Analyses Archives - Page 7 of 20

Expert: Jabalia – Matter of Life and Death For The Resistance

CrossFireArabia
October 20, 2024

Military expert Brig-Gen Elias Hanna said that the resistance is obligated to “continue fighting in north Gaza Strip from zero distance and avoid a decisive battle,” describing what is happening as “a matter of life or death” for the Palestinian resistance factions.

Hanna spoke to Al Jazeera on the sidelines of the escalation of fighting between the resistance factions and the Israeli occupation army in the Jabalia camp.

Hanna believes that the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip has become a matter of life or death, expressing his conviction that the goal is “not to lose the area and to enter into a battle of attrition with the occupation.”

He said that the resistance is benefiting from the occupation’s unexploded remnants, as it reuses them within the system of detonating explosive devices, anti-tank shells and sniper operations.

From his point of view, the occupation’s use of the another military division, in addition to the Givati Infantry Brigade, reflects “the size, importance and difficulty of the target in Jabalia,” which he said is a major center of gravity for the resistance, the environment that supports it and the safe haven for fighters.

The Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing, broadcast, Sunday, scenes of its fighters targeting Israeli military vehicles with explosive devices and anti-tank shells, and fierce clashes with Israeli special forces at short distances.

The military expert believes that the occupation’s entry into Jabalia represents “a new form but with an old content,” referring to the possibility of opening the door to settlement in the area if the residents of north Gaza Strip are displaced and completely destroyed.

He said he is convinced the Israeli army is racing with time to execute its plan in Jabalia with the countdown of the US presidential elections.

The occupation army destroyed many landmarks and buildings in the Jabalia camp, by booby-trapping and blowing up some tall buildings, and destroying others with air strikes.

The Israeli army imposed its siege on Jabalia, and tried to prevent residents from fleeing to the neighboring Gaza City, and ordered them to flee only to the southern Gaza Strip, while the Ministry of Interior in Gaza warned its citizens against responding to the occupation army’s calls to “evacuate their homes.”

Developments in Lebanon

On the northern front, Hanna said that the most important movements of the Israeli army on the Lebanese border are represented by the 210th Division towards the Shebaa Farms in an attempt to separate the Bekaa from the south of the Litani River.

The 210th Israeli military division recently joined four other divisions participating in the ground incursion operations in southern Lebanon, namely the 98th, 91st, 36th and 146th.

Hanna, a retired brigadier-general from the Lebanese army, explained that the Israeli army wants to surround Aita al-Shaab to isolate it, expressing his surprise about the calm of the Maroun al-Ras, Aitaroun and Yaroun axis despite its importance.

The military expert concluded that Israel wants to control the high points inside Lebanese territory, which overlook the Israeli interior and directly strike its settlements.

He added that Israel “wants to occupy these areas, destroy them and displace their residents without drowning in a war of attrition”, with the aim of “imposing a new reality on Hezbollah.”

Analyses

Analysis – Israeli Army Can Only Move at Night

CrossFireArabia
October 20, 2024

Military and strategic expert, Maj-Gen Fayez Al-Duwairi said the Israeli occupation army is not able to advance in northern Gaza Strip except at night, indicating this is creating new challenges for the Palestinian resistance.

Differences this time

Al-Duwairi explained the differences between the current Israeli military operation here, and its previous operations, highlighting the new tactics followed by the occupation army and the challenges posed to Palestinian resistance groups.

He pointed out while there are ongoing battles and heavy Israeli losses including the destruction of vehicles and the killing of their soldiers, he believes the occupation’s success in isolating the Jabalia camp from all four sides has created a different reality this time around.

Moving at night

But he stressed most of the occupation’s main advances take place at night, attributing this fact to the resistance’s lack of night vision weapons with infrared rays. He pointed out this allows the occupation forces to set up barricades and achieve additional progress, even at limited distances ranging between 50 and 70 meters.

The military expert added this situation has created a new problem for the resistance it has not been exposed to before, despite its success in inflicting heavy losses on the occupation forces.

He drew attention to the seriousness of the humanitarian situation, noting there are about 150,000 Palestinians trapped in an area of no more than two square kilometers, with Israeli tanks standing at the doors of shelters.

Human shields

Al-Duwairi believes it is as if the Israeli army is using civilians as human shields, making it difficult for resistance fighters to carry out their duties without risking harm to these civilians, considering this situation as one of the biggest challenges facing fighters, which they did not face in previous military incursions.

Commenting on the video shown by the Israeli army of the leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Yahya Sinwar – which he said shows him with his family in a tunnel on the night of 7 October, 2023 – Al-Duwairi pointed out this video represents a “glorification of Sinwar and not condemnation of him.”

Not a 5-star hotel!

He explained the video shows the Hamas leader and the main planner of Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa living a difficult life inside the tunnels, not in a 5-star hotel, adding that he is the head of a family and is being directly targeted, and it is natural for him to seek to put his children in safety.

Al-Duwairi added the fact that Sinwar and his children lived for a year in the tunnels represents a sacrifice that must be appreciated, and he believed that the occupation’s attempt to use this video to condemn Sinwar may backfire, as he can be seen as a resistance leader who sacrifices his personal life for his cause.

Al-Duwairi believes that this video refutes the accusations directed at Sinwar and other Hamas leaders that they live a life of luxury, and that what appeared is that these leaders are not looking for a life of luxury, but seek to liberate the land, protect its honor, and are ready to die for the sake of God according to Al Jazeera.

Analyses

Israeli Media: We Are Waging a ‘War of Brains’ With Hezbollah

CrossFireArabia
October 15, 2024

Israeli media revealed new details about the circumstances of the attack that targeted a military building in the Binyamina area south of Haifa. Israeli military analysts and experts said the incident casts doubt on the ability to intercept Hezbollah drones, and that the army is waging a war of brains with Hezbollah.

Military affairs correspondent Itai Blumenthal of Channel 11 said that the two drones that targeted the building in the base arrived via the northern maritime zone, where one of them was intercepted near the city of Nahariya, while the other disappeared from the field of view of Israeli fighters and helicopters just before hitting the building.

Blumenthal confirmed that the drone did not fire missiles, noting that this type of drone is known to the Israeli army and is manufactured in Iran and is available to Hezbollah, which raises further questions about the army’s ability to effectively detect these drones in the current war.

In the same context Nir Dvori, military analyst for Channel 12 said that this incident caused great disappointment, especially since the recent period witnessed some progress in the army’s ability to intercept drones. He added this incident completely turned the picture upside down, and revealed the gaps in the Israeli defense system.

A war of brains

Dvori explained this war of brains is witnessing a continuous development of capabilities on both sides. He added the Israeli army is working to improve its interception capabilities, while Hezbollah continues to develop the low-flying and high-speed techniques of its drones, which makes it more difficult to detect and shoot them down.

For his part Eitan Ben Eliyahu, former commander of the Israeli Air Force, confirmed that there is a war of minds taking place in real time between Hezbollah drone operators and soldiers operating Israeli detection and interception systems.

He described this battle as similar to a computer game, with each side trying to outdo the other in real time.

Yossi Yehoshua, a military affairs analyst for Channel 24 and Yedioth Ahronoth, pointed out that last deadly incident added to a series of injuries sustained by Israeli soldiers in the past two weeks since the start of the ground operations in Lebanon.

He said hundreds of soldiers were injured as a result of the use of anti-tank missiles, mortar shells, and drones by Hezbollah.

A surprise attack on the Golani Brigade training camp, located about 80 kilometers deep in southern Lebanon, Sunday, resulted in the killing of four soldiers and the wounding of 67, including eight in critical condition. The Israeli Army Radio described this attack as the deadliest incident against the army since the start of the current war.

Israeli media reported at the time that the drone fired a missile at the training camp, before crashing into the dining hall inside the camp, where soldiers were eating according to Al Jazeera.

Analyses

Hamas Derails ‘Generals’ Plan’ in North Gaza

CrossFireArabia
October 13, 2024

Military expert Dr. Nidal Abu Zeid has confirmed that despite separating the northern Gaza Strip from Gaza City, the Israeli army has not succeeded in implementing the so-called “generals’ plan” so far.

He added that what is happening on the ground can only be classified as “tactical success but strategic failure in light of the heavy losses suffered by the Israeli army in northern Gaza.

Abu Zeid added to Jordan24 that the resistance is still operating in pockets close to the separation line established by the occupation, while it seems that the Netzarim axis model is being repeated in northern Gaza, which puts the occupation in a fragile position and vulnerable to the strikes of the resistance, which has exchanged geography for losses, meaning that it has given land to the occupation but inflicts losses in wide areas of deployment.

Failure with Hezbollah

Regarding what is happening in southern Lebanon, Abu Zeid said the equation of proportionality and gradualism is still prevailing in military with Haifa has become opposite equation to the southern suburb and Tel Aviv to Beirut in targetting and bombing.

He added that this is while the occupation forces have yet failed after 13 days of ground fighting to achieve any significant progress, and everything the Israeli army is doing falls within the framework of reconnaissance operations by force in an attempt to determine the weak points of Hezbollah, which is defending in an unconventional manner on the front edge of the battle zone.

Iran Stop!

Abu Zeid pointed out that events are accelerating, as indicators of the Israeli response to the Iranian response have begun to increase and its features have begun to become clear, which will change the equation of the conflict in light of an American desire not to expand the circle of conflict as much as it is a desire to clip Iran’s nails in the region.

Analyses

‘Generals’ Plan’ in Gaza Maybe Stopped If Hezbollah Pressure Hikes

CrossFireArabia
October 10, 2024

Military Dr. Nidal Abu Zeid said the Israel occupation is trying to displace and strangle northern Gaza with fire and prevent the entry of any aid, in an attempt to implement what is known as the “generals’ plan” that has so far failed.

He noted that the Israeli army is now trying to implement such a plan by brute military force but the resistance groups have yet succeeded to thwart this pernicious project.

Abu Zeid added to Jordan24 that the current ongoing battles in Gaza are linked to the military operations Hezbollah fighters are waging in southern Lebanon.

He pointed out the missile barrages launched by the party, Wednesday, were the largest, with 200 missiles in one day, according to Israeli sources. This is in addition to Hezbollah’s success in penetrating the early warning and reconnaissance systems in the north of the occupied territories through its “Hudhud”.

Abu Zeid confirms that Hezbollah’s operations and activities are not random, but disciplined with sequential movements in a clear plan that begins with the unconventional defense of the forefront of the battle zone supported by missile barrages and reliance on the principles of proportionality and gradualism.

Therefore he added, we see Haifa being bombed whenever the southern suburb is bombed, with a gradual increase in type, quantity and range.

Regarding the Israeli response to Iran, Abu Zeid said that the indicators are escalating as the Israeli response approaches, the latest of which is Biden’s phone call to Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Galant’s visit to the Military Intelligence Division. These are indications that the integration of the intelligence position is awaiting a green light for implementation.

The “generals’ plan” is based on besieging the northern Gaza Strip, stopping humanitarian aid, and evacuating the population with the aim of “forcing all Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip to leave and turning the north into a closed military zone.”