Last week, the Israeli military killed three Palestinians in its first aerial drone strike in the occupied West Bank in nearly 20 years — marking a grave escalation in state violence against the territory.
Drones have been mainly used in the West Bank for intelligence and surveillance purposes. Yet last September the rules changed when Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, approved the use of armed drones for targeted killings in the West Bank. Amid the army’s announcement, reports emerged the military was already preparing units to operate armed drones during raids.
Experts surmised Israel’s decision to use an armed drone suggests it’s losing control of the West Bank amid increased armed resistance.
“It was designed to project power and deterrence, but in effect only underscored Israel’s growing weakness in its efforts to contain, let alone stifle, the spreading militancy across the West Bank,” Foreign policy analyst, Yonatan Touval, told MintPress News.
Additionally, the move also points to Israel’s intensifying use of automated weaponry against Palestinians as becoming the norm.
“The choice of using an armed drone to strike suspected militants outside the city could convey reticence in the use of ground troops for a simple military operation,” Touval said.
The Hermes 450 drone used in Israel’s targeted killing in Jenin was made by Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer. It was developed in 1998 and is now considered the “primary platform of the IDF (Israeli military) in counter-terror operations,” according to its product profile on Elbit’s website. The drone is also described as “combat-proven” referring to its use in Israeli assaults on the besieged Gaza Strip.
According to British activist group, Palestine Action, the engines in the Hermes 450 drone are manufactured in the British cities of Shenstone and Staffordshire at Elbit’s UAV Engines Ltd. (UEL) factories. Besides UEL, Elbit also has four other UK subsidiaries: Ferranti Technologies, Elite KL, Instro Precision, and UTacS.
In December, Elbit Systems lost two contracts totaling £283 million (nearly $360 million) with the UK Ministry of Defense, as a result of Palestine Action’s relentless campaigning to shut Elbit’s British factories down.
Despite this significant victory, the UK government remains complicit in Israeli war crimes, with factories across England involved in Israeli arms development. Additionally, in May, the British Defense Ministry awarded an approximately $71-million contract to Elbit Systems UK to supply, maintain, and operate the Ground Manoeuvre Synthetic Trainer systems for the British Army’s Boxer armored vehicles and Challenger 3 tanks.
According to the American Friends of Service Committee Investigate project, a tool exposing corporate involvement in state violence, the Hermes 450 drone has been deployed in multiple Israeli attacks on Gaza, including in August 2022 and during Israel’s 2014 military operation Protective Edge, when Israel killed four Palestinian children playing on a beach in Gaza City.
The Israeli military has also used Hermes 450 drones in its campaigns outside Palestine such as on targets in Syria in 2021 and in its 2006 bombardments of Lebanon, killing more than 1180 people, one-third of whom were children. According to research group, Corporate Watch, the Israeli military has used Hermes 450 drones to carry out assassinations in Sudan and Egypt as well.
Elbit has contracts with militaries around the world, where its Hermes 450 drone was used by the British military in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2007-2014. Azerbaijani military forces have used Hermes 450 drones in its attacks against Armenia, with Azeris reportedly praising the drones during military parades.
Two days before Israel’s fatal drone strike, the Israeli military deployed a U.S.-built Apache AH-64 attack helicopter to evacuate Israeli soldiers ambushed by Palestinian resistance fighters during a morning military raid into Jenin. The helicopter reportedly shot off Hellfire missiles and machine gun fire, a move not done in the West Bank since 2002 during the Second Intifada.
American Aircraft and missile manufacturer, Boeing, created the Apache helicopter and began selling it to Israel in 1990. According to Investigate, Apache helicopters have been used in all of Israel’s major bombardments on Gaza, including assaults carried out in 2022, 2021, 2014, 2012, and 2008–2009.
In 2014, Hellfire missiles killed at least 51 people, including 24 children in what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called “a war crime under international criminal law.” Apache helicopters were also involved in Israeli attacks on Lebanon in 2006, killing at least 30 civilians in what Human Rights Watch described as potential war crimes.
Currently, Boeing is contracted by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) to provide integrated logistics support for Israel’s AH-64A-model and D-model Apache helicopters until 2026.
INTENSIFYING DRONE WARFARE
According to The Jerusalem Post, drones currently make up 60% of the Israeli military’s artillery and 75% of IAF flight hours are flown by drones rather than piloted aircraft, with that number only expected to increase.
An anonymous IAF drone unit commander told The Jerusalem Post that “there will be a future framed by drones. This will leave humans out of danger, it will be cheaper, and there will be fewer limits on their activities than there are for humans.”
The commander emphasized that drones’ precision targeting reduces civilian casualties, yet the opposite appears to be true.
Tahseen Alian, a Palestinian legal expert, addressed this point when speaking to The New Arab:
Apache helicopters during the Second Intifada were manned by pilots, and still they killed innocent people almost with each strike. Drones are machines, and it is proven by experience in other countries that they kill innocent victims more often than not.”
According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, U.S. drone strikes in Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Pakistan killed between 910-2,200 civilians from 2010-2020. And according to evidence gathered by Foreign Policy, U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia resulted in 35 times more civilian deaths than airstrikes conducted manually in countries where the U.S. was actively engaged in war, such as Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
Advancements in Israeli drone technology are paving the way for a videogame-style battlefield that further separates the human operator from the target. In this regard, Palestinians may become even more dehumanized in Israeli eyes. In 2022, Israeli forces killed 151 Palestinians in the West Bank. This year alone could surpass last year’s statistic given Israeli forces have now killed more than 100 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. That number may likely increase if auto-pilot combat becomes the default in the territory.
With Israel’s recent aerial strike in the West Bank, Touval noted, “it’s likely to increase Israel’s use of armed drones in the West Bank, and with it also an increase in arbitrary strikes designed to project power without any real sense of purpose.”
ذاب الثلج وبانَ المرج، كما يقول المثل الشعبي العربي. فبعد كرنڤال تسليم وتسلّم منصب رئيس أركان جيش العدو، الجنرال كوخاڤي المنتهية ولايته، وصاحب العنتريات الفارغة، التي كان آخرها أنه سيعيد لبنان خمسين سنة الى الوراء في الحرب المقبلة وحديثه عن ضرورة إعداد الجيش الصهيوني لمهاجمة إيران، ورئيس الأركان الجديد، الجنرال هيرتزي هاليڤي، الذي تسلم المنصب من سلفه المذكور أعلاه، والذي أدلى بتصريحات لا تختلف في جوهرها عن تصريحات كوخاڤي، ها هو كبيرهم الذي علمهم السحر:
الجنرال المتقاعد اسحق بريك يدلي بتصريحات هامة جداً، صباح الثلاثاء ١٧/١/٢٠٢٣ لقناة «كان» الإسرائيلية، ركز فيها على أن: الجيش الإسرائيلي غير جاهز للحرب على خمس جبهات، كما قال الجنرال بريك، وهي جبهات إيران وحزب الله وسورية والعراق وقطاع غزة والضفة الغربية. وهو محق تماماً في كلامه، الذي قاله للقناة الإسرائيلية، والذي سبق ان قال أكثر منه بكثير، في تصريحات سابقة له نشرت بتاريخ ٧/٩/٢٠٢٢، أكد فيها أن رئيس الأركان الجديد، الجنرال هيرتزي هاليڤي، محكوم عليه بالفشل مسبقاً، بسبب المشاكل البنيوية المتراكمة، التي يعني منها الجيش الإسرائيلي منذ مدة طويلة.
لكن قراءةً بين سطور تصريحات الجنرال بريك، لقناة كان التلفزيونية الإسرائيلية، تؤكد على حقائق كثيرة لم تكن مطروحة سابقاً، عندما أدلى بتصريحاته المختلفة لوسائل الإعلام الإسرائيلية.
اذ إن الجنرال بريك، عندما يقول إن الجيش الإسرائيلي غير جاهز للقتال، على خمس جبهات في الوقت نفسه، انما يؤكد بكل وضوح، على أن الجيش الإسرائيلي وسلاح الجو الإسرائيلي ليسا في وضع يسمح لهما بمهاجمة إيران، كما يدّعي رئيس وزراء العدو، نتن ياهو ورئيسا أركان الجيش السابق والحالي، وذلك لأن مدارج الطائرات، في القواعد الجوية الصهيونية، سيتم تدميرها بواسطة الصواريخ الدقيقة البعيدة المدى. وليس في كلامه هذا الكثير من الجديد.
الا أن الجديد في كلامه اليوم هو حقيقة أن إيران سوف تتسلّم سربين، من المقاتلات الروسية، من طراز سوخوي ٣٥، خلال مدةٍ أقصاها نهاية شهر آذار المقبل، حسب ما تؤكده تقارير اجهزة الاستخبارات الغربية والتسريبات الصادرة عن بعض المسؤولين الإيرانيين. فما هي مقاتلات سوخوي ٣٥؟ وما الذي يجعلها تثير قلق الجنرال الصهيوني المخضرم، اسحق بريك، الذي حذر عملياً رئيس الأركان الصهيوني الجديد، من القيام بأي عمل ضد إيران (الجيش غير جاهز).
تعتبر هذه الطائره المقاتلة، التي ستتسلمها إيران قريباً:
١- طائرة مقاتلة متعددة المهام. أي أنها قادرة على تنفيذ مهمات قتالية مختلفة، تقررها رئاسة أركان القوات الجوية في البلد المعني.
٢- كما تعتبر هذه الطائرة مقاتلة تفوق جوي او سيطرة جوية. اي انها قادرة على حماية أجواء البلد الذي يستخدمها، وحسب خطط تضعها هيئة أركان القوات الجوية في البلد المعني مسبقاً. وهذا يعني أن الاجواء الإيرانية ستصبح محميةً حمايةً محكمةً ومطلقةً، بعد تسلم هذه المقاتلات.
٣- وبكلمات أخرى فإن سلاح الجو الصهيوني ليس لديه اي قاذفات قنابل قادرةً على اختراق الاجواء الإيرانية وتنفيذ عمليات قصف حوي لاهداف إيرانية. بما في ذلك طائرات سلاح الجو الصهيوني، من طراز أف 35.
٤- يعود ذلك الى الاسباب التالية: ـ تتمتع المقاتلات الروسية / الإيرانية، من طراز سوخوي ٣٥، بمحركين قويين جداً، تجعلان هذه الطائرات تتمتع بقدرات عالية جداً على المناورة، خلال العمليات الاعتراضية (لطائرات العدو) وعمليات القتال الجوي. – تسمح لها محركاتها القوية بالوصول الى سرعة الفين وثمانمئة كيلومتر في الساعة. وهي السرعة التي تزيد عن أقصى سرعة، تستطيع الوصول اليها طائرات F 35، وهي اقل من الفي كيلومتر في الساعة. – كما تمكنها قوة محركاتها (السوخوي ٣٥) من حمل حمولة تصل الى ضعفي حمولة أف 35، خاصةً أن الـ أف 35 الصهيونية تعتبر طائرةً شبحيّة ما يجعل مشغليها التقليل من حمولتها للصواريخ، التي يتم تسجيل ارتدادات موجات الرادارات المعادية عليها (على الصواريخ). ٥ ـ (قدرتها على حمل صواريخ جو/ جو، من طراز R 77 M 1، مداها ١٧٥ كيلومتر، أي أنها قادرة على الاشتباك مع الطائرات المعادية من مسافة مئة وخمسة وسبعين كيلومتراً.
٦- قدرة هذه المقاتلة، التي يمكنها تنفيذ مهمات قاذفة القنابل أيضاً، على الوصول الى عمق فلسطين المحتلة وقصف أهداف صهيونية هناك، حيث ان مداها يصل الى ثلاثة آلاف وثمانمئة كيلومتر (تتسع خزانات الوقود فيها لأحد عشر الفاً وخمسمئة ليتر)، بينما تبعد فلسطين عن القاعده الأم ألفاً وخمسمئة كيلومتر، والتي ستنتشر فيها الطائرات الإيرانية، وهي قاعدة اصفهان الجوية، التي تسميها أجهزة الاستخبارات الغربية قاعدة: TAB 8، الواقعة في شمال شرق اصفهان. بالإضافة طبعاً الى إمكانية هبوط هذه المقاتلات في القواعد الجوية السورية، سواءً للتزوّد بالوقود او لإعادة التذخير.
٧- وعليه، وبما ان الطائرة الوحيدة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط قاطبةً، القادرة على منافسة الطائرات الإيرانية، من طراز سوخوي ٣٥++ ( اي طائرة جيل رابع متقدم جداً وقريب من طائرات الجيل الخامس)، هي طائرة F 22، المتموضعة في قاعدة الظفرة الإماراتية، فإن امتلاك سلاح الجو الإيراني لهذه الطائرات المتطورة جداً يجعله ممسكا. تماماً بزمام المبادرة الاستراتيجية، جواً وبراً، نظراً لقدرات هذه الطائرات على تنفيذ العديد من المهمات القتالية، ومن بينها تقديم الدعم الجوي لكونها قادرةً على حمل ثمانية اطنان من الصواريخ والقنابل المختلفة. خاصةً ان الولايات المتحدة ليست في وارد الدخول مع إيران في صراع عسكري مفتوح، نتيجة لعوامل عديدة اهمّها ان التركيز الاستراتيجي الاميركي، في المدى القريب والمتوسط، يتركز على مواجهة روسيا عسكرياً تمهيداً لما يعتقدون أنهم قادرون على تنفيذه من تحرّكات عسكريةٍ ضدّ الصين، سواءً في بحار الصين. اليابان أو في المحيطين الهندي والهادئ.
٨- وفي المحصلة الاستراتيجية فإنّ الدور الهام، الذي ستلعبه هذه الطائرات المقاتلة الإيرانية، وما سيكون لها من تأثير، في موازين القوى العسكرية في “الشرق الأوسط”، سوف يفضي (تغيُر موازين القوى) الى نشوء تفوق استراتيجي كبير، لصالح قوى حلف المقاومة، الامر الذي سيجعل تدفق آلاف المقاتلين الى الجليل المحتل، لا بل الى عمق فلسطين المحتلة، وصولاً الى حيفا واللد والرملة وإنهاء وجود الكيان الصهيوني المؤقت، أمراً ليس حتمياً فحسب وإنما في متناول اليد أيضاً.
وغني عن القول طبعاً إن الجنرال بريك قد حذر من ذلك، في تصريحاته لقناة كان التلفزيونية الصهيونية، صباح أمس. “إسرائيل” اوهن من بيت العنكبوت.
The Palestinian Lions’ Den resistance group reacted to the martyrdom of five Palestinians, including two brothers, by ‘Israeli’ fire during separate incidents in the occupied West Bank, stating that Palestinian resistance fighters have tightened the noose around the occupying ‘Israeli’ regime and that the fighters will by no means allow the blood of martyrs to go in vain.
“The blood of martyrs will not go in vain. The ‘Israeli’ enemy and his allies will be surprised by our unexpected actions. History and the Zionist regime will remember all these days very well,” the group pledged in a statement.
The statement added, “Lions’ Den pays homage to the five Palestinians who were martyred at the orders of criminal [former ‘Israeli’ prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and despicable [extreme-right leader Itamar] Ben-Gvir.”
“It is worth asking the occupying regime who has surrounded it. Freedom-loving resistance fighters have their fingers on the trigger and besieged the Zionist regime. ‘Israel’ and its allies will be caught by surprise in the aftermath of our unexpected measures,” the group highlighted.
The two brothers martyred on Tuesday were identified by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa as Jawad and Dhafr Rimawi, aged 22 and 21.
They were killed by ‘Israeli’ fire during confrontations with troops near the village of Kafr Ein, west of Ramallah.
Separately, a Palestinian man identified by the Palestinian Health Ministry as Mufid Khalil was killed by ‘Israeli’ soldiers during a military raid near al-Khalil.
Khalil was shot in the head, and at least eight others were injured, according to the ministry.
The health ministry said a fourth Palestinian was martyred after being shot in the chest by ‘Israeli’ soldiers on Tuesday afternoon during confrontations north of Ramallah. Wafa named the victim as Raed Ghazi al-Naasan.
Also on Tuesday, the ‘Israeli’ occupation forces shot and killed a Palestinian over an alleged car ramming attack near the Kochav Yaakov illegal settlement outside occupied East al-Quds.
The Zionist forces have recently been conducting overnight raids and killings in the northern occupied West Bank, mainly in the cities of Jenin and Nablus, where new groups of Palestinian resistance fighters have been formed.
Since the start of 2022, ‘Israeli’ troops have killed more than 200 Palestinians, including more than 50 children, in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds as well as the besieged Gaza Strip.
According to the United Nations, the number of Palestinians martyred at the hands of ‘Israeli’ occupation forces in the occupied West Bank this year is the highest in 16 years.
Local and international rights groups have condemned the Tel Aviv regime’s excessive use of force and “shoot-to-kill policy” against Palestinians.
The lack of discipline within the Israeli occupation forces reflected in actions carried out in occupied Al-Quds and the West Bank is causing discord within the political and military establishments.
Soldiers in the Israeli occupation forces
Ever since the latest elections in the Israeli occupation showed right-wing and far-right parties winning the required majority for the formation of a cabinet, the Israeli occupation did not stop talking about the repercussions of the election results and its reflection on the performance of the security and military establishments.
One of the most significant establishments in the limelight is the Israeli occupation forces, or the “Israeli army”, which is seen as one of the last establishments bringing illegal Israeli settlers together.
Israeli media has been criticizing the undisciplined behavior of IOF soldiers, which was prevalent in the occupied West Bank and occupied Al-Quds through various actions carried out by the occupation forces.
The actions in question have sparked a heated debate within “Israel” that reached the top of the political and military-security establishments in light of the public stances and statement, seen by many as “incitement” against senior IOF officials, as well as calls for soldiers to disobey direct orders from their superiors.
The aforementioned debate saw Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli occupation forces Aviv Kochavi stressing that he would not allow for the IOF to be used to push certain political agendas.
IOF warns government
Several Israeli media reports said Kochavi held talks with the commander of the 84th “Givati” Brigade, Colonel Eliad Maor, and the commander of the Givati infantry brigade’s Tzabar battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aviran Alfasi, during which he declared his support for the two and criticized the Knesset Members that attacked the IOF because the aforementioned officers sentenced a soldier to 10 days in military prison for taunting left-wing activists in Al-Khalil.
This comes after far-right Otzma Yehudit chief Itamar Ben Gvir condemned the IOF for punishing the soldier, prompting Kochavi to draw the line at political interference in military decisions, saying that was “unacceptable”.
“Slandering commanders on political grounds is a slippery slope that we as a society must not slide down. We will not allow any politician, neither from the right nor from the left, to interfere in command decisions and use the army to promote a political agenda,” Kochavi said, noting that any political interference in the IOF drastically impacts its ability to carry out tasks, as well as its so-called “legitimacy”.
Kochavi had issued a letter to Israeli soldiers condemning their behavior in Al-Khalil and stressing that the IOF was an establishment that did not allow its members to express their political affiliations or carry out actions that stem from their political beliefs.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid touched on far-right MKs’ criticism of the IOF and noted that the new government’s ministers were already inciting the Israeli soldiers against their officers and superiors before it even started performing its duties. “The incitement against the [Israeli army’s] officers is dangerous and destructive. It is unbelievable that ministers and MKs are asking soldiers to disobey their superiors,” Lapid said.
Former Chief of the General Staff, the founder of the Dahya Doctrine, and Knesset member Gadi Eizenkot warned that the incoming government coalition could lead to the disintegration of the Israeli occupation forces.
Meanwhile, incoming Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement commenting on the issue, saying: “The Israeli army is the army of all Israelis, and I call on everyone, whether the right or the left, to keep [the IOF] out of any political conversation.”
Netanyahu had held back from commenting on the conduct of Israeli soldiers at a time when his son, Yair Netanyahu, attacked Kochavi several times over the past few days.
IOF warns of dark future
The increase in resistance operations in the occupied West Bank pushed the Israeli occupation forces to send a message to the Israeli government, basically telling “Tel Aviv” that the situation in the West Bank was getting worse.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth political affairs analyst Yossi Yehoshua said IOF officials were highly pessimistic regarding whether the Palestinians were heading in the coming months, especially in light of the latest security and political development.
The status quo has promoted the Israeli occupation forces to send a strategic alert to the political institutions that the situation in the occupied West Bank, occupied Al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip could deteriorate at any given moment, Yehoshua added before noting that the faces of the officers that delivered the message looked just like the intelligence they provided, i.e., they looked pessimistic.
The message came after data showed that 134 Palestinians have been martyred so far this year, a stark increase from last year’s 76 martyrs, according to an Israel Hayom correspondent.
The newspaper reported that the Israeli Central Command (Pakmaz) described the latest developments in Al-Khalil, which saw a soldier facing off with several left-wing protestors, as highly dangerous, admitting that they need to find a way to nip such situations in the bud.
The correspondent, Lilach Shoval, added that the Israeli security and military establishments perceived the future with cynicism due to violence being prevalent in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians are increasingly using firearms as the Palestinian Authority is losing its grip on the region.
Shoval also said that the aforementioned establishments were also worried about “local groups of violent subverters” in the West Bank that could try and follow in the footsteps of the Lions’ Den, noting that the heightened concern within “Israel” also goes back to the stark increase in nationality-based crimes committed by Israelis against Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces.
The uptick in violence and the Palestinian Authorities’ inability to establish control over its territories sparked pessimism within the security and military establishments, Shoval claimed, adding that the latter has long been noticing the lack of governance from the PA.
Israeli Haaretz newspaper political affairs analyst Amos Harel said that the security coordination between the PA and the Israeli occupation was still working well for the occupation, especially in places where the PA had interests undermining Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
Harel also spoke about the IOF’s preparedness for war after “Tel Aviv” called dozens of reserve battalions to service this year in an unplanned manner and against the proclaimed goals of the Chief of Staff to lessen the load on the reserve soldiers.
IOF to become an army for half the Israelis
The state of anxiety about the bleak future in the Palestinian and internal arenas, which was expressed by the IOF, was also echoed in Israeli media, whose commentators pointed out that recent events, such as the incident in Al-Khalil, indicate a division among Israeli settlers.
Militias within the IOF: Israeli Walla! website political correspondent Barak Ravid, warned that the campaign in support of the soldier who attacked a left-wing activist in Al-Khalil was a guaranteed recipe for disaster for the Israeli occupation forces, as it could dismantle it from within and turn it into a group of militias.
Kochavi’s weakness:Israeli Haaretz newspaper columnist Rogel Alpher criticized Kochavi harshly. He said that the message Kochavi sent Israeli soldiers, in which he condemned the incident in Al-Khalil, proves that he completely failed on a professional and moral level.
Alpher highlighted how the IOF was acting in the West Bank contrary to the values and morals cited in Kochavi’s letter. He said that the entire chain of command under Kochavi had a different spirit than the military leader wants, the spirit of Ben-Gvir. According to the writer, Kochavi’s letter proves that he has no control over his soldiers’ conduct, as they openly go against his directions.
Ben-Gvir’s mood: The incident that took place in Al-Khalil once again caused a heated debate about the reality and repercussions of the politicization of the Israeli occupation forces and the polarization within them.
The discussion then arose about far-right MK Itamar Bin-Gvir and his prevalence within the IOF, as well as the challenges the military will face under a pure right-wing government where Ben-Gvir, a convict and Zionist extremist, the minister of security, and where Benjamin Netanyahu is the most “left-leaning” official.
In a similar vein, a recent opinion poll conducted by Israel Democracy Institute showed that the mood of the general Israeli public was becoming increasingly violent and extremist toward Palestinians.
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Aviv Kochavi, Chief of General Staff of the Israel occupation forces, and US Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley
Aviv Kochavi, Chief of General Staff of the Israel occupation forces, discussed a possible joint drill with the United States to simulate an attack on Iran and its allies during meetings in Washington this week, Fox News Digital reported on Tuesday.
Kochavi and US Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley are considering holding a joint drill in the coming weeks to prepare their forces for a possible confrontation between the Israeli occupation and Iran or their allies, the Fox News report said.
According to the report, Kochavi met with a number of Pentagon and administration officials on Monday, including Milley and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, to discuss security threats in the Middle East.
“We are at a critical point in time that requires the acceleration of operational plans and cooperation against Iran and its terrorist proxies in the region,” Kochavi said in a statement.
Joint Staff Spokesperson Dave Butler said on Monday that Kochavi and Milley discussed opportunities for greater bilateral cooperation and coordination against a “range of threats posed by Iran,” as well as other items of mutual strategic interest.
Butler claimed that the US and the Israeli occupation maintain “strong military-to-military” ties as key partners committed to “peace and security” in the Middle East.
Israeli media reported on Tuesday that Kochavi met with a number of US officials and the two sides discussed the security situation in the occupied West Bank and their desire to “maintain stability and prevent the security situation from deteriorating,” before the IOF chief held a meeting with CIA Director-General William Burns.
This comes as Iran announced on Tuesday that it initiated enriching uranium at the Fordow nuclear power plant at a 60% purity level, in response to the recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) anti-Iran resolution that was drafted and pushed by the US and EU.
Sources close to Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement say Israel’s allegations that its jets attacked the Yemeni capital on 7 August are “evidence” of Tel Aviv’s growing concerns about Sanaa’s military capabilities.
Last week, Israeli chief of staff Aviv Kochavi said the Israeli army struck “a third country” during their bombardment of the Gaza Strip at the start of this month.
Kochavi did not name the third country, however, Israeli media later claimed the target of the attack was the Al-Hafa military base on the Naqam Mountain, west of Sanaa, adding that the blast killed several Lebanese and Iranian operatives.
Speaking to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, the Yemeni sources called Tel Aviv’s claim “incorrect speculation,” and alleged that the explosion in Sanaa that day was the result of “the detonation of the remains of mines in the Al-Hafa area.”
The sources go on to say the allegations stem from Israel’s “terror over the development of Sanaa’s military capabilities.”
“Israel realizes that Yemen possesses great defensive and offensive capabilities that are capable of striking it,” Al-Akhbar’s sources say, adding: “Israeli fears of Yemeni drones and missiles have escalated since the beginning of the year.”
Ansarallah officials have often regarded Israel as the most prominent threat to Arab national security, and acknowledge that Tel Aviv has been participating in the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen.
“All Israeli movements in the region are being monitored,” the Yemeni sources claim.
As Israel prepares for a possible conflict with Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah over control of a gas field in the Mediterranean, Hebrew media outlets have begun planting the seeds of the “danger” posed by Yemen.
According to a “high-ranking security source” that spoke with Israel’s i24NEWS, Israel is considering the possibility of opening a front in the south of the occupied territories to confront Ansarallah missiles.
The security source goes on to claim that “the real danger facing Israel lies in Yemen,” and that the possibility of Ansarallah targeting Israel “is now a reality.”
Earlier this year, the Sanaa-based National Salvation Government (NSG) banned any normalization process with Israel, and criminalized any contact with the state or its citizens.
Military correspondent for ‘Israeli’ newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth Yossi Yehoshua said the officials in the Zionist security establishment take very seriously the warnings of Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah regarding the maritime borders with Lebanon and the Karish platform.
The author unveiled that sensitive related arguments took place recently, in which ‘Israeli’ PM Yair Lapid, War Minister Benny Gantz, and Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi participated and discusses the issue of a possible Hezbollah response and the possible ‘Israeli’ response that might follow.
Hezbollah tries to hold ‘Israel’ responsible for the severe power crisis in Lebanon, and it is ready to risk a war for this, according to Yehoshua. He cited comments by Sayyed Nasrallah which the Lebanese al-Akhbar Newspaper quoted in a recent meeting with Ashura orators as saying: “We raise the limit to force the Americans and the ‘Israelis’ to submit as Lebanon’s collapse doesn’t come to an end.”
The writer further considered that “Sayyed Nasrallah has a plenty of choices whether by attacking the platform with booby-trapped drones, divers, or highly likely, according to estimations by the ‘Israeli’ military, by launching a reconnaissance drone as it doesn’t want to risk harming civilians.”
Had it been this way, Yehoshua said, senior figures in the ‘Israeli’ occupation military believe that it is not appropriate to be satisfied with shooting the drone down, but rather to launch a counter attack.
Hezbollah has recently stepped up its warning to the Zionist occupation entity over Lebanon’s border dispute, after the ‘Israeli’ regime moved a natural gas drilling vessel into the Karish field in the disputed area.
Hezbollah sent three unarmed drones toward the Karish platform some three weeks ago, and intended to keep the aerial mission there until the vehicles were targeted by the Zionist military, which Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah explained last week that the aim was to show the engineers operating on the platform the fire and to make them feel their zone of functioning as unsafe one.
Sayyed Nasrallah further warned that drones sent at the Karish gas field were “only the beginning,” and that Hezbollah will not let the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity to extract the occupied Palestine’s gas and oil as long as Lebanon is not benefiting from its resources.
The Israeli occupation is highly unequipped to confront any major disaster or emergency, such as a war or an environmental disaster, but the IOF is still making threats against Lebanon.
IOF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi
The Israeli occupation is not prepared to respond comprehensively when the next Seif Al-Quds takes place, Israeli Occupation Police Force Operations Division Deputy Chief Sigal Bar Zvi said Sunday.
Bar Zvi’s warning came at a meeting for Israeli mayors and emergency and security officials, set to discuss “Tel Aviv’s” readiness to respond to a major emergency, such as war or a devastating earthquake.
“We will not be able to respond to the full extent of such an event with the resources we have. Guardian of the Walls was a watershed moment, and we are not in a place that can give a real response,” she added.
Opening the conference, the head of the Home Front Command of the Israeli occupation forces warned Israeli citizens to brace for the next war, pointing out that the occupation would suffer major losses.
Highlighting how domestically troubled the Israeli occupation is, Major General Uri Gordin noted that the “reality” for the Israeli occupation has shifted dramatically over the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which “Tel Aviv” grossly mishandled, and mainly because of Seif Al-Quds.
Seif Al-Quds had a major impact on the Israeli occupation, damaging the Israeli infrastructure and busting many myths “Tel Aviv” had built around its air defenses.
“The bad news is that in the next war – the third Lebanon war or the first northern war, whatever we call it – tens of thousands of rockets will be launched toward Israeli homes,” he explained.
“Thousands of rockets and missiles every day, at Israeli cities, over the entire length and width” of occupied Palestine.
He also acknowledged that the situation would be difficult for the Israeli “home front”, stressing that it would be difficult to imagine what would happen in Lebanon.
Warnings from a position of disadvantage
IOF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi warned the people of Lebanon during the conference, stressing that “Tel Aviv” would strike with “immense power”.
With bold claims of bombarding Lebanon, the Israeli official also said that the regional situation would become far more difficult as soon as tensions start flaring up, “before the first shot is fired.”
Discussions and threats of war come in light of tensions between Lebanon and the Israeli occupation over the Israeli occupation planning to extract gas from the contested Karish gas field instead of waiting for negotiations to conclude with Beirut to determine whether the field falls under Lebanese sovereignty.
The Israeli provocations have prompted a response from Hezbollah, with the resistance movement’s secretary-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, stressing that they would prevent the Israeli occupation from exacting its plans to extract natural gas from the Mediterranean, including by force.
Israeli media had previously reported that the IOF was anticipating Hezbollah’s possible response to the placement of the new Energean platform in the Karish field, a contested maritime zone, to extract gas. The new platform was installed on 5 June, at a distance of 80km away from Haifa, by the British-Greek exploration company Energen.
The Israeli occupation said it was prepared to defend the facility they claim to be theirs, deploying naval forces to the area, including a sea-borne version of the Iron Dome SAM battery, the Israeli government-funded Kan TV channel said. The IOF worked on securing the area by means of naval vessels situated both above and below the surface of the sea, including submarines. These preparations, according to the Israeli channel, come in light of the Lebanese warnings against any Israeli “aggressive action” in the disputed waters.
The ‘Israeli’ occupation forces chief of staff, Aviv Kochavi, on Sunday warned that an overwhelming force would be used in Lebanon during the next potential war with Hezbollah.
Kochavi detailed the Zionist military’s strategy for responding to an offensive by the Lebanese resistance movement.
“We will deal very big strikes in the war, but we will warn the residents and allow them to leave the areas. I say to the residents of Lebanon: I advise you to leave, not only at the beginning of the war, but from the beginning of tension and before the first shot is fired. I advise you to leave those areas because the attack force will be unimaginable like nothing you have witnessed before,” Kochavi claimed.
He also alleged that the military would target rocket launchers inside homes and buildings, and would target buildings used as enemy headquarters.
“Every target associated with missiles and rockets will be targeted in the next war,” Kochavi elaborated.
“A house in which a missile is located or located near a missile, an activist who deals with a missile, a command headquarters that deals with a missile, or electricity connected to a group of missiles – all of this network will be hit on the day of the war.”
He claimed that the Zionist occupation military pinpointed thousands of targets in Lebanon to destroy in the event of a war, including Hezbollah headquarters, rocket-propelled grenades, and launchers.
Kochavi then alleged that the biggest threat that the Tel Aviv regime faces is the nuclear threat and simultaneous missile attacks from all fronts.
People in Jenin celebrate the daring escape of six Palestinian prisoners. (Photo: via Social media)
Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Aviv Kochavi, yesterday warned that raiding the West Bank city of Jenin could become an inevitable choice, Israeli TV Channel 12 reported.
Al Maydan News Agency reported the Israeli TV channel as quoting Kochavi saying the Israeli army would raid the city to “purge” the armed Palestinian factions.
One or both of those still on the run after the #GilboaPrison break could now be holed up in #Jenin, Kochavi said, prompting "the possibility of launching a large-scale military operation" there. 👇 #Palestine#Israelhttps://t.co/ROF5zDcg9u
Kochavi expected that one of the Palestinian escapees could have reached and entered Jenin, and could be receiving assistance from there.
He said that the investigations with Zakaria Al Zubeidi, who was recaptured, revealed that the escapees planned to go to Jenin.
“If we became sure that they arrived in Jenin, a large amount of the army would be ready to raid the city, rearrest them and put them in prison again even if this affected the rest of the West Bank,” he said.
He added that if the two remaining escapees are found to be in a different West Bank town, the same scenario would be implemented in that area.
Kochavi said that the Palestinian Authority has become weak in the occupied West Bank and Israel would not allow the Palestinian organizations to “raise their heads.”
Iranian Army Commander Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said the ‘Israeli’ military’s claims that it had sped up alleged Iran strike plans are serving as a death march for the Zionist regime’s rulers.
“It looks like the heads of the Zionist regime have sensed the speed with which their lives are waning,” Major General Mousavi said on Wednesday.
“Maybe, they want to commit suicide for fear of death,” he added.
The comments came a day after Zionist official Aviv Kochavi alleged in an interview that the regime had “greatly accelerated” preparations for action against Iran’s nuclear energy program. He also purported that the regime had “greatly diminished Iran’s presence” to the north of the occupied territories.
Mousavi continued, “They [the Zionists] have many areas of vulnerability,” adding, “They have so far experienced many heavy defeats.”
By suggesting suicidal tendencies on the part of the regime’s officials, the commander was echoing repeated remarks by the Iranian military top brass and other senior figures that the regime must be contemplating its own demise if it entertained even the thought of attacking the Islamic Republic.
Tel Aviv’s claim of being able to reduce the Iranian presence in the region also comes while the Islamic Republic has been maintaining a robust military advisory campaign throughout the region, especially in Iraq and Syria.
The campaign has been successfully seeking to invigorate the Arab countries and others against Takfiri terrorists. Iranian officials have not only dismissed downsizing the campaign as a result of constant military strikes by the Zionist regime and its allies, but also they have been reporting a constant increase in the Islamic Republic’s regional influence and activities.
صحيفة “جيروزاليم بوست” الإسرائيلية تنشر مقالاً للكاتب “سيث فرانتزمان” يقول فيه إن رد “إسرائيل” على صواريخ حزب الله يمكن أن يضع حدود لبنان في نفس وضع حدود غزة.
“جيروزاليم بوست”: التوازن الصحيح لكيفية الرد سيكون من الصعب العثور عليه
نشرت صحيفة “جيروزاليم بوست” الإسرائيلية مقالاً للكاتب سيث فرانتزمان، تحت عنوان: حزب الله يختبر “إسرائيل” وحتى الآن ينجح.
وفيما يلي نص المقال المنقول إلى العربية:
ردّ “إسرائيل” على صواريخ حزب الله يمكن أن يضع حدود لبنان في وضع حدود غزة نفسه. في يوم الإثنين الماضي، ألقى رئيس الوزراء نفتالي بينيت كلمة في الكنيست. قوبل بوابل من الصراخ والإزعاج والتسميات.
وقال: “لنتحدث عن نتائج الحكومة الأخيرة” في غزة، أظهرتم ضبط النفس في مواجهة الهجمات الصاروخية بينما نهاجم كل بالون حارق. لقد تركتم حزب الله بعشرة أضعاف الصواريخ التي يمكن أن تصل إلى أي مكان في “إسرائيل” ولهذا السبب يجب أن تكون ميزانية الأمن كبيرة”.
لم يكن بينيت مخطئاً. عاد بنيامين نتنياهو إلى رئاسة الوزراء في سنة 2009، بعد ثلاث سنوات من حرب لبنان الثانية.
في ذلك الوقت، كان لدى حزب الله ما يُقدّر بنحو 30 أو 40 ألف صاروخ. في الوقت الحاضر، يُعتقد أن لديه أكثر من 150 ألف صاروخ.
هل هذا خطأ نتنياهو؟ إنه قابل للنقاش، لكن ليس هناك شك في أن “إسرائيل” اتخذت في عهده قراراً واعياً بعدم توجيه ضربة استباقية لوقف التعزيز العسكري للوكيل الإيراني. سمحت “إسرائيل” باستمراره في التسلح رغم علمها أن هدف الصواريخ هو استخدامها ضدها في يومٍ من الأيام.
في الغالب، كان القرار متسقاً مع العقيدة العسكرية الإسرائيلية. لم تتخذ “إسرائيل” إجراءات استباقية لوقف التعزيزات العسكرية التقليدية. اعتُمد هذا الخيار في حالتين عندما سعى العراق 1981 وسوريا 2007 للحصول على أسلحة نووية. نووية، نعم. صواريخ عادية، لا.
لكن ما سيتعلمه بينيت هو أنه من السهل التكلم لكن التصرف أصعب. هذا على الرغم من حقيقة أن أحد كبار أعضاء حكومته الائتلافية والأمنية، وزير القضاء غدعون ساعر، هو من أنصار العمل الوقائي منذ فترة طويلة ضد حزب الله.
في سنة 2018 حذّر ساعر من أن لـ”إسرائيل” نافذة ضيقة لمهاجمة حزب الله لمنعه من الحصول على ذخائر دقيقة التوجيه.
كل هذا مهم يجب أخذه في الاعتبار بعد هجوم حزب الله الصاروخي على “إسرائيل” في يوم الجمعة. صلية من نحو 20 صاروخاً جاءت بعد يومين فقط من إطلاق ثلاثة صواريخ باتجاه كريات شمونة. الفرق هو أن الصواريخ يوم الأربعاء قيل إن مجموعة فلسطينية مارقة أطلقتها. في يوم الجمعة، أعلن حزب الله مسؤوليته بشكل علني.
كان رد فعل “إسرائيل” حتى الآن معتدلاً. بعد هجوم يوم الأربعاء، قصف سلاح الجو مناطق مفتوحة في جنوب لبنان حيث تم إطلاق الصواريخ. بعد صلية يوم الجمعة، ردت “إسرائيل” بقصف مدفعي باتجاه مصدر النيران. بحلول ليلة السبت، بدا أن الأمر انتهى عند هذا الحد.
ما نعرفه هو أنها طريقة خطيرة للتفكير منذ أن سمحت “إسرائيل” لحدودها الشمالية بالتحول إلى الطريقة التي تسير بها الأمور على طول الحدود مع غزة. هناك، على مدى سنوات، ضبطت “إسرائيل” نفسها بعد الهجمات الصاروخية. وفي حال ردّت، استهدفت الكثبان الرملية أو نقاط المراقبة المؤقتة التابعة لحماس. لا شيء خطير جداً.
هذه القذائف الصاروخية، التي أصبحت طبيعية، أُطلقت على سيادة “إسرائيل”. طالما لم يصب أو يقتل أحد، وطالما كان إطلاق الصواريخ متقطعاً، يمكن لـ”إسرائيل” أن تتمالك نفسها. هل كان لهذا معنى؟ يمكن. وهل قوّضت أيضا قوة الردع الإسرائيلية؟ قطعاً.
هذا ما يحدث على طول الحدود الشمالية أيضاً. يمكن تفسير تعليق كوخاف على أنه تطبيع لإطلاق الصواريخ الآن من لبنان.
ليس بالضرورة. ما قد تفعله تعليقات مثل تعليقات كوخاف عندما تقترن برد عسكري معتدل، هو خلق شعور لحزب الله بأنه، مثل حماس، يمكنه تطبيع الهجمات الصاروخية ضد شمال “إسرائيل”.
سيكون هذا كارثياً لـ”إسرائيل” ولكن من الصعب إيقافه. قد يؤدي الرد القوي جداً إلى تصعيد أكبر، وهو أمر لا تريده “إسرائيل”، في حين أن الرد الضعيف جداً قد يؤدي إلى تعلم حزب الله درساً سيئاً، وهو أمر لا تريده “إسرائيل” أيضاً.
التوازن الصحيح لكيفية الرد سيكون من الصعب العثور عليه. بناءً على أحداث يوم الجمعة، يتعين على الحكومة أن تفعل ذلك بسرعة.
Streaks of light are seen from Ashkelon as the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip on May 20, 2021.(photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
On Monday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke at the Knesset. He was met by a volley of yelling, heckling and name calling.
“Let’s talk about the results [of the last government],” he said. “In Gaza, you showed restraint in face of rocket attacks while we attack for every incendiary balloon. You left Hezbollah with ten times more rockets that can reach any place in Israel and because of that the defense budget needs to be big.
”Bennett was not wrong. Benjamin Netanyahu returned to the premiership in 2009, three years after the Second Lebanon War. At the time, Hezbollah had an estimated 30 or 40 thousand rockets. Nowadays, they are believed to have over 150,000.
Was it Netanyahu’s fault? That is questionable, but there is no doubt that under his tenure Israel made a conscious decision not to launch a preemptive strike to stop the Iranian proxy’s military buildup. Israel allowed the armament to go on even though it knew that the rockets were intended to be used one day against it.
For the most part, the decision was in line with Israeli military doctrine. Israel has not launched preemptive action to stop a conventional military buildup; that has been reserved for two instances when Iraq (1981) and Syria (2007) were pursuing nuclear weapons. Nuclear, yes. Regular rockets, no.
What Bennett will learn though is that it is easy to talk but harder to act. This is despite the fact that one of the senior members of his coalition and security cabinet, Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar, is a longtime proponent of preemptive action against Hezbollah.
In 2018, Sa’ar warned that Israel had a narrow window to attack Hezbollah to prevent it from obtaining precision-guided munitions.
This is all important to keep in mind following Hezbollah’s rocket attack against Israel on Friday. The barrage of about 20 rockets came just two days after three rockets were launched toward Kiryat Shmona. The difference was that the rockets on Wednesday were said to have been fired by a rogue Palestinian group. On Friday, Hezbollah openly took responsibility.
Israel’s response until now has been mild. After Wednesday’s attack, the Air Force bombed open areas in southern Lebanon from where the rockets had been fired. After Friday’s barrage, Israel responded with artillery fire in the direction of the source of the fire. By Saturday night, that seemed to be it.
This is dangerous and complicated. IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ran Kochav went so far as to explain that the fact Hezbollah fired its 20 rockets into open fields meant that the Lebanese terrorist group was deterred and scared of a larger conflict with Israel. If that wasn’t the case, he told reporters in a briefing on Friday, it would have attacked population centers. Is this true? We don’t know.
What we do know, is that it is a dangerous way to think since it sets up Israel to allow its northern border to turn into the way things are along the border with Gaza. There, for years, Israel restrained itself after rocket attacks. If it responded, it hit sand dunes or makeshift Hamas observation posts. Nothing too serious.
This normalized rocket fire into sovereign Israel. As long as no one was hurt or killed and as long as the rocket fire was sporadic, Israel could restrain itself. Did it make sense? Maybe. Did it also erode Israel’s deterrence? Definitely. That is happening along the northern border as well. Kochav’s comment could be interpreted as normalizing rocket fire now from Lebanon. No one was killed and no one was hurt so that must mean that Hezbollah is deterred.
Not necessarily. What comments like Kochav’s potentially do when coupled with a mild military response, is create for Hezbollah a feeling that it – like Hamas – can normalize rocket attacks against Israel’s North.
This would be disastrous for Israel but difficult to stop. Too strong a response could lead to a larger escalation – something Israel does not want – while too weak a response could lead Hezbollah to learn a bad lesson, something Israel also does not want.
That right balance of how to respond and is going to be hard to find. Based on Friday’s events, the government needs to do so fast.
TEHRAN – With the Vienna nuclear talks hitting a deadlock after the sixth round, Israel finds itself more isolated on Iran and is unable to influence the talks, something that prompted it to try out a new military stunt in order to get the talks moving in line with Israel’s interests.
During his recent trip to Washington, Chief of Staff of Israeli Armed Forces Aviv Kochavi reportedly conveyed clear messages to the U.S. administration regarding the possibility of the U.S. returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. These messages included threats of an Israeli military attack inside Iran. The Israeli general held behind-closed-doors meetings with several high-ranking American officials including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, CIA Director William Burns, and DIA Deputy Director Suzanne White.
In these meetings, Kochavi claimed that Israel had made a decision to dismantle the alleged Iranian military nuclear program a year before the U.S. 2020 presidential election and the start of the buzz over a return to the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). According to Israeli reports, Kochavi also told his American interlocutors that the Israeli army has devised at least three military plans in order to thwart the Iranian nuclear program, and that the previous Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, put aside funds for these plans, and that the current government, led by Naftali Bennett, pledged to add large sums in order to fill gaps related to readiness as soon as possible.
This saber-rattling came against a backdrop of a diplomatic war of words between Iran and the U.S. after the sixth round of the Vienna talks which resulted in little progress compared to previous rounds. The U.S. demanded a commitment from Iran to discuss other thorny, non-nuclear issues such as Iran’s missile program and its regional influence while rejecting Iranian demands regarding the lifting of all Trump-era sanctions and the provision of a guarantee that Washington would not withdraw from the deal again once it is revived. In fact, disagreements between the two are so deep that the mere resumption of the talks now hangs in the balance, with Russia is now insinuating that the talks may not be resumed any time soon.
This charged atmosphere has led Israel to remarkably increase diplomatic contacts with the U.S. in the hope that these communications would affect the U.S. stance toward the Vienna talks. But the Israelis themselves have acknowledged that they are unable to influence the U.S. Iran policy. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Monday that Tel Aviv can no longer influence the new deal that the Biden administration seeks, one that would be “longer and stronger” than the existing one that is the JCPOA.
But the Israelis seem not to be giving up on their anti-JCPOA crusade. They appear to have reverted to the decades-long dream of getting the U.S. to do their own job with American blood and treasure: an American military strike against Iran. Haaretz reported that Israeli officials are trying to convince the U.S. into bringing up the military option against Iran if it continued its nuclear activities, hoping that making hostile announcements would create deterrence against Iran.
But one diplomat predicted that the Biden administration was less likely to attack Iran if it violated the terms of the agreement, Haaretz said, adding, Americans do not currently want the potential for a military conflict in terms of their priorities.
In doing so, the Israelis signal their assessment that threats of military strikes work with Iran, something that belies the most recent bouts of escalation during the Trump administration. Over the course of the Trump presidency, the U.S. issued a whole range of stark threats against Iran from attacking cultural sites to starving the Iranian people but none worked with Tehran. In addition, the Israelis themselves launched what they call the “campaign between wars,” a military doctrine mostly aimed to confront Iran’s spheres of influence in the region while keeping the confrontation below the threshold of an all-out war, to eliminate its regional influence and undermine its nuclear program. But they failed to achieve their goal as Iran’s nuclear program continues to advance and the country’s sway continues to expand.
الكيان الصهيوني كيانٌ وظيفيٌ، أُنشئ بالتعاون مع قوى الاستعمار القديم من أجل إدامة السيطرة على المنطقة العربية، بصفتها قلب العالم الإسلامي، كما أنه كِيانٌ توسعيٌّ في أصل نشأته.
حصيلة معركة “سيف القدس” تمثَّلت باضطرار كيان الاحتلال إلى الرضوخ لقواعد الاشتباك الجديدة
المتأمِّل المشهد الصهيوني أن يرى الأزمات المتعدِّدة التي يمرّ الكيان فيها، في أكثر من صعيد. وبينها، على سبيل المثال لا الحصر، أزماته السياسية، وأبرزها الاستعصاء الحكومي الممتد منذ شهور.
يُعَد هذا الكيان، في أصل وجوده جيشاً استيطانيّاً متستِّراً في ظل “دولة”. لذا، فإن معضلته الكبرى تتمثّل بفقدان قواته البرِّية فعاليتَها القتالية، الأمر الذي أفقدها القدرة على إنجاز المهمات المَنوطة بها، ولاسيما في مواجهة الحركات المقاوِمة، التي تُعَدّ منظمات غيرَ حكوميةٍ ذات قدراتٍ تسليحيةٍ تفوق في بعض النواحي القدرات التي تمتلكها دولٌ وازنةٌ في العالم، كما هي حال القدرة الصاروخية التي يحوزها حزب الله، على سبيل المثال، والتي تفوق القدرة النارية للدول الأوروبية الأعضاء في حلف شمال الأطلسي مجتمعةً، وذلك بحسب تقارير مراكز أبحاث صهيو- أميركية.
ناهيكم عن الفارق الواضح بين معنويات مقاتلي محور المقاومة المرتفعة، ومعنويات جنود الاحتلال شبه المنهارة.
بدأ هذا العجز لدى جيش الكيان في الظهور في إثر انسحابه من جنوبي لبنان في أيار/مايو 2000، وتجلّى في حرب تموز/يوليو 2006، ليزداد بعد ذلك عمقُ مأزق سلاح البر لديه، في حروبه الثلاث اللاحقة، والتي شنّها على قطاع غزة في الفترات 2008-2009 و2012 و2014، وصولاً إلى معركة “سيف القدس” الأخيرة، والتي لم يجرؤ فيها على استخدام قواته البرِّية للقيام بعمليةٍ برِّيةٍ على الأرض تواكب عمليات سلاحه الجوي. ويؤكد هذا الفهمَ الكاتبُ الصهيوني يوآف ليمور عقب انتهاء معركة “سيف القدس”، بحيث قال “هذا الخط الخطير – الذي سيطر على الجيش منذ انتهاء وجوده في جنوبي لبنان، وفي جوهره الخوف من القتلى والمخطوفين – يقود باستمرار إلى مخطَّطات تضخّم الجو على البر، وبالتالي قلة الاستثمار في الجيش البرِّي، وانعدام الثقة، وعدم العمل به في الوقت الحقيقي”.
من الضرورة بمكان أن نلتفت إلى ما يشير إليه هذا العجز من محدودية نتائج عملية المراجعة وتطوير استراتيجياتٍ قتاليةٍ جديدةٍ، والتي عكف عليها رئيس أركان جيش الكيان أفيف كوخافي خلال العامين الماضيين، والتي تهدف إلى إعادة صَوغ مفهوم “تصوُّر النصر” لدى جيش الاحتلال.
وفي هذا الخصوص، صدر مؤخراً، عقب معركة “سيف القدس”، مقالٌ مهمّ وتفصيليٌّ عن “معهد القدس للاستراتيجيات والأمن”، في كيان الاحتلال، بعنوان “تصور النصر: الحاجة إلى مفهوم مُحَدَّث للحرب”، بحيث شرح المقال الأفكار الأساسية للأمن القوميّ “الإسرائيليّ”، والتي قام عليها مفهوم “تصوُّر النصر” لدى الكيان الصهيوني منذ بداياته، والتي صاغها رئيس الوزراء الصهيوني الأسبق ديفيد بن غوريون؛ تلك الأفكار الأساسية التي تم تحويلها بعد ذلك إلى قدراتٍ عمليةٍ وعقيدةٍ عسكريةٍ، نجح من خلالها جيش الكيان الصهيوني – في حقبةٍ خلت – في تحقيق انتصاراتٍ حاسمةٍ ضد الجيوش العربية، على أساس الحرب السريعة، والتي اعتمدت، بالإضافة إلى تفوّق سلاح الجوّ على قوةٍ برِّيةٍ ضاربةٍ وقادرةٍ على القيام بمناوراتٍ برِّيةٍ خاطفةٍ، بهدف الاقتحام السريع لأراضي العدوّ، وتحييد قوته العسكرية.
لكننا نجد، من خلال دراسة نتائج الحروب التي خاضها كيان الاحتلال منذ عام 2006 – في أقلّ تقدير – أن هذه القوة البرِّية لم تَعُدْ موجودة في الصيغة نفسها التي كانت عليها. ويقرّ بهذا المقال المذكور ضمن ثنايا النقاش، إذ قال: “مفهوم النصر” لا يحلّ الخلل القائم بين الذراعين الاستراتيجيتين، الجويّة والأرضيّة فحسب، بل يديمه أيضاً، ويصبح مبدعاً في الواقع”. ويضيف المقال إلى ذلك، من خلال انتقاد “مفهوم النصر” المحَدَّث، والذي يعكف الكيان الصهيوني على صياغته، بالقول “يستمر مفهوم النصر في الواقع، سواء أكان بطريقةٍ معقدةٍ، أم وفق الأفكار نفسها التي تمت تجربتها مراراً وتكراراً، من دون نجاحٍ، طوال العقود الأربعة الماضية”.
وتوضح خلاصة النقاش التفصيلي، والذي أتى عليه المقال، أن جيش الاحتلال اعتَمَد، خلال العقود الأربعة الماضية، على نحو متصاعدٍ، على سلاح الجوّ، في مقابل تراجع مكانة القوة البرِّية لديه، على الرغم من الالتزام اللفظي في الكيان بالأفكار الأساسية للأمن القومي “الإسرائيلي”. ويستنتج المقال أن هذا الالتزام اللفظي ينسحب على “تصور النصر” المستجدّ، والذي تغنَّى به كثيراً أفيف كوخافي، ويعمل مع فريقه على صياغته، الأمر الذي يطرخ تساؤلات بشأن مدى نجاعة “تصور النصر” الجديد هذا.
وهنا، يبرز سؤالٌ جانبيٌّ، على قدرٍ بالغٍ من الأهمية، إذ كيف ستكون الحال إذا أخذنا في الحسبان أنه في أيّ حربٍ مقبلةٍ مع حزب الله سيكون من الوارد تعرض سلاح الجوّ الصهيوني لأضرارٍ تحدّ فعاليته بقدر ما؟ فلا يمكن تجاهل حقيقة تطوير إيران أنظمة دفاعٍ جويٍّ فعالةً ومحلية الصنع، يمكن أن تكون قد نُقِلت فعلاً إلى حزب الله. ولا يمكن إغفال عملية إعادة تأهيل أنظمة الدفاعات الجوية لدى الجيش العربي السوري، بالتعاون مع القوات الروسية المسلّحة، بعد أن كانت المجموعات المسلّحة، المسماة “معارضةً سوريةً”، خرَّبت تلك الأنظمة لحساب كيان العدو الإسرائيلي في بدايات الحرب على سوريا.
وإمعاناً في انتقاد جيش الاحتلال بعد معركة “سيف القدس”، تتالت الانتقادات في داخل أوساط الكيان الصهيوني، سواء أكانت “المدنية” منها، أم داخل بعض القطاعات العسكرية، تجاه قيادة جيش الاحتلال، في إثر عدم توظيفه سلاحَ البر في أثناء المعركة. حتى إن يوآف ليمور ذهب، في صحيفة “إسرائيل اليوم”، إلى حد القول إن “النتيجة هي عكسٌ للمعادلة: الجبهة الداخلية تحمي الجيش، وليس العكس. وبدلاً من تعريض جنودها للخطر لحماية المدنيين، يُعرِّض المواطنون أنفسهم للخطر من أجل حماية الجنود”.
وفي مقالٍ مهمّ آخر، نُشِر قبل معركة “سيف القدس”، في مجلة “الأنظمة” الصهيونية، ذهب كلٌّ من نائب رئيس أركان جيش العدوّ الأسبق، يائير غولان، والباحث العسكري غال بيرل فينكل من “معهد دراسات الأمن القومي” الصهيوني، إلى أنه لا يوجد بديلٌ عن قيام جيش الاحتلال بمناورةٍ برِّيةٍ لتحقيق النصر في أيّ حربٍ مقبلةٍ مع حزب الله. ويضيف المقال أن الوضع الراهن لجيش الكيان، والذي يجعل المناورة البرِّية مكملاً للقوة النارية الجوية، هو وضعٌ غيرُ صحيحٍ.
يرى البعض أنه على الرغم من دقة الانتقادات، التي ساقها المقالان المهمَّان الآنِفا الذكر لأداء جيش الاحتلال الصهيوني، فإنهما تجاهلا أمرين جوهريين. الأول: العطب البنيوي الذي أصاب الروح القتالية للجندي الصهيوني. عطبٌ لا يبدو أنه قابل للترميم، بدليل فشَل المناورات العسكرية التي يقوم بها جيش الاحتلال منذ ما يزيد على خمسة عشر عاماً، بغية استعادة الروح القتالية لجنوده، التي لم تعطِ أيّ نتائجَ ملموسةٍ. وندَّعي القول إن لا قوة برِّيةً فاعلةً من دون جنديٍ عقْديٍ مستعدٍّ لبذل الدماء، ولاسيما في مواجهة مقاتلٍ صاحب حقٍ، مؤمنٍ، ذي عقيدةٍ صلبةٍ، ومستعدّ للشهادة في سبيل عقيدته وقضيته المحقة، كما هي حال المقاوم المجاهد ضمن صفوف قوى محور المقاومة.
أما الأمر الثاني، فيتمثّل بالسِّياق الذي أفضى بجيش الاحتلال إلى الاعتماد المتزايد على سلاح الجوّ. ويرى البعض، في هذا السياق، أمراً أساسياً في قراءة الطَّور الذي وصل إليه الكيان الصهيوني من دورة حياته، كما سنجادل.
الكيان الصهيوني كيانٌ وظيفيٌ، أُنشئ بالتعاون مع قوى الاستعمار القديم من أجل إدامة السيطرة على المنطقة العربية، بصفتها قلب العالم الإسلامي، كما أنه كِيانٌ توسعيٌّ في أصل نشأته. فمنذ بداياته، كان قادراً على التوسع جغرافياً على حساب شعوب المنطقة، وكان يفعل من دون ترددٍ، معتمداً على قوتِه البرِّية.
وكانت تلك حِقبته الطامحة إلى إقامة “إسرائيل الكبرى”. لكن هذه الحقبة انقضت بعد أن أُجبر على الانسحابين الأُحاديي الجانب من جنوبيّ لبنان في أيار/مايو 2000، ثم من قطاع غزة في أيلول/سبتمبر 2005. وبهذا، ثَبُت للعدو أنه ربما يكون قادراً على دخول أراضٍ عربيةٍ جديدة واحتلالها، لكنه لن يكون في استطاعته إدامة وجوده فيها، إذا جوبه بمقاومةٍ جادةٍ ومصممةٍ، وذات نفَسٍ طويل.
وهنا، دخل كيان الاحتلال في طورٍ جديدٍ، يعتمد، في صورة رئيسية، على تفوُّقه الجويّ وقدرتيه، النارية والتدميرية، الكبيرتين، من السماء، وذلك بهدف إنفاذ إرادته السياسية على دول المنطقة، إمّا بالحرب من الجوّ على نحو أساسي، وإمّا حتى بمجرد التهديد بحربٍ مدمِّرةٍ، يبتزّ بها دول الإقليم. وبهذا، يستمر في تلبية متطلبات أصل وجوده ككيانٍ وظيفيٍ، وكذراعٍ ضاربةٍ بالنيابة عن القوى الإمبريالية، ضمن استراتيجيات تلك القوى.
إلاّ أن هذه النظرية كُسِرت في حرب تموز/يوليو 2006، عندما أخفق الكيان في تحقيق أيٍّ من أهدافه في تلك الحرب. فلا استطاع القضاء على حزب الله في الميدان، بفعل تفوقه العسكري: جويّاً ونارياً. ولا قدِر على فرض إرادته السياسية على حزب الله، وإجباره على إعادة الجنود الصهاينة الأسرى لديه عبر تلك الحرب، التي اعتمدت، في الأصل، على قوة سلاح الجوّ، قبل أن يُضطر الكيان إلى محاولة تنفيذ مناورةٍ برِّيةٍ داخل الأراضي اللبنانية من أجل تحقيق أي مكسبٍ – ولو شكليٍّ – من أجل حفظ ماء الوجه.
وتتالت بعد ذلك إخفاقات نظرية الكيان هذه في حروب غزة، في الفترات 2008-2009 و2012 و2014، ناهيكم عن إخفاقه المستمر في إجبار سوريا على الدخول في اتفاقيات تطبيع، أو إرهابها لدفعها إلى التخلي عن عقيدتها الراسخة في دعم حركات المقاومة، أو التنازل عن ثوابتها القومية والعربية.
ثمّ جاءت معركة “سيف القدس”، التي رسَّخت، بما لا يدع مجالاً للشكّ، عجزَ سلاح الجوّ الصهيوني عن تحقيق النصر، عبر تحييد قدرات العدوّ من الجوّ، أو عبر إنفاذ كيان الاحتلال إرادتَه السياسية على الفلسطينيين، عبر قَبول انتهاكات الاحتلال الممارَسة في المسجد الأقصى والقدس المحتلة، وتبعاً المقدسات المسيحية في فلسطين.
أما في البر، فمجدداً، لم يجرؤ كيان الاحتلال على تنفيذ أي مناورةٍ برِّيةٍ جديةٍ داخل قطاع غزة، مُثبتاً مرةٍ أخرى عدم جهوزية جيشه لتحمل الخسائر البشرية، أو قدرته على القيام بمناوراتٍ برِّيةٍ حاسمةٍ.
بل قام، في المقابل، باللجوء إلى مناورةٍ برِّيةٍ وهميةٍ فاشلةٍ، سُمّيت “مترو حماس”. وكتب تال ليف رام في “معاريف” العبرية، مقالاً بعنوان “مسؤولون أمنيون بشأن هجوم (المترو): كان يجب إدخال القوات البرية للقطاع”، قال فيه: “هناك انتقاداتٌ متزايدةٌ من القادة الميدانيين للجيش الإسرائيلي، وعلامات استفهامٍ بشأن استعداده لاستخدام القوات البرية في أثناء القتال”. وأشار، في المقال ذاته، إلى وجود ادعاءاتٍ مفادها أن جيش الاحتلال لم يفكّر حتى في إمكان إدخال قواتٍ برِّيةٍ لقطاع غزة، مؤكداً بذلك الفكرتين الرئيسيتين، واللتين خلص إليهما استراتيجيو كيان الاحتلال في المقالين المذكورين في مطلع نقاشنا هنا، وهما تراجع فعالية سلاح البر الصهيوني، وأن سلاح الجوّ لا يمكنه تحقيق النصر مهما كان “مفهوم النصر” المعتمَد.
لذا، فإن حصيلة معركة “سيف القدس” تمثَّلت باضطرار كيان الاحتلال إلى الرضوخ لقواعد الاشتباك الجديدة، التي فرضتها عليه قوى المقاومة الفلسطينية في الميدان، وعنوانها “إن عُدتم عدنا”، طلباً للهدوء وتفادياً لمزيد من الخسائر، بدلاً من نجاحه في تلبية متطلبات أصل وجوده التي ذُكِرت سابقاً، بصفته كياناً وظيفيّاً.
لعلّ هذا المستجِدّ هو ما جعل نتائج معركة “سيف القدس” تحولاً استراتيجياً، يوازي أو يفوق التحول الاستراتيجي الذي فرضته حرب تموز/يوليو 2006، بحيث يمكن القول بشأنها إنها كانت خاتمة الطَّور الثاني في دورة حياة الكيان الصهيوني، وباكورة الطَّور الثالث من عمره، والذي يبحث فيه الكيان الصهيوني عن تحقيق الأمن لمستوطنيه، ولعله يكون الأخير في دورة حياة هذا الكيان المصطنَع.
لقد أكد الأمين العام لحزب الله السيد حسن نصر الله، في كلمته يوم 25 أيار/مايو 2021، في معرض تقييم نتائج معركة “سيف القدس”، أن أهم الإنجازات العسكرية والأمنية والميدانية، كانت في شلّ الكيان وأمنه ومجتمعه. ففي كثير من الدول القديمة والحقيقية، يمكن أن تحدث اختلالاتٌ أمنيةٌ أو حروبٌ أهليةٌ، لكن تبقى الدولة ولا تنهار. أمّا في الكيانات المصطنَعة – كما هي حال الكيان الإسرائيلي – فالأمن بالنسبة إليها هو شرط وجودٍ، وليس شرط كمالٍ. فإنِ انتفى الأمن تَنْهَر الدولة. الإسرائيلي، إذا أحس بضياع الاقتصاد وذهاب الأمن وفقدان رفاهية العيش، فأهونُ ما عليه هو العودة من حيث أتى. وهذا هو الفارق بين كيان “إسرائيل” وأيّ دولةٍ أخرى. وكان هذا إنجازاً لمعركة “سيف القدس”، لا سابق له. وهذا التقييم ورد على لسان أحد أهم قادة عصرنا الحالي واستراتيجييه، بشهادة العدوّ قبل الصديق.
Praise be to God. Greetings on the Prophet and his family. Peace be upon you, as well as the Mercy of God.
I apologize for having given no speech since Al-Quds Day, I was a bit sick and I still am [Nasrallah clearly had difficulties breathing and was coughing; it was a pneumonia, not Covid, despite the usual Israeli propaganda about a terminal disease, as proven by his ability to make a 2-hours live speech on May 25, and by his healthy looks on his June 8th 1-hour-speech].
The days gone by have seen historical events which I have followed closely, but I could not speak publicly despite my will. I will speak extensively about the events in Gaza in this speech. Quranic verse: « And slacken not in following up the enemy: if ye are suffering hardships, they are suffering similar hardships; but ye have hope from God while they have none. » (S. IV, v. 104).
The month of May saw some unhappy events (the Nakba) and other happy ones (the Liberation of Lebanon on May 25, 2000). Congratulations to the people of Palestine who have added a new victory, from Gaza to Jerusalem to the territories occupied in 1948. Condolences to the families of martyrs and best wishes for recovery to the wounded. Congratulations in particular to the cadres of the Resistance & the people of Gaza who patiently endured Israeli barbarity.
I also congratulate the Lebanese on this Liberation Day. I want the Lebanese people, especially the new generations, not to forget that this Liberation of May 25, 2000 is the result of long years of sacrifices by many Lebanese and Resistance factions, not just Hezbollah. Let us recall the memory of the martyrs of Hezbollah, Amal movement, other nationalist movements, the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance fighters, as well as the Lebanese Army and the martyrs of the Syrian army. Let us not forget the Lebanese civilian martyrs, men, women and children, victims of the civil war and of the Israeli massacres. Finally, we should mention the martyrs of the Resistance and the people’s support for this Resistance. I don’t speak only of southern Lebanon, but of the Bekaa, cradle of Hezbollah, and all over Lebanon. May 25, 2000 (the date of the expulsion of the last Israeli forces occupying Lebanon) was the victory of all of Lebanon, of Beirut, of the North, of every place in Lebanon. The whole country helped shape this victory.
I recall in particular the martyr Sayed Abbas Mousawi (former Hezbollah Secretary General), assassinated by Israel with his wife and child; the martyr Sheikh Ragheb Harb; the martyr Imad Moghniyeh; the martyr Sayed Zulfiqar. A whole caravan of Hezbollah martyrs.
In addition to the Lebanese Resistance and the Lebanese people, we must salute the official Lebanese position embodied by President Emile Lahoud, Nabih Berri and Salim al-Hoss, as well as the majoritary position of the Lebanese government which supported the Resistance and its legitimacy. All this made it possible to obtain the Liberation, and to avoid the civil war that Ehud Barak was preparing (to devastate Lebanon after the departure of the Israeli troops).
I also praise the Syrian support of Hafez al-Assad and Bashar al-Assad, and the support of Iran, of Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei. And I especially salute Qassem Soleimani’s role in the 2000 victory, even though his name and role were kept secret at the time. This Liberation ushered in the era of victories for the Arab-Muslim world. On May 25, 2000, I dedicated this victory to the Palestinian people, with the Liberation of Palestine and Al-Quds (Jerusalem) being the ultimate goal. This victory opened a new culture, new values, imposing new clear strategic equations. In 2000, many Zionist leaders spoke of the dire consequences this humiliating retreat would have. Yithzak Shamir, at Ben-Gurion’s grave, spoke of Hezbollah’s victory as something that could lead to Israel’s demise. Then took place the first Intifada in 2000, and the Liberation of Gaza in 2005.
The Popular Armed Resistance established two strong bases in Lebanon and Gaza, which the enemy wanted to destroy. He failed, accumulating defeats and strengthening the Resistance, whether during the 2006 war against Lebanon, or the 2008, 2012 or 2014 wars in Gaza. The siege of Gaza for more than 15 years, assassination campaigns, etc. have also failed. The last 11-day war is very different. But all these wars won by the Palestinian and Lebanese camp have confirmed and strengthened the path of the Resistance.
I now come to the last battle named “Sword of Al-Quds” by the Palestinian Resistance. I will not go into detail, but explain why this is a great victory and what it announces for the future of the struggle against Israel. The beginning was in Al-Quds (Jerusalem), with Israel’s insistence on ethnically cleansing Al-Quds and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, attacks on Palestinians, preventing worshipers from praying at Al-Aqsa during Ramadan (the Palestinians from the territories of 1948, 1967 and Jerusalem itself). Israel did its best to prevent worshipers from going to Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, and repeatedly assaulted those who did manage to get there.
There was a real threat to Al-Quds, which caused the Resistance in Gaza to issue a historic ultimatum to Israel: cease your ethnic cleansing in Sheikh Jarrah and your assaults on believers in Al-Aqsa, or we will intervene militarily. The threat was carried out by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who launched their rockets/missiles at the promised time.
This whole crisis was caused by the stupidity of Netanyahu & the Israeli leaders, their arrogance, hubris, contempt and underestimation of Arabs, traits which are a constant in the history of Israel. All previous wars had the same cause, and this enemy will remain blind, arrogant, stupid, making mistakes and miscalculations that will lead to its downfall and demise. Imam Khomeini said “Praise be to God who made our enemies stupid”. Netanyahu and the Israelis believed they could take over Jerusalem and Judaize it, expel Palestinian families, replace them with Jewish settlers, assault the Muslim/Christian worshippers, without anything happening, just empty protests. They did so, deeming the Arabs defeated and having normalized their relations with Israel. They believed that the Arab world had abandoned the cause, that the Palestinians of the territories occupied in 1948, of the West Bank and of Gaza were powerless.
The enemy never even imagined that Gaza could intervene militarily in defense of Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa. It hadn’t occurred to anyone within the Zionist entity, neither the political leaders, nor the military leaders, nor the security services. But Gaza surprised both the enemy and the friend. Israel did not imagine such a thing, and therefore persevered in its indiscriminate aggression in Al-Quds (Jerusalem). That’s why Israel was surprised and defeated.
Gaza’s decision is historic, and its lessons must be understood. Previously, all the wars in Gaza had causes linked to Gaza: reaction to assassinations or Israeli aggressions in Gaza, struggle against the severe siege of Gaza, etc. The Resistance’s calculations were still purely Gazan, protecting only the residents of Gaza. But what happened in this last round is that Gaza intervened to protect Al-Quds (Jerusalem), Sheikh Jarrah, Al-Aqsa. This decision is historic, exceptional, and turns things upside down. The Resistance knew it was heading for war, massacres, destruction of Gaza. But the Gaza Resistance was ready to sacrifice itself to defend Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and Al-Aqsa.
Gaza and all of its inhabitants sacrificed themselves to preserve Islam’s 3rd holiest site, considering themselves to be in charge and responsible for it. It was a decision of a high level of jihad and sincerity, and that is why it had this enormous influence, rocking the Palestinians all over occupied Palestine, with the support of the refugees and the whole world, except the minority of zombies (Arab dictators) who normalized their relations with Israel. The protests on the Lebanese-Israeli, Jordanian-Israeli border and all around the world, the popular support and final victory were exceptional, commensurate with this exceptional decision of the Gaza Resistance.
The Zionists must understand this, as must the Muslim community and the Resistance Axis, but I am addressing the enemy and its leaders: this experience must lead you to redo all your calculations. You should know that laying your hands on Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa is a red line. Assassinations here or there, expropriations here or there, besieging here or there has nothing to do with laying your hands on Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, our holy places, as demonstrated by what Gaza has done, the promises made and kept by the Resistance in Gaza. They were sincere and will stand ready to do what they did again if Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa are threatened or desecrated again.
All the factions of the Resistance Axis (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Irak’s PMU & Yemeni Resistance) were in constant contact, hour by hour during this war. In the future, we will ensure that touching Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa will not only involve Gaza but the entire Resistance Axis. The Resistance in Gaza has imposed a new equation: if Israel lays its hands on Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, Gaza is going to war. What we must now impose is that if Israel lays its hands on Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa, then there will be a regional war!
The whole Resistance Axis must be ready and make this clear to Israel: we will never allow the Al-Aqsa Mosque to be endangered. For the outcome of any regional war can only be the eradication of the Zionist entity. It is this new equation that will allow us to protect the holy city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and its Muslim and Christian holy places. We are working very seriously on it. When our holy places are in danger, there is no more red line, no more calculation (= it will be total war).
I will not analyze all the consequences of this war, but highlight a few of them:
1/ The soul of the Resistance resurfaced in all the Palestinians, who all united and rose up as one man, in Gaza, the West Bank, the territories occupied in 1948, the Palestinians refugees all over the world, etc. The decades-long division and dislocation is over: the Palestinian people are united.
2/ The Palestinian cause has been revived all over the world. It was deemed buried once and for all by Trump and normalization, but this cause has reclaimed its prominent place all over the world, in all media, all minds and all consciousnesses.
3/ The Palestinian identity and the dream of Liberation have been brought back to the fore.
4/ Belief in the Armed Resistance and the Intifada has once again become the best choice to obtain Liberation. The soul of Resistance has returned to our peoples.
5/ The failure to locate (and assassinate) the main military leaders. Israel came up with several names, including Hamas Commander Mohamed Dayf, but they failed to kill them. That some (minor field commanders) were killed is normal in a war, but it is far from what Israel wanted.
6/ Israel, both in terms of political, military and security leaders, was unable, as I said, not only to anticipate, but even to imagine that Gaza would enter the scene militarily to protect Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah, just as Israel was unable to anticipate or imagine that all of Palestine would rise up in the face of Israeli aggression at Al-Quds.
7/ The Deal of the Century is definitely buried. The Resistance in Gaza and the Israeli failure to win made the Biden administration abandon Trump’s concessions. Biden put East Jerusalem back on the table and called on the Israelis not to expropriate the residents of Sheikh Jarrah. The heart of the Deal of the Century was to give all of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) to Israel, but that is forgotten now. Of course, Biden did not intervene for humanitarian reasons, but because he saw Israel’s helplessness and the risk of an explosion in the region, which thwarted his own international priorities.
8/ The true face of Israel, barbaric, bloodthirsty, slaughtering children, racist and Jewish supremacist, clearly returned to everyone’s eyes and mind, despite Israel’s grip on media and social networks. Israel couldn’t care less about the opinion of the Arab world, but not that of the Western world, and we have seen that even EU countries were forced to condemn Israel in one way or another, and put it in an awkward position.
9/ One of the most important political results is that the compass of conflict in the region has settled again on Israel, after years of civil wars, creation of bogus enemies like Iran, etc. Today, it is clear to the whole world (and not just in the Arab-Muslim world) that the enemy of humanity, of justice, of truth, the racist and criminal entity is Israel and nobody else.
After discussing the political consequences of this Gaza-Israel war, I now come to the military consequences. We must take into account the scales (in this asymmetric conflict): on the one hand, Israel is the regular Army of a State, US-backed, which has the most powerful air force in the region, and on the other hand, Gaza, under siege for more than 15 years, is a tiny territory surrounded on all sides, with +2 million inhabitants, and an ungrateful geography (from the point of view of Resistance opportunities: no mountains, etc.). Some weapons from Gaza are imported and others are manufactured locally. But we can clearly see that despite their very limited possibilities, and Israel’s total control over information (Gaza is under constant surveillance by all means: drones, electronic surveillance, spies, etc.), Gaza has been able to demonstrate courage, sagacity and victorious struggle against one of the most militarily powerful States in the world.
I will quickly set out the military consequences of this conflict:
1/ The entry of Gaza into the protection equation of Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah. In fact, Gaza has entered the issues of all of Palestine, shifting from defense to attack.
2/ Despite the severe siege, the Resistance was able to greatly improve its rocket/missile & fighting capacities. For 11 days, they continued to fire rockets/missiles despite Israel’s best efforts, its planes, drones, artillery strikes, etc.
3/ Gaza even proved its ability to fire rockets/missiles at times announced in advance, to the point that some brothers were surprised, advising not to give this information to the enemy (which would allow him to better defend itself), but it was a point of strength (psychological warfare).
4/ The number of rockets/missiles fired was very large, hundreds every day, which reflects very large stocks and great skill. The type of rockets/missiles fired, the targets hit, the damage done, it was all very powerful.
5/ All of this shook the Israeli State like never before. All countries can go through civil wars, very trying crises, and remain. But Israel is a fake, artificial State that has been shaken to the point that its very existence has been called into question. Israel is a State whose precondition for existence is security. If security is no longer there, all Israelis (who all have dual citizenships) will come back from where they come from: Europe, USA, Australia… At the first (serious) storm, Israeli society will pack up and leave! This sets Israel apart from all other countries: the Palestinians, despite 1948 and 1967, remained attached to their land. They are willing to sacrifice themselves by the hundreds of thousands to return there, until this day. They have not abandoned their territory! But Israel, no! The Israelis have their second passport ready, their suitcase ready, and they will leave at the first storm: if neither the government nor the military can protect them, why would they stay? This consequence, namely to shake Israel to such an extent, is unprecedented, even during the 2006 war. Never before has such a large area of Israel been under rocket fire: Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva, Ashdod, airports, the Negev… 70% of Israelis were holed up in shelters for 11 days ! The worst for Israel was not the material losses, but the psychological losses: the warnings rang everywhere, introducing terror into their hearts. It doesn’t really matter if the rockets hit their target or not!
6/ In addition to all the economic losses and the feeling of insecurity at home, it is the same abroad: who is going to come and invest in Israel without guarantee of security for their investments, without stability? Israel’s dream of becoming an economical/financial hub in the Mediterranean is over!
7/ For the first time, the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 entered into revolt. It’s not just Gaza and the West Bank anymore. All Israeli leaders recognize that this is an existential threat for Israel!
8/ The Gaza Resistance was also exceptional: the way they carried out the fight, the way they prepared for a ground invasion, to the point that the enemy did not dare to set foot in Gaza, all of this is a huge victory.
9/ The Resistance was able to present to its people, to the whole world and to its enemies a brilliant image of victory.
On the other hand, let us see the failures of the enemy, as admitted by their officials and experts:
1/ Failure to achieve any strategic success after 11 days. Nothing!
2/ Israeli officials speak of tactical successes, but these are insignificant for such a powerful army: destroying some tunnels, killing some cadres, it’s negligible! The rocket fire could not be stopped, and Israel did not even know where it was coming from. Even when they knew the time of the rocket salvos in advance, their planes and drones were unable to locate them. The Iron Dome was also a failure. The 90% interception figure is a lie, it’s more like 50-60%. The damage proves that their 90% figure for the Iron Dome is a lie. The proof of the failure of the Iron Dome is also the fact that Netanyahu asked for military aid from Biden, who immediately granted it. The rockets kept hitting all of occupied Palestine!
3/ The failure of the trap set for the Resistance in Gaza, which Israel had been preparing to neutralize for years, but the Israeli Army proved to be powerless.
4/ The failure to prevent weapons from reaching the Resistance. The rockets did not stop and could have been launched at this rate for months on end. Israel is incapable not only of knowing where the rockets are, but has no idea how many they are, which is a colossal failure of their intelligence.
5/ The failure to locate (and assassinate) the main military leaders. Israel came up with several names, including Hamas Commander Mohamed Dayf, but they failed to kill them. That some (minor field commanders) were killed is normal in a war, but it is far from what Israel wanted.
6/ Israel, both in terms of political, military and security leaders, was unable, as I said, not only to anticipate, but even to imagine that Gaza would enter the scene militarily to protect Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa and Sheikh Jarrah, just as Israel was unable to anticipate or imagine that all of Palestine would rise up in the face of Israeli aggression at Al-Quds.
7/ The worst part is that Israel found itself completely taken aback, lost, not knowing what to do with this unforeseen explosion on all sides.
And now I ask a question to the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Aviv Kochavi, this so-called “philosopher” who for 3 years has been rethinking Israel’s strategy, organizing colossal maneuvers, etc. His main thought was that the infantry was the basis for achieving victory. But this great strategic thinker [irony] bit the dust against Gaza, despite all his measures, all his maneuvers, all his preparations. There was not even a land incursion into Gaza! It’s a humiliating mark of their defeat.
I am not claiming that Israel is incapable of carrying out a major ground operation, no, but I am claiming that the morale of the Israeli troops is shaped by fear: they are terrified at the idea of a ground operation, whether in Gaza, Lebanon or anywhere. Despite their technology, weaponry, planes, tanks, etc., they are scared to death to conduct a ground operation. They are still haunted by their bloody debacle in 2014 in Gaza (+60 soldiers killed), with soldiers they did not even know if they were alive. That the so-called most powerful army in the region is so afraid is a major strategic failure.
Lastly, Israel has failed to present even an image of victory, short of a real victory! Polls indicate that no more than 20% of Israelis consider Israel to have won. So much for the description, consequences and lessons to be learned from this confrontation in Gaza.
I come now to Lebanon. On this day commemorating the Liberation of Lebanon, I assure the Lebanese people that Hezbollah has never been better off than today. We are more powerful than ever (weapons, numbers, experience, preparation, faith, courage, morale, etc.). I tell the Israelis not to be stupid, not to be arrogant, not to miscalculate against Lebanon. The rules of engagement remain valid (the slightest aggression against Lebanon will trigger a response). You made a big miscalculation with Gaza and saw what it cost you, so imagine what it would be like with Hezbollah, which is in a much better situation than Gaza! Despite the sanctions and the difficulties, we are not under siege! We will not tolerate any aggression against our territory or population!
Third point, the masses who support Hezbollah remain firmly attached to the Resistance despite the economic difficulties, which will not change the massive support of our popular base. The President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun, continues to support the Resistance and the rights of Lebanon. The same goes for the government and the Parliament. All US sanctions and threats weaken neither the Resistance nor those who support it.
Fourth point, in terms of our pending accounts with Israel, we add (to our 2 martyrs in Damascus to avenge) the martyr Mohamad Tahan, killed on the Lebanese-Israeli border while demonstrating unarmed for Palestine. I renew my congratulations and condolences to his family. This blood will be avenged: we had the patience not to avenge it immediately, but we add it to the pending accounts (and he will be avenged sooner or later).
Fifth point before the conclusion: the formation of a new government is the key to everything. There is no need for the resignation of President Aoun, nor the resignation of Prime Minister Hariri charged with forming the government, nor the simultaneous resignation of both. What prevents the formation of a government are purely internal obstacles.
There are two solutions:
– either Hariri sits down with Aoun for as long as it takes to achieve the formation of a government. Lebanon is in your hands.
– or a friend intervenes to help you, like Nabih Berri, the President of the Chamber of Deputies. Everyone must help them to achieve the formation of a government to save the country. There is no other solution. Because the country must move forward: the dire economic, social situation can’t stand the vacuum.
In conclusion, looking back on all that has happened over the past few days, months and years, the Middle East has gone through the 10 most difficult years it has ever experienced. Entire countries were targeted for destruction. But the Resistance Axis thwarted these plans. The Resistance Axis not only preserved the Middle East, but also enabled Palestine to stand tall and achieve victories. If it hadn’t been for Iran who faced ISIS alongside the local forces in Irak and Syria, where would we be? What would have become of Lebanon, of the other countries? Iran has overcome the threat of (US) war, triumphed over sanctions, and is heading towards presidential elections. ISIS is almost eradicated in Iraq. All of Iraq supported Gaza and the Resistance. Syria is recovering from ISIS, and will also hold presidential elections tomorrow. Lebanon is holding on despite everything. But imagine what the situation would be in Palestine if Iran, Syria and Lebanon had been defeated? Where would we be, with all the regimes having normalized with Israel? Today, the Arab-Muslim world stands alongside Palestine, from one end to the other, and joins the Resistance camp at least at the level of the populations.
And in terms of political and military forces, Yemen has joined the Resistance Axis, and it is ready to share its bread with Gaza despite the famine there (Nasrallah is moved to tears): the solidarity of famine-stricken Yemen with Palestine, ready to share the very bread it lacks, while the billionaire oil monarchies normalize with Israel! This is a basis that makes you optimistic about the future.
The Liberation of Al-Quds is closer than ever, and the demise of Israel is very near. Independence, stability, noble and dignified peace are the future of our region.
I thank all those who have supported the Resistance, in one way or another, first and foremost the Islamic Republic of Iran & Sayed Khamenei, as well as the soul of Hajj Qassem Soleimani who has dedicated more than 20 years to strengthen our region. When he came to our help, he had not a single white hair on his head, and when he left, all of his hair was white. I salute the soul of this great martyr, Soleimani, who sacrificed everything for the region and Palestine, tireless even when others got tired.
Speech by Sayed Hashem Safi al-Din, Head of the Executive Office of Hezbollah, on May 17, 2021, at a rally in support of Gaza and Palestine, held in the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahiyeh), four days before the ceasefire.
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers & greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Abul Qassim Muhammad, and on his noble and purified family.
Peace be upon you all, as well as the God’s Mercy and Blessings.
God the Most High says in His Holy Book: “And slacken not in pursuit of the enemy: if ye are suffering hardships, they are suffering hardships too; but ye have Hope from God, while they have none. And God is full of knowledge and wisdom“. (Sura IV, verse 104).
Allow me, in this blessed gathering in support of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and Palestine, to begin by sending all my love, gratitude and esteem, as well as jihadist greetings, to the heroic fighters on the battlefield, ready to (liberate the fortress) of Al-Quds, holding their ground in the front line of the defense of the Muslim Community (Umma) in Gaza, and in all the Palestinians: “Peace be upon you, O heroes! Peace be upon you, O those who lead this (glorious) struggle and engrave (in history) a new victory on the path to the Liberation of Palestine and the holy city of Al-Quds!”
I also thank all the children of the noble Palestinian people, who stood up in defense of their dignity, of the honor of Al-Aqsa (mosque) and of the honor of every worthy Muslim in the world! Because the defense of Palestine and Al-Quds is the defense of the entire Muslim community! I thank all the Palestinian people, in Gaza, in Al-Quds, in the West Bank, in the territories (occupied by Israel) in 1948! I thank all the Arab and Muslim peoples who stood alongside the Palestinians, and still demonstrate today as one man in defense of Al-Quds and in support of this cause! I also thank the soul of our great leader, Hajj Qassem Soleimani, who, together with his brother-in-arms Hajj Imad Moghniyeh (cadre of Hezbollah assassinated in 2008), designed and completed the mentality of the (victorious) rockets & missiles equation on the battlefield, and collaborated with all the sincere children of Palestine, Lebanon and all the Resistance Axis to make rockets & missiles a (victorious) equation, building a new equation in defense of holy Al-Quds, in Gaza and throughout Palestine.
My dear (brothers and sisters), I will say a few words. After showing our solidarity and presence alongside the Palestinian Resistance —and indeed our action (for Palestine) goes well beyond the expression of solidarity: O my brothers of the Palestinian Resistance, we and you are (engaged) in the same struggle, on the same front, for the same cause. Your fight is our fight, your martyrs are our martyrs, your cause is our cause, your priorities are our priorities, your rockets & missiles are our rockets & missiles, and with the grace of God, your victory and ours will be one, if God the Most High wills it.
What I want to say clearly is that firstly, the battle that is being fought today in the heart of Palestine is different from all previous battles, whether it is the ones that we ourselves (Hezbollah) fought in Lebanon against the Zionist enemy, or those led by our dear brothers of the Palestinian Resistance inside Palestine. Why? Because it is the battle of the defense of Al-Quds and its identity, the defense of Al-Quds and its dignity, the defense of Al-Quds and its history. For Al-Quds embodies the dignity of the Muslim community, the dignity of (cultural and religious) affiliation, the dignity of history. And this battle is distinguished from other battles in that it is the battle of the entire Muslim community. Therefore, there can be no question of being neutral there: either you are with Al-Quds or you are with the enemy. There is no place for political, opportunist, sectarian or other alibis, nor for states, nor for peoples, nor for societies.
Second, this battle for the defense of Al-Quds made all Palestine one, just like it unified the Arab-Muslim peoples, making it clear to us and everyone else that when the Muslim community comes together & unites for its just causes, and takes the path of Resistance and Justice, then it appears quite grandiose, as it is today, while our enemy seems small and contemptible, as it is the case today.
O my dear ones, during all the past decades, Israel, and alongside it the United States and the West, as well as a few weak (leaders) from our Muslim community, have worked tirelessly to divide us, to tear us apart, to foment crises and chaos in our societies and our countries, in order to strengthen their grip on Al-Quds and on Palestine, and erase all hope for the Palestinians; they strived in order to keep certain political, cultural and other layers gripped by disputes for throne, power or kingship, while they themselves (our enemies) advance their pawns in their evil plan to Judaize all of Palestine and end the cause of Al-Quds .
The answer to these decades of spreading seditions and turf wars in our countries, our societies and our region, and especially the last 10 years (with the creation of ISIS), through which they have endeavored to lead a large part of our peoples to civil wars and seditions, the United States pouring money and support into this (takfiri) project, as well as some Arab countries unfortunately, which joined them out of interest; but today, the response to these last 10 years has come, the answer to all these decades during which our enemies have worked to divide our Muslim Community: this answer was to come to the aid of the Greatest Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and this help came from the Holy Al-Quds! Today the page of dislocations, divisions and seditions has ended, so that we all find ourselves on a new basis, and let’s open a new page whose title is “Al-Quds, Unity and Resistance”! This is one of the important consequences so far, as we are still in the midst of the battle, in the midst of the continuing armed confrontation.
That is why, by your side, O children of Al-Quds, O children of Palestine, O Mujahedin in Gaza, the West Bank and the (territories occupied in) 1948, with every child and woman killed in Gaza by the aggression of the oppressor, with all the crimes perpetrated by the enemy, what we say today from this place, the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahiyeh), the Dahiyeh of nobility and Resistance, we yell “We are all the Resistance! Yes, yes to the Resistance! No and a thousand times no to seditions and dislocation (of our ranks), and a thousand times no to normalization (of relations with Israel)!”
Third, in this battle, it is now clear that Israel is (already) defeated. I will express myself more lightly. Israel is politically defeated to the point of (total) confusion and stalemate in its choices. It is defeated politically, it is defeated militarily, it is defeated at the popular and societal level, whether by the pressure of the missiles & rockets in its skies and above its head, or at the level of the (Palestinian) people’s uprising in the West Bank and the occupied territories in 1948 to the point where the earth trembles under (the whole Zionist entity). Israel is therefore under (unprecedented and unbearable) pressure from above and below. What will Netanyahu do?
And to that is added their hybris! Sometimes and even often, arrogance prompts people to make choices that flout even the most basic of common sense (and lead them to ruin). Today, “their hearts are divided” (Quran, s. 59, v. 14) and they speak nothing but nonsense. And I’m telling you right now: Israel is just repeating (what happened) in 2006, as if it had learned nothing (from its failures). In the past, Israel mocked the people of our region by saying that they did not read (and were just ignorant, illiterate people). I in turn tell you this: “O Netanyahu, O Kochavi (Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army), O (Israeli) military and political leaders, you do not read or understand anything, and even if you read the recommendations of the Winograd Commission (responsible for studying and remedying the causes of the Israeli failure in 2006), it appears that you have not understood them and that you have not implemented them. Israel is just repeating the same experience, the same stupidity. In 2006, Halutz said after 3 days “The battle is over! We have destroyed Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and crushed its military capacity!” After 3 days, he thought the war was over (possible reference to the first 3 days of intense bombardment of all pre-established targets, or to 3 days of a temporary ceasefire scrupulously respected by Hezbollah, to the point that Israel believed the Resistance had exhausted its rockets)! (Hezbollah’s) rockets continued to strike Israel, until the end, and Israel was defeated! The result of the war (of 2006) was a humiliating defeat (for Israel)!
Today, after two or three days (of shelling), the Israeli enemy claimed they had struck 500 military targets in Gaza and liquidated the military infrastructure of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Resistance factions. But if it is true, where are the rockets coming from (as they continue to strike Israel in the hundreds every day)? If you destroyed the military infrastructure, then go inside Gaza! The Resistance promises you a massacre if you dare to enter Gaza!
Today, Netanyahu repeats Olmert’s experiment, and Kochavi repeats Halutz’s experiment (in 2006). That’s a good thing for us, it doesn’t bother us at all! This is a proof that for 15 years they have not understood anything, learned nothing! But in the face of this, in the face of Israel’s impotence, I guarantee you, O people of the Resistance in Lebanon, that in Palestine and throughout the Axis of Resistance, we have for our part innovative minds who plan, think, take the initiative, move forward, brimming with ever more capacity, courage and development! If we, in Lebanon, had a certain capacity in 2006, I assure you that today, our power is much greater still, at all levels: weapons, rockets & missiles, manpower, all our different capacities have been increased tenfold! In Lebanon, our power has increased exponentially! And in Gaza too, the Resistance’s capacities have increased enormously compared to 2014. They have been multiplied! How is it possible ? Through planning, knowledge, faith, more action and determination! We are facing an enemy who, despite his (almost infinite) military and destructive capabilities, is powerless! While on the other side, our Resistance in Gaza is capable of holding the enemy in check, and all our peoples in the region can count on it! This is the situation today and it will be (even worse for the enemy) tomorrow and every day in Gaza, throughout (occupied) Palestine, in Lebanon and throughout the Resistance Axis!
And I tell you O Zionists, the result of all this is that you are in a downward curve, a phase of (inevitable) decline, while we, the Resistance, are in an upward phase! And for us to finish (Israel), only one thing is needed: I will not give a deadline, but when the conditions are met for the Great War of Liberation, you will find all the peoples of our region, everywhere in the Middle East, from Yemen to Iran, passing by Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon, not to mention the others (forces and countries) who will join the ranks of the Axis of the Resistance in the near future, you will find us all together, (attacking you) at once, within a single Axis, united against this enemy to erase him from existence! It will undoubtedly happen, with the Grace of God the Most High!
Fourth, today Israel is in a dead end. Those who follow (Israeli) news and statements, Netanyahu’s (vain) threats, realize that they are being taken by the throat. What can they do today? All Netanyahu can do is resort to airpower and bomb residential buildings. Here, around us, all these buildings were destroyed (in 2006). Did this alter the Resistance’s resolve? In no case (quite the contrary)! The buildings have been rebuilt. And with the grace of God, whatever is destroyed in Gaza will be rebuilt. But what remains invincible is the defense of dignity and holy places! It cannot be destroyed, shaken or even touched, and on the contrary, each building destroyed only strengthens the Resistance’s determination and furthers the will of the combatants, who become all the more determined to continue on the way of jihad (for the Liberation)!
It is also part of the stupid acts of the Zionists. Can destroying houses constitute a victory, in the military sense? This is cowardice, abjection! Killing children, women and civilians is all they can do, and there is nothing more they can do. In the military sense, the battle has already been won (by the Resistance in Gaza). All Israel can do to this day is kill civilians. What is preventing or dissuading it from doing so? The so-called international community? The United States, the West, (diplomatic) contacts? Never! What dissuades and deters them are rockets & missiles, strength and endurance, perseverance (of the Resistance). This is our experience in Lebanon.
We are not determining what may come into play in the (deterrence) equation. It is the right and the business of the Palestinian Resistance, whose leaders have enough wisdom, courage, knowledge and will to fight and establish the terms of the equation of Al-Quds and the protection of Al-Quds. The Resistance and the Palestinian people have announced it from day one: this is not about ranting or throwing (empty) threats. The cause today is Al-Quds, its protection, the protection of its inhabitants, and the guarantee given to this protection. This is what the Palestinian people and the Palestinian People’s Resistance announced. They are the ones who determine how to establish this equation. But based on our experience, if there’s one thing we can say to Netanyahu —let him take it as an advice, a prediction, whatever he wants— it’s that he’d better hurry to recognize the results of the new equation imposed today by the Resistance and the missiles from Gaza. The longer he delays, the higher the price he will be forced to pay. This is what our experience teaches us, and if he hurries to recognize (the new situation), I see things going in a different direction.
Fifth and last point, O my dear ones, O worthy people of Palestine: know that the entire Muslim Community (Umma) is at your side. O young men of the West Bank, O young men and women of the territories of 1948, our hopes rest on you, and the future belongs to you. We are all with you, as you have seen over the past few days. We have lost a martyr of whom we are proud, the martyr Mohammad Tahan (killed) at the (Lebanese-Israeli) border. It is a point of pride for us, and a pledge of our solidarity and stance, of this unity of destiny and journey (between Palestine, Hezbollah and the entire Resistance Axis).
The voices of the people are rising in support for you. The Arab and Muslim peoples are with you. Do not be too saddened by some cowardly and treacherous (Arab leaders) who at no time in their lives have been with you, Al-Quds, or Palestine. Forget about those people. You, O young people of Palestine, you have the possibility of shaping this victory, and you are doing it and shaping this (radiant) future (of Liberation), and you will shape it. We will always be with you in the unity of the cause, the unity of the front and of the fight, this front whose ultimate goal is Al-Quds and Palestine, and which is the front of the entire Muslim community.
We are with you with all that God the Most High has given us in terms of strength and capacities (which we put entirely at your service). But we in Hezbollah, as we stand by your side today, we are (impatiently) waiting for the day when, as I just said, without announcing when it will happen because it would not be wise —even in the case we’d know, we wouldn’t say it— we (impatiently) look forward to that day when we will fight by your side, shoulder to shoulder, on all the battlefields of Palestine to eradicate this cancerous tumor. We have been promised that (this usurping entity) would be eradicated, making Israel disappear from existence. This day is approaching, it is approaching (fast) and it is inevitable.
May the people of Gaza be patient and bear its martyrs and sacrifices, standing strong in the fight against enemies, in everything you sacrifice, for victory comes at a price, no matter how high it is. But this victory will be noble and grandiose, for our entire Muslim community and not just for Palestine! We will always cry out, every day, with Al-Quds and with Palestine, “O Quds, we are coming, we are coming, we are coming!”
Having created enemies by its own criminal behavior, Israel then claims the right to protect itself from the very people it alienated through these criminal acts.
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — Israel’s army chief of staff, General Aviv Kochavi, recently commented on the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to investigate Israel for war crimes. In his speech, General Kochavi said:
There is a moral abyss that exists between us and our enemies. They do everything in order to target civilians; we do everything to prevent hurting their civilians. They rejoice when our civilians are killed; we investigate when theirs are killed.”
Sounds like a pretty good opening statement for his defense once the trial at The Hague commences. The only problem is, none of what he said is true.
As these words are being written, Israel is in the process of figuring out the results of its fourth elections in two years. These elections mark what could be the final step in a political strategy that would make Machiavelli proud. This strategy is one that was planned and executed brilliantly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that brought about the total disintegration of his opposition.
All that is left of those who ran against him are tiny fragments. The hungry politicians who lead these fragments cannot possibly compete with Netanyahu’s domestic political acumen.
Similarly, no Israeli politician is able to compete with Netanyahu’s gravitas in the international arena. This is something that was clearly demonstrated by the recent visit to Tel-Aviv by the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, to discuss cooperation among the three countries.
“A moral abyss”
The speech given by the Israeli army chief represents a righteous indignation that is typical of Israeli officials. He says that “a moral abyss” exists between Israel and its enemies, and that is a very interesting choice of words. One might think it is self-defeating for the Israeli military and political officials to bring up morality. And yet, here is yet another general who made a career of killing civilians and maintaining a brutal military regime claiming moral superiority.
In truth, a moral abyss does exist between Israel and the Palestinian people. A quick comparison shows the following: From its very founding, Israel had invested billions of dollars in developing and maintaining its military; Palestinians have never had as much as a tank, much less a military force.
For decades Palestinians have been searching for ways to make Palestine peaceful again. Palestinians had suggested establishing a secular democracy with equal rights. When that was rejected, they had agreed to end their resistance and recognized the State of Israel. Then the Palestinian Liberation Organization entered negotiations with Israel and accepted that all it would receive was a small Palestinian State on less than one-quarter of historic Palestine.
When this proved to be impossible, the Palestinians initiated a peaceful, dedicated, and morally just campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanction against the State of Israel. The demands set out by this call are all remedial and are all rooted in international law.
During these same decades, Israel had been engaged in dispossession, land theft, and violence. Palestinians are targeted by Israel regardless of their status or geographic location. Be they citizens of Israel, residents of the West Bank or Gaza, internally displaced, or refugees in camps outside of Palestine, Palestinians are living without rights — pushed off of their lands, prevented from access to basic resources like water, roads, and health care — and are killed on a daily basis.
Israel will not even provide Palestinians with a Covid vaccine. So yes, General Kochavi is right about the moral chasm. However, he and his army have nothing to be proud of.
“Our enemies”
One constantly hears that Israel is surrounded by enemies and that therefore it has no choice but to maintain a strong military force and strike whenever and wherever it sees a threat.
This is not unlike criminals who steal and are then afraid of retribution from their victims or the authorities. The criminals are constantly in need of more weapons, more recruits, and they must always hit first in order to strike fear into their potential enemies.
The State of Israel was established by acts that constitute crimes. Killing, mass displacement of a civilian population, theft of property and money, and the creation of an apartheid regime. Israel then built a military force that to this day continues to terrorize Palestinians and occasionally its neighboring countries, referring to them all as “enemies.”
One could argue, and indeed should argue, that Israel created enemies by its own criminal behavior. Then Israel feels it has the right to protect itself from the very people it alienated through criminal acts.
They rejoice
Driving south from Jerusalem towards Gaza, one reaches an intersection just north of the first entry point into Gaza, called Erez. Then you drive down a road that goes along the Gaza Strip just east. At one intersection there is a gas station and a dirt road that winds from behind the gas station and up a sandy hill.
At the top of the hill, there are a few trees — one can see the Mediterranean from there, and also Gaza City. When Israel drops bombs on Gaza one can see the smoke and hear the explosions from that spot. Someone dragged up a couch and a few chairs, turning this spot into a favorite for Israelis who enjoy the spectacle.
In fact, a piece in the British paper The Guardian describes the place and the scene during the 2014 assault on Gaza: “People drink, snack and pose for selfies against a background of explosions as Palestinian death toll mounts in ongoing offensive.”
It goes on, describing what I too personally witnessed:
A group of men huddle around a shisha pipe. Nearly all hold up smartphones to record the explosions or to pose grinning, perhaps with thumbs up, for selfies against a backdrop of black smoke…Some bring their children.”
“We investigate”
Kochavi claimed the army investigates, though clearly Israel’s investigations of its own crimes are few, far between, and rarely end up with the violators being held accountable.
“We do everything to prevent killing their civilians,” he says, which should make us wonder in what world General Kochavi lives. Israel not only does not do anything to prevent the death of civilians but for decades has been targeting civilians in both Palestine and Lebanon. This is obvious because, as stated earlier, Palestinians have never had an army.
As the world wonders what the next Netanyahu government will look like, it is clear that Palestinians will continue to live in fear of Israeli terrorism. One has to wonder at what point the world is likely to end the destruction of Palestine and its people by Israel.
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 