Operation Iron Swords - Day 181 - 04 April 2024

“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)

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

"I have told you time and time again that it is not certain that the worst is behind us and we are ahead of complex days," Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Intelligence Directorate chief, Major General Aharon Haliva, said about the security situation following the raising of the alertness in the country. On the ground, in the last two days, the Israeli security services declared a state of alert and mobilization, especially in the Israeli Air Force, in preparation for what they described as the Iranian response to the aggression. According to Channel 14, the Israeli army canceled the soldiers’ vacations and declared the Air Force on alert and mobilization.

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman cautioned to be careful with the rhetoric in the tense period, "We must not put an entire country into panic." Lieberman added "If there is an Iranian attack, undoubtedly after the failure of October, Israel must not be caught again with its pants down and we need to be at peak readiness. At the same time, we must not sow fear in the public and plunge Israeli citizens into hysteria that primarily serves the enemy".

Israel has been preparing for the last two days for the possibility that Iran will respond to the assassination of a senior member of the Revolutionary Guards in Damascus, according to Israeli N12 TV news. In the security establishment, there is a growing belief that Iran will respond, but an Iranian source made it clear that the response will be "serious but limited". This, against the background of much ridicule on social networks in the country against its leaders, who time and again chose not to respond to the massacres attributed to Israel. A security source said this evening that he estimates that both sides are not interested in creating an escalation, and do not want an all-out war. According to him, Israel will respond according to the nature of the Iranian action, whatever it may be.

The mockery on social networks also touched on the Supreme Leader's threats: "This huge number of threats is just a bubble of invalid nonsense. Iran is unable to respond." An Iranian commentator said that "Iran will respond appropriately and decisively to the attack in Damascus, but does not want to act hastily." According to him, "The Zionist regime has set itself the goal of dragging Iran into war, but it knows very well that it must not play into its hands." The headline of the "Tehran Times" newspaper this morning promised that "Israel will receive a slap in the face for the attack in Damascus." At the same time, a billboard with the inscription "Storm of the Free People" was hung in Tehran.

Hezbollah's propaganda channels and networks have been publishing photos of alleged preparations for war, various weapons alongside religious verses that express the "prayer of the border men", which calls for victory and the protection of the fighters stationed at the borders.

In Israel, it is estimated that there will be a response to the assassination of the senior official, and this may come directly from Iran's territory, through a steep-track firing. It is further estimated in Israel that due to the preparedness and warning time, the IDF's air defense systems will know how to deal with such firing into the country's territory. The assessment is that since terrorist attacks through the Iranians' agents are not successful, Iran will try to strike directly from its territory in Israel.

Al-Alam's correspondent in Ramallah reported that the Hebrew media and Israeli newspapers were at the forefront of Israeli analyzes and readings of the possible Iranian response to the crime of bombing the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The correspondent of Alalam News Network, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, pointed out that General Amos Yadlin, the former head of Israeli military intelligence, literally said in a statement to the Hebrew Channel 12 that this time the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond and we must be aware and be prepared for this response, because this response will be a different response, and Amos Yadlin expected that the response will be Iranian on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan, tomorrow, Friday, as the world celebrates International Quds Day.

The correspondent stated that Israeli General Gilad Amos, head of the National Security Research Center in the Israeli occupation entity , said that everyone must understand today that we are no longer strong and that today we are waiting at any moment to fall under the fire of the Islamic Republic of Iran, directly or indirectly, and this is what motivates us. To understand that today we are looking for someone to provide us with protection with what we make with our own hands, and this is in clear criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu and the wartime governments.

The correspondent confirmed that the Israeli occupation army had announced general mobilization within the ranks of its air force, summoned reserve officers from the Israeli Air Force, ended the vacations of the majority of army officers, and was considered to be in a state of maximum alert. The correspondent noted that many in the Israeli occupation entity believe that the Iranian response is inevitable and they always talk about the statements of the Iranian President and the statements of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Mr. Ali Khamenei, and they confirm that these statements were not issued as passing statements, but rather what Mr. Ali Khamenei and the Iranian President said are statements that have a consequence. As the Hebrew newspaper Ha Aretz said in its editorial today.

No one in Israel, led by the military analysts, doubts that the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond, but there is disagreement between them over the form, type, place and time of the response. The matter has reached the point that observers, led by the former head of the Aman Service, Amos Yaldin, have come to expect that the Iranian response will be on the last Friday of Ramadan, as the world celebrates International Jerusalem Day .

Khaldoun Barghouti, an expert on Israeli affairs, said: “It fears an Iranian response after the recent assassination in Damascus, so it declares a state of alert on all fronts, on the northern border and at the entire Israeli level, even abroad, in anticipation of attacks on Israeli interests. Therefore, it enters a state of emergency.” She does not know what the response will be, when the response will be, and where the response will be, so this puts her in a state of comprehensive alert.” Anas Abu Arqoub, an expert on Israeli affairs, said: “These are serious concerns in Israel. Preparations are being made around the clock. Vacations have been banned for soldiers and the Air Force has been placed on high alert, alongside the Israeli air defenses.”

War Termination

The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Osama Hamdan, confirmed that there has been no progress in the negotiations so far, despite the flexibility and high positivity shown by the movement, in order to facilitate reaching an agreement. Hamdan said, in a press conference held by Hamas in Beirut: “The mediators informed us that we are adhering to our position of the necessity of stopping the aggression , the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza, the return of the displaced to their homes in the north, intensifying relief access to all places in the Gaza Strip and beginning reconstruction, and "A real and serious prisoner exchange process."

He pointed out that the occupation's position remains stubborn and refuses to respond and accept the national demands of our people. He added, "The occupation government is still evading, and the negotiations have become a vicious circle. Netanyahu is still placing obstacles to reaching an agreement, and is not interested in releasing the Israeli prisoners." Hamdan stressed, "What the occupation was unable to achieve through murder, criminality, and genocidal war, it will not succeed in achieving by prolonging the negotiations."

Operational Update

In recent weeks, each main headquarters has approved the internal investigation map with the Chief of Staff , and some of them will even be approved in the coming days. The full investigations will be presented to the Chief of Staff upon completion, when the process is expected to be completed during the month of June, according to the operational assessment of the situation. In accordance with the assessment of the situation in the IDF, it was decided to temporarily delay the departure of the combat units. The IDF is at war and the issue of the deployment of forces is constantly being examined according to the need.

IDF spokesman , Brigadier General Daniel Hagari: "The directives of the Home Front Command remain unchanged. There is no need to buy generators, stockpile food and withdraw money from ATMs. As we have done until today, we will immediately update any changes if they are in an official and orderly manner."

For the past six months, we have been in a multi-arena war, on high alert in all arenas. We look at the threats and thwart them all the time in several arenas, and are highly prepared in defense and attack. We are constantly assessing the situation, at all times, taking every statement and every enemy seriously.

We strengthened the alertness of combat units as needed where needed, we strengthened the defense systems, and we have planes prepared for defense and ready to attack for a variety of scenarios. I emphasize that the IDF forces are well deployed in the defensive formations in all arenas and are ready for a variety of scenarios. We must not be complacent, but at the same time it is important for me to emphasize that there is no change in the directives of the Home Front Command as of this hour.

We will update you through the channels of the IDF spokesperson and if necessary I will come up here and speak to the public in an orderly and official manner, as we have done since the beginning of the war until now. Your responsible and exemplary conduct, citizens of the State of Israel on the home front since the beginning of the war, is what makes it possible to save lives. I urge you to continue to behave responsibly In accordance with the guidelines, we will update any changes.

My only recommendation is to be alert and responsible to follow if there are changes and act on the changes that's all. In the last day we proactively activated GPS jamming in order to neutralize threats. It sweats in neutralizing some of the threats, so we used their strength. We are aware that these disruptions cause discomfort, but it is an essential and necessary tool in our defense capabilities.

During the war, we faced a large variety of threats that were launched at the State of Israel, missiles such as UAVs and cruise missiles. They were launched from several arenas: from Yemen, from Syria, from Iraq, from Lebanon, and also from Gaza, by the way, most of them were produced by Iran. Ours, an army of countries deployed in the region and it also intercepts threats flying towards the State of Israel.

We have multiple layers of protection and we have planes in the sky around the clock for a long time. We are ready for all scenarios, it's been like this for almost six months. Preparation sharpeners need to be thickened and sharpened and that is exactly what we are doing. We continue to conduct the fighting responsibly and will continue to update you regularly and transparently on every development.

Questions and Answers:

Q: You are trying to reassure, but the head of the IDF's military intelligence, Major General Haliva, says today - "It is not certain that the worst is behind us", and this is after an event like Shiva in October. Explain the difference to us.

A: We are in a multi-arena war, and we are looking at all our enemies. Not only about Hamas in Gaza, and we are fighting in the north in other boats and defending in defense, and acting in attack and looking at the seas. These things were said in a forum within AMN, a closed forum, and it is good that we look both more broadly and more strictly at some of the scenarios and situations in order for us to be as we should be because we are still at war.

Q: The international pressure on Israel is increasing, President Biden as well as a number of other leaders are demanding the publication of the investigation into the harm to the aid workers. Why is it delayed?

A: Today we presented the investigation into the serious incident in which WCK members tragically died, a dedicated organization that came to do good, came to give food to those in need in Gaza, and also gave food to the citizens of the State of Israel after Shabbat in October. We investigated this in depth in the Joint Chiefs of Staff investigation mechanism, independently, by Major General (res.) Yoav Har Even. Yoav presented today, General Yoav Har Eben today presented the investigation to the Chief of Staff, it is now being presented to the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister, and I believe that after we show it to the ambassadors of the relevant countries, and to the members of the WCK organization, we will publish it to the public in a clear, clear, transparent manner and it will happen in the near future .

Q: What exactly did the head of AMN refer to in his words, is there a threat that has not been discussed, or are you preparing for a more difficult scenario than what we have heard so far?

A: I will respect that, we are in combat, in a war, we are looking at all the arenas and the words were said from a place that tells the IMN people to look broadly, look at all the arenas, look at the aggravating scenarios, this is what is expected of us in the organization - to look, identify and so on We need to address this matter, and if there is something to update the public in a concrete way, we undertake to update and also, we need to be prepared, we need to prepare and that is what we are doing now.

Operational Update - Gaza

The military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, said that the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip went through three stages, beginning with the strategic attack by the occupation army on the northern region of the Strip. During his military analysis for Al-Jazeera, Al-Falahi added that the second stage was entitled strategic balance, so that each party maintained its forces and capabilities, leading to the third stage, which he described as the most dangerous.

He pointed out that the third stage is dominated by exhaustion and attrition for each party, as the resistance tries to maintain its military capabilities and infrastructure due to the prolongation of the battle, as well as adapting to the coming period. He stated that the resistance is trying to exhaust the capabilities of the Israeli army in the areas it has penetrated, citing the bombing operations of the cover area and the use of mortar shells, as well as sniping operations and anti-tank missiles, concluding that it is trying to use all possible of these means to carry out specific operations that lead to clear losses.

On the other hand, the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip continues by land and air, in addition to limited incursions by the occupation army into areas in Gaza and then withdrawal from them in light of the decline in the number of forces and military vehicles. Al-Falahi stressed that successes are measured by the war goals declared by Israel , such as eliminating the capabilities of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), disarming it, killing its leaders, and gaining access to detained prisoners, pointing out that the occupation was unable to destroy the capabilities of the resistance despite the significant imbalance in the balance of power.

He stressed that it is not possible to talk about achieving Israeli operational and strategic successes, "but we can talk about tactical achievements that may be major, but they do not amount to the goals of the war." He believed that Israel is greatly depleted economically and there is a sharp political division within it, in addition to the destruction of the military machine and increasing threats to Israeli national security, adding that without American support, Israel would not have continued its war against Gaza.

Regarding the Israeli government’s insistence on going to Rafah , south of the Gaza Strip, the military expert explains that the perception of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is based on the necessity of moving forward as long as there are military options in order to destroy the resistance’s infrastructure and reach its leaders and prisoners. He asked, "Is the Netanyahu government considering concluding a prisoner exchange deal if it does not find anything in Rafah or achieve the goals it announced?" He stressed that going to Rafah means Netanyahu will continue as prime minister, while stopping the war means the end of his term, before continuing by saying that the Israeli Prime Minister’s options are few, especially with Washington’s reservations about Tel Aviv launching any military operation in Rafah.

The Israeli Army Chief of Staff decided to dismiss the Nahal District Commander and District Assistance Commander after the killing of 7 employees of the World Central Kitchen organization in the Gaza Strip on Monday. The Army Chief of Staff also reprimanded the commander of the Southern Region and the commanders of the 162nd Division and the Nahal Brigade, according to the Hebrew Channel 14.

Chef José Andres said during an interview with Reuters: “Even if we were not coordinating with the Israeli army, no democratic or military state could target civilians and humanitarian workers, especially when technology today allows you to know things in ways that were not possible some time ago.”

Israeli media reported that rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday towards the city of Sderot and the Israeli settlements in the Gaza envelope area , for the first time in 10 days. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that sirens were activated in the city of Sderot for the first time in 10 days. The newspaper said that rockets from Gaza targeted the Kissufim settlement, and added that two rockets were monitored from the northern Gaza Strip towards Sderot, where one was intercepted and the other fell in an open area outside the city. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to property as a result of the aforementioned targeting, according to the Hebrew newspaper.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that two rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards the southern city of Sderot, causing alarm and minor damage, according to municipal officials. The first rocket struck a road in Sderot, resulting in slight damage, while the second projectile was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, preventing further harm. Additionally, another rocket was fired towards the coastal city of Ashkelon but was successfully shot down by the IDF. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. There have been no reports of injuries resulting from the rocket strikes. The incident marked the third barrage of rockets targeting southern Israel today and the sixth within the past 26 hours, signaling a concerning escalation in hostilities.

In the center of the Gaza Strip, the Nahal TDF fighters identified a squad of armed terrorists operating within a terrorist infrastructure located near the fighters. In the last week, the Northern Brigade in the Gaza Division worked with the fighters of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion in a targeted manner to destroy terrorist infrastructure and thwart the enemy in the Beit Hanon area in the northern Gaza Strip.

The forces of the brigade followed the terrorists. After certain identification of the terrorists in the area, a fighter plane and another aircraft of the Air Force attacked the squad and eliminated it. A few minutes later, the fighter jet attacked the terrorist infrastructure where the terrorists were operating.

In the El Amal area, the fighters of the commando formation's combat team eliminated a number of terrorists and located weapons in the last day. The forces of the 7th Israel Defense Forces continued to operate in the Abbasani area, in the last day the forces destroyed terrorist infrastructures and eliminated terrorists by firing tanks.

In addition, Air Force aircraft attacked during the last day terrorist targets of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, including launching points and terrorist infrastructures. Also, last night (Wednesday) a number of launches were detected that crossed the territory of the Gaza Strip into the surrounding area. The Southern Command together with Air Force forces attacked the sources of the fire alongside a number of launchers and other terrorist infrastructures in the Gaza Strip.

Israel Defense Forces units have left the Al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza after two weeks of siege and raids. Despite the encirclement, assault and capture of the complex back in November , the IDF soon announced the return of militants to the hospital area and decided to clear the complex of medical buildings, an extensive network of tunnels under the complex, the destruction of which was completed in early January , as well as the surrounding neighborhoods. According to an IDF spokesman, about 900 people were detained during the raids, more than 500 of whom turned out to be members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or collaborated with them. It was also stated that about 200 militants were killed, including representatives of junior command staff.

The Shayetet-13 and Duvdevan special forces, reconnaissance of the 933rd Nahal Infantry Brigade, units of the 84th Givati Infantry Brigade and the 401st HaBarzel Armored Brigade were involved in the operation to clear Al-Shifa. , as well as sappers. The operation was commanded by the headquarters of the 162nd Armored Division "Ha-Plada" together with the Shin Bet intelligence service. Special forces teams also discovered caches of weapons and cash worth $3 million on the territory of the complex .

After the military left the complex, medical teams are engaged in extracting bodies; at the moment, according to Gaza Civil Defense, the bodies of 300 people have been found . According to the service, there could have been up to 3,000 people in the complex at the time the operation began.

The repercussions of the killing of seven workers at the American charity World Central Kitchen as a result of an Israeli strike in Gaza are still escalating in light of reports and statements about the Israelis “deliberately” targeting the cars carrying them, which Israel denies. In statements he made to Reuters on Wednesday, the organization's founder, famous chef José Andrés, said that the Israeli attack that killed the employees targeted them "systematically, one vehicle after another." He added that the organization was in clear contact with the Israeli army, which was aware of the movements of its employees and the location of the convoy. Andres said the aid convoy was likely subjected to more than three strikes. He rejected Israeli and American assertions that the strike was not intentional.

Aid workers were killed when their convoy was bombed shortly after they were supervising the unloading of 100 tons of food brought into Gaza by sea. The Israeli army expressed its "deep regret" over the matter, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as unintentional. Citizens of Australia, Britain, the United States and Poland were among the dead.

Commenting on what happened, Larry Korb, chief researcher at the Center for American Progress, believes that the incident may have resulted from a “climate” prevailing among the Israeli forces during the war in Gaza. Korb tells Al-Hurra website, “What happened is that the Israelis told their forces in the field, when in doubt, take decisive action, instead of asking them to investigate further when there is doubt about a target.” Korb, who previously served as US Assistant Secretary of Defense, adds that the Israelis "created a climate within their forces in this context because so far they have struck many civilian targets and nothing has happened."

Korb continues, "I am not saying that they intentionally bombed. I will give the people who were flying the plane the benefit of the doubt, and I believe that what happened was simply not their fault." Korb blames the people leading the war, saying, "Senior leaders in the Israeli army and civilian officials have created a climate in which if there is any doubt, target it instead of being cautious and asking whether the target is legitimate or not."

Netanyahu admitted that the Israeli army “unintentionally” killed seven aid workers in an air strike on the Gaza Strip. US President Joe Biden strongly criticized Israel for the air strike that resulted in the killing of World Central Kitchen activists, expressing his feeling of "anger and sadness." Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff, General Herzi Halevy, said that the strike was “a grave mistake that should not have happened,” speaking of a “misidentification of people” in “extremely complex circumstances.”

Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister, also described the incident as "tragic and unfortunate," stressing that it "was not intentional." Gendelman told Al-Hurra website that what happened was “a big and painful mistake,” adding that “Israel has not and will not target employees of humanitarian organizations that work in the Gaza Strip and play an important role in helping civilians there.” Gendelman stressed that the Israeli authorities are working to "examine the circumstances of the incident comprehensively and fundamentally."

The Israeli spokesman stressed that his country will share the results of the investigation with the World Central Kitchen Organization and with the countries concerned, and that it will “do everything to ensure that this tragic incident is not repeated.”

Since the beginning of the war on October 7, many non-governmental organizations working in Gaza have confirmed that their employees and sites were subjected to Israeli bombing. 196 aid workers, including 175 from the United Nations, have been killed since the beginning of the war, according to its Secretary-General António Guterres. In addition to human casualties and destruction, the war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged Strip, where only a small amount of humanitarian aid enters, which is subject to strict Israeli control.

Given the difficulty of delivering aid via land, a sea corridor was established, as well as airdrops of aid. But many countries and humanitarian organizations consider the land route to be the best way to deliver the massive aid that the population needs. Larry Korb hopes that Israel has "learned its lesson" after the incident of targeting aid workers "and will not repeat the mistake" in the future. He expressed his belief that what happened would reflect negatively on efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. He continued, saying: "It will be very difficult for volunteers to go do this when they think they are doing something that is in the public interest of the Palestinians, and they end up dying." He concluded by saying: "These people have families and their work is wonderful. They are volunteers and do not get money for it."

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

The security forces arrested 20 wanted persons throughout the Iosh and in the Bekaa and Emekim division. In a counter-terrorism operation in the Jenin region of the Menashe Brigade, the IOSH police officers arrested a wanted man, and after he tried to escape, the forces fired at him and neutralized him. The fighters arrested two wanted men, located and confiscated an M-16 assault rifle and a gun. During the same activity, the intervening IOS forces spotted a terrorist who threw an explosive device at the forces. The fighters fired at him and neutralized him.

In a battalion operation in the Zaatra area of the Etzion Brigade, the forces arrested two wanted persons and interrogated many suspects. The fighters located and confiscated two guns and another weapon. In the Bidu area of the Binyamin Brigade, the soldiers arrested a wanted man and interrogated many suspects, in Beit Ijaza in the division of the brigade, the IDF soldiers located and confiscated weapons.

In the Kalkilia area of the Ephraim Brigade, the fighters located and confiscated many weapons including weapons and explosives. 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 Israeli forces.

In Jenin, local sources reported that a special Israeli force infiltrated the town of Ya'bad and surrounded Al-Qaniri's house, where armed clashes took place during which the persecutor Al-Qaniri confronted the invading force before announcing his martyrdom. The Palestinian Information Center indicated that the occupation forces arrested 3 young men from the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, and photographed the homes of a number of martyrs, including the home of the martyr Ahmed Ismail Zakarneh. Local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the town, arrested the young men Ahmed Nazzal, Silah Nazzal, and Amjad Al-Damoun, and also raided the house of the prisoner Yousef Abu Zeina.

Armed clashes broke out last night between resistance fighters and occupation forces during their storming of the city of Jenin and the town of Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank . The occupation forces also arrested the citizen Mustafa Jarrar and his son Mahmoud Jarrar after raiding their home in the town of Burqin, west of Jenin, and the young man Hussein Al-Hardan from his home in the Sabah Al-Khair suburb of Jenin.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces, reinforced by a large number of military vehicles and bulldozers, stormed Jenin from Nablus and Haifa Streets. The resistance fighters confronted them, fired bullets at them, and detonated a homemade explosive device with a bulldozer. As for Ramallah, the occupation forces arrested Aina Ghaidan, the sister of the martyr Ahmed Yassin Ghaidan, during their storming of the village of Qibya, after arresting his mother and two brothers yesterday. A young man was also injured by occupation bullets during the storming of Al-Amari camp in the city of Ramallah, while the occupation forces arrested Sheikh Taha Badran after storming his home in the camp.

In Bethlehem, the occupation forces stormed the young man, Ashraf Al-Sajdi, and the wounded Muhammad Shamroukh, during the storming of the Dheisha camp. The occupation forces stormed Nablus, carried out raids, and arrested the two brothers, Khader and Moatasem Abu Al-Saud, during their storming of their house in Rafidia. In Qalqilya, the occupation forces arrested the freed prisoner Munther Al-Aqra' after storming his home in the city of Qalqilya, and the boy Younis Hourani after storming his home in the Al-Naqar neighborhood. The occupation forces also arrested the two brothers Moaz and Khaled Raed Al-Naim during the occupation’s storming of the city of Tubas this morning.

Operational Update - Lebanon

Fighter jets attacked terrorist infrastructures in the areas of Yaron, Einta, and Maron al-Ras in southern Lebanon. A number of launches were detected that crossed from Lebanese territory towards the areas of Batz and Shlomi, the IDF attacked the sources of the fire. During the night, Air Force fighter jets attacked Hizbullah observation posts in the Al-Hiyam area and the organization's terrorist infrastructure in the Kfar Kila area.

One of the latest manifestations of Israeli concern was the search for higher power in northern occupied Palestine and the request from cellular phone companies to provide backup power for cellular antennas in anticipation of escalation on the northern front. While the Ministry of Communications revealed that it would provide more than ten million dollars to support telecommunications companies in accomplishing this mission, the Israeli Minister of Communications, Shlomo Karhi, and the Ministry’s Director General, Inbal Mashash, announced that the war on the Northern Front may lead to a power outage for long periods and the failure of cell phone antennas, pointing out the necessity of continuing operations during critical situations. Emergency.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Galant, during his participation in examining the readiness of the home front in the Haifa area for scenarios of the outbreak of a comprehensive war, declared his preference for what he called the path of settlement and agreement that leads to the removal of the threat, claiming that he did not wish for a war in Lebanon and acknowledging that this war would be a difficult challenge for his entity and a disaster for Lebanon, according to His expression.

While Israel conceals its human and material losses on the northern front, the mass flight of settlers has turned into a main subject of debate inside Israel and the main element of pressure on the political and military institutions. In addition to the great influence of the Northern Front on Israel strategically, politically, economically, and socially, strategic changes began to take shape in terms of demographics, economic strength, and societal composition, whether in terms of the Israeli’s view of his self-worth, his connection to the land, or even the feasibility of confrontation and sacrifice to defend the borders of the Palestinian lands he occupies.

Since the eighth of last October, everything has turned upside down. Dozens of settlements have been evacuated, factories have been closed, workers have been laid off, and orchards and plains have been abandoned. Dozens of northern settlements submitted thousands of claims for serious damage to homes, infrastructure, shops, and entertainment facilities, as well as the main electricity cables and electricity supply lines to soldiers, with workers unable to repair the damage except at night or under fog.

The number of fighters who died in the ongoing war in southern Lebanon exceeded the number of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in the July 2006 war, despite the large difference between the nature of the two battles, as Hezbollah described the last battle as a “front of support and support” for the Gaza Strip. Gaza, while the 2006 war was an “open war” and extended to all Lebanese territories.

Hezbollah has been waging a battle against the Israeli army since October 8, in the rhythm of the Gaza war, and the operations remained confined to a geographical framework not exceeding seven kilometers on both sides of the border, with exceptions, as Israel often carries out strikes in areas further across the border. The Air Force carried out direct attacks on cars and buildings in the Bekaa (eastern Lebanon), the Chouf Coast, and the southern suburb of Beirut.

The number of fighters killed on the Lebanese front rose to 279 fighters who died in southern and eastern Lebanon as a result of Israeli strikes and direct and indirect targets. Muhammad Shams al-Din, a researcher at the Information International, told Asharq Al-Awsat that they are divided into 260 fighters called “Hezbollah,” 14 fighters called the “Amal Movement,” three fighters called the “Islamic Group,” and a fighter called the “Syrian Social Nationalist Party.” », In addition to a soldier in the Lebanese army, who was mourned by the army.

Estimates from those familiar with Hezbollah’s atmosphere indicate that the number of fighters killed in the 2006 July War is approximately 250 fighters, and did not exceed this number, while the number of fighters was approximately The dead Lebanese civilians, the 1,200 civilians.

Shams al-Din explains that in the last war, Hezbollah announces all the fighters and mourns them as “martyrs on the road to Jerusalem.” The obituary statement includes the name, military title, age, photo, and the town from which he hails... As for the July War, this was not included. The procedure included all other fighters, as only 65 fighters were officially announced at that time, whose dates of birth and other details were announced. Shams al-Din confirms that the number today exceeds the number of deaths announced in the July War and the estimates related to it. At the same time, he stresses the need to take into account that the July war “lasted 33 days,” while this war has been going on for about 6 months, which definitely contributes to raising the death toll.

In this war, Israel is using most of the weapons that it previously used in the July War, such as air strikes and artillery shelling, which led to great destruction in the border area, and it has been augmented by an advanced arsenal of precision missiles, guided bombs, and ammunition launched by very advanced drones that pursue fighters in the field. But Israel did not conduct a land incursion, as happened in the July War, nor did it use bombing from the sea, as in 2006.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati saidy that his country requested urgent assistance from United Nations organizations and donor and concerned countries to confront the repercussions of the massive destruction resulting from Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon. Mikati explained during a government session that the Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon claimed the lives of 313 individuals, while about a thousand people were injured and about 100,000 were displaced from their homes. He pointed out that the agricultural sector is witnessing a “major disaster” with 800 hectares completely damaged as a result of the Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, pointing out that about 75 percent of farmers have lost their source of income.

Before the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” there were unsigned and unwritten rules of engagement and agreements between Israel and Hezbollah, following the 2006 war and the issuance of Resolution 1701, says political analyst and writer Ali Hamadeh. According to Hamadeh, it prompted a long truce and stability on the border, which contributed to encouraging the residents of southern Lebanon and northern Israel to rebuild cities and villages and establish tourism, industrial, service, and agricultural projects, “on the basis that the balance of terror between the two sides will prevent the outbreak of war again.” However, after October 7, the implicitly agreed-upon rules of engagement were reversed, and “southern Lebanon moved to the stage of engagement and support announced by Hezbollah.” Hamada says, "There is a fundamental change in the status of the borders, which have become inflamed."

For his part, political analyst and writer Hussein Ayoub enumerates the most prominent unprecedented transformations in the border scene since the establishment of the Hebrew state. Ayoub says, “For the first time, there is an Arab faction (Hezbollah) in the position of attack and Israel in the position of self-defense. For the first time, an Israeli population bloc in the Upper, Middle, and Western Galilee is displaced to a second location. That is, the Israeli is not the only one who is displacing the peoples of Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine.” ".

He added, "For the first time, the Israeli economy has suffered losses in its sectors in the north, tourism, agriculture, industry, and services, as losses have accumulated and have been affecting the Israeli economy since October 7. For the first time, the Israeli soldier has retreated from his forward positions on a front extending 100 kilometers wide from Naqoura in the west to the Shebaa Farms in the east." After the party destroyed it with shells and missiles.” The same spokesman continues, "For the first time, the concept of a 'support front' has been devoted to a main fighting front in Gaza, and this model can be developed."

Successive wars between Hezbollah and Israel have proven that the variable is greater than the constant. According to Hussein Ayoub, “in the wake of the liberation of the south in 2000, Hezbollah decided to adapt its military and organizational structure on the basis of its pledge to carry out a capture operation that would lead to the release of the five Lebanese prisoners in Israeli prisons, the most prominent of whom is Samir Kuntar.”

When the operation was carried out on July 12, 2006, the party found itself not facing a local capture operation, but rather a war that lasted 33 days, from which it learned lessons, the most prominent of which, according to Ayoub, was “preparing for a ground war that will inevitably come, because Israel, defeated in the 2006 war, will try to restore the balance of terror and restore prestige and confidence.” With its army that prided itself on being invincible.”

In 2012, the party found itself in a war on the soil of Syria, according to Ayoub, which was the opposite of what it prepared for on the soil of the south. He says, "Hezbollah moved from secret Ansar guerrilla formations to regular formations, and fought on Syrian soil as an army." At that time, “the party’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, established the equation of the Upper Galilee in exchange for any Israeli threat to Lebanon.” Indeed, for 11 years, Hezbollah had been building up to that moment by establishing military units (elite units) similar to the “Radwan Division,” named after the party’s military official, Imad Mughniyeh al-Hajj Radwan, who was killed in Syria in 2008. But since the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” the division found itself in a long war of attrition and committed not to take the initiative to raise the ceiling of confrontation, after it had been trained doctrinally and militarily, according to Ayoub.

As for Ali Hamadeh, he finds that the party wants a busy war with controls that does not lead to a comprehensive war and takes into account Iran’s interests. While Israel, according to him, wants a ceasefire, and does not want a comprehensive war, but it is escalating in order to raise the price on Hezbollah.

There is a clear Israeli superiority in military and technological terms, and the persecutions and assassinations are the price that the party pays among its cadres and leadership, according to Ali Hamadeh. On the other hand, Hezbollah is characterized by the ability to endure, which prevents Israel from saying that it excelled and won.

However, Hamadeh states that Hezbollah has huge losses, and there is widespread destruction in the southern regions, but “the party’s internal front, within the exclusively Shiite environment, is relatively cohesive so far.” His internal front, among other environments, is incoherent, according to Hamada, and "he has a major problem with the various parties that reject the war of support, and it will worsen later with different political patterns." Hamadeh finds that Israel is waging an existential war and “is prepared to pay a higher price than it paid before the Al-Aqsa flood, and this is new to the issue.”

On the other hand, Hussein Ayoub finds that the Israelis have the ability to excel in air and intelligence warfare, while Hezbollah can excel with its missile system, as well as in any possible ground war.

Ali Hamadeh finds that negotiations faltering are a feature of the next stage. It is likely that Israel will not stop the war before ending the issue of Rafah and its surroundings, through an invasion or through gradual annexation, and maintaining the hit-and-run operations and incursions in order to undermine the Hamas movement. Therefore, Hamadeh believes that the south will not be a gateway to a settlement, even if the fighting stops by a decision from Hezbollah, because Israel’s border demands are not accepted by the party, and “the fear is that when crises prolong, they will slide toward the more dangerous.” The south is likely to be a gateway to expanding the war to a more violent level, rather than a comprehensive war.

As for those who favor an Israeli military strike on Lebanon, according to Hussein Ayoub, they rely on the following: The Israeli army is in a state of comprehensive mobilization that may push it towards completing the battle. The Israeli may have a harsher hand on the trigger, because the bulk of the Lebanese civilians in the border villages have been displaced, which eases the pressure on them in front of the Americans and Europeans. Israel is unable to reassure the settlers in the north to return, nor is it able to persuade the Jews of the world to come to it. Israel will not find a more Israeli president in Washington than Joe Biden.

But Ayoub does not agree that Israel wants to continue the battle if Hezbollah adheres to any truce or ceasefire in Gaza, and finds their fates interconnected, based on the following data: The idea that Netanyahu is out of his mind is inaccurate. The Israelis have thousands of pretexts for Hezbollah’s operations since last October 8, and were able to wage war without asking anyone’s permission. But "Netanyahu is a pragmatist, and he knows when to make a complete turnaround." The Israelis are expanding the scope of the field and targets, reaching the point of targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus, but it is estimated that more than 90% of its strikes are directed at specific targets.

Also, there is no American green light for the battle with Lebanon yet. If the issue of Gaza and the West Bank is Israeli, then the Lebanese file is primarily American, and the Israeli cannot make a decision on the scale of a battle with it without the American green light. Finally, the human, economic and military cost that Israel will pay from the Lebanon war will be high, given the precise missile range capable of targeting Israel from Kiryat to Eilat. More importantly and dangerously, Hezbollah is, in a sense, Iran’s “crown jewel” in the region. Neither Syria, Iraq, nor the Houthis will remain neutral if war is launched against Lebanon.

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

Iraqi resistance forces launched targeted drone attacks on a key Israeli airbase and the city of Ashdod in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Wednesday, stating their actions were in support of Palestinians enduring a "genocidal Israeli war."

Utilizing drones, the first strike hit the Ramat David Airbase, which is known as the northernmost outpost for Israeli warplanes and gunships, the resistance group announced. In a statement, the resistance emphasized that the attack aimed to support the people of Gaza and respond to "massacres" committed by Israel against Palestinian civilians, including children, women, and the elderly. The second attack targeted a "vital target" in Ashdod, also conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles, as part of what the resistance termed as "the second phase" of its pro-Palestinian operations against Israel.

The strike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus, established a new stage in the level of attacks attributed to Israel in the country, as it targeted an unusual target that killed officers and senior leaders, not members and agents. The strike resulted in the killing of 7 commanders and advisors, most notably the prominent Brigadier General of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, and his counterpart of the same rank, Hossein Aman Allahi.

According to experts and observers, it reflected a large degree of fear and a sense of danger, which prompted Israel to neutralize several targets within a sensitive diplomatic site and make a decision whose course was completely different from the decisions related to previous strikes.

Iran has a large presence inside Syria, and its first foothold in the country dates back to 2012, when it introduced many militias to support the Syrian regime and protect its president, Bashar al-Assad, from falling. Over the past years, it has penetrated militarily into various parts of Syria and its various areas, and many of its leaders were touring the country’s governorates, the most famous of whom was Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in an American strike near Baghdad airport.

After it fought most of the battles against the opposition factions and skewed the field in favor of Assad, in addition to the support provided by Russia, it recently moved to the stage of deployment and stabilization. However, despite its penetration and success in supporting Assad, it faced an ongoing threat for years, represented by air and missile strikes, which Israel did not stop implementing.

While these strikes initially focused on weapons and ammunition depots and the headquarters of agents and militia leaders, they took a different escalatory turn after the war in Gaza. After the war, Israel began "harvesting the heads" of senior members of the Revolutionary Guard inside residential apartments in Syrian cities, and a few days ago it developed to the point of targeting them inside a diplomatic headquarters.

What does Syria mean for Iran? What raises Israel's fears? Is the Iranian presence in Syria now managed by proxies or by the Iranians? What are the repercussions of the continuous strikes? The recent strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus refutes reports that reported months ago that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was reducing its presence in Syria. On the other hand, it proves that the decision related to the Iranian presence is managed by senior leaders, not ordinary leaders, as observers who spoke to the Al-Hurra website indicate.

Iran is spreading in eastern Syria, where Deir ez-Zor Governorate is, and the map of Israeli targets reveals the expansion of its influence to Damascus and its countryside, Aleppo in the north and Homs in the center of the country, in addition to the Daraa and Quneitra governorates in the south.

The Syrian researcher at the Omran Center for Strategic Studies, Nawar Shaaban, believes that “the Revolutionary Guard is the large umbrella for the Iranians in Syria, from a military and security perspective.” He told Al-Hurra website, “Iran’s presence and expansion in Syria and its ability to withstand American and Israeli strikes confirm that the Revolutionary Guard system includes many military and security formations.”

“The security presence in the post-war period is the most important in terms of ensuring continuity,” the Syrian researcher adds. He points out that the basis of Iran's presence in the country now is "security based on penetrating security systems and creating opportunities to penetrate social components." The presence is no longer limited to the Revolutionary Guards only, but there are formations that “we know and do not know,” as the researcher put it. He continues: “The security and military legacy created the appropriate atmosphere for expansion and control economically and socially, leading to exploitation of this in the political aspect.”

Before the consulate strike, more than one attack was attributed to Israel that targeted residential apartments in Damascus and Homs in the center of the country, resulting in the killing of Iranian leaders from the Revolutionary Guard. The most prominent strikes targeted a residential building in the Mezzeh area and western villas, killing the Guards' intelligence official in Syria, Sadiq Omidzadeh, and 5 other leaders. Prominent leader Radhi Mousavi was also killed as a result of 3 missiles that targeted the building where he lived in the Sayyida Zeinab area in the countryside of the capital, Damascus.

However, with all these attacks and killings of senior leaders, there are no indications yet that the Iranian presence in Syria has diminished or that Tehran has even taken an idea of ??taking a step back, which is what the researcher, Wejdan Abdul Rahman, points out. The Iranian affairs specialist told Al-Hurra website: “Continuous peace operations to Syria confirm that Iran is still remaining and clinging to the country,” and that day after day it dominates the military and even political decisions of the Assad regime. Although the Syrian government knows that the Iranian presence is a threat to Syria's security and infrastructure, it cannot ask Iran to leave the country, the researcher adds.

Abdul Rahman points out that “the Iranian project in Syria is old, since the beginning of the Iranian revolution.” He explains that Iran seeks, through the slogan “exporting the revolution,” to achieve its strategic goal, which is to reach the Mediterranean. The goal can only be achieved by crossing through Iraq and then Syria and Lebanon, according to the researcher.

He added: "Syria is its main base, and therefore we see that the Iranian presence increases from time to time and does not diminish due to the strikes."

Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence officer, security expert and strategist, for his part, explains that the Iranian presence in Syria is part of “Iranian hegemony, also known as the “Shiite Crescent.” As part of this, the Iranian regime is expanding its influence and control in some Arab countries between Iran and the Mediterranean, namely Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. In this regard, “the Assad regime in Syria is considered the most important cornerstone of the Iranian master plan for the Shiite Crescent,” Melamed tells Al-Hurra website. He adds, "The issue of the land corridor is within this Iranian Shiite crescent, which ultimately aims to create a situation that makes Iran the superpower in the region." It also makes it “controlling the Arab countries (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon), while expanding its influence to Yemen, the Gaza Strip, and now in attempts to penetrate and infiltrate Jordan,” according to Melamed.

Over the past years, Israeli officials have always linked the Iranian presence in Syria to arms transfers to the Lebanese Hezbollah, via Syria. Their previous strikes, which targeted land and sea roads and ports. However, after the war in Gaza, the situation developed to the point of killing senior leaders, most of whom were responsible for transferring weapons, planning attacks, and supplying precision and missile weapons.

Abdul Rahman, a researcher specializing in Iranian affairs, explains that Iran is trying, through the “Shiite Crescent” project, to achieve two things: The first: pressure on Arab countries, which can now be seen in Jordan. Second: To have a presence to put pressure on Israel. Israel has been able to be present in more than one region around the Iranian geography, from northern Iraq to Azerbaijan all the way to the Arabian Gulf and Yemen. Today, it is present within the Fifth Fleet and builds relations with Arab countries.

Abdul Rahman explains that the above prompted Iran “to circumvent Israel and put pressure on it through the Mediterranean and its environs and through Bab al-Mandab.” He also continues that “there is an Israeli-Iranian competition,” and that “each party is trying to put pressure on its opponent.”

Israel is afraid of “Iran’s hegemonic vision,” says security expert Avi Melamed. It considers that "the Iranian regime is actively and complexly playing the card called liberating Palestine and defending the Palestinians," and is working to exploit it to expand its influence across the Middle East, especially in the Arab world. “By playing the resistance card and allegedly presenting itself as the spirit of this resistance camp, the mullahs’ regime was largely able to control Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Gaza,” according to the Israeli security expert. He added: "This is a very serious threat to Israel, because it is part of the plan of the Iranian mullahs' regime, or as we call it, the ring of fire."

The ring of fire is based on the militias supported by Iran: “Hezbollah” in Lebanon, the Iraqi, Afghan and Pakistani Shiite militias present in Syria, and “Hamas” and “Islamic Jihad” in Gaza, according to Melamed. He explains that it aims to "besiege Israel and completely erase its state by activating (the episode) at the same time." Therefore, Israel is constantly working in Syria and other places to intercept and dismantle this complete structure that the Iranian regime is trying to build, especially by attacking targets in Syria, according to the security expert.

This includes Iranian military targets, missile depots, Iranian leadership and senior Hezbollah figures in Lebanon and Syria. This explains the fact that “Israel has attacked hundreds of times in Syria in the past few years,” and will continue to do so “as needed in order to intercept the Iranian fire ring plan,” adds the Israeli security expert.

Operational Update - Yemen

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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

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Axis of Resistance

The President of the Iranian Republic, Mr. Ebrahim Raisi, said that it is unfortunate that the genocide in Gaza is being carried out with the support of the United States and some Western countries. This statement came during the breakfast banquet with the ambassadors of Islamic countries, where Mr. Raisi said: We have never witnessed brutal crimes against children and women in history as we see in Gaza . He added, "Israel's attack on our consulate in Syria and its continued crimes in Gaza are evidence of failure and defeat, not evidence of strength . "

He continued, saying: "The Zionist entity has not yet achieved its goals in the face of a resistance force that has nothing but a steel will . " Pointing out that "America is the unjust supporter of Israel, and the world today hates them more than before." Mr. Raisi stated: “We loudly defend the resistance movement in the region and in all Islamic countries . ” He stressed, "The whole world denounces the Zionist entity and is alienated from it and the United States, which supports it." Stressing that "the Zionist entity has not achieved any of its goals and is facing defeat in the face of the resistance."

The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces confirmed in a statement that the Zionists will pay a heavy price after the Damascus crime. The General Staff added in its statement on the occasion of International Jerusalem Day that this day is a shining point in the extent of the interest of the Islamic nation and human society in the Palestinian issue , and is part of the great pride of the Iranian people in providing support to the oppressed Palestinian people.

It continued that the Zionist entity's exposure to humiliation highlighted its barbaric nature and that it killed thousands of children, women and ordinary people with the support and weapons of the Americans. It is unfortunate that the European and Arab governments have remained completely silent regarding this genocide, but the peoples of the world support the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza, and thanks to God and coordination between resistance groups in the region, if the sincere promise of the Imams of the Islamic Revolution regarding the demise of the Zionists and the liberation of the Palestinian people and the Al-Aqsa Mosque will be fulfilled, the oppressed will witness it. The world will soon celebrate the victory of the Islamic resistance.

It stressed that the cowardly and terrorist act of the Zionists in violating international norms and laws, including targeting the consulate building of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus and the martyrdom of a number of Iranian diplomats and military advisors, is an indication of the inability and shame of the enemy, and without a doubt, they will pay a greater and heavy price for this heinous crime.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces called on the Iranian people, as well as the free peoples and those calling for justice and against injustice in the world, to participate extensively in the International Jerusalem Day marches and announced that it would be a strong supporter and supporter of the Peaceful Resistance Front and those calling for the right to form a new world order without the Zionist virus.

The military spokesman for the "Jerusalem Brigades", the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, "Abu Hamza", warned, saying that Jerusalem "unified the squares this year," so beware of "harming Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, for it will ignite the region." Abu Hamza stressed , "The resistance will continue to support the support fronts to confront the Israeli occupation in all battle axes, in response to the Israeli aggression against civilians."

Abu Hamza said in his speech on the occasion of International Jerusalem Day , “What is happening in the field confirms that the resistance factions continue to fight the battle of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” with full determination at the military, security and popular levels. He pointed out that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip requires us to stand up to our responsibilities to shed blood in the face of the Zionist-American arsenal,” stressing that “the resistance continues to repel the aggression in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon, and its field presence means that it rejects the occupation and will continue the battle on the basis of the unity of the battlefields.”

He also continued, "With the support of the support fronts, we continue to confront the Israeli occupation in all combat axes, in response to the Israeli aggression against civilians." Abu Hamza also saluted from the heart of the battle to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hezbollah in Iraq, proud Yemen, Arabized Syria, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also saluted the masses who came out in Jordan in support of the Gaza Strip, stressing that their voices were echoed in Gaza. He pointed out that "the pure blood in Palestine has begun to blossom from Jordan to Tunisia, Bahrain and others," adding: "We promise you victory and that the steadfastness of the Palestinian people will be a model for all the peoples of the world." Abu Hamza confirmed that Palestine is living in a more sensitive and complex phase, “which requires us to stand up to our responsibilities,” saying that “the battle will not stop at Palestine’s geographical borders.” On the occasion of International Jerusalem Day, the military spokesman said in his speech on Thursday, “Jerusalem united the squares and raised fronts this year, and harming it and Al-Aqsa Mosque will ignite the region .”

He added: "Palestine is living through the most sensitive and complex phase, which requires us to stand up to our responsibilities and sacrifice blood in the face of the Zionist-American arsenal," calling on everyone today to "cooperate and stand together to support Gaza and Palestine ." He stressed that "what is happening in the field confirms that the resistance factions will continue the battle of Al-Aqsa Flood at the military, security and popular levels with determination and steadfastness ."

He explained: “With the support of the support fronts, we continue to respond in all areas of the fighting in response to the Israeli aggression against civilians .” He pointed out that "the resistance continues to repel the aggression in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon ."

Abu Hamza saluted "Hezbollah" in Lebanon, and the resistance in Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Iran, as well as "he saluted the masses who came out in Jordan in support of the Gaza Strip," stressing that "the echo of their voices is heard in Gaza ." He pointed out that "the pure blood in Palestine has begun to blossom from Jordan to Tunisia, Bahrain and others," adding: "We promise you victory and that the steadfastness of the Palestinian people will be a model for all the peoples of the world ."

The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Osama Hamdan, denounced the occupation’s crimes at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the official international silence regarding the storming of the complex, its destruction, its siege, the killing of those inside it, and the abuse of medical staff, adding, “This surprising silence makes us wonder how this world, with all its laws, treaties, and justice system, coexists with a corrupt, rogue entity.” He tramples on all laws, and acts as if he is above accountability and accountability?

Hamdan stressed that the continued silence and international inability towards these massacres constitutes a green light to commit more massacres, and that targeting a convoy of workers in the World Central Kitchen organization only reinforces that this entity is devoid of all human values, stressing the need to take urgent and immediate measures to deter and curb the aggression. His terror and trial.

Hamdan pointed to what was revealed by Israeli and international media about systematic violations and cruel torture methods committed against Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip, which represent a war crime added to the series of sadistic crimes carried out by the occupation army, holding the occupation fully responsible for the lives and safety of thousands of kidnapped and detainees who are subjected to the worst types of crimes. Torture and retaliatory abuse. He also held the US administration and its President Biden politically, legally, morally and humanitarianly responsible for war crimes, which he stressed would not be held accountable for its full support and partnership with the occupation in the crime of genocide, by supporting the occupation politically and diplomatically and supplying it with endless bridges of weapons, bombs, equipment and ammunition.

Hamdan warned against all suspicious and despicable plans seeking to spread confusion and sow discord among the people of one people, praising the extent of awareness, vigilance and national responsibility among all components of national, factional and tribal action in promoting unity and cohesion in confronting the occupation. Hamdan mentioned the martyrdom of 138 journalists in this barbaric war, pointing out that the occupation’s continued prevention of international media access to the Gaza Strip is an attempt to prevent media coverage of its crimes and massacres over a period of 6 months. He called for breaking the international silence and putting pressure on the occupation to enter the media to prevent more crimes from being committed away from the eyes of the media and witnesses to the genocidal war.

Hamdan appreciated "the positions of the Yemeni armed forces, the Lebanese resistance, and the Iraqi resistance factions regarding the operations targeting the Zionist entity and its interests, in support of our people and in support of our valiant resistance." He praised the heroic operations in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, considering them a natural response to the crimes of the occupation, support for Gaza and its resistance in the Gaza Strip, and an affirmation of the cohesion and unity of our people around the choice of resistance as a path to liberation and return. He called on the masses of our Palestinian people in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the occupied interior to continue their bond, travel, and seclude themselves in Al-Aqsa Mosque, “and let the last Friday of the blessed month of Ramadan, which coincides with International Jerusalem Day, be a field of victory for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.”

The Hamas leader praised the global youth movement and calls for a Friday of Rage for Palestine, and the rally in front of the American and Israeli embassies, in rejection of the aggression, calling for active and massive participation in these events tomorrow, Friday, and in the coming days. He also called on the masses of our Arab and Islamic nation and the free people in all the world, “to rise up against the American administration that supports the occupation, and to escalate their movement and intensify their pressure on the Zionist entity and its supporters, in support of Gaza.”

Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, confirmed that the party is not dragging Lebanon into war, but rather Israel is dragging the entire region into wars. Qassem said at a memorial ceremony in Beirut: “We are not dragging Lebanon into war. On the contrary, Israel is the one that is dragging the region into wars and problems. America is the one that is dragging the region into wars and problems. We are in a position of defense, in a position of confrontation, and in a position of preventing this arrogance and this.” occupation to achieve their goals.

He added: “There is a ceiling for confrontation with the Israeli enemy that we have drawn with our will and conviction. It is a ceiling that is proportional to the requirements of confrontation and battle at this stage, and this ceiling is linked to the extent of the aggression. If the enemy expands, we expand, and if he does not expand, this ceiling remains as it is, and there is no retreat for us from this.” "Confrontation until a solution is reached by stopping the aggression against Gaza."

The leader of the revolution, Mr. Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, affirmed Yemen’s official and popular steadfastness in its religious, principled, humanitarian, and moral faith position in supporting the Palestinian people and standing by them militarily and in all possible ways in various fields. Mr. Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, in his speech this evening on the occasion of International Jerusalem Day, and the latest developments and developments, called on the people of the nation in the Arab and Islamic countries to feel responsible and interested in the Palestinian issue and to actually contribute to supporting the Palestinian people and to strive practically to confront the enemies based on awareness of the nature of the conflict and the fields of confrontation.

He urged action to spread awareness and boycott American and Israeli goods and products, consolidate hostility, expose enemy conspiracies and beware of them. The leader of the revolution renewed the call for the Yemeni people to go out on a massive million-man protest tomorrow, Friday, in the squares of the capital, Sana’a, and the governorates, which combines his weekly million-man outing, which is part of his jihad and his position in supporting the Palestinian people, with the occasion of International Jerusalem Day, the importance of which is due to the importance of the issue and the position, which is part of it. One of our religious and faith obligations.

He said, "Coming out in the face of what is happening to the Palestinian people and expressing the position should be one of the fruits of fasting the blessed month of Ramadan and one of the results of the piety and response to God Almighty that we gained from it." Mr. Leader pointed out that the occasion of International Jerusalem Day 1445 AH comes in an exceptional situation that differs from the circumstances in which the occasion occurred during previous years. He stated that the Israeli enemy has been committing genocide crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied territories for half a year, and the Zionist enemy entity seeks to turn the Gaza Strip into an unlivable area through comprehensive destruction and destruction of crops and livestock.

He said, "What the Zionist enemy did in Al-Shifa Medical Complex is one of the most horrific crimes of genocide," indicating that the enemy uses the method of providing scarce, scarce aid as a means to kill the Palestinians. He added, "What America and some of its agents are dropping in the name of aid on the Palestinian people is killing some of them, and the position of the governments of foreign aid workers has been tolerant towards the Israeli enemy."

The Leader of the Revolution confirmed that the Americans were involved in genocide crimes in various forms, using weapons, experts, and information, while the Americans continue to support the Israeli enemy and share with it the criminal tendency to exterminate the Palestinian people. He continued, "This week, the American announced shipments of new American weapons and equipment to support the Israeli enemy worth billions of dollars. Entire residential squares are being wiped out and the civilian population is being destroyed with the latest weapons in America's stockpile."

He pointed out that the American media confirms that Israel has received the largest American military aid since World War II, noting that the announced deals represent only a small part of the total that America provides to the criminal Israeli enemy. He said, "American hypocrisy is exposed, and an American senator said that it is not possible to beg Netanyahu to stop bombing civilians and the next day we send him thousands of bombs." The leader of the revolution reiterated that the Al-Qassam Brigades, along with the rest of the factions, are inflicting heavy losses on the Israeli enemy on all fronts of the fighting, while missile barrages carried out by the Al-Quds Brigades continue, surprising the Israeli enemy and strengthening the disappointment of its so-called army.

He considered the steadfastness and steadfastness of the Mujahideen in Gaza under very difficult circumstances to be a great steadfastness and steadfastness and a failure and a failure for the Zionist enemy, explaining that steadfastness within a limited geographical scope in Gaza upon which the enemy poured tens of thousands of tons is unprecedented in the history of the Palestinian people, and there is great concern among the Israeli enemy regarding their steadfastness and steadfastness. The Palestinian people and the Mujahideen in Gaza.

The leader of the revolution explained that stability and cohesion in Gaza heralds a new phase in which the Israeli enemy is heading toward disappearance, God Almighty willing. He also confirmed that the support fronts that support the Palestinian people and their mujahideen are continuing their operations on the basis of arranging for escalation... pointing out that Hezbollah continues its effective and effective operations on the Lebanon front in its direct front with the Israeli enemy, while Iraq has returned to escalating its operations again to target the Israeli enemy into Palestine. Occupied.

He went on to say, "Our front in Yemen continues military operations in the Red and Arab Bahrain, all the way to the Indian Ocean, and bombing operations against targets belonging to the Israeli enemy as far as Umm al-Rashrash in the south of occupied Palestine continue." He stated that the Yemeni operations in just a month amounted to 34 operations carried out with 125 ballistic and winged missiles and drones, and the total number of ships targeted reached 90 ships, amid American and British admission of their complete inability to stop the attacks, with the American and British admitting their inability to stop the Yemeni attacks and expressing their admiration for the advanced military capabilities.

Mr. Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi pointed out that the American-British aggression against Yemen continued in support of the Israeli enemy and to protect its crimes in the Gaza Strip. As it approached the completion of three months, the aggression carried out 424 raids and naval bombardments, during which 37 martyrs and 30 were wounded. He said, “We count the martyrs in For the sake of God Almighty, and in a great honorable position in the battle of “the promised conquest and holy jihad.”

He reiterated the failure of the enemies and their failure to prevent or limit operations, and the results achieved by the Yemeni armed forces are important, and despite the enemies’ attempts at camouflage and targeting, they failed. He described the demonstrations and marches. The events and various activities are distinct from all Arab and Islamic countries and peoples, and there were more marches last week than in previous weeks and expanded to additional areas.

The leader of the revolution pointed out that the importance of International Jerusalem Day becomes more clear with the current developments and the Israeli aggression with its barbarism and brutality, and its terrible crime against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Gaza, considering International Al-Quds Day an occasion aimed at raising awareness among the nation and reviving the sense of responsibility towards the Palestinian issue. He stressed that the Palestinian issue does not accept compromise because at its head is the Noble Al-Aqsa Mosque and the oppressed Palestinian Muslim people, who are part of the nation, have been suffering from Israeli criminality since Decades... stressing that the Zionist-Jewish enemy is an enemy of the entire nation.

He said, “If it had not been for the jihad of the Palestinian people and the resistance in Lebanon, the situation of other Arab countries, especially those neighboring Palestine, would have been different from what it is,” stressing the nation’s need to be reminded of its religious responsibility towards the Palestinian issue in exchange for efforts to ignore and distract from it. Mr. Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi recalled the absence of the Palestinian issue in school curricula, religious discourse, and cultural and awareness-raising activities, stressing that this issue has imposed itself once again through the efforts and sacrifice of the Palestinian people and their mujahideen, and on the other hand, there are persistent attempts on the part of the enemies to present a false image that covers the ugly face. To the Israeli enemy, and that it is possible to enter into peace and normal relations with this enemy.

He expressed his regret at the attempt of some Arab regimes to distort the Palestinian position as well as the position of the Mujahideen, and to portray the Palestinian position as if it were creating problems for the sake of Iran. He talked about the enemies' attempts to distort any position in support of Palestine, including the Iranian position, which was distorted even though it is a praiseworthy Islamic position within the framework of faith and religious responsibility, in addition to very intense campaigns to shift the compass of hostility from the real enemy of the nation, the Israeli enemy, under sectarian seditious headlines.

The leader of the revolution pointed out that the Takfiri formations turned with all hatred and criminality to try to create rivalry between the Muslim peoples, destroy the nation from within, distort Islam, and exterminate those who are hostile to the Israeli enemy. He pointed out that a comparison should be made between the interest of the enemies in supporting and supporting the Israeli enemy and the extent of the interest of the Arab and Islamic countries in supporting and supporting the enemy. Palestinian people.

He stated that America, with all its capabilities, moved politically, medially, and militarily at all levels, with open support, and organized an air and sea bridge... explaining that the American-British and Western action was in exchange for a one-day operation that they felt was dangerous to the Israeli enemy. He pointed out that the Palestinian people have been subjected to genocide crimes for more than 75 years, and the Arab and Islamic regimes and governments ignored them and did not move in the same way as the enemies did, despite one day of their feeling of danger to the Israeli enemy.

He considered starving two million Palestinians to be one of the horrific crimes that should greatly push the Arab and Islamic countries to take action, asking, “Where are the major Arab countries in exchange for those moving with the Israeli enemy? And the Arab embrace that we heard about at the beginning of the aggression against Yemen nine years ago, where is it?” ". He stated that negligence has reached the point of watching the starvation of the Palestinian people and not providing food while they provide the Israeli enemy with weapons... adding, “What is most regrettable is that there is information about the complicity of some Arab countries and their encouragement of the Israeli enemy, and their provision in one way or another of aid or goods to the Israeli enemy.”

The leader of the revolution pointed out that the failure of most Islamic states and countries indicates the truly urgent need for awareness and a sense of responsibility, and the nation’s need for an awareness movement within its midst because the regimes are simply restricting major peoples from taking action. He asked, "When will there be jihad for the sake of God if you do not take action in the face of Zionist-Israeli tyranny and crime?" Pointing out that it is important for the nation to take the position of the Holy Qur’an, otherwise there will be no salvation for it. He warned against neglecting the Palestinian issue, considering this a neglect of principles, morals and values ??towards the instructions and orders of God Almighty, stressing that consolidating the Quranic view is what raises the level of awareness among the nation and protects it from the conspiracies of its enemies.

Mr. Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi explained that the enemy most hostile to the nation and the most dangerous to it are the Jews, which is what others are trying to eliminate from the nation’s mind, while there are those who want to transform the nation’s relationship with its enemy into that it is a friend and that it is possible to ally with it. He addressed the enemy’s conspiracies to stir up Takfirist sedition as part of their efforts to shift the compass of hostility to non-Jews, noting that the Israeli enemy, behind it, the Jewish lobby, is moving in America, Britain, and Europe to target the Islamic nation.

He said, "The Zionist movement is linked to the Jewish lobby, which is at the forefront of the anti-Muslim and anti-human movement, and the most important thing that Muslims should be aware of and have an awareness of is the nature of the conflict with the Israeli enemy, which is working to comprehensively target the nation." He stressed that the enemy of the nation seeks to penetrate it from within so that it becomes obedient to him in a way that facilitates the process of controlling it. He also seeks to falsify and distort religious concepts in a way that serves him and makes the nation subject to him... indicating that the enemy also seeks to spread corruption in everything to spread immoralities and vices in a way that makes it easier for him to target all values of chastity. Which preserves the nation, as well as stripping the people of the nation of the elements of moral strength in their faith.

He added, "The enemy seeks to strike the nation's economy so that it becomes either a consumer market or suffers from economic crises. It also seeks to strike its political and security stability, fuel strife and disputes, and provoke conflicts to tear the nation apart and disperse it. The danger to the nation lies in its heedlessness, stagnation, and disregard for what the enemy is doing and planning."

The leader of the revolution also stressed that the nation needs to be in a state of complete vigilance towards the enemy’s conspiracies and goals, to be aware of his conspiracies and plans, to be in a position of action and work to confront the enemy and his conspiracies in all fields, and to strive to be a strong nation. He added, "The nation is promised victory when it adheres to God, responds to Him, and embarks on its sacred and great tasks and responsibilities," noting that the Israeli enemy benefits from money from the proceeds of its goods in Arab and Muslim markets. He stressed the need for the nation to move within the framework of an ongoing practical project that corrects its situation and builds it to be at the level of confronting the enemy, indicating that the conflict with enemies turns into an incentive for the nation to build a distinctive Islamic civilization. He continued, "If the nation moves consciously toward its responsibility and the enemy's conspiracies, the consequences of the conflict will be decided in its favor," pointing out that the Israelis know the inevitability of their demise and were promised it even in the previous books of God and in the Holy Quran.

Mr. Abdul Malik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi warned of the consequences and consequences of the position of those who rush to pledge allegiance to the enemies of Islam, the Muslims, and the nation, and the loss and regret that God has threatened them with. He stressed that the fruit of the movement of the Mujahideen in Palestine and the fronts supporting it is a tangible result, although this movement is on a limited level, but it is in In contrast to the widespread state of failure. He explained that the result of the nation's failure, stagnation, and evasion of responsibility is the encouragement of the enemy against the nation to do to it what it did to the Palestinian people.

Allied for Democracy

President Biden spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza. President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable. He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.

He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home. The two leaders also discussed public Iranian threats against Israel and the Israeli people. President Biden made clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.

A report by the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" pointed to the growth of extremist ideas in the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and indicated that anti-government demonstrations may end with its overthrow. While expectations are rising that the escalating protests in Israel may lead to the overthrow of Netanyahu's government, the nationalists in power are planning to reoccupy Gaza, according to the newspaper.

A report by Foreign Policy magazine stated that no one, neither in Washington nor anywhere else, has yet reached a clear idea about the future of Gaza when the fighting there ends. “Everyone seems to agree that Israel’s reoccupation of Gaza is a bad idea,” the report said. “The Biden administration has already warned the Israeli government that it will not support such a return to military administration of the region.”

In its report published on Wednesday, Haaretz asked, “Who or what can stop them?” She said, "Most of the parties in Netanyahu's coalition believe in the right to control all of historic Palestine, and if they could, they would have crossed the Jordan River (east)." According to the same report, “Haredi urban sprawl” along the Green Line (the armistice demarcation line before the 1967 war) has blurred geographical differences. The newspaper also noted that the secular Likud Party “reshaped itself into the image of extreme nationalist religious parties.” She said, "There are religious ministers from the Likud Party who defend the exemption of the Haredim from conscription, and there are others who believe that the upcoming Gaza settlements will correct a historical injustice."

The report pointed out that one of the first measures taken by the government, in 2023, was to transfer the powers that were in the hands of the Israeli army in the West Bank, to the extreme right-wing minister, Bezalel Smotrich. The newspaper said that he sought "frantically" to employ bureaucratic mechanisms to consolidate permanent Israeli control there. On March 22, Smotrich, who holds the position of Finance Minister, announced that 800 hectares in the occupied West Bank were state land, in a move that would facilitate the allocation of these lands for building settlements.

The Palestinian authorities condemned this step, and the official presidential spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said, “The decisions of this extremist government will not succeed in imposing a fait accompli on the ground, and all settlements are illegal, and there will be no security or stability without the establishment of a Palestinian state free of settlements and settlers.” According to what was reported by Reuters.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli government is wavering due to the confrontation between the ruling coalition parties over the proposed legislation to recruit students from extremist Jewish religious schools. The Supreme Court ordered Haredi recruitment to begin urgently, and to freeze the funds of religious institutes that do not cooperate with recruitment. After 75 years of free education, the Haredi parties were severely shocked, leading to tremors in the government. This also sparked several protests.

The course taken by the war against Hamas in Gaza after the attack it launched on southern Israel on October 7th is being subjected to increasing criticism, while the killing of seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip on Monday in an Israeli raid sparked a wave of international discontent. Netanyahu, who heads the government and the Likud Party, is accused of being responsible for the security failures and intelligence defects that facilitated the unprecedented attack that occurred on October 7 and resulted in the deaths of 1,160 people in Israel, according to official Israeli figures.

In recent weeks, demonstrations against Netanyahu have doubled, and tens of thousands participated in them over the weekend, especially in Tel Aviv. Protesters believe that the deep political divisions resulting from the judicial reform carried out by the Prime Minister last year have weakened the country. During his trial in several corruption cases, his critics accused him of a conflict of interest and that he wanted to carry out this reform to escape his legal problems.

After his popularity has declined since October 7, Netanyahu has become politically and physically weak. He appeared pale and tired on Sunday evening, during a press conference held shortly before he underwent a hernia operation, and he also appeared paler when he left the hospital on Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse. In addition to opposition protests, Netanyahu must now face the wrath of the hostages' families.

In addition, relations between the US administration and Netanyahu are witnessing a remarkable crisis, as Washington opposes his plans in Rafah in particular. According to the Israeli newspaper, the American-Israeli crisis reached a breaking point last week, “while world public opinion is sliding towards Israel’s isolation, especially after the Israeli army killed seven workers from the international relief group World Central Kitchen.”

When US President Joe Biden said he felt “angry and sad” about the killing of seven aid workers at World Central Kitchen in Gaza, his strong language raised a natural question: Will this strike, even if it was a tragic mistake, lead him to... Put conditions on weapons sent to Israel? So far, the White House has remained silent on whether Biden's anger leads to a "point of separation" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he has had a "tense" interaction. The two are scheduled to speak on Thursday, according to a senior Biden administration official. According to a report by the New York Times.

In public, Biden has limited his responses to “more outraged statements than ever before.” Biden strongly criticized Israel for the airstrike that resulted in the killing of Global Central Kitchen activists, expressing his feeling of "anger and sadness." The White House acknowledged Biden's growing sense of frustration as a result of Israel's failure to protect aid workers and civilians, despite repeated appeals to Netanyahu.

“I think you can see the frustration in that statement that Biden made,” White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters. Biden insisted that launching a bombing campaign on the southern city of Rafah would be crossing a “red line,” without explaining the consequences. He stressed that the attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy is further evidence that Israel "did not do enough to protect aid workers," without specifying how its behavior should change.

For his part, Youssef Mounir, head of the Palestinian-Israeli program at the Arab Center in Washington, DC, said: “For me, the language of anger is notable because it is the farthest he has gone in his language, but it is also notable that he has only gone this far when it comes to Western aid workers.” Speaking to the New York Times, he added: “Of course it is outrageous, but we have seen this type of strike over and over again, and the White House does not seem angry about it.”

The White House said that Biden continues to support "Israel's right to defend itself" and his administration has no plans to limit arms shipments to the main US ally, according to Agence France-Presse. For his part, Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland and one of Biden's most ardent supporters, who has pushed for months to place conditions on weapons supplied by the United States, said: “I hope this is the moment when the president changes course.” He added: "Netanyahu ignored the president's requests, yet we send 2,000-pound bombs without any restrictions on their use." He continued: "We should not send bombs first and hope to get some guarantees later."

Conditions on how American weapons are used are usually acceptable, some imposed by Congress and others by the president or secretary of state. For example, Ukraine is not allowed to fire US-made weapons at Russia, and although it has generally complied, there is still debate within the administration over whether it could give Kiev more powerful missiles if Congress passes an aid package for it.

But Israel has always been “the exception,” and even when Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and majority leader, gave an impassioned speech urging new elections in Israel, he refused to call for gun restrictions. When pressed the next day, Mr. Schumer said he did not even want to discuss the topic.

There are other steps that Mr. Biden could demand. For example, the United States could insist that aid convoys be guarded by Israeli forces, or that nearby military units remain in constant contact with aid providers, an issue that two US senators raised to Netanyahu in February, they note. The New York Times". One of the participants said that the Prime Minister told one of his aides present at the meeting that he believed the problems surrounding safe passage for food and medicine had already been addressed. But he assured Senators Chris Coons of Delaware and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, both Democrats, that he would raise the issue with his military commanders.

The US President last spoke to the Israeli Prime Minister on March 18 to urge him "not to launch a ground attack on the southern city of Rafah." On the day of the raid, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a previously scheduled discussion with Israeli officials via secure video. Kirby said that the Americans urged the Israelis to develop a comprehensive plan to evacuate 1.5 million refugees in the Rafah area. He also said that talks would continue on "what Rafah looks like now and what their intentions are for operations against the Hamas brigades that are still there."

Officials familiar with those discussions revealed that “the United States still fears that the Israelis do not have a reliable plan for a comprehensive evacuation, a process they believe could take months,” according to the New York Times. But officials indicated that Netanyahu has not launched the Rafah attacks yet, perhaps because Israeli forces are not ready at all, or perhaps because of American pressure.

The relationship between Biden and Netanyahu became more tense. There were other moments during the 6-month war in the Gaza Strip, when the United States reached a dead end in dealing with the Israeli Prime Minister, and where declarations of common goals could not hide the fact that the two countries were deeply at odds over... How to manage war. The attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy, one of the most successful efforts to avert famine in Gaza, is likely to be a "breaking point" for Biden. But his aides say Biden has consistently refrained from publicly breaking with Netanyahu, a confrontation he believes will only make it more difficult to deal with the prime minister.

The result is that Biden has been criticized by the progressive wing of his party and “increasingly by moderates” for acting too cautiously and not wanting to be seen as limiting Israel’s ability to defend itself, the New York Times notes. In recent weeks, Biden has tried to separate his pressure campaign on Israel from his authority, if he chooses to use it, to limit the country's arms supply. Indeed, some veteran diplomats doubted that this would be the moment that changed Biden's approach, despite his strong words.

Daniel C. Kurtzer, former ambassador to Israel, said: “One would think that ‘outrage’ would translate into a strong political reaction, but so far that does not appear to be the case.” He added: "Despite Israeli apologies, this attack will significantly increase pressure on aid providers, and thus exacerbate the humanitarian crisis."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suddenly canceled his country's high-level delegation's trip to Washington, revealing the widening differences between the Israeli Prime Minister and the administration of US President Joe Biden, according to a report by the Washington Post.

Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers

• 75,668 Gazans injured, 28% adult male
• 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza
• 40,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble
• 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
• 33,037 Gazans martyred
• 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024]
• 15,000 rocket launched from Gaza
• 14,793 Israelis 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 needing psychological assistance
• 8,000 Gazans missing under the rubble
• 7,895 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th
• 6,800 IDF officers and soldiers injured [Channel 12]
• 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS]
• 5,500 IDF wounded [reports]
• 4,750 West Bank Palestinians wounded
• 3,484 administrative detainees
• 3,700 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.