Haifa Diary
Haifa is on the "front line" in any action in the north but this blog looks at life in the shadow of danger to all of Israel
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Letter to UK Foreign Minister David Lammy
‘Bring Them Home’ Is Bringing Us to the Brink
For the full article go to https://tinyurl.com/ycxxyx62
Israelis
are engaging en masse in the most rank American-style lunacy. Slogans like
#BringThemHomeNow, for example, demonstrate just how hollow and inflamed
Israeli public discourse has become. To whom, exactly, is this exhortation
addressed? Surely not to Hamas, the only group with the actual power to release
the hostages. Instead, it’s a bombastic bit of emotional manipulation, daring
anyone to defy it while at the same time giving cover to political movements
with unclear aims and means. Just like Black Lives Matter—and who would ever
argue that they don’t?—the Bring Them Home movement in Israel is now an
amalgam of anti-Bibi activists who’ve been marching for years under a host of
different banners, bolstered by sheer emotionalism that argues for a deal at
any cost, even if it means leaving Hamas victorious.
Monday, September 2, 2024
Palestinians Can’t Even Agree Amongst Themselves
(From the Al Qabas newspaper, Kuwait, August 22)
a) a) Halting and preventing further bloodshed among Palestinians and unifying the stance
against occupation through dialogue to resolve political differences.
b) b) forming
a Palestinian unity government.
c) c) revitalizing
and reforming the Palestine Liberation Organization, and accelerating the
efforts of the Preparatory Committee in line with the Cairo and Damascus
agreements.
d) d) upholding
the principle of political partnership based on existing Palestinian Authority
laws, emphasizing political pluralism.
Only weeks later, Hamas staged a coup against the Palestinian Authority and
seized control of the Gaza Strip, rendering the Mecca Agreement seemingly
ineffective.
In 2009, Egyptian mediation attempted to reconcile the
factions, giving rise to the Egyptian Paper, followed by the Cairo
Agreement in 2011. Yet, these efforts too yielded no meaningful results.
The Doha Agreement in 2012, facilitated by the
former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, sought to accelerate
Palestinian national reconciliation. This was succeeded by the Beach Camp
Agreement in 2014. The negotiators agreed to form a Palestinian consensus
government and conduct elections within six months, a promise that fell
through. Accusations continued to be exchanged between the factions,
perpetuating the division.
In October 2017, the Cairo Agreement emerged yet
again, and both parties agreed to empower the Government of National Accord,
led by Rami Hamdallah, to assume full responsibilities in Gaza. They also
agreed that the Presidential Guard would oversee the crossings and the Rafah
border with Egypt. However, the division remained.
Now, in 2024, driven by urgency and the relentless war
on Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the Palestinian factions have turned
their hopes to Beijing. They are seeking to sign yet another agreement, the Beijing
Declaration.
Neither the Mecca agreement nor the 13 subsequent
agreements over the years were honored. Will the Beijing Agreement be any
different?
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Hostage gives Details of his Captivity
(Briefing from Israeli Consul Scotland)
Qaid Farhan Alkadi, who was rescued from Hamas captivity on Tuesday in a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), revealed details from his captivity, including undergoing surgery with almost no anaesthesia and witnessing the murder of a fellow hostage.
Alkadi stated that he was shot in the leg by terrorists on October 7 and, while in captivity, underwent surgery to remove the bullet. "The surgery was done with almost no anaesthesia, and it was extremely painful. Initially, I was held in an apartment with other hostages, and there was very little food."
Alkadi said that just a few weeks after he was taken hostage, terrorists filmed other hostages held with him. He recounted that in the video, one could see hostages dying, which was filmed but never released by the terrorists. He shared how he witnessed the murder of the hostage Aryeh Zalmanovich beside him. Alkadi was allowed to bathe once a month, stating, "Once a month, they let me bathe in a basin. I was kept alone in a tunnel, in complete darkness."
Regarding his movement in Gaza, he said, "After about two months, the terrorists moved me to a tunnel. There, I was alone, surrounded only by the terrorists. I couldn't tell the difference between day and night." "The terrorists were masked and mostly gave me slices of bread to eat. There was very little food. It was pitch black, and I would place my hands over my eyes to make sure I could still see; it was that dark.
Alkadi also recounted the story of his rescue. He said that he heard extensive IDF bombing in Gaza, and in his final days of captivity, terrorists left him a small portion of bread and fled. Only later, he would hear Hebrew and realise that IDF soldiers were operating nearby.
Prior to entering the tunnel where Alkadi was held, soldiers carried out operations and actions that led to the escape of the terrorists holding Alkadi. After this, the soldiers began searching the tunnel. Alkadi called out to them in Hebrew, and they engaged in a conversation to ensure it wasn't a trap. They finally extracted him safely.
Palestinian factions mulling coup against Sinwar over ceasefire deal
(The report below comes from I24 News in Israel which is usually very reliable)
Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip are mulling staging a coup against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, according to a report on the UK new site The Jewish Chronicle.
This comes amid deep divides over the
terms of a ceasefire deal with Israel to end the fighting, the report said.
Sinwar is also reportedly surrounded
with 22 living Israeli hostages, who are handcuffed and used as human shields
against assassination attempts. Israel, it is claimed, has had several
opportunities to eliminate him, but has restrained itself due to the risk of
harming its captives. The report also mentioned that the rest of the hostages
are held by smaller Palestinian terrorist factions.
Hamas
wants mediators to show plan before truce talks
David Cohen, the deputy director of
the Central Intelligence Agency, said that the fate of the ceasefire and hostage release deal is
in the hands of Sinwar, and that Israel has shown serious intent to make
concessions to free the captives.
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
A View from the Northern Border
(Cross posted from the Alma Research and Education Center , your eyes and ears on the northern border)
On Sunday morning, just before dawn, Israel's northern communities were shaken awake by the sounds of explosions. A scene that has become far too familiar in recent months. At 4:30 AM, residents of the Western Galilee were jolted from their sleep by what would later be confirmed as an intense wave of Israeli Air Force preemptive strikes. The IAF said it struck thousands of Hezbollah launch barrels and thwarted a major attack, which Hezbollah had hoped would serve as its revenge for the July 30 elimination of Hezbollah military chief of staff Fuad Shukar in Beirut.
These Israeli preemptive attacks, consisting of some 100 fighter jets targeting Hezbollah positions with an unprecedented level of intensity, is unmatched since the start of the ongoing conflict. The strikes were aimed at Hezbollah's UAV, missile, and rocket-launching capabilities. Those in particular, it seems, housed in underground bunkers. Most of the strikes hit Hezbollah targets in open areas.
According to reports, the Israeli strikes not only disrupted
Hezbollah's immediate plans but also inflicted severe damage on their missile
infrastructure, including underground facilities. The intensity of the IAF's
bombardment was such that local residents, including those in the Upper
Galilee, reported hearing and feeling the impacts from miles away.
However, the broader implications of Sunday's events raise important questions about the conflict. While the Israeli strikes were undoubtedly successful in their immediate objectives — preventing a large-scale Hezbollah attack and significantly damaging its launch capabilities — there are limitations to what these military actions can achieve.
Despite Israel's calls for Lebanese civilians to evacuate potential conflict zones, Hezbollah continues to operate in these areas, complicating Israel's efforts to strike without causing significant collateral damage.
Sunday's escalation also points to a deeper strategic dilemma. While the strikes were a tactical success, they are unlikely to bring about a significant shift in the overall conflict on their own. A single isolated operation, no matter how successful, cannot decisively alter the strategic balance. For a meaningful change to occur, sustained pressure and a broader campaign would be necessary - something that the Israeli cabinet appears to be contemplating, as indicated by the increase in operations targeting Hezbollah's strategic infrastructure over the past week.