Breaking 17 OCT 2023: – – -Israeli strikes killed one of Hamas senior terrorist in Gaza

• 17/10/2023

One of Hamas’s terror organization leaders, Ayman Nofal, was reported killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza today 17 OCT 2023. Nofal, a member of Hamas’s military council responsible for central Gaza operations. Israel has stated it targeted several Hamas leaders in recent Gaza strikes and expressed the intent to dismantle the group.

 Breaking 14 OCT 2023: – – -Israel Foreign Ministry: ‘We will never ever forget. Nor forgive’

• 14/10/2023

Lior Haiat, Spokesperson of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 14 OCT 2023:

 

These are sad days for the state of Israel. More than 1300 people were murdered, and more than 100 were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. In these dark days there is also some light. We will always remember our friends that stood by us, that supported us, that came here to Israel to hug us.  We will never forget. We will also remember those who celebrated the massacre of Israeli children. We will remember the ones that could not wait to demonize Israel. The ones who spoke about “proportionally” when Israeli babies were murdered and burned alive. The ones that refused to call these murderers what they are: terrorists. The ones that said they needed to be “balanced” when describing the massacre of babies and toddlers. The ones who said they lost their sympathy for Israel when we had no choice but to defend ourselves. We will never ever forget. Nor forgive.

 

 Breaking 14 OCT 2023: – – -Egyptian Army Intensifies Border Presence Amid Ongoing Israeli-Hamas Conflict

• 14/10/2023

The Egyptian army has bolstered its presence at the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip amidst the escalating Israeli-Hamas conflict, shutting it down and stranding over 200 Palestinians in North Sinai, while also deploying additional forces and constructing high cement barriers. Although the official reason for this intensified military presence remains undeclared, a security expert suggests it aims to prevent potential Palestinian infiltration into Egypt, especially amidst resurfacing conspiracy theories regarding Egypt ceding part of Sinai for a Palestinian settlement. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, expressing concern over the Gaza escalation, refuted these theories and emphasized Egypt’s commitment to maintaining control over Sinai, despite ongoing concerns about potential militant activities and the emergence of new terror threats in the region.

 Breaking 13 OCT 2023: – – -Israel Orders Gaza City Evacuation Ahead of Potential Ground Offensive

• 13/10/2023

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) mandated the evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip within 24 hours, hinting at a possible imminent ground incursion aimed at eradicating Hamas elements, coinciding with an unexpected visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Israel. The evacuation order encompasses Gaza City, the Jabalia refugee camp, and the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, among other areas, affecting an estimated 1.1 million people. The United Nations, through spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, implored the IDF to retract the order, citing inevitable “severe humanitarian consequences.” The IDF, asserting that Hamas has embedded itself within civilian populations in Gaza City, maintains that the evacuation is crucial for safeguarding civilians amidst ongoing military operations and has warned of significant operations in the coming days.

 Breaking 13 OCT 2023: – – -Israel Orders Gaza City Evacuation Ahead of Potential Ground Offensive

• 13/10/2023

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) mandated the evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip within 24 hours, hinting at a possible imminent ground incursion aimed at eradicating Hamas elements, coinciding with an unexpected visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Israel. The evacuation order encompasses Gaza City, the Jabalia refugee camp, and the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, among other areas, affecting an estimated 1.1 million people. The United Nations, through spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, implored the IDF to retract the order, citing inevitable “severe humanitarian consequences.” The IDF, asserting that Hamas has embedded itself within civilian populations in Gaza City, maintains that the evacuation is crucial for safeguarding civilians amidst ongoing military operations and has warned of significant operations in the coming days.

 Breaking: – – -Daily Telegraph Displays Shocking Image of Baby Murdered by Hamas

• 13/10/2023

 

The British Daily Telegraph prominently featured a harrowing image of an Israeli baby, brutally murdered by Hamas, both on its front page and main online headline, distributing a photo provided by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The publication of such a stark image, which was part of a series revealing the atrocities committed by Hamas, marked a significant shift in Israel’s public diplomacy strategy amid attempts to counteract conspiracy theories and obfuscations of Hamas’s actions on social media. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has intensified its efforts to inform global public opinion by sharing photos and personal testimonies of the massacre in the Gaza Strip across its official social network accounts, sparking widespread online engagement and seemingly influencing international public opinion, as evidenced by a notable increase in positive views toward Israel in recent U.S. surveys.

 Breaking: – – -Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Herzi Halevi: ‘The IDF is fighting ruthless terrorists who have committed acts that are beyond belief’

• 12/10/2023

Herzl “Herzi” Halevi, the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Speaking from the Gaza Strip border in his first media appearance: ‘IDF’s mission is eliminating Hamas leadership… forces are now prepared for battle and fully comprehend the gravity of the current moment… Israel will hunt down Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahiya Sinwar, as well as the entire leadership of the terrorist group’ 

Herzi Halevi vowed that all those responsible for the terror organization’s actions, specifically the brutal attack on the residents of southern Israel, will be decisively struck: ‘The responsibility for Israel’s security was placed on our shoulders and we failed, but now it’s time to fight the war’

 Breaking: – – -Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin: The U.S. military is placing no conditions on its security assistance to Israel

• 12/10/2023

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to the media during a NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12: 

• The U.S. military is placing no conditions on its security assistance to Israel. 

• Washington expected Israel’s military to “do the right things” in prosecuting its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

• The United States has been rushing air defenses and munitions to Israel as it unleashes the most powerful bombing campaign in the 75-year-old history of its conflict with the Palestinians.

• Israel is vowing to annihilate Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, following the militants’ weekend attack

 UK Data Bridge Criticized for Potentially Undermining Global Data Privacy

• 06/10/2023

The UK’s imminent Data Bridge, extending the EU–US Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework (DPF), has sparked notable privacy apprehensions, especially in light of its predecessor, the Privacy Shield, being deemed inadequate by the European Court of Justice. The forthcoming Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill could enable the UK Secretary of State to authorize personal data transfers, even to nations without robust rights and remedies, potentially deviating from the EU GDPR and conflicting with US surveillance programs. 

The UK’s forthcoming Data Bridge, an extension to the EU–US Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework (DPF), raises significant privacy concerns. Set to be enacted on October 12, this voluntary scheme allows US companies to share personal data with the EU. It emerges after the European Court of Justice found its predecessor, the Privacy Shield, insufficient in protecting against unlawful US state agency surveillance. The DPF, however, is facing legal challenges, accused of not meeting basic rule of law guarantees.

 

The Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill, if approved, would empower the UK Secretary of State to authorize personal data transfers to countries, even those lacking enforceable rights and effective remedies. While the UK Government contends that the new regime won’t substantially deviate from the EU GDPR, adopting the EU–US DPF suggests otherwise. European data protection law mandates companies to ensure equivalent data protection levels, regardless of the transfer destination, a rule often in conflict with US surveillance programs.

 

The DPDI Bill could potentially bypass considerations related to “public security, defence, national security and criminal law” and “the access of public authorities to personal data”. The DPF, designed to address these issues, obliges the US to implement an Executive Order, providing more rights and stronger accountability for its state surveillance programs. In exchange, the EU has legalized personal data transfers to US companies, provided they adhere to the DPF and its enhanced safeguards. However, experts caution that the scheme may not fulfill its promises of providing enforceable rights and effective remedies against arbitrary data access and misuse by US authorities.

 

The UK’s approach to international data transfers, particularly through the UK Data Bridge, could compromise its role in promoting human rights and the rule of law globally. This approach not only fails to offer a pragmatic, long-term solution to international data transfers but also risks positioning the UK as a data-laundering haven, instigating a global privacy race to the bottom. The Open Rights Group vows to continue advocating for solutions that uphold high human rights and rule of law standards, balancing national security with broader economic and societal needs.