Merged Gaza just launched an unprovoked attack on Israel

[laughing dog]

Technically, unless Hezbollah missed a deadline for weapon turnover or overtly refused to turnover weapons, their intention was not a ceasefire violation at that time. It was bad faith bargaining.

That Jihad guy made it clear they never had the slightest intention of honoring their obligations under the ceasefire deal. And the NPR article is not calling them out for it.

Okay, but that is not a ceasefire violation.

Unfortunately, firing weapons during a ceasefire is a violation.

Not if the other side does not follow their obligations.

. Do you know Hezbollah was not following their obligations at the time Israel opened fire?

And note that this new escalation of hostilities started when Hezbollah started shooting rockets into Israel on behalf of their masters in Tehran. But I guess you view that as fine too?

Wrong again.

Once again, reality debunks your claim.

No it does not. You really have a distorted view of what reality is. No matter what Hezbollah does, you and your fellow leftists always see Israel as the bad guy.

I didn’t say Isreal was the bad guy. And I wrote that Hezbollah negotiated in bad faith if they never intended to honor their promises.

 

[Arctish]

Voices: Israel’s chilling new death penalty is as racist as it is abhorrent

The Netanyahu regime has passed legislation imposing the death penalty on a mandatory basis on Palestinians who commit lethal attacks on Israelis. The death sentence must be carried out within 90 days, by hanging. Whatever one’s views on the death penalty or on Israel, there is something new and chilling about a law that imposes the death penalty only on members of one group and only for killing members of another group.

Israel was, until recently, one of seven countries to have abolished the death penalty for “ordinary crimes”, including murder. But no more. Note that the converse does not hold. If a Jewish Israeli murders a Palestinian, no matter the circumstances, he cannot be executed.
The law imposes the death penalty on persons convicted of fatal terrorist attacks who reside in specifically defined locations defined in the statute as “The Area”. The Area is “Judea and Samaria”, the Israeli locution for the West Bank. In military courts, the death penalty is the “default”; only Palestinians are tried. The law does not require that the prosecution even ask for the death penalty.

The court must impose it if the accused terrorist is tried in a military court, where most such trials occur, although there is the possibility of a life sentence in the event of undefined “special circumstances”. In civilian courts, both Israelis and Palestinians can be tried for terrorist acts, but the law applies only to those who “intentionally cause the death of a person with the aim of denying the existence of the State of Israel” – a definition intended to exclude Jewish terrorists. If there were any ambiguity, the penalty does not apply to Israeli citizens or residents who live in “The Area”, effectively excluding all settlers. In the words of The Times of Israel, the law “effectively enshrines capital punishment for Palestinians alone”.

It is hard to know where to begin with the outrageousness as well as the stupidity of such blatantly hateful and xenophobic legislation. Will this deter Palestinian attacks? Hardly; it will create martyrs. Will this promote the image of Israel as a country governed by the semblance of the rule of law? Will it create support for Israel as a democratic island in an authoritarian desert? Will it create sympathy for Israel or for Jews more generally?

 

[TV and credit cards]

Not a good look, there, here, or most anywhere.
Israel condemns soldier's desecration of crucifix in south Lebanon (with full color photograph)

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

People seem to forget that Lebanon is comprised of some ~33% Christians.

This is from 6 days ago:

Lebanese Christians mourn rising death toll as war shatters communities, hope​

(OSV News) — Lebanese Christians are reeling from the death and destruction wrought on their community, caught in the crossfire between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, a deadly side conflict in the U.S. and Israel-Iran war.

So far, more than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon resulting from Israeli bombardments since the beginning of March, in a war that displaced more than 1 million people from their homes and caused widespread devastation and suffering.

...

Lebanon’s Maronite Catholic President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of “perpetrating a new massacre” in defiance of efforts to restore regional stability and urged the U.S. and other nations to intervene. Israel told Christians and others displaced from southern Lebanon that they will not be able to return home until northern Israelis live in safety from Hezbollah attacks.

 

[Arctish]

Police in Israel detain Jewish man for kippah showing Israeli, Palestinian flags

Tel Aviv, Israel —

Israeli police detained a Jewish man on Monday for wearing a kippah embroidered with an Israeli and a Palestinian flag — then cut up the religious head covering, he says — in a rare case that has drawn national attention

Sinclair told CNN on Thursday that his kippah holds symbolic meaning for him, as “a proud Jew and proud Zionist that also believes that the Palestinians, like the Jews, are a people with a right to self-determination and a legitimate historical connection to this part of the world.”
“There are people on both sides who try to erase the identity of the other. Being a Zionist does not contradict recognizing the rights of the other people who also have a legitimate connection to this country,” he said.

“I don’t want to over-react to this but it’s hard not to,” he wrote in his Facebook post. “It’s hard not to say that this is the kind of thing that fascist regimes do. It’s hard not to feel worried and anxious and frankly devastated that this is the direction that Israel is moving in.”

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Here is some recent news on Israel...

Israeli bulldozers raze about 50 Palestinian shops ahead of settlement-linked road project

Israeli authorities have started the demolition of some shops built without permits on the outskirts of a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank.

apnews.com

I am also sharing two articles that offer opposing, and highly controversial, perspectives on recent events:

Rape and Torture in Palestine

When I spoke with Palestinians, the things that they were most afraid of, the things that they were most fearful of, was what the Israelis would do to their children. And the Israelis will go into villages, they will go into towns...once, twice, three times a year. They will come into a village...

www.counterpunch.org

NYT defends Nicholas Kristof column after Israel calls it ‘blood libel’ | The Jerusalem Post

The New York Times said Nicholas Kristof’s opinion piece was extensively fact-checked and based on corroborated accounts.

www.jpost.com

My view is that when a state is defined by a specific ethnicity or religion, it inherently establishes a social hierarchy. By its nature, such a hierarchy creates an "underclass," leaving certain populations vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Within this system, "bad actors" can exist at every level: within the underclass itself, among the general citizenry, or within the government and its institutions.

Because there is often significant institutional support for maintaining this hierarchy, abuses are frequently overlooked or even normalized by those in power. This isn't unique to any one nation; it is a logical consequence of any system built on institutionalized social stratification, whether in Israel, the U.S., or various Muslim-majority countries.

Given this framework, it is plausible that many of these accounts of abuse are grounded in truth. At the same time, it is equally likely that Hamas, acting as a bad actor, exaggerates or manipulates these accounts for propaganda.

Instead of a transparent or "common-sense" approach to justice, we observe two harmful extremes: a state that avoids redressing systemic issues because they challenge the core of its supported hierarchy, and an opposition (Hamas) that leverages those failures to justify terrorism and hatred as "resistance." Both sides prioritize their ideological narratives over genuine accountability.

I have no solutions to offer, but simply acknowledge the tragedy of this reality.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Here is some recent news on Israel...

Israeli bulldozers raze about 50 Palestinian shops ahead of settlement-linked road project

Israeli authorities have started the demolition of some shops built without permits on the outskirts of a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank.

apnews.com

I am also sharing two articles that offer opposing, and highly controversial, perspectives on recent events:

Rape and Torture in Palestine

When I spoke with Palestinians, the things that they were most afraid of, the things that they were most fearful of, was what the Israelis would do to their children. And the Israelis will go into villages, they will go into towns...once, twice, three times a year. They will come into a village...

www.counterpunch.org

NYT defends Nicholas Kristof column after Israel calls it ‘blood libel’ | The Jerusalem Post

The New York Times said Nicholas Kristof’s opinion piece was extensively fact-checked and based on corroborated accounts.

www.jpost.com

My view is that when a state is defined by a specific ethnicity or religion, it inherently establishes a social hierarchy. By its nature, such a hierarchy creates an "underclass," leaving certain populations vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Within this system, "bad actors" can exist at every level: within the underclass itself, among the general citizenry, or within the government and its institutions.

Because there is often significant institutional support for maintaining this hierarchy, abuses are frequently overlooked or even normalized by those in power. This isn't unique to any one nation; it is a logical consequence of any system built on institutionalized social stratification, whether in Israel, the U.S., or various Muslim-majority countries.

Given this framework, it is plausible that many of these accounts of abuse are grounded in truth. At the same time, it is equally likely that Hamas, acting as a bad actor, exaggerates or manipulates these accounts for propaganda.

Instead of a transparent or "common-sense" approach to justice, we observe two harmful extremes: a state that avoids redressing systemic issues because they challenge the core of its supported hierarchy, and an opposition (Hamas) that leverages those failures to justify terrorism and hatred as "resistance." Both sides prioritize their ideological narratives over genuine accountability.

I have no solutions to offer, but simply acknowledge the tragedy of this reality.

Dang, did you get the above from AI? Kidding. Well written and I agree. Realistically, I don't think that there is any real solution that will satisfy both sides. I think that a reasonable compromise was close under Clinton and Barak. I think that the fighting will reduce pretty soon, but will spark up again and again every few years. I see no long term solution.

 

[DrZoidberg]

So the latest display of western anti-semetic bullying is taken to yet another bizarre level.

Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland bocotted the Eurovision song contest because Israel wasn't banned.

Because its obviously glittergays and bearded trannies in Tel Aviv gay bars sipping Cosmopolitans that's Middle-East's biggest problem right now.

Eurovision 2026: Bulgaria wins with Bangaranga - but the UK comes last

Bulgarian singer Dara is a surprise winner beating Israel in second place, while the UK's Look Mum No Computer gets just one point.

www.bbc.com

Refreshingly Israel came second place (with a terrible song) simply because so many people voted for them. I assume its because readers of gossip magazines, glamour hounds, families with young kids and fag hags are also sick of everyone picking on Israel

 

[ZiprHead]

Settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have increased dramatically in the recent weeks, becoming a daily occurrence. A prominent Israeli politician has called for annexing the West Bank.

 

[steve_bank]

AI Overview
The major war between Israel and Hamas that began on October 7, 2023, lasted for two years of intense, large-scale combat before a ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025.
Israel and Hamas have fought several other conflicts over the years, which also lasted varying lengths:

2023–2025 War: 2 years
May 2021 Conflict: 11 days
2014 Gaza War: 50 days (July 8 – August 26, 2014)
2012 Gaza War: 8 days
First Gaza War (2008–2009): 3 weeks (December 27, 2008 – January 18, 2009)

AI Overview
The history of Gaza's wars is fundamentally tied to the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rooted in 1948 when thousands of Palestinian refugees settled in the territory. Since then, Israel and Palestinian militant groups have fought 15 wars in the region, escalating from blockades and localized skirmishes to the catastrophic war sparked in 2023.
1948–1967: Egyptian Rule & The Six-Day War

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War: Following the creation of Israel, over 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled in what is known as the Nakba. A massive influx of refugees flooded into the Gaza Strip, expanding its population significantly.
Egyptian Control: Following the 1948 war, Egypt took administration of the territory, permitting Palestinians to work and study. During this time, Palestinian fedayeen fighters launched cross-border raids into Israel, leading to frequent Israeli retaliations.
The Six-Day War (1967): Israel captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt. This marked the beginning of a prolonged Israeli military occupation, during which Israel built settlements in the territory.

1987–2005: Uprisings & The Israeli Withdrawal

First Intifada (1987): Frustrations over the prolonged military occupation erupted into a major Palestinian uprising (the First Intifada). During this period, the militant group Hamas was founded, championing armed resistance against Israel.
Second Intifada (2000–2005): Relations deteriorated into a violent second uprising involving suicide bombings and Israeli airstrikes.
The 2005 Disengagement: Israel unilaterally withdrew all of its troops and settlers from Gaza, though it maintained strict control over the territory's borders, airspace, and coastline.

2006–2022: Hamas Takeover & Recurring Escalations

Hamas Takeover (2006–2007): Hamas won parliamentary elections and, after intense internal fighting with the rival Fatah faction, took complete control of the Gaza Strip.
The Blockade: In response to Hamas’s takeover, Israel and Egypt imposed a strict blockade on Gaza, severely restricting the movement of people and goods. The UN has continued to regard Gaza as occupied territory due to the level of control Israel exerts.
Frequent Wars: The blockade and rocket fire from militant groups triggered four major, highly destructive military campaigns between 2008 and 2021 (including Operations Cast Lead and Protective Edge), which resulted in high casualties and widespread infrastructure damage.

2023–Present: The Israel-Hamas War

October 7 Attacks: The conflict escalated to an unprecedented scale when Hamas led a surprise, multi-front attack on Israel, killing over 1,000 Israelis and taking more than 200 hostages.
The Ongoing War: Israel immediately declared war, launching a massive, ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The war has resulted in widespread devastation, massive displacement of the Gazan population, and a severe humanitarian crisis.

A lot of moving parts. It started with Jews declaring an independent state and taking land.

In response to Hamas Egypt and Israel closed borders to Gaza, and Is real started a naval blockade. Anything Israel considered useful to Hamas was banned, in one case basic building supplies like concrete.

Palestinians have been boxed in for some time.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Refreshingly Israel came second place (with a terrible song) simply because so many people voted for them.

I assume its because readers of gossip magazines, glamour hounds, families with young kids and fag hags are also sick of everyone picking on Israel

I don't follow that stuff but here is an article on it:

How to Win Eurovision With Just a Few Hundred Voters

Exclusive voting data shows that, despite Eurovision’s assurances, an Israeli campaign could easily have influenced last year’s contest.

www.nytimes.com

 

[laughing dog]

Settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have increased dramatically in the recent weeks, becoming a daily occurrence. A prominent Israeli politician has called for annexing the West Bank.

The pace of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank ramps up unabated by the gov’t.

The death and destruction in Lebanon continues.

And Israel comes in 2nd place in the Eurovision song contest despite some meanie countries boycott.

Netanahyu’s prospects are improving.

 

[Derec]

From the actual Gaza war, some good news.

Hamas commander who helped plan Oct. 7 attacks has been killed, Israel says

A long-serving Hamas commander who replaced Mohammed Sinwar and helped plan the October 7 attacks in Israel was killed on Friday, Israeli officials said Saturday.

Izz al-Din al-Haddad was the head of Hamas' military wing, the Israel Defense Forces said in a news release. The IDF said he "was involved in the holding of many Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity" amid the war in Gaza and "surrounded himself with hostages to prevent his elimination."

Haddad joined Hamas during its early establishment, according to the IDF. He maintained close ties with Hamas leadership before his death, and recently operated "to rehabilitate Hamas' military wing capabilities," the Israeli army said. He was one of the last surviving architects of the October 7 attacks, the IDF said. The terror attacks left 1,200 dead and saw over 250 people taken captive in Gaza.

The headline still reads "Israel says", but Hamas has already confirmed the kill, and even held the funeral.

He is the latest 10/7 commander to be brought to justice with extreme prejudice.

 

[Derec]

The death and destruction in Lebanon continues.

Because of Hezbollah.

 

[laughing dog]

The death and destruction in Lebanon continues.

Because of Hezbollah.

Not all by themselves.

 

[Derec]

Not all by themselves.

Of course not. They get a lot of help from the Tehran regime.

 

[laughing dog]

Not all by themselves.

Of course not. They get a lot of help from the Tehran regime.

And Israel.

 

[Derec]

And Israel.

How is Israel helping Hezbollah? Other than supplying them with pagers.

 

[laughing dog]

And Israel.

How is Israel helping Hezbollah? Other than supplying them with pagers.

You’re the one placing the death snd destruction on Hezbollah who is not the one dropping the bombs on Lebanon: Israel is.

 

[pood]

So the latest display of western anti-semetic bullying is taken to yet another bizarre level.

I haven’t looked at this repulsive thread (repulsive because of people like Doc Zoid) for a long time.

I see he is still going strong with his slurring of others who oppose Israeli policy in Gaza and the West Bank as anti-Semites.

Like patriotism, baseless charges of anti-semitism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.