Operation Iron Swords - Day 141 - 24 February 2024
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NEW - War Termination NEW - Operations NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - Oasis of Martyrs UPDATED - Hostages |
Biden administration officials say they want to reach an agreement before the start of Ramadan, that is, more than two weeks from now. An Israeli official told the Hebrew Channel 12: Our goal is to reach a prisoner exchange deal before the month of Ramadan.
A number of analysts and experts in security affairs in Israel warned - during their discussions and analyzes on Israeli channels - of the repercussions of the expected measures by the Israeli government against those praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan. Channel 12 military affairs correspondent Nir Devori said, “There is a fear that the front that everyone fears will break out, especially before Ramadan, will open, and which has become more likely to explode,” warning of an attack that Palestinians might carry out in retaliation for what is happening in the Gaza Strip or because of the debate over Al-Aqsa Mosque. Who said that it unites all Palestinian arenas.
Devori added, "There are a large number of alerts and warnings about operations these days, and this forces Israel to increase military barriers and strengthen the prevention of operations." He believed that everything was very likely to explode because of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and "this is what requires the Israeli side to have a sound mind and cool nerves in management and decision-making."
The Israeli channel "Kan 11" highlighted Jordan's position, and said that they in Jordan are very concerned about the restrictions that Israel plans to impose on Muslim worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan. The same channel reported, "The Jordanian warning to Israel was presented to a large number of international bodies, given that it is the custodian of the holy places in Jerusalem, and also in accordance with the peace agreement between Jordan and Israel."
For his part, the head of the National Security Research Institute, Major General Tamir Hayman, warned that the situation was heading towards heating up, and he spoke on Channel 12 about the accumulated pressure in the West Bank , attributing this to a difficult economic crisis in light of the Palestinian workers stopping work, in addition to the fact that the Palestinian Authority It does not receive Palestinian tax revenues withheld by Israel. Hayman said, "We are on the verge of explosive days, and we need a lot of caution," stressing that Al-Aqsa Mosque is a "known detonator."
Israeli Channel 12 - through its affairs correspondent, Gal Khin - provided what it said was data on the number of operations carried out by Palestinians against Israelis. It revealed that since the beginning of the war on Gaza until today, 199 serious operations have occurred, that is, stabbings, rammings, shootings, and explosive devices, most of which occurred last October. The correspondent said that the Israeli Internal Security Service (Shin Bet ) thwarted 626 similar operations before they were carried out.
Writer Piotr Somlar said, in a report published by the French newspaper Le Monde, that Washington, Ukrainian Avdiivka , and Gaza are considered three theaters of international crises, and the common denominator between them is that they are a real test of the West’s credibility and unity. Due to the US Congress facing difficulties in directing military aid to Ukraine and the heavy losses caused by the Israeli war on Gaza, a gloomy atmosphere prevails in Western regimes.
The Le Monde report explained that indicators reveal that liberal democracies are going through a moment of existential doubt and weakness, such that they seem to have no voice when it comes to examining values, and in return they are focusing only on highlighting their strength. According to the writer, part of this gloomy atmosphere comes from Washington, as the possibility of Donald Trump ascending to the presidency again raises great fears in the hearts of the United States’ allies.
Regarding Ukraine, what the Europeans fear most is that Trump - if he wins - will abandon support for Kiev, as many Republicans consider that “the war in Ukraine is not an American affair.” Somlar reported that the redirection of American strategic attention towards Asia is reflected in Congress by obstructing the new aid package for Ukraine.
In the House of Representatives, a minority of a few dozen Republican elected officials is working to block a vote on the $60 billion financial package that has been approved in the Senate. The writer continued that regardless of what may happen in the American elections, Europeans must prepare to live without the United States by their side. He added that Moscow understood well these Western weaknesses and the Ukrainian army's significant ammunition shortage, so it was exploiting this hesitation to achieve gains on the front.
The writer stated that, similarly, the credibility of the United States was undermined by the tragedy experienced by Palestinian civilians in Gaza. More than 29,000 people were martyred, and Washington fell into unconditional support for the Israeli government, which left the United States in bitter diplomatic isolation. The Le Monde report added that the Palestinians have the right to "bemoan" the little attention that Americans pay to their fate, compared to the Ukrainian civilians who are victims of the Russian war. The difference in tone and strategy of US action in both cases is stark, as Le Monde confirms.
There is no end to the war in sight, as both sides still see the other as an “existential threat,” and there is no clear path to any kind of “permanent peace” between them.
Yesterday, Friday, talks began in Paris to discuss reaching an exchange and calm deal in the Gaza Strip with the participation of Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and an Israeli delegation headed by Mossad chief David Barnea, while a Hamas official said that the movement is waiting for what the mediators will return.
This evening, the war cabinet confirmed that an Israeli delegation will leave in the coming days to continue the negotiations on a hostage deal in Qatar. Earlier, the cabinet discussed the agreed upon lines within the outline. At the end of yesterday's meeting, the mediators agreed on the principles of the deal: the amount and categories of hostages to be released, and the Israeli compensation. Against the background of the outline, a senior political official told News 12: "There is significant progress and a solid basis for the discussion, from which it is possible to build the elements of the negotiations and reach agreements." In addition, a senior official in the government estimated that "if this is the outline that will be presented - it will be approved by the government."
As part of the outline that will be presented to the War Cabinet, about 40 abductees will be released: children, women, soldiers, adults and the sick. This is in exchange for 6 weeks of respite from fighting - at least one day for each abductee who is released. In addition, hundreds of "light" and "heavy" prisoners will be released, much less than what Hamas initially wanted; And there will be a renewed deployment of forces in the Gaza Strip, and the movement of women and children to the north of the Gaza Strip.
Points of contention are that Israel will not agree to the restoration of the Strip before its demilitarization, and the number of prisoners to be released. a Lebanese Hamas official told the Arab media: We agreed in the first stage to the release of about 40 Israeli abductees who are not soldiers - in exchange for the release of 15 Palestinian prisoners with heavy punishments and chronic illnesses - for each Israeli abductee who is released. According to him, there will be a day of respite for each abductee, in addition to a week of respite before the implementation of the agreement begins."
The same source added that they also insist on a significant income of humanitarian aid, including tents for all areas in the Gaza Strip, in addition to agreeing to the return of the displaced to their homes in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Paris talks were good and lasted longer than expected, citing Israeli officials who indicated that there is a way to go in the talks. Israeli media reported from sources familiar with the negotiations that the agreement in Paris was reached according to new broad lines. The sources said that there is progress that may allow a move to negotiate the details.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan indicated that the Israeli occupation's stance and responses to mediators are still negative and obstructing the advancement toward a breakthrough solution. He said that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "still adopts an intransigent stance toward the demands of the resistance, and its goals clash with all the initiatives proposed." Hamdan ascertained that Netanyahu does not care about the release of Israeli captives and rejected four different demands, the first being stopping the aggression of Gaza.
This comes after a source in the Resistance leadership told Al Mayadeen that all the rumors circulating about the progress of negotiations between the Palestinian Resistance and "Israel" were false. The source revealed that "Israel", in ongoing warmongering, continues to reject Hamas' proposal, calling it "unfeasible", and insists on its own conditions that do not include the withdrawal of its forces from Gaza or a permanent ceasefire.
According to the source, Hamas, on the other hand, provided appropriate solutions concerning the ceasefire, the return of displaced Gazans, the captives release deal, and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from Gaza. However, this was considered "a high ceiling" of demands by the Israeli occupation, the source stated, adding that negotiations are being stumped for that reason and from the Israeli side solely, therefore obstructing a breakthrough. The source highlighted that "Israel's" obstinance comes from internal conflicts that do not allow any form of flexibility in setting conditions, and the delusion that the occupation can force Hamas into a weakened position through military pressure.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the cabinet will gather next week to endorse the IDF's plans for Rafah, which include evacuating civilians from the area. "We are working to obtain another outline for the release of our hostages, as well as the completion of the elimination of the Hamas battalions in Rafah. That is why I sent a delegation to Paris and tonight we will discuss the next steps in the negotiations, Therefore, at the beginning of the week, I will convene the cabinet to approve the operational plans for action in Rafah, including the evacuation of the civilian population from there. Only a combination of military pressure and firm negotiations will lead to the release of our hostages, the elimination of Hamas and the achievement of all the war's objectives."
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that the Prime Minister presented to the security cabinet a document of principles related to the policy of “ the day after the Gaza war.” The broadcasting corporation said that the "Netanyahu document" includes Israel retaining its freedom to operate in the entire Gaza Strip without a time limit, and also includes establishing a security zone in the Strip adjacent to Israeli towns.
International newspapers and news sites shed light on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan for the day after the war on the Gaza Strip , and on American dissatisfaction with the settlement plans that the Israeli government intends to begin implementing in the West Bank . Netanyahu had previously presented to the security mini-ministerial council (the cabinet) a document of principles related to the policy of the day after the Gaza war, which includes - according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority - several provisions, including Israel’s preservation of freedom to operate in the entire Gaza Strip without a time limit, and it also includes the establishment of a security zone in the sector adjacent to Israeli towns.
The New York Times wrote that Netanyahu's plan "completely contradicts everything that the administration of US President Joe Biden has been seeking to achieve for months." An article published by the newspaper saw that Netanyahu's choice to reveal his plan in the hours before the start of the Paris negotiations on the prisoner exchange deal "is not a coincidence, but rather an intentional matter, the aim of which is to focus the public debate on the path that the Israeli prime minister wanted."
In the same context, the Financial Times found that Netanyahu’s plan for Gaza after the war “expresses a clear desire to regain control of the Strip, through a combination of occupation methods and collective punishment.” According to the newspaper, the plan, which was contained on one page, was worded ambiguously, and one of its goals was to tickle the feelings of right-wingers who support Netanyahu, pointing to the apathy with which the plan was met in Europe and America.
Axios, citing two sources, said that American, Qatari and Egyptian officials presented a new, more detailed framework for the hostage deal to Israeli negotiators during the meeting in Paris. The sources reported that the updated framework proposes that Hamas release approximately 40 prisoners in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Tel Aviv. The previous proposal also included a six-week ceasefire, but it was not as detailed as the proposal presented on Friday.
The two sources said that progress had been made during the Paris talks that could lead to more serious negotiations on the agreement in the next few days. A senior US official said: “Some progress was made in the hostage talks in Paris on Friday, but there are more ways to reach an agreement.”
The Axios website indicated that the Israeli delegation, which included the head of the Mossad, Shin Bet, and Israeli Army Intelligence, returned to Tel Aviv and will present a briefing to the Military Cabinet later on Saturday or Sunday. He explained that if the Cabinet approves the new framework proposed by the United States and other mediators, follow-up meetings will be held in the coming days.
A source familiar with the talks confirmed that the move to detailed negotiations still depends on the Qatari and Egyptian negotiators convincing Hamas to agree to the new framework as well. CIA Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel participated in the talks.
The updated U.S. framework for a Gaza hostage deal includes the following points, per sources with knowledge:
- The release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of 35-40 Israeli hostages, including civilian women, female soldiers, men over 50 and hostages in serious medical condition.
- The number of Palestinian prisoners that will be released for each of the female soldiers will be higher than for the other abductees that will be released at this stage and will also include prisoners who were sentenced for long period in prison for killing Israelis.
- For each hostage who is released, Israel will agree to a day of ceasefire, when in total in the first phase of the deal it will be possible to reach six weeks of ceasefire.
- The U.S. framework includes an initial and limited return of Palestinian citizens to the north of the Gaza Strip that will start during the implementation of this stage of the deal, under conditions that will be defined during the detailed negotiations.
- The U.S. framework also includes a significant increase in the scope of humanitarian aid that enters the Gaza Strip.
- The next phases in the deal that focus on release of soldiers and exchange of bodies were left very general as in the previous framework.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation added that the US administration informed Israel that Arab countries are preparing an initiative regarding the so-called “day after the war in Gaza,” noting that this Arab plan includes a clause stipulating the integration of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) into the Palestine Liberation Organization. Brett McGurk, the US President's envoy, pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold a discussion in the government regarding "the day after the Gaza war." In conjunction with the Paris negotiations that seek to reach an agreement to release prisoners - the United States was holding talks with Arab countries (which it did not name) regarding the day after the war.
During his visit to Israel, the US President's special envoy urged a ministerial discussion on the issue of "the day after the war." McGurk warned that if Israel did not make decisions, the Arab countries and the United States would move forward with the issue without it, according to the Israel Broadcasting Corporation.
“There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza — we have dismantled 18 of them,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told foreign reporters. “Now, Rafah is the next Hamas center of gravity.”
American and Israeli officials confirmed that the Hamas movement is still active in the northern Gaza Strip, and that Netanyahu's goal of "destroying it" remains elusive, according to the New York Times. The newspaper quoted American officials, who requested to remain anonymous, saying that "most of the Hamas tunnel network is still intact, and that Israel will not be able to achieve its goal of eliminating the military capacity of the Hamas movement."
The newspaper confirmed that "at least 5,000 Hamas fighters are still in the northern Gaza Strip, above and below the ground, and that the movement is still active there, and will be able to fire missiles at Israel and attack ground forces." The newspaper added, according to current and former Israeli security officials, that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's goal of destroying Hamas is still far-fetched."
An Israeli military intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under military protocol, said, “Israel is engaged in a comprehensive mission to expose Hamas’ military capabilities.” The American newspaper pointed out that “Israel, during its attack on Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, leveled neighborhoods, killed thousands of entire families, orphaned children, and displaced an estimated 1.7 million people.”
The newspaper said: “Since then, Israel has confirmed that it has killed more than 10,000 Hamas militants, and analysts explained that it is difficult to obtain an accurate number in light of the chaos of the war.” The newspaper revealed, quoting Israeli officials, that “the Israeli army dismantled the leadership structure of 18 of the 24 Hamas battalions in Gaza, but thousands of Hamas fighters remain above and below ground.”
Minister in the Israeli Defense Ministerial Council, Benny Gantz , threatened that the army would continue fighting and would reach deep into the territory of Gaza, including Rafah, south of the Strip. Gantz's threats coincide with the launch of meetings in Paris, with the participation of Qatar, Egypt, the United States and Israel, to discuss ways to calm the situation in the Gaza Strip and reach an agreement to exchange Palestinian and Israeli prisoners. Gantz said - in a recorded video message - that the fighting will continue in the future “deep in enemy territory,” referring to areas inside the Gaza Strip, and not just along the border, referring to the strip adjacent to Israeli towns and settlements. He stressed that the fighting will not stop until the threat is removed and the prisoners detained in Gaza are returned, stressing that the fighting in Rafah will be deep in the field.
He explained that the settlements around the Gaza Strip will be protected by increased forces, "and we will reach every place where there are Hamas fighters." Gantz addressed the residents of the settlements around the Gaza Strip, saying, “The decision to return is in your hands. The state will help all families or communities make the right decision for them, and we will provide you with all civil services, and your security is our responsibility.” The Israeli government has evacuated the residents of dozens of towns and settlements around the Gaza Strip to hotels and guest houses across Israel since the beginning of the aggression against the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, and many of them refuse to return while the war is still ongoing.
The Al-Monitor website focused on the Israeli military operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and quoted a source close to Israeli war council member Benny Gantz as saying that the operation could be carried out within a month or two, “but the hostages do not have this time, with many killed and injured.” The site comments that the controversy over Rafah is a microcosm of the larger controversy regarding the war, which has entered its fifth month.
Palestinian Resistance is engaged in intense confrontations in multiple battlefronts against the raiding Israeli occupation forces across the Gaza Strip. The confrontations are concentrated in the eastern and western areas of the city of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, and in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast of Gaza City. Two Israeli military helicopters landed in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood after fierce confrontations between the Palestinian Resistance fighters and the Israeli occupation forces there.
In brief statements, several Palestinian Resistance factions announced a series of operations against the Israeli occupation at various axes in the Gaza Strip. the spokesperson for the al-Mujahideen Brigades, Abu Bilal, announced that the Brigades' fighters carried out 17 military operations in the past 96 hours, which resulted in more than 20 Israeli soldiers killed or wounded. He pointed out that the military operations varied between sniper attacks, rocket strikes, and mortar attacks, in addition to targeting Israeli warplanes and occupation forces holed up in vehicles and buildings.
The al-Mujahideen Brigades published footage documenting its Resistance fighters targeting Israeli occupation gatherings with short-range rockets. The scenes showed smoke rising from the targeted location in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood. The Brigades' fighters also engaged in fierce confrontations with Israeli occupation vehicles and soldiers in the same neighborhood. Abu Bilal also revealed that in a joint operation with the al-Quds Brigades, al-Mujahideen Brigades sniped at six Israeli occupation soldiers stationed on their vehicles in the vicinity of Tayba Towers, south of the Japanese neighborhood west of Khan Younis, confirming casualties among the soldiers as a result of the operation, which dealt a painful blow to the Israeli occupation.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, declared the destruction of an Israeli armored personnel carrier (APC) using a homemade Shawaz explosive device south of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, inflicting casualties among the crew of the vehicle, which required the landing of an Israeli helicopter to transport them. Al-Qassam announced that its fighters targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with a Tandem shell and that its snipers shot an Israeli soldier using the homemade Ghoul sniper rifle in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
Meanwhile, the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, announced carrying out a top-tier resistance operation in the Aabasan al-Kabira area, east of Khan Younis. The Brigades' fighters targeted an Israeli bulldozer with a Barq-type explosive device, then targeted a Merkava tank with a Tandem shell, eliminating its crew from point-blank range.
In the same area, the Resistance fighters of al-Quds Brigades engaged in fierce confrontations with the Israeli occupation soldiers and their military vehicles, using machine guns, anti-tank shells, and anti-personnel weapons. The Brigades also targeted gatherings of Israeli occupation soldiers and military vehicles in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, noting that two vehicles were targeted with an RPG shell. The al-Quds Brigades' military media released footage showing the salvos of rockets that the Brigades' fighters launched on Israeli military gatherings in the combat zones south of Gaza City.
On its part, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced that its fighters engaged in fierce confrontations with the Israeli occupation soldiers and their vehicles using various weapons, including machine guns, and RPGs in the fighting axes in Khan Younis. The Brigades' fighters targeted a D9-type Israeli military bulldozer with an RPG shell and shelled the gatherings of Israeli soldiers and vehicles with mortar shells and short-range rockets in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood. They also targeted the gatherings of Israeli soldiers with a rocket salvo of the 107 type east of the central area of the Strip.
As for the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), it announced that its combat units engaged in fierce confrontations with the invading occupation forces in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, using various weapons. Earlier, the spokesperson for the Martyr Omar al-Qassem Forces, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Abu Khaled, confirmed that the Forces' fighters caused casualties among Israeli occupation forces after targeting an Israeli military vehicle with an explosive device in th e al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Younis. He added that the fighters engaged with an Israeli patrol in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, using heavy machine guns, explosive devices, anti-tank and personnel shells, achieving direct hits.
The Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Hartzi Halevi, held an assessment of the situation today (Saturday) in the northern Gaza Strip together with the commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, and the commander of Division 162, Brigadier General Itzik Cohen and other commanders. "Releasing the abductees is a war goal and we intend to do a great deal to realize it," said the Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi, "the fighting effort is the most effective action that helps those who carry and give in all kinds of places for the release of the abductees."
"We are making a move to deepen the achievement," said the Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Halevi, "there are areas we have already been to, and we are returning with better intelligence and making an achievement that is much higher and much deeper, literally, even into the ground, as well in hitting the enemy. There are places we passed through at a very high rate of combat, and we are returning to places to purify space at a very, very high level. These things bring another level of operatives, another level of commanders, more destruction of infrastructure."
"We are also in the days of negotiations on the release of the abductees," he continued, "I don't know how this will develop, there are those who are engaged in this, we are engaged in fighting. I want you to know one thing: there is a connection between the things. Your achievements - another regiment that you dismantle, Another underground infrastructure, another neighborhood where the destruction of the infrastructure is being carried out, and the population evacuating to safe spaces - all of these things put pressure on us, I very much hope, also to achieve the release of the abductees. This is the goal of the war. We intend to do a great deal to realize it, and an effort Fighting is the most effective action that helps those who carry and give in all kinds of places for the release of the kidnapped."
"This is the lever we are taking down on Hamas," concluded the Chief of Staff, "and you are taking it down very well, we need to continue to take it down hard, I hope we will know how to translate it into the release of the abductees as well."
During a raid by the paratroopers in western Khan Yunis, the fighters located a warehouse of military equipment . In the warehouse, a lot of ammunition was found, including cartridges, explosives, grenades, mines and charges that the terrorists planned to plant in the area to harm the forces. In addition, rockets and combat equipment, helmets, vests were found in the warehouse and means of communication. Soldiers of the 7th SDF raid on dozens of terrorist infrastructures in the west of Khan Yunis , eliminating dozens of terrorists by firing tanks, shooting at close range and by targeting aircraft. As part of the raids on terrorist targets and their scanning, the fighters located mortar bombs and cartridges inside UNRA sacks. Also, Kalashnikovs, bullets, grenades, explosives, drones, RPG launchers, explosive charges and means of communication were located and confiscated.
In the center of the strip, the battle team of the Nahal Brigade eliminated a number of terrorists throughout the last day. In one of the activities, the brigade's fire complex identified two terrorists who were walking around near the forces with bags and an object suspected to be a military weapon, within a few minutes, the terrorists were eliminated. In addition, the fighting in Khan Yunis continues. As part of a brigade attack, the fighters of the battle team of the Givati Brigade eliminated many terrorists with precise sniper fire in the last day.
The fighters of the 7th Brigade Combat Team identified three terrorists approaching and moving towards the force and eliminated them with the help of a combat helicopter. After a few minutes, four more terrorists were identified and eliminated through an aircraft attack. In addition, in the last day, the fighters eliminated several terrorist squads that moved towards our forces by firing tank shells.
Al Jazeera's correspondent added that the occupation launched a series of raids and fire belts east of Khan Yunis, stressing that the occupation aircraft targeted the town of Khuza'a, where the occupation destroyed all the homes under the pretext of establishing a buffer zone, according to what the Israeli "B'Tselem" organization announced. The Palestinian News Agency indicated that the neighborhoods of Al-Sabra, Tal Al-Hawa and Al-Daraj in Gaza City were subjected to intense artillery shelling, leaving dozens injured. She said that the occupation artillery fired several shells near shelter centers and tents for the displaced in Al-Mawasi, west of the city of Rafah .
Palestinian journalist Abdullah Al-Attar documented the significant increase in the prices of a number of food items available in the southern Gaza Strip , and during a tour of one of the markets he showed the significant increase in prices compared to their levels before the beginning of the aggression against Gaza. Al-Attar spoke to some sellers in the video that he posted on his account on the Instagram platform, and asked about the prices of goods, including coffee, sugar, and some vegetables.
The clip shows that the price of sugar went from 3 shekels before the start of the war to about 70 shekels now (a dollar equals about 3.63 shekels), while the price of coffee rose from 10 shekels to about 100 shekels. On the side allocated to vegetables, the journalist found that the price of lemons rose from 5 shekels to 25, while onions are currently sold for about 50 shekels compared to one shekel before the war. Some other items were not spared from the rise, as the price of a bag of “chips” moved from about one shekel before the war to 12 shekels now.
The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army deep in Gaza City and in Khan Yunis exceed in their brutality what was shown in the pictures obtained by Al-Jazeera from an Israeli army drone, and show operations of great destruction, sniping, and the spread of bodies in the streets of Tal Al-Zaatar. Northern Gaza Strip . He added that if the film shown by Al Jazeera had talked about the depths of Gaza, the camps area, and Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, the world would have witnessed atrocities and intentional acts of brutality that could not be tolerated.
It is noteworthy that Al Jazeera obtained video clips extracted from an Israeli occupation army drone, showing its targeting of civilians in the Tal al-Zaatar area and the arrest of medical personnel and patients from Al Awda Hospital. These pictures also show the bombing of entire residential blocks. Al-Duwairi recalled his previous statement - during his daily analytical pause on Al Jazeera - that Israel is employing an artificial intelligence system to commit massacres against the Palestinians in Gaza, even though this system is supposed to be used to set targets in order to reduce losses and avoid damage.
IDF soldiers operated tonight in the village of Zaatra in the Etzion Brigade, and mapped two houses belonging to the terrorists who carried out this week's shooting attack at the A-Zaim checkpoint near Ma'e Adumim. The IDF, Shin Bet and MGB forces arrested two wanted men in the village of Burka in Samaria, two more wanted men in Bazariya in Samaria and another wanted man in Zabidat in the Bekaa. The wanted persons who were arrested were transferred for further investigation by the security forces, there are no casualties to our forces.
The forces of Division 162 continued to fight in the Zeytun neighborhood south of Gaza City. Soldiers of the 401st Army Defense Forces identified, using a drone, a terrorist squad that was preparing to launch an anti-tank missile at our forces, a short time later we directed an aircraft at the squad and it was eliminated. During the last day, the fighters in the raid on Zeyton eliminated many terrorists with airstrikes and encounters in the field. In addition, the forces located many weapons, including Kalashnikov rifles and cartridges, a ready-to-use explosive as well as vests and documents of the terrorist organization Hamas.
The Israeli forces stormed several areas in the West Bank , and confrontations broke out between Palestinian resistance fighters and the occupation forces, resulting in a number of casualties. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the village of Al-Tuwani in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and the city of Yatta from its southern axis. The forces assaulted and beat a foreign activist, and sent them threatening letters warning them against documenting the occupation’s violations in the Masafer areas. The occupation forces had previously assaulted and beaten a foreign activist in Khallet al-Farra in Masafer Yatta.
Local sources reported that a group of armed settlers blocked the road to a vehicle in which two young Palestinians were traveling near the village of Susiya in Masafer Yatta, while they were on their way to their homes, and beat them and sprayed hot and toxic gas on their faces, causing them to suffer bruises. The occupation forces stormed the northern town of Asira in Nablus, deployed their forces in several neighborhoods and drove military vehicles into them. Local sources reported that confrontations broke out between Palestinian youths and the occupation forces, with heavy gunfire and tear gas being heard in the town, resulting in casualties among Palestinians.
In Hebron, the Israeli occupation forces fired flares over the entrance to Al-Fawwar camp, as they stormed the area, according to scenes broadcast by local Palestinian platforms, and Palestinian youths attacked a military tower at the entrance to Al-Fawwar camp with Molotov cocktails. In Tulkarm, confrontations broke out between young men and the occupation forces after storming the town of Kafr al-Labad, east of the city. The occupation forces also stormed the village of al-Nazla al-Sharqiya and the Shweika suburb of the western axis of Tulkarm, and stationed themselves in the al-Aqsa neighborhood at the entrance to the suburb.
It also stormed Al-Salam neighborhood and the Dhanaba suburb east of Tulkarm, and stationed itself in the Al-Rashid neighborhood in the suburb, and in the area near Jabal Al-Nasr in Nour Shams camp, and conducted a wide search operation in the area. Al-Jazeera's correspondent reported that the occupation forces were carrying out raids on the homes of the perpetrators of the Zaim checkpoint operation in the village of Beit Tamar, east of Bethlehem.
Yesterday, Friday, the Israeli occupation forces continued to impose restrictions on worshipers’ entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for the twentieth Friday in a row since the start of the war on Gaza. The occupation forces prevented young people in particular and other groups of Jerusalemites from entering the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday prayers without giving reasons and in a random manner, while they attacked worshipers outside the walls of the Old City and prevented them from performing prayers at the Lions’ Gate and near the Mercy Cemetery.
Lebanese "Hezbollah" announced that its fighters had targeted the Israeli army assembly building at the Al-Malikiyah site, the Zarit barracks, and the headquarters of the Beit Hilal Brigade of the 769th Eastern Regional Brigade. Today, Hezbollah issued several statements confirming that it targeted “a building where Israeli soldiers are stationed in the Al-Malikiyah site, the Zarit barracks with a Burkan missile, and the headquarters of the Beit Hilal Battalion of the 769th Eastern Regional Brigade with Katyusha rockets.”
He explained in a statement: “In response to the enemy’s attacks on villages and civilian homes, especially the town of Blida, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted at 17:00 on Saturday 02/24/2024 a building in which soldiers were stationed.” "The enemy in Al-Malikiyah colony used appropriate weapons and hit him directly." Hezbollah added in a statement: “In response to the enemy’s attacks on villages and civilian homes, especially in the town of Aita al-Shaab, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted, at 4:00 pm on Saturday, February 24, 2024, the Zarit barracks with a missile.” Volcano and they hit it directly.”
He confirmed in another statement: “In response to the enemy’s attacks on villages and civilian homes, especially in the town of Baraashit, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted at 9:00 pm on Saturday, February 24, 2024, the command headquarters.” The Beit Hillal Battalion of the 769th Eastern Regional Brigade fired Katyusha rockets.” Hezbollah had previously targeted Israeli military concentrations on Cobra Hill, the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site, and the Zabdin barracks.
Minister in the Israeli Defense Ministerial Council, Benny Gantz , indicated that the ongoing war will not end until the residents of the settlements near the Lebanese border return to their homes. "We are working militarily and politically. Hezbollah has already been expelled from the border, and we are preparing for the day when we will issue the order when we need to expand our activities," he said. Residents of the northern settlements were displaced from their places of residence due to the border confrontations that broke out between the occupation army and the resistance factions in Lebanon, led by Hezbollah, since last October 8.
Iaraeli warplanes attacked an operational headquarters used by Hizbullah's Radwan force in the area of the village of Rashit and launching positions and terrorist infrastructures in the area of Jebel Belat in southern Lebanon. Artillery fire was also carried out to remove a threat to the main area of ??al-Fuhar.
During the day, an IDF drone detected a squad of terrorists entering a Hezbollah military structure in the area of the village of Layda in southern Lebanon, a fighter jet attacked the structure where the terrorists were identified a short time ago. The IDF forces detected a terrorist squad using an aircraft entering a Hezbollah weapons warehouse in the area of the village of El Matamura. In a short time fighter jets attacked the warehouse where the squad was identified. After the attack, significant secondary explosions occurred, indicating the presence of an IED in the building. In addition, warplanes attacked an operational headquarters used by Hizbullah's Radwan force in the area of the village of Rashit and launching positions and terrorist infrastructures in the area of Jebel Belat in southern Lebanon. Artillery fire was also carried out to remove a threat to the main area of al-Fuhar.
In the last few hours, fighter jets attacked additional military buildings used by Hezbollah in the area of the villages of Rab a-Taltin, Eyta a-Sha'ab and Beyda, and artillery fire was carried out to remove a threat to several locations in southern Lebanon. During the day, a number of launches were detected towards the Arab al Aramsha, Hanita and Har Dov areas, the IDF attacked the sources of the shooting in Lebanese territory.
During the night, warplanes attacked Hizbullah launch sites and terrorist infrastructures in the Jebel Balt area. In addition, an observation post of the organization was attacked in the Eyta al-Sha'ab area. Also, the IDF attacked with artillery to remove a threat in the Hanin area and the Marvin area.
Yemeni Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badreddine al-Houthi said during a televised speech that the Yemeni Armed Forces have developed the existing missiles in their arsenal to the point that they have become too advanced for the US forces to intercept, as they have failed to block them from reaching their ships. He added that the Israeli occupation carried out all forms of genocide, murder, and starvation against the Palestinian people in Gaza as the United States insists on participating in these crimes by providing arms to the Israeli occupation, while the majority of the world stands idle or even goes as far as supporting the Israeli occupation.
The challenge has already been acknowledged by United States Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said during an interview on CBS's '60 Minutes', that the engagement against the Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red Sea constitutes one of the most significant naval battles the US has encountered in decades.
"I think you'd have to go back to World War II where you have ships who are engaged in combat," Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told the host, Norah O'Donnell, before adding "When I say engaged in combat, where they're getting shot at, we're getting shot at, and we're shooting back." Cooper, the deputy commander of the US Central Command, informed O'Donnell that approximately 7,000 sailors from the Navy were deployed to the Red Sea.
CNN, citing officials familiar with the situation, reported that the frequency and intensity of strikes against Yemen, in response to the targeting of Western ships in the Red Sea in support of Gaza, are not yielding the desired results as per the United States' objectives. According to a report by CNN, citing officials familiar with the situation, the amount and frequency of strikes against Yemen in response to the targeting of Western ships in the Red Sea in support of Gaza are not producing the results that the US wants to see. The report details that the strikes made the Yemeni forces move in deeper and stronger, and hide better.
On Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. (Sanaa time), USS Mason (DDG 87) shot down one Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM) launched into the Gulf of Aden from Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. The missile was likely targeting MV Torm Thor, a U.S.-Flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker. Neither USS Mason nor MV Torm Thor were damaged and there were no injuries.
The US Central Command said that an attack launched by the Houthis on the cargo ship Ruby Mar on February 18 caused serious damage to the ship, and the leakage of an oil slick 29 kilometers long. It added that the ship was transporting more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer, which could lead to an environmental disaster. The US Central Command said - in a statement - regarding the British-owned cargo ship flying the Belize flag, "The ship is anchored but is slowly taking on water."
The military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, said in a statement - the day after the attack - that his group targeted the ship in the Gulf of Aden, and it is now in danger of sinking.
Also yesterday, US Central Command said it shot down 3 Houthi attack drones that were heading to commercial ships in the Red Sea, without causing damage. It added in a statement that it carried out what it called self-defense strikes against 4 drones and two Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that had been prepared to be launched towards the Red Sea. The US command indicated that the drones and cruise missiles were identified as posing an imminent threat to commercial ships and US Navy ships in the region.
The US Central Command announced on Saturday that it had destroyed 7 cruise missiles that were prepared to be launched from Houthi areas in Yemen towards targets in the Red Sea. It said in a statement, "Yesterday, Friday, Central Command forces destroyed 7 mobile anti-ship cruise missiles belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis, which were prepared to be launched toward the Red Sea as part of a self-defense measure." The US Central Command added, "US Central Command forces identified these missiles in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, and decided that they represent an imminent threat to commercial ships and US Navy ships in the region." She stressed that "these measures will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters protected and safer for the US Navy and commercial ships."
In this context, Houthi-affiliated media said, "An American-British aggression targeted the Ras Issa area in the Al-Salif District, north of Hodeidah, in the west of the country, with three raids."
Maps
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All maps are lies. “Not only is it easy to lie with maps, it is essential,” wrote cartographer Mark Monmoneir in his book How to Lie with Maps. He showed that condensing complex, three-dimensional spaces onto a two-dimensional sheet of paper [in old days] is bound to be reductive. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. These processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, there remains the epistemological question of just exactly what are the colored in areas depicting. Naively, this might be understood as areas of Israeli control, that are no longer contested by the HAMAS. Or possibly these are areas of Israeli presence, in many of which the possibility of an RPG-wielding HAMAS militant popping out of a tunnel unexpectedly remains a live possibility. With the "zero-range" combat characterized by small unit tactics on both sides, maps may be prey to a fallacy of misplaced concreteness.
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Bystanders
A report published by the American "Time" magazine confirmed that Israel's allies in the United States and Europe have largely avoided calling for a ceasefire because they believe that this would be tantamount to depriving it of its right to "eradicate" the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) from Gaza. Writer Yasmine Sarhan said in her report that in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, with increasing calls to stop the war, and with the death toll approaching 30,000, pressure has mounted on Israel and its supporters to change course.
The first shifts - according to the Time report - came from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, which on February 15 issued a joint statement calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” indicating that the Israeli ground attack on Rafah would be “devastating.” Also, 26 of the 27 member states of the European Union - with the exception of Hungary - echoed these concerns, calling for the establishment of “an immediate humanitarian truce that would lead to a sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the opposition Labor Party - which is expected to form the country's next government - announced that it also supports an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire," adding that the attack on Rafah "must not happen." This is in contrast to the ruling Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak , which opposes a complete ceasefire.
Time quoted the Palestinian ambassador to Britain, Hossam Zomlot, as saying, “The tide has changed,” noting that although he encouraged a change in rhetoric among Western governments, “the starting point was completely unbalanced.” He added that many still need to match their words with their actions, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, which expressed their regret over the lack of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, while at the same time they stopped funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ). In the United Kingdom, a vote on a non-binding ceasefire resolution on Wednesday eventually turned into political infighting within Parliament.
Ambassador Zomlot commented on this, saying, "This is not the right time for internal politics. We see a lot of political maneuvering between parties and scoring points, while hundreds and thousands of children are being slaughtered. We will not forget and we will not forgive." As Zomlot and many other observers see - Time explains - the failure of Western capitals to move more quickly to demand a ceasefire not only poses a threat to the lives of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, but to the existing international order. Zomlot said, "The post-World War II rules-based order is under the greatest existential threat since its inception, and I believe it will not survive if the West does not take immediate action."
Time said that the imminent Israeli invasion of Rafah prompted such a response, which reflects the concerns of many countries, international institutions and humanitarian organizations about what could happen if the attack continues. UN bodies and international medical research centers warn that tens of thousands of Gaza residents will die in the coming months if escalation occurs. According to the American magazine, these warnings did not convince Israel not to launch its attack, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a necessary step in the country's goal of achieving "complete victory."
Israel will send an official document to the International Court of Justice announcing the implementation of the orders issued by the court following a lawsuit filed by South Africa accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide in Gaza. The court issued 6 orders, including a request to submit a detailed report on February 26 explaining how the orders were implemented.
Hebrew media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the drafting of a “very high-level document” outlining the steps to implement the orders, including transferring humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza and preserving evidence relevant to the case. She reported that the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs have drafted the Israeli response document, and the document will be sent to the court after Netanyahu approves it.
The Israeli response includes an affirmation that the cases for which the orders were issued will be implemented in any case, even without the court issuing them. The media indicated that the Israelis were encouraged that the court actually rejected South Africa's demands to issue nine arrest warrants against Israel.
By a majority vote of members, Israel was requested to take action in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Israel was also asked, by a vote of 15 to two, to “effectively and immediately ensure” that the Israeli army does not commit genocide, while it was asked, by a vote of 16 to one, to “take all measures in its power to prevent and punish incitement to genocide.”
In addition, Israel must, by a vote of 16 to one, take “immediate and effective measures” to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population in Gaza. Tel Aviv was also asked, by a vote of 15 to two, to take “effective measures” to prevent destruction and preserve evidence related to the accusations against it.
On January 26, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide against Palestinians and improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, but the decision did not include a “ceasefire.” The decision was issued during a session held by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, to decide on South Africa’s request calling on Tel Aviv to take precautionary measures in the “genocide” lawsuit filed against Israel.
Axis of Resistance
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the American and European youth search holy Muslim book Quran to find out the reason for the Palestinian people’s resistance against the Israeli regime’s horrifying crimes in Gaza. In a meeting the organizers of the Congress for the Commemoration of the 24,000 Martyrs of Khuzestan Province has with the Leader in Tehran on Saturday, Ayatollah Khamenei discussed the miracle of the people’s struggles accompanied by their Islamic faith.
The Leader underlined that the epic and miracle of the people of Khuzestan during the Sacred Defense was a result of a combination of the people's efforts and their faith in Islam. The Leader praised the late Imam Khomeini’s (RA) precision in choosing the term "Islamic Republic," noting that the combination of relying on the people and Islamic principles has been instrumental in the stability and progress of the Islamic system and its ability to overcome the various challenges and conspiracies that it has encountered.
He also emphasized the need to continue this approach in order to overcome future challenges, Khamenei.ir reported. “From the early days of the Islamic Movement until the victory of the Islamic Revolution and thereafter, Imam Khomeini (RA) consistently trusted the people, viewing Islam as an effective school of thought for politics and for managing society. Based on this, he was able to lay the groundwork for Iran's advancement and sustain remarkable movements,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the most important problem of the enemies of the Islamic Republic is their inability to comprehend the Iranian people and the enemies’ lack of understanding of Islam. “The enemies of the Iranian nation, based on their estimates and plans, were convinced that the Islamic Republic would not see its 40th birthday. However, Iran’s advancement has not been halted much to their dismay. With the grace of God and the determination and religious faith of the people, this progress will continue,” he emphasized.
Elsewhere in his speech, the Leader also highlighted the current situation in Gaza as being a testament to the miracle of relying on people and their religious faith. “The steadfastness of the Resistance forces and their being able to disappoint the enemy’s hopes of being able to eliminate them, as well as the patience of the people of Gaza in the face of all the bombings and calamities, is a demonstration of the strong religious faith of the Palestinians,” he said.
Referring to the exposure of the lies within Western civilization's claims regarding human rights and the hypocrisy of the West with respect to the tragedy in Gaza, Ayatollah Khamenei added, “The Westerners, who raise a commotion about the execution of a convict, have closed their eyes to the killing of 30,000 innocent people in Gaza. And the United States has shamelessly vetoed the resolution for a ceasefire for the umpteenth time.” The Leader emphasized that what is seen as well-groomed, smiling politicians on the outside is actually a facade hiding the true nature of Western culture, civilization, and liberal democracy. Ayatollah Khamenei described their true nature as being that of a “rabid dog and bloodthirsty wolf”.
In his concluding remarks, the Leader expressed confidence that Western civilization and its misguided values will not prevail, and that the culture based on truth and the correct reasoning of Islam will ultimately triumph over them.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday that the steadfastness of the resistance forces in the region has frustrated the enemy, considering that Western claims about human rights are mere hypocrisy. Khamenei added, “Trust in the masses is what sustained the Islamic Republic’s regime and developed its path,” noting that “the continuation of this approach in the future as well will ensure that the problems are overcome.” Khamenei considered that "the steadfastness of the resistance forces in the region frustrated the enemy, and the patience of the people of Gaza in the face of bombing and tragedies reflects their deep religious faith." In this context, the Iranian leader said, “It has become clear that Western claims about human rights were false and just hypocrisy,” and added, “Western countries are raising an uproar over the execution of a criminal, while ignoring the killing of 30,000 innocent people in Gaza, and this is the true face of Western democracy.”
Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani condemned the British and American attacks on Yemen, and considered them a clear violation of Yemeni sovereignty. He said that the Yemenis are making their decisions in this confrontation independently, and that their actions come in the context of defending the Palestinian people. He said: "The Yemenis are taking their measures independently and they are defending their homeland ably and adhering to their principles. The Yemenis are taking these measures out of their defense of the oppressed Palestinian people . We strongly condemn the American-British threats and attacks against the Yemeni people and we confirm that they are the decision makers and are implementing their measures." about it independently.”
Syria's appeal at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) underscores the urgency of prosecuting Israeli officials for their violations and crimes against Palestinian territories, seeking accountability and justice. Syria has called for the "immediate" prosecution of Israeli officials for their flagrant violations and various crimes, according to Ammar al-Arsan, the country's representative to the ICJ in The Hague. He made the remarks during oral proceedings on Friday regarding the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.
"Syria believes that Israel's prosecution, due to egregious violation of international laws and perpetration of crimes, is highly imperative," al-Arsan stated before the tribunal. The Israeli regime came into existence in 1948 after occupying significant portions of Palestinian territories during a Western-backed war. It further expanded its occupation by seizing the West Bank, including East Jerusalem al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip in 1967. Since then, it has constructed hundreds of settlements on these territories and imposed severe restrictions on the movements of Palestinians living there. While Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it has maintained a comprehensive land, aerial, and naval blockade on the territory since 2006.
"Syria insists on the temporary nature of the occupation," al-Arsan emphasized, adding that the country "does not and will not accord the occupying entity any right to attain sovereignty over the occupied territories, no matter how long the savage occupation is going to take." Al-Arsan highlighted the right to self-determination as one of the most important and original human rights. He accused Israel of violating this right by enabling illegal settlements across occupied Palestinian territories, asserting that Israel should be held accountable for these violations.
In addition to the crime of occupation, which is under discussion by the court, al-Arsan noted that the Israeli regime is committing genocide in Gaza and launching deadly attacks against Syria and Lebanon. He criticized the international community for its failure to confront these crimes and ensure the implementation of relevant international resolutions.
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mardawi confirmed to Al Mayadeen that the Palestinian Resistance has not yet received anything from the mediators regarding the Gaza ceasefire discussions in the French capital Paris to assess and build on them. He made it clear that the Israeli occupation entity is "weaving a narrative of negotiations that has no relevance to us [Hamas]."
Al-Mardawi mentioned that the visit of the head of the political bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh to Cairo did not delve into the details of the ongoing negotiations. The Palestinian official mentioned that Hamas' delegation to Cairo discussed with the Egyptian officials the issue of breaking the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza to save the people in the north. He pointed out that "the enemy's attempts to achieve at the negotiating table what it failed to achieve on the battlefield have all failed," underlining that the Resistance will not follow through with any position unless it serves its interests and asserts its rights. Reuters cited a Hamas official as saying that the movement concluded ceasefire talks in the Egyptian capital and was now waiting for what the mediators bring back from upcoming weekend talks with the Israelis. The official confirmed that the Palestinian Resistance movement did not offer any new proposal in Cairo. "We discussed our proposal with them (the Egyptians) and we are going to wait until they return from Paris," the Hamas official was quoted by Reuters as saying.
The Mujahideen Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, announced the implementation of 17 military missions in sniper operations and rocket shelling, during which more than 20 Israeli soldiers were killed and wounded. The military spokesman for the Mujahideen Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, Abu Bilal, said in a statement: “After 141 days of war, our mujahideen continue to direct their painful strikes against the Zionist enemy forces on all fronts of advance in the Gaza Strip.”
He added: "In the last 96 hours, we carried out 17 military missions during which more than 20 Zionist enemy soldiers were killed or wounded. They varied between sniping operations, missile and mortar shelling, and targeting the Zionist enemy's warplanes and forces holed up in vehicles and buildings." He stressed that "yesterday's special Khan Yunis operation was a painful blow to the Zionist enemy, as our mujahideen sniped 6 soldiers from the enemy army, and hunted them down like ducks from their vehicles, and they fell successively by the bullets of our mujahideen. The documentation will be published, God willing."
Allied for Democracy
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu repeated his call for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip , criticizing the position of the international community that rejects “voluntary immigration” and re- settlement in the Strip. During an interview with the Times of Israel newspaper, Eliyahu said that the world can accommodate millions of refugees, but it does not allow the residents of Gaza to move from one place to another and “liberate them from the war and the rule of Hamas.”
Regarding the re-settlement in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli minister said that where there are settlements, there will be security. He added that US President Joe Biden is making a "very grave mistake" by talking about a two-state solution, stressing that the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel will lead to a Holocaust, as he described it.
Eliyahu sparked widespread controversy when he spoke early last November about the possibility of dropping an atomic bomb on Gaza, as he believed that “there is no innocent” there. Ministers in the Israeli government - most notably Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich - had called for the displacement of Gaza's residents and the return of Jewish settlers to the Strip. Ben Gvir and Smotrich participated in the “Return to Gaza” conference, which was organized by settlement associations and right-wing parties in occupied Jerusalem at the end of last January. The Minister of Security has repeatedly said that he has a plan aimed at “encouraging Gazans to voluntarily migrate to other countries around the world” by offering financial incentives.
Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said on Saturday that Tel Aviv will achieve its goals in the Gaza Strip until the end and then move to Lebanon. In press statements published by the Hebrew Channel 12, the Israeli National Security Advisor demanded the release of all hostages and the immediate release of the women. He stated in his statements that the war in Gaza will not end with the release of the kidnapped people.
In response to a question about the war in the north, Tzachi Hanegbi said: “We kill terrorists every day until they understand the price of aggression against us... I think Hezbollah is beginning to understand the price.” "The fighting has not escalated into civilians versus civilians, it is army versus army," he added. He continued, saying: “I supported the decision not to fight in two arenas. We will return the people to a place where there is no “Ridwan Force” on the border in a political and diplomatic way, and if that is not the case, then in a military way,” adding, “If it is not achieved in a political way, we will have to achieved in a military manner.
Regarding the Israeli delegation returning from the Paris talks to discuss an agreement to release the hostages, he said that the delegation “reiterated that there is something that must be updated, and that is the reason for the war cabinet meeting that will be held tonight.” He added: "Our position is that the plan will not be interpreted under any circumstances as the end of the war," noting that Israel's demands include the release of all hostages and the immediate release of women.
Hanegbi also addressed the issue of Rafah, stating, "We are confident that when the army obtains the approval of the political leadership to operate in Rafah, we will destroy all Hamas brigades, those that still exist in Rafah and other places."
The Israeli newspaper "Maariv" quoted retired Israeli General Itzhak Brik as saying that he spoke about what he called "total chaos" among soldiers in the Gaza Strip that is not being talked about in the media, related to equipment and logistical services. Brik said that he had received complaints from soldiers regarding equipment malfunctions and shortages, and added that dozens of damaged tanks were still stuck waiting to be towed out of the sector. He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed after October 7 that the army was not ready for war immediately due to the presence of soldiers who had not trained for 5 years, in addition to the shortage of equipment. A few days ago, Israeli Army Radio revealed that Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy decided to launch internal investigations into all units into the events of last October 7, expecting the investigations to continue for 3 months and to extend to all army units.
Major General (Res.) Itzhak Brik is a Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at Reichman University, Herzliya. Near his retirement from this position in 2018, and even more so afterward, Brik became known as a harsh critic of the preparation of the IDF and the Ministry of Defense to a regional war in the Middle East, and is considered in Israel as the "prophet of wrath" of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.
French President Emmanuel Macron stressed to his American counterpart Joe Biden the necessity of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip , and his opposition to launching an attack on Rafah. The French presidency stated that Macron and Biden stressed the necessity of reaching an agreement on prisoners that would allow the fighting to stop and end the escalation. They also stressed the urgent need to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza. The two sides affirmed their common determination to avoid the expansion of the conflict regionally, especially in Lebanon.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that his country is disappointed by Israel's announcement of plans to build 3,000 housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank , considering that they contradict international law. Blinken added, during a press conference in Buenos Aires yesterday, Friday, during his visit to Argentina, commenting on the issue, “With regard to the settlements, we have seen these reports and I must say that we are disappointed by this announcement, and Israel’s expansion in building settlements is contrary to the law.” International".
Blinken said, "It has been long-standing American policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations that new settlements are counterproductive to achieving lasting peace. They are also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains its firm opposition to settlement expansion. In our view, This only weakens Israel's security and does not strengthen it."
The administration of US President Joe Biden objects to the expansion of settlements, and says that it harms efforts for permanent peace, but Blinken's statement yesterday was the first occasion in which an American official says that it conflicts with international law. The US administration recently imposed sanctions on 4 Israelis accused of involvement in violence launched by settlers.
Most countries consider the settlements, which separate Palestinian communities from each other by many areas, a violation of international law. The Palestinians and the international community say that transferring civilians from any country to occupied territories is illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and UN Security Council resolutions. Little progress has been made towards the establishment of a Palestinian state since the signing of the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s. Among the obstacles to this is the expansion of Israeli settlements.
The Washington Post revealed great dissatisfaction in the American administration with the settlement plans that the Israeli government intends to begin implementing in the West Bank. The newspaper explained that this dissatisfaction explains the Biden administration’s decision to consider Israeli settlement in the West Bank contradictory to international law, in retreat from a decision taken by the previous administration, led by Donald Trump. The Washington Post quoted American officials who described the Israelis’ determination to proceed with settlement plans, after all the American support for them, as a disregard for the American administration.
Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs
On 7 October 2023, Hamas and other armed groups present in the Gaza Strip carried out an attack in Israel, killing more than 1,200 persons, injuring thousands and abducting some 240 people, many of whom continue to be held hostage. It was the second largest loss inflicted on the Israeli forces after the 1973 war. Palestinian armed groups launched thousands of missiles at Israel Following this attack, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza, by land, air and sea.
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."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant considered 05 February 2024 that half the number of Hamas militants were killed or seriously injured by Israeli army forces.
A Hamas official based in Qatar told Reuters 19 February 2024 that the terrorist group estimates that 6,000 of its fighters have been killed by Israeli forces. That number is about half of the 12,000 terrorists that Israel said it has killed since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre,
As of 15 February 2024, The Director-General of the HAMAS Government Information Office in the Gaza Strip , Ismail Al-Thawabta, stated "the toll of the aggression had risen to about 35,500 martyrs and missing persons, including 28,663 martyrs and 68,395 injuries. There are about 2,493 massacres committed by the occupation army. Among the martyrs were about 12,400 children, 8,450 women, 340 medical personnel, 46 civil defense personnel, and 126 journalists. There are approximately 11,000 wounded people who need to travel for treatment.... we received live testimonies stating that the occupation army committed field executions against more than 137 Palestinian civilian detainees in the Gaza and North governorates."
The HAMAS Ministry of Health in the besieged sector announced that the number of victims of the Israeli operation its beginning had risen to 29,606 martyrs, "including 12,300 dead children, 8,400 women, 340 medical personnel, 46 civil defense, and 124 journalists." He pointed out that "7,000 people are missing, 70% of whom are children and women, The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The number wounded was 69,737. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said much earlier that the number of missing people had risen to more than 8,000, including including 4,700 children and women, amid expectations that the toll will be double thi figures.
The IDF intensified its military operations in the West Bank, and increased the pace of incursions and raids into cities, towns, and camps, resulting in the martyrdom of 402 [399?] Palestinians, including 102 children, the injury of about 4,545, and the arrest of 7,120, according to official HAMAS sources. As of 17 January 2023, the Israeli escalation in the West Bank led to the death of 360 Palestinians, the injury of nearly 2,200, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and the arrest of about 6,000, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.
More than 202 Hezbollah fighters were killed in Lebanon during exchanges of bombing operations with Israel.
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 total announced number of Israeli officers and soldiers killed had risen to 575 since the start of the war on October 7, including 243 [235?] killed since the ground invasion as a result of the ongoing clashes with the Palestinian resistance. Among them were at least 56 with the rank of platoon commander, 43 with the rank of company commander, 9 with the rank of battalion commander, and 5 with the rank of brigade commander. These officers constitute 23% of the total deaths of the Israeli army in the war on Gaza.
Israeli media reported that 27% of the Israeli military casualties in the war were officers. In detail, the media highlighted that three brigade commanders, four battalion commanders, and other senior officers have been killed in the war so far.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that 29 of the army's deaths were caused by "friendly fire" and operational incidents since the start of the ground war in Gaza, late last October. The Israeli authority explained that "18 army soldiers were killed by friendly fire, two were killed as a result of gunfire (without explanation), and 9 Israeli soldiers were killed in ammunition, weapons, or run-over accidents." The Jerusalem Post newspaper revealed that 15 soldiers were killed in the Strip without their bodies being found.
According to some reports statistics indicate that 20% of the Israeli losses were due to friendly fire. Because the nature of the battle has become completely different from what was expected, and it lacks a front line.
Haaretz newspaper quoted the Israeli Ministry of Defense as saying that the Medical Rehabilitation Department has treated more than 5,500 wounded since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7. Israeli Army Radio reported that the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense is preparing to receive 20,000 wounded this year, compared to 5,500 wounded received last year since the start of the war.
It was announced that soldiers wounded in the Gaza Strip battles numbered to 2,962 since the beginning of the war, including 1,397 who had been wounded since the start of the ground attack on October 27, 2023.
The Israeli army reported that 407 who are still receiving treatment for their injuries in the Gaza battles, and the condition of 48 of them is serious. The number of injured among the Israeli army since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip on October 27 included 602 minor cases, 430 moderate cases, and 264 critical cases.
The Israeli army published new data about those wounded in the military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army announces that 540 soldiers were injured in the Gaza Strip. According to army data, 540 soldiers, including 27 seriously injured, were injured in operational incidents since the start of the bombing of the Gaza Strip. There were also 21 accidental shooting incidents in the Gaza Strip, 54 bilateral shooting incidents and 31 traffic accidents. In addition, 388 incidents occurred, including ramming anti-tank rifles, anti-aircraft guns, weapons and machine guns.
At least 14,377 Israelis were injured, according to i24 TV.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper had reported that 5,000 soldiers had been wounded since the beginning of the war on October 7, and that the Ministry of Defense had recognized 2,000 soldiers as disabled so far.
An estimate by the Israeli Ministry of Defense expected that the number of soldiers with disabilities in the war taking place in the Gaza Strip since October 7 of last year would reach 12,500 soldiers. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the Soldiers' Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense has dealt with 3,400 soldiers who were classified as disabled in the army since last October 7.
The Israeli army revealed that about 9,000 of its soldiers have received “psychological assistance” since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, and about a quarter of them have not returned to combat. This came according to a new statement revealed by the Army Medical Corps, according to Channel 12 and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. According to the statement, nearly 9,000 soldiers have applied for psychological assistance since the beginning of the war, and approximately a quarter of them have not returned to combat.
The statement continued, "In total, about 13,000 regular and reserve soldiers required accompaniment or medical treatment at some level during the fighting, and thousands of them were injured in the battles."
Al Jazeera military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi expressed his conviction that the numbers of dead and wounded announced by Israel “cannot represent the truth,” due to a discrepancy between the Israeli army’s data and the Walla website, which is close to the army itself.
In an interview with RT, Military strategist retired Tunisian Brigadier General Tawfiq Didi said that the number of Israeli army deaths in the Gaza battles is much greater than what Israel announces. Didi explained in an interview with the “Best Saying” program on RT channel, “The number of people killed in battles can be easily known, as the equation in wars is that for every 3 wounded there is a dead person, and the numbers now in Israel hover around 12,500 wounded and disabled people, and when we divide by Three, we find that the death toll exceeds 4,000, especially after eliminating more than a thousand tanks and armored vehicles, and I know what happens when Kornet missiles hit a tank. Its ammunition explodes and no one is left alive.”
He added, "The Israelis announce their dead only of those of Jewish origin and of the first race, meaning all Arabs, Falash, and those who are among them. They are not counted because they are of the second category. So I am sure that the number exceeds 4 thousand dead, and this is a very easy military calculation."
He pointed out, "The Palestinian resistance documented everything it did, unlike the Israelis. The resistance documented shooting at tanks and armored vehicles and destroying the houses in which the Israeli soldiers were holed up, and we saw them being killed... We saw the Kornet hitting the tanks, we saw Al-Yassin 105, so the difference is clear."
Hostages
Israel announced 12 February 2024 that the total number of prisoners that the army was able to recover in exchange deals and through military operations was 126 people, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers.
Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed have been held as hostages in Gaza since 2014 and 2015, respectively. Unlike the roughly 240 people kidnapped in the Hamas October 7 terrorist attacks, the campaign for the release of Mengistu and al-Sayed has received little publicity. Mengistu is known to suffer from what HRW deemed "serious" mental health issues. "Avera crossed one of the safest borders in the world, under the eyes of the security services," recalled Gil Elias, a relative. "We're talking about a mentally ill person who got lost." The calls for the release of Mengistu and al-Sayed have been barely audible during the many years they have been held captive in Gaza.
Israel had previously estimated there were 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody. Israel declared 20 out of 136 people in Gaza captivity dead in absentia, after announcing its forces had recovered the bodies of two hostages. By another count, 132 of them are still being held in Gaza, and 25 of them have been confirmed dead. Israel considers those still held by Hamas to be hostages regardless of whether they are dead or alive.
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy earlier had told reporters that Hamas still held 137 captives. The resistance released 10 Israeli detainees, 4 Thais and 2 Russian women, who were released outside the agreement. Over the course of 6 days, Israel has received 102 detainees, women and children, including 78 Israelis, in exchange for the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners, women and children.
Eylon Levy, the Israeli government spokesperson, told reporters 01 December 2023:
- Hamas still held 137 hostages from the October attacks, in addition to four others who went missing before the war
- The hostages include two children aged four and 10 months, who, Hamas now claims, are dead
- 117 male hostages are still kept in Gaza, including the two children, as well as 20 females
- 126 hostages are Israelis, and 11 others are foreign nationals
- Foreign nationals are eight Thais, one Nepalese, one Tanzanian and one French Mexican citizen
- Ten of the remaining hostages are 75 and older.
- There are seven missing people since the October 7 attack
- Hamas had released 110 hostages so far – 86 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals.
Some of the rest are soldiers, seized when Hamas raided military bases in Israel. They may end up being held the longest. The Israeli military had not specified how many soldiers were captured, nor their ranks.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced on 07 February 2024 that 31 hostages detained in Gaza had died. He added in a press conference, "We informed 31 families that their detained relatives had died, and thus we announce their deaths."
According to some estimates, Hamas was initially holding nearly 210 of the 240 hostages, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad was holding the remaining 30. About 40 Israelis remained missing. More than 40 hostages taken from Israel into Gaza on October 7th are not currently in the custody of Hamas, the group responsible for the attack, according to a CNN report based on a diplomatic source briefed on the negotiations, CNN's prior reports had indicated that an estimated 40 to 50 hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other unidentified groups or individuals.
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 Al-Qassam Brigades announced on 11 February 2024 that the continuous Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip during the past 96 hours led to the death of 2 prisoners and the serious injury of 8 others.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Club revealed that about 11,000 arrests were carried out by the Israeli army during the year 2023 in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, in addition to arrests from the Gaza Strip before the seventh of last October. The number of people arrested by the Israelis in the West Bank since that date has exceeded 7,100. The total number of prisoners in Israeli prisons exceeds 9,000 Palestinians. Palestinian prisoner institutions said 661 were classified as “unlawful combatants” from Gaza, and this is the number available only as a clear given.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said that there has been a significant increase in the number of Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli prisons since October 7, with 3,484 detainees recorded, including children and women. The club added in a statement that "this number was not actually recorded even during the years of the 1987 uprising."
Israel said on 19 February 2024 that, since the beginning of the war, approximately 3,200 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, over 1,350 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas. On 08 January 2024 it was reported that more than 1,350 wanted persons had been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, more than 870 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas.
The institutions added in the statement that “the occupation arrested 210 women during the aforementioned period, and this statistic includes women who were arrested from the territories in 1948, and more than 355 children,” pointing out that “the outcome of the arrest campaigns includes all those who were arrested from homes, and through military checkpoints, Those who were forced to surrender themselves under pressure, and those who were detained.” It explained that "the number of arrests among journalists reached 50, of whom 35 remain in detention, and 20 of them were transferred to administrative detention."
The announced numbers of detainees do not include those who were detained from Gaza since the start of the operation in the Gaza Strip, as there is no accurate census of these numbers. As of 15 February 2024, the Director-General of the HAMAS Government Information Office in the Gaza Strip , Ismail Al-Thawabta, stated "the information available to us is that the occupation arrested approximately 2,600 people, including 99 medical personnel and 10 journalists."
Israel has rejected international legal adaptations since 1967, and has treated the Palestinians as criminals, and tried them before military courts and not as prisoners of war. Because the POW is not tried, but is released when the war stops, or as a result of a political agreement.
But international humanitarian law sets clear conditions relating to the Palestinians, whether as prisoners of war or organized groups with one leadership and carrying a unified slogan, and these conditions apply to Palestinian resistance fighters, specifically armed groups. International law, through the Third Geneva Conventions, which relate to prisoners of war and armed conflicts, and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which relates to civilians under occupation; Provide full protection to Palestinian prisoners and groups, including resistance factions.
The obstacles imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities became very different after the seventh of last October. They decided to cancel all trials in order to double the sentences issued against detainees, and now The scope of arguments before lawyers is very limited, due to military orders, and not according to legal data.
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