Operation: Saxon Needles; Week 4, Day 5.

This is probably best understood as a direct continuation of; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2023/10/operation-saxon-needles-week-4-day-3.html

So. On Saturday October 7th (7/10/23) the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) launched an attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

The attack began at around 06:30 (03:30 GMT) with a massive barrage of rockets and other explosive projectiles. Hamas claim they fired over 5,000 while Israel detected only 3,000. 

To give you some perspective. In 2019 Israel hosted the Eurovision Song Contest. This prompted the different armed groups in Gaza to collectively fire around 700 rockets and explosive projectiles. At the time that was considered a lot. Enough to prompt around 300 Israeli airstrikes in Gaza in response. On May 2nd (2/5/23) the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PiJ) armed group fired 102 rockets and other explosive projectiles from Gaza into Israel. That the most number in a single day that anyone could remember.

So if there is a precedent for even 3,000 rockets and other explosive projectiles being fired from Gaza into Israel. Then in my twenty years of monitoring the conflict I certainly don't know what it is.

Under the cover of this bombardment some 2,900 Hamas fighters launched a ground assault into Israel. Hamas would like you to believe that they invaded by Air, Sea and Land. As if they'd, somehow, recreated the D-Day Landings from World War Two.

Hamas did certainly manage to land fighters in two small inflatable boats at Zikim. They were also able to scatter a small number of Paraglider-born fighters across southern Israel. The bulk of their attack force though was land based. The standard Islamist version of mechanised infantry. So fighters on pick-up trucks, pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns (Technicals) and motorcycles.

Although I've not been able to map it myself. Hamas' ground force entered Israel at seven points. Which I assume were the five border crossings, running north-to-south; Erez, Nahal Oz, Karni, Sufa and Karem Shalom. Along with two areas where they smashed through the central Border Fence/Buffer-Zone using explosives and construction diggers.

Hamas's ground force then attacked, overran and held the posts of the Israeli Security Forces. So IDF bases, guard and observation posts along with Israeli police stations. From just south of Ashkelon in the North, Ofakim in the East and Nir Yitzhak in the South. Although the lines are jagged and bulging this gave Hamas control of around 480km² (290miles²) of Israeli territory.

As I've said. This was really the desperate last roll of the dice by an organisation which has spent the last decade on the ropes. Despite being over two years into what they thought would be their great comeback. With absolutely nothing to show for it. So I don't doubt there were all sorts of wild aspirations running through their heads.

However Hamas' primary aspiration seems to be to hold the territory which they had seized.

The attack came the day after the 50th anniversary of the 1973 War. Within Israel that war is known as; "The Yom Kippur War." However like all Jewish religious festivals Yom Kippur is calculated in accordance to a Lunisolar Calendar. In 1973 Yom Kippur fell on October 6th (6/10/1973). So across the Arab world the 1973 is known a; "The October 6th War", or simply; "The October War." 

Hamas seemed to believe that if it held its ground in Israel then everyone would rush to its aid. Recreating the 1973 War and its aim to wipe Israel from existence. In the early stages of the attack Hamas issued a public call to its allies to do just that.

What Hamas seem to have overlooked in this aspiration is that during the 1973 War Israel faced the nation state of Egypt. Which, according to quick Wikipedia figures, had 800,000 troops. Along with 41,000 thousand armoured vehicles, 1,100 heavy artillery units and 400 combat aircraft.

Israel also faced the nation state of Syria. Which had 150,000 troops, 1,100 armoured vehicles and 600 heavy artillery units. Israel also faced the nation state of Saudi Arabia. Which had 23,000 troops. The nation of Morocco which had 5,500 troops, 30 armoured vehicles and over 50 combat aircraft. Along with the 1,000 troops sent by the nation state of Cuba.

Hamas military strength is believed to be a maximum of 40,000 fighters. It is believed to posses somewhere in the range of 100,000 rounds of heavy artillery ammunition, rockets and other explosive projectiles. That is 100,000 rounds of ammunition. Not 100,000 heavy artillery units.

Operating in the other part of Palestine, the Occupied West Bank the dominant armed group is Lion's Den. Rather than being a formal group this is more a loose collection of extremist members of other armed groups. They're believed to number around 100, armed only with small-arms. They do not have any rounds of heavy artillery. They certainly do not have any armoured vehicles or combat aircraft.

To the North of Israel, in Lebanon, the dominant armed group is Hezbollah. They're estimated to have around 60,000 fighters along with 150,000 rounds of heavy artillery ammunition. Again, they don't have any armoured vehicles and they certainly don't have any combat aircraft.

Aside from failing to notice that, even in their wildest dreams, Israel would be facing a far smaller force than it did in the 1973 War. Hamas also seems to have failed to notice that Israel won the 1973 War. So decisively and comprehensively that it took until 1979 for Israel to return the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt.

Whilst waiting for the Muslim world to spring into action. To help them Free Palestine, from the River to the Sea. Hamas turned their attention to the communities living in the area of Israel they had just seized control over.

The majority of the communities is this part of Israel are what are known as; "Kibbutz." Which literally translates as; "Gathering" or; "Clustering" although is more accurately translated as; "Commune." They are something which I think are entirely unique to Israel.

The most accessible cultural jumping off point I can think of to explain a Kibbutz is probably the 2023 hit TV Show; "The Last of Us." Central to the story is the "Joel" character's journey across a post-apocalyptic America to find his long-lost brother; "Tommy."

At the risk of spoiling a TV show which I feel I'm the last person on the planet to have caught up with. In episode 6; "Kin"  Joel does eventually find Tommy. Living in a utopian community hidden in the wilds of the US State of Wyoming.

Tommy and his new wife Maria show Joel around the community. Explaining that they all work together to grow their own food, make their own clothes and raise all of their children together. Something which Joel disparagingly dismisses as; "Communism."

To which Maria replies; "Yes, we live on a commune." "We are quite literally Communists."

Obviously this type of Communist Collective Farming has developed a, I think deservedly, bad reputation. Thanks to Josef Stalin's; "Great Plan For The Transformation of Nature" in the Soviet Union. Along with Chairman Mao's; "Great Leap Forward" in China. Where the State's forcing of people onto Collective Farms led to widespread famine and death.

However Kibbutz are different from that. They're established by the people who choose to live on them. Certainly no-one is being forced to live on them by the government. The first Kibbutz pre-date the State of Israel by about 40 years.

So rather than being Communist Kibbutz are more Anarcho-Syndicalist or; "Anarchist;" "Libertarian-Socialist."

All of which is so very far Leftwing. I doubt any of the Western Leftists who are currently posing for Palestine and demanding the destruction of Israel even know that things can get that Leftwing.

Obviously what is portrayed in The Last of Us is part of an entertainment show, rather than a documentary about Kibbutz. In real-life the buildings in Kibbutz tend to be typical of any other type of mid-20th Century home. Rather than a TV set intended to invoke memories of the US' Wild West. The walls around Kibbutz tend to be normal sized for a security wall and made out of concrete. Rather than towering edifices made out of logs.

Hamas also turned its attention to what is being politely described as a music festival. Happening close to the Re'im or; "Friends" Kibbutz.

It is Hamas' focus on the Kibbutz and the 'music festival' which showed me that their actions have nothing to do with the politics of the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Issues such as the Two-State Solution, the Status Quo at Al-Aqsa/Temple Mount, the illegal Settlers on the Israeli Occupied West Bank.

This was nothing more than an attempt to erase Israel and Jews from the face of the Earth.

The attack came at the end of the most important part of the Jewish religious calendar. A period where a number of the so-called; "High Holidays" are clustered together.

It starts with; "Rosh Hashanah" or; New Year. In which God looks at people's behaviour over the course of the last year. Then uses it to decide what the future will hold for them in the year to come. Then, a week later, you have; "Yom Kippur" or; "The Day of Atonement." On which, with the plan for their next year in hand. God asks if there's anything from the previous year anyone would like to apologise for?

A few days later you have the weeklong festival of; "Sukkot." Which literally translates as; "Shack" or; "Shanty." It's a reference to the makeshift shelters Jews lived in during their Biblical exodus from Egypt. However it's really more of a festival celebrating the autumn harvest. Somewhat like the European Animist festival of; "Samhain" or; "Halloween."

The final day of Sukkot is; "Simchat Torah" or; "The Dancing of the Scrolls." This celebrates God's gift of the Bible/Torah.

Haredi Jews and Settlers celebrate Simchat Torah by dancing around with Torah scrolls. In places like Al-Aqsa and Occupied East Jerusalem. Taunting Palestinians with their dreams of expelling them from their lands and fulfilling the Biblical promise of a Greater Israel.

While another part of Israeli Jewish society take Simchat Torah as an excuse to have a borderline illegal, drug fuelled three day Psychedelic Trance Rave. The; "Tribe of the Stars" dance party.

That is certainly an aspect of Israeli culture which I remember from my younger days. I almost feel as though I was participating in that Rave online. As we all used to do, back during Covid.

Over the years I have grown familiar with the type of people who live in Southern Israel, around city of Sderot. I like to think they have grown familiar with me.

The typical explosive projectile that is fired into Southern Israel from Gaza is the Qassam Rocket. These are poorly welded water pipes packed with Ammonia Nitrate, Fuel Oil (ANFO) explosive. They are based on the Soviet; "Grad" or; "Hail" rocket.

Grad rockets are something you may have grown familiar with from footage of the Biden Regime's wholly illegal war against Ukraine, the Donbas Republics and Russia. They look like dozens of tubes on the back of a truck. Out of which multiple rockets are fired really quickly. The Grad system is what's known as an; "Area Weapon." The idea is that you quickly blast dozens of rockets into an area the size of a football pitch. In order to kill everything within that area. 

So rather like how no-one has even been much bothered by a single hailstone. One Qassam rocket being fired a day into an area the size of Southern Israel is more of an act of criminal violence. Rather than an act of war. Rather like how every time there's a shooting in somewhere like the UK or the US. It is a matter for the police rather than the military.

So for decades I've been telling the people who live in Southern Israel that they have to put up with occasional Qassam rocket fire. It is a perfectly valid form of Palestinian protest against the way that other Israelis behave like absolute di*ks towards the Palestinians.

For the most part. The people who live in Southern Israel agree with me and the Palestinian protests. Despite the fact they're the ones who have to run to the bomb shelters. Due to the fact that some of their fellow Israelis behave like absolute di*ks towards the Palestinians.

Within the area they had seized control of. Hamas then set about systematically exterminating every living thing. In the most wanton and horrific ways imaginable. And I do mean; "Extermination." In the full legal and moral sense.

Particularly in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the September 11th 2001 (11/9/01) Terror Attacks. The US seemed to become utterly obsessed with a 1999 incident from my childhood. In which a nominally Muslim Delusional Schizophrenic attacked my childhood Catholic Christian Church with a pair of Samurai swords.

That is still far from one of the worst things I have ever seen.

A strong contender for one of the worst things that I have ever seen is the 2015 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) video; "Healing The Believer's Chests." In which ISIL burned alive the Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasabeh they'd been holding hostage. Eight years later I can still vividly remember how he bravely relied on his training as the flames came towards him. Then retained the presence of mind to breath the flames deep into his lungs.

One of my more distinguishing features is third degree burn scars on the palms of my hands. Somewhat in the style of the Stigmata Jesus Christ wore after being nailed to the cross. So I know, almost literally first hand, that burning is the worst form of pain that you will ever experience. If you've ever suffered sunburn or caught your hand on a pan while cooking. You might have a small idea of the pain I'm talking about.

If you ever do find yourself in a situation where you are to be burned alive. The correct medical advice is to breath the flames as deeply into your lungs as you can. That will destroy your lungs and kill you. Before you fully experience the pain of being burned from the outside in.

Imagine being in a situation so bad. That's the choice you have to make.

As they rampaged through Southern Israel Hamas fighters took many parents and their young children and bound together with barbed wire. They then burned them alive, together. So each could hear the screams of their loved ones as they burned.

Due to them being prepared to support Palestinian's legitimate right to protest. Almost all buildings on Kibbutz have a; "Safe-Room." Sometimes described as a; "Panic Room" this is an armoured room people can lock themselves in if they come under attack.

As they marauded through Hamas fighters tried to break their way into these safe-rooms. Where they were able to get the doors open they either sprayed the room with gunfire or chucked in grenades. All to exterminate those within.

Where Hamas fighters couldn't get the doors of the safe-rooms open. They simply set fire to the buildings around them. Burning their occupants alive with each hearing the screams of their loved ones as they died.

I could sit for what would feel like eternity giving every gruesome detail of every horrific atrocity Hamas committed that day. Every person they shot. Every person they stabbed. Every person they beheaded. Every person they raped. Every person they burned alive.

I could tell you of all the pregnant women they held down. Forced to watch as they cut the babies from their wombs. Then beheaded those babies in front of them. Leaving those mothers with that as their last memory as they slowly bled to death.

However those atrocities happened nearly five weeks ago. Yet I still don't think we can even begin to tell you how bad it truly was. We may never be able to tell you how bad it truly was.

January 27th 2023 (27/1/23) marked the 78th Anniversary of the end of the Nazi Holocaust.

To this day, particularly in Israel. There are Holocaust survivors who still can't talk to you about how bad it truly was.

18:34 on 1/11/23 (UK date).