A joint statement was adopted at the BRICS summit in Brazil: “Israel must withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip and all occupied Palestinian territories. The West Bank and Gaza must be reunified and an independent Palestinian state must be supported. An unconditional ceasefire must be achieved in Gaza.
Israeli media sources report that, after a year and seven months of war, rockets continue to be fired from Gaza. A rocket hit a house on July 7 during renovation work in Kibbutz Nirim. The head of the Eshkol Regional Council said: “We will not accept the continued rocket fire at our area and we expect an investigation into the failure that led to the failure to carry out the interception operation. We also call for perseverance in changing the security reality.”
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the threat posed by Iran now exceeds that of traditional Arab nationalism. “The Iranian threat is greater than the Arab nationalism that has always threatened us,” he said. And according to US sources in a report close to the US Department of Defense: “A second US air strike against Iran is imminent. All American citizens in Iran must leave the country immediately.”
According to Israeli media, with the outbreak of war with Iran, the Israeli “army” has activated a “shadow staff” in case the chief of staff and staff officers are injured. According to Maariv: “The police and the “Shabak” have so far opened cases against 25 Israeli spy networks working for Iranian intelligence and have filed, or are expected to file soon, indictments against 40 Israelis.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has implemented what he promised in his July 1 statement after another launch from Yemen: “The fate of Yemen will be similar to that of Tehran. After attacking the head of the snake in Tehran, we will also attack the Houthis in Yemen. Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will be amputated”. Major attacks on Yemeni critical infrastructure were recorded overnight.
The Trump administration also notified Congress of its plan to sell Israel $510 million in guidance systems for 900 kg and 200 kg bombs: 3,845 JDAM guidance kits for 900 kg BLU-109 bombs; 3,280 JDAM guidance kits for 200 kg Mk.82 bombs. Perhaps precisely in view of an upcoming attack on Iran.
Islamic Jihad reports that a delegation from the organization, led by its leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, arrived in Doha last night for talks on the progress of negotiations for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Nakhala has not appeared in public for a long time. According to Sky News Arabia, citing Palestinian sources. “The first round of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas ended without a result”. Nevertheless, the Israeli negotiating delegation in Doha informed Netanyahu that the mood of the swap deal talks is positive. A new deal on Gaza could be reached during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. Reports of their imminent failure are unfounded. Hamas sources told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the Doha negotiations are more serious on both the Israeli and American sides than on previous occasions. The ceasefire could come into effect on Thursday, but that will depend on whether the movement’s demands are met.
Israeli Army Radio reported: “The army informed the political leadership that it is currently impossible to achieve both war goals simultaneously. The army believes that the Israeli hostages in Gaza should be returned first.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that he will receive US Special Representative Tom Barrack in Beirut. On the agenda: a plan to disarm Hezbollah. US envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack after meeting with President Joseph Aoun: “There is now an opportunity for the Lebanese, as the region is evolving and changing. The Lebanese response to the American proposal was very responsible and they provided us with amendments to the seven-page document, which we discussed briefly. In the past, the opportunities available today did not arise and “Israel” wants peace with Lebanon. Lebanon must deal with Hezbollah, not with the United States.”
Salam: “We discussed ideas for coordinated measures involving Israeli withdrawal and disarmament of Hezbollah, and we have called for the reinstatement of the coordination committee and the implementation of Resolution 1701. The US envoy has presented a document for the implementation of the mechanisms of the ceasefire agreement and we have also put forward a number of ideas”.
And now a look at the military scenarios as of 12:00 on 7 July. Local Iranian sources are reporting repeated noises of fighter jets flying over Karaj, Ilam, Usafiya, Urmia and Tabriz for unknown reasons.
Since 3 July, Yemeni attacks on Israel have resumed; according to Kan News, the Houthis launched a ballistic missile from Yemen, but it fell on its way to Israel. On 6 July, for the first time in months, the UK Maritime Trade Centre reported an attack on a merchant ship off the Yemeni-controlled city of Hodeida Houthis.
The MAGIC SEAS, a ship owned by Israel but flying the Greek flag, was attacked at 11:25 UTC southwest of the city of Hodeida, off the coast of Yemen. Several small boats attacked the vessel with small arms and rocket launchers. The attack caused a fire and water to enter the vessel. The crew was evacuated from the area. No casualties have been reported at this time. The ship sank on Monday. The Magic Seas was carrying ferrous metals and fertilizers from China to Turkey.
During the night between July 6 and 7, the IDF issued an evacuation order and then attacked the ports of Hodeida, Ras Issa and al-Salif, and the Hodeida-Ras al-Khatib power plant. Around 23:00, the air strikes began. The clash between the Yemeni air force and Israeli aircraft continued for over half an hour in the airspace of the Red Sea.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree: “The Yemeni air defenses have effectively repelled the Israeli aggression and forced most of its formations to retreat, through a massive bombardment of locally produced surface-to-air missiles, causing considerable confusion among enemy pilots and their operations rooms”. “The Yemeni air defenses have effectively repelled the Israeli aggression and forced most of its formations to retreat”.
Israel has reported that for Operation Black Flag in Yemen: “our aircraft have dropped 56 missiles, including the bombing of a central generator complex in the port of Salif and fuel unloading facilities in the Ras Issa basin”.
The Yemenis have reported that operations against Israel will continue. And in fact around 03:00 in the morning Italian time a launch was launched from Yemen towards Israel. Several launches were recorded, two missiles and eight drones: at Ben Gurion airport, the second against the power plant in the Ashkelon area with a missile and the port of Eliat with eight drones. Palestine 2 missiles were reportedly used. It is unclear whether the missiles were intercepted before or after they entered Israel’s skies.
In Syria, arson attacks by Sunni extremist groups have been reported in Latakia. Even the Lebanese government is sending two firefighting helicopters to help the Syrian Civil Defense put out fires in the Latakia mountains. The IDF conducted an operation in Syria on the night of July 6-7, arresting alleged spies.
Syrian media sources report that the IDF arrested two individuals in the Quneitra countryside, one of whom is a former inmate of Sednaya prison, following the infiltration of an Israeli military patrol in the Big Dawaya area, in the southern countryside of Quneitra. The IDF infiltrated “Suweisa” in the Quneitra countryside and is conducting house raids, arresting several young people, including a minor. The IDF: “We have arrested a cell affiliated with the Iranian Quds Force in southern Syria”. Local sources: “The number of detainees of the occupation “army” in the Quneitra countryside has risen to 6 people, including a minor”.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: “The “Israeli” forces have positioned themselves in a former military site and conducted raids and arrests in Quneitra”.
Iraqi military units are mobilizing and deploying in the desert areas adjacent to the Al-Qaim border crossing with Syria, following reports that elements belonging to Al-Jowlani intend to infiltrate the western sector of Anbar province.
In Lebanon, the attacks have never stopped. An attack in Lebanon on July 3 hit an area in Lebanon 75 km from Israel a few kilometers from Beirut airport in an attempt to kill an element of the Iranian special forces “Quds”. One dead following an attack by the Forces of Israel Defense Forces to a car in Bint Jebel, southern Lebanon.
A large cache of explosive batteries was intercepted on the Lebanese-Syrian border. The material was being smuggled into Lebanon, presumably for use in targeted assassinations. Authorities suspect that ISIS-linked elements may be behind the attempted operation.
Israeli troops, including bulldozers, have penetrated 200 meters into Kfar Kila, Lebanon, protected by tanks, and are conducting an operation to straighten the front line. Al Mayadeen secondp: “Israeli forces have infiltrated the outskirts of the town of Aita al-Shaab.” On July 7, IDF bulldozers that have penetrated the town of Kafarkela are bulldozing destroyed homes at a depth of 500 meters from the wall behind the Shalhoub station.
The Israeli raid on Rahal Tower in Tyre district left nine citizens injured on July 7. Lebanese Ministry of Health: “Yesterday’s airstrike on Burj Rahal injured 9 citizens, while the airstrike on the town of Zarariyah caused serious injuries to a child, requiring hospitalization in intensive care.”
July 7, Israeli artillery bombardment against the Zeitoun neighborhood and the Old City of Gaza. An IAF helicopter opens fire toward the town of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip
Three killed in an attack on a home in al-Bureij camp, in the central Gaza Strip. IDF artillery targets the vicinity of the traffic light intersection east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, resulting in casualties.
Starting July 1, the IDF intensifies its destruction in Khan Yunis. For the first time since the start of the war, the Israel Defense Forces have excluded all settlements in the Gaza Strip from the definition of a “closed military zone” – and now no settlements in the Strip are designated as such. This follows the government’s decision that there are no longer any security obstacles to returning to any of the settlements in the Strip.
Gaza residents were recently informed that the Southern General Command signed an updated order on the closed military zone, which leaves the settlements outside of it and allows only certain roads in the Strip, in accordance with the order, in favor of their use by the army in order to continue military activities in the Strip.
Another IDF soldier killed in Gaza after a rocket hit his tank. And another IDF tank sergeant killed in Khan Yunis. An observation post aimed at IDF forces was destroyed in Daraj Tofah, Gaza, militants were eliminated and many weapons were confiscated. The Israeli army demolishes residential homes in the Batin al-Samin area south of Khan Yunis. Emergency services and ambulance in Gaza: “Two dead and 20 injured due to IDF gunfire near an aid center north of the city of Rafah.”
The evacuation and annexation of territories in the West Bank continues. IDF forces assault the village of Kafr Ni’ma west of Ramallah. Assault on the town of Birzeit north of Ramallah and assault on the city of Nablus from the Al-Tur checkpoint. Incursions again on the Balata camp, east of the city of Nablus. The director of the Al Mayadeen and Ma’an bureau, journalist Nasser Al-Laham, arrested in his home in Bethlehem. The contents of his home were destroyed and his personal phones confiscated.
The IDF stormed the village of Kharbatha al-Misbah west of the city of Ramallah in the central West Bank.
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/
