Operation Iron Swords - Day 41 - 16 November 2023

Palestinian armed group Hamas launched thousands of missiles at Israel and deployed its militants to infiltrate Jewish settlements near the country’s border with Gaza on 07 October 2023. The 1,200 Israelis killed on the first day would be the equivalent of 36,000 Americans killed in an attack, as a proportion to Israel’s population of 9.3 million people (compared to 332 million in the USA). Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: “Not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day". PM Netanyahu stated "On October 7th, Hamas murdered 1,400 Israelis. Maybe more. This is in a country of fewer than 10 million people. This would be equivalent to over 50,000 Americans murdered in a single day. That’s twenty 9/11s. That is why October 7th is another day that will live in infamy."

It is the second largest loss inflicted on the Israeli forces after the 1973 war, as the Palestinian resistance killed more than 1,200, wounded more than 5,132 others, and captured more than 250, most of them military personnel, some of whom were high-ranking officers in the army.

Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs

Palestinian health authorities say that more than 11,500 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, more than four times the number killed in the six-week-long war in 2014. The death toll included 4,710 children [down from 4,800 children previously reported], 3,160 women, and 678 elderly people. These subtotals fluctuate inexplicably]. The average of children martyrs was six per hour, while female martyrs is five per hour.

In addition, the number of injured rose to 29,800 [though some earlier reports had totaled over 32,000 Palestinians injured since October 7th, including at least 6,360 children and 4,891 women]. More than 3,600 civilians, including 1,750 children, and presumed buried under rubble. On the West bank, at least 183 Palestinians had been killed, and more than 2,300 injured [a big jump from the previous 1,980 injured]. Palestinian health authorities have said it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain accurate casualty figures from Gaza due to the collapse of the hospital and health system in parts of the Israeli-besieged enclave.

Alalam News Network, part of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, reported "War crimes committed in Gaza , affecting 42,000 Palestinians , who are direct victims of this war, including martyrs, wounded and missing, meaning about 2 percent of the total population of Gaza became direct victims as a result of this aggression, either martyrs or wounded, which means that the hospitals of the Gaza Strip are receiving an average One "

Israel revised down the death toll from the October Hamas attacks in southern Israel from 1,400 to 1,200. IDF had said previously it was holding 1,500 bodies of terrorists, a total that now would increas to about 1,700.

The Israeli army reported the death of 371 soldiers and officers, 55 of them were killed since the start of the ground operation in the besieged Gaza Strip. At least 7,771 Israelis were injured. The IDF previously announced that more than 260 soldiers had been injured since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, including 100 in serious condition.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry released its first official casualty numbers in fighting, saying 77 people were killed and 251 wounded since the start of the war on Gaza.

Hostages

Some 240 hostages are being held by HAMAS in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said 03 November 2023. About 40 Israelis remained missing.

Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said on Hamas’ telegram account that 23 bodies of the 60 missing Israel hostages were trapped under the rubble. “It seems that we will never be able to reach them due to the continued brutal aggression of the occupation against Gaza,” he said.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club announced that the Israeli occupation authorities arrested at least 85 Palestinians in the West Bank last night from various cities and towns, including Jerusalem, bringing the number of Palestinian detainees in the West Bank to 2,735 since last October 7, including 1,050 activists from Hamas.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that the Zionist regime has not allowed progress in humanitarian issues and has foiled Hamas's positive efforts regarding the captives. He said Hamas has shown its goodwill about civilian prisoners and is ready to exchange them, but the Israeli regime is playing with time as its foreign minister is playing the victim by bringing the families of some of the captives to Geneva.

Operational Update

The Israeli war in Gaza continued for the 41st day, as Israeli stormed the Shifa complex for the second time, while the Israeli bombing continued on various areas of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army blew up a monument to the Mavi Marmara ship in the port of Gaza. The monument was dedicated to one of the ships of the so-called “Freedom Flotilla,” which consisted of 6 civilian ships that, with humanitarian cargo on board, tried to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2010. The attempt was unsuccessful; the ships were captured by IDF special forces. On board were about 10 thousand tons of medicines, food and building materials, as well as about 700 passengers and crew members. Passengers of the ship "Mavi Marmara" tried to resist using improvised means, for which 9 of them, who were Turkish citizens, were shot dead. Scholars say the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage during conflict constitutes a war crime.

The body of Yehudit Weiss, who was abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization, was extracted by IDF troops from a structure adjacent to the Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip and was transferred to Israeli territory. Hamas abducted the 64 year-old cancer patient from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri after murdering her husband Shmulik on October 7th. The Israeli army said that the hostage was "killed by terrorists," indicating that she did not die as a result of the bombing to which Gaza was subjected.

In the structure in which Yehudit was located, military equipment including Kalashnikov rifles and RPG's were also found. Following an identification process that was conducted by military medical and rabbinate personnel, together with the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Israel Police, today (Thursday), IDF and Israel Police representatives informed the family of Yehudit Weiss that she has been declared dead. The IDF sent its heartfelt condolences to the family.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there were "strong indications" that hostages being held by Hamas were located in Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital, during an interview with CBS News. "We had strong indications that they were held in the Shifa Hospital, which is one of the reasons we entered the hospital," Netanyahu told Norah O'Donnell, anchor of CBS Evening News. "If they were [there], they were taken out," he added. The Israeli prime minister then said the security forces had "intelligence about the hostages," but could not go into detail, "The less I say about it, the better."

Al-Shifa Hospital became a pivotal role in the efforts Israel made over forty days to wrest control of Gaza from Hamas, and Israel’s seizure of it was an important step that could determine the pace and extent of its war with Hamas, according to the New York Times. The newspaper reported, “The seizure of Al-Shifa Hospital, as well as any evidence provided by the Israelis about Hamas’ military presence there, may affect international sentiment toward the invasion,” as well as the ongoing negotiations to release the kidnapped people. A high-ranking Israeli official, who spoke to the New York Times to discuss the ongoing operation, on condition of anonymity, said that “the forces were interrogating people inside the hospital and found weapons,” but he refused to provide evidence or further details, at a time when the Israeli army had not announced this.

Amos Harel wrote in Haaretz "The fact that the Israel Defense Forces conducted searches in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza on Wednesday was one of the most dramatic developments in the war against Hamas since the ground maneuver began at the end of October. Israel took the risk of a complex maneuver entailing increased contact with Hamas’ core security infrastructure in the heart of Gaza City. This action has specific goals – exposing Hamas’ use of medical facilities for military purposes and a search for intelligence about Israeli hostage – but also symbolic importance.... The IDF wants to signal that even though the current raid has limited goals, there is no place its forces fear to enter and there is no place Hamas can feel safe."

In the days leading up to the raid, Israel insisted that Hamas was operating tunnels underground al-Shifa Hospital. It also claimed that the hospital was a command centre and military post for Hamas. The Israeli military released video footage from inside an undisclosed building within the medical complex. The video showed three duffel bags that the military claims were found hidden in an MRI lab, each containing an assault rifle, grenades, Hamas uniforms and flak jackets. Additionally, the army showed assault rifles without ammunition clips and a laptop that it said were found. Israeli military spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said: “These weapons have absolutely no business being inside a hospital,” adding that he believed the material was “just the top of the iceberg.”

Mustafa Barghouti, the general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, said that what Israel had shown in videos from under al-Shifa Hospital so far could easily have been planted by the army itself. “All they’ve shown is a Kalashnikov and a laptop that they could have put there easily and claim that it was found there,” the veteran Palestinian legislator told Al Jazeera.

On X, formerly Twitter, the Israeli army first posted a video of Conricus taking viewers on a tour through parts of al-Shifa, which it said was without any edits or cuts. But it deleted that post and then republished a near-identical video, with some tweaks. On social platforms, that further fuelled questions about the veracity of Israel’s claims.

Hamas denied and dismissed the latest statements by the Israeli military. “The occupation forces are still lying … as they brought some weapons, clothes and tools and placed them in the hospital in a scandalous manner,” Qatar-based Hamas senior member Ezzat El Rashq said. He added that Hamas has repeatedly called for a committee from the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross to verify Israel’s claims of Hamas tunnels under Gaza hospitals.

Israel renewed its operation at Gaza's largest hospital, targeting what it maintains is a Hamas command centre concealed in a complex sheltering more than 2,000 civilians. "Tonight we conducted a targeted operation into Shifa hospital. We continue to move forward," Major General Yaron Finkelman, the head of Israeli military operations in Gaza, said.

Palestinian news agency WAFA reported Israeli occupation forces (IOF) demolished the northern and southern walls of the Al-Shifa hospital. They also bulldozed all roads within a kilometer radius of the complex. The IDF earlier said it found signs of significant underground infrastructure located under Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, as well as “definite information that indicates a connection between Hamas activity in the hospital and the issue of the hostages.”

Israeli forces were conducting inspections and interrogations with the crews and employees of the Shifa Complex, following Israeli officers’ announcement that they found rifles, ammunition, protective armor, and other military equipment, inside the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip. Israeli army spokesman for the Arab media, Avichay Adraee, said that “the Shaldag commando unit and other special units under the command of the 36th Division are continuing their work in a precise manner in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, where they are carrying out combing work in search of the infrastructure and terrorist means of the Hamas terrorist organization".

According to Adraee’s post on the Military equipment used by the terrorist organization Hamas. In another section, Adraee says, “An operational headquarters and technological means belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization were found, which indicates that the terrorist organization used the hospital for terrorist purposes.”

After storming it and strengthening control over it, on Wednesday, Israeli forces are conducting inspections and interrogations with the crews and employees of the Shifa Complex, following Israeli officers’ announcement that they found rifles, ammunition, protective armor, and other military equipment, inside the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip.

In a video filmed at Al-Shifa Hospital, Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus showed about 10 Hamas rifles, ammunition, protective vests and military uniforms, some of which he said were behind an MRI machine and others in nearby storage units.

For his part, the Israeli army spokesman for the Arab media, Avichay Adraee, said that “the Shaldag commando unit and other special units under the command of the 36th Division are continuing their work in a precise manner in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, where they are carrying out combing work in search of the infrastructure and terrorist means of the Hamas terrorist organization".

According to Adraee’s post on the Military equipment used by the terrorist organization Hamas. In another section, Adraee says, “An operational headquarters and technological means belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization were found, which indicates that the terrorist organization used the hospital for terrorist purposes.”

He continued, "The Israeli Defense Forces is working in the vicinity of the hospital based on available intelligence and in an effort to prevent harm to medical staff and other civilians who have taken refuge in the hospital." He added, "The fighters found a room containing special technological means, combat equipment, and military equipment used by the Hamas terrorist organization. In another section, an operational headquarters and technological means belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization were found, which indicates that the terrorist organization is using the hospital for terrorist purposes."

Hamas, which has repeatedly denied using the hospital for military operations, issued a statement describing the Israeli allegations as a “fabricated story that no one will believe.”

Israeli media pointed out that the extensive Israeli propaganda following the Israeli forces' incursion of the al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza was a disappointment for Israeli settlers who believed that Israel would eliminate the Hamas movement during the assault. The media indicated that the leadership of Hamas remained cohesive even after the incursion of al-Shifa, and its fighters continue to launch rockets toward Tel Aviv and Gaza Envelope settlements. It mentioned that Israeli occupation forces reached al-Shifa but the goal of the operation was not achieved, as the Israeli forces failed to capture Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya al-Sinwar and Commander-in-Chief of al-Qassam Brigades Mohammad Deif.

Yair Cherki, the religion reporter for the Israeli Channel 12, said: "I hear about the widespread disappointment in Israel not only from those sitting at home but also from the soldiers who returned from Gaza, who spent about two weeks there." Cherki highlighted "There is great disappointment regarding Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip".

On his part, Arab affairs analyst on Israeli Channel 13, Zvi Yehezkeli, said that it is clear that there is nothing of real value in al-Shifa Hospital that the Israeli forces stormed, adding that the Hospital matter is a "distraction that Israel has been subjected to for more than a week, and in the end, these distraction stories will produce disappointment among the Israeli public."

Palestinian writer and political researcher Hamza Al-Bashtawi stressed that the occupation had failed to create an image of victory in the Shifa Complex in Gaza, stressing the failure of the Zionists to achieve their primary goal of targeting hospitals, which is to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. In an interview with Iranian Al-Alam News Channel for the “With Al-Hadath” program, he pointed out that not only did the Israeli lies about Al-Shifa Hospital fall, but the supporting American lies fell, which presented a story similar to the Israeli story, as intelligence sources in the White House spoke about the existence of tunnels, prisoners, and leadership centers. And weapons depots in the Al-Shifa complex.

He pointed out that prior to this storming, there was a prelude to the media war , where it was portrayed that this center included leaders of Hamas, the resistance, and other things, indicating: All this exaggeration is for the sake of creating an image of victory. This narrative and its amplification by the media paves the way for the Israeli forces to advance to reach what is called an image of victory.

. He stressed that: In contrast to this negative and dangerous media war on the Shifa Complex, there were the sick and displaced people inside the Shifa Complex. There is a real and realistic humanitarian narrative inside the complex, which is the medical body, the patients, and the displaced people there who only drink undrinkable water or dates. He added that the occupation brought all its elite forces to storm the complex, as it became clear that all these allegations do not exist and have no basis. Rather, there are only medical staff, patients and displaced people, and this led to the death of a large number of patients.

Al-Bashtawi said that the occupation failed to create an image of victory, and when they entered Al-Rantisi Hospital, they showed a picture and said that these were the names of prisoners, but it turned out that they were not the names of Zionist prisoners. He stressed that the primary goal of storming the Shifa complex and targeting hospitals in the Gaza Strip was to extinguish the lanterns of hope among the Palestinian people.

While he pointed out that the Zionists want to turn the Gaza Strip into a narrow grave, he stressed that: This fails in the face of high morale. After 40 days of war, we only heard Palestinian voices inside the Gaza Strip confirming that they are steadfast and that their morale is high, in addition to the creativity in heroics and epics from before. Sons of resistance in the face of occupation. Hamza Al-Bashtawi concluded , “The main goal is the process of displacing the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip... and it did not happen, and it will not happen.”

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported that the IDF's tanks renewed their efforts to storm the Al-Shifa Medical Complex from the southern side. The correspondent reported that the occupation forces bulldozed the areas in the vicinity of the maternity section at Shifa Hospital, adding that IOF tanks are opening fire on anyone attempting to leave. He also added that the IOF detained a number of medical workers and technical staff at the hospital.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Gary Mezhwa revealed what he said was “evidence” indicating that Hamas is using the “Rantissi” Children’s Hospital in Gaza to detain prisoners of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood . The officer shows a “list,” which he says is “in Arabic and contains details of the military operation launched last October 7 (the Al-Aqsa Flood), and it also includes names.” The guards who took turns guarding the people who were here.” This clip, including the transformation of the days of the week into the names of “prisoner guards,” did not go unnoticed on social networking sites and turned into a subject of ridicule. After examining the pictures and visuals, it becomes clear that this “list” dates to the days of the week. American CNN network published a report repeating the story of the “List of Terrorists in Al-Rantisi Hospital,” which turned out to be just a calendar that includes the days of the week in Arabic.

In a joint operation, soldiers of the 188th Armored Brigade, and Flotilla 13 (“Shayetet 13”), took operational control of the Gaza harbor, which was controlled by the Hamas terrorist organization. In the operation, in which soldiers of the Combat Engineering Corps and the Air Force also participated, 10 terror tunnel shafts and four structures used for terror were destroyed, and 10 terrorists were killed. All buildings in the harbor area were cleared. The Hamas terrorist organization used the harbor as a training facility for their naval commando forces for planning and executing naval terror attacks. Under the guise of a civilian harbor, Hamas used the area for training and carrying out terror attacks, all the while using civilian and Gaza harbor police vessels.

Military expert Majid Al-Qaisi explained what the term “operational control” means at the military level. Al-Qaisi, a former officer in the Iraqi army, says that there are three types of control over the land during battles, the first of which is “operational, then comes tactical control, and then comes administrative control.” Al-Qaisi adds that operational control means that the attacking force deployed two or more military divisions in the region and began distributing them, supporting the divisions, and inserting reserve forces into them.

However, Al-Qaisi downplayed the importance of the port on the military level, “given that Hamas is not using it in the current war.” Al-Qaisi points out that the port, from a military perspective, “is considered an important location, but it is not tactical or vital at the level of military tactics, because it is small and can be considered a port and not a port in the true sense.” Israel has essentially imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas took power there in 2007.

During the takeover of the Shati camp, IDF troops located and destroyed a Hamas naval forces weapons cache, containing diving gear, explosive devices, and weapons. IDF troops also struck terrorists and located weapons including explosive belts, explosive barrels, RPGs, anti-tank missiles, comms equipment, and intelligence documents.

The Israeli forces that had made advances toward al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City withdrew amid fierce confrontations as the Palestinian Resistance continued to put the Israeli occupation forces through the wringer in close-quarter combat. Israeli military vehicles were mobilized in the al-Rimal area due to the fierce nature of the Resistance they were subjected to as the Palestinian fighters continued to push against "Israel" and counter its bids to invade the Gaza Strip, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.

Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), issued a brief statement announcing that all of its fighters were engaged in brutal confrontations in the vicinity of the al-Shifa Medical Complex, noting that they were inflicting mass casualties on the invading forces. Al-Quds Brigades also claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Israeli Nir Oz settlement in the Gaza envelope.

The National Resistance Brigades, also known as Martyr Omar Al-Qassem Forces, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), said their freedom fighters confronted the Israeli forces southwest of Gaza using small arms and mortar shells.

IDF Chief Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, revealed that two powerful attacks were carried out on two different underground complexes, one of which was used by two senior Hamas terrorists who were hiding, by the names of Ahmed Andor and Ayman Siam. In another underground complex, senior members of the political wing of Hamas, including Moshehi Moshtaha, Asam Da'les and Sameh al-Sarraj, were hiding. "Hamas is trying to hide the results of the attack. It can be said with certainty that the underground where they were was very badly damaged," the IDF spokesperson stated.

Military expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, in an analysis for Al Jazeera, said regarding Al-Shifa Hospital that the failure of the occupation army to provide any evidence for its claims regarding the presence of the leadership of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), prisoners, fighters, or weapons inside the complex represents a grave intelligence failure for Israel and the United States, “if the intrusion was actually based on Information, not lies," he said.

Al-Duwairi said that each country has a National Security Council consisting of senior political leaders that determines the risks that must be confronted with force, and the challenges that can be dealt with in other ways. It is responsible for directing orders to the military command, which relies primarily on the summary of the intelligence situation to determine the final form of dealing with whether to launch an attack or not. Repell him.

After determining the type of work, Al-Duwairi adds, a military order is issued to draw up an implementation plan that will be distributed to the participants in the operation to carry out the tasks assigned to them, with each squad leader having the right to determine the method by which he will carry out the task.

Al-Duwairi pointed out that intelligence information decreases as it descends from the brigade commander to the company commander to the division commander, until it declines among the group commanders on the ground to what pertains to each group’s tasks only. Based on this hierarchy in effect in most armies - the military expert says - Israel - if it was honest - acted based on false information and corrupt sources, because it had confirmed before the storm that the entire Hamas command center was located below the hospital.

Al-Duwairi confirmed that all the allegations published before the Shifa storming operation were made with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chiefs of staff and intelligence, and all of them bear responsibility for this failure. But at the same time, he stressed that some misleading intelligence information is provided with the aim of building on it and making certain decisions, as the United States did in Iraq when it launched an invasion based on lies that were promoted.

Not only that, Al-Duwairi pointed out that the occupation army re-published the video, which he said showed the weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas that had been confiscated inside the Shifa complex, after deleting 20 seconds from it, considering this as evidence that what is happening is nothing but a falsification operation aimed at carrying out certain things.

He said that the Israeli occupation forces did not cleanse the Gaza port as they claimed, but rather destroyed it because resistance was not present there, stressing that the size of the vehicles stationed in the port means that the Israelis are facing violent resistance that required providing more support in this area.

Al-Duwairi added that Israel is still in the stage of engagement and not control, which means that it has not been able to defeat the resistance, which possesses weapons that are considered modest compared to what the occupation army possesses, “but they are nonetheless effective.” Even the areas into which military vehicles penetrated are mostly agricultural areas and devoid of population, meaning that they did not require fighting to enter them. However, the incursion into them took 40 days of war, and this is an achievement for the resistance, not for Israel, Al-Duwairi said.

The military expert believed that what Israel did in the Gaza port was destruction and not cleansing as it claims, noting that there are only small fishing boats in the port. He said that what the occupation military machine was doing in Al-Shifa Hospital reflected the extent of the military failure it was suffering from, especially since it did not provide one piece of evidence of actual operational achievement.

Al-Duwairi said that the pictures published by the occupation army of the operation to control the Gaza port aim to promote a victory that does not exist at all, especially since the port is not more than 30 meters away from Al-Rashid Street - which is under fire besiegement. The military expert concluded that the size of the vessels that were brought to the port confirms that the Israelis suffered heavy losses, which prompted them to send in more forces as support.

Regarding the number of dead Israeli officers, Al-Duwairi said that - according to military rules - they are much greater than announced because Israeli officers lead soldiers during operations, meaning they are at the forefront. The resistance is engaged in violent clashes with the occupation forces in the heart of Gaza City, especially in the areas of Al-Saraya, Al-Zaytoun, Sheikh Radwan, Jabalia, and the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which the Israelis stormed at dawn on Wednesday.

The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), announced that it was able to damage 33 vehicles belonging to the Israeli occupation forces during the last 48 hours. A statement by the Brigades said that they targeted 5 military vehicles that attempted to infiltrate west of Beit Lahia with “ Al-Yassin 105 ” shells, which led to the destruction of two vehicles, one a Wolf model and the other a Defender model, and finishing them off with machine guns from zero range.

The Brigades stated, "The Al-Qassam Mujahideen were able to finish off a Zionist force holed up inside a building in Beit Hanoun with 12 Yassin 105 anti-fortified shells, which led to the complete destruction of the building and its collapse on the targeted force, with all of them falling dead or wounded."

The Qassam Brigades statement added, "Since this morning, our mujahideen have been able to destroy a house in which the occupation soldiers were barricaded, leaving them dead and wounded, and completely or partially destroying 21 Zionist vehicles in all areas of the incursion into the Gaza Strip." Earlier, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed that the Al-Qassam Brigades were able to damage 33 enemy vehicles during the last 48 hours.

Communications services in the Gaza Strip were completely cut off after the Israeli occupation prevented the entry of fuel into the Strip, according to what was confirmed by the United Nations and the two telecommunications operators, while Human Rights Watch warned of “fatal” repercussions. The two main telecommunications companies in the sector, Paltel and Jawwal, said Thursday in a statement, “All services were disrupted after the entry of fuel was prevented and all backup energy sources were exhausted to operate the main network elements.” At the same time, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ), Philippe Lazzarini, announced that communications with the Gaza Strip were completely cut off again, due to the exhaustion of fuel.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “next phase” of the operation in Gaza, during a situational assessment overviewing the military’s progress, particularly with the latest activity in the Al-Shifa Hospital complex. "I arrived today at the headquarters of the division whose special forces also operate inside the Shifa hospital,” Gallant began his situational assessment alongside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Deputy Chief of Staff and other senior officers.

"The more we expand this operation, increase the pressure on Hamas and erode more headquarters, damage more tunnels, eliminate more operatives, and bring down more heads of organizations, the greater the chance of returning our abductees, because this enemy only understands power and we are explaining what power is.”

IDF issued warnings to residents of neighborhoods in Khan Yunis Governorate , south of the Gaza Strip, to evacuate their homes. According to Anatolia Agency, the Israeli army radio said, “For the first time, the army called on residents of some neighborhoods of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes,” through leaflets dropped by aircraft on a number of eastern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis. The IDF previously issued warnings to residents of the northern Gaza Strip to head south, before today calling on residents of the south to evacuate their homes.

The leaflets stated, “For your safety, you must evacuate your places of residence immediately and go to known shelter centers,” specifying the neighborhoods of Khuza’a, Abasan, Bani Suhaila, and Al-Qarara. The leaflets also stated that “anyone who approaches terrorists or their facilities puts his life in danger, and every home used by terrorists will be targeted”.

"To the residents of the neighborhoods of Tal al-Hawa, al-Sabra, al-Zaytoun al-Gharbi, al-Daraj al-Tuffah, al-Shuja’iya, and Jabalia, we urge you to evacuate your residential areas immediately in order to preserve your safety, via Salah al-Din Road until four o’clock (16:00). ) in the evening to reach the south of Wadi Gaza and the humanitarian zone.

"We will implement a temporary tactical suspension of military activities during the day today, specifically between ten in the morning (10:00) and two in the afternoon (14:00) for humanitarian purposes in Shujaiya and the Turkmen neighborhood. We invite you to take advantage of this period to reach Salah El-Din Street and move south. Hundreds of thousands of residents of the northern Gaza Strip have moved south in recent days through the humanitarian corridor, on foot or in cars. Do not surrender to the dictates of Hamas, which has lost control over the northern Gaza Strip area and is trying to prevent you from moving south and protect yourselves. If Hamas members block your way, contact us via text messages on the number +97250-341-0322 or on the Telegram account @gaza_saver. We urge you to seize the time and move South!"

Neighborhoods in the southern Gaza Strip were also subjected to bombing, killing martyrs and wounded in those areas where the occupation asked the people of the Gaza Strip to seek refuge, in addition to displaced people being bombed on their way to the southern regions, according to several Palestinian sources.

Various areas of the West Bank , including the city of Jerusalem, witnessed raids and incursions into villages and towns by the Israeli occupation army, accompanied by confrontations, arrests, and shooting and gas bombs at Palestinians. This came after the martyrdom of 3 Palestinians after carrying out a shooting operation at the military tunnel checkpoint between the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier and the wounding of 7 Israelis with varying injuries. Israeli forces closed the area of ??the operation south of Jerusalem in anticipation of the presence of a suspicious object. The Israeli police reported that they are currently pursuing other people suspected of participating in the operation.

For its part, the " Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades - West Bank" (the military wing of the Hamas movement ) claimed responsibility for the operation. wing of the Hamas movement ) claimed responsibility for the operation. A Qassam statement explained that “a group affiliated with the Brigades raided enemy forces at the military checkpoint separating northern Bethlehem and southern occupied Jerusalem, and they were able to kill and wound a number of Zionist soldiers, in retaliation for the blood of the martyrs in Gaza.”

Jordan’s foreign ministry said seven staff members at its field hospital in northern Gaza were wounded by Israeli shelling. “Israel’s exposing the hospital and its staff to danger during its bombing of our Palestinian brothers is an unacceptable and condemnable crime and represents a clear violation of international law,” Sufyan Al-Qudah, spokesman for Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement. “The government is awaiting the results of the investigation initiated by the Armed Forces-Arab Army to take the necessary legal and political steps against this heinous crime,” he added.

More attacks targeted Israeli sites and troops along the border with Lebanon on November 16 with Hezbollah claiming responsibility. Hezbollah announced in six separate statements that its fighters had targeted the Israeli military sites of Misgav Am, Bayad Blida, Metulla, Harmon, Jal al-Alam and the Yiftah Barracks with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), rockets and other weapons.

In two other statements, the group said that gatherings of Israeli troops were targeted with “suitable weapons” on the Karantina hill near the site of Hadab Yaron and close to the Shtoula site. The attacks were carried out “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance,” Hezbollah noted in all of its statements.

IDF fighter jets carried out strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon. The targets included a number of military posts from which Hezbollah terrorists operated. In addition, IDF soldiers struck a terrorist who was operating in Lebanese territory, adjacent to the area of Shlomi in northern Israel.

As of November 16, the clashes on the Lebanese front have claimed the lives of seven IDF troops, three Israeli civilians, 74 fighters of Hezbollah, two fighters from the Lebanese Resistance Brigades, one fighter from the Lebanese Resistance Regiments, three fighters from the Hamas Movement, four fighters from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and sixteen Lebanese civilians.

Bystanders

South Africa asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the Israeli government for alleged war crimes in Gaza, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during a two-day visit to Qatar. The claim against Israel, which has not ratified the Rome Statute – the treaty establishing the ICC – was taken “together with many other countries”, Ramaphosa said, without specifying which states were involved. Last week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Bogota would request that the court prosecute Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over “the massacre” of civilians in Gaza. Similarly, two Turkish lawyers and a former lawmaker have petitioned Ankara's government to file charges against Israel at the ICC, to which Türkiye is also not a party.

The features of the legal battle to try Israel for its crimes began to unfold after a legal army composed of human rights organizations and more than 500 lawyers from all over the world, led by French lawyer Gilles Duver, headed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. A 56-page lawsuit arrived at the court’s public prosecutor’s office demanded the opening of an investigation into the incidents attributed to the occupation army in the Gaza Strip since October 7th.

The text of the lawsuit traces the threads of the case from its beginning, starting from the period of the British Mandate, the Balfour Declaration , and the establishment of the State of Israel, all the way to the various Israeli-Arab wars, the Oslo Accords of 1993, the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and Operation Al-Aqsa Flood , then the occupation’s continuing aggression against defenseless civilians.

The defense relies on documented facts and declarations of clear intent by Israeli officials to commit war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people. “The law classifies genocide as the physical extermination of populations, but also the destruction of communities by making life within them impossible, including cutting off water and electricity, reducing food, destroying homes and forced displacement, with speeches that describe populations as animals and dehumanize them,” Duffer said.

Duffer explained in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, "On this basis, we filed a complaint about genocide because what Israel is doing falls within the framework of all cases that lead to this crime, and we do not lack evidence at all, because the Hebrew state does not hide what it is doing and publishes it in audio and video in public."

Obtaining proof is not considered a complicated matter, according to the lawyer, who mentioned the statement of the Israeli Defense Minister, “I will cut off water and electricity because we have to treat them like animals,” and Netanyahu, who threatened that Palestinian lives would not return to what they were before, in addition to the World Health Organization’s recognition of the exposure of ambulances "to attack."

Lawyer Abdel Majeed Marari, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the AFDI Human Rights Organization pointed out in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, "This is the first case in the history of dealing with the International Criminal Court regarding the issue of the Palestinian issue regarding genocide, and we relied on the 1948 Genocide Convention and in accordance with Article VI of the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court system."

According to Article 51 of the Rome Statute, the Public Prosecutor receives the evidence and gives himself a reasonable period to study it and determine its admissibility in terms of substance and not in terms of form. In this regard, Marari explained, saying: “We have settled the matter with the International Criminal Court regarding the issue of admissibility in terms of form, because it extends its jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Meaning that the matter of admissibility in terms of specialization has ended and is no longer relevant in any way.”

Dover said, “The West’s support for the establishment of a Jewish state on the land of the Palestinian people began in 1917 with British and French blessing, and it is support based on denying the people’s right to self-determination,” adding: “They continue to fund and aid and focus on escape.” Of punishment and destruction of the people because they imagine that destroying a strong people like the Palestinian people is possible.”

He continued by saying, "The Western powers support a crazy bet that requires the liquidation of the Palestinian people on their land, and I regret watching all these countries follow the orders of the lying General Netanyahu, whose hands are stained with blood, and who is also being pursued on charges of corruption."

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that it is important to document all the violations that occur in the Gaza Strip and hold those responsible for them accountable, stressing the need for the International Criminal Court to intervene in this matter. He added in an interview with Al Jazeera that he is very concerned about what is happening to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, especially those trying to escape from the Israeli bombing to the south, as well as the wounded and injured in Al-Shifa Hospital, stressing the need to ensure the application of international humanitarian law, which stipulates the protection of hospitals, medical staff, and patients.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch warned of the continuing power outages in Gaza, resulting from Israel's prevention of fuel supplies. They said in separate statements that its humanitarian impacts were “devastating.” Amnesty International stressed that the immediate entry of sufficient levels of fuel is essential to enable the healthcare system to provide life-saving services. The organization said that the fuel ban has severely affected the provision of vital services to the remaining dilapidated medical facilities that treat thousands of sick victims of the ongoing attack on Gaza, and also hindered the rescue of the wounded trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Human Rights Watch said that the Israeli government's decision to prevent the delivery of fuel to Gaza will lead to a complete and imminent communications outage unless it is addressed urgently, thus exposing the lives of Gazans to further danger. The organization called on Israel to allow fuel into Gaza and to refrain from deliberately shutting down or destroying telecommunications systems that cause severe harm to civilians.

Satellite imagery analyst Matt Korda of the Federation of American Scientists said that the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment exists is indication that "Israel" is treated differently than other countries. A report by National Public Radio shows how the availability of satellite imaging by US satellites is subject to Israeli exceptionalism. This restraint of shielding "Israel" from eyes in the sky has been codified by the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment, according to a report published by NPR.

US companies have long been subject to restrictions regarding the quality of satellite pictures they could sell that might put Israeli interests at stake. These restrictions extend to all Israeli-occupied territories, including Gaza. Typically, restrictions are imposed by countries on satellite imagery of sensitive locations within their borders, this law, however, is the only one of its kind that safeguards images of a "country", according to NPR.

Under the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment (KBA), the Office of Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs (CRSRA), a division of the US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), can issue US licenses for collecting or distributing satellite images of "Israel". For over two decades, the quality limit was fixed at 2 meters resolution. In 2020, the CRSRA sharply lowered the KBA's allowed resolution, from 2 meters to 0.40 meters. What this means effectively is that one pixel in a satellite image of occupied Palestine can now depict a square on the ground measuring 40 centimeters by 40 centimeters, the report explained.

"This restriction doesn't even apply to the US" homeland and territories, satellite imagery analyst Matt Korda told NPR. "The fact that the KBA even exists is a clear indication that Israel is treated differently than other countries [by the US]" Korda added.

Israeli leaders were unhappy with the change in 2020, however. "We would always prefer to be photographed at the lowest resolution possible," said retired Brigadier General Amnon Harari, head of Israel's space programs, at the time. "It's always preferable to be seen blurred, rather than precisely."

Axis of Resistance

Iran will do “whatever it takes” to help Hamas in its war with Israel, Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani said in a message to top Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, state media reported. “Your brothers in the resistance axis are united with you and will not allow the enemy to reach its dirty goals in Gaza and Palestine,” Qaani said in a letter addressed to Deif, leader of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

The “resistance axis” refers to a network of regional militant groups supported by Iran, including Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, various militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthi militia in Yemen. “We stand by our fraternal pledge that unites us and we assure you that we will do whatever it takes in this historic battle,” Qaani added in the letter which was shared by Iranian state news agency IRNA. The Quds Force, headed by Qaani, is the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

This came a day after a Reuters report that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh earlier this month that Tehran would not go to war with Israel on behalf of the Palestinian group. Earlier on Thursday, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan dismissed the report as “pure lies.” Iran has not commented on it.

Brigadier General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, said that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood has hastened the deterioration of the Zionist entity. "The Zionist regime, the killer of children, has entered a stage of [sharp] deterioration after Al-Aqsa Flood," he said. "What is happening today in Gaza has unveiled the true face of the United States and the Western supporters of the Zionist regime."

He added that this war is evidence that the countries of the region have no choice but to rely on their local capabilities to safeguard their national interests and the dignity of their people. "Iran believes that the victory of the Palestinian people and the demise of Israel [is inevitable]," Mousavi added. He also argued that if the occupation was optimistic about its future, it would not have perpetrated such brutal crimes. "We will surely witness the victory of Al-Quds," he said

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is a marvelous epic whose lines were woven by the Resistance fighters in al-Qassam Brigades, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Esmail Qaani, the commander of Hamas' armed wing, wrote to Mohammad Deif in a letter. "The resistance has clearly demonstrated the weakness and fragility of the usurping Zionist entity and practically proved that it is weaker than a spider's web," Qaani told the commander of al-Qassam brigades.

"The strikes launched by the resistance against the enemy's forces and tanks have shown to everyone that the resistance in Gaza is perfectly capable of taking initiative and decisive action," the IRGC chief added. The region "will not be as it was before al-Aqsa Flood," and this achievement has made the people of the Islamic world increasingly "rally around the choice of jihad" in light of their belief that they were closer than ever to entering al-Aqsa Mosque."

Qaani also saw that Gaza is defending today the "honor, pride, and dignity of the Ummah," underlining that "your brothers standing with you in the Axis of al-Quds and Resistance will not allow the enemy and those behind it to dominate Gaza and its people. They will not allow the enemy to achieve its malicious goals in Gaza and Palestine." Moreover, he extended his congratulations to al-Deif, the Palestinian Resistance, as well as the people of occupied Palestine for the significant victory and unprecedented achievements they have made against the Israeli occupation.

"We reaffirm the covenant, pledge, and the religious and fraternal commitment that unites us, and we assure you that, within our continued protection and influential support for the Resistance, we will do everything necessary in this historical battle," Qaani stressed in the conclusion of his letter to the renowned Resistance leader.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian lashed out at the Zionist regime for delaying the exchange of prisoners with Hamas, which he said has proved its goodwill in this regard, noting that Israel is seeking to play the victim and buy time. In a meeting in Geneva, Amirabdollahian and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger talked about the current tragic situation in Gaza. The Iranian foreign minister thanked the ICRC and its president for their stance and efforts regarding the human tragedy in Gaza and described the situation in the strip as difficult and complicated. He also outlined the diplomatic efforts of Iran regarding humanitarian issues in Gaza, stressing that Tehran opposes the spillover of the crisis into other parts of the region.

Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan said during a press conference in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons "will be released, and we will not stop until their liberation," Hamdan underlined, saluting the resistance in the West Bank, which carried out an operation against the Israeli occupation forces in occupied al-Quds earlier in the day. "We are still waiting for the implementation of the Arab summit's decision to break the siege and bring in medicines, food, and medical supplies to the [Gaza] Strip," he added.

The Hamas top official addressed the crime committed by Israeli forces in raiding the al-Shifa Medical Complex with tanks, confirming that the occupation, "after 20 hours of attacking all the hospital's facilities, came out with a ridiculous narrative," stating that they "found several rifles and an old shoe." "The occupation may resort to a new fabrication to justify its actions after its narrative was exposed," Hamdan added. "The true scope of the crime in the al-Shifa Hospital is represented by the targets, the premature babies." Additionally, Hamdan affirmed in his press conference that "the lies of the occupation and the US are evident to everyone." Hamdan said, “For two weeks, we have been calling for the formation of an international committee to investigate the lies of the occupation’s story regarding Al-Shifa Hospital and the hospitals of the Gaza Strip.” He pointed out that the enemy’s story regarding the alleged weapons in Al-Shifa Medical Complex is nothing but a scandal to him in all its aspects.

He added: “It has become clear to everyone that the occupation and America lied about Al-Shifa Hospital, and it is not reasonable to store weapons next to MRI machines in any hospital as the occupation claims, and the occupation soldiers are the ones who brought the alleged weapons in boxes to Al-Shifa Hospital. This is a farce carried out by the occupation and it is a scandal for it as well".

Hamdan held the US administration and US President Joe Biden responsible for the crimes committed against the Shifa Complex, given that they provided complete cover for the war crime carried out by the occupation in the Shifa Complex, again calling on international organizations to form a committee to monitor hospitals to expose the falsity of the occupation’s claims. He said that the occupation's goal in attacking hospitals, bombing bakeries, and destroying vital facilities is to displace the Palestinian people from their land.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah, praised the patience of the Palestinian people and renewed its commitment to supporting their Resistance until the complete liberation of occupied Palestine. Kataib Hezbollah, part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, affirmed its solidarity with the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Resistance amid Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, stressing its commitment to direct strikes against the enemy, in response to the crimes of the Zionist-American aggression.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq - the Hezbollah Brigades - threatened in a statement by the Zionist entity with severe strikes and harsh slaps until the land of Palestine is liberated. The Brigades said in a statement, “The legendary steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the face of the brutality of the Zionists, supported by the latest American military and intelligence machines, as well as the support of England, France, and other Western countries, would not have been possible without their patience and belief in the necessity of regaining their rights stolen from the usurping entity.”

It added, "Despite the Palestinians being exposed to various types of crimes and genocide, they are still steadfast, seeking to liberate their land and their sanctities. Rather, their patience has increased and their resolve has increased in the battle for existence and confronting enemies."

It pointed out that "the American involvement in depriving this people of their rights and freedom has exceeded the crimes of besieging cities, cutting off water, food and medicine from them, destroying buildings, displacing civilians, storming and bombing mosques and hospitals, and killing women and children."

It continued, "These crimes shared by the Zionist-American enemy will not pass without deterrence and punishment, and he will receive from us - with God Almighty's help - the harshest blows and the harshest slaps, wherever our hands have reached, in promise and covenant, until the land of Palestine is liberated from the sea to the river."

Moroccan philosopher Taha Abdel Rahman saw the “ Al-Aqsa Flood ” operation, which was carried out by the Palestinian factions, as “a new resumption of civilization and a new revival of the nation.” The professor of logic, philosophy of language and ethics - in an interview published by the “Center of Civilization for Studies and Research” on his website - described the event as “a new birth for man, through new values in which a person discovers himself, and new concepts in which he feels his freedom in light of the prevalence of values of enslavement to the Israeli will, and conditions... A new way in which he regains his nature in a reality in which misguided values are widespread.”

The Moroccan philosopher explained - in his conversation with his academic interlocutor, Mahmoud Al-Naffar - that “the Palestinian resistance today writes the history of the nation, and leads humanity towards the light with the minds that are opened by its own creation, and what has happened and will happen as a result of its dazzling action of self-reviews: individual and collective,” considering it “a rational appeal.” For continuous giving, and creative inheritance of renewable energy in the paths of Islamic and human history.”

The author of “The Question of Action - A Search for Practical Fundamentals of Thought and Science” (2012) considered that resistance “is not a partial action, but rather a comprehensive action,” and added, “I looked at resistance from an existential perspective, and I mean that there is no meaning to existence without resistance, because existence and life "It is gained from the act of resistance itself."

The author of “Religious Work and the Renewal of the Mind” (1989) believes that “the greatest manifestation of the Arab and Islamic mind in the modern era is what was embodied in the Al-Aqsa flood.” The author of “Modernity and Resistance” (2007) said, “The vigilant Palestinian resistance man rose to carry this trust brilliantly, and he bore this responsibility with benevolence. He carried it in the best way, and carried it out in the best way.”

The Moroccan philosopher - author of “The Arab Right to Philosophical Difference” (2002) and “The Islamic Right to Intellectual Difference” (2005) - went on to say: “I wish I were a young man fighting with them. This is the time that deserves to live, and these are the moments that should be seized".

In this context, Abdel Rahman expressed his sadness about the regional situation, saying, “The nation’s failure is heartbreaking, especially the failure of intellectuals. Had it not been for normalization, the occupying state would not have done what it did, and if the normalizing countries had taken a stand, these criminal attacks would have stopped,” as he put it.

Allied for Democracy

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down “immediately”, amid Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack. Lapid called for a no-confidence vote in parliament that would allow for the formation of a new government led by another prime minister.

“Netanyahu should leave immediately … We need change, Netanyahu cannot remain prime minister,” Lapid said in an interview with an Israeli news channel. Lapid accuses Netanyahu and the security apparatus under his leadership of an “unpardonable failure” for not preventing the October 7 attack. “We cannot allow ourselves to carry out a long campaign under a prime minister who has lost the people’s trust,” he said. This is the first time Lapid has called for Netanyahu to step down saying that the situation does not warrant early elections, rather the parties should opt for a national reconstruction with another prime minister from Netanyahu’s Likud party. In a statement posted to Telegram, Likud immediately rebuffed the call, saying such a proposal in a “time of war” was “shameful”.

Lapid, the head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, who briefly served as the Israeli PM in 2022, made the call in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter). Replacing Netanyahu would allow the country to create a broad and stable coalition in parliament, led by the PM’s right-wing party, Likud. Together with its minor extreme-right partners, Likund currently controls 64 out of 120 seats in parliament. “The time has come – we need to establish a national reconstruction government. Likud will lead it, Netanyahu and the extremists will be replaced, over 90 members of the Knesset will be partners in the coalition for healing and reconnection,” Lapid suggested.

The politician dismissed concerns that it was not the time to replace Netanyahu amid the current conflict in Gaza, which was triggered by the surprise attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7. “I hear those saying this is not the time. We waited 40 days, there is no more time. What we need now is a government that will deal with nothing other than security and the economy,” Lapid insisted, underscoring remarks he made during a televised speech the previous day.

“The weak link is the government, and especially the prime minister. The coalition funds continue to flow, the treatment of the evacuees and the injured is a disgraceful failure, no one bothers to close the unnecessary government offices, the advocacy is an unfolding disaster,” the politician had said in his broadcasted address.

Haaretz newspaper said that prominent countries in the West - which publicly supported Israel's war on Gaza - warned Tel Aviv in recent weeks that the continuation of the war in Gaza would greatly harm its relations with the main countries in the Arab and Islamic world, especially with the increasing civilian casualties and Israel's military operations. In hospitals, she therefore wants to see the fighting end within weeks.

The newspaper explained - in a joint report between Ben Samuels and Amir Tibon - that American and European diplomats explained to it that the continuation of the war was harmful to their countries, and a European diplomat - whose country supports Israel until now without reservation - said, “Our support for Israel has a price in the Arab and Islamic world. Our activity has stopped.” "In Islamic countries over the past month, some of our embassies need additional protection. Even in countries whose leaders do not care about the fate of the Palestinians in Gaza, public opinion has turned against Israel and against the countries that support it."

The newspaper pointed out that the unconditional Western support, sparked by the attack of last October 7, was followed by more critical voices of Israel that appeared in the past two weeks, with the rising number of civilian deaths in Gaza and images of destruction in the Strip, so that French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to refrain from harming women and children, followed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , and only the administration of US President Joe Biden remained, but it increased pressure on Israel.

Another Western diplomat told the newspaper that Arab and Islamic countries contacted his government and asked it to follow the example of Macron’s statement against the killing of women and children in Gaza, adding that Macron said what other Western leaders are thinking, but do not want to say in these circumstances.

He added that European countries, and to some extent the United States, fear a situation in which Arab countries will approach Russia and China, which have refused to condemn Hamas and support Israel. He said, "The decision to support Israel at the beginning of the war was correct and justified, but now the price has begun to be determined."

Haaretz noted that American officials were disturbed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public mockery of the international consensus that the Palestinian Authority should assume control of Gaza to unify governance with the West Bank, while other American officials expressed concerns that Israel's actions are hampering negotiations aimed at ensuring possibility of foreign nationals leaving Gaza.

The United States expressed deep concern that Jordanian medics were wounded in shelling near their field hospital in Gaza. Jordan’s foreign ministry said seven staff members at its field hospital in northern Gaza were wounded by Israeli shelling. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday called Jordan a critical ally and said its “essential role in the conflict must be protected.” “We are deeply concerned that Jordanian medical personnel in Gaza were wounded in an attack near their field hospital, and we are profoundly grateful to medical professionals providing critical care to Palestinians in Gaza,” he said.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that Tel Aviv informed Washington of its approval of the idea of deploying international forces in the Gaza Strip after the end of the war, after reports of increasing disagreement between the two sides regarding their perceptions of the future of the Strip on the assumption of ending the control of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) over it.

The US envoy to the Middle East, Brett McGurk, who began his regional tour from Israel yesterday, Wednesday, met with senior Israeli officials and discussed with them several issues, including the so-called “day after,” that is, after the end of the war.

The Broadcasting Authority quoted two Israeli sources as saying that the two sides discussed a proposal to deploy an international force in Gaza, and that the Israeli officials whom McGurk met expressed approval of this idea, and stressed that the Palestinian Authority, in its current state, should not control the Strip. The Commission did not provide other details, nor did it clarify which countries might participate in this international force once it is formed.

According to what was reported by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Israeli officials confirmed to McGurk that Israel does not intend to govern the Gaza Strip civilianly or rebuild the Gush Katif settlements, an Israeli settlement bloc that was in the Gaza Strip before its dismantling and the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Strip in 2005.

The American news network NBC reported - citing current and former American officials - that differences are increasing between the administration of President Joe Biden and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the attack on the Gaza Strip and the perception of its political future.

The network stated that this dispute relates to crucial long-term issues regarding who will rule the Gaza Strip after the war, and the role of the Palestinian Authority in this regard, in addition to reviving diplomatic efforts for a two-state solution and establishing a Palestinian state. NBC said that this dispute will worsen in the coming months, and that US administration officials are concerned about an idea put forward by the Israeli side regarding the establishment of highly fortified buffer zones in the northern Gaza Strip to protect Israel from any future attack.

US administration officials said, "Establishing a buffer zone in Gaza means reducing the area of ??the Strip, which we consider unacceptable." The network stated that President Biden is committed to his approach towards Israel by exercising his influence behind closed doors and preventing the expansion of the war, which officials believe has an impact, “but things are not moving as quickly as we would like.” NBC confirmed that despite the existing differences, there are no indications that the Biden administration is prepared to withhold military aid provided by Washington to Israel or impose sanctions on it.

Sen. Bernie Sanders received a letter from 330 delegates to the Democratic National Convention who backed him during his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids, urging him to introduce a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. The delegates also urged him to support an end to the blockade of Gaza, the occupation of Palestinian land, US funding, and the expansion of Israeli settlements.

The letter read, “We’ve progressed beyond the stage of seeking mere condemnations or symbolic gestures,” adding: “We concur with your assertion that these ‘unspeakable crimes’ must cease and that ‘the bombs and missiles from both sides’ should be halted. But Palestinians require more than just a ‘humanitarian pause.’”

This came as Congress was considering a funding request, including over $14.3 billion for "Israel", as part of a national security supplemental package. The bill was intended to be a support bill for the House resolution introduced by Rep. Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, André Carson, Summer Lee, and Delia Ramirez last month. At least 31 members of Congress, including Sen. Dick Durbin, have shown support for a ceasefire but on condition of the release of Israeli captives.

This came in light of a letter sent to Sanders three weeks after hundreds of Sanders' presidential campaign alumni urged him for a ceasefire. Since its release, he has only called for a humanitarian pause; to “stop the bombing”; and asking Congress, the Biden administration, and the world to “take action.”