Operation Iron Swords - Day 162 - 16 March 2024
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NEW - War Termination NEW - Operations NEW - Operations - Gaza NEW - Operations - Judea-Samaria NEW - Operations - Lebanon NEW - Operations - Syria / Iraq NEW - Operations - Yemen NEW - Operations Maps NEW - By-Standers NEW - Axis of Resistance NEW - Allied for Democracy UPDATED - By the Numbers |
Hamas, the terrorist group governing the Gaza Strip, declared on Saturday that it would not release any hostages without securing an agreement on the second phase of a deal with Israel. This announcement was made by a senior Hamas official, as reported by KAN. The second phase of the proposed agreement, according to Hamas, must involve the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops from Gaza. Without these conditions being met, Hamas remains steadfast in its stance regarding the release of hostages.
The Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, announced that "two days ago, Hamas presented its vision to initiate negotiations to stop the aggression, which included three-stage conditions."
In an interview with Al Mayadeen, Abdel Hadi highlighted that Hamas has shown flexibility in prisoner-captive talks, "but this can't be achieved except with international guarantees to stop the aggression," stressing the occupation's procrastination and deception, pointing out that "the ball is in the occupation and Washington's court." He also stressed that the ongoing genocide and threat to invade Rafah fall within the framework of pressuring the resistance to lower its bargaining limits in negotiations.
Abdul Hadi added that expanding the war is in Netanyahu's interest because stopping it would put him on trial and later in prison. As for the United States, Abdel Hadi stressed that the US administration is practicing double standards because while it talks about sending aid to Gaza, "it is not putting any pressure on the occupation to stop its aggression."
Hamas's response to the latest framework includes demands for the release of over 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including approximately 100 serving lifetime sentences for murdering Israelis, in exchange for the release of 40 female, elderly, and wounded hostages.
Efforts to resume negotiations have been spearheaded by Egyptian officials, who have indicated that talks are expected to recommence in Qatar as early as Sunday. Mossad chief David Barnea is reportedly slated to participate in these discussions with Qatar's Prime Minister and Egyptian officials.
While the ratio of security prisoners to hostages is lower than in Hamas's previous response, it remains significantly higher than the framework agreed upon during a previous summit in Paris. Hamas is also pushing for additional concessions from Israel, including a withdrawal of IDF forces from a corridor south of Gaza City and a permanent ceasefire during the second stage of the deal.
The failure of Hamas, the Palestinian terror group holding Israelis captive in Gaza, to provide reliable information on the number of living hostages continues to hobble the ceasefire talks, a report in the Arab media claimed on Saturday. Citing an unnamed Egyptian officials who spoke of "obstacles" that stand in the way of a hostage deal, the Saudi television network Al-Arabiya reported that “Hamas didn't say how many hostages are still alive."
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby expressed cautious optimism regarding the latest developments in the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the release of hostages. Kirby stated that Hamas's response to the latest hostage agreement framework is "within the bounds of the deal that we’ve been working on for several months." Kirby remarked during the briefing "The fact that there’s another delegation heading to Doha… the fact that this proposal is out there, that there are conversations about it, that’s all good".
The dissident leader of the Fatah movement, Muhammad Dahlan, returned to the limelight after a long period of decline, as a result of the recent escalation in Gaza. Although there were “non-Palestinian” reasons behind the decision to block Dahlan for a period of time, the parties concerned with the Palestinian issue began again to consult with him. Dahlan received support from the United Arab Emirates to play a central role in communicating with “The Next Day” in Palestine, according to Al-Akhbar newspaper.
Although he initially condemned the Israeli aggression, Dahlan sought to reopen channels of communication with Hamas, sending his assistant Samir Masharawi to meet with its leaders in Doha. He also visited the Qatari capital to discuss the future of the sector. During his meetings, Dahlan focuses on his rejection of any special role or position, stressing that he has received great support from the Abu Dhabi government to help the population in Gaza.
In this context, others believe that Dahlan is playing an essential role at the present time, which was discussed by the “Coordinator of Occupation Activities in the Territories,” Israeli officer Ghassan Alian in Abu Dhabi, in addition to producing a local administration outside the authority of Hamas and the rest of the factions, consisting of local elements and notables, Among them are some veterans of the Fatah movement, according to Al-Akhbar newspaper.
Many are betting on the possibility of Dahlan providing assistance in forming a local authority to take over civil administration in Gaza, away from the current government of the Strip. Dahlan, like the rest of the parties, is interested in obtaining a truce and exchanging prisoners, including the imprisoned leader of the Fatah movement, Marwan Barghouti , according to the newspaper.
There are reports in Palestinian circles that the occupation facilitated the completion of a meeting between Dahlan and the imprisoned Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouti, in prison, as reported in the newspaper. It was reported that Dahlan reiterated his vision of how to rebuild the Fatah movement and take over power from the current leadership, headed by Mahmoud Abbas. In addition to the agreement between Dahlan and Barghouti to nominate a Palestinian figure to assume the presidency of any transitional government in the next stage.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli forces are bulldozing agricultural land and demolishing Palestinian homes and schools in the Gaza Strip to create a “buffer zone” along the Strip’s border with Israel. Israeli officials say Palestinians will be denied entry to the buffer zone, which will serve as a “critical security measure in Israel’s plan to demilitarize Gaza and reassure Israelis that they can safely return to towns and communities near the border that were evacuated after the October 7 attack.”
The plans, drawn up by Israeli officials from the early days of the war, call for leaving a "buffer zone" more than half a mile wide where Israeli forces will be able to see and block anyone approaching the border. In the months leading up to the October 7 attack, Israeli border units reported seeing people approaching the barrier with maps, apparently studying it for weak points.
The plan, which Israel has not publicly confirmed, appears to entail seizing a large portion of territory in the already small Gaza Strip, something experts and Israel's foreign allies have warned against, according to Agence France-Presse. The Israeli army refused to comment on the establishment of the buffer zone, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In previous statements to the Al-Hurra website , the Israeli Army Spokesmen's Unit revealed that Israeli forces are working in the region to "prevent Hamas activity that threatens the citizens of Israel." As part of this, the IDF identifies and destroys terrorist infrastructure located inside buildings, among other things, according to the spokes unit. It said that the establishment of the buffer zone is “part of the inevitable measures necessary to implement a defense plan that will provide better security in southern Israel,” without revealing more details about whether it is “temporary or permanent.”
The killing of 21 Israeli soldiers in Gaza as they were attacked during the bombing of two buildings included an "unexpected revelation" that the army was moving forward with a controversial plan to create a "buffer zone" along its border with Gaza by demolishing buildings in the area, according to Report by the Washington Post. If the buffer zone is fully achieved, it will reduce the area of the 25-mile-long Gaza Strip by 16 percent, according to Adi Ben-Nun, a geography professor at Hebrew University who analyzes Israel's security moves.
The administration of US President Joe Biden opposes the plan and warned against any proposal that would threaten the territorial integrity of the Gaza Strip. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, withdrew its forces and settlers, and ended its presence there, which began in 1967, but maintained almost complete control over the borders of the coastal strip. It maintained a narrow prohibited zone of varying width along the border between it and Gaza. On the Palestinian side, the area directly behind it is limited to agricultural land.
Israeli media outlets reported that Brigadier General Nitzan Alon, a reserve officer in the Israeli occupation military and a delegate in the team negotiating a prisoner exchange deal, has resigned from his position due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to expand the authority of the negotiating team. The Israeli Channel 13 noted that Alon's resignation comes in the wake of a "paralysis" in efforts to retrieve Israeli captives held by the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, suggesting that the resignation reflects his frustration with the handling of the captives file and that the Israeli government does not intend to take serious steps to reach a prisoner exchange deal.
During a tour at a military outpost in the settlement of "Sha'arei Binyamin" in the occupied West Bank, "Israel's" Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Saturday said that the Israeli army is currently facing a what he described as a multi-front war and that some of these fronts are located outside of Palestine's borders.
"Everyone, every soldier… has responsibility for all the arenas, because every incident that happens in one of the arenas really affects and can cause [developments] in other areas as well," Halevi said in a video released Saturday by the Israeli army. "We are in a multi-front war, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank], and Gaza, and more distant things."
Speaking to Israeli border officers, Halevi affirmed "Israel's" fear of escalation during the month of Ramadan, saying that "vigilance is required during all days in Ramadan, not just Fridays", as "several attempts to launch attacks in multiple locations this week" were detected.
This comes at a time of heightened concerns within the Israeli leadership over escalating tensions and potential security threats across various fronts, including the fronts with Gaza and the occupied West Bank, northern occupied Palestine (Lebanon and Syria), as well as operations waged by resistance groups in Iraq and Yemen.
The Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, affirmed to Al Mayadeen that the resistance today "is managing battles proficiently in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and will continue to inflict losses on the enemy. It is ready for any scenario, in addition to the balance of power in the region, especially regarding the supporting fronts."
He further commented that "the current situation has proven that the battlefield shapes the course of the next phase," highlighting "the establishment of committees by the factions to oversee the situation in Gaza." Abdel Hadi concluded his statement to Al Mayadeen by saying "Hamas, along with all the Palestinian people, express their gratitude to the resistance fighters from Yemen to Iraq to Lebanon."
Operational Update - Judea-Samaria
The Israeli authorities have announced measures on the entry of Palestinians holding West Bank IDs, with valid permits and magnetic cards, to Al Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of the month of Ramadan (15 March), limiting entry to children under 10 years of age, women over 50, and men over 55. In 2023, men over 55, women of all ages and children under 12 were allowed entry without a permit on Fridays during Ramadan.
From the 18th week of the war (beginning of February), more alarms were activated in the north than in the south. Tension is escalating on the border between Lebanon and the occupation, as the Zionist forces expanded their military operations in Lebanon to a depth of 100 kilometers from the southern border of Lebanon. Hezbollah has been conducting daily attacks against the Israeli occupation entity since last October, with the total number surpassing 1,100 operations.
Hezbollah announced carrying out a series of military operations against Israeli bases and soldiers across the Lebanese-Palestinian border as the war on Gaza nears its 6-month mark. The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon reaffirmed that the operations come "in support of the resilient Palestinian people in Gaza and solidarity with their brave and honorable Resistance."
At 11:15 am, Hezbollah said its fighters struck the al-Baghdadi Israeli base with rockets, confirming that the base was directly hit. Shortly after, at 1:00 pm, the Resistance revealed it struck the Ramim Israeli barracks using two Burkan heavy rockets, adding that the direct impact was achieved.
Hezbollah conducted 3 operations in under 15 minutes between 3:30 and 3:45 pm, the Resistance group revealed. A rocket attack was launched on the al-Malkiya base, followed by two seperate strikes on the al-Summaqa and "al-Ramtha" Israeli bases in occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms. Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon reported launches from Lebanon toward Israeli targets in the vicinity of the "Hounin" barracks and "Margaliot" settlement in the "Upper Galilee" region.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib also instructed to submit a complaint before the UN Security Council, following the Zionist bombing that targeted civilians in residential areas around the city of Baalbek in the east of the country.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth highlighted on Thursday the situation facing settlers in northern settlements, emphasizing that they are "drained and paying a heavy price due to the fighting with Hezbollah." According to the newspaper, the settlers in the north are "depressed" and are posing questions such as, "What do we do to end the nightmare of Hezbollah rockets?"
The newspaper cited an Israeli settler living in one of the al-Jalil settlements near the border with Lebanon as saying that "settlers there live among Hezbollah rockets," describing the situation as "terrible". One settler told the newspaper that someone from the Israeli leadership must address the settlers' problems, adding that Israeli the government has forgotten the settlers in the north "and has become accustomed to their living under war." They said that "a sense of helplessness" accompanies all al-Jalil settlers, who never imagined that this situation would continue for more than five months.
Yedioth Ahronoth mentioned that more than 60,000 Israelis in al-Jalil settlements have been displaced and evacuated to other settlements since the start of the fighting in October. It added that since October, the "northern community" has collapsed, many businesses have been shut down, and displaced settlers have scattered to other settlements.
Israeli media is mocking previous statements made by Israeli officials against Hezbollah, threatening the Lebanese Resistance of bombing Lebanon back to the Stone Age. In this context, Israeli newspaper Hadashot Bazaman reposted a video published by Hezbollah's military media, adding a voiceover of several Israeli officials, prominently Security Minister Yoav Gallant, threatening Hezbollah of returning Lebanon to the Stone Age. The video featured a bold title asking "Who is taking who to the Stone Age?"
Gallant, who once threatened to set back Lebanon to the Stone Age, found himself in a reversed situation, the head of the "Margaliot" council explained back in January. The Israeli official, who heads the council responsible for a settlement located to the west of the settlement of "Kiryat Shmona", shed light on the blackout experienced in the colonial outpost, following a rocket attack launched by Hezbollah on the al-Jalil Panhandle. "Our settlements have ultimately been left without electricity, and we ended up being reverted to the Stone Age," the Israeli official complained.
Operational Update - Syria / Iraq
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that explosions sounded in the Damascus countryside as a result of Israeli bombing. The Observatory stated that the sounds of explosions coincided with Syrian ground anti-aircraft missiles attempting to confront targets overhead. The Observatory had reported earlier today that Israeli missiles targeted a military site in the vicinity of the Tal al-Jumou area in the western countryside of Daraa Governorate, after a missile was launched from Syrian territory towards the Golan. The Observatory stated that the targeting was preceded by the launch of a missile from Syrian territory towards the Golan Heights, “with no information received about human casualties.”
Meanwhile, the US-UK naval coalition is targeting Yemeni positions along the Yemeni coastline, the latest aggression involving four raids on the Taif area in the Ad-Durayhimi District, south of Hodeidah Governorate, as per Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
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
The head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), David Miliband, condemned the air delivery of aid to Gaza, branding it as unsafe and dehumanizing, and called for safer land routes for aid transportation. "Such an approach is unsafe, ineffective, and dehumanizing," Miliband stated in a post on X, stressing the necessity of establishing secure land routes for the delivery of aid to ensure its safe and efficient transportation.
His remarks come amid escalating Israeli attacks on aid seekers in Gaza, where they have resulted in numerous casualties among Palestinian civilians waiting for essential supplies. The criticism follows a tragic incident on Thursday, where Israeli forces fired upon crowds awaiting aid in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 Palestinians and over 150 wounded, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. Witnesses recounted the use of helicopters, tanks, and drones by Israeli forces in targeting civilians gathered at food distribution points.
This attack marks a series of assaults on vulnerable populations in Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis already gripping the enclave, due to a genocidal Israeli war. Earlier in the day, six Palestinians were killed at the same food distribution site, bringing the death toll from such incidents to over 400 people.
“The Israeli military carried out five separate attacks on aid distribution centres in the past 48 hours in the Gaza Strip, killing 56 people and injuring more than 300,” the media office of the enclave’s government said on Friday. “We hold the US administration and the international community, in addition to the ‘Israeli’ occupation, fully responsible for the crime of genocide,” it said in a statement on Telegram.
The Israeli military denied that its forces had opened fire on the crowds and claimed instead that “armed Palestinians” were responsible for the attack. Griffiths, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, condemned the Israeli violence, emphasizing the need for a safer and more dignified approach to aid distribution in Gaza. "People should not have to die while trying to keep their families alive," he said in a post on X, adding that the Israeli forces shooting at Palestinians searching for food “cannot be allowed to continue”.
“Distributing aid in Gaza should be done in a safe, dignified and predictable manner. Anything less is unconscionable. The war must end,” Griffiths said. The United Nations has warned that at least 576,000 people in the enclave – a quarter of the population – are on the brink of famine, and global pressure has been growing on Israel to allow more access to aid.
However, Israel's control over Gaza's crossings has severely restricted the flow of humanitarian assistance. UN agencies report that only one entry point has been operational since the beginning of the war, and trucks are subjected to "endless checking procedures" to pass through, which further complicates the delivery of crucial aid to the besieged enclave.
Faced with obstruction of aid trucks, the international community has devised complicated workarounds, including a sea corridor from Cyprus to the besieged Strip and plans by the United States to set up a temporary jetty off Gaza’s coast to bring in supplies – a move criticized as an attempt to divert attention from Washington’s continued military and political support for Israel as famine looms and the onslaught persists.
Axis of Resistance
Sources to Al Mayadeen revealed that a meeting took place between the Palestinian Resistance factions, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, which aimed at coordination for the upcoming stage. During the meeting, Ansar Allah underlined that it would continue carrying out Resistance operations in support of Gaza in the Red Sea and that the US-British airstrikes on Yemen would make no difference when it comes to their stance, according to the sources.
That said, the Movement stressed it was prepared to coordinate on all levels with the Palestinian Resistance factions. On the other hand, the Palestinian Resistance expressed its appreciation and gratitude for the pivotal role played by Ansar Allah, underlining the depth of Yemeni-Palestinian relations.
The current leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abul-Malik al-Houthi, stressed during the meeting the pivotal role of the struggle of the Palestinian people, underlining the commitment of the Yemeni people and Ansar Allah to the Palestinian cause, according to the sources.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry mocked recent comments by a former Israeli military official about partitioning Iran through ethnic discord, saying the Zionist criminals won’t live to see their wishes fulfilled. In a post on his X account, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani ridiculed the comments by Mordechai Kedar, a former Israeli military intelligence officer who has proposed a regime change in Iran instigated by ethnic minorities.
Kedar, in an op-ed article issued by the Jerusalem Post on March 13, argued that Iran should be disintegrated into five to six ethnic states. In response, Kanaani said this is not the first time the Zionist enemies make such rude comments about Iran. He reminded the Israeli regime’s officials that the Islamic Republic has maintained its integrity for over four decades because the Iranian ethnic groups have always closed ranks in a unified and strong manner.
"The Zionist criminals, who have buckled under the force of a popular movement in the Gaza Strip and are cowardly massacring women and children to make up for their irreparable failures, won’t live to see their impossible dream of disintegration of Iran come true", Kanaani added.
Palestinian sources reported to Agence France-Presse on Friday evening that a rare meeting was held last week between leaders of the Hamas movement and the Yemeni Houthi rebels to discuss “mechanisms for coordinating resistance actions” against Israel. One of these sources, requesting that his name not be published, said, “An important meeting was held last week in which senior leaders from the Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine movements participated with the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement.” He added that during this meeting, “coordination mechanisms between these factions were discussed” regarding the actions that would target Israel in the next stage. According to a second source, who in turn asked Agence France-Presse not to publish his name, “The Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) confirmed during the meeting that it will continue its operations in the Red Sea against ships heading” to Israel.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine issued a statement on Saturday, urging people worldwide to actively oppose the Israeli occupation and its allies, intensify popular protests, and besiege Israeli occupation embassies. The PFLP called for continued international pressure to end the genocidal campaign in Gaza and to demand that Western nations halt arms exports to the occupying forces, which are used to perpetrate atrocities against the Palestinian people.
Furthermore, the Front condemned the ongoing Israeli occupation and its brutal massacres in Gaza, citing the recent attack on the Tabatibi family's residence in Nusairat as a glaring example of international injustice. The Front emphasized that "these brutal massacres come within the framework of the Zionist doctrine based on genocide, destruction, and killing, and they once again expose the lies and hypocrisy of the international community, which calls for freedoms and human rights."
The Front added that "the Zionist enemy would not have reached this level of criminality without the green light, absolute support, and blind endorsement from the United States and its war criminal president Biden, who has appointed himself as a military leader in the army of killers and an advocate for these horrific massacres."
The Front concluded its statement by affirming that "these Zionist massacres, however brutal they may be, or however much they reveal the extent of international conspiracy, complicity, and Arab betrayal, will not deter our people from continuing to defeat the aggression and thwart its malicious sectarian objectives."
Between condemnation and accusation, the intensity of statements and statements escalated between the Fatah and Hamas movements, against the backdrop of the announcement of the name of the new Palestinian Prime Minister, while specialists revealed to Al-Hurra website what was behind the mutual attack, and its repercussions on the war in Gaza and the Palestinian issue.
On Friday evening, the Hamas movement, classified as a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries, along with “other Palestinian factions,” denounced the appointment of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, an economic expert close to him, Muhammad Mustafa, as prime minister. The Fatah movement responded to Hamas's condemnation, accusing its rival of "causing Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip" through its "adventurous" attack on Israel on October 7.
Speaking to the "Al-Hurra" website, the former Minister of Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs, Ashraf Al-Ajrami, indicated that the exchange of accusations between Fatah and Hamas was due to "the factions' lack of agreement on the new Palestinian government." After the appointment of the President of the Palestinian Authority, Muhammad Mustafa, as the new Prime Minister, Hamas considered this a “complete disregard for it,” which created a crisis between it and Fatah. This was followed by the issuance of statements bearing “mutual accusations” between the two sides, according to what he told the Al-Hurra website.
For his part, Palestinian political analyst, Ashraf Al-Akka, links the escalation to the Fatah movement’s attempt to form a “technocratic” government without serious agreement with “all the Palestinian factions, not just Hamas.” There are a group of "factors pressuring the Palestinian leadership to form the government without "coordination with the rest of the factions," according to his interview with the Al-Hurra website.
Hamas said in a statement, “Appointing a government without national consensus is a step that is certainly empty of substance and deepens division” among the Palestinians. The statement was also signed by the Islamic Jihad movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, two organizations classified by Israel and other countries as “terrorists.”
But on the other hand, Palestinian political analyst, Jihad Al-Harazin, points out that “Hamas and its allies” have issued a “black” statement to send a message to the world that Palestinian blood does not concern them, but what only concerns them is “rule.” There is devastation and devastation in Gaza and areas in the West Bank, and the cost of rebuilding this amounts to 90 billion dollars, and the new government will primarily be concerned with “dealing with the international community,” according to what he told the Al-Hurra website. He asks in condemnation: “If Hamas and some factions are formed that Western countries classify as terrorist movements, who will pay the cost of reconstruction?!”
Speaking to Al-Hurra website, the Palestinian political analyst, Adel Al-Ghoul, points out that the “exclusivity” in appointing the prime minister and not consulting the Palestinian factions “created the crisis.” But the crisis between Fatah and Hamas will end if there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which is currently witnessing a state of chaos and starvation, according to Al-Ghoul.
The Palestinian leadership has been divided since the armed confrontations that took place between the Fatah and Hamas movements in the Gaza Strip in June 2007, as a result of which Hamas overthrew Abbas's authority from the Strip. The division deepened between the Palestinian Authority, headed by Abbas, with limited powers in the West Bank, and Hamas, which holds power in the Gaza Strip.
Ambiguity prevails about the role that the Palestinian Authority can play after the end of the war, given its limited influence and the refusal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to envision a future Palestinian state. Al-Akka believes that there are other dimensions to the escalation and mutual accusations between Fatah and Hamas, and this relates to the “Palestinian side”’s dealings with the next day and the future of governance in the Gaza Strip.
There are reports that “Palestinian security forces were informed of the next day’s arrangements and coordination with the tribes in the Gaza Strip,” which angered Hamas, according to Al-Akka. The Palestinian political analyst points out that the Fatah movement “does not care” about the outcomes of the Moscow agreement, and is trying to “anticipate” the results of the war in Gaza and act as if Hamas has already been “weakened.”
Fatah is trying to exploit the weakening of Hamas “politically, strategically and nationally,” and this is what complicates the internal Palestinian scene and increases the state of division, according to Al-Akka. But on the other hand, Al-Harazin asserts that “the Palestinian leadership wants to save what can be saved from the conditions of the Palestinian people.”
There are those who seek to achieve “their interests only,” after they took the Palestinian people on an “adventure and gamble” that they did not consult anyone before undertaking, which brought destruction and disasters to the Palestinians, according to Al-Harazin. According to the Palestinian political analyst, they now want to have the largest role in forming the government, in search of their “personal and private interests.”
Some of them, if their name was put forward as prime minister or minister, would agree to the government because “private personal” interests are what control their “dealing with matters,” according to Al-Harazin. The Palestinian political analyst believes that “Hamas and its allies” have special interests and personal goals and are dependent on foreign agendas, thus destroying the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian cause.
As for Al-Ghoul, he confirms that Netanyahu rejects the presence of Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip, but there are other Israeli convictions about the possibility of the existence of “another Palestinian authority close to the reformist movement led by Muhammad Dahlan.” But Hamas "always runs forward and does not retreat," and despite the state of hunger, the humanitarian crisis, and the overwhelming popular anger in the Gaza Strip, the movement "is not concerned with these matters and considers them secondary, and a necessary tax," as the Palestinian political analyst explains.
Therefore, Hamas calls on “people to endure until the war ends,” because the movement believes that things will change in its favor, and it will have a role in shaping the future of post-war Palestine, and managing Palestinian affairs in general, according to Al-Ghoul. Since the bloody fighting between members of the Fatah and Hamas movements in the summer of 2007, Hamas has been alone in controlling the Gaza Strip, which is inhabited by two million and three hundred thousand Palestinians. While the presence of the Palestinian Authority is limited to the West Bank occupied by Israel.
Since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, Arab and international efforts have so far failed to reconcile it with the Fatah movement, which forms the backbone of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians want the two areas to be the basis for the establishment of their independent state in the future, and Hamas said that any attempt to exclude it from the political scene after the war is an “illusion.”
Al-Ajrami believes that what is happening is harmful to the Palestinian cause, and there is a need for “national consensuses on all issues.” The issue is not only related to “the government.” The issue relates to the future of the entire “Palestinian issue,” and there is an urgent need for “comprehensive national unity,” and if things remain as they are and differences persist, “the Gaza Strip and the West Bank” will not be unified, according to Al-Ajrami.
The former Minister of Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs confirms that this division means " losing the opportunity to establish an independent Palestinian state," although this option became more realistic after the Gaza War. If the Palestinians do not unite within a specific framework and overcome “divisions,” the Palestinian people will face a “real impasse,” according to Al-Ajrami.
For his part, Al-Akka points out that the increasing state of Palestinian division is putting pressure on “the overall perceptions of the political horizon, the two-state solution, the future of the Gaza Strip, the unification of institutions and the process of managing reconstruction and people’s relief.” There is no Palestinian party “capable alone” of carrying out these tasks, even “the government itself,” and Hamas “will not allow” any party to operate in the Gaza Strip without its “approval,” according to Al-Akka.
The security services or the Palestinian Authority will not be able to return to the Gaza Strip “without agreement with Hamas and if the movement is not part of some agreement on the future of governance in the Strip,” according to the Palestinian political analyst, He points out that Hamas still exists and exists in Gaza, and the movement has not been destroyed, annihilated or eliminated, and the war “is not over” yet.
In a recent warning, a security official told a Hamas-linked news site that attempts by tribal or community leaders to cooperate with Israel's plans to administer Gaza would be considered "treason" and would be met with an "iron fist." But the movement denied media reports that it had killed some local tribal leaders in the past few days for interfering in the distribution of aid, according to Reuters.
Al-Akka confirms that the lack of agreement with Hamas may open the way for an “internal Palestinian” conflict, asking: “Who will be the party that wants to come to the Gaza Strip and enter into a conflict with Hamas?” But Al-Ghoul rules out that proposal, and says: “There will be no escalation or internal Palestinian armed conflict, similar to what happened in 2007.”
The Palestinian political analyst attributes this to the fact that the current priority is "alleviating hunger and a ceasefire" in Gaza. Al-Ghoul believes that Hamas is trying to reach a ceasefire, and if that happens, many “negative phenomena” will disappear, most notably “the armed gangs that rob aid in northern Gaza.” If a "ceasefire" is agreed upon, Hamas will be able to rearrange its situation again in the Gaza Strip and the "chaos" will end, according to the Palestinian political analyst. Hamas presented to the mediators and the United States a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, including 100 who are sentenced to life imprisonment, according to Reuters.
The British website Middle East Eye published an article by its editor-in-chief, David Hirst, in which he pointed out that all signs confirm that the Israeli occupation entity has suffered a “strategic defeat” in its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip. Hirst demonstrated his proposal by pointing out the existence of countless obstacles facing the occupying entity, from the loss of Western public opinion to the extreme anxiety that has become among its supporters. Below is the translation of excerpts from the article:
"Rabbi Eliyahu Mali, head of the Jewish school in Jaffa, who said, “The basic principle that we have is that when we live the holy war of the commandment, in this case Gaza, according to the judge’s voice, you will not leave a single soul alive. The meaning is very clear. If you don't kill them first, they will kill you. The terrorists of today and the children of the past, who survive. The reality is that women are the ones who create these terrorists. What this means is that the definition of "not a soul left alive" is very clear in "The Bible. It's either you or them." So the Torah is clear about the need to kill women and children, he claims.
"But what about the elderly? This was a question asked by an audience member to the rabbi, who claimed: “There are no innocent people. The same applies to the elderly who have the ability to carry weapons. The Torah is also very clear in the book. In Gaza, according to the estimates of the security forces, 95-98 "Percent want to destroy us, and that's the majority. The same goes [for children]. If you leave them alive, don't try to learn the Torah."
"Perhaps this is why other soldiers recently congratulated a comrade who killed an unarmed elderly man with hearing and speech difficulties, who had his hands raised in his bedroom. The soldier said, describing what happened: “We opened the door, and he trembled. He walked towards me and did this (waving his hands). I killed him with four bullets.” A colleague of his asked him in a video clip posted on the X website: “And was he the only one?” "I don't know. We don't have time. Maybe there were others. There was another room. We didn't have time."
"Video clips show Israeli soldiers talking among themselves. They largely seem to have contempt for what the rest of the world might think, and are oblivious to the impact these clips are having around the world. But the world is watching.
"For 75 years, the Western world remained indifferent. But this war forces the Western supporters of the Israeli occupation entity to see the horrific crimes committed in a campaign that they described five months ago as just. Even the progressive critic of the occupation entity, US Senator Bernie Sanders, said five months ago that the war against Hamas is just.
"The level of brutality and glee that Israeli soldiers display when they go on a daily killing spree, starving Gaza, then dropping leaflets in Arabic telling Palestinians they must feed the needy, killing 400 people waiting for aid, and then vowing to flood Gaza with aid, all of this is too much to sweep under the rug. When this war stops.
"The limit has been crossed. With this war, the Israeli occupation entity entered the elite class of rogue states. She has become the ugliest of ugliness, and it is impossible to forgive her. It cannot be justified, and the matter cannot be put into any context. The whole operation carried out in Gaza is atrocious. Liberal Zionism has become a contradictory phrase. It's unbelievable.
"By acting in this way, the Israeli occupation entity has turned not into a “homeland” for the suffering people who have suffered persecution around the world for thousands of years, but into the Fort Knox of Jewish racial supremacy, the natural heir of white supremacists. This has a hugely transformative impact on the Jewish people around the world, in whose name and in the name of their shared past these crimes are being committed.
"The short, heartfelt cries of Jonathan Glazer, director of the film “Space of Interest,” did not come out of nowhere when he said in his Oscar acceptance speech: “We stand here as men who refute their Judaism and the Holocaust, which is hijacked by an occupation that has led to conflict, devouring many innocents.” The same cry, “Not in our name,” is echoed by thousands of young Jews who go out to demonstrate every weekend in London in order to stop the war in Gaza.
"Recently, a Jewish activist working with the Na’amud Britain group named Emily said: “I think our society is witnessing a quiet awakening, and I see this as evidence that the bloc is constantly growing, the movement is continuing to grow, and grassroots organizations are growing day by day. I have never been as sure as I am today that I will see a free Palestine.”
"When asked about her opinion on her government’s attempts to classify these marches as the work of extremists, she said: “I am tired of being told by non-Jewish people how I, as a Jewish person, should feel. I am tired of being told that I should feel afraid while these marches take place.” "It's largely peaceful, and the people who participate in it are very kind and grateful to us. This actually proves how ignorant there is of Jewish opinion outside their very small Zionist bubble."
"This is where true leadership is found. It's on the streets, not inside Parliament. These are the lions. As for our political leaders, they are donkeys. The Israeli occupation entity and its defenders have every right to be horrified by what a new generation of American and British Jews is telling them. Over the past eight decades, the Israeli occupation entity has managed a consensus around its existence, its identity, and its purpose that was stronger than all the weapons, money, and Jewish immigrants it received.
"The weaker this consensus, the more the occupation loses its influence in Western power centers. And here we see the compulsive addiction to supporting the Israeli occupation entity turning the tables on the attempts of the West itself to convince itself that it is a moral force, a force for good in the world.
"According to the latest definition of extremism by the British government, it has become right to support a government that flouts the genocide treaty, starves the population suffering under the yoke of occupation, and kills unarmed mothers and children as it pleases, while extremism is protesting against all of this through marches organized in the streets of London.
"It is left to countries such as South Africa to guide Britain in the right direction. Here is South Africa announcing its intention to prosecute its citizens who return to the country after fighting in the ranks of the Israeli army. It will take a period of time to erode it, but after what is happening in Gaza, the continued ability of the Israeli occupation entity to dominate every one of the major political parties in the West will not be guaranteed in the future. It will not be able to dictate the definition of anti-Semitism, nor will it guarantee the money that ambitious Western politicians need.
"Today, every Conservative or Labor politician who aspires to reach the highest position must - almost by necessity - belong to the Friends of the Israeli Occupation entity, that club that imposes its influence on every one of the political parties. However, this may not be the case for future generations of politicians.
"Jewish academic opposition to the occupation has become strong and vocal. It is no longer correct to describe it as marginal. The occupation is now beginning to lose the global Jewish voice. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to keep this war going for as long as possible are not receiving help from within.
"Two senior members of the War Cabinet openly defied the Prime Minister's wishes. The first act of public defiance came from Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who announced that he would agree to introduce a new military service law only if the National Unity Party, headed by Knesset member Benny Gantz, agreed on how to regulate the exemption that religious school students enjoy from compulsory service.
"What Gallant actually did was give Gantz veto power over the law on which funding for religious schools, whose students refuse to join military service, depends. Without this law, religious parties will withdraw from the coalition, which will lead to the collapse of the government.
"The second action came from Gantz, who has made government-sanctioned visits to both the United States and Britain, to the point that Netanyahu ordered his embassies in both countries not to cooperate. But Netanyahu's political weakness has reached such an extent that he can no longer expel Gantz or Gallant from the government.
"Netanyahu received a third blow during the same period, which did not exceed a few weeks, from the recent statement issued by the chief rabbi of the Sephardic Jews, Yitzhak Yosef, who said that if the government imposed compulsory military service on religious groups, they would leave the Israeli occupation entity en masse. An article published by The Jerusalem Post denounced Rabbi Yosef. The author of the article considered that the rabbi's words represented an insult to the soldiers who risk their lives in Gaza.
"The powers possessed by the Israeli warlord are diminishing, and he can no longer manage the war as he wishes. Also, the balance of power between the occupation and Hamas is not as settled as it seemed at first glance.
"There is no doubt that the military campaign has weakened Hamas' capabilities as a fighting force in Gaza, although members of the leadership in Gaza are still constantly passing a message to the political wing in Doha and Beirut that they are confident that they have the ability to continue, according to what he claims. Another indication of their confidence that they have the ability to shape the future of Palestine and its leadership is the list of prisoners who must be liberated in exchange for the remaining Israeli prisoners.
"The list includes Marwan Barghouti, a leader in the Fatah movement who was sentenced to five life terms and forty years in prison for his role in the second intifada, Ahmed Saadat, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Abdullah Barghouti, a military leader in Hamas, and Ibrahim Hamed, one of the leaders of the second intifada.
"If any of these men were released, the effect that would result would be to reshape the Palestinian leadership at the level of all factions, national, secular, and Islamic. For the Palestinians, this would be a huge political resurgence. It will also mean the inevitable end of the Palestinian Authority cooperating with the power that occupies them.
"For the occupation, the release of these men could provide a real opportunity to negotiate an end to the conflict. But only men like Ami Ayalon, the former head of Shin Bet, realize this point. Instead, the war government's idea was to install another PA agent, Majid Faraj, in charge of Gaza. However, Faraj's mission is doomed to failure before it begins, and therefore, if he were wise, he should have rejected such a poisonous offer.
"Netanyahu's weakness strongly affects the Western political elites that support and arm the Israeli occupation entity. US President Joe Biden's disagreement with Netanyahu has become well known and in full view of the public. The American president, who said eloquently five months ago that “Israel has every right to defend itself,” now says that it cannot kill another 30,000 Palestinians in the name of self-defense.
"Biden is now facing the consequences of giving the occupation the green light to invade Gaza after the Hamas attack on October 7. These consequences are essentially electoral. The Biden team was shocked by the volume of noncommittal sound. Hundreds of thousands of voters across the United States voted for no candidate in the Democratic nominations on Super Tuesday, at a time when the movement urging voters to vote non-compliant, in protest of Biden's handling of the war in Gaza, is growing. This could cost him dearly in the general election in November.
"This year, Biden's Ramadan greetings were particularly warm. But Arab Americans don't want hugs, they want to see a change in policy. Biden still supports only a temporary ceasefire, not a permanent one. He did not threaten to stop arms supplies. However, we witnessed a deliberate change in tone. Take Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the United States, who was vocal in his support of the occupation after the Hamas attack five months ago. On Thursday, Schumer warned that the occupation entity could not survive if it became a rogue “state” on a global level, as he put it.
"Schumer accused Netanyahu of putting his political survival before the national interest, and said that he had exaggerated his tolerance for the killing of civilians in Gaza, which pushed the support enjoyed by the Israeli occupation entity globally to the lowest levels. The loss of public opinion in the West, the continuation of the genocide case at the International Court of Justice, the erosion of the Jewish consensus, and the restlessness and anxiety of the supporters of the Israeli occupation entity - all these elements indicate a strategic defeat that the occupation will suffer.
"Even if the war stopped now, the price that the Zionist entity paid to reoccupy Gaza would be much higher than what it would have paid five months ago. But he still doesn't realize it. And he will."
Robert Inlakesh, Political Analyst, Journalist, and Documentary Filmmaker, aregued: "With the Zionist regime as its proxy, the US government is pursuing a policy of attempting to crush the entire population of Gaza with the belief that this will inflict a strategic defeat on the regional Axis of Resistance. This strategy represents what could be Washington’s final bid to reassert American dominance over West Asia and dismantle governing forces indigenous to the region.
"When we talk of the collective West, we are really discussing a tyrannical empire with its headquarters in Washington DC. It should be clear by now that the European nations are not independent in any meaningful sense, and the interests of their governing officials are those of the corporate elites. The Israelis are also in this fold and, evidently, hold considerable power through their extensive multi-national lobbying campaigns, yet in this case have become the convenient proxy force and attack dog to prove a point to the Global South.
"If one is to look into mega-corporations in the West, the likes of Vanguard and Blackrock to name a few, it quickly becomes obvious that their interests are inherently intertwined as they quite literally own each other and are therefore working for their own collective success as mega-corporations.
"Why talk about mega-corporations when assessing US foreign policy in West Asia? Because “The West” as we know it is no more than a collection of mega-corporations to begin with. Its democratic elections have been revealed to be shams, as all viable candidates work for the donor class and not the people who vote for them. Even the experts that Western politicians trust to shape policy for them are directly financed by the same corporate elites, with every major think tank that helps frame the opinions of advisors being on the same payroll. If we are to look at the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s new modus operandi, we will see that "Stakeholder Capitalism" is now the flavor of the day. Stakeholder Capitalism is in essence allowing corporations to openly influence social norms and shape both domestic and foreign policy.
"The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which serves as the US response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, depends on allowing corporations to take the driving seat as proposed by the WEF for instance. This is the natural evolution of the Western Empire, which has managed to pacify the populations living under the tyrannical control of the Capitalist elites. They entertain their rising desire for political engagement through divisive surface-level political issues; usually weaponizing identity politics that result in ‘chicken or egg arguments,’ effecting no tangible change in the political systems of Western nations.
"The Zionist project came as a result of European antisemitism and served as a perfect political movement to turn an inter-European conflict into an imperialist alliance. It was promoted in literature, then in the form of a settler-colonial movement, a specific kind of typical European colonial supremacy, in this case, the notion of White Jewish supremacy woven into a synthetic nationalism. Although this project ended up having issues with elements of the Western imperial system, namely the British during their Mandate of occupied Palestine, this began to change in 1956 with the tripartite invasion of Egypt; which saw the Israelis, British, and French launch a joint war. By 1967, the Zionist project had fully integrated itself as a loyal member of the Western imperial system and now serves as a vanguard to the US Blackrock.
"Instead of viewing the policies of Western nations as representing any kind of desire to serve the interests of the working people that reside there, we must remove the notion that any of these governments work on behalf of the populations that reside in these countries. Instead, they must be viewed in the same manner that Arab regimes like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are, in that they may occasionally take their populations into consideration but ultimately serve an agenda that works to the benefit of the despotic ruling elites. In the case of the Western empire, they pursue global dominance and seek to undermine indigenous self-determination, because this represents the single greatest threat to their tyranny.
"When Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, it dealt a mighty blow to the heart of the US Empire, as it shattered the illusion of Western invincibility and smashed the regional agenda that was being promoted from Washington. The Zionist entity uses the most sophisticated and newest Western military equipment, works to divide the entire region, and forces it to bow to the demands of the Western empire. This equipment was proven useless in the face of an indigenous military force that had been under a comprehensive siege for 17 years. They dismantled the regional ambitions of the Western empire and their “New Middle East” vision that was outlined by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the United Nations General Assembly in September of last year.
"What Hamas has also done since is destroy the propaganda surrounding the Western empire's global agenda, also awakening an anti-war movement throughout the collective West - with the exception of the Zionist entity - that has channeled the genuine rising anger at the betrayal of the working people. The racist assumptions about the Palestinian people have come back to bite the Western empire, and so too has the dehumanizing rhetoric that they believed would work on a younger generation who do not carry the same biases as the past generations when it comes to race/ethnicity/religion.
"Realizing the catastrophic defeat it suffered due to its miscalculations and arrogance, the US is now determined to crush the people of Gaza from which this act of defiance rose. The mere fact that a population of 2.3 million, most of whom are refugees, contained in a concentration camp only 141 square miles in size, refused to bow down and instead opted for freedom or martyrdom, has triggered what Washington has decided will be a genocidal attack on all of them. This barbaric act of savagery is not just about Gaza, it is a message to the entire Axis of Resistance and the wider Global South. The US is saying, if you dare to challenge us, this is what we will do to you.
"The Zionist entity is only the proxy for this war, and the people of the Gaza Strip are to be made an example out of, under the US empire's vision. When the right-wing fascist Zionist militants were set on the people of Gaza, it was clear what they were sent there to do, and if the US didn’t approve, none of this would have occurred.
"Unfortunately, there are no level-headed leaders in the West, because the government officials are simply willing actors in a game of chess and they simply represent its pieces on the board. This is why they are of the view that Gaza must be defeated, it must be starved, its children and women must be slaughtered, its intellects have to be purged, and it must be reduced to a wasteland. It is no coincidence that we hear World War II invoked frequently by Western leaders and Zionists because they are sending the message to the world that they are taking us back to an era where there was no international law or united nations, a world in which the geneva conventions were not there to prevent or punish actions like the dropping of atomic bombs.
"Although they may not seek an immediate path to a direct war with Iran and its allies, constituting the Axis of Resistance, it appears as if they are willing to risk it in order to inflict a defeat on the Palestinian people in Gaza. The only wildcard now is what the Axis of Resistance will do in order to ensure the Western empire is defeated on the battleground of Gaza. The US may attempt to score a victory by proxy and impose its will in a post-war Gaza, by restricting the desperately needed reconstruction, political solution for the territory, and aid introduction, instead of imposing a normalization plan, but this will ultimately fail. We are on a path toward a decisive victory for one side or the other at this current moment, and the only thing that will stop this is if the US realizes that even if it was to reach “victory”, it would be a pyrrhic victory and decide instead to back down. Yet, the arrogance of the West which led it to this position does not seem to have faded and reality may never set in."
Allied for Democracy
Finance Minister and leader of the Religious Zionism party, Bezalel Smotrich, has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent Israel's negotiating team from departing for Qatar for talks on a hostage deal with Hamas. Smotrich's demand comes in response to Hamas's recent rejection of a proposed hostage deal outline, where they demanded the release of up to 1,000 security prisoners. Smotrich asserted that previous attempts to find a resolution through talks in Paris and Qatar had failed, reinforcing his opposition to further negotiations. He criticized what he described as a "delusional Hamas stance" and argued that those advocating for a deal within the war cabinet and security establishments had lost their way.
"Netanyahu must order the delegation to remain in Israel," Smotrich emphasized. "The IDF should enter Rafah immediately and escalate military pressure until Hamas is dismantled. Only then can we ensure the safe return of the hostages." Smotrich's call highlights the growing frustration within some quarters of the Israeli government over the stalled negotiations with Hamas.
Israeli affairs researcher Saad Nimr confirmed that the Israeli military and security side is demanding that Netanyahu have a truce in order to rearrange the Israeli internal situation, while Netanyahu wants to recover the prisoners and continue the war. In an interview with Al-Alam News Channel for the “With the Event” program, Saad Nimr indicated that the Prime Minister of the occupying entity is now in a state of trouble, whether from internal or external pressures. The expanded cabinet meeting, which includes parties allied with Netanyahu, is pressing for the continuation of the war and not to go towards a deal.
He added: Now all reports in the war council indicate that the Israeli military and security side is demanding - even under the table - Netanyahu that there be at least a truce, in order to rearrange the affairs of the army and to rearrange the Israeli internal situation, specifically the situation of the Israeli forces in Gaza, which are suffering a lot of losses. Losses... Therefore, the war council may be closer to going towards a deal. He pointed out that Netanyahu wants to take the Israeli prisoners held by the resistance and continue the war however he wants, and to have an open hand in this area, and this is the biggest disagreement, not the number of prisoners. Saad Nimr added: The important issue is not agreeing to a ceasefire and going towards a long-term truce in which the Israeli prisoners are taken.
He said: The American side also has a very clear position. The deep state in the United States of America will not abandon Israel. If America wants, it can put pressure on Israel, but so far it does not want to put pressure on Israel. Biden can, in half an hour, stop the war. Now...but the issue is whether he wants that and does the deep state in America want that.
Israeli TV N12 reported Minister Gideon Sa'ar shook the political arena this week when he announced his split from Benny Gantz's State Camp party, and its actual dissolution. This evening (Saturday) in the first interview with "Meet the Press" since the surprising announcement, Sa'ar harshly criticized the conduct of the war, emphasized that he has no intention of returning to Likud and talked about the ultimatum he gave Netanyahu: "If I don't join the war cabinet within a few days - I will retire."
With the announcement of his retirement, Sa'ar demanded to join the War Cabinet alongside his former partners Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, in order to participate in decision-making. At this stage his demand has not yet been met, but the former chairman of his party and member of the cabinet Benny Gantz had time to express his opposition to his inclusion and explained that "there is no reason to change what is working well".
In the interview, Sa'ar explained the ideological differences between him and his former partners in the state camp, and demonstrated this in Benny Gantz's decision to be absent from the vote on the removal of MK Ofer Kasif from the Knesset. Regarding Minister Benny Gantz's decision to prevent his inclusion in the cabinet, Sa'ar said that "there is a clear line between October to march Then he wanted me in the cabinet, now he doesn't." According to him, in an attempt to prevent him from splitting from the state camp, Benny Gantz even offered him 8 seats in the joint party.
Sa'ar accused the cabinet of mismanaging the war and the IDF's "shuffling" in the Gaza Strip. "Day by day we are moving further away from victory," he said. There is no organized plan according to what I understand to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, there is no control over the income of humanitarian aid. Is it reasonable that we did not complete the occupation phase for five months? The management of the army's personnel is in the hands of the Chief of Staff, but the prolongation of the war is because the north must be held at the same time. In the international arena, it does not get any easier."
According to Sa'ar, in a conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he presented him with a clear ultimatum: "If I do not join the war cabinet within a few days, I will resign." He further explained: "I said that I will stay in the government as long as I can influence and the direction will be right. I want the possibility to try to influence. Outside of the war cabinet, I cannot influence."
Sa'ar reiterated that he will not return to support Binyamin Netanyahu, even after the war. "I will not support him for the position of prime minister in the next election either," he said. "Ganz just like me sits in the government with him, both Lieberman and Lapid agreed to sit in the government with him under such and such conditions. The country needs reform and I am consistent in my views. I will say it slowly to be clear - I am not returning to Likud." According to him, he will continue to support the early elections to end the war.
Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers
- 73,546 Gazans injured, 28% adult male
- 40,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble
- 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
- 31,553 Gazans martyred
- 15,000 rocket launched from Gaza
- 14,750 Israelis were injured [i24 TV]
- 13,430 Gazan children martyred
- 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12]
- 12,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF]
- 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023
- 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons
- 9,000 IDF psychological assistance
- 9,000 Gazan women martyred
- 8,000 Gazans missing
- 7,500 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th
- 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS]
- 5,500 IDF wounded [reports]
- 4,700 West Bank Palestinians wounded
- 3,484 administrative detainees
- 3,400 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria
- 2,976 IDF wounded [IDF]
- 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day
- 1,500 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas
- 1,200 Israelis killed on the first day
- 575 Israeli officers and soldiers killed
- 433 West Bank Palestinians martyred
- 247 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza
- 222 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon
- 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers
- 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody
- 50 civilians killed in Lebanon
- 29 IDF deaths were caused by "friendly fire"
- 15 Israelis killed in the West Bank and Israel
Many of these numbers fluctate, up and down, with no apparent explanation. This list records the highest number reliably reported for each matter, under the theory that reality with catch up with reports, as is relentlessly the case.
The Palestinian resistance says that the losses of the Israeli forces are much greater than what is announced. 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."
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.
Abraham Wyner, Professor of Statistics and Data Science at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, reported 06 March 2024 that : "While the evidence is not dispositive, it is highly suggestive that a process unconnected or loosely connected to reality was used to report the numbers.... Another red flag, raised by Salo Aizenberg and written about extensively, is that if 70% of the casualties are women and children and 25% of the population is adult male, then either Israel is not successfully eliminating Hamas fighters or adult male casualty counts are extremely low. This by itself strongly suggests that the numbers are at a minimum grossly inaccurate and quite probably outright faked.... Taken together, Hamas is reporting not only that 70% of casualties are women and children but also that 20% are fighters. This is not possible unless Israel is somehow not killing noncombatant men, or else Hamas is claiming that almost all the men in Gaza are Hamas fighters....
"Israel estimates that at least 12,000 fighters have been killed. If that number proves to be even reasonably accurate, then the ratio of noncombatant casualties to combatants is remarkably low: at most 1.4 to 1 and perhaps as low as 1 to 1. By historical standards of urban warfare, where combatants are embedded above and below into civilian population centers, this is a remarkable and successful effort to prevent unnecessary loss of life while fighting an implacable enemy that protects itself with civilians."
This makes perfect sense under a third possibility, namely that the IDF doing a really good job of targeting male combatants, most of whom are in proximity to their families. There are no HAMAS barracks, so everyone lives at home, en famille. Co-habiting extended families are common [hence reports of dozens of family members killed in a single strike]. The HAMAS battalions are organized by neighborhoods, so it would not be surprising that multiple HAMAS combatants live in a single building. So casualties structured as one male combatant, one female cohabitant, and two children are approximately consistent with both expectations and reports.
Lord Roberts of Belgravia (Con) stated 08 February 2024 "My Lords, even if we were to take as accurate Hamas’s statistics and the 27,500 figure — there is no reason why we should; we do not do that with Putin or ISIS — if one subtracts the number of Gazans who have been killed by the quarter or so of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas rockets that fall short, one is left with a less than 2:1 ratio of civilians to Hamas terrorists killed, of whom there have been more than 9,000 so far. War is hell, and every individual civilian death is a tragedy, but — I speak as a military historian — less than 2:1 is an astonishingly low ratio for modern urban warfare where the terrorists routinely use civilians as human shields. It is a testament to the professionalism, ethics and values of the Israel Defense Forces."
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