Operation Iron Swords - Day 217 - 10 May 2024
“At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to
surrender and release every hostage. …
Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)
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Israeli media outlets reported that at least five Israeli troops were killed in fiercest Rafah, Gaza confrontations, adding that multiple military helicopters evacuated Israeli casualties from areas of confrontation. Among those killed are reportedly four Israeli members of the Nahal Patrol Brigade's 913th Battalion. The troops were killed as a result of the detonation of an explosive device in al-Zeitoun which also resulted in the injury of two troops.
The Washington Post reported that US President Joe Biden's remarkable admission this week that US weapons are killing civilians in Gaza represents a turning point in US policy towards Israel, days after the Israeli army carried out its first move on Rafah and before the issuance of an expected government report on Israel's behavior in the Gaza Strip. Gaza. While the Biden administration has repeatedly expressed concern about civilian casualties in Gaza, some former officials say it took longer to implement laws and policies aimed at preventing the use of American weapons, in violation of international humanitarian law, according to the same source. Experts say that the United States has always been selective in how it applies international law, and in how it balances human rights concerns and realpolitik. But its continued material support for the Israeli war in Gaza has led to a rare surge in public reactions that say the US administration is slow to implement laws aimed at limiting or imposing conditions on military aid to foreign allies.
White House National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby said Washington would stop sending “certain types” of weapons to Israel if its forces carried out a large ground operation in Rafah , repeating the warning made by President Joe Biden two days ago. This came after news of the approval of the Israeli Mini-Cabinet to expand the area of Israeli army operations in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. Kirby said, "We did not say that Israel cannot work to end Hamas, but what we do not support is a major military operation in Rafah." He added that implementing such an operation would push the United States to stop “sending certain types of weapons,” echoing what President Biden said during an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening. Kirby stated that the ongoing military operation "is focused on the Rafah crossing area ."
Kirby stressed that the recent negotiations that took place in Cairo after Hamas approved the proposal did not result in an agreement, but he said, "We believe that it is possible to overcome the remaining gaps." He continued, "The face-to-face meetings regarding the hostage agreement have ended, but we are working to keep both parties involved in the talks." He added that Washington believes that it is possible to reach a ceasefire agreement, and that it "requires moral courage and leadership positions, and we have not surrendered yet."
Regarding the temporary floating port, the American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal” revealed that the United States will soon begin using the seaport pier that it built off the coast of Gaza, but it is facing difficulties in distributing aid, which represents a test of Biden’s promise to alleviate the humanitarian crisis for the Palestinians. The newspaper quotes American officials as saying that the main details have not yet been resolved, and Washington has not developed a plan for how to store, secure and distribute aid once it arrives.
Negotiations hosted by Egypt did not lead to any ceasefire agreement in Gaza on Thursday. A senior Israeli official said late Thursday that the latest round of indirect negotiations in Cairo to stop hostilities had ended and that Israel would proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Palestinian Strip according to the plan, according to what was reported by Reuters. The official added that Israel presented to the mediators its reservations about Hamas’ proposal for a hostage release agreement.
For its part, Hamas announced, at dawn on Friday, after its delegation left Egypt, where the talks were taking place, that “the ball is entirely in Israel’s court” to reach a truce agreement in the Gaza Strip. Hamas said in a statement addressed to the Palestinian factions, “The negotiating delegation left Cairo heading to Doha,” adding, “In practice, the occupation rejected the proposal submitted by the mediators and raised objections to it on several central issues. Our position is to adhere to the national position that agreed to the mediators’ latest proposal. Accordingly, the ball is now with the occupation completely,” according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
The Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas put out a statement regarding the ongoing mediated talks with the Israeli occupation, saying that it will hold talks with other Palestinian Resistance factions to look into its negotiating strategy. The group reiterated that its negotiating team expressed the "necessary flexibility to facilitate reaching an agreement" that would achieve its five-points-based demands. This includes a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, the free return of all forcibly displaced Palestinians to their homes in the besieged territory, a serious prisoner exchange deal, and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
However, the movement said that "Israel's" rejection of the mediators' proposal, has pushed matters "back to square one." It also pointed to the Israeli military's direct attack on Rafah and its occupation of the border crossing, just after the movement announced that it accepted the mediators' deal. Hamas said that the action confirms that the Israeli occupation is "avoiding reaching an agreement." As for the Netanyahu-led government, Hamas said that it is taking advantage of the negotiations process to "cover its attack on Rafah."
"In light of Netanyahu's behavior, his rejection of the mediators' proposal, the attack on Rafah, and the occupation of the crossing, the movement's leadership will hold consultations with the leaders of the Palestinian Resistance factions in order to reconsider our negotiating strategy," the statement read.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, urged, during a phone call on Thursday, “all parties to show flexibility and make more efforts necessary to reach a truce agreement in Gaza that puts an end to the humanitarian tragedy and allows the full and sustainable delivery of aid that meets the urgent needs of the population.” A statement published by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its Facebook page stated that Shukry had received a phone call from Blinken on Thursday, during which they discussed “developments in the security and humanitarian situation in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and the delicate stage that the ongoing negotiations in Cairo are going through to reach a truce.” "It allows for a ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners and hostages being held."
Shukri stressed “the necessity of reaching a ceasefire as soon as possible,” reiterating to his American counterpart “the dangers of Israeli military operations in the Rafah area, and the catastrophic humanitarian repercussions they will have on more than 1.4 million Palestinians, and the security consequences that will affect stability and security.” Region". Blinken reiterates Washington's opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, confirmed on Thursday, in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, that the United States opposes any forced displacement of Palestinians, amid Israel’s threat to launch a major military attack in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
In the same context, the Egyptian Minister stressed the "categorical rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land."
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, stated that Shoukry discussed with Blinken “the repercussions of military operations, Israel’s control of the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side, and the future risks of the continuation of this situation.” The two ministers agreed to "continue close consultation and coordination to continue pushing the parties to reach a comprehensive truce in Gaza and put an end to the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian Strip."
The United Nations General Assembly approved a draft resolution recommending that the UN Security Council “positively reconsider the issue of Palestine obtaining full membership,” by an overwhelming majority. The General Assembly voted by a large majority in support of Palestine’s request for membership in the United Nations , in a decision of a symbolic nature due to the American veto in the Security Council, according to what Anatolia Agency reported.
A total of 143 members out of a total of 193 members of the United Nations approved the resolution, while nine rejected and 25 abstained from voting. The resolution supports Palestine's application for full membership in the United Nations, recommends that the Security Council reconsider the application, and also identifies ways to implement additional rights and privileges related to Palestine's participation in the United Nations.
According to the resolution, the General Assembly decides, on an exceptional basis and without this setting a precedent, to adopt several methods related to the participation of the State of Palestine in the sessions and work of the General Assembly and the international conferences held under its auspices and other United Nations organs. The resolution reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including having their own independent state, which is Palestine. The resolution called on the international community to make renewed and coordinated efforts to end the Israeli occupation that began in 1967, and to reach a just, lasting and peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
The resolution, which Turkey co-sponsored along with nearly 80 member states, included expressions of deep regret and concern over the United States’ use of its veto in the United Nations Security Council on April 18. The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, welcomed the vote of the United Nations General Assembly in favor of a resolution supporting Palestine’s obtaining full membership, saying: “We will continue our endeavor to obtain full membership in the United Nations by a decision of the Security Council,” according to what was reported by the Palestinian Agency.
In turn, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz described the United Nations General Assembly's decision to amend the status of Palestinians in the organization as a "prize for Hamas," according to a statement issued by his office on Friday. “The ridiculous resolution taken by the UN General Assembly highlights the structural bias of the United Nations and the reasons why the organization, under the leadership of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, has become an irrelevant institution,” Katz said.
The United States used its veto power to prevent the State of Palestine from obtaining full membership in the United Nations, in the vote that took place on April 18, where 12 countries voted in favor of the resolution, and two countries abstained from voting, while Washington used “the Veto."
South Africa this evening (Friday) asked the court in The Hague to publish additional warrants against Israel, following the operation in Rafah. The state turned to the court and requested additional emergency measures against Israel in the ongoing case against it. The petitioners claim that the steps taken by the court have no reference to the changed circumstances in Gaza. A few weeks ago, news was published that Israel expects South Africa to make a move of this type , and that the fear was that the operation in Rafah would be the turning point.
Yesterday, 11 members of the American Congress wrote a letter to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, in which they claimed that he is not doing enough against the Hague Tribunal in his moves against Israel. "We are writing to express our concern regarding the latest reports about the possible intention of the International Court of Justice in The Hague to issue arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Chief of Staff," the members of Congress wrote in the letter.
Commenting on the operations carried out by the Palestinian resistance, military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi believes that these operations reflect the way the resistance managed the battle with the occupation army, saying that they suggest a return to the first day of the ground invasion in the northern region of the Gaza Strip . Through its operations, Al-Duwairi adds, the resistance sent clear messages with multiple contents. The first was directed to the Israeli interior, stating that your leadership did not undermine the capabilities of the Hamas movement and the rest of the factions after months of war. The second was directed to the Israeli army, specifically Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy , to tell them that they had failed to achieve their goals.
Al-Duwairi confirms that the Palestinian resistance is still fighting in the areas that the occupation army entered 6 months ago, and its brigades in Rafah are more capable and ready to fight, which it proved through the operations it carried out - Friday - by firing missiles from a distance of 40 kilometers, stressing that it is capable of It launches missiles with a range of 60 to 75 kilometers.
According to the academic and expert on Israeli affairs, Dr. Muhannad Mustafa, the resistance operations reinforce the internal debate in Israel, which says that the war on Gaza has exhausted all military capabilities, and that Israel does not have any other military alternatives in order to achieve its goals, and it has failed in them militarily and strategically.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu portrayed his military operation in Rafah as the only way out of his crises and his military and political failure, he was surprised today by the operational momentum of the resistance in Gaza, as political and strategic analyst Saeed Ziad said. The operations of the Qassam Brigades refuted Netanyahu’s claims that he had eliminated or neutralized the resistance’s missile capabilities and that the cities of the interior were no longer vulnerable to these missiles. Ziad said that the resistance’s launching of missiles from the heart of Rafah and from other cities gives an indication that it is capable of increasing the momentum of the missiles it is launching towards Israeli towns and delivering them. For other ranges.
He concluded that the scenes of sniping, bombing of vehicles, and movement in tunnels taking place above the square confirm that the resistance was not harmed or harmed, which is something that reinforces Israeli despair.
Regarding the relationship of what is happening in the field to the negotiations between the Palestinian resistance and Israel, the political and strategic analyst indicated that Netanyahu wants a deal that will free the Israeli prisoners and give him a period of calm to solve his problems without ending the war, while the resistance wants a deal that leads to the end of the war, that is, there is a big difference between the two scenarios.
Israel said that it killed about 13,000 militants and dismantled 20 out of 24 Hamas battalions, and that between 5,000 and 8,000 fighters, making up 4 Hamas battalions, are holed up in Rafah, along with the leaders and many hostages that Hamas has been holding since October 7.
Israeli officials' information was conflicting, as some of them estimated the size of Hamas' force in Rafah at two battalions west of the city, and some of them, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke of four battalions holed up there. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority "Makan" reported that Netanyahu repeated on numerous occasions that there are 4 Hamas brigades in the city of Rafah , which is the "last stronghold" of the Palestinian movement in the Gaza Strip, and that "they must be dealt with."
On the other hand, 3 informed Israeli officials confirmed that there are no longer 4 Hamas battalions in Rafah, as the Prime Minister believes. The officials added: "A large part of the fighting force left the city and its suburbs. They moved to Khan Yunis, and perhaps also to the camps in the center of the Strip. What remains is about two battalions on the western side of the city, perhaps in the Tal al-Sultan area."
In turn, observers say that the number of remaining Hamas battalions in the city of Rafah does not matter, because no Hamas force can withstand a single Israeli army division. Rather, the strategy followed by Yahya al-Sinwar is to “remain underground for a long period extending more than the period during which the IDF is likely to remain on the ground.
The Palestinian Resistance has been engaging Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, in what could be described as the fiercest confrontations since the invasion of the southernmost city of Rafah. In concurrence with an attempted Israeli advance into new sectors of Rafah, the occupation's military also launched an incursion into Gaza City in the north. Axes of confrontation in al-Sabra and al-Zeitoun neighborhoods, in the center of the city were renewed, following months-long ground attack by occupation forces. These areas had been supposedly "cleared" by the Israeli occupation's military, however, the Resistance has re-emerged in the neighborhoods and regained operational activities, including rocket launching operations.
Commenting on the field developments, the military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, said that Rafah has turned into a hot area, as the resistance factions began carrying out and escalating operations after the limited and rapid incursion of the occupation forces during the past two days. Al-Falahi confirmed during his analysis for Al-Jazeera that the battles began to rage with bombardment of military crowds and ambushes, which means an increase in the number of losses among the ranks of the occupation army, after what he called a “lull in operations” in the past few days. He pointed out that the resistance operations ranged from targeting soldiers of the occupation forces who were holed up in homes to detonating minefields and explosive devices in military vehicles, "which means that the resistance factions are conducting a successful defensive battle."
Regarding the Israeli incursion into the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, Al-Falahi stressed that the northern region of the Strip has moved into the third phase of the war, which means that major military operations in the region have ended. He pointed out that what the occupation is doing is similar to specific security operations, considering them a response to the intensification of the resistance in recent days, sniper operations and the intensification of the bombing of the Netzarim axis, which separates the northern Gaza Strip from its center and south. According to Al-Falahi, the occupation forces are trying to secure the forces stationed in the Netzarim axis by dealing with hotbeds of resistance that are considered a current threat.
Among the objectives of the occupation operation in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, the military expert said that the area into which the Israeli forces penetrated into the sea is considered parallel to the area that includes the American floating dock, and it is necessary to secure it.
Following the alert that was activated in the Beer Sheva area, nine missiles were identified that were fired from the Rafah area and fell in an open area. Also, five additional launches were identified that were fired from the center of the Gaza Strip into the area of the city of Beer Sheva. A fall in space was detected.
In the last few days, the Nahal TDF began an operation led by the 99th Division in the Zeyton area. The forces raided terrorist infrastructures in the area, eliminated a number of terrorists from the air and on the ground, located weapons and intelligence means of the terrorist organization Hamas and together with the brigade fire complex destroyed terrorist infrastructures of the organization. As part of the operation, the fighters raided a school and found weapons, Kalashnikovs and cartridges in the classrooms. The battle team of the Givati Brigade led by Division 162 is currently operating in East Rafah. The forces are working to destroy terrorist infrastructure and purify the area. The fighters eliminated dozens of terrorists, located weapons and tunnel shafts.
Following the alert that was activated in Kerem Shalom, one launch was detected that crossed from the Rafah area to the area surrounding Gaza and was successfully intercepted by the air defense fighters. After that, another warning was activated in the Kerem Shalom area, during which the air defense fighters successfully intercepted another launch that crossed from the Rafah area.
The forces of Division 162 continue to operate in Mizrah Rafah. In the last day, the combat team fighters of the Givati Brigade located several underground tunnel shafts in the area. In the Rafah crossing area on the Hazati side, the fighters of the 401st Brigade's combat team eliminated a number of terrorist squads in face-to-face battles and closing circles from the air. Aircraft led by the Air Force and the 215th Fire Brigade attacked a number of areas in Rafah from which rockets and grenade launchers were launched in recent days towards Israeli territory and the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The army said in a statement: “After sounding the sirens earlier today (Friday) in the Kerem Shalom area, it was determined that a missile was being launched that was crossing from the Rafah area into Israel, and the launch was successfully intercepted,” noting that “the sirens returned and sounded.” In the Kerem Shalom area, the Israeli army’s air defense system intercepted an additional missile fired from the Rafah area. In another statement, the army stated, “During the past day, Israeli army forces found several underground tunnel openings in eastern Rafah. On the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, the forces eliminated a number of terrorist cells, and army aircraft bombed several sites in the Rafah area. "Firing rockets and mortar shells at Israel over the past few days, including towards the Kerem Shalom crossing." He added: "Israeli army forces are working in the Al-Zaytoun area in the central Gaza Strip to eliminate terrorists and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. A number of Hamas members were targeted in a building filled with a large number of explosives, and a weapons storage facility was targeted in central Gaza."
In the area of Zeyton in the center of the Gaza Strip, the fighters of the Nahal Brigade and the 2nd Brigade are working, under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet and Amman, to continue dismantling terrorist infrastructures and eliminating terrorists in the area. The westward advancement of Israeli troops into the al-Zeitoun neighborhood was met with several direct operations conducted by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades. Utilizing rocket-propelled grenades, the faction was able to target Israeli armored vehicles in both al-Zeitoun and al-Sabra, which is located to the northwest of the aforementioned town. The group detonated a pre-set minefield, consisting of large caliber anti-armor explosive devices, targeting a number of Israeli military vehicles to the east of al-Zeitoun.
Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades confronted Israeli occupation forces on multiple axes in the southernmost city of Rafah, targeting the Israeli military in direct confrontations, shelling their positions, and conducting a well-executed ambush. According to al-Qassam's Military Media Unit, Resistance fighters were engaged in operations near al-Dawa Mosque, the Saad Sayel Barracks, and the Abu Halawa area, all located in eastern Rafah.
The fiercest confrontations concentrated in the Saad Sayel Barracks, where al-Qassam fighters lured occupation forces into a minefield that led to confirmed casualties among enemy forces. Al-Qassam fighters also executed a multifaceted ambush near al-Dawa Mosque, targeting a composite force, consisting of an armored unit and infantry, with several thermobaric RPG rounds and an anti-armor tandem al-Yassin shell. The group confirmed that the ambush dealt with casualties among an armored personnel carrier's (APC) crewmembers and at least two tanks located near the APC and a nearby building.
In the past day, fighter jets have attacked a number of terrorists and Hamas targets, including a structure captured by many weapons. Fighter jets led by the Air Force and the Gaza Division attacked a number of terrorist infrastructures throughout the Strip, including anti-tank positions and tunnel shafts.
The forces of the 679th brigade's combat team identified a terrorist squad coming out of a weapons warehouse in the center of the strip and moving towards them. An air force aircraft attacked the squad. The munitions warehouse and another terrorist from the squad were attacked shortly after by fighter jets and helicopter gunships of the Air Force.
During the last day, aircraft and fighter jets of the Air Force attacked and destroyed about 40 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip. Among the targets that were attacked, military buildings, observation posts, terrorist squads and other military infrastructures.
The resistance carried out a series of qualitative military operations against the occupation army, confirming the deaths and injuries among its ranks, in addition to engaging in fierce clashes with the occupation forces penetrating the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood , and controlling a drone. The Al-Qassam Brigades announced that an Israeli force was ambushed after detonating a minefield in a barracks east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip , noting that members of the force were killed and wounded.
Al-Qassam announced the targeting of two Israeli Merkava tanks in the vicinity of the Saad Sayel barracks, east of Rafah. It was also able to target a troop carrier and a building in which soldiers were barricaded at the Al-Dawa Mosque, east of Rafah, leaving all members of the force dead or wounded. In the vicinity of the barracks, the brigades were able to destroy an Israeli troop carrier. The occupation army admitted that twelve soldiers were injured during operations in the Gaza Strip.
For its part, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, carried out a series of operations against the occupation forces. In the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, the Al-Quds Brigades said that they targeted an Israeli military vehicle with an RPG shell in the vicinity of the Al-Zaytoun Clinic in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City. It also bombed a gathering of occupation vehicles and soldiers in the vicinity of the Moonlight Hall on Eighth Street in the neighborhood. In a third operation, the Al-Quds Brigades detonated a field of mines and high-explosive ground devices in a number of occupation vehicles penetrating east of the neighborhood.
In Rafah, the Al-Quds Brigades bombed with heavy-caliber mortar shells Israeli soldiers and vehicles penetrating east of the Al-Salam neighborhood in the city of Rafah. It also took control of an Israeli Skylark drone in Rafah. The Al-Quds Brigades also published what it said were “scenes of mortar fire with which its members pounded soldiers and occupation vehicles penetrating east of the city.”
Guideless and amid an atmosphere of fear, families in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, gather their belongings and head towards the unknown after the Israeli occupation army decided to invade the area, ignoring all the international warnings that warned them of the consequences of any military action in the city. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that the number of displaced people from the city of Rafah has risen to about one hundred and ten thousand since May 6. She stressed that the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza continues in the absence of a safe zone in the Strip, and stressed that the only hope for stopping the tragedy that the Palestinians are suffering is an urgent ceasefire.
In turn, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that about two hundred thousand Palestinians are displaced from Rafah towards the north, stressing that the situation in the city has reached the abyss.
For his part, the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Georgios Petropoulos , said that about thirty thousand people are displaced from the city of Rafah every day. He explained that most of these people had to be displaced five or six times since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip . As for the destination of the displaced people, it is west and north of Rafah and the Al-Mawasi area west of the Gaza Strip. Some of them were forced to walk tens of kilometers from the eastern and southern areas of Rafah, due to the lack of vehicles to transport them due to the occupation targeting any moving object in the city.
Although the Rafah and Khan Yunis Mawasi area lacks the most basic necessities of life, such as sanitation services, roads and sidewalks, the people of the Strip resort to it as the safest area in the Gaza Strip compared to other areas, even though it has been subjected to a number of attacks on more than one occasion. The problem of the shortage of tents is a dilemma facing everyone displaced from eastern Rafah, as they were living in schools and shelter centers and did not have tents to stay in.
Satellite imagery revealed tent cities in Rafah before and after the Israeli threat to begin the attack. Palestinians are fleeing tent cities in Rafah in large numbers as the threat of a potential major Israeli attack in the southern Gaza city looms, satellite images show. CNN identified from the photos several camps housing a large number of displaced people in Gaza, including the main camp in central Rafah, which includes thousands of tents, and whose size decreased significantly between Tuesday and Wednesday. Although some camps in Rafah saw a decline in population earlier in the week, the majority of camps identified by the network saw their largest decline since Tuesday. Some tent camps were located in UN schools, others in open fields, or along roads for months. Now, a large number have disappeared, but many remain in the camps despite IDF orders to leave.
The question imposed by the reality on the ground is whether the Israeli forces can confirm Who is the identity of the displaced people that are urged to evacuate areas in Rafah? Or does the idea of “militants infiltrating” among civilians, which he previously referred to, might mean that military operations will remain in a “closed circle” within the Palestinian sector? the Strip.” While Israel stresses that it “does not target Palestinian civilians” and that its interest revolves around “eliminating Hamas and achieving security,” the military operation in Rafah raises concerns about the fate of about a million Palestinians who are there, and raises questions about how the army identifies the movement’s armed elements in the midst of the crowds.
Palestinian political analyst, Ashraf Akka, says, “The Israeli army will not be able to distinguish between civilians and members of the Hamas movement, given that the movement’s members have different names and are in large numbers,” considering that the army “will not be able to understand the nature of the secrecy and the administrative and organizational process upon which the Ezz Brigades were built.” Al-Qassam or other Palestinian factions.
Since the establishment of the Palestinian armed movements, their elements have been surrounded by more secrecy and mystery, and the organizational pyramid is very complex, according to what Akka added while speaking to the Al-Hurra website. Therefore, “the Israeli army will not be able to distinguish between civilians and fighters.” Akka explains: “For months, there has been talk about a possible operation in Rafah, and it is possible that faction elements have taken this into consideration, and have prepared well during the recent period, when some say that the city will surprise the Israeli army in many situations.”
For his part, Israeli military analyst, Kofi Lavie, confirms that "the armed elements were able to hide among the displaced people in the city of Rafah, and also to intimidate and intimidate them." Speaking to Al-Hurra website, he added: “The terrorists wear civilian clothes and hole up in homes among civilians, whom they use as human shields, to serve Iranian political ambitions, not Palestinian ambitions.” It is noteworthy that Hamas has repeatedly denied Israeli accusations of using civilians as human shields.
The recent targeting of the Kerem Shalom crossing, with missile attacks “launched from among the tents of the displaced,” according to Lafi, clearly revealed “the infiltration of combat elements among civilians in Rafah, who do not care about the continued operation of the only crossing for the entry of humanitarian aid.” This week, the Israeli army announced that 4 soldiers were killed and others wounded as a result of rockets falling in the Kerem Shalom crossing area, explaining that “the rockets were launched from an area adjacent to the city of Rafah.” An Israeli military spokesman said, according to Agence France-Presse, that the evacuation of eastern Rafah “is part of our plans to dismantle Hamas... and we received a violent reminder of their presence and operational capabilities in Rafah,” adding that the evacuation is “to keep people away from danger.”
Lafi points out that "Hamas members also target displaced civilians in Gaza, killing them under the pretext of their cooperation with Israel and intimidating them from reporting them," as he considered during his speech that "the Palestinians know the armed elements well." But the Israeli military analyst stressed that his country is “capable of distinguishing between civilians and Hamas militants in Gaza, based on the intelligence information it collects, as well as the database of Gazans who will flee to safe areas through Israeli security corridors, through which Hamas members can be identified.” He continues: "Therefore, they (Hamas members) will try today to move through tunnels from one area to another, so that they will not be arrested in the Israeli corridors."
“The armed Palestinian factions can move among people or follow other military methods, including through internal tunnels between areas of the Gaza Strip that the Israeli army has not yet discovered,” according to Akka. The Palestinian political analyst believes that Israel's current military operation "cannot achieve its goals in the way that Israel seeks, nor can it lead to the dismantling of the factions and ending the war militarily."
He added: "Israel will find difficulties in reaching the hostages, which is the important part of this operation, and it also cannot target civilians in any way, despite the bombing operations that we have witnessed during the past hours, not only in eastern Rafah but also in the center of the city." Akka asserts that the fate of civilians in Rafah “remains a pivotal issue that cannot be ignored. Israeli promises cannot be relied upon, even if we assume that there is an American-Israeli agreement on a limited operation. Dividing Rafah into temporary military zones from time to time may indicate operations of widespread destruction.” "It is the worst scenario imaginable."
Lafi asserts that “the displaced are required to cooperate with Israel to detect the fighting elements, and informing Israel of these elements ensures that they do not infiltrate and move among themselves.” He said that the Israeli army is capable of “fully pursuing Hamas and the terrorist factions,” as he points out that “the army is not only working in Rafah, but in parallel it is working through military efforts in different areas in the Gaza Strip, to ensure that goals are achieved and cleared of terrorist elements.” He added: "Israel often takes care to avoid carrying out some military operations, given the possibility of the presence of some kidnapped hostages in these areas."
Akka believes that Israel's strategy to pursue and eliminate Hamas members will lead to "a war taking place in a closed circle without achieving any decisive victory." He says: "This is not only a Palestinian point of view. Rather, multiple international parties agree that it is not possible to eliminate Hamas in this way."
The Israeli military analyst says that his country "destroyed the vast majority of Hamas' brigades and their infrastructure, which cost it billions of dollars over the past years." But he came back to acknowledge that "Hamas members are still working against their own people, who have begun to reject their presence and are fed up with them as a result of the disastrous conditions in which they live."
The American website "The Hill" believes that the red line that Biden set against any major Israeli military operation in Rafah puts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a crossroads. The site shows that Netanyahu speaks in a challenging tone in public to court his right-wing base, but behind the scenes he showed respect for Biden's demands.
In turn, military affairs editor Dan Sabbagh believes, in an analysis in the British newspaper The Guardian, that Israel is capable of moving forward with its attack on Rafah in the near term. He believed that Biden's threat required stopping a specific category of weapons, leaving other types available to Israel, and that the Israeli Air Force was not largely affected by the American decision.
In an article in the Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz", writer Zvi Bar'el considered Israel's control of the Rafah crossing to be an occupation of Gaza once again, with consequences in accordance with international law. According to Bar'el, this complicates Tel Aviv's relationship with Cairo, and no less important is what the rules of engagement are, in the event of an attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) or clashes with the residents of Gaza.
The American magazine "Newsweek" quoted experts and non-governmental organizations as saying that the Israeli attack on Rafah will weaken the Hamas movement, but will not undermine its leadership in the Gaza Strip in the long term. The Institute for the Study of War says - according to the magazine - that Hamas leaders may have believed that their movement was able to survive the operation and follow the ceasefire demands without making major concessions, because Hamas continues to operate from other areas in the Gaza Strip outside of Rafah and controls it, and the attack will weaken Israel’s position. At the global level.
For its part, the American newspaper "Washington Post" said that the Israeli military operations in Rafah this week exacerbated the deterioration of the already dilapidated health care network. She pointed out that children were most at risk, as thousands of infants in southern Gaza suffer from acute malnutrition, and those under the age of approximately five in the region suffer from one or more infectious diseases, according to UNICEF .
Operational Update - Judea-Samaria
The prosecutor's office admits that since the beginning of the war, the police have arrested and interrogated, in quite a few cases, Arab citizens without receiving the authorization required for the investigation following statements or posts on the networks. At the same time, in the civil arena, crime is rising in an unprecedented way. Since the beginning of the year, more than 70 have been murdered, and the rate of solved cases by the police remains low.
The Israeli occupation forces carried out - at dawn on Friday - new raids and arrests in the West Bank , as part of an ongoing escalation since the seventh of last October. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the occupation forces stormed the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, raided a house in the Rafidia neighborhood, and arrested two students from An-Najah National University.
Palestinian sources also reported that gunfire targeted Israeli forces that penetrated the Rafidia neighborhood in Nablus, noting that Israeli soldiers raided student housing in the neighborhood. According to the same sources, the representative of the Islamic Bloc at An-Najah University, student Aseed Hamadneh, was arrested during the raid. Palestinian sources also reported that Israeli forces stormed the city of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank at dawn, and deployed in a number of its neighborhoods. The occupation forces delivered notices to demolish two homes in the town of Azzun, east of the city.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that 3 Palestinians were injured by occupation forces’ bullets during their storming of the city of Qalqilya yesterday for more than 3 hours. The occupation forces fired live bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas at school students, leading to clashes in the neighborhood and causing injuries. Local sources reported that Israeli soldiers arrested two young men and a boy before they withdrew from the city.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health also said that a Palestinian child and a boy were injured - yesterday, Thursday - by bullets from the occupation forces during their storming of the town of Bir Zeit, north of Ramallah, noting that one of them was seriously injured. Yesterday, Israeli forces raided the towns of Jaffna and Birzeit, and were stationed near the entrance to Birzeit University. They stormed one of the shops, confiscated the ID cards of its workers and detained them, before withdrawing from the place.
Al Jazeera's correspondent also reported that the Israeli army stormed the village of Kafr Malik (northeast of Ramallah), amidst live bullets being fired towards the homes of Palestinian citizens. To the east of occupied Jerusalem, the occupation authorities blew up the house of the martyr Fadi Jamjoum in the Shuafat camp. The occupation forces accuse Jamjoom of carrying out the shooting attack in Kiryat Malachi near Ramla last February, which resulted in the killing of two Israelis and the injury of 4 others.
The Northern Command continues to increase competence and readiness for a variety of combat scenarios in the North. The reserve battalions of the Etzioni Brigade (6) participated in a brigade exercise in the Western Galilee, led by the National Center for Land Training (MLA). The exercise simulates combat in Lebanon, infantry, armor and engineering forces practiced operational cooperation in mountainous and complicated areas using camouflage and combat techniques alongside a logistical and ICT envelope.
Since the outbreak of the war, the Etzioni Brigade has been taking part in the defense of the northern border of the State of Israel with a wide deployment of fighters from the head of the Nakra to the Golan Heights. In the exercise of the 91st Division Headquarters (Ozbet HaGil), the division headquarters and its commanders practiced a variety of scenarios to accelerate readiness for an attack in this arena. In the Uzbat Hiram exercise (769), the units of the brigade, alongside the Air Force and the personnel of the logistics system of the Northern Command, practiced a scenario of aerial supply to maneuvering forces in enemy territory.
Fighter jets attacked military buildings and terrorist infrastructure of Hezbollah in the areas of Kfar Kila, Alma al-Sha'ab and Yaron in southern Lebanon. A team from Unit 869 identified two Hezbollah terrorists moving near a military structure in the Yaron area, while carrying weapons. Air force fighter jets attacked the terrorists. Fighter jets of the Air Force attacked a terrorist infrastructure of Hezbollah in the area of Kfar Kila. In addition, a military structure of the organization in the area of Leida, where terrorists were staying, was attacked. Further to the warning about the intrusion of a hostile aircraft in the north of the country, this is a false identification.
Settlers from abandoned settlements in northern occupied Palestine are planning demonstrations on May 16 in al-Quds and Haifa, advocating against a political agreement with Hezbollah and calling for security to be brought back to their region through military means. During a meeting of "Israel's" Conflict Zone Forum, the leaders of the Israeli northern settlements decided to announce the establishment of the State of Galilee and fully separate from "Israel".
According to Israeli news website Walla!, the step is set to be announced on "Independence Day". The media website explained that their decision was reached after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dismissive response to Benny Gantz's inquiry about settlers returning home for the school year, saying, "What would happen if they return a few months after September 1?" This latest action follows the forum members' publication of protest advertisements in early April, where they publicly solicited bids to "locate the Israeli government." This comes in the context of the intensified and unprecedented operations carried out by the Lebanese Resistance in support of the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip.
A new balance of terror has emerged in the North, one that "Israel" cannot live with even for a "single hour," an op-ed published by Israeli newspaper Maariv said. Avi Ashkenazi, the military correspondent of the newspaper, recalled in his piece the course of confrontation, the balance of combat, and the rules of engagement between Hezbollah and the occupation since before the withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. "Any solution in the North requires decision-makers in Israel to work on dismantling this balance of terror," the author began by warning.
According to the Ashkenazi, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was able, before the Israeli withdrawal, and over the years, to create engagement rules in his favor in the "security belt in Lebanon," where "he decided that every Israeli attack on a civilian target would lead to rocket fire on Kiryat Shmona and settlements in the Galilee," and that the targets of the rocket launches varied between "open areas and inhibited ones." Later, this led to the debate within the occupation entity about the withdrawal to intensify, he said.
Operational Update - Syria / Iraq
The Iraqi resistance targeted a military site of the Zionist entity in Eilat, “Umm al-Rashrash,” in the occupied Palestinian territories, with drones. The resistance said in a statement: “In continuation of our approach to resisting the occupation and supporting our people in Gaza and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against Palestinian civilians, including children, women and the elderly, resistance fighters this morning targeted a Zionist military site in Eilat “Umm al-Rashrash” in our occupied territories using drones .” . The resistance confirmed its continued destruction of enemy strongholds. Yesterday , the Iraqi resistance announced the targeting of several Zionist enemy sites in the occupied territories by drones, causing direct hits there, noting that the targeted sites are the Zionist Yafalet base, the Leviathan gas platform, and the Ovda air base.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced that it carried out 8 operations against several sites in Israel using drones and the Al-Arqab missile within 24 hours. The Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement in response to the targeting of a cultural and media edifice in Damascus: We will reach the depths of Israel The "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" issued several statements stating that "in continuation of our approach to resisting the occupation, in support of our people in Gaza, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against Palestinian civilians, including children, women and the elderly":
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted a Zionist military site in Eilat, “Umm al-Rashrash,” in our occupied territories this morning, Friday, May 10, 2024, using drones.”
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted a vital target in Eilat, Umm al-Rashrash, in our occupied territories, this morning, Friday, May 10, 2024, by drone.”
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the Zionist Obda Air Base in our occupied territories on the evening of Thursday, May 9, 2024, using drones.”
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the Zionist invasion Leviathan platform in our occupied territories on the evening of Thursday, May 9, 2024, using drones.”
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the Zionist Yafalet base in our occupied territories on the evening of Thursday, May 9, 2024, using drones.”
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the Ashkelon oil port in our occupied territories on the morning of Thursday, May 9, 2024, using an Al-Arqab (upgraded cruise) missile .”
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted a vital target in Eilat, Umm al-Rashrash, in our occupied territories, at dawn on Thursday, May 9, 2024, using two drones.”
- “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the Zionist Nevatim base in Beersheba in our occupied territories at dawn on Thursday, May 9, 2024, by drone.”
The "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" confirmed that it will continue to "destroy enemy strongholds," as the resistance factions in Iraq adopt from time to time bombing areas in Israel and American bases in Syria and Iraq in response to the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. These factions also warned the United States that they "will increase the number of armed operations in response to Washington's continued provision of military assistance to the Israeli army."
In a statement, the Al-Nujaba Movement said: “A treacherous targeting of a cultural and media edifice affiliated with the Islamic Resistance Movement Al-Nujaba in the Syrian capital, Damascus, by the usurping Zionist entity that kills children, women and innocent civilians.” The statement added: "This entity has gone too far in its tyranny, brutality and arrogance, targeting the culture and media building that spread their scandals and brutal crimes against humanity. In this targeting, the lie of culture and peace promoted by the West, which is an exposed lie, was revealed to the public." The "Al-Nujaba" movement threatened in its statement, saying: "We announce it publicly that our response will be sudden, strong and effective, and the usurping enemy knows that if we say we will, and our drones have made them feel bad, and they know where our missiles have reached, then, God willing, we will reach the depths of the entity and these crimes will not pass without Punishment, and God is the Guardian of the believers.”
Mr. Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Ansar Allah movement, announced in his recent speech that the Yemeni armed forces, with all their arms, had begun implementing the fourth phase, that is, attacking all ships heading to Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, and in all seas, including the Mediterranean, and this The announcement is in line with the expansion of the resistance axis’ scope of its war against the occupying entity and its ports on more than one front, and regardless of the results of the negotiations currently taking place in Cairo to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian writer and editor-in-chief of Rai Al-Youm newspaper, Abdul Bari Atwan, wroted that "The Israelis, whether they are politicians or military leaders, know very well the bravery and steadfastness of the Yemenis, their self-esteem, their lack of fear of death, and their pursuit of martyrdom in defense of their homeland, land, and dignity. That is why they emerged victorious in all their battles and wars against the invaders, since the dawn of history, without any exception.
"The Yemenis were the ones who ended the myth of the Patriot missiles , the pride of the American industry, and exposed their shame and all the holes in their defensive capabilities, and their Iranian allies came to deal them with the final blow during the “Al-Waad Al-Sadiq” attack, which targeted two Israeli air bases in the heart of the Negev, one of which is adjacent to the Dimona nuclear reactor, in retaliation, revenge and response. On the Israeli aggression that targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus, and this explains the occupation entity’s announcement to abandon all Patriot missile systems within two months in clear acknowledgment of its failure to confront the Iranian missiles and drones participating in this attack, especially since these missiles, according to Iranian statements, were The least developed among its counterparts in the Iranian military arsenal, especially the new generation, such as hypersonic missiles, and winged ballistic missiles with multiple fission warheads.
"The transition of the Yemeni armed forces to the “fourth phase” comes within the framework of an operational escalation process by the axis of resistance, on a large scale on several fronts. For the first time, the “Ashtar Brigades” affiliated with the Bahraini Islamic Resistance launched marches on the occupied city of Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat), while the Islamic Resistance Brigades Iraq bombed Tel Aviv for the first time a few days ago, after attacks on Israeli military bases in the occupied Golan Heights and infrastructure in the port of Haifa. As for the Lebanese resistance led by Hezbollah, its missiles reached the city of Acre for the first time in years, and we do not rule out that its targets will expand to Haifa. The same very soon, and perhaps the speech of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, which he will deliver on Monday evening (today), may include surprises in this regard....
"The “Yemeni solution” is the best and shortest way to respond to the Israeli orgy, break the Israeli and American arrogance, and liberate all the occupied territories from the river to the sea. “Abu Yemen” says, does, and rises, which is why the occupation authorities tremble upon hearing his name, and avoid opening any front. A confrontation with him, because it will be a quick beginning to its end..."
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
Georgios Petropoulos, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, confirmed that 30,000 people are displaced from Rafah every day, explaining that without supplies in the coming days, it is expected that a large number of health facilities will lack the fuel necessary to continue working, and stressed that the situation has reached “unprecedented emergency levels.” This includes 5 hospitals affiliated with the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, 5 field hospitals, 17 primary health care centers run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ) with other partners, 10 mobile clinics providing vaccination services and treatment of psychological trauma and malnutrition, and 23 medical facilities in the Al-Mawasi area located To the north of Rafah.
Hamish Young, chief emergency coordinator at the United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF ) in the Gaza Strip, stressed the need for the Israeli army to refrain from invading Rafah, and called for the immediate flow of fuel and aid to the Strip. Speaking from Rafah, he said, "Yesterday I was walking around the Al-Mawasi area , where Rafah residents were asked to move." He added, "More than 100,000 people have fled Rafah during the past five days, and the displacement is still continuing." He explained, "Shelters are increasing on the sand dunes in Al-Mawasi, and it has now become difficult to move between the mass of tents and tarpaulins."
Axis of Resistance
Palestinian factions called on the Palestinians in the West Bank , Jerusalem and the occupied interior to launch a massive uprising in support of the Gaza Strip and to save the city of Rafah from what they described as a humanitarian disaster and a genocidal war. The Follow-up Committee for the National and Islamic Forces, which includes the majority of the factions, said in a statement that the Israeli occupation began implementing its plan to invade Rafah and continue its ground operations “in which it agreed with its allies and supporters to do so,” according to what was reported by the Anatolia Agency. The factions added that the occupation closed the border crossings and cut off relief and humanitarian supplies from the Gaza Strip, and targeted all areas that shelter displaced persons, “as our people in the Gaza Strip are exposed to the greatest catastrophe and genocide.”
The factions reaffirmed their full support for the Palestinian resistance, and called on them to do everything necessary to confront the occupation forces and protect the Palestinian people, and held Israel and the American administration fully responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe to which people in Rafah are exposed. The statement called on Arab and Islamic countries, international and international institutions and bodies to open the crossings, especially the Rafah crossing, and to bring in relief and humanitarian aid according to previous mechanisms before the Israeli army occupied the crossing. It also called on the Arab and Islamic peoples and the “free people of the world” everywhere to hold marches, demonstrations and sit-ins in all capitals, cities, squares and universities against the “genocide and humanitarian catastrophe” in Rafah.
The statement considered that the occupation of the Rafah border crossing, under Egyptian-Palestinian sovereignty, constitutes a violation of international conventions and a threat to Arab national security in general and Egyptian national security in particular.
Allied for Democracy
Yesterday, the political-security cabinet approved the expansion of activities in Rafah, but not in a way that would lead to a frontal confrontation with the American administration - this was announced this evening (Friday) on Friday news in Khan 11. During the discussion, ministers Smotrich and Ben Gabvir expressed a hawkish position, while Eisenkot and Gantz believed that it was necessary to maintain The relationship with the United States. The mandate for the negotiating team for the deal for the release of hostages was also voted on and approved despite the opposition of Ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir.
During the meeting, the Minister of Finance asked Ministers Dermer and Gallant if the words of the President of the United States Biden about delaying the arms shipments constitute threats intended to make Israel withdraw from activities in Rafah, or if there really will be an American arms embargo. Dermer, according to sources, said that Biden would not allow himself to do this, and that such a move would harm him in the presidential elections that will be held at the end of the year.
Defense Minister Gallant said that "it's a risk not worth taking", and quoted a joke by the "pale tracker" according to which "if you see lights in front, it could be two motorcycles - or a truck". According to a source familiar with the matter, during the War Cabinet meeting, a thought arose to take a renewed initiative, and it was agreed that in a few days there will be another round of talks that may take place in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The political-security cabinet met yesterday after the threat by the President of the United States Joe Biden that he would stop the arms shipments to Israel , if the operation in Rafah expands. Today (Friday) some of the quotes were published at the yeshiva, where even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not remain indifferent and burst out laughing. The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gabir, who made headlines yesterday after attacking President Biden in an embarrassing tweet, said that it is necessary to talk to the Americans with respect. Finance Minister Smotrich wondered and asked Minister Ben Gabir: To speak with respect as in your tweet?
The Minister of National Security replied that "I actually wrote very gently, relative to what most Israelis think about the unprecedented behavior towards us." Minister Gila Gamaliel intervened and said: "He is even a romantic, Lev added." At this point, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not hold back and started laughing.
Minister Ben Gvir: We both eat the smelly fish and are expelled from the city. They also don't stop delivering humanitarian aid, there are also claims against us now, and they also stop our weapons. I suggest to you, here is an opportunity to reduce humanitarian aid - as long as our abductees are not given humanitarian aid. We need to talk to the Americans with respect but make it clear to them that if there are sanctions on us, there is less humanitarianism.
Minister Smotritz: To speak with respect like your tweet?
Minister Ben Gabir: I actually wrote very gently, relative to what most Israelis think about the unprecedented behavior towards us...
Minister Gamliel: He is even a romantic, Lev added
(The prime minister burst out laughing)
Minister Ben Gabir: There will be a lot of tweets like this, I expect all the government ministers to join me. There is support for what I said not only by Trump who said very, very important things but also by some Democrats.
Eisenkot: You should take a deep breath and give a lot of respect to the President of the United States.
Ben Gabir: And it is worth sending a message that even in the United States he has a majority against Biden
A senior aide in the US Congress told the "Wall Street Journal" today that the decision to delay the shipment of one weapon to Israel was a "small warning shot". He added that the decision does not constitute a change in American policy towards Israel. The White House clarified tonight that it has not yet made a final decision regarding the halting of arms and ammunition shipments to Israel. The Reuters news agency reported that the White House also announced that it had provided Israel with several alternatives for action against Hamas, against the background of the planned military operation in Rafah.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed tonight (Thursday) on the American talk show of host Phil McGraw - "Dr. Phil". "I hope that Biden and I can overcome our disagreements, but we will do what is necessary to ensure Israel's security," he said Prime Minister. In the interview, the Prime Minister also responded to Biden's threat not to provide Israel with offensive weapons, if it invades Rafah: "This is a precise weapon, so in fact if you want to avoid civilian casualties - then this is the weapon you need." He added: "We are doing everything we can to let the people there leave, tremendous efforts."
Netanyahu informed that 20 out of 24 Hamas battalions were destroyed during the war in Gaza. The prime minister also referred to the day after the fighting: "Hamas must be defeated in Rafah. There will be a need for some kind of civilian government in Gaza, probably with the help of the United Arab Emirates and other countries that want stability in the region."
When asked about the issue of taking responsibility for the default, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that protecting the citizens is the first responsibility of the government. "Now, it must be made sure that it happens and there will not be another failure," stressed the Prime Minister. Netanyahu promised that there would be an in-depth investigation into what brought about and caused these events, but after the war. About the abductees he said several times in an interview that they are the top priority. Regarding the demonstrations on the campuses, he said that there are many people who do not know what Hamas is, and "they are being manipulated."
Israeli media claimed that US President Joe Biden's decision to suspend ammunition shipments to Israel may push the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) to become more stringent in ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations. They pointed out that Israeli fears are mounting about the possibility that the new American position will allow the arms export embargo to turn into a snowball that includes other Western countries. Biden had warned that his country would stop supplying weapons to Israel if it launched a major military operation in Rafah, in what appeared to be public conditions for the first time announced by the American president for continuing American military support for Israel.
In this context, the Israeli channel “Kan 11” quoted senior Israeli officials who spoke with their American counterparts as saying that “preventing the provision of precision munitions to us may give strength to Hamas, especially in this period, at a time when the negotiations are progressing and have reached a critical point, and this may constitute a danger.” On the deal." They added, "This unprecedented American step includes additional countries that are considering stopping or delaying their security exports to Israel, such as Britain and other European countries." In the same context, the former head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Division described the falsity of Biden's decision as sad, noting that Israel had begun the war with "the utmost levels of legitimacy and American support."
Ziv added to Israeli Channel 12, "Now the situation has not only changed, but it seems that the United States - and we do not know this precisely - is providing guarantees to Hamas."
As for Knesset member from the ruling Likud Party, Tali Gottlieb, she said that Israel has inaccurate missiles, “and perhaps instead of using an accurate missile and blowing up a specific room, we will use our inaccurate missiles, and simply blow up 10 buildings.” Gottlieb added during a Knesset session, “I stood here and told you three months ago that the United States is not a friend of Israel.”
In turn, Rafif Drucker, presenter of political programs on the Israeli Channel 13, said that the leader of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, "is the one who will choose whether a small defeat or a big defeat will befall us." Drucker added, "We were convinced that Hamas practiced deception and illogical matters in the negotiations, but when you look at the end, this is not entirely the case. The negotiations collapsed and the delegation returned from Cairo, and it is nonsense to say otherwise."
American officials revealed to Axios that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will submit a report to Congress on Friday, strongly criticizing Israeli practices in the Gaza Strip, but he will not accuse Israel of violating the terms of the use of weapons. The American website explained that Blinken's report "will not reach the point of concluding that Israel has violated the terms of its use of American weapons," in the midst of tensions in the relationship between the two prominent allies, and Washington's withholding of an arms shipment to Israel due to developments in the Gaza Strip.
The officials explained that the report “assesses whether Israel has adhered to international law, or obstructed the process of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza,” and has caused major internal controversy in the US State Department. The process of preparing the “politically sensitive” report, according to Axios, has continued within the US State Department over recent months, as it was required under a new national security memorandum issued by President Joe Biden in February.
The State Department is reviewing how American weapons are used by Israel and six other countries involved in various armed conflicts, and if any of them is proven to have violated humanitarian law, or obstructed the delivery of humanitarian aid supported by the United States, this may lead to the suspension of military aid, according to Axios. The report was supposed to be completed by May 8, before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to postpone it for a few days. An American official said that the postponement was "largely due to technical reasons, related to the lack of readiness of all reports on the seven countries."
The US State Department's Office of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor recommended that Blinken conclude that Israel "violated the conditions for the use of weapons, contrary to the recommendations of other parties within the department." Axios quoted other American officials as saying that the US ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, and the outgoing humanitarian envoy to Gaza, David Satterfield, “sent a memorandum to Blinken indicating that Israel is not violating international law during its war in Gaza, and is not obstructing humanitarian aid.” .
They also pointed out that "Israel's restrictions on aid in the past have changed since April, after Biden issued a final warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in this regard," according to the American website. Three American officials also explained to Axios that Blinken will include in his report a series of facts that raised serious concerns about Israeli violations of international law. They said that the report will describe the situation in “highly critical terms” and state that the State Department is still investigating those facts.
But they stressed that Blinken would not reach the point of concluding in his report that Israel violated international law.
Axios reported that Republican lawmakers are pushing for legislation aimed at preventing US President Joe Biden from blocking arms shipments to Israel. This step, as the site explained, comes after the US administration’s move to prevent an arms shipment sparked a violent reaction from pro-Israel lawmakers in both parties. According to the website, Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) introduced an immediate support bill for Israel on Thursday, which requires the transfer of some weapons to Israel within 30 days of the date of purchase.
"Israel is currently at war with a terrorist organization that continues to hold more than 100 civilian hostages. There is simply no excuse for this delay," Van Duyne said in a statement. But the website explained that the bill would only apply to weapons that were approved in the $95 billion foreign aid package approved by Congress last April, while the shipments that Biden temporarily suspended were authorized and allocated under previous legislation. According to the site, Representative Corey Mills (Republican from Florida) is taking things a step further, as he told Fox News that he is drafting impeachment proceedings against Biden for withholding aid.
Several Republican lawmakers have floated impeachment as the ideal legislative path, with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) saying the House has “no choice but to impeach Biden.” More recently, Representative Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) said in a statement on Thursday that he was “deeply concerned” by the decision, “as well as by the President’s comments about withholding security aid to Israel.”
However, Axios believes that impeachment is far-fetched, especially given that the House of Representatives' more than year-long investigation into the Biden family's finances has failed. Biden said this week that he would not supply weapons to Israel if it launched an attack on Rafah, because of the danger posed by any military operation to civilians there. He said in an interview with the American CNN network, that the United States is still committed to defending Israel, and will provide it with interceptor missiles and other defensive weapons, “but if it goes to Rafah, we will not provide it with weapons.”
Biden stated that while the United States will continue to provide defensive weapons to Israel, including the Iron Dome air defense system, other shipments will stop if a "major ground invasion of Rafah" begins. Indeed, the US administration withheld a shipment of weapons to Israel, including bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms), due to concerns about civilian casualties. A senior Biden administration official told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday: “Last week, we suspended sending one shipment of weapons consisting of 1,800 bombs, each weighing 1,000 pounds (907 kg), and 1,700 bombs, each weighing 500 pounds (226 kg).
Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers
- 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza
- 78,514 Gazans injured, 28% adult male
- 70,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza
- 70,000 Gaza housing units completely destroyed
- 70,000 Israeli IDPs from Lebanon border
- 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza
- 45,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble
- 34,904 Gazans martyred
- 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
- 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024]
- 15,140 Israelis injured [i24 TV]
- 15,000 rockets launched from Gaza
- 14,520 Gazan children martyred
- 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12]
- 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF]
- 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023
- 10,000 Gazans missing under the rubble
- 9,920 Gazan women martyred
- 9,400 Palestinians in Israeli prisons
- 9,000 IDF needing psychological assistance
- 8,665 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th
- 7,209 IDF injured admitted to rehabilitation [IDF]
- 6,800 IDF officers and soldiers injured [Channel 12]
- 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS]
- 5,500 IDF wounded [reports]
- 4,800 West Bank Palestinians wounded
- 4,700 sites targetted in Lebanon
- 3,850 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria
- 3,600 administrative detainees
- 3,188 IDF wounded [IDF]
- 2,100 Gazan women are missing
- 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day
- 1,650 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas
- 1,160 Israelis killed on the first day
- 615 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war
- 468 West Bank Palestinians martyred
- 364 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon
- 267 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza
- 240 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon
- 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers
- 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody
- 70 civilians killed in Lebanon
- 29 IDF deaths were caused by "friendly fire"
- 15 Israelis killed in the West Bank and Israel
Not every number is reported every day, so sudden jumps generally reflect reporting artifacts rather than actual upticks. Many of these numbers fluctate, up and down, with no apparent explanation. This list records the highest number reliably reported for each matter, under the theory that reality with catch up with reports, as is relentlessly the case.
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