#encirclement — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #encirclement, aggregated by home.social.
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
Gripen jets are coming to Ukraine; here's how they can be used against Russia -- Russian artillery strike hits children's hospital in Kherson, 9 injured -- Pokrovsk defense deteriorates further as Putin claims encirclement' what we know --Polish jets intercept Russian reconnaissance plane over Baltic Sea ... and morehttps://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/10/thursday-october-30-2025/
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
Gripen jets are coming to Ukraine; here's how they can be used against Russia -- Russian artillery strike hits children's hospital in Kherson, 9 injured -- Pokrovsk defense deteriorates further as Putin claims encirclement' what we know --Polish jets intercept Russian reconnaissance plane over Baltic Sea ... and morehttps://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/10/thursday-october-30-2025/
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
Gripen jets are coming to Ukraine; here's how they can be used against Russia -- Russian artillery strike hits children's hospital in Kherson, 9 injured -- Pokrovsk defense deteriorates further as Putin claims encirclement' what we know --Polish jets intercept Russian reconnaissance plane over Baltic Sea ... and morehttps://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/10/thursday-october-30-2025/
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
Gripen jets are coming to Ukraine; here's how they can be used against Russia -- Russian artillery strike hits children's hospital in Kherson, 9 injured -- Pokrovsk defense deteriorates further as Putin claims encirclement' what we know --Polish jets intercept Russian reconnaissance plane over Baltic Sea ... and morehttps://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/10/thursday-october-30-2025/
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
Gripen jets are coming to Ukraine; here's how they can be used against Russia -- Russian artillery strike hits children's hospital in Kherson, 9 injured -- Pokrovsk defense deteriorates further as Putin claims encirclement' what we know --Polish jets intercept Russian reconnaissance plane over Baltic Sea ... and morehttps://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/10/thursday-october-30-2025/
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2/2
Focus on #AlShifa #HospitalIn an attempt to maintain the trust of the international community, Israel is abiding by its promise to allow humanitarian corridors for introducing f#ood, #water and #medicine from #Egypt into the southern Gaza Strip, as well as allowing freedom of movement for civilians wishing to move south. This is happening to the displeasure of Hamas, which can no longer prevent the departure of more than 50,000 people a day.
Hamas’ inability to stanch the flight of civilians is one of several signs indicating operational difficulties it faces in the northern part of Gaza. Hamas is losing many armed men in battles with the IDF, with many commanders at the level of battalion and company commanders killed. More senior commanders, such as brigade commanders, remain in the tunnels (with some of them apparently in the southern part of the Gaza Strip). The IDF is identifying signs of pressure and despair among northern Hamas units. This relates less to senior commanders, whose decision to attack on October 7 has brought a terrible #disaster on the Gaza Strip.
In recent days there has been growing attention to Gaza’s hospitals, used by Hamas as #shelters and command centers. It was reported on Saturday that the IDF had completed its #encirclement of the major Al-Shifa Hospital, and that it was operating close to another hospital. This is part of a deliberate move by Israel, intended to put pressure on these hospitals while exposing the way Hamas is using them. Many civilians who had crowded near Al-Shifa Hospital left the site over the weekend.
In recent days, the Palestinians evacuated 10 hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, following Israeli warnings. An IDF officer called the director of Al-Shifa Hospital and demanded that he completely evacuate the hospital. Subsequently, thousands of civilians who had found shelter there started leaving. Those remaining were wounded and sick people, as well as some medical staff. Al-Shifa is a large compound which includes several buildings.
Messages from the hosptial on Saturday reflected a state of #emergency, depicting harsh scenes. This may be part of the psychological #warfare waged by Hamas, but attempts by Israeli TV channels to somehow “sterilize” the situation there while concealing scenes from Israeli viewers are not wise. This could lead to adverse developments which could later impact the war.
Al-Shifa Hospital in particular is thought to be the hub of a tunnel network and of command structures in the northern Gaza Strip. Serious damage to these could deal a blow to a Palestinian emblem and could also augment Western #criticism of #Israel. It seems that no final decision has been made on how to address this issue. Global criticism is growing. Over the weekend, French President Emmanuel #Macron called on Israel to stop #killing Palestinian women and children in Gaza; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there were too many people killed in Gaza, asking for a cease-fire. The Biden administration is concerned, both by negative #polls at home and by questions among #Democrats, given #Biden’s resolute support of Israel. There is also growing criticism in the Arab world.
In this drama there are also some less credible players. #Saudi Arabia convened a regional summit in #Riyadh on Saturday, demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. Among the guests were the presidents of #Syria and #Iran. The first holds this century’s record for massacring #Muslims; the second heads an apparatus that systematically spreads #terror, arms and death throughout the region. Iran tried to push through a resolution which included sanctions against Israel by countries with ties to Israel.
In the heat of battle, and the attempt to exact a high price from Hamas, there is hardly any discussion among politicians or in the IDF about what to expect in Gaza when the nature of the fighting changes, let alone when the war ends. It appears that the army is mainly interested in not being curbed in its operations, in an attempt to erase some of the impressions of its colossal failure on October 7. Politicians are also not occupied with these issues, with Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu busy with preparations for a campaign of casting the blame for the failure on the IDF and the #ShinBet security service. He is collecting material ahead of a commission of inquiry.
On the wall of one of the meeting rooms at the IDF general staff there is a quote from Carl von #Clausewitz, the Prussian strategist considered one of the leading thinkers about modern warfare. It says that no person, certainly not a rational person, embarks on war without clarifying to himself first of all what he wants to achieve by it and how he wants to conduct it. One can argue over whether these words could serve as prophetic criticism of the insane gamble taken by Hamas leader Yahya #Sinwar. But they may also require some thinking on Israel’s part, beyond a cursory reading of the quote on that wall.
#Hezbollah’s next moves
Hezbollah’s secretary-general Hassan #Nasrallah delivered his second speech since the Gaza war broke out on Saturday, the second within a week. In an apologetic speech marking his organization’s #Martyr’s Day, Nasrallah praised the members of the radical axis for their contribution to the fight against Israel, but did not vow to escalate his organization’s operations. Dr. Shimon #Shapira, an expert on Hezbollah, told #Haaretz that Nasrallah gave extensive details about his moves over the last few weeks, “but was not particularly fired up, often sounding as if he were analyzing the events, rather than dictating them.” Defense Minister Yoav #Gallant responded to Nasrallah’s words with a warning, indicating that Hezbollah was close to making a fatal mistake. “Hezbollah is dragging #Lebanon into a possible war. The price will be paid by the people of Lebanon. What we are doing in Gaza we can do in #Beirut,” he added.
Over the last week, as the IDF was deepening its operations in Gaza, Hezbollah increased the level of hostilities along the border with Lebanon. The organization now attacks IDF positions several times a day, as well as forces stationed in border communities, most of which have been emptied of their residents. There has been an increased use of attack #drones. Nevertheless, Hezbollah is sustaining relatively heavy losses in comparison to Israeli losses. On Thursday, Hezbollah was involved in the dispatch of two attack drones launched from Syria, which reached as far as #Eilat. The next day, as Nasrallah admitted, the Israel Air Force attacked a base in Homs, killing seven Hezbollah fighters.
Mohand Ali, a researcher at the Carnegie Middle East Center, wrote on Friday that in his first speech, Nasrallah emphasized that his organization had not known in advance about Hamas’ plans, estimating that Hamas would defeat Israel in Gaza. Ali said that the destruction in the northern Gaza Strip and the flight of its residents belied Nasrallah’s assessment. Ali believes that Hezbollah must take into account that an Israeli victory in Gaza will lead to an attempt to change the equation in the north as well, removing Hezbollah’s Radwan force from the border with Israel. He foresees a scenario in which Hezbollah intensifies its attacks while avoiding an all-out war with Israel, refraining from attacking communities deep inside Israel.
It’s possible that events around Al-Shifa Hospital will increase the level of Hezbollah attacks. Meanwhile, it’s obvious that Nasrallah wants to create the impression that his organization is working for the Palestinians. One indication of this is the attempted attack on Israeli citizens in Brazil, which was foiled earlier this month by local intelligence services, assisted by Israel.