Operation Iron Swords - Day 69 - 14 December 2023
Ccontents |
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NEW - Operations NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages |
“I’m extremely surprised and concerned,” said Brian Castner, a former Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer who now serves as Amnesty International’s senior crisis adviser on arms and military operations. “It’s bad enough to be using the weapons when they are precisely hitting their targets. It is a massive civilian harm problem if they do not have that accuracy, and if you can’t even give a benefit of the doubt that that the weapon is actually landing where the Israeli forces intended to,” Castner added.
“The IDF strikes military targets of the Hamas terrorist organization, based on high-quality intelligence and the operational necessity, while using high-quality munitions that are operated by skilled pilots and advanced systems, which continuously assess and verify that the strikes are directed at military targets. The type of munitions used in each strike is determined according to the characteristics of the target, the operational need, and the effort to mitigate harm to civilians, which the terrorist organization uses as a human shields,” IDF spokesperson Nir Dinar said.
Operational Update
At the beginning of the 70th day of the war in Gaza , the Israeli army continued aerial and artillery bombardment on Rafah, Khan Yunis, Jabalia and Gaza, and in Jenin in the West Bank , the IDF stormed several cities and villages to arrest Palestinian activists amid widespread clashes with the resistance fighters. The IDF acknowledged the killing of an officer and announced that more than 600 soldiers had been wounded since the start of ground operations, while the Al-Qassam Brigades claimed the killing of 36 Israeli soldiers and the injury of dozens during the last 72 hours.
Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, said al-Qassam Brigades has fulfilled its promise to turn Gaza into a graveyard for invading Israeli forces. Al-Qassam Brigades fighters partially or completely destroyed an average of one Israeli armored vehicle per hour in the past 3 days of confrontations, according to a tally released by the Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida.
The spokesperson for Hamas' military wing announced that the Briagdes' fighters confirmed that they killed a total of 36 occupation soldiers in separate operations in the past 72 hours. Resistance fighters also confirmed that they were able to wound or kill dozens of Israeli soldiers, using rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles, locally produced improvised explosive devices, and claymores.
Stating that the Resistance fighters seized the gear and weapons of several Israeli soldiers, Abu Obeida also revealed that al-Qassam snipers successfully targeted Israeli soldiers across the Strip. Moreover, the spokesperson said the Resistance faction launched several rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli positions in several axes of confrontations, including the command HQs of the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip.
The statement made by Abu Obeida comes after Resistance factions announced multiple exceptional operations, targeting occupation soldiers across the Strip. The effectiveness of these operations was also acknowledged by the Israeli military spokesperson who announced that eight Israeli soldiers were severely injured on Thursday.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the commander of the 12th Battalion in the Golani Brigade was injured in the battles in the southern Gaza Strip, while the Israeli military spokesman announced that an officer and 7 soldiers were seriously injured during the battles in southern Gaza. Earlier, the Israeli army announced the killing of an armored officer in battles in the southern Gaza Strip. Soroka Hospital in Beersheba also said that it received 19 wounded Israeli soldiers during the past 24 hours, according to what was reported by Israeli media.
The ground forces and the Air Force continued their close cooperation in the framework of the ground combat in the Gaza Strip, with ongoing intelligence guidance. In the last week, fighter jets, helicopter gunships and remotely manned aircraft attacked over 500 airstrikes directed by the fighters operating throughout the Strip.
The air force cooperation unit led the connection between the ground and air forces and together they eliminate terrorist cells and destroy observation areas, weapons depots, tunnel shafts and many terrorist infrastructures in order to undermine capabilities and harm Hamas.
Four fighters from the 603rd Engineering Battalion, Combat Engineering Corps and a fighter from the 12th Battalion, Golani Brigade were seriously injured in the battle in the southern Gaza Strip. Also, two fighters from the Magellan unit (212) were seriously injured in the fighting in the southern Gaza Strip. In addition, an officer in the 82nd Battalion, 'Saar Megolan' formation (7), was seriously injured in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip. All the injured were evacuated to receive medical treatment in the hospitals, their families were informed.
IDF spokesman , Brigadier General Daniel Hagari: "We eliminated terrorists in the tunnels, we identified them on camera. They will not be protected underground." Tonight, the IDF and Shin Bet are revealing special documentation from an operation that took place in recent days, in which IDF forces eliminated terrorists underground in one of the significant tunnels of the terrorist organization Hamas. The tunnel was uncovered by the northern division of the Gaza Division in cooperation with the Shin Bet. The terrorists were identified and eliminated by the fighters of the Yalam unit by various means.
In the past day, paratroopers eliminated many terrorists in the north of the Gaza Strip. The armored force of the brigade detected Hamas terrorists observing the forces, fired at them and eliminated them. In addition, the fighters searched a school complex that served as a central focus of the fighting of the Hamas Shejaia Battalion. In the complex, infrastructure was located Shooting and fighting was conducted from it against our forces, the fighters closed a circle on the terrorists and then destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the compound.
Fighters from the Magellan unit raided a number of locations in the Khan Yunis area where they found weapons, grenades and Kalashnikov rifles. The fighters destroyed two shafts, a rocket launch pit, and a weapons warehouse in the compound. During an activity of the 460th Brigade's combat team to destroy terrorist infrastructure in the area of ??the Jabaliya refugee camp, the fighters located weapons. In addition, the force eliminated terrorists in several incidents.
A force from the 414th Collection Battalion of the Border Protection Corps identified a sniper of the terrorist organization Hamas firing from a building at the IDF force. The force dispatched a combat helicopter that eliminated the terrorist.
After the air bombardment and ground incursion entered its 70th day, Israel is trying in vain to reach some of the leaders of the Hamas movement, hoping to achieve a moral achievement by which it can repair the losses it suffered in terms of equipment and soldiers during the past days. The new, old weapon is leaflets that include a reward that the occupation army believes may tempt the leaders of the movement that is leading the response to the aggression against Gaza after it led the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation that inflicted great losses on the human, military and moral levels on the human, military and moral levels on the 7th of last October.
According to Anatolia Agency, Palestinian activists circulated pictures of these leaflets dropped by the occupation army on Gaza, calling on residents to provide information about Yahya Al-Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, and his brother Muhammad, one of the most prominent military commanders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the movement, in addition to Muhammad Al-Deif, the general commander of the Al-Qassam, and the commander Military Rafa Salama.
The leaflets bearing the name and logo of the Israeli army included expressions such as: “O people of Gaza, Hamas has lost its power. The end of Hamas is near,” and “For the sake of your future, provide information that will enable us to arrest the people who brought destruction and devastation to the Strip.”
In what appears to be an attempt by the IDF to entice residents to provide information about resistance leaders, the leaflets say that Israel will give anyone who provides information about Sinwar $400,000, his brother $300,000, Salama $200,000, and Al-Dhaif $100,000. The Israeli army attached a contact number to these posts and an account on the Telegram platform.
Since the beginning of the war, the Israeli army has been dropping leaflets on various areas of the Gaza Strip as part of psychological warfare on the population with the aim of destroying the popular incubator of resistance, including leaflets stating the elimination of Hamas and directing strikes against them.
Lebanese Hezbollah announced that it had targeted a gathering of Israeli occupation soldiers in the vicinity of the Shomera barracks off southern Lebanon with appropriate weapons. It also announced the killing of one of its members in confrontations with the Israeli army on the southern border of Lebanon.
IDF forces attacked a terrorist cell in the Shtoula area that tried to launch an anti-tank missile towards the territory of the State of Israel. In addition, IDF tanks attacked a terrorist infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanese territory. Further to the warnings in the north of the country, launches were detected from Lebanese territory towards the Yiftah area and rockets that fell in open areas in the north of the country, there were no casualties. The IDF attacked with fire the sources of the shooting. The IDF also attacked with artillery fire a number of areas in the territory of Lebanon. Fighter jets of the Air Force attacked terrorist infrastructures and military buildings of Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. In addition, one launch was detected from Lebanese territory towards the Shomra area.
A Yemeni shipping source announced to Al Jazeera that Ansar Allah Houthi forces forced a container ship heading to Israel to change its course. The British Maritime Trade Authority reported that a party describing itself as the Yemeni Navy informed it that it had diverted a ship towards the coast of Yemen. The Houthi threat to maritime traffic prompted the United States to announce its desire to form the “broadest possible maritime alliance” to protect ships in the Red Sea.
Maps
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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
The Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Karl Skau, pointed out that Israel is using the weapon of “hunger” against Gaza, and that information has been received about such violations of international law occurring repeatedly. The UN official indicated that the United Nations is studying evidence of the use of hunger as a weapon of war in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict , indicating that "it has not yet reached a final conclusion."
Skau said: “With regard to (United Nations Security Council Resolution 2417 prohibiting the use of hunger as a weapon of war), (the situation) is currently being evaluated in accordance with the Unified Mechanism <..>. I expect that a result will be reached soon.” He added during a press conference: "He spoke to the Secretary-General (of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres) repeatedly about such repeated violations of international law." The official explained, "The big problem is the attacks on civilian infrastructure and bakeries."
Earlier today, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stated that “it is no longer possible to live in Gaza.” Lazzarini said during a press conference in Geneva: “I have just returned from Gaza to participate in this conference, and this was my third visit to the place since the beginning of the war...each time the situation gets worse, and today Gaza is no longer a fit place to live.” He confirmed that the infrastructure was destroyed in the southern Gaza Strip in Rafah as well.
Spokesman for the United Nations Human Rights Office, Jeremy Lawrence, said that the flooding of Hamas tunnels in Gaza by Israeli forces will have long-term consequences for human rights. In an interview with the Russian "Novosti" agency, Lawrence stressed the need for Israeli forces to follow and abide by international laws while carrying out their operations inside the Gaza Strip.
He added: "We are concerned about a number of negative impacts on human rights that will result from Israeli forces pumping tons of salt water underground, and a large part of these consequences will be long-term." He stressed that under the laws of war, every attack launched must be justified in terms of military necessity, the amount of caution, and the proportionality of the severity of the attack to Yemeni necessities, and it may not be excessive in terms of the amount of damage caused to civilians or civilian objects. He stressed that military attacks must not affect and disrupt basic life facilities necessary for the survival of civilians, or cause widespread and long-term environmental damage.
Axis of Resistance
The head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, confirmed that any arrangements without Hamas and the resistance in the Gaza Strip would be an illusion and a mirage.
The goal of threatening Israeli ships and ships heading toward the occupation entity in the Red Sea is not to harm the interests of world countries, but for ethical purposes in response to the ongoing brutal war on Gaza, member of the Political Bureau of Ansar Allah movement, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, confirmed to Al Mayadeen.
Sanaa declared last month that it will commence operations against Israeli and Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea in support of the people in Gaza until the war on the Strip stops. The enforced decision compelled many major shipping companies to adopt significantly lengthier sailing routes, leading to increased costs, insurance premiums, and delivery time of cargo heading to the occupation entity.
The matter got worse for Israel after the Yemeni Armed Forces announced a new equation earlier this week following a US veto on a ceasefire in Gaza at the UNSC meeting, which added that ships heading to "Israel", regardless of their nationality, to the ban, and expanded the scope to include the Arabian Sea alongside the Red Sea.
Al-Bukhaiti said the operations have proven the strength and wisdom of Yemen, pointing out that they have greatly affected the entity and the United States, adding that the ceasefire in Gaza, which lasted for a week, was one of their results. Reiterating warnings announced by top Yemeni officials, he stressed that the only way to avoid expanding the war to include the entire region is to stop the aggression on Gaza.
Addressing the pressures on Sanaa to end its measures, al-Bukhaiti said that threats to stop the peace process in Yemen with Saudi Arabia are hollow, adding, "We are realistic and ready to reach a comprehensive and full peace in Yemen."
Allied for Democracy
The Israeli ambassador to London, Tzipi Hotovely, said that after the end of the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians will not have their own state because they never wanted a state alongside Israel. For his part, Netanyahu announced earlier that the Gaza Strip would be under Israeli military control after the war, and that there was a possibility of a war breaking out against the Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank. Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh responded to Netanyahu’s statements by saying that they “clearly express his premeditated intentions and the existence of an Israeli decision to ignite the West Bank.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak opposed the statements of the Israeli Ambassador to London, Tzipi Hotovely, about the impossibility of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel, after the end of the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Sunak said in an interview with Sky News: “Our clear and firm position remains that the two-state solution is the right option in this situation, as no one wants this conflict to continue for longer than necessary.” Sunak reiterated that Israel has the right to self-defense, but must take all necessary measures to avoid further civilian casualties.
It was revealed in a statement issued by the office of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant , in which he said in a one-on-one meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Tel Aviv that “dismantling” the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) requires “a long period extending more than several months.” Sullivan confirmed that Israel will continue to pursue prominent Hamas leaders, Yahya Al-Sinwar, Muhammad Al-Deif, and Marwan Issa, indicating that he does not know how long this will take.
Sullivan said in a statement to Israeli Channel 12 that Israel will continue to pursue them, considering that it "faces an enemy that uses civilians as human shields." He added: "Ultimately, Gaza and the West Bank must be under one authority and not pose a threat to Israel."
In a related context, Sullivan revealed to the Israeli channel that the United States of America is working to form an “international coalition” to ensure freedom of navigation from Houthi attacks . It is noteworthy that Sullivan's visit to Israel, is his first since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, and it was announced earlier that this visit will take place at the end of this week.
The statements of US President Joe Biden , in which he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his management of the war on the Gaza Strip , reflected the state of tension and postponed clash between them, and behind the scenes of the disagreements regarding the future of Gaza after the war, and the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict according to the two-state solution.
Israeli analysts agreed that Biden's statements were directed at Netanyahu and his government, and that they do not reflect any change in his position in support of Tel Aviv, and that they are an indication of a change in the American tone towards Netanyahu in everything related to the management of the war against the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and the demand to reconsider the conduct of military operations.
The analyzes reported by the Israeli media unanimously agreed that these statements express the state of tension and disagreements with Netanyahu that have continued since the beginning of Biden’s term, who refused to receive him in the White House . Even when Netanyahu was re-elected again, the US President met with him on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York .
Under the title, “Biden understands well that Netanyahu is looking for a confrontation with the administration for the sake of his political interests,” Alon Pinkas, the former Israeli consul in New York, wrote an article in the newspaper “Haaretz,” in which he reviewed the messages of the American president’s speech directed mainly at Netanyahu, who seeks - according to Biden’s estimates. - To hold the American administration responsible for not resolving the war with Hamas.
The former Israeli diplomat explained that Biden affirmed his commitment to Israel's security and defense, but in return he was clear that he did not agree with Netanyahu's management of the war because it was causing political harm to the United States , himself, and Israel, which was losing the international support it had initially enjoyed.
When the Israelis and the world try to understand the meaning and essence of Biden’s statements, Pinkas says, “There is one equation that must be clear: Biden loves Israel but does not love Netanyahu, and he believes in it but does not trust him, and he sees Tel Aviv as an ally of his country, but he does not see that in Netanyahu.”
He added that Netanyahu himself is aware and understands the messages of Biden's speech, and that he will use the American president's statements in his political career to market them to the Israeli public as evidence that an American president is trying to dismiss him while he is in power, and is leading Israel in a time of war.
But the implications of Biden’s statements are not summed up in what he said, Pinkas explains, “but rather in what he did not say. Biden did not say that Netanyahu - according to White House estimates - seeks confrontation and clash with the American administration regarding the management and conduct of the war, the security reality in Gaza in the future, and dragging Washington into a war .” Regional with the Houthi group or Hezbollah .”
The same proposal was adopted by Nahum Barnea, a political analyst in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, who wrote an article entitled “Joe Biden to Netanyahu: Enough is enough,” pointing out that the statements reflect the postponed dispute between them, but they do not imply any changes in the US President’s policies towards Israel, even during the war in Gaza.
The political analyst indicated that the content of Biden's speech carries within it features of changing the American position on the management and conduct of the war from the point of view of Netanyahu and his government, but it is not a position against the war and Israel's right to defend itself. He pointed out that the US President, who continues to support Israel militarily, in return issued a warning to Netanyahu stating that “it must reach agreements on the future of Gaza the day after the war, and change the government’s policy towards the Palestinians.”
Barnea said that Netanyahu exploited the essence of Biden’s speech addressed to him and the right-wing government in order to support himself with the right-wing camp and preserve the strength of his government if he decided to clash with the American administration in everything related to the conduct of the war and the future of Gaza, and to establish a security belt along the fence with the Gaza Strip, and to insist on the position He rejects the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the implications related to the public disagreements between Netanyahu and Biden, the political correspondent in the newspaper “Israel Today” believes that Netanyahu chose clash and confrontation to launch his election campaign and try to restore the right-wing audience that he lost in the wake of failure and failure to prevent the “ flood of Al-Aqsa .”
The correspondent believe that the essence of Biden's speech is directed at Netanyahu and his government, as the US President's statements do not carry any changes towards Israel or even the principle of the war on Gaza, considering that the differences that came to light boil down to the difference in positions regarding the future of Gaza the day after the war stopped.
As well as disagreements regarding the conduct of military operations, their nature, and the intensity of ground battles and aerial bombardment, but this does not necessarily mean, the political correspondent says, “the Biden administration is moving towards stopping the war completely.” The disagreements with Washington over the issue of Gaza, and the far-right government and its position on the Palestinian issue, the correspondent says, “came out from behind the scenes and into the open in light of the American election campaign in 2024, which may also be in Israel, as the two leaders headed towards a clash to preserve their fortunes and popularity in the face of their rivals.”
Regarding Biden’s request from Netanyahu to bring about a change in his government’s coalition, as some considered it interference in internal Israeli affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister and former Israeli ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon believes that this request reflects “Biden’s frustration with Netanyahu.”
Ayalon pointed out that the US President has differences on regional and local issues with Netanyahu, but he personally leads the US position in support of Israel, militarily, politically and strategically, despite the internal and international criticism and pressure he is exposed to in light of his election campaign for the 2024 US presidential elections.
Ayalon justified Biden's statements by saying, "To reduce and repel these pressures and to bring another reality to the region at the end of the war in accordance with the common interests between Israel and America, the White House needs to hear what Israel's vision and positions are, but the elusive Netanyahu acts even in the war according to political considerations, and for this reason "The Americans have gone crazy."
During his visit to Israel, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed the duration of the war on Gaza , amid reports that he called for the intensive phase to end within weeks, not months, while CNN indicated “unprecedented” tensions between the White House and the Prime Minister. Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu.
The website "Axios" quoted American and Israeli officials as saying that Sullivan informed Netanyahu and members of the war cabinet that they must move to the next, less severe stage within weeks, not months. The Israeli official told Axios that Sullivan did not push for an end to the fighting but expressed "concern" about the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and civilian casualties.
The New York Times quoted American officials as saying that the Biden administration understands that Israel's efforts to pursue Hamas leaders will continue for several months, but the president wants to end the extensive Israeli campaign within 3 weeks. For its part, the US State Department said that “it is up to the Israelis as to how long the military operation will take,” but added that American officials are engaged in talks with their Israeli counterparts on this matter, and that Washington does not want the conflict to continue longer than necessary, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, American media reported on the risks that the war might pose to the image of the United States and its leadership at the global level, in addition to the potential repercussions on President Biden himself. CNN spoke of “unprecedented tensions” between the White House and Netanyahu, amid Biden’s feeling of the political cost for standing by Israel, according to this American network.
NBC quoted a US intelligence source as saying that Netanyahu has an incentive to prolong the war in an attempt to protect his political survival, and that he may turn his personal problems into a "regional nightmare." The channel also quoted American and Western officials as saying that Israel does not have a coherent position or political plan after the end of the war on Gaza.
On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal quoted Israeli officials as saying that they are following criticism from Democrats in the United States regarding the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza, and that they fear losing American popular support. The officials told the newspaper that Israeli leaders expressed their fears for weeks that the Biden administration would stop communicating with the Israelis publicly.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said - in an interview with Al Jazeera - that his country wants Israel to move from the current intense phase to a less intense phase as soon as possible. He added that Sullivan asked the Israelis to be more precise in their military operations in order to what he calls "sparing civilians from the consequences of war."
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed - in an interview with Al Jazeera - that his country does not currently support a general ceasefire in the Gaza Strip , but is working to achieve a short truce. He said, "The fighting that Israel is carrying out against the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) may take several months," and that the United States of America wants Israel to move "from more intense operations to fewer operations as quickly as possible," but it is up to the Israelis in this matter, according to his assertion.
Regarding those demanding a ceasefire, whether in the United Nations General Assembly or from other international parties, Kirby announced that the United States rejects a general ceasefire in the current period, under the pretext that before October 6 there was a ceasefire and Hamas violated it on October 7, he said.
Regarding the file of Israeli detainees held by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza in light of the visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to Israel, Kirby said, “We do not support a ceasefire, but we support more humanitarian truces for short or long periods until aid is brought in, hostages are removed, and people are saved.”
While he indicated that the long truces "will keep Hamas in power," Kirby revealed that his country is talking with the Israelis about the possibility of reaching another humanitarian truce that would allow the conclusion of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Palestinian resistance. He added that they have not reached an agreement, but they are working very hard to achieve that.
Regarding US President Joe Biden’s statement in which he criticized Israel’s position, Kirby stressed that “the president still strongly believes in the possibility of a two-state solution and in the necessity of the Palestinians and Israelis meeting to discuss this,” but he ruled out achieving this in the near term because of what happened on October 7, and linked The issue of the two-state solution by normalizing Israel's relations with Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, which he said there are indications that suggest accepting its return to discussions on the issue.
Regarding what was reported by American press about Israel’s use of tons of “stupid” bombs on Gaza without taking into account international law, he responded by saying that the matter is up to the Israelis, but Washington wants them to be “more precise to avoid civilian casualties,” which is the subject of his discussion with The Israelis are the US National Security Advisor.
He reiterated his country's position that it was the Hamas movement that started the war on October 7, in reference to the "Al- Aqsa Flood " operation launched by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip against Israel, which included a land, sea and air attack and the infiltration of resistance fighters into several Israeli settlements in the vicinity of Gaza.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the Palestinian Authority , in its current state , cannot rule the Gaza Strip after Hamas. Miller added that the United States believes that the Authority is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and that after it is reformed and empowered, it can unify and manage the Palestinian territories, as he put it.
The US State Department spokesman also said that an idea cannot be changed with weapons, referring to the resistance in Gaza. Miller continued that "neutralizing" Hamas and its future influence requires Israel and the international community to provide alternatives after the end of the conflict that meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people, he said. Recently, US officials, including White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, have spoken of the need to “revitalize” the Palestinian Authority, so that it is able to govern Gaza and the West Bank .
A number of employees of the administration of US President Joe Biden gathered in front of the White House, where they called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. “A group of Biden administration staff is now gathering outside the White House to demand a ceasefire,” a senior NBC White House correspondent wrote on x. The post included a photo of a group in front of the White House, some of whom were holding a sign reading, “President Biden, your team demands a ceasefire.” t also appeared in front of the group that there were candles arranged in a way that indicated a “ceasefire.”
According to CNN, more than thirty people participated in the vigil, and State Department official Josh Paul , who resigned in mid-October due to his opposition to the Biden administration's handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, gave an opening speech at the vigil.
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 18,787 martyrs. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. United Nations experts announced reports that the Israeli bombing of Gaza since October 7 led to the death of about 12,000 women and children.
The number wounded was 50,897. 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 one soldier during the fighting in the Gaza Strip, bringing the number of its deaths since the start of the ground operation to 116. This brings the total number of dead officers and soldiers whose names the Israeli army allowed to be published to 434 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.
Palestinian institutions concerned with prisoners’ affairs announced that the Israeli authorities have arrested 4,400 Palestinians in the West Bank and the 1948 territories since last October 7. Israel had earliersaid 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 Israeli newspaper "Maariv" said that following a report about a new exchange deal between Tel Aviv and Hamas mediated by Qatar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu granted full freedom of action to Mossad chief Dadi Barnea, with the aim of freeing all Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip.
The newspaper added, Thursday evening, that Cairo received letters from the Israeli government requesting the opening of new negotiations to release Israeli detainees in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in a deal that would also include a humanitarian ceasefire.
It quoted an unnamed Israeli security source as saying: “From the Prime Minister’s point of view, the head of the Mossad and the negotiating team have full freedom to work to promote and do whatever is necessary, including traveling to attend meetings with mediators, in order to push towards negotiations and efforts to release from the kidnappers."
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