This is edition 2025/136 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Pressure Points.
Chris Trotter
- 🍞 Starving Gaza: The text questions the motivations behind the images of starving Gazans—whether Israel or Hamas benefits from these visuals.
- 🇮🇱 Israel's Blockade: Israel’s blockade of Gaza is seen not to serve its interests but to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages and laying down weapons.
- 💣 Hamas's Strategy: Hamas may be using images of suffering to provoke international backlash, ultimately aiming to weaken Israel’s position diplomatically and militarily.
- 🏙️ Global Pressure on Israel: Countries like France, the UK, and Canada are distancing themselves from Israel, signaling a shift in international support.
- 💔 Antisemitism and Genocide Allegations: The text critiques the overuse of the term "genocide" and argues that the charge against Israel lacks a realistic understanding of the situation.
- 💻 AI and Military Actions: The Israeli Defense Force’s use of AI to target strikes is presented as a moral and strategic mistake, highlighting the difficulties of modern warfare.
- 🏴☠️ Hamas's Religious Zeal: The ideological drive behind Hamas is rooted in a radical interpretation of religion, fueling their willingness to sacrifice lives for their cause.
- ⚔️ Potential War of Annihilation: Hamas may seek to provoke Israel into a devastating war, using human suffering as its most powerful weapon to achieve a diplomatic collapse.
- 🌍 Western Leaders React: International figures like Macron and Starmer are impacted by the media portrayal of suffering, which puts pressure on Israel.
- 🕊️ Israel's Only Option: The text suggests Israel should lift the blockade and pursue a ceasefire and a Two-State Solution as a means of navigating Hamas’s trap.
