Law, Power, and Justice

The content focuses on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and surrounding areas. It highlights the high number of Palestinian casualties, the inadequate UN aid, and reports from Al Jazeera and other sources. The spokesperson for Hamas criticizes Israel’s actions and accuses them of lying. The content also mentions the death of a Palestinian prisoner and Israeli raids in the West Bank. The Iranian Foreign Minister expresses concern about the situation and accuses the US of hypocrisy. The content includes comments about Iran’s involvement in the conflict and attacks on oil fields in Syria. It also mentions Biden’s position on the hostage release and reports from Lebanon and Eilat, Israel.

Tuesday 24 October 2023

Aljazeera is reporting 5,000 Palestinians dead and intense bombing in the last few hours.  It is 1 AM in Gaza.

The strikes hit refugee camps.  Scores of people are reported killed in Al Shati and Jabalia.

Reporters note that UN aid for Gaza is a fraction of what’s needed and there is video of women and children waiting to be handed small amounts of goods.  These are not the videos being seen on the corporate news.

Aljazeera has reporters inside Gaza, reporting from Gaza. 

A spokesman for Hamas (Osama Hamdan) says the release of the captives was the result of Egyptian-Qatari negotiations.  He says that Hamas asked that the Israelis cease the bombing while they were releasing prisoners. The Israelis did not comply.  “You can’t trust the Israeli’s” they don’t accept the rules.”  “They don’t care about the lives; they just want to kill more.”

There’s been reporting about 50 hostages being released but the Hamas spokesman says those are rumors.  “Lies is what they’ve said about bombing the hospital…Everyone knows now that they are lying.”

According to reporter, Carles Stratford, in Ramallah, the Israelis thanked the Egyptians but not the Quartaries.  Stratford says it seems Hamas wants to get out the civilians and keep the military hostages. 

There have been protests in the West Benk about the death of a Palestinian prisoner.  A Hamas leader Omar Daraghmeh was taken prisoner in the West Bank on October 9.  It was later announced that he died in prison.  Hamas is calling this an assassination. 

There are reports of an attack in the West Bank.  In a village, close to Ramallah, there was a military raid.  More Israeli raids to find Palestinian fighters will go on. 

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iranian Foreign Minister, said:

The region is a powder keg.  I talked with Lavrov.  A position that is not in the interests of the Palestinians will not be adopted at the UN security council. The US is sending military equipment to Israel, so stop your hypocrisy about expanding the war. 

Dorsa Jabbari, in Tehran, says that the Iranian government has spoken to Hamas as well as Islamic Jihad.  They say they have been urged to show restraint. But, they say, these groups are independent.  The hypocrisy of the US asking us to show restraint, while they send arms and move these ships closer is apparent.

The Iranian Foreign Minister has been meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Lavrov, about preventing the US from passing any UN resolution on the war in Gaza. 

Shihab Rattansi, reporter in D.C., comments about the Pentagon press conference.  Their concern was Iran and a wider conflict.  Iran’s fingerprints were all over the conflict, to escalate the conflict in Iran and Syria.  There have been attacks from Syria.  There are ongoing attacks on the oil fields the US controls in eastern Syria. (Note: ?) 

When Trump was in power, he said that the only reason the US was in Syria was to take the oil. 

Biden said that we should have the hostages released and then we can talk.  Is this the official position?  Has this been communicated to Hamas?  The leaks to the press are that the US is pressuring Israel to hold the ground invasion so that more hostages can be released. 

In Lebanon, residents say that the region is being turned into a war zone.  Report from South Lebanon:

People are moving out of the border of Lebanon.  “Where am I go to?”  Asks an elderly woman.

Teresa Bo reports from Eilat, Israel.  It’s a tourist destination, but it is now filled with displaced people.  60,000 people have arrived there.  There is talk about setting up a tent city.  The people are afraid and many blame Netanyahu.