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The Israeli Military Is Risking Soldiers’ Lives to Defend Palestinians From Hamas
Armored vehicles of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are seen during their ground operations at a location given as Gaza in this handout image released on Nov. 1, 2023. Photo: Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS
On October 7, 2023, Hamas perpetrated the largest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust: including mass rape, beheadings, torture, the murder of some 1,200 people and the capture of over 240 hostages. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US, European Union, and countless governments and institutions around the world.
In the wake of those horrors, Israel has set out to not only rescue the hostages, but also to protect Israelis in the future by putting an end to Hamas as a functioning entity.
Over the course of the fighting, Hamas’ use of human shields combined with Israel’s extraordinary care for civilians (a topic which I’ve previously addressed in greater depth), has produced a situation unparalleled in history: the Israeli military has found itself fighting to defend Palestinian civilians against Hamas.
International law requires that Israel not cause harm to civilian life or infrastructure that is “excessive” in relation to its military objectives (another topic I addressed in greater depth previously).
Limiting harm to civilians is a significant challenge in the face of Hamas’ intentional use of civilians as human shields, and its thorough integration of military operations into the civilian infrastructure. Israel is nonetheless making a herculean effort to do so.
Among many other measures, Israel has established a humanitarian evacuation corridor through which civilians in Gaza can move out of the combat areas and into the relative safety of southern Gaza. According to both Israeli and Palestinian sources, Hamas has been firing on this corridor: directly targeting civilians, including with mortar shells and anti-tank missiles.
In response, Israel has returned fire toward Hamas: to protect Palestinian civilians.
The extraordinary implications of this unusual situation cannot be overstated: Israeli troops are quite literally fighting to protect Palestinians against Hamas. That is at least rare, if not entirely unique, in human history: an army fighting on behalf of enemy civilians, who are under attack by their own armed forces.
This calls into question the entire concept of “sides” given that Israel is now fighting on behalf of both Israelis and Palestinians, while Hamas is fighting against both.
Israel’s military defense of Palestinians raises another uncomfortable question that the international community seems reluctant to address: if there were to be a ceasefire or an extended “humanitarian pause” (which according to rumors seems to be imminent), who would protect Palestinian civilians if they continue to try to flee from Hamas?
When considering “humanitarian” measures it is critical to remember that Israelis are human too. Every moment that Israel delays its military campaign is another moment that Israeli hostages remain in captivity.
Any pause is also wasting precious time during which Hamas can attempt to regroup and rearm. And as discussed, any pause in IDF protection puts Palestinians in danger of being attacked by Hamas. In short, the only party that benefits from a ceasefire, or even an “extended pause,” is Hamas itself.
Given that more than 60 Israeli soldiers have fallen so far, it is not an exaggeration to say that Israelis are risking, and in some cases losing, their lives to not only protect Israelis, but also to protect Palestinians. In the history of human civilization that is at least extraordinary, and possibly even unprecedented.
Daniel Pomerantz is the CEO of RealityCheck, an organization dedicated to deepening public conversation through robust research studies and public speaking.
The post The Israeli Military Is Risking Soldiers’ Lives to Defend Palestinians From Hamas first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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FBI Investigating ‘Targeted Terror Attack’ in Boulder, Colorado, Director Says
FILE PHOTO: FBI Director Kash Patel testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on President Trump’s proposed budget request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Sunday the agency was aware of and fully investigating a targeted terror attack in Boulder, Colorado.
While he did not provide further details, Patel said in a social media post: “Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.”
According to CBS News, which cited witnesses at the scene, a suspect attacked people with Molotov cocktails who were participating in a walk to remember the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza.
The Boulder Police Department said it was responding to a report of an attack in the city involving several victims. It has not released further details but a press conference was expected at 4 p.m. Mountain Time (2200 GMT).
The attack comes just weeks after a Chicago-born man was arrested in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C. Someone opened fire on a group of people leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that fights antisemitism and supports Israel.
The shooting fueled polarization in the United States over the war in Gaza between supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
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Terrorist Responsible for Death of 21 Soldiers Eliminated
An Israeli F-35I “Adir” fighter jet. Photo: IDF
i24 News – Khalil Abd al-Nasser Mohammed Khatib, the terrorist who commanded the terrorist cell that killed 21 soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip on January 22, 2024, was killed by an Israeli airstrike, the IDF said on Sunday.
In a joint operation between the military and the Shin Bet security agency, the terrorist was spotted in a reconnaissance mission. The troops called up an aircraft to target him, and he was eliminated.
Khatib planned and took part in many other terrorist plots against Israeli soldiers.
i24NEWS’ Hebrew channel interviewed Dor Almog, the sole survivor of the mass casualty disaster, who was informed on live TV about the death of the commander responsible for the killing his brothers-in-arms.
“I was sure this day would come – I was a soldier and I know what happens at the end,” said Almog. “The IDF will do everything to bring back the abductees and to topple Hamas, to the last one man.”
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Stanley Fischer, Former Fed Vice Chair and Bank of Israel Chief, Dies at 81
FILE PHOTO: Vice Chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve System Stanley Fischer arrives to hear Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney delivering the Michel Camdessus Central Banking Lecture at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, U.S., September 18, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
Stanley Fischer, who helped shape modern economic theory during a career that included heading the Bank of Israel and serving as vice chair of the US Federal Reserve, has died at the age of 81.
The Bank of Israel said he died on Saturday night but did not give a cause of death. Fischer was born in Zambia and had dual US-Israeli citizenship.
As an academic at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fischer trained many of the people who went on to be top central bankers, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as well as Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank president.
Fischer served as chief economist at the World Bank, and first deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund during the Asian financial crisis and was then vice chairman at Citigroup from 2002 to 2005.
During an eight-year stint as Israel’s central bank chief from 2005-2013, Fischer helped the country weather the 2008 global financial crisis with minimal economic damage, elevating Israel’s economy on the global stage, while creating a monetary policy committee to decide on interest rates like in other advanced economies.
He was vice chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2017 and served as a director at Bank Hapoalim in 2020 and 2021.
Current Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron praised Fischer’s contribution to the Bank of Israel and to advancing Israel’s economy as “truly significant.”
The soft-spoken Fischer – who played a role in Israel’s economic stabilization plan in 1985 during a period of hyperinflation – was chosen by then Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as central bank chief.
Netanyahu, now prime minister, called Fischer a “great Zionist” for leaving the United States and moving to Israel to take on the top job at Israel’s central bank.
“He was an outstanding economist. In the framework of his role as governor, he greatly contributed to the Israeli economy, especially to the return of stability during the global economic crisis,” Netanyahu said, adding that Stanley – as he was known in Israel – proudly represented Israel and its economy worldwide.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also paid tribute.
“He played a huge role in strengthening Israel’s economy, its remarkable resilience, and its strong reputation around the world,” Herzog said. “He was a world-class professional, a man of integrity, with a heart of gold. A true lover of peace.”
The post Stanley Fischer, Former Fed Vice Chair and Bank of Israel Chief, Dies at 81 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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