Operation Iron Swords - Day 71 - 16 December 2023
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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 |
HMS Diamond has shot down a suspected attack drone targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea - destroying the target with a Sea Viper missile.
At approximately 0700, Dec. 15 (Sanaa time), Houthi forces contacted the Motor Vessel MSC ALANYA, a Liberian flagged vessel that was traveling north in the southern part of the Red Sea and threatened to attack it. The Houthis directed the vessel to turn around and proceed south. Although there were no U.S. ships in the area, U.S. forces maintained direct communications with the vessel, and the ALANYA continued north. It is believed to be traveling safely at this time.
At approximately 0900, Dec. 15 (Sanaa time), a UAV launched from Houthi held territory struck the Liberian flagged Motor Vessel AL JASRAH as it was travelling south in the Red Sea. The AL JASRAH immediately broadcast a mayday signal that said the crew was fighting a fire caused by the attack. The fire has since been extinguished and the crew has since determined that no further assistance is needed.
Then, at approximately 1300, Dec. 15 (Sanaa time), Houthi forces launched two ballistic missiles towards the international shipping lanes in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. One of these missiles struck the Liberian flagged MV PALATIUM 3, which broadcast a mayday call and reported that the vessel was on fire. The USS MASON has responded to that request. The other missile likely missed any ships.
No injuries have been reported by any of the three ships attacked, but this latest round of attacks is yet another demonstration of the great risk to international shipping caused by these Houthi actions.
French Maritime Transport CMC GM announced it suspended its operations to ship containers through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, similar to the two groups Danish “Maersk”and German "Hapag-Lloyd", following Houthi attacks on a number of ships. Italian-Swiss Shipping suspended the transit of its ships in the Red Sea after they were attacked on 15 December 2023, in a move similar to other groups in the maritime shipping sector. The company explained in a statement that its ships will not usethe Suez Canal “until passage through the Red Sea becomes safe,” and that the attack did not result in any casualties. One of its crew members, and did not add any other information about the nature of the attack.
For its part, the Association of German Shipping Companies called for the formation of an international military coalition to protect civilian maritime transport in the Red Sea, following the attack on a German cargo ship. The association's CEO described the step as necessary to protect commercial shipping ships and their crew members, noting that there is a proliferation of ships belonging to the American, French, and British navies in the region.
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian, the Times Of Israel military correspondent, noted "IDF provides new details of yesterday's tragic incident in Gaza City's Shejaiya neighborhood, during which three Israeli hostages who managed to escape Hamas captivity were shot dead by troops. According to a senior officer in the Southern Command, citing an initial probe, the incident began after one soldier stationed in a building identified three suspicious figures exiting a building several dozen meters away. All three were shirtless, with one of the figures carrying a stick with a makeshift white flag, according to the investigation.
"The soldier, who believed the men moving toward him was an attempt by Hamas to lure IDF soldiers into a trap, immediately opened fire and shouted "terrorists!" to the other forces. According to the probe, that soldier killed two of the men, while the third, who was hit and wounded, fled back into the building from which he came.
"At that stage, the commander of the battalion, who was also in the building where the soldier shot from, went outside and called on the forces to halt their fire. Meanwhile, sounds of someone shouting "Help" in Hebrew were heard by the troops in the area. Moments later, the third man came out of the building to which he fled, and another soldier opened fire at him, killing him. The battalion commander then realized that the appearance of the third man was unusual, and it was revealed to be an Israeli hostage. All three bodies were collected and taken to Israel to be identified. "The soldier who immediately opened fire upon identifying the three men did so against protocols, as did the second soldier who killed the third man, according to the officer.""
The incident occurred in the Shuja'iya neighborhood, which a few days ago witnessed the killing of the commander of the 13th battalion in the Golani Brigade and a number of soldiers, and the wounding of the commander of the 12th battalion. The occupation of Shuja'iya is considered one of the difficult and complex combat zones. The area witnessed violent fighting between the resistance and the occupation forces last week, and a number of the resistance fighters were wearing civilian clothes.
IDF Spokesman, Major General Daniel Hagari: "We will continue To investigate the event to the end, the war calls for complex situations. The conclusions of the investigation were forwarded to the fighting forces in the Gaza Strip as a whole. We were not prepared for the scenario that the abductees would go towards the soldiers. What succeeded in causing the abductees to escape - is the ground operation".
According to the Israeli media, a paper was distributed to the occupation soldiers containing new instructions that must be taken into account when similar incidents occur, including that there is a possibility that the prisoners may have been abandoned or escaped, and soldiers must also pay attention to some indicators in the event of an incident. Similar to speaking Hebrew, raising hands and clothes. The new instructions stressed that a senior officer must be informed of the situation in the field to take the appropriate decision.
Colonel Al-Shuja'iyya and military expert Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, in statements to Al-Jazeera, questioned the Israeli story, pointing out that it contains many gaps and question marks. Al-Falahi pointed out how there were prisoners who were not “at least handcuffed.” He also wondered, “Where did they get the flags from,” and “How can prisoners walk around freely?” He said that the dead “may be from other sectors that penetrated the regions and were not prisoners.” According to him. The military expert expected that there is a different story among the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and that it may explain the matter and how the incident occurred.
Al-Falahi explained that this incident has consequences and may be a way out for the Israeli government to stop the war and begin the negotiation process to release prisoners held by the resistance.
Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a post on Telegram that “the enemy is gambling with the lives of its captured soldiers,” and that “yesterday he deliberately executed 3 of them.” Al-Qassam broadcast a recording containing scenes of a number of Israeli prisoners who were killed in Gaza, with the phrase “Time is running out” at the end.
Operational Update
The Al-Qassam Brigades announced the targeting of many Israeli tanks and vehicles throughout the Gaza Strip. It also targeted an Israeli force east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, with anti-personnel devices, and another force while searching a house west of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip. Al-Qassam broadcasted scenes of a qualitative operation carried out on Friday, where it said that its fighters eliminated 10 Israeli soldiers in Juhr al-Dik, east of the central region.
The brigades said they targeted 3 Merkava tanks. The occupation forces fired “Al-Yassin 105” missiles. East of the city of Khan Yunis, before talking about its destruction of the “Merkava” tank. With a guerrilla action bomb northeast of Khan Yunis, in addition to its fighters targeting an Israeli foot force stationed in one of the houses there with an anti-personnel missile, leaving it “dead and wounded.”
Al-Qassam also announced that one of its fighters attacked a group of Israeli occupation soldiers with a hand grenade, leaving them “dead and wounded.” In the Beit Lahia project in the northern Gaza Strip. Al Jazeera obtained pictures of violent clashes between the Al-Qassam Brigades and the occupation forces west of Gaza City.
The Brigades added - in a statement - that they targeted two tanks and two bulldozers of the occupation with “Al-Yassin 105” shells. It was able to snipe two Israeli soldiers in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, noting that it bombed a gathering of incursive vehicles east of Khan Yunis with mortar shells, and an Israeli bulldozer with a Tandom shell.
The military media broadcast of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades-the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) - A video clip showing scenes from Phalange fighters attacking Israeli occupation soldiers in their tents in the Juhr al-Dik area in theGaza Strip. The scenes shown by Al Jazeera showed Al-Qassam fighters storming the position of the occupation soldiers in the Juhr al-Dik area and killing all the soldiers present in the place.
According to the video, the fighters were able to infiltrate a place where the occupation soldiers were gathered and targeted it with a missile against the fortifications, and they were able to clear the site and the guard tents. The scenes also showed one of the occupation soldiers lying on the ground, and Al-Qassam Brigades fighters also found an M-16 weapon.
The forces of the IDF 4th Brigade Combat Team yesterday raided a row of operational apartments in the Khan Yunis area. The fighters found in the apartments many weapons and underground infrastructure used by the terrorists. The reserve fighters of the 551st Brigade Combat Team detected the movement of a number of Hamas terrorists on the roof of a building from which shots were fired at the forces in the Jabaliya area. The forces directed an Air Force aircraft, which attacked and destroyed the structure.
The forces of the 188th Brigade Combat Team, in cooperation with the Armored, Engineering, Army and Air Force forces, completed the takeover of the headquarters of the Shagaiya battalion of the terrorist organization Hamas. During the operation, the fighters eliminated terrorists and destroyed a tunnel shaft containing a terrorist who tried to throw a bomb at our forces. The complex was destroyed by air force aircraft, tanks and engineering forces. Also, the fighters of the 414th collection battalion made the first use of a drone of the "stronghold" type, as part of which they uncovered and attacked a terrorist cell in the area.
In the last day, the combat teams of the commando formation and the 7th brigade raided terrorist infrastructures in the heart of the city of Khan Yunis, eliminated many terrorists and located tunnel shafts of the terrorist organization Hamas.
In addition, the fighters located a tunnel shaft with motorcycles inside it that were used by the Hamas terrorists in the murderous attack on October 7. In addition, an Air Force fighter jet attacked a building that was used as a hiding place for terrorists and an aircraft eliminated three terrorists who tried to attack Israeli forces.
Two Palestinians were killed by the occupation army's bullets near the cities of Tulkarm and Hebron in the north and south of the West Bank, bringing the death toll in the West Bank to 290 martyrs since October 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health announced the martyrdom of Aziz Abdul Rahim Aziz Khalil (20 years old) from abdominal wounds in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, and before that it announced the martyrdom of Salim Nasser Salim Hajar (25 years old) near Tulkarm.
The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem said that an Israeli army sniper assassinated two Christian women inside the “Holy Family Parish.” In Gaza, it is the only Catholic church in the Strip, where the majority of Christian families have sought refuge since the beginning of the war. According to a statement by the Patriarchate, “Nahida and her daughter Samar were shot dead while they were going to the nuns’ monastery,” and 7 other people were shot while trying to help others within the walls of the monastery.
The Houthis announced that they targeted the city of Eilat on the Red Sea with drones, as part of pressure on Israel to stop its aggression against the Gaza Strip. The military spokesman for the groupAnsar Allah al-Houthis in Yemen, Yahya Al-Sari’i, announced that the group’s fighters targeted the city of Eilat on the Red Sea with drones today, Saturday. In the context of pressuring Israel to stop its aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Sarie said that the Air Force “carried out a military operation against sensitive targets in the Umm al-Rashrash area (Eilat) in southern occupied Palestine with a large batch of drones.” He added that their forces “will continue their operations against the Zionist entity until it stops its aggression against Gaza.” The targeted locations or the extent of losses are not yet clear.
Three launches from Lebanese territory towards Israeli territory were detected. The IDF attacks the source of the shooting with artillery. Also, IDF fighters identified and attacked a number of suspects in a known area of Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. Air Force fighter jets attacked a series of Hezbollah targets, including military buildings, launch sites and terrorist infrastructure.
Also, a number of launches from Lebanese territory to Israeli territory were detected. The IDF attacked with artillery in Lebanese territory. In addition, IDF fighters attacked two suspects who were operating in a known launch area of Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. Air defense fighters intercepted a hostile aircraft that crossed from Lebanese territory to Israeli territory. Also, another hostile aircraft was detected that crossed the territory of Lebanon and fell in the Margaliot area. The IDF attacks with artillery in Lebanese territory.
Also, the IDF forces attacked with the means of combat "steel sting" A launch site from which launches were made towards the territory of Israel. Following the alert that was activated in the Shatula area, several launches were detected that crossed the territory of Lebanon.
A combat helicopter and air force aircraft attacked and destroyed several Hezbollah targets. Among the targets that were destroyed, a launch position and a military position from which launches were made towards the territory of the north of the country earlier today. Following the warnings in the north of the country, a number of launches were identified that crossed the territory of Lebanon towards different areas in the territory of the north of the country, some of which were intercepted according to policy.
Also, earlier today the air defense fighters successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target from the territory of Lebanon before it crossed into the territory of the country. In addition, a drone that crossed over Lebanese territory fell near an IDF outpost in the Manara area. IDF forces attacked the sources of the shooting.
Since the beginning of the war and at the same time as the fighting on the northern border, the IDF regular and reserve forces have been conducting training to increase their competence for additional possible scenarios on the northern border as part of the "Precious Time" program. The purpose of the "Precious Time" program is to train the fighting forces in reserve at the same time as the various defense missions during an emergency. The program is a significant part of the readiness of the forces, with an emphasis on the reserve forces.
As part of the program, the forces carry out day and night training, training for the use of rifles, the authorization of different and varied weapons, training in built and open terrain, from the platoon level to the battalion combat teams, in order to simulate in the best way the multi-armed integration in combat, this alongside the realization of all Defense missions on the northern border. Also, at the initiative of the Northern Command, a trainer's camp was built, which includes shooting trainers, a fire-launching mobile and shooting training with all the weapons.
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam confirmed that his group had begun talks with international parties, which he did not name, to stop the escalation through the mediation of the Sultanate of Oman, indicating that the Houthis will continue to target Israeli ships and ships heading to Israel until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted, and the flow of Continuous humanitarian aid to the Strip. Abdel Salam said that any real steps that respond to the humanitarian situation in Palestine and Gaza by bringing in food and medicine would contribute to reducing the escalation, according to the statement.
The "Islamic Resistance" announced In Iraq, two US Army bases were attacked with drones in the Al-Omar and Koniko fields deep in Syria, indicating that the attack resulted in direct casualties. She said in a statement: “Our mujahideen attacked with drones two basesof the American occupationin the Al-Omar and Koniko fields deep in Syria, and we achieved direct hits.” About a month ago, the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" announced in its statement, last November 14, it targeted an American base in the “Koniko” oil field in Syria. Its statement said: “In response to the crimes committed by the enemy against our people in Gaza, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the American occupation base in the Koniko oil field in Syria, with a missile salvo, hitting its targets directly.”
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, there 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
In an "unusual and clear" message From Saudi Arabia, Tel Aviv considered it directed at it. Riyadh confirmed that it wants the Palestinian Authority to assume power there in the Gaza Strip and believes that it is capable of doing so. The i24News website stated that while the battles continue inthe Gaza Strip, attention is turning to the "next day" After the war, and in light of this, Saudi Arabia sent an “unusual and clear” message. That the Kingdom wants the Palestinian Authorityto assume power there.
The website indicated that Riyadh "believes that it (the authority) is capable of doing so".. and through this message, Riyadh refers to Israel They are closely monitoring everything that happens and expect her to act. The Saudi Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan, had stated publicly yesterday, Friday, in a manner that we had not seen before since the beginning of the war in Gaza. He conveyed in a firm voice the Kingdom’s position regarding future control of the sector. He said during a press conference: “The Palestinian Authority is capable of managing Gaza. Everyone knows its ability and strength to manage the West Bank, and it did a wonderful job despite the challenges,” according to the Israeli website.
He added: “There is no justification for not calling for aceasefire in Gaza,” adding, “If there is a path to a state Palestinian, the Palestinian Authority is more than capable of providing it with the necessary powers.”
In light of the statements made by the Saudi Foreign Minister, a Saudi official close to the Royal Palace told N12 on Saturday and confirmed that “Saudi Arabia and the United States are pressing for the Palestinian Authority to take control in terms of sovereignty and security in Gaza after the war.” “Saudi Arabia is open to dialogue, but adheres to the two-state solution.”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned of the worsening levels of hunger inthe Gaza Strip. besieged, amid increasing cases of starvation deaths in the Gaza Strip. The Agency's Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, expressed in a press conference his concern about the spread of hunger that the Gaza Strip had never witnessed before, stressing that all residents of the Strip suffer from despair, hunger and panic. He said that residents stop the aid trucks, take food from them, and eat it immediately, and this indicates their desperation and hunger, as he put it. He added that he was horrified by what he called “smear” campaigns. Which targets the Palestinians and those who help them, considering that UNRWA is also one of the targets of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
Lazzarini also denounced the "ever increasing levels of inhumanity" And the lack of global sympathy towards what the people of Gaza are experiencing. The occupation authorities control the number of aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip from the Rafah crossing, as they must be subject to inspection in Israel before entering, while Thousands of tons of humanitarian aid are piled up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.
Director of the Office of the Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in New York, Craig Mokhiber, charged United States is the biggest obstructionist in punishing those who violate international humanitarian law. He said that this was evident in its support for the likely genocide in Gaza, and it is the largest advocate of racial discrimination in the world.
This was stated in a lengthy interview with Moukheiber conducted and published by the “Mondus” website. The American News Service, beginning by identifying Mukhaiber as the man who resigned from his position on October 28, accused the United Nations of failing in its mission to prevent “genocide in Gaza.” Moukheiber said in his response to a question about the reason behind America’s support Israel in its violations of international law, which could constitute genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. He was not surprised by America’s position, which conflicts with that of The American people. He explained that the American position serves the interests of a narrow group, namely arms manufacturers, technology companies, and Israeli lobbyists, who use all their influence, and pressure with carrots and sticks, to ensure that the American administrations in Washington remain fully allied with the Israeli ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip.
He said that US President Joe Biden is doing what every Democrat and Republican has done for decades, and the difference between him and his predecessors is that he does not even care about what the American people think. He added that opinion polls showed that the vast majority of Americans - Republicans and Democrats - oppose the Israeli attack on Gaza and want a ceasefire and a reduction in aid to Israel.
He added that there is a long tradition of American disdain for international law, and it has the worst records of ratifying international human rights treaties. Every country in the world has ratified the treaty that protects the human rights of children, with the exception of America, commenting that “this symbolizes America’s general position on international law.”
He said that the United States refuses to ratify theRome Statute, and opposes efforts to hold accountable the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and violations Serious human rights violations by international mechanisms if the perpetrator is an American or a friend of them.""
He added that Congress has already passed a law called the “Hague Invasion Law,” which states that the United States is authorized to use military force to attack the Criminal Court. International in The Hague to "liberate" Anyone Washington does not want to be tried there. Moukheiber continued to say that there is a myth that America is a leader in the field of human rights in the world, “but personally, and during 40 years of working in the field of human rights at the United Nations, I have not seen evidence of that.” He pointed out that America actively opposes any measure to combat racism.
Moukheiber strongly attacked the International Criminal Court, saying that it was established to try to provide a chance for justice for those who are victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, but instead, it has become a mechanism that is only willing to focus on the countries of the South, prosecute African leaders and a few others, and refuses to do anything. Something the West might not like.
He added that the most prominent example of what he argues against this court is the speed with which it acted with regard to the allegations of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, and its reluctance to act to avoid taking any action regarding Israeli violations in Palestine despite the fact These cases were filed years ago.
He said the current problem is that the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, whom he described as “completely politically corrupt,” is undermining the reputation of the entire court, because of his bias and submissive service to Western interests. He added that if Israel gets away with widespread war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the message from that will be that the rules that were put in place after World War II do not apply to the United States and its allies, and that would be the beginning of the end of the entire international framework.
Mokheiber expressed his belief that Israel is currently accelerating its work to complete its original goal of ethnic cleansing Gaza and later the West Bank and East Jerusalem to implement the larger project that began in 1947, describing this as a historical moment in which Israel wants to make as much progress as possible to strengthen its settlement Colonial ethno-nationalist project.
He added that Israel will try to implement as much of its major project as possible in the next few weeks, and will try to prevent any meaningful reconstruction or return, with the intention of forcing survivors to choose between remaining in southern Gaza in miserable and unsustainable conditions or passing across the border. In Rafah to live in tents in Sinaior to send them in the diaspora to other countries until The ethnic cleansing of Palestine is being pushed much further.
After Gaza, and the talk is still according to Mukhaybar, they will begin, as they have already begun, to accelerate the persecution in the West Bank. They have already ethnically cleansed a number of villages, locked many in prisons, and imposed increasingly unbearable conditions in the hope of expelling more and more people from the West Bank so that their vision of an apartheid state, supremacy, settler colonialism, and ethnic nationalism “from the river to the sea” would be reinforced.
He said that Israel is escaping punishment because of the complicity of the United States,the United Kingdom and a number of countries in Europe, and because of the failure of international legal structures and international institutions such as The United Nations, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and none of these structures will suddenly stand up and take a principled position, which means that the hope of preventing Israel from escaping punishment Genocide, and the hope of ending Israelis' powerful dream of an ethnocentric, oppressive and exclusive nation-state rests with ordinary people in Israel, Palestine and around the world.
Axis of Resistance
Osama Hamdan, a leader in The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), said that the movement will not release the Israeli prisoners unless the war stops and the conditions of resistance are accepted. Hamdan confirmed, during a press conference from Beirut, that Israel’s political and military leadership is pushing its forces into Gaza knowing that it will not win, and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuAnd his army leaders do not care about the lives of their soldiers and officers. He added that Israel's account of the killing of the three detainees by its forces “indicates that they are moving from failure to failure in Gaza,” as he put it.
Hamdan showed a video of the bombing operations in which the occupation army killed a number of prisoners and detainees in Gaza. He reiterated that restoring the Israeli prisoners alive “will not happen except by stopping the aggression and entering into a negotiating deal on the conditions of resistance.”
He said that the occupation bulldozers buried dozens of displaced and wounded people alive in Kamal Adwan Hospital, stressing that what happened “was a massacre that revealed the extent of the occupier’s sadism and brutality, which far exceeded all Nazi crimes.” He added, "The steadfastness of our people, the valor of our resistance, and its victories force many countries in the world to change their positions, and push many politicians to move away from the narrative of Israel that is stained with the blood of innocents."
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said that the Israeli aggression against Gaza did not achieve its goals during 71 days, moving from failure to failure. He added during a press conference that “there is no trust” The Hamas movement is in the administration of US President Joe Biden, which is considered “the Israeli occupation’s partner in the massacres.”
He also confirmed that 45% of the martyrs in southern Gaza “were displaced persons, which belies the occupation’s claims of the existence of safe areas.” Hamdan also touched on the occupation’s aggression against Kamal Hospitalaggression in the northern Gaza Strip, and said that “it representsA new massacre". Hamdan stressed that the occupation’s direct targeting of journalist crews is “Zionist terrorism that will not succeed in concealing the truth of crime and massacres.”
Likewise, Hamdan stressed that “the Nazi army that declared war to liberate the prisoners is the one that kills its prisoners,” and that “its continued violations will not give it legitimacy on our land.”
The Houthi spokesman, Muhammad Abdel Salam, announced that communication is continuing with international parties regarding the operations of the Yemeni armed forces in the Red Sea and stressed that Yemen’s position with Gaza is firm and not subject to any bargaining. Abdul Salam said that Yemeni assurances in this regard were repeated in more than one meeting, explaining at the same time that “we cannot stand idly by.”
Abdul Salam pointed out the existence of Omani mediation with the Houthis regarding the operations of "Ansar Allah" In the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. He said on his social media account: “Under the auspices of the brothers in the Sultanate of Oman, communication and discussion continue with a number of international parties regarding the Red Sea and Arabian Sea operations.”
In this regard, he added: “We have assured everyone that the operations in Yemen are to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and that we cannot stand idly by.” In response to the aggression and siege that the Strip is being subjected to, as there is no food, medicine, or even drinking water, the enemy entity has cut off it.”
Abdul Salam made statements a few days ago in this regard when he talked about receiving some communications following the Yemeni naval forces’ implementation of operations in the Red and Arab Bahrain, and he said “We received communications from active countries confirming their support for the ceasefire in Gaza,” and their commitment to working to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
Allied for Democracy
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced during a press conference for the leaders of the War Council that Israel is communicating with Egypt and Qatar regarding negotiations to release the hostages. This came after the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that the government was considering submitting a new proposal to release the hostages. Israeli Radio also reported that the leaders were considering moving towards a new deal after the incident of the killing of the three detainees in Shujaiya.
Netanyahu stated that Israel will not repeat the “Oslo mistake”, and the Gaza Strip will not be ruled by extremist parties. Such as "Fatah" and "Hamas" - the two are arguing about how to eliminate Israel. The Gaza Strip, or as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it during a public address in "Tel Aviv" on Saturday, "Hamastan", will not be run by the Palestinian Authority, or as he said, "turn into Fatahstan", going against the wishes of the Israeli occupation's closest allies, the United States.
The Israeli premier underlined that he wanted the Gaza Strip to be demilitarized, or rather pledged that it would be so, and added that the Israeli occupation forces would "be responsible for security in the Gaza Strip." His explanation for wanting to demilitarize Gaza instead of keeping it Palestinian or doing as the US wishes, i.e., handing it over to the Palestinian Authority is a survey conducted in the West Bank, wherein 82% of Palestinians said they supported Operation al-Aqsa Flood carried out by the Palestinian Resistance against the Israeli occupation forces on October 7.
In a closed discussion held in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the occupation, Knesset members asked Netanyahu about the possibility of an alternative scenario wherein the Palestinian Authority's security forces would aim their rifles at the occupation forces in the West Bank, as part of possible cooperation with Hamas. Netanyahu, according to Israeli Channel 2, said the "coup scenario is familiar and is up for discussion," adding that in the case this scenario is realized, the IOF would respond within minutes.
Moreover, he completely dismissed any diplomatic solution and justified the ongoing genocide by saying that "only military pressure" got the captives out of Gaza during the ceasefire reached in November, going on to say that only that would secure the release of the remainder of the captives. "Without it, we have nothing," he maintained. Talking about Hamas' conditions for a deal that would see the captives released, Netanyahu said: "They have all kinds of demands" including that "the war end and [the occupation's] troops are booted out… The minute we capitulate to that, Hamas wins. And we are obligated to eliminate [Hamas] and to get all the hostages back."
He added that he "inherited the Oslo Accords," noting that "the decision to bring the PLO from Tunis and plant it in the heart of [the West Bank], and in Gaza, was a decision made and implemented before I became prime minister. I thought it was a terrible mistake and I still do." He told a reporter who asked him why he did not withdraw from the aforementioned agreement if he was so critical of it "You and your journalist friends have been blaming me for almost 30 years for putting the brakes on the Oslo Accords and preventing the Palestinian state. That's true".
The Israeli premier boasted that he "prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state" adding that everybody today "understands what the Palestinian state could have been now that we've seen the little Palestinian state in Gaza."
In the aforementioned discussions that took place earlier in the week, Netanyahu said, "The Oslo Accords were a disaster that resulted in the same number of casualties as the October 7 attack but over a longer period." He said about the agreement signed between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian Authority under the auspices of the United States "The Oslo Accords are a fundamental mistake; they caused the largest number of casualties". The Israeli premier maintained "The Palestinian Authority will not be able to control Gaza under any circumstances".
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant confirmed that the army “is fighting against evil and we must win,” stressing that the war will be long and that they will pay difficult prices in exchange for achieving their goals. Gallant said, trying to justify the Israeli army's killing of Israeli hostages yesterday in Shujaiya, in a press briefing: “There are explosive toys, ambushes, and the sounds of children’s cries to lure soldiers. We must understand the conditions in which our soldiers are.”
He added: “This incident is one of the difficult tragic events that happened to me. We were close to victory. The prices we pay every day in Gaza are difficult in exchange for the goal of achieving complete victory in this war.” The Israeli minister continued: “I believe in the sincerity of our path as we fight in this most just war that we are fighting against evil and the evil organization. We must win... There are great achievements in the military operation, which is the great pressure to eliminate the saboteurs and their leaders.”
He added: “There is no force preventing us from reaching anywhere in the Gaza Strip. Our forces reach into the tunnels from above and below the ground, and this pressure is what enabled us to reach an agreement to return 110 kidnapped persons to their families.” Galant stressed that “war has costs. These are difficult hours for the warriors in the Gaza Strip, and I encourage them to continue until they reach a decisive victory, dismantle Hamas, and return the kidnapped people. This war will be long and continuous in order to eliminate those who represent evil.”
Gallant stressed that “the Shujaiya neighborhood is a terrorist neighborhood in which we fought before and fought difficult battles. We have always faced difficult battles there in previous wars.”
Israeli war council member Benny Gantz vowed to remove Hezbollah from the northern border if the world did not act on it. For his part, Knesset member Yuli Edelstein revealed that Israel is working diplomatically to remove Hezbollah from its northern borders and that the alternative to the agreement will be war. For his part, a Lebanese official, who refused to reveal his name, said that American and French officials visited Beirut to discuss the security situation in the south. In exchange for the threat of Israeli officials with the option of all-out war, the US Congress adheres to the need to ensure that the scope of the conflict does not expand in the region and to commit to calm.
Once Hamas is "destroyed," as Netanyahu put it, the Israeli occupation will turn its focus to the north and "deter Hezbollah". Either there will be a diplomatic situation on the northern border, "or there will be a different way" to solve the situation, he claimed. He added that there were talks about the issue with the United States, which is likely to be all in for a "diplomatic solution".
Israeli media highlighted the frustration experienced by residents of northern Israeli settlements due to the Israeli government's handling of the tense situation along the border with Lebanon. David Azoulay, the head of the "Metula" settlement council, told the Israeli Channel 13 that a situation under which a heavy presence of Israeli soldiers is present in "Metula" cannot be tolerated, implying that settlers "cannot enter" under such circumstances. Azoulay underlined that having Israeli soldiers within the settlements is not a solution, nor does it provide security or a sense of security amid the ongoing situation. He continued, "I want and ask the Israeli government to tell us only what it intends to do and when. This is what we want to know," adding, "We are frustrated."
A couple of days ago, the same Israeli official confirmed that all "civilian" infrastructure in Israeli settlements within 4 kilometers of the border with Lebanon is not operational due to ongoing Hezbollah attacks. In a related context, the head of the Israeli occupation Regional Council in Upper al-Jalil, Giora Zaltz, commented on the fact that Islamic Resistance operations continue in the direction of northern occupied Palestine, criticizing the conduct of Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
This comes as the fighters of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance - Hezbollah continue to carry out operations against Israeli occupation forces on the borders with occupied Palestine in support of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, amid the ongoing Israeli brutal war on the Strip.
The incident of the killing of 3 Israeli prisoners in Gaza by occupation soldiers is another failure for Israel in addition to its failure to confront the Palestinian resistance attack on October 7. As experts and analysts say, this incident reflects the confusion of the Israeli army leadership.
According to the military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, the issue of killing the three detainees indicates a real problem among the occupation army at the level of planning, implementation and management of military operations. He said that this case - and not the first for the Israeli army - indicates a very great confusion among the leadership of the Israeli army as a result of the fierce battles that its forces fought with the Palestinian resistance in the previous period, in addition to the many ambushes in which these forces fell and the terror and fear that gripped them under The huge losses made it anticipate everything and hit everything that moved.
In the same context, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, described the behavior of the occupation army as “vile and immoral,” and it is not new to him, as he has always used it with the Palestinians. They beat and insulted a disabled Palestinian young man and then shot him. From zero distance, they also shot Al Jazeera journalist Sherine Abu Aqla. He recalled what the occupation did in the 1967 war, when it buried Egyptian prisoners after they surrendered, as well as part of the Jordanian soldiers, and concealed this crime that was revealed later.
Al-Barghouti added - and he was speaking during the daily analytical stand on Al Jazeera channel, “Gaza... What’s next?” - that the occupation army’s killing of its prisoners indicates its confusion and fear of the Palestinian resistance, as it is losing the war due to its inability to uproot the resistance from its roots, and its inability to restore detainees, as well as extending its control over areas including northern Gaza. He said that the occupation is facing a guerrilla war similar to what happened in Vietnam against the Americans.
The military and political leaders in Israel - adds Albar Guthi - are facing a real dilemma, and there are demonstrations in Tel Aviv that are chanting the downfall of Netanyahu, who does not care about the lives of Israeli detainees.
Regarding this impasse, Ihab Jabareen, an expert on Israeli affairs, says that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to flee forward and cling to the blood of prisoners and soldiers. To save himself and his rule, he pointed out that pressure is accumulating on him from the Israeli public, especially from the families of the detainees, and from the American administration, which has set a time limit for the war on the Gaza Strip, because You do not want to enter the next elections under these conditions.
According to Jabareen, Israel entered the war in order to achieve two goals: breaking the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and returning the detainees, but what it achieved was It killed detainees and killed Palestinian civilians, and even failed to market its propaganda to give legitimacy to its war, as the speaker highlights.
Regarding the possibility of renewing efforts to conclude a deal between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation, military and strategic expert Karim Al-Falahi expected this matter to happen if losses continued among the ranks of the Israeli army, stressing that the current stage is decisive and severe for both parties, and the issue of profit and loss in wars is measured. By achieving the goals, Israel did not achieve its goals. Rather, it added another failure to the failure of last October 7, in reference to the Al-Aqsa Flood battle launched by the resistance to the occupation.
For his part, the expert on Israeli affairs, Jabareen, said that in the midst of the losses suffered by the Israeli army and its failure to recover detainees held by the Palestinian resistance, the Israeli street will press to go to a deal now with the Palestinians.
Mahmoud Al-Rantisi, Palestinian researcher and writer, noted that until a few days before the start of the temporary truce between the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian resistance, led by the Hamas movement, the families of Israeli prisoners - held by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip - continued their marches in front of the Israeli Ministry of Defense building in Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem, with the participation of tens of thousands in order to put pressure on the Prime Minister. The Israeli forces kept repeating that their forces would continue their war on Gaza until these prisoners were forcibly liberated.
According to its confessions, the occupation lost more than 70 soldiers inside the Gaza Strip, and it is expected that the real number of deaths is several times this number, in addition to thousands of wounded and hundreds of destroyed vehicles.
The greatest loss - for the families of the detainees - was the killing of many detainees during the Israeli bombing operations on homes in the Gaza Strip, as the resistance’s statements indicated that 60 of them were killed during the Israeli bombing. This result, alone, indicates the failure of the option of liberating the prisoners by force in Gaza.
Of course, the truce - which lasted for 7 days since November 24 - was practical evidence of the collapse of the process of liberating detainees in Gaza by force, after the Israeli occupation forces practically failed to do anything, and all their narratives and information that promoted that the detainees and the leadership of the Hamas movement failed. They are located in headquarters under Al-Shifa and Al-Rantisi hospitals, which has been proven false in front of the whole world.
On a practical level, the occupying state - historically - has not been able to succeed in liberating prisoners held by Palestinian organizations or even Arab countries, except through negotiations.
Throughout history, there have been many failed attempts to liberate prisoners, and the matter did not stop there. Rather, these attempts led to adverse results. The first was the infliction of deaths and injuries on the attacking party, sometimes more than the number of prisoners who were being attempted to be liberated, and in most cases the prisoners themselves were killed.
Attempts to free prisoners by force also increase the possibility of escalation of the conflict and loss of trust. Which leads to things getting out of control. For example, in World War I, Russian forces tried to free prisoners of war from German concentration camps. Which led to the Battle of Kursk. Which ended with the defeat of the Russian forces.
In the American Civil War, federal forces tried to free prisoners from Confederate concentration camps. Which led to the Battle of Springfield. In which the federal forces were defeated.
In view of the scientific results on this subject, a Harvard University scientific study found... 2015 - based on statistical analysis - the success rate of liberating prisoners by force is only 20%. While a study by the University of Cambridge demonstrated: In 2017 - based on a dedicated case study - the success rate of liberating prisoners by force was only 15%, while a study at Oxford University found that In 2019, titled: “Freeing Prisoners by Force: A Cost-Benefit Analysis,” it was stated that freeing prisoners by force often leads to escalation of the conflict and increased human casualties.
On a practical level, the occupying state has not been able - historically - to succeed in liberating prisoners held by Palestinian organizations or even Arab countries, except through negotiations, the last of which was the temporary truce in November 2023, and the Gilad Shalit deal on October 18, 2011. With Hamas, and the “Nawras” deal In 1983 with the Popular Front General Command, and before that another deal with the Popular Front in 1979.
For example, the use of a definitive negotiation method led to the failure of an exchange deal for the Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who was captured in 1986. Contact with the captors was cut off to this day, and everyone who captures Israeli soldiers - to negotiate the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for them - continues to remind the occupation of its treatment. With the case of Ron Arad.
This incident has a special dimension to the current Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevy, who was involved in the kidnapping of the leader of the “Amal” movement. Mustafa Al-Dirani in 1994 to obtain information about Ron Arad, but the occupation did not obtain anything. Rather, Al-Dirani left in 2004 in an exchange deal.
In 1992, then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin refused to release Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in exchange for the release of soldier Nissim Toledano, and after the expiration of the Qassam Brigades’ ten-day deadline, the soldier was killed.
By the way, the occupation government deported 415 leaders of the Hamas movement to “Marj al-Zuhur.” In response to this process, the result was completely the opposite, as the deportation process provided a unifying meeting for the Hamas movement, which contributed to the unification of the movement’s thought and decisions and its cohesion.
In 1994, the Israeli occupation government refused to deal with the demands of the Hamas movement, which captured soldier Nahshon Wachsman. In the end, the soldier was killed, and a number of Israeli soldiers who tried to free him by force were killed and injured. This incident is still stuck in the mind of the decision-maker of the occupation government, specifically Herzi Halevy, who was a member of the “Seret Metkal” unit, which was surrounding the house where the soldier was located.
In 2014, Hamas captured soldiers Aaron Shaul and Hadar Goldin in a military ambush. In 2016, the Al-Qassam Brigades captured Abraham Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayyid, and the occupation is still delaying achieving an exchange agreement regarding them. Which made their fate closer to that of Ron Arad.
The only case in the history of the conflict in which the occupying state succeeded, relatively speaking, in liberating hostages was not in Palestine, and was not, in fact, a success in the overall outcome. It came after two Palestinians from the Popular Front hijacked a passenger plane with 103 Israelis on board in 1976 and took it off. Athens Airport to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. One of the reasons for the successful liberation by force was to make the two captives believe that it was negotiating with them and was about to respond to their demands to release 53 Palestinian prisoners. However, Israeli commandos killed 20 Ugandan soldiers, and officer Jonathan Netanyahu, Benjamin’s brother, was also killed during the operation. Netanyahu, in addition to 3 other Israeli detainees.
Thus, relations between Uganda and Tel Aviv were severed, and the attackers killed 3 Israeli hostages, one of whom remains engraved - in particular - in the memory of Netanyahu himself, who today leads the decision-making process regarding the liberation of Israeli detainees and prisoners in the Gaza Strip.
Thus, we can say that if studies in 3 prestigious universities have proven that the rate of liberating prisoners by force reaches 15-20%, then the success rate of the Israeli occupation in liberating prisoners inside Palestine by force - specifically from the hands of the Qassam Brigades - is zero.
If some consider the Entebbe operation to be an example of a successful operation to liberate prisoners by force, then the severing of diplomatic relations with Uganda, the killing of a senior attacking officer, and 3 Israeli detainees as a result of this operation, cast doubt on the success of this example to a great extent.
In fact, the occupation is in great trouble when it comes to the issues of the families of its soldiers and settlers. In both cases, it will inevitably lose. Whether by accepting the demands of the Palestinian resistance forces and implementing exchange deals, or by being stubborn and arrogant, and seeking to liberate the prisoners by force; Which causes him losses that may exceed his calculations, and results that scientific and practical experience have proven will not be in his favor in the end.
Al-Rantisi concluded that according to historical and scientific experience, the occupation will not obtain any of its prisoners from the hands of the resistance, except by agreeing to the terms of the resistance, and it is sufficient for Netanyahu and Halevy - in particular - to forget the possibility of achieving any success that would cover up their current and previous failure.
An academic conference was held in the city of Haifa which discussed the Israeli war on Gaza, which continues for the 71st day, from a political, intellectual, and strategic perspective, scenarios for the conduct of the war, and its repercussions on the Palestinian issue. An elite group of Palestinian and Israeli academics and intellectuals participated in the conference sessions - which is considered the first of its kind to be organized inside Palestine since the start of the war on Gaza, in cooperation between Mada Al-Carmel (the Arab Center for Applied Social Studies), the Arab Youth Association (Baladna), and the Arab Culture Association.
Al Jazeera Net attended a session entitled “The Israeli War on Gaza,” while the titles of the rest of the sessions were “Two Months after the War... Political, Intellectual, and Strategic Readings,” “The Tribe Israel... Its Internal and External Borders,” and “The History of Gaza and its Territory.” “Urban, cultural, political readings.”
The speakers unanimously agreed that the sudden attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) by launching the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle " On October 7, it is a product of the policies of successive Israeli governments, and reflects the political goal of Benjamin Netanyahu's undeclared war of war, which is to displace the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
The speakers agreed that the results of the war on Gaza will determine the fate and future of the Palestinian issue, and therefore they believe that what is happening in Gaza is a war on the Palestinian people and not a war on Hamas, as the Israeli establishment promotes.
In a political, intellectual and strategic reading from an Israeli perspective of the future of Gaza and the Palestinians the day after the war, sociology researcher Dr. Walid Habas said, “Israel seeks to impose sovereignty and control on the Palestinians through a policy of punishment and reward and a return to the policy of military rulers in all of historic Palestine.” .
On the basis of these rules, Habas says, “Israel seeks to establish a policy of siege and mass closure and adopt a policy of forced displacement and internal displacement in the Gaza Strip, and even in the West Bank a i=2>, with the aim of separating the Palestinians from the land and converting it to expand the settlement project, and looking to find Palestinian figures to manage the local affairs of the population under the umbrella of the occupation’s civil administration.
The sociology researcher believes that Israel failed to implement this model in the Gaza Strip, which produced a local Palestinian administration that refuses to submit to Israeli dictates, resists the policy of punishment and reward, and continues to resist until liberation and independence from the occupation. Accordingly, Israel launches war on the Strip because Hamas refused to submit to the ruling system. Military and civil administration.
The same reading was reviewed by the Israeli researcher in sociology, Yehuda Shenhav, who described the war on Gaza and its repercussions as a “tragedy.” On the future generation in historic Palestine, on Jews and Palestinians alike, noting that “this common place, which was a kind of alliance to live together, is no longer so.”
He explained that what is happening in Israeli society in light of the unprecedented consensus on war reflects the collapse of the proposal of the Green Line that formed the dividing border with the Palestinians in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1976, as at the center of this debate regarding deleting the dividing border in particular are those who previously called for a settlement. Conflict under the two-state solution.
The researcher pointed out that the Hamas attack is the result of the policies of successive Israeli governments, and that the scenario of a comprehensive Israeli war on Gaza was expressed by many indicators and signs and the train of normalization, which was a stop for bypassing the Palestinians, harming the Palestinian issue, and seeking to liquidate it by Israel.
With regard to the reality forthe Palestinians of the 1948 in light of the state of emergency and war, Shenhav explained that the war on Gaza proved that citizenship is not a safety net for the Palestinians of the 1948. He views them as enemies, not as citizens with rights, saying that “Israeli society, in light of the war, declared clearly that there is no Palestinian people, and there is no citizenship...either friend or enemy, so what is happening now is a repetition of the scenes of the first Nakba in 1948.”
In a session entitled “Israel the Tribe... Its Internal and External Borders,” the researcher on Israeli affairs, Antoine Shalhat, explained that the development of Israel in the last two decades has produced the new right that now rules Israel and is trying to achieve the following goals: free economy, governance, nationalist extremism, and preserving the Jewish character of Israel.
Shalhat pointed out that the new Israeli right - whose initial features began to take shape with Netanyahu's return to power in 2009 - is completely different from the traditional Israeli right whose features were formulated by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, saying that "what happened in Israel before October 7 and the pursuit of amendments... On the judiciary, they represent the mentality of the new Yemen.”
He pointed out that the doctrine of the new Israeli right is summed up by devoting the principle of governance, that is, clinging to power and ruling at all costs and regardless of what happens, saying that “Israel, with the formation of the current Netanyahu government, is moving towards the rule of the religious, that is, giving the religious character to civil authority, which paves the way for hegemony.” “Religious people are in power.”
In the Israeli war on Gaza, Shalhat says, “The dominance of religious people was evident even over the army, which frequently resorted to religious and biblical texts to justify the war, as the phenomenon of religiosity expands in the Israeli army, which is divided into the official army and the armed militia that is established in Israeli towns.”
In turn, political science researcher Dr. Muhannad Mustafa reviewed the goals of the undeclared war on Gaza in the absence of a political horizon, pointing out that the goal was to exploit the war for the forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Sinai, which means a new Nakba, a plan that was foiled due to... The steadfastness of the Gazans, as well as the Egyptian rejectionist position, which surprised the Israeli establishment.
Mustafa highlighted the reality of the Palestinian issue before October 7, which was not present internationally, regionally, Arably, or Islamically, as it was absent and sought to be overcome under the cover of normalization agreements. He pointed out that the Palestinian issue was also forgotten and marginalized, whether by the Israeli establishment or by Israeli society, as over many years the Palestinian was absent from Israeli consciousness.
Mustafa pointed out that Israel’s attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue came through building a strategy based on the deal of the century in 2020, which relied on three components: expansion of the settlement project, displacement of Palestinians and annexation, and strengthening the Palestinian geographical, political and organizational division between the West Bank and Gaza, saying that “the results of the war “On Gaza, it determines the status and future of the Palestinian issue.”
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 more than 19,088 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 about 54,450. 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 496. Since last October 7, in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, the Ministry of Health said that 288 citizens were martyred and 3,450 were injured, including at least 535 children, and 84 other citizens
Lebanon’s Health Ministry released an official casualty numbers in fighting, saying 77 people were killed and 251 wounded since the start of the war on Gaza.
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 death toll to 124 between an officer and a soldier since the start of the ground incursion, while the number of wounded since the beginning of the ground operation rose to 652, including 146 seriously injured. This brings the total number of dead officers and soldiers whose names the Israeli army allowed to be published to 449 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.
The Israeli army announced that 35 soldiers were injured during the last 24 hours, and its spokesman said, “We are going through difficult and complex times, and there are things that we have not been exposed to before.”
Hostages
Israel estimated there were 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 4,520 Palestinians in the West Bank and the 1948 territories since last October 7. Israel had earlier 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 Israeli army announced that it had verified the killing of another Israeli female detainee in the Gaza Strip and that it had informed her family about it. Army Radio said that Amber Hayman (27 years old), who was captured during a concert near the Re'im settlement in the Gaza Strip on October 7, was killed, without additional details.
Pressure is mounting from the families of the hostages, who organized a new demonstration in front of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, demanding an end to the fighting and the start of negotiations. Israeli media said that members of the war council will discuss the possibility of concluding a new deal with Hamas.
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