GAZA LIVE BLOG: Rafah: 600,000 Children without Shelter | Hamas: Israel Will Leave Gaza | Israel Evacuates Military Site | UNRWA: Open Crossing – Day 215

Posted on May 9, 2024 by uprootedpalestinians

May 8, 2024

Palestinian families are forced to evacuate the eastern and southern areas of Rafah. (Photo: via QNN)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff 

At least 35 Palestinians were killed and 129 wounded as Israeli forces carried out new massacres in the eastern and southern areas of Rafah. 

The United States reportedly suspended sending arms shipments to Israel, due to its failure to address our concerns regarding its plans to invade Rafah.

Al-Qassam Brigades and Al-Quds Brigades announced in a statement that they are engaged in fierce clashes with invading Israeli forces east of Rafah. 

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,844 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,404 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Click here for the previous blogs.

LATEST UPDATES

Wednesday, May 8, 01:30 am (GMT +2)

Hamas (Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the political bureau of Hamas):

Israel is not serious about reaching an agreement and is using negotiations as a cover to invade Rafah.

Netanyahu is trying to invent pretexts to evade negotiations and blames Hamas and the mediators.

Hamas’s approval of the mediators’ proposal confused Netanyahu and put him in trouble.

Hamas stands by its position regarding the proposal.

BIDEN:

If Israel enters Rafah, I will not provide it with the weapons historically used to deal with this problem.

We will not provide weapons and artillery shells to Israel.

Israel will not get our support if it enters the populated areas of Rafah.

The bombs that America gave to Israel have now been used to kill civilians.

AL-JAZEERA: Heavy Israeli shelling targeted the Al-Sabra neighborhood south of Gaza City.

‘I Held on to My Husband’ – Cancer Patients in Gaza Die from War and Siege

By Abdallah Aljamal – Gaza “I held on to my husband, and told him he was everything for me, that I didn’t want to lose him.” Cancer patients from Gaza, including children, have been systematically … Continue reading‘I Held on to My Husband’ – Cancer Patients in Gaza Die from War and Siege Palestine Chronicle

Wednesday, May 8, 12:50 am (GMT +2)

HAARETZ: Clashes took place between families of captives in Gaza and Israeli police officers at a Tel Aviv demonstration demanding an exchange deal.

UNICEF: 600,000 Palestinian children are seeking shelter in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, some of whom have been displaced several times, exhausted, traumatized, sick and hungry.

With Full Knowledge – Israel Found to Use US Weapons to Kill Health Workers in Lebanon

By Robert Inlakesh On March 27, Israel carried out a missile strike in the Southern Lebanese town of Hebbariyeh, hitting an ambulance center. An analysis of shrapnel from the scene of an Israeli attack that … Continue readingWith Full Knowledge – Israel Found to Use US Weapons to Kill Health Workers in Lebanon Palestine Chronicle

Tuesday, May 7, 11:00 pm (GMT +2)

FORMER ISRAELI CHIEF OF STAFF: Former Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said that stopping the war on the Gaza Strip is the only way to return Israeli prisoners held by the Resistance.

ISRAELI ARMY: An Israeli soldier was injured as a result of a shell fired by the resistance in the Kerem Shalom area in the southern Gaza Strip.

FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS: The Free University of Brussels decided to stop a technological research project with Israeli partners, and to review all other projects with Israeli participation.

HEZBOLLAH: We targeted “with artillery shells a force of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Ramia site, and we achieved a direct hit.”

Tuesday, May 7, 10:00 pm (GMT +2)

KAN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is working on a draft law proposal with the ultra-Orthodox parties, bypassing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Defense Council Minister Benny Gantz.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Netanyahu backed down from showing flexibility in exchange negotiations.

UNRWA: The crossings must be opened, and humanitarian aid must flow.

HAMAS: The probability of the occupation remaining in the Gaza Strip is zero.

CHANNEL 14: Israeli occupation army evacuated a temporary military site on the Gaza envelope, fearing that resistance elements would infiltrate it.

‘Manipulative Trap’ – Smotrich Slams Decision to Send Negotiation Team to Cairo

By Palestine Chronicle Staff   “You must not give in to international pressure and you must not stop until victory and the submission of the enemy,” Smotrich said. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said … Continue reading‘Manipulative Trap’ – Smotrich Slams Decision to Send Negotiation Team to Cairo Palestine Chronicle

Tuesday, May 7, 9:00 pm (GMT +2)

ISRAELI ARMY: Gaza is one of the most difficult battlefields in the world.

CHANNEL 13 (quoting Israeli official): Netanyahu does not enable us to advance negotiations on the swap deal.

BRITISH PM: We will not change our position on arms export licenses to Israel.

‘Sort of a Precaution’ – US Lawmakers Prepare Sanctions against ICC over Israel

By Palestine Chronicle Staff   US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has confirmed that the bill is being drafted. US House Republicans are developing a bill to impose sanctions on officials from … Continue reading‘Sort of a Precaution’ – US Lawmakers Prepare Sanctions against ICC over Israel Palestine Chronicle

Tuesday, May 7, 8:00 pm (GMT +2)

CNN: Tel Aviv asked Washington to put pressure on Hamas and not on Israel.

HAMAS: We demand that the occupation’s crimes be documented and submitted to the criminal court.

Rafah Under Attack – Scores of Civilians Killed, Resistance Fights Back

By Palestine Chronicle Staff   Scores of Palestinians were killed and others were injured, in the intense Israeli occupation bombardment on various areas of the Gaza Strip. According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, … Continue readingRafah Under Attack – Scores of Civilians Killed, Resistance Fights Back Palestine Chronicle

Tuesday, May 7, 6:30 pm (GMT +2)

WALLA (quoting Israeli sources): The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hid medical markings on an ambulance that had been accompanying Netanyahu’s convoy since he suffered a heart attack last month, in order to make it look like a regular civilian car.

UNRWA: Protest by Israeli extremists in front of our headquarters in Jerusalem is “intimidation and sabotage”.

NETANYAHU’S SPOKESMAN: The seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip by the Israeli army does not violate the peace treaty between Tel Aviv and Cairo.

UNRWA: The agency’s buildings in Gaza were subjected to 368 Israeli attacks.

ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Iron Dome was unable to intercept rockets launched by the Resistance from Gaza towards Shlomi.

AUSTIN: We are absolutely committed to Israel’s right to defend itself.

FORMER MOSSAD CHIEF: There is no meaning to fighting in Rafah after all these days since the start of the war.

CHANNEL 13: Eight rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Shlomi in the Eshkol Regional Council in the Gaza Strip.

HEZBOLLAH: We carried out an attack with assault marches on the headquarters of the newly created Western Brigade in Ya’ra, and a direct hit was achieved.

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN: Carrying out an Israeli ground military operation in Rafah destabilizes the entire region. There are no prospects yet for resolving the situation in the Gaza Strip, and the conflict in the region is escalating daily.

‘Sleeping without Fear’ – Gazans React to Hamas’ Acceptance of Ceasefire Proposal

By Abdallah Aljamal – Gaza The Palestine Chronicle spoke with residents of Gaza to know their view about the proposal and Hamas’ decision. The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas announced on Monday its acceptance of a … Continue reading‘Sleeping without Fear’ – Gazans React to Hamas’ Acceptance of Ceasefire Proposal Palestine Chronicle

Tuesday, May 7, 5:00 pm (GMT +2)

ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Summer will be hot on the Lebanese border.

WASHINGTON DC POLICE CHIEF: 33 people were arrested during the dispersal of the George Washington group sit-in.

‘Unusual’ – US Postpones Arms Shipment to Israel but Pledges ‘Ironclad Commitment’

By Palestine Chronicle Staff   If intentional, this pause on the JDAMs would mark a significant policy shift since the onset of the current war. The US administration of Joe Biden administration has postponed the … Continue reading‘Unusual’ – US Postpones Arms Shipment to Israel but Pledges ‘Ironclad Commitment’ Palestine Chronicle

US OFFICIAL (to Al-Jazeera): Washington’s position on Rafah has not changed, and a broad operation must not be launched.

UNRWA: We did not receive aid or fuel through the Rafah crossing.

NBC (citing Israeli official). There is deep frustration in the Israeli government with the American decision to halt the arms shipment.

Tuesday, May 7, 4:15 pm (GMT +2)

GAZA STRIP CROSSINGS AUTHORITY: The Gaza Strip Crossings Authority denied Israel’s claims that it had reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing, south of the Strip, for the entry of aid.

AL-JAZEERA: About 200 European Union employees demonstrated in the Belgian capital, Brussels, against the Union’s policies towards the Gaza Strip.

‘A Form of Occupation’ – Palestinian Groups Reject Any Foreign Control of Rafah Crossing

By Palestine Chronicle Staff   Palestinian groups have strongly rejected any foreign party controlling the Rafah border of the Gaza Strip, following reports that an American security company will be in charge of the crossing. … Continue reading‘A Form of Occupation’ – Palestinian Groups Reject Any Foreign Control of Rafah Crossing Palestine Chronicle

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades announced the bombing of Israeli occupation forces’ concentrations at the “Kerem Shalom Military Site” with a 114 mm short-range “Rajoum” missile system.

Tuesday, May 7, 2:45 pm (GMT +2)

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: A third mass grave was found inside the Shifa Medical Complex and 49 bodies were recovered.

AL-JAZEERA: Six workers were injured by occupation fire at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We bombed with heavy-caliber mortar shells Israeli occupation soldiers and vehicles penetrating the vicinity of the airport, east of the city of Rafah.

ISRAELI ARMY: 3,361 Israeli soldiers have been injured since the start of the war on Gaza.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 34,844 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,404 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

US MEDIA: Metropolitan Police began evacuating a pro-Palestinian camp at George Washington University at dawn today.

Tuesday, May 7, 1:30 pm (GMT +2)

AL-JAZEERA: Rockets were launched from southern Lebanon towards the Israeli monk site in the Upper Galilee.

ISRAELI MEDIA: The Israeli army is investigating the downing of its drone in Kfar Saba, between Jaffa and Tulkarm.

HEZBOLLAH: We targeted two buildings used by Israeli army soldiers in the Hanita settlement.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The death toll from the Israeli bombing on the Al-Qara family’s home in the Khuza’a area, east of Khan Yunis, has risen to three.

Tuesday, May 7, 12:30 pm (GMT +2)

HEZBOLLAH: We targeted a building used by Israeli soldiers in the Metulla settlement, and two other buildings in the Shlomi settlement in the Upper Galilee.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: The Israeli army downplayed the US administration’s suspension of an arms shipment following an Israeli military operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip this week, saying that the two allied parties resolve any disputes “behind closed doors.”

Tuesday, May 7, 11:30 am (GMT +2)

PALESTINIAN FACTIONS: We will not accept the imposition of any guardianship over the Rafah crossing or any other party, and we consider this an occupation.

CHANNEL 13: An anti-tank missile hit a house in the town of Metulla.

PALESTINIAN MEDICAL SOURCES: The bodies of 35 Palestinians and 129 wounded arrived at Kuwait Hospital in Rafah within 24 hours.

IRANIAN FM: Conditions are ripe for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Tuesday, May 7, 10:00 am (GMT +2)

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: The attack on Rafah will have catastrophic effects on more than a million people.

KEREM SHALOM: Kerem Shalom crossing reopened for the entry of humanitarian aid after it was closed.

QATARI FM: Qatar strongly condemns the bombing of Rafah and calls for preventing its invasion.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We are engaged in fierce clashes east of Rafah.

MAARIV: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich submitted a petition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop delaying legislation on the use of Palestinian Authority funds held by Israel .

ISRAELI MEDIA: Instructions were issued to farmers in the Gaza Strip not to go out to work in the areas adjacent to the border fence.

Tuesday, May 7, 09:00 am (GMT +2)

BEN-GVIR: The demolition of dozens of homes in the Negev is an important step towards restoring governance.

AL-JAZEERA: Occupation forces begin demolishing dozens of Palestinian homes in the Naqab (Negev).

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: Our fighters are engaged in fierce clashes with the Israeli enemy forces penetrating east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

UNRWA: UNRWA called for the reopening of Gaza crossings without any delay, noting that vital supplies and fuel are entered through them.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Dozens of prisoners’ families are closing the main Ayalon axis in Tel Aviv, demanding a deal to return their children.

Tuesday, May 7, 08:00 am (GMT +2)

AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli air strike targeted the vicinity of the destroyed Gaza Airport, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A woman was killed and a number of injured in an Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

AFP (citing US official): We suspended sending an arms shipment to Israel of 1,800 1,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. Suspending the shipment of weapons to Israel due to its failure to address our concerns regarding its plans to invade Rafah.

Tuesday, May 7, 05:00 am (GMT +2)

NBC (citing US officials): American, Qatari and Egyptian negotiators are trying in Cairo to resolve various disagreements regarding the ceasefire deal.

AXIOS (citing American source): Republican representatives are preparing legislation targeting international criminal officials.

Tuesday, May 7, 03:00 am (GMT +2)

WASHINGTON POST (quoting US official): The move by the administration of US President Joe Biden to postpone two arms shipments to Israel confirms Washington’s fears about the Rafah attack.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: An Israeli raid and artillery shelling in the center and north of the Gaza Strip.

Tuesday, May 7, 02:00 am (GMT +2)

REUTERS (citing informed source): CIA Director William Burns will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.

BRITISH DEPUTY FOREIGN SECRETARY: Israel’s attack on Rafah would violate international law and would not lead to the elimination of Hamas.

Tuesday, May 7, 01:00 am (GMT +2)

MARTIN GRIFFITHS: Martin Griffiths said that Israeli evacuation orders in Rafah and the ground operation will lead to more death and displacement.

REUTERS (quoting informed sources): The administration of US President Joe Biden will not submit its report to Congress on whether Israel is violating international law in Gaza on time.

BLINKEN: Blinken condemns “extremist attacks” on aid heading from Jordan to Gaza.

Tuesday, May 7, 12:00 am (GMT +2)

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: CIA Director William Burns will arrive in Israel tomorrow, Wednesday, to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Chief David Barnea to discuss a possible deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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‘Israel’s’ new military doctrine: going on defense from sea to river?

Posted on July 29, 2023 by martyrashrakat

July 28, 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen

‘Israel’s’ new military doctrine: going on defense from sea to river? (illustration Al Mayadeen)

By Abbas Mohammad El-Zein, translated By Hussein Assaf

While trying to promote the idea that it is the real “danger,” the Israeli occupation today is engulfed by threats, while the issue of developing a clear combat doctrine remains immature.

The Israeli understanding and implementation of deterrence have evolved significantly in the past few decades, as the entity engaged in diverse types of wars, mainly in the past three decades, when it was forced to reform its military practice away from classical concepts.

In a research paper published in 2012 titled “Deterrence beyond the State: The Israeli Experience,” Thomas Rid, a Professor of Strategic Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, presented an elaborate explanation of “Israel’s” deterrence concept when dealing with enemies.

Rid suggested that the entity’s strategic foundation is instilling a sense of apprehension in adversaries regarding the prospect of conflict and asserting that the adversary will be met with accountability.

The primary objective of this approach is to effectively delay any future conflicts and simultaneously raise the threshold that justifies the breakout of any war.

As a result, according to the expert, this serves to curtail the potential methods and means the enemy may resort to if a conflict were to eventually unfold.

Providing further detail to this concept, Israeli Colonel Ron Tira (Res.), a former Air Force pilot with over 40 years of multifield experience, suggests in a study titled “Israel’s Second War Doctrine,” published by the Institute for National Security Studies INSS in 2016, that Israeli military campaigns consist of four crucial stages.

Initially, there should be a targeted strike using firepower against pre-identified target bank. This will be followed by a delay ensued until the decision was made to deploy ground forces to engage in combat. The third phase involved a generally limited ground offensive. Finally, the pressure was sustained until a ceasefire could be achieved, ensuring that both sides were ready to bring the conflict to an end.

According to Tira, the primary objective of the Israeli military was to inflict greater damage, both quantitatively and qualitatively, upon the enemy than what the entity endures within the same timeframe.

He argues that this strategic approach aimed to dissuade the opponent from finding any advantage in continuing the conflict. By doing so, “Israel” sought to compel the adversary to accept some of “Israel’s” terms for a post-war arrangement, while also establishing a deterrence mechanism to delay any potential future conflicts.

Tira devised this method based on studying the course of six military campaigns launched by “Israel” between 1993 and 2014, which he considered contrary or inconsistent with the entity’s official doctrine. The campaigns are, according to the Israeli designations: Operation Accountability (1993), Operation Grapes of Wrath (1996), the Second Lebanon War (2006), Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009), and Operation Pillar of Defense (2012). and Operation Protective Edge (2014). 

The reason that these military campaigns are inconsistent with the official doctrine lies in the fact that the occupation army is famous for a war doctrine based on a series of decisive and rapid operations, on the basis of sudden combined arms attacks. As an example, Rid recalled the “Six Days” war and the “Yom Kippur” war, when Israeli tanks broke, “world records in terms of the number of miles penetrated per day (depth of attack),” as he described.

In the six military campaigns, the entity focused on resource management and risk management, rather than risk and a potentially high cost.

As a result, “Israel” has prioritized balancing the costs and benefits by seeking a modest outcome at a modest cost and delaying the most weighty decisions as much as possible. This approach considered that the interests of the Israeli army are of secondary importance, simply because the enemy, according to the Israeli view, has not threatened to seize the “territories”.

The issue is not related to analyzing the results of the 6 operations carried out by the Israeli occupation and its ability to achieve the goals it announced.

This is another discussion, especially since, specifically in July 2006, the most basic goal was to expel Hezbollah from areas south of the Litani River. These plans failed despite the entity launching a ground invasion.

In the 2014 aggression on Gaza, dubbed “Operation Protective Edge,” the entity was unable to strike the core strengths of the Resistance, also despite launching a land campaign, and later failed to stop or prevent rocket launches on its settlements, all while employing its military machine to the fullest extent.

The matter to be discussed here then is the general consensus of the Israeli military doctrine, which they claim is adaptive to developments and changes, while in fact, the Israeli occupation was forced to introduce what they called “modifications” to the doctrine under the pretext of “adaptation” and resource management under the principle of “cost and returns”.

The reason here is simple; the Israeli entity was unable to take decisive decisions and actions, nor it was able to achieve its goals.

Resistance doctrine amendments

Over the past decades, the Israeli military doctrine has been rooted in three basic principles: firstly, consistently transferring the battle to the enemy’s territory, a doctrine established since Ben-Gurion. Secondly, trying to secure a swift victory within the first strike. Thirdly, conducting military campaigns with well-defined objectives, and allowing for doctrine adjustments as long as there’s no imminent threat of the enemy seizing “Israeli territory.”

For the purpose of fulfilling the doctrine’s stated goals, the entity adopted a number of operational tactics as part of its action plan, that remain unchanged regardless of the opponents or their capabilities

  1.  Initiating Attacks: Proactively launching offensive actions.
  2. Seeking Decisive Victories: Aiming for conclusive and impactful outcomes
  3. Minimizing Losses: Striving to reduce casualties and resource depletion.
  4. First Strike Initiative: Taking the initiative to strike first when necessary.
  5. Preemptive Strikes: Employing preemptive measures to neutralize potential threats.
  6.  Blitzkrieg Tactics: Employing swift and intense actions to surprise and overwhelm the enemy.
  7.  Transferring Battles to Enemy Territory: Engaging the enemy in their own territory.

These tactics have become the cornerstone of the Israeli military doctrine, ensuring a focused and strategic approach to confronting various challenges and adversaries.

But despite declaring the action plan’s items as the pillars of its war strategy, the occupation entity was forced to introduce dramatic changes to them during the six campaigns, most notably during the 2006 war on Lebanon when it was unable to deliver a decisive preliminary or preemptive strike, transfer the battle into enemy lands, but most importantly the failure to achieve any of its announced objectives.

Today, there is growing skepticism over the effectiveness of these attack principles, which are argued to have become obsolete in the current period.

As such, Tira voiced “doubts” regarding the sustainability of these operational patterns should “Israel” encounter adversaries possessing constantly evolving capabilities.

He explained that in the event that an adversary such as Hezbollah acquires new capabilities that could inflict more substantial damage to “Israel’s” military, civil, and economic systems, it would necessitate a reevaluation of the feasibility of the entity’s actions, based on the concept of accountability.

While Tira tried to mitigate the impact of the changes surrounding “Israel,” by suggesting that they are just suspicions related to “the growing capabilities of Hezbollah,” this does not negate the fact that the new reality is impacting the entity’s combat doctrine, even more so than during the six campaigns.

Shocking new “doctrine”.

The recent aggression on Jenin has further created a sense of urgent need to update the long-outdated military doctrine. While Israelis still consider, relatively, Jenin to be a “minor problem,” for them it reflects a larger problem ahead.

Major General (Res.) Itzhak Brik, former Field Forces commander and chief of the Israeli Senior Colleges, called earlier this month for an immediate update on “Israel’s” security doctrine, “which has not been updated since Ben-Gurion,” who [Ben-Gurion] “talked about transferring the war to the enemy territory and maintaining calm on the home front, as much as possible.”

But the real issues extend further than introducing changes to the doctrine.

Since these calls for modernization stem from real threats that “the next regional war will take place primarily on the home front,” they collide with several internal factors that prevent the political echelon from discussing them openly.

Publicly modifying the combat and security doctrine will be deemed as an indirect recognition by the entity of the dangers lying ahead, and this will impact multiple areas that affect the home front, “Israel’s” crown jewel, even without an actual war.

Israeli settlers are deeply fixated on the notion of security, firmly believing in the capabilities of their military to decisively defeat the enemy. They hold the expectation that any potential conflict will remain distant from their own communities, will be rapid in nature, and incurred with minimal costs.

Recent developments have demonstrated that the previous status quo is no longer attainable, signaling a definitive shift from past realities.

Regarding the political class, the question that arises is: Who is brave enough to discuss the new reality and its implications which demand structural change to older understandings and concepts?

The intense focus on attaining and maintaining power at the political level, particularly over the past two decades, has led to heightened political tensions surrounding security matters and its association with the “combat doctrine.”

As a result of this reality, those aspiring to attain power or those already in positions of power face several challenges when discussing the necessity of altering the “combat doctrine” to align with new threats and the conditions of future warfare.

Firstly, such discussions expose them to various criticisms. Secondly, it may jeopardize their influence. Thirdly, they may find themselves in conflict with the public they seek to win over, merely for broaching the topic of adapting the combat doctrine to address emerging threats and changing circumstances of potential conflicts.

Defend who

At the military level, the situation is different, as ground officers and those with combat experience have realized the inevitability of re-conceptualizing the original doctrine draft.

In the past few years, the army leadership implemented discreetly a range of changes to the doctrine, without public promotion or formal announcements.

These changes have been seamlessly integrated into the existing offensive operational handbook, through strategic documents and live exercises that simulate defensive scenarios, with a particular focus on the northern occupied Palestine region.

However, as the informal modernized doctrine is openly practiced but not officially documented or institutionalized, this led to ongoing tensions and disagreements between the Israeli military and the settlers, as the latter hold different expectations based on official documents – which upon observation it can be noticed that they do not align with formal doctrinal guidelines.

In August 2015, the Israeli military released its first official “defense” doctrine. The 33-page document was written by then Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot and outlines the military’s strategies and actions against the main threats to the entity.

According to the US-based think tank The Washington Institute, the evolving strategic and operational environment has compelled the Israeli army to reevaluate the concept of deterrence and the two other longstanding pillars of military strategy; early warning, and military decision.

As a response to newly arising threats, which are represented by the growing power of regional Resistance, the entity was forced to introduce a new fourth pillar: “defense.” 

While offensive action remained a primary focus for military operations, a significant shift occurred by incorporating “defense” into two key aspects.

First, there was a continuous emphasis on developing a multi-layered active defense system against missiles and projectiles. Second, the focus was on preventing the enemy from taking control of “Israeli territories,” even if it meant potentially evacuating settlers from those areas.

According to the think tank, this represents a notable departure from the traditional Israeli approach, signifying a substantial change in strategic thinking.

However, what is remarkable about this document is that when outlaying potential targets that should be “defended,” the Israeli entity prioritizes decision-making and military facilities over its settlers.

When “Israel” confronts Hezbollah’s massive missile arsenal, as an example cited by the institute, it will focus on first, preventing disruption of the war effort; second, the protection of important “national infrastructure”; Third, the protection of “civilian centers,” which, according to Israeli estimates, will be exposed to thousands of missiles and projectiles on daily basis, and that is assuming that the war will only be with Hezbollah.

However, the revised doctrine did not receive the anticipated recognition.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Eizenkot’s document “did not present anything new,” rather it introduced amendments that were reported by the Meridor Committee (in 1986 and 2006), including the term “defense” with no clear definition of it.

Due to that aspect, the Israeli newspaper concluded that the doctrine has a “major problem”.

“It does not reflect, in many parts, the government’s position, beliefs, and practices,” the outlet said, noting that the document focuses on the fact that “political directives are the basis for strategic thinking procedures in the General Staff.”

The modifications remained circumstantial, relevant to a limited period of time, and are linked to the military leadership ruling at any given time.

As a result, the document was considered to not have fully developed into an official doctrine, and it did not alter or impact the nature of interim tactics in any significant way.

The hesitation is not only evident in the political leadership’s reluctance to acknowledge the risks, but also in their fear of experimentation. They are hesitant to put proposed amendments into practical action, fearing that doing so might not yield the expected results to the public in the case of failure.

“The Doctrine of Victory”…a plan in front of crucial questions

In recent years, maneuvers – in their “defensive” form – have become integral to the Israeli army’s operations due to the emergence of new factors in the conflict landscape. These factors include the opponent’s enhanced capacity to launch missiles and pose threats to the internal front, as well as their [opponents] ability to infiltrate forces inside occupied territories and transfer the battle into the center of the entity.

As a result, the Israeli military has adapted its strategies to counter these evolving challenges.

The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) touched upon the new war concepts and threats facing the entity.

In its study, JISS said, that since the 1980s, the Israeli army found itself fighting against organizations using guerrilla warfare, which represented an unprecedented security challenge to a military that has engaged since its formation in traditional conflicts.

According to the think tank, the emerging non-state actors carried out attacks targeting the Israeli internal front with high firepower, using precision missiles and rockets that have dramatically increased in range over the years. As a result, “Israel” found itself suffering from outdated operational concepts.

Outlining the framework of any new doctrine, JISS considered that a new robust strategy is required to address fundamental questions, including understanding the entity’s security objectives, determining the military’s warfare goals at the onset of an armed conflict, and defining the appropriate course of action to achieve these objectives effectively.

The institute added that the consequences of not having an updated security strategy and military doctrine were very clear. Although the Israeli army still possesses “fire superiority”, the general outcome of confrontations that the Israeli military has engaged in has been disappointing time after time.

While arguing that Ben-Gurion’s military doctrine significantly contributed to upgrading the military amid evolving threats, JISS suggested that the entity could modernize the Israeli war doctrine based on the “Victory Doctrine” put forward by the former Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi in 2020, which also included structural changes to the army general staff.

But it also warned of shortcomings, explaining that these efforts were not sufficient.

Kochavi’s doctrine only takes into account the capabilities of the Israeli army more than it studies the capabilities of the enemy and what is expected of it.

Based on this, JISS stressed that the doctrine must be always subjected to questioning and doubt, pointing at the validity of the thought process behind it and the premises it was based on.

In its study, the institute concluded that Kochavi’s “Victory doctrine” falls short of addressing 3 major threats in any upcoming war, presenting three vital requirements the entity needs to consider in order to achieve objectives – or avert defeat.

First: shortening the duration of the war. “Israel” cannot bear prolonged wars. It needs to mitigate harm to settlers and reduce their vulnerability to threats and economic paralysis. It is also important to avoid international pressure, which, as experience has shown, increases with the continuation of the fighting.

Second: enemies of “Israel” will take the course of action most dangerous to the entity. The underlying assumption must be that any capability the enemy develops will be used in the manner and timing that gives it an advantage and causes the greatest amount of harm to the entity. Any assumption that the enemy will not fully utilize its capabilities, or that it will implement its war plan in a way that suits “Israel”, is baseless and dangerous in principle.

Third: preparing the army for war requires that plausible worst-case scenarios be taken into account. As derived from Rule 2; “Israel” does not and will not have the ability to anticipate the circumstances of the next war. Therefore, it should always prepare its plans assuming the worst-case scenario. Otherwise, at the moment of truth, the entity could find itself vulnerable.

According to the entity’s estimates, the most dangerous event that might take place in any future war is the enemy’s ability to conquer land within Israeli-occupied territories, shattering in the process the military’s “defense doctrine”.

In the same context, further concrete questions regarding the “Victory doctrine’s” feasibility and effectiveness can be presented: How much does it anticipate a multi-front war?

Given the available data, it seems that the “Victory doctrine” is more about damage control than it is to defeat its opponents.

Defense is a binding doctrine

In the past few years, the regional Resistance axis has managed to exponentially increase its capabilities, power, and on-field experience – having been engaged in several wars in the region against Western-backed proxies and terrorist groups.

But the core threat today to the Israeli entity is not the Resistance’s high-precision missiles and their range, them integrating air-defense systems, putting drones into operations, or the growing number of forces.

Today, what keeps the entity’s military leadership without sleep – as per Israeli officials –  is the concept of a multi-front war, which was the outcome of the Resistance’s development of a unified command and control system across the Resistance factions and the high level of real-time coordination between the parties.

Recent Resistance operations, whether the launching of rockets from Golan, South of Lebanon and Gaza, or the steep rise of operations in the West Bank, left the entity unable to simultaneously deploy its capabilities on all fronts, due to the lack of manpower and air-defense systems.

Fears of over-stretching army units, the limited number of Iron Dome batteries, and battle management issues have left “Israel” in a dilemma: how many fronts can it fight on before its power becomes vulnerable on all fronts?

These challenges remain unaddressed to this day, indicating the entity’s failure to develop a mature and updated doctrine that is able to deal with any kind of real present threats, leaving it in its most vulnerable state it has ever been.

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ISRAEL’S RACISM EXPOSED IN ONGOING IMPRISONMENT OF ETHIOPIAN-BORN SOLDIER AVERA MENGISTU

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Zara Ali

JANUARY 27TH, 2023

Source

RAMZY BAROUD

For how long will I be in captivity? After so many years, where are the state and the people of Israel? These were the words, uttered in Hebrew, of a person believed to be Avera Mengistu, an Israeli soldier of Ethiopian origin who was captured and held in Gaza in 2014.

Footage of Mengistu, looking nervous but also somewhat defiant, calling on his countrymen to end his 9-year incarceration mostly ended speculation in Israel on whether the soldier was alive or dead.

The timing of the release of the footage by Hamas was obvious, and is directly linked to the Palestinian group’s efforts aimed at conducting a prisoner exchange similar to the one carried out in 2011, which saw the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The main target audience of Hamas’ message is the new government and, specifically, the new military leadership. Israel now has a new army chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who has replaced the departing chief, Aviv Kochavi. The latter seemed disinterested in Mengistu’s cause, while the new chief arrives with lofty promises about uniting the country behind its military and opening a new page where the army is no longer involved in everyday politics.

It may appear that Hamas and other Gaza groups are in a stronger position than the one they enjoyed during Shalit’s captivity, between 2006 and 2011. Not only are they militarily stronger but, instead of capturing one Israeli, they have four: aside from Mengistu, they also have Hisham al-Sayed, and what is believed to be the remains of two other soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul.

But this is when the story gets particularly complicated. Unlike Shalit, who is white and holds dual Israeli-French citizenship, Mengistu and al-Sayed are Ethiopian Jew and Bedouin, respectively.

Racism based on color and ethnicity is rife in Israel. Although no Israeli officials will admit to this openly, Israel is in no rush to rescue two men who are not members of the dominant Ashkenazi group, or even of the socially less privileged Sephardic or Mizrahi Jews.

Black Jews and Bedouins have always been placed at the bottom of Israel’s socio-economic indicators. In 2011, the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post shared numbers from a disturbing report, which placed poverty among children of Ethiopian immigrants at a whopping 65 percent. The number is particularly staggering when compared to the average poverty rate in Israel, of 21 percent.

Mengistu
Mengistu, pictured right, poses in an undated family photo released to the media

Things have not improved much since then. The Israeli Justice Ministry’s annual report on racism complaints shows that 24 percent of all complaints are filed by Ethiopians. This racism covers most aspects of public life, from education to services to police mistreatment.

Not even enlisting in the military – Israel’s most revered institution – is enough to change Ethiopians’ position in Israeli society.

The famous story of Demas Fikadey in 2015 is a case in point. Then only 21, the Ethiopian soldier was beaten up severely by two Israeli police officers in a Tel Aviv suburb for no reason at all. The whole episode was caught on camera, leading to mass protests and even violent clashes. For Ethiopian Jews, the humiliation and violence carried out against Fikadey was a representation of years of suffering, racism and discrimination.

Many believe that the government’s lackluster response to Mengistu’s prolonged capture is directly linked to the fact that he is black.

Israel’s discriminatory behavior against African asylum seekers, which often leads to forceful deportation following humiliating treatment, is well known. Amnesty International described this in a report in 2018 as “a cruel and misguided abandonment of responsibility”.

But discriminating against a black soldier, who, by Israel’s own estimation, is believed to suffer from mental illness, is a whole different kind of ‘abandonment.’

A former Israeli army official, Col. Moshe Tal did not mince words in a recent national radio interview when he said that Mengistu and al-Sayed are a low priority for the public “on the account of their race,” Haaretz reported.

“If we were speaking about two other citizens from other backgrounds and socio-economic statuses … the amount of interest would be different,” Tal said. In contrast to Shalit’s story, the government’s “attention to the affair (and) the media pulse is close to zero.”

Israel’s Ethiopian Jews number around 170,000, hardly an important political constituency in a remarkably divided and polarized society. Most of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants who arrived in Israel between 1980 and 1992. Though they are still known as the Falasha, they are sometimes referred to by the more dignified name of ‘Beta Israel’ or ‘House of Israel.’

Superficial language alterations aside, their struggle is evident in everyday Israel. The plight of Mengistu, as expressed in his own question, “where are the state and the people of Israel?” sums up the sense of collective loss and alienation this community has felt for nearly two generations.

When Mengistu arrived with his family at the age of 5 in Israel, escaping a bloody civil war in Ethiopia and historic discrimination there, the family, like most Ethiopians, hardly knew that discrimination would follow them, even in the supposed land of ‘milk and honey’.

And, most likely, they also knew little about the plight of Palestinians, the native inhabitants of that historic land, who are victims of terrible violence, racism and much more.

Palestinians know well why Israel has done little to free the black soldier; Mengistu and his Ethiopian community also understand how race is an important factor in Israeli politics. Although a prisoner exchange could potentially free Mengistu and an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, the suffering of the Palestinians at the hands of Israel and discrimination against Ethiopian Jews will carry on for much longer.

While Palestinians are resisting Israel’s military occupation and apartheid, Ethiopian Jews should mount their own resistance for greater rights. Their resistance must be predicated on the understanding that Palestinians and Arabs are not the enemy but potential allies in a joint fight against racism, apartheid and socio-economic marginalization.

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In the West Bank, Resistance Rises as the PA Crumbles

Posted on September 21, 2022 by uprootedpalestinians

Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360°

The Palestinian resistance factions of the West Bank are no longer fractured and in disarray, and the results speak for themselves

The Israeli army’s recent incursions into the cities and refugee camps of the northern occupied-West Bank are not going as smoothly as before.

The occupation army’s incursions into the city of Jenin and Jenin refugee camp in early September required the mobilization of large forces, including special units and armored vehicles – in scale, unprecedented since 2014.

On the night of 6 September, a force of about 100 vehicles carried out a raid in Jenin, supported by air with drones, and on land, by hundreds of soldiers from Israel’s elite military units.

Their task? To demolish the house of Ra’ad Hazem, who carried out the Dizengoff attack in Tel Aviv on 7 April, 2022. More than anything, this excessive military build-up over a single home demolition illustrates that the Israeli military can no longer operate in the West Bank as they did before the May 2021 ‘Sayf Al Quds’ conflagration – and its subsequent developments.

After the 6 September operation – which resulted in the death of three Israelis and wounded 14 – the occupation army launched Operation ‘Break the Waves’ in response to the rapid expansion of Palestinian resistance factions and fervor in the West Bank.

The re-emergence of resistance in the West Bank

Break the Waves’ objective, according to then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, was to “attack without borders in order to stop the [resistance] operations” – four of which were carried out in cities in occupied territories – and to destroy the infrastructure of the resistance factions in Jenin and Nablus.

Five months after the Tel Aviv attack, the situation in the West Bank remains tense and is heading toward further escalation. In the interim, three new resistance battalions have been announced in Nablus, Tulkarm and Tubas.

Between 2007 and 2021, the resistance factions, particularly Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), remained stuck in a vicious cycle. The enemy’s surgical strikes were hindering their proactive initiatives, and until 2020, their activities were limited to the formation of fighting cells that were able to carry out one or two attacks before being incapacitated.

Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Palestinian Authority (PA) security services have fully collaborated with the occupation authorities to pursue these resistance factions, for fear of having the Gaza model repeated in the West Bank.

The genesis lies in Jenin

The rejuvenation of resistance in the occupied West Bank can be attributed to the martyr Jamil al-Amouri. A prominent figure in the Jenin camp, Amouri was considered the most “wanted” by the occupation state for carrying out several shooting attacks against Israeli positions around Jenin, during the 2021 battle of Sayf al-Quds.

He effectively contributed to the formation of active military cells inside the camp, which later went on to form the nucleus of the Jenin Brigade.

In early June 2021, Amouri was assassinated, along with Lieutenant Adham Yasser Tawfiq Alawi from Nablus, and Captain Tayseer Mahmoud Othman Eissa from Jenin. The deaths of a PIJ commander along with two officers from the PA’s Military Intelligence effectively broke the ice between the PIJ on the one hand, and the Fatah movement and members of the security services in Jenin and Nablus, on the other.

This also led to a subtle change in the popular resistance factions’ perception of the PA security services, who for years have been accused of being agents of the occupation.

As political researcher Muhammad Dargham told The Cradle: “The martyrdom of Amouri with two officers from the security services removed the veil from the eyes of many supporters of the [Palestinian] Authority and the Fatah who woke up after thirteen years and found themselves guards of security coordination with Israel.”

PIJ and Fatah: setting aside differences

According to Dargham, the killing of Amouri, Alawi, and Eissa created harmony – at least in the Jenin camp – between the Al-Quds Brigades and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades – the respective armed wings of the PIJ and Fatah.

Three months after Amouri’s murder, five Palestinian prisoners belonging to the PIJ movement, along with the leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, Zakaria Al-Zubaidi, managed to escape from Gilboa Prison, the most fortified of all Israeli prisons. Two of the six, Ayham Kamamji and Monadel Nafeat, managed to reach Jenin refugee camp.

By 19 September, 2021, all escapees were re-captured. However the date is also notable for the establishment of the Jenin Brigade – the first semi-organized resistance formation in the West Bank in 17 years. Importantly, while the Brigade was founded by PIJ operatives, it also consists of members of the armed wings of political rivals Hamas and Fatah.

Resistance spreads like wild fire

For many years, Israel ruled out the success of any semi-organized resistance action in the West Bank cities and refugee camps. This is due to the occupation’s adoption of a “maximum integration” policy that linked all aspects of the daily lives of Palestinians in the West Bank to Israel.

The occupation also adopted its “mowing the lawn” policy, which sought to target all resistances cells by arresting or killing its members.

These strategies were designed to send the message that any attempt to resist is doomed to failure, and the fate of those who undertake it will be life imprisonment or assassination.

However, what transpired in September 2021 was different from all Israeli estimates. The Jenin Brigade maintained its military continuity, and the attempts to storm the Jenin refugee camp became much more costly for the Israelis.

Previously, any Israeli force that invaded the camp was met with stone-throwing and firecrackers. But over the course of a year and three months, the alliance of Al-Quds Brigades and Al-Aqsa Brigades raised the bar considerably, and stands as testament to the benefits of a united armed front for the resistance.

This was noticeable about a year after the launch of the Jenin Brigade. On 24 May, 2022, clashes erupted in the area of the Prophet Joseph’s tomb, near Balata and Askar refugee camps, east of Nablus. Israeli settlers used to enter this area without any confrontation except for stone throwing.

On that day, though, the confrontations developed into an armed clash that seemed organized and with purpose. A few days later, Al-Quds Brigades issued a statement announcing the launch of the Nablus Brigade.

One month earlier, three resistance fighters from the Al-Quds Brigades were killed in a clash with the Israeli army. One of the three, Saif Abu Libdeh, from the Ain Shams camp in Tulkarem, had worked for months to establish the infrastructure for a group that would be announced six weeks after his death, under the name Tulkarem Brigade. This was followed by the formation of another battalion – the Tubas Brigade in June.

The occupation state: feeling the heat

According to the Israeli army’s Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, the occupation forces have foiled “hundreds of operations” since the beginning of the Operation Break the Wave, and carried out more than 1,500 precautionary arrests.

Indeed, the first half of this year witnessed more than 3,700 Palestinian attacks in the West Bank, during which 21 settlers were killed and 316 wounded, including 2,692 attacks with stones, 577 with Molotov cocktails, 542 with burning tires, 33 with explosive devices, 30 with fireworks, 25 with paint bottles, 14 shootings, 1 case of hit and run, 4 cases of stabbing (with 7 foiled).

However, these numbers maybe underrepresented. For instance, in one week alone (28 August to 3 September 2022), 12 soldiers and settlers were injured, and about 90 points of confrontation were observed, including one stabbing attack, 22 shooting attacks, and 15 throwing explosive devices and Molotov cocktails.

Point of no return

There is consensus among the Israeli security establishment, think-tanks, and military analysts that the situation on the ground in the West Bank has reached a point of no return. The question that worries Israel is: Is it possible to eliminate the new resistance developments – or at least keep them confined to the northern West Bank and prevent their expansion to southern cities such as Hebron and Bethlehem, or central cities such as Jerusalem and Ramallah?

This Israeli concern is justified considering that the beginning of September bore serious consequences for the Israelis. On 4 September, three Palestinians from Jenin (a father and his two sons) shot at a bus carrying Kfir unit recruits in the Jordan Valley, injuring more than seven Israeli soldiers.

Until now, the results of the investigations have not been announced, but it seems that the attack was carefully planned in terms of timing, and choice of location, where there were fewer surveillance cameras at work.

A few days later, the Israeli army aborted an attempt by a Palestinian youth from Nablus from carrying out an operation in central Tel Aviv. The police suggested that the young man “infiltrated through a hole in the wall in the Tulkarem area,” where the army deployed three infantry battalions to thwart further attempts.

There is yet another event that suggests the resistance action in the West Bank is growing. At dawn, on Thursday 8 September, members of the Jenin Brigade detonated a locally manufactured explosive device targeting a military jeep during a raid of one of the neighboring camps.

It turned out that the device was controlled remotely, which represented a major technical development for the resistance factions, whose infrastructure was destroyed at the end of the Second Intifada.

Israelis are fanning the flames

The Israeli Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv believes that the PIJ has succeeded in transforming the northern West Bank into a hotbed of resistance, as well as in smuggling weapons and money to Palestinian cities and camps.

These concerns coincide with expressed doubts over the efficacy of Israel’s “mowing the lawn” policy, which has fueled the “vicious cycle of blood,” according to Amos Harel, a military analyst writing for Haaretz newspaper.

In an article he wrote earlier this month, Harel asked whether the Israeli army is quelling the West Bank’s flames, or actually fanning them.

Avi Iskharov, an analyst in Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, opined that Israel is facing a “new situation” that is not similar to the two previous intifadas of 1987 and 2000, pointing out that “there are pockets of Palestinian gunmen in Nablus and Jenin (in the northern West Bank), who clash almost every night with the army and shoot at Israeli targets.”

Sources close to the resistance brigades in the West Bank told The Cradle that “Israel’s concerns are exaggerated for use in the upcoming election campaign.”

“What we are seeing today is the result of years of [resistance] efforts. As the train has set off, returning to the starting point means acceptance of our mass killing, and this is out of the question,” says one Palestinian source.

Israel: The PA is not collaborating enough

The Israelis have sought to place the blame for their inability to eliminate the resistance brigades and to abort operations in the occupied territories squarely on the PA in Ramallah, who they feel are failing to fulfill their obligations.

Israel’s Kan channel quoted an Israeli official as saying that “the Palestinian security services should increase their activity in the cities of the West Bank to prevent further escalation.”

As for the Palestinians, the corruption-ridden PA is too weak to play a pivotal role in curbing the resistance which enjoys broad Palestinian popular support. Any further association made between the PA with the Israeli security campaigns will make it lose what is left of its flagging legitimacy.

The Hebrew Walla website quoted Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh, the PA’s channel of communication with the Israelis, as saying: “It is Israel that has weakened the [Palestinian] Authority through daily incursions into the Palestinian areas.”

“The authority cannot accept a reality in which the army storms the occupied territories every night, then we are asked to work during the day against the militants,” added Sheikh.

A dawn of a new era in the West Bank

Meanwhile, the US has been keen to help prop up the PA and help it “restore stability,” by taking measures such as “increasing the number of work permits for Palestinians” in the occupied territories, “pumping economic aid to the Authority from various sources,” and facilitating the movement of Palestinians.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, who recently visited Israel and met with senior security officials, warned that “the situation in the West Bank is worse than it appears and the future of the entire PA is under threat.”

In the early hours of 20 September, PA security forces in Nablus arrested Musab Shtayyeh, a Hamas commander wanted by Israel. Later that day, clashes broke out between the PA and hundreds of Palestinians who hit the streets in protest.

Resistance factions are demanding Shtayyeh’s immediate release and are threatening to bar the PA from Nablus until this is done.

In a video addressing the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian resistance in Jenin cautioned: “we do not want to fight with you, but stay away from us. If you deal in kidnapping, we will also deal in kidnapping.”

The Authority’s unelected President Mahmoud Abbas is in a bind: he fears mutiny from within for collaborating with Israeli security, and fears punishment from Israel for not doing so.

By not adopting a conclusive direction, on a daily basis Abbas drains the PA of further legitimacy and authority, as demonstrated in Nablus today.

In terms of the prospects for Palestinian national liberation, this at least will be a welcome development, as the decline or demise of the western and Israeli-backed PA will open a wide door to revitalized armed resistance in the occupied West Bank.

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Israeli Media: No one can get into Nasrallah’s head

Posted on September 12, 2022 by martyrashrakat

12 Sep 2022

Source: Israeli Media

By Al Mayadeen English 

Israeli media points out that “in the security and military establishment they understand that no one can really know what the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, thinks.”

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

Israeli media said on Sunday that in the security and military establishment they understand that no one can really know what Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah thinks.

The media pointed out that “in the security and military establishment, they understand that no one can really get into Nasrallah’s head. The Israeli intelligence’s attempts to do so have failed and were disappointing.”

The Israeli Kan channel stated that “amid tension against Hezbollah and weeks away from the start of the work to extract gas at the Karish platform, in addition to Nasrallah’s threats, IOF chief Aviv Kochavi issued a warning.”

Kochavi claimed, “Rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-armor missile sites, command, and control rooms are scattered in large areas of Lebanon,” according to the channel.

Israeli media pointed out that “‘Israel’ is optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Lebanon” since the two parties understand that stopping the escalation comes in the best of Israeli and Lebanese interests.

“Therefore, they have also been strengthening the alertness of the Israeli forces since July, when Nasrallah sent drones to the Karish rig, in addition to this evening’s message from the Chief of Staff to Nasrallah,” the media added.

The escalation between the occupation and Lebanon has entered a new phase ever since the Israeli occupation government announced the start of drilling to extract gas from the Karish field, and since the entry of the Energean Power vessel last June.

The escalation reached its peak with Sayyed Nasrallah’s threats that the extraction of gas by Israelis is prohibited without reaching a demarcation agreement that guarantees Lebanon’s getting its rights and wealth, which will contribute to improving its economic situation.

Lebanese Resistance: Lebanon’s rights or escalation

On August 19, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah rejected any link between the Lebanese border demarcation file and other files and noted that “If Lebanon does not obtain the rights demanded by the Lebanese state, we are heading toward an escalation whether or not the nuclear agreement is signed.”

Last month, Nasrallah threatened the Israeli occupation over its attempts to forcibly extract gas from the contested region, warning, “If Lebanon does not obtain the rights demanded by the Lebanese state, we are heading toward an escalation whether or not the nuclear agreement is signed.” 

He called on the Lebanese state “to benefit from the strength of the resistance and not to delay in obtaining Lebanon’s rights to gas in the Mediterranean.”

On July 31, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon military media published a video that displayed the coordinates of the Israeli occupation’s gas rigs off the coasts of occupied Palestine in a clear message to “Tel Aviv”.

In July, Hezbollah launched three UAVs in the direction of the disputed area at the Karish field, on reconnaissance missions, stressing that “the marches accomplished the required mission and delivered the message.”

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“Israel” Is Expecting Many Days of Security Challenges

Posted on April 2, 2022 by martyrashrakat

April 2 2022

Translated by Al-Ahed News

Maariv military affairs analyst Tal Lev-Ram claims that “the ‘Israeli’ military establishment believes that the coming days will bring important security challenges.” He pointed to the Jenin refugee camp incident where three Palestinian youths were martyred and one “Israeli” soldier was injured.

According to Lev-Ram, the Chief of Staff of the “Israeli” army Aviv Kohavi assessed the situation and spoke with the brigade commanders in the West Bank Division about enhancing the readiness of the forces and readying operations to thwart “terrorism”.

“The commander of the Central Command, Major General Yehuda Fox, participated in assessing the situation, in addition to the commander of the West Bank Division, Brigadier General Avi Blot, the head of the Civil Administration, Brigadier Fares Atila, representatives of the Shin Bet, border guards, the police, and other commanders,” he explained.

“Preparations in the ‘Israeli’ army are underway to confront the wave of escalation that has been evident for a long time. These security preparations, which will continue until further notice, can be called ‘Break the Wave’ Operation.”

The Zionist journalist states that “a larger number of reinforcement battalions and special units allows the Central Command to carry out more activities, and it can be assumed that in the near future there will be more ‘brigade operations to thwart terrorism’ in the West Bank.”

“Based on the number of events and the security situation, there are so far 13 reinforcement battalions present in the West Bank. The fighters were sent to enhance protection on the roads and in the settlements, thwart ‘terror’, and enhance the protection of the line of contact from which the saboteur who carried out the operation in Bnei Brak penetrated without any obstruction.”

Lev-Ram says that “all the fighters of the reinforcement battalions will remain in the army during the weekend, after it was decided to prevent fighters in the West Bank division from leaving.”

He notes that “the assessment in the ‘Israeli’ army is that in light of recent events, as well as the warnings and the level of motivation of ‘terrorist’ organizations and lone saboteurs to carry out operations and the security escalation, they will continue for the foreseeable period.”

“The stabbing attack on the bus in Gush Etzvin practically illustrates the situation on the ground, as such incidents inspire other saboteurs to carry out operations.”

Lev-Ram notes that “the forces in the Gaza Strip have been reinforced with a battalion and a special unit, and there are no indications on the part of the terrorist organizations and Hamas to escalate the situation.”

He notes that “Land Day passed in complete calm, and yesterday, the security establishment did not notice that Hamas’s intentions can heat up the area. However, as long as the operations continue, and if exceptional events occur, especially around Al-Quds and the Temple Mount, this option must also be taken into account.”

According to Lev-Ram, in the context of the police’s extreme preparations during the holy month of Ramadan, the upcoming April holidays and national events, and the high alert ordered by the General Commissioner of “Israel’s” Police, Yaakov Shabtai,

the Ministry of War and the authorities in the army responded by allowing the police to recruit members from the army reserve, who are still performing their duty. This will go on until Independence Day.

Lev-Ram concludes by saying that there will be “around 3,000 policemen serving as reserves and about 12% of the ‘Israeli’ police force, taking into account the fact that most of the soldiers in the border guards do not serve in the reserves because of their military service.”

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Chief of Staff Says Israeli Army is Ready to Invade Gaza

Posted on March 14, 2022 by uprootedpalestinians

March 14, 2022

Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Aviv Kohavi has claimed that his army is ready to invade Gaza and other Palestinian cities more effectively than what happened in Jenin in 2002, Israeli media reported.

Israel’s Kan 11 reported Kohavi speaking on the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Jenin, along with other West Bank cities in 2002.

At the time, the Israeli army’s attempt to stop the Intifada failed despite the massacres and war crimes it carried out.

Kohavi said that the scenario carried out in Jenin in 2002, cutting communications, water and electricity to the city, could be repeated in Gaza in 2022, “but in a more effective way.”

He claimed that the Israeli army’s “ability to occupy Palestinian cities and administer them gave the political and military Israeli leaderships, as well as the field commanders of the Israeli army, wide credibility that the army is able to reach everywhere.”

https://twitter.com/TamerELG/status/1393367723422400514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1393367723422400514%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.palestinechronicle.com%2Fchief-of-staff-says-israeli-army-is-ready-to-invade-gaza%2F

Israel’s last invasion of Gaza was in 2014 when it killed over 2,200 Palestinians including 551 children.

Since then, it has carried out a number of offensives against the Strip, the latest of which was in May 2021 when over 250 Palestinians were killed over 11 days.

The Israeli army regularly shells Gaza, flies reconnaissance drones overhead and damages crops in the besieged enclave.

(MEMO, PC, Social Media)

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Hezbollah raises war readiness to 100%: Report

Posted on May 9, 2021 by martyrashrakat
Hezbollah raises war readiness to 100%: Report

Description:

A recent news report by the Lebanese news outlet Elnashra claims that Hezbollah has gone to full-level war alertness amid rising regional tensions between Israel and the Iran-led Axis of Resistance.

– Elnashra sources: Hezbollah warned against the Israeli (military) exercise, as the Israeli army is currently repeating the same steps that preceded the July 2006 war

– Elnashra sources: The Israeli (military) exercise hands the decision of war and peace to Kochavi, and this is what raises concerns for Hezbollah

Confidential sources revealed to Elnashra that “the Israeli (military) exercise that Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah talked about in his lastest speech is extremely dangerous”, explaining that “this exercise simulates a major war imposed on Israel on the southern and northern borders of Palestine, as well as the Sinai front and the (Israeli) interior. (This exercise also simulates a scenario) in which Israel is exposed to a huge amount of missiles being fired by the resistance forces of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Palestine and the Gaza Strip, and especially (simulates a scenario in which) protest movements (also) potentially erupt in the West Bank and the interior”.

The sources pointed out that “conducting the exercise in this way aims to ‘interlock arms’”, which means that the (Israeli) field commander who is present on the ground and is in charge of defending the Galilee (region) for example, ought to be able to deal with (various) land-based weapons i.e. armor, artillery, air and naval command and intelligence, and has to be able to regulate the course of the (various elements of the) operation”.

Explaining that “about two and a half months ago, Israel conducted a small exercise that lasted for seven days, yet this one is the first (of its kind) ever since the establishment of the (Israeli) entity, and it must be noted that this exercise is dangerous in that it gives the power (to declare) peace and war to the Israeli Chief of Staff, General Aviv Kochavi. Furthermore, the enemy has started and continues the mobilization of its elite brigades – six brigades (in total) – about a week ago”, stressing that “Hezbollah warned against this exercise because in past wars, Israel worked on transporting soldiers and military personnel from the training fields directly to the battlefield, and this is what is happening now at the southern front of Lebanon and the northern part of Palestine”.

The sources also pointed out that “Hezbollah has raised combat readiness in the South (of Lebanon), and in the various areas, formations and military classifications of Quneitra. (Hezbollah) has also kept on constant duty a portion of its members, called up a number of its forces, and raised its combat readiness from tonight to 100%, something that has not happened since the July 2006 war”.

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