As Israel enters a new, dangerous phase in its conflict with Hamas, The Algemeiner is rounding up developments in the region and around the world.

US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the Hamas onslaught against Israel. Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

‘How Many Dead Jews Does It Take?’ Israel’s UN Ambassador Slams UN Statements on Hamas Slaughter

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan on Tuesday slammed UN officials and the UN Human Rights Council for their equivocations and failures to condemn Hamas’ massacre of more than 1,000 Israelis since Saturday.

“Israel just suffered the gravest human rights atrocity since the Holocaust,” Erdan said. “How many dead Jews does it take to justify a proportionate response against a genocidal terror organization? Is it 1,000? Six million? Maybe it’s 10 million — the population of Israel? This is, after all, Hamas’ publicly declared goal. So I ask you, how many murdered Jews does it take for you to support Israel’s right to self defense?” The Algemeiner’s Andrew Bernard has more.

Iranians Stand With Israel on Social Media, Reject Hamas Violence

Iranians on social media have continued to express support for Israel and denounce Hamas’ terrorist onslaught after the hashtag “IraniansStandWithIsrael” was trending on X/Twitter.

The hashtag has also been used in thousands of posts on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, despite the regime in Iran backing Hamas and celebrating the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of Israel.

In one video on TikTok, Iranians marched in the streets while chanting that Palestinians and Syria, an ally of Tehran, are “the source of our misery.” A separate clip showed an Israeli flag draped in front of a billboard by a street overpass in Iran. The Algemeiner‘s Shiryn Ghermezian has more.

Pro-Palestinian Campus Group Issues Call for ‘Day of Resistance’

The National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organization has called for a “Day of Resistance” on college campuses across the US, distributing propaganda aimed at re-framing the conversation surrounding Hamas’ terrorist invasion of Israel.

As part of the efforts to promote its campaign, SJP has issued a “Day of Resistance toolkit” that includes counsel on how to describe Israel’s existence as “settler colonialism” and “imperialism.” One document, titled “What Is Zionism: A Short Introduction on the Colonization of Palestine,” equates the migration of Jews to their ancestral homeland after World War II to the Nazi’s invasion of Poland in 1939. The Algemeiner‘s Dion Pierre has more.

Zelensky Compares Hamas Atrocities With Russian Onslaught on Bucha

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has again offered strong backing for Israel in its struggle against Hamas in a speech to NATO leaders.

Zelensky said that Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime were “the same evil, and the only difference is that there is a terrorist organization that attacked Israel, and here is a terrorist state that attacked Ukraine.” He compared the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians with the Russian onslaught on the Ukrainian city of Bucha this year, in which hundreds of Ukrainians were tortured and murdered.

In a separate interview with French television, Zelensky said that Ukraine was “certain that Russia is supporting, in one way or another, Hamas operations.”

‘Swift, Decisive, and Overwhelming’: Biden Backs Israel in Address to the Nation

In an address to the nation on Tuesday US President Joe Biden said the US stands firmly with Israel in the wake of Saturday’s Hamas onslaught as he forcefully condemned the slaughter of Israeli civilians.

“There are moments in this life…when a pure unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world. The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend,” Biden said. “The bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, a group whose stated purpose of being is to kill Jews – this was an act of sheer evil, with 1,000 civilians slaughtered – not just killed, slaughtered.” The US leader also acknowledged that the Hamas invasion had triggered painful memories for Jews of past persecution. “Sadly for the Jewish people, it’s not new,” he said.

Biden said that the American death toll from the attack had now reached 14. He said that he had just finished a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he asserted that if the United States had experienced this kind of attack, the American response would be “swift, decisive, and overwhelming.”

Biden said he was fast-tracking replenishment of Iron Dome interceptors to Israel and upping the US military posture in the region, warning countries in the region to stay out of the crisis. “Anyone thinking of taking advantage of this situation, I have one word: Don’t,” he said.

Israel Attacked from Syria, Israel Defense Forces Respond

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday said that they were conducting artillery and mortar strikes into Syria in response to strikes into Israel launched from Syrian territory.

It is not clear who conducted the strikes from the Syrian side. While the Syrian-Israeli border is controlled by the Syrian government, Syria has allowed the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah to operate in the area. The IDF said that the initial fire from Syria crossed into Israel and “presumably fell in an open area” with no reported Israeli casualties.

France Wrestles With Palestinian Aid Question

France’s prime minister told a National Assembly debate on the Middle East crisis on Tuesday that Paris was committed to ensuring that no financial aid reaches Hamas or any other Palestinian terrorist groups. Elisabeth Borne pledged that her government would remain “extremely vigilant to ensure that no euro of French aid reaches any terrorist organization, neither in Gaza nor elsewhere.” However, the French  Foreign Ministry on Tuesday poured cold water on the suggestion of ending aid to the Palestinians, saying that it was “not in favor of suspending aid which directly benefits the Palestinian populations.” The Algemeiner’s Ben Cohen has more.

Jerry Seinfeld: ‘I Will Always Stand With Israel and the Jewish People’

Jewish comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld has joined a number of American celebrities who are voicing support for Israel following the deadly attacks by Hamas that have claimed the lives of over 900 Israelis since Saturday. In a social media post on Tuesday, Seinfeld shared a picture that shows a young girl with her back to the camera draped in an Israeli flag, below the text “I stand with Israel.” In the photo’s caption, Seinfeld recalled living and working in a kibbutz in Israel when he was 16 years old and said, “I have loved our Jewish homeland ever since.” He added: “My heart is breaking from these attacks and atrocities. But we are also a very strong people in our hearts and minds. We believe in justice, freedom and equality. We survive and flourish no matter what. I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people.”

CUNY Law School Group Shares Molotov Cocktail Guide

Amid the circulation of footage showing gruesome acts of violence committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians, the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law’s Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) shared a tweet containing instructions for making Molotov cocktails. The Algemeiner’s Dion Pierre has more.

US House Foreign Affairs Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Standing with Israel, Condemning Hamas

The leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) on Tuesday introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives affirming US support for Israel and condemning Hamas.

“Now is the time to show the world the United States firmly stands with our friend and ally Israel,” said McCaul.

McCaul added that he expected it to be on the first pieces of legislation the House passes when a new Speaker is elected.

In a statement, Meeks agreed with McCaul that the resolution would have bipartisan support.

“The bipartisan resolution will demonstrate this is one issue in which the US House of Representatives is united.” Meeks said.

The resolution, which has 390 co-sponsors from both parties, says that the US is willing to supply “emergency resupply and other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support.” It also condemns Iran for its support of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and calls for full sanctions enforcement.

Sporting World in the US Condemns Hamas Terror Attacks

All major sports leagues in the US — including the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB — as well as several professional teams, athletes and coaches have condemned Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and expressed solidarity with the Jewish state. They called the terror attacks “horrific and senseless” while the NBA’s only Israeli player, Deni Avdija, talked about personally knowing some of the Israeli victims. He said, “while I’m here playing ball, my thoughts are constantly pulled back to Israel.” Former NFL player and Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman, who is Jewish, added: “Forget politics, forget money, forget land. This is hate. The Jewish people have survived worse. We will endure. I stand with Israel and against hate.” The Algemeiner’s Shiryn Ghermezian has more.

Funeral Held for Slain IDF Officer

A funeral was held on Tuesday in the northern Israeli village of Yanuh-Jat for the deputy commander of the Israel Defense Force’s 300th Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Alim Abdullah. Abdullah, 40, was killed fighting off a terrorist infiltration unit that had crossed the Lebanese border Monday. Many of the 300th Brigade, like Abdullah himself, are drawn from Israel’s Druze minority. An unidentified mourner at Abdullah’s funeral Tuesday from the border village near where the attack occurred credited him with saving lives. “If Alim was not in the right place and at the right time, it would have been a disaster,” the man said.

Australian Police Investigate Antisemitism at Pro-Palestinian Demonstration in Sydney

Police in Sydney, Australia, have launched an investigation into a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the city’s iconic Opera House where some participants chanted “F–k the Jews!”

The rally, organized by the Palestine Action Group Sydney, demanded Australia cut ties with Israel and urged supporters to “protest in solidarity with Palestine.”

New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said on Tuesday the force was reviewing footage from the protest to determine if offenses were committed, local media outlets reported.

Chairman of US Joint Chiefs Warns Iran to Stay Out of Israel Crisis

The United States’ chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown on Monday warned Iran not to involve itself in Israel’s ongoing crisis following the invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday.

“Our force posture movements are not only in support of Israel but also to deter any other entities that might decide to support Hamas in this particular conflict with Israel,” Brown told reporters during a trip to Brussels to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We want to send a pretty strong message. We do not want this to broaden, and the idea is for Iran to get that message loud and clear.”

Israel on Monday carried out air and artillery strikes in Lebanon on facilities belonging to the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah after a team of armed terrorists was killed infiltrating across the Israel-Lebanon border. While Hezbollah controls the southern Lebanon border area, it also allows Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist groups including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to operate there. Israel has not identified the infiltration team as belonging to Hezbollah, and Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the infiltration.

The US has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean in effort to deter an expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict into a wider, regional war.

“Zionist Regime Has Suffered Irrevocable Defeat,” Iranian ‘Supreme Leader’ Tells Graduating Military Cadets

Iran’s aging “Supreme Leader”, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed his joy at the deadly Hamas invasion of Israel on Tuesday during a speech to cadets graduating from military academies. Claiming that “the occupying Zionist regime has suffered an irrevocable defeat both in terms of military and intelligence,” Khamenei spoke of his desire to “kiss the foreheads and arms of the resourceful and intelligent designers [of the operation] and the Palestinian youth.” In a nod to reports that the Hamas onslaught was coordinated with and approved by Iran, Khamenei added that “those who say that the recent great event is the work of non-Palestinians are making miscalculations.” Khamenei then ranted: “Let the rulers and decision-makers of the occupying Zionist regime and their supporters know that this will only bring a greater disaster upon them. Let them know that the reaction to these atrocities will be a heavier slap on their ugly faces.”

Obama Denounces Hamas Terror, Calls for “Just and Lasting Peace”

Former US President Barack Obama tweeted his support for Israel while urging the resumption of peace efforts. “All Americans should be horrified and outraged by the brazen terrorist attacks on Israel and the slaughter of innocent civilians,” Obama tweeted on Monday afternoon. “We grieve for those who died, pray for the safe return of those who’ve been held hostage, and stand squarely alongside our ally, Israel, as it dismantles Hamas. As we support Israel’s right to defend itself against terror, we must keep striving for a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Leader of Islamist Party in Israel Calls on Hamas to Release Elderly, Female and Child Hostages

Mansour Abbas — leader of the Islamist Ra’am Party in Israel — on Tuesday called on Hamas to release the children, elderly people and women among the up to 150 hostages kidnapped by the terrorist group in Israel and ferried to Gaza. “I call on the leadership of the Palestinian factions in Gaza to release the captives in your hands,” Abbas posted on X/Twitter in Hebrew. “Islamic values ​​command us not to imprison women, children and the elderly. This humanitarian step is requested immediately.”

German Jews Call on Government to Cease All Funding for Palestinians

In an official statement on Tuesday, the Central Council of Jews in Germany called on the federal government to cut off all funding to the Palestinians. “It should now be clear to everyone that Hamas is a terrorist organization that wants to destroy Jews and wipe out Israel,” the group stated. “After the barbarism of the past few days, there can only be one consequence: all payments to the Palestinian organizations must stop immediately…The money may not go directly to Hamas, but it has been proven that the funds are used to foment hatred, for example in the form of antisemitic educational media. It is the hatred that we have seen with all its brutality since October 7.” Currently, Germany has pledged $265 million in assistance to the Palestinians, of which half is distributed through bilateral relationships with the other half going directly to UNRWA, the UN agency solely dedicated to the Palestinians.

North Korean Regime Declares Solidarity With Hamas

The official mouthpieces of North Korea’s one-party state have issued full-throated statements in support of Hamas following the terrorist group’s invasion of Israeli territory last Saturday. The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper condemned what it called Israel’s “ceaseless criminal acts” while the KCNA news agency denounced the Jewish state’s “repeated murderous atrocities.” North Korea — officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) — has long supported the Palestinian cause, at one point nurturing close relations with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), whose late leader, George Habash, visited Pyongyang in 1970. However, one expert on the country told news outlet NK News that Kim Jong Un’s regime is unlikely to become materially involved in Hamas’s war against Israel. “All in all, I don’t expect any direct DPRK involvement in the conflict, but they will surely continue to spout anti-Israel rhetoric and neglect to mention the terrorism of Hamas,” Benjamin R. Young, an assistant professor of homeland security and emergency preparedness at Virginia Commonwealth University, said.