PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Israel launches expanded Gaza City operation, tells residents to leave. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that “Gaza is burning” as the operation began. Heavy bombardment battered the city overnight and into the morning.
The military wouldn’t offer a timeline for the offensive, which it says aims to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure,” but Israeli media suggested it could take months.
Israel estimates there are 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas terrorists left in Gaza City, as well as tunnels used by the group. Hamas’ military capabilities have been vastly diminished over nearly two years of war.
The operation into the largest Palestinian city further escalates the ongoing conflict that has roiled the Middle East and likely pushes any ceasefire farther out of reach.
This, as a U.N. commission of inquiry joins rising chorus on the left that accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ in Gaza. Israel and the U.S. deny these claims, saying they are outrageous, noting that only tens of thousands of people, including thousands of Hamas terrorists, have been killed in Gaza out of a population of over 2 million.
Most of the deaths have been due to heavy Hamas resistance in heavily populated urban areas.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
Air Force has started modifying a Boeing 747 donated by Qatar for “executive airlift.” Trump has said he wants to fly the jet as “Air Force One” since new presidential transports, held up by delays, won’t be ready until after his term is over.
HOMELAND SECURITY
DEFENSE POLITICS
US POWER OVERSEAS
F-35B stealth fighters that landed in Puerto Rico joined a growing U.S. military presence at the former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads. Though the Navy disposed of this sprawling facility more than two decades ago, it is now a major staging area for the Trump administration’s battle against narco traffickers and Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.
CHINA THREAT
Philippines rejected and pushed back against China’s plans to create a ‘national nature reserve’ at a disputed South China Sea maritime feature, a move officials say could increase the People’s Liberation Army’s foothold in the area.
RUSSIA THREAT
What if Russia invades the Baltic? A tabletop game offers answers. As NATO prepares for a potential Russian invasion of the Baltic region, there are many questions. In an era of drones, hypersonic missiles and kill chains, how might combat go amid the fields, forests and islands of the area?
British Royal Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was noted today flying in Polish airspace along the border with Russia and Belarus, apparently highlighting a significant, if overlooked, overland surveillance mission for the type.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
A summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un: No upside for the U.S. Trump says he wants a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “I’d like to meet him this year.”
SPACE THREATS
EUROPEAN DEFENSE BUILDUP
UK to field swarm of AI drones within five years. Uncrewed systems will soon become a defining feature of the UK’s conventional forces, confirming that drones and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) will be fielded in high numbers over the next five years.
No ‘small boy’ thinking: Germany must not develop an inferiority complex with the U.S. if it is to help drive through an urgent European-wide rearmament program and become a “reliable partner” to Washington, claims the head of Germany’s largest defense contractor, Rheinmetall.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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The UN bodies have been claiming genocide for decades, except when Jews are murdered first as the Hamasites claim self defense for murdering civilian Jews!