Israelis Slam Hezbollah Ceasefire

Former head of the Israeli military intelligence division, Tamir Hayman, admitted the Israeli army did not achieve any of its goals in its aggression against Lebanon. He noted the goal of returning the settlers quickly and safely to the north was not achieved.

He stressed Hezbollah fighters “embodied, through their bold fighting against the Israeli army, the saying that equations are imposed only on the ground.”

He pointed out “Israel has a problem with ammunition stores after a year of fighting, a problem with the capabilities of reserve soldiers, and a problem with the target, and the army does not choose the target, but rather it is the prime minister who determines it (returning the residents safely).”

Hayman said that “the Israelis described the agreement with Lebanon as an agreement of surrender and submission to Hezbollah.”

Further, a recent poll shows that 99% of Israelis believe that “Israel did not win the war against Hezbollah,” which, according to analysts, achieved “absolute victory.”

After the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect, Channel 14 condemned the return of residents of southern Lebanon to their towns, despite the threats of the Israeli army spokesman.

It said: “They do not listen to the Israeli army spokesman but they return to southern Lebanon.”

Mayor of the Kiryat Shmona settlement, Amichai Stern said he is unwilling “for his settlers to return [to the north] like cattle to be slaughtered.”

He continued: “Regardless of being the mayor, I do not feel safe raising my children in Kiryat Shmona, as the homes in the Lebanese villages are advanced sites, and after 7 October we all knew what awaited us in southern Lebanon.”

Head of the Merom Hagalil Regional Council Amit Sofer saw the ceasefire agreement as “providing calm, not security,” and said: “No one wants to live in a place where there is no security.”

For his part, head of the Metula Council David Azoulay blasted that the Israeli government concluded a “shameful agreement with Hezbollah”, considering that it had left the settlers of the north to their fate.

He added in a Hebrew Channel 12 interview that: “The Israeli army says it is on the Litani, but we should not be enthusiastic, as it is only 2 kilometers near Metula and we have not entered tens of kilometers.”

He added he lacked confidence “in the Israeli government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah,” as reported in Jo24.

The ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and the Israeli occupation entered into force Wednesday 26, November, 2024 at exactly 4 am Beirut time. From the first minutes, the residents of the south, the Bekaa and the southern suburb began returning to their towns.

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UN Official: Families Flee With Just ‘The Shirts on Their Backs’

Families fleeing from besieged areas of northern Gaza are leaving homes and shelters with just the shirts on their backs, Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Coordinator for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told UN News on Saturday.

Speaking from an UNRWA school in Gaza City, which is in the north of the Strip, Ms. Wateridge said that, for almost 50 days, UN humanitarian missions have attempted to deliver supplies to northern Gaza, including besieged areas such as Jabalia, but access to those in desperate need has been extremely limited.

Louise Wateridge: I have heard absolutely horrific stories today, speaking to families who fled Jabalia for their lives. They say there was just nothing left. It was absolutely flattened. There was death around them. They ran out of food. They had no access to water.

They reached UNRWA schools like this one, searching for safety but, days after arriving, airstrikes which killed many of the people sheltering here. And we’ve seen six such incidents on UN school shelters.

Since this siege began, we have had this horrible situation where people are forced to flee for their lives from the besieged north; they come to Gaza City looking for safety, but the danger just keeps following them. Death and destruction are their shadows.

Louise Wateridge: As far as the eye can see, every building is damaged and destroyed. You might see a stairwell riddled with bullet holes, or an exposed living room hanging out of a third-floor apartment, signs that there was once life here.

Around 300,000 people are now in Gaza City and it’s just rubble. That’s why people are forced to shelter in these UN facilities, because there is just nowhere else to go.

With winter coming, people are trying to find some kind of cover and safety, and protect themselves from the elements. They need tarpaulins, tents and shelter. They don’t have blankets or mattresses. They are just out in the in the open.

Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Spokesperson (middle) following the administering of polio vaccination in UNRWA's Deir El Balah health center.

UN News

Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Spokesperson (middle) following the administering of polio vaccination in UNRWA’s Deir El Balah health center.

UN News: How difficult is it to get aid in?

Louise Wateridge: For almost 50 days, access to besieged areas of north Gaza has either been denied or impeded. People have no access to food or water. We’ve heard people say they drank water from puddles to survive.

The eight UNRWA water wells in Jabalia are all damaged and destroyed. The hospitals have been hit on multiple occasions, and all of the UNRWA health clinics are out of medication.

Many humanitarian workers have been injured and killed themselves since the start of this war. Are they still at risk?

Louise Wateridge: Yes, every day. There is absolutely nowhere safe in Gaza.

247 UNRWA colleagues have been killed in this war.

Time and time again, day in and day out, our colleagues and their families are being injured and killed.

Every day my team and I wake up, the first thing we do is text each other to make sure everybody made it through another night.

For some weeks, we have had colleagues scattered across the Gaza Strip. Sometimes you lose contact with each other for days, if not weeks on end, and we don’t know how they are.

Sometimes we find out our colleagues have been killed and we haven’t known for a few days. Sometimes they come back online. It’s desperate.

Multiple United Nation convoys have been shot at. I was in a convoy in July that was shot at delivering supplies to northern Gaza.

It’s becoming more dangerous and more difficult for humanitarians to do their jobs by the day.

UN News

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World Speaks: Arrest Warrants Isolate Israel Further

The world and Israeli press see the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant as a major setback for Israel, a dramatic political and legal escalation with much repercussion and leading to its isolation as an occupying state with the imposition of restrictions on the travel of its officials to dozens of countries and weakening its international position.

In a historic precedent, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants, Thursday, against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Galant on charges of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

The arrest warrants focused on the committal of the war crime of genocide, including starving an entire people and preventing them from accessing their right to the necessities of life.

Political storm

The ICC decision sparked an international political storm. While many EU countries confirmed their commitment to implementing the court’s order, attention turned to Israel and how it would deal with the decision, which many consider a slap in the face whose consequences unimaginable, even if the US administration rejects it on the grounds that the ICC does not have jurisdiction in this matter.

Netanyahu, who is in deep crisis and famous for his rhetorics, found no better way than to describe the decision but as a new “Dreyfus trial,” likening himself to the French Jewish officer who was tried in 1894 because he was Jewish. His description was a prelude to considering the ICC decision anti-Semitic, hostile to Jews and a dark day for the history of civilized peoples.

Months ago, Netanyahu described the request of the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor to issue arrest warrants as “ridiculous and false… and a distortion of reality,” while stressing “Israel’s right to defend itself” against barbarism and obscurantism, and those who seek to eliminate it.

A Haaretz article sees the issuing of ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant as reflecting the lowest point of the Jewish state in its battle for legitimacy and international support.

According to the article, Israelis who felt supported by many world countries after Operation Aqsa Flood on 7 October, 2023, “wake up today, 13 months later, to find their country isolated, condemned and accused of committing war crimes.”

Dramatic escalation

The British Financial Times described the ICC decision as a dramatic escalation in legal proceedings against Israel over its war on Gaza, noting it is the first decision of its kind against Western-backed Israeli officials.

According to the newspaper, the decision will reinforce the feeling Israel is experiencing increasing international isolation due to its behavior in the war on Gaza.

Le Monde however, stated that it is the United States who would now face isolation after using its veto power against a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

According to the French daily, negotiators expected the Biden administration to review its current position before the arrival of the strongly pro-Israel Donald Trump administration.

Potential implications

The New York Times highlighted three possible repercussions of the ICC arrest warrants, the first of which is world diplomatic isolation, especially among the ICC signatory countries and which may hinder diplomatic relations and military cooperation between Israel and many countries.

The New York-based newspaper believes the arrest warrants will put Israeli leaders back under the international legal microscope, making their travel outside Israel risky, in addition to weakening the Israeli position, adding the warrants increases international criticism of Israeli military operations, and weakens the support it receives from its allies, especially in Europe.

But the New York Times also quotes international law expert Philippe Sands as saying there are legal restrictions facing the International Criminal Court in implementing arrest warrants, “but the decision carries strong symbolism that reflects a change in the international position towards Israel,” noting the signatory countries are obligated to arrest “wanted persons if they enter their territory. This is a clear legal obligation.”

However, the newspaper’s adoption of precedents such as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to signatory countries without arresting him raises questions about the court’s ability to enforce its decisions in practice.

Embargo on arms supplies to Israel

An Israeli military analyst believes that the two international arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant open the door to imposing an arms embargo on the occupying state of Israel.

Amos Harel, an analyst in Haaretz, points out the ICC decision “could give a strong boost to the complaints and criminal investigations against IDF soldiers and commanders that are being conducted in many countries.”

Harel points out to the many implications of the decision, including the possibility of Netanyahu and Galant being arrested in more than 120 member states of the ICC if they reach them, adding the decision could create an opportunity for an arms embargo by additional Western countries, which have so far been content with “more moderate” measures against Israel.

 “This will give a strong boost to the many complaints and criminal investigations against Israeli soldiers and leaders taking place in many countries. It also serves as a reminder that there is another axis for criminal investigation, which is the events taking place in the West Bank, with a focus on settlements,” he added.

The warrants will also put pressure on lower-ranking Israeli officials as they can be brought into war crimes cases in national courts of individual countries they travel to.


“It sort of gives a stamp of quality to Israel’s isolation. This is not a protest at Columbia University. This is not a bunch of hooligans fighting each other on the streets of Amsterdam. This is the ICC,” said Alon Pinkas, a former senior Israeli diplomat pointed out.

This article was translated, edited by Dr Marwan Asmar from the Palestine Information Center and reprinted on crossfirearabia.com.

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Israeli Onslaught Intensifies Lebanese Crisis

The past two months of intensifying Israeli bombardment in Lebanon have been the “deadliest and most devastating” in decades as communities uprooted from the front line continue to flee across the border to Syria, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

Highlighting the deepening humanitarian catastrophe for civilians on Lebanon’s Independence Day, the UN refugee agency, UNCHR, warned of a prevailing sense of uncertainty and fear as the war grinds on.

“In recent weeks, Israel dramatically intensified its airstrikes and ground incursions, and this has deepened the humanitarian catastrophe that has affected civilians,” said Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon. “The past few weeks have been the deadliest and the most devastating for Lebanon and people in decades.”

Massive displacement crisis

To date, close to one million people have been displaced across Lebanon – one in five of the population – and nearly 600,000 people have crossed the border into Syria. 

People flee the hostilities in Lebanon as they cross the Jdeidet Yabous border into Syria on foot.

© UNHCR/Hameed Maarouf

People flee the hostilities in Lebanon as they cross the Jdeidet Yabous border into Syria on foot.

According to the authorities, as of 20 November, there have been nearly 3,600 confirmed deaths including more than 230 children and more than 15,000 injured.

Speaking from the war-torn country, Mr. Freijsen appealed for international assistance to “ramp up winter assistance; it’s started to rain and in some areas the first snow has fallen…we have a huge collective effort in front of us we need to pursue in terms of creating better conditions for all the displaced through specific winter assistance and improved shelter.”

The UNHCR official stressed the need to ensure equal access to shelter for all displaced people, particularly refugees who were already in an acutely precarious situation before this crisis. The agency’s response includes counselling, community support and creating safe spaces for those most at risk. To date, it has reached more than 100,000 people during the current emergency and supports a network of 44 health facilities across the country, including the provision of life-saving equipment, such as trauma kits.

According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), one in 10 hospitals has ceased operations or been forced to reduce services as attacks continue on healthcare and personnel.

Ambulances targeted

“A hallmark of the conflict in Lebanon is how destructive it has been to the healthcare and this is unprecedented in any level,” said Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO Representative in the country.

Citing UN health agency data, he noted that nearly 330 healthcare workers have been killed in Lebanon since 8 October last year, and “47 per cent of these attacks on healthcare have proven fatal”.

Asked to explain this high fatality ratio, Dr Abubakar added that on the front line “more ambulances have been targeted – and whenever the ambulance is targeted actually then you will have a three, four or five paramedics that have been killed”.  

In an update from the Lebanon-Syria border crossing at Jdaidet Yabous, UNHCR’s Representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, reported that an estimated 560,000 people have sought shelter inside Syria since 24 September – about 65 per cent are Syrians and the remainder are Lebanese. Crossing the border remains extremely dangerous for civilians and humanitarians alike, however.

“It is clear from our interaction with those Syrians and Lebanese that we speak to at the border that the bombings of the IDF of border crossings – including the one where I am here which has been bombed at least twice in the past few weeks – this has had a major effect in reducing the numbers. Syrians and Lebanese are very scared of using these escape routes,” said Mr. Vargas Llosa, speaking to journalists in Geneva via video link.

Desperation and danger at border

Around 50 Lebanese nationals are returning to Lebanon every day in response to the “disastrous” economic situation in Syria, along with a smaller number of Syrians, the UNHCR official continued.

“They’re going back because they cannot make ends meet here because they’re not getting enough support, and they think that they might also be better off in Lebanon. Again, these are very, very small numbers. But for us, even small numbers, are worrying signals.”

UN News

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Muhannad Hadi: ‘…Not a Place For Humans to Survive’

Muhannad Hadi spoke to UN News from the Al-Mamouniya School in Gaza City run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugee, UNRWA.

Like the rest of UNRWA’s schools that are still standing as war continues, it now serves as a shelter for displaced people seeking safety in the besieged enclave where nowhere is safe.

An ‘unbearable’ situation

“This is not a place for humans to survive,” he said. “This must end. This misery must end. This war must end. This is beyond imagination.”

Mr. Hadi stated that what he saw was “very different” from what he saw in northern Gaza in September.

“At this school, I have seen families and people living on top of each other. It is unbearable here. I can’t imagine how those people are surviving,” he said.

“There were 500 people in this school in September, and now there are more than 1,500 people. There is no access to bathroom. There are shortages of food. The situation is unbearable. Sewage water is everywhere. Waste is everywhere. The place has garbage everywhere.”

Former schools continue to be used as shelters for displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip.

UN News

Former schools continue to be used as shelters for displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip.

‘Just water and lentils’

From a window on the second floor of the damaged school, mountains of garbage can be seen piling up in the yard – a symbol of the immense health hazards and harsh conditions that the people inside face. 

Critical supplies including food are scarce in northern Gaza. As Mr. Hadi walked around the school, whose structure had been damaged by the bombing, he met a man who was preparing lentil soup for his family.

Mr. Hadi was told that the lentils had been provided by UNRWA and that the small pot the man carried was supposed to feed 12 people. 

“It’s just water and lentils; no garlic or onions,” he remarked, noting that “one chili pepper pod costs 10 shekels today.”

‘We want to have fun’

The senior UN official also visited a temporary learning space called Al-Nayzak on Al-Jalaa Street. Tents have been set up on the destroyed thoroughfare to provide a minimum education and a safe place for local children to deal with the horrors they have endured since the war erupted last October.

At the temporary school, 11 teachers – men and women – provide courses in Arabic, English, maths,  science and psychosocial support to 510 students.

Mr. Hadi played with young children, aged between three and five years old.  Many were supposed to be in kindergarten, but the war has deprived them of the opportunity to learn in real classrooms. 

He met a girl who said she lost her parents and home in the war, and now lives with her cousins who have also become orphans. Her school used to be located near the Al-Nayzak learning space, but like most schools in Gaza it was destroyed by shelling.

The girl told him that they cook rice at home when given the opportunity, but often rely on humanitarian organizations to provide them with meals. When Mr. Hadi asked her what she wanted to do when the war ended, she replied, “We want to have fun and enjoy ourselves, and go where we want to go.”

The top UN humanitarian official also visited the headquarters of the Atfaluna Association for Deaf Children, where students taught him sign language.

The association provides lessons in English, Arabic, maths, science, physical education and the arts to 35 children, some of whom are learning how to deal with their new disability after losing their hearing due to heavy shelling.

Muhannad Hadi (right), United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory visits the northern Gaza Strip.

UN News

Muhannad Hadi (right), United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory visits the northern Gaza Strip.

Stop the war

Mr. Hadi told UN News that he had heard horrific stories from people he met in northern Gaza and stressed the need to stop the war. 

“What people are going through here, no one can tolerate. Those are the victims of this war. Those are the ones who are paying the price for this war – those children around me here, the women, elderly,” he said.

The heads of 15 UN and international humanitarian organizations recently affirmed that “the entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence.”

The officials said humanitarian workers were not safe to do their work, and that Israeli forces and insecurity prevented them from reaching those in need.

Since the war began in October 2023, more than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed and 100,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. 

The UN estimates that more than 1.9 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes within the enclave, many of whom have fled from one unsafe place to another multiple times. 

UN News

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