The United States has begun to withdraw its forces from a military base located near the largest gas field “Konico” in the province of Deir ez-Zor, reports the pan-Arab daily Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, citing its source in the US-allied Kurdish formation “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF). According to Israeli media: “the planned withdrawal of US forces from Syria worries the “Israeli” side and allows Turkey greater freedom in Syria”.
According to the New York Times: Trump has canceled the Israeli plan to strike an Iranian nuclear reactor and has decided to give negotiations with Iran a chance, despite Netanyahu’s attempts to convince him to support a military option. Channel 12: “The United States has approached mediators with an urgent request to find out the fate of Israeli prisoner Edan Alexander, held by the Qassam Brigades. This move reflects growing American concern over the soldier’s fate and indicates the possibility of activating diplomatic or negotiating channels in the coming period, especially in light of the complexity of the situation in Gaza.”
According to Channel 13: “Former heads of security forces, including chiefs of staff, general police investigators and former heads of the Shin Bet, Mossad and the Military Intelligence Division, met with President Yitzhak Herzog, after warning in a public statement that: ‘Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s behavior represents a danger to the state, leads to a new disaster and is a conflict of interest. The resumption of fighting in Gaza with subjective motivations and without a viable political goal will not lead to the release of prisoners, nor will it resolve the battle against Hamas, and will erase the achievements of the army and intelligence services during the war. The end of the fighting will open the door to normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia and will allow it to be better prepared to face the Iranian challenge.’”
Netanyahu agreed to destroy the homes of operational leaders even if they do not cause deaths, but only injuries, with the support of the Israeli Defense Ministry and National Security Council.
Ophir, the father of prisoner Rom Braslavski, whose video was released yesterday by Islamic Jihad, said: “What is said about Hamas practicing psychological terrorism is not correct. Hamas has remained firm from the beginning and has not changed anything. In reality, we are the ones practicing terrorism. As far as I am concerned, for ourselves, we are the ones confusing the scene and creating chaos. Whether you are on the right or the left, nothing changes. What is happening hurts everyone: the families, the prisoners, everyone who is living this nightmare. This is the harsh reality that we are facing. It is time for a clear and decisive statement. After all these months, after the torture and slow death that the prisoners have had to endure, and after the video that we have seen, we must say: enough. Even if nothing happens afterwards, at least we say it and know that we have tried. Do not shirk responsibility, Netanyahu. State clearly: you are ready to end the war and it is time to give us our children back.”
The number of signatories to petitions calling for the return of prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire has risen to more than 120,000. Ten thousand of the ceasefire petition signatories are reservists and former soldiers. These numbers reflect growing popular pressure inside Israel to end the war, especially given the growing number of prisoners and the psychological pressure on their families.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz: “We must hit Iran’s nuclear targets and change the face of the Middle East.”
On April 16, Lebanese President Aoun and Qatari Emir Tamim discussed strengthening Qatar’s ties and support for Lebanon, particularly in the energy and defense sectors. They addressed challenges posed by the Israelis and emphasized civil peace and state control over weapons. Hezbollah’s Mahmoud Qamati confirmed that no agreement has been reached with President Joseph Aoun on a timetable for the arms dialogue.
President Aoun said that Hezbollah will not be integrated like the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), but will be allowed to join and undergo post-war training. Iraq summoned Lebanon’s ambassador in protest, stressing the PMF’s role in security. Following investigations into rocket attacks on March 22 and 28 towards the Palestinian territories, the authorities have identified the group responsible, composed of both Lebanese and Palestinians. Industry Minister Joe Issa Khoury reported: “We have asked for the delivery of weapons, including those from Palestinian camps, within 6 months.”
Long speech on April 17 by the Houthi leader as every Thursday since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza. Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi spoke about the latest developments in Gaza and the latest regional and international developments: “The Israeli enemy continues to violate Syria and has established nine bases in the south, placing limits imposed on the Takfiri groups and their supporters.”
“Everything the enemy is doing in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria is clear evidence that our peoples desperately need deterrent and protective capabilities. What is required of Arabs and Muslims, Americans, Israelis and Europeans, is to be deprived of any capacity for defense and protection. After everything that happened in the Gaza Strip, there are Arab regimes and forces that are adopting the issue of disarming the Palestinian people. Any proposal aimed at disarming the Palestinian resistance is illogical and ridiculous. No one intervenes when a Muslim people is violated and killed, neither the United Nations nor the Security Council. The Europeans, on the other hand, are happy about it. What France has done these days in Algeria are policies of harassment and provocation against the Algerian people. What France committed in Algeria was a horrible crime, a tyranny and a genocide, as well as what Spain and Italy did during the colonial period. We are the nation that needs weapons more than any other.”
He also said: “The decision taken by the Maldives to prevent Israeli tourists from entering the country was a practical and valid step. What Bangladesh has done is a concrete step towards the tourist boycott of the Israeli enemy”. “Concrete steps are needed because many Arab and Islamic regimes have not yet taken any concrete position or step”. He called on protesters to take to the streets tomorrow to join the one million people against what is happening in Gaza.
And now a look at the military aspects updated at 15:30 on 17 April. Jordanian air defense systems shot down a drone that took off from Yemen. Saudi rocket and artillery bombardments hit border areas in Yemen’s Saada governorate, while a US air strike on al-Nahda neighborhood in Sana’a’s Thawra district killed one man. More than 68 US air strikes have hit northern, central and western Yemen in the past 24 hours, including four strikes on al-Tuhayta district in Hodeidah. (Al-Masirah). The Americans have carried out more than 220 strikes this week using stealth aircraft, F-18 warplanes and other types of aircraft.
The Houthis claim that the United States has carried out 900 naval strikes and bombings in the space of a month against Yemen. Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi said in his speech on Thursday: “The American aggression has failed to secure Israeli ships and the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea remain completely closed to the Israeli enemy. Continuing to block Israeli ships is clear evidence of the failure of the American aggression.” The 19th MQ-9 aircraft was shot down this week. The total operations during this month were 78 and were carried out with 171 ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles, as well as drones. While there were 33 operations against the aircraft carrier and the naval vessels accompanying it, using 122 ballistic and cruise missiles and a drone.
For Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi: “One of the results of our operations against the Truman aircraft carrier was the American enemy’s resort to the use of stealth aircraft. Due to the failure and ineffectiveness of its operations, the United States had to resort to a base in the Indian Ocean, about 4,000 km away. What the Truman aircraft carrier is doing has become primarily a defensive operation and is barely defending itself from our operations. Our operations against the Truman aircraft carrier have put it on the defensive, failing to ensure the safety of Israeli shipping. The arrival of another aircraft carrier is a failure that confirms that the Truman did not play an effective role in achieving American objectives”. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the “Sodet Micha” base, the “Ben Gurion” airport and a vital target in Ashkelon, Israel, on the night of the 17th.
Israeli forces opened fire on damage assessment committees affiliated with the Southern Council while were carrying out their task in the southern suburbs of Mays al-Jabal, causing no injuries. During the night between April 16 and 17 and on the morning of April 17, there were numerous attacks in Lebanon: An Israeli air strike with a drone targeted the city of Umm al-Tut. The city has already been wiped off 80% of the face of the Earth. A prefabricated house was targeted in Aita al-Shaab. New Israeli attacks targeted prefabricated houses in southern Lebanon.
Low-altitude anti-aircraft attack over the Bekaa Valley. Drones flying low in the skies of Beirut and its southern suburbs. An Israeli drone attack targeted a motorcycle on the outskirts of the city of Aitaroun. A drone dropped a bomb on a prefabricated house in the Bustan area, near Naqoura.
The Israeli advance in Gaza continues. Seven dead and wounded after bombing of a tent for displaced people in Jabalia camp, northern Gaza. Israeli artillery bombardment east of Gaza City. Large-scale shelling in eastern Gaza hits the neighborhoods of Shujaiya and Al-Tuffah
Israeli artillery in action in the eastern Gaza Strip. At least 15 dead and dozens wounded in the Israeli attack on Mawasi, Khan Yunis. The Civil Defense in Gaza described the attack as follows: “The bullets of enemy aircraft burned the tents of the displaced people in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis and devoured their bodies in the late hours of the night. A large number of dead and wounded in a tragic and terrifying scene that can never be erased from the eyes of those who are still alive.” New attacks followed in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, during the night. Series of Israeli air strikes on the city of Rafah, coinciding with the low-level flight of Israeli warplanes. Residential buildings destroyed.
IDF reports subversive activity in central and eastern Nablus. IDF assault on Tubas town. Israeli forces storm the town of Tamoun, south of Tubas, and the Al-Makhfiya neighborhood in Nablus. Heavy clashes between resistance fighters and Israeli forces are reported in the town of Tammun, northern West Bank.
Al-Quds Brigades – Tubas Battalion issued a statement: “Our fighters from Tamoun Company engage the occupation forces on the battlefronts and, depending on the needs and conditions on the ground, shell the occupation forces and military vehicles with heavy shelling.”
IDF deployed to As-Samu town, south of Hebron, and are closing several roads to prevent settlers from storming religious sites in the town. The IDF stormed the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, where they arrested a young Palestinian man after assaulting him. The town of Qabatiya has long been the scene of repeated raids by Israeli forces, accompanied by arrests and violent clashes with residents, which increase the suffering of residents and fuel tension in the region.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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