Ronen Itsik: Israel's strategy of conquering Gaza to destroy Hamas is the right one
While Israel has been facing intense international opposition to its latest assault on the Gaza Strip, which involves conquering and holding territory to prevent Hamas from moving back into areas previously cleared of terrorists by the Israel Defence Forces, there is little question that this is the only way for Israel to achieve its goal of completely eradicating Hamas as a governing entity.
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'Gideon's Chariots,' the last stage in the Israel-Hamas war, is a military operation aimed at tightening the siege on Hamas in Gaza, in order to increase pressure on the group to release the Israeli hostages it holds, neutralize its dictatorial control over the Gaza Strip and prevent it from rebuilding and rearming.
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Since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war and the broader Middle East conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has been facing multiple existential threats. The initial and most acute of these was the infiltration of thousands of Hamas terrorists into the western Negev desert in southern Israel, resulting in the tragic deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of more than 250 individuals, including women, children and the elderly.
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The immediate focus of Israel's military campaign was the degradation of the operational capabilities of Hamas's military wing. This organization posed a significant threat to southern Israel, possessing tens of thousands of fighters and the capacity to launch tens of thousands of rockets toward Israel. Hamas was a deeply entrenched adversary, fortified within an extensive tunnel network equipped with command-and-control structures, and was more than willing to target soldiers and civilians alike.
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Israel was therefore compelled to tackle this threat through intensive combat operations, all while navigating the complexities of a densely populated urban environment. Furthermore, Israel had to take steps to minimize harm caused to the hostages being held by Hamas, the majority of whom were believed to be concealed underground in potentially booby-trapped locations and subjected to inhumane conditions.
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Concurrently, Israel was required to concentrate substantial forces on its northern border, particularly with Lebanon. There, Hezbollah, a terrorist group aligned with Iran, was preparing to raid communities in northern Israel, boasting thousands of commando fighters and the capability to launch thousands of rockets, all with Iranian blessing, funding and know-how.
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Globe and Mail
32 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Eid al-Adha celebrated globally with less spending, high prices and fewer animal sacrifices
Less spending, higher prices and fewer animal sacrifices subdued the usual festive mood as the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha was celebrated in many parts of the world. Eid al-Adha, known as the 'Feast of Sacrifice,' coincides with the final rites of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. It's a joyous occasion, for which food is a hallmark, with devout Muslims buying and slaughtering animals and sharing two-thirds of the meat with the poor. Palestinians across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip marked the start of the three-day feast with prayers outside destroyed mosques and homes early Friday. For the second year since the war with Israel broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, no Muslims in Gaza were able to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the traditional pilgrimage. With much of Gaza in rubble, men and children were forced to hold Eid al-Adha prayers in the open air, and with food supplies dwindling, families were having to make do with what they could scrape together. 'This is the worst feast that the Palestinian people have experienced because of the unjust war against the Palestinian people,' said Kamel Emran after attending prayers in the southern city of Khan Younis. 'There is no food, no flour, no shelter, no mosques, no homes, no mattresses ... The conditions are very, very harsh.' The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome said Thursday that Gaza's people are projected to fall into acute food insecurity by September, with nearly 500,000 people experiencing extreme food deprivation, leading to malnutrition and starvation. 'This means the risk of famine is really touching the whole of the Gaza Strip,' said Rein Paulson, director of the FAO office of emergencies and resilience. Our life in Gaza is hungry and sleep-deprived under Israel's blockade The war in Gaza and the struggle to celebrate were at the forefront of the minds of Muslims in Kenya, Imam Abdulrahman Mursal said as he led Eid prayers in the capital, Nairobi. 'We ask Allah to hear their (Palestinian) cries. We feel their pain, as much as we are far from them,' Mursal said. 'But what unites us is our Muslim brotherhood, so we ask Allah to give them victory and to give victory to all the other Muslims wherever they are, if they are facing any kind of oppression.' Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic tale of Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. Before he could carry out the sacrifice, God provided a ram as an offering. In the Christian and Jewish telling, Abraham is ordered to kill another son, Isaac. South Asian countries like India and Bangladesh will celebrate Eid al-Adha on Saturday. Ahead of the festival, many Muslims in the region were turning to livestock markets to buy and sell millions of animals for sacrifice. In New Delhi, sellers were busy tending to their animals and negotiating with potential buyers. Mohammad Ali Qureshi, one of the sellers, said this year his goats were fetching higher prices than last year: 'Earlier, the sale of goats was slow, but now the market is good. Prices are on the higher side.' Festival preparations also were peaking in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where many Muslims dye sheep and goats in henna before they are sacrificed. 'We are following the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim,' said Riyaz Wani, a resident in Kashmir's main city of Srinagar, as his family applied henna on a sheep they plan to sacrifice. In Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, Muslim worshippers were shoulder-to-shoulder in the streets and the Istiqlal Grand Mosque was filled for morning prayers Friday. Outside Jakarta, the Jonggol Cattle Market bustled with hundreds of traders hoping to sell to buyers looking for sacrificial animals. While sales increased ahead of Eid, sellers said their businesses have lost customers in recent years due to economic hardship following the COVID-19 pandemic. A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2022 and 2023 significantly dampened the typically booming holiday trade in goats, cows and sheep, though Indonesia's government has worked to overcome that outbreak. Rahmat Debleng, one of the sellers in the market, said before the pandemic and the FMD outbreak, he could sell more than 100 cows two weeks ahead of Eid al-Adha. But on the eve of the celebration this year, only 43 of his livestock were sold and six cows are still left in his stall. Though the threat of a foot-and-mouth outbreak looms large, declining sales are mostly because of economic hardship, Debleng said. Jakarta city administration data recorded the number of sacrificial animals available this year at 35,133, a decline of 57% compared to the previous year. The Indonesian government will make Monday an additional holiday after Friday's festival to allow people more time with their families. Eid momentum is expected to support economic growth in Indonesia, where household consumption helps drive GDP. It contributed over 50% to the economy last year, though analysts expect more subdued consumer spending in 2025.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Windsor couple joins global march to Gaza border to protest war
A Windsor Ont., couple is preparing to make the journey to the Middle East to join a peaceful global protest to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. As part of the March to Gaza demonstration, they will join potentially thousands of people in Cairo, Egypt, before taking a bus to the coastal city of Arish and then marching three days to Rafah, the border point between Egypt and Gaza. "You're watching a genocide live streamed," said Mireille Coral. "What's happening to human beings is heartbreaking." Coral and her husband Paul Chislett have been activists throughout their lives, and the crisis unfolding in Gaza has taken a strong hold over their hearts. Chislett explained that communities have been calling on governments to take action against the violence, but he said, "they refuse to." "So, what are we supposed to do? Just sit back and become an audience?" he said. "When this effort came up, we thought we really needed to go to add our voices." They've already been taking part in local protests in support of Palestinians, but they're compelled now to do even more. The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel in an Oct. 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians. Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. They do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants but say civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands more bodies have been lost under rubble. A December report from Amnesty International described Israel's actions as genocide. Israel disputes the report and has denied accusations of genocide. Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month, but since then, aid has only trickled in. Experts say Gaza's entire population of some 2.1 million people is at risk of famine despite successive efforts to boost aid. Calling for an end to the violence "I think it's important from a humanitarian point of view that we come to the aid of human beings," Coral said, adding that she's concerned about the enforcement of international law. "The world that we're creating is lawless and quite frightening." She added that she resists the idea that the people of the world have abandoned Palestinians, pointing out that people have been protesting and signing petitions, but said it is "disturbing" that governments aren't listening. Amir Haddad, a Burlington resident, and one of the organizers of the Palestinian Youth Movement Toronto says as a Palestinian, he's directly impacted by what's happening in Gaza. He also plans on travelling to Egypt to join the march. "Like many others, I've spent the last 20 months or so doing everything I can to challenge the complicity of the government's enabling the genocide that's happening right now," Haddad said. "We hope that a ceasefire is reached, a complete ceasefire that would include the end of the occupation of Gaza, the lifting of the siege and the blockade on Gaza, and allowing proper aid to come in." The March to Gaza website says that the action of the demonstration aims to unblock the Rafah passage and secure a permanent humanitarian corridor. Travelling to Egypt next week While Haddad, Chislett and Coral each have some concerns for their personal safety, they all believe it is worth it in order to take action they feel is necessary. "What we suffer here is nothing to what Gaza has been through. My personal conscience and many other people's personal conscience doesn't allow them to sit while genocide continues," Haddad said. Mireille acknowledged she's a little frightened, adding that she's never been much of a traveller to begin with. "But, I think we'll be in solidarity with other people. I think there'll be a comradeship that develops, that builds," she said. "At least we can say we did what we could." Chislett agreed. "It will come home to haunt us if we don't stand up. And if governments won't, we just have to," he said. They are all travelling to Egypt next week to meet in Cairo on June 12, with the goal of arriving at the Rafah border crossing for a peaceful demonstration on June 15.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Gaza marks the start of Eid with outdoor prayers amongst the rubble and food growing ever scarcer
Palestinians gather for Eid al-Adha prayers beside the ruins of a mosque destroyed by Israeli bombardment, in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip marked the start of one of Islam's most important holidays with prayers outside destroyed mosques and homes early Friday, with little hope the war with Israel will end soon. With much of Gaza in rubble, men and children were forced to hold the traditional Eid al-Adha prayers in the open air and with food supplies dwindling, families were having to make do with what they could scrape together for the three-day feast. 'This is the worst feast that the Palestinian people have experienced because of the unjust war against the Palestinian people,' said Kamel Emran after attending prayers in the southern city of Khan Younis. 'There is no food, no flour, no shelter, no mosques, no homes, no mattresses ... The conditions are very, very harsh.' The Islamic holiday begins on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijja, during the Hajj season in Saudi Arabia. For the second year, Muslims in Gaza were not able to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the traditional pilgrimage. The war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 hostages. They are still holding 56 hostages, around a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages from Gaza and recovered dozens of bodies. Since then, Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians in its military campaign, primarily women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry which does not distinguish between civilians or combatants in its figures. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of its population of roughly two million Palestinians. After blocking all food and aid from entering Gaza for more than two months, Israel began allowing a trickle of supplies to enter for the UN several weeks ago. But the UN says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because of Israeli military restrictions on movements and because roads that the military designates for its trucks to use are unsafe and vulnerable to looters. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome said Thursday that Gaza's people are projected to fall into acute food insecurity by September, with nearly 500,000 people experiencing extreme food deprivation, leading to malnutrition and starvation. 'This means the risk of famine is really touching the whole of the Gaza Strip,' Rein Paulson, director of the FAO office of emergencies and resilience, said in an interview. Over the past two weeks, shootings have erupted nearly daily in the Gaza Strip in the vicinity of new hubs where desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid and trying to block it from reaching Palestinians, and has said soldiers fired warning shots or at individuals approaching its troops in some cases. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a newly formed group of mainly American contractors that Israel wants to use to replace humanitarian groups in Gaza that distribute aid in coordination with the UN, said Friday that all its distribution centers were closed for the day due to the ongoing violence. It urged people to stay away for their own safety, and said it would make an announcement later as to when they would resume distributing humanitarian aid. _____ Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Paolo Santalucia in Rome and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this story. Waffa Shurafa, The Associated Press
