News
Hamas Surprise Attack Out Of Gaza Stuns Israel And Leaves Hundreds Dead In Fighting, Retaliation
The Jerusalem Post: In an unprecedented surprise early morning attack on a major Jewish holiday on Saturday, dozens of Hamas militants escaped from the blockaded Gaza Strip and into nearby Israeli towns, murdering dozens and abducting others. A barrage of rockets aided them. Israel, in a state of astonishment, initiated bombardment in Gaza, with its prime minister declaring that the nation is now at war with Hamas and promising to exact an “unprecedented price.”
Hamas gunmen invaded 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip, including towns and other communities as far as 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Gaza frontier, in an assault of astounding scope. In certain locations, they meandered for hours, firing upon civilians and soldiers while the Israeli military attempted to assemble a response. After nightfall, the gunfights persisted, and militants occupied a police station in a third town and held hostages in standoffs in two towns.
At least 250 people were murdered, and 1,500 were injured, according to Israeli media, which cited rescue service officials. This constitutes the deadliest attack in Israel in decades. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 232 persons have been killed, and at least 1,700 have been injured in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip. The distressing social media recordings show that Hamas fighters captured an unknown number of civilians and soldiers in Gaza, a highly sensitive issue for Israel.
The conflict was in danger of becoming more lethal due to Israel’s threats of more severe retaliation. Previous conflicts between Israel and the Hamas leaders of Gaza resulted in days of rocket fire on Israeli cities and extensive death and destruction in Gaza. The situation could become more tense with Israel’s far-right government suffering from the security breach and Palestinians in despair over an endless occupation of the West Bank and a suffocating blockade of Gaza.
Hamas Surprise Attack Out Of Gaza Stuns Israel And Leaves Hundreds Dead In Fighting, Retaliation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had previously proclaimed Israel to be at war, stated in a televised address on Saturday evening that the military would employ every available resource to annihilate Hamas’ capabilities and “take revenge for this black day.” He cautioned, however, “This war will take time.” It will be challenging.”
“We will ruin every location where Hamas hides and operates,” he stated. “Get out of there now,” he advised the inhabitants of Gaza, who cannot escape the minuscule, overcrowded Mediterranean town of 2.3 million.
After nightfall, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza intensified, resulting in the massive explosive destruction of a number of residential structures, including a 14-story tower containing dozens of apartments and Hamas offices in central Gaza City. Just prior, Israeli forces fired a warning, and no casualties were reported.
Subsequently, a rocket barrage launched by Hamas into central Israel struck four cities, including Tel Aviv and a nearby suburb, where two individuals sustained severe injuries. The Israeli military reported that Hamas launched over 3,500 rockets throughout the day.
According to locals, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a residence in the southern Gazan city of Rafah late on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of twelve members of the Abu Qouto family. According to relatives, ten family members in the northern town of Jebalya were slain in an additional airstrike. It was unknown as to why the residences were targeted.
The sophistication, force, and timing of the attack that occurred on Saturday morning astounded Israelis. The border barrier enclosing Gaza was breached by Hamas fighters using explosives. Subsequently, they traversed the coastline using speed boats, motorcycles, pickup trucks, paragliders, and pickup trucks without opposition from the military.
In some cities, the locations where the advancing gunmen had affected the civilians were marked by a trail of bodies. On the road outside of Sderot, a woman who had been suffocated by blood lay lifeless in the upholstery of her vehicle. On the street, stretchers were used to lay out at least nine individuals who were gunned down at a bus shelter in the city, with their luggage still on the curb nearby. A screaming woman embraced the corpse of a family member who had fallen to the ground next to a toppled motorbike lying beneath a sheet. As she was led away, she picked up the deceased individual’s helmet from the ground.
Hundreds of horrified youths dancing at a rave fled after Hamas militants entered the area and opened fire on them, as captured on amateur video. According to Israeli media, dozens of individuals perished.
Hamas Surprise Attack Out Of Gaza Stuns Israel And Leaves Hundreds Dead In Fighting, Retaliation.
Photographs obtained by the Associated Press depicted a senior Israeli woman who had been kidnapped being returned to Gaza by militants from Hamas, while another woman was confined between two combatants on a motorbike. Fighters were also depicted in photographs paraded captured Israeli military vehicles through the streets of Gaza.
Col. Jonathan Steinberg, a senior officer who commanded the military’s Nahal Brigade, a notable infantry unit, was among those who perished in Israel.
Mohammed Deif, the covert leader of Hamas’ military wing, claimed that the attack was in response to the sixteen-year blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids in West Bank cities over the previous year, violence at Al Aqsa, the contentious Jerusalem holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount, increased attacks by settlers on Palestinians, and the expansion of settlements.
“Enough is enough,” Deif, who abstains from public appearance, stated in the recorded message. He stated that the attack was merely the beginning of “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” and urged Palestinians from northern Israel to eastern Jerusalem to enter the conflict. “Today, the people are regaining their revolution.”
Almost fifty years to the day, the Hamas incursion on Simchat Torah, a typically joyous occasion for Jews to conclude the yearly cycle of Torah scroll reading, evoked distressing recollections of the 1973 Mideast war, in which Egypt and Syria launched an unexpected assault on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, to reclaim Israeli-occupied territory.
A comparison to one of the most traumatic events in Israeli history intensified the criticism against Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who had campaigned based on a more aggressive response to Gaza’s threats. As a result of the government and military’s failure to anticipate what appeared to be an unanticipated Hamas attack in terms of planning and coordination, political commentators criticized them.
Hamas Surprise Attack Out Of Gaza Stuns Israel And Leaves Hundreds Dead In Fighting, Retaliation.
When reporters inquired how Hamas had surprised the army, Israeli spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht responded, “That’s a good question.”
The abduction of Israeli civilians and soldiers also presented Israel with a dilemma, as the country has a history of engaging in asymmetrical transactions to return captive Israelis to their homes.
The military wing of Hamas asserted that it was enslaving dozens of Israeli soldiers in tunnels and “safe places” in the Gaza Strip. Hecht acknowledged that many Israelis were abducted but declined to provide a specific figure, stating that the number was “substantial.”
The allegation, if accurate, could pave the way for complex negotiations regarding a transfer with Israel, which is detaining thousands of Palestinians.
An undetermined quantity of civilians were also abducted. Journalists from AP saw that four people, including two women, had left the kibbutz of Kfar Azza. A black jeep stopped in Gaza, and upon opening the rear door, a young Israeli woman stumbled out, her wrists bound behind her back and her head bleeding. A man brandishing a firearm seized her by the hair and compelled her into the vehicle’s back seat. According to Israeli television, the captives also included laborers from Thailand and the Philippines.
Frightened residents gathered indoors in the kibbutz of Nahal Oz, located only four kilometers (two and a half miles) from the Gaza Strip, reported hearing continuous gunfire emanating from the structures as firefighting operations continued.
“The knowledge that we have the Iron Dome (missile defence system) and our safe rooms gives us a sense of security when we use rockets.” “However, knowing that terrorists are roaming communities is a different kind of fear,” said Mirjam Reijnen, a mother of three and a 42-year-old volunteer firefighter.
Hamas Surprise Attack Out Of Gaza Stuns Israel And Leaves Hundreds Dead In Fighting, Retaliation.
Netanyahu declared earlier that Hamas “will pay an unprecedented price.” Whether Israel will initiate a ground assault into Gaza, a tactic that has historically resulted in increased casualties, is currently of paramount importance.
Hagari, the spokesman for Israel’s military, stated that four divisions of soldiers and tanks were being transported to the Gaza border, joining the 31 battalions that were already present in the region.
After nightfall, a significant portion of Gaza’s population was plunged into darkness due to the interruption of Israel’s electrical supply, which provides nearly all of the territory’s electricity.
Hamas stated that they prepared for a potentially protracted conflict. “We are prepared for all options, including all-out war,” Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’ political bureau deputy director, told Al-Jazeera television. “We are prepared to take any action necessary to protect the freedom and dignity of our people.”
Presidency of the United States Joe Biden condemned “this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza.” In a conversation with Netanyahu, he stated that Israel “has a right to defend itself and its people,” as stated in a statement from the White House.
Hamas Surprise Attack Out Of Gaza Stuns Israel And Leaves Hundreds Dead In Fighting, Retaliation.
Saudi Arabia, which has been discussing with the United States regarding the normalization of relations with Israel, urged both parties to exercise restraint. According to the kingdom, an earlier warning had been issued regarding the potential for “the situation exploding as a result of the continued occupation (and) the Palestinian people being deprived of their legitimate rights.”
The militant Hezbollah of Lebanon, which saw the assault as a response to “Israeli crimes,” praised Hamas. Regarding the operation, the group stated that its command in Lebanon was in communication with Hamas.
The assault occurred during unprecedented discord in Israel due to Netanyahu’s proposal to reform the judicial system. There are concerns about the military’s preparedness for combat due to the chaos caused by the massive demonstrations over the plan, which have prompted hundreds of military reservists to avoid volunteer duty and hundreds of Israeli demonstrators to take to the streets.
In addition, it occurs when tensions between Israel and the Palestinians are rising, and the peace process has been effectively dormant for years. In the past year, Israel’s extreme right-wing government has increased the construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settler violence in the area has forced hundreds of Palestinians to flee, and a sensitive religious site in Jerusalem has become a flashpoint for tensions.
SOURCE – (AP)
Entertainment
Wikipedia, Wrapped. Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
NEW YORK – Remember what you were looking for in 2023? Wikipedia, on the other hand, has the receipts.
According to data provided Tuesday by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind the free, openly edited online encyclopedia, English Wikipedia received more than 84 billion views this year. The most popular piece was on ChatGPT (the AI chatbot that appears to be everywhere these days).
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has flown into the public eye since its inception just over a year ago, as the technology makes its way into schools, health care, legislation, and even religious preaching. The chatbot has also contributed to developing arguments regarding the possible benefits and risks of generative AI, most of which are detailed on its Wikipedia page.
Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
The annual list of fatalities was the second most-read article on Wikipedia in 2023, after taking the #4 and #1 rankings in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Individual entries for important figures who died this year drew much attention, notably those for Matthew Perry and Lisa Marie Presley.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated 2023 Cricket World Cup came in third place — along with three other cricket-related entries in Wikipedia’s top 25 this year, including the Indian Premier League at #4, marking the first time cricket content has made the list since the Wikimedia Foundation began tracking in 2015.
“Barbenheimer,” Taylor Swift and others also appeared to influence our internet-reading habits in 2023. Here are this year’s top 25 English Wikipedia articles.
According to the Wikimedia Foundation, this top 25 ranking was constructed using English Wikipedia statistics as of November 28. The charity plans to update full-year figures on January 3, 2024.
The United States (33.2 billion) and the United Kingdom (9 billion), along with India (8.48 billion), Canada (3.95 billion), and Australia (2.56 billion), are the top countries that accessed English Wikipedia globally in 2023, according to Wikimedia Foundation data shared with The Associated Press.
Here Are 2023’S Most-Viewed Articles On The Internet’s Encyclopedia
1. ChatGPT: 49,490,406 pageviews
2. Deaths in 2023: 42,666,860 pageviews
3. 2023 Cricket World Cup: 38,171,653 pageviews
4. Indian Premier League: 32,012,810 pageviews
5. Oppenheimer (film): 28,348,248 pageviews
6. Cricket World Cup: 25,961,417 pageviews
7. J. Robert Oppenheimer: 25,672,469 pageviews
8. Jawan (film): 21,791,126 pageviews
9. 2023 Indian Premier League: 20,694,974 pageviews
10. Pathaan (film): 19,932,509 pageviews
11. The Last of Us (TV series): 19,791,789 pageviews
12. Taylor Swift, 19,418,385: pageviews
13. Barbie (film): 18,051,077 pageviews
14. Cristiano Ronaldo: 17,492,537 pageviews
15. Lionel Messi: 16,623,630 pageviews
16. Premier League: 16,604,669 pageviews
17. Matthew Perry: 16,454,666 pageviews
18. United States: 16,240,461 pageviews
19. Elon Musk: 14,370,395 pageviews
20. Avatar: The Way of Water: 14,303,116 pageviews
21. India: 13,850,178 pageviews
22. Lisa Marie Presley: 13,764,007 pageviews
23. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 13,392,917 pageviews
24. Russian invasion of Ukraine: 12,798,866 pageviews
25. Andrew Tate: 12,728,616 pageviews
According to the Wikimedia Foundation, this top 25 ranking was constructed using English Wikipedia statistics as of November 28. The charity plans to update full-year figures on January 3, 2024.
The United States (33.2 billion) and the United Kingdom (9 billion), along with India (8.48 billion), Canada (3.95 billion), and Australia (2.56 billion), are the top countries that accessed English Wikipedia globally in 2023, according to Wikimedia Foundation data shared with The Associated Press.
SOURCE – (AP)
Are you adept at flirting or chatting up possible partners? If this is the case, you may already have rizz and be unaware of it.
Young folks utilize the Oxford word of the year, internet slang for romantic appeal or charm.
It was one of eight words chosen from a shortlist to define the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of 2023.
A public poll was used to narrow down the list before Oxford lexicographers made the ultimate selection.
Swiftie, Beige Flag, and Situationship were among the other contenders.
If you are not a member of Generation Z, the term may be meaningless to you.
However, it is widely utilized online, with billions of views of the hashtag “rizz” on TikTok.
Rizz Named Word Of The Year 2023 By Oxford University Press
It is described as style, charm, or attractiveness, as well as the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner, by Oxford University Press [OUP], which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary [OED].
The word “charisma” is assumed to be a shorter variant of “charisma.”
It can also be used as a verb, as in “to frizz up,” which means “to attract, seduce, or chat up someone.”
It’s essentially a modern version of the “game,” described as skill, proficiency, and the capacity to sexually entice people through one’s charm.
What do the shorlisted words mean?
Beige flag (n.): a character feature that indicates that a partner or possible partner is boring or lacks creativity; (also) a quality or habit, especially of a partner or potential mate, that is very distinctive but not good or bad. [proposed definition]
A situationship (n.) is a romantic or sexual relationship that is not formal or established.
Swiftie (n.): a devoted follower of Taylor Swift. [proposed definition]
Prompt (n.): a command issued to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, or the like that affects or influences the content it generates [draft definition]
De-influencing (n.): the activity of deterring individuals from purchasing specific things or pushing people to consume less material goods, particularly through social media [draft definition]
The Oxford University Press emphasized that lexicographers are writing a draft definition “for the Word of the Year campaign” and that terms without draft definitions are already in the OED.
Rizz Named Word Of The Year 2023 By Oxford University Press
The rest of the words will be included in dictionaries “after assessment of their longevity, frequency, and breadth of usage,” according to the statement.
Kai Cenat, a Twitch streamer and YouTuber is widely credited with popularizing the term rizz, which he used with his buddies.
The word’s popularity has grown this year, and in June, actor Tom Holland was asked by Buzzfeed about the secret to his frizz.
Holland responded, “I have no rizz at all.” “I have limited rizz,” he says before detailing how he won his fiancée Zendaya over by playing the “long game.”
Another slang term characterizing “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy” behavior that was last year’s Oxford word of the year was “goblin mode.”
Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, stated that while “goblin mode” was popular following the epidemic, “it’s interesting to see a contrasting word like rizz come to the forefront.”
He speculated that the word referred to “a prevailing mood of 2023, where more of us are opening up after a challenging few years and finding confidence in who we are.”
Mr. Grathwohl said that the increased use of the word frizz demonstrated that words and phrases derived from online culture “are increasingly becoming part of the day-to-day vernacular.”
The language specialists at Oxford University Press chose the selection of eight words.
This list was then subjected to a public vote in late November, narrowing the field to four finalists before the experts decided.
Collins Dictionary revealed “artificial intelligence” as the word of 2023 in November.
SOURCE – BBC
Tech
BMW Recalls 2014 Model SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
DETROIT, MI — BMW is recalling a small number of SUVs in the United States because the driver’s air bag inflators can rupture in a crash, throwing metal shards and potentially harming or killing passengers.
According to documents issued Saturday by US auto safety regulators, the recall involves 486 X3, X4, and X5 SUVs from the 2014 model year that are fitted with Takata Corp. of Japan airbags.
The recall calls into doubt the safety of around 30 million Takata inflators, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating. The vast majority have yet to be recalled.
Takata created a minor explosion using explosive ammonium nitrate to inflate airbags in a crash. However, the chemical might deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can potentially detonate violently, destroying a metal canister and spilling shrapnel.
Takata inflators have killed at least 26 individuals in the United States since May 2009, and at least 30 people have perished globally, including those in Malaysia and Australia. A further 400 persons have been injured.
The risk of a dangerous malfunction prompted the greatest auto recalls in US history, involving at least 67 million Takata inflators. According to the US government, many still need to be restored. Globally, over 100 million inflators have been recalled. Takata declared bankruptcy as a result of the bursting airbags.
BMW Recalls SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
According to documents, the inflators in the BMWs contain a moisture-absorbing substance known as a desiccant that was not included in earlier recalls.
According to papers, BMW was informed in November of an NHTSA complaint that the driver’s airbag in a 2014 X3 had ruptured. The automaker launched an investigation, but no specific cause has been identified. However, according to the records, preliminary information indicates a production fault from February 22, 2014, to March 7, 2014.
According to records, the German automaker is still investigating but has not yet been able to inspect the X3 with the malfunctioning airbag.
According to NHTSA data, on October 23, the inflator on a 2014 X3 exploded in Chicago, blasting a big piece of metal into the driver’s lung.
BMW Recalls SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
According to the complaint, the driver also suffered chest and shoulder injuries that seemed to be caused by shrapnel. According to the lawsuit, which did not identify the driver, a surgeon extracted a gold-colored disc from the driver’s lung.
According to the NHTSA, Takata airbags with desiccant are being investigated because they have the potential to detonate and release shrapnel. The investigation, which began in 2021, involves more than 30 million inflators from 20 car and truck manufacturers, including Honda, Stellantis, General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Tesla, BMW, Toyota, Jaguar Land Rover, Daimler Vans, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Mazda, Karma, Fisker, and Spartan Fire vehicles.
In May 2020, the agency decided not to recall the desiccant-containing inflators but to monitor them.
BMW Recalls SUVs After Takata Air Bag Inflator Blows Apart, Hurling Shrapnel And Injuring Driver
“While no current safety risk has been identified, additional work is required to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled dessicated inflators,” the government stated in a paper that launched the investigation.
A NHTSA representative stated Saturday that she would look into the status of the inquiry. BMW was contacted and asked for comment.
Dealers will replace the airbags at no cost to owners, who will be notified via letter beginning January 16.
The BMW recall comes after General Motors recalled approximately 900 vehicles in July due to desiccant-containing Takata inflators. GM also blamed the incident on a Takata manufacturing flaw.
In a statement about the GM recall last summer, the NHTSA stated that it had no data indicating that other desiccated Takata inflators would burst.
source – AP
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