News Digest — 10/7/24
President Herzog Begins Memorial Journey
At 6:29 a.m., on Monday , October 7, at the site, where one year earlier the Nova music festival was held, Israeli President Isaac Herzog began his memorial journey across the border communities, marking one year since the October 7 massacre.
Upon arriving at the site at 6:29 a.m., the president observed a moment of silence in memory of the men and women murdered by terrorists during the festival massacre.
Afterward, he laid a wreath and lit memorial candles in honor of the victims, accompanied by their bereaved families.
At the ceremony, the Yizkor prayer was recited.
Parallel to this, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and the Knesset’s security chief stood for a moment of silence before the Israeli flags at the Knesset were pulled down to half mast.
As darkness falls on the evening of October 7, the Knesset will be lit in blue and white, with a beam of yellow representing the hostages lit over it. There will be calls of the 101 hostages still in Gaza to return home, as well as prayers for their return.
Israel Marks Oct. 7 Anniversary Under Shadow Of Escalating War
Israel on Monday (7th) Marked the first anniversary of the devastating Hamas attack that triggered a war with Hamas in Gaza that has sparked protests world wide and seems to be escalating.
Ceremonies and protests in Jerusalem and Israel’s south began around 6:29 a.m., the hour when Hamas-led terrorists launched rockets into Israel at the start of the Oct. 7 attack last year.
They killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza.
Security forces are on high alert across the country Monday (7th), the military and police said, anticipating possible Palestinian attacks planned for the anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, when the worst bloodletting in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict began.
The Hamas attack on Israeli communities around Gaza and the ensuing war has been felt throughout the Middle East and horrified people worldwide.
Outside Israel, demonstrations are expected Monday (7th), around the world against its offensive in the Gaza Strip where fighting continues in much of the coastal enclave.
Most of the dead were civilians, including women, children, and elderly people, killed in their homes, on the roads, and at the site of an open air music festival, as well as soldiers on army bases near the Gaza border.
In Gaza, 101 hostages remain as Israeli forces press on with their mission to end Hamas’ rule of the enclave and demolish its military capabilities.
But the focus of the war has increasingly shifted north to Lebanon where Israeli forces have been exchanging fire with Hezbollah since the Iranian-backed-group launched a barrage of missiles in support of Hamas on Oct. 8,2023.
What began as limited daily exchanges have escalated into bombardments of Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut and a ground offensive into border villages meant to stamp out Hezbollah fighters there and allow tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from their homes in the country’s north, to return.
A series of Israeli military assassinations over the past few months which killed Hezbollah and Hamas chiefs, and a sophisticated attack on Hezbollah via pagers and radios, have restored some sense of security for Israel.
But they also prompted unprecedented missile attacks from Iran, raising fears of a regional war with a powerful enemy. Israel has yet to respond to the second Iranian barrage on Oct. 1 but has vowed to retaliate harshly.
There Is No Moral Equivalence Between The IDF And Iran’s Terrorist Proxies – Editorial
Today (7th) marks one year since the Oct.7 massacre. Time should be taken to remember why Israel is fighting. A year ago 1,200 people were murdered , and 251 hostages kidnapped by terrorists who had devoted themselves to the calculated destruction of a nation and people.
No country could tolerate the outages perpetrated against Israel on a monthly basis, the barrages of rockets fired indiscriminately against civilian targets by Iran’s proxies. That Israel has managed to minimize through its development of its own defenses does not in any way lessen the repugnance we should feel at the actions of these terrorists. They are intended to wound and kill, and it is only through the ingenuity of the Israeli people that they do not more often succeed in doing so.
That so many in the West have lost sight of these fundamental truths brings shame upon us all. Too many politicians are desperate to pressure Israel into a ceasefire that will not bring the conflict to an end, but will merely give Hamas and its allies a chance to rearm. As we remember the dead of Oct. 7, we should remember too why Israel is fighting. And we should remember why we owe it our support.
Netanyahu At Lebanese Border Declares ‘We’re Changing Reality Across The Board’
Israel is changing its security reality across the board, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he visited a military base on the northern border close to a week after the IDF began its ground campaign in southern Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah military targets there.
“I am here with IDF soldiers at the northern border,” Netanyahu said on Sunday (6th) as he spoke with soldiers from the 36th Division.
“A few meters from here are their friends across the border, dismantling the terrorist infrastructure that Hezbollah prepared to attack our border communities,” he said.
“A year ago, we suffered a terrible blow,” Netanyahu told the soldiers at the base, as he referred to the Hamas invasion of southern Israel one year ago.
He spoke one year into Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and weeks after it launched an intensive campaign against Hezbollah, including the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and many of the organization’s top commanders.
“In the last 12 months, we are changing the reality from end to end,” Netanyahu told the soldiers. “The whole world laughs at the blows you inflict on our enemies,” he said.
“I salute you and tell you: You are the victorious generation.
“Together we will fight, and together we will win – with God’s help,” he said.
Israel battered Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight Saturday (5th) into early Sunday (6th) in the most intense bombardment of the Lebanese capital yet, witnesses and military analysts on local TV channels said.
The blasts sent booms across Beirut and sparked flashes visible from several kilometers away for nearly 30 minutes.
After Iranian Missiles Hit Base, Gallant Says Attack Didn’t Even ‘Scratch’ Air Force
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday (6th) that last week’s Iranian ballistic missiles “didn’t even scratch” the Israeli Air Force’s capabilities, and vowed that Israel would not be deterred from responding to such attacks by its enemies.
During a visit to Nevatim , which suffered damage during the attack, Gallant said Israel would choose the manner and time of its response, and that this should be taken not just as a statement of intent, but as a working plan, according to a statement from his office.
“The Iranians have not even scratched the capabilities of the Air Force. Not a single squadron has been damaged, not a single plane has been damaged, there is not a single runway that is not available for takeoff, and there is no damage to our continuity,” he said speaking with pilots, aircrews and ground crews.
The approximately 200 ballistic missiles launched last Tuesday (1st) caused some damage in Israel including in Israeli bases. The military has said that no aircraft or critical infrastructure were hit, and the Israeli Air Force is operating at full capacity.
Most of the incoming missiles were either intercepted by air defenses or landed in open areas. However, that attack sent 10 million Israelis rushing for cover and caused damage to civilian structures as well, including a school.
“Whoever thinks that by trying to attack Israel , he will deter us from reacting, should look at what is happening in Gaza and what is happening in Beirut – things are very clear,” Gallant said referring to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and the intense Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital.
“We are strong both in defense and attack and we will express it in the way we choose, at the time we choose, in the place we choose, and these things are for us… not just a statement… but a work plan,” he declared.
Gallant’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has a “duty and a right” to respond to the Iranian assault.
In April, the Islamic Republic fired some 300 missiles and drones at Israel, after an airstrike killed several Iranian generals in Damascus. Though Israel’s alleged response to that attack was restrained, analysts told media outlets Wednesday (2nd) that Israel is likely to be more aggressive this time around.
1 Killed, 9 Wounded In Be’er Sheva Shooting Attack
One woman was killed and nine others wounded in a shooting attack at the central bus station in Be’er Sheva, the Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service reported on Sunday (6th).
Israel Border Police Cpl. Shira Chaya Suslik, 19, of Be’er Sheva succumbed to her injuries. The terrorist, later identified as a 29-year-old Israeli citizen from the Bedouin community in the Negev, was neutralized.
Shira is survived by her parents and three siblings, She joined the Border Police in January 2023,
Another two victims were in serious condition, four others have moderate injuries and two have light injuries.
According to initial details of the incident, the terrorist arrived by bus at the station armed with a gun, and opened fire outside of McDonalds. Police Commissioner Danny Levy said in a statement made at the scene that the terrorist was eliminated within three seconds by soldiers and members of the security forces who were on the scene.
The terrorist comes from the extended family of another terrorist, Mohand al-Ukabi, who in 2015 carried out an attack in the central bus station in Be’er Sheva in which Golani fighter Omri Levy was killed. Al- Ukabi was reportedly in contact with Hamas.
Senior Magen David Adom paramedic Boris Manto said, “We arrived quickly in large numbers and saw a young woman lying unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. We performed medical assessments, but her injuries were critical, and we sadly had to pronounce her dead at the scene. The others were transported to the hospital with various levels of injuries.
One eyewitness recounted, “We came to buy bus tickets and saw a crowd of people running and screaming. We ran inside.” Another witness added, “I heard gunshots and screams. It started at McDonalds, and we were caught in the middle.”
Prominent Israel Haters Among 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Contenders
For ardent enthusiasts of Nobel Prize announcements, this week is a thrilling time, particularly with the buzz surrounding Friday’s (4th) revelation in Oslo of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The announcement holds special significance, coinciding with the anniversary of October 7.
This year, speculation swirls around several high-profile nominees, some of which will most definitely raise Israeli eyebrows. Among these are the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which Israel has criticized for complicity in the October 7 violence, the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is pursuing cases against Israel; and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, recently declared unwelcome by Israel for not strongly condemning Iran’s attack on Israel and for saying that October 7 “did not happen in a vacuum.”
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee, known for its unpredictability, might surprise us yet again this year. Historically the prize has been withheld 19 times, the last time in 1972. Dan Smith, a peace researcher from Stockholm, suggests that perhaps this year the committee might opt not to award the prize to anyone, highlighting the global climate of conflict.
With 286 candidates vying for recognition, this year’s roster includes prominent figures including Pope Francis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though geopolitical complexities make their wins unlikely.
Julian Assange, Elon Musk, and former US President Donald Trump are also reportedly in the mix, with the latter recognized for his role in the Abraham Accords.
Experts suggest that, given the tumultuous events of 2024, from the Middle East’s ongoing conflicts to the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan – that the prize might go to humanitarian activists aiding those in war-torn regions. UNRWA emerges as a potential candidate for its efforts to assist Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict, however such a choice could be contentious due to allegations (and proof) of involvement in the October 7 massacre against Israel.
Nobel announcements begin on Monday (7th) with the prize for medicine, followed by physics, chemistry, and literature throughout the week, culminating with the prize for economics next Monday (14th). The Peace Prize, unique in its Oslo announcement, remains the highlight for many Noble enthusiasts.
