Robert Inlakesh goes over press evidence countering U.S. government denials that its forces were directly involved in Israel’s deadly operation in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp.
Israeli forces with hostages they rescued during the Nuseirat refugee camp massacre in Gaza on June 8, 2024. (IDF, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
By Robert Inlakesh
MintPress News
Officials in Washington praised Israel’s military operation that freed four Israeli captives from the Gaza Strip but refrained from commenting on the approximately 274 Palestinians killed during the mission, which involved U.S. collaboration.
While Israelis celebrated the extraction of the captives from Gaza’s Nuseirat, Palestinian refugees in the area were left to collect the remains of their loved ones. An eyewitness described seeing “mangled bodies of men, women, and children strewn around a marketplace and a mosque,” while a paramedic likened the scene to “a horror movie.”
A headline in The Washington Post read, “For Israel, a rare day of joy amid bloodshed as 4 hostages are rescued alive,” referring to the event that resulted in the deaths of 274 Palestinians and hundreds of others wounded. Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan praised the operation as “daring,” and President Joe Biden expressed his joy over the rescue without addressing what was one of the largest civilian massacres in Gaza since October.
During the Israeli military operation, which successfully extracted four captives, three others were reportedly killed, including a U.S. citizen, according to a statement from Hamas. Shortly after, information surfaced that the U.S. had played a significant role in the operation, which was hailed as a great success.
How was the killing of nearly 300 Palestinians justified in the name of extracting four Israeli captives?
We breakdown the Israeli forces attack on Nuseirat reugee camp https://t.co/xBcATTfHx6 pic.twitter.com/WTAdVajVDv
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 11, 2024
A New York Times article reported that “a team of American hostage recovery officials stationed in Israel assisted the Israeli military’s effort to rescue the four captives by providing intelligence and other logistical support.”
Another report from Axios cited an unnamed U.S. official claiming that a “U.S. hostage cell in Israel supported the effort to rescue the four hostages” but did not provide details on the support provided.
Compounding issues for the American government, a video seemingly filmed by Israeli soldiers was widely shared on social media, showing a helicopter taking off next to the U.S.-built temporary pier meant to facilitate the transfer of much-needed aid to Gaza. The aircraft was used in Israel’s military operation to transport the four freed captives.
The Israeli captives were evacuated from Gaza using the US 'humanitarian' pier. pic.twitter.com/tkY7X1dfDh
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 8, 2024
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) quickly released a statement on the issue, claiming:
“The humanitarian pier facility, including its equipment, personnel, and assets, was not used in the operation to rescue hostages today in Gaza. An area south of the facility was used by the Israelis to safely return the hostages to Israel. Any such claim to the contrary is false.”
However, contrary to the spirit of CENTCOM’s statement, the video of the helicopter used to evacuate the Israeli captives shows it clearly next to the pier. The vehicles used to transfer the four released detainees likely used the nearby causeway attached to the pier.
Following further denial from the U.S. government that its forces were directly involved, the Pentagon released a statement describing the area used by the helicopter as “near” the pier. This contradicts reports from The New York Times, Axios, and CBS, which cited American officials claiming that U.S. and U.K. intelligence information was used by Israel to conduct the military operation.
Additional reports indicated that U.S.-operated drones were used for surveillance to support the operation. While there are no allegations that U.S. forces were on the ground or participated in armed action, they were clearly involved in other ways.
Despite Washington’s insistence of innocence, the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) remained unconvinced that the close proximity of the Israeli-operated aircraft did not imply the pier’s use in the military operation. WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain announced the organization had “paused” its planned distribution of aid from the pier due to security concerns for its staff. This decision came after two of its sites were attacked during the Nuseirat massacre.
The U.S.-built temporary pier was initially estimated to cost American taxpayers $320 million. Contributions from the United Kingdom and lower rates for contractors allegedly reduced that figure to $230 million. However, the pier suffered damage after U.S. forces failed to account for sea conditions, adding another $22 million in damages to the bill.
The U.S. only managed to reconnect the floating pier to Gaza on June 7, less than a day before the Israeli military operation. This has sparked speculation about the true intended nature of the pier, as it is only operable in conditions with waves smaller than 1.25 meters and has delivered minimal aid for such a costly project.
Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47
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What Mr. Inlakesh fails to realise is that the 1,000 dead and wounded Palestinians are merely brown skinned Unpersons, Untermenschen, of no account whatsoever to the Talmudic Master Race and their western sponsors.
As an Israeli prime minister helpfully explained, “one million Arab lives are not worth a Jewish finger nail.”
The US/UK/EU are fully committed to the Gaza Genocide. The 60,000 tons of bombs or so courtesy of Uncle Sam, plus all the countless billions in freebies to finance all the slaughter. 33 plane loads of weapons from the UK. US and UK troops on the ground in Gaza. 200 plus reconnaissance flights by British aircraft to supply targeting information. Israeli aircraft landing at British bases in Cyprus to be rearmed and refuelled. The Dolphin nuclear submarines supplied by Fritz the German taxpayer, completely free at one billion euros a pop, to threaten Iran with nuclear annihilation.
Uncle Sam, John Bull, and Fritz should all be in the dock alongside all the Zionist nutjobs for the Gaza Genocide. They all have oceans of blood dripping from their hands all the way up to their armpits.
” Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan praised the operation as “daring,” and President Joe Biden expressed his joy over the rescue without addressing what was one of the largest civilian massacres in Gaza since October.” Utterly repugnant, both of these Americans. We Americans are getting an intense course in the psychology of our leadership. Over 200 Palestinians slain to give Biden and Jake Sullivan the “joy” of saving 4 humans who happen to be Israeli.
Really? I’m shocked…
Every black cloud has a silver lining, for some:
“The US has deployed a new combat vehicle to Gaza with the aim of field testing the weapon for use in Ukraine, as the Pentagon hopes it will help repel Russian drone attacks,”
hxxps://sputnikglobe.com/20240606/us-uses-aid-pier-to-roll-out-new-military-tech-for-testing-in-gaza-1118799094.html
Over 50 years ago, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, stated that the conflict between Israel in Palestine and the rest of the Middle East would be resolved in 2 weeks if the US stopped its unconditional support for Israel. He led the Arab League in presenting full normalization with Israel, providing they withdrew to the 1967 borders (as per UN Resolution 242) and recognition of a Palestinian state. Somehow, the Israeli (and US) rejection of that plan is the fault of “the Arabs”, and the Israeli massacres continue unabated in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. Some things never change.
The Ukraine and Gaza situations appear to be having unintended consequences for the hegemon.
“Saudi Arabia has reportedly decided not to renew its 80-year petro-dollar deal with the U.S. This bad news for the US is censored in Western media, but is reported today by Times of India.
The deal expired on June 9, 2024, and there is no official confirmation of its renewal.”
hxxps://www.globalresearch.ca/saudi-arabia-breaks-us-global-power/5859999
Beyond shame.
It seems that Hamas takes a lot better care of its Israeli hostages than Israel does of its Palestinian hostage/prisoners. No torture, no abuse by Hamas. This, of course, in stark contrast to Israel’s handling of hostages and general mayhem.
I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel for either the US or Israel. The absurd Israel good/Hamas bad narrative is an unsupportable lead weight. Like the analogy of the drowning swimmer, both Israel and the US are sinking together.
Is this just a co-incidence:
Xxxx://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/10/gaza-pier-aid-deliveries-resume
Thank You CN
The pier is just à trick. How pathetic. Hundreds of trucks of supplies have waited to enter by road but Israeli forces and even families of Israeli citizens have stopped them and destroyed vitally needed goods. “Rescuing hostages ” shows the hatred and lack of any humanity towards the Palestinians.
Every member of the US government involved in this massacre needs to face charges of conspiracy to commit human rights violations which violates U.S. and international law. Enough with the cloak and dagger secrecy around these operations. Prison for the perpetrators. All of them.
Does anyone else find significance in the location of the pier with respect to the Netzarim Corridor?
Looks like that could be a pipeline corridor, no? (for off shore oil and gas selling).
Pipeline corridor is Phase 1. The long-planned construction of the Ben Gurion Canal is Phase 2.
And yes, the Netzarim Corridor (through the Wadi Gaza lowlands) is the obvious route for both.
Jeez … appalling . No words any more . Thank you for your reporting . We are helpless here without you.,
Thank you kindly …??
USrael…turn my stomach in DISGUST!!!