Surprise Surprise, Hamas didn't kidnap & kill the 3 Israeli teens after all
When the bodies of three Israeli teenagers, kidnapped in the West Bank, were found late last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not mince words. "Hamas is responsible, and Hamas will pay," he said, initiating a campaign that eventually escalated into the present conflict in the region.
But now, officials admit the kidnappings were not Hamas's handiwork after all.
Non-plagiarizing BuzzFeed writer Sheera Frenkel was among the first to suggest that it was unlikely that Hamas was behind the deaths of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel, and Eyal Yifrach. Citing Palestinian sources and experts the field, Frenkel reported that kidnapping three Israeli teens would be a foolish move for Hamas. International experts told her it was likely the work of a local group, acting without concern for the repercussions:
[Gershon Baskin] pointed out that Hamas has earlier this month signed an agreement to form a unity government with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, bridging, for the first time in seven years, the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank and Gaza.
“They will lose their reconciliation agreement with Abbas if they do take responsibility for [the kidnappings],” Baskin added.
Today, she was proven right.
Read more
Details of Hamas & Islamic Jihad's 10 year truce offer to Israel
This is the sort of content that will often get "lost" and ignored when pro-israeli aggression individuals state that Israel has "no partner to talk to" instead of admitting that it is their own side which is preventing any peaceful resolution.
Ma'an News Agency refers to a report in Hebrew-language daily Maariv which quoted a "high-profile" Palestinian source stating that Hamas and Islamic Jihad were willing to sign a truce upon agreement of ten simple conditions:
"More people are dying in Syria so why do you talk about Israel?"
Its a simple strawman that is being used to attack those showing support for Gaza.
The basic gist of all similar statements is along the lines of "somewhere else in the world, something worse is happening, so why don't you focus on that instead and let this thing happening in israel be burried?"
It's quite a powerful argument - thousands have been killed in Syria.
However the thing about Syria is that we all know what is happening there is wrong and we are all ciritical of it. Our government (that is the British government) is also critical of the Syrian regime and we support its criticism of the Syrian regime.
Palestine papers reveal MI6 drew up plan for crackdown on Hamas
British intelligence helped draw up a secret plan for a wide-ranging crackdown on the Islamist movement Hamas which became a security blueprint for the Palestinian Authority, leaked documents reveal. The plan asked for the internment of leaders and activists, the closure of radio stations and the replacement of imams in mosques.
...
The bulk of the British plan has since been carried out by the West Bank-based PA security apparatus which is increasingly criticised for authoritarian rule and human rights abuses, including detention without trial and torture.
Read more @ The Guardian
Aid to Gaza
With the increasing tensions in the middle East and an increase in Israeli military activity. It is unlikely that the international community will break the blockade of Gaza. What is likely, is the increased aid from mainstream NGO's and the UN to the people of Gaza.
I was wondering what this forum's thoughts were for sending aid to Gaza through an already established and respected charity instead of handing aid over to Hamas.
Hamas has declared that it is their mission to kill all Jews, not just Israelis! It has taken the book "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and endorsed it within their charter, an anti-Semitic fabrication produced by Christian and czarist extremists and adopted by the Nazis to support their agenda.
So, would you provide food and medicane to such an organisation, helping to augment their power. Or would you send this aid to another group that is not racist or rooted in extremist ideology?
UN scrutinises Gaza 'war crimes'
The UN's main human rights watchdog has begun a debate on a damning report into Israel's military operation against Gaza eight months ago.
It is seen as a test of US engagement with the Human Rights Council, which was shunned by President George W Bush.
The US, which is Israel's main ally, has criticised elements of the report.
The report, widely lauded by human rights groups, accuses both Israel and its militant Palestinian adversary Hamas of war crimes in the campaign.
Read more @ BBC News