Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 7, 2023)

Overview^[1]

• 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. Isma’il Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal met in Qatar with a solidarity delegation from Pakistan.
• 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 (north of Jerusalem). 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 the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
• The international scene: The United States Secretary of State met with his Turkish counterpart. In the United States, a Jewish demonstrator was killed by a pro-Palestinian demonstrator.

The Combat Arena

IDF activity on the ground

• The integrated ground maneuver: After the IDF forces surrounded Gaza City, fighting began inside the city itself, focusing on the Hamas strongholds in the Shati refugee camp, the northwest of the city and the hospital areas (see map below). Meanwhile, IDF forces took control of a Hamas military stronghold in the northern Gaza Strip where they located anti-tank missile launchers and missiles, weapons and intelligence materials (IDF spokesman, November 6 and 7, 2023). During the operation, IDF forces located and revealed additional evidence of Hamas’ use of civilian facilities for terrorist activity.
• IDF fighters killed a large number of terrorists, including senior field commanders, and the forces destroyed tunnel shafts and infrastructure. A military compound located under a mosque was destroyed, where fifty pits were located with rockets ready for firing (IDF spokesman, November 6, 2023 ). The fighters located a number of Hamas operatives who had barricaded themselves inside a building near the al-Quds Hospital, from where they were planning to attack. The fighters directed aircraft to eliminate the terrorists. The aerial attack caused significant secondary explosions, indicating the presence of a munitions warehouse in or near the hospital (IDF spokesman, November 7, 2023).

     
IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (November 7, 2023)

   
Right: A tank shoots at Gaza City (al-Ghad TV, November 7, 2023). Left: Flares light the sky over Gaza City (QudsN X [Twitter] account, November 6, 2023)

• Aerial activity: Israeli Air Force aircraft continued massive attacks on Hamas targets as well as intelligence-guided targeted attacks on launch squads. A fighter jet operating with intelligence guidance eliminated the commander of the Deir al-Balah Battalion of the the Center Camps’ Brigade, who, along with other Brigade commanders, participated in dispatching nukhba terrorists into Israeli territory on October 7 (IDF Spokesman, November 6, 2023).
• A correspondent from al-Ghad TV reported massive air force strikes in Khan Yunis, which he said caused the death of 11 Palestinians and injured about 30. He said many local residents had gathered in front of the entrance to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis (al-Ghad TV, November 7, 2023).

   
Local residents gather in front of the entrance to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis during the morning (al-Ghad TV, November 7, 2023)

    
Right: Israeli Air Force attack on Khan Yunis (QudsN X [Twitter] account, November 7, 2023). Left: Air Force attack near the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip (QudsN X [Twitter] account, November 7, 2023)

• Naval activity: Israeli Navy forces attacked Hamas targets with precision weaponry, including positions designated for technological weapons (IDF spokesman, November 7, 2023).

Reactions to the ground maneuver

• Speaking before activists in Kuwait, Khaled Mashaal, head of the “external” Hamas leadership, claimed Hamas’ military wing was conducting the campaign “wisely” and was prepared for a prolonged campaign. He also claimed they were prepared to deal with any ceasefire that did not force them to give up their red lines. He said that with the exception of [population] displacement, surrender or the release of all prisoners, Hamas would make any concession to stop the war in Gaza. He thanked Iran for supporting Hamas with money, knowledge and weapons, but claimed that did not mean Hamas agreed with Iran’s entire agenda (Quds Press, November 6, 2023).
• Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy PIJ secretary general, claimed the condition of the organization’s military wing was good and they continued to confront the IDF forces with mortar shells and rockets. They also continued launching rockets deep into Israel and at the cities, towns and villages near the Gazan border. He claimed morale was high and they were prepared for a long campaign, adding that the only success the IDF forces had was to attack civilians in their homes, mosques and hospitals (al-Jazeera, November 7, 2023).
• On another occasion, he claimed Israel killed mainly civilians and not military field commanders. He called on Israel to state the names of the commanders it claims were killed.^[2] He added that a “small number” of the organization’s military commanders had been killed in the Israeli strikes (al-Jazeera Mubasher website, November 6, 2023; al-Jazeera Mubasher X [Twitter] account, November 6, 2023).

Rocket fire

• During the past day, a small number of rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel. Most of them targeted cities, towns and villages near the Gaza Strip border. One volley was launched at the Ashdod area.
• Since the beginning of the war, about 9,000 rockets and mortar shells have been launched at Israel from Gaza. About 10% of them were failed launches that fell inside the Gaza Strip and in the sea.

Israeli casualties

• In the events of October 7, more than 1,400 people were killed; 240 civilian and soldier abductees are still being held by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip, 35 of them children and adolescents under the age of 18, 32 are over the age of 65, five have been released; 348 IDF soldiers and officers have been killed since October 7, 2023.

The issue of the abductees

• Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy PIJ secretary general, said the exchange of prisoners did not concern only the PIJ or Hamas, but all Palestinians, since there were more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. He claimed Israel was trying to avoid a deal, but in view of the large number of abductees and in view of the Israeli public, which carried out a large number of activities in solidarity with the families of the abductees, Israel would be forced to agree to an exchange deal “that will bring joy to every Palestinian home.” However, he noted that now, in the midst of the campaign, they were not talking about a prisoner exchange deal, but about ceasefires in which some civilians would be released, especially those with foreign citizenship, in exchange for the release of children, women and sick prisoners from Israeli jails, and bringing in fuel and medical aid (al-Jazeera, November 7, 2023).

The Gaza Strip

Palestinian casualties

• Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for Hamas-controlled the ministry of health in the Gaza, reported that as of 2:15 p.m. the number of dead in the Gaza Strip stood at 10,328 and the number of wounded at 25,956 (Palinfo website, November 7, 2023).

The situation in Gaza

• In view of the intensive military activity, the IDF continued to urge the population of Gaza City to evacuate their homes and move towards the south of the Gaza Strip. It allocated a prearranged number of hours during which IDF forces secured a corridor for the evacuation of the population (IDF spokesman, November 6, 2023). Hamas operatives continued attempts to prevent the population from leaving the northern Gaza Strip to keep them as human shields during the fighting.
• The IDF spokesman in Arabic published a video documenting Gazan residents walking from north to south on the Salah al-Din road. After the video was published by Palestinian media, the Hamas media information bureau demanded that it be removed from Palestinian channels because it was “part of the psychological warfare the IDF spokesman was using on the Palestinian population” (Hamas media information bureau Facebook page, November 7, 2023).

• Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, strongly condemned the [alleged] “lies of the IDF spokesman” that there were tunnels under the Qatari hospital in the Gaza Strip. He claimed the spokesman was trying to justify attacking civilian institutions. He warned that damage to the hospital would result in the termination of service to thousands of patients, and it would be added to the list of [alleged] “war crimes committed by the occupation.” He called on the international community to condemn the damage to health services in Gaza, and to pressure Israel to respect international law (Qatari foreign ministry X [Twitter] account, November 7, 2023).

The Rafah Crossing

• On November 6, 2023, the Hamas government’s crossing authority reported that the Rafah Crossing had reopened for the passage of foreigners, citizens with dual nationality and the injured. Hamas sources said that the opening was made possible by an agreement mediated by Egypt which allowed the evacuation of thirty wounded individuals from the Strip. According to reports, the previous day Hamas suspended the departure of foreigners in light of Israel’s refusal to transport wounded through the Rafah Crossing (Agence France-Presse, November 6, 2023). Egypt reportedly arranged accommodations for Palestinians waiting in its territory to return to the Strip (Rafah Crossing News Facebook page, November 7, 2023).

   
Accommodations and waiting Palestinians (Rafah Crossing News Facebook page, November 7, 2023)

• Meanwhile, according to reports, Israel returned additional workers from Israel to the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Aid for Gaza

• The UAE sent equipment to El Arish Airport in Egypt for the construction of a field hospital inside the Gaza Strip (UAE News Agency, November 6, 2023).

Hamas

• Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, claimed that Israel was continuing its ”policy of lies” to justify its “crimes” and its [alleged] military failure. He called on the IDF spokesman to reveal the list of names of Hamas leaders who had been eliminated by Israel. According to Hamad, Israel was a strategic threat to the entire region and not just to the Palestinians. He claimed the attacks on American bases in Syria and Iraq had nothing to do with the Gaza Strip and had been ongoing for two years, adding that the “Palestinian resistance” was fighting alone (al-Jazeera Mubasher website, November 6, 2023; al-Jazeera Mubasher Telegram channel, November 7, 2023) .
• Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, the chairman of the Pakistani religious party Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan JUI-F, met with senior Hamas terrorists Isma’il Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal in Qatar to express solidarity with the residents of Gaza. Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman claimed that the Palestinians were not only fighting for their land, but they were leading a campaign to “liberate al-Aqsa Mosque” and were fulfilling the religious obligation of the entire Islamic nation. He urged the Islamic countries to stand by the Palestinians. Haniyeh said that countries that claimed to uphold human rights arrived in Tel Aviv with ships full of weapons, and emphasized that it was the duty of the Islamic nation to unite against “Israeli atrocities.” Mashaal said that the injustices in “Palestine” and Kashmir were a “slap in the face” for countries that protected other countries from violating human rights (Pakistani Arab News website, November 5, 2023).

     
The Pakistanis meet with Mashaal and Haniyeh (Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan X [Twitter] account, November 5, 2023)

The Northern Arena

Lebanon

• During the past day, Hezbollah attacks on IDF positions and northern Israeli cities, towns and villages continued, including the launching of mortar shells, anti-tank missiles and rockets. On November 7, 2023, the IDF attacked an anti-tank squad about to fire at Israel (IDF spokesman, November 7, 2023).
• In the afternoon, a barrage of about 30 rockets was fired at Israel, reaching the Haifa Bay area. It was the longest-range launch since the Second Lebanon War. No casualties or damage were reported. Hamas’ military-terrorist wing in Lebanon claimed responsibility for firing 16 rockets at the “northern settlements” in response to the [alleged] “slaughter and aggression of the occupation against our people in the Gaza Strip” (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades Telegram, November 6, 2023).
• In response, Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked Hezbollah targets and fired artillery. Among the targets were sites where Hezbollah’s technological facilities were located, a weapons warehouse, launching positions and terrorist infrastructures (IDF spokesman, November 6, 2023).

    
Right: Attack on a Hezbollah terrorist facility. Left: Attack on a munitions warehouse and launch site (IDF spokesman’s website, November 6, 2023)

Hezbollah casualties

• Hezbollah reported two operatives had been killed as “martyrs on the way to Jerusalem” without specifying the time or location of their deaths (Telegram channel of Hezbollah’s combat information wing, November 6, 2023):
  • Hussein Lutfi Suwayd, aka Mazen, from Markaba in south Lebanon.
  • Muhammad Milhem Yusuf, aka Mujahed, from the town of Ham in the Lebanon Valley.

     
The two Hezbollah casualties (Telegram channel of Hezbollah’s combat information unit, November 6, 2023)

UNIFIL

• UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti related to the four Lebanese civilians killed on October 5, 2023, and noted that UNIFIL reminded all parties that attacks against civilians violated international law. He said the likelihood that escalation along the Lebanese border would spin out of control was high and had to be stopped al-Nashra, November 6, 2023).

Palestinian terrorist organizations

• During an interview, Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy PIJ secretary general, related to the PIJ’s activities from south Lebanon and said the message of the “operations” [attacks] from Lebanon was to emphasize that they were one people, had one goal, and were facing one enemy, who targeted not only “Palestine” but the entire [Muslim] nation. He said that more than half of the Palestinians lived in the ”dispersal,” and that the residents of the refugee camps in Lebanon, of which the organization’s military wing in Lebanon was a part, were eager to participate in “liberating their homeland” (al-Jazeera, November 7 2023).

Judea, Samaria, and the Palestinian Authority

Terrorist attacks

• On the morning of November 7, 2023, a Palestinian woman draped in a Hamas flag and armed with a knife arrived on foot at the Qalandia Crossing (north of Jerusalem) and advanced toward the security guaards and Border Police fighters stationed there. The forces identified and shot at her; she was detained by the security forces. There were no casualties.

Preventive and counterterrorism activities

• On November 6 and 7, 2023, Israeli security forces detained 28 wanted Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, including 11 Hamas operatives. The main events were the following:
  • On the night of November 6, 2023, security forces in Sa’ir (northeast of Hebron) mapped the house of the terrorist who carried out the stabbing attack in Jerusalem in which a Border Police fighter was killed on November 6, 2023, in preparation for its demolition. Palestinians threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at the forces, who responded with gunfire (IDF spokesperson’s X [Twitter] account, November 7, 2023). The Palestinians reported one fatality (Ma’an, November 7, 2023).
  • In the early morning hours of November 7, 2023, security forces in the Tulkarm refugee camp eliminated terrorist infrastructures and uncovered IEDs ready for use. In addition, IEDs were thrown and shots were fired at the forces, who returned fire. Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked a squad of armed operatives who endangered the forces (IDF spokesman’s X [Twitter] account, November 7, 2023). The Palestinians reported one dead and four wounded. Damage was reported to infrastructure and roads in the refugee camp as a result of the Israeli security forces’ activity (Ma’an, November 7, 2023).

     
Weapons found in Tulkarm (IDF Spokesperson’s X account, November 7, 2023)

• • On November 6, 2023, the Israeli security forces eliminated four terrorist operatives in Tulkarm who belonged to a Hamas terrorist network directed and financed from the Gaza Strip and which was responsible for carrying out shooting attacks (Israel Police Force Facebook page, November 6, 2023).

     
Right: Hamas death notice (Hamas website, November 6, 2023). Left: Weapons found in the possession of the squad members (Israel Police Force spokesman’s unit, November 6, 2023)

• Since the beginning of the war, more than 1,350 wanted Palestinians have been detained in Judea and Samaria, more than 870 of them affiliated with Hamas (IDF spokesman, November 7, 2023). The ministry of health in Ramallah reported 163 fatalities in Judea and Samaria since the beginning of the war. During the past day, eight Palestinians were killed, four of them in clashes with Israeli security forces and four in targeted killings in Tulkarm (Wafa, November 7, 2023).

Support for the Gaza Strip

• Following the stabbing attack in Jerusalem on November 6, 2023, in which a Border Police fighter was killed, Hamas spokesman Muhammad Hamada congratulated the “young revolutionaries” in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria who, despite Israel’s activity, were determined to take part in the Operation al-Aqsa Storm with shooting and stabbing attacks as well as clashes (Hamas Telegram channel in Judea and Samaria, November 6, 2023). Following the elimination of the terrorists in Tulkarm, Hamada stressed that the Palestinian blood spilled in Gaza and the West Bank had not been spilled in vain. He called on the Palestinians to continue enlisting as part of the al-Aqsa Storm and to escalate the resistance activity against the IDF and the “settler militias” (Hurriya News, November 6, 2023).

Palestinian Authority (PA)

• Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the PA, spoke with the Austrian chancellor and discussed the immediate need to stop the “Israeli aggression” and accelerate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Abbas objected to the uprooting of the residents of the Gaza Strip and warned against the ongoing attacks by IDF forces and settlers against the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria (Wafa, November 6, 2023).
• Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary of the PLO’s Executive Committee, spoke with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed. The two stressed the need to coordinate with countries around the world to generate international support for an immediate ceasefire. They also said safe crossings had to be opened for the delivery of humanitarian needs (Hussein al-Sheikh’s X [Twitter] account, November 7, 2023). He also met separately with representatives of Russia and Oman in the PA to mobilize world public opinion and work to stop the “open aggression against the Palestinian people.” Both representatives expressed their support for advancing a ceasefire and implementing international resolutions (Hussein al-Sheikh’s X [Twitter] account, November 7, 2023).
•  The PA government issued a number of resolutions, including adopting a government plan to deliver humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip and stopping the attacks. The minister of local government was asked to formulate a plan to support the municipalities in the Gaza Strip and their employees to enable them to continue providing services to the residents (Wafa, November 6, 2023).

Iran

• Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian foreign minister, spoke with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan. They stressed the need for an urgent meeting of the heads of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip and send humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip (Tasnim, November 6, 2023). Abdollahian also spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, ahead of the OIC summit, scheduled for early next week in Riyadh. They discussed the security and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip (ISNA, November 6, 2023).
• Abdollahian claimed at a press conference that over the past three days, Iran had received a message from the Americans that they wanted a humanitarian ceasefire, when in fact they supported the continuation of the [alleged] “genocide” in the Gaza Strip. He called on the United States to change its policy as soon as possible and stop its support for Israel (ISNA, November 6, 2023).
• Mohammad Khatami, former Iranian president, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres calling on him to take the necessary steps to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and immediately stop Israel’s “crimes against humanity, genocide and ethnic cleansing.” Khatami also called on the UN secretary-general to bring to justice those responsible for the crimes (Asr-e Iran, November 6, 2023).
• Citing a “knowledgeable” political source, the Iraqi News Agency reported that during his visit to Tehran, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ al-Sudani gave the Iranian leadership a warning passed on by American Secretary of State Antony Blinkenduring his visit to Baghdad regarding Iran’s support for the pro-Iranian militias attacking American forces in Syria and Iraq (Shafaq News, November 6, 2023).

Activity of pro-Iranian militias

Iraq and Syria

• During the past day, the Islamic Resistance Forces continued attacking American Army bases in Iraq and Syria with missiles and drones.
• The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for carrying out six attacks against American bases in Iraq and Syria during the past day: the Ayn al-Assad base in western Iraq was attacked three times; Erbil Airport in northern Iraq, the Tal Bidr base in northern Syria, and the Al-Tanf base in southern Syria were each attacked once. The “resistance” also reported that for the first time, they used an Aqsa 1 medium-range missile (resistance Telegram channel, November 6, 2023).

• The Kurdish counterterrorism forces claimed to have intercepted three drones in the airspace of Erbil Airport in northern Iraq (Reuters, November 7, 2023)
• “American security officials” noted that over 45 American service members had been wounded in Iranian-related attacks and that since October 17, 2023, at least 38 attacks had been carried out against American bases in Syria and Iraq (NBC, November 6, 2023)
• Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani met with militia officials and persuaded them not to involve Iraq in a military confrontation. It was noted that during his visit to Tehran, al-Sudani asked Iran to exert pressure on the pro-Iranian militias in the country to prevent escalation (Saudi al-Sharq Network, November 6, 2023).

Syria

• A meeting was reportedly held between senior IRGC commanders and Hezbollah commanders at the Qassem Soleimani Center in Albukamal to support the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, November 6, 2023).

Yemen^[3]

• Yahya Saria, spokesman for the Houthi armed forces in Yemen, reported that they had launched several drones at “various sensitive targets” in Israel. As a result, he claimed, activity at the attacked bases and airports was halted for several hours. Saria added that the forces would continue carrying out “high-quality military operations for the Palestinian people” until the Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip ceased (Telegram channel of the spokesman for the forces, November 6, 2023). It was the third announcement in which the Houthis claimed responsibility for launches at Israel and that nothing was found in Israeli territory.

The Arab Arena

Jordan

• Jordan’s King Abdullah II met in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. King Abdullah said at the meeting that today everyone was paying the price for the lack of a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and warned of a deterioration in the situation in Judea and Samaria. Stoltenberg stressed that a ceasefire had to be worked out to allow humanitarian aid to be sent to the Gaza Strip and warned that hunger threatened the residents of the Gaza Strip and the wounded in hospitals (Petra, November 6, 2023).

Qatar

• Majed al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry, announced that Hamas’ political bureau would remain open as long as “it can be used to realize peace” (al-Hurra, November 5, 2023). Senior Hamas figures, including Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal, live permanently in Qatar. In the ITIC’s assessment, this was the first time that the Qatari government expressed any reservations about Hamas’ continued activity in its territory.

Pakistan

• Pakistani Party spokesman Mohammad Aslam Ghori said the party was in constant contact with Hamas leaders. It also organized solidarity rallies in Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi, and Hamas leaders, including Khaled Mashaal and Ismail Haniyeh, gave video speeches. He said some of the party’s organizations were collecting money in Pakistan for financial support for Hamas. Asked how much money Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman had given to Hamas leaders, the spokesman said he did not know (Voice of America website in Pashto, November 6, 2023).

The International Arena

United Nations

• At a press conference convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, he noted the Gaza Strip was becoming a “graveyard for children.” He said that “clear violations of international law” had been committed in the fighting and that the IDF’s continued bombardments harmed civilians, hospitals, holy sites and UN facilities. However, he stressed that Hamas and other “armed groups” [terrorist organizations] in the Gaza Strip were using civilians as human shields. He called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire (Reuters, November 6, 2023).
• Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, visited the Middle East for a five-day visit to discuss the issue of human rights violations with senior administration officials following Israel’s escalation in Gaza. The commissioner arrived in Egypt and is expected to visit the Rafah crossing. In a statement, the commissioner said, “It has been one full month of carnage, of incessant suffering, bloodshed, destruction, outrage and despair.” He noted that human rights were at the root of the escalation and played a significant role in getting out of this vortex of pain (Reuters, November 7, 2023).

United States

• American Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss expanding humanitarian efforts, preventing the spread of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and achieving peace in the Middle East. Blinken noted that humanitarian pauses could advance the issue of the prisoners and that the United States was acting in an unprecedented manner to provide humanitarian aid and allow civilians to leave the Gaza Strip (Reuters, November 6, 2021).
• A pro-Palestinian demonstrator beat Paul Kessler, 69, a pro-Israel demonstrator, to death in North Los Angeles, California, with a megaphone. The incident took place during pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations held on November 5, 2023, in close proximity in the north of the city. According to those present at the scene, a verbal altercation ensued between the two, which ended in murder. Kessler was initially rushed to the hospital, but the next day, November 6, 2023, he was pronounced dead due to a brain hemorrhage caused by the blow he had received (NBC; Ynet, November 7, 2023).

^[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC's daily updates as well as its other publications. ↑
^[2] The IDF spokesman published the names of commanders and operatives who were killed as a result of IDF activities, in contrast to Hamas, which tries to hide the names of the dead and has not published information on the subject. ↑
^[3] For further details on Houthi activity against Israel, see the ITIC's Information Bulletin from November 3, 2023, "The Houthis and Operation Iron Swords" ↑

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