Operation Iron Swords - Day 74 - 19 December 2023
Ccontents |
|
NEW - Operations NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages |
The Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, confirmed that Iran is no longer what it was 40 or 30 years ago, or even 5 years ago, " Today, we are a global power, not just a regional power.” The commander of the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace forces added that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation is the beginning of major events in the world and in the region.
The IDF and the Shin Bet revealed quotes from the investigation of Ahmed Kahlot, director of the "Kamal Adwan" hospital in Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip. Kahlot admitted that Hamas turned hospitals into a military facility under Hamas control: "I was drafted into Hamas in 2010 at the rank of lieutenant colonel. There are workers in the hospital who are military operatives of Ezz a-Din Al-Qassem - doctors, brothers, paramedics, clerks, staff members. He said "There was a time that dozens of them hidden in the hospital, sometimes close to a hundred." Moreover, terrorists were embedded among the hospital staff.
Kahlot was arrested last week at the "Kamal Edwan" hospital. by the IDF and Shin Bet forces, who completed the takeover of it about three days ago and arrested about 90 terrorists there. In his investigation at the Shin Bet, Kahlot describes how Hamas uses hospitals for military use - hiding operatives, military activity, transporting staff and even bringing a kidnapped soldier into it.
The director of the hospital said that Hamas terrorists hide in hospitals because they believe it is a safe place, and that they will not harm it while they are inside. Kahlot added that there are 16 military operatives of Hamas in the hospital, which also maintains offices, interrogation rooms and private telephone lines. "Hamas uses private ambulances with different colors and no license plates," Kahlot said. "In these ambulances they brought the kidnapped soldier and transferred bodies. They come and go and don't take down the wounded."
Also in his investigation, Kahlot said that on one occasion he begged Hamas to take a wounded man to the Indonesian hospital or to Shifa for treatment - and they refused: "their mission is more important," he said. Kahlot even sharply criticized the top leadership of the terrorist organization: "The leaders of Hamas are cowards. They left us in the field while they hide in hiding places - they destroyed us."
Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made another statement calling for the daily execution of the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners affiliated with Hamas for every day an Israeli captive is not released. Ben-Gvir called for an end to negotiations with Hamas, advocating for a decisive approach. He stated that if Israeli hostages were not released daily, a "member of the elite" would be executed.
A UN Security Council vote on an attempt to increase aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip has been postponed for another day as talks continue in an attempt to avoid the United States using its veto for a third time on a measure regarding the nearly two-month-old war between Israel and Hamas, diplomats said.
The 15-member council was initially scheduled to vote on a draft resolution drafted by the UAE on Monday. But the vote has been repeatedly postponed, with diplomats saying the UAE and the United States are having difficulty agreeing on language indicating a cessation of hostilities and a proposal to establish a UN aid monitoring mechanism.
In response to a question about whether diplomats were close to reaching an agreement, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Tuesday, “We are trying, really trying.”
The draft resolution calls on Israel and Hamas to allow aid to be delivered to all parts of the Gaza Strip and asks the United Nations to monitor it. Diplomats said that the United States wants to soften the language that “calls for an urgent cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and to take urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”
The United States and Israel oppose the ceasefire because they believe it will only benefit Hamas. Instead, Washington supports stopping the fighting to protect civilians and allowing the release of hostages held by Hamas. Washington traditionally protects its ally, Israel, from any action in the Security Council. It has already used its veto power twice to block action in the Security Council since the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7th.
Operational Update
The military media of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, published video clips of battles and targetingIsraeli occupation forces penetrating into Gaza, and with Al-Qassam publishing the clips, they began to spread like wildfire on social media platforms.
What caught the attention of social media pioneers most in the scenes broadcast by the military media was the remarkable development in the clips in which Al-Qassam documented its operations against the armyThe Israeli occupation Their attention was also drawn to the scenes of the occupation withdrawing a convoy of its damaged tanks, and an attempt to rescue soldiers and transport dead people who were injured during the battles, and the scene of Al-Qassam fighters targeting a military vehicle with an anti-missile.
Bloggers said that the pictures and videos shown by the Al-Qassam Brigades are terrifying to the Israelis, and the video of 10 soldiers gathering around their tank to protect them and targeting them with Al-Yassin shells and fire surrounding them from all sides is considered one of the most important scenes broadcast by Al-Qassam since the beginning of the war. They added that what is distinctive in the video is also the number counter and the red triangle that Al-Qassam placed it on the soldiers holed up in their tanks.
Others described the unprecedented scenes of a specific Qassam operation, which destroyed an Israeli military enclave full of soldiers with a Kornet missile. This operation had great significance as it came about 70 days after the war on Gaza and in the Abraj al-Nada area in Beit Lahia, which was completely destroyed by the Israeli occupation in the first days of the war. He said: He tightened control over it, noting that the operation came hours after a show of force carried out by the Israeli Defense Minister in the northern Gaza Strip.
Observers said that Al-Qassam and the rest of the Palestinian fighting factions in Gaza are writing the most wonderful heroic epics that history has never witnessed, using terrible military methods and tactics, and they will be taught in higher military colleges, they said. Some of the tweeters commented on the scenes that Al-Qassam responded to the tunnel video and the footage that the occupation obtained from the Palestinians’ phones with the videos it published yesterday, which emphasize the equality.
“Al-Qassam Brigades” in Lebanon issued a military statement in which it claimed responsibility for firing a concentrated salvo of 12 missiles towards the Kiryat Shmona Airport barracks. The newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” said the Israeli army reported that one of the rockets that was fired in a salvo from southern Lebanon,landed in the yard of a house inside the Kiryat Shmona settlement. "Hezbollah" had previously announced that he had fired a missile salvo at “Al-Khalisa village (Kiryat Shmona colony).”
Israeli media outlets reported that the northern borders with Lebanon witnessed the launch of drones reaching deep into the occupied Palestinian al-Jalil. Rubi Hammerschlag, the Israeli KAN channel correspondent in north Palestine, mentioned that a heavy missile barrage was fired three hours ago, marking it as "the heaviest so far in this area." Hammerschlag further highlighted that the barrage included 18 missiles "targeted toward Kiryat Shmona and towns in the Upper al-Jalil." He also noted that throughout the day, sirens sounded in towns in the Hula Valley, the Upper al-Jalil region, and Safad, due to the infiltration of drones.
Earlier, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that a heavy barrage of rockets was launched toward the Upper al-Jalil, with "Israel's" Iron Dome system attempting to intercept them. Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah confirmed that in response to the Israeli enemy's aggression against civilians and the martyrdom of Lebanese citizen Hussein Ali Barkat, its fighters shelled the settlement of "Yiftah" (the occupied Lebanese village of Qadas) with artillery, causing confirmed injuries.
The Israeli naval forces continued to attack terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, including buildings where Hamas terrorists were located and vessels used by the organization for terrorist purposes. In addition, the forces of the naval arm continue to assist the IDF forces maneuvering in the Strip.
IDF Spokesman, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari: "The forces are going deeper into the operation, destroying and eliminating terrorists." We have added an entire brigade and engineering forces to the Khan Yunis area. The IDF "attacked today a series of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and a terrorist cell". "Our forces returned fire to the sources of the shooting in the center of the country, also as Hizbollah targets. Hezbollah acts as a shield for Hamas-ISIS and endangers the citizens of Lebanon. "The forces in the field will be instructed on how to search for live abductees."
Special forces from the 'Sheldag' Working inside a significant terror tunnel of the terrorist organization Hamas that was uncovered in the heart of Gaza City. Air Force and IDF aircraft attacked another terrorist cell in the Shtoula area. In addition, a number of launches were detected from the territory of Lebanon towards the territory of the State of Israel, the IDF attacked with fire the sources of the shooting.
Air force fighter jets attacked a series of Hezbollah military targets in Lebanese territory, among the targets attacked, terrorist infrastructures, military buildings, a weapons depot and a launch site of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. Following a warning about the infiltration of a hostile aircraft in the north of the country, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed the territory of Lebanon towards the territory of the State of Israel. Rocket and missile warnings were activated for fear of interception fragments.
Following the warning about the infiltration of a hostile aircraft in the north of the country, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted using the "Iron Dome" system. A suspicious aerial target that crossed the territory of Lebanon towards the territory of the State of Israel.
Charges, missiles and rockets - A force of the 261st Divisional Combat Team in the 162nd Division located sites for the production of munitions and a large stockpile of munitions.
The IDF attacked several areas in Lebanese territory earlier today with artillery fire. In addition, one launch was detected from Lebanese territory towards the Metula area that fell in an open area, the IDF attacked with fire the sources of the shooting.
The IDF and the Shin Bet eliminated Sabchi Perana, who was involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars for the benefit of the fighting activities of the military wing of Hamas.
The 55th Divisional Combat Team carried out combined raids on terrorist infrastructures in Han Younes, during which the fighters shot down a terrorist who launched an RPG-type anti-tank missile at the force. The fighters located a munitions warehouse containing explosive charges, weapons and grenades.
"Mihal" fighters and engineering forces located a bomb that had been planted inside a clinic near a school in the heart of the Sgaiya neighborhood. Also, fighters from Bissell's brigade combat team operating in the Sgaiya neighborhood located many weapons, among them, punching clutches, vests and cartridges.
Fighters of the 179th Brigade Combat Team ('RAM') destroyed a tunnel shaft near a beach in the south of Gaza City. After the explosion of the shaft, the forces identified a large number of terrorists who fled into a building on the coastline. An Air Force fighter plane destroyed the building.
The Israeli army published scenes of the special forces unit “Shaldag” While working against tunnels belonging to the Hamas movement, In Gaza City, where 1,500 tunnel openings and underground passages have been uncovered since the beginning of the war. The Israeli army said in a statement: “After identifying the locations of hundreds of tunnels and destroying many of them using various techniques, the Shaldag Special Forces unit... “Implementing operational activities within the tunnel network of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
The army stressed in its statement that “fighting in underground tunnels is considered a complex form of warfare, including the discovery of combat facilities and terrorist command centers.” The statement added: “The secret war is a combat strategy used by the Hamas terrorist organization. Since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli army forces have identified approximately 1,500 tunnel openings and underground passages belonging to Hamas.
The army continued: “Most of these tunnels were found under schools, hospitals, mosques, United Nations facilities, and civilian institutions. Hamas uses the civilian population as human shields, which is evident in the locations of these underground facilities in the Gaza Strip.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said during his tour of the border with Gaza: “We are focusing on the process of cleansing the northern Gaza Strip area and entering the underground tunnels. As for the south, Khan Yunis has turned into the new stronghold of terrorism. We will bring the leaders (Hamas leaders) to fate.” What suits them is either the grave or prison.”
IDF fighters in reserves, engineering, the Shin Bet and the MG destroyed in the village of Akbara in the Samaria Brigade the apartment of the terrorist Osama Bani Padel who carried out the attack in Hawara on 19 August 2023 in which Shay and Aviad Nigerkar were murdered.
Also, the forces arrested ten wanted persons throughout Judea and Samaria, among them four affiliated with Hamas. In Kfar Beit says that in the Etzion Brigade the forces confiscated an M-16 weapon. In the operation to confiscate illegal vehicles in the village of Zurif, 40 vehicles were confiscated, and in the village of Karvat Bnei Hassan in the Ephraim division, terrorist funds worth over NIS 100,000 were confiscated. The wanted persons who were arrested were transferred for further investigation by the security forces, there are no casualties to Israeli forces.
Al Jazeera military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that The Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). )- It sent military and political messages after bombing Greater Tel Aviv with missiles after 74 days of war on the Gaza Strip.) Duwairi stated that the message of the political resistance is its ability to target Israel’s population and economic center of gravity, and force millions to go to shelters, as happened at the beginning of the Battle of " Al-Aqsa Flood".
He added that the military message is that the Operations Staff is still effective, as well as the command, control and communications system from the top level to the smaller groups, noting that it also highlights the battle planning mechanism by choosing the appropriate time, the appropriate target, and the appropriate missile.
He continued by saying that Al-Qassam’s message tells the occupation army that its missile stocks are fine, “but it alone decides when, how and where to strike,” which practically means the ability of Hamas fighters to fire missiles for many months, according to Al-Duwairi. As for shooting down some resistance missiles with the David’s Sling system, Al-Duwairi revealed that the matter is related to the type and range of the missile, because Iron Dome only deals with missiles with a range between 5 and 70 kilometers, and beyond that, other defense systems are used.
Al-Duwairi touched on field developments, and said that the occupation army is trying to advance along the eastern regions of the Gaza Strip, after Israeli vehicles that had not previously participated in the battles of the north and south entered the eastern central region, specifically the outskirts of the Bureij and Al-Maghazi camps.
It is believed that the Israeli army wants to control the length of the fence area from Beit Hanoun in the north to Rafah in the south, with a depth ranging between 1.3 and two kilometers. The military analyst points out that these developments on the ground - such as the attempt to advance to Palestine Square in the center of Gaza City and others - come coinciding with the escalation of talk about a political approach that may lead to a new truce or another exchange deal, regardless of the possibility of its success or failure.
He adds that the occupation seems to want to impose a new fait accompli in parallel with the political negotiation process, and he believes that these will be cards of strength at the negotiating table.
Al-Duwairi, said that the videos of the Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) confirms that its General Staff is still working with the utmost efficiency and that it has the upper hand. Al-Duwairi explained - during his analysis for Al Jazeera - that the recent scenes are a clear message that Al-Qassam has the command, control, communications and reconnaissance system.
On December 18, Al-Qassam broadcast 4 videos, two of which were epic battle scenes against occupation vehicles and soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, in addition to A third video about the Israeli-discovered tunnel, and a fourth about elderly Israeli prisoners entitled “Don’t let us grow old.” He pointed out that the occupation army only succeeds in bombing homes and killing civilians, and that the videos it publishes are “a show of force directed at inside Israel,” pointing out that they show only half the truth and appear to be training or maneuvers.
As for the repeated statements of the occupation leaders about Israel going far in eliminating Hamas, Al-Duwairi said that they are populist speeches directed at the interior, citing the instruction of the Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu instructs Mossad chief to meet with mediators to release prisoners in Gaza.
He stressed that Netanyahu's government is facing a crisis reality, and is trying to cover up its failure here and there, such as the discovery of a tunnel near the border fence more than 70 days after its war.
As for field developments, Al-Duwairi stated that the Al-Qassam Brigades resorted to the Kornet missile to strike an exposed Israeli vehicle instead of tanks and armored carriers, because the latter are equipped with the “protective curtain” system. It can shoot down the missile before reaching the target. He pointed out that the Kornet is Russian-made and has been improved. The Qassam possesses laser-operated missiles with a range of 5.5 kilometers. The weight of the filling is estimated at 27 kilograms, and its trajectory is a non-straight spiral.
Regarding the implications of the Al-Qassam video regarding elderly Israeli prisoners, the military expert said that these are among the founders of the occupation army and have a long track record in doing so. He added that these are extremist Jews and live in the settlements surrounding Gaza, stressing that the video message will have a similar or greater impact than the killing of the three prisoners a few days ago at the hands of the Israeli army.
Political researcher Saleh Abu Azza confirmed that on the map of the Gaza Strip we find that the occupation’s entry movements are from the north, east, or west coast with the Mediterranean Sea and the lowest line that separates the northern Gaza Strip from the central region. These areas are considered an open plain area and are not concentration points for the Palestinian resistance.
Abu Azza pointed out that in November, at the beginning of the Israeli ground attack, there was an Israeli ability to enter and reach these areas, and there was no population density and no basic defense points for the Palestinian resistance, so the Israelis were able to cut this line naturally.
Abu Azza added that when we compare Al-Shuja'iya and Jabalia, specifically the Jabalia military camp, which is the real name of the Jabalia camp, in addition to the Al-Zaytoun area, we find that this far eastern chain is very different from the maritime borders of the Gaza Strip. /span> About the western region near the sea, and the main reason for this is that the ability of the Palestinian resistance to adapt to tunnels is completely different from the ability in the western side of the Gaza Strip.
During the seven wars waged by the Israeli occupation army on the Gaza Strip, the name of a Palestinian neighborhood became prominent because it inflicted on the occupation significant human and material losses as a result of the fierce battles. Which took place in this neighborhood, which is Shujaiya, which is one of the largest and most densely populated neighborhoodsof Gaza City.
Palestinian historians give Shuja'iya neighborhood a number of names, most notably “the eastern guard of Gaza.” The neighborhood's residents have qualities, the most prominent of which are toughness and defiance, which demonstrates the ferocity in fighting and confronting the Israeli occupation army over the past decades.
The Shuja'iya neighborhood in Gaza has been witnessing fierce battles and violent clashes for days between the Israeli occupation army forces invading from the east of Gaza City and members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, while it is ravaged by human tragedies after indiscriminate bombing and Israeli massacres that claimed the lives of hundreds of its residents and displaced thousands, as part of a strategy aimed at completely destroying it. Complete.
Al-Shuja'iya, after witnessing 7 successive wars, was subjected to aerial bombardment with more than 60 missiles, while during the past few days, residential blocks were completely wiped out, leaving hundreds dead and wounded and dozens buried under the rubble, in addition to turning most of it into ruins. Rubble, as witnessed by continuous artillery shelling and dozens of fire belts.
The Commander of the Fifth Military District in Yemen, Major General Yousef Al-Madani, confirmed that any escalation in Gaza will be met with an escalation in the Red Sea, and any calm in Gaza is considered a calm in the Red Sea. Major General Al-Madani pointed out in an interview with Radio September 21 that the Red Sea front is part of the Palestine front, and Yemen is an integral part of the battle of Palestine. He said: “Any foreign country that comes between us and Palestine, we will confront it, seeking help from God.”
He added, "We are concerned with increasing readiness to confront any threats that may arise, as the enemy is lurking in Yemen and seeking to react after being insulted."
The Commander of the Fifth Military District explained, “The Israeli ship “Galaxy Leader” was seized.” By the grace of God, in very complex circumstances and at a distance of 120 kilometers from the Yemeni coast, he indicated, “The operation took place while the enemy was in a cautious position, and the Americans were largely present in the Red Sea and close to the ship.”
He stated, “The special force that carried out the operation had undergone extensive training for two years to carry out similar operations.”
The official spokesman for the Ansar Allah movement, Muhammad Abdel Salam, confirmed that Yemen’s position regarding what is happening in Palestine and the heinous crimes to which the Palestinian people are exposed is a religious, humanitarian and moral position.
Mohamed Abdel Salam said in an exclusive interview with Al-Alam Channel that it is clear that an unparalleled folly is being committed in Palestine with American and Western support and carried out by the occupying Zionist entity. Pointing out that Yemen's position is to bear this historical burden in support of the oppressed Palestinian people and stems from this principle.
Abdul Salam continued that the operations that took place in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea are operations targeting Israeli ships or those that have a partnership with the Zionists or ships heading to The ports of the occupying entity, as a natural response to the rules of engagement imposed by the Zionists in order to help lift the siege and end the aggression against the people of Palestine in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Regarding the formation of an American coalition, Abdel Salam stressed that its goal is to protect the Israeli entity and not to protect any international navigation. The ships pass through the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea in complete safety and stability, and they only target the right-wing forces that announced their targeting. Pointing out that this coalition was announced from Tel Aviv. Aviv, not from anywhere else, and since it was announced, it has been a weak alliance that does not have any legal, moral, or humanitarian basis.
The spokesman for Ansar Allahconfirmed that the American propaganda is rejected and unacceptable, and that this alliance aims to protect the Israeli entity so that it continues its crimes against the Palestinian people, pointing out that This maritime coalition does not involve any country overlooking the Red Sea, but rather consists of countries led by the United States, Britain and France, whose basic position is to support the slaughter and killing of the Palestinian people.
He stated that this alliance will not change the course of the battle, will not change Yemen’s position in support of Palestine, and will not stop naval operations. Abdel Salam said that the naval operations have proven to be very effective and the Israeli economy has been paralyzed. This is information from neutral parties, and even the Zionist entity and the Western media are talking about this, in addition to the announcement by major maritime companies in the world of the cessation of navigation heading to the occupying entity.
He considered that this naval operation put great pressure on the American and Israeli position. It is a pressure operation to end the war and aggression against Gaza and support the Palestinian people. It is at the heart of the strategic battle that supported Palestine because it is an active and continuous operation since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza and represented a state of interdependence and the American and Zionist forces lost balance. Evidence of this is what was announced by international parties and that the American endeavor to find an alliance to save the Israeli entity is a result of the effectiveness of the Yemeni operations against the Israeli entity in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
Liquefied natural gas tankers are diverting from the Red Sea, where violence related to the war between Israel and Hamas threatens" Classified as a terrorist in the United States and other countries, with longer flights and fuel delays in extremely cold times, according to a report by Bloomberg. Since Friday, at least five ships have changed course away from the waters off the coast of Yemen, an inevitable waypoint for ships using the Suez Canal linking Europe and Asia, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
The 192-kilometre-long Suez Canal is the fastest sea route between Asia and Europe. It is one of the seven geographical choke points and is extremely important for global oil trade. It is also vulnerable to disruption or pirate attacks. Companies transporting natural gas are choosing to avoid the Red Sea as Iranian-backed Houthi militants intensify their attacks in support of Hamas. Qatar, one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas producers and a major supplier to Europe, continues to cross the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal, according to ship tracking data.
The diversions are occurring at a time when another vital ocean-to-ocean waterway for LNG, the Panama Canal, is being severely restricted by drought. This means that more US LNG shipments to Asia may need to take longer routes around South Africa. On Monday, European natural gas prices jumped by 7 percent.
Maps
|
All maps are lies. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. Thes processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, 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
Human Rights Watch said the Israeli government was using starvation of civilians as a method of war in the occupied Gaza Strip, which constitutes a war crime. The human rights organization considered that the Israeli occupation army prevented the delivery of water, food, and fuel, while deliberately obstructing humanitarian aid, apparently bulldozing agricultural areas, and depriving the civilian population of materials indispensable for their survival.
It indicated that Israeli officials, including the Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, and the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir< /span> and Energy Minister Israel Katz made public statements in which they expressed their intention to deprive civilians in Gaza of food, water, and fuel, noting that these statements were reflected in the military operations carried out by Israeli forces.
This comes while other Israeli officials have publicly stated that humanitarian aid to Gaza will be conditional on either the release of detainees held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), or the destruction of the movement.
The director of Israel and Palestine affairs at Human Rights Watch said: Omar Shaker, “For more than two months, Israel has been depriving Gazans of food and water, a policy urged or endorsed by senior Israeli officials that reflects an intent to starve civilians as a tactic.” Of the methods of war". Omar Shaker called on world leaders to raise their voices against this abhorrent war crime, “with devastating effects on the people of Gaza.” Displaced people from the Gaza Strip interviewed by Human Rights Watch described They face severe difficulties in securing basic necessities.
In southern Gaza, interviewees described scarcity of potable water, food shortages that led to empty stores and long queues, and exorbitant prices, with a father of two children saying, “You have to constantly search for the things needed to survive.” On December 6, the United Nations World Food Program reported that 9 out of every 10 families in northern Gaza and two out of every three families in southern Gaza spent at least a full day and a full night without food.
Israeli military operations in Gaza also had a devastating impact on its agricultural sector. According to Oxfam, due to ongoing bombing, coupled with fuel and water shortages, and the displacement of more than 1.6 million people to southern Gaza, agriculture has become almost impossible.
The Egyptian researcher in national security affairs, Ahmed Refaat, commented on the sharp and unprecedented anger that Egypt showed to Israel after the bombing of the Salah al-Din Axis, known as the “Philadelphia Axis.” Between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Refaat said in statements to RT: “The Israeli enemy insists on escalating matters and bringing them to the greatest possible point of confusion, but Egypt has set and is thus setting the last limits for the enemy to understand the possible and the impossible.”
Refaat continued: “Egypt, which is famous for its strategic patience in its policy, warns once, then the second time there will be a calculated escalation, and the third time the transgressing party will have no one to blame but itself, as national security issues do not know joking, nor do they know tolerance or complacency.” The Egyptian researcher noted that “the operations to feel the pulse and test balloons are not appropriate for Egypt, nor are they appropriate for such matters. Then we wonder: Which Hamas leaders will flee to Egypt?” Did the enemy forces arrest one senior leader so that the rest could escape?
He stressed that: “The criminal occupation operations are moving from failure to failure, and Netanyahu is doing nothing but killing innocent children, women, the elderly, and the defenseless. The second is that he takes over his dead from his officers... and his soldiers failed in Gaza because they are sleepy men killed by the resistance.” He added, “Instead of harassing a large and powerful country like Egypt, it should look for a way out of its great disappointment, the trials that await it, the tragic end, and the dustbin of history awaiting it!”
Egypt informed the Israeli side of its reservations against the backdrop of the Israeli Air Force carrying out several strikes near the Philadelphia axis separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip, especially since the axis is subject to a bilateral agreement that requires obtaining prior permission from the other party before carrying out any military actions in the region.
In the same context, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said: The Israeli newspaper said that there are great fears among the Israeli security services that “senior Hamas officials will escape to the Sinai Peninsula through tunnels located under the Salah al-Din Axis, and therefore it will be bombed.” The political analyst for the Hebrew newspaper, Lior Ben Ari, said that there are confirmed reports about the escalation of the dispute between Israel and Egypt regarding the operations on the Philadelphia axis in the southern Gaza Strip, noting that the Israeli army claimed that Hamas’ infrastructure in the region was attacked, while Egypt confirmed that it was surprised at the absence of coordination.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that the United States must move to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, stressing that Israel is not only attacking the Palestinians and the Gaza Strip, Rather, all of humanity. Erdogan said in press statements that the United States must stop turning a deaf ear to calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, explaining that he reminded his American counterpart Joe BidenOn the historical responsibilities of the United States regarding stopping the war in Gaza.
He reiterated that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization and that it is a political party, and I say that again.” "They are fighting for the rights they will have as a political party. "Regarding Palestinian reconciliation, and the meetings between the Fatah and Hamas movements, Erdogan said that Turkey has a lot that it can do in this regard, “and it is necessary for reconciliation to prevail between the two movements.”
He stated that his government is currently interested in removing the wounded and sick from Gaza and transporting them to Turkey for treatment, and after that, “If the Israeli attacks end, our agenda will be to revive Gaza, and we must mobilize the Islamic world for that.” He explained that his meetings with leaders of the Gulf states and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation were to emphasize participation in the efforts to rebuild and revive Gaza.
Axis of Resistance
The head of the Iranian Islamic Shura Council, Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf, confirmed that the American-led Western Front continues to support the crimes of the Zionist occupation entity with all its media, financial, military and diplomatic capabilities. He said that the experience of these days has proven that the myth of the invincible Zionist entity has become history.
Qalibaf added during the Shura Council meeting on Tuesday: We condemn the crimes against humanity committed by the Zionist entity by killing the defenseless children of the people of Gaza. The Western Front, led by America, is still supporting these crimes with all its media, financial, military and diplomatic capabilities. The experience of these days has proven that the myth of the invincible Zionist entity has become history.
He addressed America and the West, saying: All your support will not be able to save this entity from the quagmire it has fallen into. I confirm that the continuation of this anti-human behavior will bring you a global scandal, and you will lose your reputation even among your people.
He said: I remind the rulers and presidents of Islamic and Arab countries that you are facing a historic test towards the Islamic peoples and you must carry out your religious, humanitarian and national duty with practical actions without empty slogans. Unfortunately, I must say that you have not emerged from this test with your heads held high yet, and I hope that you will compensate for the above with effective measures in the coming days.
He referred to the terrorist crime represented by the attack on the police headquarters of the city of Rask in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, southeastern Iran, and the martyrdom and injury of a number of spare police cadres. He added: The security forces and law enforcement must urgently and seriously uncover the perpetrators of this criminal incident and punish them. It is necessary to take the necessary measures to prepare Providing border posts with equipment and preventing the recurrence of such crimes.
The Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, confirmed that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation is the beginning of major events in the world and in the region.
Brigadier General Haji Zadeh said in a speech he delivered at a ceremony commemorating the martyrs of the city of Ashtian (in Markazi Governorate located in central Iran) on Monday, that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation caused a collapse in the Zionist entity, and from the fourth day of the operation the Americans took over the field command there until now, and they have imposed a veto. On the United Nations resolution, they do not allow the war to end. America stands behind all these crimes, and they cannot distance themselves, and this crime will kill them as well.
While he stressed that the Gaza war revealed many facts and exposed the depth of American and Zionist crimes to the entire world, he stressed that the entire world is watching that the Zionist entity, which defeated three Arab armies in 1967, stands helpless for 70 days in the face of a Palestinian guerrilla faction called Hamas.
He added: From here it is possible to know the strength of the axis of resistance. The Zionists who once said that they had to occupy what is between the Nile and the Euphrates, and who used to say that they would attack the Iranian nuclear bomb, are today in their confrontation with a guerrilla faction saying that their war has become a fateful war for them, and this means That their fate is threatened.
General Haji Zadeh continued, “The Al-Aqsa Flood operation is the beginning of major events in the world and the region, and this defeat is not only a defeat for the Zionist entity, but also a defeat for America. America has become aware that the power of the Muslims and the axis The resistance is the greatest force capable of overthrowing a ruler and occupying a region by bringing in fleets and warships. That time has passed, and they cannot continue their survival by following this method. If they continue with it, we will inevitably witness the collapse of America itself. They are no longer able to protect a Zionist group using the money of a leader. American taxes, the creation of ISIS, and waging wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They must either reconsider, or they will face bigger problems.
Two American researchers described the attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Israel on October 7th as an "astonishing tactical success" They wondered what the movement could claim to have achieved despite the Israeli army steadily increasing its grip on Gaza, leaving much of the Strip in ruins and more than 19,000 Palestinian martyrs.
Researchers Daniel Byman and Delaney Duff - the former a professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, and the latter a master's student in the security studies program at the same university - believe that it is useful to think about what Hamas has accomplished and what it has failed to do by studying three different dimensions: its struggle against Israel and the Palestinian arena. The Ministry of Interior and its position on the international scene.
With regard to its conflict with Israel, the Hamas movement’s attack on October 7 last caused pain to Israel and destroyed its sense of security, both of which are goals of the movement, and the attack exposed the belief of Benjamin’s government Netanyahuis firm that the movement lacks the intent and capabilities necessary to launch a large-scale attack on Israel.
This assumption left Israel unprepared to confront Hamas's major attack, and its intelligence failure was more successful than the movement's planners expected. It will leave deep psychological scars on the Israelis and force Tel Aviv to reevaluate its approach to dealing with security moving forward.
Israel's response could also strengthen Hamas' position, as the movement has succeeded in bringing the Palestinian issue back to the forefront of international news, and the Israeli military campaign in Gaza - despite the heavy costs incurred by civilians in Gaza - keeps the Palestinian issue at the top of the headlines.
The ground attack also plays into Hamas' narrative of Israeli aggression, isolates Israel from its neighbors, and exacerbates regional tensions. In the long term, the conflict will strengthen a new generation of Gazans who have grievances against Israel, which could strengthen support for Hamas in the future.
Hamas restored resistance credentials among the Palestinian people, and its effective attacks led to increased support for the resistance in general and restored its credentials in particular. Limited opinion polls of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as anecdotal reports, indicate strong support for the attack of last October 7, and that the Israeli response in both Gaza and theWest BankIt angered many Palestinians who were not supportive of Hamas.
The exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli detainees arrested by Hamas on the day of the attack is a clear victory for the movement, which can argue that its attacks - and not the competing Palestinian Authority negotiations - It is what led to the release of the prisoners.
The two researchers believe that the Palestinian issue has now become front and center after it was the last priority in the world, and Israel’s response to the Hamas attack reinforces narratives that portray Israel as an occupying power that brutally oppresses Palestinians. The continuation of the conflict and the subsequent humanitarian crisis in Gaza undermines Israel’s image in the region and enhances support for those who They, like Iran, oppose it. The attack also temporarily halted US-backed normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Beyond the Middle East, the war showed notable support for the Palestinian cause, as pro-Palestinian demonstrations spread across Europe. With few exceptions, the global South has adopted the Palestinian narrative, portraying the war as a war of a powerful state attacking a defenseless people, while expressing regret at what many consider the West’s hypocrisy in defending Ukraine, while ignoring the rights of the Palestinians. The researchers continued that Hamas could even declare some victories in the United States, and although most Republicans and US President Joe Biden supported Israel, the Democratic Party is divided, with younger Democrats particularly critical of Israel.
Allied for Democracy
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pledged not to allow the transfer of Palestinian tax funds to Gaza, or to the families of the Palestinian attackers, he said on Monday, hinting that he would resign from the government rather than pass the transfer. Smotrich was referring to reports of an agreement brokered by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to enable the Palestinian Authority to send money to its employees in Gaza, by allowing Israel to verify the beneficiaries of the funds.
The Minister of Finance pledged not to allow the transfer of “even one shekel” From money to “Nazi Hamas” In Gaza, according to his description, or to the families of “terrorists” From the West Bank and Gaza, he said that he informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he was “willing to pay the price if the government - God forbid - yields to this pressure.” He added, “I want to say as clearly as possible, this will never happen... as long as I am the Minister of Finance of the State of Israel.”
Israel collects monthly taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on the Palestinians’ imports of imported goods, and then settles debts from the Palestinians in favor of Israeli water, electricity and hospital companies. But it has increasingly refrained from doing so for various reasons, most notably the Palestinian Authority’s payment of salaries to those whom Israel condemns as “terrorists,” and “the families of murdered terrorists.” It recently said that it would not allow the Palestinian Authority to transfer funds allocated for services and salaries in the Gaza Strip, claiming that the funds could reach the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), with which Israel is waging war.
During the weekly meeting of his far-right Religious Zionist Party, Smotrich referred to a Channel 12 report that he broadcast the day before yesterday which stated that Israel had agreed to transfer the full funds, on the condition that it was able to verify the list of beneficiaries in Gaza, to ensure that the funds did not reach Hamas.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, head of the “Otzma Yehudit” party, supported the extreme nationalist expressed his colleague in the government's position on withholding tax funds at his party meeting, criticizing his government's policy of allowing fuel and other humanitarian aid to enter Gaza during the war.
He expressed his regret for the failure to present legislation allowing the death penalty for those he described as “terrorists,” noting that this would enable Israel to execute a prisoner from the elite force of the Qassam Brigades, from among those captured during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, for every day that Hamas does not release Israeli prisoners.
The families of hostages held in Gaza protested against Ben Gvir; Because of his focus on this issue, they said that he was putting “their loved ones in danger through his rhetoric and efforts,” according to the newspaper.
The Israeli writer specializing in security and intelligence affairs, Yossi Melman, repeated the incident of the Israeli army killing 3 of its captives "escaped from captivity" Inthe Gaza Stripto the deep-rooted culture and practices of killing and violence that this army has become accustomed to over decades, in contravention of the instructions on the rules of fire. Melman explained - in a report in Haaretz newspaper - that these practices are due to the “cover-up” that accompanies them. Regarding investigations and what he called “reduced punishment,” which is reflected in “violent” behavior. In many parts of Israeli society, he says.
Melman says that although the army leadership acknowledged and did not downplay the seriousness of the shooting incident that led to the death of the three detainees, and Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy accepted responsibility and said, “It is forbidden to shoot at anyone who raises the white flag and requests surrender,” the reality remains different, according to him.
The writer also reviewed what he described as “military doctrine.” Which was reformulated in 2000, and states that “the soldier will only use his weapon and force to carry out the mission, and only to the extent required for that,” in addition to international agreements that prohibit killing or harming prisoners and innocents. However, the reality is different - according to the writer - as the Israeli army has become accustomed to For years, Palestinian men and women have been shot in the West Bank in contravention of these instructions.
Melman confirms that the problem is that in most cases the person who opened fire or his leaders were not punished, and not only did he justify the act as he saw it, but they coordinated narratives to prevent the implementation of military police orders to open investigations against “suspects,” or those “rare” investigations. Which was closed under the pretext of “insufficient evidence.”
An Israeli army investigation into the mistaken killing of 3 Israeli prisoners in Gaza by its soldiers revealed that the dead were waving white flags, and that one of them was calling for help in Hebrew, saying, “Save us.” Two days before the incident, the forces found a building with the words “Save 3 Hostages” written on it. In Hebrew, hundreds of meters from the scene, according to what was reported by the Israeli press.
The three detainees left a building dozens of meters away from the building in which an army force was stationed. Then a soldier saw them leaving the building without shirts and carrying a stick with a white cloth. He shouted to his companions, “Terrorists!” He began shooting at them, killing two instantly, and the third fled wounded into the building from which he emerged again, according to Israeli media.
As soon as he heard the third man's screams, the military commander, who had the rank of major, gave orders to stop shooting. The wounded prisoner emerged reassured from the building, but a soldier shot and killed him, violating the orders of the field commander. After the killing of the three detainees, the soldiers had doubts about the identity of the dead, so they were transferred to Israel. After examining the bodies, it was found that they were prisoners of Hamas in Gaza.
Many military and political analysts agreed that the Israeli army failed to achieve the declared goals of the war on Gaza, and that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , finds it difficult to decide on the conduct of the ground operation, and the mechanisms for releasing detainees held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). These estimates come at a time when the circle of protests is expanding by the families of detainees in Tel Aviv and demanding a comprehensive exchange deal, amid talk of Hamas’ approval. Israel is on the path of negotiations for a new exchange deal.
Hamas requires an immediate ceasefire, while Netanyahu adheres to the military option to free the Israeli detainees. The Israeli side's readings come with the strengthening of convictions that the military option did not lead to the liberation of - even - a single detainee, and did not contribute to undermining Hamas' rule or its military arsenal, but rather inflicted heavy losses on the occupation army in terms of dead and wounded soldiers, and in military equipment.
In light of the complexities of the war and the ground incursion, television critic and journalist Einav Schiff wrote an article in the newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth”, entitled “It is time to come down from the tree”, in an implicit admission that the army did not achieve the goals of the war, and that the Netanyahu government is floundering about deciding on the issue of detainees. The journalist explained that the killing of the three kidnappers at the hands of the Israeli army not only revealed serious operational failures and a lack of moral clarity, but also revealed the painful and restrictive reality of the ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip.
In practical terms, Einav says, “One does not need to be a high-ranking army officer to see the gap in facts, field realities, and high expectations implanted in the mentality of the Israeli public.” He continues, “The media discourse on television, the Internet, and newspapers, with the exception of a small number of voices, hides the difficult facts on the battlefield, under the pretext of maintaining morale and fighting spirit.”
In practice, Einav believes that the political and military levels in Israel find it difficult to get the truth out of their throats. He said, “Eliminating Hamas, perhaps this is a good slogan, but it is not a realistic goal under the current circumstances.” After a month and a half of intense fighting that no one in Israel dared to imagine, the army does not have complete control over the northern Gaza Strip.”
Every day, the Israeli journalist added, “soldiers die in ground battles there that take place in complex and difficult circumstances, despite the great assistance provided by the air force and artillery.” He explained that the Israeli army’s estimates regarding the date on which full control over areas such as Jabalia and Shuja’iya neighborhood could be declared, are merely wishful thinking at best. While in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli reports, the situation is more complicated, as the fate of the Rafah maneuver has come into question in light of the American expectation of changing the formula of fighting.
Einav continues, “The current phase of the campaign will not end with the destruction of Hamas, which is the Israeli declared goal and is not achievable in the foreseeable time frame.” And this is even before the issue of the kidnappers, which is not moving in any positive direction. Since the resumption of fighting, none of them have returned to Israel alive.”
The same reading was addressed by the Israeli writer, Nir Kipnis, in his article on the “Walla” website. Title: “Release the kidnappers or destroy Hamas?” The Israeli government is unable to make a decision.” Kipnis considered that the sequence of events in Israel since "The Al-Aqsa Flood" On the 7th of last October, the course of the war on Gaza proves that the Israeli leadership is incapable of making difficult decisions.
He said that the inability to decide on the conduct of the war and a new exchange deal reflects the different opinions of the Israeli government in two main camps, the first of which promotes that military pressure serves the negotiations, and therefore the more it increases, the more it is an incentive for the deal.
On the other hand, the second camp claims that the return of the kidnapped people precedes the overthrow of Hamas’s rule, and therefore with the differences in positions between the two camps, Kipnis says, “Even if necessary, we will have to swallow our national pride, and go to a deal that makes a deal like Shalit. It seems like a marginal humanitarian gesture, and only then will a war of extermination be declared against Hamas.
Amid this discrepancy and division over the conduct of the ground incursion and the pursuit of the war’s goals, Netanyahu confirms that he is committed to continuing the fighting, but, says the military affairs analyst for the Haaretz newspaper: Amos Harel, “Doubts have begun to erode and fracture Israeli popular support for the war.”
As time passes, the military analyst adds that “the situation in Gaza may in the later stage resemble the first Lebanon W war in 1982, after the occupationBeirut, where the Israeli understanding that victory seems possible has disappeared, and here in the ground incursion into Gaza matters are also linked to a change in the general Israeli position towards the war.”
Harel said, “Continuing the fighting in its current form will include more soldiers killed and wounded, as the possible change in the form of the ground operation, next month, will raise doubts about achieving the declared goals, enslaving the defeat of Hamas or assassinating its senior officials, and not liberating the detainees through a military operation.”
In view of the failure of the Israeli political leadership to take decisive decisions regarding the conduct of the war on Gaza, the Arab and Middle Eastern affairs analyst in the newspaper “Haaretz” believes: Zvi Barel said that this reflects the deception of the Netanyahu government, suggesting that Tel Aviv, in the new phase of the war, is moving towards “a direct and complete occupation of the Strip.”
Without declaring this, Barel says, “It seems that the Israeli strategy may tend to imitate the occupation model, as Tel Aviv declares that it does not intend to occupy Gaza, but it does not plan to withdraw from it either, and without specifying what are the necessary conditions that will allow the withdrawal of army forces from the Gaza Strip.” “And when will that happen?”
There seems to be something in the slogan “eliminating Hamas,” Barel says, “that meets the necessary condition for ending the war, but the Strip is still full of weapons, and cross-border tunnels between Sinai And Gaza still plays a role in the flow of weapons and ammunition.” He continues, “The continuation of the fighting will extend for a long period of time until Israel is able to announce that Hamas’ military infrastructure no longer poses a threat either.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for the adoption of a sustainable humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip that would allow the release of more Israeli detainees held by resistance factions, and the entry of aid to Gaza. Sunak stressed - in press statements - that the war in Gaza must “not last a single moment longer than it should.” He said that his government “is working day and night to secure the safe release of the British hostages.”
He revealed the existence of a dialogue with Qatar regarding resuming the process of releasing detainees held by the resistance in the Gaza Strip. Two days ago, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock called on all parties in the Middle East to work towards a two-state solution, and expressed what They called it the cruelty of the heart-breaking moment of seeing so many children killed or injured. The two ministers said - in a joint article in the Times newspaper - that no one wants to see this conflict last a moment longer than necessary.
A few days ago, Sunak had avoided answering two questions posed by Scottish National Party leader Stephen Flynn in the British House of Commons, regarding the war on Gaza. During a session in the House of Commons, Flynn asked Sunak two questions regarding the latter’s ability to share his Christmas message to children being bombed in Gaza, and London’s abstention from voting on the ceasefire project at the United Nations.
In his response to Flynn, Sunak said that “no one wants to see this conflict continue for a moment longer than necessary.” Britain had abstained from voting on a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. While the United States voted against the resolution, 153 countries supported it.
A group of American Congressional veterans urged US PresidentJoe Biden to use all US influence to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuto change the military strategy that is killing thousands of civilians in Gaza Strip. The six representatives are Jason Crow, a Bronze Star winner and former Army Ranger, Mickey Sherrill, a former Navy pilot, Chrissy Holahan, a former Air Force officer, Seth Moulton, a former Marine, and Elissa Slotkin and Abigail Spanberger, former CIA officers.
Six lawmakers - all Democrats - said in an open letter to Biden that the increasing civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis are unacceptable and not in line with interests. America, and they do not contribute to preserving the security of our ally Israel.” The representatives continued in their letter, which was reported by the Associated Press: “Some of us have spent years in America’s war on terrorism, and we know from personal and often painful experience that you cannot destroy a terrorist ideology with military force alone.”
The letter reveals part of the pressure exerted by representatives from Biden’s party in the Armed Forces, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs committees in Congress, in order to restrain Netanyahu to curb and stop his air and ground war on the Gaza Strip.
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 19,667 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 52,600. 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 137 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 463 since the Palestinian resistance launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th.
At least 11,383 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
Israel said there were still 129 detainees in Gaza, a number that included the bodies of 21 soldiers and civilians, who Israel concluded were no longer alive. 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.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted an Israeli official as saying that Tel Aviv is ready to release important Palestinian prisoners, even those who were convicted of murder, while senior American intelligence and defense officials began a diplomatic round aimed at reviving talks on a new prisoner exchange deal.
The newspaper said that Israel decided to go towards completing a new deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) after the killing of the Israeli army3 detainees in Shuja'iya neighborhoodinGaza Strip a> last Friday, indicating that Israel is aware of the high price that Hamas demands in exchange for the release of male prisoners and is prepared to release high-level prisoners compared to the previous deal.
The newspaper also quoted American officials as saying that US President Joe Biden believes that the time has come to conclude an exchange deal, considering the return of detainees a higher goal, according to His expression. The newspaper believes that the Israeli decision to renew negotiations to release the prisoners entails risks, including the potential impact on the Israeli army’s ground operation in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yav Galant state military action is the only thing that can put pressure on Hamas, while the movement says there will be no negotiations as long as the fighting continues. However, it now appears that steps are being taken to move forward with a potential deal.
The newspaper says that Israel still adheres to three principles: First, any negotiations will take place with Hamas in conjunction with the continuation of the operation in the Gaza Strip, with temporary truces without the release of prisoners. Secondly, resuming negotiations from the point where they stopped in the previous round, and thirdly, Israel insists that any new deal must include specific categories.
Israel wants to release elderly prisoners, along with women and those suffering from medical conditions, and also insists on reaching an agreement to release only living prisoners.
Senior American intelligence and defense officials began new diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving talks to release prisoners still being held by Hamas in Gaza and end the Israeli war there. The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, traveled to Warsaw - on Monday - to meet with David Barnea, director of the Israeli intelligence service ( Mossad) and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, according to American and Egyptian officials. An American official said that the meetings are an attempt to resume discussions about the prisoners.
Also, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown met with Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli War Council. The discussions that took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, last month, with the participation of Burns, the Mossad director, and senior Qatari officials, were part of negotiations that led to the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and a week-long truce in the Gaza Strip in late last November.
During the truce, Hamas released more than 100 Israeli detainees, women and children, in addition to foreigners it was holding in Gaza, in exchange for Israel releasing 240 Palestinian women and minors. Israel said there were still 129 detainees in Gaza, a number that included the bodies of 21 soldiers and civilians, who Israel concluded were no longer alive.
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said that Hamas informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it would not resume prisoner talks with Israel unless it stopped its war in Gaza. Hamdan said in a press conference in Beirut, “We are against any partial measures, and it is the occupation that is hindering the process.”
On the same level, families of prisoners in Gaza staged a sit-in and closed a street near the entrance to the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv for 241 seconds, with a number of those captured at the beginning of the war, as part of their ongoing movement to demand that the War Council work to reach an exchange and prisoner return deal. The families moved their sit-in to the main entrance of the Ministry of Defense and announced that they would remain at the site until a new direction for an exchange deal was announced.
The families of Israeli prisoners continue their sit-in in front of the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv to demand the completion of an exchange deal with their families. The Committee for the Families of Israeli Prisoners announced that the families of soldiers killed during the war in Gaza joined the protests, and the association’s participation in its demands to liberate their sons. Our correspondent Najwan Samri monitored the atmosphere in front of the Ministry of Defense.
The Israeli Channel 12 said that the person responsible for the prisoner file in the Israeli government requested, during a meeting with the families, to stop the protests demanding work on their return because the government is doing everything to achieve that.
The head of the movement’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, will travel to Egypt on Wednesday to hold talks on reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and exchanging prisoners. The source told Agence France-Presse: Haniyeh is expected to head a high-level leadership delegation to Cairo to hold a number of meetings, most notably with Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel, to hold a discussion on “stopping the aggression and war in preparation for a prisoner exchange deal and ending the siege on the Gaza Strip.”
"Axios" revealed that the heads of the American and Israeli intelligence services intend to discuss the possibility of reaching a new prisoner exchange agreementwith Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani. On Friday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and the director of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, met in Norway as part of efforts to resume indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
"Axios" website stated: CIA Director William Burns played an important role in concluding previous agreements that freed Hamas. According to Israeli officials, he stressed that this time it will be more difficult to agree on the terms of the deal. In recent days, several Hamas officials said... They will not resume negotiations on a new prisoner exchange agreement until Israel stops its military operation in the Gaza Strip.
It is worth noting that the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that a secret summit of the Hamas leadership took place in Turkey last week. It added that the meeting included the deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh Al-Arouri, and the leader of Hamas abroad, Khaled Meshaal.
A source said that the meeting between the Prime Minister of Qatar and the directors of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) and the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Warsaw, on Monday, to discuss the release of hostages held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was positive, but there are no expectations of reaching an imminent solution.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
