Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his intention to eliminate the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza, despite international efforts to organize a ceasefire.
In a short post on social media on Monday Netanyahu claimed Israeli forces had killed a top Hamas leader, and that it is just a matter of time before other group leaders meet the same fate. “On the way to this victory, we already eliminated number four in Hamas. Three, two and one are on the way. They are all dead men, we will reach them all,” Netanyahu said in the 13-second video. The ‘number four’ in Hamas that Netanyahu referred to is likely Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in an airstrike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut in early January. In his statement, the prime minister “apparently” confirmed that Israel was behind al-Arouri’s assassination, The Times of Israel newspaper wrote. Netanyahu’s remarks come amid an investigation into the fate of Hamas’ number three, Marwan Issa, one of the key figures involved in the militant group’s attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Issa was targeted in an airstrike by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) over the weekend. According to DPA news agency, Netanyahu spoke of ‘numbers one and two’ in reference to the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yehya al-Sinwar, and the head of the al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif. Netanyahu’s comments came on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Egypt, Qatar, and the US tried to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas before Monday, and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire during Ramadan. The latest figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry indicate that more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October.
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The newspaper’s anonymous sources also attributed a separate incident to Israeli sabotage – an explosion that rocked a chemical factory on the outskirts of Tehran on Thursday, which local officials ruled an accident. The two gas pipelines run for more than 1,000 kilometers and carry around 2 billion cubic feet (57 million cubic meters). The blasts temporarily took out around a sixth of Iran’s daily natural gas production, causing local outages. While Iran has said the damage was minor and the repairs were finished by Wednesday evening, the strikes were a “stark warning” of the kind of damage Israel could inflict, one of the NYT’s sources said. Given the vast distances and varied terrain the pipelines run, and the regular Iranian patrols, inside knowledge of the system would have been needed to carry out the sabotage, an Iranian official told the paper.
Recent strikes by Israel and the US have killed Iranian commanders in Syria and hit ‘Axis of Resistance’ targets in Iraq and Syria. The Axis of Resistance – composed of Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen’s Houthis – is an unofficial coalition that opposes US and Israeli influence in the Middle East. While Iran supports the Axis of Resistance, they have categorically denied any involvement with the events of October 7 – when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking another 240 hostage. The UN's new humanitarian coordinator, Sigrid Kaag, said Tuesday that no organization can replace or substitute the "tremendous capacity" of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"I think you've heard the Secretary-General and other agencies, and they've been very clear. At the moment, beyond political decisions, which are GA (General Assembly) bound, there is no way any organization can replace or substitute the tremendous capacity, the fabric of UNRWA, their ability and their knowledge of the population in Gaza," Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, said during a news conference following a closed session on Gaza at the UN Security Council. Some of UNRWA's staff were allegedly involved in the cross-border attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. At least 12 countries — Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Finland, Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, France, Austria and Japan — have suspended funding for UNRWA, which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. UNRWA said it terminated contracts with several employees following the Israeli allegations. The main issues discussed during the UN Security Council session were supply routes to Gaza and distribution across the enclave as well as the establishment of the UN mechanism, according to Kaag. "This is not about counting trucks," she said. "This is about volume, quality, speed and continuous delivery of humanitarian and commercial goods to reach the civilians of Gaza, and the mechanism went up and running and can really help facilitate that. It helps us to track, it helps us to enhance the transparency that we know what's coming in…It helps with the verification and obviously to know if it really reached the civilian population," she added. Several aid workers with the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA helped kidnap Israelis and arm Hamas during its attack on October 7, the New York Times claimed on Sunday citing the contents of a secret Israeli government report.
The dossier allegedly details Israel’s claims about 12 UNRWA employees said to have been involved in the raid. Seven were teachers with the agency and two more worked at its schools in other capacities, while the other three were a clerk, social worker, and storeroom manager. Ten of the workers were also allegedly members of Hamas, whose civilian wing remains the legally elected government of Gaza despite its classification as a terrorist group by Israel, while another was said to be affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. A school counselor from Khan Younis supposedly worked with his son to kidnap an Israeli woman, while a social worker from Nuseirat reportedly removed a dead Israeli soldier’s body back to Gaza and helped distribute vehicles and ammunition ahead of the raid. Another three men allegedly received text messages summoning them to meeting points on October 7, with one ordered to bring rocket-propelled grenades. Two US officials told the New York Times that while they had been briefed on the Israeli allegations, they had not verified the details. Washington was nevertheless first to cut off UNRWA’s funding on Friday, followed by Canada and over half a dozen more on Saturday. Because UNRWA lacks any emergency cash reserves, it may have to curtail the vital services it provides to some 5 million Palestinians starting in February. The funding cutoff comes at a precarious time for Gaza’s residents, many of whom already face hunger and starvation. Over 85% of them have been displaced from their homes since the war began, according to the UN. Israel’s accusations came just days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take action to prevent genocide in Gaza, including by allowing more aid deliveries to reach the territory’s besieged residents. While the ruling indicated the court found South Africa’s genocide case against Israel to have some merit, it stopped short of issuing an immediate demand for a ceasefire. Israel had been sitting on the information regarding the UNRWA workers for weeks, three unnamed diplomats told Israel Hayom on Saturday, claiming the government had kept it quiet because “there was an understanding in the Israeli political system that UNRWA must be preserved in Gaza, because it is the only functioning body in Gaza and without it, the chaos would be even greater.” However, Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Saturday called for UNRWA to be “replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,” demanding the resignation of its director, and Israel has previously claimed the agency is a Hamas front. The UN launched a probe into the allegations, and immediately terminated staff members suspected of terrorist activity, but Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Western nations not to penalize all relief workers indiscriminately. Egypt remains committed to the Palestinian cause and rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians, reiterated Minister of Defence and Military Production Mohamed Zaki during his meeting with UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag.
The meeting, which took place in Cairo on Wednesday, was attended by top military officials. It addressed developments in Gaza and outlined strategies for coordinating efforts to ensure a continuous flow of humanitarian assistance and relief materials to the population facing severe shortages of basic necessities due to ongoing military operations, read a statement by the Egyptian military spokesperson. "Zaki affirmed Egypt's steadfast stance in supporting the Palestinian cause in accordance with the provisions of international legitimacy," the statement noted, adding that the minister "strongly rejected any attempts to displace the Palestinian people." The defence minister expressed Egypt’s desire to coordinate with regional and international parties to effect de-escalation in Gaza and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of its residents, the statement added. Kaag hailed Egypt's efforts to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, expressing hopes that the international endeavours would result in a ceasefire. This is Kaag's first visit to the region since her appointment on 26 December 2023 under Security Council Resolution 2720, meant to facilitate, coordinate, and monitor the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Kaag met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry on Tuesday. During their meeting, Shoukry stressed Egypt's support for Kaag’s role and efforts to facilitate her duties, including the swift launch of a UN mechanism to expedite the dispatch of humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza. Last week, the Israeli defence team speaking before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) claimed that Egypt is responsible for preventing the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip through the Rafah border crossing. The claim was refuted by several Egyptian official statements. On Sunday, the head of Egypt’s State Information Service Diaa Rashwan stated that the major hurdle for the swift delivery of aid to Gaza over the past 100 days has been the deliberate delays imposed by Israeli authorities inspecting aid material at border crossings. Rashwan said Egypt's Rafah crossing has never been closed for a moment during the 100-day war, noting that Egypt, via several official statements, has called on Israel to stop hindering humanitarian aid under the pretext of inspection delays. Egypt’s private and public contributions comprise 82 percent of total aid delivered to Gaza, which in total has reached 9,000 aid-loaded trucks until Sunday. Since October 2023, Israel has launched a relentless military campaign on the Gaza Strip that has killed at least 24,285 Palestinians, with 61,154 reported injuries, according to the Palestinian health ministry's latest figures. Israeli intelligence organizations have been working in collaboration with their European counterparts to counter Hamas in Europe, they announced via the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday evening. Hamas has been working with criminal elements to procure drones for planned attacks across Europe and the Middle East, as ordered by the senior Hamas leadership. In December, the security services and police in Denmark and Germany announced the arrest of an extensive network of Hamas operatives in Europe, those arrested have since had legal proceedings opened against them. Further arrests came earlier this week in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. More information regarding the arrests in Europe is restricted due to the ongoing legal cases in the respective countries. The assassination of Saleh Arouri earlier this month is linked to the arrests, with the claim being that he was involved in ordering operations across Europe and the Middle East. The two other men killed in the strike that killed Arouri were Samir Fandi and Azzam Akre, both fellow senior Hamas commanders. Akre had commanded Khalil al-Kharaz the former deputy commander of Hamas forces in Lebanon until his assassination in November. Kharaz was in charge of the Hamas cells operating in Europe, the very same ones arrested by European security services, which had been involved in the purchase of drones for planned attacks. Kharaz is claimed to have been involved in building relations with a Danish street gang called "LTF - Loyal To Familia," who were banned by Denmark in 2021.
LTF is charged with working on behalf of Hamas in Europe, including but not limited to Denmark, Germany, and Sweden, with some members now believed to be operating out of Lebanon. The use of local criminal gangs as a facade for terror activity is a common element of Iranian intelligence and terror operations, often used to maintain a space for denial of involvement. The integration of inter-organizational resources in Israel and across the world led to a comprehensive and in-depth picture of Hamas's terrorist activity development, including details about Hamas's actions and targets of attacks. The intelligence also revealed who was involved in implementing terror activity, from the Hamas commanders in Lebanon to the last member in their operational infrastructure. One piece of information discovered was about an intention to attack the Israeli embassy in Sweden, this required the purchase of drones and the use of criminal organizations close to Hamas in Europe. "Hamas draws inspiration from the terrorist activities of the Iranian regime, and like it, aims to hit Israeli, Jewish, and Western targets at any cost," the PMO said in a press release. "The Mossad, the Shin Bet, and the IDF, in partnership with international security and enforcement bodies, will continue to work to thwart the terrorist intentions.of Hamas and all terrorist organizations, to come to terms with them anywhere in the world for the security of the State of Israel and the Jewish people." According to the Mossad. Israel’s intelligence agency. the Palestinian militant group Hamas is running a network of operatives tasked with carrying out terrorist attacks in European countries.
The statement came after seven people were arrested last month in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning to target Jewish sites. “Hamas terrorist organization has acted to expand its violent activity abroad in order to attack innocents around the world,” Mossad and the Israel Security Agency said in a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday. It added that the militants planned to attack the Israeli Embassy in Sweden and sought to purchase drones. The suspects arrested in Europe last month were part of a larger Hamas network coordinated from Lebanon, Israeli officials said, adding that Hamas had planned to enlist the help of “criminal organizations” on the continent. Danish prosecutor Anders Larsson confirmed that the case stemming from the December arrest “has links to Hamas,” Danish police told AFP on Friday. The group itself has not commented on the matter, but said in the past that it only commits attacks in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. As Israel marks 100 days of its war with Hamas, Netanyahu addressed the nation on Sunday, reiterating that the operation in Gaza will continue until Israel completely neutralizes the threat coming from Hamas. “Nobody will stop us – not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anybody else,” Netanyahu said, referring to the genocide case brought before the International Court of Justice by South Africa. Israel rejected the accusations of indiscriminately killing Palestinians, speaking during the first day of hearings on Thursday. The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, when the Palestinian militants carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and vowing to “eradicate” the group. More than 23,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to the local Hamas-run government. Israel’s military has said it will transition to a less intensive phase in its war against Hamas, suggesting it will rely on more surgical missions following months of heavy fighting in the Palestinian enclave.
The chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, announced the change on Monday, telling the New York Times that smaller groups of soldiers will carry out more one-off raids, as opposed to the wide-scale maneuvers seen in the earlier stages of the war. “The war shifted a stage,” Hagari told the NYT, adding, “the transition will be with no ceremony. It’s not about dramatic announcements.” Though IDF operations previously focused on Gaza’s north, they will continue to move south, around cities such as Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, the admiral said. He noted that he expects additional humanitarian aid to enter the besieged territory, where rights groups and international organizations, including the UN, have warned of grave shortages in essential goods such as food, fuel, and medicine. During a regular press conference later on Monday, Hagari elaborated that though there were still “terror operatives and weapons” in northern Gaza, they did not “function within an organized military framework and now we operate there in [a different] way, and with a different mix of forces.” According to unnamed US officials cited by the New York Times, Israel has slashed the number of troops in northern Gaza by more than half of the 50,000 previously stationed there. Other administration staffers also told the paper that the transition period should end by late January, citing private discussions between American and Israeli officials. Israel’s defense chief, Yoav Gallant, made a similar announcement, telling the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that the IDF would shift from the “intense maneuvering phase of the war” to “different types of special operations.” However, he later clarified that the change would happen soon, and had not already taken place. “We need to take into consideration the huge number of civilians,” Gallant told the Journal, adding that that change would “take some time” to implement. The latest conflict in Gaza erupted following Hamas’ deadly October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and saw at least 240 captured by Palestinian militants. The IDF responded with months of heavy airstrikes and a major ground incursion, leaving much of the enclave in ruins and killing more than 23,000 people, according to local health officials. An estimated 2 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes due to the fighting. The US State Department has condemned Israeli proposals to remove the Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza en masse. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller explicitly rejected as “inflammatory and irresponsible” recent comments from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir supporting the mass deportation of Palestinians. Noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of his cabinet have denied that it was official government policy to resettle Gaza’s Palestinian inhabitants, Miller demanded the ministers back away from such rhetoric “immediately.” “Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and no terror groups able to threaten Israel,” He doubled down on his comments following Miller’s statement, writing in a post on Telegram, “I greatly appreciate the USA, but with all due respect…we will do what is good for the state of Israel.” Smotrich made similar comments in an interview with Army Radio on Sunday. “What needs to be done in the Gaza Strip is to encourage emigration,” he said. “If there are 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs in Gaza and not 2 million Arabs, the entire discussion on the day after [the war] will be totally different.”
While an official with Netanyahu’s office subsequently told the Associated Press that “contrary to false allegations, Israel does not seek to displace the population in Gaza,” instead merely looking to “enable those individuals who wish to leave to do so,” a government document leaked in November called for the mass relocation of all 2.3 million of the territory’s residents to Egypt’s Sinai peninsula – a plan that has alarmed Palestinians and Egyptians alike. The US State Department has repeatedly called for Gaza to be run by the Palestinian Authority, which currently administers the West Bank and ran Gaza prior to Hamas' 2007 election victory, as a prelude to full Palestinian statehood. Israel has openly opposed a two-state solution. At least 1.8 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced since Israel began bombing the territory following Hamas’ October 7 cross-border attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead. Many residential neighborhoods have been completely flattened, with vital civilian infrastructure such as the hospital system virtually destroyed. Over 21,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombs since the start of the war, according to the enclave’s health ministry, with upwards of 56,000 more seriously injured. Thousands more are reportedly missing beneath the rubble. Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag will be stepping down from her role in national politics. Kaag will take a new role with the United Nations as the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, she announced on X. She informed King Willem-Alexander of her request to step down as both deputy prime minister and the minister of finance. "The King granted this resignation, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, in the most honorable manner, while expressing gratitude for the many and important services rendered by the Minister to him and the Kingdom," said the government communications service RVD. Kaag's resignation will take effect from January 8, 2024. "Last summer, I already announced my departure from Dutch politics. This moment is coming sooner than anticipated," she said in a statement. "Peace, security, and justice have always been my driving forces," she said. "I have accepted this special assignment in the hopes of contributing to a better future." She said she was honored to be asked to take her new role by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. The job was created by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2720. Kaag said her time on the third and fourth Cabinets of Mark Rutte have been both "special and challenging," and highlighted several points of pride. "It is good to mention that in a relatively short Cabinet period, much has been done in the field of climate, support for Ukraine, the strengthening of the European and international role of the Netherlands, purchasing power in addition to a renewed commitment to stable public finances and the reform of the European budget rules." She also noted the government's apology for the country's past ties to slavery. Kaag also thanked her Ministry of Finance staff.
In the Netherlands, Kaag's tasks as minister of finance will be handled by Rob Jetten, the current minister for climate and energy. Both Kaag and Jetten are members of political party D66. A new finance minister will be sought to serve on the current caretaker Cabinet. |
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