Operation Iron Swords - Day 239 - 01 June 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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The Israeli army revealed that 36 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been martyred in Israeli detention centers since the Al-Aqsa flood attack on October 7, according to what was reported by the Associated Press. The agency also quoted Physicians for Human Rights - Israel as saying, "Some died due to medical negligence in prisons and detention centers."
Regarding the situation in the Israeli military hospital in Sde Teman, the only one designated for treating prisoners from the Gaza Strip in the Israeli army, Associated Press said that accusations of inhumane treatment there are increasing, and journalists and the International Committee of the Red Cross are prevented from entering it. According to the testimony of three workers in this military hospital, including an anesthesiologist, “most of the patients wear diapers, have their hands and feet tied, and are blindfolded, inside a white tent in the desert, and are not allowed to use the bathroom.”
The agency said that the testimonies confirm that the prisoners are undergoing surgical operations without sufficient painkillers, by unknown doctors, and doctors said that they treated many prisoners who appeared to be non-combatants. It quoted a soldier working in the hospital as saying, "The patients were exposed to miserable conditions, and their wounds often became infected."
It is noteworthy that a previous investigation, conducted by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last March, confirmed the killing of 27 Palestinian detainees from Gaza in military facilities where they had been held since the outbreak of the war on the Strip. The newspaper explained that the detainees died while being held at the “Sde Teman” military base located northeast of Beersheba, and at the Anatot base near Jerusalem , or during interrogation in other investigation facilities inside Israel.
The number of martyrs from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza rose today, Saturday, to 37, after the death of the child Abdul Qader Al-Sarhi inside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip, in light of an ongoing war and a severe blockade imposed by the occupation on the entry of aid and basic needs for the residents of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical sources confirmed the death of two children in the Gaza Strip due to malnutrition during the past 24 hours.
The expectation at the moment among the Israeli professionals in charge of the negotiations is that Qatar will bring Hamas to a deal, which seems like the last chance for an agreement in the near future. The Joint Qatari, Egyptian, and American statement: "As mediators, we call on Hamas and Israel to conclude an agreement that embodies the principles set by US President Joe Biden. The principles outlined by President Biden bring together the demands of all parties in a deal that serves multiple interests. The deal would immediately end the long suffering of Gaza residents, as well as the suffering of Israeli detainees and their families. The agreement is a roadmap for a permanent ceasefire in order to end the crisis."
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Saturday that Cairo supports every effort aimed at ending the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, exchanging prisoners and detainees, and ensuring full access to humanitarian aid without obstacles. During a phone call with his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, Shukri stressed the importance of opening all land crossings between Israel and Gaza for the entry of aid, and providing safe conditions for international relief crews to work in the Strip.
New details about the proposal were published this evening (Saturday) in the Shabbat News at Kan 11. According to the proposal, in the first stage, which will last 42 days, live hostages will be released, including - soldiers, women, adults and some of the wounded. The abductees will be released in batches for six weeks, at the end of which negotiations will begin between Israel and Hamas on a permanent ceasefire, i.e. the end of the war . According to the Saudi media, Israel agreed to receive 33 hostages, dead or alive, in the first stage.
In the second phase of the deal, all the abductees are expected to be released, including soldiers, men and members of the standby classes. However, this will only happen if there is an agreement on the cessation of war between the parties. In the third stage, the bodies of the abductees will be released. Also, one of the significant disputes between Israel and Hamas , which has yet to be resolved, is the issue of the veto regarding the identity of the prisoners who will be released. The Israeli proposal does not provide an answer to this issue at this stage.
In the meantime, Israel agreed to conduct negotiations to end the war during the first phase, but a political source told here news: "The negotiations are based on the fact that its end will lead to the destruction of the governmental and military capabilities of Hamas" according to him, "This is the proposal the mediators accepted."
Israel also emphasizes that it was indeed agreed to continue the ceasefire beyond the sixth week of the first phase, if the parties do not reach an agreement. However, the ceasefire will continue on the condition that Hamas conducts negotiations in good faith, and does not use it for its military strengthening and digging tunnels. "As soon as we find out that there is a violation - we go back to fighting," an Israeli political official told Kan News.
Between the original proposal and the new proposal, which is based on the Paris outline agreed upon between the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, the head of the CIA, William Burns, the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, and the prime minister of Qatar Al-Thani, there are several differences that indicate further concessions from the Israeli side. This, despite the Israeli insistence in the previous rounds of the negotiation talks.
In the talks about the previous offer that fell through, it was suggested that in the first stage, hostages who are not alive would be released, Israel opposed this because it wanted to release the highest number of hostages alive. During the last round of negotiations, the Israeli side agreed to withdraw from this position. Also, the biggest obstacle to reaching a deal so far is the formulation of how Israel undertakes not to continue fighting in the Gaza Strip. The American President stated in his speech that as long as Israel did not present a plan to stop the war, the ceasefire that will begin in the second phase will continue until an agreement is reached between the parties.
In addition, the proposal for a hostage deal and the ceasefire to which Israel agreed - is difficult for the Israeli public and the cabinet to digest. President Biden put it on the table and expects the Israeli leadership to start working on it: "There are those in Israel who want a war that will last forever. Some of the coalition want to occupy Gaza and stay there, but then the abductees will not return," the president said in his speech.
Leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Osama Hamdan, told Al Jazeera the effort made by the mediators in Qatar and Egypt aims to bring about a ceasefire. The general framework of what was stated in US President Joe Biden’s plan is generally good, but we need to know the details of the plan. The mediators' statement reflects a serious attempt, but we need to know the Israeli position. The side that has been stubborn over the past four months is Israel. The call to reach an agreement is positive, but this cannot be achieved with mere hopes. We want a complete ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, relief and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. It is not possible to accept that the occupation forces remain in Gaza or manage the Rafah crossing.
The HAMAS government media office in Gaza also said - in a press statement today, Saturday - that "there is no alternative to opening all of the Gaza Strip's crossings and bringing in at least a thousand aid trucks daily." He added, "The occupation forces committed atrocities in Jabalia and ambulance crews continue to recover the bodies of the martyrs," noting that "the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza is getting worse and the population is out in the open after shelter centers were targeted." He pointed out that there is "a real famine in the areas of the northern Gaza Strip, and the population cannot find anything to satisfy their needs." He also made clear that any ceasefire agreement that does not include opening all of the Gaza Strip’s crossings is incomplete and will exacerbate the residents’ tragedy.
The Islamic Jihad movement also said - in a statement - that it will study the US President’s proposal and will take a national position on it that ensures a cessation of aggression, withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, and a clear exchange deal. It confirmed that she views what Biden proposed with suspicion, noting that it suggests that the American administration has changed its position, according to the statement.
Abu Hamza, spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement - renewed in a speech the conditions of the Palestinian resistance for the release of Israeli prisoners, confirming the downing of 11 Israeli aircraft. Abu Hamza said, “We tell the enemy that the only way to recover the prisoners is to withdraw from Gaza, stop the aggression, and go to an exchange deal,” calling on the Israelis not to listen to their leadership, saying: “Do not listen to your leadership, and your return to the settlements will not happen except by stopping the war on Gaza.” He added that the resistance is waging a “complex security battle” to preserve its enemy prisoners. He also revealed that they will soon show how the Israeli prisoner, Elad Katzir, lived with them.
On the other hand, Abu Hamza said that the Palestinian resistance in Gaza “is still doing well,” and that the war of attrition will only be regret and remorse for the occupation, adding that after long months of barbaric and barbaric Israeli bombing in Gaza , “we are still - and with us our people - steadfast.” Resistors, we ignite the field with flames and gunpowder with a revolutionary spirit the likes of which the Earth will never witness throughout the ages.”
He announced that the Al-Quds Brigades - along with the resistance factions - are waging an existential war in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, stressing that they are still confronting the enemy. Abu Hamza enumerated the outcome of the operations carried out by the resistance, and said that they carried out many sniper operations that injured enemy soldiers and snipers in all areas of the incursion, and Jabalia , north of the Gaza Strip, had the lion’s share of this harvest. It was announced that dozens of Israeli vehicles were destroyed and damaged in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, Jabalia, Al-Zaytoun, and on the outskirts of the Central Governorate, with Tandom shells, in addition to luring soldiers and detonating explosive devices and minefields in the occupation infantry in Gaza. He also revealed the downing of 11 Israeli spy and intelligence planes, announcing almost daily targeting of enemy forces in Rafah, Jabalia, and Netzarim.
In light of the escalation of resistance operations, Abu Hamza said, "The occupation army has begun to feel drowned in Gaza and will leave the Strip humiliated." On the other hand, the spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades thanked the support fronts and all the free people of the world in American universities and European cities.
In their comment on the speech of the spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement - two analysts who spoke to Al Jazeera saw that there were many messages that Abu Hamza sent to the Israelis at this time. The expert in strategic and military affairs, Wassef Erekat, said that the spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades sent multiple messages in his speech today, the most prominent of which were directed to decision-makers in Israel when he addressed them that the war is existential for the Palestinian resistance.
He also directed his messages to the Israeli soldiers and officers who are suffering due to the war on the Gaza Strip , and Erekat believed that Abu Hamza’s speech would affect their morale and their combat efficiency, noting that half of the Israeli officers were now declining to serve. Erekat stated that his estimates indicate that the Israeli army does not reveal its true losses, which are many, and that it did not achieve the military goals it set and did not eliminate the Palestinian resistance, and all it achieved was destruction and committing crimes against the Palestinians.
On the other hand, the Palestinian resistance has shown - Erekat adds - that it has the ability to fight, to select and seize targets, to shoot down occupation aircraft and to benefit from them. Although the Israeli army has advanced capabilities, the locally manufactured resistance weapons have proven effective, which means - according to Erekat - that superiority in the field goes to those who have courage and will, not those who have military equipment and weapons.
According to the Palestinian researcher specializing in Israeli affairs, Adel Shadid, the speech of the Al-Quds Brigades spokesman was directed to the Palestinian and Israeli streets. When he talks about the security battle that the resistance is waging, this confirms that the military wings as a military, intelligence, security and media system are still fine, despite the Israeli bombing.
Abu Hamza also sent messages to the Israelis stating that they will not succeed in reaching the prisoners, and that the resistance is more concerned about these prisoners than the government of Benjamin Netanyahu , which is working to kill them. Abu Hamza’s speech, which was shown by Al Jazeera, came before a demonstration being organized today in Israel, and after the presentation made by US President Joe Biden regarding a proposal that he said was Israeli to reach a deal to exchange prisoners and end the war in the Gaza Strip, and his talk - that is, Biden - about parties inside Israel that do not want Prisoner exchange deal.
In other reactions to Biden's invitation, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said that it supports efforts to reach an exchange deal and stresses the importance of Egyptian, Qatari, and American efforts in this regard. It also announced its "rejection of taking the residents of Gaza hostage and linking the cessation of war crimes, starvation and siege to the exchange deal." As for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, he stressed “the necessity of all parties engaging to reach a ceasefire agreement that allows progress towards the two-state solution.” He also warned of the danger of continuing Israeli military operations in Rafah and its repercussions on regional security.
In Israel, officials were informed about the speech of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, only 3 years before it took place, and were surprised by the ultimatum that the President set between the lines, as N12 reported yesterday (Saturday) evening in the "Weekend News". In the White House they kept the speech a secret, and with relatively short notice they passed preliminary information about it to the Israeli ambassador in Washington Mike Herzog, to the Prime Minister's Office and also to the offices of Ministers Benny Gantz and Yoav Galant.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office chose to respond to Biden's speech in a measured manner relative to previous responses, in which the Prime Minister attacked the US President. In the message he published, Netanyahu did not completely reject what Biden said because he knows that the proposal he presented is an Israeli proposal that he himself agreed to in the cabinet. A senior Israeli official said: "The Americans looked for and found a move that would shake up the cards. They put all the factors in Israel into a space of deliberation and made sure to make it clear - if you refuse - you will suffer the consequences. No matter what Hamas' answer will be, this speech will reshape the rules of the game."
In his speech, the American President embarked on a persuasive campaign, in which he presented the various sections of the agreement, explained why the deal is important and why it is an opportunity for both parties. A senior White House official said that "this is the Israeli proposal that is closest to the outline that Hamas has already agreed to." The Biden administration wants the war to end, and wants it to happen under conditions that Israel agrees to.
A senior member of the White House also clarified that "the purpose of the speech was to speak directly to the Israelis and Hamas supporters and to prevent the possibility that one of the parties would try to distort the details of the outline." The US is sending a message to Israel, according to which Hamas will not carry out October 7 again due to the weak point it is in. Also, in his words, President Biden tried to point to Israel's achievements, and on the other hand, to pressure Hamas and convince the Arab world to exert pressure on the terrorist organization The murderous to agree to the deal.
Biden's speech came about 9 days before the date set by Minister Gantz for his retirement from the government, and may delay it. At the same time, if it turns out that Israel abandons the negotiations and does not come close to an agreement, Gantz may resign from the government even before the date he set. Meanwhile, in the state camp, the opposition's steps are continuing: Knesset member Orit Farkash HaCohen will submit tomorrow on behalf of the faction a bill to establish a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7. This, after Gantz demanded to do so in the government and refused. With the submission of the bill by the MK, the move will go to the Knesset.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted a political source as saying that Israel had agreed to discuss ending the war within the framework of the first phase of the deal. The source reported that the first phase of the deal includes the release of female detainees, female soldiers, the elderly, and the injured. He stated that the second phase of the deal includes the release of men, soldiers and the rest of the injured. The third stage of the deal includes the release of all bodies, according to the same source. The source says that Israel reserves the right to resume fighting if Hamas violates the terms of the deal. He adds that Israel accepted a proposal that includes releasing 33 “kidnapped” people, alive or dead, in the first phase, and stopping the war in the second phase.
Netanyahu said that Israel's conditions for ending the war "have not changed, which are to destroy Hamas' capabilities, free all hostages, and ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to us." Israeli Channel 12 also quoted an unnamed Israeli official, saying, “Biden does not understand the reality here, and his speech is weak and represents a victory for Hamas.”
The Israeli government confirmed that its conditions for ending the war in the Gaza Strip “have not changed,” which are to destroy Hamas’ capabilities and release all those kidnapped by the movement, after US President Joe Biden announced a new “Israeli” ceasefire proposal. A statement by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, on Saturday, said that Israel's conditions "have not changed to end the war: destroying Hamas' military and (authoritarian) governance capabilities, releasing all the kidnapped people, and ensuring that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel." The statement continued that, according to the proposal, “Israel will continue its determination to fulfill these conditions before reaching a permanent ceasefire,” and added: “Israel’s agreement to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are met is unacceptable.”
After Netanyahu defined the outline as one that "enables Israel to maintain its principles", Ben Gvir and Smotrich attacked: "This is a promiscuous deal, which is a victory for terrorism"; "No to the wholesale release of terrorists who will return, God forbid, to murder Jews". Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gabir threatened to resign from the government this evening (Saturday) following the Israeli proposal for a hostage deal revealed last night by US President Joe Biden.
Smotrich said: "I have now spoken with the Prime Minister and made it clear to him that I will not be part of a government that agrees to the proposed outline and ends the war without the destruction of Hamas and the return of all the abductees. We will not agree to the end of the war before the destruction of Hamas, nor to serious damage to the achievements of the war so far through the withdrawal of the IDF and the return Gazans to the north of the Gaza Strip, and not for the wholesale release of terrorists who, God forbid, will return to murder Jews."
Ben Gabir also attacked: "If the prime minister executes the promiscuous deal under the conditions published today, which mean the end of the war and the renouncing of Hamas, Otzma Yehudit will dissolve the government." He further claimed: "This is a promiscuous deal, which is a victory for terrorism and a security danger to the State of Israel. Agreeing to such a deal is not absolute victory - but absolute defeat."
The head of the opposition, Yair Lapid, said after the words of Ben Gvir and Smotrich: "Their threats are the neglect of national security, of the abductees, and of the residents of the north and south. This is the worst and most promiscuous government in the history of the country. For them, there will be war forever, zero responsibility, zero management, A complete failure." Member of Knesset Gideon Sa'ar, who was until recently a minister in the government, wrote in his X account about the details of the deal: "An outline that ended with Hamas being left as the ruling and military force in Gaza, meaning that the threat to the citizens of Israel in general and the residents of the Gaza Strip in particular was allowed. This would be an Israeli defeat and a victory to Hamas whose consequences will be far-reaching."
Minister Orit Struck was also valid: " I was unable to identify a fundamental difference between the 'new' and 'promising' Biden outline and the previous one. Another surrender deal, which saves Hamas, starts the countdown to the next massacre, and also leaves the abductees behind without any A lever for their release besides ending the war. Even if the campaigners from the left call it the "Netanyahu deal" - it does not pass me by any means." A member of Struck's party, Zvi Sukot, added: "Any move that would leave Hamas in power in Gaza is a slap in the face of the heroic fighters and the bereaved families and leaves a tremendous threat to the State of Israel and the subsequent returns. Don't!".
US President Joe Biden's announcement of the proposed Israeli plan for prisoner negotiations is the first of its kind, and came as a surprise to many, even in Tel Aviv. Since the start of indirect negotiations between the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel, the United States and the mediators have been careful not to address the details of any proposals being negotiated. With Biden's announcement, it seemed as if Washington took the initiative to replace Tel Aviv and negotiate with Hamas on what might be on the table.
Although the declaration included demands for the resistance, including the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip , the proposal did not clarify where its withdrawal would take. The proposal stipulated “the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas in Gaza,” which suggests that the occupation will keep some of its forces in parts of the Gaza Strip Perhaps those who follow Biden's speech and his offer to Hamas to accept the proposal, otherwise Israel will continue its war on the Gaza Strip, realize that waving the card of continuing the war is to create a kind of pressure on Hamas to accept what is offered to it. It also appears that it is consistent with the Israeli idea of ??not ending the war completely, and that it is possible to return to destroying the Gaza Strip if the Israeli prisoners held by the resistance are released.
The Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti , believes that the proposal does not resolve the issue of a ceasefire. “Talk about a sustainable end to the fighting in the second phase does not achieve the demands of the Palestinian resistance for a comprehensive and complete ceasefire.” Also, the statement issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows a hidden intention to return to war after the first stage in which the prisoners are released. The Prime Minister's Office said that Netanyahu is determined not to end the war until all its goals are achieved, adding in a statement that the government is united in its desire to return the detainees as soon as possible and is working to achieve this goal.
Biden's announcement also stated that during the six weeks that represent the first phase, Hamas and Israel will negotiate to reach the second phase of the deal, and he said that during those six weeks the two sides will negotiate a permanent ceasefire, but the truce will continue if the talks remain ongoing. He added, "As long as Hamas fulfills its obligations, the temporary ceasefire will become, according to the phrase contained in the Israeli proposal, a permanent cessation of hostilities." In response, Dr. Barghouti warned “of what he called a dangerous trap that Israel is trying to set for the Palestinian side.”
Israel and successive American administrations, along with the Palestine Liberation Organization, have resorted to a policy of negotiation for the sake of negotiation since the Oslo Accords in 1993. They later entered the Palestinian Authority into a series of negotiations, which became a goal in itself for the Authority so that it would not lose the legitimacy of its existence before the Palestinian street.
Therefore, talking about a ceasefire as long as negotiations are ongoing regarding the second phase with the aim of reaching a cessation of hostilities means that this proposal is not based on the principle of stopping the war. Observers believe that Biden's announcement may actually be an Israeli-American plan to end the war, even if Netanyahu does not admit it. Therefore, Netanyahu did not want to appear in this way, as part of his government members did not know about the details of the deal, especially Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich .
The announcement also put pressure on Netanyahu not to back down from what was agreed upon, as happened after Hamas agreed to the last proposal, which fell into the hands of Netanyahu, who was expecting Hamas to reject and hold it responsible for the continuation of the war. Therefore, Netanyahu proceeded to accuse Egypt of having made a change to the terms of the deal.
As soon as Biden's proposal came out in the open, Hamas stated that it viewed the matter positively, stressing that it would deal positively with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal from Gaza. According to observers, Hamas responded positively, quickly, and intelligently to the proposal announced by Biden, similar to its political path in dealing with all previous developments during the past eight months, starting with the Paris proposal, and ending with this proposal. Saeed Ziad, an analyst and researcher in political and strategic affairs, believes that Hamas dealt “positively with the proposal and did not antagonize the United States or defuse sensitivity with it, with the aim of neutralizing it as much as possible and reducing the intensity of its bias towards the Israeli occupation.”
Experts said that the ceasefire proposal proposed by US President Joe Biden represents an important step towards stopping the war completely, but at the same time it carries many mines that provide Israel with the opportunity to continue the war during the second phase of the agreement. Biden announced what he described as an “Israeli road map,” which he said would lead to lasting peace in Gaza, calling on the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) to accept it because it is “the last chance.”
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the proposal represents an opportunity for the Palestinians and Israelis, and he contacted Arab and Islamic countries to persuade them to pressure Hamas to accept the deal. The proposal stipulates a first phase of 6 weeks during which the fighting will be completely halted and Israel will withdraw from populated areas in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of a number of prisoners from both sides, in addition to continuing negotiations during these six weeks in order to reach a permanent cessation of fighting.
The announcement of the proposal by the US President represents an attempt by the United States to pull the rug from under the feet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so that he does not spoil the new deal as he did in previous proposals, in the opinion of political science professor Bilal Al-Shobaki. During his participation in the program “Gaza... What Next?”, Al-Shobaki said that Biden also wanted to exempt Netanyahu from announcing the proposal himself because he fulfills the demands of the resistance in large part, indicating that Washington is trying at the same time to reassure the Israelis that the resistance will not repeat the seventh attack. Since last October, for internal reasons related to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and for regional reasons related to Arab guarantees.
At the same time, Biden’s speech - in Al-Shobaki’s opinion - “represents an American attempt to expose those who are trying to continue the war under the pretext of the possibility of repeating the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, and it is also an attempt to save Israel from its leadership because continuing the war means more setbacks after what happened during the past weeks.”
But the proposal carries many traps that Netanyahu can exploit to obstruct reaching an agreement, especially with regard to the second phase, which is contingent on negotiations that will take place during the first phase, according to Hassan Ayoub, professor of political science at An-Najah National University, who says that the Israeli prime minister is experienced in thwarting negotiations and prolonging their duration.
Talking about Qatari-Egyptian guarantees not to arm Hamas also provides an opportunity for Israel to launch new military operations - in Ayoub’s opinion - “because it gives it the right to decide the extent of Cairo and Doha’s commitment to this guarantee.” In turn, political analyst Ahmed Al-Haila expressed his surprise at Biden's demand that the Israelis pressure Netanyahu to accept a proposal that he says is essentially Israeli, noting that the United States is "trying to say - in coordination with Israel - that this is the last thing that can be reached with Netanyahu through American pressure." Al-Haila added that the American offer appears to be "an attempt to create an environment of pressure on Hamas to accept what is offered without discussion, even if it is vague, and it means that the war may continue for years under the guise of negotiations in order to reach the second phase."
Al-Haila stressed that not establishing a ceasefire as an agreed-upon basic principle “creates a lot of ambiguity around this proposal.” Al-Shoubaki agrees with the trick in talking about creating a pressure environment on Hamas, noting that Biden did not give it the opportunity to discuss the proposal as he did with Israel, but rather put it between accepting it as it is or continuing the war.
Commenting on Hamas’s position on the proposal, which it said it would deal with positively, Ayoub said that the movement had read the fluctuations in the American position since the proposal of last May, which the resistance agreed to. Then Washington returned and gave Netanyahu the opportunity to thwart it and launch a military operation in Rafah in the hope that he might achieve what he did not achieve in The rest of Gaza. Ayoub believes that the resistance realized that Biden's last speech meant that the chances of achieving an Israeli victory in Gaza had run out, and that the occupation army would not resolve the war in its favor.
In addition, the new proposal deals with the resistance’s request for the withdrawal of the occupation forces and the return of the displaced during the first stage before the prisoner exchange begins, according to Ayoub, who believes that “Blinken and the supporters of absolute support for Israel within the Biden administration lost this round to the pragmatists led by the Director of CIA William Burns.
Finally, Al-Hila says that Biden "is trying to market Israel's card as if it were a magic solution while it provides Israel with the opportunity to continue the war under the umbrella of negotiation for the second phase," stressing that Washington "wants to end the war and get itself and Israel out of the impasse." But the political analyst also believes that the paper carries mines regarding fundamental differences that cannot be ignored, stressing that it is difficult to reach an agreement soon, especially in light of Netanyahu’s office’s response to Biden’s speech.
He concluded the trick by saying that Netanyahu's office's talk that Tel Aviv is not ready to stop the war before eliminating Hamas "represents a pre-emption of any positive position on the part of the resistance regarding the proposal." On the other hand, Al-Shobaki said that reaching a real agreement to stop the war depends on the extent of America’s willingness to act as a mediator and not as a party, stressing that the Biden administration can exploit the changes taking place inside Israel to push Netanyahu towards stopping the war.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey to put pressure on the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) to push it to accept the new Israeli road map announced by President Joe Biden to stop the war in the Gaza Strip . The Axios news website also quoted Israeli and American officials as saying that the “Israeli proposal” presented by Biden has exhausted Israel’s margin of flexibility, and that its goal is to mobilize international support for the proposal and put pressure on Hamas. Officials stressed that if Hamas rejects the proposal, a ceasefire will be off the table and the crisis in Gaza is likely to escalate. They added, "The matter now depends on Hamas and whether it will return to negotiation or not. For Biden, this is the most feasible path to open the way for an exit strategy from the war."
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Blinken, on his way back from a NATO meeting in the Czech capital, Prague, made phone calls with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey, during which he stressed that “Hamas must accept the agreement without delay.” Blinken stressed that "the proposal is in the interest of the Israelis and Palestinians, and in the interest of the region's long-term security."
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond to US President Joe Biden's call regarding reaching a truce and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. Lapid pledged to support Netanyahu and prevent the collapse of his government if its far-right members became stubborn and prevented from reaching a settlement regarding the prisoners in Gaza. “The Israeli government cannot ignore President Biden’s important speech,” Lapid wrote on X. “There is an agreement on the table that must be concluded.” He added, "I remind Netanyahu that he has a safety net on our side to conclude a hostage agreement if Ben Gvir and Smotrich leave the government."
Israelis exchanged accusations on their media channels during discussions regarding the statements of the head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, who said that the demonstrations do not change anything and the return of prisoners depends on how useful they are to the government. Channel 12 reported that the head of the Israeli National Security Council shouted and insulted the families of the prisoners during his meeting with them, and admitted to them that Benjamin Netanyahu's government would not be able to complete the return of the prisoners. Yaron Abraham, political affairs correspondent for Channel 12, quoted Hanegbi as saying, “If the kidnapped people do not return within weeks or a few months, we have no alternative plan. We will continue fighting in Gaza and in the north.”
A heated discussion broke out between Khanoch Malevitsky, a member of the Knesset from the Likud Party , and Danny Elgrat, the brother of an Israeli prisoner in Gaza. The former accused the latter of exploiting what he described as the difficult human tragedy of the prisoners for political gains, to which the latter responded by saying, “If you had any respect for "For yourself, you would have gone home already."
Meanwhile, Meir Cohen, a Knesset member and former minister from the Yesh Atid Party, criticized the way the war on the Gaza Strip was being conducted. On the other hand, Yair Attinger, analyst for religion and state affairs at Kan 11, described the young generation in the Reform Jewish movement in the United States as highly critical of Israel, and that its opposition amounts to rejecting the existence of the State of Israel, and said that the Jewish community there is threatened by fragmentation.
It's one thing to be a leader who doesn't count the citizens, but it's another thing to tell them so to their face. Kan 11 quoted a statement by Amiel Hirsch, a Reform rabbi in the United States, saying, “We are in the midst of a massive ideological struggle, and its results will determine whether liberal Judaism will flourish in the diaspora or whether it will split and crumble into a thousand fragments.”
Further to the warning about the intrusion of a hostile aircraft that was activated in the Kiryat Shmona area, this is a false identification.
Israel deliberately destroyed all elements of normal life in the Gaza Strip according to specific plans, after about 8 months of killing and destruction at an unprecedented rate. A report prepared by Nusseibeh Musa revealed that the Israeli war not only claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, including men, women and children, but also had its heaviest impact on the civil services sector. In the municipalities of Khan Yunis Governorate, the occupation forces destroyed 9 out of 10 main water tanks, destroyed 45 out of 60 water wells, and bulldozed 350 kilometers out of 700 kilometers of main water networks. The occupation forces also destroyed 70 kilometers of main sewage networks, and bulldozed about 118 kilometers of paved roads out of 155 kilometers during their ground attack.
The Israeli aggression did not limit itself to blowing up and destroying residential neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip and destroying infrastructure, but also burned food stores and bulldozed agricultural lands. The occupation deliberately caused the cities of the Gaza Strip to drown in pools of stagnant water, suffocating the air as a result of the accumulation of about one million tons of waste in its streets.
According to some analysts, Israel is pursuing what they call a strategy of “restructuring the administrative dimension of the sector,” which means killing mayors, notables, family representatives, leaders of the security services, and everyone responsible for any of the civil service sectors. Last November, the Israeli army assassinated the mayor of Madinat al-Zahra, Marwan Hamad, and in April, it assassinated the mayor of al-Maghazi, Hatem al-Ghamri, in a bombing that targeted a building belonging to the municipal council of the central Gaza Strip. In addition to killing municipal directors and employees, Israel also killed police leaders, perhaps the most prominent of whom was Brigadier General Faiq al-Mabhouh, director of operations for the police in Gaza. It also deliberately targeted the tribal committees that were responsible for securing and distributing aid.
The Israeli army deliberately burned all the equipment and machinery of all municipalities in the cities of the Gaza Strip, leaving them handcuffed and unable to provide their services.
The military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, said that the military tactics followed by the resistance factions in eastern Rafah greatly affect the morale of the occupation soldiers and their combat capabilities in the field. He added - in the military analysis segment on the Al Jazeera screen - that the losses suffered by the advanced sectors in the various axes of advance are causing a delay in the progress of the occupation army in these areas.
The military expert considered that the most notable operation in the Rafah area was the detonation of a “thunder bomb” at the George Street intersection, which could lead to major losses in the sectors of the infantry forces present in this area and the engineering sectors working along the border strip in search of tunnels leading towards Egypt. He also pointed out that the resistance factions bombarded with mortars the occupation army gatherings in the Tal Zoroub area.
According to Al-Falahi, the occupation army is basing its plan on the idea that the operation to invade Rafah will take another 20 days, but he pointed out that the resistance of the resistance factions in the eastern regions gives a clear indication that there are upcoming military operations and fierce confrontations, especially since the resistance factions have made clear - according to Al-Falahi - that they It is now using 25% of its real strength in Rafah in preparation for a long-term battle. The military expert pointed out that the occupation is expanding its military operations in the eastern Rafah area, and pushing more brigades into the interior, but is being met with a heroic and advanced performance by the resistance factions.
Al-Falahi considered that the occupation’s request for civilians to evacuate the Beit Hanoun area indicates multiple implications, including anticipation of the expected negotiation initiative between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) with the departure of Israeli forces to the border strip and the buffer zone. He also did not rule out that the occupation army may have an intention to return again to military action in Certain areas of the north. In all cases, the colonel called on the resistance to take into account all possibilities, including the return of the occupation to military action in certain areas in the north.
He pointed out that the occupation's access to one or two tunnels does not mean that it has reached the entire network of tunnels in the region, stressing that the resistance carried out qualitative operations in this region, inflicting heavy losses on the Israeli army in the Jabalia camp, much greater than the losses it suffered during the incursion that took place in The first days.
Regarding developments in the situation in the Netzarim axis, Al-Falahi said that the operations of the military resistance factions in this axis did not stop throughout this period, pointing to an operation carried out by the resistance in the Zaytoun neighborhood, and the withdrawal of the Nahal Brigade and its deployment in the southern region, and the sniper operations and direct bombardment operations did not stop. He pointed out that the operation that took place in Tal al-Hawa was a sniping and bombing operation against the occupation army concentrations that were trying to penetrate towards the north.
The 'Ghost' (multidimensional) unit has been operating for the past week in cooperation with the 2nd and 679th brigades under the 99th division in the center of the Gaza Strip. The soldiers of the unit are operating in the area of Zabra neighborhood where they located many weapons and shafts.
The Nahal TSA under the leadership of Division 162 continues to operate in the Rafah region. During the last few days, the fighters located many weapons, including a launcher with 6 barrels aimed at the territory of the country, an ammunition depot containing dozens of grenades, charges, Kalashnikovs, cartridges and vests. The fighters located many shafts in the area, encounter terrorists in the underground and eliminate them. The brigade's fire complex destroyed dozens of terrorist infrastructures including positions from which anti-tank fire was fired at our forces, anti-tank weapons depots, sniper positions and terrorists who pose a threat to the forces.
The forces of Division 162 continue targeted combat based on accurate intelligence information in the Rafah area. The combat teams of the Commando, Bislah, Givat and Nahal brigades located many weapons in the area, including underground shafts, ready-to-launch rockets, explosive charges, Kalashnikov rifles and other military equipment.
Division 99 continues to operate in the center of the Strip. The forces of the division destroyed a number of terrorist infrastructures that were located in the area and posed a threat to our forces. At the end of searches conducted by the combat team fighters of the 679th Brigade, a munitions warehouse containing dozens of rocket components was located. In another activity, the fighters in cooperation with the Air Force forces closed a circle on a terrorist squad that fired RPGs at them and eliminated it. Yesterday, an Air Force aircraft attacked a building of the Elnoor Association in the Darj Tafah area. This association is recognized as a terrorist organization, due to the transfer of funds it makes to Hamas. As part of the association's activities, millions of dollars were transferred which were used for terrorist operations in the Judea and Samaria region, while financing Hamas terrorists. In addition, the association receives funds from terrorist movements and makes transfers to the families of Hamas operatives who were killed or are held in prisons in Israel.
During the week, warplanes attacked the Khan Yunis area and killed the terrorist Salama Bracha. Bracha served as a Hamas operative in the Mizrah Khan Yunis Battalion and at the same time as the head of the finance department in the Hamas police.
In another joint operation that took place during the week, Air Force aircraft attacked the central camps and killed the terrorist Walid Abd Abu Dalal, an operative in the military branch who at the same time serves as the head of the technology department in the internal security apparatus of the terrorist organization Hamas. The internal security mechanism of the organization and the technology directorate led by the terrorist, harm the IDF's freedom of action in the Gaza Strip and are also a central part of the attempts to thwart espionage carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas.
Also, yesterday (Friday) the Air Force, directed by precise aerial intelligence, attacked and eliminated in the Nuzirat area the terrorist Tarek Darwish who served as a central element in the air formation of the Nuzirat Battalion in Hamas. Darvish took part in the planning and execution of terrorist plots against Israel. His elimination was completed against the backdrop of terrorist acts carried out by the terrorist organization in the last month, including attempts to damage the IDF's freedom of air action.
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that a number of citizens were martyred and a number of others were injured on "Eighteen" Street, located in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip, where occupation marches and snipers intensified, monitoring and deploying in the area. The reporter also said that the occupation forces continue to bomb the neighborhoods of Al-Zaytoun, Al-Sabra, Tal Al-Hawa, and Sheikh Ajlin, south of Gaza City, which were almost emptied of their residents. He revealed that the occupation forces are working to destroy and blow up residential squares in these neighborhoods adjacent to the Netzarim area separating the north and south of the Strip. In Rafah, an Al Jazeera correspondent confirmed the death and injury of a number of Palestinians in an Israeli bombing that targeted the home of the Al-Muhtaseb family in the Sultan neighborhood, west of the city.
Operational Update - Judea-Samaria
It is noteworthy that since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip , on October 7 , the Israeli occupation army has escalated its operations in the occupied West Bank, leaving hundreds of martyrs and thousands wounded and detained.
In a joint operation by the IDF and the Shin Bet yesterday (Thursday), fighter jets of the Air Force under the intelligence guidance of the Amman and the Shin Bet attacked in the Nazareth region and killed the terrorist Mansour Adel Mansour Kaslan, who was involved in the promotion of terrorist operations and the terrorist organization's terrorist attack intentions Hamas in Israel and especially in Judea and Samaria. The terrorist Adel Mansour promoted and carried out terrorist activities as well as engaged in coordination and cooperation with terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and other countries.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that 3 Palestinians were injured by bullets from the occupation forces during confrontations that followed their storming of Balata camp, east of Nablus in the West Bank, while two towns west of Jenin witnessed armed clashes and raids by the occupation forces. Al Jazeera's correspondent also reported that the occupation forces stormed the city of Qalqilya in the far north of the West Bank. Local Palestinian sources reported that resistance fighters targeted an Israeli bulldozer with a homemade explosive device in Balata camp. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the occupation forces bulldozed and vandalized infrastructure and streets inside the camp.
Armed clashes also took place between Palestinian resistance fighters and the Israeli occupation forces during their storming of the towns of Burqin and Kafr Dhan, west of Jenin. The occupation forces pushed military vehicles from the Dotan and Al-Jalama checkpoints towards the two towns, while they continued to move their vehicles through the streets of the town and stormed several houses in the two towns, including the house of the martyr Mustafa Abed, who was killed by the army after carrying out an attack on the Salem military checkpoint west of the city about a month ago.
Al Jazeera's correspondent also reported that the occupation forces launched a raid on several homes in the town of Kfardan. The Jerusalem Brigades - Jenin Brigade announced that its fighters were confronting the Israeli occupation forces' incursion into the town with heavy volleys of bullets and explosive devices. In the town of Ya'bad, southwest of Jenin, armed clashes broke out between Palestinian resistance fighters and the occupation forces at the "Dotan" military checkpoint.
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that clashes took place in the vicinity of the checkpoint, and the occupation forces sent military reinforcements to the place under the pretext of searching for those who carried out the shooting attack. They also stormed the main entrance to the town. In Hebron, in the south of the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Sa'ir and the village of Amrish in the city of Dura, and raided the house of a citizen whom they had arrested at the Beit Ainun checkpoint, north of Hebron, after they stopped and searched his vehicle yesterday afternoon, Thursday.
The occupation soldiers left a large ruin in the house after searching it and the lands surrounding it. The occupation forces also shot a public vehicle driver in the Halhul Bridge area, north of Hebron, and wounded and detained a young Palestinian man before a Palestinian ambulance could transport him to Hebron Governmental Hospital to receive treatment. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the occupation forces also stormed Al-Fawwar camp, south of Hebron, and fired live bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas, during violent confrontations that broke out with young men from the camp.
Occupation snipers also mounted the rooftops, while soldiers were stationed in the middle of the camp. Palestinian youths were able to shoot down a drone used by occupation soldiers during the storming.
On the other hand, a settler demolished the entrance to the house of an activist in what is known as the “Youth Against Settlement Gathering” in the Tel Rumeida area in the center of the city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank. Activist Issa Amr told Al Jazeera that the settler demolished the wall under the protection of the Israeli army. Residents of Tel Rumeida and the surrounding closed areas are subjected to daily attacks by settlers, who prevent them from leaving and entering their homes, and throw stones at their homes.
Hezbollah announced that it attacked 6 Israeli targets and shot down a drone, off the southern border of Lebanon, while the Israeli army responded by launching raids on several areas in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said that it carried out a drone attack on a gathering of Israeli officers and soldiers in the Upper Galilee, and bombed with missiles two buildings where Israeli soldiers are stationed in the settlements of Shumira and Natoa and the sites of Al-Baghdadi and Al-Marj. He added that in his marching attack, he targeted a gathering of Israeli officers and soldiers from the armored faction north of the Yiftah Barracks in the Upper Galilee, confirming that he achieved direct hits.
He announced that he had targeted the headquarters of the 769th Brigade of the Israeli army in the Kiryat Shmona barracks with Burkan missiles, which led to a fire and the destruction of part of it. He also targeted spy equipment at the Al-Marj site, leading to their destruction. Hezbollah also announced that it shot down, with appropriate weapons, an Israeli Hermes 900 drone over Lebanese territory.
Regarding Hezbollah’s downing of an Israeli Hermes 900 drone over Lebanese territory, military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, told Al Jazeera that the plane has multiple combat missions that carry out surveillance and surveillance, and can fly for approximately more than 30,000 feet. He added that its payload can reach 300 kilograms, can carry ammunition and missiles, and is equipped with cameras, sensors and radar that transmit an integrated picture. He believes that Hezbollah wanted to send a message to the occupation army with this operation that it possesses capabilities that enable it to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli army. Al-Falahi expected that there would be a strong Israeli reaction to this operation by striking Hezbollah positions during the coming period, stressing that the party took into account the outbreak of confrontation and the possibility of an Israeli response.
In turn, the Israeli army said that its drone, which was flying in the airspace of southern Lebanon, was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by Hezbollah, adding that the incident was being investigated. He added that the drone is a Kokhav Hermes 900, which is one of the largest and most expensive aircraft owned by the Israeli army. He pointed out that this is the fourth time that Hezbollah has been able to shoot down an offensive march since the beginning of the war.
An air-to-ground missile was launched at a remote manned aircraft of the Air Force that was operating in the skies of Lebanon, as a result the vehicle was damaged and fell in Lebanese territory. The Air Force will continue to operate in the skies of Lebanon to carry out IDF missions.
During the morning, the IDF identified two Hezbollah terrorists operating in the Majdal Salem area, shortly after an aircraft attacked the terrorists. Two launches were identified that crossed from Lebanese territory towards the Kiryat Shmona area, there were no casualties. Shortly after, an Air Force aircraft attacked and destroyed the launcher from which the shooting was carried out.Following the alert that was activated in the Acre region, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target by the 'Iron Dome' system. No damage and no casualties. A warning of missile and rocket fire was activated in the Acre region for fear of falling interceptor fragments.
The IDF attacked a series of targets in the last 72 hours in Lebanon. In a joint operation by the Northern Command, the Air Force and the Intelligence Division, military buildings were attacked from which Hezbollah terrorists operated, significant infiltrators of the organization and launchers from which firing was carried out towards the territory of the State of Israel. During the day, Air Force planes attacked a surface-to-air missile launcher used by Hezbollah's air defense system, in response to the terrorist organization's attempts to attack the freedom of air action. In a quick and targeted closing of intelligence, fire and air circles, about 10 terrorist squads in southern Lebanon of Hezbollah were attacked, and about four terrorists were eliminated.
In response to the launches carried out towards the north of the country yesterday, fighter jets of the Air Force attacked significant Hezbollah assets in the Ein Kana area, and in the villages of Hamila and Adelon last night. At the same time, fighter jets attacked an observation post in the Tir Harfa area next to military buildings in the areas of Al Jibin and Al Hayam. Also, during the night, fighter jets of the Air Force attacked a launcher in the Majdal Zon area from which a shot was fired into the country yesterday and a terrorist infrastructure in the Rashia al-Fuhar area. Further to the alert that was activated in the Mesgav area, this is a false identification. Two launches were identified that crossed from Lebanese territory to the Yiftach area and fell in an open area.
Sirens sounded in a number of settlements in the Upper Galilee and the Finger of Galilee in northern Israel, including Al-Malikiyah, Ramot Naftali, Yiftah, Dishon, and the Mount Hermon region, on suspicion of infiltration by enemy drones. In turn, the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that damage was caused to a commercial center in Kiryat Shmona, in the Galilee Finger, as a result of a heavy missile launched from Lebanon. Israeli warplanes bombed southern Lebanon in response.
For its part, the municipality of Kiryat Shmona said in a statement that sirens sounded after two missiles were detected falling in the city, causing severe damage to infrastructure, property and vehicles. While Israeli media broadcast video clips that they said were of a missile landing in the Gibur camp in Kiryat Shmona, they added that the area had been subjected to five barrages of missiles since the morning, including a heavy Burkan missile. This bombing came in response to Israel's bombing of the town of Ain Qana, which is relatively far from the northern border.
Video clips showed great destruction inside the camp, which is the headquarters of the “769” Division, which is responsible for securing the border in the eastern sector of the border between Israel and Lebanon. Earlier on Saturday morning, the official Lebanese News Agency reported that an Israeli drone carried out a raid on a motorcycle on the Acacia Majdal Selm Road in the Marjayoun district (south), wounding two people. She added that teams from the Islamic Health Authority, affiliated with Hezbollah, worked to transport injured people from the site of the raid.
On the other hand, the agency said that there was a hot night in southern Lebanon, where Israeli drones launched a series of raids during which they targeted the towns of Al-Jabayn, Tayr Harfa, Al-Dhahira, and Marwahin (south), resulting in severe damage to property, crops, and uninhabited homes. The agency reported that an Israeli Merkava tank targeted the town of Kafr Kila with a direct shell. On Friday evening, the Civil Defense in southern Lebanon said that a woman and a paramedic were martyred, and others were injured in two Israeli raids on the towns of Naqoura and Adloun.
The Israeli occupation army announced that its warplanes bombed Hezbollah targets in 8 areas in southern Lebanon, in response to Hezbollah launching missiles towards the north yesterday, Friday. Israeli aircraft bombed reconnaissance sites in Tayr Harfa and military buildings in Al-Jebeen and Al-Khiyam, the Ain Qana area, and the villages of Hamila and Adloun, south of Lebanon. He stated that two shells were monitored from Lebanon towards the Yiftah area in the Upper Galilee, and they landed in an open area.
The Hebrew “Doron Kadosh” website reported yesterday that “the commander of the 146th Division, which is the largest reserve division in the Israeli army and assumes command of the entire Western Galilee sector, has been changed.” Brigadier General Amit Fisher was appointed temporary commander of the division for only a month. Questions were received protesting the temporary appointment in light of the current situation on the front with Lebanon.
Operational Update - Syria / Iraq
British maritime security company Ambrey said on Saturday that it had received information about a missile attack 47 nautical miles west of the city of Hodeidah in Yemen. For several months, the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) has been targeting shipping ships heading to Israel, in protest against the Israeli genocidal crimes against civilians in Gaza.
The Red Sea region entered a phase of major escalation, after the night air operation carried out by American and British aircraft on a number of Yemeni governorates, leaving 16 martyrs and 42 wounded. The Yemeni response came quickly by attacking the US aircraft carrier “Eisenhower” in the Red Sea, with ballistic and winged missiles. The spokesman for the Sana’a forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, confirmed in a statement yesterday that “the American-British aggression launched a number of raids on the capital and the governorates of Sana’a, Hodeidah and Taiz, which included four raids on the capital that led to one wounded, two raids on Sana’a governorate, and a raid on the area.” Two Haifas in Taiz, and 6 raids on Hodeidah Governorate, one of which targeted the port of Salif, another the radio building, two the Ghalifqa camp, and two the homes of Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and Ali Abdullah Saleh.
He explained that “the raids on Hodeidah caused 16 martyrs and 41 wounded, including martyrs and wounded civilians in the raids that targeted civilian sites such as the Hodeidah Radio building in front of Al-Thawra Hospital, and the Coast Guard in Al-Salif Port, bringing the total number of martyrs and wounded, both civilians and military personnel, to 58,” adding that “the raids It led to damage to the Hodeidah Radio building, as well as the Coast Guard building in Salif Port, and a number of commercial ships there.” Saree saw that “this represents a clear targeting of civilian objects, a blatant violation of all international laws, and a full-fledged war crime.”
Saree declared that “in response to these crimes, and within the framework of the response to the American-British aggression, and in continuation of the victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people, the missile force and the naval force were implemented.” In the Yemeni Armed Forces, a joint military operation targeted the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea, with a number of winged and ballistic missiles, and the hit was accurate and direct, while an official in the US Department of Defense acknowledged that the aircraft carrier had been targeted. The leader of the Ansar Allah Movement, Muhammad Al-Bukhaiti, had confirmed, in a post on “X”, that “the American-British aggression will not deter us from continuing our military operations in support of Palestine, and we will meet escalation with escalation,” adding that “targeting civilian facilities such as radio, ports, and communications It will not break the will of the Yemeni people, but will make it more steadfast and solid.”
Security sources in Sanaa, in turn, explained to Al-Akhbar that the raids on the capital and Sanaa Governorate were distributed in the Al-Nahdain area in the Al-Sabeen District in the center, with three raids, the vicinity of Sanaa International Airport with one raid, and the Jarban area in the Sanhan District in the south with two raids. In Taiz, the air attack, according to sources, destroyed a communications network in the Al-Abous area in Haifan District. On the other hand, the American and British armies confirmed launching the raids within the framework of what they described as “deterring the Houthis” from continuing to target shipping in the Red Sea. The US Central Command said in a statement that US and British forces launched strikes on 13 targets in areas controlled by Ansar Allah, while the British Ministry of Defense stated that “the joint operation targeted three sites in Hodeidah where there were drones and surface weapons.” Atmosphere". It claimed that carrying out strikes during the night hours was supposed to “further reduce the risk” of civilian casualties.
A French destroyer joined the Aspedes fleet in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
While the Saudi Al-Hadath channel was quick to celebrate the bombing and adopted American allegations of targeting missile platforms, drones, and weapons stores, a military source in Sanaa, in an interview with Al-Akhbar, ridiculed those allegations, stressing that “the recent raids, as usual, were random and did not achieve anything.”
The new American and British escalation coincided with the announcement of the European Union's Aspedes naval mission, with a French destroyer joining its war fleet in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which is charged with protecting Israeli ships linked to the entity and heading to its ports from attacks by Sana'a forces. The European mission said, in a post on “X”, that “the French destroyer (which did not specify its name) began its vital mission of providing direct protection within the area of operations.” This comes in light of the escalation of attacks by Sanaa forces on ships linked to Israel, the United States, and Britain, in the Red and Arab Seas, the Indian Ocean, and finally in the Mediterranean Sea.
Sanaa is investigating the launch sites of the American and British aircraft that carried out the aggression, as navigational data indicate that American aircraft designated for reconnaissance, and others designated for supplying military aviation with fuel, took off from the “Al Udeid” base in Qatar, and that the “Ping RS-135” aircraft belonging to the Air Force The British participated in the recent targeting operations, and provided support to American and British aircraft during the raids. The Al-Monitor website had revealed an American movement towards Riyadh, aiming to establish alliances for air and naval defense between Washington and a number of Gulf capitals, pointing out that Saudi Arabia hosted, last week, a high-level military meeting between senior Pentagon officials and Saudi and Gulf military leaders to expand these alliances. Alliances. According to the website, the meeting was chaired by the Pentagon's chief Middle East policy official, Dan Shapiro, while officials from the US Central Command and the US Joint Chiefs of Staff participated in it.
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 Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Felipe Lazzarini, said, “Our shelters in Rafah are empty now, after more than a million people were forced to flee in search of a safe place that they never found.” He added that the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to Israeli attacks for 8 months, has turned into rubble, and that Palestinian families are struggling to survive in "inhumane" conditions.
Axis of Resistance
The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, confirmed that the southern Lebanon front is pressing, strong and influencing the enemy, and he sent clear messages to the occupation army that the resistance fighters can enter the Israeli sites, when he referred to the specific operation carried out by Hezbollah a few meters from the Ramya site. He said Nasrallah, during the memorial ceremony held by Hezbollah in honor of Sheikh Ali Kourani, said that the enemy’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is taking matters to the worst for his entity, with his insistence on continuing the massacres and genocide,” and that the world “stands helpless before American protection for this entity that ignores the Security Council.” And the International Court of Justice and Criminal Affairs. He considered that “separation from reality by the enemy entity leads to committing mistakes that may be serious.”
Nasrallah said: “The leaders of the entity came to the north to brag about pushing the resistance to many kilometers away, and the response came with an operation a few meters from the site (Ramia site), and if they wanted to enter the site, they would have entered it.” Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the battle is “a battle of existence and destiny and creating destiny.” Palestine, Lebanon, and the region at the strategic, security, and national levels, away from narrow political calculations.” He stressed that “this battle means the future of Lebanon, the wealth, and Lebanese sovereignty.” He addressed those who are “betting” on the international community to deter the enemy and its attacks, saying: “Before we bet on the international community to deter and protect, we must ask: Does it even exist?” He pointed out that “what was leaked about offers and temptations regarding exploration in exchange for stopping the Lebanese front reveals the American partnership in creating the suffering of the Lebanese.”
Allied for Democracy
The White House was disappointed by the initial reaction by war cabinet minister Benny Gantz when he was presented with the content of US President Biden’s speech announcing a hostage deal proposal, a US official tells the Walla news site. Gantz said, in a comment on US President Joe Biden’s speech, that “the United States has always shown its commitment to Israel’s security and the return of the kidnapped.” Gantz added that a war council session must be held with the negotiating team to formulate the next steps as soon as possible, reiterating his commitment to continuing to push for a deal to return the kidnapped people, according to the proposal approved by the war council.
According to Al Jazeera's Ramallah bureau chief, Walid Al-Omari, readings in Israel indicate that the US President's speech expressed great disappointment with the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, and that he addressed Israeli public opinion from above the head of his government and its president. Israeli Channel 12 said that Biden wanted to save Israel from itself. Other Israelis believed - according to Walid - that President Biden revealed what they called the “Israeli trick, meaning that Israel presented the proposal in the hope that the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) would reject it, and when it found that its response was positive, it tried to hide it.
Disagreements within decision-making circles indicate that Israel is on the verge of many interactions, and Biden’s speech came - Walid adds in his intervention - to push Netanyahu to take one of two decisions: either he will resolute and accept the proposal presented by Israel, or his government will begin to disintegrate. According to Israeli readings, in his speech - yesterday, Friday - the American President spoke explicitly about the fact that there are those in the Israeli government who refuse to conclude a deal with the Palestinian resistance even on the basis of the Israeli proposal, which indicates that the approach of Netanyahu and his extremist government is to move forward with the war. Considering that he did not achieve any achievement on earth.
On the other hand, the families of the prisoners - according to the director of Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah - were quick to thank the American President, and considered what was stated in his speech a glimmer of hope that might lead to the conclusion of a deal that ends the war in Gaza, and the end of the war is the basic condition for the return of all Israeli prisoners, according to the leader of the war. Labor Party, Yair Golan.
US Senator Bernie Sanders said it was a sad day by inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress. The American senator added, "Netanyahu is a war criminal, and I will not attend this speech."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday that the Prime Minister had accepted an invitation to speak before both houses of the US Congress, adding that he would become the first foreign leader to speak before the House of Representatives and the Senate on 4 occasions. The statement quoted Netanyahu as saying, "I am moved by the honor of representing Israel before both houses of Congress and presenting the truth to representatives of the American people and the entire world about our just war against those who seek to destroy us."
Right-wing extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “If Benjamin Netanyahu enters into an agreement that ends the Gaza war without eliminating the Hamas movement, we will topple the government.” Ben Gvir added that the deal, the details of which were published, means ending the war, and it is a reckless deal that poses a security threat to Israel.
The far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, called for the continuation of the fight to eliminate Hamas, the return of detainees, and the creation of another security reality in the Gaza Strip. Smotrich confirmed that he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and informed him that he would not be part of a government that would accept the lines proposed by US President Joe Biden and end the war.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said, "The threats of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to topple the government constitute a disregard for Israeli national security and the fate of the hostages in Gaza." Lapid added that Ben Gvir and Smotrich want the war to continue forever, with a lack of responsibility and management in light of a complete failure.
Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers
- 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza
- 82,407 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
- 36,379 Gazans martyred
- 33,000 Gaza targets attacked
- 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024]
- 16,093 Israelis injured [i24 TV]
- 15,000 terror operatives killed in Gaza [Israeli officials]
- 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
- 8,890 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]
- 5,000 West Bank Palestinians wounded
- 4,700 sites targetted in Lebanon
- 3,850 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria
- 3,600 administrative detainees
- 3,657 IDF wounded [IDF]
- 2,100 Gazan women are missing
- 1,843 IDF wounded in Gaza [IDF]
- 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
- 635 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war
- 518 West Bank Palestinians martyred
- 446 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon
- 287 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza
- 289 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon
- 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers
- 86 living hostages in Palestinian custody
- 70 civilians killed in Lebanon
- 39 dead hostages in Palestinian custody
- 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.
Some reports claimed that the UN cut in half its earlier estimates of women and children killed in Gaza. Initially, they reported 9,500 women and 14,500 children killed, but later revised it to 4,959 women and 7,797 children on 08 May 2024. The UN acknowledged its inability to independently verify casualty figures. The seeming discrepancy is that HAMAS had about 10K KIA bodies on hand for which they do not have positive ID. It is possible to report the gender and approximate age [ie, juvenile] without knowing the name of the deceased.
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