Wednesday 6 December 2023

Gaza death toll climbs as Israel pounds enclave

Gaza death toll climbs as Israel pounds enclave

Gaza death toll climbs as Israel pounds enclave





Israeli troops walk past destroyed buildings along the Salaheddine road linking the northern Gaza Strip with the south, outskirts of Gaza City, November 28, 2023. © Mahmud Hams, AFP






Israel ramps up bombardment across Gaza, with dozens reported killed in an Israeli attack on homes in central city of Deir el-Balah.







UN agency for Palestinian refugees says humanitarian operations are at “breaking point” as Israeli military intensifies attacks in south of the besieged enclave.


Senior Hamas official says “no negotiations” with Israel unless it halts its Gaza offensive; Israeli leaders pledge to press on with the war.


About 900 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli airstrikes between Friday when a truce ended and Monday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, about the same number killed in strikes in Gaza over the four days following the Hamas cross-border raid on Israel on Oct. 7, though fewer than the 1,199 who died in the four days following the start of Israel's ground offensive on northern Gaza Oct 28.




More than a dozen Palestinians rounded up in Israeli raid in Jenin



Israeli forces arrested at least 18 Palestinians in Jenin and its refugee camp following an hours-long raid, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.


Wafa said that at least seven people, including a woman and a girl, were also injured.


As we reported earlier, Israel’s military deployed armoured vehicles during the raid, and ambulance crews were also attacked by Israeli forces.




How Hamas’s military strategy against Israel is evolving in southern Gaza



Hamas has used “increasingly sophisticated” tactics against Israeli forces since the ceasefire in the Gaza strip ended on December 1, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US think tank. As the conflict is increasingly focused in southern Gaza, the Palestinian Islamist group is also deploying more advanced weapons, including explosive drones and anti-tank ammunition.


As Israeli tanks rolled into southern Gaza on Sunday, the second stage of Israel’s ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave began, bringing with it a new set of challenges for Israel’s troops and what appears to be a new military strategy from Hamas.


Post-ceasefire, the Islamist group and allied Palestinian militants look to have upgraded their weaponry and adapted their tactics “based on lessons learned during the past month of fighting in the Gaza Strip”, according to a report released on December 3 by the ISW.



Upgraded weapons



One of the most notable changes is Hamas’s increased use of explosively formed penetrators (EFP) – projectile explosives designed to penetrate armour, even when fired from great distances. The weapons, which were used just twice in October and November, have been deployed five times since December 1, according to the institute.


Of the three types of EFP in use today, the most common “detonate and launch steel shrapnel in all directions, having a deadly impact typically within a 10-40 metre radius”, said Alexandre Vautravers, a security expert at the Global Studies Institute at the University of Geneva.


But more modern EFP – such as those Hamas is thought to have used – can be “projected at hypersonic speeds, making them capable of piercing armour without being intercepted by Trophy or similar systems”, said Vautravers.


Questions remain over how Hamas gained access to such advanced weaponry tailored to penetrate Israeli systems. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the EFP that Hamas uses are made in the Gaza Strip.


Along with anti-tank ammunition, the ISW report includes video footage released by Hamas on December 2 showing its fighters using one-way attack drones to target Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip.


This marks another technical advance in the group’s military capability. “Hamas has been developing drones for decades and have already used them, but never effectively and mainly for training purposes,” said Veronika Poniscjakova, a specialist in military aspects of the Israel-Palestinian conflict at the University of Portsmouth in the UK.


Going forward, Hamas could use a similar strategy to that which Israel has used with its air strikes in northern and southern Gaza, deploying kamikaze drones to strike Israeli forces "before direct confrontation", said Poniscjakova.



New tactics



As well as improved weaponry, Hamas also looks to be enacting a new plan of action against Israel in southern Gaza.


“Hamas and the other Palestinian militias have shifted from conducting a delaying operation to conducting a deliberate defence,” wrote the Institute for the Study of War.


Operations in the north aimed to slow Israeli progress “to provide Hamas time to move its leaders and military materiel from the northern Gaza strip to the southern part of the strip”, it added.


Now that the battleground has moved south, a “shift in tactics suggests that Hamas and Palestinian militias are preparing to become decisively committed to defending against the Israeli ground operation”.


A more directly confrontational approach from Hamas may be born of necessity. If Hamas was able to shift its operations south as fighting raged in northern Gaza, now “there is no other place to escape to", Poniscjakova said.


Hamas may also be able to operate more boldly in the south than the north. Brinner says it is where the groups’ main ammunition and weapon depots are located, and there is also strong popular support for Hamas especially in Khan Younis, the hometown of the group’s two main leaders in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif.


“In the northern Gaza Strip, we have seen Hamas operating more like a guerrilla force – avoiding the big battles, slipping away and then re-emerging to attack and slip away again,” said Ahron Bregman, specialist in security issues in the Middle East at Kings College London.


“But this tactic might change when the Israelis operate in the southern Gaza Strip. There's strong Hamas support there, so they might resist more strongly.” This could mean a return to the group’s traditional organisational structure divided into “formations of battalions, brigades and so on”, Bregman said.


“The Israelis are also less familiar with the southern Gaza Strip than with the north,” Bregman said, and they are increasingly under pressure from the international community to limit the soaring civilian death toll in Gaza.






“The Israeli Defence Force, because it is more crowded in the south at the moment, could use less fire power lest it kills too many civilians,” Bergman added.



Prolonging fighting



It may be too early to say whether the incidents observed in the past few days are the beginning of a more advanced military strategy from Hamas. “There are indications of something happening, but we cannot say yet [whether] Hamas has more sophisticated tactics in general,” said Brenner.


There is as yet little evidence to measure the success of recent kamikaze drone attacks launched by Hamas, according to Poniscjakova.


But almost two months into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, clashes look set to intensify. “The heavy fighting is ahead of us,” said Brinner. “The confrontations will be more intense and Israel's advance more difficult."


Poniscjakova believes the greatest weapon at Hamas’s disposal is drawing out the fighting for as long as possible. “Time is Hamas’s best friend. The longer the war lasts, the more civilian casualties there will be, which works in Hamas’s favour because it degrades Israel’s image," she said.


The objective for the militant group is also markedly different from that of Israel. “Hamas doesn't have to score big victories over the Israelis,” said Bregman. “All it has to do is to be able to stand on its [own two] feet when this war is over. A Hamas victory is to be able to say, ‘We are still here’.”
























































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No More Aid for Ukraine Under New US House Speaker?

No More Aid for Ukraine Under New US House Speaker?

No More Aid for Ukraine Under New US House Speaker?





©AP Photo/David Becker/Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Las Vegas






Following the appointment of Mike Johnson as the new speaker of the House of Representatives on October 25, the US Congress has not approved any proposed package of aid to Ukraine. The date for considering a bill on allocating additional funds is still in the air.







In October, Democratic US President Joe Biden asked for a whopping $106 billion support package, including funds for Israel and Ukraine, but received no explicit congressional support. The House of Representatives (lower chamber of the US Congress), with the Republicans holding most seats, voted in support of Israel only. However, the Senate (upper chamber of the US Congress), mostly controlled by the Democrats, blocked the initiative.


The request is only feasible when approved by both chambers and the president. In the meantime, the White House administration has recognized that the funds previously allocated for the Kiev regime are running out. Hence, arms exports to Ukraine are in decline.


That being said, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin announced an upcoming $100 million support package during his visit to Kiev on November 20, although it was part of previously approved funds.


“We need to see — we need to see the Congress step up in a bipartisan way to support it, because there’s no way around the simple arithmetic that if there’s no funding to provide weapons to Ukraine, we’re just not in a position to continue to provide weapons to Ukraine,” said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at a White House press briefing on Monday.


The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, commented on the White House's call for facilitating military assistance efforts. Johnson said that his concerns regarding the Ukraine strategy remain unanswered.


On December 5, Mike Johnson said he had told White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that the administration must provide details on its Ukraine strategy before lawmakers approve further aid to the country.


“I told Mr. Sullivan very directly that there are important questions that must be answered so that we can continue with these negotiations,” Johnson said during a press conference. “What is the objective? What is the endgame in Ukraine? How are we going to have proper oversight over the funds?”


According to NBC News, the Democrats and Republicans tried to coordinate their stance on POTUS’ request for an extensive assistance package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, the talks fell through because the two parties failed to settle on the Republicans' demands for tougher immigration laws.


A major setback in regards to passing any financial support bill is the fact that the Republican Party essentially withdraws from any draft law consideration unless US southern border security is discussed first.


Today, Mike Johnson is the third highest-ranking US official, overseeing the way the House of Representatives considers draft bills. Due to his views on the ongoing conflict, Johnson faced criticism from staunch Ukraine supporters in the Republican Party even before he was officially elected to the position.


For instance, the conservative GOP group Republicans for Ukraine drew up a ranking list of American legislators weighing in on their Ukraine stance, with Johnson receiving the lowest rating possible, 1 out of 5.


On Monday, Democratic US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that he had submitted a motion to call a vote on the president’s request for increased funding towards national security, including support for Ukraine.


According to a Bloomberg report, a Senate vote on Ukraine funding “would not happen until the week of December 11, at the earliest.” However, it could be pushed even further due to differences among lawmakers.


Under the Senate's established procedure, once the debates are over, the senators have up to 30 hours to consider the bill, after which it is voted on. Thus, the Senate vote could take place on December 6, at the earliest. If Congress fails to agree on the matter now, the vote will have to be postponed until early January, after the Christmas break.


Tuesday 5 December 2023

Watch Russian Tankers Shell Ukrainian Troops During Rotation in Special Op Zone

Watch Russian Tankers Shell Ukrainian Troops During Rotation in Special Op Zone

Watch Russian Tankers Shell Ukrainian Troops During Rotation in Special Op Zone











A tank formation of the Russian Armed Forces has disrupted the rotation of Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman region.







The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released footage showing T-80BV tank crews carrying out targeted shelling of Ukrainian positions.


Russian tankers of the Tsentr Battlegroup are conducting daily combat operations to destroy units and positions of Ukrainian nationalists in the area of Krasny Liman.


The T-80BV M tank crews have worn down the Ukrainian troops and hindered the ammunition supply by continuously shelling the enemy. The Russian units successfully hindered the resting troops and hampered the restoration and rearming of positions on the contact line.



Watch Russian Rocket Artillery Erase US-Made Howitzer From Existence in Ukrainian Conflict Zone



Just as the United States and its allies continue to prolong the Ukraine conflict by sending weapons to the regime in Kiev, Russian troops are becoming increasingly adept at destroying these implements of war.






A short video shared online by the Russian Ministry of Defense this week shows a Russian BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system wiping out a US-made M777 howitzer operated by Ukrainian militants.


The video first shows the Grad launch its deadly salvo, before switching to drone footage of the target area where the rockets can be seen wreaking havoc on their destination.



Russian Forces Secure Fortified Areas Near Liberated Artyomovskoye in Special Op Zone



Russian units of the Sever-V (lit. North-V) Volunteer Assault Corps are clearing forests near a small settlement of Artyomovskoye (Khromovo) in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).


Alexey Selivanov, a corps representative and assistant to the commander of the Yenisey detachment, told Sputnik that Russian soldiers had blocked the main supply route of Ukrainian forces in the Artemovsk-Soledar front area.


"We are mostly clearing fortified areas and forest belts along the roads that served as supply routes for Ukrainian troops (Artemovsk-Soledar direction). Now we are attacking the enemy's strongholds. Basically, we can say that the offensive is progressing successfully within the tactical plan," Selivanov said.


Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian units of the Yug battle group "continued to improve positions along the front line and liberated the settlement of Artyomovskoye in the DPR" using air and artillery strikes.


Artyomovskoye (Khromovo) is a small settlement west of the city of Artemovsk (Bakhmut). During the battle for the city, the last supply route of a Ukrainian military group passed through it.



Watch Cutting-Edge Russian Drones Wipe Out Ukrainian Manpower



FPV drones are widely used in the Russian special operation zone to target various Ukrainian military assets, including armored vehicles and dugouts.






Units equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the Russian Airborne Forces have destroyed a group of Ukrainian soldiers near Artemovsk (Bakhmut) in the special military operation zone, Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) told reporters on Tuesday.


The MoD said that “after launching an FPV [first-person view] drone, an operator directed the UAV to the Ukrainian army’s positions.”


"Upon tracking a target, the operator, using VR [virtual reality] glasses, began approaching it as his assistant corrected the drone’s flight, conducting its precise guidance to the object. The crew of the FPV drone then accurately hit two Ukrainian servicemen in a hideout, leaving them not a single chance to save their lives," according to the MoD.


The ministry added that one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two more seriously wounded in an attack launched by a second Russian FPV drone.



Ukraine Loses Up to 270 Soldiers in Donetsk Direction in Past Day



The Russian military has repelled 4 Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk direction in the past 24 hours, where Kiev lost up to 270 soldiers, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.


“In the Donetsk direction, units of Russia’s southern grouping of forces, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, repelled four enemy attacks … Enemy losses in this direction amounted to up to 270 military personnel and two armored combat vehicles,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that Ukraine also lost up to 245 soldiers in the South Donetsk direction.


Ukraine also lost 90 soldiers as killed or injured in the Kupyansk direction, where Russia has repelled three attacks in the past day.


What Does Pentagon Chief's Warning of Israeli 'Strategic Defeat' Mean?

What Does Pentagon Chief's Warning of Israeli 'Strategic Defeat' Mean?

What Does Pentagon Chief's Warning of Israeli 'Strategic Defeat' Mean?





©AFP 2023 / Ahikam Seri






US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned Tel Aviv of a possible "strategic defeat" if Israel does not protect Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip amid its war against Hamas. What's behind Austin's statement?







The Biden administration appears to have slightly changed its tone with regard to Israel's Gaza war after Tel Aviv resumed its operation in the strip.


"Austin is correct – but when he says strategic defeat, no one in the Congress or Senate seems to understand what he is talking about," retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski said, a former analyst for the US Department of Defense.


"A strategic defeat for Israel in many ways has already occurred, as nearly all of her Western allies have had to tamp down on domestic demonstrations and exercise of free speech. [Its] actions are costing [it] the faith of the populations she formerly could rely on – and damaging the political parties and politicians in their own countries." he added.


Prior to the resumption of the war, some media sources quoted internal sources as saying that President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were urging Israeli officials to show restraint in southern Gaza. Furthermore, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the press he wanted the temporary truce to last longer during his visit to Tel Aviv last Thursday. Then Austin warned Tel Aviv of a "strategic defeat" if it doesn't protect Palestinian civilians. Still, previously, Washington derailed any Gaza ceasefire efforts in the UN Security Council. What's behind the change of heart?




The crux of the matter is that a considerable part of Biden's electorate — including young Democrats, non-whites, Arab and Muslim Americans, and progressives — support Palestine and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. These groups are demonstrating growing discontent with the US president's support for Israel. Some Muslim voters have even gone so far as to vow to snub the vote altogether or vote against Joe Biden in 2024.


Axios suggested that the slide in non-white and Arab/Muslim support in six major battleground states could cost the president his 2024 re-election bid, especially given that his rival Donald Trump has an edge over him in five swing states.


Earlier, in mid-November, The New York Times reported that over 500 US officials representing some 40 government agencies had sent a letter to President Biden protesting his support of Israel in its war in Gaza. Simultaneously, dozens of State Department employees signed internal memos to Blinken protesting the Biden administration's handling of the Palestine-Israel conflict. In addition to the dissent brewing within the government, some Democratic senators have called for conditioning aid to Israel on Tel Aviv's scaling down the fighting in Gaza. Team Biden appears to have come under unprecedented pressure from both its base and party fellows.


"I cannot say if the US government is trying to distance itself from Israel's actions, or to get Israel to accelerate the evacuation and destruction of Gaza so that the next stage may be entered, and the situation becomes a UN problem for displaced Gazans, and gets off the feeds and front pages of the global and social media. Given the constitution of the US government, and its history of unquestioned and unquestionable support for Israel, it is the latter. The US message, from Austin and from the US administration is not 'stop' but rather 'get it done!'" Kwiatkowski suggested.


An alleged conversation between Blinken and the Israeli leadership during a meeting of Israel’s War Cabinet on Thursday, November 30 (which was leaked, but not verified, by Israel's Channel 12) apparently proves Team Biden's desire to wrap the conflict up – one way or another – as soon as possible. Responding to Blinken's question about Tel Aviv plans for uprooting Hamas in southern Gaza, Israeli generals said that they would do it gradually and "proportionally" and as long as necessary. Per them, the conflict could last for months. The US secretary of state allegedly responded: "I don’t think you will have the credit for that," demonstrating that Tel Aviv is running out of time.


Indeed, the longer the Gaza war rages on, the stronger the anti-Biden sentiment within the Democratic base may be. In fact, it's not just Tel Aviv which is running out of time, but Team Biden, whose election odds risk plummeting even further in 2024.



'Israel's Strategic Defeat in Middle East'



Meanwhile, Israel relations with Middle Eastern countries are getting more strained as the Gaza war continues and civilian casualties are continuing to pile up. To date, over 15,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about 70% of whom are said to be women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.


"A strategic defeat is beginning to occur as well in the Middle East, where the many years of Israeli diplomacy and payments and trade with [its] Arab and Turkish neighbors created tentative good relationships – all destroyed by the day as those governments and populations recognize that Israel's past good will is a ploy, and unreliable. A strategic defeat has also occurred in that Israel has not only announced its nuclear capability, it has threatened it - and that is something the region and Israelis allies must be concerned about," Kwiatkowski said.


Discontent with Israel is growing among Muslim and Arab countries. The mid-November extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab Summit in Riyadh called upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate "war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing" in Gaza. Jordan, Turkiye, and Bahrain have withdrawn their diplomats from Israel amid the Gaza war.




Some Arab-linked human rights groups have called upon the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan to immediately withdraw from Abraham Accords with Israel, insisting that Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar should also prohibit the US from providing military support to Tel Aviv from their territories.


Al Arabiya, quoted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as calling upon nations to stop arms exports to Israel during an extraordinary BRICS summit on November 21. The crown prince highlighted the importance of a two-state solution on the way to achieving "stability and security in Palestine."


Meanwhile, some international observers suggest that there is a lack of unity among Arab and Muslim states with regard to the conflict. In particular, during the November meeting in Riyadh, Arab states rejected Iran's proposal to slap an economic embargo on Israel or to nix Abraham Accords.


Speaking to Sputnik in early November, Dr. Ahmed Al Ibrahim, a Riyadh-based political analyst, pointed out that suspending Abraham Accords or killing ties with Israel wouldn't help secure peace in the region. "Freezing the Abraham Accords is not going to be possible because you still want these kinds of documents with Israel […] to contain the problems that are going on right now," the analyst said, nonetheless condemning Israel for brutality and civilian casualties.


Riyadh signaled in November that the normalization deal with Israel is on the table, naming a peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue as a key condition. It's unclear whether Arab and Muslim countries will stick to the present status quo if the war in the Gaza Strip continues to rage on with massive casualties and destruction.


Home near Washington DC explodes as police surround armed suspect

Home near Washington DC explodes as police surround armed suspect

House explodes in Virginia as police try to execute search warrant for man setting off flare gun





The blast took place in a house in Arlington, Virginia.







A huge explosion has destroyed at least one home in a suburb of Washington DC as police executed a search warrant, authorities said. Before the blast in Arlington, Virginia, police said someone from inside the house had fired shots as officers tried to enter.







Police said earlier they had responded to reports of someone firing a flare gun from a residence on Monday night. Officers on the scene reported only minor injuries.


But it is not clear if the suspect was injured or apprehended. Some residents in the surrounding area said on social media they felt their homes shake.


Officers on the scene reported only minor injuries. The fire department is still trying to extinguish the blaze.






Arlington County police posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "As officers were attempting to execute a search warrant at the residence, the suspect discharged several rounds inside the home.


"Subsequently, an explosion occurred at the residence and officers continue to investigate the circumstances of the explosion."


One online video shows what appears to be a Swat team vehicle advancing towards the residence as the blast occurs.




Some residents have been evacuated by police while others have been told to shelter in place.


One eyewitness, Jim Mathews, posted on X before the explosion that he saw several flares.




"Looked like flares being fired off," he said. "Would last 15-20 seconds. Several in a mater of 5 mins or so."


Qatar calls for probe into 'Israel crimes'

Qatar calls for probe into 'Israel crimes'

Qatar calls for probe into 'Israel crimes'





Source: MOFA






The senior Qatari official also stressed that Doha will continue to mediate for a ceasefire.




Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Sunday called for an investigation into possible crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.







Speaking at a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) session on Sunday, Qatar’s top diplomat urged the international community “to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable and do not escape punishment.”


Sheikh Mohammed also reiterated Doha’s “strong condemnation of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces” as Israel pushed ahead with its brutal assault on Gaza.


The Qatari official’s remarks came during the 158th Preparatory Ministerial Council meeting of the 44th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Doha, attended by foreign ministers of the six-member bloc.






He emphasised at the session that Qatar will “will continue its efforts” to resume a pause in Gaza until reaching a permanent ceasefire.




Qatar and Egypt had mediated a temporary truce on November 24 that expired on Friday. The truce had enabled the entry of additional aid trucks into Gaza including fuel shipments.


The pause also saw the release of at least 110 captives from Hamas in Gaza in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, according to a Doha News tally.


Israeli occupation forces resumed the bombardment of Gaza within less than an hour after the truce expired on Friday, targeting the north, centre and south of the Strip.


Israel then said on Saturday that it pulled out its negotiators from talks with Qatar, Egypt and the United States over a renewed pause, declaring an impasse in the negotiations.




























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