Operation Iron Swords - Day 214 - 07 May 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

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

War Termination

The New York Times reported after Israel made a new, far-reaching offer late last month, Hamas promised to come back with a new offer, which eventually emerged. The NYT quotes anonymous sources who indicate that in its late-April proposal, Israel “virtually cut and pasted” language from a March Hamas proposal, in order to call the terror group’s bluff. It worked. Hamas’s rejection of Israel’s offer over the weekend “frustrated the intermediaries because it rejected some of the very language that it had previously proposed.”

Iran welcomed Hamas’ endorsement of an Egyptian-Qatari proposal for ceasefire in Gaza, saying it indicates the Palestinian resistance’s political savvy. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani welcomed the positive response by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas to the political plan presented to end the Zionist regime’s onslaught on the Gaza Strip. He said the resistance movement's political intelligence was another manifestation of its power in the battlefield. “The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the plan presented for the restoration of the Palestinian people’s rights, including the immediate and permanent cessation of the Zionist regime’s attacks and crimes, removing the oppressive blockade on the Gaza Strip, releasing Palestinian prisoners, the complete and unconditional pullout of the Israeli occupying forces from the Gaza Strip, and reconstruction of ruins of the war,” he added.

"Netanyahu is obviously reluctant to accept Hamas' peace negotiations… largely because his political career would be in serious difficulty once the war ends. And therefore, if he ends the war, he will be in difficulty," Mehran Kamrava, Professor of Government at Georgetown University Qatar, told Sputnik. Axios reported that Tel Aviv was not satisfied with the hostage deal with Hamas and accused the US of not informing it about the latest Qatari and Egyptian proposals. A senior US official retorted that "American diplomats have been engaged with Israeli counterparts. There have been no surprises." Kamrava warned that the Israeli offensive carries the risk of exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. "The Israelis have indeed actually told the Palestinians that they need to move into an area that is uninhabitable. It's been absolutely, completely destroyed. There's no shelter, there's no housing there," he said. "And so it doesn't seem like they really are in any mood to think about humanitarian issues when it comes to the Palestinians."

While the Israeli attack in Gaza continues amid warnings of famine in the Strip, press reports talk about a new plan that includes sharing supervision of Gaza between Israel and a coalition of Arab countries, in exchange for normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, according to the American newspaper The New York Times. This plan indicates a shift in Israel's declared position, as it was insisting on eliminating Hamas before any discussion about the future of the Strip, including through a military operation in Rafah, which began to loom on the horizon, Monday, with the Israeli army announcing a "surprise attack." On the east of the city adjacent to the border with Egypt.

The newspaper reported this week, citing Israeli officials, that “senior officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office are studying an expanded plan for Gaza after the war, which includes sharing supervision of the Strip with a coalition of Arab countries, in exchange for normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.” Netanyahu publicly refused on more than one occasion to talk about any solutions regarding the future of the Gaza Strip, before eliminating the Hamas movement (classified as a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries), and stressed that Israel is determined to destroy the movement and its military capabilities first before delving into the details of the day after the war.

Before October 7, Saudi Arabia and Israel were close to reaching an agreement to normalize relations between the two countries, but since the Hamas attack on southern Israel, these talks have almost stopped, and US President Joe Biden, days after its attack on Israel, accused the Palestinian movement of aiming to obstruct the normalization of relations. Since then, regional and international discussions have revolved around ending the war or establishing a temporary ceasefire that guarantees the entry of humanitarian aid and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

However, during the past few weeks, the United States has revived peace talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which also ensures a broad regional peace that includes solutions to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, which is also confirmed by observers and experts during their conversation with the Al-Hurra website. Saudi political analyst, Mubarak Al-Ati, confirms that “the Arab vision for peace in the region depends on tripartite cooperation between the Arab countries, Israel, and the United States to resolve the Palestinian issue.” He added in a phone call with Al-Hurra website: “There are active discussions about the next phase of the ceasefire, with a focus on the need for the three parties to reach an understanding on reforming the Palestinian Authority. Also emphasizing the need to exclude any non-Arab regional interference in this issue.”

“The Kingdom is conducting a frank dialogue with the United States to rearrange relations between the countries of the region,” according to Al-Ati, who points out that “this includes normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as reforming the already existing relations through peace treaties between Israel and other Arab countries.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned against “normalization with Israel,” as news circulated that the United States and Saudi Arabia were close to reaching a bilateral agreement that might strengthen Washington’s parallel efforts to normalize relations between the Kingdom and Israel. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, which was held last January in Davos, Switzerland, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said, “The only way to normalize relations with Israel is regional stability and a solution to the Palestinian issue.”

Almost three months later, during the same forum, but it was being held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said on April 29 that the bilateral Saudi-American work related to normalization with Israel “is likely to be very close to completion.” . Therefore, “high hopes are placed on the results of these negotiations to make a real difference in favor of the Palestinian cause,” Al-Ati says. This is also confirmed by the Egyptian political analyst and academic, Tariq Fahmy, who tells Al-Hurra website, “Saudi Arabia is the crown jewel of the process of normalizing relations in the region. It comes within the framework of a motivational vision put forward by the United States to resolve the existing conflict.” He added: "There are more plans and approaches, including an official normalization of relations between Israel and Qatar as well, in addition to other Arab countries. All of this comes in connection with the ceasefire talks in Gaza and is not separate from them."

“The Arab-Israeli coalition, in cooperation with the United States, will appoint leaders in Gaza to rebuild, renew education, and maintain order,” the plan reported by the New York Times stated. Three Israeli officials and five people who discussed the plan with members of the Israeli government told the same newspaper, “The Arab coalition will include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, in addition to the United States.” Commenting on this, Meir Masri, professor of political science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and member of the Central Committee of the Labor Party, says, “Everything is possible after eliminating what remains of Hamas’ authority and cleaning the Gaza Strip of terrorist organizations.” He added to Al-Hurra website: “Israel will welcome the formation of any authority in the Gaza Strip, as long as it does not pose a threat to its security and does not contain jihadist or extremist elements.”

In turn, the Israeli political analyst, Mordechai Kedar, presents a point of view contrary to what the newspaper presented, as he said during a phone call with the “Al-Hurra” website that any “attempt to intervene in Gaza, whether by Israel or the Arab countries, will be met with resistance by the remnants of Hamas or Popular resistance committees that will be formed for this purpose.” He added: "The terrorist roots of Hamas will continue to live among the residents of Gaza, which poses a danger to anyone who tries to deal with the Strip, whether Israeli or Arab."

Kedar cites the experience of Lebanon, where "the Arab deterrence forces entered in 1976 thinking that they would end the civil war. But after the withdrawal of most Arab countries, the Syrian forces remained until 2004 motivated by their own interests, which led to the aggravation of the crisis rather than its solution." Kedar warns that external intervention in Gaza could lead to disastrous results similar to what happened in Lebanon, where it "turned into a quagmire of crises that cannot be resolved." He believes that "Israel may eventually find itself forced to enhance stability in the Gaza Strip in the future."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his series of statements confirming his country's intention to carry out a military operation in the city of Rafah, which is crowded with displaced Palestinians, despite international warnings, led by the first ally, the United States, and Egypt, whose borders Rafah is located, and which previously warned of the possibility of the peace agreement being affected by such an operation. The Egyptian academic also confirms this, saying that “Arab countries may express reservations about such a proposal, based on their fears of involvement in such matters.”

Palestinian political analyst, Tayseer Al-Ali, considers that the proposal “is fundamentally inconsistent with the reality on the ground in Gaza.” He said in a phone call with the “Al-Hurra” website: “This proposal has emerged since the first days of the war from some global power centers, under the so-called next day, and it is based on returning the Palestinian Authority to a ‘tank’, given that Hamas will end and that the Palestinian factions are in control.” Gaza will have no effect." He continues: "I do not see a chance for this proposal to succeed as long as Hamas is not actually defeated on the ground, despite the great losses in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian society." Al-Ali warns against repeating “the failed plans of the past, such as plans for the functional division of the West Bank between Jordan and Israel in the 1970s, which were also not achieved on the ground.”

On the other hand, Al-Ati says, “The solutions always seem contradictory at first. But in reality, this proposal depends on a very important point, which is finding solutions to the internal divisions between the Palestinian factions.” The Saudi political analyst adds: “No solution will be implemented, no matter how supported by the international community, without an internal Palestinian consensus that guarantees the reform and unification of the Palestinian parties.”

The plan published by the New York Times raises many questions about what the ongoing efforts to contain the conflict will lead to, most of which revolve around finding an answer to the question, “Who is able to rule Gaza after the end of the war?”, as the United States and the Arab countries emphasize that The necessity of reforming the Palestinian Authority to play this role in the future.

A professor of political science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem said, “The Palestinian Authority is not qualified to play any role in the Gaza Strip, at least at the present time. It is an accomplice to Hamas in its crimes, which it has refused to condemn and which its inflammatory media has glorified throughout.” Masri adds: “Just as the Authority lost the Gaza Strip in 2007 and is unable to protect its areas, large areas of which have become a hotbed for jihadists, should Israel offer it the Gaza Strip on a silver platter?” The Palestinian Authority needs "rehabilitation that begins by cleaning it of the corrupt and organizing fair elections in which terrorist organizations are not allowed to participate," according to Masri.

The old differences between the Hamas and Fatah movements have returned to the forefront again, with tensions escalating between them against the backdrop of Hamas accusing the Palestinian Authority of sending security men to northern Gaza with the aim of securing aid trucks, which the Palestinian Authority denied. Since the bloody fighting between members of the Fatah and Hamas movements in the summer of 2007, Hamas has been alone in controlling the Gaza Strip, which is inhabited by two million and three hundred thousand Palestinians. Reconciliation efforts between the two sides have also failed so far, due to thorny power-sharing issues. The influence of the Palestinian Authority has weakened greatly over the years, as studies show that its “popularity is weak among the Palestinians,” but it remains the only leadership body generally recognized by the international community, according to Reuters.

This is why Al-Ati says, “The issue of who rules Gaza is not fundamental at the present time, and that what is more important is reforming the Palestinian Authority and re-arranging its papers in accordance with the latest developments and developments since October 7th.” He added during his speech: "If Hamas does not accept to transform into a civil political party that is compatible with other Palestinian parties, and the Palestinian Authority does not rush to unify its ranks and accept everyone, then a breakthrough cannot occur." The Saudi analyst stresses the need to raise the issue of governance as an internal Palestinian matter, away from any external interference, whether regional or Arab. He says: “This issue is being discussed by the Palestinian people themselves, to determine the best way to lead Gaza and achieve its interests.”

This is also confirmed by Al-Ali, who says that “the current time requires restructuring the Palestinian Authority to become comprehensive, with democratic elections for a legislative or national council that includes all factions.” The Palestinian analyst adds: "Through these steps, we can unite the West Bank and Gaza under one political umbrella." But he also acknowledges the difficulty of “achieving this in light of the continuing divisions between the various Palestinian factions, and Netanyahu’s insistence on refusing to hand over Gaza to the authority.” The Israeli Prime Minister rejects the return of the Palestinian Authority to administer Gaza, as he said on more than one occasion that his country would be “solely responsible for security” in the Gaza Strip after the war.

While the Palestinian Authority says that it has recently embarked on internal reforms, which since mid-March have included the announcement by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of appointing Muhammad Mustafa as Prime Minister and assigning him to assist in the reform. Al-Hurra website was not able to obtain a comment from the Palestinian Authority or the Fatah movement on what was covered by the American newspaper or what was raised by experts and analysts, as communication was made by phone with the official spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeina, as well as the spokesman for the Fatah movement, Osama. Al-Qawasmi, without a response.

For his part, Fahmy believes that "it is too early to talk about the future of governance in the Gaza Strip, especially since this is related to the entire Palestinian Authority system and not just the Gaza Strip." He added: "Legitimacy is incomplete in the entire Palestinian arena. Therefore, there must be an approach acceptable to everyone, and this cannot be achieved in the near term."

It is expected that even with reaching understandings to end the war, Israel will remain present and manage the sector, according to Fahmi, who expects that “there will be a symbolic Palestinian authority or security forces affiliated with it after they are rehabilitated, and Arab countries or other parties may participate as observers, until a decision is made.” Political matters regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

The professor of political science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem says, “Israel is not interested in managing the Gaza Strip, occupying it forever, or annexing it. Likewise, the Gazans’ election of their representatives is the ideal situation, provided that things go according to the law and that a terrorist organization is not allowed to participate in political action.” Masri adds: "I think the best thing at the present time is to form an authority of local administrators to carry out governmental tasks under the supervision of Israel for a temporary period, followed by the start of a political process."

Keidar says, “The tribal governance model is the ideal solution for achieving stability in Gaza, as this includes dividing the Strip into autonomous regions administered by local tribes.” He adds: "When the authority is local, in this case it can work to achieve stability and development, provide basic services such as health, education, and work, and ensure the well-being of citizens, instead of focusing on jihad and fighting." He continues: "This is in contrast to what organizations such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah, or others are doing, whether they have a political Islamic nature or not. They all have agendas that oppose the interests of the people and Israel alike."

Disastrous conditions are being experienced by the residents of the Gaza Strip due to the devastating war. As the devastating war in Gaza approaches its seventh month, the popularity of Hamas, which has controlled the Palestinian Strip since 2007, remains in doubt.

The proposal published by the New York Times does not explicitly state “whether the unified administration would constitute a sovereign Palestinian state, or whether it would include the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank.” After 7 to 10 years have passed since the establishment of the coalition to manage the Strip, according to the newspaper, “the coalition will allow the residents of Gaza to vote on whether they wish to be integrated into a unified Palestinian administration, which will administer both Gaza and the West Bank.”

This is why Masri says: “Who said that the goal should be the establishment of a Palestinian state? The Oslo Accords did not talk about a “two-state solution,” but rather about Palestinian self-rule with expanded powers.” But he went back to adding: “The two-state option is possible, but Israel is not bound by it as there is no legal text forcing it to accept it. The current situation does not allow studying such a solution. What is existing must be consolidated and deepened, the Palestinian institutional structure established on solid ground, and terrorism completely eradicated. In "I think that should be the goal now."

In turn, Fahmy points out that “the issue of establishing a Palestinian state requires more time for discussion, but the importance of providing this choice must be emphasized, which requires taking steps to build confidence.” He adds: "The Palestinians still have a long way to go to establish their prospective state. All the projects and plans currently proposed seem theoretical, and some of them lack reality to some extent so far."

In turn, Kedar believes that “the establishment of a state for the Palestinians does not mean its success, and the region does not need another (failed) state,” as he put it, as he refers during his speech to the experiences of countries, which he described as “failed” in the Middle East region, “which It suffers from internal conflicts and economic and social failures.

Operational Update

Operational Update - Gaza

During his visit to the forces on the southern part of the Gaza border, Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated that "the operation in Rafah will not stop until Hamas is eliminated in the region or the hostages are released and an agreement is reached." He explained: “Yesterday, I ordered the Israeli army forces to enter the Rafah area, control the crossing and carry out their tasks,” adding, “This operation will continue until we eliminate Hamas or until the first prisoner returns to Israel.” He added: "We are ready to make concessions in order to release the hostages, but if this option is not available, we will deepen the process, and this will happen throughout the Strip, in the south, in the center and in the north, so we will intensify our work, and military pressure will lead to crushing Hamas."

The IDF announced on May 7 that "overnight, ground troops began a precise counterterrorism operation" aimed at "eliminating" Hamas "within specific areas of eastern Rafah." IDF forces led by Division 162 began tonight (Monday) with the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet and Amman in targeted activity and in limited areas in East Rafah against Hamas terrorist infrastructures. As part of the operation, the forces of the 401st Israel Defense Forces achieved operational control of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side, in the east of Rafah, following intelligence information that terrorists were using the crossing for terrorist purposes. On Sunday, rockets were fired from the crossing towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, as a result of which four IDF soldiers were killed. and more were injured.

As part of the operation, fighter jets of the Air Force and the forces of the 215th Fire Brigade attacked and destroyed terrorist targets of Hamas including military buildings, underground infrastructures and other terrorist infrastructures from which Hamas operated in the Rafah area, so far about 20 terrorists have been eliminated during the operation. The forces have so far located three operational shafts in the area. There are no casualties to Israeli forces.

Prior to the start of the activity, a preliminary coordination was made with the international organizations operating in the area with a request to move towards the humanitarian area, this as part of the population evacuation effort that has been taking place in recent hours. The forces of the 401st Divisional Combat Team and the Divisional Combat Team of the Givati ??Brigade continue to operate in the area against terrorists and terrorist infrastructures.

The Israeli army spokesman wrote on the X platform that the Israeli forces “are currently attacking and operating in a surprise manner against Hamas targets in the eastern Rafah area,” indicating that additional details will be published later. According to an Agence France-Presse correspondent, Israel carried out intensive air strikes on Rafah on Monday evening after calling on residents to evacuate the east of the city, located in southern Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah Border Crossing – the crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip – as part of the Rafah offensive launched following Hamas' agreement to the latest hostage deal negotiated by Egypt, Qatar, the US and Israel with the group. Thee Egyptians, the Qataris, the European Union and Hamas backjed the deal, but Israel did not.

In recent weeks, the IDF forces, led by the engineering unit of the Gaza Division, together with the engineering array of the Southern Command, the Yalam unit, and in cooperation with the forces of the Northern Brigade, have been working to map and destroy two additional attack tunnels in the Beit Hanun area in the northern Gaza Strip, which were under continuous intelligence and technological surveillance. One of the tunnels was uncovered in 2014 during Operation Tzuk Eitan, during which it was used by the terrorists of the terrorist organization Hamas to raid the territory of the country and was destroyed immediately afterwards. Another section of the tunnel deep in the Gaza Strip, which was part of a branching tunnel network of the terrorist organization Hamas, was attacked several times during the 'Iron Swords' war, and after exploration and mapping work that took place in recent weeks, it emerged that the airstrikes destroyed the route. The second tunnel was part of the same branched tunnel network of the terrorist organization Hamas, and was dug at a distance of about 150 meters from the border fence, but did not cross into Israeli territory at any stage. The tunnel was destroyed by sabotage. The IDF will continue to work to destroy the underground infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and deny the capabilities of the terrorist organizations, led by Hamas, to protect the surrounding settlements.

"In the past few weeks, we have been working under the leadership of the engineering unit of the Gaza Division, together with the PADM engineering unit, the Yalam unit and in cooperation with the forces of the Northern Brigade to map and destroy 2 attack tunnels, in the Beit Hanun area in the northern Gaza Strip, which were under continuous intelligence and technological surveillance," said a commander The Underground Warfare Unit in the Gaza Division, Major A., "One of the tunnels was attacked several times in the Iron Swords War, and after research and mapping work, it turned out that the airstrikes destroyed its route. The tunnel did not cross into the territory of the country and was destroyed by sabotage. The IDF will continue to work to destroy underground infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, and deny the capabilities of terrorist organizations, led by Hamas.

Yesterday (Monday), 3 launches were detected that crossed from the north of the Gaza Strip towards the territory of the State of Israel, two of which were intercepted. A short time later, fighter jets and aircraft of the Air Force, led by the Gaza Division, attacked several military targets in the area, including a military structure and other terrorist infrastructures.

Following the identification by observers from Battalion 414, an Air Force aircraft, led by the Gaza Division, attacked and eliminated a squad of armed terrorists in the Beit Hanon area. The forces of the 679th Brigade's combat team continue to operate in the area of the corridor in the center of the Gaza Strip. During the operation, the force identified a squad of terrorists entering a military structure in the area, fighter jets attacked the structure and eliminated the terrorists.

The Pentagon announced that the US military has completed construction of the floating port off Gaza, but current weather conditions do not allow the two-part facility to be safely moved to its designated location. Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, Sabrina Singh, said in a statement to reporters: “Today, the construction of the floating port with both parts was completed,” awaiting their transfer to the specified location off Gaza. She added, "Today, forecasts still predict expected strong winds and high sea waves, causing unsafe conditions for transporting the components of the floating port." Therefore, sections of the port and the military ships involved in its construction are still in the port of Ashdod in southern Israel.

She stressed that the US Central Command "stands ready to move the port to its location in the near future." The US Army announced on Friday that its forces had moved the floating port construction site to the Israeli port of Ashdod due to strong waves and winds . When weather conditions become favorable, the floating port will be moved to its designated location opposite Gaza, and Israeli soldiers will install its floating dock on the coast of the Strip to keep American soldiers away from its territory.

The aid will then be transported by commercial ships to a floating platform off the coast of Gaza, to be transferred to smaller ships that will deliver it to the pier that has been linked to the coast, and ultimately to land after loading it into trucks for distribution.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

The forces of Sierat Harov, Dovdvan, the Shin Bet, and the MGB completed an operation last night that lasted over 20 hours in the Tul Kerem area of the Menashe Brigade. During the operation, the forces destroyed three explosives laboratories and engineering forces uncovered a number of explosives buried under the shafts. During an exchange of fire, the forces eliminated an armed terrorist and arrested six other wanted persons. In addition, the forces located and confiscated dozens of weapon parts and military equipment and searched over 60 buildings in the area.

During an operation in the Dahariya area of the Yehuda Brigade, the fighters arrested a wanted man who helped the terrorist who carried out the attack in Gan Yavneh. In the Hawara area of ??the Shomron Division, the forces arrested a wanted man and located and confiscated tens of thousands of shekels of terrorist funds. In the El Bira area of ??the Binyamin division, means for the production of propaganda materials for terrorist organizations were confiscated. The wanted persons who were arrested were transferred for further investigation by the security forces, there are no casualties to Israeli forces.

"The Harov Patrol under the command of the Menashe Brigade entered Tulkarm in large numbers," said the commander of the Harov Patrol, Lt. Col. David Levy, "During the operation, the forces located and destroyed 2 explosives laboratories. They searched many buildings, confiscated weapons, found and interrogated suspects of cooperation Together with the other forces, we worked to preserve the freedom of action in the Tulkarm area and we will continue to work to thwart any kind of terrorism."

Operational Update - Lebanon

Air Force fighter jets attacked Hezbollah military buildings in several areas in southern Lebanon, including in Leyda, Maron al-Ras, Yaron, and Al-Hiyam. In addition, a terrorist infrastructure of Hezbollah was attacked in the Kafr Ham area, alongside a mobile launching position of the organization in the Eyta al-Sha'ab area in southern Lebanon. During the day, two aerial targets were identified that crossed from Lebanon towards the north of the country, one of them was intercepted by the air defense fighters, minor damage was caused and there were no casualties.

Fighter jets attacked last night (Monday) a military building and a terrorist infrastructure of Hizbullah in the village of Akmata in southern Lebanon. In addition, the IDF forces fired to remove a threat in the area of Wadi Katiya today. Following the warning of an aircraft intrusion, a number of suspicious aerial targets were identified, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted one of the targets. Another suspicious target fell in the Yaftah area, a fire broke out on the spot. Two targets fell in an open area, the other targets fell and caused minor damage. There are no casualties.

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

During the night, fighter jets successfully intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle that made its way into Israeli territory from the east. The vessel was under surveillance by the IDF forces, it did not cross towards the territory of the country and no warnings were activated in accordance with the policy. There were no casualties and no damage was caused.

Operational Update - Yemen

At approximately 10:47 a.m. (Sanaa time) on May 6, 2024, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists over the Red Sea. It was determined the UAS presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.

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

Statements by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the escalation of the situation in Gaza: "An Israeli offensive in Rafah would become a strategic blunder and trigger a wider political and humanitarian disaster. I urge the government of Israel to stop any escalation and engage constructively in the ongoing diplomatic talks. I am disturbed and distressed by the renewed military activity in Rafah by the Israeli Defence Forces. The closure of both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings is especially damaging to an already dire humanitarian situation. They must be re-opened immediately....just to give an example, we risk running out of fuel this evening".

Aid groups warned of dire humanitarian consequences and a drastic drop in aid supplies if the Israeli attack on Rafah continues, after Israel demanded tens of thousands of people leave the eastern part of the city. Tamara Al-Rifai, Director of External Relations at the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), told The Guardian newspaper that the military incursion into Rafah could lead to a “bloodbath” due to Rafah’s population density. She continued: “There is another looming displacement situation that is already causing panic and anxiety among a very vulnerable population.”

An estimated 1.4 million people were displaced in Rafah after repeated Israeli evacuation orders forced them to move south towards areas previously classified as safe. According to the British newspaper, the orders demanding the departure of an estimated 100,000 people east of Rafah were accompanied by an increase in Israeli air strikes on those sites. The Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, the only routes for aid to enter the Strip, were closed on Monday, without a clear indication of when they could be reopened.

United Nations data indicates that aid trucks were not allowed to pass through the Rafah crossing on Sunday. It was reported that 128 trucks entered through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday, despite the missile attack launched by Hamas, which led to the death of four Israeli soldiers. These shipments constitute a small portion of the aid that aid groups say is needed to stave off growing famine across Gaza.

Al-Rifai said: “This is very worrying because these are the only two crossings open to the arrival of humanitarian aid and commercial goods.” She added, "If the crossings are closed, this means that there will be no active commercial or humanitarian supply lines, and therefore people in Rafah will not be able to access humanitarian aid. This means that we can expect the famine to spread south."

UNRWA announced on Monday that it "will maintain its presence in Rafah for as long as possible and will continue to provide life-saving assistance to people." Al-Rifai said that the closure of the Rafah crossing raised “two major concerns” for UNRWA, which oversees a large portion of the humanitarian response entering Gaza. “The first is that the supplies we already had in Rafah were low, due to the influx of aid that we had been warning about for a long time,” the same spokeswoman said.

She added, “In any normal situation we would be talking about contingency plans, but given how difficult it is for supplies to reach Gaza, we do not have full warehouses full of goods ready to be transported. Even if we had, the fact that the Rafah crossing is closed and that is the only crossing for fuel means that even "If we had a supply base, we wouldn't necessarily be able to move it because of the low fuel supply."

Hisham Muhanna, from the International Committee of the Red Cross, said that his organization, like UNRWA, does not intend to move its operations outside Rafah, but fears that the escalation will make it “difficult to help anyone.” “There is an increasing burden on humanitarian workers, while the space available for us to operate is shrinking,” he said, speaking from Rafah. He added: "Providing a meaningful humanitarian response on the ground may become elusive. The situation has become precarious in areas receiving evacuation orders."

Muhanna said that some families in the southern part of Gaza have been displaced five times since last October. Those who fled east of Rafah were arriving in areas with weak or no infrastructure and already struggling to accommodate waves of internally displaced people. “They were already living with a lack of sanitation and high rates of waterborne diseases, as well as a lack of healthcare facilities and workers,” he added. “In addition to the ongoing tension and fear, we are witnessing an increase in the number of people dying from infectious diseases.”

For her part, the UNRWA official explained that the closure of the two crossings into Gaza led to increased pressure on a pier under construction by the US army, which aims to increase aid supplies to the Strip. Despite criticism from aid groups that sea shipments are a less effective route for delivering aid, a prolonged closure of the crossings could turn the dock into Gaza's only source of aid. Aid arriving via the pier can reach Al-Mawasi, the southern area closest to the coast, but Al-Rifai says it is not yet clear whether it will be possible to reach many of the most desperate people fleeing east of Rafah to other parts of Gaza.

She added: "There is a lack of clarity, specifically who will unload the aid from the ships and what will be done about the distribution plan." She said, "We expect the pier to be ready for operation within a few days, but with severe warnings due to the uncertainty about how the entire pier process will be carried out."

In turn, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, considered the evacuation orders issued to residents of eastern Rafah “inhumane.”

Axis of Resistance

Islamic territories must close ranks as a united front against the common arrogant adversaries, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said, describing the expansion of the battlefront as a strategy for disintegration of the enemy. Iran has blocked the path of the enemy in the eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, Major General Hossein Salami said in a ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday, held in commemoration of the 40th day after the loss of a number of Iranian military advisers martyred in an Israeli airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.

“We are broadening the battlefront so that the enemy becomes disintegrated,” the IRGC commander added. He emphasized that the Islamic territories must join hands in the fight against the arrogant powers, because Muslims face a common enemy, have a common fate, and share aspirations. The Islamic lands should not be surrounded by the arrogant powers, he added, saying, “We must safeguard our assets and identities.”

The general noted that the IRGC Quds Force is tasked with preventing the enemies from making inroads into the Muslim world. “By doing so, we are protecting our own country’s national security and also the security and dignity of other Muslims.” He warned that the presence of the arrogant powers, above all the US, in the Islamic world brings about nothing but havoc, poverty and massacre.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran strongly condemned the Zionist regime’s military attack on the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said the Israeli strike, launched in spite of all international warnings and the world’s fierce opposition, reveals the ferocity of the rogue Zionist regime, which does not honor any international norms and is the main source of threat to international peace and security.

“This move by the (Israeli) regime has been taken to render the international efforts at the cessation of war and ending the genocide in Gaza futile and with the sole purpose of serving the individual and collective interests of the Zionists,” he said. Describing an immediate and unconditional end to the war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as the key to the restoration of calm and security to the region, Kanaani urged that all international actors should pressure the Zionist regime.

The Israeli regime and its main sponsor, namely the US government, are definitely responsible for the crimes and bloodshed in Rafah and must be held accountable for the atrocities, the Iranian spokesman added. “The Islamic Republic of Iran once again calls on the international legal and judicial institutions to expedite the prosecution of the apartheid Zionist regime’s officials for their anti-human crimes and bring them to justice,” Kanaani stated.

Allied for Democracy

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that moving to Cairo is a mistake and falls into the trap of manipulation set by Hamas with Qatar and Egypt, demanding the occupation of Rafah and the acquisition of its crossing and the Philadelphia axis. Bezalel Smotrich added in a tweet on the “X” platform on Tuesday: “This is the right time to put more and more pressure on the necks of Sinwar and Hamas until they are eliminated.” He continued, saying: "We must not surrender to international pressure and not stop until victory and the enemy's surrender."

The Israeli Minister of Finance stated, "This war is our war of independence and we must win it." He added, "In order for this to happen and for us to be able to cut off the oxygen pipelines to Hamas, we must act today according to three points that will restore security to the residents of the south: the complete occupation of the city and the Rafah area, the destruction of all tunnel networks in the city of Rafah and the surrounding area, and the complete takeover of the Philadelphia axis ." And the Rafah crossing,” according to what was reported by the Hebrew “404” website .

The Biden Administration has reportedly delayed the sale of 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits to Israel worth roughly $260 Million due to domestic political pressure against the Israeli plan for a full-scale ground operation against Rafah in Southern Gaza. American media reported that the administration of President Joe Biden had “undeclaredly frozen” shipments of weapons that it was going to send to Israel, to express its disapproval of what it is doing in the Gaza Strip.

Reuters quoted four unnamed sources as saying that the US administration had suspended sending certain shipments of weapons produced by Boeing to Israel, saying, "This is a clear political message to the United States' close ally." The delayed weapons shipments include Boeing's Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which convert unguided bombs into precision-guided bombs, as well as small diameter bombs.

The Wall Street Journal said it was a deal to sell up to 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions - kits that enable unguided bombs - according to officials familiar with the proposed deal. The newspaper revealed that Congress learned for the first time in January about the proposed sale, which is worth up to $260 million, but the Biden administration has not moved forward with the deal since that time. On Sunday, the " Axios " website reported news of "delayed arms shipments" earlier this week, while " Politico " magazine published the types of weapons whose shipments were scheduled to be delayed.

The Pentagon said on Monday that there is no political decision to withhold weapons from Israel, without mentioning whether there is a suspension of arms shipments to the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East, according to what Reuters reported. Reuters said that the White House declined to comment on the matter. Politico said that while the Biden administration has not officially denied the potential sale, it is taking actions such as inaction, postponing approvals and other aspects of the arms transfer process “in order to send a message to Israel,” a US administration official said, which the magazine did not reveal. About his identity.

President Biden faces sharp criticism among Americans who oppose his support for Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip. In February, his administration asked Israel to provide guarantees that American-made weapons are being used by the Israeli army in Gaza in accordance with international law. Israel submitted a signed letter of guarantees in March. The Axios website, for its part, quoted Israeli officials as saying that the shipment of ammunition to Israel stopped last week. The website did not receive any response in particular from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This delay appears to be the first since the Biden administration expressed its full support for Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. The campaign of criticism of the Biden administration intensified after the Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians and worsened the humanitarian situation. Criticism of the US administration and Israel also increased after the latter bombed humanitarian aid convoys, which are the only lifeline for about two million people in the Gaza Strip. A senior congressional aide and two other people familiar with the matter told POLITICO that the munitions were ready to be shipped to Israel when news came of their suspension.

US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and Republican Senator, Mitt Romney, agreed that Israel lost the narrative battle during its ongoing war against Hamas for more than half a year.

A third person, a military industry official, said the administration had asked Boeing to halt the shipment since approval was suspended for “political reasons,” not because of supply chain pressures. Another congressional aide said the case — classified as a direct commercial sale between Israel and a contractor that requires administration approval — “has been postponed.”

It is noteworthy that Netanyahu issued several statements in recent days in which he said that he intends to carry out a military operation in Rafah regardless of whether Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to release the hostages held in Gaza and establish a ceasefire. On Monday, Hamas expressed its approval of the ceasefire proposal in Gaza presented by Egypt and Qatar. In this context, Axios quoted two unnamed sources as saying that US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, visited Israel last Wednesday and held a “difficult” conversation with Netanyahu regarding the announced Israeli operation in Rafah. But Haaretz newspaper said on Tuesday that Israel had committed to the United States and Egypt to restrict its operation in Rafah, focusing only on the eastern side of the city.

The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" revealed that Israel had committed to the United States and Egypt to restrict its operation in Rafah, focusing only on the eastern side of the city, and to assign a private American security company to manage the crossing after the end of its operations. The US administration had previously approved arms sales to Israel, but they were suspended in Congress.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has been reluctant for months to approve the Biden administration's request to sell $18 billion worth of F-15 aircraft and munitions to Israel. But unlike precision-guided munitions, the F-15s are still years away from being delivered to Israel.

The Biden administration must notify Congress by Wednesday whether Israel has violated international law or withheld humanitarian aid from Gaza, which could lead to more calls to halt US arms shipments to Israel. Lawmakers who are pressuring the Biden administration to withhold offensive weapons from Israel have intensified their calls following Israel's announcement of its intention to attack Rafah. Senator Chris Van Hollen (Democrat from Maryland) said that Biden “should implement his repeated warnings that Israel should not attack the city,” referring to Rafah. “We cannot support such an invasion given the countless additional civilian casualties and the devastating impact on humanitarian aid that would follow,” Van Hollen said in a statement.

Senator Ed Markey [D-MA] said: "A large-scale invasion of Rafah—where more than a million Gazans with nowhere else to go have sought refuge from Netanyahu's indiscriminate bombing—would be a disaster. We need an immediate ceasefire to return the hostages, deliver more humanitarian aid, & protect innocent lives." Senator Elizabeth Warren [D-MA] said: "Netanyahu's war in Gaza has forced over a million Palestinians to seek safety in Rafah. An invasion of the city would be catastrophic for civilians with no where else to go. We need a ceasefire, the return of hostages, and massive amount of humanitarian aid."

College protests against Israel's war in Gaza are dominating headlines. But only a sliver of students are participating or view it as a top issue, according to a new Generation Lab survey shared exclusively with Axios. The poll hints that the war — and the accompanying protests — might not hurt President Biden's election prospects among young voters as much as previously thought. Only a small minority (8%) of college students have participated in either side of the protests, the survey of 1,250 college students found. Students ranked the conflict in the Middle East as the least important issue facing them out of nine options.

Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers

• 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza
• 78,204 Gazans injured, 28% adult male
• 70,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza
• 70,000 housing units completely destroyed
• 70,000 Israeli IDPs from Lebanon border
• 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza
• 43,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble
• 34,789 Gazans martyred
• 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
• 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024]
• 15,140 Israelis injured [i24 TV]
• 15,000 rockets launched from Gaza
• 14,520 Gazan children martyred
• 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12]
• 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF]
• 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023
• 10,000 Gazans missing under the rubble
• 9,920 Gazan women martyred
• 9,400 Palestinians in Israeli prisons
• 9,000 IDF needing psychological assistance
• 8,365 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th
• 7,209 IDF injured admitted to rehabilitation [IDF]
• 6,800 IDF officers and soldiers injured [Channel 12]
• 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS]
• 5,500 IDF wounded [reports]
• 4,800 West Bank Palestinians wounded
• 4,700 sites targetted in Lebanon
• 3,850 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria
• 3,484 administrative detainees
• 3,188 IDF wounded [IDF]
• 2,100 Gazan women are missing
• 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day
• 1,650 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas
• 1,160 Israelis killed on the first day
• 604 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war
• 468 West Bank Palestinians martyred
• 364 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon
• 260 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza
• 240 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon
• 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers
• 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody
• 70 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.