There was a massive cyber attack on Iran’s banking systems.
There were also papers put on ATMs with the following message:
“Dear customers, it is impossible to withdraw money from this ATM. This is because all of Iran’s national budget and resources have been allocated to the wars and the corrupt religious leaders of the Islamic Republic regime. We are very sorry.”
She resigned. Not too surprised by this given that she basically lost the confidence of the teaching staff at
Columbia. I gave her a few months at most earlier in the
year.
Throwing teachers and students under the bus to appease GOP political bullies like Stefanik never works. She really should have known better.
Another war crime by Israel. The ICC is going to have a field day with them. Even the UK is not blocking that trial anymore because the evidence is simply impossible to ignore now.
…if they are ever detained someplace that is party to the ICC.
(Israel and the US are not.)
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Leave it to a principled Scot to state the obvious:
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This is certainly good news.
What’s good news? That Hamas has said that they don’t like the deal, because they think it favors Israel?
As I understand it, there are 2 main points that are holding things up now. One can be worked through, the other I’m not sure about.
Israel wants to control the Philadelphi Corridor during a cease-fire. I’m sure this can be worked out, with a neutral third party controlling it instead.
The second point is the return of hostages. Hamas insists that the number of hostages returned to Israel should include the bodies of those who were killed. Israel wants it to only include living hostages. Hamas probably won’t budge on this, because they don’t know where many of the hostages are anymore, and they don’t have enough to meet the demand.
@The_Polymath there was a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv yesterday. Thankfully, the terrorist detonated prematurely, so only one person was injured. Hamas claimed responsibility, and said that more suicide attacks will be coming.
Where is your condemnation now? Or does it only apply when a Palestinian is hurt? Do you condemn the use of suicide bombers to attack Israelis?
I don’t have more detail on this, just going off what you said, so feel free to add context. Hamas doesn’t have enough hostages to fulfill the number that Israel is asking for? That seems like if they don’t have the hostages, they can’t be expected to return them.
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They won’t admit that they don’t know where they are, or that they don’t have enough to return, so things are at an impasse. Most likely, they’re nervous that global opinion will turn against them further if it becomes known that they killed hostages while holding them, or that other people were involved in taking and holding them.
Videos from Oct 7 show Palestinian “civilians” attacking and taking Israelis back to Gaza with them, not just Hamas fighters. This pokes a hole in the narrative of innocent civilians, because they’re not so innocent anymore.
One of the hostages who was rescued said that she was held by a family, not by Hamas fighters.
Nobody ever argued that every Palestinian civilian was innocent. People argued that they didn’t like innocent ones being killed. I know that you’re of the camp that “some of them are guilty so I’m not worried whether any live or die” though.
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No, I’m not. I do regret the loss of innocent Palestinian lives. I also recognize that Israel needs to make sure it’s safe not only now, but in the future. I mourn the losses, but I place 95% of the blame for it with Hamas.
I hear you say that, but numerous times you’ve slipped up and conflated all Palestinian citizens with Hamas, and now you’re “poking a hole in the narrative of innocent civilians” because some of them are not innocent. It’s just been a pervasive theme.
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If they had X hostages originally, the following applies:
- Some were killed by IDF strikes (A)*
- Some were killed by friendly fire (B)
- Some were killed/died while in custody of Hamas (C)
- Some are likely dead but under ruins of buildings (D)
Its likely that Hamas would under-report (C) and (D) to give themselves more leverage in negotiations (as more pressure would be exerted on Bibi domestically for the release of the hostages).
*I would normally think that Hamas would tend to report IDF strikes that killed hostages, but if you are moving hostages via the tunnels and you get hit with a 2,000lb bomb inside a tunnel, they are very unlikely to find you, as you would be buried under tonnes of rock.
Thing is, if the hostages are dead or presumed dead, Hamas obviously can’t return them.
The cynical part of my logical mind sees this latest agreement as more of an olive branch from Bibi to the US, primarily because he sees a Trump Presidency as far less likely now, so like the canny political operator that he is, he is adjusting his position to appear a bit more palatable to the likely new President (Harris).
Let’s say you’re right, and it’s Bibi playing politics. So what? If it leads to peace, does it matter? Right now, it’s up to Hamas to accept the deal.
I notice you ignored my other post. Do you condemn the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, and Hamas saying they will carry out more of them?
I would be happy to comment but you need to post a link to said news.
Seems that this has yet to be comfirmed as a suicide bombing by Israel.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/19/world/middleeast/tel-aviv-bomb-hamas.html
So… you’re avoiding condemning it.
The situation was unfortunately predictable.
But you probably don’t grasp that.
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