Update Aug 27th (Day 326)

UPDATES ON THE WAR – Day 326 (Aug 27^th):

*We are one Day 326 (Aug 27^th).

*Anderson Tours is taking one last trip this year to the Holy Land beginning this week. Follow our posts from that trip that will begin this week: Anderson Tours Instagram , Anderson Tours Facebook, and/or Anderson Tours YouTube Channel

* We will now be updating this blog monthly due to our busy touring season. Below is a summary below of the last several week’s important points.

Headlines:

• Hezbollah says it launched 320 rockets (Aug 25^th), hitting 11 Israeli military targets in what it called the first phase of its retaliation for the death of Shukr. Shortly before the rockets began firing, Israel said 100 of its fighter jets carried out preemptive strikes to prevent a larger-scale attack, saying it destroyed thousands of rocket barrels at over 40 sites. Lebanon reported three fatalities; none were reported in Israel.
• Cease-fire negotiations focused on how to monitor the Philadelphi corridor,which runs along the Gaza-Egypt border, are taking place in Cairo (Aug 27^th). This is one of the biggest sticking points in the negotiations. Today Egypt affirmed that it will not accept an Israeli military presence in the Rafah border crossing or along the Philadelphia corridor, Egyptian Al Qahera news channel reported, citing a senior source.
• On Sunday (Aug 25^th), an Israeli source involved in the talks said that contrary to media reports indicating that Netanyahu has softened his position on the Philadelphi corridor, he still “insists that Israel remain in control of and deployed along” the entire corridor.
• Earlier on Tuesday (Aug 13^th), far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led hundreds of Israelis into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem and performed prayers marking a Jewish holiday. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and reiterated its call for respecting Jerusalem’s historical status quo. “The Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms the flagrant and continuous storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation officials and settlers,” the foreign ministry said.
• Hamas chief and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar, who previously claimed it would be an honor to die fighting Israel, has made his own survival a condition of any cease-fire in Gaza, according to a new report. Sinwar allegedly emphasized that his safety must be guaranteed, and that Israel must not try to kill him, a senior Egyptian official told Ynet.
• The IDF retrieved the bodies of six hostages from Gaza overnight into Tuesday (Aug 20^th), all of whom were taken alive by Hamas on October 7. The IDF said that in March it operated near the tunnel in Khan Yunis from which the bodies were recovered, adding that it is possible that air force strikes in the area caused some of their deaths.
• Fury was palpable at the end of a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Thursday (Aug 22^nd), as protesters demanded a deal to free Israeli hostages in Gaza and grieved this week’s news that the bodies of six captives had been retrieved. There has been no official explanation yet of how the six died.
• Ten months into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, criticism on the street of the militant group Hamas appears to be growing. But gauging public opinion during a war is difficult (See Palestinian Polls section below)
• Only a cease-fire deal in Gaza would hold Iran back from directly retaliating against Israel for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, three senior Iranian officials told Reuters.
• Hamas has named on Yahya Sinwar, its leader in the Strip, as political bureau chief instead of Ismail Haniyeh. Senior Hamas official in Beirut Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera that “the choice of Sinwar was accepted unanimously, and this proves the unity of the ranks, the rise to the order of the day and the fact that Sinwar was a partner all along in all the negotiation processes.”
• This war came after ten months of the most significant domestic political and social crisis in decades in the State of Israel, due to legislation promoted by the Netanyahu government aimed at dramatically weakening Israel’s judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel’s most right-wing government ever.

OUCH:

• Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said that the organization decided not to respond to Shukr’s assassination by targeting civilian areas or infrastructure, and instead decided to target military sites near Tel Aviv, including a military intelligence base where the Israeli surveillance unit operates. He added that after his group’s retaliation would come responses by Iran and Yemen’s Houthis.
• Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told Army Radio that there is a new policy that doesn’t limit Jewish prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount compound, adding that “if I was able to do anything I wanted to do at the Temple Mount, the flag of Israel would have been raised there long ago.” He also said he would establish a synagogue at the Temple Mount if he could. In response, PM Netanyahu’s office clarified that “there is no change in the status quo,” which prohibits Jewish prayer at the site.
• In response to Ben-Gvir’s comments, Hamas called on Palestinians and Arab Israelis to protest Jewish presence at the Al Aqsa mosque and to “increase the struggle against the occupation of the West Bank,” adding that “continuing the provocative tours on a daily basis is a policy that pours fuel on the fire, and it will be met with a sharp reaction from the Palestinian people.”
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Italian counterpart in a phone call (Aug 27^th) that Tehran’s response to the assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, which it attributes to Israel, will be “definite, calculated and accurate…Iran does not seek to increase tensions. However, it is not afraid of it.”
• In Gaza, the war’s constant displacement and widespread destruction of whole neighborhoods are eroding social, and in some areas, governing structures. In total, 86% of the Gaza Strip have come under evacuation orders by the Israeli military since October 7, according to the UN. As a result, residents report that law and order have broken down in some areas. Gaza’s Hamas-run police force has largely disappeared from the streets as its officers are also targeted by the Israeli military.
• The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 40,435 Palestinians were killed and 93,534 wounded since the start of the war.
• Israel declared war after Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 on October 7.
• Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold hostage more than 120 soldiers and civilians, dead and alive, including foreign nationals.

YEAH:

• ISRAEL-IRAN: The New York Times reported that Israeli, American and Iranian officials said on Friday (Aug 16^th) that Iran is expected to delay an attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, in order to allow mediators time to “make a high-stakes push for a cease-fire to end the war in Gaza.”
• Israel and Hezbollah exchanged messages via intermediaries in order to prevent further escalation, two diplomats told Reuters, with one adding that the main message was that both sides considered Sunday’s intense exchange was “done” and that neither side wanted a full-scale war.
• The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah announced that it completed preparation of its polio vaccination program for Gazan children, including establishing vaccination centers and training medical teams to vaccinate the patients, and requested to vaccinate as soon as possible all the children under 10 in Gaza with two doses of the vaccination, with a month gap between each dose.
• The head of the World Health Organization said that the organization will send over one million polio vaccines to Gaza, which will be administered in the coming weeks.

PALESTINIAN POLLS: SUPPORT OF HAMAS: FUTURE?:

• Recent opinion polls by Palestinian pollsters give a mixed picture of Hamas’ standing among Gazans. The extreme situation in Gaza has made it difficult to conduct polls. Northern Gaza and areas of heavy fighting, said one pollster, are inaccessible to field researchers conducting face-to-face interviews.
• In a survey published in May by the Arab World Research and Development group (AWRAD) in Ramallah, just 24% of the respondents in Gaza said they had “positive” feelings about Hamas. When asked about whether things in Palestine were heading in the right or wrong direction, 70% of Gazans said “wrong” and just 27% said “right.”
• In its poll, the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) shows more support for Hamas. In July, 38% of Gazans said that they support Hamas. According to this poll, 24% favor the secular Fatah party, while 15% support third parties, and 24% said they don’t know.
• In the Israeli-occupied West Bank however, Hamas has seen an increase in support. But questions about actual voting patterns remain theoretical, as the last time Palestinians were able to vote was in the 2006 legislative elections, won by Hamas. The election was almost immediately followed by international and domestic political turmoil.
• Veteran Ramallah pollster Khalil Shikaki says those who supported Hamas before the war have not changed their minds. “They share Hamas basic values, they are religious, they don’t believe in separation between state and religion. And these values don’t change overnight,” explained Shikaki. Hamas is also deeply rooted in parts of the society through its charity and social work.
• Ibrahim Madhoun is an Istanbul-based Palestinian analyst considered close to Hamas. He says that Hamas is aware of the criticism, but that this is part of the struggle. “There is no doubt that this war is heavy, destructive and catastrophic for the people of the Gaza Strip, and the [Israeli] occupation was brutal in it, and there are many voices that reject the war,” said Madhoun. “Sometimes they blame the occupation and sometimes Hamas, and as long as there is war these voices will continue.”
• According to AWRAD’s survey, 80% of the respondents in both the West Bank and Gaza want to see a Palestinian-led government. Those critical of Hamas are hoping for a change in the political set up.
• “People are definitely not ready to accept Hamas rule anymore,” said Mahmoud from Deir al-Balah. “The biggest disaster would be for Hamas to return to power after the war.”
• But it remains uncertain whether the people of Gaza will have a say in their future. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to remove Hamas from power and prevent the Palestinian Authority from returning to Gaza.

JERUSALEM:

• Kibbutz Holit announced it will not participate in the government’s October 7 ceremony. Last week, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and a number of Gaza border kibbutzim – including Nirim, Be’eri, Kfar Azza, Nir Oz, Yad Mordechai and Nahal Oz – announced they will boycott the ceremony, which will be led by Netanyahu ally Transportation Minister Miri Regev.

IN THE NORTH (LEBANON):

• Rocket sirens blared in Israel’s north (Aug 27^th) for the first time since Hezbollah’s attack on Sunday morning. Israel struck in the southern Lebanese town of Taybeh, the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese daily Al Mayadeen reported. A vehicle in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon was attacked by a drone, Sky News Arabic and Lebanese news outlet Al Akhbar reported, with one of the reports indicating that the target of the strike survived.
• The heads of three regional councils in northern Israel issued a joint statement saying that they are “ceasing communication with all government officials,” adding that “we have not been of interest to you for ten and a half months, from now on you don’t interest us. Don’t call, don’t come, don’t send messages, we managed on our own so far, we will manage on our own from now on too.”
• Over 100 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward Israel on Friday (Aug 23^rd), sparking fires and directly striking two homes in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona. No casualties were reported.
• The IDF said Friday Aug 23^rd) that Israeli forces, using an airforce aircraft, attacked the area of ​​Eita al-Zut in southern Lebanon and killed a prominent Hezbollah member Muhammad Mahmoud Najam.
• The IDF said it hit operatives in Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit and other targets in Lebanon on Friday (Aug 23^rd). Hezbollah said seven of its members were killed in Israeli strikes, but according to Lebanese reports, the number is higher. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an 8-year-old boy was killed by an Israeli airstrike on a village in the south.
• Hezbollah fired some 50 rockets from Lebanon at northern Israel (Aug 21^st), some of which were intercepted, the IDF said. A man was moderately wounded in the northern Israeli regional council Katzrin from a direct rocket hit to his home.
• The IDF announced that Chief Warrant Officer Mahmood Amaria, 45, was killed by a Hezbollah drone explosion in the Western Galilee.
• The IDF said that about 75 rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel (Aug 20^th). Fires broke out in two sites in Israel’s north after the volleys, Israeli rescue services said.
• The IDF said that a rocket launched from Lebanon fell in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona without triggering air raid sirens, leading to a conflagration in the area but causing no casualties. The police said that a factory in the area was damaged (Aug 8^th).

GAZA (NORTH/CENTRAL):

• An Israel Air Force drone destroyed rocket launchers in Khan Yunis that fired at the Tel Aviv suburb of Rishon Lezion on Sunday evening (Aug 25^th), the IDF said, adding that the launchers were set up close to a school compound.
• The IDF announced that Sgt. 1st Class (res). Evyatar Atuar, 24, was killed in combat in central Gaza.
• The IDF said that Hamas fired rockets at Israel from an area adjacent to two schools, a field hospital and a cemetery in south Gaza, and that it struck more than 45 Hamas targets over the last 48 hours (Aug 19^th).
• The IDF said that the Air Force destroyed launchers from which rockets were fired into southern Israel on Friday (Aug 16^th), and that it is expanding its operations in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, following intelligence about Hamas activity in the area, as well as rocket launches from humanitarian zones.
• The IDF said its forces had intensified their activity in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza, and Khan Yunis, in the south, dismantling military structures, locating rockets, and killing dozens of Hamas militants, over the past 24 hours. Later on Thursday Aug 22nd), the IDF called on residents of north and east Khan Yunis to evacuate to the west of the city.
• The IDF said that it had attacked terrorists who were operating in a compound in Gaza City that used to be a school.
• During a tour of Gaza, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Hamas’ Rafah brigade has been dismantled, and that the remaining tunnels will be easy to find and destroy, adding that “the most important thing in my view is to remember what the war’s goals are, both regarding Hamas and the hostages, and looking north now.”
• Successive Israeli evacuation orders in Gaza, including 12 just in August, have displaced 90 percent of its 2.1 million residents since the war began, the UN said.
• Hezbollah struck and pushed back IDF forces that were trying to infiltrate Lebanese territory, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen reported.

GAZA (SOUTH):

• UN humanitarian aid operations in Gaza stopped on Monday (Aug 26^th) after Israel issued new evacuation orders for Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip late on Sunday, a senior UN official told Reuters, adding that “we’re unable to deliver today with the conditions that we’re in.”
• The IDF said on Saturday (Aug 24^th) that its forces killed dozens of terrorists over the last day in Gaza City and in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, and located many weapons.
• The IDF on Saturday (Aug24th) said that Taha Abu-Nada, a Hamas operative engaged in the production of military equipment and weaponry, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza.
• The IDF reported that it attacked a Hamas command center near the “Mustafa Hafez” school in Gaza City, and that numerous measures were taken to minimize the risk of civilian casualties before the strike. Hamas said that at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced families west of Gaza City.
• Sergeant Major (res.) Mordechai Yosef Ben Shoam, 34, and Officer (res.) Yotam Itzhak Peled, 34, were killed in combat in the central Gaza Strip, the IDF said.
• The IDF and Shin Bet said that they confirmed the identity of 12 Palestinian militants killed in an Israeli strike on a school compound in Gaza City on Saturday (Aug 10^th), after having identified 19 other militants. Officials in Gaza said at least 90 people were killed in the strike on the compound, where displaced Palestinians were sheltering.
• The IDF said that its intelligence indicated that there were no women and children at the Gaza City School it targeted on Saturday (Aug 10^th), which it claimed was being used as a Hamas command center. Hamas claimed that nearly 100 people were killed in the strike.

POST WAR GAZA:

• This is still a very complex unanswered question and hotly debated topic by all.

IN THE SOUTH (RED SEA):

• Australia will take command of the maritime task force in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from October, its defense ministry said on Friday.
• A commercial ship traveling through the Red Sea came under an attack that left it “not under command” and drifting ablaze, the British military said, adding that the attackers were likely the Iran-backed Houthis.
• The U.S. military said it destroyed two Houthi vessels in the Red Sea (Aug 15^th).

WEST BANK:

• Defense Minister Gallant has issued orders to detain without trial four Israelis suspected of involvement in the settler riot in the Palestinian village of Jit and the attack on four Bedouin Israeli women in the settlement of Givat Ronen.
• Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar warned PM Netanyahu, ministers and the attorney general that Jewish terrorism in the West Bank is endangering Israel’s existence, according to a letter published by Israel’s Channel 12 News. In the letter, Bar wrote that Jewish terrorist leaders “want to cause the system to lose control, causing indescribable damage to Israel,” adding that police incompetence in the face of these acts and “perhaps a sense of hidden support” for them are increasing considerably, reflected in “the significant expansion” of those taking part in these acts.
• Dozens of Israeli settlers rioted in the West Bank village of Jit on Thursday night (Aug 15^th), shooting at Palestinian residents, torching vehicles and homes and throwing stones. One person was killed and another critically wounded by gunfire, and three were wounded by stones, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. It was not immediately clear whether it was IDF or settler gunfire that killed and wounded the two.

NEGOTIATIONS – HOSTAGE RELEASE – CEASE FIRE:

• A Hamas delegation will arrive in Cairo for an update on the latest round of cease-fire/hostage negotiations; Hamas says the arrival does not mean they will participate in the talks. On Sunday (Aug 25^th), the negotiations summit in Cairo will include CIA head William Burns, U.S. envoy to the Middle East Brett McGurk, the Qatari PM, the head of Egyptian intelligence and the heads of Israel’s intelligence services.
• According to a Hamas statement, the group is “committed to what it has approved on July 2” based on U.S. President Joe Biden’s proposal and “is ready to implement it.” White House spokesperson John Kirby said “We need Hamas to participate, and we need to get down to the brass tacks of locking in these details.”
• Egypt and Qatar will transfer to Hamas a new Israeli proposal on the issue of the Philadelphi route and Rafah border crossing, submitted in Cairo on Thursday (Aug 22^nd) by Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Ben chief Ronen Bar. An Israeli source told Haaretz that “this is relative progress,” as Egypt refused to submit Israel’s previous proposal on the issue last week, which a foreign diplomat had defined as a “non-starter.”
• Hamas still hasn’t agreed to attend the meeting, but a senior Israeli official involved in the talks argued that “Hamas needs a cease-fire, and its distress could lead it to make compromises that would enable the deal to move forward despite the disagreements.”
• White House spokesperson John Kirby said that “reports that talks are near collapse are not accurate. There has been progress made,” noting that CIA chief Bill Burns is in Cairo, and that talks held with Israel’s intelligence chiefs were “constructive.”
• President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (Aug 21^st) about “the ceasefire and hostage release deal and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions,” White House spokesperson Emilie Simons posted on X.
• Vice President Kamala Harris also joined the call, which came at a critical moment in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week in Israel that it may be the last opportunity for a deal.
• Egypt is requesting that the U.S. guarantee Israel will not return to the Philadelphi route, even if a cease-fire/hostage release deal fails after its first phase, the Wall Street Journal reported. Israeli negotiators proposed the establishment of eight observation towers along the route, while the U.S. conceded with two, the report said, adding that Egyptian officials rejected any observation towers at all, as they would give Israel a military presence in the area.
• Ahead of his meeting with PM Netanyahu in Jerusalem (Aug 19^th), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the current talks to achieve a cease-fire deal in Gaza are “probably the best, maybe the last opportunity” to do so, and urged all parties to get the agreement over the finish line. Netanyahu’s office said the Blinken-Netanyahu meeting lasted three hours, was positive and conducted “in good spirit.”
• A senior Biden administration official said on Friday (Aug 16^th) that the leaders of mediating countries agreed that negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a hostage/cease-fire deal are “now in the end game.”
• Negotiations for a cease-fire/hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas continued on Friday afternoon (Aug 16^th) in Qatar, and a source familiar with the negotiations told Haaretz that “the parties hope to see progress within the next 24 hours.” Another source close to the talks told Haaretz that they “have been successful so far and have taken place in a positive spirit.” Israel’s delegation is set to return from Doha on Saturday evening.
• White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said that “we are as close as we think we have ever been” to securing a hostage release/cease-fire deal, adding that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “has always been the chief decision-maker when it comes to negotiations over the course of these nine months … And as the chief decision-maker, he needs to decide … He needs to accept the deal.”

GLOBAL RESPONSE & INVOLVEMENT:

• France, Germany, Italy, and the UK have issued a joint statement calling on Iran to refrain from attacks and for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Those talks are scheduled for Thursday (Aug 14^th), though it is unclear if Hamas will participate.
• Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV that his country “will not be a battlefield for Iran or Israel. We informed the Iranians and the Israelis that we will not allow anyone to violate our airspace and risk the safety of our citizens. We will intercept anything that passes through our airspace or think that it constitutes a threat to us or our citizens.”
• The United States is releasing $3.5 billion in military funding to Israel, part of a larger $14.1 billion package passed by Congress in April, CNN reported on Friday, citing several sources.
• ICC: The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, stressed the Court has jurisdiction to investigate Israeli nationals and asked judges to urgently decide on arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in addition to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, the other two Hamas leaders for whom Khan requested warrants, have since been assassinated.

TEL AVIV/SOUTHERN ISRAEL:

• Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for a bomb blast near a synagogue in Tel Aviv on Sunday night (Aug 18^th). The man carrying the bomb in a backpack was killed and a passerby was wounded in the explosion. In their statement, the groups said that suicide attacks inside Israel would return to the forefront as long as the “occupation’s massacres and assassination policy continue.”
• Many Israelis agree that the most important news in Israel these days have nothing to do with Hezbollah or Hamas, but Israel being torn apart by an internal struggle over the country’s democratic foundations, which are under assault by our own government.
• Demonstrators rallied outside the homes of public officials across the country on Saturday (Aug 17^th), protesting against the government and calling for a hostage deal.

IN THE EAST (JORDAN/IRAQ/SYRIA):

• Syrian media reported on Friday (Aug 23^rd) that Israel struck targets in central Syria from Lebanon’s airspace, wounding seven people.
• S. Central Command on Saturday (Aug 24^th) said its forces killed a Saudi militant from an Al-Qaida-linked group in a drone strike in Syria.

 

Holy Land Scripture Series

*If you would like to gain more understanding of the history of this country and conflict from a scriptural standpoint we recommend you take our Holy Land Scripture Course created to accompany our Virtual Tour of the Holy Land. Link below:

 

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

What should Israel do in order to secure peaceful borders and relations with the Palestinians and other Arab neighbors as well as facilitate the release the hostages still being held in Gaza?   

Who Should Lead the Palestinians after the Gaza War, and How?

*We know the questions are MANY and the issues deep and complex. We hope the information shared on this blog will help you process all the information and issues.

 

*If you would like to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications when new posts are made please email Dr. Clark Anderson at clark@andersontours.com