Operation Iron Swords - Day 240 - 02 June 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

The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, questioned the numbers announced by the occupation army regarding the losses it suffers at the hands of the Palestinian resistance. Al-Duwairi said, in an analysis of the military scene in Gaza, that the number provided by the occupation army is modest and does not represent reality compared to the videos shown by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), and the Al-Quds Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement , of the destruction Occupation mechanisms, ambushes for its soldiers, and other means.

The military and strategic expert cited the occupation army's refusal to announce the dead man, which the Al-Qassam Brigades showed yesterday in a video. The Al-Qassam Brigades published a photo of an Israeli soldier who was killed during the operation it carried out in the Jabalia area in the northern Gaza Strip on May 25, and Al-Qassam Brigades sent a message to the occupation army in which it said, “You know his identity well... Why do you lie to your audience?”

Al-Duwairi pointed out, in the same context, that there are five types of fighters in the Israeli army, and only one type is announced. The dual nationality who lives outside Israel is not announced, as are the Bedouins, Druze, and mercenaries.

In evidence that the occupation army does not announce the true numbers of its losses, what the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper announced is that the number of wounded among the army’s ranks is 20,000, including 8,300 whose wounds are serious. Al-Duwairi says that for every 3 wounded there is a dead person, which means that There are 7,500 dead in the ranks of the occupation army.

Regarding the reason for the occupation hiding its losses, Al-Duwairi said that the United States of America did not announce its real losses during its war on Iraq, nor did Russia in Ukraine, highlighting that announcing the real numbers of the dead, wounded and disabled reflects on the morale of the soldiers, which is what the occupation army does not want. With the same idea, Al-Duwairi recalled what Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper published earlier, that an internal poll in the Israeli army showed that only 42% of officers in permanent military service want to continue serving after the end of the war on the Gaza Strip.

According to an Israeli intelligence source who spoke to the British Telegraph, there was an attempt to convince the Dormosh family to take over the leadership in the Strip, but after the terrorist organization's response, all the clans announced their support for Hamas. A secret Israeli plan to convince a Gazan clan to take control of the Gaza Strip failed after Hamas executed its head. This is what the British Telegraph reported yesterday (Saturday), from an informed source Isharel Yeodev. According to the same source, an Israeli attempt was made about two months ago to encourage the Dormosh clan to take over leadership from Hamas, but the terrorist organization entered the clan's compound, beheaded its leader, and the next day all the clans together announced their support for the terrorist organization.

War Termination

A report by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation " Makan " revealed new details related to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza, which was announced by US President Joe Biden, on Friday, pointing to "pressure" exerted by officials in the US administration, in an attempt to make the proposal a success. The authority stated that “senior officials in the US administration are exerting pressure on officials in the Middle East and the region to persuade Hamas to agree to the latest ceasefire proposal.”

According to the authority, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, are holding talks with senior officials in Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. An additional message was sent to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and another was transmitted to Qatar.

On Friday, Biden announced a three-stage “Israeli proposal” to end the war in Gaza, calling on all parties not to miss the opportunity to reach a deal that ends the conflict that has been ongoing for more than 8 months. In a speech he gave at the White House regarding the situation in the Middle East, he said that Israel “presented a proposal for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages in 3 stages,” and it was sent to Hamas via Qatar.

The British newspaper "The Times" quoted a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that there are "many details that must be reached" regarding the proposal presented on Friday by US President Joe Biden regarding the release of hostages and reaching a ceasefire in Gaza. According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the proposal presented by Biden “was an Israeli document that was passed to the mediators on Monday, and Qatar presented it to Hamas on Thursday.”

She added, "The document is based on improving the recent Israeli proposal presented to the mediators at the end of April, which Hamas rejected." The commission stated that "Israel has almost completely agreed, according to the document, to the broad outlines for the release of the hostages that Hamas specified in its proposal since the beginning of last May."

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed the "drama" that took place behind the scenes to approve the Israeli document, noting "the belief of senior Israeli officials that this is the appropriate time to move towards the deal." The authority said, “At the war cabinet meeting, members of the security apparatus all objected to Netanyahu’s refusal to approve the proposal initially presented by the Israeli negotiating team.” She added: “The entire security apparatus stood before Netanyahu, from the Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, as well as Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, so the Prime Minister was forced to accept the proposal of the negotiating team, as the same document was approved in the Council of Ministers that included the Israeli proposal that was presented to "Intermediaries."

The "Israeli proposal", according to what the US President announced, in its first phase, which will last for 6 weeks, includes a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas in Gaza, and the release of a number of Israeli hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, In exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that, according to the available details, “in the first stage, the abductees will be released - dead or alive - under what is known as humanitarian release.” She added: "Israel demands that civilian women be released alive first after implementing the agreement, and then the release of more kidnapped women every week, in exchange for the release of Palestinian security prisoners and the partial withdrawal of the Israeli army from the corridor that divides the Gaza Strip into two parts." After that, the female soldiers held hostage by Hamas will be released in exchange for a larger number of security prisoners, according to the commission.

During the first phase, Hamas and Israel will negotiate the necessary measures to implement the second phase, which includes a road map “for a permanent end to hostilities, and the exchange and release of all remaining hostages, even male soldiers. It will also include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”

Israel says it will continue its war on Gaza until it eliminates Hamas. A joint press statement said that the United States, Qatar and Egypt urged Israel and Hamas on Saturday to “conclude an agreement that embodies the principles set by US President Joe Biden on May 31, 2024” to end the war in Gaza.

According to the Commission, the other important point in “Israeli flexibility” relates to “continuing communications between the two parties to implement the next steps in the agreement.” She said: "For the first time, Israel has agreed to extend the ceasefire beyond the first six weeks, as long as negotiations regarding the implementation of the second phase, which includes the release of male hostages, including soldiers, continue." The third phase includes a major reconstruction plan for Gaza, and the return of the remains of the hostages who were killed to their families.

However, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority revealed that Israel has so far refused a ceasefire during the ongoing negotiations regarding the agreement, in return, Hamas demands that the ceasefire continue until an agreement is reached. On Saturday, the United States, Qatar and Egypt called on Israel and Hamas in a joint statement to “conclude an agreement that embodies the principles set by the US President on May 31, 2024” to end the war in Gaza. The statement published by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its website and its account on the “X” platform stated that “Qatar, Egypt and the United States collectively, as mediators in the ongoing discussions to ensure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and detainees, call on both Hamas and Israel to conclude... An agreement that embodies the principles outlined by President Biden on May 31, 2024.”

Hours ago, thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv to demand moving forward with the proposal announced by the US President, with many fearing that Netanyahu would disavow the proposal, according to Agence France-Presse.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden reviewed an "Israeli" proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, reaching a permanent truce, and returning those kidnapped by Hamas, in a move that some considered a "last chance" in light of the pressure exerted by Washington on both sides of the conflict that has been going on for more than eight years. Months. On Saturday, Netanyahu confirmed Israel's commitment to "eliminating" Hamas before any permanent ceasefire, noting that this condition is included in Israel's proposal announced by the US President. He said in a statement, “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: eliminating Hamas’ military and governance capabilities, freeing all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”

The Emirati Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said on Sunday that the proposals announced by US President Joe Biden regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are “realistic and workable,” considering it “a good opportunity to stop the war.” In a post on the “X” platform, he called on both sides (Israel and Hamas) to “seize (the proposals), as they are an opportunity to stop the war, prevent further loss of life, stop the escalation, release prisoners and hostages, and alleviate the catastrophic and dangerous situation that civilians are experiencing.” in Gaza".

The War Cabinet met tonight for the first time since the speech of the President of the United States, Joe Biden. At the meeting, the negotiation team for the deal to release the hostages was also present. This evening (Sunday) 11 new details from Israel's proposal, which was forwarded to the terrorist organization Hamas by Qatar, were published in the evening news. In Israel, they agree to most of the outline for the release of hostages drawn up by Hamas. The women will be released first, the civilians and then the soldiers - and then three hostages will be released every week. • The release of the abductees who are not alive - only after all the humanitarian abductees are released. The negotiation section talks about the "restoration of lasting peace" (permanent cessation of hostilities). Israel's proposal: in phase B only, the names of the 100 security prisoners to be released will be decided.

An Egyptian official privy to the details told "Khan Haudas" that the impression in Cairo, even after Biden's speech, is that the government in Israel is not serious about the deal, because of political matters within Israel. In the evening news at Khan 11 it was announced that according to the same source, Cairo is not particularly optimistic about the chances of reaching a deal. Egypt estimates that the American government's means of pressure on Israel in the context of the deal are limited, and that the "hawkish" elements in the Israeli government will thwart any move that would promote a deal. The Egyptian source also warned that if Israel does not take advantage of the opportunity to reach a deal now, the situation will deteriorate even more both in relation to it and in relation to the entire region. In the eyes of the Egyptians, the ball is currently mostly in Israel's court.

A source in the Gaza Strip told "Khan Haudas" that Hamas would have a hard time refusing the outline presented by Biden. The terrorist organization will agree to any deal that will bring the war to an end, but the most important thing now for it is a deal that will ensure the survival of its rule in the Strip. According to the source, if Hamas receives such a guarantee - it is expected to soften its demands regarding the number of terrorists to be released and regarding the identity of some of them. The outline is positive as far as Hamas is concerned, but in order not to show too much enthusiasm - they may present some reservations.

Operational Update

Egyptian and Israeli officials discussed in Cairo the issue of managing the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side, according to an Egyptian journalist source who spoke to Al-Hurra website, after Egyptian sources reported that Cairo is inclined to accept the presence of a European mission to participate in operating the Rafah crossing, while Israel appears to have reservations. On this presence.

Egyptian media reported the conclusion of a tripartite meeting in Cairo, on Sunday, between Egypt, the United States, and Israel regarding the crossing. Some media sources indicated that during the meeting, Cairo adhered to its position on the necessity of Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian side of the crossing so that its operation could resume again. Al Hurra's correspondent in Cairo quoted an informed source earlier on Sunday, saying that Israel "proposes the presence of a UN mission to participate in operating the Rafah crossing with the participation of a Palestinian party acceptable to it, while Egypt tends to accept the presence of a European mission."

The Egyptian position comes after Israel effectively took control of the crossing from the Palestinian side on May 8, which exacerbated the already strained relations against the backdrop of the war in the Gaza Strip between the two countries. The killing of 45 people in an air strike last Sunday sparked strong criticism of Israel, whether from Egypt, the United States, or its European allies, which increased pressure on it regarding the management of the crossing.

An informed Egyptian source told Al-Hurra that the meetings on Sunday in Cairo will continue over the course of Sunday and Monday and will focus on discussing the mechanism for operating the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side after the Israeli forces withdraw from it, according to what Al-Hurra’s correspondent reported. In statements to Al-Hurra website, the editor-in-chief of the government newspaper Al-Ahram, Ashraf Al-Ashry, said that the Egyptian effort is focused on the necessity of Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian side and for the Palestinian Authority or any side affiliated with the Palestinians, without Hamas, to assume responsibility so that there is the possibility of operating the crossing.

Al-Ashry explained that this proposal was presented by Egypt during the tripartite meeting. He added that Egypt does not demand a specific party to manage the crossing, whether the United States or Europe, and what is important for it is the presence of another party to manage the crossing from the Palestinian side, whether Palestinian under international or European sponsorship, in order to operate the crossing and allow the entry of aid, which is the issue that was discussed in Tripartite meeting.

The Rafah crossing is the main point for entering aid from Egypt, and it has been closed since Israeli forces took control of it from the Palestinian side about three weeks ago. Cairo News Channel, quoting a high-ranking source, reported after the end of the tripartite meeting that the Egyptian security delegation affirmed “Israel’s full responsibility for the non-entry of relief materials and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.” The source also confirmed, "The Egyptian delegation adheres to the necessity of immediate action to bring at least 350 aid trucks into the sector daily, including all necessary materials, whether food, medical, or fuel."

According to the United Nations, at least 500 humanitarian aid trucks need to enter the Gaza Strip every day. Previous reports indicated that the amount of aid entering the Gaza Strip in May had decreased significantly, to the point that humanitarian relief officials say that their operations are at risk of stopping, and that the risk of famine has become more acute than ever, according to the New York Times.

The amount of aid entering the Gaza Strip in May has shrunk so dramatically that humanitarian officials say their operations are at risk of halting, and the risk of famine is more acute than ever, according to the New York Times. The European Union's foreign policy official, Josep Borrell, said last week that the bloc is seeking to agree in principle to move forward with the relaunch of its border assistance mission in the city of Rafah, but he added that all parties must agree to this step. The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) has been inactive since 2007, when Hamas took complete control of Gaza.

The European Union Council launched the mission, in November 2005, to serve as a "third party" presence for the European Union at the joint crossing point on the border between Gaza and Egypt, in accordance with the 2005 Movement and Access Agreement between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The mission's status remained in place for two years as a "third party" aimed at building confidence between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After suspending its operations at the Rafah crossing in June 2007, the Rafah border crossing became subject to the management of Hamas authorities from the Gaza side, before Israel took control of it again this May.

In addition to border assistance in Rafah, the EU delegation trained Palestinian Authority officials in border control management, and is still officially there, with 10 international staff and eight local staff. Borrell told reporters after a meeting, a few days ago, which was also attended by Arab ministers last week: “Give me approval, the green light politically, to reactivate (EUBAM), our mission in Rafah. This may play a useful role in supporting the entry of people into and out of Gaza.” . e added: "But this must be implemented in agreement with the Palestinian Authority, the Egyptians, and of course Israel... We will not do this alone. We will not be assigned to carry out the security mission on the border. We are not a security company." He added that the Union is currently preparing technical plans.

The civilian mission will need unanimous approval from the 27 EU member states. It is not clear what role it will play in light of the existing risks. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said any decision on the mission would take some time. Diplomats told Reuters that the mission was unlikely to be deployed before combat operations in Rafah stopped.

Analyst Ashraf Al-Ashry believes in his statements to Al-Hurra website that Cairo believes that there could be an acceptable Palestinian party to manage the crossing, even if it is not officially affiliated with the authority, but it is enough for it to gain acceptance, and Cairo also rejects the presence of Hamas at the crossing “until it blocks the road to Israel.” At the same time, Cairo wants a United Nations delegation to be present to supervise the crossing so that aid can enter.

Al-Ashri believes that an agreement was reached in Sunday’s meeting regarding the crossing, and he expects that “the other side will focus on starting the operation of the crossing and then starting negotiations in Doha and Cairo for a ceasefire. The latter matter is considered the second part of the Cairo discussions that are being held in light of what the American President announced.” Joe Biden, in his speech last Friday, was keen on the success of the Egyptian negotiations being conducted on more than one level for this purpose.

An Israeli official told Reuters, on condition of anonymity, that Israel "has not yet drawn up a unified plan for the 'day after' (the war) in Gaza, and therefore there is no position on the issue of managing the crossing." The official added, "But it is worth noting that the (Israeli) Defense Minister referred in the proposal he presented on January 4 to a multinational force that would be one of four axes to administer Gaza once Hamas is defeated. It is possible that the European Union mission in Rafah will align with these axes."

Cheryl Levy, spokeswoman for the Israeli embassy to the European Union, said in statements to thenationalnews website : “Such missions (the European mission) tend to be guidance and training missions. Let’s see what they can provide. Any assistance that can help the situation will be better.” “We don’t want the same people who were already there to continue doing the same thing because it clearly hasn’t been successful,” Levy added. “We realize that the European Union wants to play a more involved role in the region and in this particular conflict, so this is one way to "For them to work with the tools that already exist."

The Israeli security analysts, Avi Melamed and Amir Oren, who spoke to Al-Hurra website, see Israeli rejection of the presence of a European mission in light of previous experience. Melamed points out that when Israel withdrew from Gaza, in 2005, “there was an agreement under European-Egyptian sponsorship regarding the Rafah crossing, and there was a delegation residing there, but it was idle.” Melamed added: “The crossing was not really under real supervision. When Hamas took over the crossing, the mission was of no use.” Oren believes that the mission "was not effective and successful at all and was just a cover... They were not looking for weapons or smuggled goods. They were only there for show." Oren also believes that the Israeli government will not accept an administration that is "anti-Israel, like Joseph Borrell. They are anti-Israel. They are always against Israel," so "they will not give it any foothold in Gaza and reward it for anti-Israel policy."

Borrell also said in his statements that the Union agreed for the first time to hold a meeting of the Council of the Union and Israel, which is the body that coordinates trade between the two sides, to discuss the situation in Gaza, respect for human rights, and the impact of the International Court of Justice’s decision on the Association Agreement. Borrell criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for describing the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, to request the issuance of two arrest warrants against him and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, as evidence of "new anti-Semitism." Borrell described Netanyahu's statements as intimidation, and said that accusations of anti-Semitism are made every time anyone does "something that Netanyahu does not like."

Melamed considered that Israel is taking a cautious stance in terms of security arrangements at the crossing, especially with the entry of huge quantities of weapons from Egypt over and under the Rafah crossing over the past two decades. He believes that the best solution should be "radical and strict... There must be a double crossing under international security supervision with combat powers, with effective Israeli monitoring of everything entering and leaving Gaza from Egypt."

Operational Update - Gaza

Locating munitions and launchers near the Philadelphia axis: this is how the Givati SDF are fighting in Rafah. The combat team of the Givati Brigade has been operating under Division 162 for the past few days in the area of the 'Yavna' neighborhood in Rafah, the forces are eliminating terrorists and destroying terrorist infrastructure. As part of the fighters' activity in the area, many weapons were located, including an anti-aircraft machine gun, vests, cartridges, clutches and a system for remotely activating charges. In addition, 9th Battalion fighters located launch pits near the Philadelphia axis. The brigade fire complex directing the forces in the field identified 4 terrorists who fired at the forces and eliminated the terrorists.

The forces of Division 162 continue fighting in the Rafah area, during which the fighters located many weapons and eliminated armed terrorists in the area. In closing a circle, the forces of the Nahal Brigade, in cooperation with the Air Force, destroyed a launch site a few minutes after launches were detected from it towards the forces. There were no casualties to Israeli forces in the incident. The forces of the 99th Division continue to operate in the center of the Gaza Strip, during the last day the fighters of the 2nd Brigade in cooperation with the Air Force attacked terrorists who posed a threat to the forces, and in the multi-dimensional activity of the fighters of the unit, the forces in cooperation with the Air Force attacked a squad of terrorists who were in a military structure and threatened the maneuvering forces in the area.

Over the past day, Air Force fighter jets attacked over 30 terrorist targets, including military infrastructure, IDF warehouses and armed terrorist squads that posed a threat to forces in the field.

The military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, attributed the occupation’s lack of complete control over Rafah to its fear of not finding the prisoners and leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), and its failure to destroy the resistance’s infrastructure, which means - according to his opinion - the failure of the “absolute victory” statement and the lack of Achieving the goals of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. He added, in an analysis of the military scene in Gaza, that this situation put the Israeli army and political leaders in front of a major dilemma from which even the American leadership was not spared, which found itself stuck with Israel in this war, and wanted to end it so that it could devote itself to other files.

Al-Falahi believes that Israel considers the incursion into Rafah a strategic mission as it aims to control the border strip with Egypt, and is searching for tunnels that could connect the Gaza Strip to Egypt, based on the statements of a number of Israeli officials about using tunnels to smuggle weapons from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. However, the military expert believes that the incursion into the city of Rafah is still limited to certain areas, which the occupation entered some time ago and is still stationed in, such as the Yabna area.

Regarding the occupation army’s talk about discovering and destroying tunnels, Al-Falahi explained that these allegations do not mean much. He said that there were leaks that indicated the presence of 725 kilometers of tunnels distributed throughout the Strip, which means that the occupation only destroyed approximately a third of these tunnels. Al-Falahi attributed the movement of sectors of the occupation army 3 kilometers north of the Netzarim axis towards Sabra to the increased risk of resistance strikes. He added that this expansion makes the moving sectors of the occupation more vulnerable to being targeted by the resistance.

Regarding Israeli reports about the occupation army approaching military control over Hamas, Colonel Al-Falahi denied the matter and said that this is not true, explaining that Israel was not able to control Hamas when it was fighting with 5 military divisions, ruling out that it would be able to achieve that while it was fighting. Now there is one military division in the Netzarim axis, and it is subjected to bombing and sniping day and night.

Regarding the situation in the Rafah axis, military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that the field confrontations were calm during the day, but included Israeli bombing operations with missiles and aircraft, and the resistance met them with specific operations and targeting of Israeli engineering sectors active near the Egyptian border searching for tunnel openings and carrying out sabotage operations in the process. Al-Duwairi had said in a previous military analysis on Al-Jazeera - commenting on images of a booby-trapping, a tunnel explosion, and the elimination of an Israeli force - broadcast by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - that this operation is complex, complex, and very precise, and was based on reading and appreciating a field situation, and it was The planner has the “foreseeing ability” to implement a precise process consisting of a number of successive steps. The military expert noted that Al-Qassam fighters think outside the box and implement their plans with high technology despite the simplicity of the tools in their hands, and they employ them successfully to implement their goals.

The Al-Quds Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, said that its fighters are engaged in fierce clashes with occupation soldiers and vehicles in the advance axes in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, while Haaretz, citing the Israeli army, reported that 46 soldiers were injured in the battles in the Gaza Strip since Thursday, noting that 4 of them were in critical condition. The Al-Quds Brigades added that they bombed with mortar shells a position of occupation soldiers in the vicinity of the Al-Abd Jabr area in the Yabna camp, south of the city of Rafah. They also targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with two RPG shells south of Khawla School in Rafah, confirming that the tank caught fire. The Al-Quds Brigades also announced that they bombarded with mortar shells the occupation soldiers and vehicles penetrating the Brahma area, west of the Yabna camp in the city of Rafah, amid continuing clashes in the area.

The Al-Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement - revealed the overall operations of its fighters against the Israeli occupation during its incursion into the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip , before its withdrawal two days ago. Al-Saraya said in a video broadcast on its account on the Telegram platform, that its fighters carried out 21 targeting operations with Tandom, RPG, and TPG shells against the position of occupation vehicles and Israeli forces in the Jabalia camp.

Saraya fighters also carried out 6 sniper operations against occupation soldiers stationed in buildings and gatherings in Jabalia, in addition to 13 zero-range clashes in the alleys of Jabalia refugee camp. Members of the military wing of Islamic Jihad launched 9 missile salvos targeting cities and settlements around the Gaza Strip from the front lines of advance in the northern Gaza Strip, in addition to 35 targeting operations with mortar shells of different calibres to target the occupation and its vehicles in the various fronts of the incursion.

Al-Saraya fighters also carried out 10 targeting operations with anti-tank and anti-personnel devices, “Saqib 40” guerrilla action devices, and “Ababil projectile devices” against Israeli vehicles and forces. The Al-Quds Brigades shot down the Mavic Pro Quadcopter drone and said it was loaded with bombs, but they were able to control it and the information it contained in the Jabalia camp, according to the video.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), announced that it had bombed the Israeli army headquarters in the Netzarim axis with a 114 mm short-range rocket system, confirming that it had targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with an “Al-Yassin 105” shell in the vicinity of the university college, south of the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City. Al-Qassam added that its fighters targeted two D-9 military bulldozers with two Tandom shells on Salah al-Din Gate Street in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and another military bulldozer with a Yassin 105 shell near the Al-Amal Association in the Yabna camp in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Operational Update - Judea-Samaria

IDF Shin Bet and Special Forces arrested six wanted persons throughout Judea and Samaria. In the Menashe Brigade, another company of fighters reinforced the area of the seam and soldiers of the Haruv patrol arrested two wanted persons in an activity in Kfar Jeva during the night. Two terrorists threw a Molotov cocktail at a military vehicle in the Etzion Brigade area during the night and in a quick closing of the circle the forces arrested the suspects. In Dahariya in the Yehuda Brigade and in Madama in Samaria, the fighters arrested two wanted men who had incited terrorist acts. The wanted persons who were arrested and the means of warfare that were confiscated were transferred to the security forces for further treatment, there are no casualties to Israeli forces.

The Israeli occupation forces demolished two Palestinian homes in the village of Al-Walaja, southwest of occupied Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Governorate, which is the highest official local representation of the city, said in a press statement that the occupation bulldozers “demolished two houses in Ain Al-Juwaiza in the village of Al-Walaja, southwest of occupied Jerusalem, belonging to Jerusalemites Ghassan Al-Atrash and Suad Radwan.” She stated that 15 Palestinian homes in the village had been demolished since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, noting that "the demolition threatens dozens of other homes." In a monthly report, the governorate monitored 30 demolition and bulldozing operations in Jerusalem neighborhoods and towns last May.

It indicated that 9 of the demolitions were self-forced to avoid paying exorbitant sums if the occupation forces carried out the demolition, and 20 other demolitions were carried out by occupation mechanisms. It also indicated that the occupation authorities handed over a number of demolition decisions during the past month, in different areas of the governorate, and "notified the demolition of dozens of commercial shops along the road linking the Jaba and Qalandiya military checkpoints north of occupied Jerusalem."

With rifles and crossing points, it has become possible to completely differentiate between “new and old residents” of extended areas in the West Bank, after armed Israeli settlers began seizing lands that had been used by Palestinians for many years, according to a report by the American newspaper “ The New York Times .” The newspaper highlights the mayor of the Palestinian municipality of Tuqu in the Bethlehem Governorate, Musa Al-Shaer, who watched the areas extending to the Dead Sea, where Palestinians have been farming and herding livestock for a long time, pointing out a number of differences that have become evident in the region.

New guard posts for Israeli soldiers appeared, roads guarded by settlers, and metal gates blocking the only road used by the people of his town to those areas, which the Israeli army installed to keep the Palestinians away, according to the newspaper. “Anyone who reaches the gates is arrested or killed,” Al-Shaer told the New York Times.

Canada on Thursday imposed its first ever sanctions on what the Foreign Ministry described as "extremist" Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and said Ottawa was considering taking other measures to deter settler violence against Palestinians. On the other side, one of the “new” residents in the area, an Israeli settler named Abeer Israeli, stood and told the newspaper: “We will stay here, with God’s help, for a long time.”

The newspaper pointed out that the case of the two people on both sides of the gates is a clear example of what is happening throughout the West Bank, where human rights groups say that “with most of the world’s focus on the war in Gaza, the settlers have increased the pace of their seizure of lands that were used by the Palestinians at the time.” former". Dror Etkes, a researcher at the Israeli organization Kerem Navot, which monitors Israeli policies in the West Bank, said that since the October 7 attack, “settlers have seized more than 37,000 acres of land from Palestinians in the West Bank.” He added: "More than 550 acres of these lands are located near the town of Tekoa, which makes us face the largest expansion of its kind for a single Israeli settlement."

Since the iron gates were installed in October, they have served as a divider between the Palestinian residents of Tekoa and the Israelis in the newly expanded settlement of the same name, pronounced in Hebrew as “tekoa.” Etkes said that the biggest motivation behind these seizures was the October 7 attack, “which caused an increase in Israeli security measures in the West Bank, making it easier for settlers to control the lands.”

Belgian Foreign Minister Hojjah Lahbib said on Monday that the new sanctions that the European Union will impose on Tehran due to its recent attack on Israel should include the Revolutionary Guard. On January 29, the Israeli army said in a statement that a Palestinian (Rani Al-Shaer, 19 years old) from the town of Tuqu’ “tried to stab an Israeli soldier, and the soldiers responded and shot him dead.” While his brother Nizar said, “The army kept his brother’s body and the family did not recover it.”

The Israeli army did not respond to requests for comment from the New York Times about the changes taking place around the town of Tekoa. The United Nations said that the year 2023 was the bloodiest year for Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2005. Violence escalated dramatically from October 7 to May 22, when 489 Palestinians and 10 Israelis were killed, including 4 civilians. The newspaper stated that recently, the newspaper's correspondents followed "new roads in the foothills of the mountains, 4 new security sites, and 3 plots of land that the settlers plowed or planted, and former settler tents were transformed into 10 houses equipped and equipped with electricity, paved roads, and street lighting poles."

Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 war, and the area has been under military occupation since then, and Israeli settlements are constantly expanding. The right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged settlement building, causing tensions with Washington, according to Reuters. Last February, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Washington considers the West Bank settlements “inconsistent with international law,” in a return to the American position that the administration of former President Donald Trump retreated from. Most international powers consider the settlements illegal. Israel rejects this, based on claims of a historical right to the West Bank. The Palestinians aspire for the West Bank to be part of an independent state in the future, which also includes Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Operational Update - Lebanon

This week, the IDF held a military headquarters exercise as part of the IDF's readiness for the campaign in the northern arena. In the exercise, regular and reservists at the headquarters of the Northern Command, including the arms and wings, participated in the exercise, and practiced many scenarios simulating the expansion of the war in the northern arena and multi-arena war scenarios.

Following the alerts that were activated in the Western Galilee region about the infiltration of hostile aircraft and the firing of rockets and missiles, unsuccessful interception attempts were made against the aircraft. A fire broke out in the area, fire and rescue forces are now working to extinguish the fire. There are no Israeli casualties.

Fighter jets attacked a military structure of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the area of Eyta al-Sha'ab, and a terrorist infrastructure of the organization in the area of ??Tir Harfa in southern Lebanon. In addition, the IDF forces fired to remove a threat in the Rashia El Fohr area in southern Lebanon. Following the warning about the infiltration of a hostile aircraft that was activated a short time ago in the Nahariya area, this is a false identification.

The fire brigade of the 91st Division in cooperation with the Air Force detected today (Sunday) by means of an aircraft a terrorist entering the weapons warehouse of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the area of Mis al Jabal in southern Lebanon. After that, fighter jets attacked the military warehouse where the terrorist was staying. After the attack, secondary explosions were detected indicating the presence of many weapons in the warehouse.

A number of launches were detected that crossed from Lebanese territory to the Margaliot area, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted all of the launches. In closing a circle, warplanes attacked a Hezbollah military structure in the area of the village of Hula from where the launches were made to Margaliot. Following the alerts that were activated in the north of the country about the infiltration of hostile aircraft and the firing of rockets and missiles, an interceptor was fired at a target that was suspected to be a suspicious aerial target, the incident has ended and is under investigation. Alerts for rocket and missile fire in Nahariya were activated as a result of the launch of the interceptor and fear of interception fragments falling. Also, about fifteen missiles were identified towards the Katzrin area that fell in open areas, there are no Israeli casualties. Fires broke out in several locations in the area, fire and rescue forces are now working to put out the fires.

In response to the shooting down of an IDF drone operating in the skies of Lebanon by a Hezbollah air-to-surface missile, Air Force fighter jets attacked a military compound used by Hezbollah in the Bekaa area. In addition, warplanes attacked another military structure of the organization in the Bint Jebel area in southern Lebanon, alongside the organization's headquarters in the Kana and Rashit areas in southern Lebanon.

The South Lebanese front has once again regained political and security attention, as the pace of mutual military operations between Hezbollah and Israel has escalated along the border, which indicates many implications, especially with the increase in Hezbollah’s influence and the development of its military operations inside Israel, while Israeli strikes have expanded in Lebanon.

The former Lebanese government coordinator for the International Emergency Forces, Brigadier General Mounir Shehadeh, points out to Al Jazeera Net that the military escalation aims to deter and support Gaza and put pressure on Israel with the start of the Rafah operation , but the worrying message today to Israel, with the increase in the pace of escalation, is that the resistance is ready to return to the period a year ago. 2000, i.e. the start of incursions into Israeli military centers.

He proves his statement by the operations carried out on the border in the centers of Ramia, Al-Malikiyah, and others, according to the video clips that were published, in which the resistance fighters appear to be using conventional weapons, such as anti-tank missiles, B7, 81 mm mortar shells, and a PKC machine gun. "Kalashnikov", while no precise weapons such as "diamond missiles" appear, which indicates that these operations were offensive and not to strike centers, according to the Brigadier General.

Brigadier General Shehadeh says that with the presence of many Israeli centers spread in the border areas from Naqoura to the Shebaa Farms , the resistance can easily carry out operations, as security information indicates that there are no more than a thousand soldiers at the front edge of the border, due to their fear of a military attack by Resistance. With the Lebanese resistance being able to shoot down an Israeli Hermes 900 drone, this confirms - according to Shehadeh - its ability to possess anti-aircraft missiles capable of targeting Israeli F-35, F-16 and F-15 warplanes.

Brigadier General Shehadeh considers that shooting down the plane is a military action with strategic objectives, as it includes firstly shooting down a spy plane, and secondly sending a clear message to Israel that the resistance has the ability to target warplanes, which puts every Israeli air force in a dangerous situation. The former Lebanese government coordinator for the International Emergency Forces believes that these operations carry double-edged messages to Israel:

1. The first is that the resistance appeared meters away from the Israeli soldiers, despite Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s repeated talk about keeping it away from the border.
2. The second is that the resistance next time is capable of repeating the period before 2000 by carrying out storming operations into Israeli centers, and that it is ready to return to that period.

Shehadeh points out that the resistance bombed the Burnet base with destructive Burkan missiles, and showed scenes showing the extent of the massive destruction it caused. He added that the most important thing about the matter was the bombing of the 769th Brigade command base, where Israel showed a video clip showing the extent of the damage it sustained, as well as The resistance’s success in bombing a military factory in Akka on Mount Meron using Katyusha rockets in large numbers shows its willingness and ability to respond forcefully.

For his part, Israeli affairs expert Ali Haider told Al Jazeera Net that Hezbollah's operational performance, including the escalation on the Lebanon front, is governed in the general framework by two main headings: developments on the Gaza front, and Israeli attacks on the Lebanese arena. He points out that Hezbollah’s escalation came to serve both of these trends, as the level of field pressures was raised to form a support for the main front in the Gaza Strip, and it also came in response to the attacks carried out by the Israeli side in several Lebanese towns, “and although they are still in line with the rules of engagement, However, it is clear that it is moving at a certain rate.”

The Israeli affairs expert believed that one of the most prominent messages contained in Hezbollah’s specific and intense strikes is its presence as an influential factor in the calculations of the Israeli political and security decision regarding its assessment of the cost of continuing the war option on Gaza, and making clear to the Israeli leaders that the escalation on the Lebanon front will increase its pace exponentially as it is a support front. .

According to Haider, the escalation of operations carried out by Hezbollah in response to the escalating Israeli threats also constitutes a strengthening of the party’s position in the rules of engagement that govern the movement of the field, as well as with the aim of making the Israeli side understand that its escalation of attacks on Lebanon will be met by the Lebanese resistance with an escalating course of operations. Accordingly, the expert says that the Israeli side will have to put itself before two options: either adapt to the pace and ceiling of action imposed by the resistance on the Lebanon front with the support of Gaza, which has risen to new levels, or move towards a broader confrontation that may be characterized by more dangerous dimensions to the Israeli depth.

Brigadier General Shehadeh believes that the visit made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the northern front came to reassure the settlers that the situation was safe and stable, but accurate information shows that when he arrived at the northern front, he was escorted by 16 F-15 and F-15 aircraft. -16, in addition to Hermes 900 reconnaissance aircraft, and battleships were stationed at sea to monitor the situation, for fear of a reaction from the resistance.

It was very striking - according to Shehadeh - that the mayor of the Margaliot settlement publicly asked the Israeli army to withdraw, after they had been targeted by the Lebanese resistance. He also called on a group of mayors of settlements in the north to separate from Israel and establish the state of Upper Galilee. He considered that this step, although theoretical and media, shows the extent of the major crisis that the settlers in the north are suffering from, and they warn Netanyahu of his lack of interest in their affairs, and this is the reason that prompted Netanyahu to visit this front.

Operational Update - Syria / Iraq

Operational Update - Yemen

The US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed on Saturday that its forces were able to destroy a drone and two anti-ship ballistic missiles that targeted the US forces ship "Gravely" (DDG 107) without recording damage or losses. Centcom said in a statement via X : “Between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. (Sanaa time) on June 1, USCENTCOM forces destroyed an unmanned aerial system (drone) supported by Iran in the southern Red Sea.” She added, "US Central Command forces also observed two other drones crashing in the Red Sea. No injuries or damage were reported by American, coalition, or commercial ships."

It confirmed that "between 7 and 11:30 p.m., US Central Command forces succeeded in engaging two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) in the southern Red Sea." It noted that the two missiles were fired "in the direction of the ship USS Gravely and it was destroyed in self-defense, without any damage or injuries reported by American, coalition, or commercial ships." It stressed that “it has been determined that these drones and anti-ship ballistic missiles pose an imminent threat to the United States, coalition forces, and commercial ships in the region,” adding that its forces are taking measures “to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for the United States, coalition forces, and commercial ships.”

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

Allied for Democracy

A Kana News survey shows that 40% of the public supports the deal that US President Joe Biden revealed on Friday, this was revealed this evening (Sunday) on the Kana News. 27% answered that they oppose the deal. It also emerged that 40% of the respondents believe that the deal will finally end the war in the Gaza Strip; 34% think that even if the agreement is signed, Israel will return to fighting.

Some 50% of coalition voters opposed the deal and 45% of them think that it will end the war definitively. In contrast, 63% of the opposition voters support the deal and 37% think that the war will continue even after signing an agreement. According to the survey, 55% of Israelis (72% of coalition voters; 45% of opposition voters) think that it is necessary to expand the attack on Hezbollah on the northern border. About 42% of respondents (37% of coalition voters; 47% of opposition voters) believe that Israel does not have the ability to dismantle the capabilities of Hamas and that it will continue to rule the Strip. 32% of respondents (44% of coalition voters; 25% of opposition voters) believe that Israel will succeed in ending the reign of the terrorist organization.

According to the mandates survey conducted by the Kanter Institute headed by Dodi Hasid, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu narrows the gap with Minister Benny Gantz, in the question "Who is more suitable to serve as Prime Minister of Israel?" Netanyahu won the support of 30% of the respondents, compared to 25% in a similar survey conducted in January . Gantz receives the support of 38%, compared to 46% in the previous poll. The mandates forecast shows that if elections were held today, the state camp would receive 27 mandates, the Likud 21, Yesh Atid 14, Israel Beitenu 12, Shas 10, Otzma Yehudit 9, Torah Judaism 7, the Labor Party 6, Ream 5, Had Q-Ta'al 5; and religious Zionism 4. Meretz, Balad and New Hope do not pass the blocking percentage.

Political analysts agreed that the options before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , after US President Joe Biden's initiative regarding Gaza, are very limited, but they revealed alternatives that the Likud leader may resort to to maneuver and escape forward. During his speech on the Al Jazeera program “Gaza... What’s next?”, the researcher specializing in Israeli affairs, Adel Shadid, confirmed that Netanyahu has not gone through a crisis in his history like the current one, pointing out that Biden’s announcement put Netanyahu in front of difficult choices, as he has no way out and does not have a large margin for rejection. .

Shadid explains that Netanyahu has two options: the first is to enter into a confrontation with the Likud Party and the extremist ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and the collapse of the government, and the second is to enter into a confrontation with the American administration, the War Council, and a wide segment of Israeli society. Regarding the alternatives that he may resort to, the expert on Israeli affairs explains that Netanyahu is betting on escalation by escaping towards creating a crisis somewhere or entering into negotiations on the deal and blowing it up later, such as adding some conditions such as the return of settlers to the Gaza envelope , or the identity of the authority that will rule Gaza after the war.

In a related context, political and strategic affairs researcher Saeed Ziad pointed out that Netanyahu has two options: either a clash with Washington, the exit of war council members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, and pressure from the Israeli street, or going for the deal, losing Ben Gvir and Smotrich, and the collapse of his government. He noted that Netanyahu may evade by saying that he is ready to go to negotiations and conclude a deal while adhering to achieving the goals of the war, at a time when he ruled out that the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) would agree to any formula that does not include a permanent ceasefire, the complete return of the displaced, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a formula What about lifting the siege and reconstruction?

Shadid acknowledged that there has been a radical shift in the American position, but he does not rise to pressure Netanyahu because Biden knows the nature of the Israeli government, and he has no interest in its collapse because then the deal to return the prisoners detained in Gaza will be postponed. Netanyahu's problems are not limited to the far-right base that rejects the ceasefire - according to Shadid - who said that the formation of an investigation committee into the attack of last October 7 poses a serious threat to the current prime minister, in addition to the issue of Haredi recruitment. He added that there have been developments that may lead to increased pressure on Netanyahu and all government components, such as hundreds of large economic companies demanding that the government deal positively with the Biden initiative, and raising two petitions demanding withdrawal from Gaza or refusal to return to fighting there.

In turn, Ziad believes that the United States is interested in a state of calm in the region, before the next elections in the country, and is seeking to enter into them through an agreement with Saudi Arabia that is presented as a card to voters. He stated that the Biden administration did not imagine that Hamas would play so cleverly, noting that the movement’s behavior surprised the US administration with its repeated positive response, as if it was seeking to defuse sensitivity and present itself as not the obstructing party. He explains that America believes that the military solution in Gaza has failed, as well as the Israeli street, in addition to former reserve generals in the Israeli army, with the exception of Netanyahu and his extremist government. Ziad expected that the next round of negotiations on stopping the war and exchanging prisoners would be the most difficult, suggesting a heated clash in light of the presence of many details that might sabotage the deal.

For his part, Executive Vice President of the Center for International Policy, Matthew Doss, confirms that Biden and Hamas want to end the war, unlike Netanyahu, indicating that the way the US President announced the proposal aims to put pressure on Netanyahu and his partners on the extreme right. But Doss added, "It is not known what Biden will do if Israel refuses," adding, "Biden must explain publicly or secretly that there will be consequences for Israel if it does not accept the deal, such as stopping arming." He pointed out that Biden's proposal does not answer questions about who will rule Gaza after the war, but the White House stressed that Hamas will no longer be able to launch similar attacks like the October 7 attack. He concluded that "Hamas will continue its presence in Gaza and will have a say in who rules Gaza even if it does not rule the Strip," stressing that this is the reality and it is difficult for Netanyahu and his allies.

Haaretz newspaper said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to withdraw from the President of the Supreme Court the powers to appoint members of the investigation committee into the October 7 attack. The newspaper added that Netanyahu does not want a judge to head the investigation committee into the attack, in reference to the “ flood of Al-Aqsa .”

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted the head of the National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, as saying, during a meeting held a few days ago with political figures in the Likud Party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that “the mission of the government investigation committee into the events of October 7 is to eliminate the government.” Right-wingers, don't be fooled." While an official in Netanyahu's office, whom the newspaper did not name, said, "Netanyahu does not trust the judges, fears that they will retaliate against him because of legal reform, and is concerned about the growing calls within Likud to form a government investigation committee."

On April 26, Minister of the Israeli War Council Benny Gantz submitted a proposal to the Israeli government to form an official investigation committee regarding the events of October 7. Netanyahu is being subjected to severe criticism in Israeli circles, due to the failure to predict in advance the attack on the settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip about 8 months ago, and the way he dealt with the issue of Israeli detainees in Gaza.

Since the beginning of its war in Gaza, Israel has pledged to investigate a series of violations suspected of being committed by members of its military forces during the fighting. This commitment came in the face of increasing accusations, whether from human rights organizations or the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who suspects Israeli leaders of committing war crimes in Gaza.

The most prominent of these cases was the attack on the convoy of the charitable organization “Central World Kitchen,” which resulted in the deaths of five foreign aid workers. The Israeli army quickly published the results of the investigation, acknowledging the misconduct of its forces and dismissing two soldiers as a result, “but there are other investigations open, in which admitting guilt may be far-fetched,” according to the Associated Press.

Israel's military prosecutor, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, said this week that the army was investigating about 70 cases of alleged misconduct. But she provided few details. The Army declined to release the full list of investigations and told the Associated Press that it could only respond to inquiries about specific investigations.

Attack on a camp in Rafah

Last Tuesday, Israel revealed the preliminary results of the investigation it initiated following the attack on a refugee camp in Rafah, which left 45 people dead, all of them women and children, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the preliminary investigation found that the Israeli ammunition used that day in an attempt to eliminate two Hamas fighters was too small to be the source of the fire that broke out and claimed the lives of civilians. Hagari said the destruction may have been caused by secondary explosions, perhaps from the weapons of Palestinian fighters in the area.

Hamas did not respond to this justification, but a member of its political bureau commented on Tuesday, saying that Israel “believes that it is deceiving the world with its false claim that it did not intend to kill and burn children and women, and its claim to investigate its crimes.”

The IDF said in a statement that the investigation has been transferred to a fact-finding group that operates independently outside the military chain of command. The military says these findings will then be handed over to the military prosecutor, who will decide whether disciplinary action should be taken. It is not clear how long the investigation will take. Meanwhile, four weapons experts said that the Israeli army used an American-made precision bomb in that raid, after reviewing visual evidence, according to the Washington Post. Fragments of the SDB GBU-39, a 250-pound small diameter precision munition, were found near the site of the raid on the camp in Rafah.

Dozens of civilians were killed around the humanitarian convoy

Last February, eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for help in Gaza City. During that incident, at least 104 civilians were killed and 760 others were injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which described it as a massacre. Israeli military officials initially said that dozens of Palestinians were killed in a stampede when huge crowds tried to snatch supplies from a convoy of 30 military trucks carrying flour towards northern Gaza. But the army's initial investigation, released a week later, backed away from that, saying only that the stampede caused "events that caused significant harm to civilians." The investigation found that the soldiers did open fire, but said that the soldiers fired at some who approached them and "posed a threat to them" and that a tank also fired warning shots to disperse the "suspects." According to a previous report on the “ Viral News ” website. The army also said that the case was being investigated by a fact-finding group.

Al-Ahly Hospital explosion

In October 2023, an explosion in the courtyard of Al-Ahli Hospital , where thousands of Palestinians had sought shelter or medical treatment, ignited a fire that killed civilians, including men, women, and children. There are still conflicting claims about what happened. Gaza officials said an Israeli airstrike hit the hospital, killing at least 500 people. Images of the incident sparked protests across the region. In contrast, Israeli officials said they conducted an investigation and concluded that their army was not involved. They published videos that they said showed that the explosion was caused by a missile that missed its target, launched by the Islamic Jihad movement, another Palestinian armed group. The Islamic Jihad movement denied responsibility. An Associated Press investigation , along with American and French intelligence assessments, concluded that a missile that missed its target was most likely the cause of the explosion.

A Palestinian man was shot while walking

In January 2024, the Israeli government announced that it was investigating the killing of a Palestinian man who was shot while walking with four others. Video footage showed one of the men holding a white flag - the international symbol of peace - and others behind him raising their hands in the air. They then step back while several shots are heard. In a second clip, one of the men is shown lying on the ground. While the shooter did not appear in the video. Ahmed Hegazy, a citizen-journalist who filmed the incident, told the Associated Press that an Israeli tank fired on the group. The army said it conducted an in-depth investigation and found that the tank did not fire. It also said it "cannot determine with certainty" whether the man was killed by Israeli fire or not.

Four Palestinians were killed on a dirt road

Last March 22, the Israeli army launched an investigation after footage emerged showing the bombing of five Palestinians near the southern city of Khan Yunis in Gaza. Aerial footage circulated on social media showed four men walking on a dirt road before they were targeted. A man tried to escape before he was injured and killed. Commenting on this, the army said that the investigation had been transferred to an independent fact-finding group.

A Gaza surgeon dies in an Israeli prison

Renowned Gaza surgeon Adnan Al-Barash died in an Israeli prison after he was arrested in a raid on Al-Awda Hospital in mid-April, according to the United Nations. Al-Barash was the head of the orthopedic department at Al-Shifa Hospital, at the time of his arrest in December, and was in good health and performing operations on patients, according to the United Nations.

But those who saw Al-Barsh in detention reported that he appeared exhausted and showed signs of violence, according to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Israeli forces and police did not respond to requests for comment sent by The Associated Press. It is noteworthy that Al-Barsh's wife submitted a request to a court in Jerusalem to appoint a judge to investigate her husband's death, according to the Israeli newspaper " Haaretz ."

Palestinian detainees who returned from Israeli detention reported being subjected to beatings, harsh interrogations, and neglect during their detention. Israel denied these reports, while Al-Barsh was transferred to Ofer military prison in the West Bank, where he died.

The Israeli police said that it would conduct an autopsy on Al-Barsh’s body in the presence of a doctor from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, noting that it had submitted a petition on behalf of Al-Barsh’s family. It is not clear when the autopsy will be performed. The authorities have not yet released any information about the cause of death, and it is not clear who is conducting the investigation.

Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers

According to the latest estimate by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, preliminary numbers indicate that more than 10,000 people are missing under the rubble in Gaza. The office quoted the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza as saying that they face enormous challenges in recovering bodies, in light of the lack of equipment, heavy machinery, and personnel. Civil Defense also warned that operations to search for missing persons and recover bodies may take up to 3 years using the primitive tools available to them.

• 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza
• 82,627 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
• 36,439 Gazans martyred
• 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
• 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024]
• 16,093 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
• 8,890 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]
• 5,000 West Bank Palestinians wounded
• 4,700 sites targetted in Lebanon
• 3,850 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria
• 3,600 administrative detainees
• 3,657 IDF wounded [IDF]
• 2,100 Gazan women are missing
• 1,843 IDF wounded in Gaza [IDF]
• 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
• 635 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war
• 518 West Bank Palestinians martyred
• 446 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon
• 287 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza
• 289 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon
• 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers
• 86 living hostages in Palestinian custody
• 70 civilians killed in Lebanon
• 39 dead hostages in Palestinian custody
• 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.