War, pause and war. The thirty-fifth day of the large-scale confrontation between Israel and Hamas was marked by a truce limited to a few hours and areas and by fighting and attacks the rest of the day. The northern Gaza is simultaneously registering the evacuation of Palestinian inhabitants to the south and the entry of Israeli tanks with the aim of taking control of the fundamentalist group’s centers in the heart of the city. At the same time, the two parties continue in detail and with veto power the negotiations for the release of a large number of the 239 kidnapped in the Gaza Strip and a ceasefire of several days. What happens on the war front influences at the negotiating table and vice versa.
The four-hour humanitarian pause extended by Israel in two corridors this Friday allowed the evacuation of thousands of inhabitants of northern Gaza to the theoretically safer southern area. It is estimated that more than 100,000 inhabitants were part of the exit line in the last two days in an action that mixed relief at leaving the most dangerous area and fear of not being able to return to their homes. The spokesman for the UN Humanitarian Aid Coordination Office (OCHA), Jens Laerke, criticized Israel for not coordinating the humanitarian pause so that it is done “safely, effectively and for humanitarian purposes.”
The Israeli Army increased the pressure in Gaza City and surrounded three hospitals (Shifa, Rantisi and Naser) with tanks so that they could be evacuated to the south before hand-to-hand combat with the Nujba unit that carried out the October 7 attack.
Hamas denounced that three hospitals, including the most important in the Palestinian enclave of Shifa, and a school were hit by Israeli attacks, causing the death of several dozen, while Israel put the number of militants killed at 150 in the assault on Hamas strongholds last day in northern Gaza.
Palestinian leaders denounce that the Army carries out “war crimes” and Israel warns of the presence of militiamen in the basement of several Gazan health centers, accusing Hamas of trying to prevent the evacuation of civilians by considering them “human shields.” If Israel finally orders to send its soldiers to Shifa, it will not have an easy time beyond the diplomatic-media aspect, even though it alleges that Hamas turned the hospital into an armed target. Today, it detects four segments of the population in the hospital: the sick and injured, health personnel, displaced people who found refuge from the bombings, and Hamas members (not necessarily their leaders). In recent weeks, efforts have multiplied to create floating hospitals (as announced by France) or field hospitals (United Arab Emirates) to alleviate the dramatic situation of Gazans.
Since the Hamas attack on October 7 in southern Israel (1,400 dead and 239 kidnapped), the Israeli Army has attacked some 15,000 targets to fulfill the two declared missions (end Hamas and free the hostages) of the massive operation. which is causing unprecedented destruction in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas Ministry of Health, more than 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,000 children, have died while Israel, which numbers the number of militants killed in the thousands, has almost 40 casualties in its ranks in Gaza.
After the advance from different directions of three divisions of its Army (162, 252 and 36) in the ground operation that began exactly two weeks ago, Israeli tanks were already in central areas of Gaza this Friday. Supported by the Air Force, which in many cases decides combats, the soldiers have taken control of several bases and positions, including the operational headquarters of Hamas and, this Friday, a position which, according to the military version, at least ” 30 terrorists were neutralized.” In interviews with Israeli journalists embedded with their forces in Gaza, uniformed personnel confirm that the territory is full of tunnel entrances and explain that they found weapons depots, projectile launchers and tunnels in residential buildings, schools and mosques.
The tactic of the militiamen is to appear, attack the invading force and disappear since the longer they are exposed, the more likely they are to be shot down by land and air. Surrender is not in the vocabulary of Hamas leader Yahia Sinwar. Surely in constant movement in the depths of the Gaza Metro, he is responsible for preventing the military fall and the Hamas regime but also for the custody of the kidnapped people. It is an unprecedented mission especially due to its high number and under military siege. If Israel gets its most sought-after head since 7-0, it is believed that the size and duration of the war would be shortened.
The specific humanitarian pauses were officially announced by US President Joe Biden. It is not coincidental. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu minimized its importance, pointing out that for many days his Army has been allowing humanitarian corridors to encourage evacuation to southern Gaza. Highly criticized in his country after suffering the biggest attack in its history and with adverse polls, Netanyahu is aware that the majority of Israelis demand the return of the kidnapped people through a truce.
Friday began with Israel’s announcement of the death of several leaders in Hamas territory, but also of the attack against a militia in Syria for its responsibility for the drone that exploded in a school in Israel’s southernmost city, Eilat. It was initially thought to be the work of Yemen. Further north, three explosive drones broke into Israeli airspace, only one of them being intercepted. Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for an anti-tank missile. In total, five Israeli soldiers wounded. In the afternoon, Israel launched a new and forceful aerial retaliation against positions of the pro-Iran group in Lebanon in an almost routine skirmish.
An equally hot but much closer front is that of the West Bank. This Friday the funeral took place for a large part of the more than 10 militiamen killed in the last ground operation in Jenin. An image that did not escape the radar of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was the black flag of the Islamic State along with those of Hamas and the Palestinians. However, its presence in the West Bank is still minimal. For days, the US has been asking the Israeli Government to take a tough line against extremist elements among the settlers to avoid more attacks against Palestinians that are already raising tension in an area that almost every night sees clashes between the Israeli Army and the militias.
Unlike previous escalations, the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Abu Mazen, receives many calls and requests. The reason is that he can play an important role in the Gaza Strip without Hamas control. Abu Mazen wants to regain control of the entity from which he was expelled in 2007 by Islamists but demands that it be part of a global solution for the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
