authority has so little control over the West Bank that there is open warfare between Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian Authority. 
You may as well simply declare a state of unicorn land in a random part of the earth that has no government as declare a Palestinian state — except unicorn land presumably would not necessarily turn into a terrorist state, whereas a Palestinian state already has turned into a terror state and remains as such. 
Israel decided that it was going to do what it had to do and restore the status quo ante before October 7. That is really what this is about. Remember, October 7 was launched specifically with the green light of Iran in order to scuttle a burgeoning Israeli/Saudi peace deal. Israel and Saudi Arabia were establishing a regional alliance in terms of defense to deter Iran and its proxies in the region. And that alliance de facto included Egypt, Jordan, and a bunch of the Saudi-sponsored states like UAE and Bahrain. A variety of these states had basically formed an alliance, and it was just a matter of toppling that last domino in Saudi Arabia for the alliance to go full-scale. 
And if Donald Trump had been elected, there is no doubt in my mind — or the mind of the Israelis or the Saudis — that that deal would have gotten done. 
Even Biden’s stupidity didn’t get in the way. Because Joe Biden had been so conciliatory toward the Iranians, the Saudis had basically gone to the Israelis and said we don&#8217;t trust that Joe Biden is going to come to our defense if Iran attacks us. So let&#8217;s form a regional alliance against Iran. That was really, really close to happening. 
Iran saw that and activated Hamas to go into Israel and kill 1,200 people and take 250 hostages back to the Gaza Strip in the hopes that this would start a conflagration that would burn down the possibility of a Sunni-Israeli deal. 
Now it appears that the status quo ante is now being reinforced. Why? Because Israel has actually preserved its own ability to deter and militarily destroy its enemies. The whole reason for a Saudi peace deal with the Israelis is not because Israel and Saudi Arabia see eye-to-eye on matters of religion. Obviously, they do not.
The reason for the restoration of the status quo ante is that Saudi Arabia looks at Israel and sees Israel is capable of deterring Iran; Israel is capable of destroying its enemies on the battlefront. Israel is an extraordinarily powerful and innovative military machine and they want to be allied with that. 
What Hamas did by striking at Israel was to try to dent that perception in the Saudis. But now Israel has reinforced the perception, the prior perception, by its successful military action in the Gaza Strip, which is why they are now going to go in and finish off Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. And the last two weeks have shown that Israel not only is capable with its allies of repelling a mass Iranian attack, but also that Israel can strike pretty much where it wants to in Iran. And so Iran had better not escalate because it&#8217;ll be worse for Iran than it will be for Israel. 
And Saudi Arabia wants to sign on to that.

ISRAEL-POLITICS-ANNIVERSARY-INDEPENDENCE

Israel Strikes Back Against Iran

Ben Shapiro

Iran

Israel

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Middle East

Opinion

Readers Pass

Saudi Arabia

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel-defense-forces-idf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Defense Forces</a> (IDF) announced shortly after sundown that it was changing its Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines because new intelligence indicated that the Islamic Republic of Iran was imminently planning to launch attacks against Israel.
The new guidelines will be in effect for the next two days, according to the IDF. Social gatherings in the country can have no more than 1,000 people and all &#8220;educational activities are prohibited.&#8221;
In the Gaza Envelope, restrictions are even tighter, with outdoor gatherings limited to 100 people, indoor gatherings limited to 300 people, and all beaches closed to the public. Workplaces can operate if employees have the ability to reach a &#8220;standard protected space&#8221; within a reasonable amount of time.
In areas that are defined as &#8220;confrontation line,&#8221; outdoor gatherings are limited to 30 people.
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Following a situational assessment, it was determined that as of 23:00 (IST) tonight, changes will be made to the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines.
As part of the changes, it was decided to prohibit educational activities across Israel. In green areas, gatherings will… <a href="https://t.co/LhD8EDeMOt">pic.twitter.com/LhD8EDeMOt</a>
&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1779202651688702286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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A U.S. official <a href="https://twitter.com/Faytuks/status/1779210797597512080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Al Jazeera that there was a &#8220;high possibility that Iran will launch its attack on Israel during the early hours of tomorrow, Sunday.&#8221;
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U.S. intelligence officials believe that an attack from Iran is likely to include a mix of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and suicide drones.
If the munitions are launched from inside Iran, it would take 12 minutes for a ballistic missile to hit Israel, 2 hours for cruise missiles, and 9 hours for drones, according to Israeli media.
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Israeli air defenses still on highest alert this evening for Iranian missile or drone attacks. <a href="https://t.co/MA4mlxDws8">pic.twitter.com/MA4mlxDws8</a>
&mdash; Israel Radar (@IsraelRadar_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelRadar_com/status/1779181476820525529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Officials believe that Iran is trying to launch an attack significant enough so that it does not appear weak to its citizens while not striking hard enough that it warrants the U.S. getting involved.
Israel has already indicated that it will not hesitate to take preemptive action to stop attacks from happening and that if Iran strikes, it will respond directly and may target Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities and potentially its top leadership.
“Iran has been acting against us for years — directly and via proxies. And, therefore, Israel acts against Iran and its proxies — defensively and offensively,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We will know how to defend ourselves, and we will act according to the simple principle: that those who harm us or plan to harm us, we will harm.”

Pentagon delays ”THAAD” anti-missile system

Israel’s Military Changes Defensive Guidelines For Citizens, Closes All Schools, Limits Large Gatherings

Terrorism

World

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel-defense-forces-idf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Defense Forces (IDF)</a> insisted on Sunday that the war against Hamas is not coming to a close following <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-withdraws-ground-troops-from-south-gaza-leaving-just-one-brigade-in-enclave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of a ground troop withdrawal from southern Gaza.
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for the IDF, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-68744024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly told the BBC</a> that the military completed its mission in the Khan Younis area, leading to a rotation of troops while a focus of the campaign remains on the southern city of Rafah.
&#8220;It is a decline in the forces but there are more operations that need to be conducted. Rafah is clearly a stronghold. We need to dismantle Hamas&#8217; capabilities wherever they are,&#8221; Lerner said.
&#8220;This is another stage in the war effort&#8221; in which the IDF&#8217;s campaign is &#8220;continuously evolving,&#8221; he continued, adding, &#8220;The war is not over. War can only be over when they [hostages] come home and when Hamas is gone.&#8221;
IDF forces have been fighting in Gaza for six months after Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October that killed roughly 1,200 people. An IDF spokesperson <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/how-many-israeli-hostages-still-held-6-months-gaza-1887290" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Newsweek</a> on Friday a little more than half of the approximately 250 hostages taken are still being held.
The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-withdraws-ground-troops-from-south-gaza-leaving-just-one-brigade-in-enclave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Sunday the IDF had withdrawn all of its &#8220;maneuvering ground forces&#8221; from Gaza, leaving just one brigade to protect a corridor that bisects the territory, cutting the northern part off from the rest of the strip.
Holly Williams, a reporter for CBS News, <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1776992560692535599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the remaining Israeli troops are on Gaza&#8217;s border with Israel and noted that a colleague informed her that people can &#8220;move freely&#8221; from southern Gaza up to central Gaza for the first time in three months.
John Kirby, a National Security Council spokesman, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-4-7-24-chef-jos-andrs/story?id=108949216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told ABC News</a> that the U.S. believes the pullout is &#8220;really just about rest and refit for these troops&#8221; after four months of fighting and &#8220;not necessarily &#8230; indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.&#8221;
Israel has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-approves-idf-operation-in-rafah-hamas-last-stronghold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gearing up</a> for an invasion of Rafah, where it was estimated that more than half the strip’s 2.3 million population had gathered during the conflict, to root out a Hamas stronghold and free hostages who may be held there.
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Although the United States continues to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/29/us-weapons-israel-gaza-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply weapons</a> to Israel, the Biden administration has voiced opposition to the plan for a Rafah ground operation and is pushing for a ceasefire.
In an address on Sunday, reportedly delivered hours after the reports of the partial withdrawal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-withdraws-all-ground-troops-southern-gaza-leaving-one-idf-brigade-enclave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no standing down</a> until the hostage situation is resolved.
&#8220;Citizens of Israel, there is no war more just than this one, and we are determined to achieve total victory,&#8221; <a href="https://www.jns.org/netanyahu-after-withdrawal-we-will-destroy-hamas-including-in-rafah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netanyahu said</a>, adding, &#8220;I have made it clear to the international community: There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. It simply will not happen.&#8221;

Israeli army soldier atop a tank

IDF Pulls Ground Troops From Southern Gaza, Stresses ‘War Is Not Over’ Until Hostages Are Free

IDF Pulls Ground Troops From Southern Gaza, Stresses 'War Is Not Over' Until Hostages Are Free

Benjamin Netanyahu

Gaza

Global Politics

Hamas

John Kirby

Terrorists

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel-defense-forces-idf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Defense Forces</a> (IDF) announced on Friday that it took &#8220;full responsibility&#8221; for an airstrike that tragically killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers inside Gaza.
The strike happened on Monday during an operation to transfer humanitarian aid from the WCK to the Gaza Strip, the IDF said in a statement following the conclusion of an independent investigation into the incident carried out by the Joint Chiefs of Staff&#8217;s Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism (FFAM).
While the vehicles that the WCK workers were traveling in were properly marked, the markings were not visible to the cameras that were monitoring the vehicles because the mission took place at night.
The IDF &#8220;identified a gunman on one of the aid trucks, following which they identified an additional gunman,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;After the vehicles left the warehouse where the aid had been unloaded, one of the commanders mistakenly assumed that the gunmen were located inside the accompanying vehicles and that these were Hamas terrorists. The forces did not identify the vehicles in question as being associated with WCK. Following a misidentification by the forces, the forces targeted the three WCK vehicles based on the misclassification of the event and misidentification of the vehicles as having Hamas operatives inside them, with the resulting strike leading to the deaths of seven innocent humanitarian aid workers.&#8221;
The IDF said that the strikes were carried out &#8220;in serious violation&#8221; of the IDF&#8217;s Standard Operating Procedures and that there were serious &#8220;errors in decision-making&#8221; that occurred.
The IDF announced the following changes in command were to be implemented effective immediately: the brigade fire support commander, an officer with the rank of major, will be dismissed from his position; the brigade chief of staff, an officer with the rank of colonel in reserve, will be dismissed from his position; additionally, the brigade commander and the 162nd Division commander will be formally reprimanded; and the IDF Chief of Staff decided to formally reprimand the commander of the Southern Command for his overall responsibility for the incident.
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&#8220;The IDF takes seriously the grave incident that claimed the lives of seven innocent humanitarian aid workers,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;We express our deep sorrow for the loss and send our condolences to the families and the WCK organization. We consider the vital humanitarian activity of international aid organizations to be of utmost importance, and we will continue to work to coordinate and assist their activities, while ensuring their safety and safeguarding their lives.&#8221;
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari said that &#8220;significant measures&#8221; were being implemented effective immediately that he hopes will prevent tragedies like this from happening again.
&#8220;This is a tragedy. It was a terrible chain of errors, and it should never have happened,&#8221; Hagari said. &#8220;The IDF takes full responsibility for this regrettable loss of life.&#8221;
WATCH:
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&quot;This is a tragedy. It was a terrible chain of errors and it should never have happened. The IDF takes full responsibility for this regrettable loss of life.&quot;
Watch IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari’s full statement regarding the summary of the Fact Finding and Assessment… <a href="https://t.co/ngeFVZJIiV">pic.twitter.com/ngeFVZJIiV</a>
&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1776320634382864741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Hamas Israel Conflict

Israel’s Military Takes ‘Full Responsibility’ For Strike That Killed 7 Aid Workers; Fires Those Responsible, Implements Changes

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has debunked Hamas&#8217; claim that it &#8220;targeted a gathering of thousands of [Palestinian] citizens while they were waiting to receive food aid.&#8221;
The Gaza Health Ministry — which is controlled directly by the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist group — claimed that more than 100 people were killed and more than 700 were injured during the incident, which they have portrayed as an unprompted act of aggression by Israel.
There has been no confirmation of the numbers claimed by Hamas, and the terror group has repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-lied-number-of-estimated-deaths-at-gaza-hospital-hit-by-rocket-lower-than-palestinian-claims-reports-say">lied</a> throughout the course of the war, which was ignited by Hamas&#8217; unprecedented <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-israel-declares-state-of-war-as-palestinian-terrorists-launch-massive-surprise-attack-on-jewish-holiday">terrorist attack</a> on October 7.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the incident that unfolded on Thursday occurred during the fourth night in a row that Israel brought in convoy trucks directly to the people of Gaza.
&#8220;Our initial review has confirmed that no strike was carried out by the IDF towards the aid convoy,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The majority of Palestinians were killed or injured as a result of the stampede.&#8221;
The IDF released drone footage showing thousands of Palestinians running to the trucks to grab what supplies they could.
Israel&#8217;s initial review of the incident found that the IDF fired warning shots in an attempt to disperse the stampede. Stampedes throughout history have proven to be deadly occurrences, with numerous stampedes across the world <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/some-of-the-world-s-worst-stampedes-/6811197.html">resulting</a> in the deaths of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people.
&#8220;After our forces had started retreating, several looters approached our forces and posed an immediate threat to them,&#8221; he said. &#8220;According to the initial review, the soldiers responded towards several individuals.&#8221;
The IDF said it was committed to following all international laws of war and would further investigate the incident to develop strategies that would help &#8220;reduce the risk of such a tragic incident from occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations.&#8221;
&#8220;The incident will be examined in the Fact Finding and Assessment Mechanism: an independent, professional, and expert body,&#8221; he added. &#8220;For the sake of transparency, we will share updates as our examination develops, hopefully in the coming days.&#8221;
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Hagari repeatedly stated that Israel&#8217;s war was not with the people of Gaza, only Hamas, which is why Israel is &#8220;facilitating aid; creating humanitarian corridors; establishing unilateral humanitarian pauses; and exercising caution in our use of force.&#8221;
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Aerial footage today&#39;s incident in Gaza, where dozens of people reportedly died during op to bring humanitarian aid.
Although the media has reflexively jumped to condemn Israel, you can see the crowd hurt by extreme pushing and trampling, while also clearly endangering the IDF. <a href="https://t.co/dik9VhQt6x">pic.twitter.com/dik9VhQt6x</a>
&mdash; Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ostrov_A/status/1763182441068474406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Israel&#8217;s ongoing campaign to wipe out Hamas was prompted by the attack on October 7, 2023, in which thousands of Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel and murdered 1,200 people, injured 5,300+, kidnapped hundreds, and unleashed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israeli-official-hamas-raped-women-grandmothers-children-so-violently-they-broke-victims-pelvis">violent campaign of assault and rape</a> against girls and women.

Palestinians

Israel’s Military Debunks Hamas Claim That It ‘Targeted’ Civilians ‘Waiting To Receive Food Aid’

The Israel Defense Forces destroyed what it said were two large weapon depots belonging to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization inside Lebanon.
The strikes reportedly occurred near the coastal city of Sidon, which is roughly thirty miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border.
&#8220;IDF fighter jets struck two Hezbollah weapons storage facilities adjacent to the city of Sidon in Lebanon,&#8221; the IDF said in a statement. &#8220;The strike was carried out in response to the launch of a UAV toward the Lower Galilee in northern Israel.&#8221;
&#8220;An examination of the incident suggests that the UAV was most likely launched from Lebanon by the Hezbollah terrorist organization earlier today,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The incident is under review. Furthermore, over the last few hours, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Meiss El Jabal and al-Adisa in Lebanon.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Intense Israeli airstrike in the Sidon area, Lebanon a short time ago. <a href="https://t.co/1UB1e5Kq2D">pic.twitter.com/1UB1e5Kq2D</a>
&mdash; Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeTruzman/status/1759601055162310955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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مشاهد جديدة للقصف الإسرائيلي جنوبي <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#لبنان</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%84?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#عاجل</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%84_%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%8A?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#سوشال_سكاي</a> <a href="https://t.co/mSTXQ2Xmcp">pic.twitter.com/mSTXQ2Xmcp</a>
&mdash; سكاي نيوز عربية (@skynewsarabia) <a href="https://twitter.com/skynewsarabia/status/1759620728922722317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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مراسلة الـ NBN من الغازية: الغارات المعادية استهدفت معملا للزيوت ومعملا للباطون
&mdash; 3ishbeirut (@3ishbeirut) <a href="https://twitter.com/3ishbeirut/status/1759604799039742149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Hezbollah is considered to be the most powerful and well armed terrorist group in the world thanks to receiving roughly $1 billion a year from Iran.
The group has 20,000 to 25,000 full-time fighters with tens of thousands more in reserves, according to the <a href="https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/hezbollah-and-lebanon-an-in-depth-examination-under-hassan-nasrallah-s-leadership/">IDF</a>.
Hezbollah&#8217;s arsenal consists of 17 air-to-surface missile systems, 100 anti-ship missiles (range: 200 km),  hundreds of UAVs (range: 400km), hundreds of precision guided missiles (range: 70-250 km), 400 long-range rockets and Missiles (range: 180-700 km), 4,800 middle-range rockets (range: 40-180 km), 65,000 short range rockets (range: 20-40 km), and 140,000 mortars.

Israeli jets launch airstrikes near Sidon in southern Lebanon

WATCH: IDF Obliterates Hezbollah Weapon Depots Deep Inside Lebanon

Hezbollah

Lebanon

In a daring operation, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rescued two Israeli hostages on Sunday who were being held by Hamas terrorists in Rafah.
In the face of President Joe Biden reportedly <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/11/biden-netanyahu-rafah-invasion-00140865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning</a> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed with Israel’s attack on Rafah, a Hamas stronghold in the southern Gaza Strip, IDF along with forces from Shin Bet, Israel’s intelligence agency, rescued Fernando Marman, 61, and Louis Har, 71, who were kidnapped from Nir-Yitzhak on October 7. The two men are now in Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital and in good condition.
“The operation was conducted for an hour and included a prolonged battle in the building and nearby buildings with Hamas militants, dozens of airstrikes and an escort by IDF tanks to the helicopter,” Ynet’s Yoav Zitun <a href="https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1756868388939251731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Three terrorists who were guarding the hostages were killed, and one IDF soldier was lightly injured.
“The forces stormed into the building in using explosives, entered the building and pulled the two hostages out,” <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385042" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel National News</a> reported. “A gun battle developed at the scene, while the Air Force attacked in the area and fire was also opened from nearby buildings.&#8221;
“IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Yamam officers arrived in Rafah at around 1 a.m. and ‘carried out a very complex action on the premises and the second floor where the hostages were held,’” The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-rescues-2-hostages-from-south-gazas-rafah-in-daring-nighttime-operation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. “Reaching the target in the heart of Rafah was very complex,” Hagari stated, adding that the forces conducting the rescue “hugged and protected Louis and Fernando with their bodies.”
“The troops pulled Louis and Fernando out of the apartment and rescued them under fire, until they reached the safe zone,” Hagari said. “This was a complex rescue operation under fire based on sensitive intelligence. A professional and accurate operation. &#8230; It was a very tense and very touching night. Such an operation was made possible thanks to the great sacrifice of the standing army and reserve troops who fell and were injured in the battles. Without their sacrifice, we would not have reached this moment.”
“Even this morning, we don’t forget for a moment that 134 hostages are still being held in Gaza,” Hagari concluded.
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Way bigger than the Super Bowl. Wow. <a href="https://t.co/Ierk7RkyE5">https://t.co/Ierk7RkyE5</a>
&mdash; Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1756880126170612055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Israeli Flag on Flagpole

In Daring Operation, IDF Rescues Two Hostages Held By Hamas In Rafah

Hostages

Joe Biden

Rescue

Hamas terrorists hid a top-secret intelligence center underneath the U.N.&#8217;s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza that was uncovered by the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli military said on Saturday.
The Hamas intelligence center included an electrical room, industrial battery power banks, and a living space for the terrorists, The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/directly-beneath-unrwas-gaza-headquarters-idf-uncovers-top-secret-hamas-data-center/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The IDF&#8217;s discovery comes after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-n-aid-group-pleads-for-more-money-after-workers-linked-to-hamas-terrorists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revelations</a> that at least a dozen of the agency&#8217;s workers were connected to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, according to an Israeli intelligence dossier.
The controversial U.N. aid group — which <a href="https://www.unrwa.org/what-we-do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it is &#8220;committed to advancing the human development of Palestine refugees&#8221; — <a href="https://twitter.com/unlazzarini/status/1756377920254218556?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> having any knowledge that Hamas was housing terrorists and a data center right underneath its feet, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
&#8220;UNRWA is made aware of reports through the media regarding a tunnel under the UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza,&#8221; Lazzarini said. &#8220;UNRWA staff left its headquarters in Gaza City on 12 October following the Israeli evacuation orders and as bombardment intensified in the area. We have not used that compound since we left it nor are we aware of any activity that may have taken place there.&#8221;
The UNRWA commissioner-general added that the agency cannot confirm or comment on the reports that the &#8220;Israeli Army has deployed troops within the UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza City.&#8221;
The Times of Israel reported that interrogations of captured terrorists helped Israeli forces pinpoint Hamas&#8217; subterranean intelligence center, which was finally located under the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City’s upscale Rimal neighborhood.
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“The IDF was here previously, the first time was to destroy the enemy, but when we were here the last time we collected a lot of intelligence documents and findings, a lot of prisoners, and thanks to this we reached here. Now we carried out a targeted operation to take this capability away,” said Col. Benny Aharon, the commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, while giving a media tour of the newly discovered tunnel.
“We had a basis of information, but not enough to be able to dig down 20 meters and find it, we needed a bit more. There’s information we get from prisoners we capture, from computers we find, from documents, maps,” he said.
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After it was reported that 12 UNRWA employees were tied to Hamas&#8217; brutal 10/7 attack on Israel, at least nine countries and the European Union suspended or cut back funding for the agency, which prompted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to plead with countries to continue supporting the UNRWA.
“[Two] million civilians in Gaza depend on critical aid from UNRWA for daily survival but UNRWA’s current funding will not allow it to meet all requirements to support them in February,” Guterres said in a <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-01-28/statement-the-secretary-general-unrwa#:~:text=While%20I%20understand%20their%20concerns,staff%20members%20must%20have%20consequences." target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations – I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations.”
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ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT

Top-Secret Hamas Intelligence Center Discovered Beneath U.N. Aid Group’s Gaza Headquarters, Israeli Military Says

United Nations

<a href="https://www.soldierssavelives.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soldiers Save Lives</a>, an organization founded by young Israeli civilians in the days after the October 7 terrorist attack, should rouse Americans into action.
When Gidon Hazony went to bed on October 6, 2023, he was a calculus teacher at Hebrew University. His life took a radical turn on the Shabbat morning of October 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel. Clutching his packed lunch, he and a close friend sped from the safety of Katamon into an active war-zone to save his football teammate David Newman.
Gidon borrowed a car belonging to mutual friend Baruch Apisdorf, who had received foreboding texts from Newman earlier that day. “I hope you’re up north,” he’d texted Newman upon hearing of the attacks.
“Pray for me,” came the reply. David was not up north — he was hiding in a dumpster with 16 others at the site of the Nova Music Festival near Re-Im. “F***ing pray for me now,” read the last text Newman would ever send.
David was shot and killed at point blank range by a Hamas terrorist. Of the 16 people who hid with him that day, 13 met the same fate. David’s girlfriend Noam, one of three survivors, is still in the hospital recovering from extensive gunshot wounds.
All told, 364 people were slaughtered at the Nova Music Festival. 1,200 died in Israel and 240 hostages were dragged into Gaza by terrorists, civilians and sympathizers on the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57xdV_mIsA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst day of savagery</a>” for Jews since the Sho’ah. 132 men, women and children are still there, months later.
In the two days that followed, Israel executed the fastest military mobilization effort in its history, gathering 300,000 soldiers, one of whom was Hazony’s brother. As Gidon hugged him goodbye, he realized he wasn’t wearing a bullet-proof vest. While the army offered weapons, uniforms and some protective gear, soldiers were in dire need of a wide array of supplementary gear (sleeping bags, tactical helmets, ceramic vests and more).
To both Hazony and Apisdorf, one thing was clear: “Israel is going into a war we are not prepared for.”
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1838-no-i-won-t-give-up-my-ar-15-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Gidon Hazony&#8217;s interview on &#8220;The Ben Shapiro Show&#8221;</a></h4>
48 hours after the attacks, the young men founded <a href="https://www.soldierssavelives.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soldiers Save Lives</a> with three additional friends, naming Apisdorf as CEO and Hazony as President. Their slogan reads, “Soldiers Save Lives. Gear Saves Soldiers. L’ilui Nishmat: In memory of David Newman. Golani. Brother forever.”
The organization’s mission is simple, “We gather donations of light tactical gear in our US warehouse, ship them to Israel, and distribute them directly to units in need,” Hazony told Fox News contributor Deroy Murdock for Newsmax. The day after the organization was founded, their first flight took off from JFK carrying nine tons of humanitarian and tactical aid. Two days later, the day of David’s funeral, it landed at Ben Gurion airport.
In ten flights, with free cargo space courtesy of Israeli airline El Al, the organization has shipped 20 million dollars, or over 300,000 pounds, of tactical equipment to the front lines. In addition, they’ve raised nearly 3 million dollars in gifts (including a million dollars from small dollar donors), preparing for months of war to come.
Israel fights for its own sake. Israel must first win this war for its own sake. “We have to achieve total victory,” President Benjamin Netanyahu told Douglas Murray for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57xdV_mIsA">TalkTV</a>. “Hamas cannot be left standing, coming out of the ruins with a V sign, and saying we’ll do it again, and again, and again, which they’ve promised to do.”
Israel’s war is also a fight for the West — for all beneficiaries of biblical Hebraic values. “This is not merely a minor skirmish. This is part of a major confrontation between the moderate axis of Israel and the moderate Arab states against the terror-axis of Iran who’s the three H’s — Houthis, Hezbollah Hamas.”
With Soldiers Save Lives, Hazony and Apisdorf have created a way for the world to get off the bleachers and drive into the war-zone. To these 25-year-olds, who were teachers just 116 days ago, there is no one who cannot make a difference.
* * *
Grace Bydalek is a writer, performer, and administrator based on the Upper West Side. She is the director of the Dissident Project. Instagram: @grace_daley
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Israel Begins Gaza Drawdown But Promises Warfare To Last ‘Throughout The Year’

How Civilians Can Help Israel Defeat Hamas

Jewish

October 7

My relationship with Israel has always been complex. 
I am Jewish and was born in Soviet Russia but have lived in America for two thirds of my life. My family immigrated to the U.S. in 1991 and has never looked back. (I pinch myself all the time because I get to live in this wonderful country.) I am an agnostic. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel</a> is supposed to be my historical homeland, the land of my ancestors — a very academic concept, since I struggle to relate to ancestors more than a few generations back, most of whom came from Belarus or Ukraine.
After October 7, something changed inside of me. But it was not just the horrific events of October 7 alone. It was a combination of the massacre in Israel, which echoed the cruelty of the Nazis, and the demonstrations that took place in the U.S. and Europe, as well as letters signed by Ivy League students, all condemning Israel before it had a chance to fire a single retaliatory shot at Hamas.
Anti-Semitism, which I had gladly forgotten since leaving the Soviet Union, was once again on display. Israel went from being a merely theoretical place of safe harbor for Jews who are unwanted, to a very real, tiny island of refuge, as the world continues to repeat its difficult history with the Jewish people.
I have never connected the survival of Israel to the well-being of my descendants. However, today I see this so clearly. If this tiny light of democracy, surrounded by a desert of darkness, goes out, it will not only mean the demise of the Jews there but also of those around the world. Unfortunately, history is on my side when I say this.
Four of my good friends from Denver recently took time off from work and went to Israel to help. They told me they were shocked by what they saw when they got there. What really amazed them about Israel is how this country, which was so deeply divided over judicial reforms before October 7, came together and united. This country of eight million Jews turned into one big family, which is single-mindedly focused on winning the war and taking care of each other.
On October 8, tech companies that had opposed the government on the issue of judicial reforms went to the government and said, “We’ll do anything we can to help.” Within a week, the Israeli government had AI software that could help identify Hamas terrorists. Tech companies created free “Airbnbs” where people can post, “I have a spare bedroom in Jerusalem for a displaced family that needs an emergency place to live.”
The Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, which has been under construction for a long time and had a soft opening a few months ago, has been turned into a logistics center for all incoming aid to Israel. And there is a lot of aid coming from all over the world. Everyone I know who is traveling to Israel is bringing items, from socks to gun holsters, in duffle bags for soldiers.
The population of Israel has increased by 3% since October 7 — not something you usually see happen in a country at war. In part that is due to reservists coming home from all over the world, but volunteers like my friends are also going to Israel, taking time off to help their historical homeland.
My friends have been making sandwiches for the soldiers, cleaning houses for refugees to move into, and working in the fields collecting potatoes that are rotting because a large part of the population has mobilized.
Billboards in Tel Aviv no longer display advertisements but instead show images of hostages taken by Hamas, with a single message: “Bring Them Home!” The country is calm and determined; people want the hostages to come home, and they want to destroy Hamas. Micah Goodman, an Israeli philosopher, said, “Israel is a small country with a big story…. Big enough to give you meaning and small enough for you to have influence on it.”
This is why Israelis are so at peace with the awful reality of going to war. When they wake up every morning, they know they can make a difference for their country. They have a purpose. This war in Gaza is not “eye for an eye” retaliation but the elimination of a terrorist regime which, if given the chance, will repeat the cruel events of October 7 across the whole of Israel and then go after other infidels — the rest of the non-Islamic world.
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High (unintended) civilian casualties in Gaza are heartbreaking, but I keep asking myself, what choice does Israel have? Hamas continues to launch rockets into Israel daily and has been doing so for years. Show me a developed country on this planet that would tolerate that. Hamas just massacred 1,200 Israelis — the group’s leaders are not shy about repeating that October 7 is just the beginning.
What would the U.S. do to protect its citizens if we were attacked? We have an answer for that — just look at what we did after 9/11. What would France do? We have an answer for that, too. In 2015, ISIL terrorists killed 130 French citizens. France bombed Syria for months. I don’t remember any calls for restraint or a proportional response. I don’t remember the U.N. condemning the U.S. or France for unintended civilian casualties. I also don’t remember the U.S. or France dropping leaflets or making phone calls warning Afghans or Syrians about the locations of attacks. Israel is always judged by a different (and impossible) standard than any other country.
As IDF soldiers have told my friends: “You cannot imagine how careful we are at trying not to shoot civilians, especially kids. I have kids at home. I don’t want to be desensitized to the crying of my kids.” The humanity that is often lost during war isn’t lost in Israel.
The IDF is <a href="https://twitter.com/PrincessZeeGirl/status/1744447608116916345" target="_blank" rel="noopener">liberating</a> Gazans from Hamas; unfortunately, it is doing it in a densely populated area. It is trying very hard to spare civilian lives, which is incredibly difficult — Hamas fighters are not wearing uniforms. A 16-year-old kid in front of you can be a civilian or a suicide bomber. In fact, a 20-year-old Israeli border police officer who immigrated from Atlanta, Georgia, was <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/11/07/news/american-israeli-soldier-stabbed-by-teenager-while-patrolling-jerusalem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stabbed to death</a> in Jerusalem by a 16-year-old Hamas fighter.
This war is taking place on the borders of Israel, but this is not just Israel’s war. The war against Hamas is a battle between good and evil. The evil will not stop with Israel. Islamic extremists want to rebuild an Islamic caliphate all over the world. The Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. are next. We are the infidels — yes, if you do not accept Muhammad as your prophet and role model, you are an infidel. Our lives and values do not matter to them. We must either bend the knee or die.
Israel will prevail in this war; Israeli Jews have nowhere to go. But I realize that for my historical homeland to survive, the U.S., which welcomed me with open arms and has been my home for 32 years, needs to prosper as well.
* * *
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-semitism-wokeness-and-why-a-strong-america-is-essential-to-israels-survival-part-2-wokeness-is-destroying-america-one-student-at-a-time">READ: Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 2: Wokeness Is Destroying America — One Student at a Time</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-semitism-wokeness-and-why-a-strong-america-is-essential-to-israels-survival-part-3-the-socialism-of-grades">READ: Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 3: The Socialism Of Grades</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-semitism-wokeness-and-why-a-strong-america-is-essential-to-israels-survival-part-4-one-way-to-save-america-and-israel">READ: Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 4: One Way To Save America And Israel</a>
* * *
Vitaliy Katsenelson is CEO of <a href="https://imausa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://imausa.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1647635730858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw30zrUEAHOucJkCFFh3YMfC">IMA</a> – a value investing firm in Denver. You can read his articles on  <a href="http://contrarianedge.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://ContrarianEdge.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1647635730858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Ak6ognAG7cu6Z8Bx_j7L8">ContrarianEdge.com</a>. He is the author of <a href="https://soulinthegame.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://soulinthegame.net/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1647635730858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0w8zHUpuqxRre_0scGo3hI">Soul in the Game</a> &#8211; The Art of a Meaningful Life (Harriman House, 2022).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

United States and Israel two flags together textile cloth fabric texture

Anti-Semitism, Wokeness, And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival, Part 1: A Small Country With A Big Story

Anti-Semitism

Woke Culture

An October Facebook post from Sergeant First Class Ahmad Abu Latif, a member of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), has resurfaced for fresh praise after he died in combat in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
Abu Latif, from Rahat, left behind a wife and an 11-month-old daughter, as well as his parents and 11 brothers and sisters. As a Bedouin Arab and Israeli citizen, he <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-deadliest-incident-of-gaza-combat-21-soldiers-killed-as-buildings-collapse-in-blast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">served</a> in the 8208th Battalion of the 261st Brigade.
Abu Latif died in the single deadliest event for the IDF to date of its military campaign in Gaza. Abu Latif was helping to clear buildings in southern Gaza when an explosion brought two structures down on top of IDF soldiers inside. Twenty-one IDF soldiers died in the incident, including two who died in an Israeli tank, hit by an RPG, guarding the area nearby.
In addition to being remembered for his service and sacrifice, the Bedouin soldier is also gaining praise again for a Facebook post from October to students at Ben-Gurion University, according to <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-783336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jerusalem Post</a>. Abu Latif worked as security at the university before taking part in the Gaza military operations after the October 7 terror attack by Hamas. Abu Latif sought to reassure the university students of their safety following the deadliest day for Jews since World War II in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds more taken captive.
“I am proud to be an Israeli Bedouin. As far as I am concerned, the people that I live with and work with are my brothers and sisters, and we all live together and respect one another in our land,” Abu Latif wrote in the post, according to <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/384040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel National News</a>. “I am proud to be a Bedouin who serves in the IDF as a combat soldier in a Bedouin battalion. I merited to protect and defend, in meaningful service that I will never forget. My service showed me my strengths and capabilities to deal with challenges and I met amazing people that became my lifelong friends.”
He celebrated his chance to serve in the IDF and said the opportunities he received to connect with his fellow Israelis from different backgrounds, and opportunities for them to better understand him, were the moments he cherished the most.
&#8220;I am so very happy that I have a chance to connect to people in our society, and to connect between cultures, I am happy that I can invite my friends to eat meat and maqluba in Rahat, and be their guests in the backyards of the kibbutz Shoval, where they play guitar and sing songs of by Yehudit Ravitz. I am happy that I can hike through the land with my friends and I am most happy when they learn Arabic, try to talk to me in Arabic, and ask me to help them,” he wrote.
Abu Latif also urged Israelis to unite against Hamas, writing that Gaza is “completely different” and controlled by “murderous terrorist organizations that make no distinction between Jew and Arab.”
“The Bedouin community mourns the civilians killed despite having done no wrong, Jews, Christians, or Muslims. I would like to take this chance to wake up everyone who read this – we are all part of the same destiny, and we all need to be together and united,” he wrote.

Israeli soldiers

Fallen Arab-Israeli Soldier Remembered For Stirring Unity Message: ‘Proud To Be A Bedouin Who Serves In The IDF’

Last week, the U.N.’s International Court of Justice <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/12/1224363666/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-south-africa-genocide-case-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convened</a> at The Hague to hear arguments from South African representatives <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/10/south-africa-israel-icj-genocide-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accusing</a> the State of Israel of violating international law by carrying out a genocide to “destroy Palestinians in Gaza.”
Many influential figures across social media have agreed with the accusation, such as former UFC fighter Jake Shields who <a href="https://x.com/jakeshieldsajj/status/1745592245615558846?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> America is clashing with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/11/1223238786/us-strikes-houthis-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yemen</a> so that “&#8230; Israel can continue their genocide in Gaza.”
South Africa has also been backed by many in the film industry. A video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwdep4oM5M&amp;t=8s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> last week by the Palestine Festival of Literature shows 29 actors from television series like “Game of Thrones” reading South Africa’s official case file.
So, is Israel actually committing genocide? The answer is simple — absolutely not.
The term “genocide” was originally <a href="https://www.facinghistory.org/ideas-week/where-did-word-genocide-come" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coined</a> in 1944 by Jewish-Polish lawyer Raphäel Lemkin in his book “Axis Rule in Occupied Europe.” Lemkin created the term as a response to the systematic killing of the Jews in Nazi occupied Europe. He chose the Greek prefix ‘genos,’ meaning race, and the latin suffix ‘cide,’ which means killing.
So, to claim the only Jewish nation in the world — formed by Holocaust survivors — is carrying out the same crime that befell its ancestors just eight decades ago is something that should not be taken lightly.
According to <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-prevention-and-punishment-crime-genocide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Article II</a> of the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the term is defined as a group of acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”
All it takes is a single word in that definition to establish their innocence, “intent.”
A quick glance into Israel’s conduct in Gaza shows they have no intention of eradicating the Arabs who live there.
As Israeli Defense Forces combat Hamas, a terror organization who purposely embeds themselves in hospitals and civilian areas to use the general population as human shields, they take countless steps to save as many innocent lives as possible. For example, before an airstrike occurs, Israel often sends <a href="https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/the-hamas-terrorist-organization/how-is-the-idf-minimizing-harm-to-civilians-in-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning signs</a> to civilians in the strike zone. These signs include roof knock warning bombs, leaflet droppings, direct phone calls, and even complete abandonment of strikes they can&#8217;t clear out in time. One could argue that no nation on earth does more to prevent harm to civilians, because doing so can ultimately compromise the effectiveness of the operation.
A <a href="https://x.com/hashtag_NP/status/1744384492180021458?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">common argument</a> made by critics, especially in response to the aforementioned point, is the casualty count coming out of Gaza. Before addressing it directly, it should be understood that the number, which is now reportedly over 20,000, comes <a href="https://scrippsnews.com/stories/gaza-health-ministry-says-at-least-23-469-palestinians-killed-in-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from</a> the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Hamas is a terror organization who purposely places their own civilians in harms way, so their numbers should be taken with not only a grain, but a truckload of salt. Taking Hamas at their word is comparable to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-03-04/la-fg-russia-ukraine-military-casualties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trusting</a> the Kremlin to give accurate figures for the number of Russian casualties sustained in their current war.
If the numbers are accurate, however, it is important to understand a high casualty count does not equate to genocide. During World War II, the United States and Britain <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51448486" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carried out</a> a joint bombing campaign against Dresden, Germany. While their overall goal was to defeat the Axis powers, 25,000 people died as a result of the campaign. To this day, the bombing of Dresden is not considered a genocidal act and rightfully so.
Another example from World War II are the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. The damage caused by these operations was so extensive, historians have never been able to produce a concrete casualty count. <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2020/08/counting-the-dead-at-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Some estimates</a> place the figure around 110,000. Despite the soberingly large figure, America never went on trial for genocide against the Japanese because (similar to Israel) they never showed any intent to wipe out an entire race.
Many critics of South Africa’s actions at the U.N. have responded by criticizing them in return. British author and commentator Douglas Murray <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/preposterous-douglas-murray-rips-south-africa-for-accusing-israel-of-genocide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a>, “Its government is profoundly anti-Semitic, has been anti-Israel for years.” He also said they, “&#8230; always do this sort of thing to try to sort of distract attention among their own population from the failings of their own government.”
Similarly, Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman has shown a surprising willingness to differ from his party by openly defending Israel. At a luncheon hosted by the Orthodox Union, Fetterman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sit-this-one-out-fetterman-blasts-south-africa-for-accusing-israel-of-genocide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> South Africa by saying they should “sit this one out.”
Israel is not committing a genocide in Gaza. For almost two decades they have worked tirelessly to defend their citizens from Hamas and other terrorist organizations. At any point, Israel’s superior military could have wiped out their enemies in the Gaza Strip, but they haven’t. The population in Gaza, on the other hand, has <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/HRV/palestine/population-growth-rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grown</a> consistently at an unprecedented rate. Hamas started this war on October 7, 2023, with a massacre of innocent civilians, and it will continue until the terrorists who carried it out are no longer a threat. Let&#8217;s hope that happens soon, so civilians on both sides can live safely.
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Jacob Falach is a writer and student in Nashville, TN. You can find him on Instagram at: @jacobfalach
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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