On the 27th day of the war on the Gaza Strip, Israeli bombing continued on various parts of the Strip, after the occupation army committed a second massacre in the Jabalia camp, bringing the number of martyrs to 9061.
Al-Qassam Brigades target Israeli vehicles in the northwest Gaza axis
Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, announced on Thursday that it had targeted two Israeli vehicles in the northwest Gaza axis with two “Al-Yassin 105” missiles. It also announced that an Israeli tank surrounded by a number of soldiers had been targeted in the Juhr al-Dik area with a "Al-Yassin 105" missile.
Doctors Without Borders: More than 20,000 wounded are still in the Gaza Strip
Doctors Without Borders announced that more than 20,000 wounded are still in the Gaza Strip after the first batch of wounded and sick people were transported from the Palestinian Strip to Egypt via the Rafah crossing on Wednesday.
The humanitarian organization said, in a statement, that “more than 20,000 wounded are still in Gaza, with limited access to health care due to the siege and ongoing bombing” by the Israeli army.
The United Nations and many non-governmental organizations have previously warned of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the small Palestinian enclave, which has a population of 2.4 million people.
Doctors Without Borders said in its statement, "Essential medical supplies and humanitarian workers must be allowed to enter Gaza, where hospitals are overcrowded and the health system is at risk of complete collapse."
The main generator stopped at the Indonesian hospital
The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the main generator in the Indonesian hospital had stopped, warning that the lives of hundreds of patients and wounded were in danger.
An Israeli soldier was killed in northern Gaza
The Israeli army reported that a soldier from the 7007th Battalion was killed during the ongoing battles in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Al-Qassam Brigades reported that it targeted an Israeli bulldozer in the northwestern Gaza axis with an “Al-Yassin 105” missile.
Israel: Sharp disagreements in the government over transferring tax funds to the Palestinian Authority
Disagreement has escalated within the Israeli government regarding the transfer of tax funds collected by Israel in the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority. While Defense Minister Yoav Gallant calls for it to be transferred quickly, the Finance and National Security Ministers oppose him and demand that it be frozen.
The dispute has escalated between the Israeli Ministers of Defence, Finance and National Security over the transfer of tax revenues in the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority, which reflects the tension within the Israeli cabinet at a time when the war in Gaza continues.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant called for the transfer of tax funds collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinians in areas of the West Bank under direct Israeli control, without delay, saying that the state is keen on stability in the West Bank, so “this money must be transferred immediately so that the executive mechanism of the Authority can “The Palestinian Authority used it,” while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir opposed the transfer of funds and called for them to be frozen.
Gallant added: "Therefore, it is appropriate to transfer funds so that they help the Palestinian Authority forces, which act according to their considerations, to prevent terrorism," as he put it.
Under interim peace agreements, the Israeli Ministry of Finance collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the Palestinian Authority, which enjoys limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank. This arrangement raises ongoing disputes.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose ultra-nationalist religious party enjoys strong support among Jewish settlers in the West Bank, responded by saying Gallant was making a "huge mistake" by demanding the release of the funds.
Smotrich had previously announced that he would oppose the transfer of funds, which go to pay the salaries of public sector employees and other government expenses, and accused Palestinians in the West Bank of supporting the attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
He said in a statement: “I do not intend to allow the State of Israel to finance our enemies in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) who support Hamas.”
For his part, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir said that he supports the decision to freeze the Palestinian Authority’s clearing funds, considering the latter “an ally of Hamas and not worthy of a single shekel,” according to what the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Wednesday.
He added: "The Palestinian Authority is not an alternative to Hamas. It is an ally of Hamas, and this is the way it should be dealt with, now and the day after the war," according to the newspaper.
There was no comment from the Palestinian Authority regarding the Israeli minister’s statements until 20:44 (UTG).
Israel collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority for Palestinian imports of imported goods, and transfers funds to it monthly, averaging 750 million shekels ($190 million).
National Interest: The Hamas war is more dangerous for Israel than the 1973 war
Washington: Dr. Henry J. Barkey, a professor of international relations at Lehigh University in the United States, said that the current war with Hamas represents a significantly more serious threat to Israel than the Yom Kippur War (the Yom Kippur War) in 1973, fifty years ago.
In 1973, the war was only military, and the Israelis, despite suffering very heavy losses, succeeded in turning away. No one believed that the existence of the State of Israel was in danger at that time. But the situation is different this time, as it is a political war, and initial indications indicate that Israel is losing it.
Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, says in a report published by the American magazine National Interest that this matter is more dangerous, as the danger relates to Israel’s legitimacy in the eyes of many. Perhaps the Israelis see and believe that this is a mistake and that the brutality of the October 7 attack is being ignored. This does not matter, because impressions are impressions, and they do not disappear, and the massacre in Gaza feeds Hamas’s declarations of war daily.
“Let's face it: Hamas has probably already won the political battle,” Barkey says.
At the heart of this Israeli catastrophe lies one person: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is, of course, fully responsible for Israel's lack of readiness and for seeking to pass constitutional changes whose main goal was his personal interest.
Barkey adds that Netanyahu's role in this tragedy is much greater, as he is an official without international credibility. Over the years, there has been his arrogance, lack of empathy and adoption of illegal and cruel policies in the occupied West Bank. Perhaps it was very shocking for everyone that he openly appointed racist politicians to his government and diplomatic corps.
“Let’s imagine for a moment that the descendants of victims of the Holocaust — humanity’s worst xenophobic experiment — find self-described racists involved in the upper levels of their government,” Barkey says. For your information, Netanyahu is not accepted and hated by many leaders who support Israel, and his presence at the head of the government makes it completely easy for people not to believe Israeli allegations and arguments. He demonstrated his complete inability to acknowledge responsibility for his failure by publicly blaming the intelligence leadership for the October 7 attack (he was forced to withdraw his statement under pressure from public opinion).
Hence, in addition to the international community, why do Israelis trust Netanyahu to fight this war that has the country’s interests at its core? He knows that he is finished politically and will not escape the political accountability that will take place once the war ends. His only hope is to win a “victory” in this war with Hamas to save his reputation. Overall, he is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, and this disaster will be what everyone will remember forever.
He also refuses to comprehend the broader political picture, and insists on carrying out a disastrous war for which the Israelis were clearly not prepared. As a result, this war will get worse by the day, as evidenced by all the bombs that kill Palestinian civilians and undermine any support.
Barkey points out that the failure in the 1973 war led to the emergence of the right-wing movement at the expense of the Labor Party, which spent a long period in power in Israel. This time, one can also expect a similar outcome as Israeli voters will severely punish Netanyahu and the right-wing. However, unlike the Labor Party, which calmly accepted its fate, one cannot be sure that the right wing in Israel still believes in democracy.
Barkey believes that if Netanyahu really wants to be remembered by Israelis in a somewhat acceptable light, or in a less hostile light, he must resign and support the formation of a national unity government under the leadership of someone who instills confidence inside the country and abroad. One of the names being talked about is retired Israeli Air Force General Amos Yadlin.