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Military


Operation Iron Swords - Day 48 - 23 November 2023

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the truce in the Gaza Strip will begin tomorrow, Friday, at 7 a.m. local time. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades , the military wing of the Hamas movement, published the terms of the agreement at a time when an Israeli minister announced Tel Aviv’s readiness to increase the duration of the truce to 10 days.

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

Either a martyr or a projected martyr. This is said to be the condition of the people of the Gaza Strip.

At least 14,532 Palestinians, including about 6,000 children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since October 7, the Gaza Press Office said. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The Hamas-run government said more than 4,000 women were among the dead, with more than 33,000 more people wounded. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza said the number of missing people had risen to more than 6,800 [nearly doubl the 3,750 previously reported], including 1,800 children still under the rubble. The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the number of wounded as 31,000 [previously announced as about 32,000 wounded],

According to a UN official, there have been "likely much more" casualties in "Israel's" war on Gaza than the previously reported total of over 11,000, because there have been insufficient updates since the area's communication networks collapsed. Martin Griffiths, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator expressed during a General Assembly meeting that as casualty numbers continue to climb, "The actual total, however, is likely much higher as figures have not been updated for five days due to a collapse of communication networks in Gaza."

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 number of Israeli soldiers that the IDF admitted were killed in ground battles with the Palestinian resistance reached 72, while the death toll for the Israeli occupation forces had risen to 392 soldiers since the beginning of Operation al-Aqsa Flood. At least 7,771 Israelis were injured. The IDF previously announced that more than 260 soldiers had been injured since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, including 100 in serious condition.

Israeli army (IDF) reported the total number of casualties since October 7th to 392 and the number of troop deaths there to 72 since the ground war began.

It is worth noting that the numbers given by Hezbollah and al-Qassam Brigades surpass the officially declared count of Israeli soldiers killed in the operations, Israel reported six soldiers and one settler killed on the Lebanese border, while Hezbollah affirmed on November 1 that at least 120 IDF soldiers were killed or wounded in action north of occupied Palestine since October 7.

The military spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, said “The enemy is still hiding its military losses... The enemy’s human losses have not yet begun if it decides to continue its Nazi aggression, and all the indicators that our mujahideen see in the field say that the enemy’s soldiers are not ready for battle, and we are ready to continue confrontation and confront the enemy no matter how long the aggression lasts".

Lebanon’s Health Ministry released its first official casualty numbers in fighting, saying 77 people were killed and 251 wounded since the start of the war on Gaza.

Hostages

According to some estimates, Hamas is holding nearly 210 of the 240 hostages, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad is holding the remaining 30. 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.

Hamas previously announced that the number of prisoners it held was between 200 and 250 Israelis, and others of other nationalities, during the “ Al-Aqsa Flood ” battle launched by the Al-Qassam Brigades on the 7th of last October. Hamas indicated that among the detainees were “high-ranking military personnel” and that it wanted to exchange them for more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners, including children and women, in Israeli prisons, but Tel Aviv did not show seriousness in concluding such a deal. The movement released 4 female prisoners “for humanitarian reasons”, two women holding American citizenship, in response to Qatari mediation efforts, and two Israelis, with Egyptian-Qatari mediation.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club announced that the Israeli army arrested 35 Palestinians, which brings the total number of detainees in the occupied West Bank to 3,035 since last October 7. The IDF reported that since the beginning of the war, about 1,950 wanted persons have been arrested in the Central Command, about 1,100 of them associated with Hamas.

Qatar announced the success of the joint mediation efforts with Egypt and the United States between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), which resulted in reaching an agreement on a humanitarian truce in Gaza that will last 4 days and can be extended, the timing of which will be announced. The agreement includes the exchange of 50 civilian women and children prisoners in the Gaza Strip in the first phase, in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons. The truce will also allow the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs.

The main points known about the hostage deal so far:

  • there will be a ceasefire from both sides in the Gaza Strip,
  • There is no ceasefire on the northern front with Lebanon, and the truce will be limited to the southern front with Gaza. But the ceasefire deal would also apply as a truce on the northern border with Lebanon, according to a Lebanese report in Nidaa al-Watan. "Hezbollah will adhere to the ceasefire on the condition that Israel does too," the first report announced, following a meeting between the leaders of the Lebanese and Palestinian organizations. An official source from Hezbollah later told Al-Jazeera that the group will respect the ceasefire also in Lebanon, reiterating the condition that Israel does too, adding that the Lebanese group was not consulted on the deal.
  • there will be a halt to the movement of Israeli military vehicles penetrating into the Gaza Strip,
  • During the days of the truce, the Israeli forces remain as they are and in their positions, provided that Hamas and the rest of the resistance forces adhere to a complete ceasefire.
  • Israeli military overflights in the southern Gaza Strip will be halted for four consecutive days. Israeli military overflights in the northern Gaza Strip will be limited to six hours daily, in order to allow Hamas to locate the other hostages who are being held by Hamas terrorists and Islamic Jihad.
  • Israel agreed to refrain from targeting or arresting any individuals throughout the truce's timeframe.
  • freedom of movement will be ensured for all Palestinians along Salah al-Din Street, which connects the districts of the Gaza Strip.
  • "The movement of residents from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north will not be allowed in any way, but only from the north to the south. Uncoordinated movement of trucks from the south to the north of the Gaza Strip will also not be allowed" the Israeli army spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said via “ X ”.
  • The prisoners in Israeli custody will be handed over to the Red Cross, which will transport them to the Rafah area, and there, under the auspices of Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators, they will be transferred to the Israeli side.
  • Upon their receipt by the Isreeli army, the occupation authorities begin releasing Palestinian female prisoners and children according to the agreed upon number
  • 10 hostages will be released every day
  • Minimum of 53 hostages will be released, mostly minors (under 19) and their mothers, [the 50 prisoners, who appear to be 30 children, eight mothers, and 12 elderly women]. Hamas has 80 captive children, mothers, and elderly women, but at least in the first stage, if Hamas does not find more, at least seven children and five mothers will remain in captivity. The number of foreign workers is 41 prisoners, meaning that Hamas has 195 Israelis, more than 100 of whom will remain in Gaza even after this deal.
  • Israel will release approximately 150 Palestinian prisoners, women and minors (under 19), held in its prisons, and who do not have Jewish blood on their hands.
  • potential of the total number released reaching 80 prisoners, out of about 300 minors (under 19), and 33 female prisoners, detained in its prisons. The mechanism of the process is for Hamas to send through mediators a list of Israeli prisoners who will be released the next day, and the Israeli government approves it, so that the implementation process begins the next day. The number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the agreement.
  • hostages to be released do not include foreigners who do not have Israeli citizenship or foreign workers who were around the Gaza Strip.
  • it is also possible that foreigners such as Thai citizens will be released, but this has nothing to do with the truce agreement.
  • The deal does not include Israeli soldiers.
  • on the fourth day of the truce, new names will be given to the Israeli detainees. Hamas will announce its desire to release them in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners, according to the agreed-upon equation, which is one Israeli for 3 Palestinians.
  • Israel would extend the pause in fighting for one further day for each additional 10 captives released.
  • Hamas expressed its approval for the Red Cross to visit the remaining kidnapped persons in Gaza, and that it had committed to searching for the remaining kidnapped persons not in its custody, with the aim of seeking their release at later stages.
  • The agreement would also include the entry into the Gaza Strip, including in the north, of 4 trucks of fuel daily and two trucks of gas, in addition to at least 200 to 300 trucks of food, medicine and humanitarian aid
  • HAMAS said the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip will continue beyond the days of the agreement, and that the aid that will enter the Strip includes basic materials and clothing.

The Islamic Jihad movement said that its non-civilian Israeli prisoners will not gain freedom until all Palestinian prisoners are liberated from occupation prisons. "We reiterate our position that enemy [Israeli] non-civilian captives will not be released until all of our prisoners are released from enemy prisons," the movement said in a statement. The movement added that the temporary truce agreement between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) came after strenuous negotiations through mediators and procrastination and stubbornness from the occupation, as it put it.

Earlier, Abu Hamza, spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades , the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, announced the death of an elderly Israeli detainee since the attack on Israel last month. He said in a statement, "We had previously expressed our readiness to release her for humanitarian reasons, but the enemy's procrastination led to the loss of her life." He added, "We reiterate our disclaimer of responsibility towards our enemy prisoners in light of the barbaric and frenzied bombing on every inch of the Gaza Strip."

Military experts and analysts expect that the prisoner exchange deal that will begin tomorrow, Friday, will lead to other prisoner exchange deals, because the ultimate ceiling for the Palestinian resistance is the emptying of Palestinians from Israeli prisons, in addition to the fact that Israeli society will demand its government to release the rest of the detainees held by the resistance in the Gaza Strip .

The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, confirmed that there is a fragmented exchange process between the Palestinian resistance and Israel, and that what took place during the truce that was currently reached is the first stage, but the final ceiling set by the resistance is to empty the Israeli prisons of Palestinian prisoners.

The expert on Israeli affairs, Dr. Muhannad Mustafa, suggested that internal pressures in Israel on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would increase if the current exchange deal succeeded, and that Israeli society would demand another deal to release the rest of the detainees held by the resistance, whose number ranges between 190 and 200, given that the current talk is about 50.

As Muhannad Mustafa pointed out - in his speech during the daily analytical stand on Al Jazeera channel “Gaza...what next?” - that the Israeli authorities themselves are afraid of what he called the scenario of the accumulation of humanitarian truces and prisoner exchange truces, given that these truces will increase internal pressures on them and will lead to a prolongation of the situation. Extending the war, thus eroding the military objectives it had established.

He explained that Israel currently wants to complete deals related to Israeli civilians, and then comes the most difficult stage of trying to reach a deal to exchange soldiers, indicating that Israel knows that in exchange for releasing these people, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) will demand the whitewashing of Israeli prisons and the release of Palestinians with disabilities . High judgments, and he expected that a great debate and division would begin within Israel. He also said that Israel submitted to the current exchange deal under internal pressure and military failure in the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, the two experts agreed that the Israeli occupation will continue to escalate its military operations inside the Gaza Strip during the last hours before the start of the truce. Al-Duwairi said that the occupation's primary focus will be trying to make breakthroughs in narrow interspaces, and it will seek to reinforce supplies and forces in preparation for the outbreak of fighting again after the temporary truce.

According to Al-Duwairi, the Israelis also fear that the Palestinian resistance will reorganize its ranks. He said that it cannot be denied that the resistance received painful blows during the war on Gaza, and therefore it will develop its combat plan to suit the following challenges.

For his part, the expert in Israeli affairs expected that Israel would continue its military operations in Gaza before and after the truce, stressing that Israeli society is mobilized in favor of the war and supports its continuation, but it may change its position because of the price it will pay as a result of it.

Regarding the position of the people of the Gaza Strip regarding the truce that was reached with Qatari and Egyptian mediation, the Director-General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Munir Al-Bursh, said that the people of the Gaza Strip are waiting for the crossings to open so that aid and fuel can flow to operate hospitals. He stressed that the citizens of Gaza need urgent relief to strengthen their steadfastness on the ground after they became refugees in shelter centers and public places and after the migration of people from the north of the Strip to its south.

Munir Al-Barsh, who was speaking during the analytical pause, confirmed, “Gaza...what next?” From inside the Indonesian Hospital - on the necessity of operating hospitals to strengthen people’s steadfastness, especially since the occupation is working to kill the basic components of the sector to achieve its goal.

The people of the Gaza Strip are awaiting the entry into force of the temporary truce agreement, according to which the Rafah commercial crossing with Egypt will be opened, for the flow of relief and medical aid, including fuel, as the Gazans are looking forward to it with the hope that it will reduce the risks of the humanitarian catastrophe that has been facing them for two months.

It is expected that the Egyptian authorities will open the Rafah commercial crossing with the Gaza Strip - tomorrow morning, Friday - to allow the passage of trucks of humanitarian, relief and medical aid, including fuel, in implementation of the temporary truce agreement announced by the State of Qatar between Hamas and the Israeli occupation, which will last for 4 days and can be extended.

In continuation of their role in supervising the aid trucks that arrived through the Rafah crossing during the past weeks, the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) will supervise the aid during the scheduled days of the truce. Israel had stipulated, according to a tripartite agreement with Egypt and the United States, that Hamas should not have a role and that this aid should not reach it.

Official sources told Al Jazeera Net that it is not known how many aid trucks will return to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on the first day of the truce, but they confirmed at the same time that they include several types of materials and goods, including fuel.

The spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Dr. Muhammad Abu Musabih, told Al Jazeera Net that a committee was formed to supervise the humanitarian aid received through the Rafah crossing, and was supervising it on Friday in coordination with UNRWA. According to a spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent, it is not known exactly what types of materials and goods the trucks carry, stressing that they will include food supplies, medical supplies, and fuel.

For its part, the Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades said that the truce includes the entry of 200 trucks daily of relief and medical supplies to all areas of the Gaza Strip, in addition to the entry of 4 trucks of fuel daily as well as cooking gas, according to a statement received by Al Jazeera Net.

Regarding the areas that benefit from this aid, Musabih explained that discussions are currently taking place between the Crescent and UNRWA, to send a humanitarian convoy carrying quantities of this aid, including fuel, to Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, which are the areas isolated by the Israeli occupation, and it is trying through continuous bombing and warnings to Pushing its population towards the south of the Strip.

Because of this isolation, and the violent targeting of all means of life, all hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip were out of service, and according to a spokesman for the Crescent Society, consultations are currently taking place to discuss the possibility of establishing a “medical point” in the Arab National (Baptist) Hospital, to which medical aid and fuel can reach. To provide care and medical service to the remaining residents of Gaza City and its north.

More than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip hope that the truce aid will have an impact on their deteriorating humanitarian situation, as a result of the absolute siege imposed by the occupying state, coinciding with the fierce war it has been waging on this small coastal strip since the seventh of last October.

Rafah crossing spokesman Wael Abu Mohsen told Al Jazeera Net that the Rafah commercial crossing was operating 3 days a week before the outbreak of the current war, for trucks to pass for the purpose of trade, carrying a variety of materials for various humanitarian needs, including fuel. According to Abu Mohsen, the crossing is fully prepared to receive aid trucks, and nothing is missing to ensure the continued flow of these trucks on a daily and continuous basis.

Commercial traffic through this crossing stopped after the aggression, and its doors were only opened to trucks carrying aid of canned food, drinking water bottles, and medical supplies, which local and international organizations and bodies described as “scarce” and not preventing the disaster from occurring.

The Gaza Strip is surrounded by 8 crossings, 6 of which connect the Gaza Strip to Israel, which closes 4 of them completely, and opens two crossings intermittently: Beit Hanoun (Erez), which is designated for individuals in the northern Gaza Strip, and Karm Shalom Commercial in the southeast of the Gaza Strip, and they are subject to full Israeli control. While Egypt controls the Rafah land crossing, both commercial and individuals .

The occupation authorities impose strict conditions on the movement of the crossings, and import and export between Gaza and West Bank markets and abroad are subject to restrictions linked to capricious Israeli approvals, and are subject to sudden decisions with flimsy justifications. With the outbreak of war, Israel completely closed the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing, and prevented the supply of all humanitarian supplies through it to the Gaza Strip, where a famine crisis is looming, with markets and shops running out of goods and merchandise.

In turn, Director General of the Government Media Office, Ismail Al-Thawabta, said, “We have launched 100 appeals to Egypt and the countries of the world regarding the necessity of permanently opening the Rafah crossing, to be a safe passage for the flow of humanitarian, relief, medical, and fuel aid, to prevent the occurrence of a disaster.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Al- Thawabta described all the aid that has entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing so far, as “a drop in the ocean and does not cover 1% of the needs of the population, to whom 500 trucks were delivered daily loaded with all their daily needs, and with different types of materials and goods, including... It contains fuel, via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Al-Thawabta hoped that the Rafah crossing will continue to operate, ensuring the flow of humanitarian and medical aid and fuel, to put an end to the deteriorating catastrophic conditions in the Strip, and to save what remains of the means of life, especially in the areas of Gaza City and the northern Strip, which are reeling on the verge of famine, as a result of the occupation’s refusal to receive aid. 7 weeks ago.

According to official data, 26 hospitals and 58 health centers were out of service, water wells and sewage treatment plants stopped working, and communications and Internet services deteriorated as a result of the power outage since the outbreak of the war and the depletion of fuel. Al-Thawabta said that more than one and a half million people are currently crowded into shelters, facilities, and homes in the southern Gaza Strip, as a result of the crime of forced displacement of the residents of the northern Gaza Strip, and they are in dire need of humanitarian and relief aid that will be received through the Rafah crossing, after goods and merchandise became scarce in markets and shops, and many were forced to From its owners to close it.

The American newspaper "The Hill" said that the agreement reached by Hamas and Israel to release 50 Israeli "hostages" in exchange for a temporary cessation of fighting represents one of the most important developments in the war that lasted more than 6 weeks. However, the newspaper believes that the implementation of the agreement, scheduled to take effect this week, is taking place amid an intense state of mistrust, doubts and anxiety. It pointed out 5 main observations on this temporary truce between the two sides, which are:

First note: It is not called a ceasefire - Israel has rejected calls and pressures for any long-term ceasefire, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that stopping the fighting does not mean that Israel is abandoning its war goal of eliminating Hamas’ base in Gaza. Israel, with US support, says Hamas is likely to take advantage of any pause in fighting to reorganize its military operations. However, the newspaper says that the United States has put pressure on Israel to do more to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza, and has raised concerns about Israel seeking to expand its military campaign in the southern Gaza Strip, where many Palestinians have fled bombing and fighting in the northern Strip.

Second: The situation on the ground is “catastrophic” - The Hill indicated that thousands of Palestinians were killed over more than 6 weeks of war, and hundreds of thousands were injured and displaced. A large part of the population of more than two million people lives in a miserable humanitarian situation, as they rationate water, food and medicine, and are vulnerable to infectious diseases such as diarrhea and skin diseases. For those facing displacement, temperatures are dropping and winter rains continue, prompting aid organizations to make desperate calls for a greater ceasefire, which they say is necessary to reduce the suffering in Gaza.

Third: Questions about the rest of the hostages - Hamas is not believed to have full control over all the hostages it holds. Palestinian Islamic Jihad is also believed to have kidnapped people, with reports that civilians in Gaza may also be involved in some cases. This has raised questions about whether Hamas is even capable of identifying all the hostages held inside the Strip.

Fourth: Israeli hospitals are preparing for “complex” treatment - Medical first responders and long-term care specialists are preparing for the return of hostages to Israel, after being held in what has been described as an unbearable hell.

Fifth: A longer-term ceasefire remains elusive - Israeli public opinion appears to be supportive of the deal and wants the government to do everything it can to return the hostages, but Hamas will likely try to impose a higher price for the captured Israeli men and soldiers.

Operational Update

"At least two more months of fighting are expected.” Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said, quoting Gallant during his visit to the Israeli naval base of the Sheet 13 unit: “This will be a short period of rest, and at the end of it, intense fighting will resume, and pressure will be exerted to return more of the kidnapped people."

The Israeli Minister of Defense arrived at the base of the “Sheet 13” unit, where he reviewed the unit’s activities in the war, accompanied by the Navy Commander, Major General David Sa’ar Salmi, the unit’s deputy commander, and the commanders of the naval forces. Gallant stressed the continuation of operational plans to continue the attack in Gaza. He added: "We will eliminate Hamas as a military and governmental framework. The chain of command must be removed, whether those at the top or the people in the field." Gallant continued: “What became clear in this process from the early stages is the well-known and clear fact, which is that Hamas only understands the language of force,” as he put it.

"This is war, there is no choice. When you have 1500 people kidnapped and killed, you must create a situation where you destroy the organization standing in front of you, otherwise you have no deterrence that will allow life, and you have no deterrence that will allow life in the Middle East. If Jewish blood becomes a wasteland then everyone does as they please, if it has a price that cannot be borne, we are treated with respect."

A number of writers accused the Israeli occupation entity, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Galant of trying to thwart the crystallized prisoner exchange deal with the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, by issuing threats to liquidate the movement’s leaders, specifically abroad.

Netanyahu said: “We will continue the war until all Israeli goals are achieved and Hamas is eliminated.” In turn, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant echoed previous positions on dismantling Hamas and deepening military operations in Gaza: “The end of this war must be the dismantling of Hamas and the return of the detainees. We are committed to deepening our operations in order to put more pressure on Hamas.”

Writer Orly Bar-Lev pointed out that Netanyahu threatened the chances of reaching a deal after he announced in the press conference he held along with Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz, that he had assigned the head of the Israeli intelligence agency “Mossad” David Barnea to work on liquidating the leaders of the Hamas movement everywhere in the world. The writer stressed that regardless of the reasons behind this behavior, it indicates that Netanyahu "is not qualified to make decisions and must not be allowed to continue managing the battle."

Yossi Melman, an intelligence affairs commentator in Haaretz newspaper, wondered about the justifications that prompted Netanyahu and Gallant to issue threats to liquidate Hamas leaders abroad 12 hours before the date that was decided to implement the ceasefire and liberate the prisoners. In a post on the X platform, Melman accused both Netanyahu and Gallant of trying to thwart the prisoner exchange deal .

Writer Rami Edlist particularly attacked Galant, who said that the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and the movement’s leader abroad, Khaled Meshal, “are living in a time out,” referring to Israel’s intention to liquidate them, “as he put it.” In a post on “X”, IdList said that Gallant and Netanyahu are threatening the lives of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas through these threats.

As for writer Dan Adin, he considered Netanyahu’s threats to liquidate Hamas leaders before completing the exchange deal as evidence that he “represents a danger to the entity... he is simply a clear and immediate danger to Israel’s security,” as he stated in his post on “X.” He added: "Israel needs a patient leadership driven by sound logic that thinks about its interests, and whose members do not compete with each other to see who appears more manly in front of the crowd of supporters."

The director of the Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip was apprehended and transferred for ISA questioning. This was following evidence showing that the Shifa Hospital, under his direct management, served as a Hamas command and control center. Hamas used many resources, including electricity, in order to maintain the tunnel system it built under the hospital, in addition, Hamas stored many weapons in and around the hospital.

Furthermore, after the massacre carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, the organization used the hospital as a refuge for its terrorists and even took Israeli hostages there who were kidnapped on the day of the massacre. A pathological report confirmed that the murder of Corporal Noa Marciano took place on the hospital grounds.

In the hospital under his management there was extensive terrorist activity by the terrorist organization Hamas. A decision regarding his continued detention will be made in accordance with the findings of the investigation and the hospital manager's involvement in terrorist activity.

A doctor at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City , Khaled Abu Samra, said at dawn on Thursday that Muhammad Abu Salamiya , director of the institution, which is controlled by the Israeli occupation army, has been arrested. Abu Samra explained: “The occupation army arrested the director of the Shifa Complex, Muhammad Abu Salamiya, and a number of medical personnel tonight.” Abu Salamiya had told Agence France-Presse that he had received an “order” to evacuate the hospital, on November 18, after he had rejected a previous similar order, while the occupation army said that it had evacuated hundreds of patients and displaced people from the hospital.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced that Israeli forces had detained Awni Khattab, the director of a medical clinic in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip. The PRCS posted on X that it is "deeply worried about Awni Khattab, our colleague the head of Khan Younis Medical Center, #Gaza. Israeli forces arrested him and now his whereabouts are unknown."

The Chief of the General Staff met with the brigade commanders of the 36th Division, inside the Gaza Strip, and conducted a situational assessment for continued operations along with the Commanding Officer of the Southern Command and the Commander of the 36th Division. "We are trying to connect the goals of the war, so that the pressure from the ground operation brings about the ability to also achieve the goal of this war, to create the conditions for the release of the abducted hostages. We are not ending the war. We will continue until we are victorious, going forward and continuing in other Hamas areas. I'm very proud of you, you are doing an outstanding job."

The 401st Brigade combat team found four tunnel shafts of significant depth in an area on the outskirts of Jabalya from which heavy mortar fire was launched toward Israel. These tunnel shafts used by the Hamas terrorist organization, which are connected to the electrical network, converged at a central tunnel shaft located in a building connected to a senior Hamas operative.

Additionally, a large number of weapons were found in numerous bedrooms and under children's beds in a building linked to another senior Hamas operative. Operational plans and numerous weapons were discovered as well. All materials were transferred to the Document and Technical Collection Unit of the Intelligence Directorate for further examination and distribution to combat forces.

Commanding Officer of the 401st Brigade, Colonel Binyamin Aharon: "This is a successful day for the 401st Brigade. We found long-range rockets, launch shafts, and four operational Hamas tunnel shafts. We reached the 'heart' of the Hamas infrastructure and found the operational home of a senior terrorist, which included weapons and ammunition, all hidden under his children's beds and in closets. We operated to expose the area used to launch rockets into the depths of Israel for years."

As part of operational activity in the northern Gaza Strip, the “Egoz / Aguz” special forces unit carried out raids on terrorist targets in the Shati area in the heart of Gaza City. As part of their operational activity, guided by precise intelligence, the forces raided strategic Hamas targets and destroyed terrorist infrastructure.

Additionally, using high-quality intelligence, the forces directed fire from the air to strike booby-trapped buildings which posed a danger to the soldiers, terrorists and stockpiles of weapons used by Hamas terrorists. Soldiers from the unit located many weapons - ammunition, explosive belts and grenades.

The spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, revealed that as the Palestinian Resistance continues to confront the Israeli occupation forces, 355 Israeli military vehicles have been struck since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza. Abu Obeida said the targeted Israeli military vehicles varied between troop carriers, tanks, and bulldozers, adding that the resistance engaged 33 vehicles in the last 72 hours.

Abu Obeida said one of the resistance fighters attacked 8 Israeli occupation soldiers east of al-Rantisi Hospital in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, wounding some and killing the others. Moreover, he revealed that the resistance fighters booby-trapped a tunnel and blew it up as it was filled with Israeli soldiers.

The military spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades also confirmed that the occupation was still hiding its military losses by underreporting them, stressing that "the trembling leadership of the occupation decided to put its soldiers in the heart of the fire pit in Gaza." He concluded his statement by hailing the Resistance in Yemen and Iraq, as well as every front that is working against the Israeli occupation, giving his regards to the Lebanese Resistance, which he said "has the occupier surrounded on the northern front."

Violent confrontations took place between the Resistance and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on multiple axes, including the northern Gaza Strip on the Beit Lahia axis, and in the northern Gaza City axes of the Sheikh Radwan, al-Nasr and al-Saftawi neighborhoods. According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, violent confrontations also are the most intense in the east of Juhr al-Dik, as he explained that "the occupation tried to advance in the northwestern axis, especially in Beit Lahia."

In the Zaytoun neighborhood, the Palestinian Resistance confronted the occupation forces, whose tanks had reached the outskirts of Salah al-Din Street, confirming the destruction of a number of its vehicles. Meanwhile, the Al-Qassam Brigades targeted Israeli occupation groupings in kibbutz "Holit" with short-range rockets.

Al-Qassam Brigades published footage of its Resistance fighters directly confronting and targeting Israeli occupation force vehicles and soldiers during their aggression on Gaza. The video shows one of the fighters planting an IED on the back door of a Merkava tank and a group engaging a vehicle's crew at point blank with AKMs.

In turn, the Al-Quds Brigades announced on Wednesday evening, that they, in conjunction with the Al-Qassam Brigades, targeted an Israeli Merkava IV tank with two RPG-85 and al-Yassin 105 charges.

"Israel's" Channel 12 correspondent reported that the scope of operations is expanding in the North and that the range of rocket fire from Lebanon is increasing. The former spokesperson of the IDF described what is happening in northern occupied Palestine as a "dramatic escalation" that could lead to a "deterioration of the situation" in light of the intensifying attacks against Israeli sites along the borders.

Israeli media reported that this Thursday morning was very tense at the Lebanese-Palestinian borders, indicating that the alarm sirens sounded three times in half an hour. Additionally, the correspondent of Channel 13 in the north stated that the firing of rockets from Lebanon toward the North is not stopping, and is reaching all the settlements in the north.

The Israeli correspondent reported that the scope of operations is expanding in the North and the range of rocket fire is scaling up, noting that the latest salvos fired reached the outskirts of the settlements of "Safed".

As Israelis grow more concerned about escalations with the Lebanese Resistance, the IDF closed roads in the Upper Al-Jalil: fearing renewed rocket attacks by Hezbollah, a Channel 12 correspondent reported. Israeli media explained that the IDF blocked roads leading to the settlements of "Menara" "Malkia" "Tel Ramim" and others. Two houses in the settlement of "Menara" were directly hit by an anti-tank missile launched from Lebanon, according to Israeli media reports. In the same context, the head of the "Shlomi" settlement council in the north warned settlers not to return, even in the event of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, saying, "There is no ceasefire here; we are in a state of war, so do not take risks and come."

Hezbollah launched a series of attacks against Israeli military sites along the borders all throughout the morning in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in Gaza and their resistance.

  1. At 8:30, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they had targeted the Israeli military site of "Birkit Risha", scoring direct hits.
  2. At 08:30, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted an assembly of Israeli infantry soldiers at the site of Al-Dhayra, scoring direct hits.
  3. At 08:30, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted an assembly of Israeli infantry soldiers at the site of Jal al-Alam, scoring direct hits.
  4. At 9:00, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they had targeted Israeli infantry soldiers dispersed in the vicinity of the "Sa'sa'" scoring, achieving direct hits.
  5. At 9:15, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted an Israeli Merkava tank at the Al-Raheb military site after detecting it hiding between trees, and achieving a direct hit using a guided missile.
  6. At 9:30, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted the "Khirbat Ma'ar" military site and its positions with salvos of rockets, achieving direct hits.
  7. At 10:15, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted the Israeli "Ein Zaytim" military base near the occupied city of Safad (headquarters of the Third Infantry Brigade of Division 91) with 48 Katyusha rockets, achieving direct hits.
  8. At 11:00, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted a house in the settlement of "Menara" where Israeli soldiers had been stationed using two guided missiles, achieving a direct hit.
  9. At 11:00, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted an assembly of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Al-Raheb military site and "Tel Sha’ir" with appropriate weapons, achieving direct hits.
  10. At 11:05, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance announced that they targeted an assembly of Israeli soldiers in Harj Ramim with appropriate weapons, achieving direct hits.

In response to the launches toward Israel earlier today, IDF helicopters and fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and rocket launch sites in Lebanon. Also, IDF soldiers struck Hezbollah military infrastructure with the “Iron Sting” weapon system in Lebanon. In addition, an IDF helicopter, a UAV, and tanks struck a terrorist cell that launched an anti-tank missile toward the area of Biranit, and the launch post from which the missile was fired.

Following the initial reports regarding sirens sounding in northern Israel, approximately 35 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array intercepted a number of the launches. In addition, since this morning, terrorists launched a number of anti-tank missiles and mortars at various locations along the border with Lebanon.

An IDF aircraft struck a number of launchers from which the projectiles were fired. IDF soldiers struck an additional launcher from which the projectiles were fired with the “Iron Sting” weapon system. IDF artillery struck the sources of the fire.

Following the sirens that sounded in northern Israel, several launches were identified from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. IDF artillery is striking the sources of the launches. Earlier this morning, an IDF aircraft identified an anti-tank missile cell near the area of Zar'it in northern Israel and targeted the cell. In parallel, IDF artillery also targeted the cell. Overnight, a surface-to-air missile was launched toward IDF aircraft in Lebanon. The missile was successfully intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array. In response to the launch, IDF aircraft struck the launcher and a weapons storage post.

Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari November 22nd, 20:15 : "Hamas has been systematically using hospitals in Gaza to run its terror machine. Hamas built tunnels underneath hospitals, used them to command their operations, yes, command their operations underneath hospitals! Hamas wages war from hospitals. This is the sick nature of the savage terrorists we are fighting. Hamas is using the protected status of the hospitals as a shield. Now, the irrefutable truth of Hamas’ exploitation of hospitals in Gaza is on full display to the world. We have an important question to ask the international community: what will you do to stop Gaza’s hospitals from being turned into terror bases in the future? Will you condemn Hamas? Or will you continue to be silent? Will you remain silent?...

"This evening we are exposing new footage of the underground terror infrastructure underneath the Shifa Hospital. We discovered an extensive amount of infrastructure, not only underneath the Shifa Hospital compound, but also, right underneath it, going from the hospital, into various streets and entering into different central buildings. From the Shifa Hospital, outward. What we exposed today is in fact underground war rooms, infrastructure built as a hiding place from which Hamas terrorists operate.

"Nearby the hospital compound, we exposed two further tunnel shafts that most likely connect the hospital's underground terror infrastructure to the street. From underneath the hospital to nearby buildings. One of them, that I entered, is an educational institute with classrooms. Inside this apartment were classrooms, a board, on the board were words in English, an English lesson for children. On the side, a tunnel shaft, with a floor that in a disguised manner flows into the wall, and from there, you can go down steps into a tunnel that leads to the Shifa Hospital and continues northward of the hospital. Inside the tunnel are central command and control rooms. Terrorists enter the hospitals, exit through an educational institution, near children, using them as a human shield."

Yemeni Armed Forces confirmed the launch of a series of cruise missiles at various Israeli military targets in Umm al-Rashrash - 'Eilat' - Southern occupied Palestine. In a statement, the Yemeni army emphasized that it will continue to carry out operations against Israeli sites until the cessation of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported the activation of alarm sirens in Eilat due to a cruise missile launched from Yemen.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced that the American base in the Al-Omar oil field in Syria was targeted by a drone, stressing that it “directly hit its target.” In a statement, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said: “In response to the crimes committed by the enemy against our people in Gaza, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the American occupation base in the Al-Omar oil field in Syria, with a drone, which directly hit its target.” The "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" announced that two American bases were targeted on Thursday with drones, "directly hitting their targets."

An American military official also reported that American forces and the American coalition were exposed to new attacks in the last 48 hours in Iraq and Syria using drones and missiles, revealing the total number of attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria since October 17 . According to the Pentagon, the missile and drone attacks resulted in the injury of about 60 American soldiers, as about 2,500 American soldiers are stationed in Iraq and about 900 soldiers in Syria . American forces had been subjected to about 70 attacks since October 17 (32 attacks in Iraq and 34 in Syria), resulting in the injury of 62 American soldiers, according to the Pentagon. Pentagon officials said they were frustrated by the escalation of attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria, according to the Washington Post.

Bystanders

In the first official talk about “the future of Gaza,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country “is ready to assume responsibility with other countries in the new security structure, which will be established (after the end of the war in Gaza), including the guarantor mechanism,” and despite While he referred to the “guarantor mechanism” proposed by Ankara a month ago, his position appeared to be the opposite of that taken by regional and Arab countries.

Until now, the Arab countries, most notably Egypt and Jordan, refuse to delve into the “post-war Gaza” scenarios, and the same applies to the Hamas movement. However, on the other hand, Israeli officials have always touched on this issue, as have their American counterparts, without drawing an accurate picture of what the Strip will look like. In the future.

The Turkish President did not reveal the nature of the security role that Ankara is preparing to play and the countries that may participate in it. Observers who spoke to the Al-Hurra website believe that what Erdogan proposed on Wednesday during his participation in the G20 leaders’ summit “is consistent with Ankara’s view of its new role in the Middle East... As a mediator of peace and strength."

Turkish journalist Dilara Aslan, director of the Daily Sabah office in Ankara, explained to Al-Hurra website, "Turkey's argument is that current UN resolutions are not sufficient to force Israel to reach a two-state solution, nor to prevent attacks or the displacement of Palestinian civilians. Therefore, it proposed a new mechanism." This mechanism was called the “guarantee model,” and it stipulates that both Israel and Palestine must have guarantor states, and these guarantors would prevent any escalation and prevent any party from violating the current agreements.

Turkey has expressed more than once its willingness to play such a role, “because it has close relations with both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority and has experience in conflicts,” according to Aslan. But “the proposal needs the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, which have long failed to unite and take a strong stance against the United States and Israel.”

Al Jazeera Net interviewed a number of political experts about the political and military consequences of this agreement, whether for the Israeli occupation or the Islamic resistance, and how the residents of the Gaza Strip can benefit from this truce, and does the agreement represent a victory for Hamas in light of the results on the battlefield, in addition to the political consequences that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will pay politically after the results of the aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Ahmed Jamil Azm, professor of international affairs at Qatar University, said, “If Israel finds any opportunity not to implement what it must implement in the agreements, it will find a thousand excuses to do so, and even without excuses it is ready to back down.” Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Khalil Al-Anani, believes that the occupation “failed miserably to achieve any military achievement on the ground during 6 weeks of war,” and that reaching an agreement like this represents “an important breakthrough in the Israeli escalation following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.” As for political researcher Moin Manna, he said, “The truce has purely military goals for the occupation. First, it wants to exploit it to collect information related to the resistance and tunnels, and secondly, it wants to move its forces in a way that will be able to resume fighting.”

From a political perspective, the truce represents the first agreement reached to stop the war - even temporarily - and is an important breakthrough in the Israeli escalation following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation. Al-Anani also sees it as a political result of two basic things: The first is the steadfastness and steadfastness of the Palestinian resistance in the face of the American-backed Israeli army in an unprecedented manner, which failed miserably in achieving any military achievement on the ground during 6 weeks of war. The second is internal and external pressure on the Netanyahu government, which forced him to reluctantly accept the exchange and truce deal.

Jamil Azm approaches the previous vision, and sees that the broad title of this agreement is that it is a prisoner exchange agreement, but there is a very important fundamental part that has political implications, related to the issue of a truce for a period of 4 days, and the most important meaning of this event is that it represents a break in the Israeli discourse that was talking about a battle. Without stopping, he adopted an extermination rhetoric par excellence, quoting texts from the Torah calling for the annihilation of the “Amalekites,” and he was promoting that a ceasefire would lead to a golden opportunity for Hamas to rearrange its ranks.

As for Moin Manna, he went to the angle of the political pressure exerted by world public opinion on the Israeli occupation in order to stop the aggression, and this pressure was represented in the crystallization of the position of the seven industrialized countries - for example - even though they belong to the Western camp “in theory”, but public opinion in them was able to It puts real pressure on decision-makers and has moved their political position slightly towards the humanitarian dimension in the Gaza Strip.

From the military side, the truce represents the first indirect Israeli acknowledgment of the failure of the ground military operation that aimed to attempt to rescue the hostages by military force, from Al-Anani’s point of view. It is also a miserable failure for the war government, which was raising the slogan “No to stopping the war, no to the hostage deal,” and now the war has been stopped - albeit temporarily - and the hostage deal has been concluded.

Al-Anani agrees with Jamil Azm that one of the results of the agreement is to help the two parties rearrange their ranks in order to prepare militarily for the next round of the conflict, but Jamil Azm adds that the truce is a double-edged sword. “The Zionist movement” benefited from the truce in 1948 when the Zionist forces were in retreat, and took advantage of The truce is largely to obtain supplies from everywhere, and Israel is currently the one that now has open borders with the world, and is the one that has the ability to organize its ranks much more than the already besieged resistance.

The current situation of the occupation forces is inappropriate and does not qualify them to continue to position themselves in an effective combat manner. It also raises a number of questions arising from the current military situation, such as: If the ceasefire continues until then, what does this mean for Israel’s presence in the Gaza Strip? It is an occupying force now, and the existence of a long truce raises questions about the legal and political status of this presence, because Israel will take advantage of the coming days to provide its fighters in the Gaza Strip with the means of life and the means to continue for a long period as well.

As for Moin Manna, he believes that the truce has purely military objectives for the occupation. He wants: First, exploiting it to collect information related to the resistance and tunnels. Secondly, he wants to move his forces in a way that will be able to resume fighting, because the current situation for his forces is inappropriate and does not qualify him to continue to position himself in a combat and effective manner. With regard to the resistance, the truce will provide it with a rest and provide opportunities for relief and food supplies and medical ambulance, and these are things in themselves that serve and benefit the resistance.

The three analysts agree that there are no clear guarantees that the armistice agreement will not be breached, and the main meaning of this guarantee is to incite all parties to achieve the special interests resulting from it. Moin Manna believes that Netanyahu’s personality is politically present, because he realizes that this truce is the key to the door to the political guillotine in his life, and when he agrees to the truce, he is signing his exit from the political scene. Therefore, he searches under every stone, behind every door, and at every corner for any opportunity that can make him resume his political life.

He draws attention to the character of US President Joe Biden, who has shown "a great, clear and blatant weakness. Even the Western and American elites are talking about this issue. It is no longer possible to talk about the United States being the one that can put pressure" on the Israeli side. Therefore, the only chance is for the Palestinian resistance to maintain its positions, capabilities, and initiative.” There is a need for a warrior's break for both parties in order to catch their breath and rearrange the cards in anticipation of the next round of conflict;

As for Khalil Al-Anani, he says, “All parties are keen to abide by it (the agreement), given the faltering Israeli military operation, the extent of the destruction and the number of victims. Therefore, there is a need - apparently - for a fighting break for both parties in order to catch their breath and rearrange the papers in anticipation of the round coming from the conflict.

The first is the extent of the ability to implement the terms of the agreement, whether related to the number or type of prisoners who will be released from both sides, the entry of fuel and aid into the Gaza Strip, and most importantly the ceasefire, especially from the Israeli side.

The second is the continued internal pressure on Netanyahu’s government to release the rest of the hostages and his acquiescence to that.

Third comes American pressure on Netanyahu to adhere to what was stated in the agreement.

Not far from that, Jamil Azm says that the strongest guarantee for this agreement depends on the method of implementing the deal itself, because the exchange process will need approximately 4 days and not a day or two, and also until there is a clear international and American position, but he pointed out that this position represents a weak guarantee. “If Israel finds any opportunity not to implement what it must implement in the agreements, it will find a thousand excuses to do so, and even without excuses it is ready to back down.” "Israel will not do anything except under pressure."

Analysts agreed that the truce agreement was a victory for the resistance, but the difference between them was in the degree of this victory. Ahmed Jamil Azm sees it as “a beginning that may turn into a victory,” or “it is a clear victory project, which is an Israeli defeat and retreat, and the Israelis themselves realize that, and that they were forced to do so, and they are paying a price in this agreement.” But also, "We realize that the apparent human price that the Palestinians are paying is a very large price that we are living through now."

According to Khalil Al-Anani, the agreement can be read as a victory and a political gain for the Palestinian resistance, “as it achieves one of the goals of the military operation that it carried out on the seventh of last October, which is the release of Palestinian prisoners in the prisons of the Israeli occupation, even if the humanitarian price that was incurred was His payment for this was costly and unprecedented in previous rounds of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Moin Manna sees it as more than that; For him, the agreement represents the result of a victory for the Palestinian resistance, which was able to besiege the Israeli occupation forces in a specific spot and exhaust them, which represents an insult to the “Zionist entity,” a threat to American influence in the region, and putting the British and French efforts that lasted 200 years in vain.

The Palestinian resistance also conveyed a clear message that the Palestinian people and their resistance are capable of accomplishing the mission of liberating Palestine, but on the condition that a regional environment is available, and part of this supportive regional environment is available, and the other part related to the Arab regimes is not only non-existent, but is working against the trend.” .

Khalil Anani says, "I do not think that Netanyahu's government will survive. Rather, it will collapse dramatically if the aggression stops. Netanyahu took political risks and jumped forward as usual when he launched a war without a vision or political horizon." He added that Netanyahu "failed miserably in achieving any of the war goals that he announced, whether by getting rid of the Hamas movement, destroying it, returning detainees, or displacing the population of the Gaza Strip out of it. Therefore, he awaits a black fate that will seal his political record, which has spanned more than a quarter of a century."

Moin Manna draws attention to the fact that Netanyahu realizes that this aggression represents a gateway to his exit from the political scene, and hence “the idea has surfaced once again that the occupation army could go to wage a destructive battle or a destructive attack on Lebanon, because in any case this attack may carry "Destroying any opportunity or prolonging Netanyahu's political life."

As for Jamil Azm, he believes that the Israeli discourse in general is subject to collapse, and “retreats under pressure that, firstly, it did not achieve sufficient military achievements in the Gaza Strip, and secondly, under international pressure and under the pressure of internal Israeli public opinion. But this is not relied upon much because there is a state of madness among these people.” Leaders may be invested.”

Moin Manna believes that the people of the Gaza Strip are in dire need of all these types of supplies: health, humanitarian, food, and energy, as well as the return of the displaced to their homes in the northern Strip. “These are among the issues raised and they are in great need and very necessary.” “But there is very great doubt about the arrival of these materials, and even if they arrive as addresses, there is very great doubt that they will arrive in sufficient quantities or that meet the necessary needs,” especially since “Egypt, under the pretext of not agreeing with the American-Zionist approach regarding the issue of displacing the people of Gaza, closes the crossing.”

Manaa added, "If there is talk about the entry of some food supplies - 300 containers, for example - it is not necessary that all of them will be full, even if this number is entered. And if we want to talk about the quantity of energy supplies as well, there is doubt that the energy supplies will be suitable for use or in sufficient quantities or agreed upon." on her".

But Khalil Al-Anani believes that the agreement “represents a fighting break for both sides of the conflict in order to rearrange ranks and catch their breath.” However, there will be an escalation again, especially from the Israeli side, which is still suffering from the effects of the shock of last October 7, and is looking for revenge against Hamas in any form.

The war is also a strategic choice for Netanyahu, who fears for his political fate after the war. Therefore, prolonging the war represents a way out, even if temporarily, from the consequences of his abject failure to deal with what happened” in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. As for Ahmed Jamil Azm, he concluded with the need to rearrange the internal Palestinian position, since now there has been a truce, it is also necessary to “work to better unite the Palestinian ranks,” and pointed out the need for there to be “a coordination process between the Palestinian resistance forces in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian leadership led by the PLO.” In the next stage, the PLO will assume part of the negotiations.”

He said, "These words may be very useful for all of Palestine, as the arrangement of the internal Palestinian ranks is very important in the next stage, and I believe that this truce is an opportunity for everyone to reconsider their calculations and realize that they must work together."

Saudi journalist Daoud Al-Sharyan, after he mocked the prisoner exchange deal, which comes within the temporary truce in the Gaza Strip. Al-Sharyan mocked the truce, using the language of numbers, stating that the number of martyrs is much greater than the number of prisoners who will be released. Al-Sharyan also blamed the Hamas movement for the massacres that took place in Gaza, and commented sarcastically: “What a horrific success!”

Axis of Resistance

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated that "Israel" is close to realizing that it is nowhere near achieving all of the goals it sought after launching its war on Gaza. "Israel did not achieve any of its goals of occupying Gaza and eliminating the Resistance," he said, adding, "What the Zionist regime has done shows that it has grown desperate in the face of the Palestinian resistance." Raisi further described Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as the Palestinian people's "legitimate defense of their right," prompted by "[Israel's] incessant oppression."

"A nation, whose home is usurped, whose family members are imprisoned and martyred, and whose farms are destroyed, enjoys the right to legitimate self-defense" the president continued. He noted that the Operation inflicted "military, security, and intelligence defeat" upon the Israeli occupation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, speaking from the Lebanese capital of Beirut, warned yesterday that failing to comply with the four-day truce would breed consequences. In an interview, he told Al Mayadeen: "If the truce does not continue, the conditions of the region will change and the scope of the war will expand," saying "We have previously warned that if the war continues, the opening of new fronts is inevitable. The Lebanese, Syrians, Iraqis, and Yemenis cannot stand by and watch what is happening," the top diplomat said.

Despite giving his insight on how a ceasefire would favor the Resistance, Amir-Abdollahian underlined that the Resistance would have the final say, noting that there are ongoing consultations with Qatar about this matter. "The factions do not act on our behalf but work for the interests of their countries and the Arab nation".

Hussein Amir Abdullahian said: “In my meeting with the leaders of the resistance, it became clear to me that if the Israeli war crimes and genocide continue, the most stringent and complex resistance scenario will be implemented... and we continue our collective diplomatic efforts to stop the violence and genocide at the hands of the Zionists.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani made a statement in which he welcomed this development and considered it the first step towards a complete cessation of the war crimes of the usurping Zionist entity that killed children against Palestinian citizens, women and children. He described this development as the result of more than 45 days. From the indescribable steadfastness of the resisting Palestinian people, the historic steadfastness of the resistance fighters, and the first step towards victory.

Nasser Kanaani stressed the continuation of the efforts, initiatives and diplomatic consultations conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran with various regional and international parties to support the oppressed Palestinian people and joint efforts with friendly and allied countries, in order to take immediate measures with the aim of establishing and continuing the ceasefire and stopping the entity’s mass killing machine. Zionist and provide immediate relief to the defenseless residents of Gaza.

He added: The Palestinian people have proven that they will decide their fate and their homeland, whether on the battlefield or in the political arena, and will respond appropriately and decisively against every ill-considered, aggressive and short-sighted plan and measure on the part of the usurping Zionist entity and its known supporters.

A joint delegation from the "Ansar Allah" movement [Houthi] and the "Islah Party" conducted a unified visit to the office of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas" in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a. The Ansar Allah movement delegation included Mahmoud Al-Junaid, Deputy Prime Minister for National Vision Affairs in the Sana’a government, as well as the prominent leader of the movement, Muhammad Al-Bukhaiti , in addition to members of the Supreme Political Council, while the Islah delegation included Fathi Al-Azab, Sheikh Makram Al-Halali and other members of the Ansar Allah movement.

During the visit, the unified Hamas delegation congratulated all the victories achieved at the hands of the resistance fighters in Gaza, which forced the enemy to submit to the conditions of resistance. In turn, the representative of the Hamas movement in Yemen, Moaz Abu Shamala , praised the qualitative and heroic operations of Sanaa and its support for the resistance with military support and striking the depths of the Israeli entity with missiles, marches and other measures. Hamas also appreciated the role played by the unique Sanaa operation, represented by seizing the Israeli ship in the Red Sea, and stressed its important role in subjecting the Israeli enemy to the conditions of Palestinian resistance.

Allied for Democracy

Extremist Zionist Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign from the government. The occupation's Minister of National Security, Netanyahu, threatened to resign from the government "if the fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip does not resume after the prisoner and hostage exchange deal."

Ben Gvir had said that the agreement with Hamas regarding the exchange of prisoners and a ceasefire in Gaza was a “historical mistake” and “submission to the dictates of Yahya Sinwar,” as he put it. In his first comment on the agreement approved by the occupying entity, Ben Gvir said that the agreement is “a dangerous precedent and a historical mistake and accepts the dictates of the head of the political bureau of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.”

In Israel, a member of the Israeli Mini-Ministerial Council, Aryeh Deri, said that they are ready to increase the duration of the truce to 10 days. He added, in press statements, that they had approved the release of 300 Palestinian prisoners in the hope of returning 100 Israeli prisoners. In turn, Israeli Channel 12 said that Ofer, Damon, and Megiddo prisons have begun preparing to release Palestinian prisoners within the framework of the agreement with Hamas.

The channel quoted a Shin Bet official as saying that the identity of the prisoners who will be released within the agreement is not known at the present time, stressing that the details of the agreement indicate that at every step the names of the prisoners will be submitted for approval by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and the Shin Bet.

In turn, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir ordered preventing any manifestations of joy among Palestinian prisoners in prisons in conjunction with the process of releasing prisoners within the temporary truce agreement. The Israeli occupation police are also preparing to suppress any signs of joy among the families of the male and female Jerusalemite prisoners scheduled to be released within the next few days.

The far-right Zionist Minister Itamar Ben Gvir conducted an assessment with senior leaders of the occupation police and the prison service, ahead of the expected release of about 150 Palestinian prisoners within the framework of the truce agreement with the Hamas movement. The Times of Israel newspaper said that Ben Gvir ordered the head of the occupation prison service, Katy Perry, to “suppress attempts to celebrate” the release of Palestinian prisoners inside prison facilities.

Likewise, Ben Gvir asked the Occupation Police Commissioner, Kobi Shabtai, to use an “iron fist” against attempts to celebrate the release of prisoners or what he described as “support for terrorism.” He also asked Shabtai to strengthen the police presence at the expected destinations of the return of the released prisoners.

In a tweet on his official account on the “X” platform, Ben Gvir said : “You all know how much I opposed the expected deal, and how wrong I think this plan is. I hope that the war in Gaza, as the Prime Minister said, will continue further after the deal ends”. the Zionist minister considered the armistice agreement and hostage exchange “a dangerous precedent that repeats the mistakes of the past,” as he put it. Ben Gvir claimed: “ Hamas wanted this truce more than anything else, and it also wanted to get rid of the women and children in the first stage because they caused great international pressure on it. In return, it wanted to obtain fuel, release its detained fighters, stop Israeli army operations, and even reconnaissance no-fly zone."

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Qarei proposed to the Israeli government to impose sanctions on Haaretz newspaper for “spreading defeatist and false propaganda and incitement against the state during the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip , ” Maariv newspaper reported. Unlike other Israeli newspapers and media, the left-leaning Haaretz usually criticizes the practices of the Israeli army, and generally takes a position opposed to the occupation and supportive of peace with the Palestinians.

A few days ago, it published a report - quoting the Israeli police - stating that on October 7, an Israeli helicopter bombed Palestinians and Israelis in the town of Ra’im in the Gaza Strip, which may explain the high number of Israelis killed in the Al-Aqsa Flood, and contradicts the Israeli narrative that movement fighters The Islamic Resistance ( Hamas ) deliberately targeted civilians. Shlomo Qarei's office said - in a statement - that he had submitted a proposal to the government to stop publishing government advertisements in Haaretz and stop subscriptions to it. Qarei justified the decision by what he called "the continued dissemination of defeatist and false propaganda and incitement against the State of Israel during the war."

Qaraei considered that the newspaper “is taking an offensive line that undermines the goals of the war, and weakens the military effort and our social steadfastness.” The Israeli minister considered the newspaper “a mouthpiece for Israel’s enemies,” accusing it of “propaganda in the service of the enemy and presenting the narrative of our enemies, while presenting lies, using anti-Zionist and anti-Israel terminology, and justifying the enemy.”

The Washington Post said that the hostage deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel would bring joy to the families of the women and children who would be released initially, and the decision to stop fighting for 4 days would have an important impact for the Palestinian civilians trapped in the Gaza war who are He desperately needs it. The newspaper indicated that it is possible that the matter will gradually expand to include a broader calming of this conflict/nightmare.

David Ignatius explained - in his column in the Washington Post - that the basic idea driving the hostage release agreement, which was approved by the Israeli government early yesterday, Wednesday, is “more for more,” which is a well-known formula in arms control negotiations, according to which A senior Israeli official - Israel is ready to extend the truce period whenever Hamas hands over more prisoners, without a maximum period for which Israel may halt its operations, until all prisoners are released, including military personnel.

The writer saw that this formula is surprisingly practical for easing the conflict that began with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th of last year (referring to the Al-Aqsa flood ), which continued through the continuous Israeli bombing that lasted 6 weeks and killed many Palestinian civilians. This agreement formula is through Qatari mediation with Egyptian support and American sponsorship, especially since both Israel and Hamas trust the mediator, despite Israeli criticism of Doha.

The fighting disrupted the talks that were framed two days before Israel began its ground attack on the Gaza Strip , but the most difficult issue was who actually controlled the Israeli prisoners, especially since Hamas does not have immediate access to more than 50 prisoners, and the rest are being held by Other factions, such as the Islamic Jihad movement, or individual families, will therefore be more difficult to release, but Hamas has the incentive, according to the writer.

Ignatius concluded that this truce would alleviate mounting international criticism of Israel, which had already begun to harm Israeli interests, and perhaps enable Hamas to regroup, but Israel did not give up its desire to destroy Hamas' political power in Gaza. Ignatius quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, “We cannot allow Hamas to emerge from the tunnels, declare victory, and take control of Gaza.”

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani stressed - during a phone call with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken - the necessity of continuing efforts to stop the war on Gaza. Blinken also stressed during the call that his country remains committed to promoting the two-state solution, and reiterated the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Qatar.

For his part, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Qatar will be the one that will announce the entry into force of the truce and the exchange of hostages between Israel and Hamas, and that his country will continue to work to release all prisoners in Gaza. Sullivan added, in an interview with CBS, that there are other factions holding Israeli prisoners in Gaza, and there is an opportunity for Hamas to extend the truce by releasing more prisoners.

 



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