Will Israel’s invasion of Rafah trigger a regional war including Egypt?

by Alfredo Jalife-Rahme

The international press disregards Israel’s serious breach of the Camps David Accords with the IDF taking control of the Rafah-Egypt border post without crossing the Gaza Strip, by invading the Philadelphia corridor. Cairo, however, immediately considered that Tel Aviv had declared war on it. If Egypt defends itself, a regional war will ensue that Israel cannot win.

Retired Israeli general Yitzhak Brik [1] told the Maariv newspaper that a conflict between Egypt and Israel, due to the siege of Rafah by the Israeli army – in the south of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt – would turn into a tragedy for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s troubled government, because Israel has no way of dealing with Egypt.

According to Brik, the Egyptian army is one of the most powerful in the Middle East boasting around 4,000 tanks, including 2,000 modern ones, as well as powerful ships and fighter planes: breaking the peace with the Egyptians would be a catastrophe for the security of Israel in all respects and, in the event of a conflict, Israel would have no other recourse than to pray to God.

The conflict could be triggered by the military stranglehold of the Palestinian city of Rafah, where we know that nearly a million civilians were forced to flee [2]. At the same time, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Choukri announced that his country would join South Africa’s case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as reported by the Voltaire Network in its latest International Newsletter [3]. To boot, Egypt called on the UN Security Council to oppose Israel’s military invasion of Rafah.

However, “Israel violated the Camp David agreements [4] by penetrating with its tanks into the demilitarized zone known as the Philadelphia Corridor: a strip of land 14 km long by 100 meters wide, which has been administered since 2005 by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, currently chaired by Mahmoud Abbas". The Voltaire Network recalls that, for nine years, Egypt alone has controlled the Rafah crossing point, while the Israeli army occupies the Palestinian side of the border post, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid.

Brik predicts that the worst possible war for Israel is approaching: the Egyptians will bury Israel, it is a red flag and an emergency alarm for all Israeli citizens. The retired general warns that the military invasion of Rafah will be the final nail in the coffin of Israel’s ability to defeat Hamas and he worries, despite his professional war experience, that a regional war, more dangerous and more horrific than the current conflict in the Gaza Strip, is looming on the horizon. He lambasted the five Israeli leaders – referring to the war cabinet comprising Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi and the two generals Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot – for having drawn Israel into a “regional war (sic)”.

Brik attacks the five members of the war cabinet who, after seizing 80% of the Gaza Strip, excluding Rafah, pulled back the Israeli troops, thus allowing Hamas to regain control of the entire area: “Losing against Hamas and losing against Egypt, the war chiefs are leading Israel towards disaster" [5].

He claims that the current reality of the Israeli army is that it does not have the power to crush Hamas, even if the war drags on. Furthermore, it cannot push Hezbollah back across the Litani River - the very opposite of what Israel’s toxic war propaganda claims! Brik exposes “the erosion (re-sic) to which the Israeli army is prey, and which is likely to spread if it continues a war which has already lost its reason for being and has not achieved its objectives ".

Nine days after Brik’s foreboding of imminent insubordination, a hooded Israeli soldier in Gaza threatened a "military coup (sic sic sic)" in a video addressed to Prime Minister Netanyahu - all in the style of the Jalisco Cartel “Nueva generación” – with 100,000 reservists (mega-sic) to prevent the handover of the Gaza government to either Palestinian group [6]. The video was put out by Yair, the controversial 32-year-old son of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who now lives comfortably in Miami [7].

 

Alfredo Jalife-Rahme
Source
La Jornada (Mexico)

https://www.voltairenet.org/article220951.html

 

 

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Putin congratulates Jews

Russian President Vladimir Putin has wished Russian Jews ‘all the best’ as they celebrate the Day of Salvation and Liberation - a holiday dedicated to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

While the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, or Victory Day, is recognized on May 8 in Western countries and May 9 in Russia and parts of the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia, in 1945 that date fell on the 26th day of the Jewish month of Iyar. This year, that day coincides with June 3.

In a statement published on the Kremlin’s official website, Putin wrote “26 Iyar is one of the most important, significant dates in the centuries-old history of the Jewish people,” which connects eras and generations and personifies “the unfading memory of the Great Victory” and the “immortal feat” of those who crushed Nazism and saved the Jewish and other peoples from annihilation.

READ MORE: Germany has broken promise to Nazi blockade survivors – Lavrov

“This is a tribute to deep, sincere respect for people who, in the most difficult trials, showed steadfastness and courage and did not submit to a cruel and merciless enemy,” Putin wrote.

The president went on to describe the holiday as a celebration that enriches the “historical, religious, and cultural traditions of Russian Jews, promotes high spiritual, moral, patriotic ideals and values in society, especially among young people, and serves to consolidate efforts in opposing radical nationalism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.”

“I wish you success in implementing your plans and all the best. Happy holiday!” Putin’s message concluded.

 

https://www.rt.com/russia/598704-putin-jewish-salvation-day/

 

 

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by Lucy Williamson

 

For the leaders of both Hamas and Israel, ending the war in Gaza has become a deadly game of survival.

The terms on which the war finally ends could largely determine their political future and their grip on power. For Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, even his physical survival.

It’s partly why previous negotiations have failed. It’s also why the question of how to permanently end the fighting has been put off to the last stages of the plan outlined by US President Joe Biden on Friday.

That transition between talks on a limited hostage-for-prisoner deal to discussions about a permanent ceasefire would, Mr Biden acknowledged, be “difficult”.

But it’s also where the success or failure of this latest deal is likely to hinge.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has strong domestic reasons for wanting to take this deal step by step.

Phase one, as outlined by Mr Biden, would see the release of dozens of hostages, both living and dead. That would be widely welcomed in a country where the failure to free all those held by Hamas is, for many, a glaring moral stain on his management of the war.

But Hamas is unlikely to give up its most politically sensitive hostages – women, wounded, elderly – without some kind of guarantee that Israel won’t simply restart the war once they’re home.

• Israel confirms deaths of four more hostages in Gaza

Leaks, quoted by Israeli media on Monday morning, suggested that Benjamin Netanyahu has told parliamentary colleagues that Israel would be able to keep its options open.

That option, to resume fighting – until Hamas is “eliminated” – is, some believe, the least Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners will demand.

Without their support, he faces the prospect of early elections and the continuation of a corruption trial.

Mr Netanyahu needs to keep his long-term options open, to stand a chance of winning their support for any initial hostage deal. Hamas leaders, on the other hand, are likely to want permanent ceasefire guarantees upfront.

Previous deals have collapsed into this chasm. Bridging it now will depend on how much room for manoeuvre Mr Netanyahu has with his hard-right government allies to find alternatives to the “elimination” of Hamas – and how far Hamas leaders are prepared to consider them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6ppn8nyv1do

 

METHINKS THAT THE PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN IN SURVIVAL MODE FOR YONKS UNDER THE BOOTS OF THE ISRAELIS...

 

 

 

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Israel’s forced starvation has caused the deaths of  more children in central Gaza where conditions have been made worse by Israel’s closure of the Rafah crossing, further limiting aid and trapping sick and injured Palestinians.

https://johnmenadue.com/israels-forced-starvation-in-gaza-has-killed-dozens-of-children/

 

SEE ALSO: 

Series 38 Not In My NameDuration: 28 minutes 10 seconds28m 

Antony Loewenstein is a leading voice among Australian Jews speaking out against Israel's attacks on Gaza. But some in the Jewish community have branded him a traitor.

https://iview.abc.net.au/video/RN2311H010S00

 

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 The curious case of the PM’s shuttered electorate office

 

These days, the mean streets of Marrickville lack the grit of decades past. But, according to an article published in The Australian yesterday, Marrickville is no longer a safe space for staff of the suburb’s most famous resident, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The presence of pro-Palestinian protesters camped outside the prime minister’s electorate office for months on end had, according to The Oz, forced staff to abandon the site out of safety concerns from January. But, like many things printed in the national broadsheet, this wasn’t entirely true. One of our colleagues visited the office in April and was let in by staff who confirmed it was still operational.

Usually the prime minister’s office is quick to hose down any errors in the media. Not so this time. Eventually it confirmed to the Herald that the office had been closed – but only two weeks ago. That is about the time the government started escalating its attack on the Greens Political Party (as True Believers call it) over perceived support for demonstrators who have been making a nuisance outside the offices of several senior Labor figures.

In this context, the lack of a swift denial appeared to be just a little convenient. We also asked The Australian for a Please Explain, and didn’t hear back.

Perhaps we should have put it to News Corp boss Michael Miller when he showed up at the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday to have a crack at social media giants. Miller copped some curly questions from journalists about the empire’s alleged bullying of women, and perceptions that some of the papers’ coverage of migration might be a bit racist.

Miller got a friendlier reception from fellow media bosses, particularly from Seven West Media, who bought a table. The Kerry Stokes-controlled company’s new chief executive Jeff Howard and director of news and current affairs Anthony De Ceglie exchanged plenty of firm blokey handshakes with Miller after question time.

SMH 06/06/2024

 

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HALF OF GAZA’S POPULATION FACES DEATH, STARVATION BY MID-JULY: UN

 

by INTEL-DROP

 

Biden’s ‘Gaza Pier’ loaded up arms for Jewish terrorists and then ‘blew away’ (Truth Bomb)

Deaths due to famine have been steadily increasing as Jews continues to block the entry of aid

News Desk

JUN 5, 2024

 

 

A joint report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) released on 5 June states that over one million Palestinians may face fatal levels of starvation by mid-July.

“Between mid-March and mid-July, half of the population of the Gaza Strip (1.1 million people) is expected to face catastrophic conditions and the entire population of the Gaza Strip is expected to face crisis or worse levels of acute food,” the joint FAO-WFP report reads.

The report continued, “According to the [Integrated Food Security Phase Classification] Famine Review Committee, as of March 2024, all evidence pointed towards a major acceleration of starvation-related death and malnutrition.”

The FAO-WFP report states that the movement of humanitarian aid access is constrained both into Gaza and within its territory.

“Humanitarian assistance remains the primary source of essential items since early October, given ongoing heavy restrictions on imports of commercial goods,” the report adds.

The report also states that the consequences of Israel’s aggressions have spread eastward towards the West Bank and the occupied East Jerusalem, where “violent incidents, mobility restrictions and border closures has contributed to a 22 percent year-on-year contraction of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2023.”

Emergency recommendations put forward by the two human rights organizations include the proposal by The Flash Appeal for Palestine, which “requests $2.8 billion for April to December 2024. This funding will aim to address the needs of 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip and 800,000 people in the West Bank. Approximately $782.1 million is to be allocated for food security interventions.”

These interventions include ensuring the supply of fuel and cooking gas to aid humanitarian efforts and help keep services like mills and bakeries in working condition. They also seek to help restore the agriculture, livestock, and fishing sectors to ensure sustained food production.

Another scheme would be to establish a secure humanitarian corridor to help the access of food items to the Gaza Strip.

A report released by Gaza’s Government media office on Monday stated that thousands of children aged five and under may die as a result of Israel’s systematic use of starvation.

“More than 3,500 children under the age of five are at risk of death in the Gaza Strip due to starvation policies, lack of food, the absence of nutritional supplements, and the prevention of aid by the occupation,” the statement read.

Israel has been actively delaying the entry of needed aid into Gaza, per an Oxfam report, some of these delays last upwards of 20 days.  

Humanitarian aid trucks stuck at the Rafah crossing have reported food items rotting on board before reaching the besieged enclave. 

Other nations highlighted alongside Palestine in the FAO–WFP report as hotspots with high concern include Mali, Sudan, Haiti, and South Sudan. 

https://www.theinteldrop.org/2024/06/05/half-of-gazas-population-faces-death-starvation-by-mid-july-un/

 

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