The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

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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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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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 6, 2023)

The integrated activity of the IDF forces in the Gaza Strip intensified and the forces currently encircle Gaza City. During the night, a massive integrated attack was carried out on Hamas targets. Sources in the Gaza Strip said it was the most severe attack since the outbreak of the war. Hamas strongly denied the IDF spokesman’s statement that Hamas exploited the hospitals in the Gaza Strip for military-terrorist use. The IDF continued urging the population to evacuate to the south, while Hamas continued preventing them from leaving the northern Gaza Strip. A senior Hamas figure in Beirut claimed there were still 900,000 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip, indicating the failure of the Israeli plan. Hezbollah continued attacking IDF posts and the cities, towns and villages near the border, firing mortar shells and anti-tank missiles. Rocket barrages were launched at Kiryat Shemonah In Jerusalem, a Palestinian terrorist stabbed a Border Police fighter who later died. The Iraqi prime minister visited Iran. Many Arab sources condemned the Israeli minister of heritage regarding the possibility of dropping an atomic bomb on the Gaza Strip. They called it a “violent and racist” proposal and called on the international community to take action.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 5, 2023)

The IDF’s integrated aerial, land and naval maneuver in the Gaza Strip intensified. According to reports, more than 2,500 terrorist targets have been attacked since the beginning of the ground maneuver. The forces exposed Hamas’ exploitation of civilian facilities for positioning rocket launchers. Sources in the Gaza Strip claimed the “resistance” had the upper hand in combat and Israel had made no operational achievements. Hamas accused Israel of attacking UNRWA ambulances, hospitals and schools which shelter local residents. Officials in the Gaza Strip noted that the humanitarian situation was deteriorating and the aid delivered through the Rafah Crossing was insufficient. According to the Hamas-controlled ministry of health in Gaza, so far 9,770 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip.Hezbollah continued attacking IDF posts and the cities, towns and villages on the northern border. Hamas’ military-terrorist wing claimed responsibility for launching a barrage of rockets. In Judea and Samaria Palestinians terrorists carried out three shooting attacks and an attempted stabbing attack.
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The International Union of Muslim Scholars issued a fatwa calling for military Muslim support for the Gaza Strip

On October 31, 2023, the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), a radical Islamist organization based in Qatar, held a press conference to announce a fatwa entitled "The duty of Islamic governments regarding [the necessity to respond to] the Zionist invasion of Gaza." It called on the regimes and armies of the Muslim countries for urgent military intervention to save the residents of the Gaza Strip and provide material, religious, political and legal assistance. It was the second fatwa issued by the IUMS since the beginning of the war. On October 21, 2023. On October 7, 2023, the organization issued a message supporting Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attack. The IUMS was founded in 2004 by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who directed it until 2018, and who for many years was considered one of the leading Sunni Muslim jurists..The most recent fatwa makes it clear that although Qatar, which has represented itself as actively mediating the issue of humanitarian relief for the Gaza Strip and the release of the kidnapped, in reality serves as a shelter for an extremist, militant Islamist organization which calls on Muslims for military-terrorist activity against Israel.
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