Israel has escalated its military operations in the Gaza Strip and simultaneously halted its negotiation team in Qatar as attempts to extend the truce with Hamas have failed. A leading figure in Hamas stated that further hostage and prisoner releases would not occur until a ceasefire is established. Meanwhile, rocket fire into Southern Israel persists. The ceasefire ended Friday morning when Hamas began launching rockets into Israel starting at 5:30 AM local time. Israel was anticipating receiving another list of hostages to be returned that night and had waited to resume attacks against Gaza. However, after several barrages of rockets came into Israel from Gaza, Israel declared it would be resuming its campaign to eradicate Hamas.
Israel is under increasing pressure from the United States to enhance civilian protection, especially as its military advances into the densely populated southern regions of Gaza, sparking international concern. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly stated that the military campaign will persist until its objectives are fully met. Israel has shown, and videos from some inside Gaza have confirmed, that Hamas leaders are using the civilian population. Israel took the unprecedented step on Friday of dropping leaflets that contained a battle grid, showing Gaza civilians and militants, which sections of the southern Strip would be active zones.
President Biden must stop caving to far left ceasefire calls and instead stand firm with Israel.https://t.co/LfkcEzBz6a
ā Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) December 2, 2023
They did so to enable Palestinians in those zones to vacate. On an X (formerly Twitter) Spaces last night, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Doron Spielman admitted that the care for Palestinian civilians and the warnings to the population that Israel provides, does cost the IDF strategically and endangers the forces on the ground. He stressed that Israel is not interested in harming civilians and is doing all that it can to minimize casualties while pushing to achieve the conflict's objectives.
Also, over the weekend, for the first time since Friday's ceasefire's collapse, humanitarian aid reached Rafah, bringing much-needed supplies like fuel, clean water, and food to the beleaguered inhabitants of Gaza. In Gaza, according to reports, over 1.7 million people have been displaced, and Hamas-led health officials report a death toll exceeding 15,000 due to weeks of Israeli operations without breaking down how many militants and combatants are included in that list. Hamas fighters often wear normal street clothing to blend in with the civilian population, a tactic that is a war crime under the Geneva Convention. On Saturday, Gaza media reports claimed that hundreds more have perished since the resumption of fighting. The Israel Defense Forces estimate that the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas resulted in more than 1,200 fatalities, with around 140 individuals still held in Gaza.
Over 100 rockets fired at central Israel right now.
ā Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) December 2, 2023
cc: All the people who demand Israel ceasefire but never say a word when terrorists fire at Israel. pic.twitter.com/7QGHhVorX3
Over 57 days later since that savage attack on Israel, the Jewish nation is still trying to count the dead to ensure accuracy. Conversely, in Gaza, when a building collapses or an explosion is heard, within minutes a death toll is released, sparking international concern that the numbers coming out of Gaza are incorrect. Hamas has a long history of inflating numbers only to walk them back later once they can be independently verified. One famous instance of this was in 2002 after a suicide attack in Netanya during Passover claimed the lives of 30 Israelis and injured over 140. Israeli forces struck a building in Gaza said to be a command center. Hamas reported that over 2000 people had been killed in that blast and subsequent collapse of the structure; however, several days later, after international agencies helped clear out the rubble, that number was revised to just 22, and most of those were senior Hamas commanders and soldiers.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have been actively conducting operations in Judea and Samaria to dismantle terrorist networks. The Palestinian News agency WAFA reported the arrest of at least 34 Palestinians during targeted raids across various towns and villages.
Particularly in Hebron, a region in Southern Judea known for its history of anti-Israel activities and attempted terror plots, Israeli forces apprehended at least 21 Palestinians. This includes a thwarted attack where assailants armed with firearms and other weapons were intercepted en route to Jerusalem and neutralized after engaging Israeli border security. These operations involved house searches and resulted in the detainment of numerous individuals suspected of terror-related activities. In Sa'ir, a confrontation during one of these operations led to a Palestinian sustaining a leg injury.
International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan visits Israel and the West Bank
ā i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) December 3, 2023
'In a sense, it's coming in a surprising, being invited not only by the Palestinian side but by Israelis as well, by the families of the victims and the hostages' our @owenalterman says pic.twitter.com/GUJY2iHJT9
Near Jerusalem in Ramallah, Southern Samaria, the IDF conducted a series of home raids in Beit Rima, detaining 13 Palestinians. In the Eastern Judean city of Jericho, at least two Palestinians were arrested following raids in the Ein as-Sultan refugee camp. In Bethlehem, Southern Judea, Umayma Sayel, a university student, was detained after a search of her family home. Additionally, reports indicate another Palestinian was arrested in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
