Show Notes: Gaza

Media Still Runs The “Russia, Russia, Russia” Play

The headlines do not match the details of the story.  Nice way to push propaganda

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-behind-hamas-attack-israel-what-we-know-iran-gaza-1832999

Initial reports—and a statement from Hamas—suggest that Iran had a hand in the landmark assault, which is thought to have been prepared over several weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, though, said on Sunday he has “not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there is certainly a long relationship.” Iran’s mission to the United Nations has denied any involvement.

There has also been speculation on social media of Russian involvement in the Hamas operation, though there is no evidence indicating Moscow’s alleged role. Newsweek has contacted the Russian foreign ministry by email to request comment.

Regardless, there is no evidence of direct Russian involvement in the weekend attack. Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and has a long history of infiltration operations into Israeli territory. The militants appear to have used their traditional mixture of indigenous and Iranian weapons for the assault.

No mention of funds recently released by Biden to Iran, who has aided Hamas

https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/oct/09/the-us-freed-6-billion-in-iranian-money-did-it/

Republicans are criticizing the Biden administration after Hamas militants launched the deadliest attack on Israel in years. President Joe Biden’s critics claim that a recent hostage-release agreement provided Iran with access to $6 billion in frozen funds, and that, as a result, that money could have helped Iran fund Hamas’ attack.

Neither Israel nor the White House have said that there’s a direct link between Iran and Hamas’ attack on Israel. But Iran is a longtime supporter of Hamas. And a Hamas spokesperson told the BBC that Iran gave “direct” backing.

“The safeguards in place are surely good enough to make sure only legitimate goods are purchased using those funds,” Levitt said. “But nobody can say what’s then done with those goods.”

Biden’s Actions Constitute an Informal Agreement, Avoids Congressional Approval

https://www.heritage.org/middle-east/commentary/bidens-6-billion-ransom-payment-iran-fuels-their-terror-machine

Worse, the $6 billion ransom paid for the hostages also serves as a down payment for the emerging “informal, unwritten agreement” that President Joe Biden naively hopes will defuse growing tensions over Iran’s nuclear advances, at least until after the 2024 presidential election. His administration already has relaxed the enforcement of sanctions against Iran in a bid to revive nuclear negotiations that Tehran withdrew from last year.

Moreover, Biden’s “unwritten agreement” amounts to an illegal end-run around Congress by granting Tehran sanctions relief without allowing the lawmakers to review an agreement, as stipulated by the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, the 2015 law that requires the president to submit such an arrangement to Congress.

Despite Vigilance At Border to Gaza, Israeli Intelligence Failed, Troops Were Stationed in West Bank

2G cell phones, drones dropping grenades and bulldozers were the tactics used.  This evade the hyper-vigilant Israeli IDF.

https://www.heritage.org/middle-east/commentary/bidens-6-billion-ransom-payment-iran-fuels-their-terror-machine

On Saturday, Israel’s vaunted $1 billion security barrier on the Gaza border failed, as Hamas fighters used simple bulldozers to plow through and armed paragliders to soar above it. Barrages of rockets penetrated Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. And Israel’s surveillance system — a dense network of drones, cameras and cyber snooping — was proven fatally insufficient, with Hamas able to both work around and overwhelm it.

Though technological failures were part of the story, another part was the unexpected sophistication of Hamas. Al-Azhar University’s Abusada said the attack showed how Hamas had managed to build up its own tech arsenal on the border, evading its more powerful Israeli rival. In particular, he said, Hamas regularly surveilled the border area to prevent collaborators with Israel from fleeing, and to keep other factions from breaking periodic ceasefires with Israel.

The technological gains by Hamas were more striking considering the enclave’s limitations. Cellular service operates on 2G networks — far behind the 4G and 5G wireless technology in most of the western world. Electricity is intermittent. Supplies from the outside world must make it through a blockade Israel and Egypt have maintained for 16 years, since Hamas seized power in 2007.