"Death Alley"

"Earlier this week, I was speaking with a friend who met with the parents of a young female hostage."

"Should their daughter not be released imminently, they are terrified that, on top of all the existing horror and trauma, if she is pregnant, an abortion may not be possible."

"Based on testimonies, it is believed that several female captives are pregnant."

Vivian Bercovici, former Canadian ambassador to Israel 

A covered body is seen lying on the ground in Kfar Aza.

Muhammad Darwish/CNN

 

Official Israeli investigations into the October 7 terrorist attack in southern Israel confirms that an estimated three thousand terrorists comprised of Hamas operatives as well as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terror groups breached the border fence between Gaza and Israel in dozens of places, to enter Israel on foot, by truck, motorcycles and SUVs, followed by ordinary Palestinian men, in the presence of Palestinian journalists and photographers to document their entry as a tour-de-force of Palestinian 'resistance' against 'occupation'.

Those thousands fanned out in pre-arranged directions, following an orchestration of planned violence that had been endlessly rehearsed in mock villages set up near the border in Gaza as training events for the attack that would result on October 7. They were well prepared, in possession of maps laying out the areas with identification for the villages to be attacked. They had precise statistics of where weapons were stored in the villages and knew the location of homes of kibbutz security officers.

As they stormed those agrarian villages, the initial attention was given to secure the armouries, then to attack the homes of the security officers. An orgy of murder, torture, mutilations, gang rape, arson, looting and hostage-taking ensued in a murderous bloodbath of civilian populations. Early that morning a barrage of thousands of rockets had been unleashed from Gaza into Israel. That distraction gave cover to the thousands of terrorists run amok in mayhem and slaughter.

 

A screenshot from a video, geolocated by CNN, shows six Hamas militants arriving at Be'eri on Saturday morning local time. Obtained by CNN

The kibbutz of Kfar Aza was one of the worst-hit of the villages that had been methodically destroyed, its inhabitants killed, whether elderly and incapacitated or infants and children. A special drama took place in one of the besieged homes where the mother of ten-month-old twins exited her family's safe room planning to warm bottles of milk formula for her babies. A sniper shot her dead. Her husband followed and was shot dead.

The two infant girls cried for the next ten hours. The sniper shot at anyone who tried to attempt a rescue of the babies. When it was fully understand that anyone who would attempt to save the the children would pay with their lives, rescue efforts came to a tragic halt. 

In the village, rows of homes are now cordoned off with hazard tape, spray painted with codes and symbols indicating the dates they had been inspected by the military. Also noted is the fate of those who had occupied the area now called 'Death Alley'. Murdered. Missing. Taken hostage.

Doron Steinbreacher, 30, remains a hostage held by Hamas who released a video of her sitting alongside two younger women held a captive with her for the entire four months. Her mother in an interview initially felt relieved to see her daughter alive, yet seeing her condition, it was devastating; gaunt and pale. Hostages are known to have been starved, little water, no medicine, in unsanitary conditions.

From hostages that had been released in a prisoner exchange that took place in November, it is well known that the young women are repeatedly raped. They are given clothing like lingerie to wear. They are given Arab names; their identities are stolen, they have become violently-abused concubines. 

 

One young hostage released in November, 21-year-old Maya Regev, informed a group of UN ambassadors the conditions in which she existed in Gaza. She had her clothing ripped from her, her earrings torn from her ears, was given a new name. For laughs they would occasionally beat her over her injured foot and as she writhed in pain, they appeared entertained. 

Of the 750 residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, sixty-two were murdered. Eighteen of the residents were taken hostage. It had taken the Israel Defense Forces close to three days to finally ensure that all of the terrorist were cleared out of Kfar Aza. 

 Kibbutz Kfar Aza in in southern Israel.  David Necochea / NBC News

"None of This Will Happen"

"We will not withdraw the Israel Defense Forces from the Gaza Strip and we will not release thousands of terrorists. None of this will happen."

"I hear talk about all kinds of deals. I would like to make it clear: We will not conclude this war without achieving all of its goals. This means eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Bnei David military academy in the West Bank settlement of Eli, January 30, 2023. (Screenshot/Prime Minister's Office)

This was part of an address the Israeli prime minister made to students and staff on a visit to the West Bank-located Bnei David pre-military academy. The Bnei David was established in 1988, the oldest and largest religious Zionist pre-army institution in Israel, out of which 40 percent of its students reached officer status in the Israel Defence Forces. Fourteen of its graduates have been killed since October7, while fighting Hamas terrorists in Gaza. 

That same day Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's leader stated his organization was studying the latest terms for an agreement. Their priority was stated as the "full withdrawal" of Israeli forces from Gaza. Any agreement they would sign,they insist, must lead to a long-term ceasefire. Typically taqiyya/hudna, to give the terrorists an opportunity of time to regroup, rearm, refinalize offensive strategies and stage further devastating attacks on Israel in accord with their pledge to destroy the Jewish state. 

The Hamas leadership -- in ongoing discussions with Qatar and Egypt acting as intermediaries trying to find a 'solution' to the current situation in Gaza interacting with Israel and the United States -- left the impression that negotiators had made progress toward an agreement reflecting a phased release of the remaining 136 Israeli hostages over a period of several months and the entry of greater amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The lopsided exchange deals agreed to between the Hamas leaders and Israel of the past give more than a hint of the Hamas position for an agreement -- basically revolving around the release of the hostages. Their demand would be for the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile terrorists in exchange for the remaining hostages. None of this is geared to solve the greater dilemma that Israel would face by agreeing to withdraw from Gaza.

 

Gunmen march with mourners carrying the bodies of Palestinian terror operatives who were killed when undercover Israeli agents raided a hospital in Jenin, during their funeral in the northern West Bank city on January 30, 2024. (Zain Jaafar/AFP)

 

Ongoing attacks by Palestinian terror groups are guaranteed. The UNRWA schools that have overlooked school curricula that imbue Palestinian children with hatred for Israel and Jews, along with the West Bank's Palestinian Authority with its pay-for-slay and relentless indoctrination of Palestinian children and youth in the death cult of martyrdom has ensured that the population will always support attacks against Israel.

On Monday night an undercover operation took place at the Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin in the West Bank. Where a terror cell was planning yet another imminent terror attack inspired by the October 7 massacre. In a time-frame of ten minutes, IDF forces entered the hospital disguised as doctors, nurses and Palestinian women. Their goal was a safe room on the third floor of the hospital.

A dozen undercover forces were caught by security camera video footage from the hospital, most armed, wearing Muslim head scarves, hospital scrubs of white physician coats. They confronted three men; Muhammad Jalamneh, 27 who procured weapons for a shooting attack; brothers Muhammad and Basel Ghazawi with previous records of shooting attacks on Israeli troops and membership with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

 

They were neutralized.  Mission accomplished. the Israeli special forces group left. In the process uncovering and resolving "another example of the cynical use by terror groups of civilian spaces and hospitals as cover and as human shields".

A staff member at Ibn Sina hospital shows a news broadcast of CCTV footage showing Israel's deadly raid.  Majdi Mohammed/AP

What 'Massacre'? (yawn)

"The anti-racism commissioner's silence and inaction after a historic week of antisemitic terrorism in Montreal is shocking."

"Manai's response to the Molotov cocktails tossed at Jewish institutions: silence. Her response to the bullets fired at Jewish schools: silence again."

"[Instead of speaking out about the attacks, Manai] chose to share content on social networks from groups that celebrated the October 7 massacre committed by Hamas, including a group that celebrated with candy at a rally immediately after the massacre."

"We are at a crucial moment in Montreal's history. The Jewish community is under attack. [Montreal needs a commissioner] who respects our collective principles and exercises sound judgement."

Eta Yudin, Quebec vice-president, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

"We are all extremely worried about the increase in incidents and hate crimes, Islamophobic and antisemitic, which are exacerbated by the daily atrocity seen over more than thirty days in Palestine and Israel."

Bochra Manai, Montreal commissioner on racism and systemic discrimination

Bochra Manaï is seen in 2021, after she was appointed Montreal's commissioner on racism and systemic discrimination. Photo by Allen McInnis /Montreal Gazette

Montreal's commissioner on racism and systemic discrimination is being called upon to resign, her exercise of the authority vested in her position called out as "inexcusable and disqualifying behaviour" in recent weeks. The commissioner herself appears unmoved by the criticism. And Mayor Valerie Plante initially declined the opportunity to comment on the controversy over her appointed commissioner. Finally the mayor did respond: 

"Municipal officials and commissioners have a duty of discretion and it is expected that it will be respected."  

"This message was delivered [to Manaï, who] will meet all the communities affected by the conflict. There is clearly a bond of trust to be strengthened."

Office of the Mayor

The antisemitic vandalism that has taken place at the city's Jewish schools and synagogues, along with Jewish-owned businesses in the city, while shocking the Jewish community and denounced by many of the province's politicians, have brought no condemnatory remarks made publicly by Montreal's commissioner Bochra Manai, whose position of trust and authority on the issue calls upon her to do just that.

The advocacy arm of Jewish federations country-wide, representing the interests of roughly 150,000 Jewish Canadians has been brought to bear on the matter. B'nai Brith Canada separately made no call for Manai to leave her position, characterizing instead her attitude to be "outrageous and unacceptable", recommending that she "bear the authority of her office to help combat the contemptible events in Montreal".

 

Reportedly, the commissioner participated in pro-Palestinian protests. Manai, given screenshots shared on social media, has been posting regularly on Instagram, on the Israel-Hamas war. She is, quite evidently, not unbiased. Since criticism for her public silence surfaced, Manai defended herself without responding directly to the calls for her to leave the post.

"As some have noticed on my social networks, I recently took part in demonstrations in Montreal in support of a request for a ceasefire", she wrote. As "a woman committed to peace, saddened by the horror of this situation", she had a duty to do so, she stated, since she is "deeply concerned" about the rise in hate crimes.

"The Islamophobic and antisemitic acts and behaviours that have been committed in recent weeks are all unacceptable and must be strongly condemned."

"Targeting Jewish schools and children with bullets is a crime that must be punished and has no place in a metropolis like Montreal. The same goes for the targeting of Muslim places of worship."

"My role as a civil servant concerns internal change and I do not have a role of public representation. I was appointed to work with the entire municipal apparatus to accelerate the transformation to an administration free of racism and systemic discrimination."

"]As such she is] committed to meeting representatives of the Arab-Muslim and Jewish communities."

When the Legault government refused two weeks ago to support a motion calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Quebec solidaire MNA Haroun Bouazzi broke down in tears.

"[Montreal has witnessed] with horror an increase of acts of incredible violence against the Jewish communities."

"The exploitation of these antisemitic acts by pro-Israel lobbies to silence the voices protesting against the ongoing genocide in Gaza is despicable."

Quebec solidaire MNA Haroun Bouazzi

"The position of commissioner calls for [someone who can] bring together and consult Montreal communities, not divide them."

"[Montreal mayor Valerie Plante must ask herself whether Manai] still has the legitimacy and moral authority to occupy this position."

Aref Salem, leader, Ensemble Montreal, city hall opposition party

People take part in a pro-Palestinian rally in Montreal on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Photo by Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press