Operation Iron Swords - Day 221 - 14 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

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

Despite the IDF's activity, Israel asked Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing. The purpose of the Israeli request is to transfer goods and humanitarian equipment to the Gaza Strip. Foreign Minister Israel Katz tweeted that he discussed the issue with the British Foreign Minister and the German Foreign Minister, and he is expected to discuss the issue with the Italian Foreign Minister as well. However, it is not at all clear how much influence these countries have on Cairo.

Israel is asking Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing in order to transport goods and humanitarian equipment to the Gaza Strip - despite the IDF's activity in the area. Foreign Minister Israel Katz tweeted today (Tuesday) that he discussed the issue with British Foreign Minister Cameron and German Foreign Minister Barbuk, and he is expected to talk In the issue also with the Italian Foreign Minister. However, it is not at all clear how much influence those countries have on Egypt - which, according to reports, is considering its relations with Israel following the activity in Rafah.

Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal this morning that Egypt is considering downgrading its diplomatic ties with Israel by recalling the Egyptian ambassador from Israel. This is after yesterday Egypt announced its decision to support the claim that South Africa filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. In a statement on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt, it was stated that the decision was made due to "the worsening of the Israeli attacks against the Palestinian residents in the Gaza Strip, the demolition of the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and the pushing of the Palestinians into forced deportation out of their land."

War Termination

Brigadier General Hagari was asked if the decision not to produce a "governmental alternative" to Hamas causes our forces to return and fight in the places where they fought in the past. " There is no doubt that a governmental alternative to Hamas will create pressure on Hamas, but that is a question for the political level," Hagari replied.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested the possibility of exiling Hamas leaders from Gaza as a means to end the ongoing war. In a recent interview on Dan Senor's podcast "Call Me Back," Netanyahu reiterated his stance that the war could end immediately if Hamas were to lay down its arms and release hostages. "This war can be over tomorrow," Netanyahu emphasized. "Hamas lays down its arms, surrenders, and returns the hostages, the war is over. It's up to them." When pressed about the option of exile for Hamas leaders, Netanyahu stated that while the idea has been discussed, the priority is for Hamas to surrender and disarm.

The talks between senior government officials and their Israeli counterparts are expected to also deal with the issue of the day after. Senior officials in the American administration: "We estimate that Israel has stationed enough soldiers on the outskirts of Rafah to fully enter it in the coming days".

The United States and Israel have agreed that the operation in Rafah will not be significantly expanded - they will not hold talks yet. The talks between senior government officials and their Israeli counterparts are expected to also deal with the issue of the day after the war in Gaza. As reported today (Tuesday) in the evening news at Khan 11, two senior officials in the American administration told CNN: "The administration estimates that Israel has stationed enough soldiers on the outskirts of Rafah to fully enter it in the coming days."

Two senior officials in the American administration told CNN tonight (Tuesday) that the administration estimates that Israel has stationed enough soldiers on the outskirts of Rafah to fully enter it in the coming days. However, senior officials in the United States are not sure at the moment if Israel has actually made a final decision to make such a move - contrary to President Joe Biden's opinion.

One of the sources claimed that Israel did not come close to making adequate preparations - such as building infrastructure for food supply, hygiene and shelter - for the potential evacuation of more than a million Gazans who, according to him, are currently staying in Rafah. The UNRA agency announced yesterday that 360,000 Palestinians have moved from Rafah, since the IDF called on them to do so a week ago.

In the meantime, Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said last night that his country continues to send military aid to Israel and will make sure that everything approved in the aid law is delivered. However, Sullivan added: "We delayed the shipment of heavy bombs because we still believe it would be a mistake to invade Rafah." According to him, "President Biden made it clear that he will not provide certain equipment if there is an invasion of Rafah, but this has not yet happened."

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Tuesday that the ceasefire talks in Gaza had “reached a dead end” and that “the Rafah process took things back.” Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, who also holds the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, added during the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, “In the past few weeks, we have witnessed some increasing momentum, but unfortunately things have not moved in the right direction and we are now almost in a state of stagnation. Of course, what happened in... Rafah took us back.”

The Prime Minister of Qatar explained that his country would continue to mediate between Israel and Hamas, according to what was reported by Reuters. Doha, along with Cairo and Washington, plays that role in the conflict that has been going on for 7 months. Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman said that Doha did not stop negotiations between Israel and Hamas, despite the challenges they face.

In a related context, an informed official told Reuters without revealing his identity that the director of US intelligence will go to Doha for an emergency meeting with the Prime Minister of Qatar. The Prime Minister of Qatar stressed that the Hamas office in Doha will remain open as long as the war continues and there is a need to communicate with the movement, pointing out that there must be one Palestinian government in both the West Bank and Gaza based on Palestinian consensus.

At the field level, residents said that, on Tuesday morning, Israeli tanks entered eastern Rafah and entered the neighborhoods of El Geneina, Al Salam, and Brazil. One resident told Reuters via a messaging app: “This morning tanks advanced west of Salah al-Din Road into the Brazil and El Geneina neighborhoods. They are now in the populated area and there are clashes.” A video clip circulated on social media showed a tank on George Street in the El Geneina neighborhood. Reuters was unable to verify the video.

Axios revealed on Monday that Israel proposed to the Palestinian Authority to send representatives to the Rafah crossing last week to participate in its operation, but not in an official capacity.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, witnesses and reporters at Agence France-Presse reported that Israeli forces carried out air strikes on various areas of Gaza, while the Palestinian Civil Defense announced that at least 8 people were killed in a bombing that targeted a building in the Nuseirat camp (centre). Also, air strikes targeted Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, which is crowded with about 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom took refuge in this city located on the border with Egypt to escape bombing and fighting in recent months, but some of them are now fleeing from it after Israeli threats to launch a major operation there.

A massive exodus movement continued from Rafah, on foot, in vehicles, on bicycles, or in buggies. They did not know where to go after most of the Gaza Strip’s areas were reduced to rubble as a result of the longest war in the history of the conflict. Mustafa Deeb, a resident of the Gaza Strip, said: “There are no merchants in Rafah, all services have stopped. There is no life here. I have been searching for bread since the morning (but) I have not been able to find anything to feed my children. I do not know where I will take them. Rafah is a ghost town,” according to Agence France-Presse.

Netanyahu says that the Rafah attack is necessary as he considers it the movement's last major stronghold, despite the international community's concerns about the civilian population. The United States opposes a large-scale attack in Rafah, and in recent days, American officials have even doubted the possibility of completely eliminating the movement. On Monday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “We continue to work with Israel to find a better way to ensure the defeat of Hamas in all parts of Gaza, including Rafah,” rather than “seeing Israel slide into an endless counterinsurgency campaign.”

The American Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified Egyptian officials, reported that ceasefire talks in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas will resume during an expected meeting in the Qatari capital. The newspaper quoted officials as saying that “Arab mediators hope to narrow the gaps between Israel and Hamas” (classified as a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries), as they expect to meet again in Doha this week. This comes as Israeli forces advance into the southern city of Rafah with the aim of destroying what Israeli officials described as the last major stronghold of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, and at the same time Israel is fighting the armed group again in the northern regions.

Last week, a new round of negotiations ended in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, without reaching an agreement stipulating the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Israel said that the proposal presented by Qatari and Egyptian mediators included “unacceptable” provisions.

On the other hand, Hamas, which accepted the proposal earlier last week, said that “Israel’s refusal... brought things back to square one.” The movement announced its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal in Gaza presented by Egypt and Qatar.

However, the US State Department confirmed that Hamas did not accept the ceasefire proposal, “but rather its response included several proposals, which are not equivalent to acceptance.” Axios revealed on Monday that Israel proposed to the Palestinian Authority to send representatives to the Rafah crossing last week to participate in its operation, but not in an official capacity. The White House described the end of the talks, which CIA Director William Burns helped mediate, as “extremely regrettable,” but said, according to Reuters, that the United States believes the differences can be overcome.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Saturday, “We are working hard to keep both sides engaged in continuing discussions, even virtually.”

On the ground, battles intensified between Israel and Hamas across the Gaza Strip on Monday, as the Israeli army launched ground raids on the Jabalia and Zaytoun areas north of the Strip, and army members clashed with the movement’s fighters in the southern city of Rafah, according to the Wall Street Journal. Agence France-Presse correspondents and witnesses reported that violent clashes took place between Israeli soldiers and Hamas fighters in various areas of the Gaza Strip, at a time when the Israelis commemorated the soldiers who died during their service and the victims of attacks on Israel before commemorating the 76th anniversary of its founding, more than seven months after the outbreak of the war.

Meanwhile, United Nations Deputy Spokesman, Farhan Haq, said that a member of the United Nations security services was killed in an attack that targeted his car in Rafah, on Monday, explaining that he was the first international employee of the organization to be killed in Gaza since the outbreak of the war. Last week, Israel entered Rafah in an operation that it said was aimed at pressuring Hamas to reach an agreement to release the hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video recording commemorating the deaths of Israeli soldiers, that Israel is exercising military pressure on Hamas in Rafah to try to secure the release of the hostages, and to destroy 4 military battalions belonging to the movement. He added: "We are very close to destroying the remaining Hamas brigades. This is a precondition for victory."

Operational Update

According to a source involved in coordination with Egypt, in Cairo they were outraged by the documents that soldiers distributed on the morning of the takeover of the Rafah crossing, and conveyed a message to Israel, according to which they would not allow aid to enter through the crossing. The IDF is investigating the distribution of the documents, which were released without supervision.

Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet chief Ronan Bar visited Egypt about three weeks ago, to coordinate the operation at the Rafah crossing. At that meeting, Israel promised that it was a limited operation to clean up terrorist infrastructure in the crossing and Egypt promised to continue the transfer of the fuel trucks. However, the Rafah crossing has been closed since the IDF took control of the Gaza side of the crossing about a week ago. Egypt has announced that it will not allow the passage of aid trucks to the Gaza Strip until Israel announces when the crossing will open.

As a result, Israel asked Egypt to open the crossing for the purpose of transferring goods and humanitarian equipment to the Strip. The Egyptian Foreign Minister claimed in response: "Israeli control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, and Israeli military activity near the crossing, putting the lives of aid workers and truck drivers in danger, is the main reason for the inability to bring aid through the crossing."

In the background of the IDF operation in East Rafah, a UN worker was killed yesterday at the Rafah crossing. The employee, of Indian origin, worked in the UN's safety and security department. An employee of the organization, a Jordanian citizen, was also injured in the incident. The UN has not yet placed responsibility for the incident on Israel or Hamas, and is waiting for the completion of the initial investigation by the IDF. Sources familiar with the details say that the UN They are pressing to complete the investigation tonight and pass it on to them.

IDF forces took control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing a week ago, and the crossing has been closed ever since. Egypt announced that it would not allow the passage of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip until Israel announced when the crossing would open. Meanwhile, American officials told the New York Times that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar did not was found in Rafah, but remained in the tunnels in the Khan Yunis area. According to the report, this is information that both American and Israeli intelligence agree on.

Axios said on Monday that Israel proposed to the Palestinian Authority to send representatives to the Rafah crossing last week to participate in its operation, but not in a formal capacity. This was the first time since the Hamas attack on October 7 that Israel agreed to discuss any intervention by the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip. The website stated that it received its information from four senior officials, American, Israeli and Palestinian.

Last week, Barak Ravid, a correspondent for the Hebrew " Walla " website, reported that Israel intends to involve Palestinian parties, other than Hamas, at the Rafah crossing, to take over the operation of the crossing and manage the process of entering and distributing aid. The Israeli proposal comes in the wake of the closure of the Rafah crossing after Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of it, last Monday.

Since the closure of the crossing, Egypt has refused to transport aid trucks through the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza. It said it would resume allowing trucks to pass after the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Rafah crossing. The halting of aid trucks has led to a significant decrease in the amount of aid entering Gaza and a further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis, especially in the south of the Strip.

Axios also revealed, citing an informed source, that the director of the Israeli Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, informed his Egyptian counterpart, Abbas Kamel, that Israel wants to reopen the Rafah crossing, but that Hamas’s return to control of the region is “unacceptable.” An Israeli official said that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed US Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Sunday that Israel is open to many solutions for the Rafah crossing except for the return of Hamas.

In this context, senior Israeli officials revealed to Axios that they planned to try to bring in Palestinian elements not linked to Hamas to manage the site within a few days of taking control of it. Last week, Bar and other Israeli officials proposed integrating Palestinian Authority personnel into operations at the Rafah crossing, the site’s sources confirm. One of Israel's conditions was that individuals sent to the crossing would not serve as members of the Palestinian Authority, but would be identified as a local aid committee.

Senior American officials said that the Israeli condition angered Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his advisors, who made it clear to the United States and Israel that they would not agree to work at the Rafah crossing “in secret.” Senior American and Israeli officials told the site that the Palestinian Authority demanded, as part of the discussion, that the ultra-nationalist Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, release Palestinian tax revenues that had been withheld for about 10 days.

Tax revenues constitute an important part of the Palestinian Authority’s budget, and the freeze may require the Authority to reduce workers’ salaries by 50%. Smotrich had frozen the transfer of tax funds on the grounds that the Palestinian Authority was pressuring the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials. A US official said that Palestinian Authority officials “do not want to send workers to the Rafah crossing, only to be attacked by Hamas and killed.”

Following the Israeli military operation in Rafah, the Israeli army briefly closed the Kerem Shalom crossing and took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. While Israel imposes a blockade on the Gaza Strip, where can aid enter the besieged Strip? Palestinian and American officials said that Palestinian Authority officials also informed Israel that the Palestinian Authority’s return to the Rafah crossing must take place as part of a broader deal that also provides for a political future and is not a one-time deal aimed only at resolving the crisis between Israel and Egypt.

Axios sources revealed that the talks are continuing and that the Palestinian Authority has not categorically rejected the possibility of sending representatives to the Rafah crossing.

Operational Update - Gaza

Around 450,000 Palestinians have been driven out of Rafah in Gaza's south over the past week by escalating Israeli military operations, the United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday. Another 100,000 people have been displaced as Israeli forces battle Hamas militants in northern Gaza.

IDF spokesman, Brigadier General Danny Hagari, informed this evening (Tuesday) that three divisions are now maneuvering in the Gaza Strip - in three different locations: Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip, Zeyton in the center of the Gaza Strip and Rafah in the south. Hagari also said that Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi visited East Rafah today - and received an unusual update from the brigade commanders: "There are also abductees in the Rafah region, we are determined to do whatever it takes to create the conditions for them to return home to us soon."

An official source told the Egyptian Al Qahera news outlet that 'Israel' must withdraw from Rafah if it wishes to open the crossing, reiterating Egypt's refusal to coordinate with the Israeli occupation forces controlling the crossing. The Israeli foreign ministry blamed Egypt on Tuesday for the oncoming humanitarian calamity in Gaza, following "Israel's" closure of the Rafah border crossing, which hampered relief delivery to the war-torn strip.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated that he had discussed with European colleagues his attempts to "persuade" Egypt to reopen the crossing after Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News satellite TV reported on Saturday, quoting a senior official, that Egypt has refused to coordinate with "Israel" for the entry of aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, citing "Israel's" "unacceptable escalation." The official further mentioned Egypt's stance regarding the war on Gaza, holding "Israel" accountable for the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip.

"The world places responsibility for the humanitarian situation on Israel, but the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends," Katz said on social media, adding that "Israel" will not allow Hamas to control the border. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry responded by stating that "Israel is solely responsible for the humanitarian disaster facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," accusing "Israel" of cutting off the remaining supply conduit.

According to the UN, "Israel" currently controls all three crossings into Gaza, something the head of the United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA, says is "crippling aid." A high-ranking Egyptian official informed Al Qahera that Egypt has warned the occupation about the hazards of delaying humanitarian supplies entering Gaza. Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, expressed over the weekend that the latest orders "affect close to a million people in Rafah. So where should they go now? There is no safe place in Gaza!"

A shortage of banknotes is gripping Gaza, fuelling criminal gangs and profiteering, after Israel has blocked imports of cash and most banks in the enclave have been damaged or destroyed during the war, according to residents, aid workers and banking sources. As of May 13, only five branches and seven ATMs remain operational in the strip, primarily in Rafah where some 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering, according to the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute, a non-profit organisation headquartered in the West Bank. Before the war, Gaza had 56 bank branches and 91 ATMs.

Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of desperate people crowd outside ATMs, often waiting days for access. Armed gangs sometimes demand a fee to provide priority access, exploiting the absence of Palestinian police, three Western aid workers and seven residents told the Reuters news agency. Two sources also said some money exchange store owners, who can cash Western Union transfers, and even some pharmacists who have credit card machines, were charging heft commissions for access to money.

Humanitarian aid has been unable to reach Gaza since May 9 when Israel launched incursions into its far-southern city of Rafah and closed aid crossings, Qatar's foreign ministry said Tuesday. "Our brothers in the Gaza Strip have not received any aid since May 9, and this is an indication of the continued perpetuation of the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip," ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a Doha news conference.

Israeli tanks pushed deeper into eastern Rafah on Tuesday morning, entering the neighbourhoods of Al-Jneina, Al-Salam and Al-Brazil, residents said. "The tanks advanced this morning west of Salahuddin road into the Brzail and Jneina neighbourhoods. They are in the streets inside the built-up area and there are clashes," one resident told Reuters via a chat app. Video on social media showed one tank on George Street in Al-Jneina neighbourhood.

During an activity by the forces of the Givati Brigade under Division 162, at the weekend (Saturday) east of Rafah, terrorists were identified in the central logistics complex of the UNRA agency next to UN vehicles. In the documentation, a number of terrorists can be seen near UN vehicles and in the area of the organization's logistics warehouse compound, which are a central axis for the distribution of aid on its behalf in the Gaza Strip - and are shooting at the organization's compound in East Rafah.

Following the unusual event, representatives of the coordinator of government operations in the territories conveyed the findings in the hands of the IDF to senior officials in the international community and called on the UN to investigate the matter urgently. In addition, in the conversation, the representatives of Matafash warned about the inventions of the terrorists in the area, along with the seriousness of the danger that exists in the presence of the terrorists in the logistics center complex for the sake of the continued protection of the organization's facilities. The IDF will continue to act in accordance with international law for the benefit of distributing aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip.

Three fighters from Battalion 202, the Parachute Brigade, were seriously injured earlier today (Tuesday) in a battle in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, a fighter from the 'Zabar' battalion, Givati Brigade, was seriously injured this morning (Tuesday) in a battle in the southern Gaza Strip. The fighters were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital, their families were informed.

The forces of Division 162 continue fighting in the east and the Rafah crossing on the other side of the border against terrorist targets in the area. At the Rafah crossing on the Gaza side, the fighters of the 401st Brigade combat team eliminated a number of armed terrorist squads in face-to-face battles. In East Rafah, the combat team fighters of the Givati Brigade eliminated a number of terrorists in encounters and located weapons. Aircraft of the Air Force attacked a squad of terrorists who had left a launch area under the direction of the forces. In addition, a position was attacked from which other terrorists were operating who fired at the fighters.

The combat teams of the paratroopers brigade, 460, and 7 under the command of Division 98 expanded the fighting in Jabaliya tonight and raided additional terrorist targets in the area. In the last day, the forces fought many battles, killed dozens of terrorists who shot at them with tank fire and destroyed a site of explosives planted in the area. An aircraft attacked and eliminated a terrorist who was identified carrying an RPG near the troops and was on his way to fire at them.

In the Zeyton area, the fighters of the 99th Division continued in the last day the attack against terrorist targets in the area. During the operation, the fighters of the 2nd Brigade combat team located tunnel shafts and destroyed several launchers. The fighters of the Nahal Brigade's combat team eliminated a number of terrorists and destroyed a warehouse of weapons and other terrorist infrastructure.

Fighter jets of the Air Force under the direction of the 99th Division attacked last night (Monday) a compound of the terrorist organizations in the center of the Gaza Strip and eliminated five terrorists who were there. In addition, fighters of the 679th Israel Defense Forces eliminated with tank fire a number of terrorists who were moving towards the forces operating in the area. During the last day, fighter jets and aircraft of the Air Force attacked more than 100 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including armed terrorists, trapped buildings and other terrorist infrastructures.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

Air Force fighter jets, based on accurate intelligence from the Shin Bet and Iman, in cooperation with the fire brigade of Division 99, attacked a central Hamas combat room located in a UNRWA school in Nazareth, where terrorists from the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization were staying. The attack was carefully planned and carried out using precise weaponry and avoiding harming civilians as much as possible. The combat room that was attacked was used as a central terrorist infrastructure, from which several terrorist operations against IDF forces in the center of the Gaza Strip were planned in recent weeks. The Nohba terrorists who were attacked took an active part in the October 7th attack and are also responsible for ambushes and operations against our forces in the Gaza Strip.

In the attack, about 15 terrorists from the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were eliminated, including more than 10 associated with the terrorist organization Hamas. The terrorist organization Hamas systematically exploits international institutions and the civilian population as a human shield for terrorist actions against the State of Israel.

Operational Update - Lebanon

The Lebanese media reported today (Tuesday) that three people were killed in an Israeli attack in the city of Tzur in southern Lebanon. According to reports, a car was attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The Saudi Al Hadat channel reported that two of the dead are a senior member of Hezbollah, Hussein Makhi and his bodyguard.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon publishes scenes from the operation targeting the resistance, the management and control unit of the spy balloon belonging to the Israeli occupation “army” in the “Admit” settlement in northern occupied Palestine. Documenting the resistance targeting the management and control unit of the spy balloon of the occupation “army” in the “Admit” settlement , northern occupied Palestine, today (Resistance Military Media)

On Tuesday, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah - published scenes of an operation targeting the management and control unit of the spy balloon belonging to the Israeli occupation "army" in the "Admit" settlement, northern occupied Palestine. The scenes show aerial reconnaissance of the target, which is a spy and surveillance unit belonging to the “869” Battalion, which is responsible for military personnel, on the Lebanese front. It also shows the point identification of the target, which is the point responsible for operating a “SKYSTAR 330” balloon for medium-range intelligence coverage, then raising the balloon to close an intelligence gap in the direction of Wadi Dalam, after the resistance destroyed the “Cobra” Hill spy equipment.

The clip shows the launch of the first missile, then its flight towards the target, which is the management and control unit, to attack it directly. The scene shows the launch of the second missile, then its flight towards the target, which is the balloon management crew, to attack it directly. As for the third missile, it also directly attacked the balloon's wire and its launch unit. It also showed a dead soldier who fell after the second missile was fired. As a result, the occupation lost control of the balloon, which headed towards Lebanese territory.

The Lebanese "Hezbollah" published a summary of its operations carried out against the Israeli army on Tuesday, "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 Tuesday, May 14, 2024, according to the following": «

Eastern sector (southern Lebanon):
1. - 16:00: The 801st Brigade headquarters in Maale Golani Barracks was targeted with missile weapons.
2. - At 16:50: The Al-Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba was targeted with artillery shells and was directly hit.

   Western sector (southern Lebanon):

3. - At 13:10: After continuously tracking the movement of the spy balloon that the Israeli enemy is flying over the Admit colony to monitor and spy on Lebanon, and after determining the location of its administration and control, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted with missile weapons three targets belonging to it in succession, which is a base. Its launch destroyed the balloon and its control mechanism was completely destroyed, as well as its management crew, which was directly hit and its members were killed or wounded.
4. - At 14:35: Targeting buildings used by Israeli enemy soldiers in the Al-Malikiyah colony with appropriate weapons, as a response to the enemy’s attacks on the steadfast southern villages and civilian homes.
5. - At 15:15: Targeting buildings used by Israeli enemy soldiers in the Avivim settlement with appropriate weapons, as a response to the Israeli enemy’s attacks on the steadfast southern villages and civilian homes, the last of which was in the town of Yaron.”

“From the moment of launch to the moment the targets were hit.” Hezbollah publishes scenes of inflicting losses on the Israeli army (video). It is worth noting that after the announcement of the killing of a settler and the wounding of 5 soldiers on Tuesday by missiles fired by Hezbollah towards the Admit area, Israeli news pages publishing the latest developments on the Telegram application reported that this was the “twenty-fourth killing caused by it.” Hezbollah in the north.

Hezbollah also showed scenes of its targeting of the management and control unit of the Israeli army's spy balloon in the "Admit" settlement. Hezbollah continues to carry out its operations against Israel, since the Hamas movement launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7 and the subsequent devastating war on the Gaza Strip. The "party" confirms that it is carrying out these military operations "in support of Gaza" and to create a "support front" against the Israeli army, stressing that stopping its operations "is contingent on the cessation of the aggression against the Gaza Strip."

Fighter jets recently attacked military buildings of Hezbollah in the areas of Aita al-Sha'ab and the village of Kila in southern Lebanon. During the day, a number of anti-tank missiles were detected in the Adamit region of the Western Galilee. As a result, an IDF soldier was moderately injured and four other soldiers were slightly injured. The soldiers were evacuated for medical treatment in a hospital, their families were informed.

An Air Force aircraft attacked and killed a terrorist from Hezbollah who was staying near a military structure of the organization in the area of ??Mis al Jabal in southern Lebanon. In addition, warplanes attacked terrorist infrastructures and military buildings of Hezbollah in the areas of Al Khariba, Halta and Yaron in southern Lebanon. A number of launches were detected from Lebanese territory towards Arab al Aramsha and Adamit in the Western Galilee. The details are under review.

Last night (Monday), fighter jets of the Air Force attacked a military building where a Hezbollah terrorist was identified in the Al Adisa area in southern Lebanon. During the night, Air Force fighter jets attacked Hezbollah military buildings in the al-Khyam area, alongside other military buildings of the organization in the Kfar Kila area in southern Lebanon.

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

Operational Update - Yemen

Yemen’s Armed Forces have issued a stark warning, indicating potential escalation in their support for Palestine should Israel persist with its aggressive campaign against the Gaza Strip. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the forces, delivered the warning in a speech on Monday, emphasizing the significance of Gaza in their stance. "Gaza is a red line for us, a red line. Our causes, holy sites, and our Islam are red lines, and we will not compromise on them," he stressed.

Saree further outlined the determination of Yemen’s Armed Forces to pursue unconventional methods in their support for Palestine. "We target things that the enemy hasn't thought of and can't imagine, things that neither the Yemeni people nor the people of the (Arab and Islamic) nation can imagine," he stated.

Yemen began the strikes after October 7, when the Israeli regime launched the war against Gaza that has so far killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Yemen's military initially targeted Israeli vessels bound for occupied Palestinian ports, expanding their scope to encompass targets within the occupied territories and vessels traversing the Indian Ocean. These actions were in response to Israel's refusal to cease hostilities and its imposition of a blockade on Gaza.

In a recent development, Brigadier General Saree announced the initiation of the fourth phase of pro-Palestinian operations, signaling a heightened focus on ships destined for Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea. He additionally cautioned that Yemen would impose sanctions on ships affiliated with companies facilitating access to Israeli ports, irrespective of their nationality. Furthermore, he declared intentions to intercept vessels associated with these companies within the operational area of Yemen’s Armed Forces.

In a continuation of his Monday address, Saree underscored the resolve of Yemen’s military, hinting at further escalations in their support for Palestine should Israeli aggression persist. "By God's will and strength, we will reach the fifth and sixth stages (of our pro-Palestinian operations), if the enemy continues its aggression on Gaza," he affirmed.

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

Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi confirmed that the blood of Gaza's children that spilled on the ground was powerful enough to put "an end to the Zionist entity" and change the current world order. Iranian Tasnim news agency quoted Raisi as saying in a speech during the closing ceremony of the Fifth World Conference of Imam Ali bin Musa al-Rida: “Today the world has realized that this genocide and killing of children represents the inefficiency of the international law system in supporting the people of Gaza.”

He added: “They realized that the system that rules the world is not just, but rather it must become a just global system,” wondering, “Who would have thought that universities in America and in the West and East of the world would rise up for justice and scream to defend the oppressed and eliminate the oppressors!” Raisi continued: “The world has realized that the Zionist entity is a cancerous tumor and must be eradicated so that the world can enjoy calm, and that the blood of the children of Gaza has been shed so powerful that it can put an end to the Zionist entity.”

He added: “Killing children in the time of Pharaoh resulted in revenge against the Pharaohs and the end of their rule. We have no doubt that the blood of the children of Gaza that spilled on the ground will put an end to the Zionist entity. The current world order will change with this blood, even if some see it as far away, but we We'll see him soon." The Fifth International Conference of Imam Reza began on Monday in the city of Mashhad, in the presence of thinkers from Iran and other countries of the world.

The Foreign Ministry of Iran expressed solidarity with Palestinian people in their struggle against the “fake and illegitimate Zionist regime” on the anniversary of the day when Israel declared existence 76 years ago, describing Palestine as the foremost issue of the Muslim world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran issued a statement on Tuesday on the 76th anniversary of Nakba (catastrophe) Day that forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in 1948 and when the Israeli regime proclaimed existence.

The following is the text of the statement, published in the Ministry’s website:

"The 14th of May 1948 was the beginning of the calamitous period of the occupation of Palestine and the clear violation of the rights of its oppressed people, especially their right to self-determination whose sinister consequences have engulfed the region and the Islamic world for the past 76 years and turned into a deep and painful wound on the body of the Islamic world.

"Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe) is the anniversary of the establishment of the occupier apartheid Zionist regime in the heart of the Islamic world due to the malicious conspiracy of British colonialism, marking the beginning of the bloody period of genocide, massacre, displacement, occupation and desecration of the holy land of Palestine with a green light and direct and indirect support by the colonial powers of the world led by the United States of America.

"The false Zionist regime, which is a clear symbol of official organized terrorism in the world, adds a new shameful page to its thick ledger of international crimes every time; The discovery of mass graves in Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals in the Gaza Strip portrays a terrible picture of this brutal regime's crime against humanity.

"Perpetration of international crimes, including war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, is considered contrary to the fundamental values of the United Nations and all the recognized international norms, principles, and standards, and without a doubt has made the perpetrators criminally liable. The continued impunity granted to the Zionist criminals runs counter to the provisions of international law.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the killing of more than 35,000 innocent people including women, children and defenseless men and injury of 75,000 people as well as the displacement of hundreds of thousands of helpless people in the occupied Palestinian territories by the Zionist regime with the all-out political and military, economic and intelligence support of the United States over the past seven months and considers the action of the United States in disrupting the process of stopping the war and killings against Gaza and its recent opposition to the recognition of the Palestinian state in the United Nations as unacceptable, irresponsible and contrary to the demands of the international community.

"Now that the true visage of Israel's apartheid regime has been unveiled after years of hypocritical oppression hidden behind the image of anti-Semitism, and the awakened minds and consciences of the world have discovered the true nature of this evil entity after years of media propaganda, and on the other hand, as the internal dissension and discord are now more evident than ever among the very pillars of this fake entity, it is hoped that this real Nakba and holocaust against the oppressed, resistant, free and brave Palestinian nation will end with the celebration of the Independence Day of the historical Palestinian lands.

"On Friday, May 10, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution in which it was confirmed that Palestine is eligible for full membership in the United Nations in accordance with Article 4 of the United Charter.

"In this regard, the Iranian Foreign Ministry, by emphasizing the Islamic Republic of Iran's steadfast position on the issue of Palestine and the fake and illegitimate Zionist regime and in support of the liberation struggles of the Palestinian people, once again declares its solidarity with the cause of the Palestinian nation and underscores that the issue of Palestine remains at the forefront of the problems faced by the Islamic world.

"Moreover, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its support for the full membership of Palestine in the United Nations and considers the acceptance of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations as the first step and turning point in dealing with the historical injustices that the Palestinian people have endured with patience and trust.

"The occurrence of recent events from Al-Aqsa storm to the powerful "True Promise" operation aimed at punishing the Zionist aggressor regime and the rise of the resistance movement in the region is the foundation of the events of the future, which with the outcry of support and defense of free nations, especially the elites and different walks of life in all parts of the world, including courageous and free university professors and students in the West and East of the world and the awakening of the global public opinion will lead to the complete removal of the occupation of the Palestinian land and the realization of the historical rights of its people, especially the formation of an independent and unified Palestinian state in the entirety of this historical land with Al-Quds as its capital."

Although Turkey is one of the largest supporters of the Hamas movement, at least politically, the statements of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the treatment of members of Hamas, the movement classified as “terrorist” in many countries, were remarkable. After Erdogan made these statements, a Turkish official tried to mitigate the impact of what he said, declaring that it was a “slip of the tongue” and that he meant “the population of Gaza in general” who are being treated in Turkey. Was Erdogan’s statement really a “slip of the tongue”? Or an attempt to deliver certain messages indirectly? Or was it just populist rhetoric directed at his supporters?

Following talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ankara, Monday, after Mitsotakis referred to Hamas as a terrorist organization, Erdogan said: “If you describe Hamas as a ‘terrorist organization’, this saddens us.”

The Turkish President added: "We do not consider Hamas a terrorist organization. More than a thousand Hamas members are receiving treatment in hospitals across our country." Thereafter, no official clarification was issued regarding the statement made by Erdogan, but statements in this regard were limited to an official whose name was not revealed to Reuters. The Turkish official told Reuters: “President Erdogan made a slip of the tongue and meant that 1,000 Gazans were undergoing treatment, not Hamas members.”

The phrase resonated in the Turkish media, as the trhaber website , which is close to the Justice and Development Party, kept the phrase “More than 1,000 Hamas members receiving treatment in Turkey” on its social media pages. The Communications Directorate, affiliated with the Turkish Presidency, published Erdogan’s words without any correction, as did Turkish journalists working in media outlets close to the government.

The Turkish political analyst, Muhannad Hafezoglu, who is close to the government, believes in statements to Al-Hurra website that the Turkish president “is well aware of what he is saying, and he is trying to issue clear positions and messages to more than one party concerned with what is happening in the Gaza Strip, to the effect that Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but rather A liberation movement, which is an institution that must be supported, and this is what Turkey is doing, and among the services it provides is the treatment of many Hamas members in Turkey for free, and it is a service directed to a movement that defends its lands.”

Jawad Gok, a Turkish political analyst, says that the Turkish government believes that “the people of Gaza are affiliated with or support Hamas, and there is complete agreement between the Turkish government and the Hamas leadership financially, logistically, and politically in all forms.” For this reason, Erdogan wanted, according to what Gok told the Al-Hurra website, to deliver “a message of support for Hamas, not militarily, but rather a message of political support, and to say that all the people of Gaza are followers of Hamas, so we do not differentiate between Hamas and the people of Gaza.”

As for the political analyst, Taha Odeh Oglu, he believes that what the Turkish president said was a slip of the tongue that was later corrected. He points out that the phrase came perhaps in an emotional response to the statement of the Greek Prime Minister who referred to the movement as terrorist, which contradicts the Turkish approach, according to what he told Al-Hurra website. Samir sees Salha. The Turkish writer and researcher, expert in international relations, said in statements to Al-Hurra website that the position of the political leaders in the Justice and Development Party towards Hamas “has been known from the beginning and there has been no shift in this position, which was clear in the recent statements of the Turkish President and his Foreign Minister.”

Muhannad Hafezoglu confirms that this statement is similar to what was stated by several ministers before, which is that Hamas is “a liberation movement and must be supported.” Salha believes that “Ankara wants to remain an essential part of the Gaza Strip file and the regional balances in dealing with this file.”

Gok confirms that Erdogan does not care about classifying Hamas as a terrorist organization, because there is no hope for Turkey to join the European Union, and disagreements with the bloc in this regard are still ongoing, which was also evident during his meeting with the Greek Prime Minister. He says: "Erdogan's statements were true. Despite the threats of Western countries, Turkey will continue to support Hamas logistically and politically."

Following the Hamas attack on October 7, the Turkish President declared that it is "not a terrorist organization" but rather "a liberation group that is protecting its land." Last November, about a month after the movement’s attack on Israel, which left about 1,200 people dead, he said that Ankara was evacuating dozens of wounded and sick Gazans and their companions. During a meeting of the parliamentary bloc of his ruling party, the Turkish President raised the ceiling on escalation against Israel, describing Hamas as a “liberation movement” and that there was no difference between it and “the Turkish national forces during the War of Independence.”

During a meeting of the parliamentary bloc of his ruling party, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday raised the ceiling on escalation against Israel, describing Hamas as a “liberation movement” and that there was no difference between it and “the Turkish national forces during the War of Independence.” With the escalation of military operations in the Gaza Strip, Ankara imposed a ban on trade with Israel, and pledged, through its Trade Minister, Omer Polat, the resumption of exchanges for a permanent ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said a few days ago that the Turkish President had retracted his previous position and lifted many trade restrictions. However, the Turkish Trade Minister responded to that announcement by saying that the Israeli Foreign Minister’s statements were “completely imaginary and have no relation to reality.” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on May 1 that Ankara had decided to join South Africa in the case it filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing “genocide.”

During the past weeks, with the faltering ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, the American Wall Street Journal quoted Arab officials as saying that the political leadership of the Hamas movement is considering moving its headquarters from Qatar to another country, perhaps the Sultanate of Oman or Turkey. The head of Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, visited Istanbul and met with Erdogan and other Turkish officials. Before that, Haniyeh met with Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, in Doha, and statements came out from Ankara at the time hinting at its intention to enter into mediation.

Muhannad Hafezoglu told Al-Hurra website that Ankara wants, through Erdogan’s statements, to deliver clear, direct messages, namely that with the escalation against the current Israeli government, its support for Hamas will continue, and that treating the wounded “is the least of its duties,” and that its support is currently political and not military, but if Field matters developed, and a large-scale operation was launched in Rafah, which will lead Turkey to take greater escalatory steps. He adds that he also wanted to say that even if there is a new beginning in relations between Turkey and Greece, they are on opposite sides with regard to Hamas. He believes that it is also a message to the countries of the region that if they are unable to support Hamas, they should not consider it a terrorist organization.

Turkey's positions, according to analyst Muhannad Hafezoglu, are consistent, for example, with the services Doha provides to the Hamas movement, whether there is acceptance among Turkish politicians, the opposition, and the street for Hamas. Samir Salha says that the Turkish Justice Party will not change its position on Hamas, but the official position will not be at the expense of the rest of the Palestinian factions, especially President Mahmoud Abbas.

Jawad Gok attributed the Turkish denial of Erdogan’s statements to the position of the ruling party now at home after it suffered an electoral loss, and the severe criticism that the government faces regarding relations with Israel. However, he wants to send a message to his followers at home, which is, “We are completely with Hamas and the Palestinians and do not support them.” There is a party that supports the Palestinians, traceable to Turkey.”

Analysts who spoke to Al-Hurra website rule out Ankara hosting Hamas leaders in the future as the Turkish position vis-à-vis Israel escalates in the war. Gok says that the places that can host Hamas leaders are Lebanon (Hezbollah), Iran, Yemen, or Syria (Bashar al-Assad). As for Turkey, it will not be able to do so in light of the criticism that will pursue Ankara from Western countries and even the Turkish people and the opposition. He expects that support will be limited. On humanitarian and logistical aspects only.

Muhannad Hafezoglu expects that Doha will not abandon Hamas leaders soon, at least, but there are arrangements with Ankara, and a “Plan B” in the event that things reach a dead end, and if the ceasefire negotiations do not reach an agreement, due to Hamas’ intransigence, Doha will withdraw its sponsorship. For movement leaders. But the analyst close to the government explains that inside Turkey, at the popular level and at the level of the political opposition parties, there is no acceptance of moving Hamas’s headquarters to Turkish territory, because that will entail huge prices that Ankara will pay to Washington, Israel, and many countries in the region. He explains that Ankara realizes that the wave of international sympathy for Gaza is temporary, but Turkey will be harmed in the long term.

Taha Odeh Oglu also confirms that after the recent elections, the Justice and Development Party does not want an internal escalation to occur and wants to manage matters, especially with regard to mediation between Hamas and Israel, away from the internal Turkish arena.

Allied for Democracy

In 1955, German-American historian and philosopher Hannah Arendt said Israeli settlers treated Palestinians and Arabs still on Palestinian lands in a way that would cause international backlash against the Israeli occupation. Hagai El-Ad, the former executive director of the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, revisits Arendt's declaration and says that it took the world almost 70 years to start echoing her words.

In an op-ed published in Haaretz, Hagai detailed how the Israeli regime exploited every memory of the Holocaust and used it as a shield to commit its genocide based on the Nazi book of antisemitic crimes. The fact was expedited when Benjamin Netanyahu came into office almost in 1996. "Israel", under Netanyahu, was still eradicating Palestinians, not only gradually, but publicly with the declaration of the 2018 Basic Law on "Israel" as the Nation-State of the Jewish people, which gives settlers the right to live on every inch of Palestinian land, extending jurisdiction to lawfully displace Palestinians from their homes and lands.

Hagai argues that it was not only support for Netanyahu that effectuated the law, but the general settler consensus that aimed at frustrating the people of Palestine into believing they were defeated, specifically after positive developments were materialized in the normalization deal with Saudi Arabia. However, they were proven wrong, because Palestinians did not leave despite all the death and destruction they had experienced, and were now experiencing since October 7, 2023. In light of their righteousness, the recycled Hasbara PR move the Israeli occupation has exhausted began to lose effect.

The world has now begun to think about the reality of what "Israel" is and its genocide in Gaza has been taken to the International Court of Justice. To counter the consequences "Israel" would suffer at the international condemnation of its crimes, Netanyahu repumped the Hasbara cry and accused everyone and everything of being antisemitic to "whitewash his crimes" and avoid prosecution. This has been true for years, but especially when an investigation was launched against the Israeli Prime Minister by the International Criminal Court.

To this day, however, it has failed to issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu or any Israeli war criminals. The International Court of Justice has also failed to adequately prosecute "Israel" for its genocide in Gaza. El-Ad, for his part, says this is because the court itself is controlled by highly influential attorneys and military officials who have approved these crimes. Despite having legal protection, "Israel" is slowly losing its hue and is being exposed to the world in a way that even the exploitation of the Holocaust would not be able to save its reputation among the international community. El-Ad, however, says the Hasbara is on call and would step in, once again, to regain public support by turning the world against Arabs and Palestinians, because, as he argued, they do not see them as equals.

Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers

In a recent interview on the Call Me Back podcast with Dan Senor, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed startling statistics regarding the casualties in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu stated that the ratio of Hamas combatants to Gazan civilians killed is approximately one to one, with around 14,000 Hamas combatants and an estimated 16,000 civilians having lost their lives.

• 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza
• 79,061 Gazans injured, 28% adult male
• 70,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza
• 70,000 Gaza housing units completely destroyed
• 70,000 Israeli IDPs from Lebanon border
• 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza
• 45,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble
• 35,173 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 terror operatives killed in Gaza [Israeli officials]
• 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
• 8,665 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
• 3,600 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
• 615 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war
• 468 West Bank Palestinians martyred
• 364 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon
• 267 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.

Some reports claimed that the UN cut in half its earlier estimates of women and children killed in Gaza. Initially, they reported 9,500 women and 14,500 children killed, but later revised it to 4,959 women and 7,797 children on 08 May 2024. The UN acknowledged its inability to independently verify casualty figures. The seeming discrepancy is that HAMAS had about 10K KIA bodies on hand for which they do not have positive ID. It is possible to report the gender and approximate age [ie, juvenile] without knowing the name of the deceased.