MILITARY
Military assets, troop strength, readiness, morale, capabilities, skirmishes, battles, war, exercises, bases, training areas, no-fly zones, defense zones, identification zones.
IDf forces took control of the Al-Shifa medical complex and have been searching it for an alleged underground Hamas HQ.
Analyst Comment: So far the search has only turned up a few small arms and no evidence of larger tunnel structures or a headquarters for Hamas. This is looking increasingly like another major intelligence failure for Israel and will delegitimize their operations and Gaza.
“World Health Organization says 22 out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are no longer functioning due to ‘lack of fuel, damage, attacks and insecurity’.”
“Hamas agrees to Qatari-mediated deal to release 50 hostages in exchange for 3-day ceasefire, prisoner release”
Israel-Hamas Conflict Updates:
+ The Palestinian Red Crescent alleges that Israeli forces ‘opened fire on the intensive care unit at Al-Quds Hospital’.
+ France’s president Macron tells BBC that ‘Civilians are bombed – de facto. These babies, these ladies, these old people are bombed and killed. So there is no reason for that and no legitimacy. So we do urge Israel to stop’.
+ IDF held a flag-raising ceremony in Gaza while Iran warned expansion of the war was now inevitable.
+[Israeli] “air strikes have hit the Strip’s biggest hospital, Al Shifa, killing at least one and wounding several others. Other hospitals were were also reportedly struck at dawn, including strikes on the grounds of the Indonesian Hospital and the Rantissi cancer hospital”
+ “There are around 11,000 Gazans dead at this point, mostly civilians, causing UN Secretary-General António Guterres to tell a conference this week that something has gone ‘clearly wrong’ with Israel’s operation.”
+ A survivor of the October 7th Hamas attacks claims Israeli security forces killed Israeli civilians while attempting to secure the area.
“Israel has agreed to daily four-hour military pauses in northern Gaza for humanitarian purposes, the White House said Thursday, even as President Joe Biden said there was no chance of a full ceasefire.
Biden has been pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for longer breaks in the fighting after more than a month of war sparked by the October 7 attacks by Hamas.”
“The U.S. on Wednesday outlined its expectations for the postwar rule in Gaza, including Palestinian control over the territory, days after Israel said it intended to play a security role there after its planned overthrow of Hamas.
Senior U.S. officials called for the Palestinian people to be at the center of governance in Gaza—unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described a vision for rebuilding Gaza and a path toward Israelis living side by side ‘in space of their own with equal measures of security, freedom, opportunity and dignity…’
On the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major economies, Blinken said the U.S. objected to ‘forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.’”
“The U.S. Air Force’s proposed plans to retire all of its iconic U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes by 2026 have taken a major step forward with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s signing of a critical waiver to make the controversial move a reality. This mechanism allows the Secretary of Defense to jettison congressional requirements that would ensure the capabilities lost by the end of the U-2 program would be replaced in a cost-effective manner.”
Israel-Hamas Conflict Updates:
- IDF has encircled Gaza and is attempting to split it into North and South sections.
- Israel has again cut off phone and internet access in Gaza.
- Turkey, South Africa, Chad and Jordan have recalled their ambassadors from Israel.
- “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday disciplined a junior member of his cabinet who appeared to voice openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza.”
“U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions.
The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said. Some of the talks, which officials described as delicate, took place last month during a meeting of representatives from more than 50 nations supporting Ukraine, including NATO members, known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the officials said.”
“The National Guard is behind on paying enlistment bonuses to nearly 13,000 troops, including nearly 4,000 service members who have since left the service without receiving the bonuses they were promised at enlistment.
Thousands of Americans enter the National Guard every year with promises of bonuses as high as $20,000 for their part-time service, but the National Guard is behind on paying bonuses to roughly 6% of those service members owed the incentive, a National Guard official confirmed to Fox News Digital.”
Israel-Hamas Conflict Round-Up:
- U.S. officials have asked the Israeli military to explain its airstrike on a densely populated refugee camp in Gaza this week, after the attack killed dozens of people, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
- France’s foreign minister that the ‘French Cultural Institute in Gaza was hit a few days ago in a way that caused astonishment, incomprehension and which led France to call for explanations from the Israeli authorities’
- Bolivia has become the first Latin American country to cut diplomatic ties with Israel over what it describes as “aggressive and disproportionate” military actions in Gaza.
“Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organization, plans to provide an air-defense system to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, U.S. officials say, citing intelligence.
The Russian SA-22 system they plan to send uses antiaircraft missiles and air-defense guns to intercept aircraft.
One U.S. official said that Washington hasn’t confirmed that the system has been sent. But officials are monitoring discussions involving Wagner and Hezbollah, and officials say the potential delivery is a major concern.”
Analyst Comment: It looks increasingly likely that the US is using the Israel-Hamas conflict to justify a wider regional conflict against Iran. This “leaked” intelligence attempts to link Iran proxies with the “evil Russians.” Additionally the US has stepped up its presence in the region inciting attacks from Iranian proxies and has retaliated with strikes against those proxies. A bigger problem for the US is that many key allies in the middle east are not interested in a wider conflict with Iran, and many of them do not support Israel’s operations targeting Palestinian’s in the Gaza strip. By trying to engineer a conflict by inserting itself directly into the fight, the US could alienate even more partners and find itself further isolated.
“The U.S. military is bulk buying Japanese seafood to help offset China’s import ban of the products after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in August.”
Analyst Comment: The Japanese government claims the Fukishima water was treated and radiation levels are safe. Five big questions: 1. Was the testing of the water accurate? 2. Who determines a safe level of radioactivity? 3. Did radioactive particles settle in the water resulting in inaccurate test results? 4. Do radioactive particles accumulate in marine life after the water is released? 5. Is any testing being performed on marine life to check for accumulation of radioactive particles?
“After Negotiations between the United States, Egypt, and Israel, the Egyptian Government has Approved for 96 Palestinians who are Severely Wounded to be moved tomorrow from the Gaza Strip to Advanced Trauma Centers in the Northern Sinai Peninsula, with more and more Injured Palestinians expected to arrive over the coming weeks as it is soon expected to reach Thousands a Day once Egypt is able to Medically Care for them.”
“Israeli tanks and infantry temporarily seized control of a strategic road linking the Gaza Strip’s north and south, a major advance that appeared aimed at encircling the enclave’s biggest population center, Gaza City.”
“The Air Force and Space Force have upped the age limits for new recruits to 42 years old.
The update comes after the Air Force missed its recruiting goals for the first time since 1999, falling short by nearly 2,700 airmen. Hopeful Airmen and Guardians between 17 and 42 are now eligible to join the two branches.”
“In interviews with Israeli media, soldiers of the IDF’s Combat Intelligence Corps say that, for at least three months before the attacks, they observed Hamas members conducting paramilitary training along the fenceline, digging holes, studying the area with maps, examining the ground surface and even placing and detonating explosives… According to report by Israel’s Ynet, Egypt’s intelligence minister personally phoned Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu just 10 days before the attack, warning that Hamas was poised to do ‘something unusual, a terrible operation.’”
“Slovakia‘s new populist Prime Minister Robert Fico said Thursday that his government was stopping military aid to Ukraine.
Fico told MPs that the country would ‘no longer supply weapons to Ukraine’, repeating promises made during his election campaign, but would still supply humanitarian aid to its war-torn neighbour.”
“Nine hundred service members are or will be deploying to the Middle East as the United States seeks to respond to attacks on its forces and to prevent the Israel-Hamas War from spiraling into a regional conflict.
Some of those troops were previously given prepare-to-deploy orders but others were not, according to Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder…
Gen. Ryder declined to specify where the U.S. troops would be sent but said that they would include air defense elements previously said to be deployed in order to deter further violence against Israel.”
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) says they will not allow fuel shipments into Gaza.
“Hamas released two more hostages on Monday, identified by Israeli officials as Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, just days after releasing two American women on Friday.
Cooper and Lifshitz were abducted from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza border that came under attack on Oct. 7.”
“After a week of escalating drone attacks on U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq, the Pentagon said Monday that more U.S. service members are getting ‘prepare to deploy’ orders that could send them to the Middle East.
Separately, the U.S. is sending Patriot and THAAD batteries to the region, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman.”
China has continued to harass and block Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.
Analyst Comment: Despite US saber rattling over China provocations, it has done little to stop day-to-day Chinese interdiction of Philippine vessels. China continues to expand its influence and aggressiveness in the region. Securing this region will be critical for China to initiate a blockade of Taiwan.
Israel-Hamas War Roundup:
+ “Israel has reportedly begun the process of Evacuating a number of its Embassies and Consulates across the Middle East as well as Northern Africa with Diplomates claimed to Departing from Jordan, Turkey, and Morocco.”
+ “Multiple Israeli Officials have stated that the U.S. Department of Defense is now planning to Redirect Thousands if not Tens of Thousands of 155mm Artillery Shells away from Ukraine and instead send them to assist Israel with its War against Hamas.”
+ “Netanyahu’s government approves regulations that allow temporary shutdown of foreign news channels on grounds of national security, as Communications Minister seeks to shut down Al Jazeera’s bureau.”
+ “ABC News reports that Israel’s Economy Minister says hostages and civilian casualties will be secondary to the priority of destroying Hamas, adding that its tunnel network will become the ‘world’s biggest cemetery’.”
+ “The White House has removed a picture shared on social media that apparently showed President Joe Biden shaking hands with American special operators in Israel during his recent visit to the country.”
“The U.S. conducted a high-explosive experiment at a nuclear test site in Nevada hours after Russia revoked a ban on atomic-weapons testing, which Moscow said would put it on par with the United States.
Wednesday’s test used chemicals and radioisotopes to “validate new predictive explosion models” that can help detect atomic blasts in other countries, Bloomberg reported, citing the Department of Energy.”
“An audit of the Defense Logistics Agency found that billions of dollars worth of Army ground combat systems and spare parts — from truck engines to range finders to tank treads — were deteriorating or at increased risk of deterioration due to improper storage and care…
The audit looked at the Army’s inventory of GCS equipment, which is the machines and spare parts that soldiers use for movement, protection and firepower on the battlefield. The audit included the Stryker Armored Combat Vehicle and Abrams Tank, and repair parts and components include tank engines, transmissions, vehicular track shoes, rubber wheels and electrical components.
In all, the report examined 93% of the Army’s ground combat spare parts and components stored in two DLA centers. The two centers store 2.17 million individual GCS repair parts and components valued at $3.87 billion, as of July 7, 2022.
Of that $3.87 billion in parts, the IG found $1.31 billion worth had “critical” deficiencies, meaning the equipment was deteriorating and in “immediate danger” of being unuseable. Another $200.22 million worth of parts had “major” deficiencies and $192 million had “minor” deficiencies.”
“The Biden administration is drafting a $100 billion foreign aid package that includes assistance for Israel as well as other top security priorities, according to two people familiar with the details.
Details on the spending request were still being finalized ahead of an official request sent by the White House to Congress this week.
One person told ABC News that the “bulk” of the assistance will likely go toward Ukraine, while others also said that it included $10 billion for Israel.”
“President Biden announced today that the United States is providing $100 million in humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“Israel would let aid enter Gaza via Egypt, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Wednesday, saying only ‘food, water and medicine’ would be allowed into the blockaded Palestinian enclave.”
An explosion just outside the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza has triggered finger-pointing by Palestine and Israel.
Palestinian authorities claim the explosion killed over 500 people, but video evidence shows the damage was primarily limited to a parking lot. The actual death toll is likely substantially smaller. The impact crater from the rocket was tiny and most of the damage appears from an incendiary blast and lacked significant explosive force. This align with the theory of a failed rocket burning off excess propellant upon crashing.
Video by Al-Jazeera showed a rocket volley was launched by Hamas towards Israel, passing over the hospital from a position a dozen or so blocks away. As the volley continues, the explosion can be seen, indicating it could have been a misfired Hamas rocket.
Another angle of video shows what appears to be an Israeli Iron Dome intercept over Gaza around the same time. Plumes of black smoke can be observed within a few blocks of the hospital possible indicating other recently targeted sites.
Israel released audio of an alleged phone intercept where two Hamas terrorists discuss a misfired rocket that was launched from a graveyard directly behind the hospital. There is no evidence any rockets were launched from this graveyard near the time of the explosion on the hospital grounds. In fact, video evidence directly contradicts this audio.
Israel had previously demanded Palestinians evacuate from hospitals in north Gaza “for their safety.”
While eventually denying culpability, Israel initially claimed it didn’t know who was responsible for the attack and was investigating. This is troubling considering they should know whether they were launching missile strike in the area or not.
Huge protests have erupted around the world in support for Palestine after the attack.
Many Middle East nations condemned the attack and attributed it to Israel.
Analyst Comment: At this time the preponderance of evidence points to a misfired Hamas rocket. Nevertheless, Israel appears to have fabricated or released out-of-context audio to bolster their claim of no responsibility. Neither side should be trusted for accurate reporting of events in Gaza.Further, this will increase scrutiny on Israel for their deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure in north Gaza, which is killing many Palestinian civilians.