Israeli military analyst Amos Harel in Haaretz: “If we wanted to be precise, the headlines should have announced: ‘Israel violates the agreement on prisoners: it has not withdrawn from the Philadelphia corridor, has reneged on its commitment to stop fighting and refuses to enter the second phase of the agreement’”. Security expert Yossi Milman-Harsus is on the same wavelength: “The Israeli government has violated the agreement with Hamas, which was signed in Doha on January 17 and ratified by the government, now it is pretending to be the victim and accusing Hamas of violating it”.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas ends amid a thousand tensions. Israeli authorities have accepted the American plan to extend the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip for the period of Ramadan and Easter.
Hamas has asked to move to phase two of the agreement signed in Doha, but Prime Minister Netanyahu not only does not withdraw from the Philadelphia corridor but has announced that all goods and supplies to Gaza will be blocked starting March 3 in the morning. Channel 7 in Israel reported that Finance Minister Smotrich welcomed the decision to stop humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling it an important step against Hamas.
International humanitarian organizations, the European Union protested the Israeli government’s decision. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said: “Stopping the entry of aid to Gaza is a flagrant violation of the ceasefire and international humanitarian law.”
The Arab Parliament is on the same wavelength: “We condemn Israel’s decision to stop the introduction of aid to Gaza and consider it a war crime and a crime against humanity. The decision is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a violation of international pacts and agreements that guarantee the access of aid to civilians. We call on the Security Council and the United Nations to assume their responsibilities and act urgently to force the occupation to introduce aid immediately and without conditions. We are warned against the abundance of innocent lives by using hunger against Palestinians, especially during the month of Ramadan”.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid: “I call on the government to return all prisoners immediately.” According to Channel 14: Netanyahu and the head of the Shin Bet have agreed on the latter’s resignation this month.
Hamas has also spoken out on closing the crossings: “We call on Egypt and the Arab system to take concrete measures to prevent the enemy from continuing the policy of hunger that paves the way for the plan to displace our people in Gaza.”
But apparently Prime Minister Netanyahu is not only fighting Hamas, he has threatened Syria: “If the new Syrian regime harms the Druze, we will harm them too.”
On March 2, the Israeli government confirmed the possibility of calling up another 400,000 reservists under Article 8 of the Reserve Service Law N5768 of 2008.
According to Al Jazeera, meetings have been held in the last 48 hours between the Israeli negotiating delegation and the Mediators: Israel demanded that Hamas release the dead and alive hostages in exchange for an extension of the first phase by one week in preparation for the second phase. Israel demanded that Hamas release 5 dead and 10 alive hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and more aid. Israel, through intermediaries, demanded that Hamas respond to this proposal by midnight on Friday. Hamas informed the mediators that it rejected the Israeli proposals, stating that this constituted a violation of the agreement. Hamas expressed its commitment to implementing the agreements negotiated and signed through mediators.
Iran in recent days reported the Houthis’ official warning to Saudi Arabia: “Learn a lesson from the Ukrainian case: this is what happens to those who rely on the United States.”
And now a look at the military scenarios updated at 15:00 on March 3.
Al-Mayadeen Correspondent states: “The withdrawal of an Israeli force that penetrated near Nasiriyah in the southern countryside of Quneitra after carrying out sabotage and destruction in the region is recorded.” An agreement was reached in Jaramana, Syria, allowing the new regime’s security forces to enter, dismantle illegal checkpoints and extradite the attackers.
Very high tension on the borders between Lebanon and Israel. On March 1, Israeli soldiers operating in the buffer zone of a few meters In the Kfarkila area, Israelis raised an Israeli flag inside Lebanese territory. According to Lebanese sources, “This is one of dozens of locations in the border area where such presences are reported. The Lebanese Army did not deploy at the border wall to safeguard our sovereignty,” Lebanese social media channels reported.
Israeli jets were heard at medium altitude over southern Lebanon throughout the weekend, flying over southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. Lebanese sources reported citizens injured by the IDF near the Kafr Kala wall in the south.
A knife attack was reported at the Haifa bus terminal on the morning of March 3, resulting in one dead and four injured. The attack occurred on Histadrut Boulevard in Haifa. Magen David Adom confirmed the death of one settler and provided medical care to four injured Israelis, including three in serious condition and one in moderate condition. The injured were taken to Rambam Hospital for further treatment. One individual was killed during the clash with the intervening security forces. The area has been secured and an investigation is ongoing.
The attacker is Yitro Shaheen, 20, a young Druze Arab from Shafa Amr with German citizenship. Others give the name Jethro Shaheen. According to Israel Radio, “6 were injured in a stabbing attack at a bus stop near a shopping complex in Haifa.”
In Gaza, Israeli drones bombed a target east of Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. One person was reported killed and several were injured after Israeli drone strikes targeted a group of civilians in the Al-Masryeen neighborhood of Beit Hanoun. Heavy fire from Israeli tanks was reported east of Al-Qarara and Abasan, east of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
On the morning of March 3, the Israeli government ordered the closure of all crossings leading to the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces opened fire in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza. Israeli authorities said they were preparing to increase military pressure on Hamas if the kidnapped prisoners were not released. Several people were injured by Israeli gunfire east of Abasan, southern Gaza. An Israeli tank shelled the Al-Janina neighborhood, east of Rafah, injuring one person. Two people were killed in an Israeli drone strike east of the destroyed Gaza airport in Rafah. A Palestinian resistance source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the injured Israeli prisoners were taken back to the tunnels after the Israeli shelling in Gaza.
So far, 11,000 housing units have been damaged in Rafah alone, and the number is expected to rise to 31,000 in the governorate as a whole.
In the West Bank, the city of Tulkarem enters its 36th consecutive day of clashes, part of the ongoing military campaign against cities and camps in the northern West Bank; Tulkarem camp has also suffered massive destruction, with residents being displaced from their homes and unable to return.
Over the past two days, IDF forces have demolished 25 residential apartments between the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq neighborhood and the Mansheya neighborhood in Nur Shams camp, with continued demolition and burning of homes. The IDF has expanded evacuation operations in Nour Shams camp, and families have announced the evacuation of their homes in the area behind the school road in Nour Shams camp. The number of displaced people from Nour Shams camp has reached 9,000, out of 13,500 people, after forcing residents of Al-Mansheya, Jabli Al-Nasr, Al-Salihin, Al-Sakhl, Wadi Qalansuwa streets and the center of the camp to evacuate at gunpoint.
Israeli forces on March 3 delivered notices of demolition of homes and commercial shops in the village of Deir Zaya, west of Ramallah. Al-Ahta forces storm Jalazoun camp, north of Ramallah. IDF storms Deir Abu Mishaal town, west of Ramallah. Aqaba Jabr camp in Jericho city is also attacked. One arrest among those released in recent days.
Repeated attacks recorded in the city of Nablus. IDF storms Al-Dhahiriya town, south of Hebron city. Clashes between youths and IDF after the storming of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron in the West Bank.
Demolition during the storming of Al-Issawiya town in Jerusalem. Over 20,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Jenin camp in the forty-two days of clashes.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings - Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS - Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/
