ISRAEL UNDER ATTACK Hamas Terrorists Were ‘Ordered’ to Kill Civilians, Saudis Putting Future Israel Ties ‘On Ice,’ Putin Says IDF Ground Operation ‘Unacceptable’
As Israel enters a new, dangerous phase in its conflict with Hamas, The Algemeiner is rounding up developments in the region and around the world.
Worshipers wrapped in Israeli flags at a prayer service in Warsaw, Poland. Photo: Reuters/Kacper Pempel
Hamas Terrorists Ordered to Kill Civilians, Unearthed Document Shows
Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported that it had uncovered a document left behind by a Hamas terrorist after last Saturday’s invasion of southern Israel that gives orders to its gunmen to kill as many civilians as possible in their takeover of the town of Alonim.
‘Please Bring Back My Baby Girls’: Israeli Father’s Desperate Plea
Family members of the more than 150 hostages taken by Hamas delivered harrowing testimony at the United Nations on Friday, ahead of a Security Council meeting to discuss the invasion of southern Israel by terrorists from the Islamist organization who killed 1,300 Israelis and wounded more than 3,000.
“I got a phone call from my wife. Scared. Whispering. Terrified. Saying that she’s hearing gunshots and people are entering the house. I didn’t want to risk her. So I told her to disconnect the phone and that was the last call,” said Yoni Asher, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz in the Negev, whose wife and two daughters have been taken hostage in Gaza. “I just want to approach whoever can hear me in the international community: Please bring back my baby girls.”
Asher believes that his wife’s parents were taken into Gaza as well during the attack on the kibbutz, located on the border with Gaza. Hamas terrorists murdered 20 members of the kibbutz and seized another 80 as hostages, among them an 85-year-old grandmother and a six-month-old baby. The Algemeiner’sAndrew Bernardhas more.
‘Cross the Line’: Free Speech Group Expresses Agreement with Disciplining of Stanford University Instructor Who Called Jewish Students “Colonizers”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (F.I.R.E.), which has historically opposed attempts to censor political speech regardless of its partisan origin, said on Tuesday that Stanford University was right to remove from the classroom an instructor who singled out Jewish students and called them “colonizers” during a lesson on Tuesday. According to several accounts, the instructor asked Jewish students to identify themselves and called them out of their seats to, allegedly, reenact what he claimed Palestinians are experiencing. He also said “only six million” Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. In a statement, F.I.R.E. spokesperson Katie Kortepeter said, “Academic freedom does not allow for the singling out of students based on their ethnicity. The professor’s alleged conduct appears to cross the line.”
Saudis Putting Israel Normalization Plans “On Ice:” Report
Saudi Arabia is putting US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice, two sources familiar with Riyadh’s thinking said, signaling a rapid rethinking of its foreign policy priorities as war escalates between Israel and the Palestinian terrorists of Hamas, Reuters reported on Friday.
The conflict has also pushed the kingdom to engage with Iran. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took his first phone call from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as Riyadh tries to prevent a broader surge in violence across the region.
The two sources told Reuters there would be a delay in the US-backed talks on normalization with Israel that was a key step for the kingdom to secure what Riyadh considers the real prize of a US defense pact in exchange.
Biden Speaks to Relatives of US Hostages in Gaza
US President Joe Biden on Friday spoke by phone with family members of the some of the 14 American citizens who are unaccounted for or who were kidnapped by Hamas during last weekend’s terrorist infiltration, and who are now being held hostage in Gaza. Around 150 people, the vast majority of Israelis, were seized.
“I think they have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about them, deeply. We have to communicate to the world this is critical. This is not even human behavior. It’s pure barbarism, and we’re going to do everything in our power to get them home — if we can find them,” Biden told CBS prior to the call.
The call lasted more than an hour and was on-camera for participants via Zoom, two people familiar with the conversation told NBC News.
Israel Slams Chinese Failure to Condemn Hamas as Embassy Employee is Stabbed
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed its “deep disappointment” with China’s failure to condemn Hamas shortly before announcing that an Israeli embassy employee had been stabbed in Beijing.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the employee was in stable condition and that the attack was being investigated. The Chinese police have arrested a suspect, who they say was a foreign worker. The Algemeiner’s Andrew Bernardhas more.
Harvard University President Says Pro-Hamas Supporters Should Not Punished, Disavows Terror
Harvard University president Claudine Gay said on Thursday that the members of 31 student groups who signed a statement blaming Israel for Hamas’s terror attack on Saturday should not be punished.
Gay’s statement, which also disavowed “the barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas,” comes amid calls for the university to disclose the names of any students who signed the statement accusing Israel of operating an “open air prison” in Gaza and asserting that “the apartheid regime is the only one to blame” for the violence. The Algemeiner’sDion J. Pierrehas more.
“Barbaric:” French Schoolteacher Murdered in Islamist Knife Attack
A French schoolteacher has been stabbed to death in an attack denounced by President Emmanuel Macron as “barbaric Islamic terrorism.”
The 20-year-old assailant fatally stabbed a teacher in an attack at a school in the northern France city of Arras on Friday.
Two other people were seriously wounded and fighting for their lives, Macron said after visiting the school.
“The teacher who was killed stepped in and undoubtedly saved a lot of lives himself,” Macron said after paying his respects to the dead teacher, whose body still lay under a cover and surrounded by a pool of blood.
In a national address a day earlier, Macron had urged the French to remain united and refrain from bringing the Israel-Hamas conflict home.
He stopped short of making a direct link in Arras but said: “Terrorism strikes once again in a school, and in a context that we all know.”
Germans Brace for ‘Wave’ of Antisemitic Violence
German authorities are expecting a “wave” of antisemitic violence as the global spillover triggered by last Saturday’s invasion of southern Israel by Hamas terrorists continues to impact Jewish communities around the world. The situation in Germany’s schools is a particular headache for German officials. “I am very concerned that the further Israel’s response to this terrorist attack progresses, the mood in schools will clearly turn against Israel,” Felix Klein — the leading federal official tasked with combating antisemitism — said on Friday. “There is already shocking news from schools where students are wrapping Palestinian flags around themselves and who want to bring this conflict into the schools.” The Algemeiner’sBen Cohen has more.
Putin Compares Israeli Response in Gaza to Nazi Siege of Leningrad
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday compared Israel’s response in Gaza with Nazi Germany’s World War II siege of Leningrad as he argued that a ground operation in Gaza would result in “unacceptable” civilian casualties.
Israel is now about to do something that is “comparable to the siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War,” Putin told journalists in Kyrgyzstan. “In my opinion, this is unacceptable,” he said.
Putin — whose regime is responsible for the deaths of nearly 70,000 Ukrainians since Russia’s Feb. 2022 invasion of its southern neighbor — acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defense, but warned that a ground attack would lead to “serious consequences for all sides.”
“And most importantly, the civilian casualties will be absolutely unacceptable. Now the main thing is to stop the bloodshed,” the Russian leader added.
Putin then blamed the violence in the US. “The major tragedy that Israelis and Palestinians are currently experiencing is the direct result of the United States’ failed policy in the Middle East,” he said.
Separately, former Russian President and key Putin ally Dimitry Medvedev accused western countries of “shameful silence” on Israel’s military response.
“More than a million people from Gaza must urgently evacuate… at the demand of the Israeli army. Yet all the ‘Western partners’ are shamefully silent,” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.
“I wonder what their reaction would be to a similar demand to the Kyiv regime to evacuate one of (its) major cities?” he asked.
‘Fauda’ Actor Idan Amedi Joins IDF Reservists to Help in Israel-Hamas War
“We will not surrender until we win,” said Amedi, who joined the IDF reservists after Hamas launched its initial attack against Israel on Saturday morning. “This is not a scene from Fauda. This is real life … Alongside the horrifying and vicious attacks, our morale remains high. We fully comprehend why we are here. We are here to protect our children, our families and our homes.” The Algemeiner’sShiryn Ghermezianhas more.
Jewish Students Targeted During Outpouring of Pro-Hamas Support
On Thursday, Hunter College student Gideon Askowitz was standing in a section reserved for pro-Israel counter-protestors near Lexington Avenue when another protestor walked over from the pro-Hamas section and snatched his Israeli flag.
At Drexel University, an unknown individual set on fire the door of the residence of a Jewish student, whose pro-Israel beliefs are widely known. An arson and hate crimes investigation is ongoing. The Algemeiner’sDion J. Pierrehas more.
Thousands in Hollywood Demand Return of Hamas Hostages, Warn About Anti-Israel Propaganda Online
Michael Douglas, Chris Pine, Gal Gadot and Jason Alexander are among the more than 1,000 celebrities and entertainment executives who signed an open letter condemning Hamas and urging their colleagues to “not amplify” anti-Israel propaganda circulating on social media. “There is no justification or rationalization for Hamas’ actions,” they further wrote. “They are a terrorist organization whose leaders call for the murder of Jews everywhere.” The Algemeiner’sShiryn Ghermezianhas more.
Hamas Captive Admits Beheadings in Leaked Footage of Interrogation
Leaked footage of a Palestinian man from Gaza being questioned by Israeli officials began circulating on social media on Friday. During his interview, the man confirmed that “old men, men, women, babies, little ones, young women, teenage girls” were indiscriminately targeted during last weekend’s Hamas onslaught. Asked by his interrogator “where are the heads?” the man responded by drawing his finger across his throat. “Cut them off,” he said. “Who?” asked the interrogator. “Hamas — after they killed them, they cut off their heads, placed them on the ground,” the man replied.
LEAKED FOOTAGE: Interrogation of Hamas terrorist captured by IDF security in which he admits both beheadings and rape. Disturbing! pic.twitter.com/FlBaQdOuGQ
“I Stand With Israel”: Basketball Fans Show Solidarity With Israel at Barclays Center
Basketball fans showed their support for Israel at the Maccabi Ra’anana vs Brooklyn Nets game on Thursday night at Barclays Center in New York by waving Israeli flags, singing Hebrew songs, and holding signs that said “I Stand With Israel” as well as “New York Stands With Israel.” Fans also gathered outside the arena to sing together in solidarity with the Jewish state amid its war against Hamas. The Barclays Center additionally announced that the arena together with the Brooklyn Nets “condemn the terrorist attacks and mourn the senseless loss of life in Israel.” The Algemeiner’sShiryn Ghermezianhas more.
US Far Left Groups Declare Support for Hamas Violence
A new Anti-Defamation League (ADL) briefing published on Thursday details the support offered by US far left groups for the Hamas atrocities against Israeli civilians. “The Party for Socialism and Liberation, the World Workers Party, chapters of the Democratic Socialists for America (DSA), independent chapters of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and more have shared these views in official statements and on social media,” the ADL noted. One statement from the San Francisco chapter of the DSA declared: “Violent oppression inevitably produces resistance. Socialists support the Palestinian people’s, and all people’s, right to resist and fight for their own liberation. This weekend’s events are no different. Decolonization is the only path towards peace. ” Meanwhile the BLM chapter in Phoenix described Hamas’ infiltration of civilian Israeli communities as “a revolution and attempt to reclaim their freedom.”
IDF to Gazans: Evacuate for Your Own Safety
The following is the text of the warning broadcast by the Israeli military to Palestinians in Gaza:
“The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection, and to move to the area south of Wadi Gaza, as shown on the map.
The Hamas terrorist organization waged a war against the State of Israel, and Gaza City is an area where military operations take place. This evacuation is for your own safety.
You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting you to do so is made. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel.
Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians.
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.
In the following days, the IDF will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians.”
Jewish Schools in London Closed Due to Security Fears
Two Jewish schools in North London will remain closed until Monday because of security concerns.
Torah Vodaas Primary School and Ateres Beis Yaakov Primary School have both informed parents about the closure this evening saying they were making the decision “in the interests of the safety of our precious children.” The headteacher of Torah Vodaas, Rabbi Feldman, said that while there was no ‘specific threat’ to the school, it was “not a decision that has been taken lightly,” the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported.
According to the Community Security Trust (CST), a voluntary group providing security to the British Jewish community, at least 89 antisemitic incidents have been recorded across the UK since the Hamas onslaught last Saturday. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to provide an additional $3.6 mn of funding to secure Jewish institutions, slamming the “quite frankly disgusting rise in antisemitic incidents over the past few days.”
The deputy assistant commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, Laurence Taylor, said antisemitic incidents over the past week included intimidation outside synagogues and loudly playing German military music, the BBC reported. He added the force had also seen an increase in Islamophobic incidents, “but nothing like the scale of the increase in antisemitism”.
To catch up on Thursday’s developments in Israel and Gaza, click here.
