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28-10-2024
GAZA STRIP: Israeli forces bombed six buildings in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, killing at least 45 people, as the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the United States to stop the “systematic extermination of an entire population” in the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli forces also launched air raids on Beirut’s southern suburb after warning residents of several neighborhoods there to leave their homes.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian mourned four soldiers killed in the wave of Israeli attacks across Iran on Saturday. Tehran insists the assault caused “limited damage”. In Gaza, at least 42,847 people have been killed and 100,544 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.
Ziad Abu Helaiel, a political activist and social reformer was best known for his defiant phrase “Bihimmish!” (“doesn’t matter” in Arabic).
The phrase was delivered brazenly, dismissively even, to Israeli soldiers who were trying to scare him as he stood in their way, often using just his body to prevent them from shooting solidarity demonstrators in the West Bank during the 2014 war on Gaza.
To say Abu Helaiel, who was beaten to death at his home near Hebron by Israeli soldiers on October 7 this year, was well-known would be an understatement. He was famous in the West Bank for the peaceful protests he led against the Israeli occupation, never armed and often standing as a human barrier between protesters and Israeli soldiers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a defensive note when he said earlier that the decision on what to attack in Iran was taken in Tel Aviv, and not influenced by decision-makers in Washington, DC.
In a way, he was answering the criticism from the Israeli right, from his base, that the attack should have been harder, stronger, and should have struck at economic and military strategic sites. There were even some calls for attacks on nuclear installations. Contrast that with the reactions from Israeli President Isaac Herzog or Benny 
Gantz, a leading figure in the opposition, who thanked the US for its support and who also said that this strike would start a new phase in the confrontation with Iran.
They are referencing reports that cite unnamed military sources who say that this Israeli strike on Iran neutralizes that country’s air defence systems and that now, it would be much easier to strike harder and deeper, also because Iran’s capabilities of ballistic missile production have been really severely damaged.
Of course in the Israeli public, there is polarization. You have the families of the Israeli captives who want the focus to be on a ceasefire and who are feeling abandoned by all these endless wars. And then you have the hardcore Israeli right, which is supportive of the government. They want to see more and all they want to hear about is victory.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement expressing deep concern about the “exchanges of attacks” between Israel and Iran, including Israel’s latests attacks on Iran’s military facilities.
“Japan strongly urges all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and to calm the situation, as peace and stability in the Middle East region are extremely important to Japan,” the statement added.
Now, these warnings are for 25 settlements located in the northern part of Israel, ranging from 3km to 22km (2-14 miles) from the border with Lebanon and this area is home to about 200,000 Israeli citizens. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
