Hezbollah prepared to join Hamas in fight against Israel
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement says it would be “fully prepared” to join its Palestinian ally in a move that threatens to descend the whole of the Middle East into bloody conflict. Warning: Graphic
It is the unholy alliance that threatens to descend the whole of the Middle East into bloody conflict.
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said on Saturday it would be “fully prepared” to join its Palestinian ally Hamas in the war against Israel when “the time comes for action”.
Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem spoke as Hamas and Israel traded heavy fire for a seventh day, after hundreds of Hamas gunmen stormed across the border from Gaza into Israel on Saturday and killed more than 1,300 people, most of them civilians.
Israel has retaliated by bombarding Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,900 people, also mostly civilians and including more than 600 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
“We, as Hezbollah, are contributing to the confrontation and will (continue) to contribute to it within our vision and plan,” Qassem told a pro-Palestinian rally in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
“We are fully prepared, and when the time comes for action, we will take it,” he said.
The official, whose remarks coincided with a visit to Beirut by Iran’s foreign minister, rebuffed calls for Hezbollah to stay out of the war.
SHOCK FOOTAGE SHOWS HAMAS WITH KIDNAPPED ISRAELI KIDS
Hamas has released footage showing armed men playing with and holding what appears to be kidnapped Israeli children and babies.
The footage shows a number of men with their faces blurred wearing fatigues and tactical vests.
In one scene, a man rocks a baby in a crib, while a young boy no older than five, sits on his lap. An assault rifle can be seen on the table.
In another a man holds the baby in one arm and in another a gun while one man is seen tying the shoelaces of a toddler.
One of the terrorists in the video could be heard speaking in Arabic and asking a child to say “Bismillah” before he drinks water.
The footage was posted to a Hamas telegram channel according to the Jerusalem Post, although the identities of the children have not yet been confirmed.
The video is captioned, “Hamas fighters, showing compassion for children in the midst of the Kibbutz ‘Holet’ battles on day one of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”
In the attack on Kibbutz Holit, 13 Israelis were murdered.
The children’s identities are unknown.
Israel has confirmed at least 1200 were killed following a surprise attack by Hamas a week ago, including the slaughter of 260 people at a music festival.
Meanwhile, Israel has pounded the Palestinian enclave with 6000 bombs in retaliation, as fears grow of a humanitarian crisis.
More than 2000 Gazans — including more than 600 children — have been killed so far in waves of missile strikes on the densely populated enclave.
At least 70 people, including women and children fleeing Gaza City, have been killed and 200 wounded in air strikes as several thousand residents were heading out of the northern Gaza strip.
UN officials warned that the movement of 1.1 million Palestinians would spark a “bone-chilling” humanitarian crisis and said the order is a crime against humanity.
UN chief Antonio Guterres appealed for the protection of basic human rights, stressing that “even wars have rules”.
“The situation in Gaza has reached a dangerous new low,” he said.
The noose around the civilian population in Gaza is tightening.
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) October 13, 2023
How are 1.1 million people supposed to move across a densely populated warzone in less than 24 hours?
I shudder to think what the humanitarian consequences of the evacuation order would be.
‘BRUTAL’: AUS CALLS FOR ISRAEL TO RESPECT ‘LAW’
Australia has joined international calls urging Israel to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza as more than 800 citizens have fled the country.
Foreign Affairs minister Penny Wong urged Israeli authorities to respect the International rules of law and allow humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip.
“President Biden himself has called on Israel to operate by the international rules of law. I join him, Australia joins him and others in that call,” she said on Saturday.
“We continue to engage with other countries, in an effort, alongside others to ensure the conflict doesn‘t spread and to seek to avert the humanitarian situation deteriorating further.”
It comes as come as 238 Australian citizens were successfully flown out of Israel on Friday afternoon, joining more than 800 who have already left the country and occupied territories.
JOURNALIST KILLED, SEVERAL WOUNDED BY ISRAELI STRIKE
A Reuters news videographer has been killed while working in southern Lebanon and several other journalists injured as the United Nations says “even wars have rules” after civilians were killed fleeing Gaza.
The group of journalists from different media outlets were near the village of Alma al-Shaab, close to the border with Israel, when they were hit by Israel’s shelling.
Horror footage appears to capture the exact moment the exploding shell wounded six reporters from Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera with a woman screaming “I can't feel my legs” as she lay on the ground.
A camera capturing a livestream shot of Israel’s border from Lebanon records a heavy sounding boom before dust erupts into the air and screams and shouts can be heard.
Further footage in the aftermath shows a man running to the aid of a woman collapsed on the floor as a car burns in the background.
The group of journalists had been covering the clashes on the border.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that our videographer, Issam Abdallah, has been killed,” Reuters said in a statement.
“Issam was part of a Reuters crew in southern Lebanon who was providing a live signal. Our thoughts are with their families at this terrible time.”
At least 10 journalists have killed covering the Israel-Gaza crisis so far.
This video is from the instagram of one of the journalists who were injured in the Israeli attack. It shows clearly that they were all clearly wearing their kits. pic.twitter.com/dYRQVO7iUA
— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) October 13, 2023
HAMAS CLAIMS 13 HOSTAGES KILLED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES
At least 13 Israeli and foreign hostages held in the northern Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours, Hamas’s armed wing said.
In a surprise assault early Saturday, Hamas militants stormed Israeli communities near the Gaza border and fired barrages of rockets, in an attack that claimed more than 1,200 lives.
Israel says Hamas has taken more than 150 people hostage, including both civilians and security forces.
“Thirteen prisoners… including foreigners” were killed in five locations targeted by Israeli fighter jets, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
Israel has rained air and artillery strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip – a densely populated enclave of 2.4 million people.
The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades had warned this week that “every targeting of our people without warning will be met with the execution of one of the civilian hostages”.
It comes as officials announced that 1900 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza following the deadly Hamas attack last weekend, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The toll includes 614 children and 370 women, officials said. An additional 7,696 people have been wounded, according to the ministry.
ENVOY’S PLAN TO ‘END CARNAGE AGAINST PALESTINIAN PEOPLE’
Meanwhile, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations has outlined a three-point plan aiming to bring an immediate end to violence against Palestinians after millions of Gaza residents have been warned to flee south and signs point to an Israeli ground investigation in the coming days.
“All of us are united to stop this carnage against the Palestinian people now,” Riyad Mansour said to reporters at the United Nations.
Mr Mansour said the plan includes establishing a ceasefire, allowing for humanitarian assistance to be delivered to Gazans in need, and ultimately denouncing and rejecting the idea of displacing 1.1 million Gazans from the northern part of the territory.
“We should not allow, as humans and also as defenders of international humanitarian law and as UN and as Security Council, to allow after 75 years of our first Nakba, another Nakba to befallen on our people by depopulating the Gaza Strip of its 2.3 million and to throw them outside to Egypt and to make it an Egyptian problem,” he said.
UN’s expert on human rights Paula Gaviria Betancur said: “Forcible population transfers constitute a crime against humanity, and collective punishment is prohibited under international humanitarian law.”
“We are horrified at the prospect of an additional one million Palestinians joining the over 423,000 people already forcibly driven from their homes by the violence over the past week.
“It is inconceivable that more than half of Gaza’s population could traverse an active war zone, without devastating humanitarian consequences, particularly while deprived of essential supplies and basic services.”
HAMAS STOPS CIVILIAN EVACUATION
The Israeli military warned the United Nations to move 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza south within the next 24 hours, as its top military chief declared “now is the time for war”.
The move came as the first of two Qantas rescue flights evacuated a plane load of Australians out of Israel as rockets were launched in the direction of Tel Aviv airport.
Civilians attempting to flee Israel’s counteroffensive were dragged out of their cars and forced back into their homes being warned “Gaza has become a battlefield”.
It comes as the Australian Government confirmed it was looking at rescuing Australian-Palestinians trapped by the crisis in Gaza and was in talks with Israeli and Egyptian officials.
The warning to the UN suggested a ground invasion was imminent with the 24-hour order to flee from the Israel Defence Force (IDF) applying also to its staff and Gaza-based aid agencies.
Violence broke out across the globe on what Hamas declared a “Day of Jihad” with a teacher in France killed and two injured by a knife-wielding attacker screaming “Allahu Akbar,” while a staffer at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing was stabbed on a sidewalk.
Thousands of Iraqis meanwhile poured onto the streets of Baghdad chanting “No to the occupation! No to America!” chanted the demonstrators, who had gathered in Tahrir Square after Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called for a demonstration “in support of Gaza” and against Israel.
FOLLOW THE UPDATES
DEATH TOLL RISES
More than 1300 Israelis have been killed and 3300 injured since Hamas launched its terror massacre from the Gaza strip.
The number of Palestinians killed in the aftermath has reached 1799 with a further 6388 injured, according to the local health ministry.
Of those killed, the Israeli Defence Force said 258 of its soldiers had been killed as well 1500 Hamas fighters.
ISRAEL SHELLS LEBANON AFTER BORDER ATTACK
Israel shelled a border region in southern Lebanon, two Lebanese security sources said, after a blast occurred on the border fence, according to the Israeli army.One of the security sources said the shelling followed an infiltration attempt from the Lebanese side of the border, while the Israeli army said it was responding to a blast that caused “light damage” to the border barrier.
HAMAS ‘FORCE BACK’ CIVILIANS INTO GAZA BATTLEFIELD
Hamas is preventing civilians from evacuating and forced into their homes after Israel warned “Gaza has become a battlefield”, according to Palestinians speaking on condition of anonymity.
“When they find people going to their cars, they force them to go back,” they told The Times of Israel, adding that Hamas has told residents to ignore Israel’s evacuation order.
It comes after Israel gave Gazans a 24-hour deadline to evacuate south before a ground assault is launched.
Thousands of Palestinians attempted to flee to southern Gaza in cars, motorbikes, trucks and by foot, while Hamas rulers said in a statement that “our Palestinian people” rejected Israel’s evacuation order.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas had formed a new Axis of Evil worse than ISIS that would be driven out of the Middle East.
“The camouflage of the terrorist is the civil population, therefore we need to separate them. So those who want to save their lives, please go south.
“We are going to destroy Hamas military establishment. We are going to take this phenomena out of Gaza and out of the earth, they cannot live among human civilised people.”
‘GAZA HAS BECOME A BATTLEFIELD’
The Israeli Defence Force has dropped thousands of leaflets warning civilians to evacuate, declaring “Gaza has become a battlefield”.
“To the residents of Gaza City, terrorist organisations have started war against the state of Israel,” the leaflets said, according to a translation by the Jeruslaem Post.
“Gaza City has become a battlefield. You must evacuate your home immediately and head to the south Gaza valley.”
IDF reportedly dropping more warning leaflets over Gaza. pic.twitter.com/dY5HXFYAsB
— Tzvi Joffre (@TzviJoffre) October 13, 2023
The leaflets dropped by the IDF over Gaza now. Appears to be reiterating warning to evacuate to southern #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/B0oFDRjcgb
— Tzvi Joffre (@TzviJoffre) October 13, 2023
ROCKETS LAUNCHED TOWARDS AIRPORT
Hamas has launched towards rockets towards Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and the city of Sderot in southern Israel.
The group released a statement on Friday which said 50 rockets were fired towards Sderot.
Israeli soldiers in Kfar Sa’ad were also targeted with two explosive drones.
‘DEATH SENTENCE’: WHO’S MERCY PLEA TO ISRAEL
The World Health Organisation has called on Israel to reverse its earlier call for Palestinians in Gaza’s north to evacuate south, explaining that asking vulnerable patients to evacuate from hospitals was a “death sentence”, reports The Guardian.
WHO says Gaza health authorities said it was impossible to evacuate hospital patients in northern Gaza.
“There are severely ill people whose injuries mean their only chances of survival is being on life support, such as mechanical ventilators,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said.
“So moving those people is a death sentence. Asking health workers to do so is beyond cruel.”
BARRAGE OF ROCKETS FIRED AT ISRAEL
Militants in the Gaza Strip fired hundreds of rockets towards Israel on Friday, as the Israeli military continued pounding the Palestinian enclave with air strikes.
A barrage of 150 rockets were fired within the past 15 minutes, according to reports.
‘F***ING SCARED’: AUSSIES ON MERCY FLIGHT SHARE HORROR OF WAR
The first of Australians to board a mercy flight out of Tel Aviv have spoken of mixed emotions, their fear of the deadly war but their sadness leaving loved ones behind.
“I just want to go home, decompress and sleep,” Hannah Blencowe, 26, a psychology student, said as she waited for the first Australian government assisted flight out of the Israeli capital.
“It feels wrong to be going back to Sydney and talking to girlfriends about broken nails and breakups after going through this,” she said.
“But I’m not trained for war, I’m going home because frankly, I’’m f*****g scared and I don’t want to put an added burden on Israel by being an extra mouth to feed in what’s probably going to be a massive land war.”
HAMAS CLAIMS 13 HOSTAGES KILLED
Hamas claims 13 hostages, including foreigners, have been killed in Israeli air strikes.
The militants had previously reported four hostages killed in strikes, and the latest deaths came at “five locations targeted by Israeli fighter jets”, said the movement, listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and Europe.
It comes after Hamas called for Gaza City residents to ignore Israel’s warning.
It called on Palestinians to “remain steadfast in your homes and to stand first in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation”, according to media reports.
IDF WARNS GAZANS TO EVACUATE FOR SAFETY
The Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan initially reacted with fury at the UN’s “shameful” reaction to the warning before the IDF made a statement.
It said it would operate “significantly” in Gaza City in the coming days and civilians would only be able to return when another announcement was made.
“Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields,” the military said in a statement.
“Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians.”
IDF announcement sent to civilians of Gaza City:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 13, 2023
The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, as shown on the map.
The Hamas terrorist organization…
IDF SET TO PUSH INTO GAZA
Israeli Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi earlier confirmed his IDF tanks and thousands of troops were set to shift into “land manoeuvres” and push into Gaza but was awaiting the newly created Israeli joint parliament war cabinet to give the green light.
He has more than 300,000 full time soldiers and reservists on standby as Israeli villages about Gaza are evacuated and roads within a wide distance from the border and anticipated direct conflict zone, closed.
BLINKEN SHOWN GRAPHIC IMAGE OF BABY ‘RIDDLED WITH BULLETS’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli counterparts and was shown graphic images of murdered children from the Hamas bloodbath last Saturday as Israel seeks support for its response.
He confirmed he saw “an infant riddled with bullets, soldiers beheaded, young people burned alive in their cars or hideaway rooms”.
“It’s simply depravity in the worst imaginable way,” he said.
He declared he fully backed Israel but like other Western leaders urged restraint in retaliation particularly with Palestinian civilians trapped in Gaza.
HAMAS GIVEN ULTIMATUM OVER HOSTAGES
Israel issued Hamas an ultimatum to release the hostages or the “complete siege” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza would remain.
“Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on, and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home,” Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said of the supply lines cut to Gaza and its 2.3 million residents.
Palestinian Authority officials said Gazans were down to one meal a day and rationing water with only a few generators still operating in hospitals.
‘DAY OF RAGE’: HAMAS ON PROPAGANDA BLITZ
The situation in Gaza including six days of air strikes prompted Hamas to make a propaganda blitz, albeit more defiant than its previous celebratory tone, urging the world to take part in a “day of rage” and promote violence against Israelis and Jews wherever they lived.
The militant group’s video defended its bloody rampage and decried the civilian deaths in Gaza.
High-ranking Hamas official Saleh Al-Arouri also said his fighters were ready for the IDF Gaza invasion which he warned would see a lot more killings in sustained urban warfare.
HOW THE WORLD IS RESPONDING
In a busy day 6 of the conflict, Mr Blinken flew out for a Middle East tour including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates aimed at stopping conflict spreading as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Tel Aviv for talks on what the US could offer Israel’s war effort.
He was set to be joined by counterparts from the EU and came as Britain announced it would be deploying two Royal Navy ships, surveillance spy aircraft and a company of Royal Marines to the eastern Mediterranean.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his deployed force would be “on standby to offer practical support” to Israel and deter other countries from considering joining the crisis.
He was referring to Iran which warned the region was set to explode as a consequence of Israel’s warfare on civilians.
IRAN WARNS OF AXIS RESPONSE TO ‘WAR CRIMES’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said continued crimes against Palestinians would receive a response from “the rest of the axis”.
“Some Western officials have questioned if there is an intention to open a new front against the Zionist entity. Of course, in light of the continuation of these circumstances that are war crimes,” he said on arrival to Lebanon’s capital Beirut. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah in the south of the country has been firing rockets at Israel border posts in recent days.
Syria has also demanded Israel stop its bombing, claiming two of its airports including in capital Damascus had been struck by IDF artillery.
Originally published as Hezbollah prepared to join Hamas in fight against Israel
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