The Israeli Palestinian Conflict

Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 9, 2023)

The southern sector: IDF forces continued its integrated ground maneuver, focusing on Gaza City and a number of locations in the northern Gaza Strip. The forces uncovered more evidence of Hamas's use of the civilian population as human shields. Hamas is trying to minimize the IDF’s achievements by claiming that the forces have stalled in the places they entered on the first day of the maneuver and have been prevented from advancing. They also deny the IDF's claims that Hamas headquarters are located in hospitals. According to an unofficial estimate, since October 7, approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and security personnel have been killed, 352 of them soldiers and officers; 239 civilian and military abductees are held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. Hamas often relates to the issue of the abductees and an exchange deal conditioned on a ceasefire, distinguishing between civilian and military abductees. The Gaza Strip: According to reports, the situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate and there are shortages of food, water and electricity. As part of the battle for hearts and minds, Hamas has recently been increasing the use of the term "Israel’s war of starvation," and claiming it is a deliberate measure of collective punishment against the population. Several dozen aid trucks will arrive in the Gaza Strip after they have been inspected. The exodus of foreign citizens from the Gaza Strip continues. Hamas: Saleh al-'Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, who lives in Beirut, was interviewed and discussed the war in Gaza, Hamas’ situation and the aid and support it receives from abroad. He also called on the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria to start a campaign against Israel. The northern sector: Hezbollah continued to attack IDF posts and the cities, towns and villages in the Galilee. Hezbollah forces were reportedly being transferred from Syria to Lebanon and equipped with sophisticated weapons. Meanwhile, voices are he
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Financing Terrorism: Currency Exchange in the Service of Hamas

The Hamas movement needs enormous sums of money to finance its terrorist activities. Because Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by many countries, and because the conventional global banking system does not operate in the Gaza Strip and is monitored by security bodies and state and international enforcement agencies, Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip (and Iran) are forced to look for alternative methods to transfer funds to its coffers. The Hamas leadership, in collaboration with the Iranians, employ several channels to transfer the funds. They rely on traditional money changers, use Offset methods between Palestinian laborers and merchants for money changers, and use digital means such as virtually unregulated cryptocurrencies, which are transferred according to agreement by a mostly confidential network.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 8, 2023)

The integrated maneuver of IDF forces continued in the northern Gaza Strip in the Beit Hanoun area and in Gaza City. Senior Hamas terrorists denied Israel's military achievements deep in Gaza City and reported “the withdrawal of IDF forces. Regarding the issue of the abductees, Hamas spokesmen said that any deal would be carried out after a ceasefire was announced. They also reiterated the claim that not all of the abductees were being held by Hamas. Medical officials reported a serious situation in in the Gaza Strip Thousands of Gazans responded to the IDF's call and are making their way to the south. Among a small number of unofficial speakers, there is a budding opposition to the Hamas leadership and criticism of the disaster they visited on the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah launched a campaign that included a video and activity on social networks “justifying” the organization's activities. In Judea and an attempted stabbing attack was carried out near Ofra, northeast of Ramallah.
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In the shadow of the war, Iranian hostility toward Israel is growing while denying its existence

Since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip, there has been a significant escalation in Iran’s hostility towards Israel while denying its existence. Hostility towards Israel is the central issue on which Iran’s policy has remained uncompromising and consistent.[1] Iran’s revolutionary ideology categorically rejects the existence of the State of Israel, which is epitomized in the slogan, “Israel must be wiped off the map.” Opposition to Israel is a central pillar of the Islamic regime’s revolutionary doctrine and policy, reflecting various revolutionary goals, including fundamental hostility to the Jewish state and hostility to Western imperialism, of which Israel is perceived as a representative.
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Speech given by Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah and reactions in the Arab world

On November 3, 2023, Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech entitled "Martyrs who died on the way to Jerusalem.” it was Nasrallah's first public appearance since the outbreak of Operation Iron Swords. The speech, which raised high expectations in the Arab world, claimed the war in Gaza was completely Palestinian. He threatened the United States and Israel and emphasized that "all options are open.”He claimed, straight-faced, that he had no advance knowledge of the Hamas attack, and that Hamas was winning, therefore by implication they did not need external aid. He noted Hezbollah's contribution to the war effort through its operatives’ attacks on northern Israel and was proud they were forcing Israel to keep a significant portion of the IDF forces in the northern arena because Israel was concerned about having to fight on another front. As for further aid in the future, Nasrallah was ambiguous, apparently to keep Israel tense while claiming that all options were on the table. Reactions to the speech in the Arab world were diverse, as reflected in the media and social networks. Some supported the speech and its messages, while others criticized him for not fulfilling their high expectations.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 7, 2023)

The southern sector: After encircling Gaza City, the IDF forces began operating inside the city, focusing on Hamas strongholds in the Shati refugee camp, in the northwest of the city and the area of the Shifa, al-Quds and Indonesian hospitals. The operation revealed more evidence of Hamas' use of civilian compounds for terrorist activities. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) continue claiming they have the upper hand, are prepared for prolonged fighting, and that most of the dead are civilians and not military “operatives” [terrorists] or commanders. In the meantime, sporadic rocket fire attacking Israel continues. So far, since October 7, more than 1,400 civilian and soldier deaths have been reported; 240 civilian and soldier abductees are still being held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. A PIJ source claimed Israel would be forced to trade 6,000 prisoners in Israeli jails for the abductees. The Gaza Strip: According to the Hamas-controlled ministry of health, the number of dead in the Gaza Strip stands at 10,328. The IDF continued to urge the population to evacuate the combat arena, while Hamas continued to prevent their exodus in order to keep them as human shields during the fighting. The Rafah Crossing was reopened for the passage of foreign citizens. The northern sector: Hezbollah attacks along the border continued. A barrage of rockets, unusual in number and range, was launched at the Haifa area. Hamas’ military-terrorist wing claimed responsibility for the launch. In response, IDF forces attacked Hezbollah terrorist targets in south Lebanon. Judea and Samaria: An attempted stabbing attack was carried out at the Qalandiya Crossing. IDF forces eliminated a squad of four Hamas operatives who were planning to carry out attacks in Tulkarm. Iran: Iran continues its efforts in the international arena to bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The Iranian foreign minister has been operating on the diplomatic level in preparation for
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