On the morning of 7 Oct 2023 Hamas launched its response to the storming of the Al-Aqsa mosque by Israeli settlers, with its Operation ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’. There were claims that over 5,000 rockets were fired into southern Israel from Gaza. Israel has declared ‘a state of war’. In response, Israeli forces launched ‘Operation Iron Swords’ into the Gaza Strip. For more, read on… Continue reading “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”
The Great Gaza Jailbreak of 2023
On October 9th 2023 a senior Hamas official announced it had ‘achieved all of its targets’ in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, and was open to negotiations to end the conflict. Yet the conflict continues. In this 2nd part of our examination of Al-Aqsa Flood, we will look at the causes for the current operations (there have been many, and on both sides) and what this will mean for Israel going forward. Continue reading “The Great Gaza Jailbreak of 2023”
Hamas and Israel’s black year
Following on the Sheikh Jarrah post, we see that the current bombings and air strikes in Israel and Gaza are more than a flash in the pan or an isolated event. This is the end result of interventions in the region of the Levant and the larger region of West Asia that have been ongoing for at least a century, having possibly reached the end of their line in Israel, now in the throes of what just might well be the final showdown between the Palestinians and the Zionists. If events go according to plan – yes, there is a plan – the peoples of West Asia will no longer have the Zionists to meddle in their affairs, which means the Western powers will no longer have their ‘land-based aircraft carrier’. What follows will not be easy to read, as events have gone beyond any reasonable hope of a peaceful resolution to the current crisis, the reason for saying so to be outlined in this post. But in understanding the strategies working out, a door opens to a brighter and peaceful future for the region. Continue reading “Hamas and Israel’s black year”
Sheikh Jarrah
Since the 6th of May this year, Israel has experienced the worst violence it has seen in years. It began between Palestinian protesters and Israeli settlers and police over a planned Israeli Supreme Court decision regarding what would have been forced evictions of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, East Jerusalem. The violence has coincided with the holidays of Laylat al-Qadr and Jerusalem Day, the former being an Islamic holy day and the latter being an Israeli holiday. Jerusalem Day is opposed by left-wing Israelis and Palestinians. It is marked by the ‘Dance of the Flags’ through the streets of Jerusalem to the Western Wall and has often provoked violent clashes. This year was exceptional in terms of the escalation of violence, escalating at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israel currently faces an uncertain future, shown in its astrology and in the current events. Continue reading “Sheikh Jarrah”