Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

23,000 Palestinians Killed, 42,000 Injured, in Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza, with Military, Financial, and Personnel Support from the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, and Italy

December 6, 2023

Block 2 of Jabalya refugee neighborhood, destroyed by Israeli genocidal air strikes on Gaza Strip, killing and injuring dozens of civilians, December 6, 2023

 

Dozens killed and injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

GAZA, Wednesday, December 6, 2023 (WAFA) - 

Last night and early Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces committed new massacres in the Jabalya camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses told WAFA correspondent that the occupation forces targeted an entire residential square in “Block 2” in Jabalya camp, killing and wounding dozens, including children and women.

The occupation forces fired a barrage of phosphorous and smoke bombs towards the center of the camp, which saw a series of intense raids.

Occupation aircraft also bombed the "Palestine" School, west of Jabalya, which houses displaced people, killing and injuring dozens.

At dawn today, 6 citizens were killed, and dozens were injured, in the occupation aircraft’s bombing of two houses in the Nusayrat camp in the central Gaza Strip, while three people were killed, and a number of others were injured, in a raid that targeted a house in the western camp in Khan Younus.

Artillery shelling continued on the neighborhoods of Al-Tuffa'h, Al-Daraj, and Al-Shuja'iya in Gaza City, and east of Khan Younus, Al-Fukhari, Khuza'a, and 'Abasan.

Civil Defense sources said that a large number of slain Palestinians and wounded victims of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip were buried under the rubble, amid difficulties in recovering them.

In an infinite toll, the death toll has risen to about 16,250 since the start of the aggression on October 7th, including more than 1,240 since the end of the “temporary humanitarian truce” at the beginning of this month.

K.T.

 

Palestinian children have been the main victims of the Israeli genocidal air strikes on Gaza Strip, December 5, 2023	Rescue crews recovered 160 bodies in the past 24 hours from under the rubble and streets in the Gaza Strip, November 28, 2023
Pro-Palestinian peace activists lift their red-stained hands up in protest against US Secretary of State, Blinken, for his support of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, during a Congressional Senate hearing, on October 31, 2023	Biden hugging Netanyahu, as a show of support for the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza strip, committing American treasure, and military support, October 18, 2023

UK Prime Minister, Sunak, visited Israel, offering his pledge of support for PM Netanyahu and the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, October 2023	French President, Macron, visited Israel, offering his pledge of support for PM Netanyahu and the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, October 2023	German Chancellor, Shultz, visited Israel, offering his pledge of support for PM Netanyahu and the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, October 2023

Editor's Note:

The following statistics reflect the official records of the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which are reported through its functional hospitals in Gaza Strip. However, thousands of deaths and injuries are not reported about those who cannot reach such hospitals. Thus, the death toll has exceeded 23,000 by December 5, 2023.

***

Initial reports, by December 4, 2023:

The Israeli genocidal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza, since October 7, resulted in a death toll of more than 16,000 people, including more than 6,500 children and over 4,500 women. There are more than 7,000 who are missing under the rubble.

In addition, there are 42,000+ Palestinians who were injured, during the the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza

The systematic Israeli genocidal air strikes resulted in the complete destruction of more than 50,000 housing units, and more than 300,000 damaged housing units.

In addition, 281 health personnel were killed and hundreds were injured, 56 ambulances were destroyed while on duty, killing and injuring their crews, and destroyed 56 health institutions. As a result of the strikes and lack of fuel, 26 hospitals and 46 primary care centers are not functioning.

By December 4, 2023:

There were 263 Palestinians who were killed, 3,214+ who were injured, and 3,620 who were abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank. 

***

Editorial Note:

In the following news stories, the Palestinian liberation movement, Hamas, has been described as a "terrorist" group. However, the Israeli occupation apartheid regime has not been described as such, even after its genocidal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza, which resulted in the killing of more than 23,000 Palestinian civilians, injuring more than 42,000, and destroying most of Gaza city!

 If this is not a double-standard and hypocrisy, what is it?

***

Joint Statement on Israel

The White House, October 22, 2023

Today,  President Joseph R. Biden, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada,  President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom spoke regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas. The leaders reiterated their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. They welcomed the release of two hostages and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. They committed to close coordination to support their nationals in the region, in particular those wishing to leave Gaza.

The leaders welcomed the announcement of the first humanitarian convoys to reach Palestinians in need in Gaza and committed to continue coordinating with partners in the region to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs. The leaders committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution  and durable peace. 

Joint Statement on Israel | The White House

*** 

Joint Statement on Israel

The White House, October 9, 2023

Today, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America released the following joint statement following their call: 
Today, we — President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom, and President Biden of the United States — express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.
 
We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. There is never any justification for terrorism.  In recent days, the world has watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes, slaughtered over 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children, and entire families, who are now being held as hostages.
 
Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage.
 
All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed.
 
Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region. 

Joint Statement on Israel | The White House

***

US and UK sending forces to Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel

Naval Today, October 16, 2023,

by Fatima Bahtić

The US and the United Kingdom (UK) have revealed that they are sending military and naval forces to support Israel and reinforce regional stability.

As informed, the announcement comes in the wake of the Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza which started on 7 October, after a surprise attack by Hamas.

The UK Prime Minister has directed UK military assets to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel, reinforce regional stability and prevent escalation. 

Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying in the region from Friday to track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups. Meanwhile, a Royal Navy task group will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts. 

The military package, which includes P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships – RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus – three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, will be on standby to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance. 

Meanwhile, the US is sending its second aircraft carrier to the region, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, after USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on 10 October.

The forces in the area include the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), with its 8 squadrons of attack and support aircraft, and the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80).

US and UK sending forces to Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel - Naval Today

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US sending second carrier strike group, fighter jets to region as Israel prepares to expand Gaza operations

   By Oren Liebermann, Natasha Bertrand and Brad Lendon,

 CNN, October 15, 2023

The Pentagon has ordered a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea and is sending Air Force fighter jets to the region as Israel prepares to expand its Gaza operations, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Saturday.

The US warships are not intended to join the fighting in Gaza or take part in Israel’s operations, but the presence of two of the Navy’s most powerful vessels is designed to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The movements are “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel,” Austin said in the statement.

The first carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the coast of Israel last week.

Now the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group, which deployed from Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday, is headed to the eastern Mediterranean. The aircraft carrier was initially set to sail for the waters of US European Command.

It is unclear how long the Ford will stay in the region once the Eisenhower carrier strike group arrives, one US defense official told CNN.

The Eisenhower, which is the flagship of the carrier strike group, will be joined by a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, Austin’s statement said.

The Eisenhower can carry more than 60 aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets. The Ford can deploy more than 75 aircraft.

“By posturing advanced fighters and integrating with joint and coalition forces, we are strengthening our partnerships and reinforcing security in the region,” Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, 9th Air Force commander, said in a statement.

Pentagon orders second carrier strike group to region as Israel prepares to expand Gaza operations | CNN

***

Britain sends spy planes, ships to Mediterranean amid Israel-Hamas war

By Andrew Chuter  

Defense News, Oct 13, 2023

LONDON —

Military vessels and surveillance aircraft are among the assets Britain is deploying to the Eastern Mediterranean in response to the attack on Israel by Hamas, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced.

Backed by a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday. In response, the Israeli government declared war on Hamas and vowed to inflict an “unprecedented price.”

Royal Air Force P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, other unspecified surveillance assets, two Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ships, three Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines are part of the deployment package meant to support Israel, prevent escalation and aid in humanitarian efforts, the British government said. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is the support arm of the Royal Navy.

Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft operations will start as early as Oct. 13 to track threats to regional security, such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups, the government added.

A Royal Navy task force will also head to the region next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts, government noted. The task force will include the landing ship dock RFA Lyme Bay the support and hospital vessel RFA Argus.

HMS Duncan, a Type 45 anti-air destroyer, is already in the Mediterranean Sea as part of a NATO force, but its unclear whether the ship will join the Royal Navy task group.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the military deployment represents an unequivocal statement of support for Israel.

“The Royal Navy Task Group, RAF operations and our wider military support will be an undeniable display of the UK’s resolve to ensure Hamas’s terrorist campaign fails, whilst reminding those who seek to inflame tensions that the forces of freedom stand with the Israeli people,” Shapps said in a statement.

The package will add to an already substantial British presence in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which includes two military bases on Cyprus. The island hosts the largest Royal Air Force base outside the U.K. and houses significant signals- and intelligence-gathering assets.

Hamas’ assault last Saturday killed more than 1,300 people in Israel, including 247 soldiers. Israel says roughly 1,500 Hamas militants were killed inside Israel. The Gaza Health Ministry on Oct. 13 said that 1,799 people have been killed in the territory, including more than 580 under the age of 18 and 351 women.

Britain sends spy planes, ships to Mediterranean amid Israel-Hamas war (defensenews.com)

***

US House of Representatives passes $14 billion in Israel aid with costly cuts to IRS

By Jacob Bogage  and  Abigail Hauslohner

Washington Post, November 2, 2023

The Republican-controlled House on Thursday approved legislation to send roughly $14 billion in emergency aid to Israel and cut about the same amount from the Internal Revenue Service, in a deeply divided vote on a measure that Senate leaders say they won’t take up and President Biden has already threatened to veto.

Biden in October requested $106 billion in emergency foreign aid for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion, Israel’s response to Hamas’s attacks and to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.

New House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) chose to split the Israel funding off from the rest of the aid and declared the House would cut the budget to pay for the spending to keep the federal deficit from growing.

But the cuts to the IRS would actually cost taxpayers money, meaning the aid for Israel would add to the deficit even more than just borrowing the $14 billion Biden wants to send, according to a nonpartisan analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. The move would reduce the tax agency’s ability to audit high-income earners and tax evaders, costing taxpayers $26.8 billion in lost tax revenue, the CBO projected. IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel put the lost income at closer to $90 billion.

The legislation passed by a 226-196 vote, with 12 Democrats voted against the measure.

House passes $14 billion in Israel aid with costly cuts to IRS - The Washington Post

***

‘War Is Expensive’: How the Israel Aid Package Went From Big to Bigger

Time Magazine,  BY ERIC CORTELLESSA

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

In the days after Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,400 civilians, the Biden Administration and leading members of Congress wasted little time devising an aid package to bolster Israel’s war against the terror group. The initial proposal: roughly $2 billion of increased defense funding to supplement the $3.8 billion the U.S. already sends Israel every year.

It didn’t last long. By the time President Joe Biden sent Congress a formal request on Oct. 20, he wanted seven times more than that for Israel—$14 billion.  

What happened? American and Israeli officials say the Biden Administration’s desired Israel funding skyrocketed in part because Israeli leaders said they needed billions more to dramatically expand the nation’s missile-defense capabilities. Another factor was a growing fear within the administration that the Gaza war could spiral into a wider regional conflict that would trigger more sustained American involvement. The White House wanted to restore Israel’s deterrence and prevent other Iranian-backed proxies from joining the fight, the sources say.

The U.S. currently allocates $3.8 billion a year for Israel’s defense based on a 2016 memorandum of understanding forged between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government, a deal struck after the two leaders bitterly feuded over the Iran nuclear deal. An additional $14 billion for Israel’s defense, alongside Biden’s decision to deploy two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, marks a “historic inflection point” in the U.S.-Israel relationship, according to Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the United States. 

Biden’s support comes as Israel faces increasing international condemnation for the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza; backlash from American progressives; and calls from more Democrats to back a ceasefire, which Israel vehemently opposes, it says, until the hostages are released and it’s completed its mission of dismantling Hamas’s military infrastructure and ending its rule of the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire would “all but eliminate our deterrence power and deeply impair our raison d’être,” says Oren. “And the raison d’être of the Jewish state is to protect the Jews.”

The only historical precedent for Biden’s current stance, Oren adds, was in 1973, when President Richard Nixon airlifted materiel to Israel during the Yom Kippur War, in spite of objections from his own advisers. 

But time may not be on Biden’s, or Israel’s, side. As thousands of Palestinian non-combatant have been killed and a humanitarian crisis unfolds in Gaza, support for Israel’s war effort is waning among Democrats. That could soon make it much harder for Congress to send Israel the military assistance the country says it desperately needs.  

How the Cost of Biden's Israel Aid Package Skyrocketed | TIME

***

DOD Continues Efforts to Support Israel, Limit Spread of War

 US Department of Defense, October 30, 2023

By Jim Garamone , DOD News |   

The US Defense Department remains focused on getting Israel the military capabilities it needs as it continues its battles against the Hamas terror group, said a senior defense official speaking on background.

DOD is also working with other government agencies, allies and partners to ensure the war with Hamas doesn't spill over into the greater Middle East, the official said.

It has been a bit over three weeks since Hamas invaded Israel and killed more than 1,400 people and kidnapped 239 civilians, according to Israeli statistics. U.S. officials are working closely with Israeli leaders and with partners in the region to restore security in the region and work with all relevant groups to secure the release of the hostages, the official said.

The U.S. government is also working "with all relevant stakeholders" for the safe evacuation of American citizens from Gaza, she said.

Finally, the U.S. military is taking decisive self-defense military actions to defend U.S. forces that have been attacked by Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. "From Oct. 17 to Oct. 30, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least 14 separate times in Iraq, and nine separate times in Syria, through a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, for a total of 23 attacks to date," the senior official said. "Many of these attacks were successfully disrupted by our military. Most failed to reach their targets, thanks to our robust defenses."

More resources are flowing into the U.S. Central Command area of operations to include defenses against drones and rockets, the official said. The command is "in the process of assessing the location and where those air defenses should go, based on requirements and the threat environment," she said.

That Iran is involved in this whole conflict is no surprise, the official said, and the United States is concerned. The United States will continue its focus "on preventing regional escalation and a widening of this conflict," she said. "We know that Iran cultivates a threat network that touches … the maritime space, the airspace and the land space."

Iran supplies its proxies with drones and with training and weapons, they use to attack U.S. forces. Iran itself uses fast boats to harass shipping in the vital Persian Gulf.

The United States has increased its force posture in U.S. Central Command, but it also can rely upon allies and partners across the region. The United States has worked for years to build networked air and sea defenses in the region. "All of that is at play now," the official said. "And it is fortunate that we have a platform of years of working together in order to deter and counter Iranian aggression."

***

What to Know About U.S. Military Support for Israel’s Gaza Offensive

BY MATHIAS HAMMER

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

In the wake of Hamas’s deadly attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli government has declared war on Hamas, dropping more than 6,000 bombs on Gaza. From the Gaza strip, Hamas militants have fired more than 7,000 rockets at Israel, many of which have been intercepted by the Iron Dome, Israel’s extensive air-defense system. 

As Israel races through its stockpiles of ammunition and air defense interceptors, it will be heavily dependent on longstanding U.S. support to replenish its stockpiles. The U.S. has promised to surge its military support for Israel, even as criticisms mount over the Biden administration’s failure to prevent the biggest recipient of U.S. military aid from causing significant civilian casualties in its offensive. 

What support does the U.S. provide to Israel?

Israeli equipment and defense material will be resupplied based on their burn rate—the speed at which they are used in the ongoing military operations, says R. Clarke Cooper, former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, the bureau which oversees arms transfers. The U.S. has already committed to sending Iron Dome air-defense missiles, small diameter bombs and JDAM kits, which convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided weapons to Israel. Boeing is reportedly speeding up the delivery of as many as 1,800 JDAMs, which the company produces in St. Charles, Missouri. These replenishments will come on top of previously agreed upon deals for advanced weaponry such as F-35 fighter jets, CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters, and KC-46 aerial refueling tankers, Cooper says, currently a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

The Biden administration has also asked for an additional $14 billion for Israel from Congress. This request is focused on providing air and missile defense support, and replenishing U.S. military stockpiles given to Israel. While there is overwhelming bipartisan support for the Israel aid, it is paired in the administration’s proposal with more than $60 billion for Ukraine, which faces stiff opposition from some Republicans in Congress.

Whatever further aid is provided to Israel, it will come on top of decades-long military support for the country, which has helped make the IDF one of the most capable armed forces in the world. Since Israel’s founding in 1948, the U.S. has provided Israel with more than $130 billion in security assistance, more than the U.S. has provided to any country in the world. The U.S. currently supplies Israel with approximately $3.8 billion in security assistance annually.

For decades the purpose of this military support has been to provide Israel, the U.S.’s closest ally in the region, with a “qualitative military edge” over neighboring militaries. The result of this long-standing support has been an Israeli defense sector that is “defined by U.S. assistance and U.S. equipment,” says Elias Yousif, an expert in U.S. arms transfers at the Stimson Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, while also emphasizing that Israel has developed a robust defense industry of its own. U.S. foreign military financing currently covers approximately 16% of Israel’s defense budget.

Are U.S. weapons being used in Gaza?

As human rights groups voice their concerns about the civilian cost of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, the U.S.’s part in sustaining the IDF is increasingly being questioned. 

Because of the U.S.’s unique role in supporting Israel militarily, “The United States bears a special responsibility to ensure its assistance does not contribute to devastating civilian harm and possible violations of international humanitarian law,” says Annie Shiel, U.S. advocacy director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict.

“Public perception is that the United States is part of this military campaign,” says Michael Hanna, U.S. program director at the International Crisis Group. “You could be on the hook for a lot of bad things coming down the pipe. So that has to be something that concerns the administration.”

On Oct. 30, Pentagon Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said that the U.S. is not putting any limits on how Israel uses U.S.-provided weapons in its war against Hamas. Even so, officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken have said that they are in contact with their Israeli counterparts about the need to minimize civilian harm.

Among the weapons provided to Israel, “the transfer of 155mm artillery shells to Israel are of particular concern given the inevitable harm to civilians that comes with the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas,” says Shiel. The artillery shells, which are also being used extensively in the trench warfare in Ukraine, are deadly in a radius of 100 to 300 meters, according to Oxfam. 

The lack of access to Gaza makes it hard to track specifically what munitions the IDF is using in Gaza, arms experts say. But most experts agree that it is highly likely that U.S.-origin weapons are being used in the conflict. “I think it's a safe assumption to say that U.S. weapons are being used extensively in the current Israeli operations in Gaza,” says Yousif.

In the past, human rights organizations have said that U.S. military equipment has been used in Israeli military operations during which civilians were killed, in locations without evident military targets in the vicinity. In 2021, Human Rights Watch claimed that U.S.-made weapons were used in at least two such attacks that may have violated the laws of war.

US Military Support for Israel's Gaza Offensive: What to Know | TIME

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Josh Paul on Why He Resigned From the State Department Over Arms to Israel

BY MATHIAS HAMMER

Time, October 19, 2023 1:52 PM EDT

A senior State Department official who worked in the bureau overseeing arms transfers resigned on Wednesday over the Biden administration’s decision to continue sending weapons and ammunition to Israel. His departure is a rare sign of internal dissent over the administration’s strong support for Israel as it continues airstrikes in Gaza following Hamas’s deadly attacks on Oct. 7.  The official, Josh Paul, was the director of congressional and public affairs at the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which handles arms transfers. 

In an open letter posted to LinkedIn, Paul wrote that the U.S.’s decision to rush “more arms to one side of the conflict” is “shortsighted, destructive, unjust, and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse.”

“I made myself a promise that I would stay for as long as I felt the harm I might do could be outweighed by the good I could do,” Paul wrote. “I am leaving today because I believe that in our current course with regards to the continued – indeed, expanded and expedited – provision of lethal arms to Israel – I have reached the end of that bargain.”

In an interview with TIME, Paul speaks about his decision to resign, why the administration may be violating the law in providing weapons to Israel, and the response he has received from his colleagues.

You’ve worked in the State Department for more than 10 years and write in an open letter that you knew the job was not “without moral complexity or moral compromise.” What led you to resign now?

First of all, the scale and scope of the crisis that is unfolding before us. Even in the worst days of the Yemen conflict, it was nothing of this scale. Second, as we deal with controversial, complex, sensitive arms transfers, in my experience, there has always been room for debate. Sometimes that debate can range for months or even years, while different stakeholders within government hammer out different approaches and ways to tackle these human rights concerns. In this instance, there has been no debate, or when there has been debate it’s been ignored. It's just been, “here are your marching orders, move as quickly as you can.” That's unique to this. 

And then the third aspect is that in past debates, even if you're not satisfied there was at least some degree of comfort that the next step is for cases to get notified to Congress, which is how the arms transfer process works. Congress does take human rights issues seriously and can hold arms sales, debate them, or even vote against them. In this instance, there is no backstop. There is no congressional appetite for debating, holding, or opposing this. So it's a combination of those three factors.

How are U.S. arms transfers to Israel shaping the conflict?

The theory has always been that if Israel feels secure, it will be able to move towards peace with the Palestinians. But in practice the steps that Israel has taken to achieve security have all been at the expense of Palestinian good faith in the peace process—not to mention at the expense of Palestinian suffering. For that reason they have also not led to the two-state solution, which was the whole goal of the Oslo Accords. So in the end, our arming of Israel, which was sort of “take whatever you need, we want you to be secure,” has actually not led to security for Israel. I think that's more apparent in the last couple of weeks than ever.

Where does the line go between Israel’s right to self defense and what you describe in your letter as “collective punishment?”

I think there are clear guidelines in international law as to what is permissible in war and what is not. And just let's be clear, Hamas violates those every single day. But when it comes to collective punishment such as the siege laid on Gaza, what possible military benefit does it give Israel to cut off electricity and water to 2.3 million people when you're trying to target a small number comparatively of Hamas fighters? It's clearly collective punishment. 

There are a number of legal and policy measures in place to prevent arms transfers that will lead to human rights violations. Are these being implemented with regards to Israel?

Earlier this year, the Biden administration issued a new Conventional Arms Transfer policy. One of the most significant adjustments in this version of the policy was the inclusion of this “more likely than not language”—that no arms transfer will be authorized where the United States assesses that it is more likely than not that the arms to be transferred will be used by the recipient to commit human rights violations. That is a policy I believe that they are not adhering to or not even considering properly in their pending arms transfers to Israel.

Because Israel receives foreign military financing it is subject to the Leahy laws, which require the vetting of units that receive that assistance to ensure they're not engaged in gross violations of human rights. I think the process to do that for Israel specifically, within the department, is broken and politicized and has not been able to meet the requirements of the law.

What kind of signal do you think your resignation will send to your colleagues in the administration?

I would like to think that it sends a signal that some things are worth fighting for internally. And worth giving up a significant amount for. I am hopeful that it will bring others out of the woodwork, but I don't know if it will. I certainly am encouraged by the responses that I've seen.

What have you heard from your colleagues following your resignation?

That a lot of people are wrestling with these moral dilemmas. A lot of people are deeply uncomfortable, finding this a very difficult time and faced with a lot of tough decisions. People have shared a lot of words of encouragement and support and expressions of shared feelings of how difficult the situation is.

State Department Official On Why He Resigned Over Israel | TIME

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Prime Minister deploys UK military to Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel

UK Prime Minister's Office, 13 October 2023

Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft to begin patrols today to help partners track emerging threats to regional security. 

Royal Navy task group to deploy to eastern Mediterranean in coming days to help mitigate humanitarian crisis  

Military teams bolstered across the region as cooperation with Israel is stepped up 

The Prime Minister has directed UK military assets to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel, reinforce regional stability and prevent escalation. 

Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying in the region from Friday to track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups. 

Meanwhile, a Royal Navy task group will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts. 

The military package, which includes P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships – RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus – three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, will be on standby to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance. 

The Prime Minister has also asked for all military teams in Israel, Cyprus and across the region to be bolstered to support contingency planning and the efforts of neighbouring countries to deal with any spill over from instability in Israel.  

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spoke to the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, today to understand the wider regional picture and underscore the importance of supporting civilians to leave Gaza.

He also thanked President al-Sisi for Egypt’s assistance in helping British nationals in the area. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: 

We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated. Alongside our allies, the deployment of our world class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation. 

Our military and diplomatic teams across the region will also support international partners to re-establish security and ensure humanitarian aid reaches the thousands of innocent victims of this barbaric attack from Hamas terrorists.

The Prime Minister is due to speak to northern European leaders about the situation in Israel at the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Sweden on Friday. They are expected to discuss the vital need to work with partners across the Middle East to support stability, while simultaneously remaining focussed on backing Ukraine’s defence against Russia. 

He will also visit British warship HMS Diamond while in Gotland, Sweden, which is on patrol in northern Europe to reinforce security in the region. While on board, the Prime Minister will hear about the capabilities of Diamond’s sister ship, HMS Duncan, which is deployed in the Mediterranean with NATO.  

The package of military support, which will work alongside allies already in the region, is a significant demonstration of the UK’s support for Israel’s right to self-defence and will allow the UK to adapt to the needs of partners as the situation evolves over the coming weeks. 

The step change comes after the Prime Minister spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, and the Defence Secretary discussed the situation with his NATO counterparts in Brussels.

The Foreign Secretary visited Israel to see first hand the destruction Hamas terrorists have caused and to understand how the UK can support the efforts of the Israeli Government to ensure the safety and security of the Israeli people.  

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:  

The monstrous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in recent days have proven why the UK must support Israel’s absolute right to self-defence and deter malign external interference. No nation should stand alone in the face of such evil and today’s deployment will ensure Israel does not. 

The Royal Navy Task Group, RAF operations and our wider military support will be an undeniable display of the UK’s resolve to ensure Hamas’s terrorist campaign fails, whilst reminding those who seek to inflame tensions that the forces of freedom stand with the Israeli people.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will facilitate commercial flights to help vulnerable British nationals wanting to leave Israel.

Prime Minister deploys UK military to Eastern Mediterranean to support Israel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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UK military aircraft have provided “surveillance support” to Israel

Missions have prevented “transfer of weapons to terrorist groups” according to official UK Government responses to Parliament.

Richard Thomas

UK RAF, November 15, 2023

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated that UK military aircraft have provided surveillance support to Israel, following the deployment of assets to the eastern Mediterranean amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

In written parliamentary responses confirming the deployments on 13 November, MoD officials stated the UK had deployed “P-8 and other surveillance assets to improve our situational awareness in the region and provide assurance to our partners”.

Israel has been embroiled in an ongoing war with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and which conducted a bloody incursion into Israel on 7 October resulting in the deaths of some 1,200 Israeli’s, with over 200 kidnapped. The military response from Israel into Gaza has caused over 10,000 civilian deaths, according to Hamas-run Gazan authorities.

On 13 October, the UK confirmed it would be sending aircraft to the region to “support Israel and reinforce regional stability”.

A second UK parliamentary response stated that flights to improve situational awareness included the prevention of “transfer of weapons to terrorist groups”, and to “wider” regional security, in addition to the delivery of humanitarian aid into Egypt.

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) operates a fleet of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft but also has a range of other airborne platforms that could perform surveillance functions, such as the MQ-9B Reaper drones or Rivet Joint RC-135 electronic surveillance aircraft. It is not known what specific platforms were referred to in the MoD’s “other surveillance assets” comment.

UK military aircraft have provided “surveillance support” to Israel - Airforce Technology (airforce-technology.com)

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Europe 'aiding and assisting' Israel's war in Gaza with key weapons

By Joshua Askew

Euronews, Published on 03/11/2023 -

Data shared with Euronews shows multiple European states have supplied key weapons and equipment likely used by Israel's army in its offensive.

In a recent four-page letter, ex-UN official Craig Mokhiber criticised the international community for failing to stop a “genocide unfolding before our eyes” in Gaza.

The US human rights lawyer accused the US, UK and much of Europe of being “wholly complicit in the horrific assault” on the Palestinian enclave by Israeli forces, which began on 7 October when Hamas killed more than 1,400 people in southern Israel.

Israel has retaliated with unrelenting strikes on Gaza and poured in troops and tanks, killing more than 9,000 so far, say Palestinian authorities. 

Now information shared with Euronews shows European states are likely “aiding and assisting” Israel’s offensive directly.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) provided data on arms sales from Europe to Israel between 2013 to 2022, showing Italy and Germany had supplied Israel’s military with crucial weapons and equipment it was now using on the ground in Gaza.

The UK, meanwhile, has lucrative deals supplying the Israeli Air Force, according to the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT).

However, the group told Euronews that opaque licensing arrangements mean it can be hard to determine exactly what has been transferred.

SIPRI, an independent research institute based in Sweden, detailed that Germany had sent more than 1,000 tank engines to Israel.

Under an export licence from 2000, it claimed they were used in Merkava-4 tanks and Namer armoured personnel carriers (APC). German-made diesel engines are also used in the Eitan fighter vehicle produced in Israel.

“By our estimates, some of these are probably ready for use on the ground in Gaza,” SIPRI researcher Zain Hussain told Euronews.

Over the past decade, the institute said Germany has supplied – and partially funded with taxpayer’s money - Dolphin-class submarines and Sa’ar corvettes for Israel’s navy, though they are kitted out with Israeli guns and missiles.

Of the ships, Hussain says “some have been taken into service [and] probably used for shelling targets in Gaza.”

“Germany has funded part of the Israeli procurement of submarines and corvettes as a form of military aid to Israel, to support Israel in its defence and in a sort of compensation for Nazi crimes,” he added in a statement sent to Euronews.

Significant defence industrial cooperation exists between Germany and Israel, including in the development of missiles and other munitions, involving companies like Rheinmetall, MBDA Deutschland and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann - among others, says SIPRI.

In October, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told his country’s parliament he had offered military help to Israel.

“At this moment, there is only one place for Germany - the place at Israel’s side,” he told lawmakers. “Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel.”

A man sits on the rubble as others wander among debris of buildings that were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 1,Abed Khaled/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.

While on a smaller scale than Germany, Italy has supplied parts for training and combat aircraft, including the M-346 Master and AW-119 light helicopter, according to SIPRI.

Though Rome has not yet promised military support for Israel, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her support for and closeness to the Israeli population, following Hamas’ attack.

Between 2013 and 2022, Italian companies sold armaments worth almost €120 million to Israel: on average around €12 million per year, according to Pagella Politica. 

Data shared with Euronews by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) shows the UK is a notable supplier of arms to Israel, too. 

It provides components that make up 15% of the F-35 stealth combat aircraft that are currently being used by Israel to relentlessly bomb Gaza, hitting schools, hospitals and residential areas. 

They “conservatively” estimated this trade is worth £336 million (€386 million) since 2016.

However, the group said the “most significant” exports are via open licences, which make it difficult to determine exactly what is being transferred due to their “lack of transparency”.

CAAT pointed to several “concerning” open licences that “could easily involve” military items that might be used in Gaza, such as equipment, software and technology for combat aircraft and helicopters, plus components for artillery, naval guns and combat vessels, missile and munitions equipment and military radars.

“Arms sales to Israel need to be halted immediately,” said Emily Apple, CAAT’s Media Coordinator in a statement sent to Euronews. 

“Israel is committing war crimes against the Palestinian people in its ongoing siege and bombardment of Gaza, causing a humanitarian catastrophe and killing thousands of civilians.”

Sending vital parts that enable Israel's bombing campaign, she claimed the UK government and industry were “complicit in these war crimes.”

A Palestinian man reacts while holding the body of a relative killed following Israeli bombardment on October 31, 2023.MAHMUD HAMS/AFP or licensors

In a statement sent to Euronews, Amnesty International said it had long called for a “comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.”

“We have adopted this position due to patterns of serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law stretching back years over many conflicts,” Patrick Wilcken, a researcher on military, security and policing issues at Amnesty International, told Euronews.

He said Amnesty has documented evidence of war crimes by Israeli forces, as well as Hamas and other armed groups.

Regarding Israeli forces, this included “failing to take feasible precautions to spare civilians, carrying out indiscriminate attacks that failed to distinguish between civilians and military objectives, or carrying out attacks that may have been directed against civilian objects,” according to Wilcken.

Hamas has committed “mass summary killings, hostage-taking, and launching indiscriminate rocket attacks into Israel,” he added.

Sending military equipment to Israel contravenes EU policy necessitating “respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law,” says Amnesty.

Articles 6 and 7 of the Arms Trade Treaty also bar transfers where there is an overriding risk arms could be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

“States which continue to transfer arms to Israel or Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups with knowledge that the recipient state or group is using these arms to commit “internationally wrongful acts” – which include crimes under international law such as war crimes and crimes against humanity - are themselves at risk of aiding and assisting in those wrongs,” added Wilcken.

Europe 'aiding and assisting' Israel's war in Gaza with key weapons | Euronews

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Germany offers Israel military help and promises to crack down at home on support for Hamas

 October 12, 2023

BERLIN (AP) —

Germany is offering military help to Israel and promising to crack down on support for the militant Hamas group at home following the group’s attack on Israel. Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday underlined Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel’s security.

The Defense Ministry said it agreed to an Israeli request to use up to two of five Heron TP combat drones that are currently leased by the German military and were already in Israel for the training of German servicepeople. And Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Brussels that Israel has requested ammunition for warships, a request that will now be discussed.

Scholz told the German parliament that he has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to inform Germany of any needs, “for example the treatment of wounded.”

“At this moment, there is only one place for Germany — the place at Israel’s side,” he told lawmakers. “Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel.”

Scholz noted that thousands of people have demonstrated in support of Israel in recent days, but said that “there were also other, shameful pictures from Germany last weekend.”

On Saturday, a small group handed out pastries in a Berlin street and dozens of people later demonstrated in celebration of the Hamas attack.

Scholz said that Germany will issue a formal ban on activity by or in support of Hamas, which is already listed by the European Union as a terror group. He said groups such as Samidoun, which was behind the weekend pastry action, will be banned.

Scholz said there will be “zero tolerance for antisemitism.”

The chancellor also questioned the lack of a clear condemnation of the Hamas attack by the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, saying that “their silence is shameful.”

Germany has suspended development aid for the Palestinian areas, though it is keeping up humanitarian help.

Scholz also assailed Iran’s role in the region. “We have no tangible evidence that Iran gave concrete and operative support to this cowardly attack by Hamas,” he said. “But is clear to us all that, without Iranian support in recent years, Hamas would not have been capable of these unprecedented attacks on Israeli territory.”

Several German citizens were among those kidnapped in Saturday attack.

Germany offers Israel military help and promises to crack down at home on support for Hamas | AP News

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Canadian special forces members on the ground in Israel, DND confirms

Canadian Department of National Defence spokesperson says special forces doing 'contingency planning'

Christian Paas-Lang · 

CBC News · Posted: Oct 29, 2023 5:29 P

Canadian special forces members are in Israel helping Canada's embassy there with "contingency planning," a Department of National Defence spokesperson confirmed to CBC News on Sunday.

"As there is potential for the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including at the border separating Israel and Lebanon, Global Affairs Canada has requested [Canadian Armed Forces] support to ensure a rapid response should the security situation rapidly deteriorate and support for the evacuation of Canadians is required," the department said in a statement. 

"In support of Global Affairs Canada, [Canadian Armed Forces] personnel from Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) are assisting the Canadian embassy in Israel with contingency planning."

In a statement earlier in the week, Defence Minister Bill Blair said 300 CAF members are now in the region, with a task force headquartered in Cyprus.

Officials did not further elaborate on what special forces members were doing in the area. Global News first reported Sunday that special forces members were present in Israel.

The Canadian military has already been active in the region as the conflict between Israel and Hamas has intensified, since the latter's attacks on Oct. 7.

Military planes ran several evacuation flights from Israel to Greece in the weeks after the war began. At the time the flights ended, Canada had helped around 1,600 citizens, permanent residents and their families leave Israel.

Canada warned Saturday that citizens in Lebanon should leave that country while they still can. There is significant concern that as fighting intensifies in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah — an Iran-backed Lebanese political party and armed movement that supports Hamas — could fully enter into the conflict. There have already been clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border.

An estimated 40,000 to 75,000 Canadians are living in Lebanon at any given time, according to government data.

Christian Paas-Lang covers federal politics for CBC News in Ottawa as an associate producer with The House and a digital writer with CBC Politics. You can reach him at christian.paas-lang@cbc.ca.

Canadian special forces members on the ground in Israel, DND confirms | CBC News

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France’s Macron seeks international support for his proposal to build a coalition against Hamas

BY SYLVIE CORBET

Updated 1:56 PM EST, October 25, 2023

PARIS (AP) —

French President Emmanuel Macron sought to promote — with little success so far — the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas, during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel.

Leaders he met with in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt didn’t publicly address the issue.

The first response to the devastating Israel-Hamas war is “the fight against terrorism,” Macron said Wednesday after his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

“The right response is to cooperate, to draw lessons from the international coalition against the Islamic State group” that intervened in Iraq and Syria, he added.

Macron first made the proposal Tuesday after his meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioning the idea of a “regional and international coalition” against the Hamas group that rules the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu did not specifically comment on the French offer.

The French presidency later said the proposal was not about sending troops on the ground, but that it could rather involve sharing intelligence and combating the financing of terrorism.

It will “be up to our partners, and Israel in particular, to express their needs,” the French presidency said.

U.S. officials said they are aware of Macron’s proposal and that it has been a subject of informal discussion within the administration and with other countries.

However, the officials said it has not reached the point of serious consideration mainly because there doesn’t yet appear to be any Arab interest in creating such a force.

The U.S. believes Arab buy-in and actual participation — as there was with the anti-IS coalition — would be essential to the success of any multi-national operation, according to the officials who, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The U.S. State Department designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1997. The European Union and other Western countries also consider it a terrorist organization.

Over the years, Hamas has received backing from Arab countries, such as Qatar and Turkey. Recently, it has moved closer to Iran and its allies.

During his meeting with Macron, King Abdullah II of Jordan called for the international community to pressure Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, according to the Jordanian royal court.

El-Sissi didn’t address the coalition issue during his joint declaration with Macron.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Egyptian president cautioned his forces against any direct involvement in the war between Hamas and Israel, speaking in front of dozens of tanks in the port city of Suez.

“My message to the army and people is not to make your military power make you rush into wrong decisions,” el-Sissi said.

Before leaving Cairo on Wednesday evening, Macron told French reporters he felt both Egypt and Jordan’s leaders were “very worried” about their region and said they were willing to work with “some discretion especially regarding top security issues, which I want to respect.”

Macron’s office said talks with France’s partners will continue in the coming days, as the French president is to take part in a European summit starting Thursday in Brussels.

Macron had said he would travel to Israel only to be “useful,” as his visit came after those of U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and The Netherlands’ Mark Rutte.

Héloïse Fayet, a Middle-East researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, told French radio RFI “one wonders what France and other countries ... could bring to Israel, which is one of the most advanced countries in the fight against terrorism.”

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Associated Press writers Jack Jeffery and Sam Magdy in Cairo and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to the story.

France's Macron seeks international support for his proposal to build a coalition against Hamas | AP News