Operation Iron Swords - Day 177 - 31 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

“At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to
surrender and release every hostage. …
Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)

Benjamin Netanyahu did not stop lying all this week, to Americans at times, to ultra-Orthodox Jews at times, and to the families of Israelis detained in Gaza at other times. But his silence about the situation in northern Israel was very clear, at a time when the conscription exemption crisis constitutes a turning point in Israeli policy and in the relationship between Haredi voters and the parties that are supposed to represent them. With this introduction, Haaretz summarized a long article by Yossi Verter, which began by describing the panic that descended on the Prime Minister's Office after the "group of incompetent employees" occupying it realized that they had no more tricks to use against the High Court of Justice and the Attorney General.

Tens of thousands of religious school students - who are evading military service on the orders of their rabbis - will begin receiving conscription notices from April 1, and they will refuse it, demonstrate, block roads, and set fire to garbage cans. However, what is truly horrific - according to the writer - is that in the future, money will stop flowing to these religious schools, because the budget allocations for religious institutes, which greatly inflated under Netanyahu’s sixth government, will suffer a severe blow, when continued funding for religious schools that have not yet been established will be banned. The recruitment status of students therein is settled by the Supreme Court of Justice.

Due to the conditions of war, the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reserve soldiers, and multiple losses in the army, the public that serves, fights, dies, works and earns a living - according to the writer - is no longer willing to swallow things that were accepted with some complaining or weak protest, so that it is no longer possible to accept what is planned. Netanyahu and his companions have a law that exempts the Haredim from military service and institutionalizes their avoidance of sharing the burden with the rest. Haredi voters view the crisis of the exemption project as a turning point in the face of the parties that represent them, after they failed to present a new law and a new, strong exemption, and they are now thinking that perhaps another, less hateful, government can provide a better result.

Although the date of April 1 was not a surprise, Netanyahu continued to procrastinate as usual, until the last minutes before midnight, and when all roads were closed, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs wrote a pathetic and shameful letter in which he attacked the government’s legal advisor, Gali Baharav Meara, and the Minister of Defense. Yoav Galant , and the former responded with a sharp message saying that the “plan” that the government wants to submit to the High Court of Justice is devoid of any professional or legal foundations, and Galant, from the United States, simply says that the envoy’s words were a lie derived from political considerations.

And then the well-known modus operandi began, involving a campaign of lies and deception, in which Mira and Gallant were immediately designated as targets by the toxic apparatus serving Netanyahu. The Supreme Court of Justice also quickly became a target, so that all the services provided by these parties were ignored when they were an indispensable pillar of support for the government in everything related to managing the war and dealing with major crises, such as the court in The Hague.

According to the author there are three obstacles to Emergency Government Minister Gideon Sa'ar joining the war government, the first of which is the veto of war government member Benny Gantz , then the requirement of Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich that they join the war government with him, and finally Sara Netanyahu’s objection to his entry. Werther described Netanyahu as being like a drunken clown, juggling all the balls in the air, and he cannot catch them all, so he is limited to holding on to what causes him less harm.

The Israeli High Court of Justice issued an interim order on Thursday evening, prohibiting the government from allocating funds to ultra-Orthodox yeshivas for students eligible for enlistment with the Israeli army. This comes as the legal framework instructing the IOF to temporarily not draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis (Haredi) students despite the expiration of the legislation, which itself will expire today, March 31, at midnight. The court's ruling is set to be effective starting April 1.

Netanyahu has his back against the wall. Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz has pledged to withdraw support if the Knesset approves a bill maintaining exemptions. Another member of the opposition party, head of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, said, "If Israel does not draft the Haredim, then it does not have the right to demand more from the reservists." At the same time, the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis have issued warnings that they will leave the government unless draft-preventing laws are passed.

v If the five-member War Cabinet were to collapse, it would undermine "Israel's" stability during a "critical phase" of the war on Gaza. On the other hand, losing the support of the ultra-Orthodox parties would lead to the downfall of his broader coalition government. This possibility is particularly concerning for Netanyahu since he and his Likud party are currently lagging in opinion polls.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews believe that studying the Torah is a duty that all Jewish males must fulfill. They argue that this duty is so important that it should "excuse them from other responsibilities, like serving in the military." They think that their spiritual dedication to studying the Torah is vital for the "health and survival of the Jewish community." For secular Israelis, who consider that they are bearing the burden of "subsidizing the ultra-Orthodox Jews through taxes" while they themselves are required to serve in the military, the exemptions have long been a source of resentment. This feeling has intensified over the past six months since the war on Gaza began.

US Congressman Tim Walberg said that Gaza "should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima ," referring to the Japanese cities in which the United States dropped atomic bombs at the end of the year. World War II, he continued: "End it quickly." According to The Guardian newspaper, the statements of the Michigan Republican member of the US House of Representatives were recorded during a meeting with a limited number of his constituents, and data in Congress indicate that it was held on the 25th of this month. Walberg appeared in a video clip recorded by an activist and posted on the Internet, telling voters that the United States of America should not spend a single cent on humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, calling for the aid to be spent on supporting “Israel,” which he described as “the United States’ greatest ally in all times in the world". He also said that "we must provide Israel with the resources they want (weapons and ammunition) to kill Hamas," as he put it.

War Termination

After it seemed that the "indirect negotiations" between Israel and the Hamas movement, which is classified as a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries, with the aim of reaching a truce, reached a "dead end", the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light to hold new talks, so what is new this time? Is the “Gaza deal” close to being implemented? And what might hinder that?

A Hamas delegation will not travel to Cairo at the moment, a source from the Palestinian Resistance told Al Mayadeen on Sunday. "Hamas' delegation is awaiting the results and outputs of the meetings between mediators and the Israeli delegation," the source told Al Mayadeen. Earlier, an official from the Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas told Agence France-Presse that Hamas had not made a decision on whether to send a delegation to a new round of mediated talks.

"There is no indication or decision yet within Hamas regarding sending a Hamas delegation to a new round of negotiations in Cairo or Doha," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. The official voiced pessimism regarding the talks, saying that he doubts that there be any progress in these negotiations, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is not serious and not interested." This has been echoed by multiple Palestinian Resistance officials since talks began, after "Israel" launched its war on Gaza. In fact, Hamas has reiterated on multiple occasions its readiness to reach comprehensive deals via mediated talks, saying that it has practiced flexibility in several rounds of talks, however, it has stuck to its main principles.

The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), Osama Hamdan, confirmed in an interview with Al Jazeera, today, Sunday, that there is no talk yet about any new round of negotiations, after reports that the Israeli delegation will arrive in Cairo this evening to discuss the exchange deal. He added that the occupation did not make any commitments in its responses, and its answers were an attempt to procrastinate with regard to the basic points that Hamas wants answers to, which are stopping the aggression, withdrawing from Gaza, the return of the displaced to the north, and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Hamdan expressed his appreciation for the role of the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, noting that Israel's continued "intransigence" means that the mediators' efforts will face a dead end, as he put it. He said that Israel only wants to recover its prisoners and continue the aggression in an open manner, stressing that the American position contributes to covering up Israeli "intransigence." Speaking about the Israeli threat to invade Rafah, Hamdan stressed that Hamas is making every effort to prevent the aggression against Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, indicating at the same time that the resistance is ready for confrontation. Hamdan stated that any attempt to invest in an Arab role to confront the Palestinians and their hopes will not be successful, he said.

In a related development, the French news agency quoted a Hamas official as saying that the positions between the movement and Israel are far apart, so it is unlikely to reach a truce now. The official added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not serious and is not interested in reaching an agreement, indicating that the American administration is not putting real pressure on Israel because it considers that things are still under control. He pointed out that the movement has not yet taken a decision on whether it will send a delegation to new negotiations in Doha or Cairo, to reach a truce.

Hamas said that the basic principles underlying its vision of the negotiation file, which it presented to the mediators in Egypt and Qatar, are based on five main points: a ceasefire, an unconditional return of the displaced, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from Gaza, the entry of aid and relief materials, and reconstruction.

Israel rejected Hamas's proposal, and also rejected the movement's request to release 30 life sentencers for every female soldier, and in return, it offered to release only 5 to be determined by it. Israel presented a detailed proposal to release the detainees, calling for the release in the first stage of 40 alive Israeli detainees of all categories. The last round of negotiations in Doha lasted for about two weeks to reach a deal between Hamas and Israel, without producing results despite Washington expressing its optimism about the talks. It was planned to complete the negotiations in Cairo this week.

On Friday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Netanyahu agreed to "hold new talks" in order to release the Israeli hostages as part of a possible ceasefire agreement and reach a truce in the Gaza Strip. This came after Netanyahu met with the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence services, where he agreed to hold “a round of negotiations in the coming days in Doha and Cairo... with a mandate to move forward,” according to his office.

In recent months, several negotiations were held between Israel and Hamas through international mediators, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, but without result, while both parties exchanged accusations of obstructing them. The Israeli Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the developments in the negotiations and the reasons for the change in the Israeli position. The ministry’s spokesman, Lior Hayat, told Al-Hurra website: “I cannot comment on the negotiations.”

For his part, Israeli political analyst, Joab Stern, points out that “there is no alternative to negotiation,” and Israel is interested in releasing “at least some of the kidnapped people” through negotiations. During the negotiations, each party tries to “achieve gains,” which means prolonging the duration of the talks and discussions, but the alternative to “failure” is the continuation of the military battle in the Gaza Strip, according to his interview with the “Al-Hurra” website. Stern explains that the continuation of the fighting means that the Israeli army will continue to target Hamas, but "this will have a heavy price." If battles and fighting continue, “there will be no possibility of releasing the kidnapped people,” and therefore Israel has “no real alternative” to negotiation, according to the Israeli political analyst.

Palestinian political analyst, Adel Al-Ghoul, believes that the password behind continuing negotiations is “American pressure on Israel.” During the recent period, tensions escalated between the administration of US President Joe Biden and the Netanyahu government, especially after the United States refrained from using its veto on a draft resolution in the UN Security Council calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Al-Ghoul explains to the Al-Hurra website.

The Palestinian political analyst points out that “Washington is the main supporter and ally of Israel, and without American support, the Israeli government would not have been able to continue the war in Gaza.” Therefore, the United States is pressuring Israel to “continue negotiations and postpone the attack on Rafah until the end of April or mid-May,” in order to negotiate and reach a “temporary ceasefire” for a period of 6 weeks, according to Al-Ghoul.

Nearly six months after the start of the war in Gaza, the Israeli army continues its operations in the devastated Strip. On Friday, the Israeli army, which accuses Hamas militants of hiding in hospitals, announced the continuation of its operations in the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, north of the Strip, stressing that it had “killed about 200 terrorists” in the Strip since March 18, according to what Agence France-Presse reported.

To the south, in the city of Khan Yunis, several dead and wounded were transported in ambulances to the European Hospital, according to scenes from Agence France-Presse. Among the injured were children being treated on the hospital grounds. In Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip, dozens of men removed the rubble of a bombed building to remove the wounded and bodies, and they succeeded in bringing out a young boy.

The United Nations condemns insufficient aid to meet the enormous needs of the Palestinians, especially in the north, while 1.5 million people, the majority of whom are displaced, are crowded in Rafah, located in the south on the border with Egypt. Israel controls the flow of aid to Gaza, and after 5 months of war, Gazans are facing a severe hunger crisis approaching famine, especially in the north, according to the United Nations and residents of the Strip. Aid agencies have blamed Israel, which announced its blockade of the Strip after October 7. They say Israeli officials have obstructed aid delivery through inspections and severe restrictions.

Israel says it is working to prevent aid from reaching Hamas, and says its officials can process more aid than aid groups can distribute within the region. Stern confirms that Hamas' actions have caused millions to flee to tents in the southern Gaza Strip, where residents are suffering from "bad, painful, and excruciating" conditions. The Israeli political analyst believes that Hamas is concerned at the same time that "Israel may sacrifice the kidnappers in order to achieve military victory and kill the movement's leaders." Therefore, Hamas also wants to reach a “detente,” and this is only possible through negotiation, as Stern explains.

For his part, Al-Ghoul points out that Israel is going through an internal crisis and has a shortage in the number of soldiers and forces present in Gaza, coinciding with an escalation inside the West Bank and on the border with Lebanon. The Israeli army's losses are increasing day after day, and therefore it is in Israel's interest to reach a truce and ceasefire, according to the Palestinian political analyst.

Al-Ghoul points out that the temporary ceasefire will lead to the implementation of a “new plan” that begins with ending the war and Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ends with the return of the Palestinian Authority and its support with a “police force,” in parallel with a political path that leads to a two-state solution. The "anticipated plan" includes the formation of a peacekeeping force or an Arab police force to distribute aid and supervise the Gaza port, which is scheduled to be inaugurated in mid-May, according to the Palestinian political analyst.

There are reservations about Israel only supervising the port, and there are proposals for the presence of an “Arab force,” and the United States supports this proposal, he explains. For his part, Stern confirms that all parties are interested in continuing the negotiations that will lead to a "deal in Gaza."

Al-Ghoul speaks of the "great possibility" of the fall of the Israeli government, which prompts Netanyahu to bet on the "time factor" and procrastinate in "implementing the new plan." The Palestinian political analyst believes that Netanyahu is "betting on Biden losing the upcoming elections, so that the pressure on the Israeli government will decrease, and a new administration (more supportive of Israel) may come."

For his part, Stern points out that the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, and the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, are threatening to resign and withdraw from the government in order to reach a deal that will have a “heavy price.” This is what Netanyahu does not want, and for this reason he is “procrastinating and prefers to buy time and does not want the deal to be completed now,” according to the Israeli political analyst.

Writer Simon Tisdale, a specialist in foreign affairs at the British Observer newspaper, says in an article in the newspaper that Israel , which is isolated externally and torn internally, must face the future it fears, which is the establishment of a Palestinian state. The writer began his article by saying that the feeling of things falling apart is deep, and the negative repercussions are present everywhere in the world. He cited many examples of this, such as routinely flouting the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions , especially on Gaza , ignoring war crimes in Ukraine , Myanmar and Sudan , sending assassins abroad to eliminate political opponents, and undeclared cyber warfare that is unknown. Limits.

But he said the disintegration is particularly strong in the Middle East, especially following the Al-Aqsa flood attack , as is the impunity and the International Court of Justice orders to prevent famine in Gaza, which receive only lip service. Tisdale continued to paint a picture of the disintegration that the Middle East is witnessing, saying that the relationship between the United States and Israel, which is the regional cornerstone, has reached the breaking point. Commentators were quoted as saying that the dispute between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden is irreparable.

He added that the internal crisis in Israel, too, constitutes an existential threat to it, at a time when Netanyahu and his allies, “anti-democratic extremists and far-right settler groups,” are turning into rebels, expecting Netanyahu to escalate the war in the region, if those who accuse him of wanting to exploit... War is for his personal interests, right. Tisdale concluded by saying that as a divided, traumatized, ill-led and ostracized Israel tears itself apart, along with its historical, ideological and democratic credentials, re-establishing a credible negotiating process with the explicit and internationally agreed goal of two states coexisting side by side may be the way to go. The best and only way to save Israel from itself. It may also be the best hope for saving the community of nations from further descent into chaos, and for restoring the building of global confidence.

Operational Update

Operational Update - Gaza

Medical sources in the Gaza Strip announced on Sunday that 4 citizens, including two children, had died due to starvation in Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, bringing the number of victims of hunger and malnutrition to 34 citizens. The HAMAS sources said, "4 citizens, including two children, died today, as a result of malnutrition, dehydration, and lack of medical supplies, in Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip." Noting that the number of deaths due to famine has risen to 34, including 31 children.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, announced that its fighters sniped and injured an Israeli soldier in the vicinity of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in western Gaza City. Al-Qassam fighters also attacked Israeli soldiers and military vehicles infiltrating the hospital perimeter with heavy-caliber mortar shells and engaged an Israeli Merkava tank with a homemade al-Yassin 105 shell west of Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, south of Gaza City. The military media of al-Qassam Brigades reposted a video message by Chief of Staff Mohammad Deif on October 7, 2023, urging the Palestinian youths of the West Bank to resist the Israeli occupation with all means available.

In the same context, al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, confirmed that its fighters engaged in fierce confrontations with a special unit of the Israeli occupation army using machine guns. Al-Quds Brigades said that its fighters monitored the Israeli unit and managed to lure it south of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

The Brigades' Resistance fighters also sniped at an Israeli soldier from the engineering unit, east of Gaza City, and attacked Israeli soldiers and military vehicles stationed around the Al-Shifa Complex with mortar shells. The military media of al-Quds Brigades published Saturday footage showing Resistance fighters preparing and launching a rocket barrage toward the Israeli settlement of "Sderot" and other Gaza Envelope settlements from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

On their part, the al-Mujahideen Brigades and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades jointly attacked gatherings of Israeli occupation forces around the Al-Shifa Hospital with short-range rockets. On Saturday, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades also announced a joint operation with the al-Quds Brigades, during which they engaged Israeli occupation soldiers and their vehicles with a barrage of mortar shells around the Al-Shifa Complex.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant disclosed that high-ranking Hamas operatives detained by Israeli forces in Gaza have divulged crucial information suggesting that the group is undergoing internal collapse. "In the last week or two, hundreds of terrorists have been apprehended, and their testimonies shed light on the internal strife within Hamas. They acknowledge that Hamas is crumbling from within, bearing heavy consequences," Gallant conveyed following a briefing at the 98th Division’s headquarters.

"In recent days, significant progress has been made in apprehending terrorists, including senior commanders. Operations at Shifa Hospital have resulted in the capture of over 500 terror operatives, while approximately 200 have been killed, including several high-ranking leaders," Gallant disclosed, underscoring the IDF's commitment to rooting out terrorist elements.

The HAMAS media office in Gaza said more than 400 Palestinian people, including patients, war-displaced and healthcare staff, have been killed in Israeli attacks during 13-day siege of al-Shifa Hospital. The Israeli army said its operation at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital is continuing. At least 107 patients and 60 medical staff remain inside the besieged hospital, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as Israel continues to deny the World Health Organization access to the besieged facility, Al Jazeera reported. In the Remal neighborhood of Gaza City, airstrikes were reportedly conducted on several buildings. Israeli jets struck about 80 targets across Gaza, including buildings and infrastructure.

An Air Force aircraft attacked an operational commander of the GAP terrorist organization, who was operating in the courtyard of the al-Aqsa hospital in the Deir al-Balah area. There were terrorists from the terrorist organization in HML. After a prolonged battle procedure, the operational commander and the terrorists were attacked in a precise manner to reduce the harm to those not involved in the area of the hospital. Al-Aqsa Hospital was not damaged by the attack and its regular functioning was not affected. The presence of the HML and the terrorists who operated in the hospital yard are further proof of the systematic use of humanitarian and medical infrastructure by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip as a cover for terrorist activities.

As part of the IDF and Shin Bet operation led by Division 162 at Shifa Hospital, Nahal patrol forces cleared several buildings inside the hospital, eliminated terrorists and located many weapons that were hidden in the compound. IDF and Shin Bet forces continue the targeted fighting in the area of Shifa Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip. The combat teams of the 401st Brigade, the Nahal Brigade and the 13th Fleet under the command of Division 162 conduct battles in the area, while avoiding harm to civilians, patients and medical staff. During the last day, the fighters eliminated at close range terrorists entrenched in the area and located weapons in the area of the hospital. Nahal patrol forces cleared several buildings inside the hospital, eliminated terrorists and located many weapons that were hidden in the compound. In the maternity complex, the forces located many weapons hidden in the pillows and beds of the patients, in the ceilings and walls of the compound, among them, dozens of mortar bombs, explosive devices, sniper weapons, Kalashnikovs, pistols, chargers, cartridges, mortars and other ammunition.

During one of the searches they carried out in the compound, the forces encountered armed terrorists and senior members of the Hamas terrorist organization in the stairwell, a chase and exchange of fire between the two took place, the senior terrorists were eliminated.

"During the last two weeks, the Nahal Patrol has been fighting alongside the 13th Fleet in the Shifa Bay area," stated the commander of the Nahal Patrol, Capt. Yanai, "the Nahal Patrol has been assigned the mission of the maternity hospital, according to Rav Hayou intelligence. Many terrorists in the maternity hospital, first we announced to all the civilians who were sheltering under the building, and hundreds of civilians, women and children came out to us. Including terrorists who were hiding behind them. After all the announcement operations, we went on selective scans in the area of the maternity hospital. We found many weapons used by the enemy and also came across several terrorists who opened fire on us, the terrorists were killed on the spot."

As part of the 215th Fire Brigade's activity in the northern Gaza Strip, Air Force aircraft attacked several buildings in the Rimal neighborhood, from which anti-tank missiles were launched yesterday and sniping attempts were made at IDF forces. During the attacks, one of the terrorists who carried out the launches was killed. During the last day, the Air Force attacked about 80 targets throughout the Gaza Strip. Among the targets that were attacked, military buildings and other military infrastructures in the Gaza Strip.

As part of the activities of the fighters of the Nahal Brigade's combat team in the center of the Gaza Strip, the fighters eliminated over 15 terrorists throughout the last day. In one of the forces' activities, the brigade's fire complex detected a terrorist squad coming out of a tunnel shaft and moving towards a military building near the forces, a fighter jet attacked and eliminated it. In another activity , two snipers from the battle team identified and eliminated through precise shooting, a terrorist squad that was moving near the forces in the area.

The forces of Division 98 continue to operate in the southern Gaza Strip. The fighters of the 7th Brigade Combat Team and the Air Force forces eliminated terrorists in the area and several terrorist infrastructures were destroyed by engineering forces. The forces of the combat team of the commando formation continue to operate in the El Amal area, and together with the Air Force, they eliminated terrorists and destroyed terrorist infrastructures from which shots were fired at the forces. In another activity in the area, the combat team fighters of the Givati Brigade eliminated about 15 terrorists with sniper fire and shells in the last day. This is alongside weapons that the forces located in the area, including grenades, weapons and military equipment.

In accordance with the assessment of the situation, the commander of the Southern Command signed an order tonight (Saturday) to change the closed military area in several areas in the Gaza Envelope and in agricultural areas. As part of the change of the closed areas, areas of the forest will be opened up and the southern R&D. In addition, a number of agricultural areas will be opened in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai and Kibbutz Maplisim.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

Following the stabbing attack earlier today at the central station in Be'er Sheva in which an IDF officer was slightly injured, an IDF soldier in training from the Nahal Brigade identified the terrorist and neutralized him at the scene of the attack in a short time, thereby preventing harm to civilians and other soldiers. "I am Private Elia, a fighter in training in the Nahal Brigade," said Private Elia, "this morning I neutralized the terrorist in the attack at the central station in Beer Sheva. I fired the weapon, made sure the area was sterile of civilians, fired at the terrorist, neutralized him and thus prevented a greater disaster."

Following the intelligence and operational activity of the Shin Bet forces, the IDF and the Israel Police since the shooting attack near Ojah on March 28 in which three Israeli civilians were injured, this morning the terrorist who carried out the attack was arrested and the weapon he used to carry it out was confiscated. Muhammad Saadia, who carried out the attack, handed himself over to the security forces who operated earlier this morning in Jericho. The terrorist was handed over to the General Security Service for further investigation.

"Last Thursday morning, a terrorist came out of Jericho and opened fire on two student buses on the way to their schools, and two other vehicles on Route 90 in the village of Ojah, which is north of Jericho," said the Bekaa and Valleys Brigade, Col. Aviv Amir, "From the moment the attack was given, we set out on a pursuit that included several efforts, so that anyone who tries to harm us will be pursued, even if it takes us days and weeks. We will catch him day and night, and that's what we did. The Bekaa and Valleys Brigade will continue to protect this wonderful region of the country every day, all day and every A possible place, as a frontier-breaking defense brigade."

Operational Update - Lebanon

Al-Alam's correspondent reported that a state of cautious calm prevailed along the front extending between Lebanon and occupied Palestine, disturbed from time to time by some machine-gun shells from some sites and artillery shells that targeted the valleys that separate some villages from occupied Palestine. The correspondent explained that a short while ago there was an explosion by the Lebanese army of one of the missiles dropped by the occupation army aircraft on the Marj Oyoun plain, and it was a remnant of the raids that the occupation was launching on the town of Al-Khim. The drones flying in the skies of the border areas are ever-present, but the Israeli warplanes did not He hears his voice even for a moment. He added that yesterday there were widespread attacks that did not stop at the Lebanese regions and villages, but rather targeted the UNIFIL forces operating in southern Lebanon, especially the observer team, whose car was targeted by one of the marching missiles, wounding 3 officers and a Lebanese civilian working as a translator.

The Lebanese "Hezbollah" published a summary of its operations carried out against the Israeli army on Sunday, "in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance." Hezbollah's military media indicated that "the Islamic Resistance carried out a number of operations against the positions and deployment of the Israeli enemy army on the Lebanese-Palestinian border on Sunday, March 31, 2024, according to the following":

Eastern sector (southern Lebanon)

1. - At 12:15: Ramim Barracks was targeted by artillery shells, and was directly hit.
2. - At 13:45: An air attack was carried out with assault marches on the newly created Barkhta artillery position, and Israeli enemy soldiers were deployed in its vicinity in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, and direct casualties were achieved.
3. - At 15:45: The Zibdin site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms was targeted with artillery shells.
4. - At 15:45: The Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfarshouba was targeted with appropriate weapons, and it was directly hit.
5. - 17:00: A gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Al-Manara site was targeted with missile weapons, and it was directly hit.
6. - 23:10: An Israeli military force inside the Metula site was targeted with artillery shells, causing confirmed casualties among its ranks.

   Western sector (southern Lebanon):

7. - At 13:15: Al-Malikiyah site was targeted with “Burkan” missiles, and it was directly hit.
8. - At 15:55: The new spy equipment at the Al-Jardah point was targeted with appropriate weapons and destroyed.

With the escalation of clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, voices are getting louder warning that the situation is sliding into a large-scale war, affecting all Lebanese territories. Earlier, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy instructed to prepare plans for a possible ground operation in Lebanon , and to draw lessons from the Gaza war. This is while Hezbollah confirms that stopping its operations against Israel is contingent on stopping its aggression against the Gaza Strip.

IDF warplanes attacked a number of Hizbullah military buildings where terrorists were staying in the area of ??Mis al Jabal and in the area of ??Leyda in southern Lebanon. In recent hours, fighter jets have attacked additional launch positions of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Markaba area, as well as an observation post of the organization in the Kfar Kila area in southern Lebanon. Earlier today, a number of launches from southern Lebanon were identified that crossed into the areas of Mount Dov and Arab al Aramsha, the air defense fighters intercepted some of them.

An aircraft attacked a vehicle in the area of the village of Kunin where the terrorist Ismail Ali Elzin, a key operative in the anti-tank unit of the Radwan force in the Hezbollah terrorist organization, was staying. Ismail Ali Elzin served as commander of Bardwan, is a central center of knowledge in the field of anti-tank weapons and is responsible for many dozens of anti-tank attacks aimed at IDF forces and the Israeli rear.

Identified as Ismail Ali al-Zin, the IDF revealed that he held a prominent position as a senior commander within Radwan's specialized anti-tank missile unit. According to IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, al-Zin played a pivotal role as a leading authority on anti-tank missiles, orchestrating numerous attacks targeting Israeli civilians, communities, and security personnel. "In eliminating al-Zin, we have neutralized a significant threat posed by Hezbollah's anti-tank capabilities," remarked Conricus, emphasizing the importance of disrupting the group's offensive capabilities.

Fighter jets attacked terrorist infrastructures of Hezbollah in the areas of Al-Khyam and Rab-e-Taltin in southern Lebanon. In addition, the IDF attacked with artillery in the area of ??Hula to remove a threat. Last night fighter jets attacked a military structure of the organization in the Al Jibin area. In the last few hours, launches were detected from the territory of Lebanon that crossed into the area of Margaliot and Malkyia, the IDF attacked the sources of the shooting. As a result of the launches, an IDF soldier was slightly injured and was taken to a hospital for medical treatment, his family was informed.

A fighter jet intercepted a suspicious aerial target that made its way to Israeli territory from Syria. No crossing into the territory of the State of Israel was detected and the incident ended.

The Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Ost reported from sources close to Hezbollah that the person responsible for coordination and liaison in the terrorist organization, Vafik Spa, who recently visited the Emirates, conveyed a message that Hezbollah is ready to stop fighting on the southern Lebanese front and declare the border area along the Blue Line demilitarized. According to the report, the military presence will be of the UNIFIL force and the Lebanese army - subject to the fact that after the cease-fire, an agreement will be reached on the drawing of the land border, as was the case with the drawing of the maritime border.

It was noted that Israel will not agree to any agreement with Hezbollah before it completely hands over its weapons to the Lebanese army, throughout the entire territory of the country. According to the report, a senior official in the Emirates advised Spa that "handing over the weapons by mutual agreement is much better than evacuating and destroying Lebanon by force." It is claimed that Safa returned to Lebanon empty-handed and the rate of Israeli attacks escalated after that,

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

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Operational Update - Yemen

In the seventeenth Ramadan lecture by the leader of the revolution, Mr. Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, Sunday, Ramadan 21, 1445 AH - March 31, 2024 AD, he said: "Indeed, in today’s world, there are various countries, systems, and various entities that allocate huge budgets to seduce people, or to corrupt them, either to mislead or to corrupt. How many satellite channels are there dedicated to corrupting people morally, and spreading pornographic materials that corrupt souls, and promote corruption, immorality, and evil, How many billions are spent on it, the money that finances what is a means to corrupt people or lead them astray, Satan becomes a partner in it.

"Likewise, when human power is harnessed to serve Satan, in any field: military, non-military, or in another field, or other than the military field, in any other field, what is exploited from people’s abilities, from their potential that God has given them, from the potential. What they acquire in any way, is what is harnessed in the service of Satan; Satan becomes a partner in it and exploits it....

"What is true in many Western societies is that they are provided with the necessities of life and living on the material level with great luxury, but they live in a disturbing atmosphere and major psychological disorders, and many of them resort to suicide, and they are not happy and are not happy with what they are in. Firstly: because they commit many crimes. Sins that make them miserable in their lives, for example: they do not enjoy family stability; Because of the sins and chaos they are in, there is no reassurance in their family life. The husband with his wife, as well as the father and mother with their children, there is a completely different reality for them.

"Their family situation is a state of hell, in which there is no trust, no reassurance, and no family ties based on compassion, solidarity, cooperation, and familiarity. All of these meanings are absent from the lives of many of them. Consequently, they live in a state of misery and suffering, and many of them depend on alcohol and drugs. To combat this state of psychological depression, they are working harder and harder. Thus, the types of misery and the types of miserable living differ from one society to another, but they are the inevitable result of turning away from God’s guidance and instructions. As for the afterlife: blindness, blindness and misguidance, and the person will not find a way to save himself at that time."

US Central Command announced the destruction of two drones belonging to the Yemeni "Ansar Allah" (Houthis) group, in areas under the group's control in Yemen, in operations it described as "self-defense." US Central Command: We destroyed two drones in Houthi-controlled areas in YemenCommander of the American Fleet in the Red Sea: We were able to reduce the capabilities of the Houthis. The command said in an update on the “X” platform: “On March 30, at 8:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), our forces succeeded in clashing and destroying two drones in the areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen in self-defense.”

CENTCOM added, "One of them [the two planes] was over the Red Sea and the other was on the ground preparing to take off," stressing that "these unmanned aerial systems represent a threat to American forces, coalition forces, and commercial ships in the region." The US Central Command considered that "these measures are necessary to protect its forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make international waters safer for the United States, the coalition, and commercial ships."

This comes days after the leader of Ansar Allah, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi , announced that his group had targeted, since last November, 86 ships linked to Israel, America, and Britain, in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Last Tuesday, Ansar Allah announced that it had targeted with missiles 4 ships : the American Maersk Saratoga in the Gulf of Aden, the American ABL Detroit in the Red Sea, the British Huang Pu in the Red Sea, and the Pretty. Lady), said she was heading to Israel, referring to attacking two American warship destroyers in the Red Sea with drones , and launching missiles at targets in the Eilat region in southern Israel.

The Ansar Allah group announced, in mid-March, the start of expanding the scope of its attacks in the Red and Arab Bahrain and the Gulf of Aden , 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 aircraft. march.

On January 12, the United States and Britain began carrying out a massive attack on “Ansar Allah” sites in several Yemeni cities, against the backdrop of the group’s attacks in the Red and Arab Seas, which it says target ships linked to Israel or heading to its ports, before the group expands its circle. Targeting to include US and British ships in response to air strikes. On October 10, 2023, 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 militarily directly in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Strip.

The chants of the Yemenis in the squares turned into missiles and drones launched at American and British ships belonging to the occupying entity or heading to the ports of occupied Palestine. Therefore, every operation carried out by the Yemeni armed forces is popularly supported, which raises many questions, the most prominent of which is about the Yemeni people’s participation in these demonstrations periodically since More than six months have been a shock to everyone. How do you explain this ability to go out and call out periodically? The demonstrations take place on Friday, which is an official holiday, which refutes the allegations that those who go out are employees or soldiers, and thus the ability of the Yemeni leadership to mobilize the people’s capabilities, how is it reflected internally and externally?

The military expert, Brigadier General Aziz Rashid, confirmed that according to international observers and media reports issued by the enemy countries themselves, there is almost complete control over British, American and Zionist ships in particular, or ships carrying foreign flags for the purpose of crossing, meaning that there is enormous information collected by the Yemenis and intelligence. Yemenia is cooperating with our international brothers in this field, and therefore no ship can cross at all.

Rashid pointed out that the Yemeni military operations moved from single strikes to dozens of strikes and targets, which is what the military spokesman announced a few days ago by striking six very important operations in the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aden, and in the Indian Ocean, and this expresses the gradual escalation that will amount to strategic bombing. After the strategic bombing, pressure comes on all Israeli, American and British ships from crossing even the Cape of Good Hope, and this is what makes the enemy think carefully about whether to submit to peace or surrender.

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

UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths called for an end to attempts to expel the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from the Gaza Strip, because assistance cannot be provided without it. Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations: Attempts to expelIsrael proposes to the United Nations to dismantle the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). He wrote on his account on the “X” platform: “Attempts to remove UNRWA must stop. UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian operations in Gaza. Any attempt to distribute aid without it is doomed to failure.” No other agency has the “reach, experience and community trust” required for the job, Griffith noted.

Earlier, The Guardian newspaper reported, citing sources, that Israel had submitted to the United Nations a proposal to dissolve UNRWA. According to the newspaper, the Israeli initiative includes transferring several hundred UNRWA employees to one of the other United Nations organizations, such as the World Food Programme. , or to a new organization created specifically to distribute food aid in Gaza.

The Popular and Tribal Committees for Securing Aid in Gaza Governorate and Northern Gaza announced on Sunday suspending aid provision due to the ongoing Israeli strikes targeting their members waiting for trucks on Salah al-Din Street - Kuwait Roundabout. The Israeli occupation forces committed several massacres against the committee's members, resulting in the martyrdom of over 70 people.

In their statement, the committees urged the United Nations to facilitate the return of UNRWA, the World Food Programme, and the Red Cross to operate in Gaza Governorate and Northern Gaza. They also advocated for the implementation of a comprehensive relief program to address the needs of families, both in terms of the required commodities and their size. They stated that they launched the initiative to provide aid to those in need due to the absence of UN institutions, stressing that the decision was based on consultations with the relevant institutions, other international organizations, and appeals from the Palestinian people for basic assistance. The initiative was also prompted by a series of massacres committed by the occupation forces against civilians on the al-Shati Road and Salah al-Din Street while they awaited aid.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Saturday that 17 Palestinians were killed and 30 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Popular and Tribal Committees at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City while they were waiting to receive humanitarian aid to distribute it to the families in the enclave. Commenting on the ongoing Israeli massacres against aid workers, the Supreme Council for Palestinian Clan Affairs in Gaza said on Saturday that the Israeli assassinations reflect "the extent of the fascist occupation's anger toward Palestine and also express the extent of its helplessness and failure to undermine the unity of the Palestinian internal front."

Axis of Resistance

Pointing to the mounting “multilayered crises” that have plagued the Zionist regime from within, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the global aversion to Israel has reached an all-time high, while the Palestinian nation has gained international support. In a meeting with Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement Ziyad al-Nakhalah, held in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian praised the important role of the Islamic Jihad in defending the rights of the Palestinian people and standing up against the Zionist regime’s aggression.

The Iranian foreign minister described the unity of the resistance groups in Palestine and the Gaza Strip in the ongoing battle as a valuable manifestation of the Palestinian people, the ministry’s website reported. He added that the morale of the enemy was crushed thanks to the unity and coherence of the Palestinian resistance groups and their heroic battle as well as the exemplary perseverance of the Palestinian nation.

Amirabdollahian said despite all the hardships the Palestinians have gone through, they have scored great victories at various political, legal and international fields as well as on the battlefield. He noted that the visit of Palestinian resistance leaders to Tehran on the eve of International Quds Day sends an important message across the region and the world, expressing confidence that this year’s International Quds Day would be commemorated with as much glory as possible by the free nations of the world.

Highlighting the increasing multilayered crises within the Zionist regime, Amirabdollahian said today, the Palestinian people are more powerful and enjoy more support by the world nations, while the Zionist regime is more hated and isolated than ever. Undoubtedly, the world will witness more victories by the Palestinian people and resistance in the future, Amirabdollahian stated.

For his part, Nakhalah pointed to the meetings and consultations with the Iranian foreign minister in the last six months, saying Iran is a true supporter of the Palestinian people, al-Quds and the Muslim world. He also thanked Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and the Iranian president, government and people for their continued support of the Palestinians. Nakhalah added that despite six months of unequal war waged by the Zionist regime against the Gaza Strip and the full political, international, and military support by the United States for Israel, the Palestinian people and resistance allowed nothing to happen in spite of all the hardships and enduring the siege of the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinians did not let the Zionist regime achieve its strategic goals, and the aggressors and their supporters failed to crush the will and morale of the resistance groups and resistance of the Palestinian people, Nakhalah noted. “We are confident that the final victory against the Zionist enemy is near”, the Palestinian leader stated.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Zionist regime’s brazen crime of attacking the tents of displaced people on the premises of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, urging immediate international action to stop the Israeli atrocities. In a post on his X account on Sunday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani lashed out at the Zionist regime for committing gruesome war crimes in the Gaza Strip before the eyes of the world.

He said the “child murdering Zionist regime” has mocked all international rules and regulations by bombing the tents of displaced Palestinian people inside the walls of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. “The immediate prevention of the continuation of these crimes as well as legal and judicial prosecution of the Zionist criminals are among the definite responsibilities of the international bodies and institutions and also the world public opinion’s demands,” he said. Kanaani also warned the “hypocritical sponsors” of the Zionist regime that the shame of Israel’s barbaric crimes against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip will cast an indelible stigma upon them.

Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Sunday that Israel has committed “a new massacre by bombing the tents of journalists and displaced people inside the walls of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital”. The Israeli regime’s air force targeted two tents with two air strikes inside the Al-Aqsa Hospital compound which had a lot of Palestinians seeking refuge. It was also the place where journalists worked. The tents that were stuck were next to each other, resulting in casualties.

Allied for Democracy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the demands rising in the demonstrations calling for early elections, considering that they would constitute a victory for the Hamas movement, against which his forces have been waging a war in the Gaza Strip for nearly six months. On Sunday, thousands of Israelis demonstrated in the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to demand the return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and the holding of parliamentary elections.

Netanyahu said, during a press conference in Jerusalem, “Calling for elections now will put an end to the war and freeze the negotiations, and the first to bless them will be Hamas.” Lapid added, "For the sake of the soldiers, the kidnappers, the conscription law, and to save the economy: we must hold elections now."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called earlier this month for early elections in Israel, in a speech that US President Joe Biden described as “good.” Netanyahu then condemned this call. He said that members of the "international community" who call for elections "do so because they know that the elections will stop the war and paralyze the country for at least 6 months."

Netanyahu said on Sunday: “We must manage the negotiations to return the kidnapped people with calm and determination and make efforts to reach a deal.” He renewed his commitment to returning all abductees, “whether living or dead,” adding that “military pressure on Hamas is very important in order to return the abductees.” He pointed out that Israeli forces "killed more than 200 terrorists in Al-Shifa Hospital, including senior leaders."

Netanyahu stressed his intention to invade the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip despite the opposition of the United States, considering that there is no victory over Hamas without his forces entering Rafah, stressing that they will enter it "with certainty."

Washington opposes a ground attack on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Gaza Strip residents were displaced, after fleeing the bombing in the northern Strip. The United States stresses the danger of an increase in the number of civilian deaths, especially since the toll has so far exceeded 32,000, and calls for “alternatives” to target the last strongholds of the Hamas movement.

Regarding the ongoing skirmishes with Lebanese Hezbollah, Netanyahu said, “I prefer to resolve the security situation in the north diplomatically, but we will do so in other ways if that effort does not succeed.” He added that his government "wants to create the appropriate security conditions for the return of our citizens to their homes in the north." Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging cross-border bombing since the start of the war in Gaza about six months ago.

Despite what appears to be unconditional German support for Israel, which is seen as an “existential issue,” there is a change in the tone of the German government, amid strong indications of a reversal in public opinion’s position, as monitored by New York Times correspondent in Berlin, Erica Solomon. Solomon wrote - in her report - that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was one of the first foreign leaders to visit Israel in the wake of the October 7 attack , to express his country’s support, saying - at the time - that Germany’s natural position was to support Israel.

Last January, his country joined Israel's defense team at the International Court of Justice , considering Germany a "moral authority" when it comes to protecting the Genocide Convention. Even at the Munich Security Conference, the German Chancellor repeatedly avoided answering the question of whether he believed Israel had violated international humanitarian law.

But German public opinion now believes that what the Israeli army is doing in Gaza is unjustifiable, and it seems that the government has begun to align itself with this public opinion. Two weeks ago, Schulz visited Israel again, and his tone changed this time. He stated in a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: He stands by his side: “Can the goal, whatever it is, justify the high price?”

Correspondent Solomon says that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also changed her tone of unconditional support, when she announced last week her intention to send a delegation to Israel because Germany, as a signatory to the Geneva Convention, “is obligated to remind all parties to the treaty of the necessity of respecting international humanitarian law.” Solomon recalled statements made by Baerbock on her sixth visit to the region, in which she described Gaza as hell, and urged Israel to stop invading Rafah, saying: “People cannot simply hide in the air like this.” She criticized her refusal to provide a humanitarian solution that would protect the displaced, to which Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded by saying, "We expect our friends to continue supporting us in these difficult times, not to weaken us in the face of the Hamas terrorist organization."

According to Solomon, the change in Berlin's position was not isolated from the development of the position of German parties wondering if the support had not exceeded the limits. A New York Times correspondent quotes Thorsten Benner, director of the International Institute for Public Policy in Berlin, as saying that this support is no longer tolerable and that Germany, considering Israel an “existential issue,” is now offering it a blank check.

Solomon wrote that Germany is trying to defend its interests around the world with policies that include, for example, supporting the conclusion of a deal between the European Union and Egypt to reduce the flow of migration on the continent, or supporting Ukraine militarily to repel the Russian invasion, but foreign policy experts believe that supporting Israel has weakened its moral credibility when criticism is directed at the regimes. She describes it as totalitarian, like Vladimir Putin's government.

Solomon says that the erosion of this credibility is especially felt in what has come to be called the Global South, where one of its most prominent leaders, Malaysian President Anwar Ibrahim, publicly rebuked the German Chancellor when he stood beside him at a press conference this month in Berlin, saying: “We oppose colonialism, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and the confiscation of the lands of any country.” Whether in Ukraine or in Gaza... Where is your humanity? What is this hypocrisy? Solomon adds that until recently, German public opinion supported his government in supporting the Israeli campaign, but opinion polls conducted by state-owned media channels show that 70% of Germans now believe that the actions of the Israeli army cannot be justified, while the percentage was 50% just a few weeks ago.

Chancellor Schulz suffered a lot as he tried to avoid the issue even in his meetings with German voters. This week, for example, a German woman in the town of Brandenburg on the outskirts of Berlin criticized him for hypocrisy, asking how Germany could oppose the invasion of Rafah when at the same time it is one of the most important arms suppliers to Israel. However, the New York Times correspondent ruled out a radical reversal in Germany’s position, and cited as an example the Interior Ministry’s decision last week to include questions about Israel in the citizenship test “because of the importance of supporting Israel and its being part of our identity,” as stated in the ministry’s statement, and she expected - unless Washington takes deterrent measures. Stronger against Israel - that the matter be limited to symbolic steps.

In its response to a written question from a representative about whether Germany would stop arms shipments to Israel, the government merely responded that each shipment would be studied separately. According to Jurgen Hart, Christian Democrats' spokesman for foreign affairs in the German Parliament, the most important decision Germany can make now is to resume funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Germany appears to be changing its position on the agency - according to Solomon - as it announced this week that it would resume its funding in the agency’s areas of operation outside the Gaza Strip, after it had demanded the dismissal of its commissioner, Philippe Lazzarini, as a condition for re-injecting funds, according to German and European officials familiar with the file. The same officials indicated flexibility in Germany's position, which no longer adheres to Lazzarini's dismissal, while German officials say they expect the funding allocated for Gaza operations to be released by the end of next May.

A secret memo to expand intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack has caused growing concerns in Washington about whether the information is contributing to civilian deaths, according to people familiar with the matter, according to the Wall Street Journal. Among the concerns is the lack of sufficient independent oversight to ensure that intelligence information provided by the United States is not used in strikes that unnecessarily kill civilians or damage infrastructure, according to the same source.

The secret intelligence-sharing agreement between the United States and Israel received less public scrutiny than US arms sales to Israel. But it raises increasing questions from Democratic lawmakers and human rights groups, with concern mounting within the administration of US President Joe Biden about how Israel is managing its military campaign in Gaza.

Concerns over intelligence sharing in some ways mirror those over the provision of US weapons As the death toll in Gaza mounts, President Biden has left open the possibility of “withholding some weapons” from his closest ally in the Middle East. “My concern is how do we ensure that intelligence sharing is consistent with our values and our national security interests,” Representative Jason Crow, a Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview. Crowe, who in December wrote to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines seeking additional details, added that he was concerned that "what the United States is sharing does not serve its interests."

The Israeli military operation in Gaza destroyed or severely damaged a large area of ??civilian infrastructure, including mosques, hospitals, universities and schools. Israel says widespread destruction is inevitable because of Hamas's decision to deliberately integrate its military infrastructure within civilian areas to protect itself from Israeli attacks. Crowe said he met separately with a senior Israeli military figure and US intelligence officials, and said there were "some major discrepancies" in both sides' accounts of casualties.

American officials said that the exchange of intelligence information with Israel takes place under a secret memorandum issued by the White House shortly after the Hamas attack on October 7 and amended a few days later. At about the same time, the United States expanded its intelligence collection on Gaza. At the beginning of the war, the US intelligence community established guidelines for sharing intelligence with the Israelis, but senior White House policymakers ultimately determine whether any violation occurred, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.

U.S. intelligence agencies compile instances of potential violations of the laws of armed conflict by both sides in Gaza as part of a bimonthly report titled “Gaza Crisis Potential Unlawful Acts Summary,” which identifies specific incidents and trends related to the war, one of the people said. Israeli officials refused to comment to the Wall Street Journal on the details of the intelligence-sharing arrangement.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Israeli army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said that during his 30 years of service in the Israeli army, the level of intelligence and military cooperation between Israel and the United States has never been higher. He added: "We are witnessing unprecedented levels of intelligence coordination."

For their part, American officials and others familiar with the matter said that American spy agencies’ support for Israel is mainly aimed at “helping locate the leaders of the military wing of Hamas, finding hostages and monitoring Israel’s borders.” They said the United States is sharing what is known as raw intelligence, such as live video footage from drones, with Israeli security agencies. “The United States does not share intelligence intended for ground or air operations in the Israeli military campaign in Gaza,” one of the people familiar with the matter said. He added: "Our intelligence sharing focuses on efforts to recover hostages and prevent future incursions into Israel."

A US administration official said that this includes monitoring mobilization or movement near the border. Informed American officials explained that “Israel is required to ensure that American intelligence information is not used in ways that lead to unacceptable civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure.” However, officials said Israel is responsible for certifying its compliance, and in some cases does so “verbally.”

In addition, they said it is difficult to know how US-provided intelligence will be used once it is combined with Israel's own data. A senior US intelligence official pointed out that “Israel provides guarantees that operations using US intelligence information are conducted in a manner consistent with international law, including the law of armed conflict, which calls for the protection of civilians.”

When Washington shares intelligence with allies, it first assesses what the partner might do with that information, and decides whether it is legal for the United States to do the same. Based on this determination, the United States may require additional assurances from the ally about what it will do with the intelligence before sharing it. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Douglas London, a retired CIA operations officer and non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, said: “We cannot provide actionable information that could lead to lethal consequences by a country unless we are allowed to do so.” with the same activity.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown, expressed during talks with his Israeli counterpart Herzi Halevi a few days ago his frustration at the lack of plans by Israel for the day after the war in the Gaza Strip . It quoted Brown as saying that his country would not accept the killing of thousands of civilians in Rafah during the military operation that Israel is threatening in the city, which is crowded with about 1.5 million Palestinians. According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority report, the American general presented his Israeli counterpart with a proposal regarding the possible operation in Rafah.

The report stated that the American proposal includes isolating the city of Rafah from the rest of the Gaza Strip, closing the Rafah crossing with Egypt, forming a joint American-Israeli command room, and carrying out military operations in specific places in the city based on intelligence information. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority indicated that the conversations between Brown and Halevy took place during the visit of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant to Washington. The US Chief of Staff said last Thursday that Israel had not received all the weapons it requested, and said that this was partly because some of them might affect the readiness of the US Army, and there were limits to its capabilities.

Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers

The Wall Street Journal reported that mMore than 32,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, and according to the report, "Israel approves the numbers, but they say that about a third of the dead are terrorists."

• 75,298 Gazans injured, 28% adult male
• 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza
• 40,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble
• 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
• 32,782 Gazans martyred
• 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024]
• 15,000 rocket launched from Gaza
• 14,793 Israelis were injured [i24 TV]
• 13,750 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
• 9,920 Gazan women martyred
• 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons
• 9,000 IDF psychological assistance
• 8,000 Gazans missing under the rubble
• 7,870 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th
• 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS]
• 5,500 IDF wounded [reports]
• 4,750 West Bank Palestinians wounded
• 3,484 administrative detainees
• 3,600 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria
• 3,079 IDF wounded [IDF]
• 2,100 Gazan women are missing
• 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day
• 1,600 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas
• 1,160 Israelis killed on the first day
• 595 Israeli officers and soldiers killed
• 453 West Bank Palestinians martyred
• 255 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

Not every number is reported every day, so sudden jumps generally reflect reporting artifacts rather than actual upticks. 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.