Operation Iron Swords - 08-14 September 2024
A foreign diplomat involved in negotiations for a cease-fire deal told Haaretz 08 September 2024: "We are not progressing anywhere," and added that "the decision on whether to publish the final draft" of the proposal mediators are currently working on, "which is supposed to bridge the gaps between Hamas and Israel, is delayed because we feel that neither side wants to adopt it." Another source said, "Our impression is that it would be possible to execute a deal, but it will only happen when both sides decide they are interested in it. That is not the case at the moment. There are logical solutions to most disputes. As soon as Netanyahu and Sinwar signal that they are interested, it will be possible to move forward."
"While the Israeli media this weekend concerned itself, with infinite seriousness, with the mud ball allegedly thrown at Itamar Ben-Gvir at the beach, the entire country continued to sink into the real mud, courtesy of the national security minister and his partners: that is, the project of turning the West Bank into Gaza and Gaza into the West Bank" – Noa Landau
A report by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that one of the main reasons leading to the escalation of resistance in the occupied West Bank is the plans and provocations of the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir , and the Minister of Finance , Bezalel Smotrich . The report quoted senior Israeli army officers accusing the two extremist ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of "trying to ignite a war of Gog and Magog," as they believe that by escalating against the Palestinians, they will cause their expulsion from Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, and then it will be possible to achieve the vision of Greater Israel under exclusive Jewish control. They also point to their attempts to change the status quo in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which would increase the difficulties facing the occupation army and prompt some senior officers to consider resigning. The Israeli army is refraining from carrying out the arrests requested by the Shin Bet throughout Judea and Samaria, simply because it does not have enough detention facilities that the Minister of National Security and his ministry were supposed to provide.
While the political-security cabinet was delaying making a decision to include the north as part of the war's objectives, by 08 September 2024 Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi defined the return of security that would allow the return of residents to their homes on the northern border as the IDF's war objective. A series of offensive plans have been prepared in Lebanon, and the IDF is already at a high level of readiness to act in the sector. The army said that the decision to act is now in the hands of the political echelon.
In the shadow of the reports of failure in the attempt to reach a hostage deal, there were great efforts in the IDF to reach the Sinwar brothers. The elimination of the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip will dramatically affect the ability to reach a deal and allow the IDF to evacuate to the north under much more favorable conditions. Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated today during a tour of the Netzer axis in the Gaza Strip that if the abductee deal actually collapses - Israel will have to go north, but will do so under conditions that will be more complicated because the fighting in Gaza will continue all the time.
"We in Gaza need to achieve our two goals - both to eliminate Hamas and to return the abductees, and we are on this matter with all our might," Gallant said. "At the same time as this topic, we are looking at the entire war scene, and that means that while you are fighting here in Gaza, we are preparing for anything that can happen in the north, and the transfer of a center of gravity can be quick and can also include you, on a short schedule, and we are prepared for all these possibilities."
According to estimates from the IDF, there are only a few hundred Hezbollah fighters left along the border, compared to over 2,400 before October 7, The current estimates by the IDF indicate that nearly a fifth of Hezbollah's short-range rockets have been neutralized. Contrary to previous assessments reporting an arsenal of 180,000 projectiles, Israeli intelligence services estimate, that before the August 25 strike, Hezbollah had only 40,000 short-range rockets and 5,000 medium-range rockets. Despite these successes, Israeli authorities acknowledge that conditions are not optimal for a large-scale operation in Lebanon, particularly due to the loss of the element of surprise and wear on the forces on both the southern and northern fronts.
The Palestinian delegation was expected to bring to the vote in the General Assembly a plan against Israel based on the opinion of the International Court of Justice. The measures proposed by the Palestinians against Israel:
- Stopping the transfer of weapons to Israel that are suspected of being used in Judea and Samaria.
- A demand to end the Israeli presence in the territories of Judea and Samaria within six months of the adoption of the decision.
- Avoiding trade with Israel that is related in a certain way to Judea and Samaria.
- The withdrawal of the military forces from Judea and Samaria, the evacuation of settlements and the handing over of the territories to the Palestinians.
- Imposing sanctions on senior officials responsible for maintaining the Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria, including banning entry into the countries and freezing assets.
Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, attacked the Palestinian delegation and called on the UN General Assembly to "outright reject this shameful resolution and instead adopt a resolution condemning Hamas, calling on it to release all the abductees immediately. To be clear - nothing will stop the Israel and will not deter it in its mission to return all the abductees and defeat Hamas."
Hamas was hoping for an escalation in the West Bank and Lebanon and was therefore hardening conditions on prisoners. Netanyahu didn’t want his coalition to fall and was therefore hardening conditions on Philadelphi.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asserted on 09 September 2024 that the Hamas was no longer capable of maintaining an organized fighting force in the Gaza Strip after more than 11 months of war. “Hamas as a military formation no longer exists. Hamas is engaged in guerrilla warfare and we are still fighting Hamas terrorists and pursuing Hamas leadership,” he told foreign journalists at his office at Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv.
He made the comments in the context of promoting a potential ceasefire agreement that would see the 101 remaining hostages, both alive and dead, released in exchange for many more Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons. “Achieving an agreement is also a strategic opportunity that gives us a high chance to change the security situation on all fronts,” he added, with the Jewish state also facing threats from Iran’s regional proxies, including in the north from Hezbollah. “Israel should achieve an agreement that will bring about a pause for six weeks and bring back hostages,” he said. Gallant said bringing the hostages home is “the right thing to do.”
“The pursuit of Hamas terrorists will continue for years to come—from the most senior ones to the terrorists in the field. We must remember at any given time—and you were here on Oct. 7—we need to remember what Hamas did to us,” said Gallant. “We must eliminate any terrorist who murdered children, raped women and kidnapped the elderly. We must also deter anyone who may attempt to conduct such heinous acts in the future,” he added.
Israeli Army Radio quoted an officer in the Southern Command 11 September 2024, described as senior without mentioning his name, as saying that "neutralizing Hamas' military and governmental capabilities requires another year." The officer claimed that the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, "suffered a fatal blow in all the brigades that were damaged to the point of disintegration, and today operate as a group of fighters who carry out guerrilla warfare as a major form of combat." In contrast, he noted that "the ruling regime is alive, and it is possible to damage Hamas so that it will not be able to recover anymore." He also claimed that "within a year Hamas will be a weak body, the Israeli army will have complete freedom of action in the Gaza Strip , and there will be a significant reduction in the risks to the settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip." The officer stressed that "the Southern Command has set an ambitious goal of zero rockets from Hamas, and we have not reached this situation yet, but we are on the way to this goal," he said.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague refused South Africa's request to postpone the deadline to submit evidence showing the alleged genocide, Israeli media reported on 10 Swpember 2024. South Africa was required to submit its evidence by October 28. However, it is now attempting to obtain a few more months. The South African legal team arguing the case against Israel reportedly has yet to assemble the necessary evidence, prompting it to request several months extension.
Chile, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court on 12 September 2024 a declaration of intervention in the case. Chile considers the construction of Articles I, II, III, IV, V, VI and IX of the Genocide Convention to be in question in the present case. In its declaration, it sets out its interpretation of these provisions. Chile argued "the Genocide Convention also provides protection for parts of a group. However, when assessing a genocidal intent directed towards a part of a group, that part must be substantial. This does not require a specific numeric threshold to be reached; it is enough to consider the potential effect of the intended destruction of that section on the group as a whole. In this sense, the prominence of the allegedly targeted part within the group as a whole is relevant, considering its importance to the broader community."
"Chile notes that the jurisprudence of the Court has made clear that genocide requires the specific intent to destroy — physically or biologically — in whole or in part, the protected group as such.... it is essential to note that the Genocide Convention does not require that the intent to destroy a group (in whole or in part) be the sole or primary purpose of the perpetrator. Genocide’s special intent must be distinguished from the reasons or motivations which may have caused the accused to act..."
"Direct and public incitement to commit genocide is an autonomous crime under international law, punishable as such, even if it fails to produce the result expected by the perpetrator, if there is no causal relationship between the speech and the subsequent acts, and if no act of genocide has resulted therefrom.... Direct and public incitement is punishable because it carries a significant risk for society, even if it fails to produce any results....
".... the Court should give particular weight to the content of appeals by some Israeli high-level public officials, who have made calls to kill all individuals living in Gaza (e.g., “the Gaza Strip should be flattened, and for all of them there is but one sentence, and that is death”); or to ignore the civilian status of individuals living in Gaza (e.g., “we have to wipe the Gaza Strip off the map… There are no innocents there”89; “there is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza”; “when we say that Hamas should be destroyed, it also means those who celebrate, those who support, and those who hand out candy — they’re all terrorists, and they should also be destroyed”).
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