Operation Iron Swords - Day 163 - 17 March 2024

Contents

NEW - War Termination NEW - Operations NEW - Operations - Gaza NEW - Operations - Judea-Samaria NEW - Operations - Lebanon NEW - Operations - Syria / Iraq NEW - Operations - Yemen NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - By the Numbers

The American network "NBC" quoted American officials as saying that the White House is considering responding to the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, if it defies President Joe Biden's warnings regarding the invasion of Rafah without a reliable plan to protect Palestinian civilians. According to the network, American officials advised Israel to avoid a large-scale military operation in Rafah, and instead carry out smaller, more targeted missions for “terrorism,” as it put it. The network also quoted a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Chris Van Hollen, as saying that the Biden administration must use its available tools to pressure Netanyahu to heed its warnings, in reference to freezing military sales to Israel.

War Termination

Egyptian strategic expert Major General Mohamed Abdel Wahed said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to weaken the Hamas movement and thus impose his dictates and conditions on it, so that it becomes not negotiation but submission. The Egyptian expert explained in an interview with RT that the Israeli Prime Minister is exerting maximum pressure on all parties, and is following a policy of pulling all parties and applying pressure from the middle to achieve special political interests at the personal level and then specific to Israel.

He added that Netanyahu always mentions the issue of Rafah on every occasion, and talks about complete victory to put more pressure on the mediation parties on the one hand and on the Palestinian resistance on the other. There are some who are counting on this issue to perhaps be to exert pressure or use the Rafah card to put pressure on Hamas and obtain... High negotiating gains.

Major General Muhammad Abdel Wahed said that those relying on this issue stem from a number of factors, namely the strong international condemnations against Netanyahu and the Israeli government, especially what was issued by the International Court of Justice and its indirect accusation of Israel of crimes of genocide, and thus the decline in European-American support for any military operation in Rafah. He added that others believe that a military operation is coming inevitably because of the insistence of Netanyahu and his government, whether the extreme right or even other members of the government, on a military operation, but the difference between them is only in the details.

He pointed out that Israel seeks to achieve gains in Rafah, including complete security control, control of the Philadelphia axis, and thus tightening control over Gaza in its entirety. Israel will also achieve its major goals from the process of occupying Gaza and achieve major goals such as the process of displacing Palestinians abroad, controlling and reoccupying, and dividing Gaza. To the north and south, setting up checkpoints and taking full control and preparing for the next day of the war, meaning changing the administration in Gaza.

He explained that Netanyahu evaded any reconciliation or any mediation during that period and always interfered in personal matters and detailed points, and the best evidence of this was when an Israeli delegation went to Egypt from the Israeli Mossad, and summoned him after 4 hours and he was supposed to stay for three days, pointing out that This is a blatant intervention to put more pressure on Hamas, especially since it is in a position of strength.

The Egyptian expert said that Netanyahu always tries to take a position of strength in the negotiations, and he does not want them to be indirect negotiations between two parties that achieve gains for each of them, but he wants to weaken Hamas’ position and thus impose his dictates and conditions on it and it becomes not a negotiation, but submission or the imposition of dictates and conditions.

A group of 25 human rights associations and humanitarian organizations called on governments to exercise their influence to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip , and to give priority to delivering humanitarian aid by land to the besieged Strip, which has been subjected to continuous bombing for more than 5 months.

These humanitarian organizations said in a joint statement: “States cannot hide behind airdrops and efforts to open a sea corridor, to create the illusion that they are doing enough to support the needs in Gaza. Their primary responsibility is to prevent the occurrence of atrocity crimes, and to exert effective political pressure to put an end to them.” "To the continuous bombing and the lifting of restrictions that prevent safe access to aid."

They said that airdrops cannot provide the volume of aid that can be transported by land. “While a convoy of 5 trucks has the capacity to carry about 100 tons of life-saving aid, recent airdrops only delivered a few tons of aid each. “In addition, airdrops can pose a significant risk to the lives of civilians seeking to receive aid.”

They also indicated that some countries, which recently carried out airdrops, also supply the Israeli authorities with weapons, namely the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France, stressing that “states cannot use aid to avoid their international responsibilities and duties under international law, including preventing the occurrence of atrocity crimes.”

The signatory organizations said that these countries recently announced efforts to open a sea corridor from Cyprus, including the establishment of a floating port on the coast of Gaza, which will not operate at full capacity for several weeks, while families are starving and cannot wait for the maritime infrastructure to be prepared. And the wilderness.” They stressed that saving the lives of residents there in Gaza includes “immediately allowing the entry of humanitarian trucks filled with food and medicine, which are currently prohibited from entering Gaza.”

They added, when reaching distribution points around Gaza, shipments from this port will face the same obstacles that aid convoys coming from Rafah currently face: continued insecurity, a high rate of access denial by Israeli forces, and long waits at Israeli checkpoints. Therefore, according to the organizations’ statement, the establishment of this port will not significantly change the catastrophic humanitarian situation, unless it is accompanied by an immediate ceasefire and full, unimpeded access for aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip.

They added that there are also concerns about the lack of transparency about who will be responsible for the infrastructure and the security of aid delivery on shore, as countries should ensure that the sea corridor does not legitimize the prolonged Israeli ground military occupation of the Strip by exploiting the need to deliver aid. They said that they realized that all aid is urgently needed in this difficult context, but alerts "to the potentially devastating consequences of creating dangerous precedents that lead to the deterioration of humanitarian access across the territory and the prolongation of hostilities."

They stated that it expects the three countries (the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France) to urgently use their influence to establish an immediate ceasefire and oblige the Israeli authorities to stop their deliberate blockade of life-saving aid throughout the Gaza Strip, including the complete opening of the Rafah, Kerem Shalom, Beit Hanoun and Al-Mantar crossings. And lift restrictions on it. Among the organizations that signed the statement were Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Action Aid International, the War Child Alliance, the Italian NGO Association, the International Federation for Human Rights, the Catholic Committee Against Hunger and for Development and others.

Operational Update

On the 163rd day of the war on Gaza , and the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan , the Israeli army continued to target the Axis of Resistance in several areas of the region, not limited to the Gaza Strip. It seems that the IDF ground operation in the Gaza Strip is currently pretty stagnant. Only four brigades are operating in the Gaza Strip, the scope of the fighting is limited, certainly in relation to the beginning of the ground maneuver.

The words of the Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Hatzi Halevi: "One hundred and sixty-three days to the war. We are fighting a just, multi-arena and complex war, with many achievements, which are expanding. We still have a long way to go until the goals of the war are achieved. The IDF forces are fighting in all arenas - in Gaza, in the center and in the north, in arenas near and far - non-stop.

"This week the month of Ramadan began, and we are more alert, strong and prepared - everywhere, all the time, non-stop. Every development in one arena affects the other arenas of war. We work first of all to maintain security, thwart and prevent terrorist attacks, alongside the desire to facilitate Ramadan.

"In the Gaza Strip we are surprising the enemy, initiating and further deepening the achievements. In the north of the Gaza Strip - we are returning and raiding areas where we operated, with new intelligence, using different methods - expanding the damage to Hamas, killing operatives and destroying infrastructure in a targeted and high-quality manner. In the south of the Gaza Strip, in Khan Yunis, we are concentrating an effort of quality forces to dismantle the Khan Yunis Brigade. We killed many terrorists and arrested many senior terrorists for interrogation. Those who remain alive, are hiding, have difficulty functioning - we will get to them too.

"In a complex and precise attack in the Nochirat camp, last week we attacked senior commanders in Hamas, whose fate Hamas tries very hard to hide. We embarked on this operation after many days of complex planning, creating the operational conditions and gathering sufficient intelligence. This is a very important achievement for the IDF. A capability we have built over the years together with the Shin Bet, a combination of high-quality intelligence and precise fire from the Air Force, which enable the elimination of senior officials underground. This attack is an expression of the IDF's ability to reach the most complex places - at the right time, and with high precision. We will continue the effort to eliminate the senior officials, this is a major goal in the war.

"Alongside the management of the fighting, we continue to plan the continuation of the damage in areas where we have not yet operated. The IDF is preparing for attacks in the additional areas and together with the political echelon we will decide on the timing and the appropriate conditions. As soon as it is decided - the IDF will act with full force and determination. We are determined to act wherever Hamas builds its power; It is wrong to leave Hamas brigades and Hamas battalions functioning.

"Hamas can lay down its weapons and surrender, otherwise, we will continue with great force, until the complete dissolution of Hamas, until the abductees are returned to their homes. The return of the abductees is one of the goals of the war, and the IDF will do everything in order to realize it. The details of the negotiations should be left to be discussed in the right chambers, we are working with determination in every way to bring about the release of the abductees. One thing is certain - the IDF will implement any decision that is made, and will know how to continue fighting At each stage. Hamas has chosen to escalate Ramadan, and this will lead to increasing pressure.

"On the northern border we continue to harm Hezbollah operatives and their capabilities. Hizbullah started aggressively, and is paying a heavy, ever-increasing price. I am awake and attentive to the great difficulty of the residents of the north, who have been evacuated from their homes for a very long time. We will return the residents only with full security. To that end, we will go through any means necessary - the IDF and its commanders are determined, ready for this, this is our duty. In Judea and Samaria we fight, protect and thwart terrorism around the clock together with the Shin Bet and the Israel Police - for the sake of security in settlements, axes and the seam line.

"I would like to say a few words about the IDF. The IDF commanders, the younger and the more senior, are commanding a difficult and complex war, in several arenas at the same time, for over five months, bringing about ever-increasing achievements. In war, it is very important to allow the commanders on the battlefield the freedom required to carry out their missions - I trust them and appreciate them very much. In the same breath, I say the obvious - you can't fight when the discipline and rules are not clear and not strict.

"The balance between them is the key to success. A commander cannot override an order without authorization, if there is no operational, clear and urgent need or reason for this. Commanders who violated the rules - will be investigated, and dealt with as soon as possible. This is our duty. We have very high quality commanders who fight bravely, in places where they made a mistake or deviated from the orders, there was learning, there was also disciplinary and command treatment while fighting. That's how it should be, that's how it will be. We - the IDF and its commanders - must now focus on only one thing - achieving the goals of the war. Our achievements on the battlefield are the result of the unity of our ranks, alongside the ability to act together subject to IDF values and IDF orders.

"In conclusion, I would like to clarify - as we said from the first day, we failed on the seventh of October. We did not take responsibility - the responsibility is ours. About what happened and what will happen from here on. And at the same time, it is important to say - we came to our senses quickly, launched a strong attack, and we are leading the army in this complex war, around the clock, for over five months, with great strength to continue forward. We are imbued with a goal to bring the security that the citizens of Israel deserve. The abductees and their families stand before our eyes all the time, so do the residents in the south and north who have not yet returned to their homes. This is a task that will continue for a long time, and I, as the commander of the army, am responsible for it. I am very confident in our ability to meet this task together....

" I look at the last few weeks, including the last week. How many Hamas terrorists were killed, how many senior commanders were killed, how many infrastructures were destroyed, what additional achievements we brought, how many activists we detained for questioning. In all these indices, even in the last week, even in the last two weeks, we are on a very significant increase."

The Israeli media reported the news that the army had deployed 23 units [Battalions?] in the West Bank, and compared it with the presence of 12 units waging a war in the Gaza Strip, as evidence of the great fear in security circles that any operations would take place against Israeli targets during this month in the West Bank, specifically in the occupied city of Jerusalem . Israeli Channel 12 stated that “the number of police and security personnel deployed in the city of Jerusalem and the West Bank is unprecedented.”

Khaldoun Barghouti, a researcher in Israeli affairs and a follower of the Israeli media, says, “There is a systematic trend to portray Ramadan as the month of operations carried out by Palestinians against Israelis, by highlighting numbers and statistics of operations that occurred this month during previous years, and linking them this year with the war on Gaza.” He added in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, "All these analyzes are presented without an objective context, and no reference to the reasons that push the Palestinians to do so, including occupation measures, restrictions, and arrests, in addition to the restrictions on Al-Aqsa Mosque and settler attacks."

According to Barghouti, the security authorities, and behind them the Israeli media, anticipated Ramadan by weeks to talk about warnings in all news bulletins and analytical programs, and allocate a specific time to talk about Ramadan, in addition to linking any event to it, as was the case after the shooting that occurred days before. Ramadan, near the Homesh settlement in the northern West Bank, during which 4 soldiers were injured. These bulletins included a systematic injection of information about fears of escalation of events in the West Bank and increased operations, all of which was translated on the ground through the deployment of more forces, tightening procedures, and strengthening the occupation authority.

Over the past years, the idea of ??depicting this month in this way was escalated in a gradual and deliberate manner, by the Israeli security services and successive governments, which was accompanied by measures on the ground, restricting freedom of worship and movement at the level of the West Bank and Jerusalem. “All of this falls within the Zionist vision of trying to strip the identity of the Holy City, which is evident in the month of Ramadan,” according to what Ibrahim Rabaya, managing editor of the “Palestinian Affairs” periodical issued by the Palestine Liberation Organization Research Center, says.

Rabaya added - in an interview with Al Jazeera Net - that this vision "took a new turn this year, by portraying the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as an area of tension capable of exploding at any moment, and therefore it must be treated security-wise like the Gaza Strip." The same spokesman confirms that “this policy, which is not linked to any government alone, is an Israeli mechanism for passing security policies and imposing a fait accompli in the West Bank and Jerusalem, embodying an approach that was consolidated after October 7, and applied by the Israeli security authorities on the ground, that what did not come "Force comes with more force."

“If I were a Palestinian, I would fight Israel for my freedom,” said the former head of the Israeli Internal Security Service ( Shin Bet ), Ami Ayalon, during an interview with the American channel ABC to talk about the war on the Gaza Strip. In response to a question about the situation of Palestinians who are subjected to Israeli attacks, Ayalon said, “It is the life of people who dream of freedom but cannot see it,” adding, “Whether we like it or not, we control the lives of millions.” "In my view, the only way Israelis will have security is when Palestinians have hope," he said.

Ami Ayalon's statements sparked widespread controversy on social media platforms, as activists circulated them widely. Some of them said, "The occupation leaders are convinced that resisting the occupation is the way to gain rights. Indeed, they respect those who fight them more than they respect those who bow down to them."

Some bloggers commented on the video by saying that these statements are extremely important, because the speaker is not an ordinary person in the occupying entity, but rather the former head of the Shin Bet and the most powerful man in Israeli security and the most knowledgeable about the Palestinian people, while others focused on the fact that the Israelis know that they are oppressors but do not care. As for Ibrahim Al-Madhoun, he said, “Every occupied people resists, and then the brothers in the Fatah movement come and say: Why did Hamas consult us regarding the Al-Aqsa Flood operation?”

This is not the first time that Ayalon has made controversial statements. He made previous statements and said that the war in Gaza cannot be won, and warned of the outbreak of a new intifada in the West Bank , stressing that Israel is waiting for something worse than October 7, 2023. If you refuse peace.

Operational Update - Gaza

The first trucks of humanitarian aid arrived in the northern Gaza Strip. A number of aid trucks loaded with flour arrived for the first time in northern Gaza, and were unloaded into UNRWA warehouses in the Jabalia area after being secured by committees that said that these trucks did not meet the needs of the population.

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the trucks loaded with flour arrived in the Kuwait Roundabout area in the center of Gaza City, in addition to Salah al-Din Street in the northern Gaza Strip. Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif added that the aid delivery process was safe, in light of prior coordination that took place between a number of tribal notables, mukhtars, and UN officials. The correspondent indicated that the aid was unloaded at one of the centers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) east of Jabalia, to be divided into small quantities in preparation for distributing it to the largest number of needy people.

Mukhtar is a common name that means "chosen" in Arabic. In Arab countries, it is more commonly used as a surname, while in non-Arab Muslim countries it is more commonly used as a first name. Mukhtar is a term that has multiple meanings, including a village chief or the head of a local government overseeing a neighborhood in the Levant, especially in the Ottoman Empire, or a neighborhood or village-level state representative. Viewed as a key person and bridgehead, the Mukhtar is the focal point to whom all members refer to in order to voice their needs and concerns. At the epicenter of society, he is the reconciliatory entity that establishes and maintains the bridge linking the people, and the authorities.

To secure the entry of the first aid into the northern Gaza Strip, the Palestinian security forces in Gaza issued a circular to citizens to secure and ensure the safe arrival of aid and to preserve the safety of the population. The instructions included preventing people from going to the Kuwait Roundabout in the center of Gaza City to receive aid, as the place was targeted by the occupation forces several times, as demanded. The circular prohibited gathering on Salah al-Din Street while aid was arriving. The circular warned against violating the instructions under penalty of accountability, and called on citizens in Gaza to be responsible and not participate in spreading chaos and starving the Palestinian people.

In this context, the founder and head of the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory, Rami Abdo, said in a tweet that this scene confirms the great failure of the occupation and its inability except to commit massacres and target innocent civilians. He pointed out that for more than 160 days, the occupation army has been targeting members of the police and civil services in Gaza to create a state of chaos and cast doubt on its control.

The audience on social media platforms reacted to the entry of trucks loaded with flour into the northern Gaza Strip after several months of the Israeli siege on the people, which led to a severe famine. Activists published video clips showing the arrival of aid to one of the centers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) east of Jabalia, in coordination between a number of tribal notables, mukhtars, and UN officials.

Tweeters praised the role and coordination between the Palestinian police and family mukhtars, and said, for the first time since the beginning of the famine, aid trucks were being secured without massacres or random looting, in cooperation between the Ministry of Interior in Gaza and the youth of the families. 13 UNRWA trucks arrived at the agency’s warehouses in Jabalia and Gaza City. Others added that the families and mukhtars - whom the occupation wanted on its side - are standing side by side with the security services in Gaza, after they refused to cooperate with the occupation, and UNRWA, whose employees are accused of terrorism, is once again delivering aid to those in need.

The engineering forces of Division 162 break the way for the infantry fighters and armored tanks and expose the area. The forces in cooperation with the Yalam unit this week destroyed the longest underground route located in the north of the Gaza Strip. The length of the route is over two and a half kilometers, crossing battalions and brigades and connecting the north to the south. Givati TDF fighters are fighting in the Khan Yunis area and eliminating many terrorists, locating weapons and raiding and destroying terrorist infrastructures.

The Nahal Brigade's combat team continues to operate in the center of the Gaza Strip and over the past day eliminated about 18 terrorists through sniper fire, shells and successful cooperation with the Air Force. In one of the attacks, the brigade's fire complex detected a squad of four terrorists near the forces, the Air Force closed Circle them and eliminate them by aircraft.

In another attack, the forces identified three terrorists entering the building, when the terrorists left the building, an aircraft attacked and eliminated the squad. In addition, the forces identified a terrorist who came out of a military building in their sector, within minutes an aircraft attacked and eliminated the terrorist.

The combat team fighters of the Givati Brigade continue to operate in the Khan Yunis area, in the last day the forces identified two terrorists loading military equipment on a motorcycle and in cooperation with the Air Force, eliminated them by aircraft. In addition, the forces identified and eliminated two terrorists who approached the forces.

The fighters of the 7th Brigade Combat Team continue to operate and in the last day eliminated terrorists and located weapons in Khan Yunis. In one of the activities, the Air Force, in cooperation with the brigade's fire complex, attacked a building from which an anti-tank missile was fired at the forces without casualties, in addition, a terrorist who was near the forces was eliminated by an aircraft.

Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, announced the downing of an Israeli drone while it was carrying out intelligence missions east of Gaza City. Al Jazeera obtained pictures of the clashes between the Al-Qassam Brigades and the occupation army in the city of Al-Zahra in the central Gaza Strip. The pictures - obtained by Al-Jazeera - show Al-Qassam fighters targeting military vehicles in the Al-Zahra area closest to the road that the occupation built in the center of the Strip.

For its part, the Israeli army announced that a soldier from the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion was seriously injured during the battles taking place in the central Gaza Strip last Friday, noting that the soldier was transferred to the hospital to receive treatment.

During the past few days, the occupation forces reportedly targeted queues waiting for aid in Gaza and other areas in the Strip, resulting in the death of dozens. Yesterday, the HAMAS government media office in Gaza called on all countries of the world to open the land crossings and “immediately bring hundreds of thousands of tons of accumulated aid to our honorable Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in conjunction with the holy month of Ramadan, and in the face of famine.”

Al Jazeera reported that one Palestinian was killed and others were injured as a result of a stampede to obtain aid dropped by planes in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, while international relief organizations continue to sound the alarm due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the besieged Strip. With the markets in the northern Gaza Strip devoid of the most basic necessities, warnings are escalating of a real famine lurking among the population.

Al Jazeera correspondent reported that an Israeli raid targeted a house in the Bishara neighborhood in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Strip, leading to the death of 12 Palestinians and the wounding of others. Many injuries are still arriving at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Earlier, Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that a number of Palestinians were martyred and injured in an occupation aircraft bombing that targeted the Al-Massa Building near the Lababidi Junction. The Al Jazeera correspondent added that civil defense crews continue to search for martyrs and injured people under the rubble of the Hamouda family home on Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City. Al Jazeera's correspondent also reported that 7 Palestinians were martyred and 10 wounded, in an Israeli bombing on the house of the Mutair family in the new camp in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip. The bombing completely destroyed the house.

The people of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip mourned the bodies of 12 martyrs - including women and children - from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city. The martyrs were among the victims of a bombing carried out by Israeli occupation aircraft at dawn on Sunday that targeted a house belonging to the Thabet family and housing displaced people in central Deir al-Balah.

Local media confirmed that the occupation raids targeted - since dawn on Sunday - the southern areas of the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, coinciding with others that targeted northeast of Rafah. She added that Israeli aircraft bombed areas west of Gaza City in the central Strip. The Israeli occupation forces also bombed the homes of the Al-Nunu, Judah, Awad, and Al-Helu families, west of Gaza City. The bombing resulted in the destruction of neighboring homes and a number of casualties.

Gaza Civil Defense emergency spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, said that estimates indicate that there are 8,000 bodies still under the rubble in the Strip. He added that civil defense teams rarely find complete bodies, but rather the remains of bodies, most of which are decomposed and cannot be identified. He pointed out that civil defense agencies receive appeals from families to search for missing persons every time the Israeli army enters an area in Gaza.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

The Israeli authorities have announced measures on the entry of Palestinians holding West Bank IDs, with valid permits and magnetic cards, to Al Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of the month of Ramadan (15 March), limiting entry to children under 10 years of age, women over 50, and men over 55. In 2023, men over 55, women of all ages and children under 12 were allowed entry without a permit on Fridays during Ramadan.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded that Jews enter Al-Aqsa Mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan, according to what Israeli media reported. Israeli Channel 13 reported that “Ben Gvir demanded abolishing the well-known policy in Israel, and allowing Jews to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan.” It indicated that security officials were informed of Ben Gvir’s request before the Council of Ministers discussed this matter during the next two weeks.

Against the backdrop of the increase in the number of warnings of attacks on Muslims during the holy month, senior government officials expressed their concern by saying: “It is clear that Ben Gvir’s position will not be accepted by the Prime Minister in the end, but his very demand to deviate from the status quo that has been usual in recent years will lead to "to additional and unnecessary disruptions."

Settler attacks escalated in the occupied West Bank. Settlers from the Givat Ronim settlement attacked Palestinian homes in the eastern area of the village of Burin, south of the city of Nablus in the West Bank. Local sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that a number of settlers attacked a house and threw stones at it, causing damage to it, and that these attacks were under the eyes of the occupation soldiers who are stationed at military points close to the settlement borders.

It is noteworthy that settler attacks in the area are repeated on a daily basis, the most recent of which was burning a Palestinian vehicle and shooting a number of homes in the village. Settlers also attacked sheep herders and farmers in the village of Susiya in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the West Bank. The head of the village council told Al Jazeera that the settlers attacked citizens more than once, tried to steal sheep, and attacked foreign activists who were in the area.

IDF soldiers arrested 7 wanted persons throughout Judea and Samaria tonight. In an operation in Hebron, in the Yehuda Division, the forces arrested three wanted persons and found parts of a bomb. In the village of Yavd in the Menashe division, 3 more wanted persons were arrested. Last night (Saturday) the forces arrested a wanted man in Deisha in the Etzion Brigade. The wanted persons who were arrested and the means of warfare that were confiscated were transferred to the security forces for further treatment, there are no casualties to our forces.

As for the researcher specializing in Jerusalem affairs, Ziad Ibhais, he reads the recent Al Aqsa Mosque violations in three contexts:

The first context: After 21 years of the gradual rise of religious Zionism, changing the identity of Al-Aqsa from a purely Islamic sanctuary to a shared sanctuary in preparation for transforming it into a Jewish sanctuary has become a central policy for the Zionist entity, which has become willing to suffer losses in order to achieve it, and to make it the title of the battle to liquidate the identity and issue of Palestine. Therefore, reducing the number of worshipers arriving at the mosque is a goal in itself, because changing the identity of the mosque necessarily requires reducing the number of Muslims arriving there to control the crowds and control their entry and exit times and the way they worship inside the mosque, as we saw in the Battle of Itikaf last year.

The second context: It is the view of the occupation during the war on Al-Aqsa as a title to empty the meaning of the flood battle of Al-Aqsa. Today, the occupation deliberately frees the settlers in the mosque and in the Biblical rituals that they used to frequent, and even in the presence of an administrative presence that was not present. We see supervisors and guides in Al-Aqsa. They wear special clothes and belong to the "Bedino" organization (one of the extremist temple groups).

The purpose of their presence is to say that there is an administrative body parallel to the Jordanian Endowments, at least during the raids, and this body can show itself publicly in which it was not present before the seventh of last October. Because the occupation wants to exaggerate its spite, it maintains Al-Aqsa’s status as the central address where it continuously exerts its power, and opens the door to other upcoming confrontations despite everything that happened in the Gaza Strip.

The third context: It is represented by the idea of the siege of Al-Aqsa, which practically began on Rosh Hashanah, the holiday season preceding October 7, 2023, and continues to this day. The occupation liked this siege and found it to be the appropriate way in which it wanted to manage the presence of Muslims in Al-Aqsa. We are facing an attempt to perpetuate the siege by preventing the entry of worshipers through the rooftops after fencing the fence around it, and reducing the entry spaces to it after installing the iron cages that were put in place for testing, and monitoring the extent of the sensitivity of the siege. worshipers, and it will be circulated to the rest of the doors if the step is passed.

Although monitoring of worshipers from the Tanakazi school was previously in place, what is happening today is an attempt to make it more present and supervised through cameras that recognize faces, and there is talk that the new tower contains audio receivers that can pick up the sound vibrations of the natural conversation of worshipers at Al-Aqsa, and not what is done. It was circulated over the phones, and there are some hints about this that were not published explicitly and publicly.

Researcher Ibhais concluded his talk to Al Jazeera Net by saying, “We are facing a state of broad security changes that have taken place in the vicinity of the mosque since last October 7 to perpetuate, tighten, and implement the siege on it, especially since this is an old dream of Netanyahu’s when he proposed the idea of cameras in 2015, or by trying to impose electronic gates in 2017, and today it is retranslating it in a new form and with other tools of hegemony and control over Al-Aqsa.”

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that violent clashes broke out between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian resistance fighters as those forces stormed the city of Nablus and its old town at dawn on Sunday. The occupation forces continued their storming of towns and cities in the West Bank and launched raids and arrest operations amid an escalation in settler attacks, while a Palestinian prisoner was martyred in the occupation prisons. After his health condition deteriorated.

Explosions were heard during the occupation storming the city of Nablus, and Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the occupation forces stormed a hotel in central Nablus and surrounded the vicinity of the city's Old Town. Several Israeli military vehicles also entered and surrounded a building in Nablus to kidnap workers originally from the Gaza Strip. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that resistance fighters opened fire on the invading units.

The town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah in the West Bank, witnessed an Israeli raid at dawn on Sunday, and scenes broadcast by local platforms showed the occupation forces raiding a house during their storming of the town. The occupation forces launched raids and arrest operations that included the town of Ya`bad, south of Jenin, the town of Khirbet al-Tarram in Jenin, the city of Hebron, the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, the town of Dura, and the town of al-Madwar, south of Qalqilya. They arrested a number of Palestinians in those areas after raiding their homes and tampering with their contents.

Earlier Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that a young Palestinian man was injured by occupation bullets in the town of Anabta, east of Tulkarm. A Palestinian was also injured by Israeli gunfire near the separation wall in the town of Habla, south of Qalqilya. The occupation army announced earlier on Saturday that it had killed a Palestinian who opened fire on one of the settlements in Hebron, indicating that a search and combing operation was underway in the place, but no injuries were reported.

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that an armed clash had occurred between a Palestinian resistance fighter and a group of occupation soldiers in the Karantina area in central Hebron. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the occupation forces stormed the Shaaba area in Hebron and raided the house of the perpetrator of the shooting.

The Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club announced the martyrdom of prisoner Juma Abu Ghanima (26 years old) in the Israeli Eshel prison. The Authority and the Prisoner's Club explained in a joint statement that the prisoner Abu Ghanima was transferred to the hospital 5 days ago after a serious deterioration in his health condition, which led to his martyrdom.

The statement indicated that the martyr prisoner Abu Ghanima, who was a resident of the Negev within the Green Line, was arrested last December on the grounds of his resistance to the occupation. The statement stated that the number of martyrs among prisoners in the occupation prisons has risen to 13 martyrs since the seventh of last October.

Operational Update - Lebanon

An almost daily exchange of shelling broke out across the border between the Israeli army on the one hand and Hezbollah and armed Palestinian factions in Lebanon on the other hand, with the start of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip on October 7th.

The Lebanese Hezbollah announced that it had targeted military sites and Israeli soldiers south of the border, confirming direct casualties. Hezbollah issued several statements stating that “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance:

1. At 03:30 pm today, Sunday (Lebanon time): “The Islamic Resistance Mujahideen targeted the Al-Marj site with artillery shells.”
2. At 03:15 pm today, Sunday: “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Mitat Barracks with missile weapons.”
3. At 02:00 pm today, Sunday: “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the spy equipment at the Al-Asi site with machine guns (14.5) and hit them directly.”
4. At 12:50 noon on Sunday: “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Metulla site with appropriate weapons, and hit it directly.”
5. At 02:20 AM today, Sunday: “The Islamic Resistance targeted a gathering of enemy soldiers opposite the town of Wazzani with appropriate weapons, and hit its targets accurately.”

The border between Lebanon and Israel is still witnessing tension and intermittent exchanges of fire, while voices are rising warning that the situation will slide into a large-scale war, affecting all Lebanese territories, with the intensity of clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army escalating.

The Israeli army announced that its aircraft bombed a military compound belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah group in the Khiam area during the night, adding that this came in response to the shooting operations towards the city of Acre. In addition, last night, Israeli aircraft bombed a Hezbollah observation post in the Kafr Kila area. At the same time, Israeli army artillery launched shelling to “remove a threat in the Al-Maysat area,” according to what was reported by the Arab World News Agency.

The Israeli army statement continued that last night also witnessed a number of firing operations from Lebanon, towards the Ghajar and Har Dov areas, and that the Israeli army responded to the sources of fire. No injuries were reported, according to the statement.

Fighter jets attacked terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon, the attack was carried out in four areas at the same time. Among the targets that were attacked, a terrorist infrastructure and an observation post of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Itatron area, alongside a military structure of the organization in the Alma al-Sha'ab area and observation posts in the Marvin and Aita al-Sha'ab areas. Fighter jets attacked a military structure used by Hezbollah in the Al-Khyam area in response to the launches towards the Ajar area last night. In addition, warplanes attacked a Hizbullah observation post in the Kfar Kila area last night (Saturday).

The IDF attacked last night with artillery fire to remove a threat in the area of Misat. Last night and during the night several launches from Lebanese territory were detected towards the areas of Ajar and Har Dov, the IDF attacked the sources of the fire and there were no Israeli casualties.

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

Operational Update - Yemen

Ansar Allah group (Houthis) announced the imposition of new rules of engagement with the United States and Britain, confirming the continuation of its operations against the ships of the two countries in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis announce the imposition of new rules of engagement with the United States and BritainAl-Houthi: We announce the prevention of the crossing of ships linked to the Israeli enemy from the Indian Ocean towards the Good Hope Road

The Minister of Defense in the Houthi government, Major General Mohammed Nasser Al-Atefi, said in a speech during the “Promised Conquest” maneuver of the central military region, according to what was reported by Al-Masirah TV: “We forcefully impose new rules of engagement for which the Americans, the British, the Zionists, and those in their orbit will pay a heavy price.”

He added: "Yemen is capable of extracting its rights and dealing with an international community that only respects the strong," stressing that "the battle of (the promised conquest and holy jihad) in support of (the Al-Aqsa Flood) will be victorious and will inevitably lead to geopolitical changes that go along with a new world order."

Al-Atfi stated, “The Yemenis are not warmongers or aggressive, but the brutal crimes witnessed in Gaza have prompted free peoples to declare a position, including Yemen,” considering that “entering Yemen into the battle against the hateful and usurping Zionist entity and blocking it at sea is not a luxury decision, but rather a sovereign, national, Islamic, and humanitarian decision.”

He stressed that the "Ansar Allah" group continues to prevent the passage of ships linked to Israel or heading to its ports, and said: "What must be understood by everyone is that our battle with the Zionist enemy is open, and we are continuing the naval blockade of its ships."

He stressed, "The naval forces' operations against American and British military or commercial ships will not stop and will continue if their suspicious persistence in Yemen's territorial waters continues." Al-Atifi pledged to impose sovereignty over Yemeni territorial waters and end their penetration by America and Britain, saying: “We will make Washington, London, and everyone who aligns with them realize that sovereignty over our seas and territorial waters is one of the givens that does not accept discussion.”

The Minister of Defense in the Ansar Allah government confirmed that "Yemen has now gained the upper hand in its territorial waters," considering that "there is no justification for American and British concern and there is no need to lose nerves and mobilize fleets."

The statements of the Minister of Defense in the Ansar Allah government came the day after the group announced that it had begun expanding the scope of its attacks against ships linked to Israel or heading to its ports to include the Indian Ocean, revealing that it had carried out three operations against three Israeli and American ships in the Indian Ocean with naval missiles and drones, indicating that It launched a missile attack on an Israeli ship (Pacific 1) , and targeted an American destroyer with drones in the Red Sea.

Last Thursday, Ansar Allah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi revealed that since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood last October, his group had targeted 73 ships and barges, announcing the expansion of the scope of his forces’ attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red and Arabian Bahrain and the Gulf of Aden to the Indian Ocean.

On October 10, Ansar Allah announced that it would support the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, with missile and air attacks and “other military options,” if America intervenes directly militarily in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Strip.

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 [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.

Bystanders

Director of Media and Communications at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Juliette Touma, said that the arrival of humanitarian aid by land to the Gaza Strip is “the safest, easiest, fastest and least expensive option.” Touma added that UNRWA "is the only UN agency that is responsible for the vast majority of humanitarian work in Gaza." She also stressed that "we have no room to waste time."

Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Jagan Chapagin, described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as beyond catastrophic, and said that civilians are facing an unprecedented level of humiliation, misery and suffering in Gaza. He pointed out that countless people do not have anything to break their fast during the month of Ramadan, explaining that the plight of the hostages represents a serious humanitarian concern, and called for the necessity of their release. UNRWA reported that one in three children under two years of age in northern Gaza suffers from malnutrition. The agency added on the “X” platform that malnutrition is spreading rapidly among children, and that it is reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza, stressing that famine is looming on the horizon.

The World Health Organization called on Israel to refrain from launching an attack on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval of plans to launch a military operation there, despite international warnings of catastrophic consequences of a potential invasion. WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote - in a tweet on the X website - “I am deeply concerned about reports of an Israeli plan to launch a ground attack on Rafah,” describing this as “a new escalation of violence in this crowded area that will lead to more deaths and suffering.”

Ghebreyesus added, "In the name of humanity, we call on Israel not to move forward with its plan and seek to bring peace," considering that the evacuation process that the Israeli occupation army intends to carry out before the attack "is not a possible solution." The director of the World Health Organization explained that “the 1.2 million residents of Rafah have no safe place to go, nor fully functioning and safe health facilities that they can access anywhere else in Gaza,” pointing out that “many people are physically weak, hungry and sick to the point of They cannot be displaced again."

Human Rights Watch appealed to the international community to impose sanctions on Israel to force it to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice and stop serious violations there. At the end of last January, the International Court of Justice called on Israel to take precautionary measures in the Gaza Strip to prevent genocide, and urged it to take all measures to ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid, and not to throw away any evidence that could be used in the case against it. This came in response to a lawsuit filed by South Africa on December 29, accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The court announced its rejection of Israel's demands to drop the case, and temporarily ruled to oblige Tel Aviv to take measures to stop the genocide and bring in humanitarian aid. The organization said through its account on the “X” platform on Sunday that Tel Aviv did not comply with court orders and did not work to deliver aid and basic services to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Axis of Resistance

Allied for Democracy

Extremist Israeli Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused the Israeli Cabinet of "mismanaging" the war on Gaza, noting that Israel is losing the war with Hamas. In an interview with Israeli Channel 12, Sa'ar pointed to "modifications" in the military attack on the Gaza Strip. He said, "Day after day we are moving away from victory (over Hamas)... We should have entered the Rafah crossing a long time ago.. There is no organized plan, according to what I understand, to destroy Hamas' military and governmental capabilities, and there is no control over the entry of humanitarian aid."

Sa'ar said he gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an ultimatum: "If I do not enter the war government within a few days, I will resign." He further explained: "I said I would stay in government as long as I could influence in the right direction... I want a chance to try to make an impact... Outside the War Cabinet, I can't influence."

The far-right Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, attacked the General Staff of the occupation army, as Channel 12 quoted the minister as saying, “The General Staff of the army caused one of the biggest disasters in the country.” The extremist minister said that he believes "what will bring the kidnapped people back... is cutting off contact and resuming intense military effort."

Smotrich said that Mossad chief David Barnea should go to Qatar to assassinate the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and not to hold discussions with him. Smotrich confirmed in an interview with the Hebrew Channel 13 that "the current General Staff (of the Israeli army) completely failed on October 7 (the Al-Aqsa flood) and it should not be the one that determines the shape of the future Israeli army."

Smotrich called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent the Israeli delegation from leaving to attend ceasefire and prisoner exchange talks with Hamas in Qatar. Earlier, the Times of Israel newspaper explained that Smotrich had called on the Prime Minister for the Israeli army to enter the city of Rafah, south of Gaza, and to increase military pressure on the Palestinian people in the Strip, “until the Hamas movement is destroyed.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks at the start of the Government meeting: "Since the start of the war, we have been fighting on two fronts – military and diplomatic. On the diplomatic front, until now we have succeeded in allowing our forces to fight in an unprecedented manner for five full months. However, it is no secret that the international pressure is increasing.

"In the international community, there are those who are trying to stop the war now, before all of its goals have been achieved. They are doing so by hurling false accusations at the IDF, the Government of Israel and the Prime Minister of Israel. They are doing so by means of an effort to bring about elections now, at the height of the war. They are doing this because they know that elections now will halt the war and paralyze the country for at least six months.

"Then let it be clear: If we stop the war now, before all of its goals are achieved, this means that Israel will have lost the war, and this we will not allow. Therefore, we cannot, and will not, succumb to this pressure. On the contrary, this simple truth only strengthens our determination to continue rejecting the pressure, and fighting to the end – to total victory. No international pressure will stop us from realizing all of the goals of the war: Eliminating Hamas, freeing all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel.

"In order to do this, we will operate in Rafah. This is the only way to eliminate Hamas's murderous brigades, and this is the only way to use the military pressure necessary to free all of our hostages. To this end, we have approved the operational plans for action in Rafah, including advancing the steps to evacuate the civilian population from the combat zones. This is an essential stage ahead of the military action.

"Those who say that the action in Rafah will not occur are those who also said that we would not enter Gaza, or act in Shifa or in Khan Yunis, and that we would not resume the fighting after the lull. Therefore, I reiterate: We will operate in Rafah. This will take several weeks, and it will happen.

"To our friends in the international community, I say: Are your memories that short? Have you so quickly forgotten October 7, the most horrific massacre of Jews since the Holocaust? Are you so quick to deny Israel the right to defend itself against the Hamas monsters? Have you so quickly lost your moral consciences? Instead of pressuring Israel, which is fighting a war, the justice of which is unparalleled, against an enemy of unparalleled brutality, apply your pressure to Hamas and its patron – Iran. It is they who constitute a danger to the region and to the entire world.

In any case, we will withstand any pressure and with G-d's help, we will continue to fight together until total victory."

Israeli media discussions focused on the ongoing controversy in Israel regarding the possibilities of concluding a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance, especially in light of disagreements between the political and military leaders regarding the direction towards resolving the negotiations. Itzik Allrup, a media campaigns consultant, said that regardless of the deal on the table, the dilemma is that the Israeli government's fate is tied to extremist officials who tell its president, Benjamin Netanyahu , "If you lead a political process to stop the war in exchange for the return of the kidnapped people, we will topple the government for you."

Former Israeli Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan accused Netanyahu's government of being irresponsible, and called on what he called the elected partners to withdraw from the government immediately. In the opinion of the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, Major General Giora Eiland, “what the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) is currently saying does not only express its feeling of confidence, but also its awareness that what it is offering is acceptable to the rest of the parties, including the United States of America.”

He added, "If you ask the President of the United States if he is ready to accept Hamas' position, he will say yes, because the main thing that Hamas wants is to end the war, and at least to clear part of the road that divides Gaza into two parts, and the possibility of the Palestinians returning to the northern Gaza Strip , and returning to normal life." There is a long-term ceasefire," he said, claiming that the United States and Hamas are on the same side.

Ofer Shelah, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Research at Tel Aviv University, estimated in an analysis on Israeli Channel 12 that the American position expresses despair about the ability to reach something with the current Israeli government, stressing that the time factor is in favor of the Hamas movement. He said, "With the passage of time, the most difficult possibility is that Israel will plunge into Gaza, and the whole world will give up on the matter, and we will become responsible for the Gaza Strip and the fate of its residents, and we will be stuck there until we are forced to escape from it."

Netanyahu appeared outside the Israeli consensus calling for the release of detainees when he refused to hold discussions in the war council regarding the Doha negotiations for the exchange deal, a position that prompted the Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant , to hold an alternative session without Netanyahu, a step that was considered by Israeli commentators’ assessments to be in harmony with the American path that pushes To President Joe Biden.

In the presence of the leadership of the security and military services, Galant discussed the nature of the authority of the Israeli delegation headed by the head of the Mossad , David Barnea, who will arrive in the Qatari capital, Doha, tomorrow, Monday, to resume talks on the exchange deal and ceasefire. Gallant was quick to stress that the Israeli security establishment is obligated to return detainees to their families and to exploit every opportunity to do so, including the Doha negotiations. He said, "Military pressure in the ground maneuver is the key not only to operational achievement, but also to the return of the abductees through operational means or through negotiations."

In an indication of the possibility of overcoming the obstacles placed by Netanyahu and the camp of far-right parties that reject any exchange deal, Foreign Minister Israel Katz told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper website before their delegation traveled to Doha, that “Israel will pay a price in exchange for the release of the kidnapped people, but we will not agree to stop the war.”

In the face of Gallant's move and the rising voices in the emergency government, as well as in the opposition camp headed by Yair Lapid, and with the ranks of Likud ministers calling for paying the price for the exchange deal, Netanyahu found himself forced to hold a special session of the government, in order to consider expanding the powers of the Israeli delegation regarding the possible exchange deal.

In light of these developments and the expansion of Israeli support for the American path that pushes towards an exchange deal and a ceasefire, Netanyahu opened the weekly government session by attacking US President Joe Biden, saying, “Have you already forgotten the events of October 7? Instead of putting pressure on Israel, he transferred the pressure to Hamas.”

Military analyst for Haaretz newspaper, Amos Harel, believes that in light of Netanyahu's approach and policies in managing the war crisis and the exchange deal negotiations, "the opportunity to reach an agreement depends on the powers and room for maneuver that Netanyahu will grant to the Israeli delegation to Qatar." Harel stressed that in the answer provided by Hamas, a certain flexibility appears, and with it a renewed possibility of reaching an agreement, but Netanyahu continues to raise the slogan of “fighting until complete victory,” as it is difficult to expect a sharp shift in his position, despite Israeli internal pressure and the expanding circle of protests and demonstrations. Against him.

The Israeli military analyst explained that Netanyahu, who expressed his approval for the Israeli delegation to resume the Doha negotiations, is concealing the nature of the powers and delegation of the members of the delegation, and whether their role will merely be to listen to the proposals presented by the mediators, as was the case in one of the previous rounds in Cairo. Harel believes that the American administration is putting pressure on the Israeli side in order to reach an agreement, noting that from Washington's point of view, the "hostage" deal, along with a temporary ceasefire, is the cornerstone of moving a future political path in the Middle East.

He estimated that Washington expects possible progress on a long list of critical issues, if an exchange deal is concluded, by implementing the “next day” implementation, while giving a major role to the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip, which displeases Netanyahu, and a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. And until the resumption of normalization negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

In contrast to the American path, which clashes with Netanyahu, the military correspondent for the Walla website, Amir Bukhubout, believes that Netanyahu wants to buy time in order to obtain international support for the ground operation in Rafah, as he is betting on the failure of the negotiations with Hamas, mediated by Qatar, in order to give light. Green for the army to attack Rafah. The military correspondent explained that the assessment in the Israeli army is that if the political level declares the failure of the negotiations in the current round, the legitimacy of a large ground operation will increase, and then it will be up to the political level to decide whether the ground forces will advance towards Rafah, and whether it is necessary to wait to begin the operation until after Ramadan.

Boukhbout pointed out that the security establishment’s estimates indicate that entering into a long truce as part of the hostage release deal will strip Hezbollah’s legitimacy to continue attacks on Israeli border towns, and then it will be at the political level to make decisions regarding the continuation of the fighting in southern Lebanon.

From a security point of view, the acting head of the National Security Council, Yaakov Nagel, believes that although he does not see any chance of reaching an agreement at this stage, it is important to continue sending the Israeli delegation to the talks in Qatar, saying that “the agreement with Hamas "It must include everything except the end of the war." Nagel estimated in an interview with Tel Aviv Radio, "There will not be a deal in the near future because Hamas is still strong and imposes conditions. Likewise, the movement still has control in Gaza, and is still fighting in the north and central Gaza Strip." The National Security Council official said, "Fighting Hamas will take many years. Hamas will not be eliminated with a mere ground operation in Rafah. The fighting will continue even after the army takes control of the Gaza Strip, which indicates armed resistance."

Retired Israeli Army Major General Yitzhak Brik said that his country lost the war with the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Israeli home front is not prepared for a wide-ranging regional war. In an article in Maariv newspaper published on Sunday, Brik said that “you cannot lie to many people for a long time,” and that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip and against Hezbollah in Lebanon will explode in our faces sooner or later, and then the truth will be revealed with all its secrets.”

Brik stressed that the Israeli home front is not prepared for a regional war that would be thousands of times more difficult and dangerous than the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip . Regarding what the Israeli army is facing in the Gaza Strip, Brik said, "Every day our soldiers are killed and seriously injured by traps and explosives when they enter booby-trapped houses without any inspection, and they do not take appropriate measures before entering."

Brik criticized Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy's series of appointments in the army, considering that he was "isolated from reality and lost control of the ground a long time ago, but he began appointing colonels and lieutenant colonels in his likeness and image," as he put it. He added that they appoint colonels and deans, and some of them bear direct responsibility for what happened (meaning last October 7 and after), in order to preserve their legacy, which caused “the greatest disaster during the 75 years of the establishment of the State of Israel,” according to him.

Brik considered that if the political and military levels continue in this manner, "we will find ourselves in a much worse situation than it was before we began the attack on the Gaza Strip. Rather, we will lose the achievements we have achieved, and we will not achieve the two goals of the war: toppling Hamas and returning the kidnapped people." He added, "We have lost the war with Hamas, and we are losing our allies in the world at an astonishing rate. The goal of completely eliminating Hamas has been removed from the agenda, and we have not returned the kidnapped people alive yet," he said. The former general added that what he described as the maneuver (the ground attack on the Gaza Strip), which Israeli leaders cheered for, did not stand the test, and did not achieve the result that everyone had hoped for.

Former Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said that returning Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip is not a priority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who is interested in remaining in power. Ya'alon added - in statements reported by Maariv newspaper - that there are officials within the Israeli government demanding the sacrifice of detainees in exchange for occupying the Gaza Strip, expelling the Palestinians, and settling Jews there.

He pointed out that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir do not want to reach a final status in which Israel does not control Gaza, stressing the responsibility of the occupation army for killing 100 Palestinians while distributing aid in the northern Gaza Strip.

Regarding what was reported about launching a ground operation in Rafah, Ya’alon considered the threat to enter Rafah to be a hoax, wondering if the government really needed to enter, so why did it not enter? Why were units of reserve soldiers demobilized? Yaalon also expressed his belief that the right path lies in going to elections, to get Israel out of this crisis with a different leadership, calling on Israelis to take to the streets and protest.

On the other hand, officials in the Israeli negotiating team accused Netanyahu of wasting time, according to what was reported by Israeli media. Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that Defense Minister Yoav Galant held an alternative session in order to discuss the prisoner exchange deal, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to hold a session of the mini-ministerial council for security and political affairs. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed that Mossad Director David Barnea participated in the session held by the Minister of Defense regarding the exchange deal.

For his part, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid ruled out the possibility of concluding an easy deal to release Israeli prisoners held by Hamas. This came during his talk yesterday, Saturday, with the families of the prisoners, indicating what he described as the opposition’s full support for such a deal. Lapid said that the deal that would return them was worth the price, and that it was not possible to move forward without their return to Israel.

On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said that Israel is willing to pay a price in exchange for the return of detainees in Gaza, but it is not ready to stop the war, describing this as a red line. Regarding the implementation of a ground operation in Rafah, Katz responded during an interview with the Yedioth Ahronoth website that this will happen because victory in the war cannot be achieved without entering there, as he put it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly criticized those he described as friends in the international community, stressing his rejection of pressures aimed at holding elections in Israel and stopping the war on Gaza. Netanyahu said, at the beginning of the weekly cabinet session on Sunday: “To our friends in the international community, I say: Is your memory short? Did you quickly forget October 7?” He continued: “Did you quickly lose your moral conscience? Instead of putting pressure on Israel... put pressure on Hamas .”

Netanyahu said that there is international pressure to stop the war by pushing for elections, but he stressed that he would not submit to it. He added: "If we stop the war now before achieving all its goals, this means that Israel has lost the war and we will not allow that." The Israeli Prime Minister also reaffirmed his readiness to launch an attack on Rafah , south of the Gaza Strip, saying that international pressure will not prevent the implementation of that attack, which, according to him, will take a few weeks.

Netanyahu did not name US President Joe Biden or Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, but his statements were read as a response to the recent positions of the two men. Schumer criticized Netanyahu in a speech before the US Senate last Thursday, describing him as "a major obstacle to peace, and who has often yielded to the demands of extremists." Biden praised Schumer's speech, saying it was "good, and expressed the serious concern of many Americans."

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu was angry because of what was stated in the latest annual assessment of the American intelligence community, which indicated that the lack of confidence in his ability to rule was deepening among the Israelis, and he expected large protests demanding his resignation, suggesting that what he called a different government and more would be formed. Moderation.

On the other hand, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in response to the Prime Minister's statements that the memory of the Israelis is not short, but under Netanyahu's leadership they will lose the war and will not return the kidnapped people, as he put it. He added in a post on the X platform that the elections are now “the only way to strengthen the Israeli army, recruit the Haredim, and rebuild relations with the Americans.”

The American network NBC quoted an informed source as saying that President Joe Biden became angry and began screaming and cursing after he was informed in a private meeting at the White House at the end of last January of the decline in his opinion poll results in the states of Michigan and Georgia due to his position on the war on the Gaza Strip.

The source, a congressional representative, quoted Biden as confirming that he was doing the right thing despite the political repercussions. A White House spokesman told NBC that the president makes national security decisions based on the country's needs and not on any other factor. The network pointed out the importance of the states of Michigan and Georgia in the upcoming presidential elections, in which Joe Biden will once again face Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Biden won the last presidential election by a slight margin over Trump in those two states. Despite his easy victory in the Democratic Party primary elections and obtaining a sufficient number of party delegate votes to run in the presidential elections, in recent months the American President has faced growing dissatisfaction due to his position in support of Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip, especially among voters of Arab origin and the youth.

In the Michigan primary elections in late February, Biden lost the votes of more than 100,000 Democratic voters who voted “noncommittal.” Two weeks ago, Reuters quoted officials in the Democratic Party and the White House that the US President's election campaign was surprised by the extent of anger and frustration within the party over Washington's support for Israel in its war on Gaza and other issues. The agency also quoted one of Biden's senior campaign advisors as saying that the party was harmed by its support for Israel more than expected, and officials said that anger over Biden's handling of the Gaza Strip war may lead to a decline in support for him.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Washington will not support any major military operation in Rafah in the Gaza Strip without an implementable plan that guarantees the care of 1.5 million refugees there. Kirby explained that America has concerns about some Israeli military operations and how they are launched, saying that his country needs to ensure that civilians are protected. On the other hand, Kirby said that Washington did not see any evidence that the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) stole humanitarian aid in the Strip.

Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers

• 73,676 Gazans injured, 28% adult male
• 40,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble
• 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
• 31,645 Gazans martyred
• 15,000 rocket launched from Gaza
• 14,750 Israelis were injured [i24 TV]
• 13,430 Gazan children martyred
• 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12]
• 12,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF]
• 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023
• 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons
• 9,000 IDF psychological assistance
• 9,000 Gazan women martyred
• 8,000 Gazans missing under the rubble
• 7,500 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th
• 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS]
• 5,500 IDF wounded [reports]
• 4,700 West Bank Palestinians wounded
• 3,484 administrative detainees
• 3,400 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria
• 3,079 IDF wounded [IDF]
• 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day
• 1,500 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas
• 1,200 Israelis killed on the first day
• 591 Israeli officers and soldiers killed
• 433 West Bank Palestinians martyred
• 247 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza
• 222 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon
• 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers
• 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody
• 50 civilians killed in Lebanon
• 29 IDF deaths were caused by "friendly fire"
• 15 Israelis killed in the West Bank and Israel

Many of these numbers fluctate, up and down, with no apparent explanation. This list records the highest number reliably reported for each matter, under the theory that reality with catch up with reports, as is relentlessly the case.

The Palestinian resistance says that the losses of the Israeli forces are much greater than what is announced. 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."

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.

Abraham Wyner, Professor of Statistics and Data Science at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, reported 06 March 2024 that : "While the evidence is not dispositive, it is highly suggestive that a process unconnected or loosely connected to reality was used to report the numbers.... Another red flag, raised by Salo Aizenberg and written about extensively, is that if 70% of the casualties are women and children and 25% of the population is adult male, then either Israel is not successfully eliminating Hamas fighters or adult male casualty counts are extremely low. This by itself strongly suggests that the numbers are at a minimum grossly inaccurate and quite probably outright faked.... Taken together, Hamas is reporting not only that 70% of casualties are women and children but also that 20% are fighters. This is not possible unless Israel is somehow not killing noncombatant men, or else Hamas is claiming that almost all the men in Gaza are Hamas fighters....

"Israel estimates that at least 12,000 fighters have been killed. If that number proves to be even reasonably accurate, then the ratio of noncombatant casualties to combatants is remarkably low: at most 1.4 to 1 and perhaps as low as 1 to 1. By historical standards of urban warfare, where combatants are embedded above and below into civilian population centers, this is a remarkable and successful effort to prevent unnecessary loss of life while fighting an implacable enemy that protects itself with civilians."

This makes perfect sense under a third possibility, namely that the IDF doing a really good job of targeting male combatants, most of whom are in proximity to their families. There are no HAMAS barracks, so everyone lives at home, en famille. Co-habiting extended families are common [hence reports of dozens of family members killed in a single strike]. The HAMAS battalions are organized by neighborhoods, so it would not be surprising that multiple HAMAS combatants live in a single building. So casualties structured as one male combatant, one female cohabitant, and two children are approximately consistent with both expectations and reports.

Lord Roberts of Belgravia (Con) stated 08 February 2024 "My Lords, even if we were to take as accurate Hamas’s statistics and the 27,500 figure — there is no reason why we should; we do not do that with Putin or ISIS — if one subtracts the number of Gazans who have been killed by the quarter or so of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas rockets that fall short, one is left with a less than 2:1 ratio of civilians to Hamas terrorists killed, of whom there have been more than 9,000 so far. War is hell, and every individual civilian death is a tragedy, but — I speak as a military historian — less than 2:1 is an astonishingly low ratio for modern urban warfare where the terrorists routinely use civilians as human shields. It is a testament to the professionalism, ethics and values of the Israel Defense Forces."