A Palestinian fighter from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, gestures inside an underground tunnel in Gaza in this August 18, 2014 file photo
Published October 17, 2023
- Palestinian Islamist fighters operate in a complex network of reinforced tunnels
- Analysts shared concern at huge losses Israel’s forces could incur underground
Israel is on the cusp of an armed military incursion into the Gaza Strip to battle Hamas militants who slaughtered hundreds of civilians earlier this month in a series of ruthless surprise attacks.
But although Israel’s Defence Forces are well-trained, well-equipped and outnumber their Hamas foes considerably, the hellish battlefield that awaits them in Gaza could cause huge casualties.
The Palestinian Islamist fighters operate in a complex network of reinforced tunnels, some of which are buried up to 40ft underground and all of which could conceal an ambush, be booby-trapped – or worse – filled with explosives and primed to cave in.
This means Israel can bomb Gaza all it likes and launch bunker-busting munitions to clear out some tunnels – but the IDF would still need to deploy hundreds of thousands of troops to sweep through the ‘Gaza Metro’ and neutralise every last Hamas fighter if it is to wipe the organisation out completely.
Hamas in 2011 said they had constructed more than 300 miles of tunnel systems and although analysts suspected that figure was inflated, the group is sure to have dramatically expanded the network since then.
Now, military experts and analysts have shared their concern at the huge losses Israel’s forces could incur if they’re forced to take the fight to Hamas in the Islamists’ own backyard.
Leading military and defence analyst and RUSI Associate Fellow Sam Cranny-Evans said Israeli forces are in for a particularly bloody fight, likening the potential conflict to scenes from the most bitter urban fighting amid the Iraq war.
READ FULL STORY
SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12639229/The-nightmare-300-mile-maze-Hamas-tunnels-standing-way-Israeli-troops-IDF-soldiers-face-bloodbath-hand-hand-combat-terrorists-40ft-deep-Gaza-Metro-rat-run-rigged-booby-traps.html
RELATED: Hamas’ Hostage Video: Franco-Israeli Woman Abducted From Music Fest
Miya Schem, 21, was attending the Supernova Sukkot Music Festival when Hamas operatives attacked the gathering
Keren Schem appealed for her daughter and all the other hostages taken on October 7 to be returned home
Published October 17, 2023
Hamas has released a video of an Israeli woman taken hostage during the October 7 attacks that left over 1,300 dead and triggered a war in Gaza. About 200 people were reportedly taken hostage during the attacks.
Hamas’ military wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades yesterday released a video of a woman who identified herself as 21-year-old Miya Schem. In the video, the woman’s arm is seen wrapped in bandages.
In the video, she said she is from Sderot, a small Israeli city near the Gaza border. On the day of the attacks, she was attending the Supernova Sukkot Music Festival on Kibbutz Re’im when Hamas operatives attacked the gathering. At least 260 people at the music fest were killed and others, including Miya, were taken hostage.
The video, just over a minute long, shows a healthcare dressing Miya’s injury. The Israeli woman says she underwent a three-hour surgery for her injury.
“They’re caring for me, they’re treating me, they’re giving me medication. Everything is okay,” she says. “I’m only asking to be returned home as soon as possible, to my family, to my parents, to my siblings. Please get us out of here as soon as possible.”
READ FULL STORY
SOURCE: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-hamas-war-israel-gaza-war-hamas-first-hostage-video-franco-israeli-woman-abducted-from-music-fest-4487630
RELATED: Nightmare Phone Call Reveals Israeli Family of 10 Kidnapped by Hamas: ‘Survival, That’s Where We Are’ (Exclusive)
A family spanning grandparents, their adult children and grandchildren as young as 3 are believed to be held hostage in Gaza after chilling phone call confirmation
The Haran Family. PHOTO: THE HARAN FAMILY
Published October 16, 2023
Shoshan Haran’s sunroom in her home in the Be’eri kibbutz was lined with orchids — so many, because her neighbors often brought their sickly plants to rehab under her care.
Today most of the house lies in black ash, torched by Hamas terrorists who are believed to have kidnapped Shoshan and her extended family of 10 into Gaza on Oct. 7 — the day Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,400 people and plunging the area into war.
For the Sukkot holiday, the Israeli family had gathered at the home of Shoshan, 67, and her husband Avshalom, 66, including their daughter Adi, 38, a psychologist, her husband Tal, and their two children Yael Neri, 3 and Naveh, 8; Avshalom’s sister Sharon Avigdori, a special needs psychologist, and her 12-year-old daughter, Noam.
They had been celebrating with Shoshan’s sister Lilach Kipnis, 60, a psychotherapist who works with children with trauma, and her husband Eviatar Moshe Kipnis, 65, who live nearby on the kibbutz.
All 10 family members are now missing. Eviatar’s caregiver, Paul Castelvi, has been identified among the dead.
When sirens sounded on Oct. 7, the family members abided by the 15-second warning to run to their safe rooms. But soon the unthinkable occurred: Hamas gunmen were upon their doorsteps.
“We woke up early on that Saturday morning and heard there were missiles,” says Annalee Milstein, 34, who is married to Shoshan and Avshalom’s son Yuval, 36. The two also live on the Be’eri kibbutz but that weekend had traveled to a music festival (not the deadly Nova festival, which saw an estimated 260 killed).
READ FULL STORY
SOURCE: https://people.com/israeli-family-of-10-kidnapped-by-hamas-exclusive-8358203
RELATED: Must-Read: Hamas Releases Statement, Says Foreign Hostages Were Taken “By Accident” — They Will Be Returned Soon; “They Are Being Treated Like Esteemed Guests”
Published October 17, 2023
Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida released a statement on Monday about the over 200 hostages they took captive during their pogrom in southern Israel 8 days ago.
Over 1,300 Jews were killed in the slaughter – 300 were kids and young adults at a concert that was targeted by the terror group.
Hamas says they are holding between 200 and 250 Jews in Gaza following the attack.
There are murdered and missing nationals from 41 countries.
Here are a few of the young, beautiful women who are being held by the barbarians.
Hamas released this statement on Monday.
Key highlights from the recent speech of Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades:
Abu Obaida: The prisoners count ranges between 200 and 250 prisoners, with Al-Qassam currently holding 200 prisoners.
Abu Obaida: We keep a diverse group of individuals currently under temporary custody, hailing from different nationalities. These individuals are considered our esteemed guests, and our primary goal is to ensure their safety.
READ FULL STORY
SOURCE: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/10/must-read-hamas-releases-statement-says-foreign-hostages/
