The Iron Swords – The war in the south of Israel (Updated to 1 p.m., October 9, 2023)

Overview

• During the past 24 hours, Israeli security forces carried out massive activity in the Gaza Strip on land, in the air and at sea; several hundred targets were attacked from the air. The forces continued searching for and clashing with terrorists who still remained in Israel. In the meantime, Gaza continued firing rockets at Israel’s south and center. According to an initial report, in the afternoon several rockets were fired at the north of the country from Lebanese territory.
• The Israeli ministry of health reported there were 2,586 wounded in hospitals across the country. So far over 800 deaths have been reported. Approximately 150 abducted Israelis are being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
• The ministry of health in Gaza reported 493 Palestinian deaths and 2,751 wounded.
• Hamas and the PIJ continue to boast of their “achievements” and try to recruit the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria to join the war.
• In Judea and Samaria Palestinians attacked and clashed with Israeli security forces several times. Sixteen Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is operating in the Arab and international arenas to calm the situation and to help the Gaza Strip.
• The chairman of Hezbollah’s executive council claimed the war was not only for the Palestinians but for the entire Muslim nation, adding that Hezbollah was not remaining neutral and was on high alert. Najib Mikati, the prime minister of Lebanon’s interim government, called for calm in south Lebanon.
• The Iranian president spoke with the head Hamas’ political bureau and the PIJ’s secretary general and expressed support for the “activity” against Israel. Iranian officials denied reports they were behind the Gaza Strip invasion of Israel.
• The UN Security Council held a discussion on the issue which ended without a public statement.

The Combat Arena

IDF activity

• Ground activity: IDF forces continued operating against Hamas terrorists on land, in the air and at sea. In the areas surrounding the Gaza Strip, IDF fighters and Israeli security forces continued clearing the area of terrorists, going from door to door and carrying out exhaustive searches. On several occasions, the forces encountered terrorists. In the meantime, the residents of the Israeli villages near the border fence were being evacuated (IDF spokesman, October 9, 2023).
• The IDF spokesman reported that the IDF had gained full control over all the villages near the Gaza Strip and there were still six active centers of fighting. About seventy terrorists invaded Kibbutz Be’eri and most of them were killed in exchanges of fire. A few terrorists remained and were barricading themselves in kibbutz houses. Seven terrorists were identified in Kibbutz Kfar Aza after an exchange of fire, they fled to the kibbutz fields. Other locations were Kibbutz Nirim, Kibbutz Alumim, Kibbutz Nir Oz, Kibbutz Holit and the Shaar HaNegev regional council. There was also an exchange of fire with terrorists in the southern city of Sderot. The possibility that terrorists entered Israel through tunnels is being investigated (IDF spokesman, October 9, 2023).
• Aerial activity: In the past 24 hours, the IDF carried out four massive waves of aerial attacks on the Gaza Strip, hitting more than 800 targets. Between 50 and 60 fighter jets participated in each wave. At the same time, IDF forces fired artillery at the Gaza Strip. One of the targets was the area of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, on the border with Israel.
• Among the targets attacked during the past 24 hours were the following (IDF spokesman, October 9, 2023):
  • Hamas and PIJ operational headquarters.
  • High-rise buildings, among them a building where a Hamas military headquarters was located and a building used for operations by a senior member of the Hamas naval force.
  • Terrorist tunnels in the Beit Hanoun area in the northern Gaza Strip. One of the tunnels ran under a high-rise building and was near a mosque.
  • Operational infrastructures of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, one of them located inside a mosque.
  • The Palestinian National Bank branch in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City.
  • Homes of senior Hamas terrorist operatives, including the house of Farah Hamed,^[1] located near a mosque and three schools, in a building which also housed a military facility.
  • A PIJ facility located in a residential building where its terrorist operatives lived.
  • Buildings used by terrorist squads.
  • Hamas operational headquarters, including the headquarters of a senior naval force operative.
  • Aerial attacks also prevented additional terrorist squads from entering Israeli territory.

   
Aerial attacks on a munitions warehouse and an entrance shaft to a tunnel (IDF spokesman’s website, October 9, 2023)

     
Right: Aerial attacks on tunnels in Beit Hanoun. Left: Aerial attack on a Hamas military facility situated in a mosque in the Jabalia area (IDF spokesman’s website, October 9, 2023)

   
Right: Israeli Air Force attack in western Gaza City. Left: Aerial attack on the al-Shati refugee camp (Twitter account of photojournalist Hassan Aslih, October 9, 2023)

    
Right: Air Force attack on Beit Hanoun. Left: The attack on the branch of Hamas’ Islamic National Bank in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City (Shehab Twitter account, October 8, 2023)

• Naval activity: The Israeli Navy prevented terrorist operatives from entering Israel by sea and killed dozens of them. Israeli missile ships attacked rocket launchers aimed at Israel and observation posts of the Hamas naval force. Israeli naval commandos captured a senior operative of the Hamas naval force, apprehending him on the beach (IDF spokesman, October 9, 2023).
• Since the beginning of the war, approximately 1,200 targets in the Gaza Strip have been attacked. Air Force aircraft have dropped approximately 2,000 projectiles and over 1,000 tons of explosives. So far, 21 high-rise buildings linked to terrorist activity have been attacked (IDF spokesman, October 9, 2023).
• In response to the IDF attacks, Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said attacks against residential buildings inhabited by women and children, and mosques and schools in the Gaza Strip were “war crimes and terrorism carried out with American cover and support.” He demanded the international community and all “freedom movements” around globe “condemn the heinous Zionist crimes” (Hamas Telegram channel, October 9, 2023).
• According to the ministry of health in Gaza, as of 10:30 a.m., there were 493 Palestinian deaths and 2,751 wounded (ministry of health in Gaza Facebook page, October 9, 2023).
• According to UNRWA, 74,000 Gazans have been taken in by its 64 schools, which were opened specifically to serve as shelters for residents who lost their houses and for those who left them because of the war. October 9, 2023). UNRWA claimed it could not meet the needs of all the asylum seekers in the Gaza Strip and could meet needs for two weeks only (al-Arabiya, October 8, 2023).

• After Israel closed the crossings and stopped supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said that the reserves of fuel for operating the power plant in the Gaza Strip would out on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 (Telegram channel of journalist Hassan Aslih, October 9, 2023).

Rocket attacks

• In the meantime, the launching of barrages of rockets at Israel continued, most of them targeting the Israeli villages near the border. In the evening a massive barrage was fired at central Israel. Hamas and the PIJ claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. On October 9, 2023, rocket fire continued in the south. In the afternoon it was amplified to include the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv areas and the coastal plain. Hamas’ military-terrorist wing claimed responsibility for the rocket fire and claimed it was the response to the attacks on buildings in the Gaza Strip. Several Israelis were injured and property damage was reported
• According to the IDF spokesman, so far 3,700 rockets have been launched at Israel, 2,400 falling in open areas. More than 200 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system; 66 direct hits were identified (IDF spokesman, October 9, 2023).

    
Right: A rocket hits a house in Sderot (QudsN Twitter account, October 9, 2023). Left: A house in an Israeli village near the border hit by rockets fired from Gaza (Shehab Twitter account, October 9, 2023)

• On October 9, 2023, at noon, several rockets were launched from Lebanon towards the north of the country. The event is under investigation.

Israeli casualties

• The Israeli ministry of health reported that as of October 9, 2023 there were 2,586 injured Israelis in hospitals across the country, and so far more than 800 deaths had been reported. About 150 abducted Israelis are being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas and the PIJ (Hamas and PIJ Telegram channels, October 8, 2023); there are foreign nationals among them.
• Musa Abu Marzouq, a senior Hamas figure, said that more than a hundred Israelis were being held by Hamas, including high-ranking IDF officers. He claimed that in view of the “continued aggression” it was still too early to talk about negotiations for a ceasefire (al-Ghad, October 8, 2023). Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, claimed the organization had more than thirty captives (PIJ website, October 8, 2023).
• Zaher Jabarin, who holds the “prisoner portfolio” in Hamas, claimed that the abductees would end the prisoner issue “and clean out the Zionist prisons” (al-Aqsa TV, October 9, 2023).
• The Chinese news agency reported from a “source in Hamas” that mediation was being led by Qatar and supported by the United States for an exchange deal with Israel. According to “the source,” they were trying to reach an agreement that would include the release of the Israeli women held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of female Palestinian prisoners. “The source” also stated that a senior Hamas figure told Qatar they were not opposed to the deal on the condition that it guaranteed the release of all 36 Palestinian female prisoners in Israeli prisons (China News Agency, October 9, 2023). The information has not been verified.

The Gaza Strip

Hamas

• Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, continued bragging about further achievements and successes and the continued launching of rockets, including at central Israel. Hamas issued videos of weapons it used in the war (Hamas Telegram channel, October 8, 2023; al-Jazeera TV website, October 8, 2023). Usama Hamdan, a senior Hamas figure, also stated they had neutralized some of Israel’s capabilities by means of cyber attacks, which facilitated the operatives’ entrance into Israeli territory. He added that Hamas believed that “the Israeli decision-makers understood the message of the Shebaa Farm” [the shelling of the Mount Dov area yesterday by Hezbollah] (al-Mayadeen, October 8, 2023).

    
Photographs from a video showing al-Zawari “suicide” UAVs, which they say supported the preliminary fire for the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades terrorists to enter Israeli territory (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades Telegram channel, October 8, 2023)

    
Photographs from a video of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing unveiling the locally-produced Mitvar1 aerial defense systems, which they claim were used for the first time Operation al-Aqsa Storm (Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades Telegram channel, October 9, 2023)

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

• Abu Hamza, the spokesman for the Jerusalem Brigades, the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing, issued a speech in which he claimed they were fighting to “protect the holy places” and to undo the injustice done to the prisoners in Israeli jails. He said the war should not be limited to the Gaza Strip and Israel had to feel the danger “in Palestine and beyond.” Addressing the prisoners, he claimed their release was closer than ever, and called on “our brothers in the West Bank” to continue confronting Israel (Abu Hamza’s Telegram channel, October 8, 2023)
• For the first time since the beginning of the war, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, gave a speech. He said the war had exposed Israel’s weakness, caused it to become hysterical and paralyzed, and showed it could be broken. He added that Israel was making a mistake by thinking that after defeat and humiliation, by destroying houses and attacking buildings and civilians, with American backing, it could break the will of the Palestinians and their “fighters.” It would, he claimed, only strengthen the Palestinians and increase their determination to continue fighting.
• He claimed that the battles in the “settlements” around Gaza, the raids on IDF camps and the capture of soldiers were evidence that Israel’s army was weaker than many people around the world believed. He added that dozens of military and civilian captives were currently being held in the Gaza Strip (PIJ website, October 8, 2023).

• Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy PIJ secretary general, said in an interview that the PIJ was taking an active part in Operation al-Aqsa Storm. He claimed it was “a strategic blow” that would have consequences for the entire region, and that all the past rules of engagement had changed. He added that, unlike in the past, when Israel was the initiator and determined the timing of the campaign, this time the “resistance” [the Palestinian terrorist organizations] determined the timing and place. He said the operation also had political influence and Israel’s dream of penetrating Arab countries through normalizing relations was fading away (PIJ website, October 8, 2023; al-Jazeera YouTube channel, October 8, 2023).

• The PIJ’s military-terrorist wing issued a video which it documented attacking specific Israeli targets near the Gaza Strip using Ziyad suicide UAVs (Jerusalem Brigades’ Telegram channel, October 9, 2023). The organization’s military-terrorist wing displayed the aircraft during the military parade it held in the Gaza Strip on October 4, 2023 to mark the 36th anniversary of its establishment.

     
A Ziyad suicide UAV (Right: Jerusalem Brigades Telegram channel, October 9, 2023) (Left: Shams News Twitter account, October 4, 2023)

Judea, Samaria and the Palestinian Authority

• So far, Hamas’ efforts to enlist operatives on the ground to join the war against Israel have not succeeded, but during the past 24 hours several terrorist attacks were carried out, and in several locations there were violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its teams had treated 41 wounded (al-Araby al-Jadeed, October 8, 2023). There were also several attempts to carry out attacks. Sixteen Palestinians have been killed in Judea and Samaria since the beginning of the war.
• The main events were the following:
  • On the evening of October 8, 2023, an exchange of gunfire was reported near the Qalandia checkpoint (Shehab Telegram channel, October 8, 2023). The ministry of health in Ramallah reported four fatalities.

     
Photos from a video documenting shooting at the Qalandia checkpoint (@Yousef3fsh Twitter account, October 9, 2023)

• • There were reports of three fatalities in clashes in Jericho, Hebron and Bayta (ministry of health in Ramallah Telegram channel, October 8 and 9, 2023).
  • On the night of October 8, 2023, exchanges of fire between terrorist operatives and security forces were reported in Tubas, Tulkarm and the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho.
  • Before dawn on October 9, 2013, shots were fired at an Israeli force near the village of Jaba’. The Tulkarm Battalion and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades reported shooting and clashes near the Nitzanei Oz checkpoint as part of Operation al-Aqsa Storm.
  • Violent clashes broke out in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, during which Molotov cocktails were thrown at military vehicles.
  • An IED was thrown at Beit El, north of Ramallah, and the Atarah checkpoint in the northern part of Ramallah district was targeted by gunfire. Terrorists also reportedly opened fire at the Shavei Shomron checkpoint (QudsN, October 9, 2023).
  • Before dawn on October 9, 2023, a Palestinian driving a tractor broke through a military post near the Jewish community in Hebron and tried to run over soldiers; he was shot and killed (Israeli media, October 9, 2023). The Palestinian media reported that he was Rajeh Husam Rajeh Taha Abu Sneineh, 18 years old, from Hebron (Amad, October 9, 2023).

    
Right: The scene of the vehicular attack in Hebron (al-Quds, October 9, 2023). Left: The Palestinian terrorist (Amad, October 9, 2023)

Palestinian Authority

• PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas spoke by phone with Qatar’s emir, Tamim bin Hamad, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II in separate conversations. He stressed the need to transfer aid to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the need for all sides to act to stop the “Israeli aggression.” The heads of state stressed they were making every effort with all international and regional elements to stop the escalation and ensure the arrival of aid in the Gaza Strip (Wafa, October 8, 2023).
• PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said in a statement that from the first stage of the fighting in the Gaza Strip they had begun an international and Arab move to stop the “aggression” and make it clear to the world that Israel’s security solutions had been completely inadequate and the only solution was to end the “occupation.” Shtayyeh also demanded that the PA representative in Cairo examine the possibilities of transferring aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing (Muhammad Shtayyeh’s Facebook page, October 9, 2023). At the weekly cabinet meeting he said that “Israel is an aggressive, occupation state” and the Palestinians had the right to “defend themselves” (Wafa, October 9, 2023).

The Northern Arena

Hezbollah

• According to sources in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s attack on Israel yesterday was a message to Israel that if it carried out a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, its northern borders will not remain quiet, “as part of the equation of unity of the arenas” (al-Nashra, October 9, 2023).
• Hashem Safi al-Din, chairman of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, speaking at a rally in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Beirut’s Hezbollah-owned Shi’ite Dahiya neighborhood, said that the “campaign” was the campaign of the entire [Muslim] nation and therefore everyone had to join it in defending Jerusalem and the holy sites. He noted that Netanyahu had to understand that the war was not only being waged by the residents of Gaza and the West Bank, the responsibility fell on the shoulders of the entire nation. He also noted that Hezbollah was not neutral and was on high alert and prepared for every need (Radio Nur, October 8, 2023).

Lebanon

• Najib Mikati, prime minister of Lebanon’s interim government, spoke for the first time about the events in the Gaza Strip and south Lebanon. He said he was monitoring developments and holding talks on with international, Arab and regional elements. During the talks, he stressed that the Lebanese government’s top priority was to maintain security and stability in south Lebanon, adhere to implementing Resolution 1701, stop “ongoing Israeli violations against Lebanese sovereignty in the air, at sea and on land,” and demand they withdraw from the “occupied Lebanese territories.” Regarding the Palestinian issue, he said that what was happening in the Palestinian territories was the inevitable result of Israel’s attitude to the Palestinian people, and he called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel (Lebanese prime minister’s office Twitter account, October 9, 2023).
• Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib said in an interview conducted before Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacking the border posts (October 8, 2023), that they had received a promise from Hezbollah that it would not intervene in the war unless Israel provoked Lebanon. He referred to the escalation as “dangerous” and attributed it to “Israel’s ongoing harm to the Palestinian people.” He also said that Israel should not expand the war in the Gaza Strip and in the Israeli villages near the border, and that Lebanon’s position was consistent with Arab positions (al-Sharq al-Awsat, October 9, 2023).
• Paula Yacoubian, a member of the Lebanese Parliament, called on Hezbollah to refrain from entering the war against Israel, saying that although they were proud of the Palestinian “action,” they had been burned enough and Lebanon today could not bear entering a new struggle (al-Jadeed, October 8, 2023).

Iran

• The Iranian Supreme Leader’s senior advisor on international affairs said that advocates of normalization with Israel who wanted to sever ties with the Muslim nations [to solve their internal problems] should learn the lesson of recent events (Tasnim, October 9, 2023).
• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke separately by phone with Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, and Ziad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general. Raisi told Haniyeh he admired the actions of “Hamas fighters and all fighters in the battle arenas.” He also said Iran supported the “resistance” [terrorist organizations] and the Palestinian people, who had “pleased the Islamic nation with their initiative.” Haniyeh said that despite Israel’s capabilities, the “resistance” had destabilized it and managed to take over its posts and kill hundreds of Israelis. He stressed that Operation al-Aqsa Storm was still at its beginning and would end in a decisive victory (Hamas Telegram channel, October 8, 2023). Speaking with al-Nakhalah, Raisi congratulated the Palestinian people on the victories of the “resistance” and stressed Iran’s support of the Palestinian people and its “activity.” Al-Nakhalah stressed the importance Operation al-Aqsa Storm and discussed the latest developments on the ground (PIJ Telegram channel, October 8, 2023).
• Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Commander Hossein Salami said that the “heroic Palestinians” had pursued and captured Israeli soldiers without any fear, adding that Israel could no longer spread lies about its power. He claimed it was the end of the occupation and the aggression, and the Americans could no longer save them (Tasnim, October 9, 2023).

Did Iran help Hamas?

• According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures said that Iran had helped plan the Hamas attack and that during a meeting held in Beirut on October 2, 2023, had given them the green light to go ahead. The officials added that IRGC officers had been working with Hamas operatives since August 2023 to plan the combined attack on land, in the air and at sea. It was also reported that the attack was discussed during several meetings in Beirut attended by IRGC officers and representatives of four Iranian-supported organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian participated in at least two of the meetings. According to the senior officials, the attack was planned for a time when Israel was preoccupied with political disputes, and was also meant to disrupt American-mediated talks to normalize Saudi Arabian-Israeli relations, which Iran regards as a threat. According to senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures and a senior Iranian official, Iran’s broader plan is to create a multi-front threat to Israel from all sides: Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the north, and the PIJ and Hamas in Gaza, Judea and Samaria.
• However, when senior Hamas figure Mahmoud Mardawi^[2] was asked about the meetings, he claimed it had been a Palestinian decision. The spokesman for the Iranian delegation to the UN said in response that his country supported Hamas’ actions in the Gaza Strip but claimed that Iran had not directed them and that the decisions made by the “Palestinian resistance” were independent and consistent with the interests of the Palestinians (India Today website, October 9, 2023).
• CNN reported from senior American officials that the Biden administration had not yet found a “smoking gun” directly linking Iran to the planning and execution of the attack against Israel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that in this particular case, they had not yet found evidence that Iran directed or was behind the events. In another statement, he said that they were examining the issue very carefully (CNN website, October 8, 2023).
• Interviewed by the BBC, Senior Hamas figure Ghazi Hamad, when asked about the extent of aid and support received by Hamas from Iran for carrying out the attack, said he was proud many countries were supporting them. He noted that Iran was helping them, as well as other countries, with money, weapons or political support. Although his answer was somewhat vague, he did not deny Iran’s assistance to Hamas and the PIJ (BBC in Arabic, October 8, 2023).
• Iran’s mission to the UN denied Tehran’s involvement in the events, but also claimed the Palestinians’ actions were completely legitimate, as they were in response to seven decades of “occupation and crimes of the Zionist regime” (October 9, 2023). Nasser Kanani, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, warned that any “foolish” action against Tehran would be met with a destructive response. Regarding the claims about Iran’s involvement in the war, he said the Palestinians were capable of defending themselves, but added that Hezbollah or Iran’s aid was no less important than American aid to Israel (al-Mayadeen, October 9, 2023).

Arab World

Egypt

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the latest developments and the escalation between the Palestinians and Israel. They stressed the need to cooperate to stop the escalation and violence in order to prevent bloodshed and keep the situation from deteriorating further deterioration (al-Youm al-Sabaa, October 8, 2023).

United Arab Emirates

• The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Hamas attacks on towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, including the launching of thousands of rockets, were a serious escalation and that the ministry was shocked by reports of Israeli civilians abducted from their homes. The ministry called on both sides to deescalate and refrain from escalating the violence (UAE Foreign Ministry website, October 8, 2023).

Iraq

• Akram al-Kaabi, secretary general of the Iraqi al-Nujaba militia, declared that any effort by the “Zionists” and American and Western supporters of Israel to expand the conflict would be met with a decisive response from the “resistance” from various arenas. He also said they were proud of the Palestinian people and the “resistance” groups that had proven to the world that the equation of deterrence had changed. He stressed that they were not alone and that the “resistance axis” [Iran, its proxies, Hezbollah and the Palestinian terrorist organizations] was united (official website of the Nujaba militia, October 9, 2023).

The West

UN Security Council meeting

• At 10 p.m. on October 8, 2023, at 22:00, the UN Security Council convened for a closed emergency session to discuss the events in the Gaza Strip. The United States urged a condemnation of Hamas no agreement was reached, and no summary announcement was made because the participants were unable to reach a joint statement (al-Jazeera TV, October 9, 2023).
• Riyadh Mansour, the Palestinian representative to the UN, said at the Security Council meeting that the situation had reached a dangerous and volatile point, as they had been warning for a long time. He called on the Security Council to immediately stop the violence and bring about a ceasefire for the sake of civilian security. He said Israel was “the occupying power” fully responsible for the situation (PA mission to the UN Twitter account, October 8, 2023).

United States

• The White House announced that President Biden had ordered additional aid to be sent to Israel. The American Secretary of Defense officially announced the transfer of US Navy ships to the region, including an aircraft carrier. Fighter jets will also be sent (US Department of Defense website, October 8, 2023). The aircraft carrier Ford was ordered to sail to the eastern Mediterranean to assist Israel. The vessel is accompanied by the missile ship Normandy and four destroyers. According to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the US will also strengthen its aircraft presence in the region (Reuters, October 8, 2023). NBC reported that American officials were examining the possibility of evacuating American citizens from the area but stressed it had not yet been decided (Reuters; NBC, October 8, 2023).
• Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem claimed in response that the American announcement of sending an aircraft carrier to the region was practical participation in the aggression against the Palestinians. He said such actions would not deter them and they would continue to “defend the Palestinian people and the holy sites” (Hazem Qassem’s Telegram channel, October 9, 2023).
• Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Yemen’s Houthi political bureau, also addressed the American intervention in the conflict, saying that the “resistance axis” had to present the United States with two options: either stop the aggression against the Gaza Strip or enter the battle (al-Bukhaiti’s Twitter account, October 8, 2023).

Russia

• Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, called on Israel and the Palestinians to stop hostilities and reach an immediate ceasefire (themoscowtimes.com, October 7, 2023). Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would work alongside the Arab League to “stop the bloodshed” (Barron’s, October 9, 2023). Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit reportedly arrived in Russia and met with Lavrov (Reuters, October 8, 2023).

Global Jihad

Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Indian subcontinent

• Al-Qaeda’s branch in the Indian subcontinent issued a statement in support of attacking Jews. The announcement begins with the slogan “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, Muhammad’s army will return,” referring to the Battle of Khaybar, which took place at the beginning of Islam, in 628 CE between Muslims and the Jews of the city of Khaybar, on the periphery of the city of Medina, in which many of the city’s Jews were massacred. The announcement praises Hamas’ attack on the “infidel Jews” and stresses that it “warms the hearts of Muslims.” The announcement also stressed the importance of Jerusalem to Islam (Telegram, October 8, 2023).

^[1] A Hamas terrorist from the Palestinian village of Silwad deported to Gaza as part of the 2011 Shalit exchange deal. ↑
^[2] He was released in the Gilad Shalit exchange deal and deported to the Gaza Strip. ↑

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