March 1, 2024. Horror in Gaza Yesterday. Dozens killed, hundreds wounded during delivery of flour and aid. By trampling and live fire. From where we are,  in Sderot in the night we know no more.                                                                                         

March 6, 2024

Heart of Galilee. Everything IS quiet and peaceful here. No Balagan. No crazy mess. Lebanon close enough. The closer you get, closed roads. The occasional shelling in the distance. War no good, the people Say. Oh yes, many Christians here. Arab Israelis. No Muslim fundamentalists. No Settlers.

March 7, 2023. Nablus, An Najah University. The old university, up on the hill.

I have my ways, from Jerusalem to Ramallah, and then to Nablus, sometimes higher up to Jenin. This time, straight to Ramallah, and Nablus. First, with the ex-captain of the Palestinian national handball team, a young, muscular man dressed in black, with a gold cross hanging from his neck. He defines himself as a Christian, and dons his cross proudly, and simply. I ask him if it's an easy way to go around, although you'd think twice before attacking a man that strong. He says he can deal with it, and it's nothing special really.

So, you can be a non-Muslim, a Christian Arab, in the present Palestinian society in the West Bank, let it show, for all to see, and it's all right, not such a big deal ? This is news to me. Good omen.

I love Nablus. Not just its old city, but the way it's built, from Balata (the "Balata Camp") down South, and Jacob's Well, inside the Greek Orthodox church, to Rafidiya, on its Northwest end on the road to Jenin, with its Mount Gerizim overlooking it. Mount Gerizim, the sanctuary of the Samaritans, who consider it the holiest place on Earth, holier than Jerusalem.

There are less than a thousand Samaritans today, and half of them live around Mount Gerizim.

I am surprised that most people ignore the Samaritans to this day. Is it all a matter of large amounts ?

Anyway, the collective taxi took me up hill, past the old cemetery (the greenest place in Nablus, with all its trees), to the gates of the university. I present myself as a visitor for Dr Shaer, but I have to repeat his name, twice. Al Shaer ? Nasereddin Al Shaer ? He's been in jail for months ! I didn't know ? Everybody knows around here. Where I come from, nobody knew, and that too is new to me.

Furthermore, the whole campus is empty. No students to be seen anywhere. I eventually find a couple of teachers, and they confirm that Nasser Al Shaer has been taken away by the army, and that was weeks and weeks ago. Besides, the university is closed, and has been closed for long too, because of roadblocks. It takes double time and more to get anywhere, through complicated detours on dirt paths. Students stay home. Another confinement. And I realize the way from Ramallah to Nablus was as difficult as it was over twenty years ago, 2001-2002, during the Second Intifada.

We have to update our ongoing Campaign, include Nasser Al Shaer in it. Nasser, when he was Minister of Education, and Vice Prime Minister, in 2006, was the man who supported our Bilingual Experimental Programme (The Spirit of Luther King), who pushed for it, and obtained the formal agreement for it of then Prime Minister Haniyeh in Gaza.

March 15, 2024. Our updated Campaign. After the arrest of Dr Nasser Al Shaer.

THE JERUSALEM AND NABLUS CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF HOSTAGES AND A DURABLE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES 

Because we are human beings, and human beings are not bargaining chips, 

Because we are horrified by the carnages and pogroms of October 7 in the name of ‘armed resistance’, 

Because we are appalled at the extent of innocents’ death and destruction in their wake, 

We express our ultimate and universal condemnation concerning all acts of bloody savagery and wanton devastation. 

No political or religious speech, whatsoever, can ever legitimate the massacre of innocents, the murder of a child, the rape of a woman, the kidnapping of elderly people from their home. 

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages detained in Gaza. Prisoners of war can be exchanged. Abducted civilians are not prisoners of war. 

Gaza civilians also are hostages in this horrendous chaos. 

In the same spirit, we demand the immediate release of Dr Nasser Al Shaer, a peace-loving man, former Palestinian vice Prime Minister. 

 

For a durable cessation of hostilities, we support a permanent end to all attack tunnels, and a demilitarized Palestinian state, in Gaza as in the West Bank. 

March 25, 2024. 

Text of Security Council Resolution 2728, demanding immediate ceasefire, immediate release of hostages

 The Security Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling all of its relevant resolutions on the situation in the Middle East,
including the Palestinian question,

Reiterating its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under
international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and in this regard deploring all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as all violence and hostilities against civilians, and all acts of terrorism, and recalling that the taking of hostages is prohibited under international law;

Expressing deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,

Acknowledging the ongoing diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, aimed at reaching a cessation of hostilities, releasing the hostages and increasing the provision and distribution of humanitarian aid,

1. Demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire, and also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access to address their medical and other humanitarian needs, and further demands that the parties comply with their obligations under international law in relation to all persons they detain;

2. Emphasizes the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to and reinforce the protection of civilians in the entire Gaza Strip and reiterates its demand for the lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale, in line with international humanitarian law as well as resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023);

3. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.:

 Approved by 14 : 

•  Algeria
•  China
•  Ecuador
•  France
•  Guyana
•  Japan
•  Mozambique
•  Malta
•  Russia
•  Sierra Leone
•  Slovenia
•  South Korea
•   Switzerland
•  United Kingdom

Abstained  (1) :

•  United States

Opposed by none

March 27, 2024. What's wrong with it ?

Let it simmer a while. Read it, and re-read it. From all angles.

1- Deploring all attacks againts civilians - starting October 7, 2023.

Isn't that the very core of international concern against ultra-violence and mayhem ?

Deploring all violence and hostilities against civilians, and all acts of terrorism, and recalling that the taking of hostages is prohibited under international law

 2- On the same level : all violence and hostilities against civilians (from October 7 until now) / all acts of terrorism (October 7 the matrix of all such acts) / and recalling that the taking of hostages is prohibited under international law (unambiguous condemnation of October 7).

3- Expressing deep concern  about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Who on Earth can deny ?

4- Crediting three countries in particular, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, for their efforts at these three levels : reaching a cessation of hostilities, releasing the hostages, increasing humanitarian aid.

5-Demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan - which started over two weeks ago, on March 10, thirteen days left only.

6- leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire - all in "leading to". No time limits set there. Isn't this the spirit of any transitional ceasefire, "leading to" something else, something more, in terms of "lasting", "sustainable".

7-  demand[ing] the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages

a clear demand and deadline : immediate

8-  ensuring humanitarian access to them, on, repeatedly, humanitarian grounds. Eight times the word "humanitarian" is used in the 267 words of the remarkably concise Resolution, and once its root, the word "human".

9- in the same spirit, demanding that all parties comply with their obligations concerning detainees, be they war prisoners, or else. Who could object ?

10- Concluding on the urgency to increase humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, and reinforcing the protection of civilians. Isn't this what all parties want, from the IDF to the remaining combatants in the Strip ?

What's left out is the fate of the two Islamic battalions left, presumably in the South-West of the Gaza Strip.

As well as the fate of the political authorities in Gaza, still in line with the Hamas Charter.

The time hinge is "leading to" : a limited ceasefire now, ahead of a longer, lasting one.

The Resolution does not specify what the conditions of sustainability can be.

On this whole matter, an interesting featured post can be read, in The Times of Israel, March 26, by Ariel Beery :

Here’s why we must embrace UN Security Council Resolution 2728’s ceasefire

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/we-must-embrace-security-council-resolution-2728/

 

April 1, 2024. Fools Day...

Friendly fire: IDF helicopter pilot shot at Israeli soldiers after pressing wrong button

https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-794663

 

April 3, 2024  More Horror yet.

 

 José Andrés : Let People Eat / The probe into death of WCK volunteers needs to start from the top

The New York Times, YNet News, April 3, 2024        https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1d8xgck0

 

April 3, 2024. The release of Dr Al Shaer (former minister of Education, vice Prime Minister).

Reminding us of a Leonard Cohen quote : "They locked up a man who wanted to rule the world. The fools locked up the wrong man."

 Before prison / After

 

 April 7, 2024. U.N. Secretary-General speaking : 

  

April 8, 2024. Turning point.

The Israel Defence Forces have withdrawn from most of the Gaza Strip.
Out of 20 brigades, 1 is left only.

It doesn't mean the war is over, but it comes as close as it could get to the hostages' families' expectations. See now how those detaining the hostages react.

 

April 9, 2024. The King of Jordan, the French President, and the Egyptian President in line.

 Extracts of their letter, published in The Washington Post :

"Violence, terror and war cannot bring peace to the Middle East. The two-state solution will. It is the only credible path to guaranteeing peace and security for all, and ensuring that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis ever have to relive the horrors that have befallen them since the Oct. 7 attack.

On March 25, the U.N. Security Council finally assumed its responsibility by demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. 

We emphasize the urgency of implementing the Security Council’s demand for the immediate release of all hostages and reaffirm our support for the negotiations brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States that address a cease-fire, as well as the hostages and detainees.

We reiterate our equal respect for all lives. We condemn all violations and abuses of international humanitarian law, including all acts of violence, terrorism and indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Protecting civilians is a fundamental legal obligation for all parties and the cornerstone of international humanitarian law. Violating this obligation is absolutely prohibited."

n.b.: Political leaders always follow their own agenda, depending upon their electorate, audience...

 

April 10, 2024. The Jerusalem & Nablus Call. Another version of the same thing. Work in progress...

THE JERUSALEM AND NABLUS CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF HOSTAGES AND A DURABLE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES

Horrified by the unprecedented grievousness of the attack on Israel and by the pogroms of October 7,

Appalled at the horrendous extent of deaths and devastations in their wake,

We fully back the Resolution of the United Nations Security Council (March 25) ;

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, while they are still alive, with a decent surrender of the corpses of those who were killed in captivity.

Because human beings are not bargaining chips,

We condemn all actions aggravating the people’s sufferings, be they Israelis or Palestinians.

As no political or religious speech, whatsoever, can ever legitimate the massacre of innocents, the murder of a child, the rape of a woman, the kidnapping of elderly people,

We reaffirm the categorical imperative for all leaders not to fail their obligation to protect their people.

For a lasting, sustainable ceasefire, we support a permanent end to all attack tunnels, and the establishment of a completely demilitarized Palestinian State, in Gaza as in the West Bank.

184 W

April 11, 2024. Dehumanization rising.

“The horrific dehumanization of Israelis that took place on October 7 and the ongoing dehumanization of the Israeli hostages every day they’re held cannot be matched by the dehumanization of innocent Palestinian civilians,”

David Satterfield, US envoy for the humanitarian situation in Gaza 

 

April 14, 2024. "It's not dark yet, but it's getting there". Hands Off El Aqsa ! Hands Off Jerusalem! 

We'd been working until past midnight, three of us, to renovate the organization of our virtual Peace Lines home.

Totally focused on matters of clarity and colours, easy access. You could say online Feng Shui.

We knew "something" was coming, from Tehran. Something was in the air. Warnings and rumours.

Warfare is so saturated with wild rumours, and fake news.

And then it was there, this morning, for all to hear and see.

You see the pictures, and it's hard to believe.

How dare they ?

Take it back to Damascus, a fortnight ago, we hear fifteen people were killed in a "non-identified strike" on an Iranian facility, with top ranking officers in it. The Iranians in Tehran vowed revenge, and it was clear to them this could only be the work of the Israeli secret services. Unable to target a dozen high-ranking Israeli officers, they decided to launch some three hundred killer drones and missiles at Israel, Jerusalem included, indiscriminately. How do these two approaches compute ?

How long will incendiary generals keep on taking hundreds of thousands of people hostages of their sick gambling?

April 16, 2024. Quest for Facts.

Facts are hard to get. What we call facts. They say over 300 drones and missiles were launched from Iran in the night of April 14 to April 15. 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 missiles containing over 60 tons of explosives

 (The Jerusalem Post, April 15, 2024)

Among the missiles, you distinguish between "cruise missiles" and "ballistic missiles". They say "None of the drones or cruise missiles entered Israeli airspace" whereas a small number of ballistic missiles penetrated that space - hence the pictures of interceptions over El Aqsa and the Knesset. 

For those of us who thought of drones as fun toys kids and adults would play with in their backyard, this is a picture of what Iranian Shahed drones look like. You check the data online, and you find several generations of Iranian war drones in twenty years, from the small S 136 (wingspan 2.5 m) and the larger S 129 (wingspan 16 m, warhead: 4 guided bombs of 34 kg), S 149 "Gaza" (wingspan 21 m), to the more recent S 238 seen in the picture, of the type launched at Israel.

Get acquainted with the S 149 "Gaza" :

Combat range 2500 km, cruise speed 340 kmh, length 10 m, span as stated 21 m, capacity 1500 kg, warhead 13 guided bombs.

You may wonder at the emergence of this brand new technology in what was once known as Persia.

Fact-checking again : Iran is a rather recent player in the category of "big players" - the select club of the Top Ten arms exporting countries worldwide (n°1 US, n°2 France, Russia, China, n°5 Italy, Germany, UK, Spain, n°9 Israel, n°10 Poland). Until not so long ago Iran ranked 33rd, trailing with the "small players" South Africa, Ireland, Egypt, Hungary... In 2022 ("Ukraine") it rose to 17th, in between Canada and Belgium, the Czechs, clearly aiming to breach into the Top Ten, with a little help from Russia, and seize Poland's tenth position, or even better, Israel's ninth one...

The data can be easily checked : https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPRT.KD, from SIPRI.

 https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-iran-leaving-fingerprints-everywhere--has-become-a-curse-fo

If you care to check upon Iran's missile arsenal :

https://www.iranwatch.org/our-publications/weapon-program-background-report/table-irans-missile-arsenal

 

April 26, 2024. 18 Countries Call for Common Sense.

Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States :

https://www.timesofisrael.com/18-countries-demand-hostage-release-us-theres-a-deal-on-the-table-hamas-rejected-it/

“We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our own citizens. The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, who are protected under international law, is of international concern,”

“We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza and lead to the credible end of hostilities. 

“Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions,”

“We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to bring our people home. We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region,” 

April 30, 2024. Back to Sderot, Nir Oz, and then Tel Aviv. Back in Nablus. Up to Gerizim.

Despair and tension rising. Things not moving. No support for our latest stand. See above April 10.

Read Issacharoff today in YNet News, https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1jesirw0

The war came to a halt somewhere around January, only someone forgot to put a notice for the public. There haven’t been any substantial ground operations since the maneuvering into Khan Younis that began in December 2023.

Release the hostages / Stop the war : The hen and the egg. 

 

May 1, 2024. Back in Ramallah. The Jerusalem and Nobel Call for the Release of all Hostages.

Our 184-word call for the release of hostages and a durable cessation of the hostilities has fallen on deaf ears.

There is a high level of tension and denial on the Palestinian side - denial of the massacres of October 7. The protests on American campuses, in France and Germany, against Israel, have blurred the global picture, and turned it into a binary, exclusive narrative. Angst is higher than it was in Nir Oz and the devastated kibbutzim in March. In Rafah the displaced live in appalling conditions.

Aryeh Zalmanovich, one of the founders of Nir Oz, the oldest hostage, died in captivity in Gaza in December. He died out of starvation. The guts disease he had demanded special food and drugs, which he did not get. He could not eat. He was a farmer, "all his life a man of the earth and a man of books".

 

Now Amiram Cooper, 85, from Nir Oz too, is the oldest hostage. His glasses were shattered when he was captured, and he cannot see without them. His wife's shoulder was broken then. I could meet with her and her son Rotem.

They don't know whether he is still alive. Their neighbour Chaim Peri turned 80 last month, in captivity. Like Yoram Metzger. For them time is (of) the essence, more than ever. Amiram, Chaim, and Yoram in December.

For their sake we have reduced the Jerusalem and Nablus Call to the core 100 words :

Halas ! Khlass ! Hebrew like Arabic : ENOUGH !

Enough torture for the hostages and their families !

Enough torture for the displaced, North and South, Israelis and Palestinians !

Let them all go home now, to heal the wounds.

Eighteen countries call for the immediate release of all the hostages held in Gaza, starting with the women, the wounded, the elderly, and the sick.

The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza has become one.

With the eighteen we whole-heartedly support the negotiations to "bring our people home"

"We're talking about people, and we all need to act, right now, to end this story."*

* one of the hostages' father's plea

 

May 2, Erez reopens to aid trucks. Blinken at Erez and Nir Oz

the US “cannot and will not support a major military operation in Rafah absent an effective plan to make sure that civilians are not harmed, and we’ve not seen such a plan.”

 

“At the same time, there are other ways — and in our judgment, better ways — of dealing with the real ongoing challenge of Hamas that does not require a major military operation” in Rafah, Blinken said.

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-opens-erez-crossing-to-gaza-aid-for-first-time-as-blinken-tours-border/

1,000 US service members, mostly from the Army and Navy involved in building aid pier to Gaza by now half way complete