Operation Iron Swords - Day 94 - 08 January 2024

Contents

NEW - Operations NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages

As the war in Gaza ended its 94th day, the Israeli forces counted heavy losses among their ranks in the past hours during what Israeli sources described as the toughest day for the army since the beginning of the war, and the Al-Qassam Brigades renewed their targeting of Tel Aviv with a new batch of rockets.

Israeli officials said they will inform US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that the Palestinians will not return to northern Gaza unless the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) releases more detainees in the Strip.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the Israel will not link the return of the residents in Gaza to the northern part of the Strip with the transitioning to the third stage of the war, stating, "There will be another plan" for the return of the captives and "linking matters together is not correct."

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the residents of the Gaza Strip as “Nazis,” indicating the need to restore settlement in the Strip to control it. In a statement to Israeli Channel 14, Smotrich - the leader of the far-right Religious Zionism Party - said, “There are two million Nazis living in Gaza. It is a time bomb with an extermination mechanism towards Israel,” as he put it. He added, "We must control Gaza for a long time, and we will not be able to do so without rebuilding the settlement." He continued, "There must be a Jewish presence (in Gaza) for a long period, so that terrorism does not develop there." The minister added, "If we were not in Gaza, there would be two million Nazis who wanted to destroy us every morning. We would wake up in 10 or 15 years to a new October 7th."

Smotrich reiterated his support for the so-called "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. It is worth noting that Israeli politicians, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir , Smotrich, and Knesset representative from the ruling Likud Party , Danny Danon, called in recent weeks to encourage “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, which sparked international and Arab criticism.

The Israeli Finance Minister added to Channel 14, "I am acting according to the rules of international law, and I am not expelling anyone from the house by force, but I am saying that a large part of the population of Gaza wants to get out of there." Smotrich was one of the most prominent opponents of the unilateral withdrawal of the Israeli army and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir said that the reports and interviews of Israeli officials in the Western media regarding ending the fighting phase and moving to limited operations in Gaza “are practically an announcement of ending the war of subjugation and moving to a war of attrition,” pointing out that “Israel You won't win that way."

Ben Gvir's statement comes in light of reports of disagreements within the Israeli War Council, news of an American move to push Tel Aviv towards reducing the pace of its military operations in the Gaza Strip, and Netanyahu's assurances that "the war will not stop before achieving its goals." Last November, Ben Gvir threatened to resign from the Israeli government if Israel did not resume its war after the end of the truce, after Ben Gvir and two other ministers from his party voted against the temporary humanitarian truce agreement between the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel. Late last December, Ben Gvir also called for the dissolution of the Ministerial War Council, saying that the idea of educing activity in Gaza is “a failure in the management of the war by the limited government (the War Ministerial Council) and must be dismantled immediately.”

Operational Update

Palestinian resistance was engaged in violent clashes with the occupation forces in the vicinity of the College of Science and Technology, southeast of Khan Yunis. For its part, the Al- Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement - said that it was engaged in fierce clashes with the occupation forces using machine guns and anti-tank missiles in the areas of the incursion into Khan Yunis. The Israeli army seeks to deepen its incursions into Khan Yunis, claiming that the Palestinian resistance leadership and control centers are located there.

As for the central Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported continued clashes and violent Israeli artillery shelling on the town of Al-Zawaida and Al-Maghazi camp. In Gaza City, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front , said that they targeted 3 Israeli vehicles in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of the city, and destroyed them partially or completely. They also engaged in violent clashes with the occupation forces penetrating the area.

The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), said that it bombed Tel Aviv with a missile barrage in response to the Israeli massacres against civilians, 94 days after the start of the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip. Video clips showed the moment Israelis fled and explosions sounded in Tel Aviv after rockets were fired from Gaza. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that sirens sounded in the skies of Greater Tel Aviv and about 20 cities and towns south of it, confirming that Iron Dome intercepted 10 rocket shells in Tel Aviv. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that sirens sounded in Ramla, Rishon LeZion, Nes Ziona, Sitria, Be'er Yaakov, Yashresh, Tel Aviv, Holon, and Lod.

This is the first time that rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip towards central Israel since New Year's Eve. The Home Front Command of the Israeli army said that more than 30 locations where sirens sounded following the launching of a missile salvo from the Gaza Strip towards the Gaza Strip and central Israel. In turn, Israeli Army Radio said that it had monitored the launching of 8 missiles from the southern Gaza Strip, and that air defenses intercepted 3 of them, while 4 landed in open areas. Magen David Adom said that it had not received any reports of casualties, noting that its teams had begun combing the area in search of missile remnants.

The Israeli army had stated more than once that it had been able to limit the ability of the Al-Qassam Brigades to launch rockets from the Gaza Strip, which prompted the Minister of Education to issue a decision to return to schools in the Gaza Strip settlement schools , indicating that his decision was made based on the Minister’s statements. Yoav Galant and the Home Front Command stated that there is no security threat to these settlements.

The city of Rafah is experiencing unprecedented daily scenes resulting from half the population of the Gaza Strip being forced to flee to this small city in the far south of the Strip on the border with Egypt to escape the lava of the Israeli fire that is killing them for the fourth month in a row. Of the 2.2 million Palestinians living in this small coastal strip, about half of them currently reside in the city of Rafah, and the majority of them find it extremely difficult to find shelter. Tents have spread in the streets, roads, and public places in the center of the city and even to the seashore to the west.

The area of the city of Rafah is estimated at approximately 32 square kilometers, extending from its borders with the city of Khan Yunis in the north to the Egyptian border in the south, and from the Israeli security fence in the east to the seashore in the west. The population density occupies about 20 square kilometers of it, while the rest of its area is agricultural land or inaccessible and inaccessible to exploitation because it is located within the scope of what Israel calls the “security buffer zone” adjacent to the security fence. Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on October 7, the waves of displacement to this city have not stopped.

According to official estimates, the number of displaced people exceeds one million, including about 713,000 in shelters affiliated with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), including those displaced in the homes of relatives and friends, while about 268,000 displaced people reside in small tents scattered in the streets, squares and squares.

The majority of them are in the Al-Mawasi area, west of the city. This has increased the misery of life in light of water scarcity and the flow of sewage into the streets and camp homes. The local authorities are helpless in the face of this exceptional situation, and according to the head of the Central Emergency Committee in Rafah, Dr. Ahmed Al-Sufi, they need about 50,000 tents to shelter displaced persons, while they cannot solve many problems due to the war and siege.

The fighters of Division 36 have been operating for the past few weeks in the Al-Boreij camp in the heart of the Gaza Strip, a dense camp made up of civilian buildings, where Hamas terrorists produced many tons of weapons that were used by the terrorist organization in the October 7 attack. The combat teams of the 188th and Golani brigades uncovered a number of shafts reaching a depth of about 30 meters and through the precise intelligence guidance, a terrorist stronghold of the production of weapons in the Gaza Strip was uncovered and many other factories were located for the production of long-range rockets, explosives and accuracy for rockets, mortar bombs, explosives, small arms and unmanned aerial vehicles below the ground. Also, the forces eliminated dozens of terrorists in the area.

The 188th Brigade Combat Team took over the headquarters of the al-Boreij Battalion of the terrorist organization Hamas during the raid, located in Hamel Tsavitov.

The Golani Brigade's combat team located the largest lathe uncovered since the beginning of the war. Components of long-range rockets that can reach the north of the country, mortar bombs, charges and ammunition were found in the area. The lathe is connected via underground shafts to a branched network of tunnels that was used to transport weapons to all the battalions of the terrorist organization Hamas along the Gaza Strip. Following the preliminary intelligence information, the divisional operation resulted in significant damage to the enemy's ability to strengthen and create weapons in the Gaza Strip and prevented future damage to Israel's rear.

The IDF forces attacked a terrorist cell that was operating in Lebanese territory and tried to launch anti-tank missiles towards the territory of the country. In addition, the forces attacked a terrorist infrastructure used by Hezbollah and other areas in Lebanese territory. Also, a number of launches were detected that crossed from Lebanon towards various areas in the north of the country, the IDF attacked with artillery fire the sources of the fire.

IDF spokesman, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari : "We have eliminated the person responsible for launching the Hamas rockets in Syria. The fighting will continue throughout the year 2024. We will not put up with a threat near the northern border, we mean it."

Israeli drones targeted the car of Hezbollah military commander Wissam Tawil in the town of Khirbet Selm in southern Lebanon, killing him and wounding another person who was with him. The Lebanese Hezbollah mourned Wissam Tawil, one of the party's field commanders and an official in the Radwan unit, who is considered the most prominent military commander assassinated by Israel since the beginning of the confrontations between the two sides in the wake of the Al- Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance on the seventh of last October. The party said, in a statement, “With greater pride and pride, the Islamic Resistance brings to life the martyr, the Mujahid, Commander Wissam Hassan Tawil (Hajj Jawad) from the town of Khirbet Selm in southern Lebanon, who rose as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem.”

Following the news of his martyrdom, Israeli media outlets started publishing reports claiming that Tawil was the commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force. However, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon categorically rejected the reports, stressing that there was no truth to it in any way. Since the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, Hajj Jawad has been on the frontlines, even approaching the nearest point from the occupied Palestinian territories on several occasions, being just a few meters away from Israeli military bases. Among his fellow fighters in the Islamic Resistance, he is known as the "man of the field" and an expert in all its details.

A military commentator on the Israeli Kan news channel, Roi Sharon, said today that if "Israel" engages in an intensive operation against Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, it is more likely to lead to a comprehensive war. Sharon stressed that "Israel" should take action to eliminate the elite forces' threat and keep it eight kilometers away from the borders without getting into a full-scale war but expressed uncertainty about the availability of technology to achieve this task. "That's why Blinken was here last week, and Hochtstein was here. The goal is to reach an agreement and avert the war phase. It's not certain that this is possible, but there is some optimism. In the end, to allow the residents of the north [occupied Palestine] to return, a solution must be found to the Radwan threat so that they [settlers] in Hanita don't wake up one day" to the same experience of "Nahel Oz" settlers, in reference to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

The movement in Lebanon declared it targeted the pivotal Israeli military base, Meron, situated on Mount Al-Jarmaq, with over 60 rockets. This mountain, deemed the most critical strategic center in occupied Palestine, serves as the primary command center for the regime's security and military operations, especially in the current northern front war. This operation by Hezbollah, which received extensive coverage in Israeli media, was the first response to the the Israeli action in the southern suburb of Beirut, resulting in the martyrdom of "Saleh Al-Arouri," the Deputy Chief of the Political Office of Hamas.

The Meron base, located 8 kilometers from the last border point with Lebanon, is an electronic warfare center, positioned atop Mount Al-Jarmaq, the highest mountain in occupied territories. Hezbollah's statement underscores its role in managing, monitoring, and controlling air operations in the region, making it a key target. Spanning 150,000 square meters, the base serves as the primary center for aerial operations, intelligence and espionage. Meron oversees coordination in the region and is a hub for electronic warfare. Directly overlooking a substantial portion of Lebanon's geography. Its devices possess substantial power for controlling its desired area in Lebanon. Moreover, the base overlooks the summits of the occupied Hermon mountain, providing a comprehensive view of Syria's geography.

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. The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line. 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. These 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

Axis of Resistance

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi drew an analogy between the Zionist regime and the Daesh (aka ISIS or ISIL) terrorist group, saying they both crave massacre of civilians. In a meeting with Chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan Rustam Emomali, held in Tehran, Raisi stressed the need for collective action by all regional countries to fight against terrorism. He noted that the Daesh terrorist group, created and fostered by the US and the Israeli regime, is similar to the Zionists, who are butchering innocent children and women in the Gaza Strip.

The Zionist regime will cease to exist immediately if it is not propped up by the US, which has been handling the Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023, Iran’s highest-ranking military commander said. “With its bare hands, the oppressed Palestinian nation has stood against the Zionists, who will definitely collapse and vanish if the US stops supporting them one day,” Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said.

He noted that a number of American military commanders have been deployed to the occupied Palestinian territories to handle the Israeli war after the resistance forces launched the Al-Aqsa Storm operation outside Gaza on October 7, 2023. “The US sends bombs and various equipment to the Zionists with a large number of planes on a daily basis,” he noted, adding that a number of regional countries also dispatch cargos to Israel by ship. “Several ships are loaded and are bound for the occupied territories every day even from the ports of some countries whose leaders falsely chant slogans in support of the oppressed Palestinian people,” he deplored.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry called on the US and other Western allies of the Israeli regime to prove their intention to end the war on Gaza in practice instead of fueling regional instability. Asked by Tasnim about the US secretary of state’s recent visit to the region and the speculation that he has sent Iran an indirect message during the trip, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said at a presser on Monday, “We have a clear stance. If the US government, the Western states and the allies of the (Zionist) regime are truly and sincerely after a solution to the problem (in Gaza), the cessation of (Israeli) war crimes and preventing the spread of the war in the region, they must prove their demand in practice.”

Contrary to their stances, the US and the Western allies of Israel have not taken any effective measure to end the Gaza war, he stated, adding, “The world nations observe such a paradox in the words and deeds of certain European countries. On the one hand, they talk about insecurity in the region, but on the other hand they still pursue instability in the region.”

Lauding the growing capabilities of the Palestinian resistance forces in the struggle against the Zionist regime, an IRGC general said the Palestinian forces will sooner or later ward off the Israeli aerial bombardment with air defense weapons. Addressing a conference in commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, the top adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Quds Force hailed the growing trend in the military power of the Islamic resistance forces across the region.

“Today, the Palestinians are fighting with the use of missiles, but one day they will acquire the capability to prevent even the Zionist bombardments and will obtain air defense weapons,” Iraj Masjedi said. The IRGC Quds Force commander’s adviser highlighted the Israeli army’s weakness in the face of Palestinian combatants, saying Israel’s so-called Golani brigade, declared to be a special military force for the war against Palestinians, received so many blows from the resistance forces that it got an order to retreat, just like five other brigades of the Zionist army. “The regional resistance forces will fracture the hand of enemies with the support of Iran’s resistance force,” Masjedi, Iran’s former ambassador to Iraq, stated.

In remarks in October 2023, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei pointed to the "irreparable defeat" of the Zionist regime in the epic that was created by the Palestinian youth, saying, “The cause of this destructive storm was the continuous brutality and ferocity of the fake usurper regime against the Palestinian nation. This regime cannot conceal its monstrous and devious face in the attack on Gaza and the massacre of Gazans through the act of lying or by playing the victim. By speaking nonsense, it cannot attribute the bravery of the Palestinian youth and their intelligent plans to non-Palestinians.”

Allied for Democracy

The head of the Israeli opposition Yair Lapid slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not being qualified to lead the occupation entity, calling on "National Unity" MKs to leave the emergency government, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. During a meeting for his Yesh Atid party, Lapid called on Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, and Gideon Sa’ar to exit the government, stating that “this government is unfit to lead the war” and that “Netanyahu is unfit to lead the country.”

Meanwhile, Lapid revealed three names his party sees fit to fill the Prime Minister position, including a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, Yuli Edelstein, alongside either Gantz or Eisenkot. He declared that he would back any party or movement to change the government, whether through elections or finding an alternative government.

The opposition leader said that "National Unity" lawmakers joined the war cabinet following the October 7 operation since they “believed it was in the best interest of the country. It may have been true three months ago. It is certainly not true now,” Lapid said. "This is not a unity government, this is not an emergency government. They are not saving the State of Israel, they are saving Netanyahu."

"For weeks now, the poison machine of Netanyahu and his aides has been attacking the chief of staff, the army, the commanders, and the fighters. Every meeting of the cabinet turns into a poisonous attack on the army,” and “as long as they are there, as long as they sit under Netanyahu, they give [his actions] legitimacy.”

The top opposition figure criticized the transfer of "billions of shekels" of government funds to "disgraceful coalitions" and parties in the middle of the war rather than going to the military, in reference to Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and other "extremist cabinet members." He said "It is wrong to keep Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and [Religious Zionism Minister Orit] Sturk in power. It is not right to let them pass another criminal and corrupt budget".

Earlier, the leader of the Yisrael Beytenu party, Avigdor Lieberman, criticized the conduct of the war in the northern front with Lebanon. Talking to his party, Lieberman called for a reassessment of the pattern of activity because "we are currently operating with the same concept that led us to October 7." He also criticized "Israel's appearance before the International Criminal Court in The Hague," considering it a "mistake because we should not recognize the court's authority... we took an unnecessary risk."

Israelis - including former officials and current soldiers - questioned the feasibility of the investigation committee to be formed into the “Seventh of October” events if it was not run by the judiciary. Eran Etzion, former deputy head of the Israeli National Security Council, said that the time has come to establish an official investigation committee to examine the method of making decisions at the political level.

He pointed out that there is a major problem in Israel in light of the systematic evasion by heads of government of investigative committees with powers, stressing the need for the official investigation committee to be headed by a Supreme Court judge, and stressed that its results will be difficult for the ministers of the mini-security council ( cabinet ).

In turn, Itzik Puntzal - the father of one of the killed soldiers - sent a letter to former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz stating that his hands should not also be stained with the blood of the murdered, considering that his agreement to accept the appointment to head the investigation committee “will stain him with the failure and injustice that occurred on October 7.” While others appealed not to agree to a formal investigation committee. As for reserve soldier Matan Asher, he also sent a letter, but it was to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, indicating that his appointment of a person like General Zeevi Farkash - who supported those who refused conscription - to investigate the army was inappropriate, and his opinion was shared by the Minister of Education for the Likud Party, Yoav. Kish.

On another topic, the Israeli media touched on the issue of leaks in the cabinet session, as the former Commander of the Navy, General Eleazar Cheney, considered it permissible to ask questions to the Chief of Staff, because the Army Commander is the government of Israel, and not the Minister of the Army or the Prime Minister. He stressed the need to talk to the Chief of Staff with respect because he represents the institution of the General Staff, adding, "If during the war we start harassing each other, the situation will be very difficult."

For her part, Likud's Minister of Transportation, Miri Regev, described the leaks as expressing "irresponsibility and affecting state security, as well as people's lives." For his part, Ariel Sander - a strategic advisor to global campaigns - said that leaks from within a security ministerial council cannot be accepted, describing the matter as a hallucination and a disaster. He added, "You must wait for 30 years in order to extract information from government sessions, so what about cabinet sessions?"

The Israeli Channel 13 correspondent and presenter of the “Akhbar Al-Youm” program, Almog Booker, said that the statements of the Israeli leaders indicate the end of the war on the Gaza Strip. Booker explained - through his account on the Special,” stressing that “this is the end of the war.”

The correspondent - who works in southern Israel - pointed out that this is happening before the goals that were set in the war on Gaza were achieved. “The kidnapped (detainees) did not return, and Hamas was not defeated , as rockets are launched daily from the Gaza Strip.” He added that life in some areas of the Gaza Strip has begun to return to normal, citing what he considers the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and the return of life to the market in Jabalia .

He concluded his post by saying, “This is how you do not win the war,” stressing that “it is impossible for us to return to our homes,” saying, “It is either us or them.”

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's tour to the region is his fourth since last October 7, and has so far included visits to Turkey, Greece, Qatar, the Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Prior to the US Secretary of State’s discussions in Israel, an American official said that Blinken would inform Israeli officials of the need to end the military campaign in Gaza as soon as possible, and stressed that Netanyahu must choose between the method of the Ministers of Finance and National Security in Israel, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir , in ruling or a way that pleases Washington. NBC quoted a senior American official as saying that Blinken will ask Israel to resort to focused military operations to reduce civilian casualties.

Israeli sources confirmed that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will ask Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move to the third phase of the war, while Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that the War Council is not authorized to announce the transition to limited operations in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Channel 12 quoted sources as saying that Blinken’s request aims “in a way that allows displaced Palestinians from north to south to return to their areas in the northern Gaza Strip.” The US Secretary of State will also call on the Israeli government to move negotiations forward to conclude a prisoner exchange deal, double the entry of aid into Gaza, transfer tax dues to the Palestinian Authority, and avoid a war erupting on the border with Lebanon.

Blinken pledged to do his utmost to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip , which has been subjected to Israeli aggression since last October 7. Blinken said, in statements to reporters after the conclusion of his visit to Saudi Arabia, “I am heading to Israel and will speak to them about the future of the military operation in Gaza.”

The American minister stressed that the West Bank and Gaza Strip must be united under Palestinian leadership, saying, “We want to see the establishment of a Palestinian state in the future. These matters will not be easy, there are difficulties, but we agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to stabilize Gaza and chart a path.” for the Palestinians in the long term.

Blinken added that he found the leaders of the region in the countries he visited determined to prevent the expansion of the conflict between Israel and the Islamic resistance movement Hamas in Gaza, pointing out that everyone he spoke to understood the magnitude of the challenges and no one believed that anything would happen overnight.

Blinken continued, "I will talk about our vision for the future and I am confident that there is a future path that will bring peace and security to Israel, and I will stress to Israel the necessity of making more efforts to protect civilians," indicating that he will inform Israeli leaders of what he heard during his tour in the region.

Blinken's statements came at the conclusion of his visit to Saudi Arabia and his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , where they discussed developments in events in and around Gaza and ceasefire efforts. The Saudi Crown Prince stressed the importance of stopping military operations, intensifying further efforts at the humanitarian level, and working to create conditions for the return of stability and the restoration of the path of peace to ensure that the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and achieve just and lasting peace.

Two experts suggested that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken would fail to achieve the goals he had during his visit to Israel , due to the lack of an Israeli vision and consensus on the post-war phase in the Gaza Strip. Israeli affairs expert Dr. Muhannad Mustafa said that the Israeli internal factor that refuses to envision a post-war era will thwart Blinken’s visit to the region, noting that Washington supports Tel Aviv, but the latter obstructs the former’s directions.

Mustafa pointed out - during his talk on the Al-Jazeera program “Gaza... What Next?” - that there are several trends in the Israeli government, as the extremist duo Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are adopting the displacement of the population of Gaza and resettlement there, while Defense Minister Yoav Galant speaks of a Palestinian civil administration while... Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on a long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza.

He stressed that Washington realizes that there is no solution to the Israeli dilemma except by changing Netanyahu’s government and forming a new government, speaking about demands for Benny Gantz’s withdrawal from the war council.Mustafa added that setting any Israeli political vision for the Gaza Strip in agreement with Washington would lead to the dismantling of the government, and pointed out that Netanyahu is leading the war for his interests and has now become a weak prime minister after becoming a prisoner of the extreme right.

He stressed that Israel fears American pressure, because it will affect the Netanyahu government, whose behavior is confirmed to be ideological, ruling out US President Joe Biden imposing sanctions and strong political positions against Israel, such as not using the veto. He pointed out that there were reviews within the former Israeli military elite regarding the goals of the war, as they believed that they were unrealistic, and he reported the formation of an internal bloc demanding a ceasefire and the necessity of resolving the prisoner issue.

In turn, former US State Department official Bartik Theros believes that Blinken has two goals: the first is to reduce the intensity of fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, not a ceasefire, and the second is to prevent the outbreak of war between Israel and Lebanon. He explained that Netanyahu would not dare to stop the war because of his far-right allies, for fear that his political future would end and he would go to prison, before adding that the former also could not rebel against a firm American position if Biden demanded to stop the war.

Theros pointed out that US President Joe Biden is betting on his Secretary of State in his visit to the region “without giving him the necessary tools,” indicating that unless he does so, the situation will remain as it is and the war will continue. He touched on the withdrawal of the aircraft carrier from the eastern Mediterranean, and said that it was a signal to Netanyahu that Washington would not support him if he launched a war on Lebanon, even though Biden has an attachment to Israel and it is difficult for him to get rid of this feeling.

He believed that if the Netanyahu government fell as a result of internal popular pressure, it would be great for the Israelis and Palestinians, pointing out that Biden is trying to find a way to change his declared position without appearing so. It is noteworthy that Blinken preceded his visit to Israel by saying that he would talk about “the future of the military campaign in Gaza,” and the need for the West Bank and Gaza to be united under Palestinian leadership, and stressed that escalation is not in the interest of any party, whether Israel or Lebanon.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper discussed the emergence of a movement that it described as leftist within the United States of America, and said that it organized several anti-Israel demonstrations, rejecting its war on Gaza. The report - edited by the newspaper's correspondent, Tzipi Shmilovitz - claimed that this movement calls itself "American Democratic Socialists" and succeeded in organizing a huge demonstration that turned out to be a major protest in the United States and Western countries against Israel.

Yedioth Ahronoth indicated that demonstrators gathered in Times Square in New York City on October 8, when "many areas" in the Gaza Strip were still under the control of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ). It said that a new generation of Democrats is no longer supportive of Israel, and criticizes American aid to it because of its war in Gaza. One of the most prominent voices criticized by the newspaper was Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, known for her pro-Palestinian stances.

The report claimed that Cortez recently showed a concession to some of her positions, when she commented on the Times Square demonstration by saying: “The things that were seen at this protest are unacceptable in any way, and it should not be difficult to condemn hatred and anti-Semitism when we see it.” Yedioth Ahronoth considered this position of the congresswoman a surprising reaction. Shmilovitz says that Cortez avoids using the term “genocide” in her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, unlike many others.

However, the newspaper said that matters reached a climax when the congresswoman compared the persecutors of Jesus Christ, son of Mary, to modern Israel. Cortez wrote about Jesus - in a post on social media - that he “was among a targeted group who was killed indiscriminately to protect the power of an unjust leader.” Yedioth Ahronoth believes that it is easy for Israel and its supporters to express their annoyance and reject Cortez's positions, but what is "more effective is to realize that she represents a generation that has vastly different views on Israel."

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.

Regarding what is happening in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) representative Osama Hamdan said that the Israeli aggression there left 313 martyrs and injured more than 3,000, which is a continuation of the plans of the Netanyahu government.

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 23,840 martyrs, and the killing of nearly 10,000 Palestinian children and 6,600 women killed. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The number wounded was 58,926. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said much earlier that the number of missing people had risen to more than 7,500, including including 4,700 children and women, and this number had not changes in recent weeks.

The spokesman for the HAMAS Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf Al-Qudra, stated that 326 health personnel were martyred in the Israeli aggression, and 104 ambulances were destroyed and taken out of service. He confirmed that the occupation deliberately targeted 150 health institutions and put 30 hospitals out of service, in addition to continuing to arrest 99 health personnel in inhumane conditions.

Lebanese Hezbollah announced the killing of one of its members in southern Lebanon during confrontations with Israeli forces, bringing the party's death toll to 134 since last October 8. The statement said, "With greater pride and honor, the Islamic Resistance mourns the martyr, the Mujahid, Ali Ahmed Saad Jibril, from the city of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, who rose as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem," according to the official Lebanese News Agency.

The Israeli bombing led to the killing of a number of civilians, and 3 journalists.

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 officially announced number of deaths among the Israeli army since the start of the ground incursion on October 27th to 180, and 510 deaths since the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on the 7th of the same month. Among them are 56 with the rank of platoon commander, 43 with the rank of company commander, 9 with the rank of battalion commander, and 5 with the rank of brigade commander. These officers constitute 23% of the total deaths of the Israeli army in the war on Gaza.

Israeli media reported that 27% of the Israeli military casualties in the war were officers. In detail, the media highlighted that three brigade commanders, four battalion commanders, and other senior officers have been killed in the war so far.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that 29 of the army's deaths were caused by "friendly fire" and operational incidents since the start of the ground war in Gaza, late last October. The Israeli authority explained that "18 army soldiers were killed by friendly fire, two were killed as a result of gunfire (without explanation), and 9 Israeli soldiers were killed in ammunition, weapons, or run-over accidents." The Jerusalem Post newspaper revealed that 15 soldiers were killed in the Strip without their bodies being found.

According to the latest data published by the army, the number of wounded soldiers and officers has risen to 1,042 since the start of its ground attack on Gaza on October 27, including 228 seriously wounded, while the total number has reached 2,438 wounded since the outbreak of the war on the 7th of October.

The Israeli army reported that 2,438 soldiers - including 355 seriously injured - have been injured since the beginning of the war on Gaza, including earlier reports of 576 moderate, and 1,161 minor. The number of wounded since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip on October 27 had risen to 1,042.

At least 12,387 Israelis were injured, according to i24 TV.

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.

According to some reports statistics indicate that 20% of the Israeli losses were due to friendly fire. Because the nature of the battle has become completely different from what was expected, and it lacks a front line.

An estimate by the Israeli Ministry of Defense expected that the number of soldiers with disabilities in the war taking place in the Gaza Strip since October 7 of last year would reach 12,500 soldiers. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the Soldiers' Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense has dealt with 3,400 soldiers who were classified as disabled in the army since last October 7.

The Israeli army revealed that about 9,000 of its soldiers have received “psychological assistance” since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, and about a quarter of them have not returned to combat. This came according to a new statement revealed by the Army Medical Corps, according to Channel 12 and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. According to the statement, nearly 9,000 soldiers have applied for psychological assistance since the beginning of the war, and approximately a quarter of them have not returned to combat.

The statement continued, "In total, about 13,000 regular and reserve soldiers required accompaniment or medical treatment at some level during the fighting, and thousands of them were injured in the battles."

Hostages

Israel had previously 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.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club revealed on Wednesday that about 11,000 arrests were carried out by the Israeli occupation army during the year 2023 in the West Bank , including occupied Jerusalem , in addition to arrests from the Gaza Strip before the seventh of last October. The Prisoners' Club explained that arrests after the 7th of October amounted to more than 5,660, in contrast to the detainees in Gaza after the 7th of the same month. The Prisoners' Club stated that cases of arrest among women amounted to (300), and this toll includes women from the occupied interior detained after October 7, while the number of cases of children reached 1,085.

Israel said that, since the beginning of the war, approximately 2,570 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, approximately 1,300 of whom are affiliated with Hamas.