Operation Iron Swords - Day 68 - 13 December 2023
Ccontents |
|
NEW - Operations NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages |
"According to information never before published, Israel has attacked some 25,000 targets in Gaza, from the air, ground, and sea, delivering some 140,000 weapons, 60 percent of them artillery rounds and 40 percent weapons dropped from aircraft.... Israel claims to have killed more than 6,000 Hamas fighters. Another 1,000 have been captured....
"An IDF Air Force officer who agreed to speak off the record says the number of civilian deaths is "minimal" given the nature of the conflict. "On October 7, Hamas attacked southern Israel and killed 1,200 people in a matter of hours. This is what the intentional killing of civilians looks like. We've done nothing of the sort," the officer said....
"A retired U.S. military officer, now a senior civilian in the intelligence community explains: "The IDF has a different culture than exists in the U.S. or in NATO, and it fights with a different ferocity. Just because the numbers might be higher than what we are used to seeing does not mean they are excessive. The conditions here are unique."...
""Gaza is a festival of disinformation, exaggeration and self-pity," says the retired IDF general. "When the dust settles, we will see that indeed Israel is not in the wrong in any way.""
An opinion poll among Palestinians showed a rise in support for the Palestinian resistance movement ( Hamas ) in the Gaza Strip , which is subject to continuing Israeli aggression, while showing overwhelming rejection of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas , with nearly 90% saying he should resign. And 64% of respondents opposed the Palestinian Authority’s participation in meetings with the United States and other Arab countries to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip after the war, and 60% of them said that they preferred Hamas’ rule to remain in the Gaza Strip after the war.
According to the results of the poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Ramallah, “support for Hamas in the West Bank has increased three times what it was before the war.” According to the poll conducted a few days ago and whose results were announced on Wednesday, nearly 70% of the Palestinians demanded the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority, and 90% of the Palestinians believed that President Abbas should resign.
The poll also showed a high percentage of support for armed action to confront the occupation, as more than 60% of the Palestinians surveyed believe that “resistance is the best way to end the occupation.” Regarding the “ Al-Aqsa Flood ” operation carried out by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, on October 7, the vast majority of respondents in the West Bank and Gaza expressed that the decision to attack was correct, and 72% of those surveyed said that they supported Al-Aqsa Flood.
The results also indicate more difficulties facing US President Joe Biden 's administration's vision for Gaza after the war, and raise questions about "Israel's stated goal of ending Hamas' military and governance capabilities." Washington called on the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, currently led by Abbas, to eventually assume control of Gaza and administer the two regions in preparation for establishing a state. American officials said that the Palestinian Authority must be revitalized, without revealing whether that would mean changes in leadership.
It is noteworthy that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who leads the most right-wing government in the history of Israel, strongly rejects any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, and insists that Israel must maintain open security control there. Arab allies of the United States have said they will not participate in post-war reconstruction unless there is a credible push toward a two-state solution, which is unlikely under a Netanyahu government dominated by opponents of a Palestinian state.
Operational Update
Rainwater flooded the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip with waist-deep water, exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinians. Al Jazeera broadcast exclusive scenes and pictures showing floods and torrents in Jabalia camp as a result of heavy rains that fell over a period of two days and submerged large areas of it. The scenes showed Palestinians trying to cross flooded roads, some of them carrying personal belongings, after the sewage system collapsed due to Israeli bombing. Rainwater had flooded the camp's streets and narrow alleys, and had seeped into hundreds of dilapidated homes and places of shelter and displacement as a result of the continuous Israeli bombing.
The ground forces, the air force and the navy continue to attack a series of terrorist targets and infrastructures in the Gaza Strip, during the last day over 250 targets were attacked. The fighters of the Bislah Divisional Combat Team, in cooperation with the fighters of the 636th Collection Battalion of the Border Guard Corps, identified a terrorist squad in the Sajaiya region that was on its way to launch rockets towards Israeli territory, the fighters directed an Air Force aircraft that attacked and eliminated the squad.
The Israeli army announced the killing of 10 officers and soldiers - including two battalion commanders - and the wounding of 21 of its soldiers in the battles that Gaza witnessed during the past 24 hours, noting that the Golani Brigade is still waging a “fierce fight” in the Shuja’iya neighborhood , saying that the current stage of its operation is at an advanced stage in what was called the effort to cleanse the neighborhood of Hamas and strip it of its capabilities. The army added that its soldiers were confronting Hamas fighters from inside buildings and from tunnels, explaining that Golani Brigade soldiers clashed with Palestinian militants who threw explosive devices at them, killing and wounding Israeli soldiers.
The army said in a statement that the eight soldiers were killed in a clash and an ambush set up by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas , in the Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City, north of the Strip. The Israeli army announced the killing of two additional soldiers, one of whom was a commander in the Yiftah Brigade with the rank of colonel, in the battles of Shujaiya in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli military analyst Ron Ben-Ishai confirmed that it is not recommended to enter any building from its front entrance in the Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, pointing to the explosive traps that inflicted heavy losses on the Israelis. The Israeli analyst wrote in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Wednesday that many explosive traps and explosive devices in the besieged Shujaiya neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip inflicted heavy losses on the ranks of the Israeli army.
He added, referring to Hamas fighters: “They booby-trapped the buildings in which they were holed up, hoping to lure the largest number of Israeli army soldiers to death, which is what they did.” He continued: "At least 9 officers from the Golani (Brigade) and Unit 669 were killed while trying to reach a location from which they could have directly clashed with the militants." He added that the introduction of a bulldozer "would have served the Israeli army well in clearing sightlines, allowing for further progress and increased planning and care that could have prevented Israel from losing 9 of its best warriors."
Regarding the aerial bombardment of Palestinian fighters, he said, “The option of raining hell on them would have served little purpose, because Hamas is well aware of this type of threat, as it burrows underground before the bombs fall and rises to the surface again when the threat ends.” Israeli military analyst Ben Ishai concluded: “Inside the bowels of Shuja'iyya, one would be advised not to enter any building from the front entrance, while mitigating resistance inside the building by allowing a tank to blow up said entrance, potentially killing any militants waiting to ambush the soldiers once they enter.”
The Israeli newspaper " Haaretz " revealed details of the battles that led to the death of nine Israeli soldiers in the Shujaiya neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, after clashes with gunmen from the Hamas movement. The newspaper said that the soldiers who were killed in Shujaiya were victims of a coordinated ambush that began when Hamas gunmen opened fire on an Israeli army force that was operating in the area. It added that once fears increased that they might be kidnapped into nearby tunnels, another force arrived to extract the trapped soldiers, but faced a similar ambush.
In detail, on that day, a force from the Golani Brigade, one of the elite brigades in the Israeli army, arrived in the Shujaiya area when Hamas gunmen began shooting at them, according to the newspaper. Immediately, the soldiers headed to the building from which the fire came, and clashes broke out, followed by an explosive device and hand grenades being thrown at them, resulting in the injury of four soldiers and the loss of contact with the rest of the force.
At that moment, the newspaper indicated, fears increased that they might be kidnapped by Hamas militants and taken to a nearby tunnel network. The Israeli army then resorted to sending another force to rescue the soldiers, but it faced a similar ambush, where it was exposed to gunfire and explosive devices. A third force, which attempted to locate the stranded soldiers, also faced violent clashes. The newspaper says that the battles continued until the soldiers were rescued with the help of air and artillery support.
According to the Israeli army and Israeli media, Colonel Ishaq Ben Bassat (44 years old), head of the Golani Brigade’s command team, and Lieutenant Colonel Tomer Greenberg (35 years old), commander of the “13th Battalion” in the Golani Brigade, were killed in the battles. Two other officers with the rank of major were also killed: Major Roi Maldasi (23 years old), a company commander in the 13th Battalion within the Golani Brigade, in addition to Major Moshe Avram Bar-On (23 years old), a company commander in the 51st Battalion within the same brigade. The Golani Brigade is an infantry unit of the most prominent elite forces, and it is the largest and most important in the Israeli army.
The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), said on Wednesday that it was able, in cooperation with the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, to ensnare an Israeli force of 15 soldiers in an ambush in the central Gaza Strip , killing and wounding them, while the Israeli occupation army announced that 10 were killed. Officers and soldiers in the battles that Gaza witnessed during the past 24 hours.
Al-Qassam explained that the ambush included clashes from zero range, which left the occupation soldiers “between dead and wounded,” noting that the Al-Qassam artillery and the Al-Quds Brigades then targeted the area with heavy-caliber mortar shells. Al-Qassam also announced that it had targeted 7 Israeli Merkava tanks and two troop carriers in the Ma'an area in the city of Khan Yunis with an Al-Yassin 105 shell, noting that its fighters had completely destroyed a troop carrier east of the city of Khan Yunis with a "B-29" shell. For its part, the Al-Quds Brigades announced the bombardment of the military crowds of the occupation forces with mortar shells in the Al-Taqaddum axis, east of Khan Yunis.
This comes at a time when several areas of fierce clashes are witnessing between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation forces in the Shuja’iya and Jabalia camps and the Al-Tawam area in the north to Khan Yunis in the south, in conjunction with continuous Israeli bombing on several areas in the Gaza Strip.
The Al Jazeera military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that the videos of the occupation army in the Gaza Strip - which it began publishing to the media in recent days - do not show the other party in the square - in reference to the resistance fighters - and “they do not mean anything.” Al-Duwairi explained that soldiers are seen shooting in the roads and streets in different areas in the Gaza Strip in recent videos, but the combatant opponent does not appear.
He added, wondering, “Didn’t the Israeli army adopt the red circle?”, referring to the behavior adopted by the occupation army in response to the “inverted red triangle” videos broadcast by the military media of the Al-Qassam Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ). He pointed out that the Israeli army films its soldiers shooting from light and medium weapons, stressing that it is not known “who fired them, as the target does not exist,” unlike the videos of the resistance in Gaza.
Al-Duwairi renewed the talk that the occupation videos are not taken into account in the military analysis because they are unilateral shooting, pointing out that he would have said the same thing if the Al-Qassam Brigades had broadcast similar videos. Earlier today, Wednesday, the spokesman for the IDF for the Arab media, Avichai Adraee, published two videos on his account on the “X” platform, and said that the army had raided more than 250 targets during the last 24 hours, and claimed to liquidate a cell in the Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza, that was on its way to launch rocket shells.
The resistance factions in Gaza - led by Al-Qassam - continued to document their operations against the forces and vehicles of the occupation army in various combat axes since the start of the ground operation late last October, such as striking forces and tanks with anti-armor and anti-personnel missiles and fortifications, in addition to ambushes.
Al-Duwairi, said that the Gaza Strip tunnel network was built on engineering foundations and with a complex design, in his comment on the occupation army beginning to flood it, according to an American newspaper. During his military analysis for Al Jazeera, Al-Duwairi cited previous statements by leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) about the Gaza tunnels , which they said were more than 500 kilometers long, confirming that they were a spider network, and those who designed them had maps revealing their paths.
He pointed out that those who supervised the construction of the Gaza tunnel network took all considerations and precautions, including the occupation’s flooding of them with water, pointing out that they are not smooth and do not apply the theory of straight vessels. They are at different depths and some of them consist of more than one floor.
It is likely that the connected part of the tunnels near Al-Rashid Street (Al-Bahr) has close ends, and that the tunnel network is not all connected or open towards the rest, expecting that the occupation army will succeed in flooding only a certain part. He revealed that the occupation had established an engineering battalion to deal with tunnels in an area inside the Negev, and tried to train to confront them using dogs, robots, drowning, and chemical agents such as toxic gases, but failed to neutralize their danger in the battles of the Gaza Strip.
It is noteworthy that the Wall Street Journal quoted informed American officials that the Israeli army began pumping seawater into the Hamas tunnel complex in Gaza, amid expectations that the process of flooding the tunnels in the Strip will continue for weeks. Israeli government spokesman Elon Levy described the Hamas tunnels as unique, while the British newspaper “Financial Times” quoted another official as saying that the destruction of Gaza’s tunnels is like science fiction.
US Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby stated that the US administration does not rule out the possibility of the presence of Israeli detainees in the tunnels that Israel flooded with seawater in the Gaza Strip. In response to a related question, Kirby said that some of the released prisoners say they were held in the tunnels: “It cannot be ruled out that Hamas may be holding at least some of them in the tunnels,” and at the same time he indicated that the issue of flooding the tunnels should be brought up to the Israeli leadership.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said that he did not know for sure whether there were prisoners in the tunnels in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Israeli side must do everything in its power to prevent harm to civilians.
At a time when the Israeli government seeks to portray the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) as being on the verge of collapse in the Gaza Strip , experts say that complex urban warfare will prolong the fighting and make victory less clear, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper “The Jerusalem Post.”
The newspaper quoted Dr. Michael Milstein, head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, saying, “We suffered severe damage, and we are still far from overthrowing Hamas, as the majority of its fighters are still alive, and it still possesses rockets.”Although he stressed that bombing “government symbols such as parliament, courts, and mosques has largely symbolic value,” Milstein admitted that “Hamas does not need this to continue its fight,” saying, “For Hamas, resistance is much more important than governance. As long as it has weapons and fighters, It does not care whether it can rule Gaza or deliver humanitarian aid.”
In addition to Hamas' above-ground military capabilities, experts believe - according to the newspaper - that it has an extensive network of underground tunnels in which its ammunition is manufactured and stored. It is believed that these tunnels contain detainees as well as Hamas leaders who are conducting the war, and in light of this, the challenges of urban warfare are multiplied.
After the end of a week-long ceasefire, the Israeli army launched a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip, where it is believed to be the hub of Hamas' military infrastructure. It is also believed to be the supposed location of the detainees. Israel also vowed to kill the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar , who is believed to be holed up in tunnels in the same area, according to the newspaper.
For his part, military historian from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Professor Danny Auerbach, said, “This will be a very complex process, will require more patience and time, and will likely cost more lives for Israeli soldiers,” adding that “Israel is looking to dismantle Hamas’ governance mechanism.” Auerbach added, "The Israeli army's plan is to use overwhelming air force, then encircle the targeted areas, and make a more intense incursion into Hamas areas so that it can control them over time."
He pointed out that neither Israel nor Hamas are focusing their efforts on all areas equally, which creates pockets that Israel has already controlled, and other areas where Hamas has focused its resistance, making it more difficult for the Israeli army. "There is a gap between what politicians say and that Hamas is on the verge of collapse, but the countdown to the end of Hamas is premature," Milstein said, adding that "even if Sinwar is assassinated, there will still be resistance."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on Monday that Hamas was approaching a "breaking point" in northern Gaza, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Hamas fighters to "surrender or die." Milstein said, "There are many goals on the way, and there are many expectations for the Israelis, but this will be a long and exhausting war, and we will not see a mass surrender of Hamas, and there will be no specific point in time at which Israel can say that it has reached its goal."
COGAT [Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories: Judea and Samaria and towards the Gaza Strip] announced: "To the residents of the Khan Yunis area in blocks 47, 55, 56, 59, 67, 99, 101-106. For your safety, we urge you to move immediately to the shelters for the displaced in the neighborhoods of Tal Al-Sultan, Al-Zuhur, and Al-Shaboura. We have also published a “map of the areas” that divides the territory of the Gaza Strip into areas and neighborhoods that you know, in an effort to help you, in the next stages of the war, to understand and recognize the directives issued and to move from specific locations precisely if necessary, in order to preserve your security and safety."
A number of launches from Lebanese territory towards the Yiftah area were detected that fell in open areas. An alert was activated in the application of the Home Front Command according to policy, IDF forces are attacking the sources of fire in Lebanese territory. IDF fighter jets and tanks attacked a number of Hezbollah targets earlier today (Wednesday). In addition, IDF fighters attacked terrorist squads on the Lebanese border in several locations. Following the warning in Rosh Hankara, a number of launches from Lebanese territory towards Israeli territory were identified, which fell on Lebanese territory. In addition, a number of launches from the territory of Lebanon towards several areas were detected. In addition, an Air Force fighter jet attacked a military infrastructure and IDF forces attacked a launcher position of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanese territory.
In an activity that lasted more than 30 hours, IDF reserve fighters, IOSH and Special Forces insurgents, engineering forces under the direction of the Shin Bet and AMN operate in an operation to counter terrorism under the command of the Menashe Brigade in the Jenin refugee camp.
IDF aircraft and tanks attacked a number of military infrastructures and a military position of the Syrian army in Syrian territory.
Maps
|
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
rien
Axis of Resistance
The Iranian foreign minister cautioned that the continuation of the Zionist regime’s military strikes on Gaza could spread the extent of clashes and trigger an explosion in the region. Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib held a meeting on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in Switzerland. Hailing the constant consultations between Tehran and Beirut on various bilateral and regional issues, Amirabdollahian said, “Iran and Lebanon are on the same front, and Iran only wants the best interests of the Lebanese government, nation and resistance front.”
The top Iranian diplomat described the situation in the region as complicated, touched upon the situation in Palestine, and said, “It is necessary that the United States put an end to its unlimited support for the Zionist regime and its war crimes against the Palestinian nation.” Amirabdollahian also stressed the need for collective efforts to stop the Zionists’ genocide in Palestine, adding, “Lebanon has always been one of the key pillars of anti-Zionist resistance in the region.” “Despite the Zionist regime’s crimes and brutal killing of civilians with the United States’ unlimited support, they have secured no significant achievement, and Palestinian resistance is in a very good condition,” he stated.
Amir Abdollahian confirmed that his country "does not want to expand the scope of the war in the region." Hussein Amir Abdullahian, who heads a delegation to participate in the second meeting of the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, met with Vatican Prime Minister Cardinal Pietro Parolin.The Iranian Foreign Minister stressed that "Hamas is a liberation movement fighting the occupation," considering that "what is happening in Gaza is genocide and the world cannot bear it."
He stressed that "Iran does not want to expand the scope of the war in the region," explaining "Iran's efforts to stop the attacks of the Zionist entity against the defenseless Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, in addition to ending the siege imposed on Gaza and sending humanitarian aid." Amir Abdollahian said, "The political initiative registered by Iran at the United Nations is considered a democratic solution that can end the Palestinian crisis, and the original inhabitants of Palestine and its true owners of all Islamic, Christian, and Jewish religions can, through participation in the referendum, establish an independent state."
The head of the political bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh, announced in a short speech that he is ready to discuss any idea or initiative to rebuild the Palestinian political system and stop the fighting. Not to add to the statements, in the anger that arose, among other things, for a statement in which he called on Pakistan to threaten Israel with nuclear weapons.
Sinwar was angered by the meetings that Haniyeh had with representatives of Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen regarding preparations for the day after the war and offensively claimed that Haniyeh and his colleagues in Qatar, including Khaled Meshaal, will not hold any talks on the future of the Strip as long as the Israeli attack continues .
In his short speech, Haniyeh tried to convey a vague and cautious message that he has no intention of accepting Sinwar's demand and that he is open to continuing talks with the Palestinian Authority on the ways for the future integration of Hamas into PLO institutions. He also took the trouble to mention that he is interested in the establishment of a Palestinian state without explaining whether he meant This is a willingness to accept the existence of the State of Israel.
The internal rift in the senior leadership of Hamas led, among other things, to Qatar's decision to order Haniyeh and Mashal not to make too many statements and interviews at their meeting place in Doha, and there were even rumors that Haniyeh and his partners intended to leave Qatar and move to Algeria or another Arab country.
The Qataris' anger at Haniyeh arose partly because of a statement he made in a speech to the Islamic Conference in Pakistan. In his words, Haniyeh called on Pakistan - which is known to possess nuclear weapons - to directly threaten Israel as a way to stop the war.
In Algeria, the local parliament unanimously authorized President Tabun to declare war on Israel, which is why this country is considered one of the places to which Haniyeh and his friends could move if the American pressure on Qatar really yields and they are forced to leave.
Allied for Democracy
The firing of anti-tank missiles and rockets from Lebanon to the northern settlements has been going on for many days, and at the political level a move is being planned that will be based on two conditions: the removal of the terrorist organization up to 7 kilometers from the border, and that it will not be able to establish positions there The cabinet understands that if political pressure is not applied - there will be no escape from military action. A security source for News 12: "We are approaching a junction where we will have to make decisions".
The first condition includes the removal of Hezbollah to a minimum of 5-7 kilometers from the border. The goal is that it will not be possible to shoot directly at the settlements in the north, or to carry out a raid. Second, in Israel they demand that Hezbollah cannot continue to establish the 100 positions that the IDF dropped to it - based on the principle that Hezbollah's power will not reach there.
In Israel, they understand that the residents who were evacuated from the northern settlements since the beginning of the fighting will not return home if there is no physical change, such that they can notice it with the eye. Against the background of this understanding, there is a consensus among the members of the War Cabinet that without political pressure now there will be no escape from a significant military action in the north, and if this line is not explained from now on, there will also be no legitimacy for the move.
The Israeli war cabinet witnessed internal disagreements over the extent of efforts currently being made towards a new prisoner exchange deal, and decided not to send the Mossad chief to Qatar at the present time. According to reports, Defense Minister Benny Gantz supports an Israeli initiative in this regard, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant believe that Israel should wait for a signal from Hamas that it is interested in another prisoner exchange deal, after what they described as “military pressure.”
The reports quoted an unnamed diplomatic official as saying that Mossad chief David Barnea, at the present time, “will not go to Qatar, and the decision is that we will listen to the proposals if they come.” The Hebrew Channel 12 quoted an Israeli source last Monday, saying that there is the possibility of concluding a new prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, and that moves are currently taking place in this regard. The source said, “There are conditions under which new agreements can begin to be drafted, whether from Hamas’ point of view or from Israel’s point of view,” as reported by Hebrew Channel 12.
This comes at a time when the Strategic Communications Coordinator at the US National Security Council, John Kirby, announced that the United States is actively working to resume a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, a truce during which prisoner exchange agreements are often concluded.
Disagreements between the United States and Israel became public on Tuesday, as US President Joe Biden warned that Israel was losing international support for its military campaign against the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke publicly about US plans for the (Post-war) future of the Gaza Strip. These divisions, most of which have so far been contained behind the scenes, reflect growing disagreements between Washington and Tel Aviv , due to the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.
Speaking to Democratic donors in Washington yesterday morning, Biden criticized the hard-line Israeli government and said, "Netanyahu needs to change his approach." Biden added, "I think he has to change, and the current government in Israel makes it difficult for him to move," describing Netanyahu's government as "the most extremist government in the history of Israel."
Biden warned that American support for the military campaign against Hamas was diminishing with the continued violent bombing of the Gaza Strip, and added that the Israeli government “does not want a two-state solution,” expressing at the same time his fears that Washington would lose its moral leadership in the world, due to its support for Israel.
Ambassador David Mack, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, who previously worked at his country's consulate in Jerusalem, indicated that Biden is changing his position depending on the developments and direction of events. In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Ambassador Mack considered that "the combined influence of our Arab partners, Netanyahu's growing unpopularity with enlightened Israelis, and the increasing American internal criticism of our undue support with this right-wing Israeli government, are all factors that contributed to influencing President Biden." Mack added that Biden "is an experienced politician, learns from his mistakes, and his position has evolved to suit changing circumstances."
President Biden had taken a position in full support of the Israeli position and version of events since the seventh of last October, as he supported Israel militarily, financially, diplomatically, and psychologically. He visited Israel and met with its leaders, in addition to meeting with the families of hostages and prisoners held by Hamas. Biden called for the complete elimination of Hamas, while continuing to refuse to call for a ceasefire.
During a speech by the US President at a reception marking the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah at the White House , Biden acknowledged that Israel is in a “difficult position” after the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, and hinted at disagreements with Netanyahu amid the current fighting. However, Biden stressed that Washington will continue to provide military assistance to Israel "until it gets rid of Hamas."
Charles Dunn, a former official at the White House and US State Department and currently an expert at the Arab Institute in Washington, and lecturer at George Washington University, suggested that Netanyahu's talk about reoccupying Gaza indefinitely would increase the possibilities of confrontation between him and Biden. Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Dan considered that Biden's statements represent "increasing frustration with an ally he strongly supported, which exposes him to great political danger. In return, this ally rejected Washington's plan to govern Gaza after the war, and made Washington's diplomacy more difficult."
In turn, Ned Lazarus, a lecturer specializing in international affairs at George Washington University, pointed out that the position of the US administration, and President Biden personally in this case, is consistent with his policy. He said, "The President has stated several times, since the beginning of the crisis, that the American administration's vision for a hypothetical day after Hamas in Gaza is that there will be no long-term Israeli reoccupation of Gaza, and that the revitalized Palestinian Authority will eventually assume control of the Strip, and that when... At this point, there will be negotiations towards a two-state solution.”
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Professor Lazarus considered that “President Biden’s statements express his frustration with Netanyahu’s repeated public statements rejecting the American vision for the future of Gaza, and insisting instead that neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority will rule Gaza after the war.”
He continued, "President Biden will likely force Netanyahu to choose between maintaining vital American support for the Israeli military offensive, or preserving his current far-right coalition government." azarus concluded by emphasizing that Washington "prefers to work with a more moderate Israeli government," and added that "there is no doubt that President Biden realizes that, according to public opinion polls, he is currently much more popular among Israelis than their prime minister."
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who heads to Israel later this week, said he intends to convey President Biden's concerns to Israeli officials about how long it will take Israel to complete the next phase of its campaign against Hamas. Speaking at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council on Tuesday, Sullivan added, "I will certainly speak with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the war cabinet, and national security leaders about timetables and how they think about it, refusing to go into the details of the American message."
Although the US administration confirmed on several occasions, and through a number of its highest officials, its categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians of Gaza to Egyptian territory, President Joe Biden confirmed during a speech on the occasion of the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) at the White House the day before yesterday, his request from the President Egyptian Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ensured that “the gate for them to enter Egypt” was opened.
Biden's statement came as part of his speech to the guests who attended the celebration of the Jewish occasion in the East Room of the White House, where Biden began his speech with Doug Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, next to him, thanking the rabbis participating in the celebration, and appreciating their blessing of the White House. In the context of presenting his efforts to support Israel's military effort and the release of hostages and prisoners held by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), Biden enumerated what he had done to support Israel, amid applause and praise from those present.
He said, "We are working tirelessly for the safe return of the hostages. I have personally spent countless hours - and I mean that, perhaps up to 20 hours - with the Qataris, Egyptians and Israelis to secure the freedom of the hostages, get the trucks in, get humanitarian aid flowing, convince them to open the gate, and make Sisi... It guarantees the opening of the gate to Egypt.”
The eyes of observers in Washington are directed to the Rafah crossing, as it is the only way out by land, but the Egyptian government strongly rejects the idea of accepting the influx of refugees, even temporarily, because it fears that this will lead to their permanent settlement, as happened with some Palestinians living in refugee camps in other areas for decades.
Democracy for the Arab World Now warned the Biden administration regarding its request from Congress to approve $14 billion in funding for Israel, considering that this payment contains language indicating support for the idea of forced transfer of Palestinians from Gaza. The organization urged Congress to reject the supplemental funding bill, which proposes to fund humanitarian aid for Palestinians displaced from Gaza to neighboring countries.
The White House reaffirmed during the Manama Security Forum last month, through Brett McGurk, coordinator for Middle East and North Africa affairs at the National Security Council, the White House’s vision for the Gaza crisis, which included rejecting any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
However, at the same time, many members of the Senate and Representatives, in addition to a number of newspaper editorials, do not stop pointing out the need for the Egyptian government to assume its responsibilities and open its lands to the Palestinians in order to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, without pointing out that the continuation of the Israeli operation is the cause of this unprecedented human suffering.
Two American officials revealed that President Joe Biden's administration had postponed the sale of M-16 assault rifles to Israel, due to increasing Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. The American website "Axios" quoted the two officials as saying that a deal that includes 20,000 American-made M-16 rifles will be referred to the State Department for review, because the Biden administration does not feel confident that the Israeli government is doing enough to control extremist Israeli settlers. In the West Bank.
The website explained that the United States needs more guarantees from the Israeli government that it will do enough to reduce violence in the West Bank. Violence escalated in the occupied West Bank, which has already reached its highest levels in more than 15 years this year, after Israel launched a new war on the Gaza Strip in response to the Al-Aqsa flood battle sparked by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” with the resistance factions in the seventh of October.
US officials said that the administration of US President Joe Biden currently has no plans to impose conditions on the military aid it provides to Israel, despite growing calls by Democratic lawmakers and human rights organizations to stop providing weapons, unless Israel does more to protect civilians in the country. Gaza.
CNN quoted American officials as saying that Washington has no plans to change its position and draw any red lines regarding the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel. They noted that the White House already expects allies and partners to use American-made equipment, in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law. Washington had previously said that Israel is not exempt from the American policy that requires countries to abide by the laws of war.
The officials stated that Israel integrates military lawyers with IDF units, where they determine in advance whether a strike will be proportionate and legal. Biden said last month that imposing conditions on US aid to Israel was “an interesting idea.” But one US official told the network that Biden ultimately believes that the strategy of quietly pressuring Israel to change its tactics is more effective than the threat of withholding weapons. The United States imposes conditions on the military equipment it provides to Ukraine, requiring it not to use these weapons to launch attacks inside Russia. But CNN says that there are no such red lines regarding aid provided to Israel.
Washington Post writer Perry Bacon confirmed that the policy pursued by US President Joe Biden regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is another indication of his administration's failure in foreign policy. Bacon said in his article that current events “serve as a reminder” that the US administration “often makes terrible foreign policy judgments and is not the reliable defender of democracy and freedom that it strives to present itself.”
The writer also points out that the Biden administration has committed many mistakes in the past two months that “may erase forever all positive memories of its foreign policy.” He added: "The United States has proven that it will not abide by international rules and norms if they are violated by one of its closest allies."
In this regard, he said that Washington expresses its concern about the large number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, but it "continues to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel." At the same time, the Biden administration’s attempts to justify “the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip as a defense of democracy” against the backdrop of judicial reform undertaken by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “represent further evidence that American officials resort to invoking democracy and human rights only when it is convenient for them“, adds Bacon.
Moreover, author Bacon concludes, based on Biden's statements over the past two months, that "it is difficult to believe that President (Biden) values the lives of Palestinians as much as he values the lives of Israelis."
“People around the world are deeply disappointed in Biden’s approach to the conflict in Gaza,” Bacon said. According to him, the “deeply flawed approach” followed by the US administration, as well as the “misleading statements” of officials regarding the events in the Gaza Strip, raise doubts about the actions of the United States in other parts of the world.
He added: “If the Biden team is so dishonest about what is happening in Gaza, can its statements about Ukraine, Sudan, or China be trusted?” The author wonders, pointing out at the same time that “your bad decisions make people stop listening to you.” He concluded: "The United States has once again committed a miserable failure on a major foreign policy issue."
Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs
Witnesses and exclusive footage obtained by Al Jazeera revealed a grim scene at the Shadia Abu Ghazala School in Gaza, where civilians, including women, children, and babies seeking refuge, were executed by Israeli forces. The Shadia Abu Ghazala School, situated in the al-Faluja area west of the Jabalia refugee camp, became a shelter for many amidst escalating Israeli violence. As the fighting intensified and bombardments grew fiercer, civilians sought safety at the school, considering it a place of refuge.
While the surrounding areas faced heavy bombardment, eyewitnesses affirm that the school itself did not sustain substantial airstrikes, a fact corroborated by the condition of the classrooms. However, Al Jazeera reported it obtained video footage and images on Wednesday that painted a harrowing picture of bodies piled up inside the school.
Witnesses recount a harrowing scene at the Shadia Abu Ghazala School, where Israeli forces carried out a brutal execution-style killing of numerous civilians, including women, children, and infants, as they sought refuge within the school's premises. Accounts from the scene describe an indiscriminate attack by Israeli soldiers. A woman present during the incident recounted, “The Israeli soldiers came in and opened fire on them. They took all men, then entered classrooms and opened fire on a woman and all the children with her.” Disturbingly, the woman highlighted that among the victims were newborn children. “The Israeli soldiers executed those innocent families at point blank,” she lamented.
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 18,608 martyrs. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The number wounded was 50,594. 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.
The IDF acknowledged the killing of 10 soldiers, including two battalion commanders, during the fighting in the Gaza Strip, bringing the number of its deaths since the start of the ground operation to 115. 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, according to i24 TV. The IDF updated the number of soldiers injured in the war and attacks on October 7 to 1,683.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper had 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.
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
Israel estimates there are 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody. Israel declared 19 out of 135 people in Gaza captivity dead in absentia, after announcing its forces had recovered the bodies of two hostages. Israel considers those still held by Hamas to be hostages regardless of whether they are dead or alive.
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy earlier had 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 held 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 had released 110 hostages so far – 86 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals.
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.
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 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.
The Association of Families of Israeli Detainees in the Gaza Strip called on the Israeli government to work on a new prisoner exchange deal, while Israeli media reported on Wednesday that there were disagreements within the War Council regarding a new deal. The Association of Families of Israeli Detainees - in a sit-in in central Tel Aviv - expressed increasing concerns about the fate of their children in the wake of the Israeli army’s talk of “recovering” the bodies of two detainees.
The families called on the Israeli government to move quickly and set a new course to release their families, accusing the Red Cross of "moving slowly in light of the great danger facing detainees in Gaza."
Israeli Channel 13 reported that disagreements were plaguing the War Council regarding a new exchange deal to return more detainees held by Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza. The channel explained that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant believe that they must wait for any indication from the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) that it is interested in an exchange deal, “which did not happen,” according to the channel. Channel 13 added that Israeli War Council member Benny Gantz believes that Israel must find an opportunity to move the negotiation process forward again.
Israeli media had reported new moves to conclude a prisoner exchange deal between the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and Israel, indicating that the conditions are ready, and that Tel Aviv is ready to listen to the mediators’ proposals regarding a new exchange deal. The families of Israeli detainees in Gaza escalated their pressure on the Netanyahu government in previous times by organizing a protest march from Tel Aviv to the Prime Minister’s Office in occupied Jerusalem to demand practical steps to return their children. A state of anger also prevailed among the families of the Israeli prisoners when they met earlier with members of the war council led by Netanyahu, and some of them withdrew from the meeting in protest at the failure to answer their questions.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
