CANADIAN SOLIDARTIY WITH PALESTINE
Palestinians gather for rallies in Canada, Trudeau speaks at Jewish community centre
The Canadian Press
Mon, October 9, 2023
TORONTO — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators spilled onto streets in several Canadian cities on Thanksgiving Day while the prime minister and Opposition leader spoke at a vigil at a Jewish community centre, following a weekend of deadly fighting in the Middle East.
Protesters gathered at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Toronto City Hall on Monday afternoon, many draped in or waving Palestinian flags as the crowd chanted, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,"in a demonstration that was denounced by the city's mayor.
One sign read, "Occupation is a crime, resistance is a response."
The gathering came after Hamas militants out of Gaza launched an attack on Israel on Saturday, firing thousands of rockets and sending dozens of fighters to infiltrate the heavily fortified border by air, land and sea.
The attack has been called the deadliest on Israel in years, with the incursion and counteroffensive killing hundreds on both sides and injuring thousands more. In the war's third day, Israel was still finding bodies and tens of thousands fled their homes in the Gaza Strip as relentless airstrikes levelled buildings.
Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of reports of one Canadian who has died amid the fighting and two others who were missing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attack at a vigil in Ottawa in the crowded Soloway Jewish Community Centre Monday evening. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and other local politicians also attended the event.
Trudeau appeared to reference pro-Palestinian rallies across Canada as he addressed the solemn crowd.
"Hamas terrorists aren't a resistance, they're not freedom fighters. They are terrorists, and no one in Canada should be supporting them, much less celebrating them," he said.
Sheila Mattar, a 53-year-old Palestinian-Canadian, was hesitant to attend the Toronto demonstration because she feels it's taboo for Canadians to show support for Palestine.
She often refrains from talking about politics with friends, who don't even know she is half-Palestinian. Her father grew up in the city of Haifa, but his family was expelled from their house in 1948, and her grandfather was shot dead by the Israelis at his front door nearly two decades later, she said.
"I've lived with this my entire life and this is generational trauma, and I can't be on the sidelines anymore. I have to speak up, the atrocities have to end."
As Palestinians like Mattar gathered, counter-protesters waved or wore Israeli flags, and police created barricades around them using bikes as they engaged in shouting matches with pro-Palestine protesters, who greatly outnumbered them.
Speakers reiterated that they were there not to spread hate against Jewish people, but to advocate for Palestinian liberation.
Hours before the protest, deputy Toronto police chief Lauren Pogue warned the public that there would be no tolerance for violence or hate crimes ahead of the expected large-scale demonstration, as well as another gathering in solidarity with Israel which took place later in the evening.
Politicians and police forces in Winnipeg and Vancouver made similar declarations ahead of demonstrations in those cities.
Toronto's Palestinian event went on despite the opposition of several councillors and the city's mayor, Olivia Chow.
Chow called the demonstration "deplorable" and "a glorification of "this weekend's indiscriminate violence, including murder and kidnapping of women and children, by Hamas against Israeli civilians."
Later Monday, Chow, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland stood on a stage in Toronto's North York neighbourhood where locals gathered to show their support for Israel, mourn those killed and pray for peace.
Approximately 250 police officers and other private security officials patrolled the public square where the event was held, and hundreds of people waved Israeli flags and cheered loudly as the politicians, one by one, expressed their “unequivocal” support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“We will always be an ally, we will always be a friend and, my friends, we wish you lasting peace and freedom,” Ford told the crowd.
Trudeau spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, where he "unequivocally condemned" Hamas' attacks and said he is "gravely concerned" about the atrocities that have unfolded.
Those statements irked Eman Amar, who attended the Toronto pro-Palestine rally and wants politicians to apologize for supporting Israel. The 21-year-old has seen little help given to Palestinians in the last 75 years.
"Now suddenly they're mad at Palestinians who are retaliating for their own rights and homes," said Amar.
"Even though the government of Canada doesn't stand with them, Canadian people will stand with them."
Hundreds of supporters of Palestine also rallied Monday in Vancouver, where a heavy police presence kept a watchful eye on the crowd.
Keinda Kliani, 16, was there with her family who came to Canada about five years ago.
“Our whole family lives in Gaza, which is currently being bombed by Israeli settlers,” she said. “We're protesting for the people that just died.”
But Rachel Goldberg, whose family lives in Tel Aviv and who showed up at the Vancouver rally with a small group of friends, despite being vastly outnumbered, said there was no reason for Hamas to bomb the city, "except to terrorize people."
“You cannot tell me that you are fighting for freedom when you are kidnapping children, raping women, shooting the elderly at bus stops,” she said. “There is no military base in the middle of Tel Aviv.”
Calgary police said Monday that one person was taken into custody following rallies between local Israeli and Palestinian community groups. No charges have been laid yet, and police said the person is not believed to be a part of either community group.
At the vigil in Ottawa, Poilievre called Hamas "evil in its purest form," and said it does not speak for Palestinians.
"That is why I unreservedly condemn any and all who took part in the disgusting celebrations that we have seen on our streets," he told the crowd in Ottawa.
McGill University on Monday said it has written its student society, asking it to revoke permission for a group to use the university's name after it says the group made "incendiary posts."
In a Facebook post Saturday urging people to attend a pro-Palestinian rally on Sunday, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill called the attack "heroic" and asked Montrealers to "celebrate the resistance’s success."
"McGill University denounces these communications; the celebration of acts of terror and violence is completely antithetical to McGill’s fundamental values," Michel Proulx, a spokesman for the university, said in a statement Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2023.
--With files from Fakiha Baig in Toronto, Darryl Greer in Vancouver, Laura Osman in Ottawa and Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton
Tyler Griffin, The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Mon, October 9, 2023
TORONTO — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators spilled onto streets in several Canadian cities on Thanksgiving Day while the prime minister and Opposition leader spoke at a vigil at a Jewish community centre, following a weekend of deadly fighting in the Middle East.
Protesters gathered at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Toronto City Hall on Monday afternoon, many draped in or waving Palestinian flags as the crowd chanted, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,"in a demonstration that was denounced by the city's mayor.
One sign read, "Occupation is a crime, resistance is a response."
The gathering came after Hamas militants out of Gaza launched an attack on Israel on Saturday, firing thousands of rockets and sending dozens of fighters to infiltrate the heavily fortified border by air, land and sea.
The attack has been called the deadliest on Israel in years, with the incursion and counteroffensive killing hundreds on both sides and injuring thousands more. In the war's third day, Israel was still finding bodies and tens of thousands fled their homes in the Gaza Strip as relentless airstrikes levelled buildings.
Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of reports of one Canadian who has died amid the fighting and two others who were missing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attack at a vigil in Ottawa in the crowded Soloway Jewish Community Centre Monday evening. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and other local politicians also attended the event.
Trudeau appeared to reference pro-Palestinian rallies across Canada as he addressed the solemn crowd.
"Hamas terrorists aren't a resistance, they're not freedom fighters. They are terrorists, and no one in Canada should be supporting them, much less celebrating them," he said.
Sheila Mattar, a 53-year-old Palestinian-Canadian, was hesitant to attend the Toronto demonstration because she feels it's taboo for Canadians to show support for Palestine.
She often refrains from talking about politics with friends, who don't even know she is half-Palestinian. Her father grew up in the city of Haifa, but his family was expelled from their house in 1948, and her grandfather was shot dead by the Israelis at his front door nearly two decades later, she said.
"I've lived with this my entire life and this is generational trauma, and I can't be on the sidelines anymore. I have to speak up, the atrocities have to end."
As Palestinians like Mattar gathered, counter-protesters waved or wore Israeli flags, and police created barricades around them using bikes as they engaged in shouting matches with pro-Palestine protesters, who greatly outnumbered them.
Speakers reiterated that they were there not to spread hate against Jewish people, but to advocate for Palestinian liberation.
Hours before the protest, deputy Toronto police chief Lauren Pogue warned the public that there would be no tolerance for violence or hate crimes ahead of the expected large-scale demonstration, as well as another gathering in solidarity with Israel which took place later in the evening.
Politicians and police forces in Winnipeg and Vancouver made similar declarations ahead of demonstrations in those cities.
Toronto's Palestinian event went on despite the opposition of several councillors and the city's mayor, Olivia Chow.
Chow called the demonstration "deplorable" and "a glorification of "this weekend's indiscriminate violence, including murder and kidnapping of women and children, by Hamas against Israeli civilians."
Later Monday, Chow, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland stood on a stage in Toronto's North York neighbourhood where locals gathered to show their support for Israel, mourn those killed and pray for peace.
Approximately 250 police officers and other private security officials patrolled the public square where the event was held, and hundreds of people waved Israeli flags and cheered loudly as the politicians, one by one, expressed their “unequivocal” support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“We will always be an ally, we will always be a friend and, my friends, we wish you lasting peace and freedom,” Ford told the crowd.
Trudeau spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, where he "unequivocally condemned" Hamas' attacks and said he is "gravely concerned" about the atrocities that have unfolded.
Those statements irked Eman Amar, who attended the Toronto pro-Palestine rally and wants politicians to apologize for supporting Israel. The 21-year-old has seen little help given to Palestinians in the last 75 years.
"Now suddenly they're mad at Palestinians who are retaliating for their own rights and homes," said Amar.
"Even though the government of Canada doesn't stand with them, Canadian people will stand with them."
Hundreds of supporters of Palestine also rallied Monday in Vancouver, where a heavy police presence kept a watchful eye on the crowd.
Keinda Kliani, 16, was there with her family who came to Canada about five years ago.
“Our whole family lives in Gaza, which is currently being bombed by Israeli settlers,” she said. “We're protesting for the people that just died.”
But Rachel Goldberg, whose family lives in Tel Aviv and who showed up at the Vancouver rally with a small group of friends, despite being vastly outnumbered, said there was no reason for Hamas to bomb the city, "except to terrorize people."
“You cannot tell me that you are fighting for freedom when you are kidnapping children, raping women, shooting the elderly at bus stops,” she said. “There is no military base in the middle of Tel Aviv.”
Calgary police said Monday that one person was taken into custody following rallies between local Israeli and Palestinian community groups. No charges have been laid yet, and police said the person is not believed to be a part of either community group.
At the vigil in Ottawa, Poilievre called Hamas "evil in its purest form," and said it does not speak for Palestinians.
"That is why I unreservedly condemn any and all who took part in the disgusting celebrations that we have seen on our streets," he told the crowd in Ottawa.
McGill University on Monday said it has written its student society, asking it to revoke permission for a group to use the university's name after it says the group made "incendiary posts."
In a Facebook post Saturday urging people to attend a pro-Palestinian rally on Sunday, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill called the attack "heroic" and asked Montrealers to "celebrate the resistance’s success."
"McGill University denounces these communications; the celebration of acts of terror and violence is completely antithetical to McGill’s fundamental values," Michel Proulx, a spokesman for the university, said in a statement Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2023.
--With files from Fakiha Baig in Toronto, Darryl Greer in Vancouver, Laura Osman in Ottawa and Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton
Tyler Griffin, The Canadian Press
© Provided by BNN Breaking
Calgary: A Microcosm of the Israel-Hamas Conflict
As the Israel-Hamas conflict intensified, the streets of Calgary mirrored the deep divide. Rallies supporting both Israeli and Palestinian sides of the volatile situation took place in Calgary’s city hall, a testament to the global reach of the conflict. The rallies coincided with a significant escalation in the conflict, as Israel increased airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from supplies, resulting in a death toll nearing 1,600.
City Hall: A Stage for Dueling Rallies
Calgary’s municipal plaza and Macleod Trail became the platforms for Israel and Palestine supporters, respectively. Dozens of Israel supporters gathered in the municipal plaza, while pro-Palestine supporters lined Macleod Trail in front of city hall. The rallies aimed to show support and solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians during the conflict. However, they also underscored the deeply entrenched divide and passionate emotions surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
A Day of Escalation
The day of the rallies marked the third day of the conflict and saw Israel still finding bodies from Hamas’ attack into Israeli towns. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in Gaza due to airstrikes. Israel made a formal declaration of war and evacuated thousands of Israelis from towns, further intensifying the situation.
Looking Beyond Calgary
The conflict also resonated in Vancouver, where up to 300 people attended a pro-Palestinian rally outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. The protesters there echoed the sentiments of those in Calgary, calling for an end to what they see as a settler-colonial occupation in the Palestinian territories and demanding that Western governments, including Canada, withdraw support for the Israeli government. The protest was largely peaceful, although there were some scuffles when a few Israeli counter-protesters showed up.
Whether in Calgary, Vancouver, or the conflict zone itself, the passion and divided sentiments surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict are palpable. As the situation continues to unfold, the world watches anxiously, hoping for a peaceful resolution.
ONTARIO
Hundreds of Londoners rally for Palestine after Hamas attack on Israel
Local Journalism Initiative
Tue, October 10, 2023
Hundreds rallied in downtown London Monday afternoon to back Palestine in a sudden war with neighbouring Israel following an unexpected attack on the latter that's sent shockwaves around the globe.
The rally was organized by a group called the Canadian Palestinian Social Association. It drew a large crowd to the northwest corner of Victoria Park, including several people waving Palestine flags, holding signs criticizing Israel and chanting in support of Palestinian freedom.
"I think it's very important we support our Palestinian brothers and sisters today," said 18-year-old Western University student Malak Osman.
Added her fellow student, Sama Zayed: "(I'm) definitely in support of Palestine."
The rally in London followed on the heels of pro-Palestine events in other Canadian cities this weekend, including Ottawa and Mississauga. But it's also at odds with the official stance taken by the federal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In a statement, Trudeau described the conflict as "Hamas' terror attack against Israel," in reference to the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip. The peace tower on Parliament Hill was lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag, Trudeau noted, "to honour those whose lives have been cut short by Hamas' terror attacks."
Trudeau also said: "Canada unequivocally condemns Hamas' barbaric, brutal terror attacks -- and reaffirms its support for Israel's right to defend itself."
The London rally underscored the fact that many in Canada, including but not limited to Muslim communities, see the conflict very differently. Chants by those in attendance included "Free, free Palestine" and "Netanyahu you will see/Palestine will be free," in reference to the Israeli prime minister.
Israel has declared war as it bombarded the Gaza strip with airstrikes in retaliation for the major surprise attack by Hamas. Here are five things to know about the conflict, as reported by the Associated Press:
Israel has previously carried out major military campaigns in Lebanon and Gaza that it portrayed as wars, but without a formal declaration.
The declaration gives the green light for Israel to take "significant military steps" against Hamas. It came as the military continued efforts to stamp out the last groups of fighters in southern Israel following the attack.
Israel hit more than 800 targets in Gaza by Sunday, its military said. That included airstrikes that levelled much of the town of Beit Hanoun in the enclave's northeast corner.
Hamas had been using the town as a staging ground for attacks, Israeli Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters. There was no immediate word on casualties, and most of the community's population of tens of thousands likely fled before the bombardment.
The leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in Saturday's attack, said it was holding more than 30 Israelis among dozens of captives in Gaza. He said they would not be released until all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are freed
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel. The deployment -- which also includes a host of ships and warplanes -- underscores the concern that the United States has in trying to keep the conflict from growing.
Preliminary reports indicated at least four U.S. citizens were killed in the attacks, and seven more were missing, a U.S. official said.
The U.N. Security Council was holding an emergency meeting about the situation behind closed doors, and Germany's development minister said her country would review its aid for Palestinian areas.
In Iran -- a longtime supporter of Hamas and other terrorist groups senior officials praised the incursion. President Ebrahim Raisi spoke by phone with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday. Egypt spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, but an Egyptian official said Israel was not open to a truce "at this stage." A policeman in Egypt opened fire Sunday on Israeli tourists in the city of Alexandria, killing at least two Israelis and one Egyptian, authorities said. The U.S. embassy in Cairo urged Americans in the country to take precautions as the attack could be related to clashes between Israel and Palestinian fighters.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said 74,000 people in the Gaza Strip have taken shelter in dozens of its schools following calls from Israel for residents of border areas to evacuate. The number of displaced increased by nearly 50,000 since Saturday, when about 20,000 first moved into U.N.-operated schools.
The number is likely to increase amid heavy shelling and airstrikes in different parts of the overpopulated and besieged territory of two million people, the UNRWA said Sunday.
The agency said one of its schools was directly hit and suffered severe damage, but there were no casualties. Associated Press video from Sunday showed a large crater in the middle of the school, which had sheltered 225 people.
"Schools and other civilian infrastructure, including those sheltering displaced families, must never come under attack," UNRWA said in a statement.
Cease-fires have stopped major fighting in past rounds of conflict but have always proven shaky. Each agreement in the past has offered a period of calm, but the deeper, underlying issues are rarely addressed, setting the stage for the next round of airstrikes and rockets.
Hamas officials cited long-simmering sources of tension including the dispute over the sensitive Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Competing claims over the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, have spilled into violence before, including a bloody 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021.
In recent years, Israeli religious nationalists -- such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister -- have increased their visits to the compound. Last week, during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli activists visited the site, prompting condemnation from Hamas and accusations that Jews were praying there in violation of the status quo agreement. Hamas also has cited the expansion of Jewish settlements on lands that Palestinians claim for a future state and Ben-Gvir's efforts to toughen restrictions on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Tensions recently escalated with violent Palestinian protests along the Gaza frontier. In negotiations with Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations, Hamas has pushed for Israeli concessions that could loosen the 17-year blockade on the enclave and help halt a worsening financial crisis that has sharpened public criticism of its rule. Some political analysts have linked Hamas' attack to current U.S.-brokered talks on normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. So far, reports of possible concessions to Palestinians in the negotiations have involved the occupied West Bank, not Gaza.
The eruption of violence comes at a difficult time for Israel, which is facing the biggest protests in its history over Netanyahu's proposal to weaken the Supreme Court while he is on trial for corruption.
The protest movement accuses Netanyahu of making a power grab. That has bitterly divided society and unleashed turmoil within the military, with hundreds of reservists threatening to stop volunteering to report for duty in protest.
Reservists are the backbone of the army, and protests within the ranks have raised concerns about cohesion, operational readiness and power of deterrence as it confronts threats on multiple fronts. Netanyahu called up "an extensive mobilization of reserve forces" Saturday.
bwilliams@postmedia.com
Brian Williams, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, London Free Press
Hundreds of Londoners rally for Palestine after Hamas attack on Israel
Local Journalism Initiative
Tue, October 10, 2023
Hundreds rallied in downtown London Monday afternoon to back Palestine in a sudden war with neighbouring Israel following an unexpected attack on the latter that's sent shockwaves around the globe.
The rally was organized by a group called the Canadian Palestinian Social Association. It drew a large crowd to the northwest corner of Victoria Park, including several people waving Palestine flags, holding signs criticizing Israel and chanting in support of Palestinian freedom.
"I think it's very important we support our Palestinian brothers and sisters today," said 18-year-old Western University student Malak Osman.
Added her fellow student, Sama Zayed: "(I'm) definitely in support of Palestine."
The rally in London followed on the heels of pro-Palestine events in other Canadian cities this weekend, including Ottawa and Mississauga. But it's also at odds with the official stance taken by the federal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In a statement, Trudeau described the conflict as "Hamas' terror attack against Israel," in reference to the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip. The peace tower on Parliament Hill was lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag, Trudeau noted, "to honour those whose lives have been cut short by Hamas' terror attacks."
Trudeau also said: "Canada unequivocally condemns Hamas' barbaric, brutal terror attacks -- and reaffirms its support for Israel's right to defend itself."
The London rally underscored the fact that many in Canada, including but not limited to Muslim communities, see the conflict very differently. Chants by those in attendance included "Free, free Palestine" and "Netanyahu you will see/Palestine will be free," in reference to the Israeli prime minister.
Israel has declared war as it bombarded the Gaza strip with airstrikes in retaliation for the major surprise attack by Hamas. Here are five things to know about the conflict, as reported by the Associated Press:
Israel has previously carried out major military campaigns in Lebanon and Gaza that it portrayed as wars, but without a formal declaration.
The declaration gives the green light for Israel to take "significant military steps" against Hamas. It came as the military continued efforts to stamp out the last groups of fighters in southern Israel following the attack.
Israel hit more than 800 targets in Gaza by Sunday, its military said. That included airstrikes that levelled much of the town of Beit Hanoun in the enclave's northeast corner.
Hamas had been using the town as a staging ground for attacks, Israeli Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters. There was no immediate word on casualties, and most of the community's population of tens of thousands likely fled before the bombardment.
The leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in Saturday's attack, said it was holding more than 30 Israelis among dozens of captives in Gaza. He said they would not be released until all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are freed
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel. The deployment -- which also includes a host of ships and warplanes -- underscores the concern that the United States has in trying to keep the conflict from growing.
Preliminary reports indicated at least four U.S. citizens were killed in the attacks, and seven more were missing, a U.S. official said.
The U.N. Security Council was holding an emergency meeting about the situation behind closed doors, and Germany's development minister said her country would review its aid for Palestinian areas.
In Iran -- a longtime supporter of Hamas and other terrorist groups senior officials praised the incursion. President Ebrahim Raisi spoke by phone with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday. Egypt spoke with both sides about a potential cease-fire, but an Egyptian official said Israel was not open to a truce "at this stage." A policeman in Egypt opened fire Sunday on Israeli tourists in the city of Alexandria, killing at least two Israelis and one Egyptian, authorities said. The U.S. embassy in Cairo urged Americans in the country to take precautions as the attack could be related to clashes between Israel and Palestinian fighters.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said 74,000 people in the Gaza Strip have taken shelter in dozens of its schools following calls from Israel for residents of border areas to evacuate. The number of displaced increased by nearly 50,000 since Saturday, when about 20,000 first moved into U.N.-operated schools.
The number is likely to increase amid heavy shelling and airstrikes in different parts of the overpopulated and besieged territory of two million people, the UNRWA said Sunday.
The agency said one of its schools was directly hit and suffered severe damage, but there were no casualties. Associated Press video from Sunday showed a large crater in the middle of the school, which had sheltered 225 people.
"Schools and other civilian infrastructure, including those sheltering displaced families, must never come under attack," UNRWA said in a statement.
Cease-fires have stopped major fighting in past rounds of conflict but have always proven shaky. Each agreement in the past has offered a period of calm, but the deeper, underlying issues are rarely addressed, setting the stage for the next round of airstrikes and rockets.
Hamas officials cited long-simmering sources of tension including the dispute over the sensitive Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Competing claims over the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, have spilled into violence before, including a bloody 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021.
In recent years, Israeli religious nationalists -- such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister -- have increased their visits to the compound. Last week, during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli activists visited the site, prompting condemnation from Hamas and accusations that Jews were praying there in violation of the status quo agreement. Hamas also has cited the expansion of Jewish settlements on lands that Palestinians claim for a future state and Ben-Gvir's efforts to toughen restrictions on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Tensions recently escalated with violent Palestinian protests along the Gaza frontier. In negotiations with Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations, Hamas has pushed for Israeli concessions that could loosen the 17-year blockade on the enclave and help halt a worsening financial crisis that has sharpened public criticism of its rule. Some political analysts have linked Hamas' attack to current U.S.-brokered talks on normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. So far, reports of possible concessions to Palestinians in the negotiations have involved the occupied West Bank, not Gaza.
The eruption of violence comes at a difficult time for Israel, which is facing the biggest protests in its history over Netanyahu's proposal to weaken the Supreme Court while he is on trial for corruption.
The protest movement accuses Netanyahu of making a power grab. That has bitterly divided society and unleashed turmoil within the military, with hundreds of reservists threatening to stop volunteering to report for duty in protest.
Reservists are the backbone of the army, and protests within the ranks have raised concerns about cohesion, operational readiness and power of deterrence as it confronts threats on multiple fronts. Netanyahu called up "an extensive mobilization of reserve forces" Saturday.
bwilliams@postmedia.com
Brian Williams, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, London Free Press
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