Operation Iron Swords - Day 222 - 15 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

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Gallant's sharp criticism against him: "I am not ready to replace Hamestan with Fatahstan. The first condition for the day after is to eliminate Hamas and do it without excuses." Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant clashed over the question of "the day after" and the operation in Rafah. In the evening news at Khan 11 it was reported that Gallant and the defense establishment demanded to hold strategic discussions in the cabinet, before the start of the operation - but Netanyahu refused.

Defense Minister Yoav Galant conveyed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a message according to which he would resign from his position if there is Israeli control in Gaza - this was published this evening in the evening news here at 11. Galant believes that the current conduct leads to a situation where Israel will control the Gaza Strip and that this situation is very dangerous and will not allow him to continue in office.

Thousands of supporters of the extreme right in Israel, including two ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, participated on Tuesday in a march that took place in the city of Sderot in the south of the country near the Gaza border, where they called for settling the Palestinian Strip again and forcing its residents to leave it, according to what the Haaretz newspaper reported. “Hebrew.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karei, a member of the Likud Party led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, from the extremist Otzma Yehudit party, participated in that demonstration. In his speech, Karai said: “In order to preserve the security achievements for which our soldiers sacrificed their lives, we must resettle Gaza with security forces and settlers who embrace the land with love.” He considered that "this is the only real way to make Nazi Hamas pay the price and defend our nation and country."

In turn, Ben Gvir said that what the demonstrators are calling for is “the real solution,” adding: “We must return to Gaza now... We will return to the Holy Land... Secondly, we must encourage the voluntary migration of the people of Gaza. It is a moral matter.”

It is noteworthy that the United States, Egypt, and other countries around the world have affirmed their rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, calling on Israel not to launch a large-scale ground military campaign in Rafah, on the border with Egypt.

Israeli security officials criticized the statements of the Minister of National Security, and one of them told the newspaper “Haaretz” that “Ben Gvir’s opposition to the arrival of aid to Gaza conflicts with the decision of the Council of Ministers, given that he is a member of the Council of Ministers and must abide by its decisions.” Regarding the minister’s statements during the march, the official added: “They are fueling the riots that occurred on Monday, which led to the burning and destruction of aid convoys, causing great international damage... His behavior is immature and irresponsible.”

War Termination

Hamas’s Qatar-based chief, Ismail Haniyeh, declared in a statement that any post-war plan for Gaza excluding Hamas will be outrightly rejected by the terror group. In his statement, Haniyeh blamed Israel for the current impasse in ceasefire and hostage release negotiations. He accused Israel of causing a stalemate by demanding amendments to Hamas's proposal, which, according to him, has stalled the talks. Haniyeh reiterated Hamas’s demand that any ceasefire agreement must end the war in the Gaza Strip. However, Israel has maintained that it will not agree to a ceasefire until it achieves its objectives, which include dismantling Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.

In a statement to the media this evening, Defense Minister Yoav Galant called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a decision on the "day after" issue in the Gaza Strip. According to him, failure to make a decision on the issue endangers the country. "I call on the Prime Minister to declare that Israel will not have civilian control over the Gaza Strip and will not maintain a military regime in the Gaza Strip," Gallant said. "This is our responsibility to lead Israel to a better place. This is the time to make difficult decisions, even if it involves political prices."

In his words, Gallant said that in the event of not making a decision, Israel would be left with two bad and dangerous alternatives: the return of Hamas to power in Gaza or an Israeli military government in the Gaza Strip. "The day after Hamas will only be achieved by the control of Palestinian elements that will be an alternative to Hamas, this is an Israeli interest. Not making a decision means actually choosing one of the worst alternatives," he said. This public confrontation between the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister takes place shortly before the meeting of the War Cabinet tonight.

Defense Minister Yoav Galant this evening (Wednesday) criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the current security review. "There is a policy that promotes a military government of Israel - this is a bad and dangerous alternative for the country," Gallant clarified. "A military government will become Israel's main security effort at the expense of other arenas. It will cost blood and a heavy financial cost without purpose."

Gallant addressed the Prime Minister and urged him to make a decision about "the day after": "This is a moment of national test, even if it involves a political price." The minister added: "If there is no alternative to Hamas, there will be two options - Hamas or an Israeli military government. Both alternatives are bad. I will not agree to a military government in Gaza, I call on Netanyahu - declare that we will not do this." The minister stated in his speech that "since October I have been raising the issue of 'the day after' in the cabinet without an answer. This is a danger to our military achievements. The end of the military act is a political act. Palestinian elements with the backing of Arab countries need to control the Gaza Strip, it is in Israel's interest to achieve our goals."

Netanyahu released a video in response to the defense minister's words, in which he said: "I am not ready to replace Hamas with Fatahstan. After the terrible massacre on October 7, I ordered the destruction of Hamas. The IDF fighters and the security forces are fighting for it." According to him, "As long as Hamas, It remains the same, no other entity will step in to manage Gaza civilian, certainly not the Palestinian Authority. The first condition for preparing the ground for another party is to eliminate Hamas, and do it without excuses."

Minister Benny Gantz sided with Gallant and said that "the Minister of Defense speaks the truth - the leadership's responsibility is to do the right thing for the country, at any cost."

The Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir responded to the words of the Minister of Defense and said that "from Gallant's point of view, there is no difference between whether Gaza will be controlled by IDF soldiers, and whether Hamas murderers will control it. This is the essence of the concept of a defense minister who failed on October 7, and continues to fail even now. Such a defense minister must be replaced in order to achieve the goals of the war."

Communications Minister Karai also attacked: "A little modesty from the Defense Minister towards those who warned all these years about his and his friends' wrong world view."

Finance Minister Smotrich said that "Defense Minister Galant today actually announced his support for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state as a reward for terrorism and Hamas for the most terrible massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust." According to him, the defense minister's plan is to "bring the Palestinian Authority into Gaza for the blood of our fighters."

Smotrich also hinted that Gallant should be fired: "I demand that the Prime Minister immediately bring to the government a decision on the denial of any involvement of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip, and then demand that Gallant choose between implementing the government's policy and returning the keys."

MK Osher Shekalim from the Likud also called for Gallant's dismissal. According to him, "Whoever opposes the Prime Minister from among the ranks of the Likud does not belong with us. In order to win the battle, he must finally be fired. Instead of a Trojan horse, a reliable and winning galloping horse should be appointed."

Earlier today, Netanyahu released a video in which he addressed the issue of "the day after" in the Gaza Strip and the criticism leveled at him for not making a decision on the matter: "Until it is clear that Hamas does not militarily control Gaza, the talk on the matter will remain just talk - empty of content." According to Netanyahu, as long as Hamas controls the Strip, other parties will not be willing to accept civilian control in Gaza for fear of their safety. The prime minister also said: "Contrary to what has been claimed, for months we have been engaged in various attempts to bring a solution to this complex problem. Some of the attempts are hidden from view and it is good that way."

"Eliminating Hamas is an essential step in order to ensure that on 'the day after' there will be no element in Gaza that can threaten us. One hundred days ago I directed the security echelon to allow local Gazans, who are not identified with Hamas, to be integrated into the civilian management of food allocation in Gaza. This attempt has not been successful because Hamas has threatened them and even hurt some of them in order to deter others.

"Until it is clear that Hamas does not control Gaza militarily, nobody will be prepared to take upon himself the civil management of Gaza out of fear for their lives. Therefore, all the talk about 'the day after', while Hamas stays remains intact, will remain mere words devoid of content. Contrary to what is being claimed, for months we have been engaged in various efforts to resolve this complex problem. Some of the efforts are covert and it is good that this is so. This is one of the objectives of the war that we have defined and we are determined to achieve it as well.

"In any case, there is no alternative to for military victory. The attempt to bypass it with this or that claim is simply detached from reality. There is one alternative to victory – defeat, military, diplomatic and national defeat. My government will not agree to this.

"Today, the Government stated its opposition to last week's UN decision to advance recognition of a Palestinian state. We will not reward the terrible massacre of October 7, which 80% of the Palestinians support, both in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria. We will not allow them to establish a terrorist state from which they will be able to vigorously attack us. "Nobody will prevent us, prevent Israel, from realizing our basic right to self-defense – not the UN General assembly or any other body. We will stand together with our head held high to defend our country. Together we will fight and with G-d's help – together we will win."

A report by the British newspaper “Financial Times” stated that “the US administration is encouraging some Arab countries to participate in a multinational peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip, once the ongoing war there ends, in order to fill the void until a Palestinian security apparatus is established that can carry out this role.” The newspaper quoted Western and Arab officials as saying, “Egypt, the Emirates, and Morocco (countries that have peace treaties with Israel) are studying the initiative,” stressing that the United States rejects the idea of deploying American soldiers in the Gaza Strip as part of those forces. It is noteworthy that the UAE officially denied, last week, that it might participate in a civil administration in Gaza (after the war).

A Western official explained to the British newspaper, "These countries wanted the United States to lead the proposed force, so Washington is trying to find a way to exercise this role without deploying American forces on the ground." He added, "The three (Arab) countries held preliminary talks about the matter, but they want the United States to recognize the Palestinian state first."

While the report indicated that “other Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, rejected the idea of ??deploying its own forces, for fear of being seen as complicit with Israel.” But according to the newspaper, these countries have become “more open” to the presence of an international force operating in Gaza, at a time when Western and Arab countries are struggling to find a practical alternative to the remaining Israeli forces in the Strip.

Arab countries demand from the American administration an Israeli declaration of agreement to a two-state solution as a condition for joining the multinational force that the administration is trying to establish, to be stationed in Gaza. This was published in the Kan TV evening news. An official informed of the details told here news that this is only one of several conditions that those Arab countries have placed on the American government.

Beyond that, the countries also demand an American statement and action that would express support for a Palestinian state, and that the force be led by the United States - that is: "American presence on the ground". This demand puts the administration in a trap, after previously declaring that "there will be no American soldiers in Gaza".

According to a report in the "Financial Times", Western and Arab officials said that Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco are considering taking part in the Biden administration's initiative to establish a peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip after the end of the war. "Arab countries have said that it should be American-led, but Washington is trying to figure out how it can lead this initiative without deploying forces on the ground," said a Western official. "Three Arab countries held initial discussions, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, but they would like the US to recognize a Palestinian state first."

According to the report, President Joe Biden is not interested in deploying US military forces in Gaza himself, but nevertheless aims to fill the void in the Strip until a reliable Palestinian security mechanism is established. Other Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, rejected the idea of deploying their forces in the area, fearing that this might be seen as a partnership with Israel. In addition, the countries said that they are also afraid of being dragged into an uprising in the strip where Hamas has ruled since 2007.

Financial Times indicated that the Israeli position so far is “unclear” regarding these efforts, in light of what the report described as “a feeling of frustration on the part of the United States and its allies, due to uncertainty about the intentions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the conflict.” A Western official told the newspaper: “Israel refuses to talk to anyone about the issue, and lives in a state of denial, while everyone talks among themselves. The Arab countries say that the West must recognize a Palestinian state, but there are very few Western countries close to this step.”

An Arab official told the Financial Times, “The United States has already raised the idea of establishing a peacekeeping force with its regional partners,” adding that there are “differences in views among Arab countries about post-war plans,” but he stressed that the biggest problem is That "no one knows what the situation will be like on (the day after) war."

A report by the Israeli newspaper " Haaretz " said on Tuesday that Israel's refusal to discuss its plans after the end of the war in Gaza "threatens the American strategy in the entire Middle East region." He pointed out that "five Arab countries (according to estimates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, and the UAE) have been in constant contact with Washington during recent weeks, in order to develop a vision for the post-war period."

The newspaper added that Israel "has become ostracized by each of these countries individually in recent days, which jeopardizes the efforts of the United States, and may lead to dire consequences, such as a radical change in the security structure in the Middle East region, which the United States has relied on for its support." Over the course of decades.” The five mentioned countries criticized the recent Israeli military operation in Rafah. The Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, considered that it had caused “things to go backwards” with regard to the ceasefire talks and the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza.

An unofficial copy of the draft final statement of the Bahrain Summit, scheduled to be held on Thursday, obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, included a call from Arab countries to “deploy international protection and peacekeeping forces affiliated with the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territory until the two-state solution is implemented.”

According to the project, the Arab leaders are scheduled to emphasize in their statement the necessity of “setting a time limit for the political process and negotiations,” to take clear measures to implement the two-state solution, after which “a decision will be issued by the Security Council under Chapter Seven to establish a viable Palestinian state with continuous territory.” On the lines before June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and ending any occupation presence on its land, while holding Israel responsible for the destruction of cities and civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip.

While the “Draft Final Statement” condemns the Israeli aggression against Gaza, it emphasizes “the necessity of stopping the aggression,” and “the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Gaza Strip, lifting the siege imposed on it, removing all obstacles and opening all crossings to the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid to all parts of it.” “And enabling United Nations organizations, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to work and carry out its responsibilities freely and safely.”

It also reiterates its “categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” while affirming the call “to take urgent measures for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and end the aggression in the Gaza Strip, provide protection for civilians, and release... Hostages and detainees.

The project affirms the collective call from the Arab countries “to hold an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the Palestinian issue with the aim of finding a political path that leads to a two-state solution, and providing the necessary guarantees for its sustainability, in a way that embodies an independent, viable Palestinian state in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, as a way to achieve peace.” Fair and comprehensive.”

It also directs “the foreign ministers of Arab countries to take immediate action and communicate with the foreign ministers of Western countries and countries around the world to urge them to quickly recognize the State of Palestine.”

It is assumed that consultations will take place between foreign ministers on the method of this move, and that reports on this matter will be submitted to the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, in support of Arab efforts to obtain full membership for the State of Palestine in the United Nations as an independent and fully sovereign state, and to intensify Arab efforts with all... Members of the Security Council to achieve this recognition.

In another regard, the project reiterates “the complete and strong rejection of any support for armed groups or militias that operate outside the scope of state sovereignty and pursue or implement foreign agendas that conflict with the supreme interests of Arab countries, while emphasizing the solidarity of all Arab countries in defending their sovereignty and territorial integrity and protecting their national institutions.” Against any external attempts to attack, impose influence, undermine sovereignty, or harm Arab interests.” He added: “We strongly affirm our firm position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and categorically reject its motives and justifications. We are working to dry up its sources of funding and support international efforts to combat extremist terrorist organizations, prevent their financing, and confront the dangerous repercussions of terrorism on the region and its threat to international peace and security.”

It calls for “taking deterrent measures to combat extremism, hate speech and incitement, and to condemn these actions wherever they occur, because they have a negative impact on social peace and the sustainability of international peace and security, and encourage the spread, escalation and recurrence of conflicts around the world, and destabilize security and stability, in accordance with the resolutions.” Issued by the Arab League and the United Nations Security Council.

It also calls on “all countries to promote the values of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and human brotherhood, and to reject hatred, sectarianism, intolerance, discrimination, and extremism in all its forms.” We express deep concern about the recent military escalation in the region and the seriousness of its repercussions on regional security and stability. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and spare the region and its people from the dangers of war and increased tension. We call on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security and to work to implement its decisions related to the permanent moratorium. To open fire in Gaza, and to prevent the crisis from escalating and the war expanding in the Middle East region.

Proposed text of the draft statement on the Gaza war

We express deep concern about the recent military escalation in the region and the seriousness of its repercussions on regional security and stability. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and spare the region and its people from the dangers of war and increased tension. We call on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security and to work to implement its decisions related to the permanent moratorium. To open fire in Gaza, and prevent the crisis from escalating and the war expanding in the Middle East.

We call on the international community to carry out its responsibilities to follow up on efforts to advance the peace process towards achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which embodies the independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the lines of June 4, 1967, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and approved references, so that you can live in security and peace until Israel side.

We call for the deployment of international protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territory until the two-state solution is implemented.

In this context, we emphasize the responsibility that falls on the Security Council to take clear measures to implement the two-state solution, and we stress the necessity of setting a time limit for the political process and negotiations, after which a Security Council resolution will be issued under Chapter Seven to establish a viable Palestinian state with continuous territory, along certain lines. Before June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and ending any occupation presence on its land, while holding Israel responsible for the destruction of cities and civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip.

Operational Update

The Wall Street Journal highlighted Israel's current fears of its inability to defeat Hamas despite seven months of war in Gaza, which could lead to a guerrilla war that will last forever. The newspaper highlighted the capabilities of the movement, which the United States classifies as terrorist, represented by its network of tunnels, small cells of militants, and its broad social influence, which it uses not only to survive, but also to confront Israeli forces.

The newspaper quoted an Israeli reserve soldier from the 98th Commando Division, which is currently fighting in Jabalia, as saying that Hamas is attacking more aggressively, and firing more anti-tank shells at soldiers who are taking shelter in homes and at Israeli military vehicles every day. According to the newspaper, Hamas used its tunnels, militants, and weapons stockpiles to return to a guerrilla fighting force, after this movement had ruled the Gaza Strip since its victory in the parliamentary elections in 2006.

The newspaper believes that this shift partly reflects a return to the group’s roots as a group that organized opposition to the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the first Palestinian intifada in the 1980s. In the current war, that means using hit-and-run tactics and operating in smaller groups of militants, security analysts and witnesses in Gaza told the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper explained that the tunnel network proved to be more extensive than expected, and constituted a special challenge for the Israeli army, which tried to clear it using explosives after it had previously tried to flood it with seawater. According to the newspaper, Hamas's ability to withstand represents a strategic problem for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who says that the main goal of the war is the complete destruction of the movement.

Netanyahu said on Monday, “We will not stop until we cause the collapse of the Hamas terrorist regime. We will take revenge on those who committed the attack until the last one of them,” referring to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli estimates. The newspaper justified the reason for the growing fears within Israel, including within the security establishment, that the Israeli government does not have a credible plan to replace Hamas, and that the achievements achieved by the army will diminish.

Witnesses told the newspaper that as the Israeli army transferred tanks and troops to Rafah, which it described as the last stronghold of Hamas, the movement launched a series of hit-and-run attacks on Israeli forces in northern Gaza. According to the newspaper, areas that were relatively calm turned into battlefields after Israel announced, on Tuesday, that it had summoned its tanks to support it in battles with dozens of militants and bombed more than 100 targets from the air, including a target it described as a Hamas war room in central Gaza.

The return of Hamas to the Palestinian street appeared during the past few days when social media users circulated video clips showing masked people attacking others in the Gaza Strip. Therefore, the Wall Street Journal indicated that the natural result of everything that is happening is that Israel seems far from achieving Netanyahu's goal of achieving complete victory over Hamas. The newspaper explained that whether Israel continues a large-scale attack on Rafah or not, Hamas is likely to survive and continue in other areas of the Gaza Strip, according to what the newspaper quoted current and former Israeli military officials and American intelligence estimates.

What increases the challenges, according to the newspaper, is that the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, who ordered the October 7 attacks, was able to withstand the Israeli attack by hiding in the movement’s tunnels under Gaza. Reflecting the movement's belief that it is able to survive the war in the long term, the Wall Street Journal reported that Sinwar conveyed messages to mediators in the ceasefire talks stating that Hamas is ready for the battle in Rafah and that Netanyahu's belief that he is able to dismantle Hamas is a naive belief.

The newspaper quoted an Arab negotiator as saying about Sinwar: “He always wanted to show that Hamas is still in leadership and that they have not abandoned the battlefield and can continue for months, if not years.”

Operational Update - Gaza

In an interview with CNBC, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that the primary objective is to "clean Gaza of Hamas" to ensure long-term security for Israel. Netanyahu indicated that the operation would be limited in duration, stating, "Israel's operation to dismantle the last four Hamas battalions in Rafah will last 'a matter of weeks, not months, not years.'"

The Israeli army stated months ago that it had dismantled the forces of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the northern third of Gaza, but the movement’s fighters have reappeared, indicating that the main war goal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to completely eradicate Hamas is far from being achieved. This is how the French newspaper Le Parisien prepared for a report in which it said that while all eyes are on Rafah, fighting is raging again in the rest of the Strip. The newspaper noted, in a report by its writer, Leo Agis, that the Israeli army began carrying out new military operations in the northern coastal strip in recent days, with the declared aim of preventing Hamas “from rebuilding its military capabilities.”

The writer stated that the Jabalia area, which includes the largest refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, as well as the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, once again turned into a scene of violent clashes. In this context, the Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Ayyam was quoted as saying that Israeli forces’ tanks have been advancing in this area since the end of last week “under heavy fire cover from artillery and aircraft.”

This comes at a time when the Israeli army has confirmed that Hamas forces have been crushed, indicating that it is, instead, trying to restructure itself on the basis of dismantled brigades, according to what the writer quoted from Middle East affairs specialist David Rigolet Rose, who It is also believed that "the military wing of Hamas has redeployed to areas in the north, and it appears that some underground infrastructure still connects some areas of the Strip to each other."

But how can we explain the return of Hamas to this region, which the Israeli army believed was completely safe to the point of withdrawing part of its forces from it? The writer wonders. This is what retired French Colonel Michel Goya explained to the newspaper, saying, “For 20 years, the Israeli doctrine was based on not getting involved in ground war zones, and this area is in fact not subject to the control of the Israeli army, and Hamas enjoys a certain amount of freedom of movement there.”

Although the Israeli army destroyed the apparent infrastructure of Hamas, this movement has a shadow army. They move through tunnels and have hideouts, and they cannot be distinguished as they do not wear military uniforms. Rather, they are civilians who carry weapons at certain times, and they do not have tanks, battalions, or headquarters. According to former French officer Guillaume Ancel. Here, the writer quotes Ansel as saying, “Hamas is a galaxy of disorganized family clans, and even with its loss of thousands of men, it is able to recruit very quickly,” adding, “We can destroy a political-military structure, but it is difficult to eliminate an ideology,” according to For this expert.

The field scene in the areas of the northern Gaza Strip is escalating, as the occupation army is carrying out a large ground operation in the Jabalia camp, in conjunction with the continued invasion of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, while the operation in the city of Rafah maintains its same land borders, and expands in terms of air and artillery bombardment. On the other hand, the performance of the resistance that holds the reins of the field scene does not show that it is the same one that was subjected to all that pressure throughout more than seven months of war, as the enemy admits, for example, that it is fighting military units in the Jabalia camp that were not exposed to any scratch.

Yesterday, the Gaza Strip witnessed one of the most intense days of fighting since the beginning of the ground operation there more than seven months ago, with the IDF expanding the scope of operations in the Jabalia camp in the north of the Strip and the surrounding neighborhoods, and beginning the greatest pressure on three fronts. As for the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, the IDF doubled the demolition of homes and leveled entire residential squares to the ground, and began a new advance towards Al-Nadim Street, the Al-Musalba area, and the Salah Al-Din neighborhood. On the Rafah city axis, south of the Gaza Strip, the IDF expanded its operations to include the vicinity of the Al-Tabi’in and Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque, in addition to its continued concentration in the Salah al-Din axis and the vicinity of the Rafah land crossing, and warned new areas to evacuate.

In contrast, the military arms of the resistance factions provided high-quality field performance, and yesterday carried out about 55 combat missions, compared to 17 the day before yesterday. Accordingly, the graphic curve of the resistance’s combat performance since the start of the ground operation in Jabalia four days ago has recorded a significant jump. The missions included firing dozens of mortar shells, targeting about 20 vehicles, including a tank, a bulldozer, and a troop carrier, in addition to implementing five complex ambushes and direct engagement with IDF soldiers from zero distance.

The majority of the military arms of the resistance factions announced that they had carried out dozens of combat missions there, while the “Al-Qassam Brigades” confirmed that they were able, in the early morning hours, to target four “Merkava” tanks with “Al-Yassin 105” shells in the axis of progress east of the camp. And in the afternoon hours Israeli vehicles attempted to advance from the eastern area of the camp, specifically from the Al-Salheen neighborhood and behind the UNRWA schools, towards the center of Jabalia, specifically the area of the police station and the agency’s clinic. The resistance then targeted two tanks, and Al-Qassam later announced that it had succeeded. Of destroying them.

Regarding the same axis, Al-Qassam announced again, in the afternoon, the destruction of a D9 military bulldozer, while confirming that it had managed, in another qualitative action, to drop an Al-Yassin 105 missile from a drone on a Merkava tank. ». For its part, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced that its resistance members were able to blow up a tank with an RPG shell east of the camp. As for the “Jerusalem Brigades,” they reported that they were able to snipe two Israeli soldiers behind the Abu Zeitoun schools, east of the camp, while “Al-Qassam” also reported that they were able to snipe another soldier in the vicinity of the Al-Saliheen neighborhood, east of the Jabalia camp. Also, the “Popular Resistance Committees” announced that its resistance members were able to target the entrance to the “East - Block 2” building with an anti-personnel missile, when a foot force from the occupation army tried to enter it, causing members of the force to be killed or wounded.

“Jerusalem Brigades” announced that its resistance members were able to blow up a military vehicle with a high-explosive “Thaqib” barrel bomb near the Badr Mosque in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood. It also announced that it was able to defeat the invading forces with a number of mortar shells.

Al-Jazeera analyst Fayez Al-Daweiri, referring to the high number of casualties and damage to the Israeli's weapons in the fierce battles in Jabalia, considered the surprising successes of the resistance in the past 3 days to be the result of the joint operation room. According to Mehr news agency , the Jabalia camp in the north of the Gaza Strip has become the scene of a full-scale battle in the past 3 days, and as evidenced by Al-Jazeera, the Zionist invaders have not only achieved nothing despite the brutal bombing of civilian areas, but the resistance groups have inflicted deadly blows on them. Soldiers and military equipment of the occupiers have been imported.

Al Jazeera news channel in a report referring to the beginning of a new phase of the Israeli army's attack on the "Jabalia" camp in the north of Gaza , praised the new military tactics of the resistance groups and the admirable intelligence and military coordination of their joint operations room in a close battle against the occupiers. He called the deadly blows of the Palestinian resistance mujahideen on the body of the Zionist army in the past days beyond the limit of imagination.

Al-Jazeera network, emphasizing the high amount of damage to the military equipment of the occupiers in Jabalia, presented images of the field battle of the Palestinian Mujahideen in the destruction of the equipment of the Israeli army, including tanks, bulldozers and personnel carriers, and the increase in the damage of the military equipment of the occupiers means high human casualties among He knew the ranks of the military units of this regime.

In an analysis, this Qatari news network described the death of at least 12 other Zionist soldiers in a joint combined operation by powerful Palestinian groups in the Jabalia camp as showing the high coordination of the Ezzeddin Qassam Battalions , the Quds Battalions and the Nasser Salahuddin Brigade in hitting the Zionists. In this regard, Fayez al-Daweiri , a famous analyst of Al-Jazeera network, praised the high military skills of the joint operations room of the Palestinian groups in the recent battles in northern Gaza and emphasized that the achievements of the resistance in the field are the result of the high management of the joint operations room.

Al-Dawiri considered the intense clashes in the Jabalia camp in recent days worthy of consideration and added: I observed two moral and immoral images in the follow-up and monitoring of the Jabalia operation in recent days; In the first picture, I found severe damage in the ranks of the Zionist enemy and their military equipment, showing the high and successful management and training of the Palestinian mujahids in a moral battle in defense of their honor and independence, but on the other hand, I witnessed an immoral picture of the enemy without any lines. The redness of the civilian gathering targeted the rescue vehicles.

The analyst of strategic and military issues called the operations of the past three days by the resistance of the Palestinian groups in causing severe damage to the enemy's weapons as very surprising and the military casualties of the Zionists as very high and the operations of the resistance against the invaders in the past days as very breathtaking.

The Rafah crossing, which is the main gateway for goods and people entering Gaza, has been closed since Israel announced control over it on May 7. Egypt refused to coordinate with Israel regarding the Rafah crossing, fearing that controlling it would be part of Netanyahu’s plan to launch a large-scale ground attack on the city of Rafah, where more than a million people displaced from other areas took refuge.

The Coordinator of Government Operations in the Territories Major General Rasan Aliyan traveled to Egypt today (Wednesday) to meet with his counterparts in an attempt to convince Egypt to allow the re-transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza after the Israeli occupation of the Rafah crossing. The Egyptians made it clear that they will not resume the transfer of aid as long as the Rafah crossing is closed - but in Israel the problem is that in Israel the decision has not yet been made as to who will control the crossing, and discussions are still ongoing.

The security establishment fears that if control remains in the hands of the IDF, this will lead to a situation of an Israeli military government because Israel controls all the crossings. Among other things, the fear in Israel is due to the Egyptian pressure which means that in practice much less humanitarian aid is transferred - the Egyptians have so far transferred 350 trucks every day, And now Israel manages, after many efforts, to move only 200 trucks a day.

The dramatic drop in the volume of aid could lead, according to Israel's grave concern, to hastening the issuance of orders by the High Court of Justice in The Hague - which could complicate Israel and lead to the issuing of orders demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu on Wednesday urged Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crossing, considering that Cairo is holding Gaza residents “hostage” because of its refusal to cooperate with Israel regarding the main aid crossing. In an interview with the American network CNBC , Netanyahu said: “We want to see it open... I hope we can reach an understanding.” He indicated in the interview that the crossing would have been opened “yesterday” if the matter had been in Israel’s hands, considering that “the problem is not ours. We are not obstructing the opening of the Rafah crossing.” He added: "No one should hold the Palestinian population hostage in any way, and I am not holding them hostage. I don't think anyone should do that."

Since the closure of the Rafah 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 Egyptian and Israeli Foreign Ministers exchanged accusations regarding the aggravation of the humanitarian crisis due to the closure of the Rafah land crossing, following the Israeli army’s control of it.

The Israeli Minister, Israel Katz, said on the “X” platform, “The world holds Israel responsible for the humanitarian file, but the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends.” Cairo denounced Katz’s statements, and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed in a statement: “Egypt’s categorical rejection of the policy of telling the facts and disavowing responsibility followed by the Israeli side,” and stressed “that Israel is solely responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe that the Palestinians are currently facing in the Gaza Strip.”

Netanyahu had previously angered the UAE, when he indicated that it could participate in a civilian administration in Gaza (after the war), and the UAE Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, responded last week, saying that Netanyahu “does not have any legal capacity that would enable him to take action.” This step,” he refused to be drawn into “any plan aimed at providing cover for the Israeli presence in Gaza.”

Haaretzr pointed out that the widespread filming of scenes raising the Israeli flag on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing “made it politically difficult for Egypt to continue managing the crossing, without being accused of cooperating with Israel in its military operation.” One Israeli official said: “We understand that this causes them a problem with public opinion. But their reaction caused the transfer of humanitarian aid to be stopped almost completely, and this is an exaggerated reaction.”

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, wrote on the “X” platform, “The world holds Israel responsible for the humanitarian file, but the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends.” He pointed out that he spoke with the British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, and the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, about "the necessity of convincing Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing, allowing the continued transfer of international humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip."

Cairo denounced Katz's statements, and a Foreign Ministry statement affirmed "Egypt's categorical rejection of the policy of telling the facts and disavowing responsibility followed by the Israeli side." Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed that "Israel is solely responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe that the Palestinians are currently facing in the Gaza Strip." Shukri considered the Israeli control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, and the Israeli military operations in the vicinity of the crossing, “and the resulting exposure of the lives of relief workers and truck drivers to imminent dangers, to be the main reason for the inability to bring in aid from the crossing.” Shukry strongly denounced "the desperate attempts of the Israeli side to hold Egypt responsible for the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza Strip, which is a direct result of indiscriminate Israeli attacks against the Palestinians for more than seven months, in which more than 35,000 citizens were killed, most of them women and children."

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, announced that it was able to kill at least 12 Israeli soldiers in a massive and complex operation targeting occupation soldiers and vehicles in the Jabalia camp. Al-Qassam revealed the details of the operation, saying: “In a complex operation in the Block 4 area of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip... Al-Qassam mujahideen targeted a D9 military bulldozer with an Al-Yassin 105 shell and targeted a Zionist force holed up inside a house with two anti-personnel shells and clashed with it.” . Al-Qassam added: “As soon as the rescue force advanced to the place, a “Shawaz” device was detonated in a “Merkvah” tank, and after an attempt to withdraw the targeted force’s equipment lying on the ground, the Zionist Air Force barbarically bombed the place, and our mujahideen confirmed that at least 12 soldiers were killed in the operation.”

In another operation, Al-Qassam reported that its fighters were able to snipe a Zionist soldier near the Al-Tabaeen Mosque, east of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. The Al-Qassam Brigades also announced that they were able to control a Zionist drone west of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Al-Qassam Brigades had previously broadcast scenes of its fighters targeting Israeli occupation army soldiers and vehicles east of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The scenes showed Al-Qassam carrying out a complex military operation against the occupation vehicles and soldiers, as one of the fighters placed two “Shawaz” explosive devices under two Israeli tanks, coinciding with another fighter targeting an Israeli troop carrier. This event coincided with the targeting of a third Israeli vehicle with the “Al-Yassin 105” anti-tank missile, with the fighters successfully returning to the attack tunnel and then hearing the sound of the explosion of the two tanks.

The scenes also included an Israeli helicopter that carried out the mission of evacuating the dead and wounded following the complex Qassam operation. The footage also included a series of attacks on Israeli military vehicles, including the Merkava tank, with anti-tank missiles. The scenes concluded with the bombing of a tunnel eye by an Israeli engineering force that attempted to enter one of the tunnels east of Rafah, and seized a special robot to detect tunnels, according to Al-Qassam’s statement.

For its part, the Al-Quds Brigades , the military wing of Islamic Jihad, showed scenes of the targeting of a Zionist Merkava tank east of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The Al-Quds Brigades also said: We bombed, with a barrage of regular 81-caliber mortar shells, a gathering of occupation vehicles on Abu Al-Aish Street in the Jabalia camp. They added: We bombed, with a barrage of regular 60 mm mortar shells, a gathering of occupation vehicles behind Sultan Studio in the Jabalia camp. The Al-Quds Brigades continued: In a joint operation with the Al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, we targeted an Israeli special force holed up in one of the buildings in the Jabalia camp with a “107” missile.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

Operational Update - Lebanon

The Israeli army said in a statement: “On Tuesday night, Israeli Air Force planes bombed Hussein Ibrahim Makki in the Tire area in southern Lebanon and eliminated him. Makki was a senior field commander in Hezbollah on the southern front, and was responsible for planning and implementing many attacks against civilians and Israeli territory since The beginning of the war." He added: "As part of his role in Hezbollah, Makki was responsible for various actions against the Israeli home front, and he previously held the position of commander of Hezbollah forces in the coastal region." In turn, "Hezbollah" said in the obituary statement : "With greater pride and pride, the Islamic Resistance mourns the martyr, the Mujahid, Hussein Ibrahim Makki, "Sayyid Makki," born in 1969 from the town of Beit Yahoun in southern Lebanon, who rose as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem."

Lebanese "Hezbollah" showed scenes from its operation to target the headquarters of the 91st Division in the Beranit barracks of the Israeli army on the Lebanese-Palestinian border. The video showed the moment the heavy "Burkan" missile was launched and the moment it fell on the headquarters, causing a large explosion. Hezbollah had issued a statement about this operation in which it said: “In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, and within the framework of responding to the assassination carried out by the Israeli enemy in the south, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance attacked on Wednesday May 15, 2024, the headquarters of the 91st Division in the Pranit Barracks were hit with heavy Burkan missiles, hitting it directly and destroying part of it. As part of “a response to the assassination carried out by the Israeli enemy in the south,” the “party” launched an attack on northern Israel with dozens of missiles targeting the Meron base.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon responded to the assassinations carried out by the Israeli occupation by launching an air attack with a number of attack drones on an Iranian base west of the city of Tiberias. The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon said in a statement: “In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, and in response to the assassinations carried out by the Israeli enemy, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance launched an air attack with a number of attack drones on a base.” Ilaniya , west of the city of Tiberias , targeting part of the Air Force’s comprehensive surveillance and detection system, hit its specified targets precisely, and achieved what it wanted from this limited operation.”

Commenting on the Hezbollah strike , a Time of Israel correspondent said: The strike carried out by Hezbollah is considered the deepest since the beginning of the war. The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said: This is one of the deepest attacks launched by Hezbollah since the outbreak of the war, expanding the scope of the organization’s launch towards a target located tens of kilometers from the border.

Meanwhile, Hebrew sources said: When the Army Minister is busy with trivial political games, Hezbollah crosses more and more imaginary red lines and strikes 50 kilometers deep inside Israel. The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that Air Force planes targeted a car in southern Lebanon yesterday (Tuesday), which was carrying a Hezbollah field commander, leading to his death. Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, the Lebanese Hezbollah mourned a fighter in its ranks, after an Israeli raid targeted a car in the city of Tyre, deep in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said in its statement: “With greater pride, the Islamic Resistance brings to life the martyr, the Mujahid Hussein Ibrahim Makki, “Mr. Makki,” born in 1969 from the town of Beit Yahoun in southern Lebanon, who rose as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem,” without giving him the title. "leader". This came after the Israeli army announced on the same day that an Israeli settler was killed and 5 soldiers in its ranks were wounded following the firing of anti-tank missiles from Lebanon towards the Admit area in the Western Galilee. Text of a statement issued by the Islamic Resistance:

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

“Permission has been given to those who fight because they have been wronged, and indeed, God is Able to grant them victory.” God, the Most High, the Great, has spoken the truth

In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, and in response to the assassinations carried out by the Israeli enemy, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance launched an air attack with a number of attack drones on an Ilan base west of the city of Tiberias, targeting part of the Tiberias system. The Air Force conducted comprehensive surveillance and detection, and it accurately hit its designated targets and achieved what it wanted from this limited operation. “And victory is only from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.”

Wednesday 05-15-2024 AD

Dhul-Qi’dah 6, 1445 AH

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

Operational Update - Yemen

The American destroyer USS Carney withdrew from the Red Sea, days after it returned to it with the aircraft carrier Eisenhower. A military source in Sanaa confirmed to Al-Akhbar that the withdrawal of the “Carney” came in the wake of its exposure to multiple attacks by the Yemeni naval forces, and did not come for any other considerations, noting that the destroyer had returned only days ago to the scope of military operations in the Red Sea, It was met with unannounced military attacks by Sanaa's naval forces. The source believed that Carney’s withdrawal indicates the continued disintegration of the “Protecting Prosperity” coalition, and the decline of the influence of the American and British navies in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in light of the escalation of operations by Yemeni forces against American, British and European naval vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

According to more than one Yemeni navigation source who spoke to Al-Akhbar, the US Navy attempted to confront naval attacks carried out by Sana’a forces in the Gulf of Aden during the past 48 hours, but it was unable to intercept a number of drones and naval ballistic missiles that were launched against strategic targets nearby. From the island of Socotra, located in the Indian Ocean, the day before yesterday evening and yesterday morning. In this regard, local sources in the Socotra Archipelago said that explosions were heard off Samha Island, which is part of the archipelago, and suggested that the explosions were due to a naval clash.

In the wake of the escalation of Sanaa’s operations in the Indian Ocean, the European Union’s naval mission “ASPEDS” called on commercial ships heading towards the ports of the Israeli entity, and sailing off Africa in the Indian Ocean, to move east to avoid attacks by Sanaa’s naval forces, and recommended that commercial ships be cautious, and suggested that Commercial ships operating in the area “are establishing an alternative sea route at least 150 nautical miles east of current traffic routes.” This coincided with the European mission’s announcement that the Dutch warship “HNLMS Karel Druman” would join its operations in the Gulf of Aden.

In the wake of activists loyal to the Ansar Allah movement circulating pictures of new missiles, as the weapons that will be activated in the fourth phase of the Yemeni military support operations with the Palestinian people and their resistance in the Gaza Strip, the spokesman for the Sana’a forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, vowed during his speech on the occasion of The anniversary of the “cry” against America and Israel in Sanaa, Washington and Tel Aviv will launch harsh deterrence operations during the next few days. Saree indicated that the fourth phase operations have begun, and in the coming days the ships that violated the declared Yemeni embargo there will be announced, stressing that the upcoming operations are strategic and large. He revealed that Sana'a forces have completed preparations for the fifth and sixth phases, and that they are ready in terms of military capabilities to implement these phases in the event that genocide crimes committed by the occupation army continue in the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, the American-British aggression aircraft launched a series of raids, yesterday evening, targeting Hodeidah Airport, for the second day after a similar bombing, the day before yesterday evening, according to what local sources reported.

The Yemeni armed forces announced the targeting of an American destroyer and a ship in the Red Sea as a victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people and in response to the American-British aggression against Yemen after violating the decision to ban the passage of ships to the ports of occupied Palestine. The Armed Forces explained in a statement issued today that the Navy carried out a military operation targeting the American destroyer " Mason " in the Red Sea with a number of appropriate naval missiles and the hit was accurate. It indicated that the naval forces, the missile force, and the unmanned air force carried out a joint operation targeting the ship “Destiny” in the Red Sea, and the hit was accurate.

The armed forces confirmed that the targeting of the ship came after it violated the decision banning the passage of ships heading to the ports of occupied Palestine by heading to the port of Umm al-Rashrash on April 20, using deception and camouflage by claiming that it was heading to another port. However, it was under monitoring and follow-up, and warnings were directed to it not to enter the ports. Occupied Palestine insisted on violating the ban and became on the list of targeted ships prohibited from sailing in the area of operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces.

It also confirmed that, 'with God’s help and then with the support and support of the Yemeni people and all free people of the nation, it will continue to carry out its military operations in support of the oppressed Palestinian people and in defense of Yemen, and that these operations will not stop except by lifting the siege and stopping the aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

The head of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mahdi Al-Mashat, confirmed the complete defeat of the head of the Israeli occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, as a result of his continued foolishness against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Al-Mashat said during his presidency of a meeting of the Al-Aqsa Committee: The committee played an active role in multiple aspects, including mobilizing events and demonstrations in harmony with the direction of our armed forces. He stressed the continuation of the official and popular position in support of Gaza until the aggression stops and the Zionist siege on our people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.

He said that the fourth stage of escalation will begin with specific operations, and we have decisive, bold and difficult choices if the aggression against our people in Gaza continues. Al-Mashat added: Netanyahu could have accepted half defeat, but due to his foolishness, he will be forced to accept complete defeat.

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

An Egyptian source familiar with the relationship between the two countries told Here News this evening (Wednesday) that the assessment in Cairo is that the current Israeli government does not understand the language of talk and condemnation, but only the language of actions and steps. According to him, "the Egyptian government's patience with the current government in Israel has run out."

The source explained that Cairo believes there was a real opportunity for a deal and the timing of the action in Rafah eliminated that opportunity. According to him, the Israeli government is not serious about reaching an agreement, it forces facts on the ground and acts according to internal needs. Regarding the fate of the peace agreement, he said that for now there is no public threat from Egypt in this regard, but there are other measures that Egypt can take against Israel.

An Israeli security delegation, led by the coordinator of government operations in the territories and senior Shin Bet officials, landed in Cairo this morning for discussions with senior Egyptian officials amid the serious crisis between the countries - after the IDF began operating in the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah and also in the crossing itself on the Gaza side.

In the evening news at Khan 11 it was announced that the Egyptians are angry with Israel, especially after the pictures of Israeli tanks and Israeli flags at the Rafah crossing. The representatives from Israel gave the Egyptian officials a commitment that the activity in Rafah would not be expanded beyond the existing situation without an advance update from the Egyptians, a commitment similar to what the United States received.

The security forces in Israel are trying to get relations between the countries back on track. Right now, the crisis is at its peak. Factors in Egypt who expressed their desire to downgrade relations between the countries and even freeze the peace agreement with Israel. Israel is working to convince Egypt to return humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, aid that was stopped as part of Egypt's protest, after the IDF took over the Rafah crossing.

Israeli officials warned that Cairo “may stop exercising the role of mediator” in the talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire deal and the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, considering that relations between Egypt and Israel “have reached their worst stage” since the start of the war. The officials expressed to the Israeli newspaper " Haaretz ", which did not name them, their fears that the crisis between Egypt and Israel "may worsen" in light of the continuing fighting in Gaza, specifically in the border city of Rafah in the far south of the Strip, at a time when Cairo decided to stop bringing in aid from During the Rafah crossing after the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of it.

Egypt and Israel are exchanging accusations regarding obstructing the arrival of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli side believes that Egypt has stopped the entry of aid to increase international pressure on Israel, according to Haaretz. Meanwhile, in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, Cairo rejected “the policy of denying the facts and disavowing responsibility followed by the Israeli side.” Speaking to Haaretz, the officials warned that the situation “may get worse and Egypt may withdraw from mediation” regarding attempts to reach a ceasefire and release the hostages, in addition to “the possibility that defense and intelligence cooperation between the two countries may be negatively affected,” if the crisis is not resolved.

One of the officials told the Israeli newspaper: “The situation with Egypt is currently the worst since the start of the war.” While another said: “The Egyptians showed understanding of our position at the beginning of the war, and they realized the importance of dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities and its ability to rule (in Gaza) after October 7.” The latter added that Egypt's position "shifted" with the Israeli army beginning its operations in Rafah, explaining that they (the Egyptians) "are trying to obstruct us and impose an end to the war. This is something that has never happened before, even during our previous operations in Gaza."

European Union Foreign Affairs Commissioner Josep Borrell expressed his anger at repeated settler attacks on humanitarian aid convoys heading to the Gaza Strip. "I’m outraged by the repeated & still unchecked attacks perpetrated by Israeli extremists on aid convoys on their way to Gaza, including from Jordan. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are starving. IL authorities must stop these operations & hold those responsible accountable."

A few days ago, Israeli settlers blocked the road in front of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid that were heading to the Gaza Strip, in an incident that is not the first of its kind. A video showed stones along the road leading to the Strip, which has been under siege for months. Settlers also attacked an aid convoy to Gaza near the Latrun intersection, west of Ramallah, and tried to prevent it from reaching the Strip. At the beginning of this May, settlers attacked two Jordanian aid convoys carrying food, flour and other supplies to the Gaza Strip, which were heading towards the Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing and the Kerem Shalom crossing. The settlers threw some of their cargo into the streets, causing material damage to the trucks. Despite this, the two convoys continued their mission and reached their destinations.

Axis of Resistance

The Western support for Israeli crimes in Gaza and international organizations’ failure to stop such a genocide attest to the current unjust world order, the Iranian president said, hailing the global Pro-Palestine rallies as a quest for the formation of a just world order. Addressing the 5th International Congress of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad on Tuesday, President Ebrahim Raisi said the younger generation’s growing enthusiasm for religion indicates the righteousness of the Islamic establishment’s justice-advocating stances against the arrogance system.

Denouncing the support provided by the US and the Western governments for the Zionist regime in its onslaught against Gaza and deploring the failure of the international organizations and the self-proclaimed advocates of human rights in ending the Israeli genocidal atrocities, Raisi said, “Today, it has become clear to everybody that the current international system is unjust.” Pointing to the Pro-Palestine demonstrations in the universities across the world, the president said the fact that all freedom-seeking nations in the world are now united in their quest for the liberation of Palestine clearly demonstrates that the free humans are calling for the formation of a just world order. He also noted that the blood of 15,000 innocent Palestinian children shed by the Israeli regime in the onslaught on Gaza has the power to terminate the criminal Zionist regime.

Deploring the enemy’s media attempts to falsify the reality of Israeli atrocities and deceive the public opinion about the Gaza crisis, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reminded Muslim cultural figures of their responsibility to foil that sinister plot amid a cognitive war. A group of prominent writers and literary and cultural figures of the Muslim world, who are in Iran to participate in the 35th Tehran International Book Fair, met with Raisi in Tehran on Wednesday. Expressing satisfaction with the meeting with the Muslim cultural figures, the president said the enemy has resorted to its media empire and the creation of false news, with unreal narratives and distortion of facts, in order to divert the public opinion of nations from Gaza.

He also emphasized the importance of the position and responsibility of the people of literature and culture to counter that hostile conspiracy, adding, "The standing, resistance and faith of the Palestinian nation and the efforts of the resistance front require a correct and artistic narrative that requires the efforts and double efforts of poets, writers and cultural figures of the Islamic world in this cognitive and cultural war."

Today, the issue of Palestine has become the first and common issue of all Muslim and free nations of the world, Raisi stated, describing such unprecedented unity and cohesion as the basis of the final victory for the Palestinian nation. "Despite the enemy's efforts to induce despair among the Islamic Ummah, the standing and resistance of the awakened and free nations against the historical oppression of the oppressed people of Gaza promises the message that the victory of the Palestinian nation and the destruction of the criminal Zionist regime is certain," the president said, his official website reported.

The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, confirmed that the Palestinian people have dropped all malicious plans that aimed to end the Palestinian issue. He added that the Israeli occupation entity is still experiencing an existential crisis and struggling to survive. Haniyeh explained that the invincible army was defeated and collapsed in the Gaza Strip under the attacks of the resistance, and that Hamas responded positively to the proposals of the mediators from Egypt and Qatar.

The head of the Hamas political bureau confirmed that the heroes of the resistance affirm that the end of the occupation is a Qur’anic inevitability and a historical fact. Haniyeh said: The issue of Palestine is present in the memory of our people and all the free people of the world, and the occupier is still experiencing an existential crisis and struggling to survive.

He added: The Palestinian people dropped all the malicious plans that aimed to end the Palestinian issue, and the people of the West Bank and Jerusalem stood firm and resisted all attempts to Judaize and dissolve the Palestinian issue. He continued: The generations of Palestine realize that there is no going back from the right of return, and the invincible army was defeated, defeated, and collapsed in Gaza under the blows of the resistance.

Haniyeh added: The whole world has seen the truth about the criminal Zionist enemy with a criminal history, and the resistance in all areas of the Gaza Strip is writing the glories of a people and a nation. Haniyeh said, "The resistance factions are still inflicting losses on the enemy after months of war, and the movement responded positively in negotiating in order to reach a ceasefire."

He added: The occupation responded to our approval of the ceasefire proposal by entering Rafah and the northern regions, and the movement will continue to seek a ceasefire in all possible ways. Every agreement that fulfills the demands of our people is something we strive for with all force. He continued, "The resistance in all the front lines in Gaza inflicts losses on the enemy for the eighth month of the war, despite the difference in the balance of power. The enemy's stagnation in the place and its insistence on occupying the Rafah crossing puts the negotiations in an unknown fate."

Haniyeh pointed out that the occupation's amendments to the latest proposal put the negotiations in a dead end, and we will continue to work with the resistance factions to stop the war on Gaza. He also said: “The enemy’s insistence on moving forward with the Rafah process puts the entire negotiations in an unknown fate, and we agree with our brothers in Egypt on the necessity of the Zionist enemy’s withdrawal from the Rafah crossing and all areas of the Gaza Strip.”

He stated, "The American position continues to side with the enemy and continues to provide political support and cover for the war of genocide against our people." He concluded by saying that the Hamas movement and the Al-Qassam Brigades are here to stay, and the next day of war will be in the interest of our Palestinian people.

Allied for Democracy

"We are not a vassal state of the United States!" quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying. Sources told Axios that Netanyahu lashed out during a recent meeting with his security cabinet. His comments were described as a "rant" over President Biden's warning to "Israel" that a major attack on Rafah would cross a "red line" for US support. During that meeting, Netanyahu compared his clash with Biden over Rafah to "Israel's" so-called declaration of independence in 1948, when David Ben Gurion declared "Israel's" so-called independence despite alleged objections from then-US Secretary of State George Marshall. Netanyahu also referenced his speech to Congress in March 2015, where he voiced his opposition to former President Obama's efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran. This speech had allegedly strained relations between the US and "Israel" and had drawn criticism from many Democrats. This information was provided to Axios by three individuals who were present at the meeting with Netanyahu, including one of Netanyahu's aides.

Arab analysts suggest Israel's status as a vassal of the US can be understood through various lenses but mainly revolves around mutual security interests, historical bonds, and ideological affinities. At the core of this bond lies a reliance on the US for economic and military aid. For the regime, this assistance is not merely a matter of security but also a lifeline to sustain its security capabilities and economic stability. Secondly, Israel's close alignment with US interests contributes to broader geopolitical objectives such as countering elements, such as Iran and Resistance groups.

Third, the US wields significant political influence over Israel's policies and decision-making through diplomatic pressure, conditional aid, and negotiations. Through these measures, the US effectively steers Israeli actions in line with its own interests. And fourth, Israel and the US are bound by historical and ideological ties. These shared values serve as a glue to cement the alliance and reinforce "Israel's" position as a vassal for the US.

When Netanyahu compared himself to David Ben Gurion, he may have thought that he was portraying himself as a figure embodying "Israel's" historical defiance against external pressures and assertion of a certain sovereignty. But in reality, this reveals a deeper insecurity.

Gallant referred to the tensions between Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, and clarified: "The relationship with the Americans is essential, strong and stable. There are differences of opinion, but the US was the first to stand by us in actions, not in words, and continues to stand by us even now. Disputes are resolved in closed rooms, neither in interviews nor in tweets."

The dramatic statement by the Minister of Defense, in which he harshly criticized the Prime Minister on the grounds that he does not make decisions and jeopardizes the military achievements, led to a great uproar in the political system. In a sharp and dramatic statement, he harshly criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu's performance, demanding that he make decisions on "the day after" - in an unprecedented frontal and public confrontation he carried out in the midst of the war.

On the right they called for Galant's impeachment, War Cabinet member Minister Gantz came to his defense, and the Prime Minister published a video in which he responded to criticism of him: "I am not ready to replace Hamstan with Fatestan. The first condition for the day after is to eliminate Hamas and do it without excuses", this is further to his avoidance of making a decision regarding the "day after" in Gaza.

The chairman of the state camp, Minister Benny Gantz, published a response and supported Gallant's words: "The Minister of Defense speaks the truth - the leadership's responsibility is to do the right thing for the country, at any cost."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich opposed Gallant's support for a governmental alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip: "I demand that the Prime Minister immediately bring to the government a decision to deny any involvement of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip and then demand that Gallant choose between implementing the government's policy and returning the keys." The Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir also joined Smotrich, attacked Galant and demanded from Netanyahu in his X account to fire him: "Such a Minister of Defense must be replaced in order to achieve the goals of the war."

The chairman of the state right-wing party Gideon Sa'ar attacked Gallant's words on his X account and said that "there is no alternative to the elimination of Hamas as a governmental and military entity in Gaza - we are still far from there. We have not heard from Galant when the residents of the north will be returned to their homes." Sa'ar scolded Galant and claimed that the Ministry of Defense is making excuses for why the goals of the war were not achieved: "The role of the defense system is to lead to the restoration of security in the south and the north and not to look for excuses for not achieving the goals of the war." Opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted in response that the government had lost its way and in order to win it needed to go to the elections: "Soldiers are killed every day in Gaza, the cabinet is disbanded and dysfunctional, ministers are protesting in front of the cabinet meeting, relations with the Americans are collapsing, the middle class is collapsing, they lost the north. With We will not win this government."

The outgoing chairwoman of the Labor Party and member of the Knesset on her behalf, Merav Michaeli, supported the Minister of Defense and wondered if the incident would lead to his dismissal: "Once again Gallant is warning Netanyahu of the devastating consequences of his actions, and Bibi is less than pleased to hear that. Will he just fire him again?"

Member of Knesset on behalf of Yesh Atid Vladimir Blayak backed up the Minister of Defense and tweeted: "Yoav Galant also confirms this evening: Netanyahu is dangerous to Israel. Elections now." On the other hand, the Minister of Settlements and National Missions and member of the Knesset on behalf of the religious Zionist party, Orit Struck, attacked Galant: "Israel must militarily control Gaza! Must occupy the northern part of the Strip and establish a military base and a settlement there."

Member of Knesset on behalf of the Yesh Atid party, Merav Cohen, wrote that Netanyahu's goal in postponing "The Day After" is to drag out the war in order to delay the coming of the elections: "Convergence of interests: the Messianic Smotrich and Ben Gvir - want to establish settlements in Gaza to bring the coming of the Messiah closer. Netanyahu in order to drag out the war forever in order to delay the coming of the elections. We all pay the price of bloodshed, isolation, shuffling and damage to the economy."

Member of Knesset from Likud Tali Gottlieb continued and tweeted the client's claims from a conspiracy theory that she had already cultivated in previous tweets: "Mr. Prime Minister, take control of the security portfolio! This way you will make sure that information is not withheld from you, that you are not being undermined and that inappropriate appointments are not being made during the war - a small step in the devastation of the Deep State that has long penetrated the top of the IDF."

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan revealed that the United States is "considering a response" to the Israeli settlers' attack on an aid convoy heading to Gaza, considering what happened to be "unacceptable." Sullivan said in a press conference: "It is a total outrage that there are people who are attacking and looting these convoys coming from Jordan, going to Gaza to deliver humanitarian assistance". Sullivan added "We are looking at the tools that we have to respond to this... "We are also raising our concerns at the highest level of the Israeli government and it's something that we make no bones about –- this is completely and utterly unacceptable behavior and cannot be justified in any way," stressing that the United States is leading international efforts to increase humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip. He stressed that "innocent civilians should never live without food, water, medicine, shelter, sanitation, or other basic necessities."

According to the Times of Israel newspaper, the Israeli police arrested 4 people after attacking an aid convoy as it passed through the West Bank on its way from Jordan to the Gaza Strip. Video clips posted on social media showed Israeli settlers blocking the road in front of a humanitarian aid convoy that was heading to the Gaza Strip, while others destroyed the aid. A crowd including young men and teenagers attacked the convoy from Jordan on Monday near the Tarqumya crossing with the occupied West Bank. The attackers hurled the food cargo bound for besieged Gaza -- including bags of cereal, rice, flour, packets of biscuits and freeze-dried soup -- to the ground and trampled it. The Israeli police, citing the "disturbance to public order", said it had "opened an investigation which resulted in the arrests of several suspects", the statement said.

Israeli media reported that the activists were members of Tsav 9, a group that has repeatedly blocked aid trucks heading to the Gaza Strip. Hana Giat, a right-wing Israeli activist, said: "We have hostages in Gaza and no humanitarian aid should go in before our hostages are out safe, in their homes." She said that the groups stopped the trucks on Monday, Israel's Memorial Day, to prevent aid from being delivered into the hands of Hamas, "who are trying to kill other soldiers and other Israeli citizens and promise to do it again and again".

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
• 79,141 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
• 35,233 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
• 269 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.