(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - In the wake of U.S. President Joe Biden's lightning visit to Israel on Wednesday, 12 days into the war with Hamas, it's clear he told his hosts America has no objection to an Israeli ground operation in Gaza. Biden also promised an expansive package of security aid and pledged that the army will get all the ammunition it needs. Israel won't interfere with humanitarian aid supplied to southern Gaza via Egypt as long as it is confined to food, water and medicine for the civilian population. Humanitarian aid via Israel will be allowed only after the Israeli hostages are returned. Israel is also demanding that Hamas let the Red Cross visit the hostages. In the north, Hizbullah is still firing anti-tank missiles, rockets and guns every day, and each incident tests Israel's patience anew. Wednesday's attacks included rocket launches at Kiryat Shmona. What actually happened at the Gaza hospital has become clear: A Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket fired at Israel misfired, exploded in midair and landed in the hospital parking lot, where there were many refugees seeking shelter. The Gazan Health Ministry, which Hamas controls, inflated the number of casualties on its orders, reporting the number of deaths as 500. The actual number of fatalities, which Israel didn't cause, is apparently only a few dozen.
2023-10-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive