Operation Iron Swords - Day 110 - 24 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

The International Court of Justice announced on Wednesday that, on Friday, January 26, it will issue a ruling on the interim measures required in South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel on charges of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel have largely agreed in principle to the possibility of exchanging Israeli prisoners for Palestinian prisoners, during a truce that will last for a month. Reuters quoted sources as saying that the framework plan was delayed due to differences between the two sides regarding how to reach a permanent end to the war in the Gaza Strip. One of the sources - an official familiar with the negotiations - said that the latest round of diplomatic efforts began on December 28, 2023, and reduced the differences over the duration of the initial ceasefire to about 30 days, after Hamas initially proposed a truce for several months.

Intensive mediation efforts - led by Qatar, the United States and Egypt in the past few weeks - focused on a gradual approach to releasing different categories of Israeli prisoners, starting with civilians and ending with soldiers in exchange for a cessation of hostilities, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of more aid into Gaza.

One of the sources - a Palestinian official familiar with the mediation efforts, according to Reuters - said that while Israel seeks to negotiate one stage at a time, Hamas seeks to reach a “comprehensive deal” in which a permanent ceasefire is agreed upon before the prisoners are released during the initial stage. Two Egyptian security sources said that work is underway to persuade Hamas to accept a month-long truce followed by a permanent ceasefire. But the sources said that Hamas is demanding guarantees to implement the second phase of the agreement in order to approve the initial truce.

In response to a question about the negotiations, Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the movement is open to discussing ideas, but no agreement has been reached yet. Abu Zuhri added, "We are open to all initiatives and proposals, but any agreement must be based on ending the aggression and complete withdrawal of the occupation from the Gaza Strip."

A senior Hamas official said that one of the offers made by Israel was to end the war if Hamas removed 6 senior leaders from Gaza. But he added that Hamas "absolutely" rejects this proposal. The source explained that the list includes the head of the Hamas movement in Gaza: Yahya Al-Sinwar, and Muhammad Al-Deif, the commander-in-chief of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement. The sources said that Hamas is seeking guarantees that Israel will not resume the war.

The Palestinian official explained that Hamas wants the United States, Egypt and Qatar to ensure implementation, and is concerned that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will resume fighting as soon as Hamas releases civilian prisoners, even if Israeli soldiers remain detained.

The American source said that Hamas sought during this tour to release all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. The official familiar with the talks said that Hamas has since softened that request, which Israel is likely to strongly oppose.

In this context, a Wall Street Journal report quoted Egyptian officials as saying that Hamas informed mediators that it was ready to talk about the release of civilian women and children, in exchange for a “considerable” ceasefire.

Qatar and Washington played an active role in negotiating a week-long truce in November 2023, which led to the release of more than 100 Israeli prisoners and about 240 Palestinian prisoners. A White House spokesman said that US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk is in the region for the second time in a week, to hold discussions on the release of prisoners, and that Washington will support a longer-term “humanitarian truce.”

An official familiar with the negotiations said that starting on December 28, Qatari negotiators sent a new agreement framework to Hamas and Israel, and asked both sides to indicate what they were willing to agree to. The official said that when the two sides responded earlier this month, Hamas sought a truce that would last several months, while Israel wanted to release all the hostages within weeks.

The official said that over the past few weeks, American and Qatari mediators were able to bring the two sides closer to agreeing on a 30-day process, which includes the release of all prisoners, the entry of more aid into Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Despite the difficulty of narrowing the gap in positions, one of the sources - who is familiar with the discussions - described the talks as intense, and said that an agreement could be reached “at any moment.”

On the other hand, five sources told Reuters that Israel refused to discuss any end to the war that did not include "the liquidation of the Hamas movement." Israeli government spokesman Elon Levy said - in a press conference yesterday - that efforts are continuing to ensure the release of the prisoners. He added that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire agreement that would keep Hamas running the Strip.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said that mediation efforts are continuing in Gaza, but he stressed that the escalation taking place in the Strip affects these efforts aimed at ending the crisis. Al-Ansari added that his country is engaged in serious negotiations and discussions between the two sides of the crisis in Gaza, but he explained that the situation there is changing, noting that the breakdown in communication and the failure to deliver aid to the Strip are affecting mediation efforts. He continued that the challenges in resolving the crisis in Gaza are great, especially with the escalation of the war there, stressing that the continuation of this war will only lead to more losses.

Netanyahu believes that Qatar’s mediation role in the exchange deal with Hamas “represents a problem.” Netanyahu stressed this week that only a "complete victory" over Hamas will put an end to the war, but pressure is increasing on him to reach an agreement, including pressure from members of the war government he heads, and the families of about 130 prisoners who are still being held by the Palestinian resistance.

Channel 12 reported - based on a leaked recording of Netanyahu meeting with the families of prisoners detained in Gaza - that Qatar is more problematic than the United Nations and the Red Cross. He added that he was disappointed that Washington was not putting more pressure on Doha, and that it had extended its presence at the military base in Qatar. Netanyahu indicated that he did not thank Qatar publicly; Because it did not put more pressure on the Hamas movement, which Doha is believed to be financing.

Operational Update

The Israeli Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, again made a strange statement in which he called for dropping a nuclear weapon on the Gaza Strip , according to what the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. The Hebrew newspaper said that Eliyahu repeated his previous statement during a visit he made to the city of Hebron in the south of the West Bank , adding that the International Court of Justice, which is examining genocide cases against Israel, knows his positions, he said. South Africa included a previous statement by Eliyahu about dropping a nuclear weapon on Gaza as an invitation to commit genocide in Gaza.

Eliyahu made a statement for the first time regarding the bombing of Gaza with a nuclear bomb at the beginning of last November, and it sparked objectionable reactions at the international level. On January 11 and 12, the International Court of Justice in The Hague held two public hearings as part of the start of consideration of the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel on charges of committing genocide crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that the Israeli occupation army’s intensification of its attack on Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip is due to its conviction that its strategic goal is the war in this region. During his analysis for Al Jazeera, Al-Duwairi stated that the Israeli army believes that the leaders of the first echelon of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades , such as Muhammad Al-Deif , Yahya Al-Sinwar , and Abu Ubaida, are present in this region, in addition to its conviction that the detention of Israeli prisoners is there.

He stressed that the battle of Khan Yunis is still in its early stages and that it is not easy for the defender or the attacker, adding that it is a bone-breaking battle, and he also expected that the defensive plan in it would be stronger and more solid. Al-Duwairi pointed out that what is happening in Khan Yunis is a miniature picture of the battle of Gaza, as he explained that the battle of the south is closer to talking about details of the battle of the north, such as the battle of Sheikh Radwan, Shujaiya and others.

He warned that what is happening in Khan Yunis goes back to previous wars, reviewing the stages of the ground maneuver that the occupation army began after the collapse of the temporary truce, leading to the current attack, which has become a three-dimensional battle with increased pressure from the eastern front, and the push of new major forces from Al-Qarara (northeast of Khan Yunis). ) and intensified landing operations west. He added that there was what could be called "a clear advance by the occupation army from the western side after it entered the industrial zone and reached the outskirts of Khan Yunis camp."

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) is using advanced models of locally produced RPG shells capable of penetrating armored vehicles and buildings in two stages.

The newspaper explained that the explosion that occurred in Gaza, which led to the death of 21 Israeli soldiers, was preceded by the firing of an RPG shell at a tank, killing two of its crew. A preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion, which caused two buildings to collapse a moment later, was likely caused by the same weapon that is so far considered the most lethal to soldiers fighting Hamas in Gaza, and is used against tanks, armored personnel carriers, and buildings in which soldiers are stationed.

The newspaper said that Hamas boasts of the Yassin “TBG” missile, which began use last November and is produced in Gaza. It is intended for attacks on buildings and fortifications, and has a warhead that can penetrate walls and blow up buildings, but its effective range is limited. Not exceeding 100 metres. Hamas uses the " Yassin 105 " missile in war, which relies on a 105 mm shell aimed at penetrating armor and buildings. Both weapons work in two stages, starting by making a hole in the outer layer of the target, then detonating a larger payload, causing more damage.

Hamas uses standard RPG launchers, which have caused many IDF soldiers to be injured mostly outside their vehicles, as well as North Korean F-7 RPGs and Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles . , which has a range of up to 5.5 kilometers. The most advanced weapon in Gaza is the RPG-29, which is a dangerous anti-tank missile, but it requires a large and heavy missile, which is difficult for fighters in the guerrilla war waged by Hamas to use.

The IDF attacked a number of terrorist infrastructures and Hezbollah military buildings in the Yaron region of southern Lebanon in a combined attack of Air Force fighter jets and artillery. In addition, the IDF attacked a number of centers to remove a threat in southern Lebanon using artillery fire and mortars.

Last week, the combat team fighters of the 646th Reserve Brigade, which operates under the 99th Division in the central Gaza Strip area, along with special forces of the Yalam unit, located a tunnel that connects the north and south of the Gaza Strip, and is located at a distance of one and a half kilometers from the border with Israel.

In the last few days, the Givati TDF has been operating in the Khan Yunis area. During an attack carried out by the forces, the combat team led the operation to encircle the area. The fighters of the brigade eliminated terrorists in encounters, firing tanks, and with the assistance of fire and air forces. Also, with intelligence guidance, the fighters raided Hamas positions in spaces. During the searches, a stockpile of weapons including dozens of weapons, Kalashnikovs, RPG missiles, cartridges, grenades, uniforms and vests was located.

IDF reserve fighters, along with MGB fighters and engineering forces, destroyed the apartment of Bassel Shahada, an operative in the terrorist organization Hamas who took part in the attack at the Baali gas station on June 20, 2023, in Kfar Urif in the Samaria Division, in which four Israelis were murdered and others were injured. The apartments of the other terrorists who took part in the attack were also destroyed in the past.

The forces of the 98th Division continue their attack in the area of the Khan Yunis camp, increasing the pressure on the terrorist organization Hamas and eliminating many terrorist groups through sniper fire, tanks and airstrikes. The Air Force assists the maneuvering forces with attacks to thwart threats to the forces in real time and with rapid circuit closures to destroy terrorist infrastructures.

In the last day, the combat team fighters of the commando formation carried out raids on terrorist targets in the heart of the camp and encountered many terrorists, among them terrorist squads that were prepared to fire anti-tank missiles on the forces and were eliminated. An Air Force aircraft eliminated a terrorist squad with weapons and another terrorist squad that was observed hiding from our forces, directed by the fire complex of the Givati Brigade.

Still in the area of the camp, the fighters of the 7th Brigade Combat Team expanded the attacks, raided combat compounds where they located weapons and eliminated terrorists. The fighters of the combat team of the paratrooper brigade eliminated a large number of terrorists in a series of attacks.

At the same time, in the center of the Gaza Strip, as part of the Yeftah Brigade's activity, the brigade's fighters identified an armed enemy observation near the forces that was preparing to fire at IDF forces from inside a building. Armored forces fired at the terrorist and killed him. In the north of the Gaza Strip, in the last day Air Force aircraft have eliminated many terrorists directed by the fighters of the 215th Fire Brigade.

International newspapers and news sites highlighted the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. Le Monde newspaper wrote that the humanitarian catastrophe continues despite a month having passed since the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution providing for the delivery of large-scale aid to the Strip. The newspaper quotes Jens Laerhke, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as saying that access to northern Gaza, which is the most deprived area today, is repeatedly denied by the Israeli authorities.

For its part, the Jerusalem Post newspaper touched on "fears that a long-term war, perhaps throughout this year, will lead to a series of painful costs, including the killing of hostages and hundreds of soldiers, dealing a fatal blow to the economy, and destroying Israel's standing in the world." According to the Israeli newspaper, there are also fears that the war in Gaza will lead to “a strategic disaster represented by the conflict with the administration of US President Joe Biden.”

The New York Times published a report on Israel's treatment of Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip and their detention conditions, which may amount to torture, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office. The international organization estimates that thousands have been arrested and detained in “horrific” conditions, with some released wearing only diapers.

In the report, which was prepared by its correspondent in Jerusalem , Raja Abdel Rahim, the newspaper conducted interviews with a number of Palestinian detainees, during which they spoke about the ill-treatment they were subjected to at the hands of the Israelis. Among them is a man named Ayman Labad who told the newspaper how Israeli soldiers armed with M-16 assault rifles surrounded him, arrested him almost naked, and forced him to kneel among dozens of Palestinian men and boys, who were taken from their homes in northern Gaza.

In one of the video clips, a soldier appeared shouting at the queuers through a loudspeaker, "We are occupying all of Gaza? Do you want that? Do you want Hamas with you? Don't tell me that you are not from Hamas?" The detainees - some of whom appeared barefoot and with their hands on their heads - responded in their loudest denial.

The New York Times says that Palestinian detainees from Gaza were stripped of their clothes, and were subjected to beatings, interrogations, and solitary confinement for 3 months, according to the accounts of the detainees themselves or their relatives. Organizations representing Palestinian prisoners and detainees presented similar accounts in a report accusing Israel of detaining civilians randomly without discrimination, and treating detainees in a humiliating manner that degrades their dignity.

The American newspaper reported that the Israeli forces that invaded the Gaza Strip after the Hamas attack on October 7, arrested thousands of men, women and children. These forces forced some to leave their homes and arrested them, and took others with their families as they fled on foot in search of a safe place after the Israeli authorities ordered them to leave.

Pictures taken by journalists from Gaza showed newly released detainees receiving treatment in hospitals, with scars and wounds around their wrists due to the shackles with which they were shackled, sometimes for weeks. In response to questions from The New York Times, the Israeli military said it arrests those suspected of involvement in “terrorist” activity and releases those who are acquitted. It added that the Israeli authorities treat detainees in accordance with international law. He claimed - while defending his forced men and boys to take off their clothes - that this was done "to ensure that they are not hiding explosive vests or other weapons."

However, human rights defenders refute these allegations by the Israeli army, as they were quoted as saying that Israel's arrest of Palestinians in Gaza and its humiliating treatment of them may be considered a violation of international laws.

A recent report by several Palestinian human rights groups, including the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association and Conscience, stated, “Since the beginning of the Israeli bombing and ground invasion in Gaza, the Israeli army has arrested hundreds of Palestinians in a barbaric and unprecedented manner, and published photos and videos showing the inhumane treatment of detainees.” The report continued, "Israel has so far concealed the fate of detainees from Gaza, has not revealed their numbers, and has prevented lawyers and the Red Cross from visiting them."

The spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Hisham Muhanna, said that his organization receives daily reports from families in Gaza about detained family members. He added that the organization is working to treat about 4,000 cases of Palestinians from Gaza who have disappeared, and nearly half of them are believed to be detained by the Israeli army.

Photos and videos taken by Israeli soldiers and journalists accompanied by the army showed Palestinians with their hands tied behind their backs, sometimes blindfolded and wearing underwear, kneeling outdoors in the winter. Ayman Labad, an activist at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, said that his detention lasted for a week, “and we did not know what awaited us,” adding that he was not interrogated until days later after he was transferred to another detention center in Jerusalem.

Another former detainee, Magdy El-Derini, a 40-year-old father of four, said he was detained for 40 days with his hands shackled almost the entire time, and the shackles around his wrists created wounds that eventually became infected. He also said that Israeli soldiers arrested him in mid-November while he and his family were walking towards the south of the Gaza Strip, after they had left their homes following orders to evacuate them. He added, "They treated us like animals. They used to beat us with sticks and curse us."

A video clip spread on Israeli social media platforms showing a group of Israeli reserve soldiers protesting against their withdrawal from the Gaza Strip without achieving any of the goals of the military operation in the Strip. On January 9, the Israeli army announced the start of a new phase of the war on the Gaza Strip , including the withdrawal of reserve combat forces from the Strip. After 3 months of fighting in Gaza, the Israeli army reserve unit withdrew from the Strip, to restock its military equipment at the Tzealim base in the Negev.

The withdrawal process did not please a group of reserve soldiers who were returned from Gaza. Some of them protested against the Israeli government’s decision to return them without achieving any of the goals of the military operation in Gaza. The banners that were hung on military vehicles and vehicles bore the blue and white color of the Israeli flag, while the slogan that was written on the banners was modeled on a previous slogan of the Likud Party in its election campaign, which was entitled “Only the Likud can decide.”

One of the reserve soldiers returning from Gaza posted a video showing the banners hanging on the military vehicles of the occupation army, and commented, "We also were demobilized without the battle being resolved. Those who made these decisions are the same ones who made the previous decisions." The soldier added, "They are the ones who caused the disaster that befell us during the celebration of the Feast of the Joy of the Torah (October 7)... the army and the Shin Bet... and everyone who sold us illusions continues to mislead us."

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari tweeted about the soldiers’ protest by saying, “In the last hours, a document was circulated about the reserve soldiers’ protest. These actions that appear in the video are contrary to orders, and have no place in the Israeli army.” "Neither in peacetime, nor in war. The incident is being investigated."

The IDF, Shin Bet and MGB forces arrested seven wanted persons tonight and confiscated weapons throughout Judea and Samaria. The arrested wanted persons were transferred for further investigation by the security forces.

Acting Commissioner of the Israeli Prison Service, Kobi Yacobi, said that he is working to provide poor conditions for Palestinian prisoners and that their conditions are deteriorating. Yacobi confirmed that these measures came based on requests from the extremist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir. The Acting Commissioner of the Prisons Service confirmed the deteriorating conditions of detention of Palestinian prisoners and the isolation of some of them in a wing designated for “main terrorists,” as he described it. Yaqubi stressed that causing deterioration in the conditions of prisoners is “Goal No. 1” for the Israeli Prison Service.

Israel renewed its bombardment with artillery and phosphorus shells on several areas in southern Lebanon . According to the National News Agency, the Israeli bombing targeted the Labouneh-Naqoura area. The agency reported that the outskirts of the towns of Alma al-Shaab and Tayr Harfa were subjected to “hostile artillery shelling,” adding that the occupation forces targeted the town of Kafr Kila with phosphorus shells.

It is noteworthy that the day before last Monday, the Israeli army targeted residential buildings in several towns and villages in southern Lebanon with air strikes and artillery shelling using phosphorus shells. On the other hand, Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that two missiles were fired from southern Lebanon on Wednesday towards an Israeli military site in the occupied Shebaa Farms.

Hezbollah announced that it had targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Al-Rahib site, opposite the town of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, with appropriate weapons. The border areas in southern Lebanon are witnessing an escalation in security tension, as fire has been exchanged between the Israeli army and members of Hezbollah in Lebanon since last October 8, after Israel declared war on the Gaza Strip.

The exchange of bombing continued between the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Israeli army in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, at a time when the Israeli Foreign Minister threatened Lebanon if Hezbollah's operations did not stop. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that a missile salvo was fired from southern Lebanon, towards an Israeli position in the occupied Kfar Shuba hills. Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced that its members targeted the Israeli site of Bayad Blida - opposite the Lebanese town of Blida - with appropriate weapons, and directly hit it.

Al Jazeera's correspondent said that missiles were launched - at noon on Wednesday - towards an Israeli site in the Upper Galilee, opposite the town of Mays al-Jabal in southern Lebanon. The correspondent also mentioned that two missiles were fired at an Israeli military site in the occupied Shebaa Farms , and Hezbollah said that it targeted the Al-Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with guided missiles.

In the same context, Israeli media said that the army intercepted a drone coming from Lebanon in the Upper Galilee. It was reported that the Upper Galilee Regional Council confirmed the interception of a march from southern Lebanon, despite the fact that the sirens did not sound. On the other hand, Al Jazeera's correspondent said that this evening, Wednesday, Israeli warplanes launched 6 air strikes on the vicinity of the town of Yaroun in southern Lebanon, and the Israeli army announced that it bombed with aircraft and artillery Hezbollah's infrastructure in the Yaroun area.

The National News Agency in Lebanon announced that the outskirts of the towns of Alma al-Shaab and Tayr Harfa were subjected to “hostile artillery shelling,” and added that the occupation forces targeted the town of Kafr Kila with phosphorus shells. This coincided with the flight of “enemy reconnaissance aircraft over the western sector, especially over the town of Naqoura and the southern coast, between the Tyre Plain and Al-Quleila,” according to the agency.

It is noteworthy that the day before, the Israeli army targeted residential buildings in several towns and villages in southern Lebanon with air strikes and artillery shelling using phosphorus shells.

These developments come a day after statements by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant , during a meeting with the heads of Israeli towns and settlements located on the front line near the Lebanese border, in which he said that Israel is trying to reach an agreement with Lebanon through political means, because even if we go to war, it will There is finally a ceasefire, according to the Hebrew Channel 14.

On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz threatened Lebanon to pay the price if Hezbollah did not back down from the confrontations on the border. Katz said during his meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, "We will not hesitate to act against Iran and its arms in the region. If Hezbollah does not withdraw, the entire Lebanese state will pay the price."

Israel had called on Hezbollah, more than once, to move away from the Lebanese-Israeli border and withdraw beyond the Litani River. The deterioration of the security situation on the border led to Tel Aviv asking residents of settlements and Israeli towns near Lebanon to leave their homes for hotels and guesthouses in separate and remote areas.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Taiani said that his country will support Lebanon in its positions, and will continue to help extend calm in the south. This came during the reception of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati with the Italian Minister in Beirut, and Tayani indicated that he will tour Lebanon and the countries of the region, to push for calm and peace.

While Mikati stressed that Lebanon supports a peaceful solution in the region, and Italy and Europe have a fundamental role in pushing this direction. He stressed that Lebanon supports the strict implementation of international resolutions, especially Resolution 1701, and the continuation of cooperation between the army and UNIFIL .

International newspapers and news sites highlighted the repercussions of the attacks by the Ansar Allah Houthi group in the Red Sea. Bloomberg focused on the crisis in the Red Sea, and wrote that “the war between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) has halted progress in what is known as the economic corridor between India, the Middle East, and Europe.” The website wrote that this project, the most ambitious in the world, was promoted by Washington and its main allies last year, and “envisions the construction of new railway lines across the Arabian Peninsula,” adding that the project “is effectively in a state of freeze, with Houthi attacks disrupting shipping in the Red Sea.” And the unrest spread throughout the region.” In the same context, "The Telegraph" quoted Cameron Bowie, president of the giant shipping company "Hapag-Lloyd," as saying, "The world must prepare for a second wave of trade disruptions resulting from the Red Sea crisis, even after the conflict is resolved."

Maps

All maps are lies. “Not only is it easy to lie with maps, it is essential,” wrote cartographer Mark Monmoneir in his book How to Lie with Maps. He showed that condensing complex, three-dimensional spaces onto a two-dimensional sheet of paper is bound to be reductive. 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. Indeed, by late January 2024 mappers were rather less exuberant in their depictions of IDF advances. While by the end of 2023 maps suggested that it was "mission accomplished" in North Gaza which was depicted as entirely pacified, by late January 2024 enclaves of IDF elements were depicted at the margins of Gaza City, much of North Gaza was now depticted as either HAMAS-controlled, or "contested". Another noteworthy cartographic ambiguity is found to the south of Khan Yunis in the stretch of Salah Al-Deen avenue running north from Al-Nasr through al-Fukhari to the vicinity of Tawhid Mosque in the environs of Khan Yunis proper. By the end of 2023 some cartographers indicated that a large swath of territory centered on this avenue had been liberated by the IDF, while other cartographers professed no knowlege of an IDF presence in that part of the Strip. By late January 2024 there are suggestions that while the avenue itself is an IDF permissive corridor for nearly the full length of the Strip, much of adjacent territory is not.

Bystanders

The United Nations rapporteur on housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, said that the systematic destruction of Palestinian homes on the Gaza border could constitute a war crime. The UN rapporteur added that there is no clause in the Geneva Conventions that permits what Israel is doing along the border in the Gaza Strip, and described it as acts of property clearing.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that Israel's repeated rejection of a two-state solution is "unacceptable" and called for the entry of aid to the residents of Gaza , describing the humanitarian situation there as appalling. Guterres added at a session of the United Nations Security Council that "what we heard last week of explicit and repeated rejection of the two-state solution at the highest levels of the Israeli government is unacceptable."

The Secretary-General added that this rejection and denial of the right of the Palestinian people - to have a state - would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a serious threat to international peace and security. Guterres stressed that this would "exacerbate polarization and encourage extremists everywhere."

He said, "Everyone must recognize the right of the Palestinian people to build their completely independent state," and pointed out that "any rejection by any party of the two-state solution must be firmly rejected," explaining, "It is the only way to achieve a lasting and just peace in Israel, Palestine, and the entire region." Israel refuses to discuss a "two-state solution" in a position that angers the international community, and last week its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to any "Palestinian sovereignty."

Guterres described the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip as horrific, and said that all residents of the Strip are facing destruction on a scale and speed unprecedented in modern history. He pointed out that 2.3 million Palestinians are struggling to survive in inhumane and miserable conditions during the winter months, without shelter, heating, cleaning materials, food and water. He called for the permanent delivery of aid through more than one crossing, noting that Israel has prevented most humanitarian aid operations towards northern Gaza.

The UN Secretary-General warned that Gaza residents not only face the risk of being killed or injured due to the continuing bombardment, but they also face an increased chance of contracting infectious diseases such as hepatitis A, dysentery and cholera. Guterres continued: At the same time, I reiterate that all violations of international humanitarian law must end.

Egyptian State Information Service (governmental), Diaa Rashwan, accused Israeli officials - led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - of making false claims and claims about the existence of smuggling operations of weapons, explosives, ammunition and their components into the Gaza Strip from Egyptian territory through several methods, including tunnels on both sides of the border.

The Egyptian official indicated - in a statement - that his country had established a 5-kilometre-long buffer zone from Egyptian Rafah to the border with Gaza, destroyed more than 1,500 tunnels, and strengthened the border wall with the Gaza Strip with a concrete wall 6 meters long above the ground and 6 meters underground. Based on these measures - according to Rashwan - there are now 3 checkpoints between Sinai and Palestinian Rafah, with which any smuggling operation is impossible, neither above nor below the ground.

Netanyahu had hinted at carrying out a possible military operation to control the Philadelphia axis (the Salah al-Din border axis between Gaza and Egypt), and said that Israel would not end the war without closing the gap there, “otherwise the entry of weapons will continue.”

Israeli Finance Minister and member of the Mini Ministerial Council for Political and Security Affairs Bezalel Smotrich said that Qatar is responsible for the attack carried out by Hamas last October 7, and the West’s position on it is hypocritical. According to what was reported by the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth", the Israeli minister accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, saying that "Qatar is a state that supports and finances terrorism and is the sponsor of Hamas." He added: "Doha is largely responsible for the massacre committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians. The West's position towards it is hypocritical and based on unacceptable economic interests. The West can force it to use much stronger influence and immediately release the hostages."

Smotrich's statements come after Doha said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was undermining mediation efforts to release the hostages for "political reasons." The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong condemnation of the Israeli Prime Minister’s statements in various media reports about the Qatari mediation.

Al-Ansari said: “If the circulating statements turn out to be true, the Israeli Prime Minister will obstruct and undermine mediation efforts , for narrow political reasons instead of prioritizing saving lives, including the lives of Israeli hostages.”

Official Israeli media reported leaks of an audio recording of Netanyahu during his meeting with the families of prisoners detained in Gaza, in which he said that Qatar’s mediation role in the exchange deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” represents more problematic than the United Nations and the Red Cross. Netanyahu also expressed his extreme anger at the Americans, after renewing their contract regarding the military base they have in Qatar, believing that this “could have remained a means of pressure for the return of the kidnapped people, because Qatar has the ability to put pressure on Hamas.”

Axis of Resistance

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he is aware of reports that America and Israel allegedly knew in advance about the Hamas attack on October 7, but he does not wish to speculate on this matter in the absence of evidence. In response to a question from TASS during a press conference following the meeting about the allegations that the United States knew in advance about the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, Lavrov said: “I hear the same thing you hear... many conspiracy theories are being put forward... there was talk inside Israel.” That the Israeli special services and security services could not be unaware of this matter...and there was talk that the United States, through its satellites, closely monitors every point in the world, especially the Middle East region, and cannot help but notice the movement of a large number of people, equipment and drones."

American journalist Seymour Hersh said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was aware of Hamas' preparations for an attack on Israel. Hersh published an article on the Substack website, in which he quoted a knowledgeable Israeli official as saying that Netanyahu had seen the Israeli intelligence assessment that discovered Hamas’ preparations for the attack long before October 7. According to Hersh's source, "Netanyahu is now engaged in a campaign to maintain power and accuses the Shin Bet and Mossad of concealing information."

The Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) announced its condemnation and rejection of statements made by the Strategic Policy Coordinator at the US National Security Council, John Kirby, in which he said that the future of the Gaza Strip after the war cannot include the movement. The movement's statement said, "We consider this statement and other similar positions of President Biden's administration to be blatant interference in the affairs of our Palestinian people and a continuation of the patronage approach through which it seeks to maintain its control over the decisions and choices of the peoples."

The statement stressed that the Hamas movement is “an authentic component of our Palestinian people steadfast in the face of occupation and Nazism supported by the American administration, and we will not allow it or anyone else to impose guardianship over our free people who have the highest say in choosing their leadership and determining their fate.”

Kirby said yesterday while talking about a visit to Egypt by the US special envoy to the Middle East, Brett McGurk, that the American envoy is in Cairo to hold serious discussions regarding the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and reaching a humanitarian truce. He pointed out that McGurk will also discuss other issues, including obtaining an assessment of Israeli military operations and Israel's efforts to protect civilians.

“Whatever post-war Gaza looks like cannot include Hamas leaders,” Kirby said. The movement and other Palestinian factions have repeatedly stressed that the future of Gaza after the devastating war waged by Israel is decided by the Palestinians.

Allied for Democracy

The Jerusalem Post said in an analysis that the Israeli army can no longer achieve greater achievements at the strategic level in Gaza than it has already achieved. The Israeli newspaper added that continuing in this manner would ultimately lead to the loss of the lives of hundreds of soldiers without a clear strategic goal.

According to the Jerusalem Post, seeing 21 soldiers killed in one incident (in reference to the resistance operation east of Al-Maghazi last Monday) reinforces fears that the number of army deaths will double significantly at this stage, with the army’s presence reduced and its movement declining, making it an easy target. According to the Israeli newspaper's analysis, the killing of 21 soldiers will strengthen the position of the wing demanding a deal that returns the prisoners, even without completely eliminating the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ).

Despite the large number of soldiers killed, especially the operation carried out by the Al-Qassam Brigades east of Al-Maghazi, where 21 soldiers were killed in the bombing of two buildings booby-trapped by the occupation forces and targeting a vehicle near them, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to continue the war until achieving what he called absolute victory.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted Netanyahu - during a closed cabinet meeting - that the third phase of the Gaza war will take about 6 months. But the Wall Street Journal confirmed - citing American officials - that intelligence estimates indicate that Hamas still possesses enough ammunition to strike Israel for several more months. The American newspaper quoted Israeli officials as admitting that the goal of destroying Hamas during the war on Gaza “was not achieved,” despite the air and ground campaign and the massive destruction.

An analysis by the military and security affairs editor of the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" (Amos Harel) concluded that Israel is sinking into the mud of Gaza, and this may last for many years without finding anyone to rescue it from it, while the risk of a confrontation in the West Bank is increasing.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that a massive conference will be organized in occupied Jerusalem next Sunday to encourage settlement in the Gaza Strip, in which about 20 Israeli ministers will participate, some of whom are from the ruling Likud Party . The newspaper explained that the conference, organized by a coalition of settlement organizations, will involve thousands of Israelis from the religious and extreme nationalist movement, including ministers and members of the Israeli Knesset, and will discuss the post-war phase in Gaza.

It referred to Israeli ministers and officials who were active in mobilizing for the conference and calling for participation in it, and quoted Tourism Minister Haim Katz - who is from the ruling Likud Party - calling for the return of Israeli settlements in Gaza, and his emphasis that settlement is the only way to bring security to Israel. Katz said that the attack on Israel last October 7 confirms that "the foolishness of uprooting settlements from Gush Katif and northern Samaria (the West Bank) must be corrected."

Gush Katif are settlements in the Gaza Strip from which Israel withdrew in 2005 during the reign of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as part of a unilateral plan known at the time as disengagement, which also included the evacuation of 4 settlements in the Jenin district in the northern West Bank.

The Israeli minister called for canceling the disengagement plan and returning settlements in Gaza, stressing that this constitutes an important beginning. He said that restoring Israel's security "will come through a strong military strike and the resumption of settlement in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria, and it will also be a strong message to our enemies that we will never be broken," as he put it.

Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar called for attendance at the conference. Zohar said in a video clip in which he appeared alongside the head of the Samaria Council - which administers the occupation settlements in the West Bank - and the leaders of the Nahala settlement movement, "We will hold an important conference in which we explain well the importance of settlement, and why preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state is important."

Zohar added, "After what we experienced on October 7, everyone has become aware that our path to victory as a people and as a nation is through preserving the values and principles expressed by settlement and preserving the land." He stressed the importance of the conference in promoting settlement, and said, "I am sure that everyone who comes to the conference and hears what we will say there will understand well that the meaning of the country's security and the future of our children begins first with settlement and preserving our land," as he put it.

The head of the Samaria Council, Yossi Dagan, said, “ The Oslo Accords and the expulsion (from the settlements) brought about this Holocaust, and the resumption of settlement in the Gaza Strip and the northern Gaza Strip first and the return to northern Samaria will give us security.” By the Holocaust, Dagan seems to mean the “ Al-Aqsa Flood ” operation, which led to the killing of about 1,300 Israelis and the capture of about 250 others.

The French newspaper La Croix said that a growing number of voices in Israel are calling for early elections to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power, at a time when the war cabinet is witnessing a public division over how to deal with the war in Gaza . The newspaper explained - in a report by its correspondent in Jerusalem, Cécile Le Moyne - that the words of former General Gadi Eisenkot, a member of the military cabinet, created a precedent by revealing for the first time his differences with Netanyahu’s policies, in prime time on Channel 12.

The former general, and a member of the opposition National Unity Party who joined the Select Council at the beginning of the war, said that those who talk about the absolute defeat of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) in Gaza are not telling the truth, “Today the goals of the war in the Gaza Strip have not been achieved. We must say "The truth with courage. The only way to get the hostages back alive is to reach an agreement (with Hamas)."

The correspondent pointed out that such criticism, which was unimaginable a few weeks ago, reflects the divisions within the war government, which can hardly agree on its strategy and on the future of the 132 detainees. Merav Zonszin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, says, “Israel currently has two camps. One of them wants a deal to return detainees in Gaza, even if that means ending the war before Hamas is completely eliminated, and the other refuses to pay this price.”

The second camp represents a majority - estimated by an opinion poll conducted by the Israeli Democracy Institute on January 2nd - at about 65% of Israeli Jews, and they believe that continuing military pressure is necessary to facilitate the release of detainees in Gaza.

Because Eisenkot is highly respected, especially since he lost his son and nephew in Gaza last December, the impact of the small bomb he dropped in his interview was strong, when he said that elections were necessary “within a few months” and that he was ready to resign if he wanted. Netanyahu continues the war outside political calculations.

Zonszin believes that “the departure of Gadi Eisenkot and Benny Gantz is only a matter of time.” Their departure means the end of the national unity that prevailed during the war and will accelerate the holding of new elections. If they are held now, the Likud Party led by Netanyahu will lose about half of its 39 seats in the Knesset, while Benny Gantz’s party will double its seats. 3 times, giving the opposition a majority of 71 seats, according to a poll published by the Maariv daily newspaper on January 19.

The newspaper concluded that Netanyahu will not achieve his goal of war, and that he is avoiding making decisions, adhering to his only strategy, which is permanent war, after he lost the confidence of the Israelis, although the protest is still shy, but it is increasing in the streets.

The New York Times quoted Israeli officials as saying that Israel wants to demolish many buildings in Gaza near the border in order to create a security zone. According to statements by these officials, Israel seeks to establish a buffer zone of approximately one kilometer along the border with Gaza. The goal of the buffer zone - according to statements by Israeli officials - is to make it difficult for Palestinian militants to repeat an attack similar to the attacks of last October 7. These officials added that they are seeking to create conditions that would convince the evacuated Israelis to return to their homes.

The United States confirmed its rejection of an Israeli plan to create a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip , and considered it a violation of international law. This came from Secretary of State Anthony Blinken , who said - in a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria - that his country rejects any permanent change to the geographical status of the Gaza Strip, and stressed that Washington’s position is clear regarding preserving the territorial integrity of Gaza. Blinken added to reporters that if transitional arrangements are needed to make resolving the conflict possible, then this is a different matter, stressing that Washington is clear about rejecting encroachment on the territory of the Gaza Strip.

In turn, Strategic Communications Coordinator at the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said that his country is clear and firm in its position regarding its categorical rejection of any reduction in the area of ??the Gaza Strip. Kirby stated that they spoke with the Israeli side about this issue, whether in open or closed meetings, and they expressed this position clearly in open meetings to the press. He stated that the United States does not support any change of the borders in Gaza. He added - in a press conference at the White House - that his country also rejects any role for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and its leaders in any form of governance in Gaza after the war, as he put it.

New Harvard CAPS-Harris poll of Americans on Israel-Hamas war:

• 83% said October 7 was a terror attack, including 74% of those aged 18-24
• 80% said they support Israel over Hamas, including 57% of those aged 18-24
• 74% said Hamas’s attack was genocidal
• 69% said Israel was trying to avoid civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and 66% said Israel was just trying to defend itself
• 67% said a ceasefire should only happen if the hostages are released and Hamas is removed from power

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 25,700 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 63,740. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said much earlier that the number of missing people had risen to more than 8,000, including including 4,700 children and women, amid expectations that the toll will be double thi figures.

The IDF intensified its military operations in the West Bank, and increased the pace of incursions and raids into cities, towns, and camps, resulting in the martyrdom of 342 Palestinians, the injury of about 3,950, and the arrest of 5,780, according to official HAMAS sources. As of 17 January 2023, the Israeli escalation in the West Bank led to the death of 360 Palestinians, the injury of nearly 2,200, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and the arrest of about 6,000, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.

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.

With the Israeli army announcing the killing of 24 soldiers, the total number of occupation deaths has risen to 559 since the start of the war on October 7, including 229 killed since the ground invasion as a result of the ongoing clashes with the Palestinian resistance [other sources report the total number of deaths of the occupation army has risen to 221 since the start of the ground invasion]. Among them were at least 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 had risen to 1,152 since the start of its ground attack on Gaza on October 27, including 228 seriously wounded, while the total number has reached 2,602 wounded since the outbreak of the war on the 7th of October.

The Israeli army reported that 2,710 officers and soldiers were injured, including 407 who are still receiving treatment for their injuries in the Gaza battles, and the condition of 48 of them is serious, while 405 were seriously injured, 692 were moderately injured, and 1,562 were described as having minor injuries since the start of the war.

At least 13,599 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.

In an interview with RT, Military strategist retired Tunisian Brigadier General Tawfiq Didi said that the number of Israeli army deaths in the Gaza battles is much greater than what Israel announces. Didi explained in an interview with the “Best Saying” program on RT channel, “The number of people killed in battles can be easily known, as the equation in wars is that for every 3 wounded there is a dead person, and the numbers now in Israel hover around 12,500 wounded and disabled people, and when we divide by Three, we find that the death toll exceeds 4,000, especially after eliminating more than a thousand tanks and armored vehicles, and I know what happens when Kornet missiles hit a tank. Its ammunition explodes and no one is left alive.”

He added, "The Israelis announce their dead only of those of Jewish origin and of the first race, meaning all Arabs, Falash, and those who are among them. They are not counted because they are of the second category. So I am sure that the number exceeds 4 thousand dead, and this is a very easy military calculation." He pointed out, "The Palestinian resistance documented everything it did, unlike the Israelis. The resistance documented shooting at tanks and armored vehicles and destroying the houses in which the Israeli soldiers were holed up, and we saw them being killed... We saw the Kornet hitting the tanks, we saw Al-Yassin 105, so the difference is clear."

Hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered that Qatar's mediation role in the exchange deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) represents a problem. Channel 12 reported - based on a leaked recording of Netanyahu meeting with the families of prisoners detained in Gaza - that Qatar is more problematic than the United Nations and the Red Cross. He added that he was disappointed that Washington was not putting more pressure on Doha, and that it had extended its presence at the military base in Qatar.

Netanyahu indicated that he did not thank Qatar publicly because it did not exert more pressure on the Hamas movement, which Doha is believed to be financing. Haaretz newspaper reported from informed sources that Netanyahu informed the families of the prisoners that Israel is ready to make concessions for the sake of a new deal, and an Israeli channel published general principles for the deal that do not include an end to the war, which is one of Hamas’ conditions.

Israeli media confirmed that the negotiations are continuing and that Israel has not received any response from Hamas through mediators, at a time when US envoy Brett McGurk is touring the region, including Egypt and Qatar, to hold “serious” talks regarding reaching an agreement to release the prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza and a humanitarian truce, according to White House spokesman John Kirby.

Haaretz newspaper said that the Israeli government has adhered to a line it adopted from the beginning, according to which it believes that military pressure will facilitate the deal to return Israeli detainees held by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), but evidence refute this day after day. The Israeli newspaper alerted - in its editorial - to the death of three detainees a few days ago, and to the threat to the life of a fourth detainee, stressing that the horrific feelings of fear and anxiety that the families of the detainees have towards their loved ones are completely justified, and that the delay in reaching an agreement means an increase in the number of deaths among the detainees.

It said that Defense Minister Yoav Galant told the families of the detainees that "there are preliminary indications that access to Hamas's most sensitive sites brings the war's goals closer to achieving the goals of the war," but the "tragic events" that occurred this week proved that Hamas is far from feeling defeated. In this regard, Haaretz noted that Hamas rejected - according to an Egyptian source - Israel's proposal for a two-month ceasefire and the release of its imprisoned Palestinians on the condition that Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip be transferred to other places, all in exchange for the release of all Israeli detainees.

And here, according to the newspaper, member of the mini-war council, Minister Gadi Eisenkot, shattered the illusion that Netanyahu and his supporters are trying to sell to the Israeli public that the Israeli army is in the process of liberating the hostages through a military operation, and said, “The hostages are scattered underground, which makes the possibility to carry out an operation similar to Entebbe "Very low."

The newspaper indicated that it is time to stop presenting lies to the general public, especially to the families of the detainees who are aware of this, and they have recently escalated their protests, saying, “Our children are dying there. We will not allow you to breathe (meaning Netanyahu) until our children return. There is no longer a committee.” There is no Knesset , there is one issue you must take care of.”

Haaretz concluded with Eisenkot saying: “If the issue of detainees is not raised, then I am betraying my position and have nothing to do,” noting that this is what all members of the Council of Ministers should feel because “mediation efforts to reach an agreement” or proposals that everyone knows will not Acceptance is not enough.

Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed have been held as hostages in Gaza since 2014 and 2015, respectively. Unlike the roughly 240 people kidnapped in the Hamas October 7 terrorist attacks, the campaign for the release of Mengistu and al-Sayed has received little publicity. Mengistu is known to suffer from what HRW deemed "serious" mental health issues. "Avera crossed one of the safest borders in the world, under the eyes of the security services," recalled Gil Elias, a relative. "We're talking about a mentally ill person who got lost." The calls for the release of Mengistu and al-Sayed have been barely audible during the many years they have been held captive in Gaza.

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. By another count, 132 of them are still being held in Gaza, and 25 of them have been confirmed dead. 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 number of people arrested by the occupation in the West Bank since that date has exceeded 6,000. The total number of prisoners in Israeli prisons is 8,800, as documented by the club until the end of December 2023. Palestinian prisoner institutions said more than 3,290 administrative detainees, which is the highest percentage since the years of the 1987 Intifada, and 661 who were classified as “unlawful combatants” from Gaza, and this is the number available only as a clear given. 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. The arrest campaigns affected all groups, including women and children, as the number of women who were arrested reached about 200, while the number of arrests among children until the end of last December exceeded 355 children.

Israel said on 14 January 2024 that, since the beginning of the war, approximately 2,700 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.

The institutions added in the statement that “the occupation arrested 210 women during the aforementioned period, and this statistic includes women who were arrested from the territories in 1948, and more than 355 children,” pointing out that “the outcome of the arrest campaigns includes all those who were arrested from homes, and through military checkpoints, Those who were forced to surrender themselves under pressure, and those who were detained.” It explained that "the number of arrests among journalists reached 50, of whom 35 remain in detention, and 20 of them were transferred to administrative detention."