In the wake of the Israel Defense Forces' successful operation to rescue four hostages from captivity in Gaza we're learning more about the conditions in which the hostages lived and who housed them, and once again we're seeing that the native "journalists" covering the conflict are anything but neutral observers.

As we noted in numerous stories about Israel's rescue mission, the four hostages rescued were not held in tunnels or prisons; they were held in the homes of alleged civilians in residential areas in Nuseirat. I say "alleged civilians" because if these people were holding Israeli hostages for eight months they're absolutely part of Hamas and are combatants, not civilians.

One of those alleged civilians, it's now confirmed, was Abdullah Al Jamal, who bills himself as a journalist and who most recently wrote for a United States-based 501(c)(3) NGO, The Palestine Chronicle. He also wrote at least one piece for Al Jazeera. The Israeli government confirmed Sunday that Al Jamal, who was neutralized by IDF rescuers, held three hostages captive in his family home: //

Laocoön of Troy
18 hours ago edited
Actually the "hostages" are slaves taken in "battle". It's an ancient Muslim practice when waging Jihad. It wouldn't surprise me if the families paid Hamas for their slaves.

The issue here probably isn't just optics-related. There's likely a legal component as well given there are laws against American organizations aiding and abetting terrorism. Not only was Al Jamal a "correspondent in Gaza" (which dictates he held an official position for the Palestinian Chronicle), but he was also a spokesperson for the Hamas Ministry of Labor. The ties don't get any clearer than that.

Now ask yourself, if Al Jamal was just an innocent bystander gunned down by ruthless Israeli forces, why would the Palestinian Chronicle try to cover up his connection to their organization? That's a question CNN and other American mainstream news outlets won't be asking as they rush to push the Palestinian line about the hostage rescue.

Although Almog’s father, Yossi Meir, was ill before his death, his family believes he died of grief. //

Yossi Meir’s heart reportedly stopped the night before the rescue. //

Noa Argamani, one of the other three hostages rescued in Operation Arnon, named after the IDF soldier who lost his life in the mission, returned home to a mother, Liora, who is battling brain cancer. Her mother's dying wish was to be able to see her daughter again. //

Chris Co
2 hours ago
One day before the rescue. If Biden/Blinken stopped interfering, he would not have died as his son would have been rescued earlier.

Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 @MarinaMedvin
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“How dare those Jews rescue their hostages!” — WaPo, outraged.
8:22 PM · Jun 8, 2024

Everything about that headline is carefully crafted to mislead. For one, the claim that "more than 200 Palestinians killed" is completely unverified. Those numbers come directly from the Hamas-controlled "Gaza Ministry of Health." Also absent in them is any admission of how many of the dead were combatants, either because they were members of Hamas or chose to fire on the Israeli forces.

Then there's the labeling of the operation as an "Israeli hostage raid." This was not a "raid," a word that typically produces impressions of aggression (i.e., a bombing raid). It was a rescue in which self-defense was used while securing the safety of the four hostages.

That's nothing, though, compared to what one BBC reporter did while interviewing Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF spokesman.

Brian BJ @iamBrianBJ
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The prize for most stupid question of the day goes to.... the bbc for asking the following question:

Should the @idf have warned Palestinians before launching the rescue operation ?

Listen to how @jconricus handled that one Show more

4:31 AM · Jun 9, 2024

After allowing Conricus to share his reaction to the rescue, the reporter's first question wasn't about why these hostages were being held by civilians. It wasn't about how the families felt when their loved ones returned after such a daring mission. It was to immediately pivot to "the death toll among Palestinians." //

Long story short: The mainstream press is awful. There is no low its members won't stoop to, and that includes becoming propagandists for terrorists. ///

In one sense, the BBC reporter actually gives an opportunity to defuse and debunk some of the criticism that IDF is going to get.

Amid world outcry against an Israeli airstrike that took out two Hamas terrorist leaders but also reportedly killed dozens of Palestinian civilians, Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that the “small munitions” used in the attack simply could not have caused the fire that caused such devastation. They think a Hamas ammunition storage facility may be to blame:. //

If IDF turns out to be right, and they had an ammunition warehouse right next to a civilian compound, then that would show yet again that they care nothing for the Palestinian civilians. Certainly, the loss of life in this tragedy—and in this war—is heartbreaking, but the blame belongs on Hamas’ shoulders, not Israel’s.

This generation operates on the currency of virtue. The only way to get anything in life these days is to convince others of your noble heart. In reality, it doesn’t really matter if it’s true as long as you adequately satisfy the conscience of the audience. They are cheap dates and easy to please.

The situation with Rafah, as well as the entire Gaza conflict, should be common sense and nothing new. This isn’t the Western world’s first round of fighting terrorism. But then again, it’s always different with the Jews.

The conscience of the people is being perverted by biased news, outright lies, and careful manipulation. Hamas designed this strategy, and it’s working.

We are tired of this malice masquerading as humanity. Anyone who does not immediately call for the surrender of Hamas and the release of the hostages does not care about Palestinians or any civilians, Israeli or otherwise. Anyone who has spent time in the area of Gaza, even pre-war, should know how Hamas treats its own people. Where are the calls for freedom from the oppression of Hamas for Palestinians? Where are the calls for their leaders to value their safety above all else in their war campaign? Can anyone imagine if any Western country had put their people in harm's way the way that Hamas has? //

The only chance for this war to end is for Netanyahu and the IDF to apply strong military pressure. Israel has tried all of the things that the world has suggested — hard hand, soft hand, diplomacy, war, turning the other cheek, or standing their ground. They are tired of being everyone’s favorite guinea pig. The world has shown that the only thing Israelis can do that they like is die.

The culpability for Rafah falls on Hamas. The only way to fix an injustice is to hold the correct person accountable. Israel should do everything it can to protect civilian life. However, anyone who thinks that there is another way to end this conflict is either delusional or has malicious intent. //

Dieter Schultz > Ed in North Texas
4 hours ago edited

I don't understand why Israel held the IDF back from Rafah for so long, it gains Israel nothing on the so-called world stage and the drastically increased antisemitism around the US and Europe is proof (never mind the clowns at the East River Debating Society- aka the United Nations).
Nixon once said "We'll get into as much trouble if we send 3 planes or 100 planes to resupply the Israelis so send every plane we have!" When it comes to dealing with uncomfortable situations like opposition from your enemies, you have to loose your concerns about the amount of trouble you'll get into, doing too little or just enough, your enemies won't care about your restraint.

If your cause is just, and you believe that, then you, and Israel, need to stop caring so much that it stops you from doing what you need to do.

The indictments of the Hamas thugs are just window-dressing. The real target is Netanyahu and his government. Delaying the indictment of the Hamas "leadership" until now shows how deeply unserious Khan is about pursuing Hamas's crimes. Rolling the indictments together is a clever way of claiming there is no difference between Hamas and Israel. And accusing Netanyahu and Gallant of "crimes against humanity" is a not very subtle way of drawing a Nazi inference.

How this plays out in the long run is anyone's guess. If the ICC goes along with issuing arrest warrants, the countries harboring Hamas will ignore them, and Israeli government officials could be arrested when they travel.

The UN just made an embarrassing adjustment to their estimated number of deaths in Gaza. They just halved the number of women and children previously estimated to have been killed. //

Hillel Neuer @HillelNeuer
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Replying to @HillelNeuer @UNOCHA and 2 others
In Ukraine, the UN has a defined methodology using individual records of civilian harm, requiring a reasonable grounds standard of proof. As a result, the UN states that the actual death toll is likely higher, because their count is careful & cautious. /4 https://ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/two-year-update-protection-civilians-impact-hostilities-civilians-24.pdf

Hillel Neuer @HillelNeuer
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Yet when Israel can be blamed, it’s the complete opposite. For Gaza there is no method or standard of proof. The UN simply parrots Hamas numbers, the source laundered by the UN as “Gaza Ministry of Health” or “Government Media Office.” In fact, both are run by terrorist Hamas. /5
6:34 PM · May 12, 2024 //

Joe Scarborough @JoeNBC
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UN halves estimates of women and children killed in Gaza. Apparently, the Hamas figures repeatedly cited are false.

jpost.com
UN halves estimates of women and children killed in Gaza
1:52 PM · May 12, 2024 //

You would think they would be happy that the number of women and children estimated to have been killed had fallen. But instead, they were mad that people who pointed out the numbers were being questioned. It doesn't help their narrative. //

anon-ubkk
5 hours ago edited
The number may well be half again and
closer to 5000 noncombatants killed according to Mark Levin and his sources. Trouble is, the UN has helped stoke anger around the world and in the US with non suspecting college students (not the paid agitators) and the naive population who keep calling the necessary IDF military operation "genocide". The UN for the most part has been useless, but they have turned out to be the propaganda arm of dangerous Islamists, Marxists, anti Israeli and anti American interests. The UN should be dismantled. //

JimboCA
3 hours ago
It's not the Fog of War that has lead to wildly inflated numbers. It's the Fog of Propaganda.

The message Biden is sending here is that it's willing to abandon one of its greatest allies at the 11th hour in a war it had no choice but to fight, abandon American hostages, and abandon any sense that America is serious about eliminating its enemies and punishing those who would dare harm its people.

Biden has not only made us look weak, he's made us look untrustworthy. If ever our allies are in need, Biden has told them that we'll buckle if the going looks like it's going to get a little too tough.

Moreover, this isn't just a message sent to our allies, this is a message sent to our enemies. We just told them that America will fold under the right circumstances. The tiger is made of paper.

Biden, and his handlers, have to go. Not just because he's severely mucked things up here in the States, but because it's clear that he poses a clear danger to the international community.

So not only is he threatening them by holding up weapons, he's providing weapons to their enemies, including Lebanon where they have Iran terror proxies who are even now attacking Israel.

Also, Biden admin ‘guarantees’ Hamas a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Saudi newspaper says.

While I’m sitting there shooting the sh*t, a call comes in. We, the US, have Osama bin Laden in our sights in Afghanistan. We had military and CIA assets surrounding bin Laden’s camp and we were ready to pull the trigger to kill the terrorist. Sandy Berger, the NSC advisor, was on the horn asking us to get Clinton on the line in the residence and get the approval. //

We only had a few hours during the night in Afghanistan or we’d have to scrub the mission. This was the fall of 1997 (the timing is hugely important).

Unbelievably, after several attempts, we couldn’t get Clinton to answer the phone in the residence. //

After approximately two hours, Clinton finally responded. Of course, he wanted to chat with the SecDef, SecState, and AG. Ultimately, those clowns decided not to shoot based on concerns for “international law.” We did nothing and our assets on the ground were forced to exfiltrate in a very dangerous situation. //

A few months later, bin Laden and Al-Qaeda bombed two American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people and wounding more than 4,500.

A few years later, bin Laden launched 9/11, killing 3,000 people. It’s all Clinton’s fault. I personally know that to be true.

quoting the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said on April 6 that it had “incomplete data” for 11,371 of the 33,091 Palestinian fatalities it claims to have documented. In a statistical report, the ministry notes that it considers an individual record to be incomplete if it is missing any of the following key data points: identity number, full name, date of birth, or date of death. The health ministry also released a report on April 3 that acknowledged the presence of incomplete data but did not define what it meant by “incomplete.” In that earlier report, the ministry acknowledged the incompleteness of 12,263 records. It is unclear why, after just three more days, the number fell to 11,371 — a decrease of more than 900 records.

Prior to its admissions of incomplete data, the health ministry, asserted that the information in more than 15,000 fatality records had stemmed from “reliable media sources.” However, the ministry never identified the sources in question and Gaza has no independent media.

FDD @FDD
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.@adesnik: "The sudden shifts in the ministry’s reporting methods suggest it is scrambling to prevent exposure of its shoddy work. For months, U.S. media have taken for granted that the ministry’s top-line figure for casualties was reliable enough to include in daily updates on… Show more

FDD @FDD
Hamas-Run Gaza Health Ministry Admits to Flaws in Casualty Data

@adesnik and @JoeTruzman weigh in:
https://fdd.org/analysis/2024/04/09/hamas-run-gaza-health-ministry-admits-to-flaws-in-casualty-data/

11:35 AM · Apr 9, 2024

After an Israeli air strike in Syria on Monday killed Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a hardline Iranian political coalition has seemingly admitted that Iran played a significant role in Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. //

Martyr Zahedi's strategic role in forming and strengthening the resistance front, as well as designing and implementing the Al-Aqsa storm, are great honors that will make the silent efforts of this great commander immortal in the history of the anti-occupation regime. //

A Wall Street Journal exclusive in October reported that senior IRGC officers helped plan the attacks and gave the final green light during a meeting in Beirut the Monday before they were carried out. National security sources in the United States have told RedState on condition of anonymity that the U.S. has found evidence that Iran led a great deal of the intelligence preparation for the attacks, including communications protocols, SIGINT support, and cyber attacks. The Iranian government has officially denied any involvement. //

The three men were in Syria to discuss operational logistics and coordination, the source said, without elaborating. Zahedi was a top figure in the Guards' Quds Force, which funnels Iranian support to allies around the region, including to Lebanon's Hezbollah.

POINT 1: So here it's worth flagging how grotesque it is that the whole aid process in Gaza always involves gunmen jumping onto trucks...apparently Hamas gunmen. It shows how the whole problem with the Gaza war in general...which is that because Israel refuses to control areas in Gaza...Israel continues to basically outsource control to others...and the "others" end up being Hamas usually. This creates a ridiculous cycle where Israel is fighting a six month war "against Hamas" but Hamas seems to always seemlessly control most of Gaza today (like 80%?) and has gunmen who systematically take control of aid convoys.

So the PRESENCE of gunmen on aid trucks is a systematic problem. It has not been addressed. And it seems there is a kind of "wink wink" between aid organizations, Hamas and the IDF about this "process"...but it is also a process that can easily turn deadly because of the war. //

Dieter Schultz Lugger66
an hour ago edited
I think that part of the problem in situations like this, i.e. where one side is assumed to control the field of activity and therefore whatever happens is the "controlling authority's" responsibility, is that when that authority is not allowed to, really, control the environment then they will always be held responsible for what happens, regardless of why it happened.

As lots of people here have said, it's a war zone but, it isn't a war zone that Israel is being allowed to control. It really is, when you look at it objectively, a no-win situation for Israel; the US and other nations aren't allowing them to control their zone of operations but they are being held responsible for everything that happens in that zone.

It really is a zugzwang situation for Israel, they are being put into a situation without any good moves being made available to them.

It really sucks for them.

DR. PHIL: There are some things that are just fundamental human decency, and when I ask you if what happened on October 7th is something you condemn, and you say, "Well, you have to look at that by looking at hundreds of years of conflict," no you don't. No, you don't. That's either right or it's wrong, and it was wrong, and I don't need a hundred years of conflict to know it was wrong. //

That Dr. Phil was having none of it and let her have it is extremely satisfying. You don't need a history of the Middle East to condemn burning infants in their cribs, and these American activists have no idea what they are talking about. They are cosplaying for clout, nothing more.

YOUSEF: Now we have the problem of the pro-Palestine who are actually giving Hamas cover. They are participants in the crime. In fact, since October 7th, I personally don't differentiate between Hamas and so-called Palestinians because, actually, there is no Palestinians. There are tribes. There is the tribe of Hamas and there is the tribe of Islamic Jihad, and there is the tribe of Khalil, and there is the tribe of Nablus, and each one has different interests and all of them are conflicted. If they did not have Israel as the common enemy, they would kill each other. This is the reality of so-called Palestine. //

The cause must die. I think enough is enough, and now it is proven, you are helping Hamas to prove it to the world that Palestine depends on the destruction of the State of Israel, and this is not acceptable, and we are not going to agree to it. //

what Yousef says is so striking. He grew up in the West Bank. His father was a co-founder of Hamas. Yousef has the personal experience to speak on the realities of the situation. //

there can be no peace until the "cause" of eliminating Israel ceases and those in the West Bank and Gaza take responsibility for their own lives.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been making bad Hamas terrorists into good Hamas terrorists since shortly after the Oct. 7th massacre last year ... //

The IDF Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance unit has uncovered caches of weapons and un-alived two more senior Hamas operatives. //

International pressure for a cease-fire notwithstanding, this isn't the time for the IDF to stop revoking Hamas members' birth certificates. //

And if Hamas's leadership continues to press for a Palestinian state, point them towards Jordan and tell them to start walking.

It happened in Israel, and it happened in Moscow, and it’s going to happen here in America – again, and exponentially worse. The jihadis’ merciless war against the West – the Muslim fanatics are not so finicky as we are about our distinctions between the Jewish state, Russia, and us, the Great Satan – did not end when the regime media started covering other things. We may have fled Afghanistan and Libya and largely pulled out of Iraq, but that war is still going on. It’s going to go on until we decisively win it. But unfortunately, our ruling class refuses to decisively win it. In fact, our ruling class actively undermines attempts to win it. And it refuses to prepare for what’s coming.

That leaves you to prepare, you the individual, you and your small community, you and your red state. There is no one else who’s going to help you. There will be a bloodbath here in America. It will dwarf what happened on 9/11, it’ll dwarf what happened in Israel, it will be Moscow times 1000, and you’re going to be caught in the middle of it. //

The bottom line is our elite’s incompetence, fecklessness, and utter moral illiteracy are going to bring a brutal terrorist attack upon America that will shake us to our core. It’s not what I want to predict, it’s what I – and many others – must predict. //

We’re vulnerable. We’ve seen them walk into packed venues in France, here in America at the Pulse nightclub, and now in Moscow. America has hundreds of thousands of packed venues. What America needs is millions of packed Americans.

Buy guns and ammunition. Get trained. Get ready.

Any death in war is tragic, especially civilian deaths. No one should make light of these losses. However, American foreign policy decisions appear to be increasingly driven by the rate of fatalities. It is, therefore, worthwhile to take a closer look at the numbers that may be less than they seem and not out of line with other cases of urban warfare.

Serious doubts have been raised concerning the credibility of the Gaza Ministry. //

The Israeli campaign in Gaza began as a response to the October 7 attack and its particular brutality. It is wrong, however, to view the Israeli fighting as a case of reciprocal brutality. On the contrary, the rate of civilian deaths is comparable to or lower than in other urban warfare settings. There are also indications that the civilian casualty rate is declining further. This evaluation of fatalities is not intended to minimize the real, tragic losses in Gaza. It is, however, grounds for the United States to refrain from making policy decisions based on misunderstood casualty rates or uninformed public debate.