Operation Iron Swords (Updated to 1 p.m., November 15, 2023) – The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)

IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)

IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)

IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)

IDF forces bring an incubator to Shifa Hospital (IDF website, November 14, 2023)

IDF forces bring an incubator to Shifa Hospital (IDF website, November 14, 2023)

Rallies in support of the prisoners in Nablus (right) and Jenin (Wafa, November 14, 2023).

Rallies in support of the prisoners in Nablus (right) and Jenin (Wafa, November 14, 2023).

Northern Arena, Israeli Casualties, Rocket Fire

Overview[1]
  • The southern arena: The IDF completed the takeover of the Shati refugee camp and of a number of government institutions in Gaza City. During the night, the IDF forces began a focused operation at Shifa Hospital, which was carried out after the hospital management had been informed in advance of the soldiers’ entry into the compound and after an effort had been made to evacuate the patients and Gazans who had taken shelter in the hospital; IDF forces delivered medical equipment to the hospital. The IDF’s entry into the hospital compound provoked a wave of angry reactions from the terrorist organizations, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Arab sources.
  • Rocket fire targeting Israel: The rate of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip has decreased. Three rockets were fired at the central part of the country and injured several civilians. A missile launched at Eilat was intercepted in the Red Sea. Two rockets were launched from south Syria at IDF positions.
  • According to an unofficial estimate, since October 7, approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and security personnel have been killed, 368 of them soldiers and officers; 239 civilian and military abductees are being held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. The terrorist organizations continue to accuse Israel of sabotaging any agreement to release the abductees. Ziyad al-Nakhalah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) secretary general, claimed the negotiating method for the release of the hostages could push them to abort the deal and keep the hostages to “obtain better conditions.”
  • The Gaza Strip: The Hamas-controlled the ministry of health in Gaza said it had been informed in advance of the IDF’s entry into the hospital compound. Senior Hamas terrorist Osama Hamdan said they were still waiting for the Rafah Crossing to be kept fully and permanently open.
  • The northern arena: Hezbollah continued attacking along the northern border. The IDF responded with gunfire and airstrikes.
  • Judea and Samaria: IDF counterterrorism activities continued, including detentions, mainly of Hamas operatives. Hamas called on Palestinians to respond with demonstrations and to confront the Israeli security forces.
  • Iran: Responding to the announcement that the Iranians gave scholarships to Hamas operatives for military and paramilitary studies at Iranian universities, the former Iranian foreign minister said that Iran supported Hamas, but claimed it was an independent body. The Houthis in Yemen threatened to expand their attacks on Israel by attacking Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
  • Jordan: The Jordanian foreign minister said joint Arab peacekeeping forces would not be stationed in the Gaza Strip after the war and the Israeli government’s plan to maintain an Israeli security presence in the Gaza Strip was very dangerous for the entire region.
The Combat Arena
IDF activity on the ground
  • The integrated ground maneuver: On November 14, 2023, the IDF completed the takeover of the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, while the takeover of a number of government institutions in Gaza City continued. IDF fighters who took control of the Governor’s House, found weapons and documents which had been taken from IDF posts during the invasion of Israel on October 7 (IDF spokesman, November 14, 2023).
IDF forces in the Shati refugee camp (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)    IDF forces in the Shati refugee camp (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)
IDF forces in the Shati refugee camp (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)
IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)    IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)
IDF forces in the Gaza Strip (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)
  • On the night of November 14, 2023, the IDF forces operated in a designated compound at the Shifa Hospital where they had intelligence information about Hamas terrorist activity. Before the operation, the hospital management was informed of the troops’ entry into the compound and the IDF opened an axis for evacuating patients and Gazans who had sought refuge in the hospital. IDF forces also delivered medical equipment, incubators and baby food to the hospital. Before entering the hospital, the forces had to deal with explosives and terrorist squads; fighting developed and terrorists were killed (IDF spokesman, November 15, 2023).
IDF forces bring an incubator to Shifa Hospital (IDF website, November 14, 2023)
IDF forces bring an incubator to Shifa Hospital (IDF website, November 14, 2023)
 Terrorists attack (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)    Terrorists place a bag suspected of being an IED near Shifa Hospital
Right: Terrorists place a bag suspected of being an IED near Shifa Hospital. Left: Terrorists attack (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)
 Israeli Air Force attack in the eastern part of the Jabaliya refugee camp (Shehab X account, November 15, 2023)     IDF attack in the northern Gaza Strip (Wafa YouTube channel, November 15, 2023).
Right: IDF attack in the northern Gaza Strip (Wafa YouTube channel, November 15, 2023). Left: Israeli Air Force attack in the eastern part of the Jabaliya refugee camp
(Shehab X account, November 15, 2023)
  • IDF forces operated at a Hamas training base, where they found intelligence materials, tunnel shafts, dozens of guns and other types of weapons, including rockets and an RPG launcher (IDF spokesman, November 15, 2023).
  • According to reports, so far, the forces have located more than 160 tunnel shafts, attacked about 2,800 terrorist facilities and killed about 1,000 terrorists and commanders. The forces also raided vital Hamas strategic assets, including the 17th Force post, the Bader post, the security quarter in Gaza City and the Rantisi Hospital, which was used by Hamas for military-terrorist activity and holding hostages (IDF spokesman, November 14, 2023).
Weapons found by the forces (IDF spokesman's website, November 15, 2023)       A tunnel shaft exposed by the forces.
Right: A tunnel shaft exposed by the forces. Left: Weapons found by the forces
(IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023)
  • Aerial activity: While assisting the ground forces, Israeli Air Force aircraft continued to attack Hamas targets from the air.
Attacking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip (IDF Spokesman website, November 15, 2023)    Attacking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip (IDF Spokesman website, November 15, 2023)
Attacking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip (IDF Spokesman website, November 15, 2023)
Reactions to the IDF activities, especially in the hospitals
  • Senior Hamas terrorist Osama Hamdan held a press conference in Beirut where he claimed the “Palestinian resistance” [Palestinian terrorist organizations] and Hamas’ military[-terrorist] wing were in good condition, “controlled the fighting” and were ceaselessly attacking IDF forces according to “carefully prepared defense plans.” He falsely claimed the number of Israeli losses exceeded 180 tanks and armored vehicles, and hundreds of dead and wounded. He claimed they were still at the beginning of the campaign, and what would happen in the future would be even greater.” He reminded the Arab-Islamic nation that it was “everyone’s campaign to defend Arab honor, Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque,” and they “they must not miss out on this great honor.”
  • As to the “siege” of the hospitals, Hamdan claimed it was clear to the world that by attacking hospitals, clinics and the Gaza Strip infrastructure, Israel’s goal was to deprive the Palestinians of elementary services and the necessities of normal life to force a repeat of the nakba of 1948. He claimed 25 out of 35 hospitals and 53 out of 72 clinics were non-functional, in addition to the destruction of 94 government headquarters, 253 schools, 71 mosques and three churches. He appealed to the UN and to all countries and international institutions, saying that those who were silent or only condemned, legitimized the laws of the jungle and allowed chaos to spread throughout the world (al-Jazeera website, November 14, 2023).
  • In reaction to the entry of IDF forces into Shifa Hospital, Hamas claimed that “the occupation” and the United Stated bore full responsibility for the consequences of the army’s “invasion” of Shifa Hospital, which was protected by the Geneva Convention. Hamas also noted that the United States’ acceptance of Israel’s narrative, that Hamas used the hospital for military-terrorist purposes, gave Israel a green light to further “massacre” civilians (Hamas Telegram channel, November 15, 2023).
  • Ali Shahin, a member of the PIJ’s political bureau, claimed the United States was complicit in the crime of the “invasion” of the hospital and bore full responsibility for the events. He claimed that attacking civilians was Israel’s way of achieving an image of victory (Filastin al-Yawm, November 15, 2023).
  • The PA foreign ministry condemned the “Israeli attack” on Shifa Hospital and other hospitals and health centers in the Gaza Strip. The ministry considered it a blatant violation of international law and the Geneva Convention, and assigned the Israeli government full responsibility for the security of the medical staff and thousands of sick, wounded and children in the compound, and urgently called on the international community to provide them with protection (Account X of the PA foreign ministry, November 15, 20203).
  • Mai al-Kayla, PA minister of health, condemned the IDF’s activities at Shifa Hospital and charged Israel and the international community with responsibility for the lives of the medical staff, patients and relatives in the hospital compound. She criticized the international silence in the face of the IDF’s actions [allegedly] in violation of international law (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, November 15, 2023).
  • Arab political commentators claimed that the IDF had entered Shifa Hospital after it had been given a green light from the United States and claimed the United States had equipped Israel with suitable weapons. Several commentators also claimed that the entry of the troops into the hospital compound was a ploy to improve the IDF’s image after its failure on October 7, 2023 (al-Ghad TV, November 15, 2023).
Rocket fire
  • Since the IDF ground forces entered the Gaza Strip, there has been a significant decrease in the amount of rocket fire. During the past day, several rockets were launched at the cities, towns and villages surrounding the Gaza Strip. In the evening, three rockets were fired into the center of the country, injuring several people; two rockets were launched from south Syria.
  • On the evening of November 14, 2023, a missile fired at Israeli territory from the Red Sea region was intercepted (IDF spokesman, November 14, 2023).
  • Since the beginning of the war, approximately 9,500 rockets and mortar shells have been launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel. On the first day of the war, over 3,000 rockets were launched. About 12% of them were failed launches that fell in the Gaza Strip and in the sea. The Iron Dome aerial defense system intercepted approximately 2,000 launches and dozens of unmanned aircraft which attempted to penetrate Israeli airspace (IDF spokesman, November10 and 11 2023).
Israeli casualties
  • According to an unofficial estimate, since October 7, approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and security personnel have been killed, 368 of them soldiers and officers; 239 civilian and military abductees are held by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, 35 children and adolescents under the age of 18, 32 over the age of 65. Five abductees were released.
The issue of the abductees
  • Senior Hamas terrorist Osama Hamdan “sent a message” to the families of the abductees claiming that despite Hamas’ “desire to resolve the issue,” the Israeli government was sabotaging it. He called on the Israeli families whose relatives were being held in the Gaza Strip to exert pressure on the Israeli government, and not to waste time. He also claimed that nothing would prevent the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails (al-Jazeera TV website, November 14, 2023).
  • Ziyad al-Nakhalah, PIJ secretary general, claimed the method of negotiating for the release of the Israeli hostages could push them to abort the deal and keep the hostages to “obtain better conditions” (Filastin al-Yawm November 14, 2023).
  • Asked during an interview about al-Nakhalah’s statement, Muhammad al-Hindi, deputy PIJ secretary general, said that with the knowledge of the United States, during the past week Qatari-mediated negotiations had taken place for the release of the kidnapped civilians in exchange for the release of the women and children in Israeli prisons, a five-day ceasefire and the delivery of aid and fuel. He claimed an agreement had been reached, but the Israeli government was delaying and had set new conditions to include soldiers. He claimed soldiers would only be released as part of a full exchange which would empty the Israeli jails of all the Palestinian prisoners.
  • Asked if Hamas and PIJ had separate negotiation tracks, he replied that at the moment they did not, and their position was that the issue was not Hamas’ or PIJ’s, but concerned all Palestinians. He claimed they did not examine the Palestinian prisoners’ organizational affiliation, but aspired to release everyone (al-Jazeera TV website, November 14, 2023).

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The Gaza Strip
Palestinian casualties
  • According to the Hamas-controlled government media information bureau in Gaza, as of 10:00 p.m. on November 14, 2023, at, the number of dead in the Gaza Strip stood at 11,320 and the number of wounded at 29,200 (aljazeera.net, November 14, 2023).
The situation in Gaza
  • The Hamas-controlled the ministry of health in the Gaza told al-Jazeera that the IDF had informed them in advance of its intention to enter the Shifa Hospital compound. Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the ministry of health in the Gaza Strip, said the situation in the hospital was very difficult because of IDF attacks in the area. He claimed there were 1,500 medical staff members in the hospital compound and 7,000 Gazans who had sought shelter in the hospital (Shehab X account, November 15, 2023).
 Shifa Hospital before the war (PA ministry of health Facebook page, November 15, 2023)  Shifa Hospital since the beginning of the war (Wafa, November 15, 2023).
Right: Shifa Hospital since the beginning of the war (Wafa, November 15, 2023). Left: Shifa Hospital before the war (PA ministry of health Facebook page, November 15, 2023)
A Palestinian cartoon ridiculing United States aid to Israel and its responsibility for the results of the war in Gaza. The Arabic reads,
A Palestinian cartoon ridiculing United States aid to Israel and its responsibility for the results of the war in Gaza. The Arabic reads, “American aid…” (al-Quds al-Arabi, November 14, 2023)
The Rafah Crossing
  • Senior Hamas terrorist Osama Hamdan said they were still waiting for the full, permanent opening of the Rafah Crossing and for the implementation of the Arab-Islamic summit meeting’s decision to break the blockade and force the immediate delivery of aid, medicine and fuel (al-Jazeera website, November 14, 2023).
  • According to reports, Israel approved the delivery of 25,000 liters (about 6,600 gallons) of diesel fuel exclusively for UNRWA trucks, which would be refueled inside the Rafah Crossing (Israeli media, November 15, 2023). The Palestinian media reported that a fuel truck entered the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing during the afternoon for the first time since the beginning of the war (al-Quds, November 15, 2023).

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The Northern Arena
Lebanon
  • During the past day Hezbollah continued attacking Israel, firing anti-tank missiles and mortar shells at the IDF posts on the Lebanese border. There was also small arms fire. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for all the attacks (Hezbollah combat information unit, November 14, 2023).
  • The IDF responded with artillery fire at the sources of the attacks and at a Hezbollah observation post. An IDF tank attacked a terrorist squad about to launch anti-tank missiles from Lebanese territory to the Yiftah area. Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked a number of Hezbollah terrorist facilities in Lebanese territory (IDF spokesman, November 14, 2023).
the IDF attacks a Hezbollah terrorist facility (IDF spokesman’s website, November 14, 2023)
the IDF attacks a Hezbollah terrorist facility (IDF spokesman’s website, November 14, 2023)
The Lebanese government
  • Najib Mikati, prime minister of the interim government in Lebanon, met with Aroldo Lazzaro, UNIFIL commander. Mikati emphasized Lebanon’s commitment to the continued presence of UNIFIL forces in south Lebanon and thanked UNIFIL for its efforts to reduce tensions and for the sacrifice of its forces (Lebanese prime minister’s X account, November 14, 2023). Before meeting Mikati, Lazzaro met with Nabih Berri, speaker of the Parliament (Lebanon 24, November 14,2023).
  • Abdullah Bou Habib, the Lebanese foreign minister, said that in light of the attack that Israel allegedly carried out on journalists in the Yaron region on November 13, 2023, Lebanon had submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council. He said that a targeted attack on journalists was a violation of humanitarian and international law (al-Nashra , November 14, 2023).
Syria
  • Meanwhile, two rockets were launched from the Daraa area in south Syria at an IDF post in the Golan Heights. In response, the IDF attacked military positions in the countryside west of Daraa (Syrian Monitoring Center for Human Rights; al-Khalij 365, November 14, 2023).

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Judea, Samaria, and the Palestinian Authority
Preventive and counterterrorism activities
  • The Israeli security forces continued their extensive counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria. In the past day, 28 wanted Palestinians were detained, more than 20 of them Hamas terrorist operatives. One of the detainees was Hussein Abu Kuwaik, a senior Hamas terrorist in al-Bireh. Since the beginning of the war, about 1,750 wanted Palestinians have been detained in Judea and Samaria, about 1,000 of them Hamas operatives (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023).
  • Police forces demolished the home of Khairi Alkam in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Alkam carried out the shooting attack at a synagogue in Neve Yaakov (January 2023), killing seven Israelis (Israeli media, November 15, 2023).
Demolition of the terrorist's house (IDF spokesman's X account, November 15, 2023)
Demolition of the terrorist’s house (IDF spokesman’s X account, November 15, 2023)
  • During the activity of the Israeli security forces in the Hebron and Bethlehem areas, about 20 operatives of the Islamic Bloc (the Hamas student factions at the universities) were detained. The forces confiscated incitement materials and Hamas flags (IDF spokesman’s website, November 15, 2023).
  • As part of the operation, 25 students, 16 of them women, were reportedly detained. Hamas condemned the detentions and called for a continuation and escalation of the confrontation with Israel and using all available means of “resistance” throughout Judea and Samaria. The Hamas student faction at the universities called for active participation in marches and confrontations, including taking an active part on November 16,at noon on “Thursday of Rage” initiated by the student movements and the national and Islamic forces (Hurriya News, November 15, 2023).
Reactions to the death of a security prisoner in an Israeli prison
  • Following the announcement of the death of Hamas operative Abd al-Rahman Mar’i in Megiddo Prison, Hamas issued a statement claiming that Israel used prohibited methods which had so far led to the “execution” of five prisoners in Israeli jails, the most recent being Abd al-Rahman Mar’i from Megiddo Prison (November 12, 2023). The announcement claimed that the abductees held by Hamas would be released only in exchange for prisoners in Israeli jails (Hamas Telegram channel, November 14, 2023).
  • Zaher Jabarin, who is in charge of Hamas’ office of the dead, prisoners and wounded, said that Israel’s continued escalation against the prisoners would not break the Palestinians’ belief in the “resistance” [terrorism] and confrontation with Israel. He called on the residents of Judea and Samaria and the families of the prisoners to come out and confront Israel and the settlers. He stressed that the Israeli abductees would be released only if the Palestinian prisoners were released (Hamas Telegram channel in the West Bank, November 14, 2023).
  • Answering the call of the national and Islamic forces and the institutions dealing with the prisoners’ affairs, demonstrations and rallies were held throughout Judea and Samaria in support of the prisoners and the Gaza Strip. The speakers claimed the prisons could explode at any moment if the Israel Prison Service continued its [alleged] “harassment of the prisoners” (Wafa, November 14, 2023).
Rallies in support of the prisoners in Nablus (right) and Jenin (Wafa, November 14, 2023).     Rallies in support of the prisoners in Nablus (right) and Jenin (Wafa, November 14, 2023).
Rallies in support of the prisoners in Nablus (right) and Jenin (Wafa, November 14, 2023).
Palestinian Authority
  • Riyadh al-Maliki, PA foreign minister, met in Paris with Catherine Colonna, France’s foreign minister. Al-Maliki stressed the importance of Europe in general and France in particular insisting on a ceasefire, and that “the excuse of self-defense is encouraging Israel’s crimes.” He also called for an examination of the nature of Israel’s activities in Judea and Samaria (PA foreign ministry’s Telegram channel, November 14, 2023).

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Iran
  • Amir-Hossein Abdollahian, Iranian foreign minister, spoke with Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, to discuss the latest developments in the Palestinian arena and diplomatic initiatives to stop the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. They stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip (IRNA, November 14, 2023).
  • The Iranian foreign minister arrived in Geneva on November 15, 2023, and met with Martin Griffith, the UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs. They discussed transferring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip (al-Alam, November 15, 2023).
  • IDF forces reportedly found a document on a computer in a Hamas vehicle outside Gaza with details about a scholarship application sent by a Hamas military commander for training seven Hamas operatives at Iranian universities. The document, obtained by CNN, was sent to the Iranian government in July 2023, and gave the names of the candidates for the training, their personal details and the areas of expertise required for each of them, which included technology, physics, engineering, programming, law and management. An Israeli source told CNN that Hamas operatives were also offered specific training in explosives engineering as part of a university program apparently supposed to be given by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (CNN, November 14, 2023).
  • Commenting on the report, Ali-Akbar Salehi, former Iranian foreign minister, said Iran had always supported Hamas, but the organization acted independently, was not under Iranian control and made decisions on its own, including the decision to launch Operation al-Aqsa Storm on October 7. He claimed Hezbollah was also capable of making its own decisions. Salehi added that Iran strove to end Israel’s “war crimes” in the Gaza Strip, but was not involved in the current conflict. He criticized American involvement in the war, saying that there was no justification for the United States’ support for Israel’s actions against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and its presence in the region. He said Iran was not interested in expanding the war in the region, as opposed to Israel (al-Jazeera, November 14, 2023).
Activity of pro-Iranian militias
Iraq and Syria
  • The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for launching a barrage of rockets at the American Army base at the Koniko oil field (the Islamic Resistance Telegram channel, November 14, 2023).
  • The American Department of Defense reported that between October 17 and November 14, 2023, American Army bases in Syria and Iraq had been attacked 56 times, with 59 American personnel’s being wounded (Fox News, November 14, 2023). An “official American source” reported that seven people had been killed in the attacks carried out by the United States in response, on November 12, 2023, against targets of the IRGC and Iranian branches in Syria (Reuters, November 14, 2023).
Yemen
  •  The Houthi movement’s media information office published a poster in Hebrew, English and Arabic threatening to attack Israeli vessels sailing in the Red Sea. The poster, titled “We will sink your ships,” shows a ship loaded with containers marked “Israel” going up in flames. The poster, issued by sources affiliated with the “axis of resistance,”[2] was distributed on social media (@ib_reb X account, November 14, 2023).
The threatening poster of the Houthi movement in Yemen (@ib_reb X account, November 14, 2023)
The threatening poster of the Houthi movement in Yemen
(@ib_reb X account, November 14, 2023)
  • Abd al-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Houthis in Yemen, gave a speech in which he referred to the movement’s actions against Israeli targets, saying that their “eyes are open all the time and they are looking for Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, especially those located near Yemen’s territorial waters. He threatened that they “would not hesitate to attack enemy ships” and that the whole world should know that. He claimed Israel was afraid of them and therefore did not dare to fly the Israeli flag on its ships as they pass through the Red Sea. Regarding the threatening messages of the Americans, he said they did not make an impression on them, and they would continue to act against “Zionist targets in Palestine or abroad” (Ansar Allah movement’s Telegram channel, November 14, 2023).
  • Yahya Saria, spokesman for the Houthi armed forces in Yemen, said that the organization’s fighters had fired several ballistic missiles at various targets in Israel, including the area of Eilat. He claimed that followed another operation by the forces against targets using drones the day before. He also referred to the Houthis’ threat to attack Israeli ships in the area, noting that they had begun taking all the necessary steps to implement the orders and would not hesitate (Yahya Saria’s Telegram channel, November 14, 2023).

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The Arab Arena
Egypt
  • Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Egypt was investing great efforts to achieve a lull in the Gaza Strip, bring in humanitarian aid and evacuate wounded Palestinians. They agreed to intensify international efforts to stop the war in the Gaza Strip to protect civilians (Egyptian presidential spokesman’s Facebook page, November 14, 2023).
  • Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian foreign minister, said that statements by Israeli officials about the expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip violated international law and that any attempt to justify or encourage such expulsion was reprehensible. He also said he opposed any attempt to portray the expulsion as a voluntary evacuation and that uprooting Gazans was the result of military operations directed against civilians and constituted “war crimes” (Egyptian foreign ministry’s Facebook page, November 14, 2023).
Jordan
  • In an interview, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi stressed that there would be no joint Arab peacekeeping forces in the Gaza Strip after the war and that the Israeli government’s plan to maintain an Israeli security presence after the war was very dangerous for the region. Referring to a video released by the IDF spokesman about Rantisi Hospital, he said that there was no doubt that there were hundreds of wounded and sick people in the hospital, and that the Israeli story could not be verified unless an independent investigation was conducted. He also said everyone was working to change the situation in the Gaza Strip to give hope for a peace that would realize the Palestinians’ rights to freedom and statehood and deal with Israel’s concerns. He said everyone in the world understood the pain inflicted on Israeli civilians on October 7, but that did not justify inflicting ten times more pain on Palestinian civilians, and the world should now focus on the fact that more than 11,000 Palestinians had been killed and Israel continued the war despite the international community’s request to stop. He also noted that Judea and Samaria were “burning”, which could lead to the spread of the war (ABC channel, Australia, November 14, 2023).

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The International Arena
United States
  • American National Security Adviser John Kirby said that the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip made use of some of the hospitals in the city, adding that they were also used to hold hostages abducted from Israel (The Jerusalem Post, November 14, 2023).
  • In response, Hamas condemned and rejected the White House and Pentagon’s accusations about the use of hospitals, claiming that the American position was always biased towards Israel and gave it a green light to kill of civilians (Hamas Telegram channel, November 14, 2023). The PIJ condemned the American accusations, saying that the Islamic “resistance” [terrorist organizations] in the Gaza Strip did not use hospitals for terrorist purposes, and that those were “false accusations” (Filastin al-Yawm, November 14, 2023).
  • The American Treasury Department, in cooperation with Britain, imposed a third round of sanctions against Hamas and the mechanisms through which Iran financially supported Hamas and the PIJ. The Secretary of the Treasury said the United States would continue to work with its partners, including Britain, to prevent Hamas from being able to raise funds and use them “to carry out its atrocities.” Among those sanctioned was senior PIJ figure Akram al-Ajouri (American Treasury Department website, November 14, 2023).
  • Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said the sanctions imposed by Britain ignored the right of the Palestinian people to “resist” and turned a blind eye to Israel’s crimes. He claimed Israel’s statements about using hospitals for military purposes were baseless (al-Aqsa, November 14, 2023).
France
  • French Minister of Defense Sébastien Lecornu is visiting the Middle East. He began in Egypt and will continue in the Gulf States and Israel. The visit is being held at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron and its objective is to prevent escalation in the region (Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s X account, November 14, 2023; tellerreport.com, November 15, 2023).
Turkey
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed Israel was a “terrorist state” and committed war crimes and violated international law by attacking hospitals and mosques. He claimed yet again that Hamas was not a terrorist organization, but a political party that had won the elections (TRT Network, November 15, 2023).

[1] Click https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en to subscribe and receive the ITIC’s daily updates as well as its other publications.
[2] Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, the Palestinian terrorist organizations, the Houthis in Yemen and the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.

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