Netanyahu’s decision to intensify military efforts in the north comes amid expectations that the return of residents to border towns in northern Israel will be officially approved as one of the objectives of the ongoing war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to expand military operations on the northern front, Channel 13 reported on Saturday.
The channel quoted Netanyahu as stating that Israel “is about to launch a broad and powerful operation on the northern front.” According to the same source, the Israeli army is aiming for a “gradual escalation” in this region.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (KAN) previously reported that this decision is expected to be made during a Security and Political Affairs Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday.
Following the announcement of the expanded operations, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant affirmed the military’s readiness to escalate tensions with Lebanon, though he acknowledged that this could complicate efforts to reach a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.
Gallant had previously stated, during an inspection of the Netzarim axis in central Gaza, that the army is prepared to rapidly move its focus from the Gaza Strip to the northern front if necessary, citing the increased Hezbollah strikes on northern Israeli sites.
Meanwhile, former War Council member Benny Gantz expressed, that “the time has come to use force against Hezbollah and return the residents of the north safely to their homes,” while criticizing Netanyahu’s government, describing it as “paralyzed and disintegrated” for neglecting the residents in northern Israel.
‘Settlers in the North’
Netanyahu’s decision to intensify military efforts in the north comes amid expectations that the return of residents to border towns in northern Israel will be officially approved as one of the objectives of the ongoing war.
This development occurs more than 11 months into the war on the Gaza Strip and its extension to the northern front, with Netanyahu reportedly emphasizing the importance of achieving this goal.
However, speaking at a ceremony for slain fighter Hani Ezzedine on Saturday, Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of the Lebanese movement Hezbollah, said that a ceasefire in Gaza would be the only way for Israel to return its residents to the north, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.
“The support front in Lebanon will continue as long as the war in Gaza continues, and the pace of this support increases as Israel increases its aggression, especially when it targets civilians,” he was quoted as saying, adding that “there is no way for the settlers in the north to return except by stopping the war on Gaza.”
Exchange of Fire
Since October 8, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.
According to Hezbollah sources, the movement has carried out 1,194 military operations in the first 250 days of war, killing and wounding over 2,000 Israeli soldiers.
The Lebanese movement Hezbollah published scenes from the operation targeting the Yiftah Elifleet Israeli military base.
TranslationNotes: 0:10 – [Left to right] Aita Al-Shaab; Aitaroun; Houla; "Yiftah" settlement; "Kiryat Shmona" settlement. 0:16 – [Left to right] Safad; "Rosh… pic.twitter.com/lYTkhlkjFR
Israel has occupied parts of Lebanon for decades and has only left the country in 2000, following stiff Lebanese resistance under Hezbollah’s leadership.
It attempted to re-occupy Lebanon in 2006 but failed in what Lebanon considers a major victory against Israel.
Israel, however, continues to occupy parts of Lebanon, namely the Sheeba Farms region.
Hezbollah has vowed to recover every inch of Lebanon that has been occupied by Israel contrary to international law.
Reserve General Israel Ziv. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)
According to Maj. Gen. Israel Ziv, former head of operations for the Israeli army, “the war itself has become the goal that provides stability for Netanyahu and his government.”
A former high-ranking Israeli military official called for Israel’s immediate withdrawal from Gaza on Saturday, describing the situation as a “dire quagmire,” Israel’s Channel 12 reported, according to the Anadolu news agency.
Maj. Gen. Israel Ziv, former head of operations for the Israeli army, reportedly criticized the ongoing war, stating that Israel is “stuck in Gaza and bleeding.”
Ziv, who previously commanded the Gaza Division, suggested that Netanyahu might be prolonging the war to preserve his government and delay his corruption trial, which could eventually result in his imprisonment.
The former general further explained that after what he called the longest and most exhausting war in Israel’s history, the country remains trapped in a persistent security crisis with no resolution in sight.
He observed that the situation continues to deteriorate, with no clear path forward, and noted that the war, which Netanyahu had claimed was nearing victory six months ago, now seems endless.
According to Ziv, “The war itself has become the goal that provides stability for Netanyahu and his government.”
Philadelphi Route
Ziv disputed Netanyahu’s assertion that maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt is crucial.
According to Channel 12, Israel’s prime minister “is using the regrouping of Hamas remnants to construct a new narrative of an ‘existential threat,’ allowing him to continue the war and avoid a deal to release hostages, which would hasten the war’s end.”
He added that “in this situation, aside from retrieving the hostages, Israel has no reason to remain in Gaza and should withdraw as soon as possible.”
“In the north, Israel is engaged in a war of attrition with no end in sight, and the Galilee remains Hezbollah’s main target, with the northern residents as its cannon fodder,” the former military chief reportedly said, warning that “any ground entry into Lebanon without a clear exit strategy or objective, even if limited, would worsen the situation.”
Ziv argued that invading southern Lebanon would not compel Hezbollah to cease attacks but would instead escalate rocket and drone assaults on Israel, much like the aftermath of the invasion in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.
Regarding the increasing tensions in the occupied West Bank, Ziv blamed “dangerous actions” by far-right ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for “fueling the flames in the region.”
“Even in the West Bank, the escalation is intensifying, with Ben Gvir obsessed with igniting every possible flame to set the region ablaze, competing with Smotrich over who can create a total war that would lead to the reoccupation of Judea and Samaria (the biblical term for the occupied West Bank), overthrow the Palestinian Authority, and expel large numbers of Palestinians,” Ziv reportedly said.
The general also noted that “the two extremist ministers have no understanding of the consequences of their dangerous actions, nor how they are exploiting Netanyahu’s weakness to create regional instability.”
This is not the first time Ziv has criticized Netanyahu and Israel’s strategy in the war. Last April, also speaking to Channel 12, he criticized the decision to invade Rafah, stating that time was “crucial for the lives of the prisoners” and tha the invasion of Rafah was a strategic mistake since Israeli captives were not likely to survive.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,182 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,280 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
Abu Annaba, along with several colleagues, was detained in December while performing his duties as a medic at the Nasser Medical Complex, according to the ministry.
A Palestinian paramedic has died in Israeli custody following his detention at a medical facility in Khan Yunis last December, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza announced on Saturday.
The ministry confirmed that medic Hamdan Abu Annaba passed away while detained by Israeli authorities, the Anadolu news agency reported.
Abu Annaba, along with several colleagues, was detained in December while performing his duties as a medic at the Nasser Medical Complex, according to the ministry.
The Health Ministry has called on international and human rights organizations to investigate the fate of dozens of healthcare workers who were detained while carrying out their humanitarian duties at hospitals.
“After confirming the announcement of the martyrdom of paramedic Hamdan Abu Annaba, inside the occupation’s prisons, who was arrested along with his colleagues while on duty at the Nasser Medical Complex on 02/12/2023,” the ministry said in a statement.
“According to the information received, (Abu Annaba) has been martyred since the date of his arrest,” the ministry noted.
“The Ministry of Health calls on all international and human rights institutions to urgently reveal the fate of dozens of health workers who were kidnapped from hospitals while performing their humanitarian duties,” the statement added.
Since the war on Gaza began in October, over 885 medical personnel have been killed, and 310 others have been detained, the government media office reported on September 10.
In June, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that a senior doctor from Gaza had died last November under interrogation by the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, six days after his detention.
Dr. Iyad Rantisi, 53, was the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip.
“He was arrested November 11 and was declared dead six days later at Shikma Prison, the site of a Shin Bet interrogation facility,” the report said, adding that, “according to the Shin Bet, he was interrogated on suspicion of involvement in holding Israeli hostages in Gaza.”
The cause of death is unclear but Israel has been repeatedly accused of “systematic torture” against Palestinian prisoners detained from Gaza during the ongoing genocidal war.
Dr. Rantisi’s death reportedly prompted an investigation by the Israeli Ministry of Justice. According to Haaretz, “its findings are under review”.
Dr. Rantisi was not the first Gazan physician to be killed in Israeli custody since October 7.
On April 19, Dr. Adnan al-Barsh, 53, the director of the orthopedic department at the Al-Shifa Hospital, was killed “as a result of torture” at the Israeli Ofer prison, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society.
Al-Barsh had been detained, along with other doctors, by the Israeli army last December as he was treating patients.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,182 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,280 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
“We will continue to do so, despite threats that come from across the globe, because we believe we are standing on principles.”
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has called on “the collective conscience” of the global community to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
“We continue to call on the collective conscience of the global community to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, to call Israel to stop the genocide that is currently unfolding,” Lamola said at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Legislative Conference in Washington on Friday.
“We will continue to do so, despite threats that come from across the globe, because we believe we are standing on principles,” he added.
Lamola’s weeklong visit to the US comes amid a report by the news website Axios that Israeli diplomats were being instructed to lobby members of the US Congress to pressure South Africa into dropping its genocide case against Tel Aviv at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Nelson Mandela’s Pledge
He reiterated his government’s support for the Palestinian cause, saying “We continue to champion for human rights in Gaza, we stand with the people of Palestine.”
“As you are aware this has been a historic position of the South African government informed by former president Mandela when he said that South Africa will not be free until the people of Palestine are free,” Lamola stated.
WATCH | Minister Ronald Lamola participates in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Legislative Conference Roundtable in Washington, USA 13 September 2024.https://t.co/9uoeSosbzz
He emphasized that South Africa “took a decision when the whole world was quiet,” saying that Israel’s response to the resistance operation of October 7 “is disproportionate to the offense committed.”
“It is going beyond self-defense as predicated by international law, and it is against this background that we went to the International Court of Justice to call for the state of Israel to cease fire to stop the maiming and the destruction of innocent children and women, to stop the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Palestine,” Lamola stated.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,118 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,125 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
ICJ Ruling
The ICJ, he stressed, took a resolution and indicated “that the state of Israel should cease its military operation … cease destruction of infrastructure.”
“Despite the Court’s ruling the state of Israel continues to do so,” Lamola stated.
South Africa filed a case against Israel in late December arguing that it had violated its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The country has until October 28 to provide the UN court with its arguments for the case.
“South Africa intends to provide facts and evidence to prove that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in Palestine,” the government said in a statement on Tuesday. “This case will continue until the court makes a finding.”
Over 41,000 Killed
Israel has also flouted a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, and faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Tel Aviv says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to the war, praying especially for Christians sheltered in the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza.
Pope Francis denounced on Friday the killing of Palestinian children by Israeli occupation forces labeling the targeting of schools for allegedly striking Hamas resistance fighters, as “ugly”, Reuters news agency reported.
The Pontiff reportedly made the comments while on a flight back to Rome from Singapore voicing his skepticism over the parties’ desire to end the nearly one-year war.
“I am sorry to have to say this,” Pope Francis said. “But I do not think that they are taking steps to make peace.”
The Pope revealed that he communicates daily over the phone with members of a Catholic parish in Gaza.
“They tell me ugly things, difficult things,” Pope Francis stated in reference to his conversations with the Catholic parish in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“It is ugly,” the Pontiff emphasized while addressing reporters in a press conference aboard the plane after a 12-day tour across Southeast Asia and Oceania.
According to Pope Francis, there are 600 Christians and Muslims in the parish and in the college. “They live as brothers,” he emphasized.
In the 42-minute press conference – the first in a year – an Italian journalist asked Pope Francis about the possibility of the Holy See mediating to reach a ceasefire deal and the anticipated peace, the Pontiff said: “The Holy See is working (for peace).”
Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to the war, praying especially for Christians sheltered in the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza.
On December 17 of last year, during the Angelus prayer, the Pope said he continues to receive troubling news from Gaza, where “unarmed civilians are the targets of bombings and gunfire.”
Pope Francis also condemned an attack on the compound of the Catholic parish, “where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities, and nuns.”
“A mother, Mrs. Nahida Khalil Anton, and her daughter, Samar Kamal Anton, were killed, and others were wounded by the shooters while they were going to the bathroom,” the Pope said.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,118 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,125 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
The Israeli army carried out new massacres in Gaza on Saturday, killing and wounding scores of Palestinian civilians throughout the Strip.
Two massacres were committed in Gaza City on Saturday morning, resulting in the deaths of 15 people, according to Al-Jazeera. The Israeli army has also intensified its bombing of the northern Gaza Strip, following threats to launch a new military operation in the region.
According to Civil Defense reports, five Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli strike near Dar Al-Arqam School in the Ard Al-Shanti area, northwest of Gaza City.
Additionally, ten Palestinians, including three children and three women, were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a house in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City. The victims and the wounded were taken to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital where many remain in critical condition.
In the Shejaiyya neighborhood, also located east of Gaza City, the occupation forces bombed a house for the second time today, killing a woman and injuring others, according to the Al-Aqsa TV channel.
The aftermath of the Israeli occupation bombardment targeting a residential building in Al-Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, has left a dozen Palestinian civilians wounded. pic.twitter.com/dl0ip55ZMa
Three separate airstrikes targeted areas northwest of Gaza City, while an Israeli helicopter opened fire toward the southern parts of the city.
In the northern Gaza Strip, two Palestinians were killed and several others injured in artillery shelling targeting Beit Hanoun.
Earlier today, three people were killed in an airstrike on Rawdat Al-Aliya in the Jabaliya camp, while another airstrike hit the Al-Faluja area of the camp, although no casualties were reported.
The Israeli air and artillery bombardment of the Jabaliya refugee camp and other northern Gaza areas escalated following Israeli threats of a new military operation.
Meanwhile, in Al-Mawasi, west of the southern city of Khan Yunis, a Palestinian was killed and six others injured by an Israeli airstrike targeting a tent sheltering displaced people. The bombing caused fires in multiple tents in the area.
#painful ? 2 children were deprived by the terrorist Zionist Israeli occupation of their father and they look at him one last time before he was buried in the land of Palestine He was martyred in the terrorist Israeli bombing of his home in the Tuffah neighborhood east of #Gazapic.twitter.com/i5uEX79HqO
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,182 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,280 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
Israel’s high-tech sector reported losing investments since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began. (Photo: StateofIsrael, via Wikimedia Commons)
The report indicated that the situation is particularly challenging in the north of the country, where 69 per cent of high-tech companies are stationed.
Forty-nine percent of Israeli high-tech companies have reported losing investments since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began last October, while 48 percent of investors expect shares to decline next year, a report by Start-Up Nation Central cited by the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) has revealed.
The report indicated that the situation is particularly challenging in the north of the country, where 69 percent of high-tech companies are stationed.
A separate survey of about 60 northern-based tech firms found that only 45 percent are fully operational, 41 percent have relocated their activities to central Israel and 20 percent already know they won’t return to the north.
The report reflected the very low confidence among companies and investors in the Israeli government’s ability to develop recovery plans, with more than 80 percent of companies and 74 percent of investors doubting the government’s ability to assist the high-tech sector, said MEMO.
It also indicated that high-tech companies were able to raise $7.8 billion in investments this year; four percent less than the investments raised last year.
The value of mergers and acquisitions amounted to $9.6 billion this year, down $1 billion from the previous year, according to the report.
‘Uncertainty’
More than 50 per cent of companies believe the situation will improve in the coming year, and 72 percent of investors believe that high-tech companies will continue to grow despite the economic distress caused by the war on Gaza.
The report, according to MEMO, stated that “due to the uncertainty caused by the ongoing conflict and the Israeli government’s economic policy, which is widely considered to be destructive, the technology sector’s immunity will not exist.”
Last month, credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded Israel’s credit rating to “A” from “A+” on Monday, citing the ongoing war in Gaza.
“The downgrade to ‘A’ reflects the impact of the continuation of the war in Gaza, heightened geopolitical risks and military operations on multiple fronts,” the rating agency said.
Fitch also kept its rating outlook negative as “the conflict in Gaza could last well into 2025 and there are risks of it broadening to other fronts,” it said.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,118 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 95,125 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
Attendants at the meeting affirmed the urgent need to open all border crossings with Gaza to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid to enter the besieged Gaza Strip.
A ministerial meeting involving the Arab League Contact Group on Gaza, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several European Union ministers, called for an immediate ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Route.
Attendants included Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye — all members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza — as well as the heads of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Additionally, the European Union was represented by its foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, along with the foreign ministers of Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain.
Hoy en Madrid nos reunimos países que desde el comienzo del conflicto en Gaza nos hemos posicionado a favor de la legalidad internacional y de los esfuerzos de paz.
Avanzamos para impulsar una voz conjunta, unida en torno a la aplicación de la solución de dos Estados. pic.twitter.com/GtwBujaa6X
In a statement issued on Friday, the attendants reaffirmed their support of the ongoing negotiations efforts to achieve a ceasefire “in the midst of the worst crisis in the Middle East in decades”.
“We reiterate our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages and detainees,” the statement said.
“We also call for the full restoration of Palestinian Authority control over the Rafah crossing and the rest of the borders, and a full withdrawal of Israeli occupying forces from Gaza, including from the Philadelphi Corridor,” the statement added.
Attendants at the meeting affirmed the urgent need to open all border crossings with Gaza to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid to enter the besieged Gaza Strip and commended the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and other United Nations agencies in service of the Palestinians in Gaza.
“We urge all parties to implement their obligations under international humanitarian law and implement the orders of the International Court of Justice,” the statement said.
On the intensive Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, the ministers warned against the escalation and demanded that Israel halt all its operations against the Palestinians.
The ministers criticized Israel’s illegal activities in the Palestinian occupied territories including “settlement activities, land confiscation and displacement of Palestinians”, which undermine any prospects of peace.
They also called on preserving the legal and historical status of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.
“We call for the credible and irreversible implementation of the two-state solution in accordance with international law and agreed parameters, including the Arab Peace Initiative, to achieve a just and lasting peace,” they said in the statement.
The peace, they explained, should meet “the rights of the Palestinian people”, ensure “the security of Israel” and achieve “normal relations in a region of stability, security, peace and cooperation”.
Attendants of the meeting also urged all United Nations members to join the expanded meeting on “the situation in Gaza and the implementation of the two-state solution as a path to a just and comprehensive peace”, which is scheduled on September 26, on the margins of the next session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the statement.
The Israeli army carried out two massacres in Gaza City, killing at least 15 Palestinians and wounding many more.
The Lebanese movement Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets, targeting Israeli military sites in Israel.
The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister said that his country will continue to support the Palestinians in their effort to become a full member of the United Nations.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,182 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,280 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
This blog has been discontinued. Click here for the new blog.
Sunday, September 15, 09:00 am (GMT+2)
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the headquarters of the armored Israeli battalions of the 188th Brigade in the “Rawiyeh” barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets
today.
AL-MAYADEEN (Citing Yemeni sources): Yemeni army carefully studies the defense systems of the enemy army just as it studied the defense systems of the American battleships in the Red Sea.
MAARIV (Israeli newspaper): Former commander of Israel’s air defense system as saying that the missile launched from Yemen has a range of 1,700 kilometers and takes 13-15 minutes to reach Tel Aviv from Yemen.
تغطية صحفية: مشهد آخر للنيران المشتعلة في مكان سقوط الصـــاروخ اليمني في "تل أبيب". pic.twitter.com/qnu5YfsiOf
ISRAELI MEDIA: Nine Israelis were injured as they rushed to shelters in Tel Aviv after a rocket fired from Yemen was repelled.
ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 12: Air defenses failed to intercept a missile originating from Yemen.
Sunday, September 15, 03:30 am (GMT+2)
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Casualties reporting following an Israeli airstrike targeting a house west of Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
AL-JAZEERA: A Palestinian was killed and others were wounded in a shelling that targeted a house in the vicinity of Al-Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital in Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
MEDIA REPORTS: Several European cities witnessed demonstrations and marches rejecting the Israeli war on the Gaza, demanding an immediate end to the war.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Ambulance crews evacuated an injured person after settlers under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of um Safa, north of Ramallah in the West Bank.
CHANNEL 12: The Israeli police arrested 15 demonstrators in Tel Aviv during protests demanding a prisoner exchange deal from Gaza.
US-BRITISH STATEMENT: We stress the need to avoid any escalation in the Middle East that could undermine the prospects for peace and progress towards a two-state solution.
AL-JAZEERA: Israeli occupation forces stormed the towns of Beit Amarin, northwest of Nablus, Zeita, north of Tulkarm, and Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, and launched raids and arrests among citizens.
LEBANESE MEDIA: Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of the towns of Shebaa and Kfar Shuba in southern Lebanon.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The Israeli occupation forces launched a series of raids on various areas in the northern Gaza Strip.
HALEVI: The agreement to return the kidnapped people is subject to the government’s decision, and we are doing everything we can to achieve that.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The Israeli occupation army fired flares in the Sheikh Zayed and Qalibo hill areas, north of Gaza.
Saturday, September 14, 10:30 pm (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY: We bombed Hezbollah weapons depots deep and south of Lebanon.
LEBANESE MINISTRY OF HEALTH: 4 civilians, three of them children, were injured in an Israeli raid on the vicinity of the eastern town of Al-Kawakh.
AXIOS: A meeting of the Israeli security cabinet, which was scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed to Monday.
BENNY GANTZ (Former War Council member): It is time to use force with Hezbollah and safely return the people of the north to their homes. Netanyahu’s paralyzed and fragmented government continues to neglect the residents of the north.
ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Tens of thousands are demonstrating in Tel Aviv to demand a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
KAN: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirms the army’s readiness to escalate with Lebanon.
AL-JAZEERA: Two Israeli raids on the Hermel area in eastern Lebanon.
ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 13: IDF is seeking a gradual escalation on the northern front.
ISRAEL’S CHANNEL 13: Netanyahu decides to expand the military operation on the northern front. “We are in the process of a broad and robust operation on the northern front,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying.
The Lebanese movement Hezbollah published scenes from the operation targeting the Yiftah Elifleet Israeli military base.
TranslationNotes: 0:10 – [Left to right] Aita Al-Shaab; Aitaroun; Houla; "Yiftah" settlement; "Kiryat Shmona" settlement. 0:16 – [Left to right] Safad; "Rosh… pic.twitter.com/lYTkhlkjFR
HEZBOLLAH: Our fighters attacked with a squadron of marches a position of the 769th Brigade of the Galilee Division in Ein Margaliot, west of Kiryat Shmona.
CHANNEL 7 (Citing Amit Halevi, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee):
The army did not defeat any battalion or even a Hamas faction in Rafah.
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari’s statements embarrass the military and, more seriously, mislead the public and the government.
AL-MAYADEEN: Two injuries as a result of gunfire from the occupation drones toward civilians in the vicinity of the entrance to the Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Al-Quds Brigades in the West Bank published a video showing scenes of the battles carried out by its fighters during the battle of the Horror of the Camps in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/KijzXZvBDK
FAMILIES OF ISRAELI CAPTIVES: The war will continue forever as long as Netanyahu is in power.
NAIM QASSEM: There is no way for the settlers to return to the north except by stopping the war on Gaza.
ISRAELI MEDIA: A fire broke out in a military base in Kiryat Shmona due to rockets from Lebanon.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the Ruwaysat al-Alam position in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shouba hills with artillery shells and achieved a direct hit.
Saturday, September 14, 6:00 pm (GMT+2)
AL-JAZEERA: The death toll following resulting from the occupation’s bombing of a school housing displaced persons in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, has risen to five.
ABDUL-MALIK AL-HOUTHI: More than 700 raids and naval bombardments did not help Washington in limiting or stopping the Ansraellah’s military operations.
ABDUL-MALIK AL-HOUTHI: More than 700 raids and naval bombardments did not help Washington in limiting or stopping the Ansraellah’s military operations. pic.twitter.com/mNewxtXnfH
UAE FM: The UAE is not prepared to support the ‘day after’ Gaza war without a Palestinian state.
US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN: The departure of the Roosevelt carrier and its battle group from the Middle East does not mean the end of the Iranian threat. We still have more forces in the region than we did last April when Iran attacked Israel.
AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli drone fired bombs in the vicinity of Abu Sharia’s office in the Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
HEZBOLLAH: We bombed the espionage equipment at the Hadab Yarin site with appropriate weapons, which led to its destruction.
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES IN TULKARM: Our fighters detonated six explosive devices in the occupation army’s vehicles during the recent invasion of Tulkarm Governorate, killing and wounding its crews.
Saturday, September 14, 4:00 pm (GMT+2)
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Fires broke out in citizens’ homes in the Saudi neighborhood west of Rafah as a result of Israeli artillery shelling.
AL-MAYADEEN: The Palestinian resistance fired a barrage of rockets from the heart of Gaza City towards Ashkelon, despite the ongoing heavy shelling of the city.
AL-JAZEERA: Air raid sirens sounded in areas of the Upper Galilee, northern Israel.
NORWEGIAN FM: Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said his country has made a strong appeal to other countries to contribute to global recognition of Palestine.
ANAS AL-SHARIF: Israeli warplanes launched a new raid near Dar Al-Arqam School northwest of Gaza City, where a first raid earlier today resulted in the killing of five Palestinians and the injury of others.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the Israeli army’s artillery positions at the Zaoura site with rockets and achieved a direct hit.
Saturday, September 14, 3:00 pm (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESMAN: We targeted two military buildings from which Hezbollah elements operated in southern Lebanon.
ISRAELI ARMY: The Iron Dome intercepted a rocket fired from the northern Gaza Strip at Ashkelon and another fell in the marine area.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli Quadcopter drones opened fire east of the Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.
AL-AQSA TV: The Palestinian resistance launched a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Ashkelon
Saturday, September 14, 2:00 pm (GMT+2)
TURKISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER: We will hold accountable those who killed Aysanur Ezgi.
AL-JAZEERA: Thousands of people attended the funeral of Turkish-American activist Aysanur Ezgi in her hometown of Didim in Aydın province in western Turkey, in a popular and official ceremony.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 41,182 Palestinians have been killed, and 95,280 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
#Breaking Urgent | Israeli occupation aircraft bombed the Hosni Al-Masdar Mosque east of Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.pic.twitter.com/5SVk2LkFvy Local sources: Two bodies and wounded people were transported as a result of an occupation raid on the Al-Maghazi camp.…
HEZBOLLAH: We attacked the headquarters of the Israeli 810th Hermon Brigade in the Ma’ale Golani barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights with a suicide drone and hit the target accurately.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Civilians were killed and injured in an Israeli bombardment that targeted a house in the Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Saturday, September 14, 12:00 pm (GMT+2)
AL-MAYADEEN: Israeli occupation aircraft launch a raid west of Khan Yunis city, south of the Gaza Strip.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: Paramedic Hamdan Abu Anaba died while in Israeli custody after he was arrested, along with his colleagues, from the Nasser Medical Complex last December. We appeal to all international and human rights institutions to reveal the fate of dozens of health workers who were kidnapped from hospitals.
IRANIAN MEDIA: Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Announces Launch of Chamran-1 Research Satellite, Aimed at Testing Hardware and Software Systems.
Saturday, September 14, 11:30 am (GMT+2)
ISRAELI MEDIA: Israeli Channel 12 quoted the former head of the army’s operations division, Major General Israel Ziv, as saying that Israel is stuck in Gaza and bleeding.
LIEBERMAN: The government must be changed quickly to restore security to the residents of the north and to Israelis.
AL-JAZEERA: The Israeli army launched an airstrike on a newly established facility for producing diesel for civil defense vehicles west of Gaza City.
AL-JAZEERA: The Israeli army launched an airstrike on a newly established facility for producing diesel for civil defense vehicles west of Gaza City.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The Israeli army launched 3 air strikes on areas northwest of Gaza City.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the headquarters of the 282nd Artillery and Precision Missile Brigade in northwest Tiberias with dozens of missiles.
AL-JAZEERA: A violent explosion rocked western Gaza City.
YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: Six firefighting teams are trying to control a fire in the Amiad area of the Upper Galilee after rockets fell from Lebanon.
Saturday, September 14, 10:00 am (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army announced that it attacked platforms in southern Lebanon that were used last night and this morning to launch rockets towards the Galilee.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two Palestinians were killed and a number of people were injured as a result of artillery shelling that targeted Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip.
CHANNEL 12: Rockets fell in open areas in Rosh Pina and north of Lake Tiberias in the Upper Galilee, and fires broke out.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Rockets from Lebanon targeted populated areas in the Upper Galilee.
CHANNEL 11: About 20 rockets were fired this morning at the Safed area from southern Lebanon.
Saturday, September 14, 09:00 am (GMT+2)
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The death toll resulting from the targeting of a house in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City, has risen to 10, including children and women.
ISRAELI ARMY: We intercepted an air target that infiltrated from Lebanon.
CHINESE VICE FM: We will continue to support the Palestinians to become a full member of the United Nations.
AL-JAZEERA: air raid sirens sounded in the Shtula area in Western Galilee, northern Israel.
Saturday, September 14, 06:00 am (GMT+2)
AL-JAZEERA: Israeli occupation forces stormed the Al-Ain camp in the city of Nablus, north of the West Bank.
Saturday, September 14, 03:30 am (GMT+2)
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The number of Palestinians killed after a house in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, was targeted in an Israeli strike, rises to nine. The victims include children and women.
Where is the Al-Qassam Brigades? For a number of days, the Brigades has not announced major operations or ambushes in Gaza.
Recently, Israeli media, citing military sources, have been discussing a new phase of the Israeli war on Gaza. Some refer to this phase as ‘phase four’.
The phasing of the war objectives gives the impression that the Israeli army is in control of the battlefield in Gaza, though in actuality, as stated by some former Israeli generals, the army has been striking the rubble of its original targets time and time again.
So what is going on exactly?
On September 7, a former Israeli captive in Gaza, Adina Moshe, said that the Israeli army is ‘clueless’ regarding the whereabouts of Israeli captives in the Strip.
The same logic can also be applied to the overall Israeli targets in Gaza. The fact that the Israeli army, for example, has been carrying out one massacre after another in ‘safe zones’ in the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis or in the Al-Jaouni School in Nuseirat, is a reflection not only of the criminality of the Israeli war machine but also its inability to zoom in on actual military targets. Simply, there is none.
So, the ‘new phase’ of the Israeli war is a desperate attempt at conveying, at least to the Israeli public, that the war in Gaza is going according to plan. If a plan existed, it was simply the total destruction of the Gaza Strip, and that has been achieved. What has not been achieved, however, is the destruction of the Resistance on the ground or the weakening of the resolve of the people.
This leads us to another equally important question: where is the Al-Qassam Brigades?
For a number of days, the Brigades has not announced major operations or ambushes in Gaza.
Al-Qassam seems to be in a process of reorganizing its forces and rejigging its strategy to accommodate the changes underway in the behavior of the Israeli army.
We still do not fully understand how this will play out in the coming days. What is certain, however, is that Al-Qassam does not want to expose its fighters beyond the required scope of operations so as not to give the Israeli army a reason to claim a breakthrough or another ‘successful operation’, whether real or imagined.
This lack of success in Gaza may have been the main driver behind what many analysts believe it was a phony ground operation in the Maysaf area in Syria earlier this week.
The Israeli army is fully aware that there is no military victory in Gaza and there are no new targets that could present it with that coveted victory.
The Resistance in Gaza also knows that very well, thus the change of tactics everywhere.
Below are the latest statements from the main Palestinian Resistance groups in the West Bank and Gaza.
✅Footage shows a Hezbollah drone flying freely over occupied Safad before hitting ZOF “Filon” base. ✅Another footage documents the moment when colonial settlers panicking inside a synagogue in occupied Safad during Hezbollah rocket attack last night#Iseral#Hezbollah#Gazapic.twitter.com/LUT3rE07Qi
The statements below also contain the latest announcement by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which continues to target Israeli occupation forces in occupied south Lebanon and northern Israel.
The statements were communicated via their Telegram channels and are published here in their original form.
Al-Quds Brigades
“Our fighters in Nablus were able to confront the enemy forces in the fighting axes in Al-Madaris Street, the Eastern Market, the vicinity of the Bank of Palestine, and Samar Saad Al-Din School, and they showered the enemy forces and military vehicles with heavy barrages of bullets and explosive devices, achieving direct hits.
“Our fighters in the Balata Groups were able to target a concentration of the occupation forces at the Gerizim (Jabal Al-Tur) point with heavy barrages of bullets, achieving accurate hits on the intended target.
“We bombed with 107 mm rockets the command and control center of the zionist enemy on the Netzarim axis.”
Hezbollah
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance bombed the main air defense missile base of the Northern Command at the Beria barracks with a barrage of Katyusha rockets.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance at 12:35 PM on Friday 13-09-2024, targeted Al-Marj site with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance at 12:35 PM on Friday 13-09-2024, targeted the Zebdine barracks in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.
Hezbollah release video of drone attack against "Israeli" Filon military base pic.twitter.com/9AybAWyScD
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance on Friday, September 13, 2024, launched an aerial attack using squadrons of attack drones against the Filon base (the headquarters of the 210th Division’s brigades and its warehouses in the northern region), southeast of the occupied city of Safed. The attack targeted the positions of officers and soldiers, achieving a direct hit and inflicting confirmed casualties.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 01:50 PM on Friday, 13-09-2024, targeted the Bayad Blida site with artillery shells, hitting it directly.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 06:35 PM on Friday, 13-09-2024, targeted the enemy artillery positions at Zaoura with rocket weapons, hitting them directly.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance on Friday, 13-09-2024, targeted the Hadab Yarine site with Burkan rockets, hitting it directly, leading to its partial destruction and fire breaking out within it.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, on Friday, 13-09-2024, targeted the Ramtha site in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.”
Dear Reader,
The Palestine Chronicle delivers original reporting and amplifies the voices of young journalists sharing untold stories from Gaza. With your support, we stand strong against the lies and distortions of mainstream media. Driven by truth, not fear, we are empowered by readers like you.
Contribute now to defend independent journalism. Every donation counts.
A recent New York Times made many claims about the ‘mass rape’ of Israeli women on October 7. But two leading Palestinian media organizations, The Palestine Chronicle and Friends of Palestine Network, conducted a joint investigation, the outcome of which resulted in the ‘The Black Dress’, a groundbreaking 18-minute documentary looking into allegations and the possible falsification of evidence.
(The Palestine Chronicle is a registered 501(c)3 organization, thus, all donations are tax deductible.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: video grab) 
Reserve General Israel Ziv. (Design: Palestine Chronicle) 
Palestinian paramedic Hamdan Abu Annaba was killed while in Israeli detention. (Photo: via social media) 
South African Minister Ronald Lamola. (Image: Palestine Chronicle) 
Pope Francis. (Photo: Long Thiên, via Wikimedia Commons) 
Israel continues to carry out massacres against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.(Photo: via QNN) 
Israel’s high-tech sector reported losing investments since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began. (Photo: StateofIsrael, via Wikimedia Commons) 
European Union and Arab and Islamic countries representative in Madrid call for a ceasefire in Gaza. (Photo: via Jose Manuel AlBarez TW Page) 
Israeli carried out a massacre in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood. (Photo: via QNN) 
A Hezbollah drone reaches the Filon military base in Israel. (Photo: video grab) 
