Operation Iron Swords - Day 39 - 14 November 2023
Palestinian armed group Hamas launched thousands of missiles at Israel and deployed its militants to infiltrate Jewish settlements near the country’s border with Gaza on 07 October 2023. The 1,200 Israelis killed on the first day would be the equivalent of 36,000 Americans killed in an attack, as a proportion to Israel’s population of 9.3 million people (compared to 332 million in the USA). Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: “Not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day". PM Netanyahu stated "On October 7th, Hamas murdered 1,400 Israelis. Maybe more. This is in a country of fewer than 10 million people. This would be equivalent to over 50,000 Americans murdered in a single day. That’s twenty 9/11s. That is why October 7th is another day that will live in infamy."
It is the second largest loss inflicted on the Israeli forces after the 1973 war, as the Palestinian resistance killed more than 1,200, wounded more than 5,132 others, and captured more than 250, most of them military personnel, some of whom were high-ranking officers in the army.
Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs
Palestinian health authorities say that more than 11,240 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza, more than four times the number killed in the six-week-long war in 2014. The death toll included 4,630 children [down from 4,800 children previously reported, and Israel’s attacks had killed 4,104 children in Gaza during the current war, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported] and 3,130 women, and 678 elderly people. These subtotals fluctuate inexplicably]. The average of children martyrs was six per hour, while female martyrs is five per hour.
In addition, the number of injured rose to more than 29,000 [though some earlier reports had totaled over 32,000 Palestinians injured since October 7th, including at least 6,360 children and 4,891 women]. More than 2,650 were missing, including 1,500 children, and presumed buried under rubble. On the West bank, at least 183 Palestinians had been killed, and more than 2,300 injured [a big jump from the previous 1,980 injured].
Alalam News Network, part of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, reported "War crimes committed in Gaza , affecting 42,000 Palestinians , who are direct victims of this war, including martyrs, wounded and missing, meaning about 2 percent of the total population of Gaza became direct victims as a result of this aggression, either martyrs or wounded, which means that the hospitals of the Gaza Strip are receiving an average One "
Israel revised down the death toll from the October Hamas attacks in southern Israel from 1,400 to 1,200. IDF had said previously it was holding 1,500 bodies of terrorists, a total that now would increas to about 1,700.
The Israel Police announced that the bodies of 859 civilians killed in the war against Hamas had been identified. The Israeli Police, The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Ministry of Health, the Pathological Institute for Forensic Medicine, and volunteer organizations all have been working on the task to identify bodies since the war's start. These officers and volunteers had been operating in shifts to identify bodies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The headquarters for these operations was established hours after the war started. The process of identifying soldiers is done more quickly thanks to the databases available to the IDF, including DNA samples, fingerprints, and photos of each soldier. But the identification of civilians is much more complex because this data is generally less complete and less accessible. The civilian biometric database in Israel, which is incomplete, does not allow sufficient verification of identity to allow for burial.
The body of Vivian Silver, a prominent resident of Kibbutz Beeri, was identified over a month after she was initially reported missing. What was initially defined as a kidnapping by Hamas on October 7 has now been confirmed as a murder. Vivian Silver, who held Canadian citizenship, was not just a resident of Beeri but also a leader in the "Women Making Peace" movement. This movement was dedicated to fostering Jewish-Arab partnership and harmony.
The Israeli army reported the death of 357 soldiers and officers, 44 of them were killed since the start of the ground operation in the besieged Gaza Strip. At least 7,771 Israelis were injured.
Hostages
A senior Israeli political source said Tuesday that progress has been made on a captive deal and a breakthrough could come in the next 48-72 hours. The Israeli War Cabinet met to discuss the deal, the source said. The Washington Post earlier quoted a top Israeli official who alleged that "Israel and Hamas are close to reaching a deal regarding the prisoners, which may be announced within days if the final details are resolved."
Some 241 hostages are being held by HAMAS in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said 03 November 2023. About 40 Israelis remained missing.
Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said on Hamas’ telegram account that 23 bodies of the 60 missing Israel hostages were trapped under the rubble. “It seems that we will never be able to reach them due to the continued brutal aggression of the occupation against Gaza,” he said.
The Israeli army confirmed the death of a soldier who had been held captive by the Hamas militant group since the October 7 terror attacks. Hamas issued a video of 19-year-old Noa Marciano showing her alive, followed by images which appeared to show her body along with closeup shots of a head wound. Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas's military wing, said Marciano was killed in an Israeli strike.
Families of the hostages kidnapped by militant group Hamas have begun a five-day march from Tel Aviv to the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said hundreds of people would make the 65-kilometer (40 mile) journey to demand "the immediate release of all the hostages."
"I demand from Benjamin Netanyahu and the cabinet to give us answers and actions," Shelly Shem Tov, whose 21-year-old son Omer was dragged into Gaza five weeks ago, told Reuters news agency. Several of the protesters held signs that read "A deal for the hostages now." "I don't feel like we are in good hands. We don't feel like we get enough information. We fell into the darkness. We want answers," said Amit Zach, the nephew of 72-year-old hostage Adina Moshe. "I don't have a solution, but it's not my job to get a solution. It's my job to demand my family back," he told Reuters.
US President Joe Biden said he believes a release of hostages held by Hamas is going to happen. "Hang in there, we're coming," Biden said at the White House. The president did not immediately expand on his statement.
The military spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, revealed “efforts by Qatari mediators, last week, to release 100 detainee children and women in exchange for the release of 200 Palestinian children and 75 women” in occupation prisons. He added: “The enemy requested the release of 100 women and children from its detainees in Gaza, and the mediators told us that in a 5-day truce we could release 50 women and children in Gaza, and the number may eventually reach 70, given that there is a problem with the presence of those detained by them.” Multiple factions and parties, provided that the truce includes a ceasefire and allowing the entry of relief.
The Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, said the method of negotiations regarding the enemy’s captives the movement is holding and its reactions would likely push the PIJ not to be part of any possible exchange deal. Al-Nakhalah added that the movement might hold on to the captives it is holding until better conditions prevail.
Operational Update
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that its forces are carrying out a "precise and targeted" operation against Palestinian movement Hamas in the Shifa hospital — the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip — and are seeking to avoid harm to civilians. "Based on intelligence information and an operational necessity, IDF forces are carrying out a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa Hospital," the IDF said in a statement on Telegram. The IDF said Israel is "at war with Hamas, not with the civilians in Gaza," adding that it has facilitated "wide-scale evacuations of the hospital and maintained regular dialogue with hospital authorities."
"The IDF forces include medical teams and Arabic speakers, who have undergone specified training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the intent that no harm is caused to the civilians being used by Hamas as human shields," the IDF said. Israel's army also called on Hamas members in the hospital to surrender, the statement read. Earlier in the day, the media reported that the Israeli army had officially notified the medical personnel of the Shifa hospital of its intention to storm the medical facility.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was in the process of "coordinating the transfer of incubators from a hospital in Israel to Gaza." In a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the IDF said that it was "doing everything we can to minimize harm to civilians, assist in evacuation, and facilitate the transfer of medical supplies and food."
The US State Department announced that the United States wants to safely evacuate Gaza hospital patients to avoid harm, and that it will support an independent third party to conduct the evacuations. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said - during a press briefing - that Washington is currently holding talks with relief organizations and third parties regarding the possible evacuation of patients. Miller added that his country "does not want to see any civilians, and certainly children in incubators and other vulnerable populations, caught in the crossfire.
The World Health Organization confirmed that transferring the most vulnerable patients from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza has become an “impossible mission,” and said that transferring patients will inevitably lead to deaths, stressing that under international humanitarian law, no hospital should ever be attacked.
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh reveals newly declassified info based on US intelligence that Hamas and the PIJ are using hospitals, including the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, to operate command centers, store weapons, and hide hostages. Human Rights Watch confirmed that there is no evidence to prove the allegations that hospitals in Gaza are being used for military purposes.
The White House said the militant group Hamas had a command center underneath the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. "We have information that confirms that Hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and control node," John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesperson, told reporters. He added that Hamas and Islamic Jihad "have stored weapons there and they're prepared to respond to an Israeli military operation against that facility." He did not provide more specific information about the intelligence or its source.
Alice Rothchild, the director of Jewish Voices for Peace, noted the US has not provided evidence that Hamas has an operating centre under al Shifa hospital. “I can only guess that the evidence is not there, or they’re just relying on Israeli sources and Israeli sources have a long history of not being very accurate,” Rothchild told Al Jazeera in reference to the lack of evidence. “I can only surmise that the US government is looking at this humanitarian catastrophe, multiple war crimes, etc, etc and wanting to sort of save themselves from being part of it by making these statements that are too little too late,” she said.
Rothchild, a physician who has worked in Gaza, added none of colleagues at al-Shifa have ever reported the presence of Hamas or an operations centre. “Even if it were true, you are not, according to international law and the Geneva Accords allowed to bomb a hospital. It is absolutely forbidden,” she added.
The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades - the military arm of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - announced that it killed 9 Israeli soldiers today, Tuesday, and destroyed 22 military vehicles of the occupation forces penetrating into the Gaza Strip , amid fierce battles in several areas. The Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement that they “killed 7 Israeli soldiers from zero distance in the axis north of Gaza City,” adding that they targeted a troop carrier and a tank in the same area, confirming that they caught fire. The Al-Qassam Brigades also announced that they killed two Israeli soldiers from zero range, and wounded 3 others in a clash with forces penetrating Beit Hanoun.
In another series of statements, the military arm of the Hamas movement announced that it carried out a series of operations today, Tuesday, against the occupation forces in the fighting areas of Gaza City, and in the central and northern regions. The Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed that its fighters targeted an Israeli special force that was holed up in a building in northern Gaza, and another holed up in a building in southwest Gaza, using a TPG anti-personnel missile.
In a statement published this evening, the Al-Qassam Brigades announced that its fighters were able, during the operations they carried out since this morning, to finish off 9 Israeli soldiers and completely or partially destroy 22 vehicles on the lines of the incursion into the Gaza Strip. It said that it targeted these vehicles with “Al-Yassin 105” shells, “Tandum” shells, and guerrilla action bombs.
The Al-Qassam Brigades also announced that they bombed the forces penetrating the axes south of Gaza City and east of Juhr al-Dik (central Gaza Strip) with the short-range “Rajum” 114 mm missile system.
In turn, the Al-Quds Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement , announced a series of operations and clashes that its fighters fought in several areas, especially in Gaza City. The brigades said - in a statement - that its fighters were engaged in clashes, which it described as fierce, with the Israeli occupation forces penetrating the center of Gaza City.
At the same time, the Mujahideen Brigades (one of the resistance factions in Gaza) announced that they had engaged in clashes with the occupation forces in the Al-Nasr and Tal Al-Hawa axes in Gaza City, causing casualties among the occupation soldiers. They also said that they had bombed Israeli crowds east of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
The Israeli army had acknowledged the killing of two soldiers and the wounding of four others last night in ground battles in the northern Gaza Strip, bringing the announced death toll to 47 since the start of its ground invasion on October 27 of last year.
Analysis of recent satellite images by Al Jazeera revealed the concentration of Israeli occupation army forces mainly in the northwest and southwest of Gaza City. The analysis showed the positioning of occupation army vehicles behind dirt barriers along the coast of Gaza, in addition to the positioning of Israeli army vehicles inside Gaza City in residential neighborhoods after they were leveled to the ground. According to the imagery broadcast by Al Jazeera, the red squares in the picture show the assembly points of the occupation army’s vehicles, while the yellow squares symbolize dirt berms.
In his analysis of these recent photos, the military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that they date back to November 11, which means that they were taken 11 days after the start of the Israeli ground operation inside the Gaza Strip . He stated that the Israeli forces entered from the northwestern axis of the Gaza Strip and took Al-Rashid Road to reach the Al-Karama and Intelligence Towers after covering 6 kilometers, most of which was agricultural land.
He pointed out that the size of the force that entered from the fence area is estimated at two military brigades, while the area is small and narrow and there is a defensive battle, which prompted the occupation army to establish “advanced waiting areas” in order to compensate for the vehicles that were destroyed and the necessity of sending a replacement for them.
He pointed out that the occupation army established gathering areas and advanced earth berms with the aim of providing temporary protection after the forces coming from the Al-Shati camp area turned towards the east and then turned south. He stressed that the reinforcement points are tasked with strengthening the vanguard of the Israeli forces, compensating for losses, and replacing damaged vehicles.
As for the positioning of occupation army vehicles at an elementary school full of displaced people and around the hospital square, Al-Duwairi said that their positioning in these areas is with the aim of making them human shields. He pointed out that it is an advanced assembly point placed in sensitive places to prevent the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), and the resistance factions from targeting it with “Al-Yassin 105” missiles. He explained that the explosion of vehicles could cause harm to displaced Palestinians, "so the Israeli army uses schools and hospitals as human shields."
Regarding the gathering areas and dirt berms in southwest Gaza, specifically in the Sheikh Ajlin neighborhood, the military expert explained that they were established in empty areas where two-thirds of the tank’s chassis are hidden to avoid any strikes from the resistance.
Two days ago, satellite images obtained by Al Jazeera showed the disappearance of 88 Israeli military vehicles penetrating into the Gaza Strip between November 3 and 8, and Al-Duwairi suggested that they would be destroyed by the resistance factions.
The military and strategic expert on Al Jazeera, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that Israel will scream first in its war against the Gaza Strip and the Islamic Resistance Movement “ Hamas ,” and will make various concessions, praising the speech of Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades , the military wing of Hamas.
Al-Duwairi explained, in his military analysis, that the current battle is a finger-biting battle, and Israel will make concessions on all economic and political levels under pressure from the international community, and “the least of which may be a military concession in light of the ongoing western bridge to Tel Aviv.”
He praised the content of Abu Ubaida's speech, especially his announcement of the Brigades's destruction of 20 Israeli combat vehicles within 48 hours. He explained that this meant that 10 vehicles were destroyed in one day, describing it as a high rate in light of the disparity in the balance of power.
Al-Duwairi also praised the demands of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the ongoing negotiations on a mini-exchange deal, especially the humanitarian dimension through a 5-day truce under which all aid will be brought into the various regions of the Gaza Strip. The strongest message - according to Al-Duwairi - was political from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , which said that the historical Israeli leaders who preceded you, such as Yitzhak Shamir , Yitzhak Rabin , and Ariel Sharon , “were stronger than you and were not able to eliminate Hamas, so the future is mine, not yours.”
Regarding the implications of the Qassam Brigades’ bombing of Tel Aviv after 38 days of war and intense aerial bombardment, the military expert considered that this indicates that the resistance is able to impose its will, and choose the appropriate time and the appropriate target. He added that the matter clearly indicates that Hamas still maintains leadership and control, and has the ability to make decisions, which means that the resistance is effective and still fine.
He downplayed any Israeli attempts to control any place inside the Gaza Strip, and pointed out that Al-Shifa Medical Complex is not Gaza City, and the latter is not the Gaza Strip, praising the tens of thousands of fighters who confronted a state armed with hundreds of thousands of basic and reserve soldiers, weapons, equipment, and advanced military ammunition.
He stressed that what is happening is a process of attrition, and the Qassam Brigades must manage the battle with all intelligence and preserve the stock of missiles of various ranges, anti-tank missiles and machine guns in light of Tel Aviv’s talk of a long war that could last for months and years.
In his comment on one of the scenes broadcast by the Al-Qassam Brigades, Al-Duwairi said that hitting the tank’s chain with an “Al-Yassin 105” shell would put it out of action, but the injury at that time would not cause a large flame of fire, whereas this would happen if the tank’s turret was targeted, as the ammunition inside it would burn.
He reiterated his emphasis that the arrival of Israeli vehicles to an area “does not mean controlling it” in light of mobile combat battles where there is no fixed position for the lines of contact. He described what Israeli occupation army spokesman Daniel Hagari said about Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City and his claim that there was a tunnel underneath it and filming machine guns inside it as a "naive theatrics."
Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi said that fighting battles are taking place in all the areas that the Israeli occupation army entered in the Gaza Strip, revealing the approaches taken by the Al-Qassam Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement “ Hamas ”, to confront the ground attack. Al-Duwairi explained - in his military analysis for Al Jazeera - that the Al-Qassam Brigades resorted to confronting and stopping the invading Israeli forces as much as they could, in addition to adopting zero-distance fighting, in addition to attacking the rear of the invading forces.
He reiterated his emphasis that the arrival of Israeli forces to new places does not mean control, citing the operations announced by Al-Qassam today, in reference to the areas that the occupation army entered at the beginning of the ground war in the far northwest and southwest of Gaza. Al-Duwairi mentioned Al-Qassam operations to demonstrate his talk through the sniping operations that take place at close range in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, as well as the use of the TBG anti-fortified launcher, which is hit from a distance between 100 and 150 meters.
As for the mechanism followed by the Israeli army in its ground entry into Gaza City, the military expert explained that Tel Aviv pushed 3 teams at the beginning of the operation in several directions, in batches and not as a clear bloc. He added that these forces are fighting in a narrow area, a limited area, and in the presence of residential buildings, and “that is why new forces are being pushed from behind with every advance,” indicating that Israeli forces and crews are being replaced in an attempt to avoid previous mistakes and send new forces.
Al-Duwairi stressed that the size of the Israeli force penetrating into Gaza is large, equivalent to approximately two brigades in the military sense, “therefore temporary positioning, assembly and reinforcement points are being established and barriers are being erected to secure the tanks’ hulls and not their entire parts.” He reiterated that what is currently taking place is considered "mobile combat", as the occupation army resorts to entering any street, small or large, after intense air, land and sea preparations, believing that it is destroying some of the tunnels and closing their openings.
As for the return of the Qassam Brigades’ bombing of Tel Aviv, Al-Duwairi saw that it carries a message about the ability to target central Israel. He pointed out that no one knows when the current battle will end because what is currently taking place is a process of biting fingers, “and whoever shouts first will make concessions.”
The military expert downplayed the impact of bad weather conditions on the course of the battle, saying that the Israeli Air Force operates in various conditions because it belongs to the fifth generation of fighters, such as the F-35, the latest winged fighter. He pointed out that the weather also has a limited impact on the Al-Qassam Brigades, but the greatest difficulty is for the displaced Palestinians and refugees in shelter places.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari has threatened that hospitals across the Gaza Strip could lose their protection under international humanitarian law. Israel claims that Hamas uses the hospitals as military bases, a claim the Palestinian group and international medics who have worked in the hospitals deny. The Israelis have presented no hard evidence to support their claim. “In recent weeks we have stressed, again and again, that because of Hamas’s use of hospitals for military purposes, [the hospitals] will lose special protection in the international court,” Hagari said in a press conference.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had captured the parliament building along with other institutions run by the Hamas militant group in Gaza City. "The battle team of the 7th Brigade took over the Hamas legislature, the government building, the Hamas police headquarters and an engineering faculty that served as an institute for the production and development of weapons," IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The IDF spokesperson went on to say that Israeli forces had seized control of the "Gizat" facility which he said contained Hamas training facilities, operations headquarters and interrogation and detention facilities.
Over the past day, the IAF struck 200 terror targets, and Israeli naval soldiers struck a military camp used by Hamas’ naval forces for training and weapons storage. Launches were identified from Lebanon toward an IDF post in the area of Kibbutz Malkia in northern Israel. One launch was intercepted by the Aerial Defense Array and the rest fell in an open area. In response to the launches from Lebanon toward Israel, yesterday evening (Monday), IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon. The military targets struck include a number of operational command centers in which Hezbollah terrorists operated.
The 7th Brigade and Golani Brigade forces secured control of central Hamas control centers and eliminated terrorists In recent days, forces from both the 7th Brigade and the Golani Brigade conducted operations in Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal, securing control over government institutions that Hamas utilized for military purposes. Combined combat forces in the 7th Brigade secured the Hamas legislature and government building, the Hamas police headquarters and an engineering faculty used for weapons production and development. During the operation, the forces took control of the Gizat compound, which contains Hamas training facilities, an operational situation room, detention and interrogation facilities. Hamas weapons, as well as training and study materials were located in the facility. Furthermore, the Golani Brigade combined combat forces successfully secured the Governor’s Residence, identified as a facility used by the Hamas terror organization. This building housed both Hamas military and police offices and the organization's military intelligence offices, headquarters, and various outposts. Some of these outposts were used by Hamas for training in preparation for the invasion into Israel on Saturday, October 7.
Terrorists launched anti-tank missiles and mortar shells toward IDF posts in the areas of Margaliot, Arab al-Aramshe, Yiftach, Shomera, and Mattat in northern Israel. The IDF struck the sources of the launches in Lebanon. In addition, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon. A terrorist cell that attempted to launch anti-tank missiles from Lebanon toward the Yiftach area in northern Israel was also struck by an IDF tank.
Israeli military analyst Amos Harel said that the "surrender" of Hamas in the face of the ongoing ground invasion of the Gaza Strip is not imminent at all. In an article published by Haaretz newspaper. Harel referred to intense battles in Gaza and deaths among the ranks of the Israeli army. He also said that Israel is still far from defeating Hamas, adding that the leader of this movement inside the country, Yahya Sinwar, has no intention of issuing orders to his men to stop the fighting.
Despite his acknowledgment that the Israeli army is suffering losses and that Hamas' "surrender" is not imminent, the Israeli military analyst considered that the force used by the army by deploying three combat teams in Gaza and the massive destruction it is causing is bearing fruit. Harel pointed out that the Israeli army sometimes faced fierce resistance from Hamas fighters, but he considered that they were having difficulty withstanding the Israeli military pressure in the western part of Gaza City and its northern suburbs.
According to the Israeli analyst, this time the army obtained approval for a major ground operation despite politicians’ fears of failure and losses. Regarding the emergence of international pressure on Israel to stop the war, he stated that the Israeli officers in Gaza believe that “the operation should end only after the defeat of Hamas.” Regarding the destruction caused by the Israeli invasion, Harel said that removing its effects could take years.
According to a classified cable from the Dutch Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel is purposefully employing disproportionate force in Gaza and attacking civilian infrastructure in an attempt to contain its own casualties and demonstrate its military force. The document, which was written by the Dutch defense attaché stationed in the embassy and obtained by the Dutch news agency NRC, examines Israel's military tactics in Gaza.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the health crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached "catastrophic proportions", stressing that medical teams are facing depletion and exhaustion with the Israeli aggression and total blockade tightening for 39 consecutive days, According to the NRC, the defense attaché stated that the Israeli army is attempting to minimize its own losses by demonstrating "credible military force to show Iran and its proxies [such as Hezbollah] that they will stop at nothing."
Their objective is the "massive destruction to the infrastructure and civilian centers” while intentionally targeting homes, bridges, and roads, leading to an extremely high number of deaths. According to the memo, the occupation's tactics are a violation of international laws of war and may cause an escalation in the region. The defense attaché of the embassy also stated in a letter that Israel is attempting to totally eradicate Hamas, a "military goal that is virtually impossible to achieve," citing that the occupation is completely driven by "emotion and anger."
Additionally, the note accuses the Dutch government of knowing of "Israel's ruthless approach" but remaining silent. Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed last week by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte that Israel “must show that what they are doing is also proportionate,” Rutte has not made a formal plea for a ceasefire.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “not every internal document should be viewed as a policy recommendation.”
Bystanders
Brazil's president has accused Israel of "killing innocent people without any criteria" in the Gaza Strip, saying its actions are "as grave" as the October 7 attacks by Islamist militant group Hamas. "After the act of terrorism provoked by Hamas, the consequences, the solution of the state of Israel, is as grave as that of Hamas. They are killing innocent people without any criteria," Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. The leader of Latin America's largest country also accused Israel of "dropping bombs where there are children, hospitals, on the pretext that a terrorist is there."
Representatives of Brazil's Jewish community denounced these remarks as "erroneous", "unfair" and "dangerous", adding that they "put Israel and Hamas on the same level."
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said his country rejected any attempt to justify or encourage the displacement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip and called Smotrich’s comments “an expression of the Israeli government’s policy that violates international laws”. “Any attempt to justify and encourage the displacement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip is completely rejected by Egypt and internationally,” the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Human Rights Watch said that Israel did not provide any evidence proving Hamas' use of medical facilities in the Gaza Strip, and called for an investigation into Israeli attacks against those facilities as war crimes. According to the organization, what was said about “intelligence evidence” does not justify depriving hospitals and ambulances of the protection stipulated by international humanitarian law.
The organization added that the repeated, apparently illegal, Israeli attacks on medical facilities, crews, and transport means are destroying the health care system in Gaza , and must be investigated as war crimes. The organization said that it investigated attacks on a number of hospitals, or near them, between October 7 and November 7. She spoke to displaced witnesses, 16 medical workers and hospital officials in Gaza, and analyzed and verified open source data, including videos posted on social media and satellite images, in addition to World Health Organization databases.
The British newspaper Middle East Monitor said that Israel has lost its credibility as a result of its many allegations and accusations that are not supported by evidence against the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), in contrast to the superior credibility of the Palestinian resistance factions that provide evidence for its stories. The newspaper described Israel's accusations against Hamas as "illogical", especially since they came without investigations, proof or context, such as its story that it killed a terrorist who was preventing civilians from escaping from the Shifa Medical Complex, or that Hamas fighters beheaded 40 children and raped young girls on the day the . Al- Aqsa flood battle began on October 7th.
The newspaper stated that Israel's allegations come within the framework of an attempt to demonize the Palestinian resistance as a means of justifying the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip , but the Palestinians' documentation of Israel's crimes in Gaza has made Tel Aviv lose its international credibility. Israeli lies can no longer withstand the documentation of atrocities and the pressure of truth coming from Gaza, even though Israel has recruited journalists and influencers to portray Palestinians as “human animals,” according to the newspaper.
The newspaper added that the accuracy of the Palestinian story forced American officials, who initially doubted the numbers of casualties in the Gaza Strip, to finally admit that the Palestinians were telling the truth. The newspaper pointed out that “Abu Ubaida” and Abu Hamza, the military spokesmen for the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades , respectively, provide very accurate accounts of the nature of the battle and the losses and progress of the Israeli military forces in their statements. Abu Ubaida's statements are often followed by video clips documenting the systematic destruction of Israeli tanks to prove the validity of his statements, while the Israeli side does not provide proof to document his claims, according to the newspaper.
The newspaper reported that Israeli propaganda is no longer able to influence, despite the continued support of major media outlets for Tel Aviv. This is because the Palestinians and supporters of its cause overtook Israel by using social media, which, for the first time, overshadowed the organized propaganda campaigns in traditional media.
The newspaper added that Hamas's surprise operation on October 7 did not allow Israel to plan a media campaign to justify its widespread war in the Gaza Strip and its killing of civilians. The newspaper stressed that Israel's loss of credibility will push people to reconsider their ideas about Israel's present, future and past, that is, the foundation of the Zionist regime itself, which is based on nothing but lies.
The government of Belize said that it is severing diplomatic relations with Israel over the violation of humanitarian law during the operation in the Gaza Strip. "With the approval of the Cabinet... House of Representatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration has implemented the following measures that are to take immediate effect: a. The Government of Belize is withdrawing its Agreement for the accreditation of H.E. Einat Kranz-Neiger, Israel’s Ambassador Designate to Belize; b. All activities conducted by the Israeli Honorary Consulate in Belize and the appointment of the Honorary Consul are suspended," the government said in a statement.
Axis of Resistance
The official spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree , said : The operations of the armed forces against the Zionist enemy will not stop until the aggression against our brothers in Gaza stops. He added: The armed forces will not hesitate to target any Zionist ship in the Red Sea or any place we can reach, starting from the moment this statement is announced. The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces continued : We will begin implementing the directives issued regarding the appropriate dealing with any “Israeli” ship in the Red Sea.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi sent messages to leaders of countries around the world, pointing out the attacks launched by the Zionist entity on the Gaza Strip, stressing that the humanitarian and legal duty requires international and regional organizations and other free governments to take effective measures in the context of an immediate and comprehensive cessation of operations targeting safe civilians in Gaza. .
President Raisi added, through the letters he sent: I am writing to you amid the continuing brutal attacks by the Zionist entity on Gaza. 70 percent of the victims of this aggression are children and women, who stumbled during the bombing of hospitals, schools, mosques, homes, and vital infrastructure within the Strip.
He continued: These massacres occur under the pretext of confronting resistance movements to liberate Palestine, which is a right recognized by international law for the Palestinian people as they are a people under occupation, and they have the full right to self-determination and to resist against aggression and occupation using all means, including armed methods. But on the other hand, and according to the same laws, the occupying Zionist entity does not have any right, as it claims, to “legitimate defense.”
He referred to the comprehensive siege imposed by the Zionist occupation on the people of the Gaza Strip, especially cutting off water, electricity, medicine, food and fuel from them. Stressing that: These practices come within the framework of a systematic ethnic cleansing plan that contradicts all international controls and laws and human rights laws, and is without a doubt a clear example of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Iranian President continued: In this context, in addition to condemning in the strongest terms the horrific crimes of the Zionists against the oppressed Palestinian people, we must take action to defend the rights of this people, including the right to self-determination, resistance to aggression and occupation, the return of Palestinian refugees to the homeland of their ancestors, and the formation of a government in all of the territories. The Palestinian Authority, with its capital, Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and calling on the relevant international forums to impose on the occupying entity to immediately stop all attacks against the Gaza Strip and to cease all of its illegal practices, including settlement expansion, arrests and killing of Palestinian citizens in various occupied territories, and to stop the plan of forced displacement and break the siege on the Strip immediately. In addition to providing the necessary conditions for the entry of humanitarian aid in large quantities, activating pressure mechanisms on the Zionist entity, including boycotting the entity politically and economically, and confronting attempts to escape punishment by “Israel” for its crimes against the Palestinian people by prosecuting those who ordered, involved and carried out the brutal massacres against the people of Palestine. Gaza, and begin urgent measures to reconstruct the Strip.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations warned the international community against the Israeli regime’s arsenal of atomic weapons and its threat to use weapons of mass destruction in the Gaza war. Addressing the fourth session of the ‘Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction’, held in New York on November 13, Saeed Iravaniexpressed Iran’s urgent concern regarding Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity and the potential use of weapons of mass destruction in the Gaza conflict or elsewhere.
"In light of recent atrocities in the Middle East, we express our urgent concern regarding Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity and the potential use of weapons of mass destruction in the Gaza conflict or elsewhere, if not prevented now. The secrecy surrounding Israel's nuclear capabilities poses a significant threat to regional stability and calls for immediate action to address this issue. In these critical times, the imperative to establish a such a zone in the Middle East has never been more urgent. Now, more than ever, the establishment of a WMD-free Middle East stands as an essential step towards a safer, and more secure future."
The foreign minister of Iran called for the international community’s mounting pressures on the Zionist regime to stop its brutal strikes on the Gaza Strip. In a telephone conversation, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto talked about the latest developments in West Asia, especially the dire situation in Palestine. The top Iranian diplomat touched on the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip due to the Zionist regime’s heinous crimes, saying, “The regime has openly breached all human and international rights by bombing and mass murder of the people in the Gaza Strip.”
The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), Osama Hamdan, said, “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war on the Gaza Strip for personal reasons,” and explained that the occupation aims to displace the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip and repeat the Nakba. Osama Hamdan indicated - in a press conference held in the Lebanese capital, Beirut - that Netanyahu does not care about the Israelis, nor about his soldiers in the field.
He sent a message to the families of detainees and foreigners in Gaza saying, “We want your children to return to you, but the one obstructing this is the Netanyahu government,” calling on the Israeli families whose members are detained in the Strip to put pressure on “the government of the opportunist Netanyahu, and do not waste time, as time is almost running out.”
Hamdan said clearly, "Nothing will prevent the liberation of our prisoners in the occupation prisons." Regarding the statements of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcoming the resettlement of Gaza residents in Western countries, the Hamas leader said, “We are staying on this land, and you are cowardly passers-by.” In this context, Hamdan considered that the occupation’s targeting of infrastructure and hospitals in Gaza is an attempt to “push our people to flee the Strip.”
Regarding field developments in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas leader reassured the Palestinian people and free peoples that the resistance and the Al- Qassam Brigades - the movement’s military wing - are fine and in control of the situation.
He described the claims of Israeli occupation army spokesman Daniel Hagari regarding Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza as "naive and reveal the psychological state of a defeated army," and refuted all the allegations he mentioned regarding the basement located beneath the hospital that specializes in treating pediatric cancer patients.
He sent a message to the United Nations, and to all countries and international institutions. Saying: Isn’t it enough for you to condemn, appeal, and describe what is happening as a flagrant violation of international laws and the Fourth Geneva Convention?! Where is your political and moral authority? Is it only over the oppressed in the land?!
He added: Whoever remains silent or merely condemns, legitimizes the logic of the power of the jungle, and allows chaos to spread in the world. Which will affect everyone today or tomorrow at the hands of the neo-Nazis.
He expressed the appreciation of the Hamas movement to the Arab and Islamic peoples and to the free peoples of the world, who came out in defense of humanity and its dignity in the face of the Zionist enemy and its crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
He addressed the free people of the world by saying: Your activities are important and influential, and the occupation and its supporters are aware of the strength of your movement, which threatens their fate and political future, if they continue their injustice, violation of human rights, and killing of children in Gaza. Therefore, we call on you to continue all forms of demonstration, and to escalate them in all cities and capitals, Until this aggression stops, and we put an end to these evil neo-Nazis, who are trying to establish chaos in the world by destroying all human foundations, rules and values, as they are doing in the Gaza Strip.”
Member of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) , Khalil Al-Hayya , said that the Israeli occupation is evasive about reaching a prisoner exchange deal in order to continue its hideous aggression against the people of the Gaza Strip , stressing that he has no evidence for his “false accusations” regarding the resistance’s use of hospitals.
Al-Hayya added, in his interview with Al Jazeera, that all observers and rational people have the right to be “filled with sarcasm” at the lie of the Israeli army spokesman, Daniel Hagari, about the allegations related to the resistance’s use of hospitals for military purposes, pointing out that the Rantisi Hospital was surrounded by the occupation army with tanks and its occupants were taken out under the hood. The brunt of the weapon.
Regarding the negotiations on the exchange of prisoners, Al-Hayya explained that for 3 weeks, the Qatari side, with Egyptian partnership, has been leading serious negotiations, but the Israeli occupation was resubmitting proposals every time a draft agreement was approved by them, revealing the Israeli side’s refusal to release foreigners with Israelis.
He added that the occupation is procrastinating by not concluding a humanitarian truce during which relief and assistance would be brought to all areas of the Gaza Strip without exception, and in doing so it is lying to the world and its people, as it retreated three times when the parties were “just moments away” from concluding the agreement.
He explained some forms of Israeli procrastination, which included demanding lists of names of prisoners, insisting on separating Israelis from foreigners, withdrawing from approving mechanisms for implementing what was agreed upon, and submitting new proposals after approving previous draft agreements.
The leader of the Hamas movement believes that the occupation does not want to reach an agreement with one goal, which is the continuation of killing, aggression and destruction, pointing out that the occupation wishes to kill all its prisoners detained in Gaza, as happened with the Israeli woman whose death was revealed by Al-Qassam in a previous bombing.
The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s comments as “part of Israel’s colonial, racist plan” for Palestinians. Smotrich called for the ‘voluntary migration’ of Palestinians from Gaza. It accused Israel of engaging in a “genocide” supported by Smotrich and added that the only solution was for international intervention to end Israel’s occupation.
Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, said in a post on X that Smotrich “revealed the real policy and intentions of the Israeli government”. “[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu himself said in the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza that all Gazans must evict their homes. Ethnic cleansing is a war crime and it is done by bombarding an unprotected civilian population.”
Rejecting Smotrich’s comments, Osama Hamdan, spokesperson of Palestinian group Hamas, said: We are here to stay.” Hamdan also said that Netanyahu does not care that Israeli captives are being killed in air strikes and that this war is a personal mission to distract from his legal woes. “It’s still early days for the battle and the next phase is bigger and more intense,” according to the Hamas representative in Beirut.
The Russian Strategic Center for Cultures website published a report by Yuri Borisov in which he says that Israel’s disregard for international law , the laws of war and its customs, and its targeting of the entire world are factors that threaten the continued existence of Israel, even if it possesses nuclear weapons. The report added that the scientist whom Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to take with him 15 years ago possesses many of these weapons, and the fruits of the position of the rulers of Israel towards all of humanity have become clearly visible, and this is particularly evident in the recent vote in the United Nations General Assembly, which was left to During which Israel and the United States were alone.
According to the writer, the statement issued by a person who ignores international law includes a direct acknowledgment of the fact that Israel is not at war with any “terrorists,” but rather with all residents of the neighboring Arab lands, whether Palestine or Lebanon. It is committing and intends to continue committing acts described as Genocide .
Borisov stressed that these crimes are equivalent to the international crimes that were the subject of consideration in the Nuremberg trials of major Nazi war criminals between 1945 and 1946. The writer reported that what Israel committed in Gaza , killing and wounding at least 40,000 people, and destroying at least half of the city’s buildings, in full view of the entire world today, is threatening to commit it today in Beirut. In fact, 70% of Israel's residents oppose the reckless policy of their leaders, and see it as a danger to them.
Borisov pointed out that on November 11, the leaders responsible for managing the Israeli war in Gaza pledged to continue the military attack aimed at defeating the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and to resist international pressure to slow or stop it, and pledged to “stand firmly against the world if necessary.” "The command."
The Justice for Gaza initiative, spearheading the call for an investigation into war crimes committed by Israeli politicians, is gaining significant support. Close to 1,800 individuals, including former UK Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn and Spanish politician Ione Belarra Urteaga, have endorsed the initiative.
The initiative's primary objective is to unite voices from international civil society, political leaders, and citizens globally to advocate for the investigation of the Israeli regime. The focus is on crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated in the Gaza Strip since October 7. The Justice for Gaza initiative specifically urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to examine all members of Israel’s war cabinet, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Galant, Benjamin Gantz, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, and Hertzi Halevi, among others.
The crimes for which the investigation is sought encompass genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as outlined in the Rome Statute. Given the gravity of the documented crimes and the intentional nature of their commission, the communication suggests that prerequisites for an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Galant may exist.
Allied for Democracy
Knesset members Danny Danon, the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, and Ram Ben-Barak, former deputy director of the intelligence agency Mossad, published a commentary in The Wall Street Journal suggesting moving some of Gaza’s population to nations that will accept them. Danon and Ben-Barak said Europe had a long history of assisting refugees fleeing conflicts, and based on that example, “countries around the world should offer a haven for Gaza residents who seek relocation”. “Countries can accomplish this by creating well-structured and internationally coordinated relocation programs,” they wrote.
Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, says the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians in Gaza is the “right humanitarian solution” for the besieged enclave and for the region, a stance Palestinian officials liken to support of “ethnic cleansing”. Smotrich made the comments after
“I welcome the initiative of members of Knesset Ram Ben-Barak and Danny Danon on the voluntary immigration of Gaza Arabs to the countries of the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region,” Smotrich wrote. “A cell with a small area like the Gaza Strip without natural resources and independent sources of livelihood has no chance to exist independently, economically and politically in such a high density for a long time.
“The reception of refugees by the countries of the world that really want their best interests, with the support and generous financial assistance of the international community and within the state of Israel, is the only solution that will bring to an end the suffering and pain of Jews and Arabs alike.... The state of Israel will no longer be able to put up with the existence of an independent entity in Gaza,” he added.
Iranian Al-Alam News Channel correspondent in occupied Jerusalem reported that disagreements are escalating among the pillars of the occupation government, and even within the Likud Party, regarding the continuation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his position, indicating that there is talk about the necessity of finding an alternative to him.
Correspondent, Khader Shaheen, said: It has escalated more recently, but the differences have been since day one, specifically regarding the path of this war towards the Gaza Strip. The security level wants there to be more incursion and entry into the Gaza Strip, but the political level is linked to understandings with the American administration that the incursion Wild is for limited areas of the Gaza Strip.
He continued: There are increasing differences between the political and security levels, as Netanyahu directs blame and responsibility for the failure on October 7th at the security level, not the political level, so that he will not be held accountable even after this war ends and he maintains his position.
The Al-Alam channel correspondent explained: There are disagreements escalating at the level of the Likud Party led by Netanyahu, as circles within it are calling for his dismissal, according to sources from the party who spoke of a recent meeting of the party, where the move is to choose another figure, and to form a new government that includes all left-wing, right-wing and extremist parties.
The United States believes that humanitarian pauses in Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip should be longer than four hours per day and will continue to engage with Israel on the issue, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. "We've said before we think pauses ought to be longer. We will continue to engage in conversations about that with the government of Israel," Miller told a briefing. Moreover, the US is calling on Hamas to allow for evacuations, the spokesman stated.
"But absent that, if they refuse to remove their command centers from hospitals, as they seem likely to do - they've been burying their command centers under hospitals for years - the step that we think would be appropriate for them to take would be to allow evacuation and yes we would very much encourage them to do," Miller stressed.
The US would support an independent third party evacuating civilians from the Gaza Strip, including from hospitals, the spokesman emphasized. "We would support an independent third party or respected third party to conduct those evacuations. We know the government of Israel would support such a step as well," Miller said. "The question is will Hamas allow patients to be evacuated from hospitals or will they continue to use them as human shields? We think an appropriate step would be to support those evacuations so babies and other vulnerable populations are not in harm's way," the spokesman added.
Antony Blinken reiterated Washington's opposition to Israel reoccupying the Gaza Strip once its war with Hamas ends at a G7 meeting in Japan on. “Palestinian people must be central to governance in Gaza and the West Bank as well,” the US secretary of state told reporters, adding: "Gaza cannot continue to be run by Hamas.” But Washington’s stated opposition to an Israeli occupation of Gaza begs a key question: Who can lead a post-Hamas Gaza Strip?
CNN revealed that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken admitted, in an email to employees yesterday, Sunday, that there were disagreements within the State Department regarding the Joe Biden administration’s approach to the occupation war on Gaza. “I know that for many of you, the suffering caused by this crisis has a deeply personal impact,” Blinken wrote in his email. “The pain that accompanies seeing the daily images of infants, children, the elderly, women, and other civilians suffering in this crisis is painful. I feel it myself.”
He added: "Some people in the department may disagree with the methods we are taking or have views about what we can do better. We have organized forums in Washington to listen to you, and we have urged managers and teams to have frank discussions in locations around the world specifically so that we can From hearing your comments and thoughts...I have asked our senior leadership to continue to do this.”
In his email, Blinken provided an overview of his trip to the Middle East and Asia last week, saying: “The overarching goal of the United States remains the same: to end this terrible conflict as quickly as possible, while standing up for Israel’s right and committing in full accordance with the plan.” “With international humanitarian law, to ensure that no attack like the October 7 attack occurs again.”
Blinken wrote: “As I said in private and in public, we believe that the voices of the Palestinian people should be at the heart of governance after the crisis in Gaza. We believe in Palestinian-led governance in Gaza, with the unification of Gaza with the West Bank... and the reconstruction of Gaza must be supported by a sustainable mechanism.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) denounced comments by Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who said earlier today the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians in Gaza is the “right humanitarian solution”.
“We ask President Biden to finally acknowledge what the world has known and witnessed – that Israel is engaged in a genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing targeting all the Palestinian people – whether in Gaza or other occupied Palestinian land,” CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement.
“Silence on this issue, and continuing silence on Israel’s campaign of genocide in Gaza, will long be remembered not only by Palestinians and Muslims worldwide, but also by all people who value human rights and dignity.”
US legal advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against Biden and senior members of his administration accusing them of being complicit in Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
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