SCALED BACK CELEBRATIONS
Israel Marks 76th Independence Day as Nation Remembers Oct. 7: ILH staff, Israel Hayom, May 13, 2024 — Israel transitioned somberly from its annual Memorial Day commemorating fallen soldiers and civilian victims of violence to celebrate its 76th year of independence on Monday, with the traditional Torch-Lighting Ceremony.
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Secret Hamas Files Show How It Spied on Everyday Palestinians: Adam Rasgon and Ronen Bergman, NY Times, May 13, 2024
‘Son of Hamas’ Mosab Hassan Yousef: ‘If We Finish Rafah, We Finish Hamas’: Natan Galula, Times of Israel, Apr. 24, 2024
How did Rafah Become a Breaking Point for the US, and Pit the IDF Against Netanyahu? – Analysis: Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post, May 12, 2024
Biden Ends the U.S.-Israel Alliance at a Fortuitous Moment: Caroline B. Glick, JNS, May 10, 2024
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For Further Reference:
Blinken Tells Israel They Cannot Destroy Hamas, Just Demilitarize Them: David Rosenberg, World Israel News, May 12, 2024 — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken advised Israel not to carry out its planned ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, suggesting that the IDF instead plan its exit strategy and attempt to ensure the demilitarization of Hamas.
Is America Still Israel’s Ally?: Michael Oren, USSA News, May 13, 2024 — Wading through the flood of information about the Biden administration’s opposition to a large-scale Israel incursion into Rafah, readers might have missed the tsunami. In a lengthy dispatch on the crisis, The Washington Post noted—almost in passing—that in return for not invading Rafah, the U.S. was offering Israel “sensitive intelligence to help. . . pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders and find the group’s hidden tunnels.”
Hamas Is to Blame for Israel’s Rafah Operation | Opinion: Bassam Eid, Newsweek, May 8, 2024 — As a Palestinian human rights activist, I feel compelled to weigh in on the ongoing military operation in Rafah, which has been often misrepresented in various circles. This operation, led by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is not merely a response to aggression but a crucial rescue mission aimed at freeing hostages, including U.S. citizens.
Son of Hamas: ‘There Is No Difference Between Hamas and Palestinian People’: JP Staff, Jerusalem Post, Apr. 5, 2024 — Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of infamous Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, said in an interview with Dr. Phil and two pro-Palestinian activists on Tuesday that after October 7, there is no difference between Hamas and the Palestinian people.