Israel-Hamas Thread II

Whether Hamas's official death toll is correct or not, it is not evidence of Israeli war crimes

Just a few weeks after the Hamas massacre in Israel on Oct 7, 2023, South Africa brought charges against Israel before the International Court of Justice. The accusation is genocide against the "Palestinian" people. Since then, South Africa has not backed down, despite a ceasefire and strong evidence to the contrary. On the contrary, numerous countries, including European ones, have joined the proceedings, most recently Belgium at the end of Dec 2025.

Fundamental to the charge of "genocide" would be proven intent on the part of Israel to destroy the "Palestinian" people. However, Israel can easily prove that its intention was and is to protect the "Palestinian" civilian population to the best of its ability in a difficult fight against an embedded terrorist organization.

According to UN statistics, in a war under comparable conditions, 6 to 10 civilians would be expected to die for every terrorist killed. Israel remains so far below this figure that the world's military leaders should actually make a pilgrimage to the Jewish state to learn from it.

Israel has a civilian casualty ratio of about 1:1.5 to 1:2. This means that a maximum of two civilians are killed for every terrorist eliminated.

It will be difficult for South Africa and its allies to explain how an intention to commit genocide can be reconciled with such a quota, with warnings of attacks, escape corridors, protection zones, and tons of aid supplies. In Israel, one increasingly hears the ironic saying: "We are bad at genocide."

Without security guarantees and the disarmament of Hamas, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and others want to withhold their announced billions in aid for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas does not want to voluntarily lay down its weapons. At the same time, none of the countries that want to get involved in the Gaza Strip are willing to send troops to disarm the terrorists. This has brought the peace plan, which officially entered its second phase after the return of the last hostage, to a standstill.

There are moments when the facade of international institutions finally crumbles. The planned appearance of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese at the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha falls squarely into this category. A supposed guardian of human rights appearing side by side with Hamas leaders and representatives of the Iranian regime exposes the UN system for what it has long since become in key areas: a stage for ideological propaganda against Israel



According to the published program, Albanese is scheduled to speak this coming weekend in a panel discussion entitled "The Palestinian Cause in a Multipolar World." The location, the setting, and, above all, the other participants leave no doubt as to the political thrust. Among the main speakers at the forum are Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. It is a summit meeting of Israel's enemies, organized by a broadcaster that has served as a mouthpiece for extremist narratives for years.

This constellation alone should be enough to set off alarm bells at any reputable international organization. A UN official whose official job is to protect human rights voluntarily aligns herself with the ideological leaders of a terrorist organization that considers massacres of civilians a legitimate means of combat. It is difficult to imagine a clearer signal.

Francesca Albanese is no stranger to controversy. Since taking office as Special Rapporteur on the situation in the so-called "Palestinian" territories, she has systematically used her position to pillory Israel. Her reports are riddled with one-sided accusations, distorted representations, and language that often comes directly from the arsenal of anti-Israel activists. Instead of sober analysis, she delivers political polemics.

But now she is going one step further. Appearing at a forum that effectively serves as a propaganda event for Hamas and its supporters is no longer merely ideological bias. It is open partisanship. Anyone who appears alongside Khaled Mashaal legitimizes him. Anyone who sits next to Iranian government representatives who openly call for the destruction of Israel makes themselves complicit in their messages.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, summed up the matter aptly. He speaks of a moral scandal and a profound failure of the system. And he is right. In recent years, the UN has lost all credibility when it comes to dealing with Israel. Resolutions, committees, special reports, there is hardly an area that is not marked by systematic bias.

Albanese is the face of this development. Instead of focusing on the protection of human rights, she uses her position as a political tool. Her proximity to extremist circles is no coincidence, but part of an ideology that fundamentally considers Israel an illegitimate state. That is precisely why she is welcomed with open arms in Doha.

Particularly telling is Al Jazeera's attempt to initially publish her participation only on the Arabic-language version of the program. Apparently, they were aware of how problematic this personnel decision could be internationally. It was only through research that the information became more widely known. But the attempt at concealment does not change the core of the problem.

This is not about diversity of opinion or dialogue. It is about the deliberate normalization of terror. When a UN representative stands on a stage where Hamas leaders also speak, the line between political debate and extremist propaganda is deliberately blurred. That is precisely the purpose of such events.

The UN should have reacted long ago. A minimum of institutional integrity would require Albanese to be removed from office or at least publicly held accountable. But experience shows that this will not happen. The anti-Israel reflex is too deeply ingrained in many UN bodies.

For Israel and its supporters, however, this incident is significant. It clearly shows why international mechanisms cannot be relied upon. Anyone who still believes that the UN is a neutral arbiter in the Middle East conflict is closing their eyes to reality.

Francesca Albanese's appearance in Doha is more than a single misjudgment. It is a symbol. A symbol of how far international organizations have strayed from their original values. And further proof that, in the end, Israel can only rely on one thing: itself.

Ali Shaath, whom the US has appointed to head the National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip, is proud of having committed acts of violence against Israeli soldiers.

Ali Shaath, who has been tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of the administration in the Gaza Strip, was praised by the White House in January as a widely respected technocratic leader. However, an Israeli NGO stated that Shaath shares the radical anti-Israel position that one would unfortunately expect from a former PA official. "His ideology comes straight from the PA's handbook on promoting hatred and terror," "Palestinian" Media Watch (PMW) said in a statement on Sunday.

As PMW revealed, Shaath had made his views on Israel and terrorism public in an Apr 2025 podcast before US President Donald Trump appointed him head of the National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip (NCAG). In the interview in question, Shaath declared Israel to be a Western colonial project. "This colonialist [Israel], which was put in place by America and Western Europe... they put it [Israel] in "Palestine" after the Balfour Declaration."

During the interview, Shaath did not mention Israel by name, but consistently referred to it as "the occupation," thereby effectively denying its right to exist. PMW pointed out that in PA parlance, all of Israel is referred to as “the occupation” and all Israeli cities as "settlements."

Shaath not only espoused the ideology of the PA, but also admitted to participating in its violent tactics, boasting about his role in organizing attacks on Israeli positions in Khan Yunis, the city in the Gaza Strip where he was born.

"Like every "Palestinian", I carried out actions with young people at school, demonstrations against the Israeli occupation, and we went to places where there were checkpoints and positions of the occupying power [i.e., Israel] and threw stones at them. We started a fire that day, and I was actually the organizer of this national action in the city of Khan Yunis. I succeeded in arousing all the hopes and feelings of the people, and they set out for the positions of the occupying power," Shaath said.

palwatch

PMW founder and director Itamar Marcus told Jewish News Syndicate that the US attempt to create a future for the residents of Gaza depends entirely on the quality of the people who will govern Gaza. "The Americans must tell the [prospective] leaders that they must have the honesty and confidence to tell the "Palestinians" a truth that is difficult for them to hear: The Jews have been at home in this land for thousands of years, and therefore Israel has a right to exist."

If the "Palestinian" leaders are not even capable of doing that, then there is no point in wasting time with the experiment of a National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip, Marcus said. "If Ali Shaath was merely parroting the ideology of the PA with these words, it is now time for him to apologize and tell the "Palestinians" the truth. If he actually believes [what he said], Trump must replace him before he even begins his work."

What happened in Doha was not a diplomatic slip-up, a misleading quote, or an unfortunate appearance. It was blatant, undisguised incitement against the Jewish state, delivered by an official representative of the UN. Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for the "Palestinian" Territories, described Israel as the common enemy of humanity at the Al-Jazeera Forum in Qatar. Anti-Semitic demonization could hardly be expressed more clearly.

Albanese appeared at an event that, in terms of both content and personnel, resembled an open stage for international terrorism. Seated next to her were Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, representatives of a regime that has just murdered thousands of demonstrators and brutally oppresses its own population. The fact that a UN official voluntarily appears with such figures is already a moral declaration of bankruptcy. That she declares Israel to be the enemy of all humanity there is a political scandal of historic proportions.

In her speech, Albanese accused Western media of spreading Israel's allegedly genocidal narrative. She spoke of international law being stabbed in the heart. She did not say a word about the massacres committed by Hamas, about kidnapped hostages, about rocket attacks on Israeli cities, or about Iran's terrorist apparatus. For Albanese, there is only one culprit in this world: Israel.

This one-sided obsession is nothing new. For years, Albanese has abused her office to spread anti-Israel propaganda. She is not a neutral human rights commissioner, but a political activist pursuing a radical agenda under the guise of the UN. Her reports are riddled with accusations that often remain unsubstantiated, while crimes committed by Hamas or Iran are systematically ignored.

But the appearance in Doha goes far beyond previous failures. Anyone who describes Israel as the common enemy of humanity is following a classic anti-Semitic pattern. Jews are not portrayed as political opponents, but as a global evil, as the source of all suffering, as a threat to the entire world. It is precisely this narrative that has repeatedly paved the way for persecution, violence, and extermination throughout history.

The setting for this incitement was perfectly chosen. For years, Al Jazeera has been a broadcaster that disseminates anti-Semitic content, provides a platform for terrorist organizations, and systematically stirs up sentiment against Israel. The forum at which Albanese spoke was nothing more than a propaganda meeting of the anti-Israel axis consisting of Qatar, Hamas, and Iran. Anyone who appears there consciously makes themselves part of this campaign.

Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon found the only appropriate words for this. He accused Albanese of abusing her position to amplify terrorist propaganda and spread anti-Semitism. Israel's ambassador to the European Union, Avi Nir-Feldklein, also asked the crucial question: How can it be that an official representative of the United Nations appears side by side with officials of a terrorist organization and strikes an even more radical tone than they do?

The answer is as sobering as it is disturbing. Over the years, an environment has developed within the UN in which hostility toward Israel is not only tolerated but encouraged. From the outset, the mandate of the so-called Special Rapporteur for the "Palestinian" Territories has been a political instrument that targets Israel exclusively. No other country in the world is treated in such a one-sided and obsessive manner.

While serious human rights violations are committed in Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and China, an entire apparatus of the UN focuses on demonizing Israel. Albanese is the most extreme product of this system. She has transformed the office from a political stage into an ideological weapon



The contrast with the real crimes that were hushed up on the same podium at the same time is particularly repulsive. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi was allowed to speak undisturbed about alleged human rights while his regime shoots protesters, tortures women, and destroys any opposition. Hamas leader Mashaal was able to present himself as a political actor, even though his organization has committed massacres against civilians and abducted hostages. And Albanese applauded this circus with her words.

The consequences of such appearances are not abstract. When a UN official declares Israel an enemy of humanity, she legitimizes hatred of Jews worldwide. Anti-Semites feel vindicated, extremists encouraged, violence suddenly appears morally justified. Jewish communities in Europe and America have long felt this dynamic in the form of attacks, threats, and growing insecurity.

Albanese is playing a dangerous game. She is exploiting the reputation of the United Nations to make radical ideology socially acceptable. She is not speaking out for human rights, but against the Jewish state. She is not contributing to the resolution of conflicts, but adding fuel to the fire.

The United Nations now faces a clear decision. Either it takes action and dismisses an official who openly spreads anti-Semitic propaganda, or it becomes definitively complicit in the destruction of its own credibility. A system that tolerates such behavior has lost all moral authority.

Israel has had many enemies throughout its history. But rarely has it been dehumanized in this way by an official representative of the world organization. Francesca Albanese's appearance in Doha is not just a diplomatic scandal. It is an attack on the fundamental values that the United Nations purports to defend.

Anyone who declares Israel an enemy of humanity places themselves outside any civilized debate. And anyone who does so in the name of the UN reveals a problem that is far greater than any single person. It is time to finally name this problem and put an end to it.

Hamas to Trump: We will never disarm

Israeli army reports breakthrough in destruction of Hamas tunnels in Rafah.

A quiet but decisive battle is currently being fought in the south of the Gaza Strip. It does not produce spectacular images, dramatic headlines, or loud slogans. But from a strategic point of view, it is perhaps the most important phase of the entire war. In Rafah, the Israeli army is systematically working to destroy the last remnants of Hamas structures. What remains are isolated fighters hiding underground, moving closer to their inevitable end with each passing day.

During the night, another typical incident occurred. Soldiers from the Israeli 7th Brigade encountered four terrorists who emerged from a shaft in eastern Rafah and opened fire at close range. The response was swift and decisive. All four attackers were killed in direct combat, with no casualties on the Israeli side. Such encounters are no longer the exception, but rather a reflection of a situation in which only small, desperate groups of fighters remain.

Within the army, the approach is described with an apt term: gradual erosion. It is not about a major offensive, but rather patient, precise work. Tunnels are discovered and destroyed, hideouts tracked down, weapons caches secured. Every shaft uncovered, every connection blown up, every piece of infrastructure found further weakens the remaining core of the terrorist organization.

The assessment of the security services is clear. Only a few Hamas members remain in the underground hideouts. They are isolated from each other, have little means of communication, and are acting without higher-level leadership. For months, there has been no functioning command structure in the southern Gaza Strip. Most of the commanders are dead or have fled, and the networks have collapsed.

The fact that the remaining terrorists are still able to survive at all is due to the supplies they had stockpiled before the fighting began. Large quantities of canned food and water were brought into the tunnels in preparation for a long siege. But even these reserves are running low. No one can exist underground indefinitely. Time is now Israel's most powerful weapon.

This is precisely why military planners are talking about a critical phase. The pressure on Hamas has never been as great as it is now. Any interruption in Israeli operations would give the terrorist organization breathing space. That is why the clear line is: do not let up, but continue to tighten the noose.

Hamas' reactions show how desperate the situation is. In recent days, there have been several attempts to break the ceasefire and attack Israeli soldiers. More than ten incidents have been recorded since the beginning of the month alone. These are not coordinated operations, but the last reflexes of an apparatus that is falling apart.

At the same time, Israel is carrying out targeted eliminations. Several high-ranking terrorists have been taken out, including those responsible for previous attacks on Israeli civilians. The message is clear: even those who hide deep underground remain within reach.

The fighting in Rafah differs significantly from that in the north and center of the Gaza Strip. Here, Hamas had built up a particularly dense network of tunnels over many years, a kind of underground city that was intended to serve as the backbone of its power. But even this system, of which the organization was so proud, is now crumbling piece by piece.

For Israel, this phase of the war is of fundamental importance. As long as Hamas has functioning structures in Rafah, it can claim to still be a relevant force. If this last stronghold also falls, the terrorist organization will lose any basis for political or military influence.

The army is proceeding with great caution. Every operation is based on precise intelligence information to avoid unnecessary risks. The goal is not only to kill individual terrorists, but to completely destroy the system that supports them. It is laborious, sometimes tedious, but indispensable.

The Israeli defense minister made it clear that the fight will continue on all fronts. This is more than just a political statement. It is the reality on the ground. Day after day, infrastructure that has been built up over many years is being destroyed in Rafah.

In addition to the military dimension, the psychological dimension also plays a central role. A fighter who sits in a tunnel for months without sunlight, without fresh food, without contact with the outside world, will eventually lose his will. This is precisely what the Israeli strategy aims at: not only physical but also moral attrition.



What is currently happening in the south of the Gaza Strip marks the end of an era. For years, Hamas was able to threaten everyday life in Israel, fire rockets, and hide behind civilians. Today, only a shadow of that remains.

Israel has learned from past mistakes. Half-measures have always only led to new violence in the past. That is why the operation in Rafah will not stop until the problem is completely solved.

Hamas is running out of steam. Supplies are dwindling, as are options. And with each passing day underground, it becomes clearer that this battle is coming to an end.

Israel consolidates its grip on the biblical heartland and buries the "Palestinian" dream of statehood.

The new measures mark a turning point in Israeli policy, away from passive maintenance toward active enforcement of sovereignty and thus also the end of the false hope that one day a "Palestinian" state could be carved out of the heart of Israel.

Zionism is measured not by speeches or declarations, but by actions on the ground,

Click to expand...

said the Israeli non-governmental organization Regavim, which welcomed the cabinet's decision as a long-overdue correction of decades of legal and diplomatic distortions.

A decades-old ban (partly dating back to the Jordanian era) prohibiting Jews from directly purchasing land in Judea and Samaria has been lifted.

The previously confidential land registry documents for Judea and Samaria are being made publicly available. This allows buyers to directly identify and contact "Palestinian" landowners.

Israel is extending its oversight and enforcement powers to areas that, according to the Oslo Accords, are under "Palestinian" civil administration (B) or full control (A). This is justified on the grounds of protecting archaeology and the environment and combating illegal construction.

Responsibility for building permits around the Cave of the Patriarchs (Ibrahimi Mosque) in Hebron is being transferred from the "Palestinian" municipal administration to the Israeli civil administration.

A new draft law gives the Israeli Heritage Minister far-reaching powers to declare archaeological sites throughout Judea/Samaria and expropriate land.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz described the measures as a normalization of civilian life for Jewish residents and a necessary correction of discriminatory regulations.

The PA and international organizations such as the UN strongly condemned the measures, saying they would destroy the territorial basis for a future "Palestinian" state.

G-d promised the Jewish people the entire land of Canaan, that is, His land.

Abba, You plant Your people in Your land with all Your heart and soul (Jer 32:41), and You do this for the sake of Your name (Ezek 36:21-24). Therefore, awaken the body of Messiah so that it recognizes how important this is to You and earnestly advocates for this to happen (Luke 11:2).

Lord, erase the unbiblical term “West Bank” from the body and replace it with “Judea and Samaria.”

King of Israel, raise up biblical Zionists in the next government who, for Your sake, will zealously seek to bring the whole Promised Land under Israeli rule (Ps 75:7-8; Jer 32:41-44; Zech 8:2-8).

In Your zeal, Lord G-d, tear down the idol of the "two-state solution" (Ex 34:14; Ezek 36:5-15).

Lord, encourage Finance Minister Smotrich to push forward both the legalization and expansion of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (Isa 54:2-3; Obadiah 1:17-20).

Abba, please ensure that the issues of sovereignty and a "Palestinian" state are openly discussed in the upcoming election campaign so that Israelis know who stands for what (1 Kings 18:21; James 1:8).