Operation Iron Swords - Day 96 - 10 January 2024
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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 will appear for the first time since its occupation of Palestine in 1948, before the International Court of Justice accused of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The session will be held tomorrow morning in the presence of South African lawyers with evidence of more than 200 statements by Israeli officials from both political and military levels. Israel prepared a large team of lawyers, including the American Jewish lawyer and author Alan Dershowitz, whose name was recently exposed in the Epstein case.
The Russian representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, attacked Western members of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, accusing them of "wasting the council's time in sessions far from what is happening in the Middle East, especially Gaza." Nebenzia, speaking in an open debate, stated that "Israel" was seeking the "ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people in Gaza with American cover from top to bottom." The Israeli occupation has been facing accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing ever since the start of its brutal bombing campaigns and subsequent invasion of Gaza, with numerous international figures condemning its actions as such. More than 500 statements from various Israeli officials, military personnel, and lawmakers carrying clear genocidal intentions have been compiled by right groups.
Netanyahu stated that Israel does not intend to permanently occupy the Gaza Strip or displace the Palestinian population from it, stressing that the military operation is being conducted solely with the aim of destroying the Hamas movement. Netanyahu said in a video speech: “I want to be absolutely clear on several points. Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we do so in full compliance with international law.”
He added: "The Israeli army is doing everything in its power to reduce civilian casualties to a minimum, while Hamas is doing everything in its power to maximize casualties by using Palestinian civilians as human shields." The Israeli Prime Minister continued: “The IDF encourages Palestinian civilians to leave combat zones by distributing leaflets, making phone calls, and providing safe passages, while Hamas prevents Palestinians from leaving at gunpoint and often by opening fire.”
Netanyahu stressed that Israel's goal in this military operation is to "rid the Gaza Strip of Hamas terrorists and liberate the Israeli hostages," and concluded that "once this is achieved, Gaza can be disarmed and extremism removed, thus creating the possibility of a better future for both Israel and the Palestinians."
The session before the ICJ is essential for it may be an important introduction to what "Israel" faces before the International Criminal Court. This means that the 300 lawyers who filed a genocide lawsuit against “Israel” more than a month ago before the International Criminal Court will rely on the decision that will be taken by the International Court of Justice, to name the people there and prosecute those responsible for the genocide.
Operational Update
The Mujahideen Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, announced that it had obtained the spoils of its battles, including weapons and equipment, from the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. The Mujahideen Brigades published scenes of "weapons and equipment seized after special operations and fierce clashes with the occupation in the Gaza Strip."
The Mujahideen Brigades announced that "its mujahideen engaged in fierce clashes with enemy vehicles and soldiers in several areas in the central region of the Gaza Strip." The Mujahideen Brigades confirmed that its mujahideen destroyed "concentrations of vehicles and soldiers of the Zionist enemy" in the areas of Gaza City with a number of short-range missiles.
Abu Bilal, spokesman for the Mujahideen Brigades, said: “We call on the people of our nation and the supporters of the resistance and Palestine to support their Mujahideen brothers in the Mujahideen Brigades and participate in the duty of jihad through financial support through the digital platforms that are published on the Brigades’ website.”
Al Jazeera military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, described the ambush carried out by the Al- Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - against the occupation forces penetrating south of the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza as successful and unprecedented and took a long time frame.
Al-Duwairi explained that a successful ambush depends on the target, the availability of information, and then developing an accurate plan, noting that Al-Qassam is dealing with a supported Israeli force that can be supplied at any moment, while its fighters work within a tight time frame and there is no possibility of error. He pointed out that the video shown by Al-Qassam did not exceed 3 minutes, but the operation took a long time, revealing that the area south of the Zaytoun neighborhood had been in contact with the occupation since the first week of the Israeli ground operation.
He pointed out that the Al-Qassam ambush was divided into 3 groups: the duty group, which targeted the invading Israeli force with anti-missiles and then fire machine guns, and the support group, which provided fire support required for the first group. He noted the presence of a group of rescue equipment that prevented any reinforcements from reaching the target, as they chose a point to wait for the rescue and rescue forces and targeted a vehicle, before detonating an explosive device through a tunnel.
Al-Duwairi also praised the video of Islamic Jihad fighters - which targeted an Israeli special force barricaded in one of the homes of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip - and said that they had previously fought two major military battles with the occupation, and their weapons were somewhat different from the Qassam weapons.
Regarding the latest developments on the ground, Al-Duwairi said that the occupation has moved north to the stage of focused targeting, recalling media reports that spoke of the withdrawal of between 60% and 90% of the size of the forces that entered the region after withdrawing two large divisions and retaining a paratroopers brigade, a Nahal brigade, a Yahalom unit specializing in tunnels, and two small groups of paratroopers. Elite forces.
He stressed that the occupation was unable to destroy the tunnel network in the northern Gaza Strip, and failed to liberate the prisoners and withdraw most of the forces it had deployed since the beginning of the ground war.
In the center of the Gaza Strip, the occupation - according to Al-Duwairi - made a modification after initially assigning the task to the “36 Armored” Division, before assigning the “99” Division, reinforced by 4 brigades, and allocating a brigade to each camp, in reference to the Al-Bureij, Al-Maghazi, Al-Nuseirat, and Al-Zawaida camps, which were separated and isolated from some of the camps. He explained that the occupation conducted a maneuver from Al-Zahraa Towers south of Gaza towards Al-Zawaida, in an attempt to separate Al-Zawaida and Al-Maghazi from Deir Al-Balah, which has not yet entered the battle.
To the south, the operation in Khan Yunis is still continuing at its most intense, as the occupation seeks to circumvent the city from the southern side due to the fierce resistance in Al-Qarara and Khuza’a, by developing its operations from the Al-Fukhari area towards Khirbet Al-Adas, according to the military expert.
Al-Duwairi estimated the size of the Israeli forces in Khan Yunis at 8 combat brigades, reinforced by two other brigades, revealing that the city’s battles are more severe than in the north due to the nature of the region, the positioning of elite forces from the rest of the resistance factions other than the Qassam, and the presence of a joint operations room, stressing that the management of the battle in the south is central, unlike what happened in the north.
Israeli media reported that Hezbollah's use of anti-tank missiles as a sniper weapon is "unprecedented." The Israeli Haaretz newspaper disclosed that starting from October 7, Hezbollah has launched mortars and rockets at IOF outposts. However, the remarkable increase in the deployment of anti-tank missiles from Lebanon is noteworthy in the ongoing confrontations. Hezbollah's utilization of this precision weapon is unparalleled in "Israel" and possibly globally.
According to figures obtained by Haaretz, the list of settlements hit by anti-tank missiles and the damage to civilian infrastructure is long. It spreads along the entire length of the Lebanese border. The newspaper detailed that numerous homes, public buildings, chicken coops, businesses, and vehicles in the "moshavim Avivim", "Dovev, Zar'it", and "Shtula", as well as the "kibbutzim Misgav Am" and "Sasa", along with other settlements, have been impacted.
Moreover, the newspaper revealed that the "range of the anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanon at civilian targets in the al-Jalil now comes to "Moshav Beit Hillel", located four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the border; and Kibbutz Kfar Szold in the Hula Valley, six kilometers from the border, whose residents have not been evacuated."
A senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, Yehoshua Kalisky, explained that "the manner of their current use by Hezbollah is unprecedented in the world. This is massive use, daily, against civilians, soldiers, vehicles, chicken coops, and houses in the north. Against anything that moves, or does not move, and there is no defense against it."
On another note, the newspaper wrote that even though the "Trophy system has been proven to provide tanks and APCs with an effective defense against anti-tank missiles in Gaza", the IOF lacks the capability to intercept these missiles when they are directed at squads of soldiers, vehicles, and buildings along occupied Palestine's northern border.
The numbers revealed by Haaretz suggest that "Israel" has evacuated around 50,000 Israeli settlers from settlements located within 3.5 kilometers of the border, adding that "the weekend strike on an air traffic control base on Mount Meron revealed that Hezbollah also has anti-tank missiles with a 10-kilometer range". This situation places additional settlements, such as "Sde Nehemia" and "Kfar Blum" in the "Hula Valley", and "Rehaniya", "Kerem Ben Zimra", and "Jish" in the mountains, directly within the firing range from Lebanon. Notably, these areas have not undergone evacuation measures yet.
Concerning the Iron Dome, the newspaper clarified that while the system issues brief warnings for high-trajectory rocket and mortar attacks, it faces limitations with antitank missiles. These missiles are fired on a direct line of sight with a flat trajectory, resulting in a relatively extended time in the air, at least 30 seconds at the given ranges. Unfortunately, "Israel" lacks a countermeasure that would provide residents with even a five-second warning to take cover or intercept missiles targeting a community.
"When we asked why Kfar Szold was not evacuated, army sources told us that antitank missiles only have a range of five kilometers. But Hezbollah has already reached longer ranges and this concept has collapsed in front of our eyes," says Pnina Eisenberg Borstein, the kibbutz community director. "Last Saturday, an antitank missile was fired at Givat Ha'em nearby – and the threat has materialized. There is already a crisis of confidence since October 7. So when we see that the army's basic assumption is breached, it definitely does not ease our anxiety."
Moreover, the newspaper quoted Kalisky admitting that "Hezbollah exploits our weakness in the best possible way. It has no aircraft, artillery, or tanks, so it tries to operate creatively."
In the Al Ma'azi area in the center of the Gaza Strip, forces from the Golani Brigade's combat team operated and directed Air Force aircraft to attack many terrorists. The fighters uncovered over 15 underground shafts. During a raid on military buildings in the area, rocket launchers, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and explosives were located. In addition, the fighters destroyed a rocket production machine that was located in the area.
As part of the 98th Division's activity in the Khan Yunis area of ??the southern Gaza Strip, the fire complex of the commando formation directed Air Force aircraft that attacked and eliminated over 10 terrorists in a quick closing circle with the fighters in the field. During the fighting in the area in the last day, many dozens of terrorists were eliminated by the brigade combat teams.
In another operation in Khan Yunis, the fighters of the 4th TDF identified a terrorist who had planted an explosive device in the area, near the axis of movement of the force. The brigade's fire complex directed an Air Force aircraft that attacked and eliminated the terrorist.
It has been reported in the various Palestinian media networks in recent days that during an attack carried out earlier this week in the Rafah area, two journalists named Hamza Eldahdoh and Setafa Taria were killed. Intelligence information in the possession of the IDF proves the identity of the two killed as active in the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip that took part in promoting terrorist operations against IDF forces.
IDF saie : "Before the attack, the two operated drones in a way that created a real threat to our forces, who directed an Air Force aircraft to attack the terrorists who were responsible for its operation. Mtzatafa Theria serves as an operative in the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza City Division. A document found by IDF forces in the Gaza Strip during the fighting shows an organizational structure of all the operatives in the organization's Alkadsia Battalion, in which the name of Mtzatfa is indicated alongside his position in the organization - deputy squad commander.
"Hamza and El Hamdan al-Dahdoh, serves as an activist in the GAP terrorist organization and carries out acts of terrorism against the State of Israel. In documents found by IDF forces during the fighting in the Gaza Strip, Dahdoh appears on a list of activists in the field of electronic engineering of the GAP. It also appears in the documents that In the past, Dohdoh served as the deputy commander of a platoon in the Zeitoun battalion in the organization and is currently in charge of a section in the GAP's rocket unit."
The soldiers of the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Security Guard arrested 14 wanted persons throughout Judea and Samaria tonight. During the night, the forces operated in a counter-terrorism operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the Menasha Brigade. During the operation, engineering tools uncovered over 80 ready-to-use charges buried under the roads in order to harm our forces and arrested two wanted persons. In another divisional operation in the Kasbah of Nablus in the Samaria Division, the reserve soldiers interrogated suspects, arrested two wanted persons and after searches for weapons confiscated guns, weapons, ammunition and military equipment.
In addition, the fighters located a number of ready-to-use explosive sites and destroyed them. One of the sites of explosives that were destroyed was in the area of a cafe in the Kasbah. During the operation, disturbances developed that included throwing stones and explosives, the forces responded by shooting, and injuries were detected.
In the village of Atara in the Binyamin Brigade, the fighters mapped the house of one of the terrorists who carried out the shooting attack near the British police intersection at the beginning of the week on 07.01.2024. In the village of Tarkomia in the Yehuda Brigade, two wanted men were arrested and about 100 ready-to-use explosives were destroyed, and in Bethlehem in the Etzion Brigade, weapons were found. Also, in the village of Dora and the city of Hebron in the Yehuda Division, the forces confiscated a lot of terrorist funds.
Air Force fighter jets attacked an operational headquarters and a launch site of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. In addition, three launches from Lebanese territory toward the Arab al-Aramsha area were detected that fell in open areas, the IDF is attacking the source of the shooting in Lebanese territory.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps announced that an attack confronted by American and British forces in the Red Sea on Tuesday evening was the "largest" attack carried out by the Houthis in Yemen, against the backdrop of the war on the Gaza Strip. Shapps pointed out that the warship "HMS Diamond" of the British Royal Navy, which participated in confronting the Houthi attack, may also have been targeted.
The British Minister reiterated that the United Kingdom and its allies consider these attacks “totally illegal and unacceptable,” and threatened their perpetrators, saying, “If (these attacks) continue, the Houthis will bear the consequences. We will take the necessary measures to protect innocent lives and the global economy.”
The Pentagon announced that American and British forces shot down 18 explosive drones, two winged missiles, and a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards international shipping routes south of the Red Sea. US and British forces shot down 18 OWA explosive drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile, through a joint effort of F/A-18 aircraft from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower ( CVN 69), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Labone (DDG 58), USS Mason (DDG 87), and the UK's HMS Diamond (D34).
A member of the Supreme Political Council of the “Ansar Allah” group, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi , addressed the British, saying: “Your destroyer was made before the technological development that now strengthens the modern arsenal of the Yemeni armed forces. He added in a post on “X”: “When the destroyer was built, the Yemeni people at that time owned Moser rifles, the magazine of which can only hold one bullet and not automatic, and the British with this power occupy parts of Yemen.”
The Houthis confirmed that their armed forces will continue to target Israeli ships or those heading to Israeli ports until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted. In his account on the “X” platform, the spokesman for the Yemeni Ansar Allah (Houthis) group, Muhammad Abdel Salam, said: “International navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea is safe, and the American must stop misleading the world about the dangers threatening international navigation in the two aforementioned Bahrain.”
Abdel Salam added: “We call on all countries to be careful not to fall into America’s traps that aim to militarize the Red Sea to serve Israel and encourage it to continue its brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip.” He added: "We reaffirm that the armed forces will continue to target Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted, and whoever obstructs the operations of the Yemeni armed forces will face a response."
Former Israeli Intelligence Official and regional analyst Avi Melamed aid last night’s Houthi attack presents a wider test, that UN resolutions won’t change, for the US image in the Middle East. “Last night the Houthis launched their most intensive attack yet on Red Sea shipping, which was intercepted by the U.S. and coalition naval forces, but illustrates that threats alone won’t deter the Houthis. Many in the region are wondering whether the U.S. threat against the Houthis will go down in history as similar to the Obama administration’s threats and line drawn in the sand over the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons during the Syrian Civil War which ultimately Syria did cross without a significant response. This war has thus far provided the U.S. Government and its military the opportunity to strengthen its image in the region, but this is a testing moment for that image—will the U.S. respond or maintain its defensive stance and thus suffer the loss of the image boost it has thus far gained?”
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. 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
An opinion poll conducted by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, showed a consensus in the Arab street regarding the Palestinian issue as “the issue of all Arabs, not the issue of Palestinians alone,” at 92%, which is an unprecedented percentage, as the percentage rose. At a rate of 16%, compared to 76% recorded at the end of 2022.
The most prominent proposals put forward by a public opinion poll included that Arab governments, to stop the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing since October 7, 2023, must sever relations with Israel, bring aid into the Gaza Strip, use oil weapons, and create a global coalition to boycott Israel.
The percentage of considering the Palestinian issue as the issue of all Arabs has increased significantly in some countries. In Morocco it rose from 59% in 2022 to 95%, in Egypt from 75% to 94%, and in Saudi Arabia from 69% to 95%, in a way that reflects a fundamental shift in Opinions of citizens of these countries.
According to the poll, which included a sample size of 8,000 male and female respondents, during the period from December 12 to January 5 of this year, in 16 Arab societies, Arab public opinion is not convinced that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation carried out by the Palestinian resistance movement Against the Israeli occupation to achieve a foreign agenda, and 89% of Arabs refuse to let their countries recognize Israel.
Over 36% of the citizens of the Arab region believe - according to the results of the same poll - that the most important measure for Arab governments to stop the aggression on the Gaza Strip is for these governments to sever their relations with Israel or cancel normalization processes with it, while 14% of respondents believed that it is to introduce humanitarian aid. To the Gaza Strip without Israel's approval, and 11% favored using oil weapons to put pressure on Israel and its supporters.
The percentages of the rest of the proposals to end the war varied, between the necessity of establishing a global coalition to boycott Israel (9%), providing military aid to the Gaza Strip (8%), declaring military mobilization (5%), reconsidering relations with the United States (4%), and reconsidering relations with the United States (4%). Consider the countries that support Israel's war (3%), and other opinions in small percentages.
Also, 69% of the respondents expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the Hamas movement, while 23% reported that they were in solidarity with the Palestinian people even if they disagreed with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), while the percentage of those who reported that they did not stand in solidarity with the Palestinians was only 1%.
The results of the poll showed that 89% of Arab respondents refuse for their countries to recognize Israel, compared to only 4% who agree to that, while 7% abstained from expressing an opinion, which represents an increase in the percentage by 5% from the year 2022, as the percentage of those who reject Recognition 84%.
The poll highlighted that Arab public opinion is not convinced that the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7 was the fulfillment of a foreign agenda, as 35% of respondents considered that the most important reason for the operation was the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, while 24% attributed it to Defending Al-Aqsa Mosque against its targeting, and 8% saw it as a result of the continued siege of the Gaza Strip.
The opinions of other respondents varied between freeing Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Israeli prisons (6%), against the continuation and expansion of settlement in the Palestinian territories (5%), the international community’s lack of interest in the rights of Palestinians and the continuation of the occupation (4%), and Israel’s refusal to establish a Palestinian state (4%) %), and other opinions in small percentages.
As for the discussion about the legitimacy of that operation, 67% of Arab public opinion agreed that the operation was a “legitimate resistance operation,” while 19% evaluated it as a “legitimate resistance operation that was marred by some errors,” and 5% considered it an “illegitimate operation.”
The survey showed that Arab citizens deal with this war as if it affects them directly, as 97% of respondents expressed that they feel psychological pressure (to varying degrees) as a result of the war on the Gaza Strip, and 84% even said that they feel great psychological pressure. About 80% of the respondents reported that they regularly follow war news, compared to 7% who said that they do not follow it. The highest percentage of follow-up was recorded in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon, while the sources of follow-up are distributed on television channels by 54%, and the Internet by 43%. %, while the majority of followers of war news on the Internet reported that they use social media to follow it.
According to the poll, there is almost consensus among Palestinian respondents from the West Bank and Jerusalem - with rates exceeding 95% - that the level of safety in the West Bank, the possibility of movement between its governorates and cities, their sense of security and personal safety, and their economic situation were affected as a result of the war. 60% of Palestinians in the West Bank reported that they were subjected to or were witnesses to incursions into their areas by the occupation army, 44% said that they were subjected to arrest or interrogation by the Israeli army, and 22% reported that they were subjected to settler attacks or harassment.
In the context of what Israeli politicians and some American officials circulated about likening the Hamas movement to the Islamic State ( ISIS ), a third of Arab public opinion, 67%, believes that they are completely different from each other, while 15% said that Hamas differs from the organization to a great extent, and 5 % considered that Hamas is partly different from it, while only 3% said that Hamas is not different from ISIS.
At the level of Arab public opinion’s assessment of the policies of regional and international powers toward the war on the Gaza Strip, the results of the poll reflected that Arab public opinion opposes the policy of the United States of America toward the war on Gaza. 94% of respondents evaluated its position as “bad” and “very bad.” While 3% considered it good, and 1% said it was very good.
In the same context, 79%, 78% and 75% agree that the positions of France, Britain and Germany, respectively, are negative towards the war on the Gaza Strip, while Arab public opinion was divided regarding the positions of Iran, Turkey, Russia and China, among those who saw them as positive (48% , 47%, 41%, 40%, respectively), and some of them were considered negative (37%, 40%, 42%, 38%, respectively).
According to the poll, 76% of respondents reported that their view of the United States has become more negative based on its positions on the war, and the results reflect that it has lost its credibility with Arab public opinion, as 81% of respondents reported that it is not serious in working to establish a Palestinian state in the territories. Occupied since 1967 (the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem).
About 77% of Arab public opinion agreed that the United States and Israel are the most threatening to the security and stability of the region. 51% saw the United States as the most threatening, and 26% saw Israel as the greatest threat. The rest of the opinions varied between Iran (7%) and Russia. (4%), France (2%), Turkey (2%), and China (1%), and others answered “other countries” or “I don’t know” in varying proportions.
As for the American media’s coverage of the course of the war on the Gaza Strip, 82% of respondents reported that it was biased towards Israel, while only 7% considered it neutral, while 4% saw it as biased towards Palestine.
A recent analysis has unveiled a pattern of "systematic bias in favor of Israel" within Western media coverage of the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip. This scrutiny highlights the tendency of certain news agencies to "dehumanize Palestinians" while legitimizing the occupying regime's actions in the besieged area.
According to an Intercept analysis, major American newspapers, influential in shaping US perspectives, notably underreport Israel’s severe actions and blockade in Gaza. The study gathered over 1,000 articles from key outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, focusing on the usage and context of specific terms.
The findings underscore a stark imbalance in how Israeli and Palestinian perspectives are portrayed, heavily favoring Israeli narratives. Despite the disproportionate Palestinian casualties, coverage emphasized Israeli deaths. Emotive language characterizing Israeli fatalities starkly contrasted the descriptions used for Palestinian deaths.
Even amidst the deadliest conflict for children in modern history, scant mention of "children" and related terms were observed in surveyed article headlines. The presence of terms like "journalists," "reporters," or "photojournalists" in headlines was notably limited, appearing in only a small fraction of the articles studied.
Reacting to the survey, Arwa Damon, a former CNN correspondent and now a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, condemned these "double standards," identifying them as part of a broader depiction of Muslims and Arabs as "less than human" in Western media.
Experts and journalists further highlighted the irreversible damage caused to the credibility of these ostensibly "mainstream" news agencies among Arab and other audiences due to this biased coverage.
Axis of Resistance
Iran expressed support for South Africa’s “responsible, courageous and honorable” move to file a genocide case against the Israeli regime at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case, filed by South Africa, sets a precedent as the first at the ICJ relating to the siege on the Gaza Strip, where more than 23,000 people have been killed since October 7, nearly 10,000 of them children.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran lashed out at the Zionist regime for committing brutal crimes against Gaza for over three months under unconditional and unrestricted support from certain governments. “The Islamic Republic of Iran once again strongly condemns the apartheid Zionist regime’s war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian nation and expresses its support for the approach of resistance as a liberation measure and legitimate right recognized by international law for the Palestinian nation in the struggle against occupation,” the statement said.
The Foreign Ministry also voiced Iran’s support for South Africa’s responsible, courageous and honorable move based upon international law in defense of the Palestinian nation, calling for the international community’s support to hold the perpetrators of Gaza crimes accountable.
The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), Osama Hamdan, said in a press conference in Beirut that the situation in the Gaza Strip is more complex and better than the occupation thinks, and the Israeli army’s marketing of the transition to the third phase of the war is false and exposed propaganda for the Palestinian people and the resistance, and a desperate attempt to pass it off as an achievement at the expense of The blood of the people of Gaza.
He added that the idea of disarming the resistance is naive and does not take into account the facts of the matter, and talk about the resistance leaving and leaving is just an illusion. He added that the Israeli enemy failed, 3 months after the start of its aggression, to achieve any of its goals, and stressed that the detainees will not return alive to their families unless the conditions of resistance are met, the first of which is a complete cessation of the aggression.
He said that the occupation targeted all civilians, especially children and women, and did not allow a crime without committing it using all internationally prohibited weapons, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. He pointed out that the crimes of the occupation were not limited to the Gaza Strip only, but also affected the areas of the West Bank and Jerusalem, through the siege of cities and camps, arrest campaigns and the destruction of homes and infrastructure, in addition to the deliberate assassination crimes of Palestinians.
Hamdan called on the International Court of Justice not to yield to the pressures sought by the American administration to disrupt the work of the court, adding that the failure of the American administration to issue a decision to stop the aggression destroys its alleged moral image. The Hamas leader said, "We expect serious action from the newly appointed chief humanitarian coordinator from the United Nations to end the suffering of civilians in all areas of the Gaza Strip."
Allied for Democracy
Netanyahu faces many challenges that threaten to dismantle the emergency government that was established during the war on the Gaza Strip , with the joining of the “National Camp” coalition, headed by Benny Gantz, who is demanding that the budgets of the government coalition agreements be transferred to cover part of the war expenses.
These challenges come at a time when the government is discussing - on Thursday and Friday - the 2024 budget, amid fundamental differences between the coalition parties that oppose reducing the budgets of the coalition agreements, and amid expectations that the budget deficit will worsen due to the cost of the war and the losses incurred by the Israeli economy in light of the state of emergency and the continuation of the fighting.
With the continuation of the war on Gaza and the differences in positions regarding the next day and the expansion of the general budget framework to bridge coalition differences, protests are escalating in the Israeli street demanding the departure of Netanyahu and holding early elections for the Knesset , due to the failure to achieve the goals of the war and liberate those detained by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ).
In the face of this reality, Netanyahu - who is looking to eliminate 10 ministerial portfolios under budget pressure and the demands of coalition partners - is maneuvering between the political minefield and economic cuts from various ministries, which constitutes a rift for him in the 2024 budget, and he fears a rebellion within the ruling Likud Party against him.
Netanyahu wants to return the Likud ministers who resigned from the Knesset under the “Norwegian” law, but the Knesset members - who are supposed to vacate their seats - made it clear to him and his ministers that “if you try to send us to our homes, you will not get a majority in the voting session to return to your positions in the Knesset or in the government.”
Analysts agree that maintaining the emergency government depends on the decision of the leader of the "National Camp" Gantz, who did not hesitate during the months of the war to criticize Netanyahu and accuse him of exploiting the war for political and personal goals. Analysts also believe that Gantz's withdrawal from the emergency government is a matter of time, and is related to the detainees' file, the course of the war, and developments in the ground incursion into the Gaza Strip.
Political affairs correspondent for the newspaper "Haaretz", Michael Hauser Tof, believes that in light of the reservations and opposition expressed by the "National Camp" regarding the provisions of the 2024 budget, Gantz's withdrawal from the emergency government is closer than ever before, but the timing will be related to the completion of the main ground maneuver in Gaza.
Tof pointed out that Gantz, amid disagreements with Netanyahu that reached the point of conflict during the war period, always justified his joining the emergency government from the standpoint of national and national responsibility, and he also repeatedly stated that remaining in the war council comes from a standpoint of military responsibility and until the final stage is completed. From fighting and ground incursion.
In the face of the 2024 budget crisis and the disputes over it between the various coalition parties, which constitutes concern and inconvenience for Netanyahu, the political affairs correspondent believes that Gantz is still maneuvering in the emergency government in his remaining time.
The same correspondent pointed out that the Israeli public views Gantz as the political and military leader, and therefore he raises the issue of budget disputes and raises the issue of detainees to be at the core of the Israeli agenda, as returning them from captivity is considered the most urgent issue and takes precedence over any stage of the fighting.
It seems that Gantz is not the only one who has the final say on the future of Netanyahu’s government, as the political analyst at Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Moran Azoulay, believes that Netanyahu faces many problems within the Likud Party and signs of rebellion from its members, as those around him fear increasing frustration among the members. The party is in joint action with the opposition to oust him.
In the context of the containment battle, whether due to disagreements over the budget, reductions in ministerial budgets, and even the cancellation of some ministries, Azoulay says, “Netanyahu is trying to bring back the ministers who resigned under the (Norwegian) law, under the pretext of closing non-essential offices.” She added, "However, this step may face opposition within Likud, as the general budget is not as interesting to Netanyahu as worrying about the rebellious representatives."
Aside from these differences, the political affairs analyst adds, “Recently, criticism of the approach and policy of the ruling Likud Party in particular and the coalition in general has increased by Likud members, and attempts to take steps against Netanyahu due to the war and Israeli detainees are also increasing.”
Azoulay cited the content of the statements of opposition leader Yair Lapid , during a meeting of the “ There is a Future ” party bloc , when he called on Gantz and the ministers of the “National Camp” to take action and withdraw from the emergency government, saying that “Israel needs another government, and another prime minister.”
Azoulay pointed out that Lapid’s hints reflect a state of hidden restlessness and a rebellious attempt to overthrow Netanyahu, as he said, “The There is a Future party - which he heads - will unanimously support any move to change the government, whether by going to early elections, or forming an alternative government, which Gantz could head.” Or the leader of the Likud Party, Yuli Edelstein.”
Under the title "Elections Now, It's Possible", Israeli journalist Nechama Doak wrote an article in the newspaper "Israel Today", in which she reviewed the tensions on the Israeli political scene in light of the war, and the crisis of the Israeli public's confidence in the Netanyahu government due to the course of the fighting and frustration with the performance of the ministries during the state of war. Emergency. Doak believes that the Israeli public is tired of what she described as the "tainted speech" of some elected officials and government ministers, adding that opinion polls show that the behavior of the government coalition is neither in its favor nor in the favor of its leader, Netanyahu.
But it seems that the only and quickest way to put an end to the arrogance that accompanies this speech, the Israeli media personality says, “is to hold general elections for the Knesset. Opponents will say that Israel is at war, so this is not the right time for propaganda, which is polarizing in nature.” Those who say that should ask themselves, Doak adds, “Did they do everything in their power to prevent the division and polarization of the Israeli people and the deepening of the rift again, especially in light of the war and the state of emergency?”
The journalist pointed out that the elections have become urgent at this stage due to the fact that the Prime Minister and his coalition (consisting of 64 members) do not have any political plan, and are reluctant to discuss the principle of the day after the war, a discussion that “is considered decisive and essential for the continued existence of Israel,” in her opinion.
Minister in the Israeli government's war council, Benny Gantz , leader of the National Unity Party, confirmed in a press conference held in Tel Aviv that he had not resigned from the government and that he would continue in it “as long as we are needed,” as he said, which gives Benjamin Netanyahu’s government the ability to continue in light of the mounting anger against it due to the war.
Gantz's comment came after many calls were made for him to resign from the government with the aim of bringing it down, especially after opposition leader Yair Lapid expressed his party's readiness to support Gantz to assume the position of prime minister.
Extremist Israeli ministers and representatives opposed the demands of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Benjamin Netanyahu's government regarding changing the method of war in the Gaza Strip and handing over tax money to the Palestinian Authority. Israeli Channel 13 said, “Some of Blinken’s meetings that he held in Israel were tense,” and the channel added, “Blinken said in a meeting with the War Cabinet that it is impossible to completely eliminate Hamas.”
Extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich : “US Secretary of State Blinken, welcome to Israel. We greatly appreciate the United States’ support for Israel, but with regard to our presence in our country, we will always act in accordance with the Israeli interest. Therefore, we will continue to fight with all our might to destroy Hamas, and we will not transfer a shekel to the Palestinian Authority that goes to families. The Nazis are in Gaza, and we will work to allow the doors of Gaza to be opened for the voluntary migration of refugees, as the international community did towards refugees from Syria and Ukraine .”
Danny Danon, a representative of the Likud Party : “The news about Israel’s intention to change the method of warfare and switch to targeted operations has a clear meaning: this way we will not defeat Hamas, we will not return the kidnapped ones, and we will not be able to guarantee the residents of Sderot and Netivot return to their homes safely. Giving up Israeli control of the Rafah crossing means continuing to supply Hamas with rockets and bombs. It is not too late to act differently. It is not too late to defeat the enemy.”
Udi Siegel, Israeli commentator for Channel 13: “Anthony Blinken’s visit yesterday left a bitter feeling and a worrying atmosphere. There is a gap between what Blinken says and what the Israeli government says.” Regarding the return of Palestinians to the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that Netanyahu told Blinken in a meeting held between them that it is not possible at this stage to return the population to the northern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Supreme Court issued a temporary decision preventing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from issuing orders to the police, following his instructions to prevent a demonstration denouncing the war on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that the Supreme Court issued the decision based on his instructions to the police on how to deal with a demonstration by the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality party to denounce the Israeli war on Gaza.
According to the text of the decision, Ben Gvir is prohibited from issuing practical directives to the police regarding the implementation of his policy or regarding the exercise of the right to demonstrate and the freedom to protest. In addition, he is prohibited from referring to how force was used in the current or other event (indicating how the police responded to the events
An Israeli Knesset member from the right-wing Likud Party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stuck to his call to burn Gaza, a day before a hearing at the International Court of Justice on accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Strip. Weeks ago, Israeli MP Nissim Fatori wrote on the X platform: “Burn Gaza now and nothing less,” before he deleted the post after it sparked angry reactions in Israel and abroad.
In an interview with Israeli radio, Fattore said that he does not regret this post, even though the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of the war has reached more than 23,000. The extremist MP added, "I stand behind my words. It is better for us to burn and demolish buildings than for Israeli soldiers to be harmed."
In an interview, which was reported by Israeli newspapers, including Haaretz, Fattore said, “In the northern Gaza Strip, we evacuated everyone, and we were able to evacuate 1,900,000 people in an organized manner, and 100,000 remained, and I do not think there are any innocents there now.” According to his expression. Also during the interview, Fattori also disparaged the trial of Israel in the International Court of Justice, on charges of committing genocide, according to the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Tel Aviv. He continued: "We are grateful that we had the honor of being tried in The Hague."
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank. Blinken assured the Palestinian President that the United States supports “concrete measures” towards establishing a Palestinian state. According to the journalists who accompanied the American minister, Blinken crossed the Israeli checkpoints to reach the city of Ramallah , where the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority is located.
During the meeting, Blinken pointed to the "heavy" cost borne by civilians as a result of the ongoing war waged by Israel against the Gaza Strip , and the sharp worsening of the humanitarian crisis as a result of the Israeli bombing.
This is the fourth visit by the US Secretary of State to the region since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip last October. His tour focused on avoiding the expansion of the war to additional fronts, and examining the “next day” after the end of the crisis, in addition to calling for the protection of civilians and increasing aid to the sector facing a growing humanitarian crisis.
In a press conference, Blinken announced his intention to discuss with Abbas the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority in carrying out the necessary reforms and improving the approach to governance. This reflects Washington's view that Abbas needs to carry out reforms in Palestinian government structures in preparation for ruling the Gaza Strip after the war.
During the conference, Blinken refrained from providing a description of how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government responded to his call to achieve the establishment of a Palestinian state. He pointed out the need for Israel to make difficult decisions to take advantage of the opportunities available through regional integration.
This visit comes a day after the talks Blinken held with Netanyahu and the Israeli war government, where these talks dealt with the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the regional tensions resulting from it, and the future of this war. Blinken pointed out the need for Israel to be a partner with the Palestinian leaders, and to stop taking measures that hinder the ability of the Palestinians to represent themselves effectively.
This meeting was preceded by Blinken’s visit to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant , where he presented his “post-war” plan, which focuses on the absence of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) or an Israeli civil administration in the Gaza Strip, but rather its management by Palestinian entities, with the condition that there is no An act that threatens 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.
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 23,357 dead [down from 23,840 martyrs two days prior], 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 59,410. 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.
More than 130 Hezbollah fighters were killed in Lebanon during exchanges of bombing operations with Israel.
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 514 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 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.
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 12,957 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.
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."
Al Jazeera military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi expressed his conviction that the numbers of dead and wounded announced by Israel “cannot represent the truth,” due to a discrepancy between the Israeli army’s data and the Walla website, which is close to the army itself.
Hostages
In what appeared to be a change in position, Minister in the Israeli government's war council, Benny Gantz , leader of the National Unity Party, indicated that the urgent matter for Israel is “the return of the kidnapped people, which is the priority before all combat operations,” pointing out that “we are all doing what we can to return the kidnapped people from the Gaza Strip.”
Although what he said conflicted with the goals set by Israel at the start of its aggression against Gaza, Gantz echoed what Israeli officials say about their commitment to the goals they set at the start of the aggression, which are “eliminating Hamas and recovering the hostages,” stressing at the same time that “operations will continue for a long time in the Gaza Strip.” Gaza and we will maintain its security."
In an attempt to highlight the goals achieved in the war, Gantz - who served as Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army - explained that “the army’s achievements are increasing, and in a large part of the Gaza Strip there is no authority for Hamas,” despite his not specifying those achievements and the continued resistance by firing rockets from All areas of the Gaza Strip include Israeli cities and towns.
Israel had previously estimated there were 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody. Israel declared 20 out of 136 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 that about 11,000 arrests were carried out by the Israeli 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 5,755, 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 on 09 January 2024 that, since the beginning of the war, approximately 2,600 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. On 08 January 2024 it was reported that more than 1,350 wanted persons had been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, more than 870 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas.
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