Operation Iron Swords - Day 216 - 09 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

Israel Today newspaper reported that the head of Israel's propaganda system (Hespra), Moshek Aviv, resigned from his position 09 May 2024. Aviv took office about a month before last October 7. He was subjected to harsh criticism for Tel Aviv's inability to implement successful propaganda campaigns in the face of the Palestinian narrative that has spread widely around the world. This is not the Aviv Moshe who is a well-known celebrity chef in Israel who has a restaurant and deli in Piano, a shopping mall in South Netanya.

Aviv’s post was the key position overseeing Israel’s public diplomacy efforts. The head of the national information system Moshek Aviv stated 10 April 2024: “We are marking half a year of intense fighting in the information arena in the fight for the consciousness of the international community. The activity of the information system will continue to be focused and determined with the goal of generating international legitimacy for our actions in the various arenas. We will continue to fight for the truth of the State of Israel and spread it in every way”.

It was Aviv who told English-language spokesman Eylon Levy that he was suspended “until further notice” in early March, prompting Levy’s departure from the directorate. The official reason for Aviv’s departure is personal and health-related, the TV report says. It quotes sources in the Prime Minister’s Office saying, however, that there are other reasons for his departure, and noting that he is “a very statesmanlike person.” The report says that the political “intrigues” in the PMO would likely have been hard for him. Public Diplomacy Minister Galit Distel Atbaryan quit her job five days after the October 7 Hamas invasion and massacre in southern Israel.

The Hebrew newspaper Israel Today quoted Defense Council Minister Benny Gantz as saying, “Israel has a security and moral obligation to continue fighting to return our prisoners and remove the Hamas threat from the south of the country, and the United States has a moral and strategic obligation to provide Israel with the tools required for that.”

Talks for the release of the abductees reached a dead end. Disagreements between Israel and the US were also noted in the negotiations. The Americans are pushing for a big deal - the cessation of hostilities in exchange for the release of all the abductees. As far as Israel is concerned, ending the hostilities is not at all on the agenda. The Israeli delegation returned from Cairo to Israel in the afternoon, not before putting on a written document its reservations about the Hamas plan. A delegation of the terrorist organization and the head of the CIA also left Egypt without reaching an understanding.

An American source told Al Jazeera that it was decided to stop the talks held in Cairo regarding a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners due to the current situation in Rafah. The source familiar with the talks explained that the delegation of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) returned to Doha, while other delegations remained in Cairo. The same source indicated that CIA Director William Burns was on his way back from Cairo to the United States as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted a political source as saying that the Israeli delegation left Cairo to return to Israel. The source told the Commission that it was found that there were “unbridgeable gaps” in the prisoner exchange negotiations. Israeli Army Radio said that the Israeli delegation "presented reservations about Hamas' proposal, and confirmed that the operation in Rafah will continue as planned."

David Horovitz wrote in the Times of Israel "close examination of the Hamas document, as issued (Arabic) by the terror group itself, shows that far from containing “amendments” or a remotely viable counterproposal, it is constructed with incendiary sophistication to ensure that Hamas survives the war and regains control over the entire Gaza Strip. It is also calculated to ensure that Hamas secures further key, immensely far-reaching goals without having to meet the prime Israeli requirement for a deal: the release of all the hostages. In fact, Hamas can abrogate the deal, with all of its key goals achieved and then some, while continuing to hold almost all of the hostages.... the IDF must “withdraw completely” from Gaza and a “permanent cessation of military operations” must take effect before any more hostages are freed in the second stage....

".. the Hamas proposal states that, in the first stage, “internally displaced people in Gaza shall return to their areas of residence” and that “all residents of Gaza shall be allowed freedom of movement in all parts of the Strip,” with all Israeli “aviation (military and reconnaissance)” in Gaza to cease for much of each day. Combined with a partial withdrawal of IDF troops as further specified for this first stage, the effect of these demands would be to enable Hamas’s gunmen and officials to retake control of the entire Gaza Strip....

"Sinwar would reliably expect the euphoria accompanying the return of the prisoners to cement Hamas as the peerless champion of the Palestinian cause, fueling soaring support for Hamas in the West Bank and the unification of West Bank Palestinians behind it, the marginalizing of the already failing PA, and the dawn of a new era of escalated violence and terrorism against Israel..... Hamas would have very little incentive to proceed with the process. It would have precious little left to extract from Israel. And Israel, crucially, would have very little if any remaining leverage over Hamas."

War Termination

A prominent leader in the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) said - today, Thursday - that Israel is not serious about reaching an agreement, and is exploiting the negotiations as a cover to invade the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip . A member of the Hamas political bureau, Izzat al-Rishq, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to create pretexts to evade the negotiations, and blames Hamas and the mediators.

In statements published on the Telegram platform, Al-Rishq added that Hamas’s approval of the mediators’ proposal confused Netanyahu and put him in a dilemma, stressing that Hamas is sticking to its position that it informed the mediators of approving their proposal. Yesterday, Wednesday, negotiations resumed in Cairo aimed at reaching an agreement to exchange prisoners and detainees and to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in the presence of all concerned parties, amid American optimism about the possibility of concluding an agreement.

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said that the movement sent its delegation to Cairo to confirm its seriousness in negotiating, and that the ball is now in the court of the American administration, which he said must prove its seriousness and credibility in committing the Netanyahu government to the agreement proposal that Hamas agreed to. Last Monday, Hamas announced its approval of a proposed three-stage agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of prisoners and detainees, but an Israeli official said that the proposed agreement was unacceptable to Israel due to the “watering down” of its provisions.

The positive response of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) to the mediators’ proposal was not devoid of the basic demand calling for stopping the war on Gaza, which the Israeli government found difficult to accept, so it sent its tanks to the Rafah crossing and occupied it in a show of force. Through this move, Israel aimed to exert field pressure on Hamas, without having to incite the ire of the United States and the world with a comprehensive operation in Rafah.

It is important to point out that Hamas avoided submitting a new proposal as it did in a previous stage of the negotiations, and announced its approval of the mediators’ proposal after working with them to introduce amendments that are consistent with its demands, provide an appropriate solution to the differences, and allow the Netanyahu government to come down from the tree it climbed by rejecting a ceasefire. fire. It used a term previously introduced by the United States, which talks about “cessation of military and hostile operations,” and added “permanently.”

Note that the amendments made by this movement to the Paris Formula succeeded in establishing basic demands, which are - according to the statements of its leaders - a permanent cessation of aggression, the occupation’s withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip, the unconditional return of the displaced, relief and reconstruction, ending the siege, and completing an exchange deal. Real and serious. With this tactic, Hamas appeared in the position of facilitating the agreement, contrary to the image that Netanyahu hoped for and was promoting, that it was disrupting the agreement, and it even threw a fireball towards the hard-line government.

Hamas has presented important benefits, such as reducing the prisoner exchange formula in favor of focusing on humanitarian relief demands that alleviate the pain and suffering of its popular incubator, in light of the long battle that the Palestinian people are waging with the occupation. Hamas also adhered to its demand for the return of the displaced without any Israeli obstacles, by emphasizing the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Netzarim crossing and the Kuwait roundabout.

However, the resistance would not have neglected its demand for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza and the cessation of the war, as there is no meaning to exchanging prisoners, without stipulating that the occupation army will not launch a new aggression against Gaza after the resistance has lost the prisoners’ card, which is its most important negotiating card.

The Israeli government did not hide its surprise when Hamas announced its approval of the mediators’ proposal, but it was keen to say that the proposal had been subject to amendments that were unacceptable to it. Indeed, some leaks spoke of anger at the approval of the Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, who was in Doha. On Hamas's demands without consulting Israel.

The Israeli forces began a military operation to occupy the Fatah crossing, and for this purpose they occupied about 3.5 kilometers from the Salah al-Din (Philadelphia) axis, which extends 14.5 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kerem Shalom crossing. This coincided with the announcement of sending an unauthorized negotiating delegation to Egypt to discuss the formula. New proposal for mediators. In the statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he stressed that Hamas’s proposal is far from the necessary demands of Israel, considering that its goal is “to blow up the entry of our forces into Rafah, and this did not happen.” Netanyahu also stressed that Israel will not allow Hamas to rebuild its military capabilities and restore rule in the Gaza Strip, meaning that he wants to obtain the prisoners, and then resume the war on Gaza.

Israeli Channel 12 revealed the most prominent objections that Netanyahu and his negotiating team see to the new proposal, but when we examine them, we find that they are differences on a numerical basis, and this will most likely not constitute an obstacle to the agreement in the end.

The main disagreement is represented by the announcement of a cessation of the war before the start of the second phase, in addition to Israel’s demand to impose a veto on any high-ranking Palestinian whom Hamas demands in exchange for female soldiers. The new proposal reinforced the differences within the Israeli war government. Contrary to the desire of Netanyahu, who wants to disrupt the deal and prevent reaching an agreement that would lead to stopping the war and expose him to trials, the two council members from the National Camp bloc, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, are demanding that a deal be reached that would lead to the return of the prisoners.

Their position is consistent with the American position in this regard, and they are even exposed to pressure from their electoral base about the feasibility of their continued presence in a government that failed on October 7, fails to manage the war, and seeks to prolong its duration for personal goals related to Netanyahu. However, Netanyahu's negotiation will lead to increased disagreements within his coalition, especially in light of the failure to achieve the war's two goals of eliminating Hamas and liberating the prisoners.

The Israeli security services have unanimously concluded that the entity has lost two basic advantages in this war, namely: American support and the unity of the street, and that the war has reached a dead end. This undermines Netanyahu’s justifications for continuing the war and marketing this with the slogan of complete victory, which is a cover for his desire to continue to rule. He unsuccessfully avoided being tried for corruption on and after October 7. Netanyahu's hardline position will lead to protests by the families of the prisoners, which will constitute mounting pressure on the government of all shades.

The continuation of the attack on Rafah will enhance the differences with the American government, which is seeking to reach a ceasefire agreement, to save its popularity, which was greatly damaged by the war atrocities committed by the Israelis, the weakening of the Western alliance that it established at the beginning of the war, and the demands of many European countries for a ceasefire. The Biden administration is also seeking to achieve a ceasefire to achieve a normalization process between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and is pressing hard for that, because it wants to improve its position in the US elections in November of this year. Therefore, it is pressuring the Netanyahu government to deal positively with the mediators’ proposal, which Hamas’s approval of led to directing arrows of pressure on the entity.

In this context, several sources confirmed that the US administration, by decision of the US National Security Council, postponed sending specific shipments of weapons produced by Boeing to the occupation. The sources report that the postponement took place for only two weeks, but the significance of the matter is that it is the first time since October 7. The first time such action has been taken against Israel. However, this limited measure does not diminish the importance of continued American support, which Biden recently expressed when he said, “The United States’ support for Israel is firm and will not change, even if there are differences.”

This does not negate the US administration’s continued fear of Netanyahu’s decision to invade Rafah, as US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, “Israel’s control of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip appears to be a prelude to a major military operation.” However, the American administration realizes that unless it succeeds in restraining Netanyahu, launching a major attack on Rafah will lead to the cessation of negotiations, especially since Hamas has threatened to do so if the attack is carried out, which will harm the American strategy that seeks calm in the region, not to provide an atmosphere. Not only for the normalization process, but also to prevent the region from sliding into a regional escalation that conflicts with its efforts to focus on China and Russia.

It is difficult to predict the future of the deal in light of the interactions inside Israel, the formula that the government will reach in dealing with the mediators’ proposal, and the discrepancies with the American position. But the negotiations are likely to continue for days or even weeks, and will witness moderate American pressure on Israel, including an attempt to dissuade it from launching a comprehensive war on Rafah.

However, these moderate pressures, such as delaying the arrival of arms shipments to the entity, may not be enough to curb Netanyahu’s ambition to continue the war and disrupt any deal for prisoners, including moving forward with the occupation of other parts of Rafah with the possibility of causing massacres, which will lead to further disintegration of Western support for Israel. And the escalation of confrontations with Hezbollah and the Houthis. It is doubtful that the aggression against Rafah will achieve a success that the occupation army did not achieve in the north and center. Rather, it may lead - according to the estimates of the security services - to confronting strategic traps prepared by the resistance for the occupation army.

It is likely that Netanyahu will not deal seriously with the negotiations until he succeeds in promoting the completion of his mission, occupying all of Gaza, and achieving the goal of complete victory. However, with the escalation of American pressure, he may be forced to deal positively with the mediators’ proposal before the mission of occupying Rafah is completed, especially since his partners do not see fundamental differences between the two parties. What Israel wants and what is offered in the deal. This may result in the implementation of the first phase of the deal after reaching satisfactory solutions for both parties, with the resistance continuing to adhere to the condition of proceeding with the second and third phases with a strict clause confirming the ceasefire.

By implementing the first phase, the resistance can achieve important achievements in terms of providing relief to the Palestinian people and stopping the crimes of the occupation, as well as succeeding in releasing about a thousand Palestinians, including 250 resistance fighters with high sentences and life sentences, while continuing to hold the most important card, which is the military. However, after approving the deal by introducing amendments to it, Netanyahu may not be able to market it to his hard-line partners, which will lead to their withdrawal from the government. This is not required to lead to a breakdown in the government’s contract, after his opposition opponent, Naftali Bennett, pledged to provide him with a safety net if he decided to proceed with the deal.

Perhaps Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich's feeling that they do not have alternatives in the event of leaving the government may lead them to remain in it and try to disrupt what they can of the deal. Therefore, this scenario may include success for the first stage, but the success of the other stages remains not guaranteed.

In any case, the signing of the deal may mark the end of the Netanyahu government in the foreseeable future. It will strengthen the position of the resistance and give it the opportunity to catch its breath in an ongoing battle with the occupation. It will frustrate attempts to find an alternative to it, while activating the reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip through a national government within a Palestinian consensus. What these negotiations confirm is that the resistance does not enter negotiations in a state of weakness and defeat, just as Israel does not enter them in a state of victory in which it can impose its conditions. But the real equations that put pressure on both parties force them to resort to an exchange and ceasefire deal as part of Arab and international mediation efforts.

Operational Update

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Washington believes that any major military operation in Rafah will weaken the Israeli position in the negotiations. He pointed out that Washington is still communicating with Israel regarding amendments to the ceasefire proposal - which Hamas agreed to - and that work is underway to finalize the text, but the matter is extremely difficult, as he described it. The spokesman stressed that US President Joe Biden's statements yesterday - that Washington may withhold weapons from Israel if it invades Rafah - do not undermine Israel's negotiating position and do not push Hamas to "more intransigence." Miller stated that Washington has not yet seen any indications that Israel is imminent carrying out a major military operation in Rafah.

Operational Update - Gaza

Israeli officials confirmed that the military operation would continue in Rafah. While the occupation army spokesman said in a press interview that the Gaza war is the most difficult in the world. The Israeli army said that it was targeting Hamas brigades and its infrastructure east of Rafah, stressing that the forces of the 401st Brigade were continuing to raid the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.

Update from IDF spokesman , Brigadier General Daniel Hagari: "We are working in the Zeyton area, and preventing Hamas' attempts to rebuild Bazar. In the East Rafah area, we continue fighting. We have eliminated about 50 terrorists." Earlier today (Thursday), three IDF soldiers were moderately injured as a result of a shaft explosion from a trap in East Rafah, the soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital, their families were informed.

IDF and Shin Bet fighters launched an operation led by Division 99, in the Zeyton area in the center of the Gaza Strip, to continue dismantling terrorist infrastructure and eliminating terrorists in the area. Under intelligence guidance, the operation began with an attack aircraft of Air Force fighter jets during which approximately 25 terrorist targets were attacked. Among the targets were attacked military buildings, attack tunnels, observation posts, sniper positions and other terrorist infrastructures. In the combined coordination, the fighters of the Nahal Brigade's combat teams, 679 and 2 are working to purify the area in the Zeyton area.

The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said it was likely that the Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - would carry out specific operations against the Israeli forces penetrating east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, within the next 48 hours. Al-Duwairi - during his analysis of the field scene on Al-Jazeera - attributed his estimates to the fact that the occupation army relied on armored vehicles supported by brigades east of Rafah , to penetrate into open areas, which constitutes difficulty for the resistance in initially dealing with them.

He added that Al-Qassam fighters and the rest of the factions are underground, and some time must pass to absorb the shock, "and then employ the tunnel network to carry out specific operations during the next 36-48 hours." He warned that the method of managing the defensive battle may become clear within 48 hours by the Palestinian resistance, as the battle is still in its infancy and is currently relying on bombing operations inside the Gaza envelope , carrying out sniper operations, and limited use of anti-tank missiles.

He stressed that the current Rafah operation is a limited battle within the framework of a specific place to achieve political goals, including controlling the Rafah border crossing, closing it and isolating the Gaza Strip from the world. Among the objectives also - according to Al-Duwairi - is the bombing of high-rise residential towers with the aim of depriving the resistance of carrying out monitoring, surveillance and sniping operations, as well as completing the process of systematic destruction of the necessities of life, destroying dozens of apartments and killing dozens.

Regarding the statements of Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari that Israel planned a war that would last approximately a year, Al-Duwairi stated that estimating the duration of the war depends on the nature of the battles, the size of the participating forces, and the method of managing the defensive battle. He added, "7 months have passed since the war, without achieving any military achievements after employing more than 35% of the total occupation army," adding that the size of the participating force at the height of the war amounted to 21 brigades, compared to 5 brigades currently, 3 of which are regular, "which means that "There is still a long way to go to achieve the war goals."

The strategic expert concluded that political goals are difficult to translate into a military plan, “Therefore, the time frame and dimensions of the battle in built-up areas will prolong the duration of the battle.” Hagari had stated - earlier on Wednesday - that "Gaza is one of the most difficult battlefields in the world, in terms of fighting, its intensity, and the tunnels that Hamas dug underground."

According to IDF estimates, around 150,000 Palestinians have heeded the call to evacuate the area thus far. Despite the substantial evacuation, there are currently no plans to extend the evacuation order to other parts of Rafah. The IDF asserts that the ongoing operation remains contained and is primarily focused on eastern Rafah, particularly amid ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) announced - Thursday - that about 80,000 people fled Rafah within 3 days since Israel intensified its military operations in the city located in the southern Gaza Strip. UNRWA said on the “X” platform that since the Israeli occupation forces intensified their operations on May 6, about 80,000 people have fled Rafah, searching for another place to seek refuge, warning that “the losses of these families are unbearable. There is no safe place.”

The Gaza Strip Crossings Authority denies what the US State Department said regarding opening the crossings and bringing humanitarian aid into the Strip. The Authority confirmed that the Gaza Strip crossings are still closed and under the control of the Israeli occupation, and no aid has been brought in since the start of the ground invasion of Rafah Governorate, the occupation of the Rafah border crossing, and the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The Israeli army continued its violent air and artillery bombardment on Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip . While the eastern neighborhoods of the city are witnessing fierce clashes between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation forces, the occupation forces are penetrating the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood and its surrounding areas in Gaza City. Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza reported that 8 Palestinians, including 4 children, were killed and 16 others were injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah. The reporter added that ambulance teams transported the injured and the bodies of the martyrs to Kuwait Hospital in the city center, in light of an acute shortage of medical supplies and all other services.

In turn, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that the Israeli occupation’s closure of the Rafah border crossing prevents the United Nations from bringing in fuel, without which all humanitarian operations will stop, and also hinders the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

On the ground, the Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Hamas movement - announced that its fighters were engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces penetrating east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Al-Qassam also announced the bombing of concentrations of occupation forces at the “Karm Shalom military site” with a short-range “Rajum” missile system of 114 mm caliber, in addition to targeting concentrations of Israeli forces east of the city of Rafah with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

In turn, the Al-Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement - announced that its fighters were engaged in fierce clashes with machine guns and assault rifles with Israeli soldiers and vehicles penetrating east of the city of Rafah. It also announced the bombardment of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles penetrating the vicinity of the airport and the Al-Shoka neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah, with heavy-caliber mortar shells and 60-millimeter regular mortar shells.

International newspapers covered the Israeli ground military operation in the city of Rafah , south of the Gaza Strip , and said that it increased the frustration of both the United States and Israel due to their contradictory positions regarding this operation. On the American website Axios, an article by Andrew Sollender spoke about the failure of Israeli officials to ease tensions and address the growing frustration of Democrats regarding the war in Gaza during Congressional meetings.

The article quoted Democratic Representative Brad Sherman - whom the writer describes as a strong ally of Israel - as saying that lawmakers do not have any information about Israel's plans in Rafah, and that what is clear is that the Israelis are thinking about a long-term war of attrition, describing the matter as a "bad idea."

In the newspaper "Israel Today", Erez Lin wrote an article in which he said that Israel is very frustrated about the United States temporarily halting a large shipment of offensive weapons. He added that Israel possesses a large arsenal of weapons, making it unlikely that stopping the weapons alone would stop the attack on Rafah. However, the writer adds, the cessation of the arms shipment indicates an increasing dispute between the United States and Israel regarding Gaza.

The Independent newspaper quoted former British National Security Advisor Peter Ricketts as saying that Britain should be ahead of the United States in suspending arms sales to Israel. Ricketts added, "It is unfortunate that the British government was not able to take a position on this matter." The article noted that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "is facing increasing pressure even from within his own party to immediately suspend the supply of weapons to Israel, amid growing dissatisfaction with the number of civilians killed due to the Israeli war."

In the French "Liberation", writer Lea Maceguin said that the worst humanitarian scenario "will become a reality if the Israeli military operation is launched in Rafah." The writer continued that Israel stands alone in the face of the world, and is heading towards the worst option of launching a military operation against Rafah, to which more than half of the population of the Gaza Strip has been displaced.

Finally, writer Perry Bacon said in an article in the Washington Post that the campaign to demonize and suppress protests on university campuses in the United States has gone beyond the limits. The writer considered that the reaction was intense, aggressive, and apparently completely wrong, noting that what the protesters at American universities are being exposed to "is the latest negative repercussions resulting from the disastrous US government decision to fully ally with Israel as it destroys Gaza."

A political source told Kan news: "The activity in Rafah requires strategic decisions to be made regarding the ways of proceeding. It is not only about who will control the Rafah crossing, but also whether or not Israel will promote the activities of local parties, or activate a military government." News was also delivered that the MLA presented the main points of Prime Minister Netanyahu's plan, while a senior official in the Ministry of Defense presented the activities of the joint working group for the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces. No decisions were made and therefore the discussion is expected to continue today. Until now, Prime Minister Netanyahu has avoided holding a substantive discussion on the issue.

North of the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul said that the occupation forces penetrated by land into the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, leading to the displacement of hundreds of families. He added that Israeli vehicles advanced on Street No. 8, amid intense fire and missiles from Israeli helicopters towards the neighborhoods of Al-Sabra, Al-Zaytoun and Tal Al-Hawa.

For its part, the Al-Qassam Brigades said that its fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli forces and an infantry force west of the “ Netzarim ” axis with mortar shells. In a related context, the government media office in Gaza announced the recovery of 49 bodies from a third mass grave inside the Shifa Medical Complex , bringing the number of mass graves found inside hospitals in the Strip to 7 graves so far, from which 520 martyrs were recovered. The media office confirmed in a statement that government crews continue to recover more bodies. He added that the occupation army executed nearly 400 Palestinians during the storming of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, where it executed hundreds of wounded, sick, displaced, and medical staff.

The media office in Gaza called on the countries of the free world to put pressure on the occupation in order to stop the genocidal war against the health sector and hospitals. He also called for the opening of an independent international investigation into the crimes committed by the occupation against medical personnel, the wounded, the sick, and the displaced.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

The soldiers of the IDF, the Shin Bet and the MGB arrested five wanted persons associated with Hamas in the Hebron area of the Yehuda Brigade, in Beit Kahil and Beta the soldiers arrested four more wanted persons. In the Nablus area of the Samaria Division, the forces arrested three wanted persons and confiscated a gun. In Tel, in the area of the brigade, the forces confiscated incendiary materials. In the Etzion Brigade, the fighters arrested 11 wanted persons, including a wanted person associated with Hamas who incited terrorist acts. Two wanted men were arrested in Kabatia in Menasha and two more wanted men were arrested in Ein Umm Ashrayit in Benjamin. In the Kalkiliya area of ??the Ephraim Brigade, the fighters arrested four wanted men. During the night, the forces secured the entrance of worshipers to the tomb of Yehoshua ben Nun in the area of the brigade. The wanted persons who were arrested and the means of warfare that were confiscated were transferred to the security forces for further treatment, there are no casualties to our forces. So far, since the beginning of the war, about 4,000 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Iosh and in the Bekaa and Emekim division, about 1,700 of them are associated with Hamas.

Hundreds of extremist settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, stormed a town in Salfit Governorate in the occupied West Bank , while the occupation army forces continued at dawn on Thursday morning their campaign of raids and demolition of homes in many areas in the West Bank. Local sources reported to Al Jazeera that the occupation forces closed shops and all entrances to the town of Kafl Haris (north of Salfit), and prevented residents from entering and leaving before encircling the center of the town to secure the entry of settlers who are preparing to raid an Islamic religious shrine in the center of the town to perform Talmudic rituals there. In the town of Kifl, there is a keeper of the shrines of “Yusha,” “Dhu al-Nun,” and “Dhu al-Kifl,” and Israeli settlers claim that the shrines are “Jewish.” However, the townspeople and historians deny these allegations, and confirm that they are Islamic and prayers were held there until the 1960s.

In occupied Jerusalem , Al Jazeera's correspondent said that large forces from the occupation army and police stormed the Shuafat camp. In Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, the occupation forces demolished a house under construction in the Jawfa Aziz area. An occupation army force - accompanied by bulldozers and vehicles - raided the area and proceeded to demolish the house under the pretext of not having a permit.

The occupation forces also demolished two homes belonging to two Palestinian families in the Marj al-Ghizlan area near Bethlehem. Palestinian platforms circulated clips documenting the occupation forces’ bulldozers demolishing the two houses. In Jenin, in the northern West Bank, the occupation forces stormed the town of Qabatiya, south of the city, and entered it, reinforced with military vehicles and a bulldozer, and conducted their patrols in the streets of the town.

In the city of Hebron, in the south of the West Bank, the occupation forces stormed the cities of Yatta, south of the city and Halhul, north of it, and arrested a citizen whose house they demolished two days ago. It also conducted its patrols in various areas of the city of Halhul, raiding and searching homes. In Ramallah, north of occupied Jerusalem, the occupation forces stormed the town of Barqa, east of the city, and the Umm Al-Sharayet neighborhood in the city of Al-Bireh, north of the city. In the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, scenes broadcast by local Palestinian platforms showed a number of vehicles belonging to the occupation forces storming the northern mountain area and raiding a residential building.

In parallel with its war on the Gaza Strip , the occupation escalated its operations in the West Bank, leaving - in addition to the arrests - 497 martyrs and about 4,950 wounded, according to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health until last Tuesday.

Operational Update - Lebanon

Fighter jets attacked a terrorist infrastructure and a military structure of Hezbollah in the area of ??Eyta al-Sha'ab. IDF forces fired to remove a threat in several areas in southern Lebanon. Fighter jets and air defense fighters of the Air Force intercepted two unmanned aircraft in Lebanese territory. Also, several launches were identified that crossed from Lebanon towards several areas in the north of the country. Injuries were detected in a peaceful area, as a result of which a fire broke out in the area, fire brigades are working on the spot to put out the fire. There are no casualties.

The Lebanese "Hezbollah" published a summary of its operations carried out against the Israeli army on Thursday, "in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance." Hezbollah's military media indicated that "the Islamic Resistance carried out a number of operations against the positions and deployment of the Israeli enemy army on the Lebanese-Palestinian border on Thursday, May 9, 2024, according to the following":

Eastern sector (southern Lebanon):

• - 15:00: The Al-Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba was targeted with missile weapons and was directly hit.
• - At 16:58: An air attack was launched with assault drones targeting the military leadership of the Israeli enemy forces in the “Kfargaladi” colony and its surroundings, directly hitting its operations room and leaving its officers and soldiers dead and wounded.

Western sector (southern Lebanon):

• - At 13:23: One of the modern technical systems that was recently installed at the Ramia site was targeted with appropriate weapons and was directly hit, leading to its destruction.
• - At 14:15: A new Israeli enemy command center in the Natawa settlement was targeted with artillery shells and it was directly hit.
• - At 15:20: We targeted a group of Israeli enemy soldiers at the Al-Jardah point with appropriate weapons, directly hitting it and leaving its members dead or wounded.
• - At 17:15: A deployment of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Jal al-Alam site was targeted with a heavy-caliber Burkan missile.
• - At 20:05: A military vehicle was targeted at the Al-Malikiyah site with appropriate weapons, and it was directly hit, leaving its crew dead and wounded, and it was seen engulfed in flames.

It is worth noting that since the Hamas movement launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 and the subsequent devastating war on the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah has been carrying out operations “in support of Gaza” and to create a “support front” against the Israeli army . Hezbollah repeatedly stressed that stopping its operations "depends on the cessation of the aggression against the Gaza Strip."

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

Operational Update - Yemen

Yemeni forces have attacked three ships affiliated to Israel as part of a maritime campaign in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a spokesman said. In a televised speech on Thursday, spokesman of Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the Yemeni forces had targeted two ships, MSC DIEGO and MSC GINA, in the Gulf of Aden with several ballistic missiles and drones. Additionally, he said, the vessel MSC VITTORIA was twice hit, once in the Indian Ocean and again in the Arabian Sea.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces are following developments … in the Gaza Strip and will not hesitate to escalate their military operations in the face of the oppression against the Palestinian people,” Saree added. He also stressed that the Yemeni forces will continue to prevent Israeli maritime activity until the occupying regime ends its aggression against Gaza and lifts its siege on the Palestinian territory.

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

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign, Political and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell, called for not selling weapons to Israel. Borrell explained that the Israeli bombing will not stop until the ammunition in its possession runs out, and added that the European Union is "divided" about taking a common position against what happened in the Middle East. Borrell addressed the leaders of the European Union countries, saying, “Some leaders say, there are too many deaths in Gaza, and the question that must be asked is: How many people must die? Do we have to wait for 50,000 people to die before we take the necessary measures to prevent more?”

An Egyptian official revealed in a conversation with Kan News that the aggressive American stance against Israel in a Rafih context is also partly related to Cairo's protest. The Egyptians urged the administration to find a solution to Israel's intention to operate in Rafah. Egypt informed Israel that it will disable all the trucks it is parking for the purpose of bringing aid into the Gaza Strip - until Israel specifies a date on which it will open the Rafah crossing.

In Cairo they strongly protested to the American administration about Israel's conduct in recent days, in the context of the operation in Rafah. Bakan News It was announced today (Thursday) on the evening news at Bakan 11, that the aggressive American position against Israel in the context of Rafah and the delay in arms shipments, is also partly related to Cairo's protest - according to an Egyptian source who is not aware of the details.

According to the Egyptian official, in Cairo they put the responsibility for the consequences of the Israeli conduct on the Americans. The Egyptians told the Americans: "You must find a solution to the matter, because the action in Rafah is sabotaging Egypt's mediation efforts to reach an agreement and has negative consequences for both Egyptian national security and the unrest within Egyptian society." That is, according to the Egyptians, the operation in Rafah strengthens, among other things, the position of the extremist currents among them.

The Egyptian source also told Kan news that despite the Israeli statements that this is a limited operation - the Egyptians have no real guarantee that the operation in Rafah will not turn into a larger operation. Therefore, they hope that the aggressive American position will dissuade Israel from doing so.

Yesterday, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, said in an interview with the CNN network that Washington will not send weapons to Israel if it starts a large-scale invasion in Rafah. According to him, "Civilians were killed in Gaza because of these bombs and because of other ways they harm population concentrations. I made it clear that if they enter Rafah - and they haven't entered Rafah yet - I will not supply them with weapons that they used in the past to attack the cities."

Egypt has informed Israel that it will disable all the trucks it is parking in favor of bringing aid into the Gaza Strip - until Israel specifies the date on which it will open the Rafah crossing. This is how news was published for the first time this evening. Most of the trucks that bring aid from El-Arish Port in Egypt to Kerem Shalom are Egyptian trucks - therefore this decision on the part of the Egyptians could cast a heavy shadow on the humanitarian effort. The issue will be discussed tonight at the cabinet meeting.

Axis of Resistance

Since the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Russian President Vladimir Putin finds it easy to describe the “liberal international order” of US President Joe Biden as a “hollow shell,” especially after the latter announced that he would stand up to the International Criminal Court if it issued charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After he had supported her accusation of war crimes in Ukraine against Putin. This is what British writer Edward Luce sees in his article, which he begins with a rule among the Italian mafia that stipulates that whenever an operation is carried out, the question arises: “Who benefits?” Then the writer commented that there is no evidence that Russia was behind the Hamas operation on October 7. October 2023, but it was one of the main beneficiaries.

Luce stressed that whoever wants to reach the same result only has to ask the question: “Who is the loser?”, so that it becomes clear to him without difficulty that Biden is the loser from a geopolitical standpoint and that the movement of Israeli forces towards Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip is likely to only make the matter worse. The writer says: Fate wanted the Hamas attack to coincide with Putin’s birthday to represent the geopolitical instability that resulted from this operation. A continuing gift to Moscow, including Biden’s position on the International Criminal Court when it comes to Netanyahu compared to his position on it regarding Putin.

Edward Luce, a Financial Times writer, pointed out that the irony is that before the Hamas attack , there was mutual admiration between Putin and Netanyahu, as each viewed the other as a strong leader who would spare no effort to cling to power, and that they shared their disdain. For American liberals, and “benevolent” Democrats in general, although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its rapprochement with Iran have affected that relationship, according to the writer.

Luce explained that Putin remains a beneficiary party from the repercussions of the Israeli army’s operations in Gaza , but his interests in this matter overlap with the interests of Netanyahu, who fears that the end of the war will lead to holding general elections in which the Likud Party is not expected to win, which means that he may go directly to prison. Because of his postponed corruption trials, he therefore “has every incentive to continue the war. This makes Netanyahu a major threat to Biden’s re-election prospects, just as Putin is.”

The writer concluded by saying: “Everything good for Putin is good for Donald Trump and therefore bad for Biden.”

Allied for Democracy

The security officials believe: it is impossible to move forward with full force in Rafah, without agreeing on the future of the strip • In Israel they clarify: we will act in Rafah, even at the cost of a frontal confrontation with the US. The war cabinet and the political-security cabinet are met tonight (Thursday), for discussions that are expected to focus on the rift with the Americans - and the effect of the political pressure on the issue of armaments on the continuation of the operation in Rafah. The Israeli position: We will attack in the south of the Strip, even at the cost of a political confrontation.

The security establishment is coming to the discussions with a desire to determine courses of action, against the background of the crisis with the US. The political echelon will have to decide whether to occupy Rafah in full or in part, or at all to carry out a measured encirclement and raids. Israel has indeed approved the plans for action in Rafah, but the assessment is that due to the crisis the IDF will have to make adjustments.

In the face of President Joe Biden's decision to halt a portion of arms shipments to Israel over its military operation in Rafah, both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity party chairman, Minister Benny Gantz, delivered responses, asserting Israel's determination to defend itself, even if it means standing alone. Speaking Thursday evening, Netanyahu invoked Israel's historic struggle for independence, emphasizing the nation's resolve and unity in the face of adversity. "If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone," Netanyahu declared. "I have already said that if we have to - we will fight with our nails."

Drawing parallels to Israel's War of Independence, Netanyahu underscored the nation's strength and resilience, asserting that Israel possesses the determination and capabilities to overcome its adversaries. "Today we are much stronger. We are determined, and we are united to defeat our enemies and protect our lives," he affirmed.

Echoing Netanyahu's sentiment, Minister Benny Gantz emphasized the strategic and values-based partnership between the U.S. and Israel. Gantz underscored the importance of ongoing dialogue and cooperation between the two nations, particularly in matters crucial to Israel's security. He stated, "The partnership between the U.S. and Israel is a strategic partnership, and just as importantly - a values-based partnership."

The Israeli minister stressed that Israel has both a security and moral obligation to combat threats posed by groups like Hamas, emphasizing the necessity of returning hostages and ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens. He highlighted the U.S.'s moral and strategic responsibility to support Israel in these efforts, calling for continued arms shipments to bolster Israel's capabilities. Gantz added, "Israel has a security and moral obligation to continue fighting to return our hostages and remove the threat of Hamas from the south of the country, and the US has a moral and strategic obligation to provide Israel with the tools required for this mission."

The State Camp political party believes that a deal will not come to fruition. Gadi Eisenkot pledged that if there is no progress in the negotiations for the hostage deal, he will resign from the government, which may happen within days. The state camp believes that in recent days the negotiations for the deal have reached an impasse and the chances that the deal will go into effect soon are low. Yesterday at the War Cabinet meeting that dealt with the issue, the impression was given that the chance of a deal is very small. Gadi Eisenkot made a clear commitment that if there is no progress he will retire.

Bekan 11 reported last month that the coalition is preparing an alternative to the phase in which Minister Benny Gantz and the state camp will withdraw from the government. Senior officials in the coalition say that it was decided that after Gantz's retirement, former minister Gideon Sa'ar will be offered to return to the government and replace him in the war cabinet.

Sa'ar resigned from the government , after his demand for a place in the war cabinet was not met, partly because of Gantz's own opposition, and the fear that adding Sa'ar to the reduced cabinet would cause the retirement of Minister Ben Gabir, who also demanded to join the cabinet. After Gantz's retirement, the restriction on Sa'ar's inclusion in the war cabinet will be removed, and therefore the coalition intends to offer Sa'ar to replace Gantz and his faction. In that case, ministers Ben Gabir and Smotrich are also expected to join the reduced cabinet, since in Gantz's absence the opposition to their inclusion will be removed.

The political delegations of Israel, the United States, Qatar and Hamas left Cairo today after two days of talks to reach a hostage deal. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, there are irreconcilable gaps that have been discovered in recent days between the parties during the talks. In Israel, tonight the cabinet will decide on the continuation of the talks.

US President Joe Biden warned that his country would not provide Israel with specific types of weapons if it launched an attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip , and stressed that the bombs provided by Washington to Tel Aviv were used to kill civilians in Gaza. During an interview with CNN, Biden said - in response to a question about the reason that prompted his administration last week to suspend sending a shipment of bombs to Israel - that "civilians were killed in Gaza because of these bombs, and this is a bad thing."

He warned, "If they (the Israelis) enter Rafah, I will not provide them with the weapons that were previously used against the cities," adding, "We will not hand over to them the weapons and artillery shells that have been used" so far in the war on the Gaza Strip. This is the first time that Biden has publicly set conditions for American military support for Israel, but he stressed that the United States will continue to "ensure Israel's protection by Iron Dome."

Regarding the recent Israeli attacks in Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are crowded, Biden described the operation as an incursion that did not affect “population centers,” indicating that it is not a large-scale ground operation that requires a response from his administration. Biden added that he clearly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war government “that they will not have our support if they enter population centers,” but stressed that Israel has not yet crossed the red line regarding Rafah.

Regarding the student movement that spread across American universities, Biden said, “I received the students’ message, and there is a legitimate right to demonstrate, but it is not permissible to use hate speech and threaten Jewish students.”

The White House even reported that President Biden instructed his team to continue working in cooperation with Israel in order to inflict a "lasting defeat" on the terrorist organization. It was also reported that the US has not made a final decision regarding the progress of the arms shipment to Israel that has been suspended.

The Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, said that US President Joe Biden's decision to withhold weapons from Israel due to its planned operation in Rafah sends a "wrong message" to Hamas and Israel's enemies. He explained that this decision "puts us in a corner because we have to deal with Rafah in one way or another."

The Israeli Kan channel said that failure to reach a prisoner exchange agreement between the Palestinian resistance and Israel “threatens the emergency government with collapse.” The channel indicated that the two Ministers in the War Council, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot from the "State Camp" bloc, will resign from the emergency government, which will lead to its collapse if a prisoner exchange agreement is not reached soon.

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.