~11m ago

Here’s a recap:

• Israeli air attacks killed at least 31 people in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to the Wafa news agency. Other air attacks have hit residential areas of the Nuseirat refugee camp and Deir el-Balah, both in central Gaza.

• Negotiations appear to be ongoing over a captive release deal, according to comments from Hamas officials and US President Biden. A Hamas spokesperson said that the Israelis were adding more conditions to the deal, which he said would see 50 captives released in exchange for 200 children and 75 women held in Israeli jails, among other details.

• Video released by the al-Qassam Brigades purports to show an Israeli military captive who was later killed in an Israeli air attack.

• Biden says that hospitals must be protected as Israeli forces continue to besiege medical structures in Gaza City. An MSF surgeon reported that patients had been shot by Israeli snipers at al-Shifa Hospital.

• The EU supports “immediate pauses” in the fighting in Gaza, the bloc’s top diplomat said.

• Israeli forces reportedly killed two Palestinians during a raid in Tulkarem, in the occupied West Bank.

- Al Jazeera

The country of the week is Iceland so here is a story about an early liberal decolonisation adventure and the guy behind it. Jørgen Jørgensen, or Jörundur hundadagakonungur (the dog-days king) was a Danish privateer during the Gunboat War. In 1808 he was taken prisoner of war by the British and brought to London where he was released on parole on conditions that he didn't leave the country.

In London Jørgensen became acquainted with a merchant and suggested a voyage to trade with Iceland. At that time Iceland was a possession of Denmark-Norway and the island suffered food shortages and deprivations due to a Danish trading monopoly and the state of war between Denmark and Britain that made trade difficult. The climatic situation in Iceland had been bad during the 18th century and the eruption of the volcano Laki in 1783 that resulted in 80% of the island's livestock dying from eating poisoned grass and a quarter of the Icelandic population dying from famine. Jørgensen and his partners hoped to exploit the dire situation to make a large profit. The first voyage was unsuccessful though as the Danish governor of Iceland refused to trade due to the war.

Jørgensen and his business partner attempted another voyage in June of 1809 but once more the Danish governor refused to let them trade. In response Jørgensen and members of crew from the ship sailed to Reykjavik where they arrested the governor and took him back to their ship. Jørgensen proclaimed himself protector of Iceland and declared the abolition of Danish rule. Jørgensen confiscated all public funds and stockpiles, Danish debts were annulled and the people was promised independence, liberal democracy and restoration of the Althing, Iceland's traditional legislative and judicial parliament that had been abolished by the Danish crown in 1800.

Little came of these reforms though. Two months later a British warship arrived and seeing the situation, the captain negotiated Jørgensens surrender where he agreed to be taken back to London, and annul all his decrees. Government was left in the hands of local officials as the Danish governor travelled with the warship back to London to explain the situation.

In London Jørgensen was imprisoned for breaking his parole and released a year later. His heavy drinking and gambling eventually landed him in debtor's prison. He then travelled Europe and worked as a spy and translator for the British in Germany and France. Returning to London he got in trouble with the law again and was transported to Tasmania where he proved himself useful to the colonial regime and would end up taking part in the genocide of the indigenous population as a constable. He has been called the founder of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania where he is still commemorated as a local hero.

Jørgensen left few lasting traces on Iceland if any and it doesn't seem like he ever made much effort to engage the people of Iceland in his revolution. In typical liberal fashion he saw himself more as a saviour who was bringing the benighted peasants into civilization. Consequently, his rule crumbled the first time it met resistance.

Iceland would eventually gain its independence through a process starting with the emergence of a liberal national-romantic independence movement in the 1830's led by Danish-educated intellectuals. The Althing was restored as a consultative body in 1843. In 1875 the Althing gained limited legislative power over internal Icelandic affairs, although the Danish king still directly appointed some members and often would veto legislation. In 1880 Iceland was allowed to trade freely with all nations.

In 1918 Iceland nominally became a sovereign state although it remained in a personal union with the Danish king who would rule both nations. Denmark would represent Iceland diplomatically and militarily. In 1940 the Nazi occupation of Denmark and the loss of communication with Copenhagen meant that Iceland became de facto independent. The last ties to Denmark were severed in 1944 when Icelanders voted to end the personal union and declare a republic.

Gaza's health ministry: at least 13,000 Palestinians killed and 30,000 injured

At least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed and 30,000 have been injured by Israeli strikes across Gaza since 7 October, Gaza’s health ministry announced on Sunday.

Out of the 13,000 killed by Israeli strikes, 5,500 of those are children and 3,500 are women, Reuters reports the statement adding.

- The Guardian

Not sure if anybody has posted this, the megathread has been kind of unreliable for me the past few days and upvotes don't seem to stick.

Some of the better direct infantry confrontation videos I've seen out of Gaza. No vehicles, IOF going house to house and getting got by resistance fighters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tolcDJfyqtU

I'm sure the video is cherry picked but it's curious that there's no return fire from the IOF. Matches what that interviewed pair of fighters were saying, that the IOF just runs when they try to confront them.

The reactionary propensity for noncery is creating problems for Denmark's succdem-led right-wing government. Mike Fonseca, a 28 year old MP for "The Moderates" has been kicked out of his party and taken six months' sick leave from parliament following public uproar over his admission to have a 15 year old "girlfriend". In Denmark the age of consent is 15 and thus far there is no direct admission of a crime although Fonseca has broken internal party rules against having sexual relations with minors under the age of 18.

When Fonseca returns to parliament it will be as a non-inscrit and no other party is likely to accept him in their parliamentary group. The succdem-led right-wing government still has the support of three of the four MP's from Greenland and the Faroes and thus still has a majority backing it but as these four MP's usually does not vote on internal Danish matters, the combined left and right opposition now outnumbers the government who will now have to get the support of at least one other party to pass new legislation. This is only a minor nuisance for them though and previous legislation has been passed with the support of several opposition parties.

"The Moderates" is an astroturfed centrist/neoliberal party created in 2021 by former liberal party prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. It's main purpose is to keep Rasmussen's grifts and political career going and it's voters are mainly people who wants to vote for the right wing without feeling bad about it. It's MP's is a motley crew of C-list politicians and liberal village idiots. Previously one MP was forced to resign following revelations of corruption and sexual harassment and another had to resign after being caught lying about being a successful business man.

This is not the first prominent case of noncery in Danish politics. In 2008 the then 34 year old succdem politicians Jeppe Kofod resigned from his posts after it was revealed that he had sex with a 15 year old member of the succdem youth organisation who had previously been his intern in parliament during a party seminar. Some accounts of the incident suggests that the relationship was not fully consensual but the story was quickly hushed up by the party. Kofod is a long-term ally of current prime minister Mette Frederiksen and he quickly rebounded and went on to have a career in the European Parliament and later as foreign minister from 2019 to 2022.

"99% Hitler" is currently trending on Twitter, and Twitter knows what's up.

Xi Jinping meeting with Genocide Joe rn

Secret Service agents protecting Biden’s granddaughter open fire when 3 people try to break into SUV

Spoiler Alert: It was a drunk Hunter who thought it was his own car.

Edit

There's already a great thread on this - Haaretz now reporting what has been known for more than a month re: lots of Israeli friendly fire - Hexbear