Operation Iron Swords - Day 55 - 30 November 2023

Ccontents

NEW - Operations NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages

Minutes before the end of the humanitarian truce, Hamas announced its extension for a seventh day. Talks are becoming more challenging as most women and children held by the resistance have been freed, and the Qassam Brigades are expected to seek greater releases in return for freeing men and soldiers.

The IDF announced "In light of the mediators' efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue." With Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation, a 4-day humanitarian truce began on November 24, which was extended for two days and then an additional day. Its terms include a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, The extension of the temporary humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip to a seventh day came in in exchange for the exchange of more prisoners and detainees between the Palestinian resistance, led by Hamas, and Israel.

Hamas announced at dawn that Israel refused to hand over 7 detainees, including women and children, and the bodies of 3 others who had died under Israeli bombing, in exchange for extending the truce for one day under the same conditions as the previous 6 days. The movement stated that its rejection of the occupation came despite its confirmation through mediators that this number was all the movement had reached of detainees from this category.

The official spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed Al-Ansari, confirmed the continued intensification of efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources connected to the Doha talks revealed to Al Jazeera Net that the ongoing talks focus exclusively on humanitarian truces in Gaza, and did not address in the dialogue a permanent ceasefire, or the completion of a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal. The sources indicated that the issue of a permanent ceasefire is still far-fetched, in light of Israel's insistence on completing its military operation against Gaza and causing strategic harm to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

White House Strategic Communications Coordinator, John Kirby, announced that the United States does not support the idea of a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Kirby said: “We do not support a permanent ceasefire at this time. We support the idea of a humanitarian truce.” He pointed out that the United States wants to extend the current agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement for a temporary cessation of hostilities if an appropriate agreement is reached between the two parties.

He added that the United States will continue to support Israel after the end of the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip. He said: “When they make this decision, they will continue to receive American support,” stressing that military support will continue. "We still believe that Israel has the right to pursue Hamas, and we will continue to support them," he said.

Operational Update

"The Israeli army’s expanded authorization for bombing non-military targets, the loosening of constraints regarding expected civilian casualties, and the use of an artificial intelligence system to generate more potential targets than ever before, appear to have contributed to the destructive nature of the initial stages of Israel’s current war on the Gaza Strip, an investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call reveals. These factors, as described by current and former Israeli intelligence members, have likely played a role in producing what has been one of the deadliest military campaigns against Palestinians since the Nakba of 1948." Yuval Abraham reported November 30, 2023.

The Israel operaton saw "the army significantly expand its bombing of targets that are not distinctly military in nature. These include private residences as well as public buildings, infrastructure, and high-rise blocks, which sources say the army defines as “power targets” (“matarot otzem”). The bombing of power targets, according to intelligence sources who had first-hand experience with its application in Gaza in the past, is mainly intended to harm Palestinian civil society: to “create a shock” that, among other things, will reverberate powerfully and “lead civilians to put pressure on Hamas,” as one source put it....

"In one case discussed by the sources, the Israeli military command knowingly approved the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an attempt to assassinate a single top Hamas military commander. “The numbers increased from dozens of civilian deaths [permitted] as collateral damage as part of an attack on a senior official in previous operations, to hundreds of civilian deaths as collateral damage,” said one source....

"... another reason for the large number of targets, and the extensive harm to civilian life in Gaza, is the widespread use of a system called “Habsora” (“The Gospel”), which is largely built on artificial intelligence and can “generate” targets almost automatically at a rate that far exceeds what was previously possible. This AI system, as described by a former intelligence officer, essentially facilitates a “mass assassination factory.”" Former IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi confirming that Habsora was used to auto-generate targets for bombing during the 2021 air campaign. "This is a machine that, with the help of Al, processes a lot of data better and faster than any human, and translates it into targets for attack," Kochavi went on. "The result was that in Operation Guardian of the Walls [in 2021], from the moment this machine was activated, it generated 100 new targets every day. You see, in the past there were times in Gaza when we would create 50 targets per year. And here the machine produced 100 targets in one day.""

According to Politico, "Hamas' rule" appears to be unaffected by the Israeli war on Gaza, as seen by its capacity to carry out intricate discussions, uphold the cease-fire with other armed factions, and plan the liberation of hostages. Politico speculated that Yehya Sinwar and other top Hamas figures have probably moved south. Following almost 2 months of war, the Israelis have failed to reach any of the Resistance's high-ranking officials, falling short of accomplishing their announced war goals.

The Israeli forces established six volunteer battalions to safeguard West Bank settlements. These new reserve regional "battalions" consist of volunteers from Israeli settlements and occupied cities and towns who have undergone previous IOF training. Critics argue that this has blurred the distinction between settlers and the military, allowing extremist settlers to exploit their military status for the further harassment and assault of Palestinians.

The diverting global and Israeli attention from the West Bank provides cover for more land usurpation in the West Bank. At the beginning of November, the 150 residents of Khirbet Zanuta had been forcibly displaced once again. At the time, armed settlers, some of whom were dressed in reserve army uniforms and others concealing their identities, started to break into their homes during the night, assaulting adults, vandalizing and looting possessions, and traumatizing their children.

According to a classified document revealed by Israeli Channel 12, Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir exerted pressure on senior police officers in the West Bank, urging them to avoid pursuing extremists responsible for offenses against Palestinians. Video footage surfaced, depicting armed Israeli extremist settlers invading residences in the Palestinian village of Mu’arrajat in the Jordan Valley. The video shared on social media captured multiple settlers armed with firearms and dressed in khaki clothing, raiding a Palestinian home. They were heard insulting, beating, and harassing Palestinians in inside their own home. The Israelis' faces were readily identifiable in the videos. At a certain moment, an Israeli settler struck a Palestinian in the stomach using the butt of his rifle, subsequently aiming the weapon at him as he managed to flee.

A pregnant Palestinian woman was martyred after being stabbed by an Israeli settler in the occupied city of al-Lydd as she was on her way to drop her children off at school. Local sources reported that the victim in this stabbing incident was identified as Ayah Abu Hjaij from al-Lydd. A video captured by a surveillance camera documented the settler stabbing the woman in her back in front of her children. Consequently, she fell to the ground, and he continued to stab her while she attempted to defend herself. Later, another person in a private car arrived at the scene, which the killer got into and fled the scene.

Since the beginning of hostilities over 10,000 rockets have been launched into Israel. Israeli Army Radio announced the activation of an interceptor missile from the Iron Dome system towards a target above Netivot in the western Negev, noting that “the warnings were not activated.” In addition, the Hebrew Channel 14 reported that an interceptor missile was fired at a suspicious target in Netivot in the Western Negev. In addition, Israeli media confirmed that the interceptor missile was launched over Netivot, located to the east of the Gaza Strip.

This development on the ground comes after days of cautious calm during the truce between Hamas and Israel, which has continued with some violations recorded for 7 days. Hezbollah media reported earlier that “the southern front in Lebanon is not in a declared truce,” adding: “We are in a state of cautious calm, and approaching the border is risky.”

The Wall Street Journal quoted American officials as saying that they expect the Israeli military campaign to resume and to begin moving into the southern Gaza Strip. For its part, Israeli Channel 13 quoted informed sources that the Israeli Defense Minister told the US Secretary of State that the military operation in Gaza may take months, not weeks. The Axios news website also quoted sources as saying that the Israeli Chief of Staff informed Blinken that the military operation may take more than a few weeks. Agence France-Presse reported that Blinken informed Netanyahu of the need to protect civilians in the southern Gaza Strip if fighting resumes. Strategic Policy Coordinator at the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said that if Israel decides to return to attack Hamas , his country will continue to support it in doing so.

The situation in the Middle East is prompting concerns within the United States, namely among national security officials, who are voicing growing concerns over the potential for a regional conflict following recent tit-for-tat attacks between the Israeli occupation forces and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Syria, The New York Times reported. According to the NYT, officials fear a miscalculation, coupled with the belief on each side that the other does not desire a larger conflict could inadvertently trigger a broader war.

Citing unnamed US officials, the newspaper revealed that the Biden administration was urging the Israeli occupation to "lean away" from "skirmishes", in reference to the escalation in the north with the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon and the heroic Yemeni attacks on "Israel" in solidarity with the people of Gaza. However, details on the specific measures being taken by the administration to prevent the Israeli occupation from opening a two-front war remain undisclosed.

Since the start of Operation al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, intelligence officials have been briefing US President Joe Biden on the risk of a wider war with Iran. The assessment from intelligence agencies suggests that, at least for now, Iran aims to avoid a broader conflict. US defense officials, guided by intelligence that Tehran does not want a war, have proposed targeted retaliatory measures against the Islamic Resistance groups attacking US occupation bases in Iraq and Syria.

As the White House considers its options, The New York Times notes that Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, and Biden have engaged in discussions about potential outcomes. Biden administration officials emphasize that the calibrated strikes are designed to impose costs on Iran and its so-called "proxies" - the Western nom de guerre for the majority of Resistance movements in the region, at least the ones Iran voices its support for - without sparking a regional war that could involve the United States.

The report, moreover, indicates that Biden rejected more aggressive bombing options in recent weeks, according to senior military officials. The crucial question, as outlined by officials, revolves around whether President Biden can effectively prevent the Israeli occupation from expanding the circle of fire in the region. Senior US military officials, cited in The New York Times, acknowledge that the United States has, so far, avoided more serious casualties largely due to luck amid the escalation in attacks by the Resistance on its occupation bases in Iraq and Syria.

According to the NYT, the "White House's countermeasures have been so limited that Republican critics in Congress and some air power supporters argue that they just invite more frequent and lethal strikes on US soldiers in the region"." Moreover, the Pentagon and other Biden administration officials dismissed criticisms, claiming that the American airstrikes were allegedly in self-defense, "proportionate to the attacks by Iran-backed militias, and meant to disrupt the militants' activities".

Four Israelis were killed and others were injured in a shooting in occupied Jerusalem claimed by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades , the military arm of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), while a run-over operation targeted Israeli soldiers in the Jordan Valley area in the eastern West Bank , resulting in the injury of two. The Israeli authorities reported 3 deaths and 12 injuries, including serious injuries, in an operation carried out by two Palestinian brothers at the northwestern entrance to Jerusalem, while the Israeli police announced that its forces killed the perpetrators of the operation.

The shooting took place on Thursday morning at a bus stop at the northwestern entrance to the occupied city of Jerusalem , and was carried out by two brothers Murad Al-Nimr (38 years old) and Ibrahim Al-Nimr (30 years old) from the village of Sur Baher in Jerusalem. It resulted in the killing of 3 Israelis and the injury of others, some of whom were in critical condition. The settler who killed the perpetrators of the Jerusalem operation was announced dead, after an Israeli army soldier shot him without verifying his identity, suspecting him of being an Arab. Soldiers opened fire on the settler, wounding him seriously, after he himself killed the perpetrators of the " Jerusalem Operation ".

The Al-Qassam Brigades adopted the Jerusalem operation, describing it as heroic and calling its perpetrators “Qassamists” Murad and Ibrahim al-Nimr. The Al-Qassam Brigades said - through its account on the Telegram application - that “the Jerusalem operation comes in response to the crimes of the occupation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank and the desecration of Al-Aqsa and the holy sites.” It added that this operation is "a direct warning message against Ben Gvir and his gang's violations against prisoners in the occupation prisons."

The Hamas movement had previously mourned the perpetrators of the Jerusalem operation, and said that the Jerusalem operation was a natural response to what it described as the brutal massacres committed by the occupation in the Gaza Strip, the killing of children in Jenin, the widespread violations suffered by prisoners, the continued violations in Al-Aqsa Mosque and the prevention of worshipers from reaching it. In a statement, Hamas warned the occupation that it must feel its head in every city, village and street, as it put it, stressing that the Palestinian people are mobilized to avenge the blood of the martyrs and repel the aggression.

The Islamic Jihad movement also blessed the Jerusalem operation, saying that it “indicates that resistance options are open and multiple, and that the enemy’s obstacles will not protect its security.”

The Israeli newspaper Maariv said that among the dead was Rabbi Elimelech Wasserman, dean of the Rabbinical Court in Ashdod. For its part, the Israeli police said that two soldiers in the army reserve forces shot and killed two Palestinian gunmen who carried out the attack. Israeli Radio quoted security sources as saying that the perpetrators were Palestinians from the village of Sur Baher, south of occupied Jerusalem, and that they were former prisoners of the occupation authorities, and confirmed their affiliation with the Hamas movement. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also said that the one who carried out the Jerusalem attack was from Hamas.

Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the police stormed the home of the family of the perpetrators of the shooting attack in Jerusalem, and arrested a number of its members. For his part, Israeli Energy Minister Yisrael Katz called for the Jerusalem IDs to be withdrawn from the family members of the Jerusalem operation perpetrators,as part of of what he called “fighting terrorism.”

In a divisional counter-terrorism operation under the command of the Menashe Brigade , reservists, IOS, Lotr and MGB insurgents operated tonight in the Tulkarm refugee camp. The forces arrested four wanted persons, confiscated military equipment and interrogated suspects. During the operation, armed men shot and threw explosives at the forces, who responded by shooting.

Within hours of the Jerusalem operation, a Palestinian ran his car over two Israeli soldiers near a military checkpoint in the Jordan Valley. The Israeli army announced that two reserve forces soldiers were slightly injured in the run-over operation. For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the death in the Jordan Valley of the young man, Karem Bani Odeh (25 years old), from the town of Tammoun in Tubas, in the northern West Bank, by Israeli bullets. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the occupation forces opened fire on the attacker in the Jordan Valley.

Qassam Brigades, in a statement, asked its fighters to be highly prepared in anticipation of renewed battles in the Gaza Strip. The Brigades said in a statement that they "request their active forces to maintain high combat readiness during the final hours of the truce in anticipation of renewed fighting in the event that it (the truce) is not renewed, and to maintain that status unless an official statement is issued confirming the extension of the truce."

Bloomberg newspaper said that Palestinian celebrations of Israel's release of prisoners outside the municipality of Ramallah last Friday witnessed the spread of green Hamas flags among the crowds and young men wearing green hats, noting that this is the latest sign of the movement's increasing popularity in the West Bank. It added that support for Hamas was also clear outside the Abdel Nasser Mosque in Ramallah a few hours ago, when hundreds of worshipers protested after dawn prayers against the war waged by Israel on Gaza.

The newspaper reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to completely destroy Hamas appears to be an unattainable goal, as the movement's heavily armed fighters are holed up in tunnels extending hundreds of miles under Gaza. The newspaper pointed out that the truce, which allows the exchange of Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners, will continue for the seventh day, and efforts to extend it as international pressure increases for a permanent ceasefire.

Bloomberg says that the biggest problem facing Netanyahu is the support enjoyed by Hamas in the occupied West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas. The newspaper says that interviews with dozens of Palestinians indicate that the events witnessed in the past eight weeks have strengthened Hamas' position and weakened Abbas's "more moderate" administration, as it puts it.

Ghassan Al-Khatib, former Palestinian Minister of Labor and lecturer at Birzeit University in the Gaza Strip, told the newspaper, “Hamas in the West Bank has become more popular, more important, and more powerful, and in return the Palestinian Authority has become more marginalized and less popular. You cannot eliminate Hamas. As long as the political root is not addressed.” "These rounds of violence will continue."

A poll published in November 2023 by the Arab World Research and Development Group, a Palestinian opinion polling group, found that 83% of 391 participants in the West Bank supported what the Palestinian resistance did in the Gaza Strip on October 7.

Palestinian media reported that Israeli gunboats bombed the coast of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip with missiles. Media sources reported that three explosions were heard as a result of the renewed Israeli naval firing of shells on the shore of the Deir al-Balah Sea in the central Gaza Strip. Israeli Army Radio said that the army had thwarted what it described as a massive weapons smuggling operation across the Jordanian border, and the smuggled weapons were intended for “criminal elements” inside, according to the Israeli authorities. In detail, the Israeli police said in a statement that the seized shipment in bags contained 137 weapons, including 120 pistols, 17 M16 rifles, and 250 cartridges, worth 6 million shekels (approximately $1.6 million).

The police added that it was the largest smuggling operation on the Jordanian border, and spoke of the arrest of 4 smugglers from Yeruham residents in the Negev desert. According to the same source, two four-wheel drive vehicles used by smugglers were seized. The Israeli police said that thwarting the smuggling operations “prevented illegal weapons from reaching criminal elements that harm the safety and well-being of the public.”

Last April, the Israeli army announced the thwarting of an attempt to smuggle weapons from Jordan, and reported the arrest of 3 people who were traveling in a car that came from Jordan in the Jordan Valley area, noting that bags containing dozens of different weapons and about 100 kilograms of gold were seized. In this context, the Israeli forces arrested the Jordanian parliamentarian, Imad Al-Adwan, for allegedly smuggling quantities of weapons and gold, before later handing him over to his country.

The Israeli shipping company "Zim" decided to divert its ships from the Egyptian Suez Canal, as a precautionary measure under the pretext of the situation in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea. The Israeli company indicated that changing the ship's route means "a delay in the arrival of shipments to Israel," according to what was reported by Israeli media. Yesterday, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries called on the Houthis to immediately stop threatening maritime shipping routes and release the crew of the cargo ship they seized in the Red Sea ten days ago.

Qatari and Egyptian negotiators continued their contacts for a new extension of the humanitarian truce in Gaza for two days, and while Israeli officials spoke of their readiness for a battle in the south of the Gaza Strip, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - demanded that its fighters be highly prepared in anticipation of renewed battles.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs Authority, 30 male and female prisoners are scheduled to be released on Thursday evening as part of the seventh batch of the exchange deal, in exchange for the release of 10 Israeli detainees, women and children. In the same context, a statement issued by the Egyptian State Information Service on Thursday stated that “Egyptian and Qatari negotiators are pressing for a new extension of the truce in Gaza for two days, with the release of more detainees and an increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.” The head of the State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, said that Egypt is doing its utmost to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid to the north and south of the Gaza Strip.

Bystanders

The United Nations welcomed the increase in aid deliveries into Gaza afforded by a temporary truce but warned it was not enough to even start addressing the Palestinian territory’s massive needs. UN children’s agency UNICEF said the aid flow to the northern Gaza Strip -- the largest since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7 – was “the right start”.

“(It’s) definitely the right type of aid – fuel, medicines, food, warmth,” spokesman James Elder told a press briefing in Geneva via video-link from Gaza. But, he warned, the needs in the besieged enclave of more than two million are so huge that “all this aid is triage... It’s not even enough for triage.” When there are insufficient resources to treat everyone who needs it, hospitals and aid organizations are forced to triage – that is, to prioritize the most urgent cases, or those people most likely to survive, and leave the others.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his country's support for the Palestinians' quest to establish their state, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for the immediate establishment of a "sustainable humanitarian truce" between the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel. The Chinese news agency (Xinhua) quoted Xi as saying, in a message to a conference to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, that “the essence of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the delay in achieving the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state.”

"The bitter lessons from the cycle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict fully demonstrate that only by adhering to the concept of common security can sustainable security be achieved," Xi said. He called on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and make efforts to stop the fighting, protect civilians, and put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe, stressing the need to resume peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis as soon as possible, and to restore the right of the Palestinian people to establish their state, their survival, and their right to return as soon as possible.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday evening, Wednesday, that the two-state solution is the only way to solve the Palestinian issue radically. During a meeting with reporters after chairing a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, Wang stressed that resolving the Palestinian issue does not lack grand plans or slogans, but it lacks courage and measures to defend justice.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed - during his meeting with Blinken - the necessity of establishing a ceasefire in Gaza and stopping the Israeli aggression completely, reiterating his rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians, whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan renewed the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza that establishes a “credible” peace process, and demanded international recognition by Security Council resolution of the independent State of Palestine. This came during Bin Farhan’s participation in the UN Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.

The Saudi Foreign Minister recalled the difficult and painful conditions that the Gaza Strip is experiencing as a result of “the horrific military escalation by the Israeli occupation forces, in continuous violation of the charters and resolutions of international legitimacy, and our common humanitarian principles,” stressing that “the complete absence of international accountability mechanisms prevails in light of this Council’s inability to Take any deterrent measures against these violations.”

He stressed that the message of the joint Arab and Islamic summit held in Riyadh is “an immediate and permanent ceasefire that establishes a serious and credible peace process.” He renewed Saudi Arabia's welcome of the humanitarian truce, and its appreciation for the Qatari, Egyptian and American efforts to complete it, but he clarified that this step is insufficient, especially in light of the continuing restrictions on the number of aid trucks entering Gaza.

Bin Farhan called for the need to deliver aid continuously, sustainably, and adequately, without unjustified restrictions and additional complications, stressing that “the truce does not absolve the Israeli side of its responsibilities within the framework of international law and international humanitarian law, and the flimsy pretexts for self-defense are unacceptable and unreasonable in light of the scenes.” The recurring humanitarian tragedies on a daily basis in Gaza.

He stressed that allowing the military escalation in Gaza to continue immediately after the end of the truce, and taking two steps backward, would constitute a disgrace to the United Nations and the Security Council. He said: “We heard during this session that water, food and medicine will not lead us to a solution, so what will?” Can we reach a solution? More death, more suffering for civilians. No, what brings us closer to the solution is a ceasefire and Israel’s response to peace efforts that have continued for decades.”

The minister continued, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented the Arab peace plan at the Fez Arab Summit in 1982. It also presented the Arab Peace Initiative at the Beirut Arab Summit in 2002, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation supported it, and the Palestine Liberation Organization recognized the State of Israel in 1993. So where is the Israeli peace plan? And where is the recognition?" "The Israeli state of Palestine?... Peace has always been our strategic choice, and we want it to be the other side's choice as well."

Bin Farhan stressed that “the time has come for international recognition, by a Security Council resolution, of the independent State of Palestine, and for it to gain full membership in the United Nations,” renewing the call for holding an international peace conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, through which a serious and credible peace process will be launched that guarantees Implementing the two-state solution on the basis of international legitimacy resolutions.

Axis of Resistance

As the humanitarian truce between the Palestinian Resistance and Israel came closer to an end, factions in the Axis of Resistance reiterated their readiness to confront the US-backed Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said that it will not abandon Palestinians, as they face the "tyrants of the world" on their own.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced its readiness to escalate its military operations inside and outside Iraq in support of the Palestinian people. The resistance said in a statement : “The Zionist massacres and brutal genocide that the Palestinian people were subjected to do not fall within the circle of war run by America against the people of Gaza and southern Lebanon.”

The statement added: “As the Islamic Resistance in Iraq affirms that it will not leave its people in this war to face the tyrants of the world alone, it declares its readiness and readiness to escalate military operations inside and outside Iraq, if the American enemy insists on continuing the Zionist killing machine, whether in Gaza, steadfastness or resistance.” In southern Lebanon, Al-Ibaa .

The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) reiterates its readiness to resume its operations against the Israeli occupation, in case the latter resumes its aggression on the Gaza Strip, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya al-Saree announced. Moreover, Yemen's military said that it will not hesitate to expand the scope of its confrontation against the Israeli occupation "to encompass targets (Israel) does not anticipate, on land and in the sea."

The statement confirmed that the Yemeni Armed Forces will cease their attacks on Israeli targets once Israel ends its aggression on the Gaza Strip. Israeli-owned vessels will not be allowed to sail in and out of the Red Sea, the Yemeni military confirmed. The YAF said that its actions come in line with the guidelines set by Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, Ansar Allah's leader, and the demands of the Yemeni people and the free people of the Arab and Islamic Ummahs, to support the Palestinian people and their Resistance.

A top military advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Sayyed Ali Khamenei commended the Resistance front in the region and warned the US occupation forces in the region of a fate similar to that they experienced in Afghanistan, represented by a "humiliating escape". Iranian Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi stated, “The resistance of the people and governments of Iraq and Syria caused the defeat of Daesh. these American and Zionist mercenaries, [and] the resistance of the Afghan people caused the defeat of the US in Afghanistan and their humiliating escape. It caused the failure of the US in the plans to overthrow the Syrian government.”

Rahim Safavi continued by emphasizing that the decrease in US forces in Iraq and Syria can be attributed to the active resistance in these nations. He added that, in the end, American troops are destined to retreat from Iraq and Syria, mirroring their withdrawal from Afghanistan. As of now, almost 900 American troops are deployed in Syria as of February 2021 and 2,500 others in Iraq, a presence that Washington claims exists to fight extreme terrorists in both countries. But the US has for long employed the alleged "ISIS threat" as a pretext to continue its illegal occupation of northeastern Syrian territories.

Rahim Safavi said it has done so for two reasons: to destabilize the Syrian government and to pursue the systematic looting of the country's oil resources. The senior Iranian military official also pointed out that the Israeli regime's losses in the 33-day and 55-day wars on the Gaza Strip, as well as its setbacks following Operation al-Aqsa Flood, are attributed to the Resistance in Palestine.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the United Nations, especially the Security Council, has failed so far in assuming their legal and moral responsibility towards the Palestinian issue, and this failure is the result of American support for the Zionist entity. This came in a speech that the Iranian Foreign Minister was scheduled to deliver at the Security Council meeting, but due to Washington’s delay in issuing a visa for the Iranian delegation, he was unable to participate in the meeting.

Amir Abdullahian said in his speech that it must be acknowledged with courage and frankness that the United Nations, especially the UN Security Council, has so far failed to carry out its legal and moral tasks and responsibilities towards the Palestinian issue, and this failure is the result of blatant American support for the occupying Zionist entity and limiting the adoption of any effective measure to make Israel bear responsibility. He added that this is a moral failure of the international community and the United Nations system, but its main responsibility lies with the forces that prevent the Security Council from carrying out its role in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

The Iranian Foreign Minister continued that the Security Council and its members are facing a very serious test today. Nothing but ensuring a complete cessation of Israel's criminal attacks compensates for a small part of the international community's moral shame towards the Palestinian people and the Islamic world. He stressed that attention must be paid to the fact that the humanitarian truce, although useful, should not turn into a tool to whitewash past crimes and an opportunity to pave the way for new crimes.

He stressed that the crime and genocide of the Palestinian people should not be normalized. This is a legal and moral duty in accordance with the single common article of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Genocide Convention of 1948. He went on to say that the legitimate and legal resistance of the Palestinian people to gain the right to self-determination and to defend the human rights and human dignity of the Palestinians is an acceptable right in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, and no one, state or organization is able to take away this right from the Palestinians.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the Islamic Republic of Iran, within the framework of its principled policy based on opposition to aggression and the use of force in international relations, occupation, racism and racial discrimination, as well as within the framework of its responsible policies to protect regional and international peace and security, continues its support for the legitimate and legal movement of the Palestinian people to get rid of the occupation and apartheid imposed on the land of Palestine.

Alalam News Network. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, reported "While blood was bleeding and one martyr after another fell, the dark bats were stealing the bodies of the martyrs. As soon as they stormed Al-Shifa Hospital, the Israeli occupation army kidnapped an unknown number of bodies. Three days later, 110 of them were handed over, while traces of the remaining bodies were lost.

"Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health , said: “The Israeli occupation proceeded to steal and kidnap the bodies of our honorable martyrs who were in the courtyard of the Shifa Medical Complex and in the refrigerators of the complex, as well as in the mass grave that we dug to cover the graves for the bodies of the martyrs. Therefore, this is a humanitarian and moral crime that must be tolerated.” The Israeli occupation bears responsibility for what it did to our righteous martyrs.”

"Doctors in Gaza Strip hospitals, after receiving some of the detained bodies , noticed strange marks on the bodies of the martyrs , which suggests a scenario where a number of their organs were stolen. Stealing organs is not an unlikely matter. The occupation has previously stolen the organs of a number of prisoners in the Cemetery of Numbers, and therefore the world is now required to conduct an urgent investigation into this crime."

Major General Salami said, at the “Ability to Mobilize” forum: The Leader of Hearts ( martyr Qasem Soleimani ) rushed to help the peoples of Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, along with these Iranian youth, because the arrogant people have set foot on various lands in recent decades and wanted to subject politicians to their authority and obliterate the cultural identity of Muslims.

This senior military official continued: The Palestinian people were confronting the Zionists with stones, but since the mobilization transferred its culture to Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, the lands besieged by the Zionist entity were equipped with weapons in a miraculous step, and although Gaza is small geographically, but politically and socially, it has taken Its place is in the hearts of the peoples of the world in view of the tragedies created by the Zionist entity, and the European peoples expressed their support for the Palestinian people even though their rulers were the ones who created Zionism.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said: In the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood, there was a stealth war [harb al-ashbah, harb = war, shabah = ghost, spectre, phantom, sprite, shadow, spook, wraith, stealth] between the forces of the Zionist enemy and the faithful Palestinian fighter youth who were hunting down the enemy’s tanks one after another. Major General Salami said: Over the years, Britain and America have established a large army and a very strong security system in the Zionist entity, so that the Zionists can live in the usurped Palestinian homes in peace.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guards added: Few people imagined that the army and the security apparatus of the Zionist entity would be this close to collapse. The Al-Aqsa Flood operation showed the Zionists living in the occupied territories that the collapse of the entity is much closer and easier than they imagined.

Representatives in the National Assembly of the People's Power in Cuba called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to allow the unrestricted entry of urgent humanitarian aid. A motion signed by several Cuban parliamentarians called for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. They emphasized that the war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe for the residents of Gaza, who have been displaced from their houses and now face food insecurity and medical emergencies. Fidel Castro always expressed his personal support and the support of Cubans for the Palestinian cause.

They condemned the Israeli aggression for having resulted in thousands of innocent civilian casualties due to the indiscriminate and continuous bombing. The parliamentarians also emphasized the Palestinians' right to return to their lands, demanding full accountability for all war crimes and human rights violations committed by the Zionist occupation against the Palestinians. The announcement affirmed the right of the people of Gaza and Palestine to live in peace and security, adding that the world cannot remain indifferent to Israeli crimes and this senseless war, while the Palestinian people suffer on a daily basis.

Allied for Democracy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Sdot Negev Regional Council building, held a lengthy and in-depth meeting with council heads from communities in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, under its new name, the 'Tekuma Region. "On the first day, we declared that this was a war, not an operation or another round, but a war. This war has several goals. The first goal is the elimination of Hamas. The second goal is returning all of our hostages. The third goal is to ensure that after Hamas is eliminated, the Gaza Strip does not go back to being a threat to the State of Israel, to any part of the State of Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that Tel Aviv is fighting what he called a just war and that we will not stop until we recover the detainees in Gaza and destroy the Hamas movement, as he put it. The Israeli War Council met at dawn to discuss extending the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip after a session that lasted about two and a half hours without taking a decision. CNN network quoted Israeli Knesset member Danny Danon as saying that the Israeli government is ready to discuss a different deal to release men and soldiers detained by Hamas.

Minister Gallant said during a press statement with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, "We will fight Hamas until we win, no matter how long it takes." In his statement to the media, Gallant thanked Minister Blinken for coming to Israel, pointing out that this visit comes “at a time of a just war for the future of the Jewish people and the future of the state.” Gallant added: "We will fight Hamas until we win, no matter how long it takes. This is a just war, to defeat Hamas, ISIS in Gaza - and return all the hostages to their homes."

Gallant's statements are similar to what Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for to "return immediately and with massive force" to the war on the Gaza Strip, in order to completely "destroy" the Hamas movement. In his post on the “X” platform, Ben Gvir considered: “ Hamas signs a ceasefire with one hand, and with the other hand sends terrorists to kill Jews in Jerusalem.”

He added: "This is not a ceasefire, but rather a continuation of the concept of comprehensiveness and surrender," noting that "we must stop deals with the devil, meaning Hamas, and immediately return to fighting with enormous intensity in order to achieve the ultimate goal of the war: the complete destruction of Hamas with all its arms and followers." The statements of the leader of the far-right "Jewish Power" party came in response to what he said was "Hamas's claim of responsibility" for the shooting attack in West Jerusalem , which resulted in the death of 3 Israelis.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called to return immediately and with massive force to the war on the Gaza Strip, in order to completely destroy the Hamas movement, he said. The words of the leader of the far-right Jewish Power Party came in a statement commenting on Hamas’s claim of the shooting attack in occupied Jerusalem, which resulted in the death of 3 Israelis and the injury of 13 others, including 3 who were seriously injured. At the same time, the spokesman for the Israeli occupation army, Daniel Hagari, renewed his declaration of readiness to resume the war on the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Chief of Staff had approved the plan for the military operation in southern Gaza.

Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir called on the Israelis to take up their weapons, and also called for an immediate and massive return to the war on the Gaza Strip in order to completely destroy the Hamas movement , he said. During his visit to the entrance to the Ramot settlement in occupied Jerusalem, where the operation carried out by the martyrs Murad and Ibrahim al-Nimr took place, Ben Gvir said that whoever carried out the attack in Jerusalem was Hamas, and added that the operation amounted to a violation of the ceasefire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government - shortly after the operation in occupied Jerusalem carried out by the Al-Qassam Brigades - issued threats to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and called for expanding the scope of the carrying of weapons among Israelis. Netanyahu said that the government will continue to expand the distribution of weapons to citizens, adding that this measure proves its effectiveness in the war against what he called terrorism.

He added that the quick reaction of two soldiers and a civilian who opened fire on the perpetrators of the Jerusalem operation - in which 3 Israelis were killed - prevented a more serious attack from occurring, he said. The Israeli Prime Minister also said that all those he called “Hamas fighters” are dead, in Jerusalem, Gaza, the West Bank and everywhere, as he put it.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel will continue to fight what he called terrorism forcefully, and will respond to enemies’ attempts to undermine the security of its citizens, as he put it. For his part, Israeli Energy Minister Yisrael Katz said that he called for the Jerusalem IDs to be withdrawn from the family members of the Jerusalem operation perpetrators as part of the fight against what he described as terrorism. As for Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, he said, “Israel will continue to strike terrorism” everywhere it raises its head, as he put it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he pledged to the US Secretary of State to eliminate the Hamas movement, and Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli War Council would be held in the presence of Blinken. Netanyahu said in a televised statement after his meeting with Blinken in occupied Jerusalem, “I swore that we would continue this war until we achieved the three goals: releasing all our kidnappers, completely eliminating Hamas, and ensuring that we would not face such a threat from Gaza again.” Blinken informed Netanyahu of the need to protect civilians in the southern Gaza Strip if fighting resumes.

The Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz" said, in its editorial, that "last October 7 was a day of failure for Netanyahu and his government, and that government is still shirking its responsibilities, and this is manifested in several ways, the most important of which is: Netanyahu's refusal to resign, or at least announce his intention." His resignation, and his failure to acknowledge responsibility for what happened last month, as well as his evasion of the families of Israeli prisoners whose sons were killed in Gaza, did not attend funerals and offered only a few condolences.”

The newspaper pointed out that: “What makes matters worse is that the Israeli police have begun to show harsh treatment of the Israeli protesters against Netanyahu and his government,” noting that the police suppressed the demonstrators and broke a banner carried by a settler who lost his son in the “Kibbutz Kissufim” settlement, in the Gaza Strip . , under the pretext that the police felt threatened.

Also, the police confiscated another banner and suppressed a number of demonstrators who approached the police checkpoint, which escalated its actions against the protesters until it took some of the demonstrators to its station for investigation. The police said in response that they "will not allow disturbance of public order and violation of the freedom of movement of elected officials to their workplaces, even during war."

Haaretz also pointed out: “We cannot expect National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to bear responsibility for this shame,” adding: “We cannot expect Netanyahu to be concerned about his political survival more than anything else.”

The newspaper also denounced: “The suppression of protesters, especially those whose lives were destroyed because of the sin of the government, especially the sin of the one who heads it.”

For her part, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, “We must build a bridge beyond the ceasefire in Gaza to a political process,” noting that “Israel cannot live in security unless the Palestinians live in security.” As for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, he said that what Israel is doing in Gaza is unacceptable. This statement prompted Israel to recall its ambassador to Spain and summon the Spanish ambassador in Tel Aviv to “reprimand” him.

The European Union should recognize a Palestinian state since this would help end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and “stabilize” the region, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. “It is obvious that we must find a political solution to put an end to this crisis and this solution requires, in my opinion, the recognition of the Palestinian state,” the Socialist premier said during an interview with Spanish public television TVE.

“It is in Europe’s interest to address this issue out of moral conviction because what we are seeing in Gaza is not acceptable,” and also for “a geopolitical objective -- to stabilize a region,” he added. When he was sworn in for a new term this month, Sanchez said his foreign policy priority would be to “work in Europe and in Spain to recognize the Palestinian state.”

If there is no consensus among the EU’s 27 member states, Sanchez has said Madrid does not rule out unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state. A handful of smaller European countries have taken the step, mainly east European nations like Hungary, Poland and Romania that did so before they joined the EU. But until now no large member of the bloc has made the move, which would make Spain a pioneer.

Spain’s parliament voted in 2014 in favor of a resolution calling for recognition of Palestine as a state. The vote was non-binding, however, and there has been no follow up. “The situation has changed,” Sanchez told TVE, adding that Arab nations did not understand the EU’s position. “During all these years, we have seen how Israel systematically occupied Palestinian territory,” he added in a reference to Israeli settlement-building.

According to Amnesty International: “Israel’s policy of settling its civilians in occupied Palestinian territory and displacing the local population contravenes fundamental rules of international humanitarian law.” Palestinians say the settlements jeopardize their goal of a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel last week summoned Spain’s ambassador over criticisms Sanchez made of the Israeli offensive on Gaza during a visit to the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. “Friendly nations must tell the truth,” Sanchez said before recalling he had unequivocally condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians and soldiers. “But we must tell Israel with the same conviction” that it must respect international law, he added.

Later in the day, Israel summoned Spain’s ambassador for a reprimand after Sanchez said he doubted Israel was respecting international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed his foreign minister to call in the ambassador for a reprimand “after the shameful statement by the Spanish prime minister on the same day that Hamas terrorists are murdering Israelis in our capital Jerusalem.”

The Wall Street Journal said that officials in the United States and Israel are studying proposals related to governance in Gaza after the end of the war, including the establishment of Hamas-free zones to be administered by a new authority and the expulsion of Hamas militants to other countries. The newspaper shows that Israeli military and political leaders face a challenge: how to deal with the thousands of militants who represent the basis of the strength of the movement.

To meet this challenge, the newspaper reveals that some Israeli and American officials are exploring the idea of expelling thousands of low-level militants as a way to shorten the war. The newspaper adds that this idea is reminiscent of the agreement brokered by the United States that allowed the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and thousands of Palestinian fighters to flee Beirut during the Israeli siege of the Lebanese capital in 1982. It points out that the idea of getting rid of Hamas militants comes as part of the Israeli and American talks regarding who will administer Gaza when the war ends and what can be done to ensure that the region is not used as a launching pad for another attack similar to the October 7 attack.

One proposal for how to govern post-Hamas Gaza, drawn up by the Israeli Military Research Center and seen by the Wall Street Journal, would begin with the creation of so-called “Hamas-free safe zones” governed by a new authority in Gaza backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. According to the newspaper, the American-Israeli discussions about expelling Hamas militants and their families from the Gaza Strip aim to give them an exit strategy and facilitate the rebuilding of Gaza once the fighting ends.

Before the war began, Israel estimated that Hamas had about 30,000 militants in the Gaza Strip, and subsequently vowed to kill its senior leaders and any members who participated in the October 7 attacks.

The newspaper notes that this huge number of Hamas militants in Gaza prompted Israeli officials to apply the Beirut model to deal with them and their families. In 1982, Israeli forces surrounded Beirut in an attempt to weaken the power of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon. The two-month siege and intense Israeli bombing of Beirut led to rifts between Israel and the United States, which brokered an agreement to end the fighting by allowing Arafat and about 11,000 Palestinian fighters to leave Lebanon and head to Tunisia.

But the newspaper confirms that it has not yet been discussed whether senior Hamas leaders, such as the movement’s leader in Gaza, Yahya al-Sinwar, and military commander, Muhammad Deif, will be allowed to leave because of their role in planning the October 7 attacks. It adds that leaving Gaza will be fundamentally different for Palestinian militants today than leaving Lebanon in 1982, given that they were “visitors” in Beirut, compared to the Gaza Strip, which is their home.

The newspaper quotes a senior Israeli official as saying that it is not clear whether Hamas militants would choose the option of exile, if offered to them, adding: “I do not think they are as rational as the Palestine Liberation Organization. It (Hamas) is a more religious jihadist organization linked to the ideas of Iran.” The official confirmed that there is currently no "practical discussion" to remove Hamas militants, but said that if Israel leaves Hamas no other option, this option may become possible.

Randa Slim, director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, says some Hamas militants may be willing to consider the idea if their leaders are killed. However, she pointed out that the idea in general faces many obstacles that may make it impractical. Moving forward with the proposal requires obtaining the support of countries willing to accept hosting Hamas militants, whose senior leaders are located in places such as Turkey, Qatar, Iran, Russia and Lebanon, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper also points out that the issue of whether the militants will be able to leave with their families must also be dealt with, and this also requires that Hamas trust Israel's ability to respect any commitments it makes in the deal, such as agreeing not to target the militants once they leave Gaza. Saleem says: “I think this is unrealistic today given the current state of conflict... but things may develop in the future.”

A recent Gallup poll conducted in the aftermath of the Israeli operation in Gaza reveals that 50% of Americans approve of "Israel's" actions in the Gaza Strip, while 45% disapprove. Delving into demographic details, approval is higher among Republicans, men, older adults, and White adults, while Democrats, young adults, people of color, and women are more likely to disapprove. The survey also explores opinions on US aid to the region. About 42% believe the military aid to "Israel" is appropriate, with an additional 25% thinking it's insufficient. In contrast, 74% feel the US is providing the right amount or not enough humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

The approval of US assistance aligns with attitudes toward Israel's military actions, with Republicans and White adults favoring increased military aid to Israel, while Democrats, young adults, people of color, and women are more likely to believe not enough humanitarian aid is reaching the Palestinians. In terms of President Biden's handling of the war on Gaza, his approval rating stands at 32%, lower than his overall job approval of 37%. Notably, groups opposing Israel's military actions express less approval for Biden's handling of the Middle East situation.

Despite not reaching the level of historical events like 9/11 or the start of US operations in Iraq, 72% of Americans are closely following the events of the war in Palestine. Higher percentages of college-educated and older adults, as well as those approving of Israel's military action, report closely following the situation.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the temporary humanitarian truce in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is bearing fruit, in light of the release of detainees and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Blinken expressed his hope that the truce would continue, and his happiness at the release of Americans among the detainees released by Hamas, during his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit to Tel Aviv. Blinken reiterated the United States’ strong support for what he called “Israel’s right to defend itself,” and its endeavor to ensure that what happened on October 7 would not be repeated, with reference to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood launched by the Palestinian resistance against the occupation in response to its crimes against Palestinian civilians.

Blinken expressed his concern about proposals made by some members of the Israeli coalition government about expanding settlements in the West Bank. Blinken said at a press conference in Tel Aviv: “I expressed our deep concern about steps that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the West Bank, including extremist violence practiced by settlers, and proposals made by some members of the Israeli coalition government about continuing to expand settlements.” Clear expectations about how these issues will be resolved."

In response to a question about the escalation of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Washington’s possible response to it, the US Secretary of State stressed that “with regard to violence, I can say that we are waiting for additional steps from the Israeli government to stop it.” He added “At the same time, we are considering our own procedures”.

Blinken called for a further extension to a truce that has paused fighting between Hamas and Israel in Gaza for seven days, as the hours ticked down to its expiry. “Clearly, we want to see this process continue to move forward,” he told reporters in Tel Aviv following a visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank. “We want an eighth day and beyond.” Blinken also urged Israel to create safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Gaza before it resumes “major military operations” in the Hamas-ruled territory.

Israel “must put in place humanitarian civilian protection plans that minimize further casualties of innocent Palestinians,” he told reporters in Tel Aviv, “including by clearly and precisely designating areas and places in southern and central Gaza, where they can be safe and out of the line of fire.” He said protecting civilians meant avoiding further “significant displacement of civilians inside Gaza” as well as “damage to life (or) critical infrastructure like hospitals, like power stations, like water facilities.”

“And it means giving civilians who have been displaced in southern Gaza the choice to return to the north as soon as conditions permit.” There should be no “enduring internal displacement,” he said. Blinken said Israel was “capable of neutralizing the threat posed by Hamas while minimising harm to innocent men, women and children. And it has an obligation to do so."

“I underscore the imperative of the United States that the massive loss of civilian life and displacement of the scale that we saw in northern Gaza not be repeated in the south,” he added.

Joe Biden is facing mounting internal opposition due to its support for the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip , according to what NBC reported, citing American officials. The American network added that the scope of this opposition is exceptional and has not occurred in previous administrations, pointing out that there is a widespread belief among State Department employees that America’s assistance to Israel must be subject to restrictions.

NBC quoted a US State Department official as saying that there is a feeling that Israel should not be able to escape punishment. He added, “As soon as the pictures of Gaza appeared and the number of civilian deaths increased, we learned of the munitions used, in what appears to be a reference to the American munitions that were used.” Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip. The US State Department official confirmed, "Messages from our diplomats in the Middle East warn that our reputation is being severely damaged due to our supportive approach to Israel."

Senior Israeli military officials, including Maj. Gen. Tal Kelman, former head of the strategic directorate and Iran Division; Col. Itai Shapira, a former senior Israeli Intelligence officer; and Lt. Col. Yotam Shefer of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, were scheduled to conduct private briefings for members of the US Congress. Briefings included an in-person session on Capitol Hill and another with retired Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, the former chief of Israeli military intelligence. Additionally, a closed screening of footage showing excerpts of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 was organized by Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Marco Rubio.

A source said to The Intercept, "It isn’t a coincidence that these briefings are now happening as public opinion is shifting and the pressure to corral lawmakers and the recipients of their campaign contributions."

Demands for a ceasefire on Capitol Hill initially progressed gradually but have gained momentum in the past few weeks. A collective total of 43 members from both houses of Congress have advocated for a ceasefire. Senator Bernie Sanders, a progressive who had previously expressed support for Israel following the October 7 attack, mentioned that he is considering introducing a bill that would condition aid to Israel, according to The Intercept.

Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs

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.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that the United Nations relies on the death toll figures provided by Gaza's Ministry of Health and deems them generally accurate. "The numbers that we're using are from the Ministry of Health in Gaza. We have found them by and large to be correct," Dujarric said during a press briefing. The spokesperson explained that the decision to utilize the death toll figures from Gaza is rooted in the UN's unfortunate experience in the region, where a significant number of UN staff have lost their lives in recent years due to the ongoing aggression. As of mid-November, 104 United Nations employees in the Gaza Strip have lost their lives due to "Israel's" extensive and indiscriminate strikes as well as the ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave.

Gaza's health ministry registered the deaths of over 18,000 Palestinians, a major jump from the "about 15,000" reported a few days earlier. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory reports that it had "counted up to this moment about 17,500 dead Palestinians". The count included about 6,150 children killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since October 7, the Gaza Press Office said. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The Hamas-run government said more than 4,000 women were among the dead, with more than 33,000 more people wounded. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza said the number of missing people had risen to more than 7,000 [nearly double the 3,750 previously reported], including 1,800 children still under the rubble, including 4,700 children and women. The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the number of wounded as 36,000 [previously announced as about 32,000 wounded], 75 percent of them children and women.

Israeli forces killed eight Palestinians, including a child, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, taking the total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank to 239 since October 7. Israeli forces shot dead five Palestinians in the city of Jenin late on Saturday and early Sunday, and killed three others elsewhere in the West Bank, the ministry said on Sunday. Six other Palestinians were injured in the Israeli raid in Jenin.

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 number of Israeli soldiers that the IDF admitted were killed in ground battles with the Palestinian resistance reached 75, while the death toll for the Israel forces had risen to 395 soldiers since the beginning of Operation al-Aqsa Flood. At least 7,771 Israelis were injured. The Israel Defense Forces on 28 November 2023 that three of its soldiers formerly listed as missing were dead. SSgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, and Sgt. Shaked Dahan, 19, were killed by Hamas terrorists in the October 7 massacre. The jihadists took their bodies into Gaza, where they are still being held, the military said.

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz revealed that the number of soldiers who were injured since the start of the aggression reached about a thousand soldiers, noting that 202 soldiers were seriously injured. The army rarely referred to casualties when talking about the deaths of soldiers during battles. According to the same newspaper, this policy differs from what was prevalent in previous wars and military campaigns, during which the army also published the number of its wounded, in addition to publishing other details. 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.

Israeli army (IDF) reported the total number of casualties since October 7th to 392 and the number of troop deaths there to 72 since the ground war began.

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

The resistance released 10 Israeli detainees, 4 Thais and 2 Russian women, who were released outside the agreement. Over the course of 6 days, Israel has received 102 detainees, women and children, including 78 Israelis, in exchange for the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners, women and children,

The Al-Qassam Brigades announced the death of an Israeli woman and her two children who were detained by them as a result of a previous Israeli bombing of Gaza.

Before the release of the sixth batch of Israelis detained in Gaza, Israeli government spokesman Elon Levy said that 161 Israelis are still detained in the Strip [al-Jazeera reported "more than 100 prisoners" remain with the resistance]. Levy added that Israel has prepared a list of 50 Palestinian detainees to be released if Hamas continues to release detainees. At least 76, and possibly more than 80, hostages had been released by Hamas over six days of a cease-fire. During the pause, Hamas fighters released 60 Israeli women and children. In return, Israel released 180 security detainees from its prisons, all of them women and minors under the age of 19. Hamas also separately released 19 foreign hostages, most of them Thai farm workers, under separate agreements parallel to the truce agreement.

Thirty children held by Gazan terrorists have been released as part of a four-day ceasefire deal with Hamas that began Friday, but 10 still remain in the Strip. The terror group has said it planned to release 20 more hostages as part of a two-day extension to the deal. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the Biden administration believes eight or nine more Americans are still being held but the U.S. does not have "solid information on each and every one of them." Perhaps 100 are Israeli civilians. Some of the rest are soldiers, seized when Hamas raided military bases in Israel. They may end up being held the longest. The Israeli military had not specified how many soldiers were captured, nor their ranks.

By one account

• 236 confirmed abducted civilians and IDF soldiers.
• 18 of the abductees are elderly people aged 75 and older.
• 121 of the abductees have foreign citizenship (including dual citizenship).

Conflicting estimates were provided regarding the number of Thai nationals still in captivity. The Wall Street Journal reported 25 November 2023 that Hamas is interested in releasing 23 Thai citizens during the four days of the ceasefire, mediated by Iran. On the other hand, the Thai Foreign Ministry claims 20 more citizens who are held captive by Hamas, and that four of the ten who were released were not included in the number initially estimated.

According to some estimates, Hamas was initially holding nearly 210 of the 240 hostages, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad was holding the remaining 30. About 40 Israelis remained missing. More than 40 hostages taken from Israel into Gaza on October 7th are not currently in the custody of Hamas, the group responsible for the attack, according to a CNN report based on a diplomatic source briefed on the negotiations, CNN's prior reports had indicated that an estimated 40 to 50 hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other unidentified groups or individuals.

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 main points known about the hostage deal so far:

• there will be a ceasefire from both sides in the Gaza Strip,
• There is no ceasefire on the northern front with Lebanon, and the truce will be limited to the southern front with Gaza. But the ceasefire deal would also apply as a truce on the northern border with Lebanon, according to a Lebanese report in Nidaa al-Watan. "Hezbollah will adhere to the ceasefire on the condition that Israel does too," the first report announced, following a meeting between the leaders of the Lebanese and Palestinian organizations. An official source from Hezbollah later told Al-Jazeera that the group will respect the ceasefire also in Lebanon, reiterating the condition that Israel does too, adding that the Lebanese group was not consulted on the deal.
• there will be a halt to the movement of Israeli military vehicles penetrating into the Gaza Strip,
• During the days of the truce, the Israeli forces remain as they are and in their positions, provided that Hamas and the rest of the resistance forces adhere to a complete ceasefire.
• Israeli military overflights in the southern Gaza Strip will be halted for four consecutive days. Israeli military overflights in the northern Gaza Strip will be limited to six hours daily, in order to allow Hamas to locate the other hostages who are being held by Hamas terrorists and Islamic Jihad.
• Israel agreed to refrain from targeting or arresting any individuals throughout the truce's timeframe.
• freedom of movement will be ensured for all Palestinians along Salah al-Din Street, which connects the districts of the Gaza Strip.
• "The movement of residents from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north will not be allowed in any way, but only from the north to the south. Uncoordinated movement of trucks from the south to the north of the Gaza Strip will also not be allowed" the Israeli army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said via “ X ”.
• The prisoners in Israeli custody will be handed over to the Red Cross, which will transport them to the Rafah area, and there, under the auspices of Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators, they will be transferred to the Israeli side.
• Upon their receipt by the Isreeli army, the occupation authorities begin releasing Palestinian female prisoners and children according to the agreed upon number
• 10 hostages will be released every day
• Minimum of 53 hostages will be released, mostly minors (under 19) and their mothers, [the 50 prisoners, who appear to be 30 children, eight mothers, and 12 elderly women]. Hamas has 80 captive children, mothers, and elderly women, but at least in the first stage, if Hamas does not find more, at least seven children and five mothers will remain in captivity. The number of foreign workers is 41 prisoners, meaning that Hamas has 195 Israelis, more than 100 of whom will remain in Gaza even after this deal.
• Israel will release approximately 150 Palestinian prisoners, women and minors (under 19), held in its prisons, and who do not have Jewish blood on their hands.
• potential of the total number released reaching 80 prisoners, out of about 300 minors (under 19), and 33 female prisoners, detained in its prisons. The mechanism of the process is for Hamas to send through mediators a list of Israeli prisoners who will be released the next day, and the Israeli government approves it, so that the implementation process begins the next day. The number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the agreement.
• hostages to be released do not include foreigners who do not have Israeli citizenship or foreign workers who were around the Gaza Strip.
• it is also possible that foreigners such as Thai citizens will be released, but this has nothing to do with the truce agreement.
• The deal does not include Israeli soldiers.
• on the fourth day of the truce, new names will be given to the Israeli detainees. Hamas will announce its desire to release them in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners, according to the agreed-upon equation, which is one Israeli for 3 Palestinians.
• Israel would extend the pause in fighting for one further day for each additional 10 captives released.
• Hamas expressed its approval for the Red Cross to visit the remaining kidnapped persons in Gaza, and that it had committed to searching for the remaining kidnapped persons not in its custody, with the aim of seeking their release at later stages. But Hamas refused to allow the workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit the hostages and evaluate their health condition. Hamas believes that "any information related to the hostages must come at a price paid by Israel."
• The agreement would also include the entry into the Gaza Strip, including in the north, of 4 trucks of fuel daily and two trucks of gas, in addition to at least 200 to 300 trucks of food, medicine and humanitarian aid
• HAMAS said the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip will continue beyond the days of the agreement, and that the aid that will enter the Strip includes basic materials and clothing.