Operation Iron Swords - Day 72 - 17 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 |
While the majority of Americans support Israel in its war on Gaza, according to the poll, 67% of these young people support an unconditional ceasefire that would release detainees in Gaza and leave the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas) is in power. On several questions, voters in that younger age group seemed to express muddled views, as 58% of respondents in the group also thought Hamas should be removed from running Gaza. Asked whether they believe Hamas is an organization with which peace can be negotiated, 76% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 said they believe it can be negotiated with.
The results also showed that the majority of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 and between 25 and 34 years of age believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza [while 17% over the age of 65 held this view]. According to the same poll, 67% of respondents from this age group believe that Jews are “oppressive” and they should be treated as such [while only 9% over the age of 65 held this view].
"It is easy to lose sight of how much support there really is among American voters for Israel and for President Biden staying strongly pro-Israel – although misinformation on Israel and Hamas remains prevalent, especially among younger people," said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. "Biden's Israel policy could help him pick up swing voters, while the Democrats continue to win elections on abortion since they come across to swing voters as the party of personal freedom on this issue."
US political scientist John Mearsheimer, on Israel’s ‘punishment campaign’ against the civilian population in Palestine, cpncluded Israel had gone far beyond “going after Hamas” in the first 10 weeks of its war on Gaza. He said that murdering hundreds of civilians daily and starving the rest is a “punishment campaign” and “should be unacceptable to decent people all over the world”. Mearsheimer, who teaches international relations at the University of Chicago, looks into Israel’s long-term strategies and explains why the elites in the US, Europe and the Arab world are not taking concrete steps to stop Israel’s bombing campaign.
Operational Update
The Chief of Staff held a situation assessment with the commanders and fighters of the 99th Division in the Gaza Strip. "I tell you in a very simple way - the event is a very difficult and painful event and no one will come and say otherwise," said the Chief of Staff, "but I tell you beyond that, we all understand that, that's not why I have to come and tell you It. I'm telling you this is an event that very easily could not have happened.
"And think, why did we come to maneuver? We have set three goals, to dismantle Hamas, to restore security to the residents of the Otaf, and you are here on the corridor, from which attacks on Bari came out, such severe attacks, and the third mission is to recover the kidnapped. Now we all really want it. And I'm telling you, at this event, three people came out, they took into account that they were taking a risk that they were coming to the IDF force, to reduce the risk they really thought, they took off their shirts so that no one would think they had luggage on them and held a white cloth on a pole to identify themselves, they came They spoke in Hebrew, they called Tsilo".
"And we are really, our fighters that I haven't met yet, but I'm sure they're the best because everyone wants to do good, and I'm sure they were sure they were doing the right thing. But I'm talking to you not to say if they were okay or not, so that we'll be okay going forward. You see two people, they have their hands up and no shirts, take two seconds, and I want to tell you something no less important, and if it's two Gazans with a white flag who come out to surrender, what do we shoot at them? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. This is not the IDF.
"I tell you who got confused here, even those who fought and now put down their weapons and raise their hands, we capture them, we don't shoot them. We extract a lot of intelligence from the prisoners we have, we have over a thousand already. We don't shoot them because the IDF doesn't shoot a person who raises his hands. This is strength, not weakness. And I tell you, I remember, what I said to my soldiers as a commander before introducing you to Castuka, the last sentence in the conversation before fighting. Work with your head. We constantly feel that fighting is with the hands, fighting is with the feet.
"I say to you gentlemen, do not stop to think for one second in combat. Those who manage to use their heads while fighting, they hit the enemy better, they hit them less, they do tricks better, they hurt our forces less, they do everything better, they are sharper on the environment, they recognize things. Constantly ask yourself questions, constantly work with your head, and I wish we had another opportunity for abductees to come to us or for us to arrive at the house, and do the right thing. Keep doing an excellent job, it's a great and strong force and we'll need it in the future with the commanders, pass it on to all the surrounding soldiers as well."
Clashes continued between the resistance factions and the Israeli occupation army in the areas of Jabalia, Tal al-Zaatar, al-Tawam, and the neighborhoods of al-Shuja’iya and al-Zaytoun in Gaza City, in addition to the fighting axes east of Khan Yunis in the south. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported renewed violent Israeli artillery shelling in Al-Shuja'iya, Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, and Juhr Al-Dik in the Gaza Strip, and video clips also showed sounds of violent clashes with weapons in Gaza City along Yarmouk Street.
In the details of the military operations, The Al-Qassam Brigades announced that it had detonated an anti-personnel device against an Israeli foot force of ten soldiers north of Khan Yunis, causing deaths and injuries, as it announced. It bombed Kibbutz Nirim on the Gaza Strip with a short-range missile system. It also announced that it had destroyed two Zionist troop carriers north of Khan Yunis with Al-Yassin 105 shells, and that an Israeli helicopter had evacuated the dead and wounded.
Al Jazeera clips documented an Israeli helicopter hovering in the town of Al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis, and then landing. It is believed that its goal is to evacuate wounded Israeli soldiers. At the same time, sounds of clashes and artillery shelling were heard in the area. The Al-Qassam Brigades also published pictures showing the targeting of an Israeli Merkava tank southeast of the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip with a Yassin missile.
The resistance factions bombed Israeli crowds in Juhr al-Dik and eastern al-Maghazi in the central region and the Beit Lahia axis in the north with heavy-caliber mortar shells. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that there were armed clashes in the Al-Zana area in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling.
The Israeli army said that an officer and a soldier were killed and two officers and three soldiers were seriously injured in battles in the southern Gaza Strip, bringing the number of its deaths since the start of the ground operation to 127. Earlier, the army announced that 35 soldiers were injured during the last 24 hours, including 33 in the ongoing battles in Gaza.
In a related context, the Palestinian Telecommunications Company confirmed the start of the gradual return of communications services in the central and southern Gaza Strip after a 4-day interruption. Last Thursday, the company announced a complete interruption of all communications and Internet services with Gaza, due to the Israeli aggression on the Strip.
The HAMAS government media office in Gaza said that the Israeli army deliberately cut off communications and Internet networks - completely - for the fifth time since the start of the war on the Strip. The government office added that cutting off communications and the Internet means the occurrence of disasters that threaten the lives of citizens, as the martyrs and injured cannot be reached, which increases the number of victims.
The village of Juhr al-Dik is located in the south of the governorate, halfway between Gaza City and the central camps, and is 8 kilometers away from it. It is bordered to the east by the Green Line, to the west by Salah al-Din Street, to the north it is bordered by Karnei Netzarim Road, and to the south it is bordered by Wadi Gaza. The area of influence is 6,200 dunams. Juhr al-Dik is considered a border agricultural village, and this always exposes it to the razing of its lands due to Israeli invasions.
Israeli occupation army spokesman Daniel Hagari admitted that his soldiers are going through difficult and complex times and are exposed to unprecedented situations in the ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip. Hagari added that the army is facing issues that it has never encountered before.
Barefoot and with light individual weapons; These scenes were the most prominent thing that drew the attention of the public on social media platforms to the video published by the military media of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement. " Which showed Hamas fighters attacking occupation soldiers and finishing them off in their tents in the Juhr al-Dik area in the Gaza Strip.
The most common question among tweeters was why fighters appeared barefoot during their attacks on concentrations of occupation soldiers, and various answers began from bloggers. Some said that the Juhr al-Dik area is an agricultural area and its land is muddy, and moving on sand or mud barefoot is more effective and faster, as shoes cause great disruption and great muscular effort.
Followers of the video said that the Al-Qassam fighters appeared barefoot, primarily for ease and lightness of movement, and also because walking on sand without shoes does not make a sound at all, unlike walking in military boots, which make a sound when walking and attract attention. Likewise, boots or shoes, when you walk on soft sand and run, sink and enter. Sand inside the shoe hinders movement.
Some tweeters pointed out that the occupation has powerful sensors located on tanks and in all places that can detect even the sound of feet. They walk barefoot so that the sound is absent or as minimal as possible so as not to attract attention. They added that the Palestinian resistance every time gives the Israeli occupation army a new lesson in combat and military planning, as they put it.
The soldiers of the paratroopers brigade raided an operational apartment in the Shegaia area, during the raid weapons, clutches, charges and grenades were found. The fighters of the 7th Brigade Combat Team, who broke through to Khan Yunis, are now fighting in the area. The forces raided the office of the commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade and terrorist and underground infrastructures in the area, arriving at the 'Bnei Suhila' square. the central one in the heart of Khan Yunis and gained operational control over it.
IDF and MDF reserve fighters operated in an operation to counter terrorism in the Nur-A Shams refugee camp in Tulkerem under the command of the Menashe Brigade under the direction of the Shin Bet and Amman. During the activity, engineering tools proactively uncovered and neutralized charges under and on the sides of the roads that were intended to harm Israeli forces.
A plane and a combat helicopter of the Air Force attacked a number of terrorist infrastructures and a military structure of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the territory of Lebanon. In addition, a remotely manned aircraft attacked a terrorist cell that was identified in Lebanese territory. Also, an aircraft and a tank attacked weapons and observation equipment of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. Earlier today (Sunday), a launch was detected from Lebanese territory towards the Mount Dov area, an IDF tank attacked the source of the fire. Also, a number of launches towards the area of Rosh Hankara were detected.
IDF forces attacked a terrorist infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanese territory. In addition, a number of launches from Lebanese territory towards the Arab region of Aramsha and Sassa were detected. IDF forces attack the sources of the fire with artillery. Also, a number of launches from Lebanese territory were identified that did not cross into Israeli territory.
As part of the fighting in Baliya, the fighters of the battle team of the Hanel Brigade carried out scans in the area. In one of the scans, the soldiers located an operational tunnel shaft inside a children's room located in the basement of the building. It is a strategic shaft, with stairs built into it. The shaft was destroyed by the brigade's engineering forces.
A document of Muhammad Sinwar, leader of the tunnel construction project and Yahya Sinwar's brother, was seized during ground operations in the Gaza Strip and underwent intelligence extraction by the Intelligence Division. The IDF has carried out exploration operations in a strategic tunnel route and had so far uncovered over 4 km of the tunnel's route, which reaches a maximum depth of about 50 meters. Offensive actions against Israeli forces came out of the tunnel during the fighting in the territory of the Gaza Strip. A few days ago, terrorists were also identified in the tunnel, who were eliminated by IDF forces.
The nearest shaft of the tunnel is located about 400 meters from the 'Arez' which was used for the passage of laborers, merchants, and patients for medical treatment in Israel in recent years. The route has several branches and splits which form a wide and branched network of tunnels. Along the route are sewerage, electricity, communication and telephony infrastructures, as well as the overhead doors that were designed to prevent the entry of IDF forces. The tunnel allows the movement of vehicles inside it and many weapons of the terrorist organization Hamas were found in it.
The tunnel construction project included a team of dozens of terrorists who came especially for its construction from Khan Yunis to the north of the Gaza Strip. In the construction of the tunnel, materials that have not been seen so far in tactical tunnels of the terrorist organization Hamas were used, as well as the use of special digging machines that were smuggled into the Strip. According to estimates, Hamas invested millions of dollars in the underground layout throughout the Strip.
The mayor of the northern Israeli settlement of "Kiryat Shmona", Avichai Stern, criticized how the Israeli occupation's government is dealing with the increasingly worsening situation on the Lebanese border area with the Islamic Resitance's daily operations. Speaking to Israeli Channel 13 news, Stern said the North feels that "the destructive containment policy seen prior to October 7 is still ongoing today."
The mayor of the northern Israeli settlement added: "The answer must be clear; Hezbollah and Hamas are one and the same. If they decided that to get rid of the threat on the southern border they must destroy Hamas, I do not see why they did not make the same decision for the northern border.... The only way to remove the threat on the northern border is to destroy Hezbollah; not an agreement or a political solution as is being said".
"Earlier, I saw a senior Hezbollah official say that they had not used all their weapons in al-Jalil. What? Are we waiting for them to use it?" the Israeli official asked as northern occupied Palestine grows more and more dissatisfied with Netanyahu's regime. "Will we make the same mistake we made in the south on the northern borders? Before Hamas, Hezbollah for years said it wanted to occupy al-Jalil. Will we wait for them to do that? Did we learn nothing from October 7?" the mayor added.
Mansoor Haqiqatpour, former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and former assistant to the general Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force, said that there is no fear for the Gaza tunnels, and that they will remain a nightmare for the occupation; Because whoever supervised its design took various "scenarios" potential into consideration. Retired Brigadier General Mansoor Haqiqatpour previously worked as an advisor to the Presidency of the Iranian Parliament, and was a consistent member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in Parliament for several years.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Net, Bor revealed that the Axis of Resistance planned with the Palestinians to build more than 400 kilometers of tunnels under a patch of land whose area did not exceed 40 square kilometers, stressing that the Palestinian side in the tunnels knows very well how to deal with all potential challenges. In this dialogue, he talks about the course of developments in the Gaza battle, the impact of the Houthi-led ship war in the Red Sea, and clarifies his country’s position on forming any international coalition to ensure maritime navigation in the region.
How do you evaluate the events of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”? Until now, which side will achieve victory on the ground?
What is happening in Gaza is nothing but the resistance and bravery of a defenseless people who believe in their cause in the face of the global military arsenal, as we see that the allies of the “Zionist entity” In particular,the United States,Britainand some members of NATO ( a>), are rushing to provide their latest military armament to bring the Palestinian resistance to its knees, which has humiliated the occupation and its supporters, and has the upper hand in the ongoing battle.NATO
We believe that despite the intent of the “Israeli entity” In killing women and children and continuing to target infrastructure to displace the population of the besieged Gaza Strip, the resistance still has the upper hand in the battle.
On the other hand, the “occupying entity” Behind him, his Western allies, in turn, have the upper hand in violating human rights, committing massacres against civilians and patients, and using various types of internationally prohibited weapons against a defenseless people.
We believe that the battle of "Al-Aqsa Flood" It exposed the fragility of the “Israeli entity,” and the media war led by the Western and Hebrew media tycoons failed, and proved the ability and determination of the Palestinian people to liberate their lands from the filth of the occupation.
The battle also brought the Palestinian issue back to the forefront of developments in the world, and was able to attract and influence global public opinion and shift it towards the Palestinian issue. On the other hand, the Israeli side has not achieved any of its declared goals so far. How does the second round of the battle differ from the ground operation that preceded the temporary humanitarian truce?
What distinguishes the second round of the battle is the worsening Israeli madness in targeting civilians and infrastructure, to record an achievement on the ground, but to no avail, and this is what confirms its failure and acceptance of defeat so far.
The resumption of Israeli bombing after the humanitarian truce is the best evidence that the occupation leaders acknowledge defeat, and that they see blind and indiscriminate bombing as a way to destroy the Strip, perhaps offering its scorched earth an achievement, while neither humanitarian logic nor military norms consider the bombing of civilians to be evidence of victory. Rather, it is evidence of failure and defeat.
Why was the Israeli government forced to resume the battle even though it knew that the price would be high?
The “Zionist entity” committed He made a grave mistake by resuming the aggression against Gaza, thinking that his military arsenal would turn the tide of the battle in his favor, but he did not learn from the American experience in its invasion ofIraq and< a i=3>Afghanistan.
The Israeli leadership is also clinging to continuing the aggression to find an honorable way out for it, by delivering painful blows to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). This is something that has not and will not be achieved on Earth. Because their owners have the upper hand in the street wars and gang wars that take place in their lands, and they know best about its paths.
The nature of classic battles is completely different from guerrilla warfare, and this is what the Israeli side did not take into account before launching a ground operation in Gaza.
In an indication of the confusion of the Israeli army in its ongoing operation in Gaza and the collapse of its morale, statistics indicate that 20% of the occupation’s losses were due to friendly fire. Because the nature of the battle has become completely different from what was expected, and it lacks a front line and a front line.
What is the importance of the battle losing a front line, which facilitates the targeting of Israeli forces and military vehicles from zero distance?
The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line, which increases the chances of the landowners targeting the invading forces. Over the decades, the Palestinian resistance has worked to arm all of Gaza and create fortifications underground and above it, especially in places owned by the resistance, and here the resistance fighters are using these fortifications to target enemy forces from zero distance.
We know very well that as the battle continues, zero-range targeting of Israeli forces will increase, because the Israeli army waging a guerrilla war in Gaza is no less dangerous than entering a mine field with explosives.
In your opinion, to what extent can the Israeli leadership tolerate the high rate of casualties among its forces, including senior officers?
The "Zionist entity" is not accustomed to The battles will be long-term, and the Israeli leadership will be subjected to tremendous pressure to end the battle.
We believe that the passage of time is not in Israel’s favor, and that if the war continues for another month, the Israeli army will leave Gaza carrying the tails of defeat and shame, because with the passage of time, the pressure of Israeli public opinion will increase, especially the families of the prisoners on the one hand, and Western support for Tel Aviv will decline. On the other hand.
Israel has threatened since the first day of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” By destroying the tunnel network in Gaza, it appears that it intends to flood it with seawater. Do you see this as a possible plan?
The occupation revealed only the smallest of the tunnel networks in Gaza because it is not a unified network, and part of what was found was a trap that caused the occupation forces to lose lives, making them not dare to enter it.
The “Israeli entity” cannot flood it with water because he knew that his prisoners were languishing there, and that a number of them who had been released by Hamas confirmed this. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does this, the repercussions will be dire for him.
However, we believe that he is unable to submerge it completely with water; Because it was built on parts and not a unified network, and the resistance prepared to separate it and divide it into smaller parts, and therefore there is no fear for it and it will remain a nightmare for the occupation.
The other point I would like to point out is that the resistance axis, which planned with the Palestinians to build more than 400 kilometers of tunnels under a patch of land whose area did not exceed 40 square kilometers, has taken various "scenarios" potential into consideration.
These scenarios include flooding the tunnels with water, pumping toxic gas into them, or blowing up parts of them. Therefore, the Palestinian side in the tunnels knows very well how to deal with all possible challenges.
What is your reading of the Houthis fighting naval battles against Israeli ships and ships heading to the occupied territories, and what is its impact on the course of the battle?
The Yemeni Ansar Allah group (the Houthis) took upon itself the task of supporting Gaza, based on Islamic teachings calling for supporting the oppressed, and pledged to prevent ships heading to "The Zionist entity" From navigation in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, this decision will put additional pressure on Israel, especially in the field of securing ships heading to the occupied Palestinian territories.
We suggest to the Houthis not only to confiscate the cargo of ships heading to Israel, but rather to confiscate the ships carrying those goods if their origin or cargo is from Islamic countries.
How do you view the Islamic Republic’s warning to the United States that it will face exceptional problems if it wants to form an international force to protect navigation in the Red Sea? Is Tehran actually capable of implementing these threats?
The Iranian position is clear in this area. We oppose the formation of any international coalition in our region, and we believe that the Western side’s insistence on forming such a force will raise the number of targets for the Yemeni Navy to conduct military exercises at sea and near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
As for Tehran, it had previously opposed the formation of such an alliance under the pretext of ensuring maritime navigation in Gulf waters, and the project failed through political and operational opposition. We say this time, it is the same warning, and it is the same determination and choices.
I would like to draw the attention of those who doubt Iran's ability to carry out its threats to shoot down the American "Global Hawk" drone. Which was shot down by the Revolutionary Guard in 2019 after it entered Iranian airspace.
According to US National Security Advisor Jon Finer, Washington has "not ruled out the possibility of taking military action" against Yemen. This was also relayed by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to his Saudi counterpart Khalid bin Salman, according to Bloomberg News. The US is also assembling a maritime coalition "with as much buy-in from as many countries as possible" that could escort ships in the Red Sea.
Politico, citing American officials, announced that the Pentagon recently ordered the sending of the nuclear aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower to... To the Red Sea Strait in light of the recent Houthi attacks. This was preceded by the announcement of the “Semaphore” website. Citing officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden, the Pentagon is studying the possibility of launching strikes on Houthi military targets in northern Yemen in response to the escalation in attacks on ships in the Red Sea. One of the officials reported to the site that: “In recent days, the Pentagon transferred a strike group led by the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower from the Gulf to the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, to support the response Possible attacks from the United States by the Houthis". Another official indicated to the newspaper that American military commanders have “agreement to strike the Houthis.”
The shipping company “Orient Overseas Container Line” (OOCL) announced its immediate cessation of shipping Israeli goods, of all types, to all destinations, whether for export or import. The company, which is headquartered in Hong Kong and has worked with Israel for 25 years, said in a statement: “For operational reasons, (OOCL) Regarding the receipt and deliveryof goodsto and from Israel immediately and until further notice".
In this context, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the largest container shipping company in the world based in Switzerland, announced that it would stop using the Suez Canal after the Yemeni forces targeted one of its ships belonging to the occupation entity in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. .
“Axios” reported: The American said that the arrival of ships to the port of Eilat, south of the Israeli entity, has almost completely stopped due to attacks by Ansar Allah forces in the Red Sea. He added that ships heading to the occupying entity from Asia are now taking a route that circles Africa, making the journey three weeks longer and more expensive.
Economic experts in Israel warned of stopping shipping operations to the entity via the Red Sea and rising prices of goods. They pointed out that this means circling Africa, which will lead to extending the delivery times for goods from two weeks to a month and thus paying an additional cost ranging from four hundred thousand to one million dollars per ship.
A senior official at the US Department of Defense considered that the Yemeni Houthi threats in the Red Sea are “global and constitute an international challenge,” with the escalation of attacks on ships in shipping lanes targeted by the group allied with Iran. The official said, “Over the past weeks, the United States has worked with allies and partners to address the threat, by expanding Task Force 153 concerned with Red Sea security, within the framework of the joint naval forces.”
The official accused Iran of having a “direct role in this specific level of attacks carried out by the Houthis.” He said: “There is no doubt that the Iranians are playing a greatly destabilizing role, and if the senior leadership in Tehran wants the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea to stop, they will stop.” He added, "The Iranians have armed, trained, financed and equipped the Houthis, who have very advanced military capabilities."
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
Israeli Channel 12 said that an analysis conducted by the “MIG AI” company Revealing a "gloomy picture" Namely, the absolute majority of posts on social media sites and articles in major international media are against Israel. According to the analysis, 83% of online posts related to the war are against Israel and only 9% are in favor of it.
On major news sites, for every positive report on Israel, there are 3 reports that present Israel in a negative light, according to the analysis. Out of 372,000 articles about the war, 64% are neutral, 28% are against Israel, and 8% are in favor of it.
With the continuation of the operaton launched by Israel against Gaza, criticism is increasing at various levels of the aggression against the Gaza Strip, especially since it led to the death of thousands and the injury of tens of thousands of Palestinians. Palestinians, and demonstrations swept across various cities around the world denouncing the massacres committed by the occupation authorities without regard to hospitals or schools and without distinction between civilians and militants.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, confirmed that Israel’s colonization of the Palestinian territories it has occupied since 1967 is a war crime, demanding By issuingthe International Criminal Courtarrest warrants against those responsible forillegal settlement. This came in a blog post by Albanese, on her account on the X platform, commenting on the news that a coalition of illegal settlement organizations, which enjoys generous support from the Israeli government, is organizing a practical preparatory conference for settlement in Gaza.
She stressed that “the colonization of the occupied territories is the Israeli state’s policy since 1967, which means that the resettlement of Israeli civilians in confiscated Palestinian lands (a war crime) and the mass forced displacement of Palestinians” ( A crime against humanity)". She expressed her hope that arrest warrants would be issued against the perpetrators of these ongoing crimes.
Axis of Resistance
The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, stated, during a ceremony in Tehran to bid farewell to newly discovered martyrs of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), that the more aggression "Israel" inflicts on Palestine, the more nails they drive into their own coffin.
"In the war in Palestine, the more Israeli forces destroy, the more nails they drive into their coffin," Salami said, as he called out "Israel" and told its forces to fight like real warriors, instead of targeting and turning hospitals into battlefields. "As Imam Khomeini said, a nation blessed with martyrdom will never face enslavement," he noted, adding that Iran will support Palestine until the day it sees freedom from occupation.
Salami also explained how hatred toward the US is spreading around the world, leaving American officials afraid to visit any Islamic country. "Wherever you go, you’d face hatred and insecurity from the nations," he said. "The US is repeating its mistakes during the past 45 years and thinks it will reach victory through the occupation of lands," Salami said, referring to the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
Allied for Democracy
Netanyahu confirms that the families of the soldiers who were killed during the battles in the Gaza Strip gave him a mandate to continue fighting until Hamas is eliminated and the rest of the hostages are released. As a result, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked Netanyahu again, stressing the need for Netanyahu not to continue as prime minister, considering that it is possible to hold elections during wartime.
Allies of the United States and its partners are feeling increasingly frustrated because Washington is not using enough influence to protect the Palestinians. Writer Karen DeYoung, as associate editor and national security correspondent for the Washington Post, in an article in the Washington Post, blamed this on President Joe Biden’s support for Israel, which may be Account of American foreign policy. She explained that when Biden recently warned Israel that it was losing international support because of the war it was waging in the Gaza Strip, Gaza, he could have similarly warned that his administration also had a lot to lose.
She pointed out that Biden, “who describes himself as the most experienced foreign policy president in history,” promised to regain the reins of world leadership as “a strong and reliable partner for peace, progress, and security.” DeYoung commented that since then, American foreign policy has been witnessing ups and downs, starting with a “farce” Withdrawal fromAfghanistan, until regaining leadership in NATO (NATO) , the successful mobilization of aid toUkraineand the "uneasy" WithChina.
According to the article, there is recognition within the Biden administration that his absolute support for “Israel’s right to destroy” The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) may be at the expense of its standing at home and abroad. The writer quoted a senior administration official - who spoke on the condition of anonymity - as saying that the diplomatic cost of this support “may be something unforeseeable,” and what is meant, in general, is “for countries to look at the United States positively and show a willingness to support it.” And a desire to cooperate with her.”
She goes on to add that if public opinion in many countries is “hostile,” this will make it very difficult for the United States to attract support from them on issues that are the focus of attention of Americans. The senior official says that the Biden administration is “boasting” By repairing relations with the countries of the world and by cooperating with its allies and partners, it does not want to be isolated in the region and elsewhere. He added, “This is part of the message to Israel, as it is not beneficial for Israel to feel such pressure, under which we are suffering.”
DeYoung believes that isolation is most clearly evident in international forums such as the United Nations The United States was almost alone in opposing UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Last week, when the United Nations General Assembly, which includes 193 member states, overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution, only 9 countries joined To the American administration in voting no.
According to the article, since the early 1970s, the United States has used its veto power against dozens of resolutions criticizing Israel. And it is not only foreign US partners who are urging the administration to do more to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. Some US officials have begun in the White House The State Department and aid agencies publicly express their objections to Biden’s absolute support for Israel, believing that such a position will have greater repercussions on American leadership.
As part of its efforts to persuade developing countries to move away from Russia, Washington described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “colonial aggression,” according to the article. The writer stated that “the harshest” phrases included in the words of international delegations at the General Assembly meetings were spoken by America's close partners in the Middle East. Egyptian Ambassador Osama Abdel Khaleq said in his speech before the Assembly that there is a “hateful indication of double standards,” when those who claim to respect international humanitarian law in certain cases turn their backs “shamelessly.” For other situations, especially when they relate to the Palestinians.
DeYoung said that Biden did not fulfill the promises he made during his previous election campaign to reopen the US Consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the Palestinian Liberation Office in Washington, Both were closed by PresidentDonald Trump.
CNN said that more than 130 employees of the Department of Homeland Security urged the administration of President Joe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire and a cessation of hostilities in the country. 3>Gaza Strip, in a letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month.
The network explained that the employees, whose names were not mentioned in the letter dated November 22, 2023, expressed their joining with their colleagues and peers “on Capitol Hill, the US Agency for International Development, the State Department, and across the executive branch, who expressed similar concerns and urged the Biden administration to call for... "An immediate ceasefire."
Employees who work in several federal agencies within the department, which includes more than 260,000 employees, said they signed the letter without revealing their identities “for fear of personal safety and the risk of professional repercussions.” The letter criticizes the Department of Homeland Security for “turning a blind eye.” Regarding the bombing in Gaza, it stated, “The Department of Homeland Security has been a silent witness to the hunger affecting Palestinians, as vital food supplies have reached dangerously low levels.”
This was not the first time that employees working in the Biden administration expressed growing frustrations about how the president dealt with Israel’s war on Gaza, as dozens of political appointees and Biden administration employees earlier this week organized a protest in front of the White House to demand that the president support the ceasefire in Gaza.
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.
Palestinian Ministry of Health has announced that the total number of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank by the Israeli occupation this year has reached 505 people, including 111 children. The Palestinian Ministry of Health earlier 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.
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 127 between officers and soldiers 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 434 since the Palestinian resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th.
At least 1q,213 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.
Hostages
Today there was a meeting of the representatives of the families with Minister Ofir Akunis, and with the person in charge of the abductees - Gal Hirsch. At the meeting, Hirsch spoke unusually and asked the families: "Stop the protest, the government is doing everything to return them. You have no one to protest against." The representatives of the families responded to the surprising statement: "This is not a protest. We are not against the government, but for the state that will do everything to bring them back."
In addition,there was a limited meeting of the families of the abductees with Ministers Gantz and Galant - which became mandatory. One of the abductees turned to the ministers and said: "There is no time, I fear every day that passes. You have no idea what monsters we are facing. If they feel threatened, they will also use captives. We were scared that the IDF was using the Hannibal procedure on the civilians, so we were afraid of the bombings that were close. Since they were close, we begged to be taken down to the tunnels - and at some point they took us there. She also stressed: "Don't go into the tunnels, they (the terrorists) hang around there in large numbers - this is a huge danger for the soldiers and the abductees".
Udi Goren, whose cousin was believed captured until it emerged he was murdered on October 7, had harsh words for Israeli authorities. Udi Goren's cousin Tal Haimi was murdered by Palestinian jihadists on October 7. His lifeless body was then hauled into the Palestinian enclave, with the family remaining ignorant of his fate until several days ago. Speaking to i24NEWS, Goren had harsh words for the Israeli leadership, saying it abandoned the hostages, making no effort to get them out of Gaza alive.
"I would like to ask Prime Minister Netanyahu if his government finally reached a decision to sacrifice the remaining living hostages," Goren said. "Are they completely willing to give up on them, relinquish all concern for their lives, of those people who they neglected and failed to defend on October 7."
"If Netanyahu's playing chicken with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar then what's on the line is the lives of the hostages," he added. "If there is one thing we know for certain is that with each passing day more hostages die. A military operation does not bring the hostages back alive. It doesn't. Just look at the past week. We have learned that at least 10 people who have gone in Gaza alive, and it's documented, they are now dead."
"Everything the latest plan is reiterating is saying is that they don't care about the hostages." Goren said "The military pressure brought Hamas once to the table," suggesting Israel must try to resume the hostage deal that brought 110 of them home.
Egyptian security sources told Reuters the Israeli occupation and Hamas are both open to a fresh truce and captive release, while disputes persist on how it would be accomplished. The sources detailed how Egypt and Qatar, who had already arranged a week-long truce and captive release, insisted on expediting assistance. While the crossing was open, they said that relief was being held up by inspections and had yet to arrive in Egypt. According to Axios, Israeli Mossad spy agency head David Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday night in Europe to discuss continuing negotiations to release captives held in Gaza.
Two days ago, the Saudi Elaph news website revealed that a European capital is hosting secret meetings between an Israeli and a Qatari delegation to discuss a new prisoner-captive exchange deal with Hamas. The egyptian sources divulged to Reuters that Hamas is adamant about unilaterally releasing captives and demanding that Israeli soldiers retire behind pre-determined boundaries.
The Israelis have reportedly said they needed time to inspect the list of captives before they agree to a time and duration for the truce, while refusing to withdraw from their invasion of Gaza. Sources close to the discussions said they are "just the beginning" and that the process will be "long, difficult, and complicated."
CIA director Bill Burns and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel were briefed on the meeting and are helping in the renewed push for a captive deal, the sources added. Israeli media reported on Friday that the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, held a two-hour meeting with the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, and discussed the possibility of initiating an additional deal related to a new prisoner-captive exchange.
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 4,400 Palestinians in the West Bank and the 1948 territories since last October 7. Some 150 women have been arrested thus far, both from the West Bank and the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948. Additionally, more than 255 children have been arrested. Israel had earliers aid 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.
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