There were many events on 8 May in the Israel-Hamas conflict that make it clear that there will be a very heated conflict between the parties at least throughout the summer.
From the US we learn that in addition to delaying the delivery of JDAM 6,500 guided bomb kits, the Biden administration is also delaying the delivery of advanced SDB bombs to send a ‘message’ among Washington’s concerns about Israel’s policies in the Gaza Strip, Politico reports.
The Pentagon announced the completion of the construction of a ‘humanitarian pier’ in Gaza. CIA Director Burns arrived in Israel yesterday to meet with senior Israeli officials and Benjamin Netanyahu. The US State Department report, which was supposed to determine whether Israel violated international law in the Gaza war, has been postponed indefinitely.
Dutch lawyers submitted a request to the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials.
The Israel Today Newspaper in the words of military analyst Yoav Limor: ‘From the moment Hamas announced its agreement to the terms of the ceasefire, the pressure shifted to the Israeli government to accept the terms as well, and the families of the detainees made this clear last. Tonight they will intensify their protests and are likely to gain broad popular support, which Hamas hopes will translate into further concessions from Israel’.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement: ‘Last night, with the approval of the War Cabinet, I ordered an action at Rafah. A few hours later, our forces hoisted Israeli flags at the Rafah checkpoint and removed Hamas flags. The Rafah entry has two main military aims: the return of the kidnapped and the destruction of Hamas’.
Neither goal was achieved at the time. The Israeli government spokesman on 8 May reiterated: ‘Israel’ will not agree to end the war in Gaza and leave Hamas in power. A Sky Rider type UAV was discovered today in the Kfar Saba area, the IDF let it be known that there are no concerns about a security breach and there are no fears of information leakage.
A source from Hamas in Al-Arabia let it be known that “the first round of negotiations ended in Cairo, and Netanyahu took everything back to the beginning and is trying to buy time. The movement will study its position after this round of negotiations and things will no longer be the same as before the Rafah invasion. We must let the families of the Israeli prisoners know that the current round of negotiations may be the last opportunity to return their children’.
Palestinian medical sources report from Rafah that the Abu Youssef Al-Najjar hospital is out of service after Israel’s attack on the eastern regions of Rafah in light of the city’s weak medical capacity. Médecins Sans Frontières:’ We have started evacuating patients who are able to walk from the hospital in the Indonesian camp. The attack on Rafah will have catastrophic effects on more than one million people and will prevent access to some hospitals vulnerable to destruction’.
The US aircraft carrier Eisenhower and destroyer Greeley carried out a rapid refuelling operation in Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete after running out of ammunition in the Red Sea. The return of the US aircraft carrier ‘Eisenhower’ to the Red Sea after refuelling comes in the light of the missile crisis in Yemen of which no end is in sight, and US intelligence warning that the conflict could continue for a while.
The US Navy has spent nearly $1 billion on missiles to counter threats from Yemen, a figure that highlights the growing financial cost in the Red Sea and the need for Navy ships to replenish their munitions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abdullahian stated that: “Iran and Egypt are interested in resuming diplomatic relations between them. I have spoken with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shehri and we are developing a roadmap to resume relations.”
And now a look at the Israel Hamas front updated at 4pm on 8 May. The IDF reported 20 Hezbollah targets hit in the Ramyeh area of southern Lebanon, including military facilities and infrastructure. Secondary explosions were identified during the attacks, indicating the presence of weapons depots in the area.
In addition, IAF fighter aircraft struck a Hezbollah military facility and infrastructure in the Marwahin and Kfarkela areas of South Lebanon.
Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance claimed several attacks in northern Israel, there were several casualties according to the Israeli newspaper Hadshot Bazman. Guided missile attack against a building housing Israeli soldiers in the city of Al-Matla. Eight anti-tank missiles were fired during the day at buildings in Avivim, Metulla, Shlomi, Manara and Hanita, causing damage.
According to the Israeli media, the air defence in the north does not have 100% capacity to counter attack aircraft sent from short range and low altitude. In the afternoon sirens were in action in: Admit, Goren, Elon and Arab Al-Aramsha, Elkush, Matat, Fasuta and Tan’a in the Western Galilee for fear of drone infiltration. Power outages were reported in Avivim and Doviv due to rocket attacks. There are reported deaths in al Manara and Avivim. A Golani Brigade soldier was killed and severely injured in a Hezbollah attack at the Al-Malikiyah site.
Al-Qassam Brigades bombard soldiers at the ‘Karam Shalom Military Site’ with a 114 mm ‘Rajoum’ short-range missile system. The ISalmic Resistance claims to have hit Israeli soldiers at the Al-Malikiyah site. Drone managed to hit Ya’ara where there is the headquarters of the new Western Brigade, bombed by Hezbollah the site of Al-Samaqa in the Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba. Hezbollah also targeted the Beranit base in the Western Galilee with a Burkan missile shortly after the departure of Defence Minister Yoav Galant.
In response Israeli raids on Aita al-Shaab, Kafr Kila, Armati and Jabal Balat, South Lebanon.
Clashes in southern Gaza continue. The Al-Qassam Brigades are engaged in clashes with Israeli forces penetrating east of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades: “We targeted an enemy army military vehicle with an R.P.G. shell east of Rafah”. The Quds speak of clashes with machine guns and assault weapons with Israeli soldiers and vehicles penetrating east of the city of Rafah, used regular 60 calibre mortar shells in the Al-Shoka neighbourhood
According to Palestinian medical sources, 35 dead and 129 wounded arrived at the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah in 24 hours.
Iranian accounts speak of “steps taken by the axis of resistance towards the issue of coordination and integration of efforts to deter these threats on Rafah”. Palestinian factions let it be known that: “we reject any protection on the Rafah crossing”. Today, Wednesday, Palestinian factions rejected any guardianship of the Rafah crossing, considering it an occupation.
According to an IDF statement: ‘The IDF is conducting a precise counter-terrorism operation in specific areas in the eastern part of Rafah; Terrorists were eliminated and underground wells and infrastructure were located in several areas. IDF ground troops are continuing the precise counter-terrorism operation based on IDF and ISA intelligence to eliminate Hamas terrorists and dismantle Hamas terrorist infrastructure in specific areas of eastern Rafah.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
