Operation Iron Swords - Day 215 - 08 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

American media reported that the administration of President Joe Biden had frozen - in an undeclared manner - shipments of weapons that it was going to send to Israel, to express its disapproval of what it is doing in Gaza. The White House believes that the Rafah operation is “limited” so far, and does not believe that Israel has crossed the “red line” set by Biden, which may lead to a shift in US policy towards the war in Gaza, American officials told the “ Axios ” website. According to the same website, senior Israeli officials expressed their “deep frustration” with the decision of the administration of US President Joe Biden, which decided to stop an American arms shipment that was heading to Israel, indicating that this may undermine hostage negotiations.

According to an official who spoke to the Wall Street Journal on condition of anonymity, Washington was focusing "particularly on the end-use of the 900-kilogram bombs and the impact they could have in crowded urban areas as we have seen in other parts of Gaza." An arms 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.

A senior American official confirmed that the United States delayed the shipment of weapons to Israel for fear that it would be used in Rafah. Last week, the American administration halted a shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel due to humanitarian concerns regarding the IDF's operation in Rafah. Republican officials in Congress told this news: "We know there are delays in shipments - and we are trying to figure out how many. We asked for clarification from the government."

The shipment was supposed to include 1,800 bombs weighing 900 kg and 1,700 bombs weighing 225 kg. The unprecedented decision by the United States comes after weeks of consultations between American and Israeli officials on how to meet the humanitarian needs of the citizens in Rafah and "how to act differently against Hamas there, as opposed to other places in Gaza."

The message of the American administration in delaying the arms shipments is twofold: not only was it done publicly after the delay itself - but it is gaining momentum and resonance as Israel progresses in its activities in Rafah. The United States is actually warning Israel - these will be the consequences of significant activity in Rafah, contrary to the government's opinion and without sufficient population evacuation.

Despite this, in recent days it became clear to the Biden administration that "Israeli leaders seemed to be approaching a decision point on such an operation", which forced Washington to examine the transfer of the bombs, and especially the heavier bombs, for fear that they would be used in crowded residential areas in Rafah.

At the same time as the decision, the Washington Post reported that the United States is examining other planned transfers that should not be sent soon. The decision concerns 6,500 kits that convert free-fall "dumb bombs" into precision-guided weapons.

A senior official in the American administration confirmed news here: "We have indeed delayed a shipment of weapons of bombs, we have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment." The official added, "The position of the countries was that Israel should not launch a large ground operation in Rafah."

He further added: "Discussions with Israel on the humanitarian and operational issue in Rafah continue and our concerns were not fully addressed. When we saw that Israeli leaders were approaching a decision point regarding such an operation, we began to carefully examine proposed transfers of certain weapons to Israel that might be used in Rafah. We are mainly concerned about the target of the bombs weighing about a thousand kilograms and the effect they may have in a dense urban environment, as we have seen in other parts of Gaza," the official concluded.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Wednesday described the statements of an Israeli Likud Party representative as “unfortunate” after she threatened to “raze buildings in Gaza” if Israel did not obtain American precision-guided weapons. In answer to a question posed to him during a press briefing, Miller said that senior members of the Israeli government should refrain from making these “extremely regrettable” statements, according to what the Times of Israel reported . Miller stated that the comments of Tali Gottlieb, a member of the Israeli Knesset, “will not have any impact on American policy decisions, which are made on the basis of the best interests of the American people and the region more broadly.”

Gottlieb said in one of her interventions: “The United States is threatening not to provide us with accurate missiles... Well, I have news for the United States: We have inaccurate missiles! So perhaps instead of using an accurate missile to destroy a specific room or a specific building, we will use inaccurate missiles to level 10 buildings.” On the ground... This is what we will do if you do not give us accurate missiles. We will use inaccurate missiles,” according to what the Israeli newspaper reported in her words.

War Termination

Operational Update

The Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi: "Wrapped in pain for the loss of our dear people, we are determined, we will continue to fight together for the defense of our country and to ensure our existence here in this country." The ceremony of saluting the fallen of the Israeli forces and placing the national flag on the graves of the fallen of the Israeli forces, shared by the IDF, the Ministry of Defense and other security organizations, in which the Israeli flag is placed on the graves of the fallen of the Israeli forces, took place on Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem. As every year, the ceremony and the placing of the flags on the graves of the fallen open the events of the Remembrance Days.

From the end of the ceremony on Mount Herzl until the beginning of the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen of the IDF and the Fallen of the Israel Defense Forces, a national flag, a flower and a memorial candle will be placed on the grave of each of the fallen.

"We, the heads of the organizations, stand side by side in the conduct of the war," said the Chief of Staff, "we are partners in the fight to defeat the enemy, in the efforts to recover our abductees, to locate our missing persons and for the safe return of all evacuees to their homes. Our people fight on the battlefield with courage and ferocity, and strengthen the security of the State of Israel. When we stand in front of them united in our mission, they too behave like us, down to the last one: the IDF soldiers, the shadow people in the Shin Bet and the Mossad, the policemen, the prison guards and the firefighters.

"Wrapped in pain for the loss of our dear people, we are imbued with determination," he added, "we will continue to fight together for the defense of our country and to ensure our existence here in this country. The military plots scattered throughout the length and breadth of the country silently tell the story of the heroism of the martyrs of Israel's systems. The coming days are days of a national memorial in which the members of the bereaved families will ascend to the cemeteries, to be united with their loved ones in their final resting place.

"There are those who have been doing this for many years, and there are many for whom this is the first state memorial day, and it is very painful," concluded the Chief of Staff, "on these days we stand by their side, and salute their loved ones and their acts of heroism. We will once again witness the strength of the partnership of fate rising from among the ranks, and we will re-swear our duty to continue to accompany the parents, children, spouses, brothers and sisters in the long and painful journey of bereavement. May the memory of the fallen be blessed."

Operational Update - Gaza

Following the activation of the sirens in Kerem Shalom during the daylight hours of today, several rocket shells were monitored from the Rafah area towards the Kerem Shalom crossing. The rocket shells that were fired did not cross into the country's territory, as they fell on the territory of the Gaza Strip. In addition, as a follow-up to the activation of sirens earlier today in the Shlomit area, the firing of eight rocket shells was detected that crossed from the Rafah area into the Kerem Shalom area. As a result of the firing operations, an IDF fighter was slightly injured, and the fighter received initial medical care in the field. Without having to take him to the hospital. Hamas continues to expose civilians in the Gaza Strip to danger and to commit terrorist operations from civilian areas in an attempt to target Israeli citizens and IDF forces. In addition, Hamas continues to commit launching operations from civilian-populated areas in the Rafah area towards the Kerem Shalom crossing with the aim of harming IDF forces and the function of the crossing.

"Al-Quds Brigades", the military wing of the "Islamic Jihad" movement in Palestine, showed scenes from the bombing of Israeli army soldiers and vehicles invading east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. The military media in the "Saraya" published a video clip that included "scenes of mortar shells used by soldiers and vehicles of the Zionist enemy penetrating east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip."

Military operations in Gaza were concentrated in the Netzarim axis, which separates the north of the Strip from its center and south, in addition to the eastern region of the city of Rafah in the south, which extends from the border fence to a depth of 3 kilometers. In this context, the military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, says that the battles in Rafah are still limited, as the attack is limited to a narrow front east of the border city with Egypt.

Al-Falahi believes that this operation aims to exert political pressure in the ceasefire negotiations and exchange of prisoners more than to achieve military goals. He explained that the occupation’s intense bombing of high-rise buildings in Rafah aims “to prevent the resistance from exploiting these buildings in monitoring, surveillance and sniping operations against the Israeli military crowds.” He points out that the occupation is being cautious in its advance in the region, as it is trying to secure the adjacent areas between the cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah before deepening the operation, which he said includes fighting above and below the ground.

According to Al-Falahi, the resistance’s bombing of the areas surrounding Gaza targets military crowds that may be used in operations inside the Strip, before confirming that the Rafah operation “will not provide anything on the military and political levels, as the Israeli deterrence system was struck in a killing on October 7, 2023.” The military expert also believes that the strategic objectives of the Israeli war have reached a real impasse after all the facts and evidence proved that the prisoners detained in Gaza “will not be released except through an exchange deal after the failure of the military option to liberate them.”

Regarding the Netzarim axis, Al-Falahi confirmed that the resistance factions intensified their bombing operations with mortar shells and short-range missiles on the military crowds in the region during the past three days in order to inflict on those crowds heavy losses and force them to withdraw.

Regarding the decision of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to suspend sending 3,500 bombs to Israel , the strategic expert ruled out that the decision would affect the conduct of the occupation operations in Rafah for several reasons, including that the targeted area is limited in size, and the destructive power of the occupation army is not based on these bombs.

He added that the occupation has artillery ammunition and military capabilities that enable it to destroy a large part of Rafah, noting that these bombs are not directed only at a house, but their destructive energy extends over a wide distance, is inaccurate, and causes great material and human damage. He explained that the systematic destruction during the Gaza war was also carried out with guided bombs, in addition to the fact that the American decision falls within the context of suspension and not cancellation, which means the possibility of resuming shipments in the coming period.

In a joint operation by the IDF and the Shin Bet, an Air Force aircraft under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet and the Navy, in the last day eliminated the terrorist Ahmed Ali, commander of the Hamas naval force in Gaza City. During the war, Ahmed Ali promoted offensive activities towards Israeli territory and additional attacks against IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, in recent weeks he has been promoting attacks against IDF forces operating in the corridor in the center of the Gaza Strip. As part of his position, in recent years Ali has been involved in the management of projects of the Hamas naval force in the Gaza Strip.

Division 162 under the leadership of the 401st TDF operates in East Rafah : about 100 targets were attacked from the air and 30 terrorists were eliminated. A report was received of shooting at a vehicle with Palestinian workers who were on their way to work at the Kerem Shalom crossing from the Gaza side. The circumstances of the shooting are being investigated and the incident is being investigated. We would like to emphasize that the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for the passage of humanitarian aid and the activity on the Gaza side of the crossing continues.

The IDF forces, led by Division 162, continue targeted activities to thwart terrorist targets of the terrorist organization Hamas in the East Rafah area: they eliminated terrorists and located shafts and underground infrastructure in the various locations.

The Israeli invasion of Rafah would not contribute to retrieving Israeli captives, but jeopardize its possibility instead, Israeli newspaper Haaretz stated. Haaretz stressed that the only way for Israel to bring back captives would be by signing the agreement with Hamas, regardless of the price and toll it would take on the occupation. Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the newspaper, would rather threaten to occupy Rafah instead of considering the demands of the captives' families or agreeing on a ceasefire deal with Hamas that includes a prisoner exchange agreement.

It was also noted that no one [in Israel] was shocked when Netanyahu's office announced the start of the invasion of Rafah to militarily pressure Hamas into releasing the captives and achieve the war's objectives. At the same time, it stated how unfortunate it was that Benny Gantz kept repeating the same lie claiming that the military offensive against Rafah was part parcel of the Israeli efforts to retrieve captives and instill security in the South.

Haaretz affirmed that the people paying the price for this policy were the captives, who were killed by Israeli fire, or those surviving but remained in danger. The newspaper further mentioned that the IDF claimed it would limit the operatioin in Rafah, as announced to the United States and Egypt, but simultaneously warned of the consequences of the invasion, saying it would jeopardize ties with Egypt and Jordan, and obstruct the normalization process with Saudi Arabia.

What Israeli forces call a “limited operation” in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, had devastating consequences over the past two days for medical workers and patients across the Strip, doctors and humanitarian aid groups revealed Tuesday evening to the New York Times. Israeli army orders requiring about 110,000 people to leave eastern Rafah on Monday spread fear throughout Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital, which is located within the area where Israel said it would act with “excessive force,” according to Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, the hospital director. , in a telephone interview with the newspaper.

The Israeli army announced, on Tuesday, that it deployed tanks in Rafah and took control of the border crossing with Egypt in southern Gaza, which led to the cessation of humanitarian aid reaching the besieged Palestinian Strip, in a development that Washington described as “unacceptable.” For fear of being subjected to a raid by Israeli forces, like the one carried out in hospitals throughout Gaza, medical teams at Al-Najjar Hospital rushed to transport more than 200 patients. Some patients left in cars secured by their families, while the seriously wounded were transported by ambulance to other hospitals in southern Gaza, including the European Hospital in Khan Yunis and the International Medical Corps field hospital in Rafah.

But even during the scramble to evacuate the hospital, Israeli air strikes on Rafah continued. Dr. Al-Hams said that the bodies of 58 people killed in the Israeli strikes had arrived at the hospital since Sunday, adding that the hospital staff had to ask the families of the victims to bury the bodies themselves.

"The situation is not dangerous, the situation is catastrophic, catastrophic, catastrophic," he said. The Israeli army's actions also immediately limited access to more basic health services throughout Rafah. Project Hope, a US-based aid group that runs several mobile clinics across Gaza, was forced to close a medical unit inside the area from which Israel had asked people to leave. The group was providing primary care in the eastern part of Rafah, treating upper respiratory infections and intestinal diseases that were spreading among displaced Palestinians crowded into shelters with limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities.

The group was also forced to close another medical clinic elsewhere in Rafah, outside the evacuation zone, early Monday because six of its medical workers - including a general practitioner, a gynecologist and nurses - live inside or directly near where the IDF said it was located. It will begin operations, according to Chesa Latifi, the project's deputy director of emergency preparedness.

Many medical workers had already been displaced from their homes in Khan Yunis and Gaza City and were forced to flee again with their families, including dozens of children - this time, along with the patients they were treating in eastern Rafah.

At least two delegations of doctors who were trying to enter Gaza on Monday to support struggling hospitals in the northern part of the Strip were forced to return as security conditions deteriorated, even before the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday. One of the delegations included Jordanian doctors, and was organized by the “Project Hope” group, aiming to reach Kamal Adwan Hospital in the far north of Gaza to ease the burden on the overburdened medical staff and provide much-needed supplies, including anesthesia, surgical sutures and gauze.

This delegation was also supposed to hand over salaries to the group's medical workers in Rafah - money they desperately need to secure housing and transportation during the chaotic evacuation. Latifi said, "We have had contingency plans in place for a very long time, especially as it becomes clearer that the attack in Rafah will begin more and more." But "the consequences of what's happening only continue to grow," she said.

Another delegation of medical workers, organized by the aid group MedGlobal, was about halfway to Rafah from Cairo on Monday, when it began receiving alerts from the WHO coordination team that the Rafah crossing may soon be closed. The doctors tried to continue on their path. But once they were told the border crossing closure was imminent, “most of us realized that what was going to happen was going to be important,” said Dr. John Kahler, one of the group's founders. The delegation included an anesthesiologist and a midwife who were going to support Al Awda Hospital, one of the few hospitals capable of providing maternity care for pregnant women.

Dr. Kahler himself intended to go to Kamal Adwan, where his organization opened a nutrition stabilization center for malnourished children, over the weekend. Speaking from Cairo on Tuesday, Dr. Kahler said the decision to disband the delegation was difficult. He continued: If this was the beginning of the long-threatened ground attack, moving to northern Gaza from Rafah would have been very dangerous, even if the doctors had been able to cross from the Rafah crossing. He explained that the level of anxiety is "very high" among team members and their Palestinian partners inside Gaza as they wait to find out what will happen next.

"Babies will continue to be born, infections will continue to occur, and people will continue to die," he added.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

The Al-Quds Brigades Tulkarm Brigade targeted a D9 Israeli bulldozer, lighting it on fire using an Ali-1 explosive device, announcing this was the first time it was put to service. The Tulkarm Brigade reportedly repelled an Israeli occupation forces incursion into the outskirts of the Nur Shams refugee camp lasting over 24 hours. In a statement, the Brigade announced that during direct confrontations, many Israeli occupation soldiers were confirmed injured and their vehicles disabled or damaged. Video footage showed Resistance fighters firing heavily at the occupation forces in the vicinity of the camp, where armed confrontations broke out. The occupation forces raided the city of Tulkarm from its western axis and headed towards the Shweika suburb in the north before storming the Iktaba suburb, amid confrontations and heavy gunfire in the area.

Local media reported that the Israeli forces once again detained formerly liberated prisoner Mahmoud Mustafa Assas (41) after raiding his house in the employees' housing neighborhood in Iktaba, where they searched and vandalized it. At the same time, Israeli forces stormed areas of Beit Lahm, forcing their way into a number of homes and vandalizing them, but no detentions were reported.

A special unit also stormed al-Amari refugee camp, south of al-Bireh city, and detained youth Abd Rihan, according to local media. This comes as the occupation escalates its incursions and attacks on West Bank cities amid detention campaigns, while the Resistance confronts these incursions and inflicts serious injuries on the ranks of the occupation and its vehicles.

Operational Update - Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Wednesday that the "mission is not complete" in northern Israel in the conflict with the Lebanese Hezbollah group and that he remains determined to allow evacuated residents to return to their homes safely. He added in a recorded statement, "This summer may be a hot summer," referring to the possibility of an expansion of hostilities along the northern border with Lebanon. Gallant hinted at a possible military escalation during the summer.

During a field tour at the headquarters of the "91st Division" in the border area with Lebanon, he "learned about the processes of adapting Israeli operational activities against Hezbollah forces, as well as the attacks on Lebanese territory to thwart saboteurs and destroy terrorist infrastructure," as he put it. Gallant met with artillery reserve forces operating in the area, where he said: “The defensive battle is a complex battle in which you constantly anticipate the enemy’s reactions and are always active.”

He continued, "I believe that the entire division is carrying out this battle in an excellent manner. We have pushed Hezbollah away from the lines of contact to great distances." He added, "This does not mean that he disappeared, but he is not there." He added, "In order to return the population safely, there is a need for a political process that leads to reaching an agreement or a military operation, and it is the army's duty to prepare for the military operation, which will also serve as an anchor and anvil for another operation. I am determined to return the population to their homes safely and rebuild what was destroyed." .

He continued, "I realize the needs, as well as the feeling in many respects that the mission has not been completed, and in fact it has not been completed... War has costs, which will be heavy for Israel and disastrous for Hezbollah and Lebanon, and we are striving to reach a situation without reaching war, but if... This is the last resort, and we will resort to it, because in the end we have an obligation to the contract between us and the citizens.” He concluded by addressing the reserve forces of the “91st Division” (affiliated with the Northern Command and responsible for the front with Lebanon, from Ras Naqoura to Mount Hermon): “We have very large and very heavy fire systems, and we will make sure to activate them if the need arises and the reasons arise; you must prepare to continue... This is Summer can be hot.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, with which the situation also escalated against Hezbollah in the northern sector, tens of thousands of residents of the north have been evacuated from their homes. In the last day there were exchanges of fire in the north. Five Hezbollah terrorists were killed in IDF strikes, Hezbollah launched anti-tank missiles and missiles, the IDF attacked dozens of targets in Lebanon, and Gallant warned that the coming summer could be "hot in terms of security", but a deeper change in Israel's perception may be needed so that the residents can return to their homes.

Many of the moves in the north depend on what happens in the south, whether there will be a deal or a truce that will bring about a settlement in the north or not, but this is not really happening yet - and the pace of things is slow. Although a discussion began about the return or non-return of the residents of the north to their homes on September 1, 2024, today they are already talking about November 1, 2024. Everything is changing, and Israel needs to look at things from a broad angle.

Major General Rafi Milo this week conducted a tour of the northern sector, and clearly confirmed in his voice that the Home Front Command has not yet met the task of restoring security to the residents. "We need to start thinking about the return and how we prepare for it and respond as quickly as possible," Milo said. "We need to look ahead, especially in front of the return of the residents," said General Milo. "We need to start thinking about the return and how we prepare for it. That is, as soon as we are told 'we can return' - how do we really attack and provide a response that will allow it to be done as quickly as possible. Among other things, to see that the children return to school on September 1."

At this stage, Milo admits: "We haven't solved this security problem yet, and residents will have to return here from a place of security. According to him, in the south the basic security problem has been solved "in a fairly significant way. "Here (in the north) we need to first talk about basic security, Still, I think we'll have to think about what to do if it doesn't come from a place of war."

Despite the words of Rafi Milo, it does not seem that September 1 was indeed marked as a target date. As we revealed yesterday in "The Main Edition", Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to the date in question at the cabinet meeting and claimed: "Who said that September 1 is the target date? What will happen if they come back a few months later?" This statement succeeded in provoking the anger of the evacuated residents of the north, who have not returned to their homes for more than half a year.

Fighter jets attacked a military structure associated with the Radwan force of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Jabal Razlan area. In addition, during the day, warplanes attacked military buildings where terrorists of the terrorist organization Hezbollah were staying and other military buildings of the organization in the areas of al-Khyam, al-Adaisa, Bleida, Marun al-Ras and Aita al-Sha'ab.

The IDF has completed a broad attack on over 20 Hezbollah targets in the Ramiya area in southern Lebanon using fighter jets and artillery. Among the targets that were attacked - military buildings and terrorist infrastructures, in addition, secondary explosions were detected during the attacks, indicating the presence of IML warehouses at the site. In addition, warplanes attacked a Hizballah military structure and terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Marvin and the village of Kila in southern Lebanon.

Air Force fighter jets attacked Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon in the areas of Kafr Kila, Ayita al-Sha'ab, Al-Hiyam and Marun al-Ras. Also, terrorist infrastructures of the organization were attacked in the Khula and Itatron areas in southern Lebanon. In addition, IDF forces attacked to remove a threat in the areas of Tir Harfa and al-Jabin.

Lebanese Hezbollah issued a statement revealing the operations it carried out against Israeli forces and their military sites on the southern Lebanese border. He said in a statement, “In support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their resistance, the Islamic Resistance carried out a number of operations against the positions and deployment of the Israeli army on the Lebanese-Palestinian border on Wednesday, May 8, 2024:

Eastern sector:

• 10:30: One of the modern technical systems that was recently installed at the Al-Assi site was targeted by a “drone” attack helicopter and was directly hit, leading to its destruction.
• 11:03: A building used by Israeli soldiers in the Metulla settlement was targeted and directly hit.
• 11:03: A building used by Israeli soldiers was targeted in the Al-Manara settlement.
• 17:00: The Al-Samaqa site in the Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba was targeted with missile weapons and was directly hit.

Western sector:

• 11:00: Two buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the Shlomi settlement were targeted.
• 11:00: Two buildings used by Israeli soldiers were targeted in the Avivim settlement.
• At 13:25: After monitoring and following up on the movement of Israeli soldiers at the Raheb site, and upon entering Dashma, the Islamic Resistance Mujahideen targeted it with guided missiles and hit it directly. At the same time, the Mujahideen targeted the spy equipment at the site and destroyed it. ?
• At 14:25: After monitoring and following up on the movement of Israeli soldiers at the Al-Malikiyah site, when they entered one of the raids, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted it with guided missiles and hit it directly. At the same time, the Mujahideen destroyed the site with artillery shells, putting members of its garrison among them. One person was killed and wounded. They also targeted and destroyed his spy equipment.
• 15:00: The headquarters of the newly created Western Brigade in Yaara was targeted by an air attack with swooping drones that hit their target accurately.
• 16:20: The headquarters of the “91st Division” in the Pranit Barracks was targeted by a heavy-caliber Burkan missile, and it was directly hit.
• 19:50: A force of Israeli soldiers was targeted while moving in the vicinity of the Ramia site with artillery shells and was directly injured.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire across the border since October 8, and the party's Secretary-General says that the southern Lebanon front is a front in support of Gaza. Hezbollah has also repeatedly stressed that the ceasefire in Gaza alone ends its attacks on Israel. The fighting has intensified in recent weeks, as Hezbollah escalated its attacks on northern Israel, while the Israeli army carried out raids deep into Lebanon.

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has conducted a fresh retaliatory strike on an Israeli position in occupied territories, following previous attacks in response to the ongoing war in Gaza, the group announced. The Iraqi umbrella group, comprising anti-terror factions, disclosed the attack via a statement on its Telegram channel. They confirmed the deployment of a drone to target a significant site in the port city of Umm al-Rashrash, also known as Eilat, on Tuesday evening.

"The operation was carried out in retaliation for the Israeli massacre of Palestinian civilians, including women, children, and the elderly in Gaza," the resistance group stated. This recent strike follows earlier actions, with the coalition declaring an attack on the "Speer military site" in occupied territories using drones. They had previously reported assaults on three Israeli military bases in occupied Palestinian territories and Syria’s Tel Aviv-held Golan Heights, as well as the Leviathan gas platform off the coast of occupied Palestine. These operations, according to the group, were conducted "in support of our people in Gaza, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against Palestinian civilians."

Operational Update - Yemen

The House of Representatives, headed by Deputy Speaker Abdul Salam Hashul, reaffirmed Yemen’s firm and principled position regarding the security and safety of maritime navigation in Bab al-Mandab and the Red and Arabian Bahrain, as well as Yemen’s keenness for all ships to pass safely except for ships hostile to Yemen and Palestine. In response to the allegations of the European Navy Commander, and repeated American allegations of requesting more support to secure the passage of ships heading to the terrorist Zionist entity, the House of Representatives affirmed that the end of the escalation depends on stopping the brutal aggression and unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for eight months.

He called on the international community, the countries of the world and the guarantor countries to move quickly to save the catastrophic situation and the difficult humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and to stop the Holocaust that Zionist war criminals are preparing to carry out against the besieged residents of the city of Rafah. The Council condemned the reckless actions and false allegations of the American-British-Western Zionist aggression coalition supporting the Zionist enemy, which threatens not only the security and lives of the Palestinian people, but also the security and stability of the entire region.

In addition, the members of the Council continued the discussion in light of the report of the Defense and Security Committee regarding the Ministry of Finance’s follow-up on the implementation of Council Recommendation No. (12) regarding deducting 20 percent from the total revenues of the General Traffic Department to be spent as an incentive for traffic officers in the Municipality of the Capital and the governorates, and other issues related to traffic. .

At the beginning of the session, the Vice President of the Council, Chairman of the session, welcomed the government side, stressing the importance of unifying efforts and integrating performance between the constitutional authorities, stressing the importance of the commitment of the relevant ministers to attend the sessions on the dates set by the Council to discuss the topics for which their attendance is requested.

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

Axis of Resistance

The second international conference of Islamic unity of Iraq with the slogan "Al-Aqsa storm; Aim and Identity" was held in Baghdad 08 May 2024, with the presence of senior scholars of the Islamic Ummah from inside and outside Iraq.

The final statement of this conference states: "According to the noble verses of the Holy Qur'an: ``Allah to those who are killed because they are oppressors, and indeed Allah is the Mighty and Mighty (verse 39 of Hajj) to those on whom war is imposed, Jihad has been given permission; Because they have been oppressed, and without a doubt, God is fully able to help them." "Those who do not come out of their homes except for the truth, they say, ``Our Lord is God.'' ???????? ????????? And the mosque mentions many names of Allah in it the narrators in Makkah) that They were driven from their homes unjustly [they had no crime] except that they said: Our Lord is Allah, if the repelling [evil] of some people [by means of] others was not from God, then definitely the churches, synagogues and mosques that are called God is greatly enslaved in them, you are greatly destroyed. Surely God will help whoever helps him; Because God is all-powerful and victorious.

"And in the shadow of the seditions, sufferings and crises that the world is witnessing and in the shadow of the violation of rights, killing and displacement that the Palestinian people are suffering in front of the eyes of the world, the Al-Aqsa storm operation took place to make the conscience and humanity of the honorable people of the world cry out, oppressors They have intensified their oppression of the people of Gaza and Palestine, and for this reason, it is necessary for the Ummah's scholars and thinkers and their pioneers to take the initiative to help their main and central problem and support their stand and for the realization of Islamic unity. which preserves the authority, dignity and pride of the Islamic nation, they should try.""

The participants in this conference emphasized that everyone's duty against the criminal usurping Zionist regime is Jihad with all the means available to them in order to end its crimes against innocent people. There is the freedom of the usurped land and its holy shrine, and this is a fatwa that none of the jurisprudential and scholarly schools disagree about, and this is the duty of all Muslims and all their leaders of any orientation.

The participants of the conference, emphasizing the plan of Islamic unity and all its dimensions, announced that they are working and cooperating with Islamic governments and organizations to realize the unity of the Islamic Ummah. They praised the continuous support of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the axis of resistance and emphasized their firm support for the "True Promise" operation in response to the aggression of the Zionist regime, and considered defense a right and a heroic act, which for the first time at this stage, for the Islamic Ummah, It has achieved a powerful deterrent power to defend the oppressed and stop the oppression of the oppressors.

The participants in this conference pointed out the necessity of trying to defend the Palestinian issue in international circles and showing the brutality and aggression of the Zionist regime on the need to inform and enlighten the young generations about the importance of the Palestinian issue and make them interested in Palestine and love it as An Islamic land and efforts to highlight the place of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the culture of the Islamic nation were emphasized.

Warning about division or submission to the plans of the enemies of the Islamic Ummah to disperse and disperse the Muslims and divide their countries, striving for unity and harmony between them and emphasizing the destruction of the foundations of deviant plans and explaining their invalidity and dangers for the Islamic Ummah and humanity, among others These are the things that are emphasized in the final statement.

This statement adds that the only solution for stability in Palestine and the region is the immediate end of Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands and the cessation of Western interference in regional affairs.

According to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the mass graves uncovered in Gaza reminds the world of fascist Nazi practices. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates repeated its unconditional support for the Palestinians in a statement. It urged the international community which believes in international law, human rights, and international humanitarian law to "fascist Israeli massacres."

The Ministry called the newly waged onslaught on Rafah a savage continuation of the Zionist terrorist government's genocide and expansionism program, citing that the criminals in the Israeli occupation and their planes and tanks have slaughtered over 35,000 Palestinians including 16,000 children. The destruction of the Gaza Strip was provided by the generous contributions of the US and Western weapons, the statement added, stressing that the mass graves uncovered in Gaza remind the world of fascist Nazi practices.

According to UN experts, many of the 390 bodies discovered exhibited "signs of torture and summary executions and potential instances of people buried alive." The ministry also decried the complete destruction of the health system in Gaza, citing that Gaza is proof of the mass killing of civilians which entails war crimes and crimes against humanity in addition to genocide, all which are condemned by international conventions.

Allied for Democracy

" Haaretz " newspaper reported that since early last April, many international press sites have shed light on the international isolation that Israel is experiencing as six months have passed since the war on Gaza, including "The Guardian" newspaper and the "Associated Press" and "Reuters" agencies. The Israeli newspaper wondered whether the Israelis cared about this matter and were demanding a change in the government’s course, or whether they would leave the situation as it is.

The newspaper enumerated examples, which it described as “worrying,” of Israel’s international isolation, from trade to academia to diplomacy. According to the newspaper, Israel faced measures against it in the International Court of Justice, and the United Nations Security Council issued a ceasefire resolution in late March, and even Israel’s allies were sending signals of disagreement with the current path, led by the United States, Israel’s largest ally and sponsor, which abstained. About voting in the Security Council, imposing sanctions on some settlers, and issuing angry statements, especially regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Israeli strike that resulted in the killing of seven people affiliated with the World Central Kitchen. A number of other countries and the European Parliament voted on various measures calling on Israel to change course.

As for the reaction of the Israeli people to this international isolation, and whether it is possible for them to demand that their government change its course, the newspaper said that the answer is partly that “global isolation” was still more of a warning than a real action during this stage, meaning that it did not affect the Israelis. Personally. She added that the Israelis are accustomed to shifting the blame for this disdain to anything other than their policies.

The newspaper explained that most of the countermeasures taken by the international community, in the first half of this year, against the Gaza war, did not truly restrict Israel or individuals, and were nothing more than “bad feelings,” and did not prevent the war. The United States and others also continued to pass financial aid and arms packages to Israel. On the diplomatic level, the Colombian president announced that his country would sever diplomatic relations with Israel. Shortly after, Turkey announced that it would close all forms of trade with Israel until a ceasefire was achieved, an influential position, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper considered the Turkish position influential and may have subsequent successive results, explaining that regardless of how tense the general political exchanges were between the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at times, there was an implicit agreement never to touch trade. . She stated that trade between the two countries rose to $9 billion annually. Turkish exports and Turkish labor are important to Israel's construction industry, and Turkey exports a long list of raw materials to Israel along with food, products, textiles and other materials.

According to the newspaper, the ripple effects of Turkey's position could be wide-ranging and extend to other countries in the Middle East and the world. Haaretz noted that Turkish Airlines is a major airline for both Israelis and Palestinians, to and from Turkey, which means Turkey will face economic consequences as well. But internal political gains seem to have overshadowed these matters. With Belgium making the case for economic sanctions, such political and economic stances are likely to spread to other countries as well.

The newspaper stated that the high-tech and creativity sector in Israel is still steadfast during the war, and that global dependence on Israeli technology in various fields will make it difficult for this world to isolate Israel, which is considered lucky in this matter, because high-technology constitutes nearly half of The country's exports and 30% of the country's revenues. The war could also be a boon for Israeli defense exports with a full roster of newly battle-tested equipment and weapons, according to the newspaper. But while Israel's technological power is capable of distracting or calming Israelis, other vital areas, from the Israeli military industry to academia to diplomacy, are already being affected.

According to the newspaper, several countries are seeking to slow the flow to Israeli military industries. In February, a Dutch court ordered Israel to stop exporting certain parts Israel needs for the F-35s, if Israel is the final recipient. In March, Canada announced that it would stop exporting weapons to Israel, and the Italian Foreign Minister claimed that his country had stopped sending weapons to Israel as of October 7. According to the newspaper, although these countries are not among the main suppliers of weapons to Israel, for example, Italy is considered the third largest supplier to Israel, although it constitutes a small part.

The journalist stated that the United States represents the largest supplier to Israel, and the administration of US President Joe Biden has steadfastly resisted pressure to stop military aid or impose conditions on it. However, Haaretz explained that in light of the reports that spoke of delaying arms transfers as a warning to Israel not to expand its operations in Rafah, this means that in the long term, the arms slowdown could be exacerbated by efforts to end military research partnerships in American institutes and universities, most notably the Institute. Massachusetts Tech.

The newspaper believes that academia has become ground zero for attempts to isolate Israel, as campus protests rocked the United States for weeks and spread to dozens of schools across the country. Several of them have reached agreements with the protesting students, including Brown University, the University of California, Riverside, Northwestern University and Evergreen State College. According to the newspaper, although the details of these agreements differ, the path to actual withdrawal of investments from Israeli companies is long, complex, and far from guaranteed. But in general, the agreements represent an opportunity for the protesters’ demands to be heard in the investment decisions of these universities in the future.

The United States warned Israel not to expand military activity in Rafah. As reported today (Wednesday) in the evening news at Khan 11, Israel made it clear to the Americans that preventing precision weaponry could harm military activity, give strength to Hamas, and therefore it could endanger the deal for a cease fire and the release of the abductees. The American step is considered unprecedented mainly in its publicity and other countries, such as Britain, are considering stopping defense exports and spare parts to Israel.

Officials familiar with the talks between Israel and the United States expressed deep frustration, in a conversation with Kan News, about the American decision to delay the delivery of the bombs. The sources added that "the move could endanger the abductee deal, which is at a critical point." According to the sources, Israel also told the Americans that the pressure should be applied to Hamas and not to Israel.

American Defense Minister Austin commented on the delay in American arms shipments to Israel: "We are looking at security assistance to Israel in the near term, in connection with the events unfolding in Rafah." The American minister said that one shipment of ammunition that was supposed to be sent to Israel has been delayed - but that his country has not decided definitively on the delay of the shipments. Austin added: "The United States made it clear from the beginning that Israel needs to take into account the citizens in Rafah."

A senior American confirmed to the news here today the delay in the shipments: "We did indeed delay a weapons shipment of bombs, we have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment. The United States' position was that Israel should not launch a major ground operation in Rafah." The official added: "Discussions with Israel on the humanitarian and operational issue in Rafah continue - and our concerns were not fully addressed."

Officials familiar with the talks between Israel and the United States today (Wednesday) in a conversation with Kan News expressed deep frustration with the American decision to delay the delivery of the bombs. The sources added that "the move could endanger the abductee deal, which is at a critical point." According to the sources, Israel also told the Americans that the pressure should be applied to Hamas and not to Israel.

American Defense Minister Austin commented on the delay in American arms shipments to Israel: "We are looking at security assistance to Israel in the near term, in connection with the events unfolding in Rafah." The American minister said that one shipment of ammunition that was supposed to be sent to Israel has been delayed - but that his country has not decided definitively on the delay of the shipments. Austin added: "The United States made it clear from the beginning that Israel needs to take into account the citizens in Rafah."

An Israeli source told NBC today that the Israeli government is "deeply frustrated" following the decision by the United States to suspend part of the weapons shipments to the country, fearing that the weapons will be used in the military operation in Rafah. The source added that there is high tension between Israel and the United States, following the sense of surprise in Israel at Hamas's announcement this week of accepting a cease-fire proposal.

Biden was seen in the last few hours leaving the White House, and was asked by a journalist whether his country had indeed suspended arms shipments to Israel. The American president ignored the question and did not respond to the reporter.

Two senior Israeli officials tried to address Democratic Party members' growing frustrations over the war in Gaza in two separate meetings in Congress on Tuesday, but they made little progress, according to Axios . The website said that Israeli Army General Eliezer Toledano met with a group of members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives and employees from both parties, while the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, met with a group of Jewish Democrats in the House of Representatives. The website added, citing a number of lawmakers and aides who were present, that Toledano was questioned by Democrats regarding the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the deterioration of Israel’s public relations in the world and its use of 900-kilogram bombs.

Several sources said that Toledano responded to this questioning by attacking American media coverage and denying reports of famine in Gaza. “To be honest, I was kind of disappointed in Toledano's positions on some things,” House Foreign Affairs Committee member Greg Meeks, a New York Democrat, told Axios. He added, "The world is concerned about the loss of innocent lives, and this is how you lose a public relations war... so there must be some recognition of that."

“It's not clear to me that they're trying to get ideas about how to adjust their policy, especially their public relations policy,” said Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, a staunch Israel ally who attended both meetings. Sherman added that lawmakers "don't have any information" about Israel's plans in Rafah, but "it's clear that some of the thinking in Israel is about how to do a long-term war of attrition, and that's a bad idea."

Regarding the meeting with Herzog, two lawmakers who attended the meeting confirmed that the attendees asked the man several questions related to Israeli plans around Rafah, but to no avail. "He didn't really tell us anything," one of them said. Toledano declined to comment on the information contained in this report, according to the Axios website.

Democrats have grown increasingly concerned in recent months about civilian casualties in the war, a dynamic that has worsened as Israel moved to launch a ground assault on Rafah this week.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is expected to notify Congress whether it believes that Israel has violated American or international law in Gaza, in a move that has important moral and political implications for the president, according to the Washington Post. The anticipated report, parts of which are expected to be published after being sent to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, comes at a difficult time for US-Israeli relations, in light of disagreements between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s defiance of Washington’s warnings regarding its behavior in the Gaza war and the killing of more than 34 thousand Palestinians, in addition to tragic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. But four sources told Reuters on Tuesday that the Biden administration will miss the deadline to submit the report to Congress on Wednesday.

A national security memorandum known as (NSM-20), issued by Biden in February, requires the State Department to submit a report to Congress by May 8 on the reliability of Israel’s guarantees that its use of American weapons does not violate American or international laws. The four sources stated that the US administration notified the congressional committees that it would not meet the deadline, but it hopes to present its results within days. Two congressional aides said they had no indication that the delay was related to political concerns.

Reuters reported last month that some senior American officials did not find Israel's assertions credible. The Reuters report, in addition to investigations conducted by outside organizations such as Amnesty International, prompted some lawmakers to call on the Biden administration not to direct the report in favor of Israel.

The Washington Post stated in its report that if the US administration concludes that Israel has violated US or international law, this will undoubtedly lead to an escalation of calls to suspend US military aid, and it will also certainly anger conservatives who rejected Washington’s criticism of Israel, as well as political donors and many voters. , with Biden entering the midst of an arduous battle for re-election next November. However, asserting that no violation occurred, amid heavy civilian casualties in the conflict, “would expose the administration to the risk of a backlash from liberals,” according to the Washington Post.

According to the newspaper, politicians from both parties have already expressed their concern, “which underscores the challenges Biden faces, and the possibility that he will not emerge unscathed from the report’s results, whatever they may be.” Senator Chris Van Hollen, one of the Democratic Party's most vocal critics of the management of the Gaza crisis, told reporters last week, "God help us if this report somehow says that the provision of humanitarian aid was in compliance with international standards."

“God help us if that's the conclusion because anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear knows that's simply not true,” Van Hollen said. Under pressure from the Maryland senator and other Democrats, Biden in February issued a national security memorandum stating that any country receiving US military assistance must provide written assurances that it adheres to international law and US laws governing foreign aid. Then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must issue a report assessing the credibility of those guarantees.

The memorandum itself does not impose specific procedures if the State Department determines that Israel is not in compliance. But the US Foreign Aid Act and other laws do this, according to what members of Congress revealed. If the Biden administration had concluded, for example, that Israel had restricted humanitarian access to Gaza — which US officials have already acknowledged was happening — or that Israel had carried out military strikes on hospitals or relief operations in which the harm to civilians would have been disproportionate to the importance of the target. suspected, the administration may be forced under domestic law to either suspend the transfer of weapons or issue an exemption. Both scenarios could also constitute a violation of international humanitarian laws, according to experts.

On the other hand, Republican Representative from Florida, Michael Waltz, believes that the Biden administration “is trying to walk a fine line, but I think it is doing it poorly, and frankly it makes everyone angry,” and like most other members of his party, he believes that Biden’s memorandum and any measure Negative behavior towards Israel would harm American national security. Recent reports by prominent human rights watchdogs and legal experts, along with a leaked State Department memo, indicated that many examining allegations of wrongdoing “believe that Israel violated the law.”

The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post, but the Israeli government has repeatedly defended its actions as consistent with international law. The Netanyahu government attributed civilian casualties to the presence of Hamas within the densely populated civilian population centers in Gaza, and the militants’ use of civilian infrastructure; It blamed the restriction of movement on aid convoys, which it says use certain materials to continue its fight.

A total of 88 Democrats in Congress wrote to Biden, on Friday, to express their belief that “there is sufficient evidence that Israel’s restrictions on the provision of US-supported humanitarian aid violate [US law], and thus raise doubts about the assurances it made pursuant to Presidential Security Memorandum No. 20.” .The letter, led by Representative Jason Crow, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, urged Biden to enforce the terms of the memo and "suspend certain transfers if the Netanyahu government is found to be violating US laws and policies."

"I'm interested to see the argument the president makes for or against Israel's compliance with the law," said Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), adding that he "has not yet seen evidence that Israel is complying with the law." Murphy said “I think this process in Rafah will, in many ways, be decisive in whether they adhere to the letter and spirit of the memorandum”.

Spokesmen for the White House National Security Council and the State Department declined to comment on the upcoming report or the political furor surrounding it to the newspaper. But American policymakers involved in preparing it said that the administration realizes that it is in a difficult position.

“Whatever the outcome, someone will find fault with it,” an official told The Washington Post. The report is, in essence, a proxy for the larger debate over whether the Biden administration should continue arming Israel. The official added, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, that except for the decision to withhold weapons, there is little the administration believes it can do to avoid backlash from skeptical Democrats in Congress.

Republicans exploited the possibility of suspending aid to Israel to claim that the administration was “betraying a strategic ally for the benefit of appeasing domestic politics.” Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Senator James E. Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, accused President Biden of issuing the memo “to appease Israel’s critics.”

They wrote in a recent letter to Biden that this policy is a repetition of existing US law, and that its reporting requirements are “motivated by anti-Israel sentiment.” Waltz, who sits on the House of Representatives' three security committees, said he recently spoke to some of his Democratic colleagues who are "moderate and concerned about national security," who he said "receive thousands of calls a week." Waltz said, “Some witnessed daily protests outside their offices in their constituencies,” adding that the political situation had become “very thorny.”

About a month and a half after Biden issued his memorandum, members of Congress and their aides said that the Israeli government provided the State Department with assurances that Israel fully complies with American and international law. A Republican aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that while they opposed Biden's policy, they expected the report would not find Israel guilty of any violations.

Many Democrats appreciated the increase in humanitarian aid flowing to Gaza, and attributed this improvement in part to the threat of negative results in the upcoming report. But Van Hollen said he also urged the administration to remember: “This report is supposed to record what has happened since the beginning of the war,” regardless of whether there have been recent improvements. He added: "If the conclusion of the facts and the law is that at no point since the beginning of the war in Gaza has there been any violation of international humanitarian law with regard to the provision of humanitarian aid, then you are setting a very low bar before the world."

Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers

• 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza
• 78,404 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
• 34,844 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.