While the strategic goals of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza are clear, Israel’s are not.
Palestinians want a complete withdrawal of the Israeli military, and the utilization of that achievement to unify all Palestinians around the Resistance.
They also want to place Palestine back on the map of regional and global priorities, and, to a large extent, they have done so.
Finally, they want to show Israel that it is no longer able to use its military advantage to control political outcomes, thus forcing Tel Aviv to concede to Palestinian demands for freedom and respect for international law.
Israel’s goals, however, are a mix of temporary political gains, personal interests and undefined, or undefinable goals.
As for the insistence that the very future of Israel’s security is all reliant on maintaining control over the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, well, that too is a sham, or a ‘trick’, according to one of Israel’s most respected military experts.
Retired Israeli General Yitzhak Brik has publicly disputed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims regarding the strategic significance of the Philadelphi (Salah al-Din) Corridor in southern Gaza, which Netanyahu has argued is crucial for preventing the smuggling of weapons.
In an interview with FM 103, affiliated with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Brik downplayed the corridor’s importance in the current war.
He described Netanyahu’s emphasis on it as “the biggest trick since the founding of the state, aimed at misleading the public.”
Brik, a former commander of the Armored Corps, is often referred to as the “prophet of wrath” for his warnings about potential large-scale attacks from Gaza ahead of October 7.
Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance continues to escalate attacks on all fronts.
Below are the latest statements by the two main Resistance forces in Gaza, and the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah.
The statements were communicated via their Telegram channels and are published here in their original form.
Al-Qassam Brigades
“WATCH: Our brave fighters in the areas of incursion inside the Tulkarem camp, specifically the Martyr Izkihim Nafi’ Unit (Engineering Unit), successfully detonated a highly explosive device in the incursion zones in the Agency Neighborhood. The device was detonated and hit its target directly, inflicting direct casualties on the occupation soldiers, resulting in killed and injured during the wide-scale invasion of the camp.”
“The Al-Qassam Brigades broadcast a video addressing a message to the Israeli protesters, entitled Release in a Deal or Kill by a Bombing.
“The video included pictures of a number of Israeli prisoners who were killed by Israeli army fire during the aggression on the Gaza Strip.
“Notes:
0:05 – Bibas family killed by IOF bombing is shown on the wall.
0:07 – November 9th, 2023 message from Al-Qassam announcing death of soldier “Faoul Azai Mark Assyani” by IOF bombing.
0:12 – November 17th, 2023 message by Al-Qassam Brigades announcing death of captive “Arieh Zalman Zdmanovitch,” by panic attacks due to IOF bombing.
0:17 – December 8th, 2023 message from Al-Qassam Brigades announcing the death of captive soldier “Saar Baruch” in a failed rescue attempt.
0:39 – Al-Qassam Brigades announces the death of…
0:42 – The upcoming message!
0:48 – Released in a deal? Killed by bombing?
0:52 – The matter is in Netanyahu’s hands.”
The Al-Qassam Brigades broadcast a video addressing a message to the Israeli protesters, entitled Release in a Deal or Kill by a Bombing.
The video included pictures of a number of Israeli prisoners who were killed by Israeli army fire during the aggression on the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/kk8m1mOQnL
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 7, 2024
Hezbollah
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, on Saturday, 07-09-2024, bombarded the Mount Neria base (a battalion headquarters currently occupied by forces from the Golani Brigade) with barrages of Katyusha rockets.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 8:15 AM on Saturday, 07-09-2024, targeted the Hadab Yaroun site with artillery shells.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 8:15 AM on Saturday, 07-09-2024, targeted Israeli soldiers stationed around the Manot settlement with rocket weapons.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 2:20 PM on Saturday, 07-09-2024, targeted the Rahib site with artillery shells, hitting it directly.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 2:45 PM on Saturday, 07-09-2024, targeted surveillance equipment at the Misgav Am site with appropriate weapons, hitting them directly and leading to their destruction.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, on Saturday, 07-09-2024, bombed the main intelligence headquarters at the Mishar base with a volley of Katyusha rockets.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 4:23 PM on Saturday, 07-09-2024, targeted the Al-Marj site with artillery shells, hitting it directly.
The video, published by Al-Qassam Brigades, shows the moment an explosive device was detonated and hit an Israeli target, in Tulkarm, in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/GRdNDOjjf5
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 7, 2024
“The fighters of the Air Defense Unit of the Islamic Resistance targeted a Zionist Heron drone with a surface-to-air missile in the skies of the Bekaa area, preventing it from completing its goals and forcing it to leave Lebanese airspace.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese Kfar Shuba Hills with appropriate weapons, hitting it directly.
“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance launched an air attack with a swarm of attack drones on the newly established headquarters of the 91st Division in Ayelet HaShahar, targeting the positions of its officers and soldiers and hitting its targets precisely.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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