Israeli Military Begins Operation in Rafah Seeking to Destroy Hamas

Going into Rafah: “The Israeli navy mentioned on Tuesday that it had despatched tanks into Rafah and established management over the Gaza facet of the border crossing with Egypt, in what it referred to as a restricted operation aimed toward destroying Hamas targets it says had been used to assault Israeli troopers,” reports The New York Occasions.

The day prior, Israeli authorities had warned Palestinians sheltering in Rafah to maneuver elsewhere, saying an invasion was imminent after Hamas had launched rockets from Rafah that killed 4 Israeli troopers. “A way of panic coursed by means of Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Monday after Israel issued an evacuation order for elements of town, which has turn out to be house to greater than 1,000,000 Palestinians searching for refuge from seven months of battle,” reports the Occasions.

“Individuals dismantled their tents within the pouring rain. Costs for gasoline and meals skyrocketed. And a few weighed the potential threat of staying in opposition to the risks of journey by means of a battle zone.”

30 for 1: Proper earlier than the invasion began, Hamas claims it agreed to a ceasefire, which was brokered by Egypt and Qatar. However an Israeli official claims that the ceasefire agreed to by Hamas didn’t embrace phrases that Israel had additionally agreed to. One main sticking level: “Israel insists on a brief cease-fire, saying it can hold combating afterward with the eventual goal of toppling Hamas’s rule in Gaza,” reports the Occasions. “Hamas calls for a everlasting cease-fire and vows to stay in energy there.”

There are additionally essential fundamentals lacking from the ceasefire settlement. “The proposed settlement would additionally guarantee the discharge of Israeli captives in Gaza in addition to an unspecified variety of Palestinians held in Israeli jails,” reports Al Jazeera. All through the proposed deal, Hamas needs a massively imbalanced variety of prisoners launched again to Gaza. For example: “Hamas shall launch all residing Israeli captives, together with civilian girls and youngsters (underneath the age of 19 who should not troopers). In return, Israel shall launch 30 youngsters and girls for each Israeli detainee launched, primarily based on lists supplied by Hamas, so as of detention.” (Emphasis mine.)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that negotiations can proceed, however that the ceasefire agreed to by Hamas is “removed from Israel’s primary necessities.” The bottom offensive in Rafah is much less in depth than the Israeli navy had initially marketed. Hamas nonetheless called it a “harmful escalation.”

Trump is down: Former President Donald Trump has been threatened by the decide presiding over his felony hush-money trial with jail time if he violates a gag order that was put in place. However Trump would not essentially thoughts jail an excessive amount of, he claims.

“Frankly our Structure is far more essential than jail,” Trump mentioned to the press assembled within the courthouse, per Politico. “It isn’t even shut. I will do this sacrifice any day.”

The gag order means Trump can’t comment on witnesses and jurors; he already violated the gag order and obtained $10,000 in fines (add it to his tab). Now, Trump—who believes the New York case is sort of a authorized stretch (which isn’t totally off base, as Jacob Sullum writes)—and a nasty type of political persecution (once more, not completely fallacious), appears fairly wonderful with being the martyr.

“The liberal decide in New York simply threatened to THROW ME IN JAIL,” Group Trump wrote in a fundraising email. “They need me in HANDCUFFS.”

Scenes from New York: As I previously reported, Airbnb was basically banned within the metropolis (and town has contracted with lower-priced hotels to function migrant shelters, at taxpayers’ expense). Look what occurred to resort costs (I imagine the poster filtered for Marriott):

that is lunacy pic.twitter.com/WdgyUIAeHi

— Phillip Jackson (@philwinkle) May 6, 2024

For extra background on NYC and Airbnb:

Let’s do a fast dissection of New York Metropolis’s extremely shortsighted, frankly fairly silly new Airbnb laws which punish hosts, vacationers, and the platform itself.

— Liz Wolfe (@LizWolfeReason) September 6, 2023

QUICK HITS

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.) simply announced that he’s working for reelection. Notice that he’s 82 years outdated, so if he will get elected this time round, he could also be serving till he is 88.
About 10 years in the past, NASA gave Boeing $4.2 billion to work on a “industrial crew” transportation system; SpaceX bought $2.6 billion. “With Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft lastly on account of take flight this week with astronauts on board, we all know the extent of the loss, each in money and time,” reports Ars Technica. “[SpaceX’s] Crew Dragon car has flown 13 private and non-private missions to orbit. Due to this success, Dragon will find yourself flying 14 operational missions to the station for NASA, incomes a tidy charge every time, in comparison with simply six for Starliner. By final 12 months, Boeing has taken $1.5 billion in expenses on account of delays and overruns with its spacecraft growth.”
This feels just like the darkest future:

New from 404 Media: Pornhub’s high grownup content material creator is selling an AI nonconsensual ‘nudify’ app. Pornhub informed us product placement is allowed if the creator signifies the video is sponsored (we did not see such a label). https://t.co/zxtHtgaHyW

— Joseph Cox (@josephfcox) May 6, 2024

“Millennials and Gen Z have been bred like human veal by their Boomer and Gen X mother and father who made certain their youngsters had been continually being surveilled and optimized for fulfillment in SATs, sports activities and entry into the Institution pipeline,” Purpose‘s Nick Gillespie told Politico‘s Jack Shafer for a chunk on whether or not the media business is dropping its swagger. “Can we be shocked that such a system has produced generations of journalists who endlessly describe something they disagree with as misinformation and wish to management and regulate all the pieces just like the room temperature in an after-school enrichment program?”
Beautiful press dishonesty: