Ariel Rusila's Conflicts [Ex-BalkanPerspective]

I read MADA's   report   published on July 6, 2024, according to which the number of media freedom violations in Palestine has increased compared to the previous month, usually by 150% (40->61). , according report Israeli individuals committed all documented violations, while Palestinian entities or social media did not document all violations. As usual, most of the violations caused a great danger to the lives of journalists, and four journalists were murdered in June. The number one on the list of those who were murdered was indeed familiar from the background material of my previous article -   Operation Arnon: The Heroic Release of Four Hamas Hostages   - because the deceased Abdallah Aljamali in question also acted as host/prisonguard for three of the four kidnapped Israeli hostages, which were released from Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza on 8th June. Aljamal, along with his wife Fatima and father Ahmed, were killed when Israeli special forces stormed their ap...

The hostages kidnapped by Hamas – three men and one woman – were rescued alive in a joint rescue operation by the IDF, the security service Shin Bet and the Israeli police on June 8, 2024. In a daring daylight operation, this operation raided two different buildings in a Hamas-controlled area, amidst the civilian population, in the heart of the Gaza Strip. The rescue operation, which took pla ce after weeks of careful planning, involved hundreds of fighters from the IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police. It is known as Operation Arnon – in honor of Yamam (Special Police Forces) officer, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, who was wounded during the rescue of three male hostages and died an hour later in hospital. after his death the name of the operation was changed from “Seeds of Summer” to “Operation Arnon”. Between 100 and 274 Palestinians died during the rescue operation. The “Fauda”-style commando attack is a small reprieve for Israel’s intelligence, military, police and security authorities,...

“An Army needs to be large and smart; we are in the Middle East facing hundreds of millions of Arabs who want us dead. Just like that—dead.”  (Offer Drori/IsraelDefense) The war in Gaza has moved into a low-intensity phase where Israel carries out precision strikes against Hamas forces, searches for and destroys the initially more than 500 km tunnel network, and tries to return the remaining hostages alive or dead by armed means. At the current rate of progress, this final clean-up phase is estimated to last until the end of the current year. The alternative is for the ceasefire negotiations to proceed and the hostages to be released through it. A significantly more acute situation is what is happening in the north on the border between Israel and Lebanon, where Hezbollah has supported Hamas since 7/10 terrorist attacks. My assessment is that Israel will start a limited ground offensive this coming weekend at the earliest, and yet that the goals of this limited new war in Lebanon w...

Efforts were made to resolve the hostage situation in Gaza through negotiations before the start of Ramadan, some progress was made, but no agreement was reached and none of the kidnapped were recovered. The release of the prisoners by force of arms produced almost as bad a result, only one body was managed to be recovered. The situation has to be understood as far as Hamas is concerned, it is the terrorist organization's last trump card. From Israel's point of view, the concern is that a prolonged cease-fire would enable Hamas's terror to continue while the organization is able to replenish its stocks, especially since Israel is in any case increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza to the numbers that prevailed before the war. COGAT has reported that 419 aid trucks arrived in Gaza on April 9, 2024 – the largest number of trucks in one day since the war began. The previous record was reached the day before with 322 trucks. There are conflicting reports coming out of Cairo about a...

Late on Thursday [February 22, 2024], Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed his proposal for the “Day after Hamas” to the War Cabinet for the first time. The plan for post-war Gaza includes “demilitarization” of the enclave, control of the Palestinian territories and the closure of the aid organization UNRWA. Netanyahu had previously cancelled the war cabinet’s discussions on the Gaza plans, leading to “significant pressure” from government partners and international leaders to sharpen the plans, especially as ceasefire talks are currently underway and protests demanding the release of the hostages in Israel are expanding. Netanjahu, Gallant, Ganz.  Credit:  ALJAZEERA Israel’s war cabinet decides on all matters related to the ongoing war and its termination. The cabinet includes Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and opposition representative Benny Ganz as regular members, and Ron Dermer and Gadi Eizenkot as observer members, but not the far-right ministers ...

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is becoming even more difficult after the Israeli army extended its war against Hamas south to Khan Younis and plans to attack the last intact Hamas underground bases in Rafah. The international community, including the United States, has demanded that Israel protect Gazan civilians when the attack begins on a larger scale soon. The civilian population that moved to the south has previously been offered a safe zone in the Al-Mawas area on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Relief for the plight of Gazan civilians may also be found on the Egyptian side . Since the beginning of the war, Egypt has tried to strengthen its own security at the border to keep the Palestinians out, by sending soldiers and armored vehicles and strengthening border fences. Now, however,  The Wall Street Journal  has obtained satellite images, which show that concrete walls have been erected in the area intended as a refugee camp. Satellite images taken in 4.-14. Febr...