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The Israeli Palestinian Conflict

Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., February 20, 2024)

IDF forces continued its operations in Khan Yunis and Nasser Hospital. In Gaza City, Palestinian media reported intensive IDF activity in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the southeast of the city, adding that many residents had left the area.A Hamas delegation led by Isma'il Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, arrived in Cairo. A senior Hamas member of the delegation to Cairo again reiterated Hamas' conditions for a deal: the cessation of hostilities, the return of residents to their homes and the withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip.: Reports about the difficult situation in the Gaza Strip continue. The UN coordinator for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip said that according to the UN, expanding the military operation to Rafah would have extremely severe humanitarian consequences. During the past day, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for three attacks. In response to the detection of a UAV in the Lower Galilee, Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked sites in the Sidon area. Palestinians threw an IED at an Israeli vehicle northwest of Nablus, injuring one passenger. Following the attack, the security forces operated in the village of Burqa. According to Palestinian media, following the attack Israeli settlers entered the village and set fire to two cars and two houses. Hossein-Amir Abdollahian, the Iranian foreign minister, sent a communiqué to Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, alerting him to a possible Israeli action in Rafah.
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Hamas Governance in the Gaza Strip: Activity, Institutions, Administration and Public

The Hamas government media office recently reported that since the beginning of the war (October 7, 2023), 140 facilities belonging to Hamas government institutions in the Gaza Strip had been destroyed. Despite the prolonged fighting and the IDF presence on the ground, the destruction of buildings and the damage to Hamas' military and political capabilities, apparently many Hamas government and public institutions continue to function partially or almost fully. They include some of the government ministries, security forces, municipal authorities, and sometimes also mosques and religious institutions. Despite the evidence that Hamas is making efforts to regain its control and influence on the ground, the overall picture is unclear because of the complex situation in the Gaza Strip and the presence of IDF forces. In addition, the northern and southern Gaza Strip are almost completely disconnected from one another, making any form of central control difficult. For now, it is hard to gauge whether the activity is carried out under the direct guidance of the Hamas leadership, which indeed still functions, possibly indicating the capabilities of the Hamas government and its ability to adapt its activities to the situation on the ground, or whether it is mainly an initiative of the local leadership
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., February 19, 2024)

The IDF forces continued to focus their activity on the Khan Yunis area, clashing with squads of terrorist operatives. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, where the forces have been operating for several days, hundreds of Gazans hiding in the hospital and suspected of terrorist activities were detained, among them operatives who had participated in the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and massacre. Large quantities of weapons were also found in the hospital. Hamas reiterated its claim that given the difficult humanitarian situation in the northern Gaza Strip, if the issue of humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip was not resolved, they would have no choice but to suspend the negotiations for a hostages deal. Senior Hamas members denied Israeli Defense Minister's statement that Hamas was looking for a replacement for Yahya al-Sinwar. During the past day Hezbollah claimed responsibility for nine attacks. : Senior Palestinian figures criticized the Israeli government's decision to limit the entry of Israeli Arabs to the Temple Mount for prayers during the month of Ramadan. The Houthis attacked a British-registered cargo ship operated by a Lebanese company. The ship was damaged and the crew abandoned it.The International Court of Justice in The Hague has begun discussing the Palestinian Authority's request for a Court opinion on the legality of the "Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories."
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., February 18, 2024)

The IDF forces increased their hold on the Khan Yunis area while significantly damaging Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade. They focused on Nasser Hospital, where according to intelligence, there was Hamas military activity and Israeli hostages had been held. Hamas claimed it had shown "flexibility" in its terms for a hostage deal but Israel sabotaged them. Hamas threatened to suspend the talks until aid was brought to the northern Gaza Strip.. Egypt continues to express concern regarding the movement of Gazans into its territory. Over the weekend Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 20 attacks on Israeli targets. Two of the attacks targeted Kiryat Shmona. Nasrallah gave a militant speech in which he noted the harm to civilians and assured Israel that Hezbollah had weapons capable of reaching Eilat. He also rejected any negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. A shooting attack was carried out at the Re'im Junction near Kiryat Malachi. Two Israelis were killed . PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh participated in the African Union meeting held in Addis Ababa.. He met with South Africa's prime minister on the sidelines of the conference. The Houthis attacked two ships sailing in the Red Sea.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., February 14, 2024)

During the past day, the fighting focused on the Lesser Abasan area, adjacent to Khan Yunis, where IDF forces cleared terrorist facilities, exposed and neutralized tunnels and clashed with armed terrorist squads.. Palestinian media reported that Gazans staying at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis were asked by the IDF forces to leave and evacuation began. A summit meeting was held in Cairo attended by representatives of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Israel. The main differences between the two sides center on the ceasefire and a formula for the release of [a specific number of terrorists in exchange for every Israeli hostage During the past day, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for five attacks. On the morning of February 14, 2024, a barrage of rockets was fired at the Upper Galilee. A woman was killed in Safed and eight people were injured. So far, no organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, gave a speech in which he reiterated his claim that with the cessation of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah's attacks would also stop. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) called for expanding the borders of the campaign against Israel from the territories of Judea and Samaria to the heart of Israel. Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to complete the hostage exchange deal quickly to prevent further displacement and another disaster.: The leader of the Houthis in Yemen stated that since the sea route was important for Israel, their operations at sea had proven to be effective, and they were ready to continue and escalate the attacks on Israel. South Africa submitted an "urgent" request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to consider whether Israel's decision to extend the fighting to the Rafah area required intervention.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., February 13, 2024)

During the past day IDF forces continued fighting in west Khan Yunis to increase control over the area. In the central Gaza Strip the forces clashed with armed terrorist squads. The Palestinians cautioned against an IDF entrance into Rafah they warned that the expansion of the campaign to Rafah would endanger the Paris proposal and Hamas' response to it. Hamas stated that Israel's response to their proposal differed from the original proposal as formulated in Paris and included conditions and raised obstacle. In an attempt to find shelter, Gazans have been moving from the Rafah area to the Deir al-Balah area in the central Gaza Strip and to the Egypt-Gaza Strip border area. During the past day, Hezbollah carried out ten attacks. Two Israeli civilians were seriously injured in Kiryat Shmona. The IDF responded by attacking Hezbollah targets and facilities in south Lebanon. France submitted a proposal for an arrangement which included the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from the border area and the deployment of Lebanese army forces in the area. Hassan Fadalallah, head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese Parliament, refused to comment on the proposal. A vehicle ramming attack was attempted in the Gush Etzion area. The Iranian foreign minister continued his round of visits and arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar. It was his fifth visit to Qatar since the outbreak of the war.
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