At about 12:15 AM eastern US time on December 1, The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) resumed combat against the Hamas elected government in Gaza. IDF claims Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory.
An Israeli government spokesman said Friday that the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas “will now take the mother of all thumpings” after a truce pausing fighting in the Gaza Strip expired and hostilities resumed.
“Unfortunately, Hamas decided to terminate the pause by failing to release all the kidnapped women,” government spokesman Eylon Levy told a briefing. “Having chosen to hold onto our women, Hamas will now take the mother of all thumpings.”
In meetings earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israel that it lacks “credit” to conduct the kind of military campaign necessary to defeat Hamas.
Blinken went on to say "You can’t operate in southern Gaza in the way you did in the north. There are two million Palestinians there. You need to evacuate fewer people from their homes, be more accurate in the attacks, not hit UN facilities, and ensure that there are enough protected areas [for civilians]. And if not? Then not to attack where there is a civilian population. What is your system of operation?"
IDF Chief Herzi Halev reportedly replied: "We follow a number of principles — proportionality, distinction, and the laws of war. There were instances where we attacked on the basis of those principles, and instances where we decided not to attack, because we waited for a better opportunity."
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly chimed-in by saying: "The entire Israeli society is united behind the goal of dismantling Hamas, even if it takes months."
To these responses, Blinken reportedly told them: "I don’t think you have the credit for that."
Regionally, Iran blames Israel and the United States for a resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
“After killing more than 15,000 Palestinians, the Zionist criminals have started a new round of killing under the continued support of the American government,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani says in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Kanani adds that “the political and legal responsibility for the continuation of the aggression and massacre” rests with Israel, the US and “a few governments that support this apartheid regime.”
The kids are being killed . . . . again:
This BABY was BORN in the war and then MURDERED in it! 💔🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/0sI2RagYTO
— The Saviour (@stairwayto3dom) December 1, 2023
