He praised the Russian president for being the first world leader to speak out in the publisher’s defense | John Shipton, the father of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, has said that he is grateful to Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting his son amid his persecution by Western authorities. Shipton arrived in Moscow on Sunday at the invitation of Russian journalist Mira Terada, the co-chair of the BRICS Journalists’ Association.

💬 “In 2012, President Putin became the first head of state to speak out in defense of Julian’s interests as a publisher and citizen,” Shipton told RIA-Novosti news agency. Putin came forward when only “defamatory lies” were spread about his son in the media, Assange’s father said. “For this, I express my sympathy to your president,” he added.

Assange spent five years in Belmarsh high-security prison in the UK as he fought extradition to the US, which had accused him of unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified information, much of which was related to American war crimes. He was placed in the facility over breach of bail, after living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, which had granted him asylum, between 2012 and 2019. In June, he struck a plea bargain with the US Justice Department, formally acknowledging some guilt and waiving his right to legal recourse in exchange for freedom. “I pled guilty to journalism,” Assange explained later.

🩸The #Israeli fighter jets hit tonight a densely-populated residential block, targeting the homes of the Al-Sharif, Al-Hindi, Al-Kahlot, Al-Dariwi, and Obaid families Beit Lahia in northern #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/XhISHJaNqZ

— PalYouth (@PalYouth4News) October 20, 2024

Israeli air strikes target densely populated residential complex in northern Gaza town, killing and wounding scores | An Israeli attack on Beit Lahiya, a town in northern Gaza, killed at least 73 Palestinians on Saturday evening, according to the enclave's government media office. More than 100 others were wounded and several people missing. Israeli air strikes targeted a multi-floor building and damaged a number of nearby houses, medics in the Gaza Strip reported. The government media office said that Israeli forces had bombed overcrowded residential areas in Beit Lahiya, adding that women and children were amongst the casualties. "This is a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The occupation has conducted a horrifying massacre in Beit Lahiya," the media office said.

■ At least 87 killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Beit Lahia (Anadolu)
■ Update 2: Gaza Day 379: Israeli Bombs Kill 73 Palestinians (IMEMC)
■ Genocide in north Gaza worse than what 'Israel' did all year: Factions (Al Mayadeen)
■ Israeli extermination plan underway in northern Gaza (Electronic Intifada)

The documents posted on Telegram describe IDF’s alleged preparations to strike Iran | The US has launched an investigation after highly classified intelligence reports about Israel’s preparations for possible strikes on Iran were leaked online, CNN reported on Saturday, citing three people familiar with the matter. ● The apparent security breach occurred amid an intense standoff between Iran and Israel – which has vowed to respond to a barrage of missiles fired by Tehran earlier this month. ● On Friday, two documents were posted to the anonymous Telegram channel Middle East Spectator, which covers events in the region and is critical of Israel. ● The first of the files, apparently prepared by the Pentagon’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, says the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “continued key munitions preparations and covert UAV activity on October 16 almost certainly for a strike on Iran.” The second document contains a detailed report about a “large-force employment exercise” conducted by the Israeli Air Force on October 15-16.

■ US Probing Intelligence Leak on Israel's Preparations to Attack Iran - Reports (Sputnik)
■ US intelligence documents outlining Israel's potential attack plan on Iran leaked (Jerusalem Post)

Metropolitan Theodosius of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church suffered a concussion and burns during a violent raid on St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy, carried out by armed men, mostly from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. | The UN Human Rights Office reaffirmed that freedom of religion is a fundamental right after a raid on St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy, Ukraine. Videos show armed men in military-style clothing clashing with worshippers from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The attackers reportedly used tear gas, stun grenades, and fired a gas pistol, stealing icons, documents, and $60,000. The UOC blamed “schismatics” from the Kiev-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) for the attack against worshippers. The UN stressed, "Attacks on civilian believers are prohibited under international human rights and humanitarian norms."

■ Ukrainian diocese ‘goes underground’ after raid on cathedral (10/18/24)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is on a two-day visit to Kyiv | Paris is in talks with NATO allies about the chance of inviting Ukraine to the bloc immediately, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on a visit to Kyiv. "As for Ukraine's invitation to NATO, we do not rule it out and are holding discussions on this issue with our partners," he said. ● The day before, in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper, Minister-Delegate for European Affairs at the French Foreign Ministry Benjamin Haddad said that Paris believes it is a priority to agree on Ukraine's official invitation to NATO. He conceded that the process of joining the alliance could take a fairly long time. But, according to Haddad, the invitation is the first political signal that can be made right now.

While Ukraine still keeps resisting, that resistance is getting weaker, Andrey Kelin says | Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin told the BBC that the UK government is using Ukraine to wage a proxy war against Russia.

💬 "The UK government is waging aggressive war against Russia at the hands of Ukrainians. This is a proxy war led by the United Kingdom’s government by providing lethal weapons, with which the UK government is killing Russian soldiers and civilians," he said in an interview with the broadcaster, an excerpt of which the BBC posted to its website. (According to Kelin, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is not showing any interest in peace talks. This stance means only that Ukraine will lose more territory, he said.) "You [...] heard Zelensky yesterday. He was desperate. He fully understands that he is losing not only terrain, but he is losing the conflict," the ambassador said.

The North Korea Army has downed a South Korean military recon drone, over the skies of North Korea's Capital, Pyongyang. That drone, pictured above has caused massive trouble. | The Drone crashed landed in a tree in Pyongyang. North Korea has issued a communique to the South telling them that if any other South Korean military drones enter North Korea air space, North Korea will take it as a "Declaration of War" and commence military action. The North Korean People's Army has been placed on Combat Alert. Artillery from North Korea has been moved toward the border of South Korea. Islands off the coast of Korea and under control of the North, have opened the blast doors of artillery emplacements, and activity by soldiers preparing those artillery emplacements is now seen.

■ North Korea to Consider Repeated Intrusion by South Korean Drone a Declaration of War (10/19/24)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said civilian sites in Gaza lose protected status because ‘terrorists abuse it’ | The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement released a statement on 16 October strongly condemning comments made by Germany’s foreign minister in defense of Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians.

💬 “These statements represent a dangerous justification for targeting civilian sites under the pretext of the presence of armed elements in these sites, cover up the crimes of the occupation that targets civilians, and provide an immoral justification for indiscriminate attacks,” PIJ said.

The statement goes on to say that civilian infrastructure must never lose its protected status, regardless of what Israel claims.

■ Hamas Slams German FM’s Remarks on Israel’s Right to Kill As “Self-Defense” (Days of Palestine)
■ Pathetic Europeans Green-Light Israel To Continue War Crimes (Finian Cunningham)

Giora Eiland's brutal vision for Gaza, as laid out in his writings, suggests a future where the region is systematically emptied of its Palestinian population, either through displacement or deprivation. | The Guardian on Thursday published an opinion piece detailing the Machiavellian worldview of Israeli officials, particularly that of Giora Eiland, a retired general and former head of "Israel's" police council. ● According to writer Owen Jones, Eiland's approach to the war on Gaza epitomizes a ruthless, pragmatic strategy that prioritizes military objectives above humanitarian concerns. In a series of public statements and writings, including an article in Fathom journal, Eiland has unapologetically advocated for extreme measures to depopulate Gaza and render it uninhabitable. These measures include blockading essential resources like water and fuel, enforcing mass displacement, and creating conditions so intolerable that Palestinians would have no choice but to leave, effectively carrying out a project of ethnic cleansing.

Leo Hohmann | The timing of Federal Directive 5240.01 is interesting in light of the upcoming election and the government's narrative about right wing extremists being the 'biggest threat' to US national security. | A video clip has resurfaced from May of 2019 in which Kamala Harris advocates weaponizing the DOJ against speech the government doesn’t like, and the platforms that allow it. ■ In the meantime, one month before a tense presidential election, the U.S. Department of Defense has authorized U.S. military “defense intelligence components” to use “lethal force” against American citizens if requested by state or local law enforcement in an emergency situation. More on this in a minute, but first let’s get to the May 2019 video showing Kamala Harris unleashing her inner dictator. Speaking at the annual NAACP ‘Fight for Freedom Fund’ dinner in Detroit, Harris threatened: “We will put the Department of Justice of the United States back in the business of justice. We will double the civil rights division, and direct Law Enforcement to counter this extremism.”