Operation Iron Swords - Day 64 - 09 December 2023

Ccontents

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

Head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, said that the battle in Gaza will continue for months and may extend longer. He added, "We were 17 years late in addressing the Hamas problem because we avoided paying the price we are paying now. We will change the reality on the border with Lebanon and we will solve the problem militarily if it is not solved diplomatically."

The Houthi group pledged to target every cargo ship heading to Israel, regardless of its nationality or the party that runs it, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip , which is being subjected to Israeli aggression. After launching attacks against Israeli ships in the Red Sea , the Houthi group announced that it was expanding the scope of its operations to include every ship heading to Israel, regardless of its nationality.

The group's military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said, "Any ships heading towards the Zionist entity will be a legitimate target." He added, "We announce that ships bound for the Zionist entity will be prohibited from passing if food and medicine do not enter the Gaza Strip." Sarie warned "all ships and companies against dealing with Israeli ports." The group controls Sanaa and Hodeidah overlooking the Red Sea, along with many governorates of northern and central Yemen.

The group said, in a statement, “The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in Gaza stops.” These operations have forced Israeli ships to take more expensive shipping routes around Africa.

Operational Update

Military expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi said that the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper’s report about the injury of 5 members of the occupation army confirms that Israel’s losses are much greater than announced, noting that Washington’s intention to supply Tel Aviv with 40,000 shells for Merkava tanks means that Israel has exhausted a large part of its stock during the last two months. Regarding Washington’s agreement to supply Israel with 40,000 120 mm Merkava shells for $106 million, Al-Duwairi said that the decision reflects Israel’s excessive use of ammunition, and that it has consumed a very large portion of its stock.

He pointed out that Tel Aviv will not pay any money for these ammunition because they are all provided with free American support, adding, “ There are warehouses inside Israel for the American army that contain ammunition, and all of them have been opened.” He added, "There are 3 lines of ammunition in these bases and warehouses, and they are withdrawn from them according to controls and battle conditions." He concluded that second- and third-line ammunition was freely available to Israel, yet it requested more missiles, which confirms its excessive use of these ammunition during the battle.

The occupation forces stormed the town of Azzun, and as a result, confrontations broke out during which bullets and poison gas bombs were fired, which led to the injury of the boy Mahmoud Basem Abu Haniyeh (17 years old) with live bullets in the back. With the martyrdom of the boy Abu Haniyeh, the number of martyrs today, Saturday, in the West Bank rises to 4, in addition to the two martyrs, Rami al-Jandab from the Fara’a camp, Nimr Abu Mustafa from the Balata camp, and the martyr Sari Youssef Amr from Dura in Hebron, who was martyred shortly after his arrest.

Israeli occupation forces arrested a freed prisoner in the Umm al-Sharayet neighborhood in the city of Al-Bireh after they raided the neighborhood and closed its entrances. They also arrested a student at Birzeit University in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood in central Ramallah . Confrontations broke out between the occupation forces and Palestinians.

The Israeli occupation forces also stormed the village of Kafr Rai, southwest of Jenin in the West Bank, where they arrested the brothers of the leader of the Islamic Jihad movement , Bilal Dhiyab, and detained his family members and interrogated them. The occupation forces stormed nearby homes and a school as part of their failed attempt to arrest the leader of the Jihad movement, who the occupation authorities say is wanted by them. The occupation forces failed to arrest him three times in the past, and arrested members of his family in an attempt to pressure him to surrender himself.

Al Jazeera's correspondent also reported that clashes broke out between Palestinians and the occupation forces near the village of Marka and the town of Qabatiya, southwest of Jenin.

The "Islamic Resistance" in Iraq announced earlier that it had targeted the American army base in the "Green Village" deep in Syria, and " Ain al-Assad " in western Iraq, with two drones that "directly hit the targets." It indicated in separate statements that these targeting come "in response to the crimes committed by the enemy against our people in Gaza ." The commander of the Iraqi "Sayyid al-Shuhada" Brigades, Abu Alaa al-Wala'i, also confirmed his refusal to talk about "stopping or easing operations as long as Israel's crimes continue in Gaza and the American occupation continues in Iraq."

The Houthi group pledged to target every cargo ship heading to Israel, regardless of its nationality or the party that runs it, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip. After launching attacks against Israeli ships in the Red Sea , the Houthi group announced on Saturday that it was expanding the scope of its operations to include every ship heading to Israel, regardless of its nationality.

The Turkish Research Center published an article dealing with the implications of the recent Houthi raids on ships in the Red Sea, saying that these raids are one of the results of the Gaza war , which has increased tension in the region, which contributes to changing the balance of global power. The article written by Riad Domaziti explained that the Houthi raids affect global trade and energy routes, as the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Suez Canal in the Red Sea play a vital role in the global energy market and the transportation sector, as 3 of the 7 most important oil transit points in the world are linked to this sea.

He stated that the instability of security in the Red Sea will lead to an increase in transportation costs and transit times in global trade by approximately 43%. He also said that it is possible that the Houthi activities in the Red Sea could lead to a broader scenario of increased armament and militarization in the region by countries such as China , Russia , the United Kingdom , France , and Japan , which are countries that have an actual military presence in the Red Sea, and therefore escalating global competition.

One of the consequences of the Houthi raids in the Red Sea, the article says, is the strengthening of popular and official support for the Indian-Middle East Economic Corridor project , which includes Saudi Arabia and Israel and bypasses the Red Sea. Regarding security in Yemen , the article expects that the Houthi raids will fuel the war there again and return it to its starting point because international powers will try to confront the Houthis’ targeting of global trade, as the United States will increase its logistical, intelligence, and military support for the anti-Houthi coalition.

At the same time, the writer did not rule out that Washington would support the Houthis as a “legitimate player” and open a path for direct or indirect negotiations with them to reduce tensions to maintain the balance of power, which also includes China. During the past weeks, the Houthi group in Yemen announced control of more than one Israeli ship in the Red Sea, after warnings to the group that it would target all ships owned or managed by Israeli companies, or that fly the Israeli flag, in response to the Israeli aggression that the Gaza Strip has been exposed to for more than Two months ago.

The head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, said that Israel will respond militarily to the Houthi attacks in Yemen, if measures are not taken against "Ansar Allah." Israel threatens a military response in Yemen if no action is takenThe Houthis: Preventing the passage of ships heading to Israel of any nationality if the food and medicine they need do not enter Gaza. Israeli Channel 12 quoted Hanegbi as saying, “Netanyahu informed US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of his intention to move militarily against the Houthis if they do not take any measures against them.”

Video scenes showed testimonies of a group of citizens - who were arrested by the Israeli occupation forces from the eastern areas of Gaza City during the ground incursion there - in which they narrated their exposure to interrogation and torture in tragic and extremely difficult circumstances. A number of those released - without being executed - confirmed that the occupation forces arrested them from their homes east of Gaza City, stripped them of their clothes, then assaulted them severely with electrical cables and machine guns, in addition to spraying them with cold water.

COGAT [Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, a unit in the Israeli Ministry of Defense.] stated "An urgent appeal to the residents of the neighborhoods of Al-Katiba, Al-Mahatta, and the city center in Khan Yunis Governorate in Blocks No. 47, 55, 104-106: We call on you to evacuate your locations urgently towards the known shelters west of the city of Khan Yunis. We remind you that we have published a map of the areas (blocks) that divide the sector into areas and neighborhoods that you know, in an effort to help you understand and realize the directives issued and move from specific locations precisely if necessary, in order to preserve your security and safety." Abdul Rahman Younis responded "There is no safe shelter in Gaza, not even graves. You will bomb them.... Spare them fatigue and cold, bomb them in their homes as you do, and the matter is over..."

"Urgent Residents of the Gaza Strip , the IDF is working forcefully against Hamas and terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, especially in the Khan Yunis area and the northern Strip. Here are several urgent instructions: An urgent appeal to the residents of Jabalia, Al-Shuja’iya, Al-Zaytoun, and the Old City of Gaza. We call on you to evacuate your locations urgently, via Khalil Al-Wazir and Al-Wahda Streets towards the known shelters west of Gaza City. The fighting and military advance of the Defense Army in the Khan Yunis area do not allow the movement of civilians through the Salah al-Din axis in the sections north and east of the city of Khan Yunis."

"The IDF spokesman reveals more testimonies seized during the ground operation that indicate the extent of the gap between the Hamas leadership and the public in Gaza: Receipts amounting to thousands of dollars for the purchase of luxury jewelry by Ismail Haniyeh’s son. In one of the incursions, five receipts bearing the name of Moaz Ismail Haniyeh were seized, indicating the purchase of luxury jewelry worth thousands of dollars from stores in the Gaza Strip and Qatar. Take a good look at it."

The British Economist magazine alerted that since October 7, the date of the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the work permits of about 160,000 Palestinians who were working in the occupied territories and settlements in the West Bank have been cancelled. Before the war, their salaries pumped about 1.4 billion shekels ($370 million) per month into the West Bank economy.

“Israel is strangling the West Bank economy,” with this title The Economist magazine began its article today, Saturday, as one of the officials believes that the current economic crisis is worse than the one resulting from the closures due to the Corona virus two years ago. It pointed out that the Palestinian Authority's lack of control over its supposed borders forces it to rely on the Israeli occupation entity to collect import taxes (clearance funds) on its behalf, which represent 64% of its total revenues.

It pointed out that when the Gaza War broke out, the far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, refused to transfer any of this money to the Palestinian Authority, although the Israeli Cabinet later reached a settlement, and said that it would withhold the portion that the Palestinian Authority pays to Gaza. He claimed that although the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, the Palestinian Authority still covers Gaza's electricity bill and pays the salaries of thousands of public sector workers, including those working in the Ministry of Health and the Palestinian security forces, who are paid Their salaries in exchange for staying in their homes.

These two factors have led to a decline in the Palestinian Authority’s revenues by 80% since October 7, leaving Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara facing a fiscal deficit of $1.5 billion (about 10% of the gross domestic product in the Palestinian territories). In November Last November, his ministry was unable to pay the salaries of public employees at all, although he was able to convince the Bank of Palestine to provide loans to some employees worth half their salaries, according to their claim.

The magazine believes that to stave off the financial collapse of the authority, Bishara could try to persuade Smotrich to hand over customs revenues. But there is little sign that he will change his mind, although the United States has tried to alert him to the security risks if the Palestinian Authority goes bankrupt. It concluded that providing what she described as “charities” from some countries may also allow the Palestinian Authority to ignore the reforms it desperately needs. It could also provide a lifeline to “a sclerotic and corrupt institution that few Palestinians believe can establish a Palestinian state,” as the Economist puts it.

Bystanders

Axis of Resistance

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi described Iranian-Syrian relations as deep-rooted and strategic, and expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of a large number of agreements concluded with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during his recent visit to Damascus. President Raisi stressed the need to accelerate the full implementation of agreements and understandings between the two countries and said: Iran and Syria have extensive capabilities to expand their cooperation in the economic, commercial and political fields, which we hope will continue with planning and follow-up by the relevant officials in Tehran and Damascus to see the activation of these capabilities as quickly as possible.

He continued, saying that the hostility of America and the Zionist entity towards Syria is due to the resistance of the government and people of this country and the failure of their plans, especially in eliminating the Takfiri terrorist movement. He added: The Palestinian Islamic resistance today is built on faith, and despite the lack of naval and air forces, the Zionists and their main supporter have risen. , America, by discrediting themselves, to the point that during the past sixty days, with the exception of killing innocent people, women and children, they have not achieved any of their goals, and had it not been for the intelligence, military and security assistance and financial and media support of the Americans, the Zionist entity would have collapsed by now.

The Iranian President described the unprecedented anger and hatred towards the Zionist entity and its allies by world public opinion as an indicator of the correctness of the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past 43 years towards the falsity and criminality of this entity, and said: The Al-Aqsa Flood Operation expanded the borders of the axis of resistance and its reach from the region to the entire world. He added: We have no doubt that just as the peoples of Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon were victorious in the face of America and its allies, the Palestinian people will also be victorious in this field.

or his part, Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous described in this meeting the visit of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Damascus as a turning point in the historical and strategic relations between the two countries. He said that achieving the agreements of this visit, especially in the financial, banking, energy, tourism and trade sectors, is a sign of diligence and seriousness. To officials of the two countries in terms of developing interactions and cooperation.

The head of the Islamic Shura Council, Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf, said: The Al-Aqsa Flood operation represented a turning point at the regional and international levels for the resistance front. In his meeting with the Prime Minister of Syria, Hussein Arnous , Qalibaf considered the current period “politically, economically, and strategically,” for the Resistance Front , to be divided into “before and after the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation”; Pointing out that "this is regardless of what is happening now in Gaza ."

Welcoming the visit of the Syrian delegation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Qalibaf hopes that the talks between officials of the two countries will lead to expanding commercial, political and security dealings. He added: Iranian-Syrian relations are deep and based on the principle of brotherhood, and these ties have expanded greatly since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The Speaker of Parliament expressed his satisfaction with Syria regaining its seat in the Arab League, declaring in his meeting with Arnous: The Europeans and Americans have become aware that Syria, with its people and its government, has become extremely powerful. Pointing out that current experiences have proven that what is being promoted that “the Americans will support development in the Arab countries” is nothing more than empty allegations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the United Nations Security Council UNSC has become an "Israel protection council" in the past two months, adding that it requires reform following a US veto that blocked a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, despite the overwhelming majority voting in favor.

"Since October 7, the security council has become an Israel protection and defense council," Erdogan said during a human rights convention in Istanbul, adding that "every day the Declaration of Human Rights is violated in Gaza." In the 15-member board, 13 voted in favor, the UK abstained, while the US was the only country to oppose the resolution. This meeting came as four previous drafts had been rejected by the Security Council. dogan pointed out that the United States was the only member to reject the ceasefire, asking, "Is this justice?...the [UNSC] needs to be reformed."

"The world is bigger than five," he added, referring to the five permanent UNSC members with veto powers. "Another world is possible, but without America," the Turkish President continued. "The United States stands by Israel with its money and military equipment. Hey, America! How much are you going to pay for that?"

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, "Washington has once again proven that it is the main actor and factor in killing Palestinian civilians and citizens and destroying vital infrastructure in Gaza." Commenting on the American veto against the UAE’s draft resolution on Gaza in the Security Council, Kanaani added: “Since the beginning of the brutal aggression of the Zionist entity against Gaza, Washington has repeatedly demonstrated its alliance and participation with the Israeli apartheid regime in committing war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people.” He said: "The current officials in America expressed their concern for the lives of children and civilians in Gaza, but at the same time, and under the guise of deception and hypocrisy, last week they delivered the 200th shipment of weapons and military aid to Israel, which is killing children." He stressed that the consequences of any expansion of the scope of the war in the region will certainly be borne by the American and Israeli regimes.

The Houthi "Ansar Allah" group in Yemen announced preventing the passage of ships heading to Israel of any nationality if the food and medicine it needs does not enter the Gaza Strip. The statement added: “In order to ensure the safety of maritime navigation, we warn all ships and companies against dealing with Israeli ports.”

The Hamas movement welcomed the decision of the Houthis in Yemen to prevent the passage of Israeli ships, and all ships heading to Israel and of any nationality, if the food and medicine it needs does not enter the Gaza Strip. The movement said in a press statement: “We appreciate the decision of the brothers in brotherly Yemen to prevent the passage of Zionist ships, and all ships heading to the Zionist entity of any nationality, if the food and medicine it needs does not enter the Gaza Strip.”

The Palestinian movement described this Yemeni decision as brave and bold against the “Zionist-American” aggression, and Hamas said: “We consider it a brave and bold decision that wins for the blood of our people in the Gaza Strip, and stands against the Zionist-American aggression that continues the war of genocide and massacres against all components of the human life of our Palestinian people, throughout 64 days.

Hamas added: “We call on our Arab and Islamic countries to activate all their capabilities and capabilities, based on their historical responsibilities, and out of chivalry and chivalry, to move towards breaking the siege on Gaza , preventing the continuation of massacres and the war of starvation and thirst, and stopping the Nazi aggression committed by the occupation with American support.”

The security official for the Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq, Abu Ali Al-Askari, said that the operations targeting American bases in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Friday, “are the beginning of a new base of engagement.” Abu Ali Al-Askari added in a statement published on his Telegram channel: “Our jihadist operations against the American occupation will continue until the last soldier is removed from the land of Iraq, and if the Iraqi government wants to negotiate with him to remove his forces from the country, we do not mind it, even if we are certain that it will.” Another lie from the Americans and we will not be fooled.”

Al-Askari added: "We renew our affirmation that any foolishness from the American enemy will be met with a double response, and the expansion of operations, and the whisperings of the trembling and prone will not deter us from performing our legitimate and patriotic duty towards our country and our nation." He added: "The American evil embassy is still an advanced base for managing military and security operations, and a den of espionage, and some see their pride in lying down to it, and marketing it as diplomatic missions that must be protected, so it is miserable for them and their benefits at the expense of their country, by taking lying down as a means of preserving their fleeting positions with the end of the occupation."

He pointed out that "yesterday's group of operations is only the beginning of a new base of engagement, and the coming days will determine the level of response," considering that "the cooperation of some members of the security services with the criminal American occupier for false reasons will make them his lackeys and partners in his crimes, and this is what the Iraqis do not accept." The original ones are theirs.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani had instructed all security leaders and responsible authorities to pursue the perpetrators of the attack by firing missiles at the American embassy in Baghdad , and to bring them to justice. An RT correspondent reported earlier that the US Embassy in Iraq sounded its sirens after the Green Zone in Baghdad, where the embassy is located, was bombed. A US embassy spokesman said, "At approximately 4:15 a.m. on Friday, the American embassy was attacked by two missiles."

Secretary General of the Gaza-based Islamic Jihad movement Ziad al-Nakhala praised Iran for supporting Palestine and making efforts to end the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip. In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday, Nakhala expressed his gratitude for the Islamic and Arabic efforts and also for Iran’s measures in support of Palestine.

He also gave a report on the latest developments in the battlefield and the Palestinian resistance groups’ complete preparedness to confront the Zionist regime’s brutal attacks and defend the people in Gaza. Amirabdollahian, for his part, briefed the Palestinian figure on the latest diplomatic moves by the Arab and Islamic countries as well as Iran to support the people of Palestine, pointing to the recent talks between the Iranian and Russian presidents in Moscow. He also underlined the need for immediate and effective measures on the part of the international community and responsible world bodies to put an end to the Zionist regime’s war crimes.

Allied for Democracy

A massive demonstration was held in Tel Aviv by families of Israeli prisoners and those in solidarity with them to demand that the government conclude a deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to return their children detained in the Gaza Strip. A spokeswoman for the families of the prisoners said in a speech during the demonstration, “We hear the unnecessary sounds of war and see a waste of time.” Some Arab commentators suggested the losses incurred by the occupation army at the hands of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip - some of which were revealed by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper - will move Israeli society and push it to put pressure on its government and army in order to stop the war on Gaza.

The expert in Israeli affairs, Dr. Muhannad Mustafa, believes that what Yedioth Ahronoth revealed will contribute to producing a different Israeli public opinion, because the losses among Israeli soldiers, whether dead or wounded, affect Israeli society and put pressure on it psychologically and socially, and these losses It will put Benjamin Netanyahu's government in a very deep political dilemma.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that 5,000 soldiers had been wounded since the beginning of the war on October 7, and that the Ministry of Defense had recognized 2,000 soldiers as disabled so far.

From Dr. Mustafa’s point of view, the credibility of the Netanyahu government and the Israeli army was shaken among Israeli society during the Al-Aqsa flood battle , and after the failure of the occupation forces in trying to free an Israeli prisoner held by the Palestinian resistance. He said that the occupation army built its prestige through operations that he described as qualitative, targeting Palestinian factions and returning detained Israelis, but its failure to return a single detainee put the government and the army in great embarrassment.

In addition, the Israeli army did not achieve the goals it set when it fought the war on the Gaza Strip, most notably the return of Israeli detainees held by the Palestinian resistance.

In the same context, the military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, believes that the occupation army, whose will and prestige were broken, wants to restore its reputation, but it is reckless in making decisions, noting that after 64 days of war on Gaza, it has not achieved any military achievement, nor has it freed a single detainee from the Palestinian resistance.

Al-Duwairi concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza may extend for several months, but the one who endures the most will win, and there is a limited degree of tolerance among the Israeli people, and they are now paying the bill for high costs, and “I am certain that they will scream first.”

The expert in Israeli affairs went in the same direction, saying that the main factor that will determine the position on the war is Israeli society, and if the government and the army are able to provide an achievement that satisfies its state of anger and vengeful tendencies towards the Palestinians, the war will stop, and therefore the objectives of the war will now be reproduced - the speaker continues - War again by threatening to assassinate Hamas leaders.

A report by The New York Times (NYT) shed light on "Israel's" tough spot between freeing its remaining captives in Gaza, killing Hamas' top leaders, or even providing evidence it can achieve its goal of eliminating Hamas without allegedly causing more civilian deaths. In this situation, "Israel" is losing the match against Hamas since the movement can declare victory only by surviving to fight another day, contrary to Israeli claims of weakening its capabilities, while"Israel" is drowning in its losses.

Two months into the war, the question arises: What can "Israel" still achieve given the Zionist entity's deteriorating economy and international standing? Additionally, there is a growing backlash against the occupation, further highlighting the occupation's failure in the ongoing aggression against Gaza.

At the beginning of the war and the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, analysts believed that leaders in "Israel" and the West were quick to assume that "Israel" had the capabilities to achieve its goals of eliminating Hamas, but opinions shifted months into the war. Other than the numerous failed attempts by the Israeli occupation forces to advance in their ground invasion of Gaza, the occupation has not yet made any achievements since October 7 and has instead killed tens of thousands of civilians, which, in turn, would increase "Israel’s" isolation from countries in the Arab and developing worlds and further complicate its relationships with the United States and Europe.

The president of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, resigned - four days after her testimony at the congressional hearing in which she avoided answering specifically whether there are sanctions against students who call for the murder of Jews. President Magil's announcement comes after Jewish students, graduates and donors of the university called for her resignation in recent days. Along with Magill, the president of Harvard University Claudine Gay and Sally Corblut from MIT expressed themselves in almost the same way at the hearing, but for now they have not announced a similar step.

In the video she published before her resignation, she apologized for her words, saying: "At that moment, I was focused on the long-standing policy of our university, which is aligned with the US Constitution, which says that speaking alone is not punishable. I wasn't in focus, but I should have been. Calling for the murder of Jews is one of the most horrible calls that humans can make. It's evil.'

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.

The HAMAS Ministry of Health in the besieged sector announced that the number of victims of the Israeli operation its beginning had risen to about 17,700 martyrs. Gaza's health ministry had two days earlier registered the deaths of over 18,000 Palestinians, a major jump from the "about 15,000" reported a few days prior. 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.

The number with varying injuries had risen to 56,400 [a big jump over the [48,78reported earlier in the day, 41,316 the previous day, and up from 36,000 four days earlie]. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said a few days earlier that the number of missing people had risen to more than 7,500 [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 explained that the death toll in the West Bank since the beginning of this year has risen to 465, including 257 martyrs since last October 7.

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.

Israel admitted that 5 soldiers were killed in the Gaza ground battles, bringing the death toll to 97 [109?] since the ground invasion of the Strip, while the death toll for the Israel forces had risen to 429 soldiers since the beginning of Operation al-Aqsa Flood.

At least 10,157 Israelis were injured. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that 5,000 soldiers had been wounded since the beginning of the war on October 7, and that the Ministry of Defense had recognized 2,000 soldiers as disabled so far. The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz revealed that 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.

Yedioth Ahronoth said that the Israeli Ministry of Defense rehabilitation department receives 60 injured people daily, most of whom are in serious condition, in addition to at least 100 being blinded, and 7% suffering from psychological symptoms.

The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, stated 09 December 2023 that the numbers provided by the Israeli newspaper about the losses of the occupation army are not correct, and they are greater than that. He pointed to Israeli sources that talk about 3,000 dead and 11,000 wounded, which are the numbers closest to the truth, the adds.

Sl Jazeera TV General Al-Duwairi said that a Hebrew newspaper’s announcement of these numbers confirms that the reality is much greater than this. Because Yedioth Ahronoth will be concerned about Israeli morale in the end, meaning it will not provide everything. He added, "Given that the number of vehicles destroyed by the resistance - according to its announcements - reached 500, between a tank and a troop carrier, the first carrying 10 personnel and the second 12 personnel, this means an average of 11 personnel per vehicle."

While losses in symmetrical battles are estimated at one dead to every three wounded, Al-Duwairi believes that the losses in the current battles will be much greater because they are all battles that take place from zero distance, meaning they are deadly battles and even the casualties in them are very serious.

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

When this army tried to rescue one of the detainees, it failed in its operation and caused the death of the detainee. It was also unable to remove his body, and even caused the killing and wounding of the soldiers who made that failed attempt. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - broadcast a video clip that included pictures of what it said was the failure of an attempt to free a captive Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip, at dawn last Friday. Al-Qassam said that the clip was intended to "thwart a Zionist attempt to reach one of the prisoners, which led to the death of the prisoner, soldier Sa'ar Baruch (24 years old), and the Zionist force was killed and wounded, and they fled the place."

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy told reporters that Hamas still held 137 captives. 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.

Eylon Levy, the Israeli government spokesperson, told reporters 01 December 2023:

• Hamas still holds 137 hostages from the October attacks, in addition to four others who went missing before the war
• The hostages include two children aged four and 10 months, who, Hamas now claims, are dead
• 117 male hostages are still kept in Gaza, including the two children, as well as 20 females
• 126 hostages are Israelis, and 11 others are foreign nationals
• Foreign nationals are eight Thais, one Nepalese, one Tanzanian and one French Mexican citizen
• Ten of the remaining hostages are 75 and older. There are seven missing people since the October 7 attack
• Hamas has released 110 hostages so far – 86 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals.

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. The Israeli army confirmed the deaths of five hostages held in Gaza, saying their families had been informed, and the body of one of them returned to Israel. “In recent days, the IDF and Israel police notified the families of the hostages Eliyahu Margalit, Maya Goren, Ronen Engel and Arye Zalmanovitz about their deaths,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said. He also said troops had brought back the body of a fifth person that he identified as Ofir Tsarfati. Hagari said Gaza militants were still holding “136 hostages, among them 17 women and children.”

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 claimed 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 the Palestinian Prisoners' Club announced that the Israeli occupation forces arrested at least 15 citizens from several governorates in the West Bank, from yesterday evening, Friday, until dawn today. This brings the number of arrests in the occupied West Bank since October 7 to 3,700 detainees. Israel said that, since the beginning of the war, about 2,100 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the IOS Division and the Bekaa and Emekim Brigade, about 1,100 of them are affiliated with Hamas.

During the “Loyalty of the Free” prisoner exchange deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” and the Israeli occupation in 2011, under which 1,027 prisoners were liberated in exchange for the release of soldier Gilad Shalit, the occupation refused to release a list of about 40 prisoners and classified them as dangerous. Throughout their detention, these forty remained outside the scope of negotiations, and the occupation insisted on not releasing them under any circumstances. But Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood,” which began on October 7, in which the resistance captured about 250 Israelis, restored hope to the prisoners and their families, and made the idea of liberation from captivity closer to being achieved, even for those with high sentences. Among them, the names of the three senior prisoners, Abbas Al-Sayyid, Ahmed Saadat, and Ibrahim Hamed, stand out.