Rocket sirens sound in Jerusalem
Rocket sirens and the booms of at least three interceptions by Israel’s Iron Dome air defenses were heard over Jerusalem on Friday for the first time in recent weeks, Reuters witnesses and the Israeli army said.
Israel’s national paramedics service said no injuries or deaths had yet been reported but that its paramedics were en “route to reported scenes.”
From the Guardian liveblog:
Israel Defense Forces: IDF mistakenly kills three Israeli hostages
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday that it “mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat, as a result the force fired at them and they were killed.”
In a statement released on Friday, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari wrote:
“During the fighting in Shejaiya, an IDF force mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat. As a result the force fired at them and they were killed.
During a scan and inspection of the area of the incident, a suspicion arose regarding the identity of the dead. The bodies were taken for examination in Israeli territory, after which it turned out that they were three Israeli hostages.”
Two of the hostages who were killed have been identified as Yotam Haim and Samer Talalka, according to the IDF. It added that a “message was also given to the family of the third abductee, at whose request his name will not be given now.”
The IDF said that is has begun “investigating the incident immediately.”
Al Jazeera has released a full statement surrounding the killing of its journalist Samer Abudaqa in an Israeli airstrike:
“Al Jazeera Media Network condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli drone attack on a Gaza school that resulted in the killing of cameraman Samer Abudaqa.
The Network holds Israel accountable for systematically targeting and killing Al Jazeera journalists and their families. In today’s bombing in Khan Younis, Israeli drones fired missiles at a school where civilians sought refuge, resulting in indiscriminate casualties. Following Samer’s injury, he was left to bleed to death for over 5 hours, as Israeli forces prevented ambulances and rescue workers from reaching him, denying the much-needed emergency treatment.
Al Jazeera Media Network extends its sincere condolences to the family in Gaza and in Belgium of the late colleague Samer Abudaqa.
With the killing of Samer Abudaqa number of journalists and media workers killed in Gaza reached over 90.
Al Jazeera urges the international community, media freedom organisations, and the International Criminal Court to take immediate action to hold the Israeli government and military accountable for these acts of carnage and crimes against humanity.”
https://nitter.net/Lana_Tatour/status/1735747677521055794
“A house on the beach is not a dream”: An Israeli real estate company specialising in Jewish settlements in the West Bank is planning for the day after. This is beyond aspirational, their staff is already working on plans.
https://nitter.net/EpshtainItay/status/1735752634353451234#m
Earlier this week a coalition of settler organizations - generously funded by the state of #Israel - held the ‘Practical Preparation for #Gaza Settlement Conference.’ We would be mistaken to dismiss these ideas as fringe, as those are thepolitical forces that managed to colonize and annex the West Bank.
Following the conference, ads were taken out stating “Gaza is the Land of Israel! Fight. Liberate. Settle.” Those interested are invited to call a registration hotline for re-established settlements in Gaza.
What the fuck…
One of the men was carrying a stick with a white cloth tied to it and all had removed their shirts. Spotting the three, an Israeli soldier on a rooftop, however, opened fire on the men, shouting “Terrorists!”.
While two of the hostages fell to the ground immediately, the third fled into a nearby building. When a commander arrived on the scene, the unit was ordered into the building where it killed the third hostage despite his pleas for help in Hebrew.
It emerged too that the IDF had identified a nearby building marked with “SOS” and “Help! Three hostages” two days earlier but had believed it might be a trap.
Lucy Williamson: Hamas support soars in West Bank - but full uprising can still be avoided
Netanyahu has got to go.
A terrible mistake, but I wonder… They can talk about rules of engagement all they want, but if three people, shouting in Hebrew, no weapons, one with a white flag, are executed, what happens to Palestinian civilians who are just trying to get out of the way?
Al Ahram (Egyptian newspaper):
Israeli army bulldozed and killed 20 displaced Palestinians at Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza: Eyewitnesses
the incoherence of Western philosophers
Pretty broad brush they’re using there…
https://nitter.net/owenjdowling/status/1736479053274611999
Interviewing a Catholic priest based on Jerusalem, a BBC news presenter just asked whether Israel was or was not discriminating between “Palestinians” and “Christians” in its attacks on Gaza. A profoundly revealing comment.
… this must be that “voluntary emigration” we’ve heard so much about
