#justifying the siege and attack with that

[disco-cola]

I‘ve just seen a comment asking if anyone else lost friends over supporting Palestine and a lot of people said they did, also to the point where family unfollowed them for sharing and hearing things like „you are antisemitic“ and „you cannot say anything about this because you are not from there“ (I made a post about this before how this is one of the dumbest arguments ever a few days ago) … also I have felt at some points like I am „annoying“ people and friends and family with it bc they clearly didn’t want to talk about it. they even said it right out too. Like oh sorry a genocide is too annoying for you ☺️ I’m sorry you’re too busy. and then they all agree that „something like the holocaust must never ever happen again“ which I’m sure most everyone full heartedly agrees on - but if you ever wondered about some of the reasons how it could ever come as far you are witnessing it first hand now: propaganda, intentional spreading of misinformation and lies by the mainstream media (except we now in the western world can CHOOSE what to consume bc of social media and the internet while people in the 30s and 40s did not have this possibility), censoring and oppression of different views to what the mainstream media puts out, and simply sheer collective ignorance and blind following and pledging of solidarity. History is repeating itself and they are on the wrong side of it. The true face of people is showing right now.

[queer-spectre]

Hi. Hopping on briefly to specifically talk to my fellow United States citizens -- we have to be writing our fucking reps. Call them. They should be swimming in emails and phone calls about Palestine.

The US is trying to back Israel and support even more colonialism and genocide (like fucking always). If they're going to support this, at minimum, they should have to fucking feel it. Name what they're doing and make them feel our eyes on them. Let them know that their actions now will be known forever.

Free Palestine.

[jewishvitya]

Pro-Israel people love both invalidating my Jewishness and giving me death threats by proxy.

And like. Their words aren't a magic spell that's going to erase my ethnicity, heritage, and cultural identity. Anti-zionist Jews have existed for as long as zionism has existed. Even if you disagree, I'm not the first Jew to think that the fight for our safety shouldn't mean an ethnostate, a concept that can only be maintained with violence and oppression towards other ethnic groups in the area.

And I have a lot of feelings about these softer definitions of zionism. Because what does this mean in practice. We've been moving places for thousands of years, immigration is not what I'm objecting to. I love this land, it's the only home I know, and my heart breaks for the destruction we cause here. From burning olive trees to poisoning the soil and the water with our weapons. This is not an expression of our connection to our ancestral homeland. This is violence on both people and land.

But the most jarring element of comments like this, especially now, is that they're treatening me with hatred from Gazans. I'm not scared of them right now. I'm scared and horrified for them.

A Gazan person I know lost contact with his family around a week ago and I've been praying for their safety while knowing that they're traumatized beyond anything I can imagine. And safety isn't even a word I can use for them even if they're alive. They've been homeless for a couple of months now, their house destroyed in the bombing. What safety can they find?

If I was in Gaza right now, I wouldn't be worrying about Palestinians learning I'm queer, I'd be worried about Israeli bombardment, about starvation and dehydration due to the siege, and about the diseases caused by the conditions Israel created there. The hostages that returned spoke about how they were more scared of the Israeli attacks than they could be of their captors.

Even ignoring the "they're not a monolith" and "some of them are queer" and "queerphobic people that hate me don't deserve this either" - how are you threatening me with their supposed queerphobia when the worst danger in Gaza right now is us?

You're not saying this because they want to hurt me. You're saying this because you want them to hurt me. They hardly know I exist. You want me to get hurt to satisfy your hatred of me for being against your movement, and to justify your dehumanization of Palestinians. You want me to be proven wrong for seeing them as people who deserve dignity and freedom and happiness. You're the one wishing violence on me. So don't be shy. Own your death threats instead of projecting them.

[holdoncallfailed]

We are Jewish artists, filmmakers, writers, and creative professionals who support Jonathan Glazer’s statement from the 2024 Oscars. We were alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry mischaracterize and denounce his remarks. Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel’s escalating military campaign which has already killed over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation. We grieve for all those who have been killed in Palestine and Israel over too many decades, including the 1,200 Israelis killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the 253 hostages taken.  [...] We are proud Jews who denounce the weaponization of Jewish identity and the memory of the Holocaust to justify what many experts in international law, including leading Holocaust scholars, have identified as a “genocide in the making.” We reject the false choice between Jewish safety and Palestinian freedom. We stand with all those calling for a permanent ceasefire, including the safe return of all hostages and the immediate delivery of aid into Gaza, and an end to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of and siege on Gaza.  We honor the memory of the Holocaust by saying: Never again for anyone.

+ this comment from film critic david ehrlich

[writers-potion]

Writing a Siege Warfare

In a siege, the readers' empathies lie with the defenders. If the PoV fihts ont he side of the attackers, give the defenders state-of-the-art technology, have them commit some strocious deeds to justify an attack.

Active Siege

The besiegers use force to get in.

They attack the walls with cannons, catapults and battering rams. They use long ladders to climb the walks. They may build a ramp to reach the top of the walls, or dig a tunnerl to make part of the wall collapse.

The defenders will hurl missiles at the attackers. Arrows, stones, burning pitch, etc. They'll set the battering rams on fire. Women, children and the elderly will hurl rocks and pour boiling oil at the enemy.

The outcome of he siege will depend on state-of-the-art technology: is the siege machinery or defensive mechanisms better? And the preparedness of the defenders in maintaining their walls and stocking resources.

Passive Siege

The besiegers cut off the defenders' supply chain to starve them into submission. This is rather boring for the attackers.

It will end in one of three ways: (1) hunger (2) thirst (3) treachery (someone who can't stand it opens the gate) or the attackers get bored and launch an active attack.

Both sides, but especially so for the defenders, will suffer from a lack of resources. Use the weather (smelting sun, floods, extreme humidity) to make it more painful for both sides.

More suitable as the background of a scene rather than being a scene in itself, since passive sieges can lasts for months.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[partycatty]

anything with Lord Raiden.... please.... GILF fuckers need something 😞

lord raiden > you unwind me

raiden can't seem to control himself... only when you're around.

warnings: idk it's kinda mushy ig, possibly ooc raiden. i played 8-12 and yet for some reason he's one of the hardest characters to recreate on paper.

notes: not stopping til we can power all of chicago.

[ masterlist ]

• you can't say you didn't notice how touchy he was, i mean, it was considerably obvious considering the distance he kept from the others.

• hands behind his back, posture straight, eyes down and concealed by the width of his hat. he was an enigma, yet you somehow made him twitch like no other.

• he was visibly unsettled around you, falling quiet with tight lips or even stuttering over his words momentarily before forgetting his mortal crowd.

• "if we were to attack from the northern border—" raiden's thick arm stretched past you, just barely brushing against your arm but his towering form sending warmth down your back.

• "excellent observation," his hand would fall to your shoulder, squeezing tight. you've had to pull away before his nails dig in on several occasions.

• "your form is off," the telltale indication of flirting in most men, his large hands on your hips as he corrects your mistakes in the thickest silence you've ever been in. jesus, does he even breathe?

• the smoky air of netherrealm flooded your senses, making you lose your momentum in the siege. raiden would often check on you from a distance as he obliterated demons and the like, but when he noticed a flying creature honing in on your position, he quickly teleported to your side and pulled you in close, teleporting you elsewhere on the battlefield. your body was significantly more... mortal than his. and with his incredible form, you were no more than chest height. the rest of the battle was a hot blur.

• you have also been a victim of electrocutions on multiple occasions, to the point where you almost had to host an intervention. he was so on edge around you, for a reason you couldn't pinpoint.

• "lord raiden," you welcomed yourself into the room with a bow, holding a metallic item he requested you retrieve. "i have the—" as he reaches out to grab whatever it was, the current from his fingertips reaches what felt like your entire nervous system and you jolted, yelping at the sudden shock.

• you'd walk into the surveillance room, hoping for an update on the spy cameras assembled at the black dragon's hideout. while it wasn't even raiden's priority, you observe that he stuck around anyway. you were dressed more down than unusual, relishing in the cool air on a hot summer day with a tank top with your work pants. when raiden locks eyes with you, the surveillance monitors go haywire, eventually blue screening. everyone knows who to blame.

• you can't really say you're opposed to it, either. he was a large man that was good with his hands, well-spoken, mature, what wasn't to like? he was the perfect eye candy during debriefings, though you knew better than to act on your little crush.

• "not sure what sparky's issue is over there," johnny murmured, pointing a thumb in raiden's direction. you both glance over, realizing raiden was quite literally doing nothing but standing there pretending to be useful. "he's short circuited more times than i can count in the last week alone. do you know how many monitors we've had to replace?"

• "it's hard being a protector of an entire realm," you attempt to justify his behavior. "you should talk to him."

• "yeah, because the god of thunder needs a therapist," johnny sarcastically chuckled, crossing his arms. "you give it a shot. he likes you."

• "he likes all of us," you defend yourself. "that's kind of his job." johnny shoots you a knowing look before turning to find cassie. you decide to take the moment of rare silence in the special forces to approach raiden with casual intent.

• "lord raiden," you smile politely, lowering your head for a moment. "on behalf of the special forces, i'd like to have a word with you." he gives you a hum of agreement, yet he's the one that grabs your arm and pulls you aside, out of earshot of others. he locks the door behind him as you two stand in the hallway.

• "er..." you feel yourself beginning to sweat, the seven foot tall man stares blankly at you, jaw clenched and arms crossed as he awaits your words. "i... we... have noticed a significant number of incidents pertaining to you or your powers. we were just wondering if everything is alright, and if you need anything, we—"

• "that is more than enough," raiden holds a hand out at you, and you swallow thickly as he uses your full name. a thunder god is not someone to be in trouble with. he pauses for a long time, eyes darting between yours. his lips part as he struggles to articulate his thoughts. "though i must admit i agree with your observations. i have been... unwound as of late."

• "unwound?" you repeat, perplexed at his wording. "is there something wrong, lord raiden?"

• he hums for a moment, lowering his head. "you will have to forgive me." your heart flutters at his usage of you, rather than the SF.

• "i do," your voice lowers into a more gentle tone and you feel the human urge to place a comforting hand on his arm. when you try, though, you feel your hairs raise up the closer you get. "sorry." as you pull away, a flush to your cheeks, raiden grabs your hand and squeezes it a little too tightly. that funny feeling disappears, and is replaced by a new one.

• "i have been earthrealm's protector for billions of years," he starts after a long pause. "i have seen the horrors afflicted by corrupted gods, i have taken part in the bloodiest battles of mankind. i have gained it all, and lost it all."

• you're stone still, wondering where he's going with this sudden burst.

• "but nothing... nothing," he squeezes even harder. "has torn me apart, piece by piece, more than one... little mortal." the glow of his eyes feels like it burns into yours as your cheeks heat up.

• "i feel as if i have known for since the dawn of time," he confesses, his face eerily still. "you'll have to forgive my bluntness. this is not my strong suit."

• "what isn't?" you had a feeling, but you needed to hear it to be sure.

• "...feelings, i suppose," he averts his gaze, clearly turmoiled by this realization. "it's you. you unwind me."

• "...me?" you reply incredulously. sure, you liked him, but what the hell do you do when a thunder god confesses to you? "you like me?"

• "if that is how you choose to word it, then yes."

• "oh." your eyes focus on his hand enveloping yours so easily. it's a few moments before he tugs ever so slightly, and the static feeling returns to your skin.

• "forgive me," he insists again, a wave of shame overtaking him. "i suppose it was a ridiculous ask of you to return those feelings. i would advise for you to for—"

• "i like you, too," you mutter, never once envisioning the time where you'd have to say such a thing. "i just didn't... expect it from you."

• raiden never smiles, as kind of a man as he is. you had maybe seen it once or twice, but it never quite reached his eyes. this time, however, he was glowing more so than usual as his lips curled upward. at first, it looked strange on him, but it quickly warmed your heart to know that you struck a chord in him.

• "that... brings me joy," he admits, and you can tell he's physically restraining himself from a full-on grin.

• well, what now? you two fall silent for a moment, electricity (for once, not real electricity) coursing through your veins as you relish in the moment. you wonder if he's waiting for a kiss, or for you to say something. these internal questions are answered when he takes a step closer, looming over your figure. his hands can't quite figure out where to land, eventually settling on the sides of your face. he drinks in every detail, every crease and flutter of color in your eyes like he just might forget if he looks away.

• you raise yourself on your tippy toes, eyes flicking between his glowing pupils to his lips. just as you decide to close your eyes and move in for a kiss, you feel him physically pull you away.

• "not here," he gently insists, dropping his hands to slide down your arms and hold yours. "i would rather it be memorable."

• "i'm sure it'll be memorable anywhere," you insist, almost feeling desperate for a kiss from him. you wonder if it'll feel staticky. "if it's with you, i mean."

• "you're too kind," he runs his thumbs over your knuckles. "we have time, my dear. all the time we need."

• raiden wanted to take it slow, you assume. who knows when the last time he had feelings was, or if ever. mutually agreeing to keep things under wraps, you shake your giddy feelings and reenter the room with your coworkers, glancing up at raiden. his lip twitches though his face is stoic as always.

• "did he take it well?" johnny asks in a low voice. "or did he strike you down, or something?"

• "...he's fine," you try to wave it off, sweating at your temples. "peachy, actually."

• your eyes find raiden again, standing across the room. this time, he's not pretending to do anything. he's just staring back with a friendlier glint within the glow.

• "he seems in better spirits," johnny shrugs as he follows your gaze. "told you he liked you."

• "i guess you did."

[bfpnola]

ID 1: Screenshot from Let’s Talk Palestine’s Instagram text channel. Their most recent text reads:

“Hi everyone.

Gaza has officially run out of fuel and electricity. Here’s what this means:

Hospitals cannot operate without electricity. Emergency fuel will run out today.

Refrigerated food will now soon expire. As Israel has cut Gaza off of all food, this accelerates the threat of mass starvation looming over people, including more than 1 million kids. Children. Babies. Toddlers.

Media blackout: our access to information will become severely limited, as even foreign media outlets based in Gaza can no longer charge their equipment.

We have no words. Nothing can convey the horrors that will unfold unless the world forces Israel to stop. Nothing justified the deliberate starving and executing of children and civilians. SPEAK OUT.” Two red exclamation point emojis follow. At the time of the screenshot, 261 people had liked the message. End ID.

ID 2: Screenshot of Let’s Talk Palestine’s most recent Instagram post. First slide reads, “Israel is Pushing 2 million Gazans to the Brink of Death.

Israel has completely cut off all food supplies from Gaza. If not reversed, this decision sets Gaza on the path to mass starvation for all 2.3 million people living there.

Israel has destroyed the only exit out of Gaza. The Rafah Crossing into Egypt is effectively closed now after a third Israeli bombing in the last 24 hours.

This means that Gazans are now completely trapped with no way out to escape the bombings.” End ID.

ID 3: Continuing: “Israel has imposed a "total" siege on Gaza.

Cutting it off from electricity, water, and fuel. Without electricity, Gaza's already overflowing hospitals will no longer be able to save the lives of civilians attacked by Israel.

Israel is carpet bombing entire neighborhoods and cities - targeting residential buildings, hospitals, and UN schools.

An entire family has been wiped out in an Israeli airstrike, with all 19 members killed in their home, including children.” End ID.

ID 4: The next slide reads: “Israel threatened Egypt that it would bomb humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, prompting Egypt to withdraw its aid convoys.

177,000 PEOPLE ARE SEEKING REFUGE IN 88 U.N. SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN CONVERTED INTO EMERGENCY SHELTERS but these schools are no longer safe as Israeli airstrikes have been targeting them.” End ID.

ID 5: Continuing: “10% OF THE POPULATION HAS ALREADY BEEN DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES IN JUST THREE DAYS.

THATS 20,000 PEOPLE.

200,000 children, mothers, fathers, and elderly.” End ID.

ID 6: The next slide reads: “50% OF GAZA'S POPULATION IS UNDER THE AGE OF 15.

ISRAEL HAS ALREADY KILLED 260 CHILDREN

HOSPITALS ARE OVERWHELMED AS THEY REACH FULL CAPACITY AND PRE-RESERVED MEDICAL RESOURCES HAVE BEEN DEPLETED AS 13 ISRAELI ATTACKS HAVE HIT GAZA'S HEALTH FACILITIES.” End ID.

ID 7: The final Instagram slide reads: “THIS IS NOT WAR.

MASS STARVATION IS NOT WAR.

BOMBING HOSPITALS IS NOT WAR.

WIPING OUT ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS IS NOT WAR.

THIS IS MASS MURDER.

THIS IS AN ANNIHILATION OF MORE THAN TWO MILLION PEOPLE ALREADY PERSECUTED UNDER APARTHEID.

SPEAK OUT.

BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.” End ID.

ID 8: Screenshot of the caption for the aforementioned Instagram post. It reads: “This is not an exaggeration. This is not something we wrote lightly. Two million people are being dragged by Israel towards mass annihilation, and it's only escalating further every hour. The patterns are appearing, namely the policy of starvation.

And the thousands of people who adopted Israeli rhetoric in the last few days here on social media are complicit.

Before any mass atrocity is committed against a group of people, they are dehumanized. You called them terrorists, you called them barbaric. You naively played into Israelis' hands, having not at all learnt the lessons from the American so-called "War on Terror" where dehumanising rhetoric and accusations of terrOrism were used to justify and condition people to accept the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

We are shocked, we are terrified, but most of all we are enraged that the world - especially privileged Westerners - never seem to ever learn their lesson. There are too many celebrities and even too many so-called "progressive activists" who are now complicit in these massacres.

This attack on Gaza it's different. It's different from all the previous attacks. People are saying goodbye to their loved ones abroad. Israel is planning annihilation.

Our people are being murdered. Our people are being slaughtered in their homes. Israeli pilots are targeting schools, hospitals and neighbourhoods. You care about civilians? SPEAK OUT. SHARE.”

33,917 people at the time of the screenshot had liked the post and 655 people had commented. End ID.

[suzannahnatters]

PSA: Sieges Are Awesome

so I just watched ANOTHER TV show where the characters could have simply barricaded themselves inside a VERY cosy and defensible fortress instead of heading outside to get killed/maimed/captured by the baddies

I call this Television Abhors a Siege and it is EVERYWHERE and I hate it

I HATE IT

yes, I know the writers look at each other and say, well, if our characters retreat to their stronghold then how will we fulfill our Swords Go Clang quotient for this episode?

this is only because the writers lack both imagination and education

you see, I've been reading medieval military history in exhaustive detail now for 8 years and SIEGES ARE AWESOME, both tactically and dramatically!

tactically, sieges make sense, because there is no way to thwart an enemy and buy time like HIDING SAFELY BEHIND A STONE WALL. the only time you would not do this is when a) you have a realistic chance of pulling off a surprise attack (the TV characters are never smart enough to do this) AND b) there is no realistic hope of circumstances altering to favour you in the near future (the TV characters never consider this either).

also historically speaking, whenever people looked at each other and said "this siege has no realistic hope of success" they did not march out to throw themselves on the enemy's swords: they negotiated and usually with great success (the TV characters never consider this either). but let's say you're in one of the VAST MAJORITY of situations where a siege DOES make sense and only the most unhinged mental gymnastics would justify leaving your fortifications to fight (see: the majority of TV shows and movies that deal with this scenario)? does this mean that your characters must sit inside their walls twiddling their thumbs?

pfft don't be silly

sieges are totally dramatic!

it's not about LEAVING your fortifications to fight, it's about USING your fortifications to fight.

your baddies could try everything to get in and there might be fighting over a gate, a breach, or a tunnel/mine?

your characters might sally out under cover of night to destroy the enemy or their weapons?

one of your characters might escape the fortress in a desperate journey to find help?

your characters might turn out to have a traitor or saboteur in the group?

there might be injured people who need urgent attention, or supply shortages?

a FRICKING METEOR might fall out of the sky onto the heads of your enemies, sending them running and allowing you the opportunity to regain the initiative? (and if you think this couldn't possibly have happened, something very close to this literally happened at Antioch in 1098 during the First Crusade)

anyway this is just to say that I am begging you all to reconsider the dramatic potential of the noble siege. for one thing, it makes the characters look like total imbeciles if you ignore it. and for another, sieges are AWESOME. eta: I learned all this doing the study for WATCHERS OF OUTREMER, my historical fantasy epic of the medieval crusader states! Book 4, A CONSPIRACY OF PROPHETS, puts my own magical spin on the 1098 siege of Antioch ;)

[whencyclopedia]

Justinian II

Justinian II “the Slit-nosed” ruled as emperor of the Byzantine Empire in two spells: from 685 to 695 CE and then again from 705 to 711 CE. It was after his first reign and prior to his exile that his nose was cut off by the usurper Leontios and so Justinian acquired his nickname. Unpopular with his people, whom he incessantly overtaxed, and suffering from a justified reputation for cruelty and disproportionate vengeance on those whom he perceived had wronged him, Justinian also struggled on the battlefield. He might have been one of the very few emperors to regain his throne but the fact that he was kicked off it twice by rebellious usurpers with no imperial connections is significant. Seemingly attacking cities at random, butchering anyone remotely regarded as a threat, and even laughing when he lost his own fleet in a storm, Justinian had descended into madness, and his second reign is now remembered as one of the most brutal and terrifying in Byzantine history.

Succession

Justinian was born in 668 CE, into the Herakleios dynasty, the son of Constantine IV (r. 668-685 CE) and Anastasia. When Constantine died of dysentery in 685 CE, his son and chosen heir, now Justinian II, inherited a troubled empire. The one positive was that Constantine had somehow seen off the siege of Constantinople by the Umayyad Caliphate between 674 and 678 CE. The Arabs, under the leadership of Caliph Muawiya (r. 661-680 CE), had made significant gains in Asia Minor and the Aegean, but when their fleet was torched by Greek Fire in 678 CE, the caliph was forced to sign a 30-year truce with Byzantium. It was the first major defeat the Arabs had suffered since the rise of Islam. In 679 CE Muawiya was obliged to give up the Aegean islands he had conquered and pay a hefty annual tribute.

Elsewhere, though, the Byzantines had been less successful, and the Arabs in North Africa and the Bulgars and Slavs in the Balkans had been making inroads into the empire. Treaties with the Avars and Lombards, as well as some gains in Cilicia, and the establishment of a protectorate over most of Armenia at least meant the Byzantines were shoring up the holes and slowly turning around the steady decline that had beset them for half a century. There was still much work to do, though.

The young emperor seemed determined to live up to his famous namesake Justinian I (r. 527-565 CE), one of Byzantium's greatest rulers, but, as the historian J. J. Norwich here describes, he was not quite of the same calibre:

Intelligent and energetic, he showed all the makings of a capable ruler. Unfortunately, he had inherited that streak of insanity that had clouded the last years of Heraclius and was again apparent in the ageing Constans. Constantine IV had died before it could become manifest; in his son Justinian, however, it rapidly gained hold, transforming him into a monster whose only attributes were a pathological suspicion of all around him and an insatiable lust for blood. (102)

The new emperor was only 16 when he took his place on the Byzantine throne, but, nevertheless, he enjoyed some early military successes in Armenia, Georgia, the Balkans, and Syria. Then, as the Arab armies ignored the agreed truce and pressed further into Byzantine territory in Asia Minor, Justinian was obliged to withdraw his own armies from elsewhere to meet this new threat. Consequently, the gains in the north were gradually lost. Both his spells as emperor would be ones of military weakness, but for the moment, there were more pressing matters to deal with within the empire itself.

Continue reading...

[probablyasocialecologist]

Following the siege on al-Shifa, the Israeli government attempted to convince the world that the hospital held both the literal and figurative smoking guns which would prove its alleged connections to Hamas military operations. To justify such a brutal attack, one would expect there to have been clear, irrefutable evidence of Hamas’ presence and use of the complex, but aside from a handful of weapons and some paraphernalia, the findings have been lackluster. An analysis by The Washington Post of open-source materials and evidence provided by Israel in the aftermath of the attack found very little proof that the tunnels under al-Shifa led to a major Hamas command center. It bears noting that Israel itself built some of the tunnels and rooms under al-Shifa in the 1980s, and their existence has been an open secret for decades. Following their incursion into the hospital, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released footage of Israeli forces exploring the alleged network of Hamas tunnels within the medical complex. Analysis by the Post of tunnel footage, as well as maps and other materials released by the IDF, contradicted claims by Israel that several hospital buildings were connected to and could be accessed from within the tunnel network. The analysis also found that several small rooms attached to the tunnel, one of which the IDF had described as an evacuated Hamas “operational room,” contained no signs of recent use or occupancy. A separate November analysis of IDF footage by CNN found that Israeli forces may have moved or rearranged weapons within al-Shifa Hospital before providing international news organizations access to the scene, prompting questions regarding the authenticity of the already limited findings provided by IDF forces. 

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

Another five Israeli soldiers have been confirmed as killed during the fighting in Gaza. May their memory be a blessing.

Rocket fire into Israel continues, and we're once again seeing direct hits to Israeli homes. Thankfully, today no one was physically injured.

A recent survey, conducted after the Hamas massacre, shows about 70% of Israeli Arabs identify with Israel. Another poll shows about half believe the Israeli reaction in Gaza is justified. One more interesting finding is that the massacre has actually increased the importance of their identity as Israelis.

I mentioned in my post yesterday Asaf Hamami, who was killed on Oct 7 protecting kibbutz Nirim, and whose body is held hostage by Hamas. That Saturday morning, his 6 years old son Alon was visiting him at his army base. When the breach of the border fence started, Asaf kissed his son goodbye, and went out to protect the kibbutz. He didn't know at that point that the base would be attacked by Hamas terrorists, too. That his son would be under siege for many hours, and would eventually be evacuated, and the soldiers who would get little Alon out, would have to tell him not to look at the burnt cars and bodies spread out all across the road. Asaf didn't know it, but he was specifically targeted by Hamas terrorists, many of them were caught with his picture on them. Asaf was supposed to finish his service soon, his dream was to become a school principal. He's one of three Israeli colonels killed on Oct 7.

Yesterday, Israel presented at the UN some of the worst testimonies regarding the rape and sexual abuse of civilian men and women on Oct 7. The spokesman of the US state department also said officially what I mentioned to you many were whispering here, that Hamas broke the hostage deal, and refused to release the last of the women it's holding hostage, because it doesn't want the world to know what it has done to them.

France has frozen the assets of Yahya Sinwar, the commander of Hamas in Gaza, for half a year. I'm glad this step was taken, but I'm also wondering why only half an year. Will Sinwar stop being the mastermind behind the Oct 7 massacre in 6 months?

Most of the time, I don't get into the whole issue of fake stuff posted by Palestinians, because even if here a picture is AI generated, and there a vid is staged, it's obvious there are Palestinians killed in Gaza, and while some are terrorists, or directly aided Hamas, others don't deserve their fate. Still, when you come across stuff that is over the top fake, it has to be commented on, because it's a reminder that yeah, while some fake stuff is people unintentionally passing on misinformation (which can happen to everyone during a war), there are those who intentionally fake images, in order to emotionally trigger the world, and through such rage, force a narrative that only recognizes the Palestinians as victims (since Israel doesn't release the pictures of brutalized bodies to preserve the dignity of our dead), and erase the guilt of Hamas in victimizing civilians on both sides, by constantly diverting attention away from how Hamas started this war with the worst massacre and abuse of Jews since the Holocaust.

So here's just one fake vid coming out of Gaza, the woman in the first scene is clearly kissing, crying over and "mourning" a doll.

This is 27 years old Ofir Tzarfaty.

In fact, he turned 27 on Oct 7. He went to the music festival with his friends to celebrate his bday. He was murdered by Hamas, and his body was kidnapped to Gaza. The IDF managed to use the fighting to locate and retrieve the corpse, his family, friends and girlfriend got to have a funeral, and say goodbye.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[liesmyth]

btw. Do we all remember two weeks ago when Joe Biden straight up said "We can't really trust the number of victims being reported from Gaza :(" as if that justifies war crimes. And we let him.

Do we all remember a month ago when IDF sources on twitter claimed the strike on the al-Ahli hospital, then immediately deleted, then posted a video showing wrongly timestamped footage that was also deleted, and we all had to pretend for a week that it was a misfired Hamas rocket because the IDF says so and the US says so, and the IDF would never ever ever strike a hospital.

And then we all collectively stopped talking about it because the IDF did, in fact, strike several hospitals. Laid sieges to hospitals. Attacked and cut fuel to hospitals. And UN facilities. And refugee camps. And ambulances. And journalists. And are currently shelling the only working medical facility left in Gaza.

Anyway! Bet that a decade from now we'll have so much fun unpacking all of this and talking about the media narrative like today we talk about post 9/11 propaganda, and the absolute willful silence of so many major political actors like we talked about the Srebrenica massacre in the 2000s. I hate it that we don't learn shit.

[watermelon-project-archive]

Israel and the IDF are attacking and murdering Civilians. There is no other way to put this or even try to defend this. These are civilians. Some Elderly, some children and babies, some brothers or sisters or distant relatives, some teachers or doctors or regular people who you might have seen working at a store or walking down the street. Not Hamas members. Not terrorists. This is blatant disregard and trampling of the forth Geneva Convention and a War Crime. I don’t care about your stance on this because at this point you are either anti or pro Genocide. It Has been a year and nine days since this Genocide against the Palestinians began. A year and nine days of constant starvation, abuse, and violence against civilians. Israel has absolutely no right or actual reason to be bombing civilians and makeshift tent Hospitals (since Israel has bombed and sieged all the other Hospitals in Gaza). There is no reason or way to justify and defend this slaughter and massacre of innocent civilians trying to get help at a makeshift medical facility.

FREE PALESTINE AND STOP THIS GENOCIDE!

[odinsblog]

Israel’s campaign to displace Gazans—and potentially expel them altogether into Egypt—is yet another chapter in the Nakba, in which an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that led to the creation of the State of Israel. But the assault on Gaza can also be understood in other terms: as a textbook case of genocide unfolding in front of our eyes. I say this as a scholar of genocide, who has spent many years writing about Israeli mass violence against Palestinians. I have written about settler colonialism and Jewish supremacy in Israel, the distortion of the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry, the weaponization of antisemitism accusations to justify Israeli violence against Palestinians, and the racist regime of Israeli apartheid. Now, following Hamas’s attack on Saturday and the mass murder of more than 1,000 Israeli civilians, the worst of the worst is happening.

Under international law, the crime of genocide is defined by “the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such,” as noted in the December 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In its murderous attack on Gaza, Israel has loudly proclaimed this intent. Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant declared it in no uncertain terms on October 9th: “We are imposing a complete siege on Gaza. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we will act accordingly.” Leaders in the West reinforced this racist rhetoric by describing Hamas’s mass murder of Israeli civilians—a war crime under international law that rightly provoked horror and shock in Israel and around the world—as “an act of sheer evil,” in the words of US President Joe Biden, or as a move that reflected an “ancient evil,” in the terminology of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. This dehumanizing language is clearly calculated to justify the wide scale destruction of Palestinian lives; the assertion of “evil,” in its absolutism, elides distinctions between Hamas militants and Gazan civilians, and occludes the broader context of colonization and occupation.

The UN Genocide Convention lists five acts that fall under its definition. Israel is currently perpetrating three of these in Gaza: “1. Killing members of the group. 2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group. 3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” The Israeli Air Force, by its own account, has so far dropped more than 6,000 bombs on Gaza, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the world—almost as many bombs as the US dropped on all of Afghanistan during record-breaking years of its war there. Human Rights Watch has confirmed that the weapons used included phosphorous bombs, which set fire to bodies and buildings, creating flames that aren’t extinguished on contact with water. This demonstrates clearly what Gallant means by “act accordingly”: not targeting individual Hamas militants, as Israel claims, but unleashing deadly violence against Palestinians in Gaza “as such,” in the language of the UN Genocide Convention. Israel has also intensified its 16-year siege of Gaza—the longest in modern history, in clear violation of international humanitarian law—to a “complete siege,” in Gallant’s words. This turn of phrase that explicitly indexes a plan to bring the siege to its final destination of systematic destruction of Palestinians and Palestinian society in Gaza, by killing them, starving them, cutting off their water supplies, and bombing their hospitals.

It’s not only Israel’s leaders who are using such language. An interviewee on the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 called for Israel to “turn Gaza to Dresden.” Channel 12, Israel’s most-watched news station, published a report about left-leaning Israelis calling to “dance on what used to be Gaza.” Meanwhile, genocidal verbs—calls to “erase” and “flatten” Gaza—have become omnipresent on Israeli social media. In Tel Aviv, a banner reading “Zero Gazans” was seen hanging from a bridge.

—RAZ SEGAL, associate professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University and the endowed professor in the study of modern genocide.

[workersolidarity]

[South Africa demands International Court of Justice impose provisional measures on Israel to halt its assault on Gaza. South Africa's delegation underscored the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza, saying it formed a 'calculated pattern of conduct by Israel indicating a genocidal intent']

🇿🇦🇮🇱 🚨 GENOCIDE TRIAL BEGINS AGAINST THE ISRAELI ENTITY AT INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

The first hearings against Israel on charges of genocide are currently being held at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands on Thursday, as Israeli occupation bombing and shelling continued to massacre entire families in the Gaza Strip.

The charges, brought against the Israeli entity by South Africa, were filed with the ICJ on Dec. 29th, 2023, accusing the Jewish apartheid-State of the crime of genocide, implemented as a matter of policy against the Palestinian population of the enclave.

South Africa filed the charges with the ICJ in a meticulously crafted case that included an 84-page report compiling evidence of genocide against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli occupation.

In the 84-page document, South Africa accuses the Israeli entity of creating conditions "conducive to [the Palestinian population's] physical destruction," which South Africa and several other Arab and African nations believe constitutes the crime of "genocide" being inflicted against the native population of the enclave, by the mostly European Jewish colonists.

The hearings, which are being held in The Hague, Netherlands, will be exclusively addressing the request by South Africa that the International community take urgent measures to direct the Israeli occupation to cease and disist its military operations in the Gaza Strip while the Court hears evidence in the case, a process that can span several years.

Hearings began with a statement by South Africa's Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Ronald Lamola, followed by a presentation from the South African representative.

Early on in the hearings, Adila Hassim, an advocate of South Africa's High Court, began setting the stage for the current conflict by describing for the Court the events of 1948 and the Nakba, arguing that the Palestinian people faced a "catastrophe" that year, with the Israeli entity depriving the Arab population of their non-negotiable Rights, such as the right of return and self-determination.

The advocate called for the immediate end to discriminatory policies targeting Palestinians, and pointed out that Israel's aggression against the Arab population has escalated.

Hassim also pointed to Israel's system of apartheid imposed on the Palestinian people, along with the blockade and siege of the Gaza Strip, and described for the Court the ways in which Israel incites violence against Palestinians, in direct contravention of the Genocide Convention.

“We, along with representatives of the state of Palestine and human rights, file this lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Gaza who cannot live in safety,” Hassim told the Court.

Later on in the hearings, South Africa's Minister of Justice, Ronald Lamola, added that “no armed attack on any territory, however grave its danger (…) can justify violations of the Convention," and accused the Israeli occupation of failing to uphold its obligations under International Law and the Genocide Conventions.

Over the course of two days, the Court will hear South Africa's justifications for filing the case with the ICJ, and will hear Israel's response on Friday.

Several Arab and African nations have also voiced support for South Africa's case of genocide against the Israeli occupation, including Jordan, Turkey, Libya, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Venezuela, Namibia, Nicaragua, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comprising 57 Muslim-majority countries, and the members of the Arab League as well.

More than 200 Professors, academics and experts in International Law, the majority of which being from prestigious universities in the United States, have also endorsed South Africa's case against Israel.

More than 23'000 Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, with nearly 60'000 wounded, 70% of whom are women and children, and with another 7'000 or more buried under the rubble.

#source

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@WorkerSolidarityNews

[balanceoflightanddark]

What if Aang never met up with a lion turtle?

Well, if Aang never met up with the Lion Turtle, he wouldn't have learned energybending. And if he never learns energybending, then he'd have to kill Ozai since there would be no other option to render him a nonthreat.

Remember that Aang did say he had to kill the Fire Lord before he learned energybending. He wasn't happy about it, but clearly, the option was there if there was no other way. And it wouldn't be the first time he killed. He did kill Fire Nation soldiers in the Siege of the North while fused with La (even if La was in control, Aang does take responsibility with that little incident hanging heavy in his mind). And one of his recurring problems is that deep down, there is a part of him that wants to get revenge on the Fire Nation for the genocide of his people (slips into the Avatar State upon seeing the corpse of Monk Gyatso, was just barely able to stop himself from killing Ozai during Sozin's Comet).

So with this in mind, we can assume that Aang resolves to kill Ozai. And probably succeeds. Either he redirects Ozai's lightningbending and kills him that way, or he slips into the Avatar State like he's done in the past and kills him that way once his chakra gets unblocked by the rock. Regardless of either option, he's able to kill Ozai.

And he'll be destroyed by it.

For one, he's 12 years old. Doesn't matter how many times his friends try to reassure him, that's way too young to kill. We've already seen that he feels responsible for any collateral damage that the Avatar State causes when he's not in control. What do you think will happen when he kills somebody as a deliberate action Avatar State or not?

Second, and probably most important, killing Ozai wouldn't solve anything. I mean sure, we can have the crowning ceremony for Zuko and the declaration that the new era will be one of peace and understanding.

But there would be this undercurrent of uneasiness behind it all. Zuko might not be as warm with Aang since, abusive POS or not, his father died. I don't think Zuko is going to walk away from that smelling like roses.

And there might not be as many celebrations or people coming together at the end of the war. Why?

Because Aang just put himself above everyone else and executed a man without trial. Even if Ozai was a monster, it doesn't take much guesswork to realize that if the Avatar was able to do it once, he could do it again.

And nobody would be able to stop him.

We've seen what happens when an Avatar gets too heavyhanded. Kyoshi and the Avatar Cycle has a whole became pariahs in Chin Village for killing Chin. Even if it was justified and even if the episode itself was silly at times, they weren't wrong in believing that an Avatar could go rogue and do the same thing again. People are afraid of that kind of power.

Particularly when it comes to the Fire Nation, who I think as a whole won't back down when Aang just murdered their Fire Lord and backed his traitorous son. We might get rebellions. Civil wars. Assassins. Any attempts on Aang's part to quell the warmongering Fire Nation is going to be hamstrung by this one act of violence. I mean Chin Village hadn't forgiven Kyoshi for her actions. Why would a warmongering society see Aang's point of view? Especially when he already has a history of wiping out Fire Nation naval fleets.

Which of course will fray Aang's patience again and again. The kid does have his limits (see the Sandbenders or General Fong). But the attacks won't stop. I could even see assassins being sent out for Aang or the Gaang if they can't kill the Avatar.

And if one of his friends gets hurt or even killed...

There's only so much a kid can take before he snaps.

Anyways, that's how I envisioned this would play out if Aang never met the Lion Turtle. Obviously, it's a bit dark, but it kind of hammers in the point about how you can't exactly end a centuries-long war with one more body to the pile. The world needed mercy, not revenge.