Israel

[pipbarber]

Some slight concern that the situation in Gaza might escalate, given this slightly unusual war declaration. Can't think of a worse person to be in charge (other than Putin or Trump perhaps) than Netanyahu. Lot of actors in the region with not a lot to lose, including the Russian czar.

[Irrev-Black]

This is by no means clear, and it doesn't seem that there are 100% good or bad guys anywhere in the whole thing.

Hamas is not all of the people of Gaza, Israel the state isn't all Jewish people, and those who say that to criticise one or the other equals prejudice against the larger whole... well... logical fallacy, that's all.

And Australia? The ANZACs carried out a genocidal reprisal attack in Palestine back in 1918.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surafend_affair

[pipbarber]

Yes, there are just people who are victims here. There is no side to pick, there is no black and white. I personally have zero interest in engaging on that level. I have a feeling though that this might be a prolonged confrontation, hence the thread.

[stylofone]

In Tehran, Riyadh, Washington, there are players who treat it as a game. MAGA has been blaming Biden, the Russian troll factories have canceled all overtime. Even our own Liberal leader was throwing punches today, expressing his outrage at the concept of "restraint". He is vile, by the way. It's a sick world. I don't know what else to say.

[joele]

It is only going to get much worse for civilians throughout the region, reports of gunmen repelled trying to enter through Israel's northern border (Hezbollah it is assumed) has resulted in air strikes on southern Lebanon (Hezbollah positions)... Israeli news is also reporting tanks massing on the Gaza border and ground offensive said to start within next 48 hours.. FFS..

[pipbarber]

A ground offensive on Gaza is a horrifying development, and it seems likely at this point. People in Gaza have nowhere to go, they can't get out. It could be a wild massacre. That will not be good for Israeli security, surely. The repercussions could be almost unthinkable. Everyone needs to cool their fucking jets, and their rockets.

[joele]

Confirmation of ground invasion from Netanyahu call to Biden this morning.

“We have to go in. We can’t negotiate now,” Netanyahu is quoted saying. “We need to restore deterrence.”

Your deterrence only encourages future incidents.. sigh..

People in Gaza have nowhere to go,

Very limited on that strip for sure, I saw this a few moments ago reading through the multitude of news articles.

In its series of videos addressed to the civilian population of Gaza on Sunday, an IDF spokesperson explained that “the operations of terrorist organizations have forced the IDF to act against them in the area where you live. The IDF is not interested in hurting you or your families. Therefore, in order to preserve your safety, you must leave your place of residence.”

The spokesperson then proceeded to show maps of specific neighborhoods of various localities along the 41 km (25-mile) long strip, giving instructions to residents on where to evacuate.

Residents of the al-Maqousi, Beit Hanoun, and Shejaiya areas around Gaza City were directed to the city’s center. Gazans living around the al-Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps located in the center of the coastal enclave were instructed to find shelter inside the camps, while those living in the towns of Abasan al-Kabira and Abasan al-Saghira in the south-center of the strip were told to seek refuge inside Khan Younis, the second largest urban area in the Strip after Gaza City. Those living in the southern end of the strip were instructed to find shelter in the Rafah city, along the Egypt border.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-instr ... a-schools/

[pipbarber]

You'd be going immediately to those evacuation spots, i'd have thought, although i imagine that many would be nervous about going to a particular place on IDF instructions. Traumatising, on all fronts.

[stevebrooks]

I don't know enough about the situation to comment, unlike some people who don't know enough and comment anyway. Just to point out after the attacks started Trump called it amazing, before going on to ramble on about Biden going to the beach and saying how much better his body was than Biden's, and some more stuff, strangely about Hannibal Lecter and other completely unrelated, pointless and probably offensive stuff. This is the man they want in charge?

In the past the Republican party has called it close to treasonous to attack the US President at moments of international emergency....wonder how that's going for them.

[pipbarber]

I don't know enough about the situation to comment, unlike some people who don't know enough and comment anyway. Just to point out after the attacks started Trump called it amazing, before going on to ramble on about Biden going to the beach and saying how much better his body was than Biden's, and some more stuff, strangely about Hannibal Lecter and other completely unrelated, pointless and probably offensive stuff. This is the man they want in charge?

In the past the Republican party has called it close to treasonous to attack the US President at moments of international emergency....wonder how that's going for them.

Trump's nescient stupidity on foreign affairs, i might hesitantly suggest, is a magnified reflection of the last 75 years of US foreign policy. Trump is US foreign policy brought home, and by that reckoning, the orange fool is the president America deserves. Unfortunately, as is the case in Israel and Palestine, he's not the leader the people deserve.