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Hamas says October 7 attack was a ‘necessary step’, admits to ‘some faults’

Hamas says October 7 attack was a ‘necessary step’, admits to ‘some faults’

The Palestinian group provides its account of what happened before and during the assault on communities in southern Israel. The Palestinian group Hamas has said there were “faults” in the October 7 attack it led on southern Israel, but claimed its fighters only targeted Israeli soldiers and people carrying weapons. In a 16-page report titled “Our Narrative” and published on Sunday, Hamas, which governs Gaza, said it wanted to “clarify” the background and dynamics of the surprise attack it calls Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In its first public report since the attack, Hamas said it was “a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people”. Early on October 7, Hamas fighters stormed communities along Israel’s southern fence with Gaza. At least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on official Israeli statistics, and about 240 others were seized as captives. Around 100 of the captives were released during a seven-day truce in late November in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israeli authorities have accused Hamas fighters of committing war crimes during the attack, including torture, rape and mutilation. Hamas has strongly rejected allegations of sexual violence and or mutilation. ‘Maybe some faults happened’ The report said Hamas planned to target Israeli military sites and to capture soldiers, which could be used to pressure the Israeli authorities to release thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The group said that avoiding harming civilians “is a religious and moral commitment” by fighters of Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. “If there was any case of targeting civilians; it happened accidentally and in the course of the confrontation with the occupation forces,” read the report. It added that “maybe some faults happened” during the attack “due to the rapid collapse of the Israeli security and military system, and the chaos caused along the areas near Gaza. “Many Israelis were killed by the Israeli army and police due to their confusion,” it added. Israel responded to the attack with a devastating bombardment of Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade for 17 years, killing more than 25,000 people – mostly women and children, according to Palestinian authorities in the territory. Palestinian officials and human rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes in its assault on Gaza. The Hamas report also addressed the issue of post-war Gaza, a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his opposition to Palestinian statehood. “We stress that the Palestinian people have the capacity to decide their future and to arrange their internal affairs,” the report said, adding that “no party in the world” had the right to decide on their behalf. The report also listed the reasons that led to the attack, citing Israel’s campaign of settlements’ construction “and Judaization of the Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem”, and the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians from 2000 until this year. Adblock test (Why?)

Hundreds of thousands protest against far-right in Germany

Hundreds of thousands protest against far-right in Germany

Rallies to protest against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party are held in Berlin, Munich and other cities. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across towns and cities in Germany to protest against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. On Sunday, rallies against the AfD were held in Berlin, Munich and Cologne, as well as in more traditional AfD voting strongholds in eastern Germany such as Leipzig and Dresden. While national polls show AfD in second place behind the main centre-right opposition bloc and ahead of the parties in the government, demonstrations against the far-right party gained momentum after a January 10 report from investigative news website Correctiv revealed that migration policies including mass deportations of people of foreign origin were discussed at a meeting of German right-wing extremists in Potsdam. Among the participants at the talks was Martin Sellner, a leader of Austria’s Identitarian Movement, which claims there is a plot by non-white migrants to replace Europe’s “native” white population. The AfD has denied the reported migration plans are party policy. On Sunday, demonstrators outside the German parliament in Berlin carried signs that said “no place for Nazis” and “Nazis out”. In Munich, protest organisers said 200,000 people attended, adding that they were forced to end the demonstration early due to overcrowding. Katrin Delrieux, 53, told AFP in Munich that she hoped the protests against the far right would “make a lot of people rethink” their positions. “Some might not be sure whether they will vote for the AfD or not, but after this protest, they simply cannot,” she said. In Frankfurt, protester Steffi Kirschenmann told the news agency Reuters that the rallies are “a signal to the world that we won’t let this happen without commenting on it”. Meanwhile in Dresden, the capital of the eastern region of Saxony, where the far-right party is leading in the polls, authorities had to alter the course of a protest march. The procession was lengthened to make space for an “enormous number of participants”, police in Dresden said on the social media platform X. Politicians, businesses take a stand Business leaders have also voiced their concerns, with Siemens Energy supervisory board chairman Joe Kaeser telling Reuters the reports [revealed by Correctiv] trigger “bitter memories”. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has also come out in support of the rallies across Germany and views them as a sign of strength against right-wing extremism. In a video message on Sunday, Steinmeier said: “You are standing up against misanthropy and right-wing extremism; these people encourage us all.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who joined a demonstration last weekend, highlighted that any plan to expel immigrants or citizens alike amounted to “an attack against our democracy, and in turn, on all of us”. He urged “all to take a stand – for cohesion, for tolerance, for our democratic Germany”. Rechtsextremisten greifen unsere Demokratie an. Wir alle sind gefordert, deutlich Stellung zu beziehen: für unser demokratisches Deutschland. Und für unsere mehr als 20 Millionen Freunde, Arbeitskolleginnen und Nachbarn, die eine Migrationsgeschichte haben. #Kanzlerkompakt pic.twitter.com/Cs1Dj69TwM — Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) January 19, 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

Haley reveals pitch to DeSantis voters, pledges she’ll ‘absolutely’ move on to South Carolina after NH primary

Haley reveals pitch to DeSantis voters, pledges she’ll ‘absolutely’ move on to South Carolina after NH primary

Nikki Haley has a message for voters who were supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential nomination race. “What we say to DeSantis voters is it’s time for a new generation. It’s time to stop the chaos. It’s time to stop the noise and get America back on track,” Haley told Fox News Digital on Sunday ahead of a rally in the historic town of Exeter on the New Hampshire Seacoast. The former South Carolina governor who later served as U.N. ambassador in former President Trump’s administration was interviewed a couple of hours after DeSantis suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump, the clear frontrunner in the 2024 GOP race. RON DESANTIS ENDORSES DONALD TRUMP AS HE DROPS OUT OF THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE “We know that DeSantis supporters love America, and we know that they want a new generational conservative leader,” Haley, 52, emphasized. “And so what we’re saying is we’re going to fight for you. We’re going to earn your support.” Trump, speaking at a rally in Rochester, New Hampshire, once again repeatedly blasted Haley. He charged – among other things – that she “puts America last” and “wants to gut Medicare.” CHECK OUT THE LATEST POLL NUMBERS IN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY Haley pushed back against what she argued are Trump’s lies about her record and agenda. “It is not what Donald Trump says. I have never said I want to raise the retirement age or cut social security. I’ve never raised a tax, regardless of what he says. He said multiple things, like I don’t believe in the border. I passed the toughest illegal immigration law in the country as governor,” she touted. Trump, the commanding frontrunner in the GOP nomination race as he runs a third straight time for the White House, grabbed 51% of ballots cast in last week’s low-turnout Iowa Republican caucuses. DeSantis edged Haley out for a distant second place. But DeSantis wasn’t a factor in New Hampshire, where independent voters have long played an influential role in the state’s storied presidential primary. TRUMP RUNNING MATE SPECULATION SOARS AS FORMER PRESIDENT CONSOLIDATES SUPPORT  Trump held 11-point and 19-point leads over Haley in two new polls released on Sunday morning, with DeSantis a distant third in the single digits before he dropped out of the race. His departure leaves Trump and Haley as the last major candidates battling for the nomination. Haley has repeatedly declined to set expectations for her finish in New Hampshire, reiterating to reporters on Sunday at a stop in Epping that “we’ll find out what strong and stronger is on Election Day.” Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney told reporters on Saturday that they’re moving full speed ahead to South Carolina, which holds the next major contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar, on Feb. 24. Ankney said Haley will hold a large event in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday, the same day that the campaign will launch a $4 million statewide ad blitz. Asked by Fox News if she’s moving on to her home state regardless of her finish in New Hampshire, Haley quickly responded “absolutely.” “I can’t wait to make sure that we go and have that homecoming. And then I’m going to fight every day to earn their support. South Carolinians are smart. They’re tough. They expect you to do your homework,” she emphasized. “But I’ve won there twice. I know what it takes to do that and we’ll do it again.” Minutes after her Fox News interview, Haley took the stage at Exeter High School after being introduced by daytime TV host Judith Sheindlin, who is best known to Americans as Judge Judy. “Please, New Hampshire. Use your brains and your heart,” Sheindlin stressed. “Bring her home on Tuesday.” After the two hugged as Haley came on stage, the candidate said “how cool is it to have Judge Judy endorse you? It really is.” Haley said of Sheindlin, “she’s a trailblazer. She’s tough. She speaks hard truths. She doesn’t mince words.” And reacting to the roar of the crowd, Haley said “Can you hear that sound? That’s the sound of a two-person race.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Tim Scott, potential Trump VP, engaged to girlfriend after proposing in South Carolina

Tim Scott, potential Trump VP, engaged to girlfriend after proposing in South Carolina

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is engaged to marry his girlfriend Mindy Noce after proposing to her in Kiawah Island, South Carolina Saturday evening. Scott, 58, confirmed his engagement during an appearance on Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy. Scott called his engagement the second most important decision behind becoming a Christian.  “Going to the beach and getting on one knee, and asking Mindy to marry me was so much more important than anything else, and I wanted to make sure that that sacred day would not be disturbed by anything political,” Scott told Gowdy, speaking on his discussions with former President Donald Trump for an endorsement. As a presidential candidate in the 2024 race, Scott introduced Noce during a debate back in November. They reportedly met at church approximately a year ago and bonded over Bible study.  TRUMP ADDRESSES ENTHUSIASTIC NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS, ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT OF ‘DESANCTIMONIOUS’ NICKNAME Scott’s engagement came after his endorsement of Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Scott, who ended his own White House bid in November, became the third former Republican presidential candidate in the past week to endorse the former president for another term. Later Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped his bid for the White House and endorsed Trump for president.  “We need a president who understands the American people are sick and tired of being sick and tired, we need,” Scott said as the crowd responded: “Donald Trump.”  Scott later told Fox News that “it’s time for us to unite our party so that we make sure that the only target we’re talking about is firing Joe Biden.”  “Our country can’t take four more years. I’m not sure we could take ten more months,” he said. “The best way for us to get rid of Joe Biden as our president is to unite our party now behind Donald Trump.”