Operation Iron Swords - Day 66 - 11 December 2023
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NEW - Operations NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages |
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed that the photos of dozens of defenseless civilian detainees in Gaza, “almost naked,” are “extremely disturbing,” explaining the need to investigate for more information about their nature. The US State Department spokesman referred to “photos of Palestinians who were taken in their underwear for interrogation,” saying: “They are very disturbing to us, and we are looking for more information about the nature of these photos, and why they became public in the first place.”
The Hamas movement said in comments on the Israeli army’s claims that the photos depict members of the Palestinian resistance, she said, “Al-Qassam heroes do not surrender, and the lies of the occupation do not deceive anyone.”
Strategic Communications Coordinator at the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, expressed Washington's concern about information related to Israel's use of American white phosphorus munitions in Lebanon. Speaking to reporters on board US President Joe Biden’s plane, which took off from Washington to Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Kirby said: “We have seen these reports. We are definitely concerned about it. “We will ask questions [about this] to try to find out more [about what is happening].” The Strategic Communications Coordinator stated that the munition containing white phosphorus has a “legitimate military purpose.” However, he noted that in all cases the United States expects these munitions to be used for “legitimate purposes.” “In accordance with the laws of armed conflict.”
Earlier, The Washington Post reported that Israel used white phosphorus munitions supplied by the United States during the attacks on southern Lebanon in October. This conclusion was reached based on the analysis of ammunition fragments and photographs from the scene taken by press reporters. According to WashPo, the US-based newspaper got its hands on shell fragments found in al-Dhayrah, southern Lebanon, namely the remanent of three 155mm artillery rounds that injured at least nine civilians. A Washington Post journalist said production codes found on the shells match those by the US military to categorize domestically-produced munitions. One of the shells clearly has "WP" printed on it, which is consistent with white phosphorus rounds, arms experts said.
White phosphorus bombs are conventional incendiary weapons, but Protocol III of the "United Nations Inhuman Weapons Convention" of 1980 prohibits their use against civilians and civilian objects, as well as during attacks on military targets in civilian areas, and human rights organizations demand that phosphorus bombs be classified as chemical weapons.
Amnesty International underlines the incident should be investigated as a war crime. Although the Israeli occupation claims it was using the munition as a smokescreen, white phosphorus fell onto several homes and ignited wildfires, as well as wounded civilians, with black chemicals still being on the ground 40 days after the fact. Residents have reported that these chemicals combusted when they kicked them, which again proves that it is white phosphorus.
Operational Update
Al-Qassam Brigades bombed the city of Tel Aviv and its suburbs with batches of missiles, in the continuation of the war in Gaza for the 66th day. The Israeli army said that it had detected the launching of a large batch of missiles towards the Tel Aviv area and the coastal plain.
For its part, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), said that it was engaged in violent clashes from point zero with special forces and an armored force west of the Jabalia camp. Al-Qassam also stated that it targeted a special force that barricaded itself in a residential building in the Beit Lahia project in the northern Gaza Strip with TPG shells, confirming that the force’s members were killed or wounded.
In the south of the Gaza Strip, Al-Qassam said that it bombed with mortar shells Israeli forces penetrating the Al-Mahatta area in the city of Khan Yunis, and also targeted two Merkava tanks with “Al-Yassin 105” shells North of the city of Khan Yunis. At the same time, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, said that they bombed with heavy-caliber mortar shells crowds of occupation soldiers in the Juhr al-Dik area, east of the central region of the Gaza Strip, as well as in the Netzarim axis, south of Gaza City. In the Shujaiya axis, the Al-Quds Brigades confirmed the killing and wounding of all individuals in an Israeli military vehicle that the fighters blew up.
"Gift from Heaven": about 7 tons of logistical support were dropped from the air using the C-130 "Samshon" plane of the 103 squadron, for hundreds of fighters of the commando formation who are currently fighting in the Khan Yunis sector. This is the first operational airdrop since the Second Lebanon War. The dropping of the equipment was carried out using a "piloted navigation system" - an advanced operational system that enables the dropping of equipment that maneuvers itself to the ground forces through the ability to precisely navigate to the target.
Regarding the Israeli airdrop, which occurred for the first time since the 2006 Lebanon War, the military expert , Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said - in his military analysis for Al Jazeera - that the occupation needed the 11th day since the start of the Khan Yunis battle to cross the depth of the city (6 kilometers); That is, he needed to cover one kilometer every two days. It is likely that the landing took place in the Gush Katif area, a former Israeli settlement that was evacuated during the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, noting that it is an agricultural and empty area.
He pointed out that resorting to this step shows the occupation's lack of safety in using the roads, noting that dropping munitions can be dropped in the place they are needed because the air drop point is linked to the speed and direction of the wind, while paratroopers are dropped at a greater distance if there is wind.
The military and strategic expert said that the resistance taking place in the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip is an epic battle, although the clashes are on its borders, while the battle to the south is more painful and fierce. Al-Duwairi explained that there are heavy losses of lives and Israeli military equipment in the outer shell of Jabalia camp, even though deep inside it there is a police station and health and educational institutions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees ( UNRWA ).
The clashes were concentrated in the areas of “Abu Sharar,” “Abu Sharkh,” “Al-Faluja,” “Sheikh Zayed,” “Barkat Abu Rashid,” and the “Six Martyrs” junction. All of these areas surround Jabalia camp - the largest of the eight refugee camps in the Gaza Strip - and Israeli forces are stationed there. Major General Al-Duwairi pointed out that helicopters transport the wounded of the occupation army to Beersheba and Tel Aviv because most of their injuries are fatal, "so they are racing against time to deliver the wounded to the main hospitals."
He explained that fighting from zero distance indicates that casualties range from moderate to serious or fatal, revealing that more than 50% of casualties are severe and fatal, and that the ratio of casualties between defenders and attackers in this case is “1 to 8.” Major General Al-Duwairi confirmed that the intense fighting between the resistance and the occupation began today (December 10) after Israeli vehicles entered urban and residential areas.
He reiterated that the occupation had entered several areas in the northern Gaza Strip, but was unable to control them, “which explains the intensity of the clashes there after the end of the temporary truce,” after the Israeli army lost momentum. Regarding the announcement by Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), of the destruction of 180 Israeli vehicles since the beginning of this month, Al-Duwairi said that the toll may have reached 204 vehicles, attributing this to the fact that the word may have been recorded before today’s events.
As for the south, the military expert repeated his prediction that the fighting in Khan Yunis would be more harmful and more painful, even though the area appears to be suitable ground for armored vehicles, but it serves the defenders equally, as it is a wide area. He pointed out that Khan Yunis is considered the stronghold in the southern region because it is the largest in area, and the elite of other resistance factions are located there, such as the Al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of the " Islamic Jihad Movement ."
Al-Duwairi touched on the Qassam scenes that were broadcast of the battles of Khan Yunis, and said that “the people of Mecca know best about its paths,” referring to the accuracy of monitoring of resistance fighters and the inability of the occupation forces to avoid being targeted by anti-personnel missiles. He added that the fighters in the ranks of the resistance are from the generation after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, and most of them are between 18 and 27 years old and have physical fitness, build, and presence of mind. It is noteworthy that the Al-Qassam Brigades announced the complete or partial destruction of 44 enemy military vehicles on all fronts of the fighting during the last 48 hours, confirming the killing of 40 Israeli soldiers and the death and injury of dozens of others in bombings and clashes during the same period.
Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, revealed the reasons for the difference in the size of the gatherings in the areas where Israeli vehicles are stationed in the northern Gaza Strip, and it was likely that the landing was The Israeli paratrooper in Khan Yunis in the south occurred in the area of ??the former Gush Katif settlement.
Al-Duwairi stated that the size of the concentration of Israeli vehicles in external parties such as Beit Lahia and eastern Beit Hanoun is large because these areas are considered almost safe compared to the Jabalia camp. He added that this heavy presence came after a bloody battle and systematic destruction in the region following the bombing of the fire belts, renewing the talk about the necessity of distinguishing between progress and control. He pointed out that resistance operations in these areas have a heavy price for the occupation forces because the latter have become relaxed and lax, as happened in the bombing of tents in Juhr al-Dik, east of the central region.
As for the stationing of vehicles in small numbers, as is the case in the Al-Faluga area in Jabalia camp, he explained that the deeper the occupation army went; The number has become smaller, because there are no spaces that allow for crowding, and these areas are considered an arena for clashes. He added that the number of these vehicles is between 3 and 5, and they are considered to be in a state of combat advance, where clashes occur and they are forced to stop and retreat and then search for any suitable area, pointing out that the bulldozers rely at this stage on creating dirt berms behind which the vehicles can hide, stressing that all of this is " “Part of battle management.”
He concluded that the presence of mechanisms in small numbers means that they are in a short state of anticipation and waiting to carry out operations and other missions, or that they have been disabled and destroyed by the resistance, or are awaiting an unknown fate.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper summarized: In its issue issued on the 66th day of the war on Gaza, the Israeli newspaper presented scenarios for a ground incursion into the Strip, with the main title “The post-war fighting,” indicating that the Israeli army is racing against time to complete its military operations before the American time for the ceasefire runs out.
This title carries within it messages that the military leadership seeks to pass on to the Israeli public, summarizing that ground incursions into the Gaza Strip will not achieve its goals of undermining the movement. The Islamic Resistance (Hamas) and its military and political strength. It also boils down to the fact that the military operations did not contribute to the liberation of Israeli detainees held by the Palestinian factions, which obliges the army to remain in a state of fighting on the Gaza front during the year 2024.
These messages reflect the Israeli narrative that is taking shape at the political level, which is still promoting the continuation of ground incursions without specifying the nature of the achievements that have been achieved, while repeating the statements of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that the army needs more time to complete military operations.
These messages reviewed by the newspaper are consistent with the estimates of many Israeli analysts of military and security affairs, who unanimously agreed that the Israeli army is racing against time in search of framing an image of “victory,” despite the military leadership’s admissions that achieving the goals of the war takes a long time, not weeks.
Estimates indicate that the army will be in a permanent state of combat, and in 2024 it will continue military operations on the southern front, military alert, and the widespread deployment of forces on the northern front, while all battalions affiliated with the reserve forces will be required to continue military reserve service during the next year for at least one month.
The Israeli army's preparations include allocating additional budgets in 2024 to finance the continued service of reserve forces in all sectors, while amending the conscription law will be discussed to increase the duration of compulsory military service to 3 years, after there was previously a tendency to shorten it.
In reference to the continuation of the state of fighting on the Gaza front during the year 2024, the military and security affairs correspondent for the newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” wrote: Yossi Yehoshua, in an article entitled “The phase of eliminating armed cells in the Gaza Strip will require more service for the reserve forces and an extension of the period of compulsory military service,” which requires recruiting additional budgets for the Ministry of Security.
As the ground maneuver deepens into the most problematic and difficult areas of the Gaza Strip, the military correspondent says, “The danger to the forces increases, and the families’ anxiety increases.” The war is long and bloody, but it is also an existential necessity.” Yehoshua adds, “Everyone is looking at the final result that will be achieved, and for this reason the Israeli army asks to give him all the time and allow him to carry out the full mission to undermine Hamas according to plans.”
Yhoshua explained that the harsh blow that Israel received on the 7th of last October made the army realize that it must insist on continuing the current military campaign to remove the threats facing Israel, whether from Gaza or Lebanon, as army leaders say, “We want deterrence for many years to keep wars at bay.”
The military correspondent estimated that the ground incursion would need several additional weeks, and pointed out that the Israeli army had made it clear that the campaign in the second phase would require at least another month to achieve the goals.
Yhoshua believes that the Israeli army’s insistence on continuing ground operations, no matter how long it takes, reflects his fear of the scenario of the possibility of returning to the point of war and confrontation after a year, in the event that a severe blow is not directed at Hamas, which has dealt an unprecedented blow to the occupation army, which is present. In a state of "strategic humiliation" After his failure to prevent the battle of "Al-Aqsa Flood".
He pointed out that the expected scenarios are that the year 2024 will be a year of fighting of a different kind, while the Israeli army plans to build something similar to a security fence inside the territory of the Gaza Strip, which will require a lot of resources, budgets, manpower, and technological and engineering means.
For his part, military analyst Amos Harel wrote an article in the newspaper “Haaretz”: Titled “Hamas is eroding, and the Israeli army wonders how to market victory?”, indicating that Israel cannot eliminate Hamas, and that ground operations in the Gaza Strip will not lead to undermining the movement’s military strength.
Harel believes that the Israeli army, which is well aware that the countdown to ending the war on Gaza has begun, is wondering how to market the image of “victory.” To the Israeli public after the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the maintenance of the state of fighting on the Gaza front.
The military analyst considered that the images of battles and the ground incursion of Israeli forces into the Gaza Strip may indicate the beginning of a change in the security reality, with the army announcing that it was close to consolidating its control over Jabalia and Shuja’iya, stressing that “without the return of the Israeli detainees or the killing of the Hamas leadership, it will be “It is difficult to explain to the Israeli public the reduction in fighting in the future.”
Commenting on the statements of the Israeli military leadership that there are “signs of failure among Hamas,” Harel said, “The most cautious and realistic definition is signs of erosion, not collapse.” As is the case with the Israeli army, Hamas has been fighting forcefully for more than two months, under difficult circumstances.”
In contrast to the Israeli army, Harel adds, “Hamas achieved a major military achievement to its credit at the beginning of the war with the surprise attack it launched last October 7.” He concludes, “In order to achieve any achievement, it will be necessary to decide whether to expand the ground operation in the south to areas where the Israeli army has not been active before.”
In a new report by The Economist, Israel has been recently trying to paint the impression that the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas is falling apart and Gaza is coming under IOF control, especially after the release of footage on social media that has caused worldwide outrage, showing Palestinian men stripped to their underwear and being searched by the IDF. On top of that, the IDF raised the Israeli flag in Gaza and lit candles in several battlefield locations for Hannukah. However, this is not the "victory picture" that Israelis are awaiting from the leadership. After the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, Israeli generals claimed that months are required with soldiers on the ground to destroy Hamas, and two months in, they are still predicting the same. According to The Economist, "success looks unlikely" for Israel.
Three days ago, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, "diplomatically" shielding its ally. The US deputy representative at the UN, Robert Wood, called the resolution "divorced from reality" and "would have not moved the needle forward on the ground." The Economist believes that the veto highlighted how reliant "Israel" has become on the US for diplomatic support. In addition, it cannot afford to lose its main source of weaponry - the US.
Even if the US demands an end to the war in the beginning of 2024, neither peace nor acceptable living conditions are likely to be regained. The report adds that even after the war comes to an end, the IOF will most likely continue a low-intensity campaign dependent on mobile ground forces. With that being said, Hamas will still have control over Gaza.
The Chief of Staff and the head of the Shin Bet conducted an assessment of the situation in the Gaza Strip with the commander of the Southern Command, the commander of the 98th division and the 9th Commando. "There is great pressure here, I think that this surrender, the people who come out and raise their hands is also a breaking of the spirit, it also accelerates the achievements, in the end we want to move forward quickly", said the Chief of Staff, Ra'el Herzi Halevi, "We are deepening Both the achievement in the north of the Gaza Strip, the entrance in the south of the Gaza Strip, and deepening into the ground - all these places, all these deepenings, are very important for the sake of the achievement.
The main method is really the combination - also of the army, engineering armor together here on the ground, your connection to the intelligence, the Shin Bet and the IDF, and really the physical presence here I meet it with all my strength is very, very important, all the time to try the intelligence that is available, Needles, to translate the best into action, and of course the connection to the Air Force which is very significant.
"I am happy to meet here in the streets of Khan Yunis both our coordinators and our fighters who work together with you," shared the head of the Shin Bet, "I think that what was presented here about the connection of intelligence and fire at very, very fast rates, also things that we decipher and arrive here, And things that really come at the speed of light or sound, more correctly, also save lives, also bring shafts, also bring commanders and thus break the enemy.
"It seems to me that this is a war of shafts, it seems to me that what is special about this war is that it should also be broad, in order to collapse the operational and governmental infrastructures, but also very, very focused in order to reach our citizens and take them out, it seems to me that there is no force that can stand against this combination."
In light of an intelligence warning about a planned attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on the protected area of ??fighters from the battle team of the Jerusalem Brigade, the fighters evacuated the protected area and went on alert for a terrorist attack. At the same time, attacks were carried out on combat targets of the brigade fire complex in cooperation with the Air Force.
After the end of the truce, IDF fighters in cooperation with the Shin Bet arrested about 140 Hamas and PIJ operatives throughout the Gaza Strip. The activists were detained during battles in recent days by IDF fighters, some of them voluntarily surrendered and were taken with the field investigators of Unit 504 in the Intelligence Division and the Shin Bet coordinators for further investigation.
In total, in the last month, more than 350 operatives of the terrorist organization Hamas were arrested by IDF and Shin Bet fighters. In addition to them, more than 120 operatives of the terrorist organization GAP were arrested. In total, more than 500 operatives from the terrorist organizations throughout the Gaza Strip were arrested and taken for further investigation in Israeli territory.
Some of the terrorist operators were caught hiding in civilian buildings, schools and shelters. The investigations yield intelligence that helps the security of the fighting forces and the detection of terrorists and other operatives of terrorist organizations.
IAF fighter jets attacked a military site of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. The attack was carried out in response to launches from Lebanon, towards the settlements of the Western Galilee earlier today. In addition, in the last few hours, a number of launches from Lebanese territory towards IDF positions in the north of the country have been detected. IDF forces attacked the sources of the shooting.
CIA Director William Burns warned Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sudani of “dire consequences.” Washington will confront Baghdad if it does not take measures to stop attacks on American bases. Associated Press reported: An Iraqi official said that Burns' warning comes amid increasing attacks on American targets in Iraq. The agency indicated that American forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 84 times since October 7.
An American official told the Associated Press: US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also told Al-Sudani during a phone conversation that Washington expects the Iraqi government to take action to prevent attacks on American targets. Earlier, the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah said: Lebanese Naim Qassem said that the attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria are very important to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
On December 8, the "Shafaq News" website reported that the American embassy in the Green Zone in central Baghdad, where Iraqi government bodies and foreign diplomatic missions are stationed, was subjected to a missile attack. According to the website, several missiles were launched on the grounds of the American embassy, explosions were heard, and sirens sounded in the diplomatic mission building.
Agence France-Presse reported: Three missiles fired by militants fell in the embassy area, and no one was injured as a result of the attack. The US embassy, in a comment to the agency, called on the Iraqi authorities to ensure the protection of diplomatic personnel and military installations of the Western coalition against what it described as terrorists.
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All maps are lies. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. Thes processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, the remains the epistemological question of just exactly what are the colored in areas depicting. Naively, this might be understood as areas of Israeli control, that are no longer contested by the HAMAS. Or possibly these are areas of Israeli presence, in many of which the possibility of an RPG-wielding HAMAS militant popping out of a tunnel unexpectedly remains a live possibility. With the "zero-range" combat characterized by small unit tactics on both sides, maps may be prey to a fallacy of misplaced concreteness. |
Bystanders
Axis of Resistance
According to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the concept of the two-state solution in Palestine will not help the Palestinian cause, since Palestine is currently occupied by Zionists. Speaking to an online Doha Forum, the foreign minister argued that the US' use of its veto power at the UN Security Council to allow atrocities in Gaza to continue indicates that Washington completely supports the Israeli occupation and apartheid.
He recalled Iran's diplomatic suggestion for resolving the issue, emphasizing Iran's position regarding Palestine is that there should exist one state and one state only; while the Jewish population can either choose to live under this government like the rest of the citizens or travel to another country.
Iranian parliament Mojtaba Zonnouri told Sputnik in early November that "Muslim countries must come to an agreement and take practical action ... There are two options for action. According to the first option, most Arab countries favor the creation of two independent states – Palestine and Israel. Iran does not accept this scenario. Iran has the simplest and most democratic proposal ... We accept any type of one state and government formed by democratic elections."
Amir-Abdollahian emphasized the urgent need for swift and effective actions by the international community and relevant international institutions to halt the war crimes being committed by Israel against the people in Gaza.
More than 450,000 workers lost their job opportunities inside Palestine (the West Bank and Gaza) during the war, which raised the unemployment rate by 16 points to 41% in Palestinian society, which already suffers from extreme poverty.
Allied for Democracy
As part of leaks published by Israeli media about what took place in the meeting, Netanyahu added, “I think that you also do not want us to reveal our cards to this enemy, nor to reveal to him how we work and how we are committed with our souls and hearts to returning the kidnapped.” Netanyahu said, during a closed meeting of the war council with a number of recently released Israeli detainees, in the presence of a delegation of the families of detainees who remained inthe Gaza Strip, he did not want the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to know what is managed in the meeting.
An Israeli writer saw that in these difficult days in which the citizens of Israel find it difficult to imagine the future and live in a state of extreme uncertainty, there is There is a need for leadership in Israel that speaks to the people. Writer Yair Golan said in an article published in the newspaper “Maariv”: The Israeli newspaper entitled “Netanyahu has no idea how to get out of the abyss for which he is responsible.” It is in these days, when the world of thousands of citizens has been destroyed and hundreds of thousands are homeless, isolated from their daily routine, and without any hope of returning to their normal lives, that there is a need for leadership in Israel that speaks to the people.
The writer saw that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no idea how to deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and returning the residents of the Gaza envelope to their normal lives, and also has no vision of dealing with Hezbollahand protecting and securing the population of northern Israel.
He added that Netanyahu has no idea how to get out of the abyss, except for meaningless statements regarding the elimination of Hamas, and that his government has no policy or military strategy to continue the war. He said that it must be said explicitly that a prime minister who puts his personal fate before the future of the country cannot lead Israel at this time, adding that without widespread and continuous popular pressure, he will have no intention of resigning or announcing new elections.
The Israeli writer points out that it is possible to build hope, but it is fundamentally related to leadership and honesty in decision-making. Hope cannot grow in the bed of corruption and extreme nationalism of the current government, and according to him, Netanyahu must resign now.
Since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, Israel had closed the crossings and prevented the entry of more than 190,000 Palestinian workers. The Israeli Economic and Social Cabinet (Government Council), led by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, voted against the return of Palestinian workers to work in Israel, and submitted a recommendation to the expanded political and security cabinet not to allow the entry of any Palestinian into the Israeli labor market. At its subsequent meeting, the majority of ministers in the Political Security Cabinet opposed the return of the workers, and no vote was taken on the decision. Although the Israeli National Security Council confirmed the immediate need for 28,000 workers, 9,500 of whom are in the agricultural sector.
There is talk about the Israeli market's need for 130,000 workers, especially in the construction and agricultural sectors, and that their return will be conditional on strict measures, the most important of which are that they must hold work permits, that the worker must be over 40 years old, and that he be married and have children.
Despite all the pressure, especially the American ones, on the Israeli government and Benjamin Netanyahuwho, along with one of his advisors and the Minister of Labor in his government, supported the return of the workers. The Israeli extreme right undermined and thwarted all these calls. Shin Bet (Internal Security) was cautious about the approval with the need to tighten permit procedures, while the Israeli police feared the infiltration of the perpetrators of terror operations. Minister Gideon Saar, a member of the Economic Cabinet, said, “Bringing in workers from Ma’adin residents is a bet on the lives of Israelis,” while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir “The introduction of workers from areas of the Palestinian Authority that incite terrorism to work in Israel is a continuation of the concepts of October 7,” and the army also refused the return of the workers. ir Barkat, the Israeli Minister of Economy, and Minister Smotrich and others said, “It is not possible to bring in workers from a hostile population segment and bring them among us.”
Those who propose the return of Palestinian workers, in addition to American pressure, justify the need of the Israeli labor market for Palestinian workers, and to reduce the amount of unemployment in the West Bank, the rise of which will lead to a deterioration of the security situation, in addition to the slowdown of the Israeli economy, which is confirmed by those close to Netanyahu.
Quarrels and tensions occurred between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Minister of Transportation and Labor Party leader, Merav Michaeli, during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the Knesset. Michaeli, a member of the Knesset and a minister from the Labor Party, protested against Netanyahu’s statement in which he said that the number of Israeli deaths as a result of the “Oslo Accords” Since 1993, it has been “the same number of deaths in the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation” on October 7th, amounting to 1,200 people.
Michaeli rejected the comparison, but committee chairman Yuli Edelstein interrupted her and rebuked her for her interruption and ongoing argument with Netanyahu. Michaeli, who announced last week that she would retire from political life before the upcoming Knesset elections, criticized the government's policy and vision since the day after the war on Gaza.
Addressing Netanyahu, she said, “You have never presented an alternative to the Palestinian state.” Without a political vision, the Gulf countries will not come to rehabilitate and preserve Gaza in the medium term.”
Netanyahu responded by saying that “the Oslo Accords were Israel’s big mistake... Both parts of Palestinian society (the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza) originally want to destroy Israel... one part says so openly, and another part does so through education and the International Criminal Court.” He stressed, “The idea is for the UAE and Saudi Arabia to participate in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip the day after the war.” Netanyahu again claimed that “the Palestinian Authority will not be able to govern Gaza under any circumstances... Security responsibility will remain with the State of Israel.”
According to Ryan Cooper from The American Prospect, the dire situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly desperate due to the intense bombardment of Israeli occupation forces (IOF). Cooper argues that the war on Gaza is presenting an existential problem for the Israelis since they are not only dragging themselves into regional conflicts but alienating their allies since the whole world is watching them ethnically cleanse Gaza.
Cooper notes that the major risk is firstly a regional conflict since American and European officials have reportedly told the HuffPost that the Israelis are considering using US aid to attack Lebanon and "push Hezbollah far from the Israeli border." Not only is the IDF actively involved in bombing south Lebanon, but they have also escalated attacks on Syria's international airports in Damascus and Aleppo. Israelis also launched attacks on several areas in southern Syria. In addition, Yemen has recently decided to prohibit any ship from reaching Israeli ports via the Arabian and Red seas if Gaza's needs for food and medicine are not met.
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 18,205 martyrs. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The number wounded was 49,645 [down from the 56,400 with varying injuries the previous day]. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said many 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.
Of the 101 IDF soldiers killed in Gaza, 60 have been active duty, compared to 41 reservists. A high proportion, 23 of them, have been officers (including a battalion commander, at least four company commanders, and at least 13 platoon commanders and company 2ICs). The army acknowledged the killing of 7 soldiers, including 5 officers, during the fighting in the Gaza Strip, bringing the number of its deaths since the start of the ground operation to about 110. This brings the total number of dead officers and soldiers whose names the Israeli army allowed to be published to 433 since the Palestinian resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th.
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.
Al 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
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.
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