Israel carried out a major offensive in and around Gaza City overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Another IDF attack hit Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The war between Israel and Hamas evolves as the IDF gains ground in the Gaza Strip. Last night, the Israeli army claimed that Hamas had lost control of the northern Gaza Strip. According to the IDF, 50,000 Gazans fled on November 8 “from the north to the south” of the Palestinian enclave.
“The fighters completed the capture of the outpost after ten hours of fighting, during which they eliminated the terrorists, seized numerous weapons, and discovered terrorist tunnels, including a well, located near a garden of children, leading to a vast underground route,” the Israeli army general staff said in a statement broadcast on Telegramwithout giving an assessment.
The Israeli army now operates “in the heart of Gaza City”, gradually tightening its grip on Hamas, and is carrying out “land, air and naval” operations. With forces “ready on all fronts”, with the aim of “destroying Hamas”.
Earlier this week, the defense minister called the Gaza Strip “the largest terrorist base ever built” and confirmed that “there will be no[it] no humanitarian truce without the return of the hostages”. A position which has been that of the Israeli Prime Minister since the start of the conflict. No truce therefore, but Yoav Gallant had called on Palestinian civilians to evacuate to the south of the Gaza Strip in using a secure corridor during a four-hour “window” granted by the IDF.
While the Jewish State advanced on the outcome of the war, through the voice of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister of Defense affirmed that “neither Hamas nor Israel” would govern the Gaza Strip at the end of the conflict. But the question of governance arises, in particular that of the behavior of Israel, whose Prime Minister assured on November 6 on ABC News that he would take “security responsibility” for the enclave.
The Gaza Strip occupied by Israel?
Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement on security responsibility for the Gaza Strip raised questions. Should we see this as a form of tacit annexation? Colonization of Palestinian territory as has already been seen in certain towns in the West Bank? The idea is far from satisfying the international community which denounces the violence carried out by certain Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian territory. Even the United States, Israel’s ally, declared on November 7 that it did not support a “reoccupation of Gaza” by Hebrew Eta. “Israel doesn’t support it either,” Washington added.
The Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, wanted to reassure and declared that “Israel will not reoccupy the Gaza Strip” during an interview on the American channel MSNBC. According to him, after the war “Hamas will no longer be in power and after the dismantling of its infrastructure, Israel will have to have general responsibility for security for an indefinite period.” A resumption of the Prime Minister’s speech therefore and a perspective which does not specify the nature of the authority which will be put in place and which puts the powers in the hands of Israel. However, the minister judged that “if it is a Palestinian force which governs Gaza for the well-being of its inhabitants and without wanting to destroy Israel, then we can discuss”.
Evacuation of civilians to the south of the Gaza Strip
Every day since Sunday, November 5, the Israeli army has ordered civilians in northern Gaza to head south through secure crossings for a few hours. The war has pushed “70% of the population of the Gaza Strip” to move according to the UN, an exodus which “is accompanied by constant fear and inhumane living conditions for nearly 1.5 million people” out of the 2.2 million living in the Palestinian territory.
But even in the south of the Gaza Strip the humanitarian situation is catastrophic with a lack of water, food, medicine and difficult access to care despite the sending of international humanitarian aid. UN agencies continue to call for an “urgent” ceasefire and G7 foreign ministers have called for “humanitarian pauses and corridors”, but Israel remains deaf to these voices and is only considering “small tactical pauses”, that is to say the interruption of the bombings “an hour here, an hour there” to “allow the entry of goods, humanitarian goods, or to let our hostages, individual hostages, leave” .
A “humanitarian conference” in Paris
A “humanitarian conference” on the situation in Gaza is to be held in Paris on November 9, as announced by Emmanuel Macron last Friday. This conference will be held within the framework of the Paris Peace Forum. It will bring together representatives of States, international organizations, businesses, as well as NGOs on the theme “building together in a world of rivalry”. “The fight against terrorism does not justify sacrificing civilians,” defended the president on November 3.
Israel will not participate in the conference, but the Israeli Prime Minister spoke with Emmanuel Macron on November 7 and the two men will speak again at the end of the event, the Elysée announced. The French presidency stressed on the eve of the conference that everyone has “an interest in the humanitarian situation improving in Gaza, including Israel.”
In images, in pictures
The toll of the war
The results of the war taking place in Gaza are difficult to establish, as the figures provided by Hamas cannot be independently verified and therefore distinguished from propaganda. According to the latest report from the Hamas Ministry of Health released Monday, November 6, 10,328 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, including more than 4,200 children, since the start of the conflict on October 7. The Palestinian movement also reported more than 23,500 injured. Asked about this toll, the Pentagon spokesperson admitted that, regarding civilian casualties in Gaza, “it must be counted in the thousands.” On the Israeli side, the death toll is still estimated at 1,400 deaths. Daniel Hagari, IDF spokesperson, said that 348 soldiers had died since the attack on October 7.
Among the victims, we must also count the hostages held by Hamas and whose number would be between 200 and 250. There are 242 according to the Israeli army. After making the release of the hostages conditional on the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, Hamas assured on October 31 that it intended to release foreign hostages in the coming days, but no release has taken place since. Qatar is leading negotiations on the release of the hostages, the current discussions would concern “the release of 10 to 15 hostages in exchange for a ceasefire of one to two days” according to an AFP source.
40 French people dead in Israel
40 French people were killed in Israel during Hamas attacks on October 7, according to the report communicated by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Monday November 6. It also has eight nationals missing. “It is now confirmed that some of them are hostages of Hamas,” the government said on November 6.
France ensures that it will do everything possible to save the hostages and repatriate nationals who wish to do so. The Quai d’Orsay also announces that “more than 100 people” have left Gaza. “Two groups of French nationals, agents and beneficiaries were able to leave the Gaza Strip yesterday and today through the Rafah crossing point. They are safe in Egypt, where they were taken care of by the French Embassy and our Consulate General in Cairo”, the ministry announced on November 7.
The context
The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023 with a surprise and massive strike launched by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on the Jewish state. Many fighters carried out incursions near the Gaza Strip border while airstrikes were launched. These terrorist attacks gave rise to scenes of horror and massacres in several Jewish kibbutzim in Israel.
Israel ordered the response within hours of the attack before imposing a siege on Gaza on Monday, October 9. The same day, the Israeli army announced that it had regained control of the border with the Gaza Strip. Since then it seems to be preparing a ground attack on Palestinian territory.