Operation Iron Swords - Day 75 - 20 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 |
" Israel -- from their perspective – has already tried their version of a 'two-state solution' -- effectively it was an apartheid structure. Today there are 7.3 million Palestinians and 7.3 million Jews living in 'Greater Israel', and the Palestinian birth rate is the higher. One-state; two-states -- this calculus, for Israelis, has run its course; its prognostication seen as 'bad'.
"The Oslo pillars on which it was assumed the Palestinian state would be built have reversed direction: The first pillar was always demography -- the assumption was that demography would push Israel to 'give' Palestinians their separate 'state' side-by-side with Israel. Well, October 7 stopped that. Structural containment, military enforcement and deterrence failed, and demography now pushes in precisely the opposite direction -- to clearing the land of all 'hostile populations'.
"The second pillar was that the Palestinians would co-operate on security issues to reassure Israel by policing their own people; and the third was that Israel -- and Israel alone -- would decide when it had received enough security assurance to 'give' the Palestinians their state. Well, that notion 'blew up' in Gaza, in the West Bank and in the North, too. Israelis now fear what resides on the other side of their fences and walls. What if Israel concludes that its only course is massive ethnic cleansing as their macro 'solution'?
"The West Bank, Gaza and Palestinian Jerusalem were conquered. So was the Western Wall. And it is from the Western Wall of Temple Mount, metaphorically speaking, that the demon of eschatology arose. The most devouring of demons. It spawned the settlement enterprise, the Jewish underground, the Haredi ultranationalists -- and the Temple Mount Movement. And a second Nakba (violent ethnic cleansing) now hangs over everything."
David Ignatius records in the Washington Post his visit to the West Bank and how he saw that "Peace Will Require Confrontation With Israel": [His visit] was a reality check about what's possible 'the day after' the Gaza war ends. President Biden and other world leaders speak hopefully about creating a Palestinian state once Hamas is defeated (sic). I'd love to see that happen, too. But people need to get real about it … A Palestinian State may seem soothing to hear, but is a version of magical thinking. Standing in the way are the Israeli settlements and outposts laid across the hilltops of the West Bank, their high fences and concrete walls symbolizing their apparent immovability.
"The settlements were put there to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state", Ignatius is frankly told -- and apparently he 'gets it'. It would require confrontation 'to unblock it'. This is so – the settlements have been a block to stop any Palestinian state from emerging. Precisely so. Many years ago, when I was seconded as 'link' between President Arafat and the Israeli government, I received an unexpected invitation: I was asked to tour the most radical West Bank settlements as a 'guest of Ariel Sharon', the then-PM.
"I was taken by one of the Prime Minister's closest friends on 'my' settlement tour. The latter said to the settler leaders -- on each occasion and very explicitly -- to treat me as Sharon's personal guest. They were to speak openly, and to hold nothing back in terms of feelings and opinions. That, they did not. Out it all poured; 'radical' would be to understate matters. They were 'crazy'; fanatics in fact. The neighbouring Palestinian villages, towards whom a pure stream of contempt and hatred was evinced, were in their sights; it was to be a matter of time until they would be swept away and their land appropriated.
"On return to Jerusalem [Al-Quds], my guide looked at me sternly, and said simply, "Do you understand? Do you understand why you were sent on this mission?" "I do". No way will those zealots be removed. Even if it were attempted by the Israeli military, it would be a bloodbath, I replied. They have their claws sunk deep into the settlement earth. "Yes". That was all that was said.
And now, some decades later and in the softest of tones, Ignatius hints at the elephant in the room: "Peace [indeed] would require confrontation with Israel". "Biden's is the latest Administration to confront this reality," Ignatius concludes. But the 'practice' is the opposite: Biden supports and facilitates "Israel's" massacre in Gaza, even as he mutters platitudes that Israel should continue to bomb; but to bomb more carefully. Thus far, so good. But then, rather than address what 'confrontation' would mean, Ignatius veers off into: "Is there a happy ending to this story? Probably not", he muses – before adding 'soothingly' how he met so many brave Israelis and Palestinians working together … towards peace … (…. please!)
Operational Update
Israeli raids continued, targeting the vicinity of the European Hospital east of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, and a mosque in its vicinity, causing dozens of martyrs and injuries. The occupation forces also bombed areas in Jabalia and Al-Shuja’iya, resulting in dozens of martyrs and wounded.
During the last day, over 300 targets were attacked. The IDF forces operating in the territory of the Gaza Strip continue to conduct face-to-face battles with terrorists, to direct aircraft at armed squads and means of warfare, alongside air force and naval strikes, in the framework of which dozens of terrorists were eliminated and a number of terrorist infrastructures were destroyed in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli army Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military is beginning to fight Hamas in the Gaza City neighborhoods of Daraj and Tuffah, adjacent to Shejaiya, as it nears the end of the ground offensive in northern Gaza, with most of the terror group's battalions in the area dismantled.
The IDF forces have completed the takeover of Hamas' "Senior Quarter" in the center of Gaza City. From this space in the Palestine Square area, the governmental and military leadership of Hamas operated and was conducted. The complex includes a branching network of tunnels connecting hideout apartments, bureaus, offices and living apartments of the senior military wing and the politics of Hamas.
The commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, today (Wednesday), held an operational tour with the commander of the 98th Division, Brigadier General Dan Goldfuss, and the forces of the 98th Division in Khan Yunis. The general talked with the commanders and fighters about the continuation of the fighting:
His full words: "We are in another significant phase of an attack in new areas that we are currently operating there with intensity. Great intensity, many contacts with terrorists and this attack continues and will continue forward. It will continue both with pressure on the ground for the enemy and underground with our momentum moving forward all the time. You are doing an excellent job and we will continue and advance both here and in other areas that we have not yet maneuvered into with a powerful, strong maneuver and as I can see here and in other areas, the work you are doing is wonderful and wonderful, impressive leadership of the commanders, courage of the fighters, keep going, good luck!"
Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - said that during the past 72 hours, Al-Qassam fighters were able to completely or partially destroy 41 military vehicles, and killed 25 Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip , in addition to wounding dozens of civilians. Israeli soldiers sustained varying injuries.
The Al-Qassam Phalange spokesman indicated that the Phalange fighters targeted the invading Israeli forces with missiles and explosive devices and engaged in combat from zero distance. They also targeted rescue teams, in addition to booby-trapping two tunnels and a house, blowing them up with occupation soldiers, and sniping one of the soldiers. Abu Ubaida continued, "Our mujahideen destroyed headquarters, field command rooms, and military concentrations with mortar shells and short-range missiles."
Al-Qassam Brigades said - in successive statements on Telegram - that its members clashed with an Israeli force in the Saraya area in Gaza City, and that they confirmed the killing of 4 soldiers and the injury of others. The Al-Qassam Brigades also announced that it targeted an Israeli force of 12 soldiers barricaded inside a building in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City. Al-Qassam added that it targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with an Al-Yassin 105 shell in the Tal Al-Zaatar area in the northern Gaza Strip.
Before that, Al-Qassam announced that it had targeted 3 Israeli Merkava tanks with Al-Yassin 105 shells east of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Al-Qassam reported that its fighters targeted 8 Israeli vehicles in the Sabra and Tal al-Hawa areas in Gaza City. Al-Qassam also announced that it targeted two Israeli tanks and a troop carrier with a strobe device and Al-Yassin 10 shells, in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. Al-Qassam Brigades reportd "Our mujahideen blew up the tunnel opening east of Khan Yunis as soon as Israeli forces advanced towards it, and its members were killed and wounded".
The Al-Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement - said that it detonated a piercing device against an Israeli foot force and a military bulldozer east of the Shuja'iya neighborhood, killing and wounding its members. The Al-Quds Brigades said that its members were able to kill and wound 5 Israeli soldiers after clashing with them east of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera's military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, attributed the reason for the major Israeli escalation in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours to the occupation army’s attempt to achieve several goals for future negotiations. Al-Duwairi explained that the Israeli army is trying to control the eastern strip of the Gaza Strip along a length of 42 kilometers in order to try to create a buffer zone ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 meters to be negotiated in the future.
He pointed out that a political path began with the arrival of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), Ismail Haniyeh, to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, noting that the occupation army is trying to use the cards it has to achieve field achievements in the hope of imposing conditions that will push the resistance to concessions.
Al-Duwairi expected an increase in the ferocity of the Israeli bombing, with the aim of flattening the land, as well as causing the greatest possible damage to the tunnels through concussion bombs, in addition to an escalation of operations in the southern region. He added that the occupation army is trying to expand its operations in Khan Yunis to the south, in addition to trying to impose a buffer zone along the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip, noting that the Rafah area is considered a soft side that may help the occupation move from the northeast towards the city to create a new reality.
The military expert confirmed that the resistance is adopting a regional defense method, allowing the entry of Israeli vehicles, and then engaging in a zero-distance battle and operating from behind the lines, because entering into a confrontation with tanks is “extremely costly.” He pointed out that there is a large gap between the proposals of the resistance in Gaza and the Israeli-American talk, stressing that the resistance is demanding a very high ceiling, especially in light of the blood that has been spilled. “It is not reasonable to have a ceasefire only, without there being a price and a political solution.”
Al-Duwairi questioned the accuracy of the numbers announced by the occupation army about the number of dead and injured among its ranks, stressing that the number of vehicles targeted by the resistance confirms that the numbers are much larger, in addition to sniping operations, ambushes, and targeting of foot forces and those holed up in buildings.
In an operation to confiscate illegal vehicles in Kfar Zurif in the Etzion Brigade, the fighters confiscated about 40 vehicles. Also, in the village of Nelin in the Ephraim division, four wanted persons were arrested along with a gun, ammunition and military equipment that were confiscated. In addition, in an activity in Kfar Tamon in the Bekaa and Emekim Brigade, armed men shot and threw Molotov cocktails and explosives at the forces who responded by shooting, and an injury was detected.
The wanted persons who were arrested were transferred for further investigation by the security forces, there are no casualties to our forces. So far, since the beginning of the war, approximately 2,400 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, approximately 1,200 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas.
The Lebanese Hezbollah military media announced that its fighters targeted two Israeli military helicopters in the airspace of Shtula, Shumira and Evan Menachem with surface-to-air missiles and forced them to leave the airspace immediately. The party said in a statement: “In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted at 05:15 pm on Wednesday 12/20/2023 two Israeli military helicopters.”
The statement indicated that the missiles were launched in "the airspace of Shtoula , Shumira and Even Menachem (the occupied Lebanese village of Tarbikha), which forced them to leave the area's airspace immediately." Also earlier today, Hezbollah announced targeting Zionist sites on the border with Lebanon.
Fighter jets of the Air Force attacked an operational headquarters of Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. Following the alerts that were activated in the Golan Heights region, four launches from Syrian territory were detected that crossed into Israeli territory. IDF forces attacked the sources of the shooting as well as a military position of the Syrian army. In addition, the IDF forces identified a number of terrorists who approached the perimeter fence from Lebanese territory along the border in the Metula area. The force fired at them, hits were detected.
Fighter jets, helicopter gunships and aircraft of the air force recently attacked terrorist infrastructures, a military structure, launching positions, an operational headquarters and a weapons warehouse of Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. Also, since the morning hours, the IDF has carried out artillery fire and tank fire at a number of locations in Lebanese territory to remove a threat and attacked another terrorist infrastructure of Hezbollah. In addition, a number of launches from Lebanese territory towards the Goren and Manara areas have been detected.
The Russian newspaper "Nezavisimaya" reported that the Israeli government informed the Pentagon of its intention to establish a security zone in the border areas with Lebanon to prevent attacks by the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) in Lebanon. In response, the administration of US President Joe Biden asked its ally to give time to diplomats, while its representatives fear the expansion of the scope of the conflict in Gaza.
A report for the newspaper prepared by writer Igor Subbotin stated that the Israeli government called for an American-brokered agreement with Lebanon that includes the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces to a distance of 10 kilometers to prevent militants from bombing Israeli positions along the border or repeating the scenario of the Hamas attack on the seventh of last October.
The newspaper said that during these weeks, Lebanese Hezbollah is trying to target the most sensitive sites of the Israeli army as an expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people who are being subjected to harsh Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip. It added that Israel, for its part, also proposed applying the concept of a buffer zone to the territory of the Gaza Strip to prevent the recurrence of ground infiltration into its territory, and the Biden administration and the countries of the Arab world took note of this, but did not provide them with any details, which raised many doubts about the real goal of the initiative.
The writer stated that a study conducted by the Stratfor Center, which is close to the American intelligence services, rules out that Israel will complete an effective operation in Lebanon before the end of the operations in Gaza, and that even if Israel prefers to use secret or limited escalation and diplomatic pressure to establish stable relations with Hezbollah and Hamas on the northern border, and on Despite the major military provocations carried out by militants, the Israeli army is currently suffering from "exhaustion" with the continuation of major ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
Stratfor analysts believe that the Netanyahu government wants to avoid war in the region, as they say that while reaching a partial or informal diplomatic agreement is possible, Hezbollah is unlikely to withdraw from the southern border or pressure Hamas to prevent independent attacks on northern Israel. Which means that Israel will have to face more sporadic attacks.
The study added that Hezbollah may agree to establish indirect lines of communication with Israel to prevent a widespread conflict, and is likely to be open to finding a way to renegotiate the rules of engagement with Israel to prevent another war, but this dynamic will be unstable, and subject to additional pressures every time. A time when the Palestinians attack northern Israel. According to Stratfor, Israel's post-conflict plans in Gaza include military reoccupation of most of the Strip in 2024, which will constitute a source of inconvenience for Hezbollah, which presents itself as a defender of Palestinian interests.
The British newspaper "The Independent" said that the war in the Gaza Strip is not going well for Israel, despite its "overwhelming" superiority in conventional weapons, and what it considers a "just" cause. It stated in an editorial that the mistake made by the Israeli army in killing 3 prisoners is - from a tactical standpoint - the latest evidence that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s method of dealing with the war is counterproductive, namely undermining international support and pushing young people in Gaza towards “extremism.” “And risking causing unrest in the Middle East.
It explained that the army's latest mistake, in which Israeli prisoners were killed, "while they were bare-chested and raising a white flag," is a "harsh" reminder that reveals the extent to which soldiers are eager to shoot. According to the editorial, Israel's failure so far to arrest senior leaders in the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), or to "deactivate" much of its infrastructure, is another indication of its inability, "as the tunnels that were discovered appeared empty."
Strategically, the war proved futile. The newspaper cited a statement by former British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, in which he pointed out that “killing out of sheer rage” in response to the “atrocities” that occurred on October 7 is now actually undermining Israel’s security. The newspaper said that it was fully aware that it was the "horrible mass murder" committed by Hamas that caused this reaction, but that a "great gesture" was needed to ensure that a new reaction would not be provoked and that "the poison would not seep out and infect everyone."
The editorial quotes Wallace as saying: “We are entering a dangerous phase now. With its actions, Israel is weakening the original legal argument for self-defense. It is committing a mistake that loses its moral credibility as well as its legal justification.” Commenting on the former British minister’s statement, the newspaper confirms that Israel’s friends and allies in the West share the same view, noting that the pressures on Tel Aviv to end the war are becoming more fierce.
The Independent goes on to say in its editorial that unless the Israeli government shows extraordinary “intransigence,” change is coming in some form, and it may be a change in military tactics, rather than a cessation of them. The problem with a permanent ceasefire lies - in the newspaper’s opinion - in that it depends on the extent of the two parties’ commitment to it, and “there has never been a guarantee that Hamas would be willing to suspend its war on Israel and its “deadly” tendency towards the Jewish people.
Perhaps, if Israel ends, in the current circumstances, its continuous bombing, use of heavy armor, and mass movements of its soldiers, Hamas may not benefit from the period of calm to avoid another “massive brutal revenge.” If Israeli forces continue to enter Gaza and launch limited raids on specific targets, Hamas will certainly respond, according to the editorial. The newspaper goes on to say that neither of the two possibilities means - in any sense - that Israel will win.
While international media reported that Israel was ready for a ceasefire for a period of up to two weeks in exchange for the release of many Israeli detainees, some military and political analysts believd that the developments and course of the war on Gaza were hostage to the political considerations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This comes as the Israeli security establishment, under pressure from the administration of US President Joe Biden , is preparing to develop an operational plan to change the nature of the fighting in Gaza, and define new features of the form of the war to avoid a clash with Washington, which insists on its supportive position for Israel, but demands a reduction in the intensity of the fighting and a reduction in raids. Intensive, heading for a truce and a new exchange deal.
Amid the military complications related to the third phase of the ground incursion towards Rafah , and the differing positions regarding the Israeli emergency government due to political considerations regarding the course and form of the war and the ground incursion, the families of Israeli detainees held by the Palestinian resistance escalated their protest steps, and demanded that the Netanyahu government put forward an initiative to liberate them.
Under the title, “The security establishment is preparing to change the nature of the fighting in Gaza within about a month, but Netanyahu may have other plans...”, the military analyst for the newspaper “Haaretz,” Amos Harel, wrote an article in which he reviewed the features of the Israeli army’s plan to change the nature of the fighting in Gaza, In accordance with the recommendations of the US administration.
Harel said that a plan has begun to take shape regarding the form of the war on Gaza at the political level and in the Israeli security establishment. He says, "It is expected to move to the third phase during the next month, after the air phase and the maneuver phase."
The military analyst conveys that, according to the United States’ recommendation, the change in the method of fighting must include moving to establishing a buffer zone on the borders of the Gaza Strip , and perhaps also between the north of the Strip and the south, and withdrawing part of the incursive reserve forces that maintain slow and dangerous ground maneuvers, and the fighting will turn In the form of specific and specific attacks and operations.
Harel pointed out that the discussion in Israel regarding this plan revolves mainly around the issue of the best timing to work on changing the form of fighting and war, and positions vary regarding the date for this in the middle of next January or at the end of it.
But he says, “There is one major obstacle to the transitional process in terms of the nature and features of the fighting and war, which is the political situation of Netanyahu, who fears the collapse of his government coalition under pressure from right-wing parties. His main concern - apparently - is to remain in power, and therefore he may choose to engage in an artificial conflict.” With the Americans."
In a reading of the American position regarding the conduct and developments of the war on Gaza, political analyst Alon Pinks wrote an article in “Haaretz”, reviewing what he described as “Biden’s pressure game,” saying that “the American president supports Israel without reservation, and at the same time pushes it to reduce The intensity of the conflict.
Pinks reviewed a question directed to President Biden a few days ago in a private, limited event for supporters and donors to his election campaign, “Are you aware of the fact that Netanyahu is trying to turn the tables and blame you, and is working on a conflict with you and the United States for his political considerations?” Biden smiled and replied firmly, "I know."
The political analyst says, “There are other things that raise suspicions between Biden and his political and security entourage about Netanyahu, which is that he is trying to drag the United States into a confrontation with Iran, by turning the Houthis in Yemen into evidence that this is not a war against Hamas alone, but rather a conflict between civilizations that he avoids.” Biden, who is aware of Netanyahu’s intentions aimed at fueling a regional conflict in the Middle East.”
Binks explained that the US President - for emotional and political reasons - is not interested in a public confrontation with Israel, so the analyst doubts the possibility of Biden in the coming weeks putting pressure on the Netanyahu government, or setting an ultimatum to stop the war.
Because of these considerations, the political analyst rules out the possibility that Biden will set strict demands in order to force Israel to make a change in the nature of the war and the form of fighting in Gaza, noting that the goal that Washington is focusing on is to bring about a rapid shift from a violent war to a less intense war, and not to stop it. The war is final.
Regarding the impact of the balance of political power and the parties’ positions on the course, developments and nature of the war on Gaza, Haaretz political and partisan affairs editor Ravit Hecht wrote an article summarizing that “the ministers are certain that the majority of the public supports the war, but they will soon face disappointment with its results.”
Hecht explained that the anger and shock that has accompanied the Israeli public since last October 7 is not enough to maintain popular support for a long and bloody battle. In reference to signs of a rift in popular support for the war, amid the refusal of the government coalition parties to change the nature of the fighting, and their insistence on continuing the war until the overthrow of Hamas’ rule.
The political and partisan affairs editor pointed out that "the war government is trying to broadcast messages as if it is moving forward with the fighting, against the backdrop of the continuing blood price that the war imposes on the Israeli army, as well as the intensification of the dispute between the kidnappers' camp and the Hamas extermination camp in Israeli society," as she described it.
She pointed out that the claims of the “kidnappers’ camp” boil down to placing the detainees’ file as the first target of the war, and working to liberate them within a comprehensive exchange deal, as this camp and its demands gain momentum in Israeli society at the expense of the counterproposal calling for the continuation of the war and military operations until the overthrow of Hamas’ rule, “and this proposal is declining after it has been proven that undermining Hamas takes a long time,” Hecht says.
About a week ago, the prominent leader of the Ansar Allah Houthi group , Yousef Al-Madani, told a local radio station that the force that took control of the Israeli ship “Galaxy Leader” and took it to the port of Al-Salif, western Yemen, had been trained for two years to carry out similar operations. Al-Madani leads the fifth military region that controls the western coast of Yemen, including the city of Hodeidah , which the Houthis were desperate to preserve, despite the advance of forces loyal to the Yemeni government supported by the coalition at the end of 2018, before the international community pressed to conclude negotiations that ended with the Stockholm Agreement between the two sides of the conflict in Yemen.
After 5 years of the agreement, the city of Hodeidah and the western coast turned into a source of danger to maritime navigation and ships linked to Israel following the Houthi attacks that came in response to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, as announced by the Houthi group. This new factor prompted 4 of the 5 largest container companies in the world, representing 53% of global container trade, to suspend its operations in the Red Sea.
In response, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of a multinational force to protect trade in the Red Sea. Until this moment, the naval force of the new international coalition has not announced taking any action against the Houthis, while indications appear that its mission is to secure the routes of ships crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the southern Red Sea. This will not go beyond launching an offensive operation for fear of expanding the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip .
Since the first operation on November 19 against ships linked to Israel, Houthi attacks have become a daily occurrence, and within two months the US Navy shot down 38 Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea. A senior military commander in the Yemeni government, who requested to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera Net, "The Houthis took advantage of the Stockholm Agreement, which stipulated the cessation of air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition on the city of Hodeidah, to build huge workshops to remanufacture and install drones and long-range missiles."
The Stockholm Agreement is an agreement sponsored by the United Nations, and reached by the Houthis and the legitimate government in the Swedish capital, on December 13, 2018. The agreement stipulates the redeployment of forces in the coastal province of Hodeidah, the exchange of lists of prisoners and detainees (more than 15 thousand), and the lifting of the siege on the city. Taiz (southwest).
The military source explained that weapons and spare parts were arriving to the Houthis from Iran to the western coast in small boats following smuggling routes, and they appeared in Houthi military parades. Military expert Muhammad al-Kumaim told Al Jazeera Net, "Government forces warned the international community that the Stockholm Agreement allows the flow of Iranian weapons to the Houthis." Al-Kumaim added, "Today the Houthis reflect Iranian influence in the region clearly and frankly, especially after the Iranian Defense Minister's statement that the Red Sea is in their control."
Ali Al-Dhahab, a researcher specializing in military and strategic affairs, told Al Jazeera Net, "This force has previous experience in confronting piracy (on the coast of Somalia), meaning that it will accompany commercial ships and will respond to sources of threat." Al-Dhahab added, "If the threat is from sea boats, it will sink them or chase them, and if it is from land, it will respond to the sources of fire. Here the operation will expand further, and perhaps the conflict may increase in intensity and expansion."
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam told Al Jazeera that “whoever seeks to expand the conflict must bear the consequences of his actions,” while a statement by the Supreme Political Council - the highest authority for the Houthis - said that “naval force threatens navigation in the Red Sea.” A member of the Supreme Political Council, Hizam al-Assad, told Al Jazeera Net, “The United States tried before to repel missiles and drones and protect Israeli ships,” indicating that the new force will not take any different step.
As for Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US President Joe Biden that his country would move militarily against the Houthis if the United States did not do so, it was not among the countries forming the naval force. Hizam al-Assad downplayed the seriousness of the formation of this international force, and said that it was “a step that was not imposed by reality or necessity, and does not have foundations or references, and its entire purpose is to protect Israeli ships, and the understanding of the countries overlooking the Red Sea prevented actual or declared participation in it.”
The Houthi leader explained that the shipping companies changing their route occurred as a result of American pressure exerted on them in order to inflame world opinion and make the scene appear to be a target for movement and shipping lines in general, as well as to blackmail Egypt and the rest of the countries overlooking the Red Sea.
The Houthi drones appeared to be a concern that might disturb the “Prosperity Guardian” operation led by the new international force, and the American “Politico” magazine website quoted officials in the US Department of Defense ( Pentagon ) as saying that the cost of shooting down the Houthi drones and missiles constitutes a growing source of concern, as a missile worth two million A dollar is used to intercept a Houthi drone worth two thousand dollars.
Hizam al-Assad confirms that the Houthi naval forces will continue to track and pursue Israeli ships, or those heading to Israeli ports, and detain them “until the American-backed Israeli aggression stops killing our people in Gaza, lifts the siege and allows the entry of food, medical and supply supplies.” He added, "No one will prevent us from supporting and supporting our oppressed brothers in Gaza, even if all the powers of the world come together against us."
In the iron fence of Al-Saleh Mosque in the center of the capital, Sana'a, pictures of Houthi, Iranian, and Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) leaders rose, and a passerby stood and stared at these pictures with admiration, while it seemed that the group might be sending a message to its supporters that it is facing America and Israel.
The Houthi group's attacks against Israeli interests received popular support inside Yemen, and even from some of the group's opponents. The prominent Houthi leader Youssef Al-Madani says, "Now we have reached the main enemy, the real enemy of the nation, the Zionist enemy... for the sake of the central issue, the issue of Palestine, the issue of all... Nation".
The researcher specializing in military and strategic affairs, Ali Al-Dhahab, says, “The Houthis have proven that they are capable of doing something, and they will be credited with being among the factors that stopped the fire, or accelerated the truce in Gaza. If that does not happen, the Houthis will attribute the cessation of their operations - in all pragmatism - to a cessation of Passage of Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
It seems that the US administration is still betting on its position that it is possible for the Houthis to play a role in Yemen after reaching a peace agreement, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin previously stated that Washington was “quietly supporting the Houthis’ fight against Al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula at that time, according to the American magazine "Foreign Policy", quoting a senior officer who worked with Secretary Austin in the US Army's Central Command.
The spokesman for the legitimate government forces in Yemen apologized for commenting on the formation of the international naval force, while the Yemeni Ministry of Defense website denied, citing an official source in the ministry, reports that the government was participating in an international coalition to protect shipping lines in the Red Sea.
The legitimate government in Yemen controls the southern coast of the country, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and an area of ??the western coast of the country. A week ago, the naval forces led by Tariq Saleh, a member of the Yemeni Presidential Command Council, conducted a naval parade to show their readiness to protect the coasts.
After that, Tariq Saleh (nephew of the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh) traveled to Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet is based , and met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force, Field Marshal Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, before the United States announced the formation of the International Naval Force in the Red Sea.
Aidaroos Al-Zubaidi, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council and head of the UAE- backed Southern Transitional Council , also shows enthusiasm for participating in the international maritime coalition, as he said during his visit to Mayon Island, located on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, last Monday, that his forces are “ready to participate in any effort or coalition.” International to secure international shipping lines.
But it is clear that there is no consensus within the Presidential Command Council led by Rashad Al-Alimi and the Yemeni government to participate in the maritime coalition led by Washington. Military expert Muhammad Al-Kumaim says, “The government will not participate in the coalition, which is a positive step, as America, Britain, and the international community are the ones who stopped the battle to liberate Hodeidah.” "And now they are reaping what they sowed."
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
According to The New York Times (NYT), the United Nations Security Council postponed a highly anticipated vote on a resolution asking for a halt in the war on Gaza to deliver more aid to the besieged Strip. According to officials, the postponement to Thursday was requested by the US to allegedly enable additional time for discussions.
To continue talks, the Council entered private consultations around noon on Wednesday when the vote was initially set. In this context, UNSC diplomats expressed frustration with the US repeated demands for postponement and said it was doubtful that Washington would eventually allow the resolution to pass.
The vote was then postponed until 10 am Eastern time on Thursday. This comes as no surprise since informed sources in Geneva revealed to Al Mayadeen that Israeli officials have disclosed to some United Nations-affiliated organizations operating in Gaza that the war will continue for at least two more months in Gaza at the current intensity, and perhaps even longer.
These sources reported that talks were held in the past few days with Israeli leaders in the occupied territories regarding the possibility of a ceasefire or humanitarian truce to allow these organizations to provide life-saving humanitarian aid. However, the request was responded to in the negative. The Israeli officials affirmed that they were adamant about persisting with the aggression campaign against Gaza and that they did not intend to implement a ceasefire.
A vote was set originally for Monday, and the US and Israel have repeatedly postponed in an attempt to manipulate the structure of the formula to the benefit of the Israeli occupation. According to diplomats, a significant sticking point has been whether the UN should take over the supervision of supplies of food, water, gasoline, and other aid to Gaza from Israel.
More than 14,000 rescue workers make up the civil defense teams in Gaza and lead attempts to save the lives of those trapped under the rubble after each Israeli air strike. “I cannot sleep, not even for a minute. I am constantly disturbed by the voices and moans of those trapped under the rubble as they beg us to pull them out.” This is how Ibrahim Musa (27 years old), from Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, described his life since Israel began its bombing.
Ruwayda Kamal Amer began a journalistic investigation published by the leftist electronic magazine (972), which is published from Tel Aviv and run by a group of Israeli and Palestinian journalists. Although Musa worked in the Civil Defense in Gaza for 5 years - during which he experienced many Israeli attacks on the Strip and periods of relative calm during which his work focused on rescuing people from routine emergency incidents - he has never witnessed anything similar to what is happening now.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 8,000 people are missing since the outbreak of war, the vast majority of whom are believed to be trapped under rubble. It is possible that many of them have died, despite the tireless efforts of civil defense workers - like Musa - who are unable to deal with the extent of the devastation that has recently afflicted Gaza. Musa explained, "We do not have the necessary equipment to remove the rubble. There is not much we can do, and if the building is several floors, then it will take us long hours and a lot of effort to make any progress."
When civil defense workers reach the site of destruction, they must quickly try to identify the location of the event they are dealing with. “We usually don't know who is trapped underground or how many people we are looking for, so we call through the rubble, asking if anyone is alive to tell us how many people were staying in this building,” Musa says. Musa adds, "We keep screaming until someone hears us. Sometimes we get an immediate response, but many times we only hear our groaning, and we try to follow it in order to save these people."
One of the situations that rescue workers are accustomed to facing in Gaza is trying to calm children trapped under the rubble of their homes. Musa continues, saying, "Children are screaming from under the rubble, asking about their family members. Sometimes we lie to them and tell them that everyone is fine so that they will not be shocked. Other times they scream to tell us that a family member who was lying next to them was martyred."
Musa often feels that he and his colleagues are fighting a losing battle. “It is not about bombing one or two houses, but entire residential complexes. An entire area is wiped out, becoming one pile of rubble. This requires us to dig with our hands to extract the wounded who are still alive. We are trying to be careful, because the rubble is heavy.” "On their bodies, it may mean that we may harm them, or even cause them to lose limbs, while trying to save them."
Ruwayda interviews another member of the Civil Defense, Ahmed Abu Khudair, from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, who describes the war as “more severe and violent” than all previous Israeli attacks on the Strip. In fact, he believes that the Israeli army is striving to inflict as much harm as possible on the civilian population. Civil defense workers themselves are not immune to Israeli attacks. At least 32 people have been killed since the beginning of the war, including 7 members of Abu Khdeir's team, who believe this killing did not happen by mistake.
Abu Khudair says that the occupation forces deliberately target civil defense and ambulance teams. He added, "I was injured while working in a house that was bombed in the south of the Gaza Strip. We recovered the bodies of three martyrs, and saved a number of the wounded, but the house was bombed again. When I went up to the roof of one of the neighboring houses to search for people, we were hit by two more missiles."
One particularly devastating incident that remains etched in Abu Khudair's memory came in the wake of a midnight bombing near a gas station in the town of Qarara in the southern Gaza Strip. He recalled, "I went to the site and at first I could not find any victims. Then I heard moaning and headed towards the sound. I dug through the rubble and found two stuck legs, then I freed them. They were a 12-year-old girl named Aisha." The girl told him that 8 members of her family were trapped under the rubble, in addition to other families, including 9 young children.
Despite the best efforts of Abu Khudair and his colleagues, they simply did not have the means to save them. He described that moment as "one of the harshest moments I have ever experienced, which is leaving a place, and I know that there are people alive under the rubble, but you cannot do anything for them, and some of them will inevitably die."
Axis of Resistance
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian confirmed that the resistance and the Palestinian people, despite enduring a lot of pain and suffering and sacrificing more than 20,000 martyrs during the past 75 days, have proven the superiority of their ability and will over the Zionist killing machine.
During his meeting in Doha on Tuesday evening with the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, Amir Abdullahian saluted the souls of the Palestinian martyrs and saluted the exemplary and historical resistance of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank during 75 days of brutal Zionist aggression, and touched on the diplomatic efforts that The Islamic Republic of Iran is making efforts to support the Palestinian people and stop the crimes of the entity.
He added: Today, no one doubts that the resistance and the Palestinian people, despite enduring a lot of pain and suffering and sacrificing more than 20,000 martyrs during the past 75 days, have proven their superior ability and will over the Zionist killing machine. He denounced the comprehensive and unlimited support that America provides to the Zionist entity in the current war against Gaza and affirmed America’s legal and international responsibility for war crimes and genocide against the Palestinians, pointing to some political efforts and messages by the American government in order to find a way out of this impasse and military strategic failure.
He said: America reaching the conclusion that war is not the solution is a major development and it is better for it to stop supporting the crazy military strategy of the occupying entity as soon as possible. Amir Abdullahian said: As in the past, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made its utmost diplomatic efforts in supporting the oppressed but strong and patient Palestinian people in The same time in order to end the criminal aggression of the Zionist entity against Gaza, completely end the blockade and send humanitarian aid on a large scale immediately, as well as confront the political plans biased by the Zionist entity.
For his part, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, explained in this meeting the latest developments in the war on Gaza, and reviewed the efforts, consultations and political movements of the resistance to end the brutal Zionist aggression against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with the aim of reaching a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to the siege. And sending humanitarian aid in large quantities to citizens.
Haniyeh said: After 75 days have passed since the beginning of the devastating Zionist entity war on Gaza and the unprecedented crimes against Palestinian citizens, and despite the large number of martyrs, the resistance is still strong and in a state of brilliance and excellent condition.
He pointed out that the Zionist entity did not achieve any of its declared strategic goals despite its countless crimes, and said: This entity claimed that it controlled northern Gaza, but now resistance exists in all areas of the northern Gaza Strip, and in light of American support, the Zionist entity is committing crimes. horrific acts against the entire population of the Gaza Strip, as well as his inhumane behavior against detained Palestinian citizens.
After Iranian praise of the Houthis’ behavior in the Red Sea to support Gaza and its official warning against forming any international force to guarantee maritime navigation, Tehran was quick to unveil a “Basij Naval Force” in response to the American announcement of the formation of a multinational maritime task force to protect trade in the Red Sea.
Hours after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed the establishment of a naval task force to confront Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the Commander of the Naval Force in the Revolutionary Guard, Admiral Ali Reza Tungsiri, announced that his country had organized the Basij Naval Forces for the oceans and ships and other naval vessels capable of sailing as far as Tanzania.
Tangsiri estimated the strength of the new popular force at 55,000 members and 33,000 naval vessels present in Gulf waters during the first phase of its activity, and stated that it would begin its mission in the Caspian Sea during the next phase, confirming the establishment of a naval shadow force from the Popular Mobilization Forces and equipping it with appropriate weapons.
Last week, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned the United States that it “will face exceptional problems if it wants to form an international force to protect navigation in the Red Sea,” and said that “no one can move in an area where Iran has the upper hand.”
Thus, the Pentagon’s announcement does not come as a surprise to Tehran, but Iranian circles see the American move as an indication of the effectiveness of the Houthi operations in pressuring the Israeli occupation and confusing the calculations of its Western allies, especially regarding the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip .
Military researcher Ali Abdi reads the formation of the Western naval force in the Red Sea in the context of the Western response to the effectiveness of the Houthis’ behavior in the course of the Israeli war on Gaza, and the fear of what might be greater, especially regarding the obstruction of maritime navigation between the Eastern and Western powers through the Suez Canal.
Abdi explained - to Al Jazeera Net - that the distance between the occupied Palestinian territories and Yemen makes Israeli land and naval operations against the Houthi forces an “impossible mission,” adding that the air operations carried out by Arab, Western, and “Hebrew” parties in Yemen, during the past decade, have proven Its failure to restrict the Houthis' ability.
He considered that the absence of countries bordering the Red Sea - led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt - in the maritime coalition is evidence of Washington's failure to persuade these countries to participate in potential operations against the Houthis, saying that the coalition will not stop Houthi operations in the Red Sea.
The military researcher continued that several regional countries prefer to distance themselves and not confront the so-called axis of resistance after the Iranian warning because they know very well that the new alliance will be temporary, and it is not wise to sacrifice their interests with Sanaa and Tehran for the sake of Western plans aimed at supporting Israel in annihilating Gaza, as well as Some of these countries have already participated in the " Decisive Storm " coalition against the Houthis.
Abdi believed that his country has many cards to deal with the international force in the Red Sea and neutralize its dangers according to the following:
- Cooperation with the Yemeni Houthi group.
- Coordination between members of the axis of resistance extending from the White Sea to the Arabian Sea.
- Classic naval power and mobilization and popular organizations.
- A huge military arsenal covers the ray extending to the Red Sea.
- Complete control over the Strait of Hormuz and influence over the Bab al-Mandab Strait .
Given Tehran's position on the new US-led naval coalition in the Red Sea, which is about 2,000 kilometers away from Iranian shores, Iranian researcher in strategic affairs, Ali Reza Taghavinia, rules out his country's participation alongside the Houthis to confront the international force.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Taqavi Nia confirmed that Tehran's support for the Houthis does not go beyond the advisory role it has been providing for years. However, the new development will prompt Iran to provide intelligence and logistical support to the so-called Yemeni National Salvation Government, which it considers a “strategic ally” in Yemen.
He continued that the Houthis' control of Bab al-Mandab puts the second most important sea strait in the world under the control of the Axis of Resistance, along with the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian researcher expected an intensification of tension in the Red Sea if the international force carried out operations against the Houthis, because the Yemeni side would prevent the passage of ships of all countries participating in the American coalition in the region, adding that this new coalition would fail to achieve the goals for which it was established, similar to the naval force that it had previously created. Washington in Gulf waters years ago.
Taqniyya confirmed that the Houthis possess weapons suitable for closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait to ships heading to Israel, and that the position of the Iranian Defense Minister had taken the Houthis’ military capabilities into consideration. He believed that his country had demonstrated relative influence in the Bab al-Mandab region in recent years, explaining that what is meant by influence does not mean a direct and continuous presence in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and it may be through cooperation with allies, and therefore Tehran will not allow the Houthis’ control over Bab al-Mandab to be undermined.
He pointed out that direct or indirect control over sea straits and strategic sites enhances the international standing of important countries, increases their geopolitical capacity and influence on global budgets, and guarantees their political, economic, and security interests. The Iranian researcher concluded by saying that his country's strategy in supporting its regional allies has achieved tremendous achievements so far, and that Tehran is working to guarantee them and expand its influence, starting from Gulf waters to the Sea of ??Oman, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea during the future period.
Top Hamas official Osama Hamdan said they have reached a critical juncture with no possibility of reverting to the past, adding that their sole course of action is to attain victory and establish the Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital. During a press conference Hamdan asserted that the Israeli occupation is conducting field executions, detaining Palestinian civilians for torture, and extracting forced confessions.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he emphasized that "there will be no negotiation regarding any prisoner exchange deal unless there is a complete halt to aggression against the Gaza Strip." He conveyed a message to the families of Israeli captives, stating that their dilemma is rooted in Netanyahu's obstruction of the captives' release.
Hamdan affirmed that the Biden administration is complicit with the Israeli occupation in its aggression against Gaza, preventing its cessation, and delaying the convening of the UN Security Council and the approval of the resolution presented for the entry of aid into the besieged Strip. He added, "We say to the Biden administration, you are partners in the crime in Gaza, and these bloodstains will be a curse that haunts you forever." Hamdan criticized the US' position in establishing a maritime alliance, calling on the participating nations in this alliance to recognize that the core issue lies in the Israeli occupation.
Yemeni Resistance leader Sayyed al-Houthi said, "If the United States is considering targeting Yemen, we will not stand idly by," adding that engaging in a direct war with the US and “Israel", instead of US' proxies, is what they aspire for the most. Ansar Allah's leader called on the Arab countries not to get involved with the United States. In this context, he stressed that “if America wants to fight Yemen’s stance in support of Palestine, then it would have to confront the entire Yemeni people,” adding that “if that is what America wants, then it will face a harsher situation than that it faced in Afghanistan and Vietnam.” Sayyed al-Houthi warned Washington against launching any strikes because that would render it completely involved, stressing that Yemen has developed its capabilities on many levels.
Is Israel losing the media war? A natural question in light of what is happening in the Gaza Strip . Among the answers to this question is what was provided in an article by “The Business Standard” entitled “This is the Question”.
The article says: For decades, “Israel” has been skilled at shaping the narrative through the mainstream media.. When it comes to “Israel” and Palestine, often The Western media is often accused of committing the 'sin of omission'. However, the coalition of Western governments and media has recently failed to shape the narrative that 'Israel' is the victim
On the other hand, Internet platforms and social media have democratized the dissemination of information. The changing media landscape poses challenges to Israel's traditional control of the narrative. Therefore, when the media presents 'Israel' as a victim or spreads misleading information, social media accounts counter this and dispel any misleading propaganda.
As a result, media outlets affiliated with Western governments are facing a major and perhaps decisive defeat in the battle against social media. While government alliances with 'Israel' continue, the general public tends towards supporting the Palestinian cause. Suffice it to say that the media narrative is changing strongly.
One of the most prominent aspects of changing the rules of the traditional media game against the interest of the occupation is the change in public mood, especially in the United States. This is what we observe in a poll conducted by the Harris Polling Center and the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University.
For a broad trend of American youth, the cause of the region's problems is the presence of 'Israel'. Fifty-one percent of American youth between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four years consider ending the existence of 'Israel' to be the best solution to the problem. Thirty-two percent of American youth support the idea The two-state solution to end the conflict.
In the same context, only twenty-four percent of Americans absolutely support 'Israel'. While it is considered relatively preferred by thirty-one percent of Americans. On the other hand, twenty-six percent of Americans do not support 'Israel' partially or completely. What is striking is that the Hamas movement enjoys the support of about fourteen percent of Americans. About thirty-one percent of them do not have a clear position towards the movement, whether negative or positive. On the other hand, fifty-six percent of Americans do not fully support the Hamas movement.
Co-founder of The Intercept, Glenn Greenwald, who wrote. She 'stuck hard' to many things: opposition to US funding of the war in Ukraine; the neoliberal system of surveillance; CIA and FBI interference in politics; Condemning the lies of media companies.
Allied for Democracy
Hamas is entrenched and difficult to defeat. Even after waging one of the most intense aggressions in recent history, Israel has only managed to neutralize a fraction of the Resistance group’s armed strength, a report by The Washington Post revealed. In the process of going after an inherent Resistance, the Israeli occupation has ravaged the Strip, forcefully displaced close to 90 percent of the population, flattened entire neighborhoods, caused a dire humanitarian disaster, and found itself flailing in a losing battle for global public opinion.
Amid mounting pressure on Israel from its allies to conduct more "surgical" operations in the Strip, Israeli President Isaac Herzog pushed back and went as far as saying, "We intend to take over the entire Gaza Strip and change the course of history." Herzog spoke, on Tuesday, in an interview facilitated by a Wahington-based think tank, the Atlantic Council, where he claimed that Hamas, the Palestinian liberation movement whose military Resistance wing launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, is a "force of evil." Herzog also claimed that the ongoing "clash" is that of "a set of civilizational values" in a statement that echoes an earlier statement he had made about Israel defending "Western Civilization".
Netanyahu faces charges of receiving bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, but he denies the validity of these charges, which are being considered by the District Court in East Jerusalem. Israeli Channel 13 said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to postpone his trial on corruption charges, due to his preoccupation with the war in the Gaza Strip, following the resumption of Netanyahu’s trial after a two-month hiatus. The channel reported that Netanyahu promised years ago that he would be able to run the country at the same time as his criminal trial, but it turned out that he was asking the prosecution to withhold some key evidence in his trial.
The channel added that Netanyahu's lawyer sent - the day before yesterday, Monday - a letter to the Public Prosecution requesting that the testimony of some witnesses be rejected. Because, he said, the Prime Minister would not be able to prepare for their interrogation before the war was over. She added that officials in the Public Prosecutor's Office fear that this situation will delay the trial for several more months.
The channel explained that the witnesses are important, including Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Knesset Member Zeev Elkin, and the legal advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, Shlomit Barnea. The channel also reported that the prosecution's witnesses are about to finish their testimony, and the next witness after them, who will be the first to testify on behalf of the defense, is Netanyahu himself. On the other hand, Netanyahu's lawyer said that the lawyers only asked to change the order of witnesses, stressing that the trial would continue as planned. Netanyahu's first trial session was held on May 24, 2020, and the law does not require him to resign from office unless the Supreme Court convicts him, a process that may last several months.
Netanyahu pledged that his government would continue the war on the Gaza Strip “until the end,” and said in a statement today, “We will continue the war until the end. The war will continue until Hamas is eliminated, until victory is achieved,” as he put it. Netanyahu added, "Anyone who believes that we will stop is deluded and has no relation to reality. We will not stop the fighting, except after we achieve all the goals that we have set: eliminating Hamas, releasing our kidnappers, and removing the threat posed by Gaza." Referring to the leaders of the Hamas movement, Netanyahu said, "They have "Only two options: surrender or death."
White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said that attacks by Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red Sea must stop, vowing to "continue safeguarding ships from such targeting."
"Attacks on ships in the Red Sea have to stop," Kirby said during a press briefing. Kirby was asked whether Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have indicated their readiness to join the US-led multinational effort if Washington supports a ceasefire in Gaza. "I’m not going to go through diplomatic conversations and details one way or another," Kirby said. "Both countries are significant partners with the United States on a range of issues across the region. Again, they should speak to their level of participation,” he added. "I would let every nation who is a member, whether they wanted to acknowledge or not, speak for themselves," Kirby said. "It's a coalition of the willing and each nation has to decide for itself whether it's going to participate and under what circumstances. We respect that. The whole idea here is protecting sovereign assets and sovereign rights and that's what we're doing," he further claimed.
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 "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.
According to the HAMAS government media office in Gaza, the number of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza reached 20,000 martyrs, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women, while the number of wounded rose to 52,600. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said many days earlier that the number of missing people had risen to more than 8,000 [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 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.
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 Israeli occupation army announced the killing of two officers, one of them a major from the Givati ??Brigade, in battles south of Gaza. It was also announced that 29 soldiers were injured in the Gaza Strip battles The IDF acknowledged the death toll to 129 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 681, 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
Israeli reports indicated contacts to explore opportunities to reach an agreement for a new humanitarian truce, including an exchange for the release of Israeli prisoners in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians from Israeli prisons. On the other hand, a source close to Hamas said, “The main entry point for discussing anything is a comprehensive ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip to enter into serious negotiations to complete a prisoner exchange deal.”
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 4,630 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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