Operation Iron Swords - Day 118 - 01 February 2024
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NEW - War Termination NEW - Operations NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages |
The "safety net" that Lapid presented to Netanyahu stipulates that the "There is a Future" party - which Lapid heads - will support the prisoner exchange deal if the far-right parties oppose and threaten to overthrow the government.
According to Lapid’s presentation, the “safety net” also stipulates that Lapid and his party support Netanyahu’s government for a certain period, without joining the coalition and through the opposition seats during the war period, provided that later consultations take place between the various parties regarding a consensus date for holding early elections.
Analyzes suggested that the current government coalition, which relies on far-right parties, is unable to complete any prisoner exchange deal in light of the position of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to topple the government if a “bad deal” for prisoner exchange and ceasefire is reached. Estimates unanimously indicate that Netanyahu has become a hostage to the extortions of the extreme right represented by the “Jewish Greatness” party headed by Ben Gvir, the “Religious Zionism” coalition headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich , and the settler movement in the Likud Party .
The "safety net" offer reinforced estimates that the current government coalition, which insists on continuing the war on Gaza, will not last long if any deal is completed. Analysts' readings agree that Lapid's announcement came to return all the kidnapped Israelis and does not constitute a lifeline to save the Netanyahu government, which will disintegrate or will witness changes and new alliances that precede the scenario of early elections for the Knesset.
Political analyst, Akiva Eldar, believes that the opposition leader’s proposal to grant a “safety net” for any exchange deal reflects the state of consensus forming in Israel calling for the return of the kidnapped, and it is in harmony with the rising voices calling for their liberation, in order to deny the opportunity to the far-right rejectionist parties. For any deal and threatens to overthrow the government.
Eldar explained to Al Jazeera Net that Lapid strongly opposes Netanyahu remaining in the prime minister's chair, and holds him responsible for the failure and failure to prevent the events of last October 7 and to return the kidnapped people as part of military operations. The political analyst believes that Lapid is well aware that the kidnappers file is an important bargaining chip on the Israeli street in the upcoming elections, so he wants to be a partner in any deal and use it in his election campaign.
He explained that all opposition parties, including the “ There is a Future ” party headed by Lapid, are convinced that any comprehensive exchange deal, regardless of the concessions and the price that the government will pay, will be the beginning of the rift of the current coalition, deepen the rift in Israeli society, strengthen the state of internal polarization, and will establish a new phase. In the Israeli political scene.
Eldar does not rule out that the “safety net” offer was put forward at the behest of parties in the US administration, even if no indications have emerged about that. He confirms that Lapid’s proposal and his positions on the exchange and war deal are consistent with the administration of US President Joe Biden, who hinted that Netanyahu must make changes in his coalition government.
In turn, the military affairs analyst in the newspaper "Haaretz", Amos Harel, believes that Netanyahu is approaching the point where he will have to decide whether to go ahead with the deal or reject it, and therefore Lapid's proposal came to provide a "safety net" for any deal. He explained that any potential exchange deal would come with significant concessions by the Netanyahu government and would be viewed by large segments of the Israeli public as a victory for Hamas, and that its rejection by Netanyahu would mean the continuation of the war, as his coalition partners Ben Gvir and Smotrich demand.
It is now clear that the extreme right in the government, Harel says, "will create difficulties and obstacles to any deal, as Ben Gvir was quick to publicly declare against a deal that included concessions and threatened to dissolve the government, and Smotrich is not far from him in his position on the deal and the war."
The same military analyst said that the extreme right is concerned that a long ceasefire might mean the end of the war and thus keep Hamas in power, at least in the south of the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu is also aware that the partial return of the kidnapped people, in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners, will be interpreted by large sectors of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli public saw it as an admission of failure.
Antoine Shalhat, a researcher on Israeli affairs, believes that opposition leader Yair Lapid is supportive and supportive of the war, but he differs from Netanyahu with regard to the arrangement of goals. One of his priorities is the return of all those kidnapped by Hamas, even in exchange for Tel Aviv offering many concessions. Shalhat told Al Jazeera Net that Lapid, who is consistent with the US administration's positions on the exchange deal and the method of fighting and war, strongly opposes Netanyahu remaining in power, and holds him responsible for the failure on October 7th and in achieving the goals of the war.
The same researcher explained that Lapid - like many Israelis - has become fully convinced that continuing the war and liberating the kidnapped are incompatible goals, and therefore his proposal to grant a “safety net” for an exchange deal came in response to the position of the extreme right that rejects the deal and threatens to dismantle the government.
Regarding the realism of this network, Shalhat says that its offer does not protect the government from collapse and disintegration, and is limited only to supporting the exchange deal and voting on it in the Knesset so that it can be implemented in light of the threat of Ben Gvir and the extreme right to dismantle the government if any deal is completed.
The researcher added that the background to Ben Gvir’s threats is also explained by the behavior of Netanyahu, who has become more hostage to the extreme right, as he opposes the withdrawal from Gaza and the liberation of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, delays the exchange deal, and repeats the goal of overthrowing Hamas’ rule, which reflects the conditions of this right to remain in government and continue the war until achieving Its objectives.
Against the backdrop of the state of dependency that Netanyahu is living in, Shalhat says, “The positions of Israeli politicians, including Lapid, are in harmony with America’s positions, in contrast to the trend led by Netanyahu, which puts his personal interests above Israel’s higher interest and American interests in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu is challenging the American position at this stage, but he has not yet reached the stage of breaking the tools of playing with Washington , which has many pressure cards to exercise if Netanyahu breaks these tools.
A report on the American website "The Intercept" referred to what it considered to be the laws of war, which Israel clearly violated during its raid on a hospital in the West Bank. Its author, John Schwarz, stated that when members of the Israeli army, border police, and its security service, the Shin Bet , raided Ibn Sina Hospital in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank, they were all disguised as hospital or doctors, as the hospital’s internal surveillance cameras showed, They shot and killed 3 Palestinian men.
Schwarz suggested that in doing so, they would have violated many of the laws of war, including the prohibition of treachery and killing protected persons. He hinted that the true circumstances of the killing of the three men have not yet become clear, with discrepancies in different reports. He pointed out what hospital director Naji Nazzal told Reuters that the Israelis "executed the three men while they were sleeping in the room... They executed them in cold blood by shooting bullets directly at their heads in the treatment room."
The writer continued that the possibility that the raid was illegal is clear on its face, and commented that the United States would certainly have felt disturbed during the Iraq war if Iraqis dressed as doctors and nurses had infiltrated Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and killed many American soldiers. . Likewise, Israel would have objected if the Palestinians were able to reach the Tel Aviv hospital disguised in medical uniforms and then assassinate Israeli soldiers.
He cited what Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch , said about the necessity of conducting an independent investigation to find out the truth of the situation. Roth also emphasizes the fact that "Israeli soldiers masquerading as medical personnel not only puts real medical personnel in danger; it also indicates that the Israelis are guilty of the war crime of treachery."
Aurel Sarre, associate professor of public international law at the University of Exeter, agrees: “Treachery involves killing or wounding an opponent in a way that first seduces, but then betrays, his confidence in the protection afforded by the law of armed conflict. In this case, claiming to be an employee of "Medical or civilian, both of which are protected by law, (would be treacherous)."
The Intercept report concluded that Israel is one of the few countries (the United States is another country) that has not ratified the first Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, a 1977 amendment that specifically prohibits treachery. However, treachery is also illegal under international law. Sari points out that the Israeli Supreme Court accepted that Israel is bound by customary international law.
War Termination
Israeli Channel 12 revealed details of a possible exchange deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the anticipated deal would not be at any price, and said that he had red lines.
The channel reported that Mossad chief David Barnea revealed to the Israeli War Council a “document of principles” for the deal, which includes in the first phase the release of 35 Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip , including women, the wounded, and the elderly, in exchange for a truce for 35 days. It added, "It is possible after that to extend the calm for an additional week, in order to conduct negotiations on the possibility of completing the second phase of the deal, which includes the release of the youth, and all those whom Hamas describes as soldiers."
The channel considered that "the essence of the disagreement on the Israeli side is not necessarily the number of security prisoners (Palestinian prisoners) that Israel will be forced to release from prisons, but rather their quality." She pointed out that a deal that includes the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners who were convicted by Israel of involvement in attacks that resulted in the killing of Israelis "will be difficult for the public and politicians to digest."
According to the channel, the ball is now in Hamas’ court, to which the mediators conveyed the main lines of the deal, and is awaiting its response. The head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, announced that his movement had received the deal proposal that was circulated within the framework of efforts to stop the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and that it was studying it.
For its part, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that Hamas "insists that the next deal include 3 known Palestinian prisoners, only one of whom is a member of the movement." The newspaper pointed out that the list that Hamas is expected to present includes “big names capable of changing the face of the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti , who is considered in the latest opinion poll conducted in the West Bank to be the preferred candidate to head the Authority after Abu Mazen (President). Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas ).
The newspaper continued, "The second name that Hamas insists on is Ahmed Saadat , Secretary-General of the Popular Front." It noted that Israel refused to release Saadat as part of the Shalit deal in 2011, and described him as, like Barghouti, "an important popular figure in Palestinian society." As for the third prisoner, Yedioth Ahronoth said that he is Abdullah Barghouti , a member of Hamas, and one of the leaders of the movement’s military wing in the West Bank, who is currently serving a 67-life sentence, which is an “unprecedented” sentence in Israel, according to the newspaper, which confirmed that Tel Aviv It also refused to release Barghouti in the Shalit deal.
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that efforts are continuing to reach a new prisoner exchange deal, but he stressed that it will not be done at any price. He added in a video clip he published yesterday, Wednesday, that he has red lines, including not stopping the war and not withdrawing army forces. From the Gaza Strip and not releasing thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu continued, "We are working to release our kidnappers, eliminate Hamas, and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat. We are working to achieve the three goals together, and we will not abandon any of them." Israeli Channel 12 said that Netanyahu informed the families of detainees in Gaza that he would approve a deal that would not harm Israel’s security, even if it led to the collapse of his government.
Commenting on Netanyahu's position, an Israeli official familiar with the progress of the negotiations expressed his fears that the Prime Minister would push Hamas to "blow up the deal." The Haaretz newspaper quoted the unnamed official as saying that there are fears “that the aim of the extremism in Netanyahu’s statements in recent days is to encourage Hamas to harden its positions and undermine the deal.” He added, "Such a step may allow Israel to continue fighting while holding Hamas responsible for the failure of the talks."
Israel estimates that there are about 136 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while it holds at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both parties.
Israeli Channel 13 quoted an Israeli official as saying that Tel Aviv has not yet received a response from the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) regarding the possible prisoner exchange deal between the two parties, and that it expects a response from Qatar within the coming hours. The features of the agreement were formulated last weekend during a meeting in Paris attended by the Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ), William Burns, and officials from Egypt, Israel and Qatar.
The head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, announced last Tuesday that the movement had received the deal proposal that was circulated within the framework of efforts to stop the war on Gaza , and that it was in the process of studying it. This comes as Haniyeh arrives in Egypt today, Thursday, to discuss the new armistice agreement, and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will return “in the coming days” to the region, an American official announced without specifying the countries he will visit.
According to a source in Hamas, the movement is studying a proposal consisting of three stages, the first of which specifically stipulates a truce lasting six weeks during which Israel must release between 200 and 300 Palestinian prisoners, in exchange for 35 to 40 Israeli detainees, in addition to admitting 200 to 300. Humanitarian aid truck to Gaza daily.
The movement demands a complete ceasefire as a precondition for any agreement, while the Israeli government talks about a truce in the battles, refusing to stop its operation in Gaza. On the other hand, Israeli Channel 12 said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the families of the prisoners that he would approve a deal that would not harm Israel’s security, even if it led to the collapse of his government.
The channel confirmed that the initiative discussed in the Paris meeting stipulates a day of calm, in exchange for the release of every Israeli prisoner, followed by a week during which negotiations will take place on the next stage. Israeli media also said that the Israeli side is considering the release of elite prisoners who were arrested during the war during the first phase of the exchange deal.
The channel reported that Mossad chief David Barnea revealed to the Israeli War Council a “document of principles” for the deal, which includes in the first phase the release of 35 Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, including women, the wounded, and the elderly, in exchange for a truce for 35 days. It added, "It is possible after that to extend the calm for an additional week, in order to conduct negotiations on the possibility of completing the second phase of the deal, which includes the release of the youth, and all those whom Hamas describes as soldiers." The channel saw that "the essence of the disagreement on the Israeli side is not necessarily the number of security prisoners (Palestinian prisoners) that Israel will be forced to release from prisons, but rather their quality."
Netanyahu confirmed that efforts are continuing to reach a new prisoner exchange deal, but indicated that it will not be done “at any price,” adding - in a video clip he published yesterday, Wednesday - that he has red lines, including: not stopping the war, and not withdrawing army forces. from the Gaza Strip, and not releasing thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu continued, "We are working to release our kidnappers, eliminate Hamas, and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat. We are working to achieve all three goals together, and we will not abandon any of them."
Commenting on this position, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted officials involved in the prisoner exchange negotiations, saying that Netanyahu’s statements were “harmful” and that he might seek to “fail the deal.” An Israeli official familiar with the progress of the negotiations also expressed his fears that Netanyahu would push Hamas to “blow up the deal.”
Haaretz newspaper quoted the unnamed official as saying that there are fears "that the aim of the extremism in Netanyahu's statements in recent days is to encourage Hamas to harden its positions and torpedo the deal." He added, "Such a step may allow Israel to continue fighting, while holding Hamas responsible for the failure of the talks."
Israeli Channel 13 reported that there was optimism about the possibility of moving the deal forward, although the announcement that it would begin early next week was premature, according to an Israeli official.
Israeli Army Radio said on Thursday that Tel Aviv and Cairo are close to reaching understandings regarding the city of Rafah and the Philadelphia axis on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, while Cairo did not comment on that. The radio added that after recent weeks witnessed continuous dialogue between the two parties on security levels; Sources familiar with the details confirm that there is a rapprochement on the path to finding solutions to the sensitive issues raised, according to Anadolu Agency.
It explained that “according to estimates, Israel has committed to Egypt not to work in the Rafah area (south of the Gaza Strip), before allowing the large population there (about a million people) to evacuate the area, in order to reduce the risks of waves of Palestinian refugees flowing from Gaza to Egyptian territory, and this "It is the main concern of Egyptians." The radio said that Israel has not yet decided where it will move the residents, but there are two options on the table: evacuating them to the northern Gaza Strip, which requires a political decision (..) or Khan Yunis (south) after the Israeli army finishes the intensive military operation there.
Since the start of the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from the north and center of the Gaza Strip to its south, following the destruction of thousands of homes. Therefore, the city of Rafah has become the most crowded. On the other hand, Army Radio indicated that “the conclusion that emerges regarding the Philadelphia axis is that Israel will have a certain influence on what is happening along the axis, but without a permanent physical presence of Israeli forces.”
“Such Israeli influence could be through the technological means that will be installed along Philadelphia,” it said. The radio added, "A Gulf Arab country has expressed its willingness to finance the construction of the underground wall against the smuggling tunnels that cross from Gaza to Egypt, but on the condition that Cairo approves the entire step." Egypt has not officially commented - yet - on what was reported by Army Radio.
Axios had said that the director of the Israeli General Security Service ( Shin Bet ), Ronen Bar, visited Cairo on Monday, and discussed with the head of the Egyptian Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, the file of the Philadelphia border axis. The visit came amid tension in relations between Egypt and Israel against the backdrop of statements by Israeli officials confirming their intention to launch a military operation on the border and control the Philadelphia axis, which was strongly rejected by Egypt.
The Philadelphia Axis, also called the Salah al-Din Axis, is within a buffer zone under the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1979. Its width does not exceed hundreds of meters, and it extends along the Gaza border with Egypt for a length of 14.5 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on more than one occasion that it was necessary to take military control of it.
Extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that there will be no ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. He said in press statements, “In my estimation, there will be no agreement (with Hamas)... and I do not want to deceive the families (of the prisoners). What will lead to an agreement and the return of most of the kidnapped is only for us to show determination and the army continues to tighten pressure on (the Hamas leader in Gaza) Yahya Al-Sinwar. Al-Sinwar now.
He continued: "We will not surrender under any circumstances by releasing hundreds and thousands of terrorists (Palestinian prisoners)." Calling for "determination and an iron fist" and putting more pressure on Sinwar. He added, "There are red lines that must not be crossed. We cannot be part of stopping the war and mass releasing terrorists. The decisions we make now will determine the existence of the state for decades to come... In my estimation, there will be no agreement."
He added that Israel's display of "great passion" to reach an agreement will make Sinwar understand that it is close to victory. This makes his position tough. But if he understands that he is wasting his time and that he has no chance, the chances of our success in returning the kidnapped people will increase.”
In turn, the extremist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, attacked any potential agreement with Hamas. He said that he would not agree to a broad release of Palestinian prisoners, in light of what was stated in various reports related to the potential deal, which includes a temporary cessation of fighting for several months, in addition to the release of thousands of prisoners. During his speech in the Knesset General Assembly, the Minister of National Security addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of trying to “launch test balloons.”
He added: "I want to say, from this podium, unequivocally, Mr. Prime Minister, the hundreds of fallen Israeli soldiers are not sheep, the families of the dead are not sheep, the thousands of wounded and disabled Israeli soldiers are not sheep, and the residents of the south who have lived under fire for many years." They are not sheep. The citizens of Israel are not sheep, and I, Mr. Prime Minister, am not a goat either. So I say here, from this honorable podium, in the most clear way possible: We will not allow a situation in which Hamas wins here. We will not allow a deal whose goal is the victory of Hamas and the perpetuation of terrorism. More "Of the 500 Israeli soldiers who fell, they did not fall in vain."
The Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that the Hamas movement had received the ceasefire proposal in Gaza “positively... and we are awaiting their response.” The media quoted a statement by a “leading source in the Palestinian factions” in which he said that “there is no agreement on the framework of the agreement yet, and the factions have important observations, and the Qatari statement is rushed and not correct.” In turn, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed that there is no ceasefire agreement in Gaza at the moment .
The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli Army Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevy assessed the situation on the Lebanese border. The newspaper said that this was done "accompanied by the Commander of the Northern Command, Major General Uri Gordin, and the Commander of the 91st Division, Brigadier General Shai Kleber." The newspaper added: "Halevi spoke with the commanders of the regular and reserve battalions who have occupied a line in the sector since the beginning of the war."
According to the newspaper, the Chief of Staff expressed his great appreciation for “the forces’ actions and operational achievements,” telling them: “We will not return the residents until the situation here is safe, and this requires professionalism, readiness, and patience.” The border between Lebanon and Israel has witnessed intermittent clashes between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, as Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah announced that the Lebanon front is a front “in support of Gaza.” The Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip and clashes continue for the 118th day in light of a humanitarian and health catastrophe and increasing tension, after the American base on the border between Jordan and Syria was targeted.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) was “completely infiltrated” and demanded the end of its mission, while an Israeli official came out with a contradictory position, assuring the United States that there was no alternative to the United Nations in Gaza .
A few days ago, Israel accused UNRWA employees of participating in the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance last October, and the organization responded by terminating the contracts of a number of accused employees and opening an investigation. Despite this, several countries, led by the United States, announced the suspension of their funding to the agency.
A statement issued by Netanyahu's office yesterday, Wednesday, stated that he told a United Nations delegation, "It is time for the international community and the United Nations itself to understand that UNRWA's mission must end." He added, "The organization is completely infiltrated by Hamas. It was in the service of Hamas in its schools and many other things. I say this with great regret because we had hoped that there would be an objective and constructive body to provide aid. We need other UN agencies and other aid agencies to replace UNRWA."
In contrast, "Israel Today" newspaper quoted Major General Ghassan Alian, coordinator of Israeli government operations in the Palestinian territories, as saying to senior officials in the US administration that "at this stage there is no alternative to UNRWA's activity in the Gaza Strip," without further details.
For its part, UNRWA considered yesterday that conducting an independent investigation into the accusations against its workers is “extremely important,” warning of the “catastrophic impact” of stopping the agency’s funding. In a letter sent by the director of the UNRWA office in Washington, William Deere, to the US House of Representatives, he indicated that the agency is trying to help 1.7 million displaced people from Gaza through 154 facilities in and around Gaza. He stated that the Israeli attacks affected the agency's facilities and caused the death of 330 people since October 7th.
He stressed that donations made by the United States or other countries "do not go to terrorist elements," stressing that they use strong oversight mechanisms on this issue. He explained that if any employee appears to have violated the principle of neutrality applied by the agency, they will immediately initiate a transparent investigation. He added, "We take the necessary disciplinary measures when we discover any violation." He stressed that all of the agency's work is open to the international public, especially United Nations institutions, and that the truth will be revealed when the investigation into the recent Israeli allegations is completed.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres considered that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees constitutes “the backbone of humanitarian work in Gaza,” and called for support for the organization in order to continue its life-saving work. Guterres was speaking in his speech during the opening of a meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. He explained that he met with major donors to UNRWA and stressed that the main work of UNRWA must continue. He warned that the humanitarian aid system in Gaza was on the verge of collapse, and expressed deep concern about the inhumane conditions suffered by 2.2 million people in Gaza, reiterating his call for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire.
Operational Update
Israel’s defence minister Gallant says Israeli forces have killed 10,000 Gaza fighters, another 10,000 wounded and out of action. Gallant also claims Hamas’ Khan Yunis Brigade has been dismantled, adding that Israel will also move against Rafah on Gaza border with Egypt.
In the Gaza Strip, several Israeli units pulled back from the confrontation axis, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent in the Strip. The correspondent reported that the IOF withdrew from areas such as al-Zawaida, al-Nuseirat, al-Karama, al-Tawam, and the Intelligence Towers, located northwest of the northern Gaza Strip. This marks the first time the Israeli occupation forces have withdrawn from areas in central Gaza, including al-Maghazi and al-Bureij refugee camps.
Additionally, Israeli occupation forces withdrew from al-Rashid Street in the western part of the Gaza Strip, as well as from Beit Lahia, Jabalia, and Beit Hanoun in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The correspondent further continued by stating that "Israeli tanks significantly retreated from the northern and northwestern confrontation axes of the Gaza Strip," adding that citizens were starting to return to their homes in al-Sudaniya and al-Saftawi areas following the Israeli withdrawal.
In a related context, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that fierce confrontations were ongoing in al-Amal neighborhood, with Israeli occupation vehicles firing and shelling the residents in the Khan Younis camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Similarly, confrontations in Gaza City continue. Regarding the field achievements of the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip, the factions have reported multiple operations against occupation forces in the Strip.
Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, announced targeting an Israeli occupation forces group located inside an apartment in the industrial square west of Gaza City with thermobaric rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). On its part, al-Mujahideen Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, stated that its fighters targeted the Israeli occupation's military command headquarters. Moreover, they targeted an airstrip, located in the "Re'im" settlement in the Gaza Envelope, with a volley of rockets.
As for the Martyr Omar al-Qassem Forces, the spokesperson, Abu Khaled, noted that the group engaged in fierce confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces in various sectors of the Gaza Strip. The group targeted IOF gatherings and vehicles using heavy-caliber mortars, causing casualties, according to the spokesperson. Abu Khaled also noted that the Resistance group engaged in intense confrontations against the Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of al-Amal Hospital and al-Batn al-Samin area in Khan Younis, inflicting casualties among the occupation forces.
In addition, the Martyr Omar al-Qassem Forces, in western Gaza, particularly around Al-Shifa Hospital axis, confronted invading Israeli occupation forces as they attempted to advance into those areas, resulting in casualties among the occupation forces. Furthermore, they targeted Israeli occupation sites in Tal al-Hawa axis, west of Gaza City, and Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, with a number of heavy-caliber mortar shells.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth disclosed that the Israeli Air Force's elite unit, known as "Shaldag", suffered more losses within the Gaza Strip than in all preceding wars combined. The newspaper's military correspondent, Yossi Yehoshua, said that the "Shaldag" unit, which has been fighting with the infantry forces since October 7, "lost more soldiers in this battle than it lost in all previous wars... nine of its soldiers were killed."
He pointed to the fact that the Israeli occupation's pararescue Unit 669, which works in coordination with the Shaldag Unit, has suffered higher casualties in Gaza when compared to previous wars. To the Israeli expert this hints at different operational methods being deployed on the field. He added that Unit 669 faced significant losses during their deployment to rescue the forces of the Golani Brigade's 13th Battalion in al-Shujaiya, enduring heavy casualties in the process.
The newspaper highlighted that the army is incurring a significant cost in terms of losses and training. It emphasized that "training special unit fighters takes more time and money, and it is not easy to fill their places." One of the most prominent officers in the “Shaldag” unit (the elite forces of the Air Force) in the Israeli occupation army was killed yesterday during violent confrontations with the Palestinian Resistance in northern Gaza, according to Israeli media.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Israeli occupation forces stormed the courtyard of Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip , positioned themselves in front of the reception department and opened fire intensely, in a scene that brings to mind similar incidents that occurred in the north during the current war.
Satellite images broadcast by Al Jazeera dating back to January 29 showed the increase of dirt berms in the northeastern area of ??Khan Yunis, as well as 300 meters from Al Amal Hospital, in addition to the complete destruction of all residential squares in Khan Yunis camp.
In this context, the military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, described the occupation’s strategy of storming hospitals in the Gaza Strip, saying that it is “moral decadence by the morally dirtiest army in the world,” and that he does not care about South Africa’s lawsuit before the International Court of Justice , which accuses it of genocide in Gaza.
He pointed out that from a military perspective, there are no weapons and military equipment in the hospitals, stressing that the occupation wants to eliminate the necessities of life, as it did previously in the Al-Shifa hospitals in Gaza and the Indonesian and Kamal Adwan hospitals in the north.
On the ground, Al-Duwairi confirms that the Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - reorganized its forces and rehabilitated the Gaza and Northern brigades, in addition to the return of the exercise of administrative powers.
Regarding the confrontation between the Israeli elite forces and the Palestinian resistance fighters, the strategic expert says that the Palestinian fighter has one chance, and his technical skill is higher than the fighter from the elite forces of the occupation army, which are considered the most qualified in built-up areas and have the ability to work “behind enemy lines.” He praised the skill of the Palestinian shooter when targeting Israeli military vehicles, even though the anti-armor shells used depend on visual guidance, pointing out that in most cases the tower area is hit, which is evident from the fireball that occurs.
Hamas sets the pace and the rhythm of the battle in the Gaza Strip, the former chief of the Israeli Anti-air Force, Zvika Haimovich, told Israeli Channel 12. On the ongoing mediated talks for a ceasefire and prisoners exchange deal, Haimovich pointed to the fact that the Palestinian Resistance maintains the edge in these negotiations, as the proposals are being presented to its representatives rather than the Israeli ones. According to Haimovich, this gives the Palestinians the final say in these proposals.
"We propose [deals], and ultimately, they decide," indicating that "this is part of the psychological [warfare] used by Hamas." He continued, "Hamas challenges us as much as possible, as it sees the internal disagreements that exist [between Israelis]. This serves its narrative, raises the price, and puts it in a position of power."
Haimovich's remarks come in the context of an expected response from the Palestinian Resistance to a proposal for a prisoners exchange deal and a momentary ceasefire delivered by mediators, in what has become known as the Paris Document. The head of Hamas' Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, is expected to deliver a unified response that represents Palestinian Resistance factions to Egyptian officials in the coming days. The Resistance has affirmed through multiple statements and interviews conducted by top-ranking officials that an internationally guaranteed ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip will be the prerequisite to any prisoner exchange deal.
In the meantime, Resistance fighters continue to deal the occupation's military heavy blows across the Gaza Strip. The most recently released list of killed soldiers and officers included Major Yitzhar Hoffman, a platoon leader in the special forces Shaldag Unit. A recently released video by al-Qassam Brigades' military media has highlighted the capabilities of Palestinian Resistance fighters who are well-versed in urban warfare. In the video, one of the fighters who had just targeted multiple Israeli armored vehicles details how he and his comrades "confused the enemies", after utilizing multiple tunnel entry points located to the west of Khan Younis.
Satellite images showed a new demolition operation along a 1-kilometer-deep track on the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, according to an Associated Press analysis and expert reports. According to the Associated Press, this destruction comes at a time when Israel said it wants to create a buffer zone there, despite international objections, further tearing apart the lands on which the Palestinians want to establish their state. While the demolition along the route represents only a small piece of the broader damage caused by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which one assessment suggests has damaged or destroyed half of all buildings within the coastal enclave.
Israeli officials have indicated their desire to create a buffer zone as a defensive measure, which they say could prevent a repeat of the October 7 Hamas cross-border attack that ignited the nearly four-month-old war, despite American warnings not to... Reducing the area of ??Gaza. The Israeli army refused to answer whether it was establishing a buffer zone when asked by the Associated Press, saying only that it was “taking many necessary necessary measures to implement a defensive plan that would provide better security in southern Israel.” However, the army admitted that it had demolished the buildings. Throughout the region. The Associated Press quoted an Israeli government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing internal deliberations, that a “temporary security buffer zone” is under construction.
Gaza has a border of about 60 kilometers (37 miles) with Israel, with its backing to the Mediterranean Sea, so the establishment of this buffer zone would occupy about 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) outside the Gaza Strip, which has a total area of about 360 square kilometers (139 square miles).
Toward the southern part of the Gaza Strip, most of the land in the imagined buffer zone is agricultural land abutting the massive, billion-dollar border wall built on Israeli territory that separates it from the Strip, but near the town of Khirbet Khuza’a, where the border turns northwest. The story is different, according to the agency.
Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the Associated Press show significant destruction of buildings and land bulldozed in an area of about 6 square kilometers (2.3 square miles), and just over 4 kilometers (2.5 square miles) north, farmland has been converted to "bare dirt" along a potential buffer zone.
Earlier, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the United States had raised with Israel the issue of establishing a buffer zone in Gaza. He explained that the United States raised the issue of demolishing sites to impose a buffer zone, noting that "Israel responded that demolitions were carried out only in sites used to launch terrorist activities or to plan and plan them."
US National Security spokesman John Kirby had confirmed the United States’ refusal to “reduce the area of Gaza in any way.” The Financial Times reported in a report that Israel demolished 1,100 buildings near the border inside the Gaza Strip, amid American warnings not to reduce the Palestinian territories. The report stated that the Israeli army is working to create a buffer zone inside Gaza , and is demolishing buildings near the border despite warnings from the United States against any long-term reduction of the territory of the Strip.
According to a new analysis by The New York Times, the destruction wrought by Israel in the war on Gaza has been exacerbated by a series of "controlled explosives" in recent months, dramatically altering the terrain in Gaza. A review of Israeli military films, social media videos, and satellite images reveals that at least 33 mass destruction attempts that the Israelis like to call "controlled demolitions" have demolished hundreds of structures since November, including mosques, schools, and large portions of civilian areas.
The Israeli operation in Gaza and the drastic magnitude of bombing have destroyed almost half of the Gazan infrastructure, rendering the strip uninhabitable and in need of billions of dollars for rebuilding, the United Nations stated. The UN has followed the deteriorating living conditions, describing the rate as "precipitous".
A source told the Financial Times last week that the IOF are working to create a "buffer zone" inside Gaza and demolish buildings near the border with Israel in order to "keep this area completely clean of any [resistance fighters] or infrastructure, rocket launchers, mortars . . . and to give us the freedom of operation in that space”."
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated his opposition to territorial changes in the Gaza Strip, adding that while he understands the need for what he claimed to be "temporary measures" to prevent another Operation Al-Qsa Flood, the administration opposes any change in territory. Israel claimed it is destroying "terror infrastructures", calling entire neighborhoods "combat complexes" for Hamas. However, the majority of the demolition sites reported by the NYT took place well outside the so-called "buffer zone," and visual evidence suggests the number of confirmed demolitions may only be a fraction of the total number carried out by Israel.
In most of these demolitions, Israeli occupation forces enter targeted structures and set explosives before leaving to detonate. Israel has also destroyed all of Gaza's universities in stages. The initial bombings targeted the Islamic and Al-Azhar universities, and subsequent assaults were aimed at other universities. For instance, Al-Israa University in southern Gaza was totally destroyed after initially being repurposed as military barracks in service of the Israeli occupation forces. A video released by Israeli media on January 17 captured the explosion at Al-Israa University, which occurred 70 days after the Israeli occupation had converted it into a barracks, and later into a temporary detention facility.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to Britain, called it “Israel’s goal" to make Palestine completely lifeless and unliveable, adding that the Israeli occupation's goal "has always been to make it impossible for our people to return to their land.” Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli military deliberately burned hundreds of homes in the Gaza Strip, along with all their belongings, with officers from the Israeli occupation forces confirming that house burning has become a "common tactic" to destroy residences and buildings. According to the newspaper, officers involved in leading the Israeli war on Gaza stated that the house burnings were carried out based on orders issued by field commanders.
The Israeli forces carried out night raids throughout the West Bank , including Tubas, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem, where they raided several homes, and Palestinian resistance forces confronted them over a period of several hours. Large forces, supported by about 40 military vehicles, stormed the southern axis of the city of Tubas, in the northern West Bank, and carried out a raid on homes amid violent clashes with the resistance fighters. The Al- Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - announced in Tubas that it had targeted the occupation vehicles penetrating into the city “with appropriate devices and weapons.”
Local Palestinian platforms published a video clip documenting the moment the occupation forces were targeted with an explosive device as they stormed Tubas, and another clip showing smoke rising as a result of the targeting. They also published pictures of towing vehicles that were damaged following the confrontations.
The occupation forces deployed snipers on the roofs of a number of buildings and launched a reconnaissance plane in the sky of the city, according to what Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported. The Palestinian Red Crescent announced that two Palestinians were wounded by bullets from the occupation forces in the city of Tubas, one of whom was injured in the foot, and the other in the lower back. The raids and arrests continue in the cities and camps of the West Bank as part of a broad Israeli escalation since the resistance launched the Battle of Al- Aqsa Flood on the seventh of last October.
The town of Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem, witnessed confrontations between the Israeli occupation army and Palestinian youths, in light of continuous incursions into West Bank cities and towns , at a time when Washington called on Tel Aviv to avoid destabilizing what it described as stability.
The Palestinian Red Crescent announced that two Palestinians were injured by Israeli occupation forces’ bullets in the city of Tubas, in the northern occupied West Bank. Large forces, supported by about 40 military vehicles, stormed the city's southern axis for hours and launched a campaign of raids on several homes amid violent clashes with resistance fighters. The occupation forces also stormed Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, and fired live bullets and tear gas bombs at Palestinians. They also raided homes and conducted patrols in the town amid confrontations with resistance fighters.
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Husan, west of the city of Bethlehem, in the southern West Bank, and launched an arrest campaign. The official Palestinian News Agency (Wafa) said that, on Thursday, the Israeli army carried out incursions into towns and camps in the West Bank, most notably the Dheisheh and Aida camps near Bethlehem (south).
The US Central Command (Centcom) said that it launched a strike at dawn against 10 drones that were prepared for launch and a ground control station in areas controlled by the Ansar Allah group ( Houthis ) in Yemen. The command stated that a US Navy ship also shot down 3 Iranian drones and a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden , without reports of casualties or damage. It previously confirmed that its forces destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile that was equipped to be launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and represented an "imminent threat" to its aircraft. The Embrey Maritime Security Company also reported that a missile launched from Yemen at dawn today hit a commercial ship off the coast of the country. “A commercial ship was reportedly targeted by a missile while sailing...southwest of Aden, Yemen,” Embry said, adding that “the ship reported an explosion” on board.
On the other hand, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah Channel said that US-British raids targeted the Al-Jabanah area in the city of Hodeidah, west of the country, in the early hours. The group announced earlier that American and British forces launched a number of raids on Saada Governorate, northwest of Yemen, and stressed that "this aggression will not pass without response and punishment, and the aggressor countries must bear the consequences of their aggression."
The military spokesman for the Houthi group, Yahya Saree, also said that the Houthis will confront the American-British escalation with escalation and will not hesitate to respond with broad and qualitative military operations, indicating that they will continue to prevent Israeli navigation or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the aggression against Gaza stops .
The leader of the Ansar Allah group in Yemen, Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, confirmed that there is a strong readiness to target any ship directed by Israel in favor of Israel, revealing the outcome of the Houthi operations during this week. In his speech, Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi said: “One of the most important, striking and prominent developments this week is the bombing of Tel Aviv by the Qassam Brigades with missiles,” considering that “the bombing of Tel Aviv is a very important operation and has a very great significance in light of the comprehensive destruction of the Strip, control and the presentation of achievements.” "The phantom."
Al-Houthi added: "The bombing of Tel Aviv demonstrates the extent of the steadfastness and divine support for the mujahideen in Gaza, and confirms their cohesion and strength, contrary to what the enemy wishes and promotes. The Israeli enemy failed to achieve its goals, resolve the battle, and completely control the situation in the Gaza Strip."
The leader of the "Ansar Allah" group stressed that "the front in Yemen is one of the fronts that took the initiative since the beginning of the events in Gaza, within the framework of a complete and comprehensive position at all levels," continuing: "The result of our military operations during this week is 10 operations in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab al-Mandab targeted ships linked to the Israeli, American and British enemy, and the situation, thank God, was effective and effective.”
He continued: "The Israeli enemy is desperate for the possibility of continuing maritime navigation in its favor in the Red Sea from the Bab al-Mandab Strait... Commercial traffic to the port of Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat) and the occupied Palestinian ports has become weak and movement is rare."
Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi added: “There is accurate and aerial monitoring by the armed forces, which enables us to obtain the necessary information to know the ship’s destination to any Palestinian port,” pointing out that “with the possibility of obtaining information, there is a strong readiness to target any ship that is directed to the benefit of the enemy.” "Israeli."
Al-Houthi continued: “When America implicated itself, as well as Britain , they put themselves in a dilemma, so their ships, battleships, and hostile movement continued to be targeted ... Our armed forces are the ones who actually provide insurance for international navigation in the Red Sea, and we have actually proven that the targets are ships linked to the Zionist enemy... from He coordinates with the naval forces and crosses without any problem, and sometimes the Americans intervene to cause problems on some ships.”
Al-Houthi continued: "One of the signs of failure is America's attempt to seek China's assistance in order to seek mediation and persuasion to stop our operations in support of the Palestinian people. The Chinese realize that its interest is not to follow the American, and it knows what the American is doing in Taiwan."
Al-Houthi explained, saying: “Military mobilization is one of the most important activities in which our people have mobilized in the context of raising readiness to support the Palestinian people,” noting that “165,429 people have been trained and qualified in military courses in the popular community, according to specialists’ statistics.”
He continued: "During the period of aggression against our country, 600,000 people were trained in general, leadership, and specialized training according to specialists. These capabilities and capabilities in our country, from everything that has been built, prepared, and equipped, are in the service of the position of support for the Palestinian people."
Maps
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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 [in old days] 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 was 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 was an IDF permissive corridor for nearly the full length of the Strip, much of adjacent territory was not. By 29 January 2024 Al-Jazeera had finally come around to some of the cartographic conventions of other mappers, indicating "occupied areas", and even providing a map of IDF ORBAT in the Strip.
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Bystanders
Sikhrid Kach, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator in Gaza, stated that no body can replace the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) in the Gaza Strip . This came in a statement to journalists after a closed session held yesterday evening, Tuesday, in the Security Council , to discuss the latest developments in the Gaza Strip.
Kach explained that the main issues discussed in the session related to providing means of transporting aid to Gaza, and providing an appropriate environment for distribution operations. She added that no other organization can take the place of UNRWA, as it has enormous capabilities, capabilities and structure, and also possesses great knowledge of Gaza society.
UNRWA was established by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949, and was mandated to provide assistance and protection to refugees in 5 regions: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Its work aims to reach a just solution to the refugee problem.
Since January 26, 18 countries and the European Union have taken a decision to suspend their funding to UNRWA, based on Israel’s allegations that 12 employees of the agency participated in the “ Al-Aqsa Flood ” operation carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) on October 7, 2023, against Israeli military bases and settlements around the Gaza Strip.
According to the United Nations, the countries that decided to suspend their funding to UNRWA until yesterday evening; They are: the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Italy, Britain, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, New Zealand, Iceland, Romania, Estonia, and the European Union.On the other hand, Spain, Ireland and Norway announced that they would not cut aid, but expressed their willingness to support an investigation into Israel's allegations.
The Western countries' announcements came hours after the International Court of Justice in The Hague rejected Israel's demands to drop the genocide lawsuit in Gaza, which South Africa filed against it, and issued a temporary decision requiring Israel to take measures to stop the genocide and bring in humanitarian aid within a month.
UNRWA announced the opening of an investigation into allegations indicating the involvement of an unspecified number of its employees in the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation. The Israeli accusations against the agency are not the first of their kind. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Israel has accused the agency’s employees of working for the benefit of the Hamas movement. According to observers, this accusation is a prior justification for targeting UNRWA schools and facilities in the Gaza Strip, which host tens of thousands of displaced people, most of whom are children and women.
Axis of Resistance
The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Osama Hamdan, said that the movement has not yet provided any official response to the deal proposal presented by the brothers in the State of Qatar, following the quadripartite meeting held in Paris regarding the aggression against the Gaza Strip , and what is being leaked is an attempt by the government The Israeli occupation to relieve pressure on it. Hamdan added - in exclusive statements to Al Jazeera Net - that, "When matters mature, and we present our response and reach an agreement, it is natural for us to announce that, but until the moment there is no response from our side to the proposal paper, and therefore there is no agreement."
Regarding the reason for these leaks that have spread in recent hours, indicating that an agreement on a new deal is close to being reached, the Hamas leader said that the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu , is facing intense pressure from the ruling coalition and the families of prisoners held by the resistance as a result of the continued aggression against the Gaza Strip, “because they accuse him of evasion, lying, and lack of interest.” With the fate of their children, he is making intense efforts to relieve this pressure, but within the framework of his insistence on the continuation of the genocide he is carrying out in Gaza.
Hamdan pointed out that part of Netanyahu's plan is to leak news over the past weeks to calm the minds of all opponents and pressurers, and it seems that he "has reached the stage where leaks are no longer useful, so he resorted to launching false positions in practice." He also stressed that when Hamas studies any proposals or provides any answers to any proposal, this “stems from our appreciation of the interest of the Palestinian people, which is based primarily on ending this aggression in a comprehensive manner, and providing all the relief and reconstruction required as a result of this aggression, including ending the Israeli siege on sector.”
Regarding the items that might be included in the paper that Hamas is currently studying, Hamdan said, “The proposal is still under study, and therefore I do not want to provide an answer about that.” But he added, “All the ideas that come from the occupation or the American administration do not meet what the Palestinian people want, and this is not a new thing. The entire history of American attempts to find a solution, as they claim, to the Palestinian issue has been based on one logic, which is what Israel wants, and on the logic of Liquidating the Palestinian issue. This is why we deal with the proposals based on a specific basis, which is the interests and needs of the Palestinian people, and not simply because this proposal was presented through America or Israel.
The leader of the Ansar Allah movement in Yemen, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, confirmed that Yemen’s military position in the Red and Arab Seas is continuing, effective and influential, and the Zionist enemy must despair of the passage of its ships from the Red Sea, indicating that the American failed to protect the ships heading to the occupying entity, and he admitted this. Al-Houthi added during his speech on Thursday that the occupation entity continues to commit the most heinous crimes in Gaza , starting with genocide, which led to 34 thousand martyrs and missing persons .
He continued, saying: The Zionist enemy does not want anyone to remain in hospitals providing health services to the Palestinian people, nor for medicine and medical staff to be available, so it kills some and arrests others. The leader of the Ansar Allah movement pointed out that the occupation kills children and women in Gaza with American, British, and German shells and missiles. The enemy kills civilians in Gaza after arresting them, handcuffing them, and sometimes stripping them naked before executing them.
Al-Houthi confirmed that the severe Zionist siege on the Gaza Strip continues, and there are deaths from hunger among the displaced . In addition to the killing, destruction, devastation and displacement, the Zionist enemy targets UNRWA, and America fully adopts its campaign . He stated that the campaign against UNRWA came after the decision of the so-called International Court of Justice to stop the crimes of murder and genocide in Gaza . After the International Court of Justice's decision, it is assumed that food and medicine will enter Gaza and contribute to reducing genocide crimes .
He added: The Palestinian people were not safe in the UNRWA schools in which they took refuge, which are under the protection of the United Nations. Targeting displaced people in UNRWA schools shows the extent of American tyranny and the humanitarian bankruptcy of the West, which took the initiative to announce the cessation of aid to UNRWA.
Al-Houthi said: It is known that international institutions are subject to a large extent to American influence, even with the clarity of the right to some issues and the great injustice in them... Pointing out that as a result of the American intervention, the Israeli enemy is almost exempt from all decisions, rulings, and positions announced by international institutions. Al-Sayed stressed that it is a great shame for countries that the Israeli enemy is an accepted member of the United Nations. Since the beginning of the entry of the enemy entity as a member of the United Nations, this has been contrary to justice and fairness and it has been a crime against the Palestinian people.
He explained that in Europe and the Western peoples, free voices began to oppose American policies and the policy of open support for the Israeli enemy, while exposing it in an unprecedented manner... He explained that the activity of communities in America and the West to convey the oppression of the Palestinian people broke through the media blackout in favor of the lobby.
Al-Sayyid expressed his hope that the circle of awareness in Western society will expand and that the Arab and Islamic communities, especially the Yemeni, will continue to convey the oppression of the Palestinian people. He explained that publishing a vivid picture of the oppression of the dear Palestinian people and their tragedy affects those who have a shred of humanity left in them. Al-Sayyid stressed that lethargy prevails in the position of many regimes and rulers at the level of the Islamic world and the Arab region. He pointed out that the events and oppression continue to worsen, but the consciences of the rulers have not been awakened and they have fallen into a state of slumber.
Al-Sayyid pointed out that there is news about some Arab and Islamic countries supplying the Israeli enemy with goods, despite the shortage occurring as a result of the Yemeni position in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and this is unfortunate. He stressed that the Palestinian people are in dire need of food and medicine, and they are starving, while he provides Some fruits and various goods of the Zionist enemy!
The Ansar Allah leader stressed that the great suffering the situation has reached in the Gaza Strip, the more the responsibility falls on Muslims before others... stressing that the regimes must move in Palestine as they moved in the events of Afghanistan when the Americans wanted them to move... because when the Americans wanted them to move... Officially, the regimes at all levels mobilized their people and directed their scholars to issue fatwas requiring jihad. He added: “Where is the movement of the regimes towards the tragedy of the Palestinian people, even at a small percentage of the level of movement that the Americans want?”
He pointed out that some regimes ignore the tragedy taking place in Palestine, and some condemn and insult those who act. He stressed that the great and honorable position is the steadfastness of the Mujahideen in Gaza despite the scale of the aggression and the tragedy. He explained that one of the most important, striking and prominent developments this week is the bombing of Tel Aviv by the Qassam Brigades. The bombing of Tel Aviv is a very important operation and has a very great significance in light of the comprehensive destruction. For the sector, control and presenting imaginary achievements... adding that the bombing of Tel Aviv indicates the extent of the steadfastness and divine support of the mujahideen in Gaza, and confirms their cohesion and strength, contrary to what the enemy wishes and promotes.
He reiterated that the enemy failed to achieve its goals, resolve the battle, and completely control the situation in the Gaza Strip. He stressed that the success of the mujahideen in Gaza is an excuse for the Arabs and Muslims, because if they had gone to provide support, the movement would have been more effective and would have led to the liberation of Palestine. He explained that the continuation of steadfastness and confrontation has an important significance and must receive support and praise.
Al-Houthi pointed out that the front on the Lebanese border is painful for the enemy, and Hezbollah continues in this battle. Stressing that the Mujahideen in Iraq confirm the continuation of their operations targeting the enemy.
Allied for Democracy
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that bringing aid into the Gaza Strip contradicts the goals of the war, revealing that he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue, and that “this will change soon.” During an interview with Israeli Army Radio, Smotrich called for reducing the population of Gaza to about 100,000 or 200,000 Palestinians, without explaining the methods he proposed for this.
Haaretz newspaper quoted Smotrich as saying, "If there were 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs in Gaza and not two million, the entire discussion about the next day after the war would change." The right-wing minister - who leads the extremist "Jewish Home" party - renewed his call for the return of Israeli settlers to Gaza, and said that Israel must impose its control over the Strip to restore its security, and added, "In order to control the region militarily over time, we must also have a civilian presence." there".
The far-right minister said that his “demand is that the Gaza Strip not remain a “hotbed in which two million people grow up to hate the State of Israel and aspire to destroy it.” Smotrich called for encouraging what he described as “voluntary migration” of Gaza residents, and finding countries ready to receive them. He urged Tel Aviv to search for countries willing to receive the residents of Gaza. Smotrich added, "We must stay in Gaza for a long time, and I encourage a radical change in the Strip," expressing his refusal for the Palestinian Authority to take over the reins in the Gaza Strip. He said that he supports a complete change in the reality in Gaza, by holding a discussion on settlement there.
During Israel's war on Gaza, Smotrich made controversial statements that received disapproving and disapproving reactions. Such as: his description of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza as Nazis, his demand to establish security buffer zones around settlements and roads and to prevent Arabs from entering them, and his demand on Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant - as well - to stop the Palestinian olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank.
Speaking to Israeli Army Radio, the leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party pointed out that “the goal of the war is not to strengthen the settlements, but rather to return the hostages and destroy Hamas.” He added: "We thought it was not a good idea to discuss the next day because it is a controversial topic, but we were pushed to do so. One party cannot act on its desires while we are not allowed to announce our position," referring to the "Victory Conference" held on Sunday. In Jerusalem, which was attended by 11 ministers and 15 coalition members including Smotrich, which called for the construction of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Scenes captured at the conference sparked violent reactions , with critics pointing out that government and coalition ministers were dancing happily while the war raged, tens of thousands of Israelis were displaced, soldiers were being killed on an almost daily basis, and 136 Israelis were still detained in Gaza. At this conference, Smotrich signed what he called the “Pact of Victory and Settlement Renewal,” which pledged that the signatories would “develop lively Jewish settlements” in the Gaza Strip.
However, unlike other speakers, Smotrich was not completely clear in his speech regarding settlement construction in Gaza, instead strongly hinting that he supports the idea.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that the Al-Qassam Brigades affiliated with Hamas in the city of Rafah will be disbanded, as happened in the city of Khan Yunis, as he claimed. Gallant made his statements while he was in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. He said, "The Khan Yunis Brigade (in the Al-Qassam Brigades) bragged that it was standing against the Israeli army. Today it was dismantled." He continued: "It will be the same in Rafah and everywhere we go. Reaching the enemy's targets brings us closer to returning the hostages. We have to persevere until we finish our tasks, and the matter is much more difficult for Hamas. We dropped 10,000 dead terrorists and another 10,000 wounded," he said.
The Biden administration does not interpret Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public comments on a ceasefire deal as a rejection of any potential ceasefire, a senior US official revealed. While Netanyahu confirmed his rejection of any ceasefire that involves the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza or the release of numerous Palestinian prisoners, the Biden administration views the situation as developing. This US perception is grounded in "Israel's" limited progress against the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza and the growing public pressure on Netanyahu to secure the release of Israeli captives. Nevertheless, his public statements, according to the US official cited by NBC News, still reflect the position of his coalition members who have threatened to quit and bring the government down if he softens his stance.
US President Joe Biden issued an executive order aimed at punishing Jewish settlers who attack Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Biden believed that "the situation in the occupied West Bank, especially the high levels of violence by extremist settlers (...) and the destruction of property has reached unbearable levels and constitutes a serious threat to peace, security and stability in the West Bank, Gaza , Israel and the Middle East region."
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the decision aims to address activities that undermine peace and stability in the West Bank. Sullivan explained that the executive order would allow for the issuance of financial sanctions and visa restrictions against individuals found to have attacked or terrorized Palestinians or seized their property. Sullivan stressed that Biden was clear about “Israel’s right to self-defense, and in its efforts to defeat (the Islamic Resistance Movement) Hamas ,” noting that five packages of sanctions were imposed on Hamas.
In the same context, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the executive order included imposing financial sanctions on 4 Israelis linked to violence against civilians in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, quoting an official in the Biden administration, that the latter is considering imposing sanctions on the two extremist ministers in the Israeli government, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich . US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby denied that there were currently plans to target Israeli government officials with sanctions. Kirby indicated that the Israeli government was informed of the executive order related to the West Bank prior to its announcement.
The American decision faced criticism from Israel, as a statement issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the government's dissatisfaction with Washington's tightening of sanctions on settlers accused of attacking Palestinians. The statement stressed that the vast majority of West Bank settlers are “law-abiding.”
In the same context, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that Minister Smotrich attacked President Biden's administration, and said that "the American administration is cooperating with an anti-Semitic campaign that sanctiones the blood of settlers." While Ben Gvir called on the United States to consider its policy towards the West Bank, he said that Biden is wrong regarding the citizens of the State of Israel and the "heroic settlers." The extremist minister claimed that "the heroic settlers in the West Bank are the ones who are being thrown with stones in an attempt to harm and kill them."
Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs
On 7 October 2023, Hamas and other armed groups present in the Gaza Strip carried out an attack in Israel, killing more than 1,200 persons, injuring thousands and abducting some 240 people, many of whom continue to be held hostage. It was the second largest loss inflicted on the Israeli forces after the 1973 war. Palestinian armed groups launched thousands of missiles at Israel Following this attack, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza, by land, air and sea.
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."
The HAMAS Ministry of Health in the besieged sector announced that the number of victims of the Israeli operation its beginning had risen to 26,900 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 65,949. 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 380 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.
The total number of Israeli deaths has risen to 563 [557?] since the start of the war on October 7, including 233 [220?] killed since the ground invasion as a result of the ongoing clashes with the Palestinian resistance. 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.
It was announced that soldiers wounded in the Gaza Strip battles numbered to 2,802 since the beginning of the war, including 1,288 who had been wounded since the start of the ground attack on October 27, 2023.
The Israeli army reported that 2,771 officers and soldiers were injured since the seventh of last October, 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. The Israeli army also said 26 January 2024 that since the beginning of the ground attack on Gaza, 258 soldiers have been seriously injured. There are 423 moderate injuries, compared to 577 minor injuries.
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
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 Israelis in the West Bank since that date has exceeded 6,420. 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, over 2,960 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, over 1,350 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."
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