The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 26, 2023)

On November 24, 2023, at 7 a.m., a four-day hiatus in the fighting began in the Gaza Strip, followed by the first phase of the deal to release the abductees. So far 26 Israeli civilians and 15 foreigners have been released in two groups. Israel released 76 Palestinian prisoners. More abductees are supposed to be released in the coming days. Senior Hamas terrorists and international figures are talking about extending the agreement and releasing more hostages. However, Hamas continues posing difficulties, claiming Israel is violating the terms of the agreement. Trucks bringing humanitarian aid began entering the Gaza Strip. Gazan sources claimed the amount of aid was insufficient and should be increased. Hamas' military-terrorist wing announced the deaths of four senior commanders; their funeral was held in the northern Gaza Strip. Protests in Gaza continue. Although Hezbollah did not officially announce it would participate in the pause in the fighting, with the exception of isolated incidents, relative quiet has prevailed in the northern arena since the pause began. In Judea and Samaria: The IDF security forces continue their counterterrorism activities. Iran supports the temporary hiatus and hopes it will be extended, while stressing that Israel has not achieved anything and Hamas is winning.The pro-Iranian militias have been asking whether they should stop their activities against United States military bases and Israel following the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
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Findings of the IDF forces at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in the Gaza Strip

On November 16, 2023, after 12 hours of fighting, IDF forces captured an outpost of the commander of the northern area of the al-Quds Battalions, the military-terrorist wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the second largest organization in the Gaza Strip whose operatives participate in the fighting against the IDF. The outpost was used for training operatives of the organization's military-terrorist wing and at the same time as a factory for the manufacture of weapons.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 23, 2023)

Despite the announcements of a deal to release some of the abductees and a ceasefire on November 23, as of now the agreement has not been implemented and the timetable for its implementation is unclear. According to Isma'il Haniyeh's advisor, the discussions are currently about the mechanisms for its implementation. In the southern arena: IDF forces continued operations in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip. An extensive tunnel network was uncovered at Shifa Hospital, used as headquarters by Hamas terrorist operatives, and apparently Israeli hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack were held there. According to an unofficial estimate, since October 7 approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and security personnel have been killed, 392 of them soldiers and officers; 236 civilian and military abductees are being held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. Sporadic rocket launches were carried out from the Gaza Strip, in northern Israel an unusual barrage of 48 rockets was launched at the Galilee, a ballistic missile was launched at Eilat from the region of Yemen and intercepted before it reached Israeli territory. The difficult humanitarian continues in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah military-terrorist activity continued. In Judea and Samaria, Israeli security force counterterrorism activities continue. The Iranian foreign minister visited Lebanon and met with government officials, and secretary general of Hezbollah and representatives of the Palestinian terrorist organizations.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 22, 2023)

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced the details of the release deal, which includes a four-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, during which 50 abductees, children and women, will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children prisoners, and the introduction of humanitarian aid to the Strip. The IDF's integrated ground maneuver continued, focusing on several neighborhoods in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF continued its operations at Shifa Hospital, exposing the route of the Hamas tunnel under the hospital. Palestinian media described the northern Gaza Strip as a "ghost town. Hezbollah continues attacking IDF posts and the Israeli cities, towns and villages along the border. IDF forces responded with artillery fire and airstrikes. The leader of Iran again noted the "defeat" of Israel, which he claimed was using its strength against hospitals, schools and attacks on "innocent civilians." The American Army's Central Command reported that in response to the series of attacks on United States bases, it had attacked two facilities belonging to the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
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Iran, the war in Gaza, and the “convergence of the arenas”

In recent days, senior Iranian officials have renewed their threats to expand the war in the Gaza Strip to additional fronts if a ceasefire is not reached soon and Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip do not stop. At the same time, senior Iranian officials continue to claim that Iran’s proxy organizations in the region operate independently, make decisions based on their interests, and are not subject to instructions from Tehran. At this stage, Iran continues to act according to gradual escalation steps to prevent the opening of a full-scale front against Israel. Iran is doing so while avoiding involving Hezbollah in an all-out campaign, which is liable to exact a heavy price from the Lebanese organization and perhaps even from Iran itself. However, Iran seeks a continuation of gradual escalation, which will exact a price from Israel and the United States through attacks by its proxies in the region. So far, the pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq have been involved in dozens of attacks against American bases in Syria and Iraq. At the same time, the Houthis in Yemen have joined the campaign mainly by launching missiles and drones at Israel. At the same time, there is an ongoing escalation in the fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah, both quantitatively and in terms of the quality of Hezbollah’s attacks along the border with Israel.
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Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 21, 2023)

The IDF integrated ground maneuver continued in Gaza City and the north of the Gaza Strip; a number of attacks were also carried out in the central and southern Gaza Strip. The centers of activity included the neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Jabaliya, Beit Lahia and Rafah. The president of the Red Cross met with Isma'il Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, and demanded that the Red Cross be allowed to meet with the abductees. UNRWA and figures from the ministry of health in Gaza continue to report a worsening situation and fear of diseases due to the lack of water. Hezbollah continued attacking IDF posts and cities, towns and villages along the northern border. According to an initial report, the IDF attacked a vehicle south of Tyre at 2:45 p.m., killing four Hamas terrorist operatives. In Judea and SamariaThe Israeli security forces continue counterterrorism activities.The Iranians are trying to coordinate efforts with other countries, especially Muslim countries, to exert pressure on Israel.
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