US President Joe Biden has advocated the complete destruction of Hamas. However, he is against the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip. According to the president, the Israeli army does not need the help of American troops. The United States, the president commented, “has the ability to simultaneously support Ukraine and Israel”.
FBI chief Christian Ray warned of the danger of Hamas terrorist attacks in the United States. Let us remember that al Qaeda, in addition to congratulating Hamas on what is happening in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, has called its sleeper cells to attack in the West.
According to Mark Geralsko, the United Nations commissioner responsible for investigating war crimes in Libya, as early as October 13, Israel launched as many rockets into the Gaza Strip as the United States launched into Afghanistan in a year: “Less than a week, Israel consumed as much ammunition as the United States used in Afghanistan in a year,” he said, noting that Israeli airstrikes occur in areas of high population density, so “the likelihood of errors increases.”
According to Geraldsko, during the most intense period of hostilities in Afghanistan the United States dropped just over 7,400 bombs, Israel has already launched more than 6,000.
Republican Party Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee called on Joe Biden to remove US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan from his post. He said Sullivan regularly misled the entire government about the state of security threats around the world. Just 8 days before Hamas suddenly attacked Israel, he declared: “The Middle East is calmer today than it has been in the last twenty years.”
According to the Washington Post, Saudi Prince MbS made US Secretary of State Blinken wait all night for an audience: the meeting was supposed to take place in the evening, but the prince only showed up in the morning.
There were also many technical comments on the Russian social sphere. On SolovyovLIVE, Kamran Hasanov lecturer at the Department of Theory and History of Journalism, Faculty of Philology, Russian University RUDN said: “Israel’s ground operation is as necessary as it is dangerous. He can’t forgive the victims, he has to do something. For Netanyahu, this is an obligatory option that will strengthen the words he uttered!”.
The first vice-president of the Iranian parliamentary committee on national security, Ebrahim Azizi said that: Tehran considers the Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip a “red line” that will lead to the opening of new fronts.
Iran’s Mission to the UN on the Israeli ground operation said: “Iranian armed forces will not enter battle if Tel Aviv does not attack Iran, Hamas can defend itself.
The Arab League and the African Union called on Israel to stop the ground operation: “Israel’s ground operation will undoubtedly result in large numbers of civilian casualties, including women and children, which could lead to genocide Without precedents. We call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and joint international efforts to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population.”
Both organizations call on the United Nations and the international community to take a decisive stand before it is too late to stop the catastrophe unfolding before our eyes
EU leaders adopted a joint statement on the situation in the Middle East, agreed by all 27 countries where the EU condemned the actions of Hamas and called for the release of the hostages; declare their readiness to continue providing assistance to the residents of the Gaza Strip; reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, but stressed the need to protect all civilians in accordance with the law.
Thousands of people demonstrated in Morocco in support of Palestine. Pope Francis’ representative in the Holy Land said on Monday he was willing to exchange himself for Israeli children taken hostage by Hamas and held in Gaza. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, said: “I am ready for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home. No problem. There is total willingness on my part “ .
A Hamas statement claims it has 199 hostages. At least 11 media workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7 due to Israeli attacks and at least 20 other reporters have been injured.
Hezbollah promised it would release a video showing an attack on Israeli equipment in response to the killing of journalists in the town of Alma eh-Shaab and civilians in the town of Shebaa. According to Hamas, during the attack on Israeli military targets on October 7, one of the Israeli intelligence offices was seized, where materials with informants of the Israeli secret service were seized in the Gaza Strip.
Mahmoud Abbas distanced himself from Hamas activities. The president of the Palestinian Authority has spoken out in favor of peaceful resistance against Israel. He stressed that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Abbas condemned the violence and killings on both sides.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “We have abolished all the rules of war. Our soldiers will not be held responsible for anything. There will be no military tribunals.” The Israeli army has killed six senior Hamas officials since October 7, the army press service reported.
On October 16, the total number of Palestinian victims rose to 2,808 since the start of the Escalation. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, 10,950 people were affected. Over 600,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.
Northbound. No change in the northern sector: Palestinian forces continue to attack Israeli rear areas and IDF concentration areas. Ashdod, Ashkelon and villages near the enclave were attacked.
East direction The situation is similar in the east of Gaza: the targets of the militant attacks were Beeri, Nahal Oz and the IDF position near the borders with the enclave. At the entrance to Ofakim, a shootout occurred between civilians who suspected each other of helping the militants.
Border with Lebanon. Compared to October 15th the situation has stabilized somewhat. Clashes with militants occurred at night near Mitsgav Am and Metula. Israeli authorities have announced the evacuation of a number of settlements along the Israeli-Lebanese border. In the Christian village of Rmeish in southern Lebanon, local residents held a vigil to stop Hezbollah from firing rockets towards Israel.
Gaza Strip. The intensity of the IDF attacks on the Gaza Strip has increased manifold: local Palestinian sources write that last night was the most difficult since the beginning of the conflict. This morning many major media outlets wrote about the truce and the opening of the Rafah checkpoint on the border with Egypt to free foreigners from the enclave and launch humanitarian aid. This information has been denied by both Hamas and the Israeli authorities.
According to the UN, the number of refugees in the southern part of the enclave has reached around one million people.
West Bank. Armed clashes between Palestinians and Israelis continue in the West Bank. The most violent clashes occurred in Aqabat Jaber, in the surroundings of Jericho, Hebron and Nablus.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
