Protest demonstrations are being held in Israel against the current government. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said: “Netanyahu must go home now.” What is at issue is not the war against Hamas but the conduct of the Prime Minister.
And while Israeli citizens are calling for Netanyahu’s resignation, the northern front is ready to expand, as evidenced by Netanyahu’s visit to the North on November 15 and the words of Israel’s War Minister, Aluf Yoav Gallant: “No place will have any immunity in Gaza until we complete the objectives of the war.” Gallant: “We are prepared on the northern front and ready for any threat, and we warn Hezbollah not to make mistakes.”
As of November 13, the Israeli Army Chief of Staff stated that “The army is strongly prepared with operational plans on the northern front.” According to Channel 14, in Israel the army has informed the political level that “the situation is now appropriate to start a war on the northern front with Lebanon.” Via social media we learn that the Israeli Army Chief of Staff has approved a defense and attack plan for the northern front and orders all army units to be ready.” Since November 16, Israeli warplanes have violated the airspace of Beirut and its suburbs. And for the first time they did not wait to be hit in southern Lebanon but attacked first, according to Ynet.
According to Israeli media, the United States supplies “Israel” with thousands of laser-guided missiles and penetrating bombs.
According to the newspaper Al Jazeera, the UN Security Council approves a draft resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza. The draft resolution approved by the Security Council calls on all parties to refrain from depriving Gaza civilians of services and aid and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other factions. Precisely for this reason it will not have any sequel. Hamas, through Qatari mediators, is asking for the release of prisoners in exchange for the hostages taken on 7 October. Hamas had already stated on November 13 that: “There were efforts by Qatari mediators to free enemy detainees in exchange for the release of 200 Palestinian children and 75 women, but the occupation (i.e. Israel, ed.) blocked.”
The Palestinian delegate to the United Nations calls on the world to pay attention to the Israeli genocide in Gaza. The issue of the hostages remains under consideration. None of the 239 in the hands of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Islamic Resistance were present in Al-Shifa hospital at the time of the raid, despite intelligence information that spoke of their presence in the facility.
Israel’s Channel 12 said according to an Israeli official: Negotiations on the release of the detainees are maturing and progressing towards an agreement. However, on November 16, Lebanese sources affirmed what Yedioth Ahronot reported: “Al-Sinwar interrupted his contacts with the mediators in the agreement on the prisoners and disappeared in anger over the attack on the Al-Shifa hospital” .
Meanwhile, rumors are multiplying that Israel will not stop until it razes Gaza to the ground. NBC reports the words of an American official: “The Netanyahu government wants to raze northern Gaza and create a security buffer zone, which means annexing Palestinian lands.”
The Israeli government has informed the US administration that it encourages the creation of a seaside camp south of Gaza that contains 200,000 tents and accommodates one million Palestinians displaced from the northern Gaza Strip. According to the Arab newspaper, Al-Akhbar, the plan involves: “Displacement of all those who remained in northern Gaza, through continuous bombing of residential areas and cutting off their means of subsistence. Look for a way to force countries that request the provision of humanitarian aid to the Strip to limit their interest to the southern area of Gaza.”
Germany has proposed transferring control of the Gaza Strip to the UN after the end of the conflict between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, the European publication Politico reported. The plan calls for “the internationalization of Gaza under the auspices of the United Nations (and regional partners)” with a “carefully orchestrated transition” to Palestinian self-rule, “ideally” through elections “and coupled with an international agreement,” writes Politico. But the German side underlines that “this scenario will require political and financial investments significant, as well as an international coalition to solve security problems together with the United Nations”. As some diplomats told the publication, Germany’s proposal has not yet received support. One of them even called the document “stillborn”, writes Politico.
The White House also finds itself having to manage the Israel – Hamas issue internally and externally. He said Israel has the right to target the Hamas leadership but must pay attention to civilian casualties, particularly hospitals. On the 15th, US Capitol Police dispersed a protest outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Pro-Palestine demonstrations are increasingly frequent. In Vancouver, Canada, pro-Palestinian activists broke into a restaurant where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was dining, source NDTV. Police said 250 people waved flags and called for them to “stop supporting the genocide in Gaza.”
The Palestinians said in a statement: “We confirm that the hospitals are intended exclusively for healthcare work and are not used for purposes incompatible with these tasks. We wonder about the lack of response from the United Nations who sent a team to the Shifa compound to ensure it was free of weapons. What the occupation has published regarding the discovery of weapons in Al-Shifa hospital is bankruptcy, failure and helplessness.” The videos shown by Israel in the basement of the hospital showed weapons and places of detention for prisoners.
The Houthis went from proclamations to deeds and tried to strike the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner. The news was confirmed by a Pentagon official who told Al Jazeera: “The destroyer USS Thomas Hudner responded to a drone launched from Yemen and was flying towards it.” According to the official, the drone departed from Yemen and came very close to the destroyer Hadner near Bab al-Mandab. The same confirmation came from the Pentagon: “An American destroyer in the Red Sea defended itself from a drone attack.” “We are aware of an incident with the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, during which the ship successfully defended itself from a UAV while sailing through the Red Sea,” a US military spokesperson said. The Pentagon provided no details about what happened.
The Jordanian army complains that seven members of the Jordanian field hospital staff were injured in Gaza and adds: “We affirm Israel’s responsibility to provide the necessary protection to the field hospital and its personnel.”
And now a look at the Israel Hamas front updated at 4:00 pm on November 16th.
Haaretz reports: “Although the army has pushed three divisions into the north of the Gaza Strip, it is clear and evident that the Palestinian fighters are far from surrendering, and there are no indications to this effect.” On the 16th, the fighting began. simultaneous ambushes in different areas: Gaza, Bethlehem and in the settlements on the border with Lebanon. The technique is very reminiscent of that of DAESH in Ramadi, Iraq in 2016. An Israeli soldier was the victim of an IED planted in a tunnel dug by Hamas in the strip of Gaza.
The main battles of this phase are taking place in the western part of Gaza City. Israeli army units occupied the long-ailing Al-Shifa hospital. Video of the explosion of the Legislative Assembly building in Gaza appeared online on November 15th. Apparently, there are currently no changes on the front lines in the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, attacks continue against targets throughout the Gaza Strip using aviation and artillery.
A terrorist attack occurred at the Minharot checkpoint (“Tunnel”) on Route 60, which connects Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Three terrorists approached the checkpoint and opened fire on Israeli security forces, wounding seven people, including civilians. The security forces eliminated the terrorists by returning fire.
Two of the attackers are Arabs from Hebron. Two M-16 rifles, other small arms and ammunition were found at the site of the terrorist attack. The Israeli command believes that their intention was to carry out a terrorist attack right in Jerusalem, but the security forces managed to prevent it. After their plan failed, the militants attacked the said checkpoint.
Problems for Israeli forces in the north of the country. Hezbollah fighters continue to change their tactics and army fighters are constantly trying to deal with new tactics.
In the West Bank, Israeli security forces continue mass detentions of Palestinians suspected of links to Hamas. IDF bulldozers destroy monuments and urban infrastructure in Tulkarem. Israeli activity is accompanied by clashes with Arab youth.
The Islamic Resistance updated the status of its operations as of midnight on November 15 as follows:
Eastern sector:
1- At 2pm, the Ramim barracks (the occupied Lebanese village of Honin) was targeted with missile weapons, resulting in direct hits.
2- At 2.10pm, the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese farms of Shebaa was targeted with appropriate weapons, causing direct casualties.
3- At 3.35pm, an Israeli vehicle was targeted in the Tahihat Triangle with guided missiles, resulting in direct hits.
Western sector:
1- At 3.25pm, the Hadab Yaron site was targeted with guided missiles, resulting in direct hits.
2- At 4.10pm, a group of IDF infantry forces, west and south of the Birkat Risha site, were targeted with guided missiles, resulting in direct hits.
3- At 4.20pm, the Pranit Barracks was targeted with guided missiles, with confirmed casualties.
4- At 5.25pm, the Jal al-Deir site was targeted with appropriate weapons and direct hits were obtained.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
