Rights groups sue Dutch govt again over F-35 parts to Israel
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
Three human rights organizations are returning to court on Jun 28 to challenge the Dutch government for failing to uphold the ban on supplying F-35 fighter jets to Israel. A Dutch appeals court had ruled that the jets posed a “clear risk” of being used in violation of international humanitarian law in February. Oxfam Novib, one of the participating organizations, indicated that the F-35 jet parts end up in Israel from the Netherlands via other routes. Liesbeth Zegveld, the lawyer representing the groups, informed the court:
The Netherlands has continued delivering to other countries, including the US, and that contravenes the order of the court. The court order applies to all F-35 parts with Israel as the final destination and the state must stop all such deliveries in practice.
Zegveld additionally called on Amsterdam to “actively prevent” any parts from being sent to Tel Aviv. The rights group contended that by sending F-35 parts to Israel, the Netherlands is contributing to serious violations of humanitarian law.
Weary Israeli army ‘not ready’ for war in Lebanon: Report
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
Israeli journalist Alon Ben David on Jun 28 reported that the losses suffered by Tzahal (the Israeli army) in Gaza have significantly diminished its capabilities to wage war on multiple fronts and that the forces are “not currently ready for a broad campaign in Lebanon.” According to David’s report on Hebrew Maariv, more than 500 armored vehicles have been damaged by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza over the past nine months, and the Israeli army has consumed a much larger volume of ammunition than estimated in all of its war plans.
David claims that the depletion of Israel’s arsenal is one of the reasons why Netanyahu recently accused the US of “withholding” arms shipments, using this as “an excuse for the reason that he does not initiate a campaign in Lebanon.” Furthermore, Israeli troops have been widely affected by the long campaign of genocide in Gaza, as all operational plans from Oct 7 “were for a war of a few weeks.” David reveals that at least 666 Israeli soldiers have been killed, nearly 4k have been injured, and over 11k “required mental treatment since the beginning of the war.” The Israeli journalist writes:
They are still motivated, fully understand the importance of the goal, but they are tired, physically and mentally. If we call them to occupy southern Lebanon, they will be there, but they will not be at their best. If a broad war with Hezbollah is imposed on us, they will fight with what it has, and it will hurt the enemy, but Tzahal is currently unable to bring about a significant achievement against Hezbollah and dramatically change the reality in the north. The war on Lebanese soil being sought by Israeli authorities will end in a bad settlement that will be achieved at a painful price. Never, throughout its 76 years, has Tzahal been built for a nine-month war. Instead Tzahal was built as a shock army, which mobilizes the reserves at the moment of command, goes out decisively in a short time, and returns to normal.
He also reveals that a senior air force reserve officer “well versed in the war plans” recently sent a letter to army authorities “imploring” them:
You must make it clear to the political echelon that Tzahal is not prepared for a prolonged campaign in Lebanon. Starting a campaign in Lebanon now will lead us to a greater strategic disaster than (Oct 7).
The Maariv report coincides with the return of Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant from the US capital, where he reportedly informed Pentagon leaders:
Israel is not looking for war, but for settlement, if possible.
According to Yediot Ahronot, Gallant said this during a security cabinet meeting on Thursday night, which included Netanyahu and Ben Gvir, among other officials. Gallant said at the meeting:
I told the Americans that we are not the ones who want a war in the north, and if we reach an agreement that keeps Nasrallah away from the border, that is acceptable.
Ben Gvir rejected this, saying:
We will win, there will be no one to make an arrangement with, and that’s a good thing.
For his part, the Israeli premier agreed with Gallant, and stressed that any agreement to end the fighting at the Lebanese border needs to “allow the return of the residents to the north.” Following Gallant’s visit to Washington, western diplomatic sources who spoke with Lebanon’s Ad-Diyar newspaper said US officials felt the Israeli war chief had no “serious desire” from the Israeli war chief to spark an all-out war with Lebanon. The report states:
Despite the public threats, the majority of which are for consumption and are targeted at the Israeli interior, there was consensus with the US officials that although the situation is unbearable on the northern front, and although the war’s goals are legitimate from an Israeli viewpoint, there is no ability to achieve them without triggering a regional confrontation, not to mention the strategic damages that will affect Israel.
Israeli occupation of Gaza–Egypt border to go on for ‘at least six months’
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
The Israeli army expects to occupy the Philadelphi Corridor along the border separating Gaza from Egypt for at least six more months in an effort to destroy Hamas’ extensive tunnel network, Yediot Ahronot reported on Jun 28. The senior commanders said of the operation:
This will continue for at least another six months, requiring our constant presence on the Philadelphi Corridor, as it is a slow and complex operation. In the Netzarim Corridor, which is about half the length of the Philadelphi Corridor, it took us more than three months to locate and destroy 12 km of tunnels beneath the corridor separating Gaza City from central and southern Gaza.
12th Brigade Commander Colonel Avri Elbaz stated:
Hamas has adopted Viet Cong tactics here, with slow and hidden combat from tunnels and bunkers to try and draw us in for a prolonged conflict.
The Israeli newspaper estimated that the Philadelphi Corridor, which Israel took full control of in late May, would soon resemble the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects Gaza’s north from its south. In Netzarim, the Israeli army has established permanent outposts, maintains a constant presence, and conducts raids into adjacent Rafah neighborhoods to target fighters from Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. Nahal Brigade Commander Colonel Yair Zuckerman, emphasized:
Holding the Netzarim Corridor for three months earlier this year proved to me, militarily and professionally, how critical it will be to maintain control over the Philadelphi Corridor to complete our missions here.
The intense operation in the heart of the city of Rafah, along the Gaza–Egypt border, is expected to end soon, with Israel moving ground troops to the north for a possible invasion of Lebanon. The war would continue in Gaza but with more targeted raids rather than full-scale ground offensives and mass bombing. More limited operations will also allow Israel to save heavy bombs, which have killed Palestinian civilians on a mass scale, for the war in the north. One of the brigade commanders told the army chief:
Do you have a dilemma about resource allocation? Take the heavy barrage bombs to the north; we’ll manage here with what we have.
Lt-Col Oz Mualem, commander of Nahal’s 931st Battalion, discussed the difficulty of destroying the Qassam’s tunnel network. He explained:
We have entered the land of tunnels. There are tunnels 360 degrees around us, in all directions and at different depths underground. If you’re not careful, you’ll advance and get hit from a hidden shaft you missed. There is an enormous amount of explosive vests and IEDs here that we didn’t see in Shati or Jabaliya, so we’re not rushing like we did there to avoid endangering the soldiers. It’s frustrating to return to a place you’ve fought in and suddenly encounter a new minefield, but that’s why we’re doing this smartly, based on our experience.
His commander, Colonel Zuckerman, added:
Hamas’ center of gravity here is the tunnels. They are very intricate, but we will get to them. The enemy isn’t waiting for us, but their booby-trapped houses are.
Palestine slams Israeli ‘legalization’ of West Bank settlement outposts
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Jun 28 Israel’s decision to legalize five illegal settlement outposts in the occupied and impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, which came in retribution for European countries recognizing Palestine as a state. The ministry said:
These actions aim to close the door on any opportunity for the realization of a Palestinian state. The escalation of settlement activities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, blatantly challenges relevant international legitimacy resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334. This reflects official Israeli disregard for the international consensus rejecting colonization as an obstacle to the two-state solution.
A member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Wasel Abu Youssef, said on Thursday:
The move aims to pursue the war of genocide against our Palestinian people. Settlements are illegal colonies that violate all international resolutions.
Hamas said in a statement:
The plans of the fascist occupation government to control the West Bank, displace our people, and liquidate our cause will fail and collide with the rock of Palestinian will and the rising tide of resistance in the cities, villages and camps of the West Bank.
Early on Friday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said:
These are steps that protect the State of Israel and convey a clear message – we will never establish a terrorist state in the Land of Israel!
Israeli Labor party leader Yair Golan condemned the decision as a “de facto annexation” of the occupied West Bank, something Smotrich has been trying to advance, and said it “harm the security of our citizens.” Smotrich announced late on Jun 27 that the Israeli security cabinet has approved his proposal to legalize five West Bank outposts and a series of sanctions against the PA, framing the decision as retribution for the several countries who recognized Palestinian statehood recently, namely Norway, Ireland, and Spain:
The Security Cabinet authorized one outpost for every country that unilaterally recognized Palestine as a state in the last month.
Slovenia and Armenia have also recognized Palestinian statehood. The settlements set to be authorized are Evyatar (northern West Bank), Sde Efraim and Givat Asaf (central West Bank), and Heletz and Adorayim (southern West Bank). Smotrich said the sanctions against the PA would include canceling exit visas for PA officials and restricting their movement.
Additionally, the security cabinet approval includes transferring enforcement responsibilities from the PA to Israel over a nature preserve in the Judean desert, known in Arabic as Barr al-Khalil, and increased enforcement against “illegal” Palestinian buildings in Area C of the West Bank. Smotrich has repeatedly called for an illegal annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Last week, the Israeli military gave significant legal powers in the occupied West Bank to pro-settler civil servants working for the finance minister to accelerate the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories. Last year, Israel transferred a significant portion of the occupied West Bank’s administration away from the military into Smotrich’s hands, a move that was considered a first step towards the annexation of the territory.
Over 80 UK warplanes deployed from Cyprus to Lebanon since Oct 7: Report
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
The UK has sent over 80 military transport planes to Beirut since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza nine months ago, Declassified UK reported on Jun 28. All the flights have gone from the UK’s massive Akrotiri airbase on the nearby island of Cyprus, long a staging post for UK bombing missions in West Asia. Declassified UK notes that the number of UK military flights to Beirut has risen dramatically in recent months. The group tracked 25 flights in April and May and 14 so far in June. Flights from the UK base take around 45 minutes to reach Beirut, which Israel has increasingly threatened to bomb in a possible full-scale war with Hezbollah. The Ministry of Defense declined to disclose the number of UK military flights to Lebanon since the start of the war on Oct 7 or their purpose.
A defense source told Declassified UK that the flights “have been primarily for the purpose of facilitating senior military engagement” with the Lebanese army. But it is widely assumed the planes are carrying weapons to Beirut to arm anti-Hezbollah militias. The US, UK, and Israel would presumably use these militias to attack Hezbollah from within the country in the case of an Israeli invasion from the south. Declassified UK notes that nearly every RAF flight to Lebanon has been the Voyager KC-2, which can carry a payload of 45 tons and 291 personnel or provide air-to-air refueling. Another flight involved a vast C-17 cargo plane. Israeli threats to invade Lebanon have accelerated in tandem with the increase in flights.
Israeli military leaders have increasingly warned of a Lebanon campaign to push Hezbollah away from the border and past the Litani River. Last week, the Israeli army approved “operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon,” and the US pledged to support Israel with weapons if a full-scale war breaks out. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned the resistance movement will use its massive rocket and missile arsenal to hit targets across Israel in a “total war” if Tel Aviv decides to launch an invasion. Nasrallah also threatened Cyprus, noting its role as a US, UK, and Israeli staging ground. He said:
The Cypriot government must be warned that opening Cypriot airports and bases for the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon means that the Cypriot government has become part of the war and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war.
Nasrallah’s threat appeared to include the Akrotiri base, which lies in territory retained by the UK when Cyprus gained independence in 1960. The territory now hosts vast military and intelligence hubs for Britain and the US, Declassified UK notes.
US House bars use of official Gaza death toll
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
The US House of Representatives passed an amendment on Jun 27 barring State Dept officials from citing the Gaza Health Ministry’s death toll of the ongoing Israeli war on the strip. The amendment was passed to the State Dept’s yearly appropriations bill in a bipartisan vote of 269-144. 62 Democratic lawmakers voted in favor, as well as all but 2 Republicans. Rep Rashida Tlaib slammed the amendment in a speech at the House on Wednesday, a day ahead of the vote, saying the decision was “absolutely unconscionable” and represents a wider trend of dehumanizing Palestinians in the House. Tlaib said:
Since 1948, there has been a coordinated effort, especially in this chamber, to dehumanize Palestinians and erase Palestinians from existence. Israel is an apartheid state which is committing genocide in Gaza, and in real time, and this amendment is an attempt to hide it. This is genocide denial. My colleagues want to prohibit our own US officials from even citing the Palestinian death toll. So let me read it into the record. Here are the latest casualties of Palestinians killed: 37,718 Palestinians, including more than 15,000 Palestinian children and more than 86,377 Palestinians have been injured.
Tel Aviv has repeatedly accused the Gaza Health Ministry of inflating figures for political purposes. While it does not regularly release underlying data, it confirmed in April 23k deaths with full names and identifying information. It is the only official body tracking the daily number of people killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip. Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated its full confidence in the figures of the Gaza Health Ministry. WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said at the time:
There’s nothing wrong with the data. The overall data (more than 35k) are still the same. The fact we now have 25k identified people is a step forward.
There are also thousands whose bodies remain trapped under the rubble. In Nov 2023, US Asst Sec State for Near East Affairs Barbara Leaf said when asked about skepticism over the Gaza Health Ministry death toll that the numbers could actually be higher.
Delay hits ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders as UK intervenes
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
The UK has requested the International Criminal Court review whether it has jurisdiction over Israeli citizens, which will delay the court’s decision of whether to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders on war crimes charges, Yediot Ahronot reported on Jun 28. ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for the court to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in May, accusing them of crimes against humanity in Gaza. The UK was able to make the request, which will delay the decision to issue the arrest warrants by several weeks because it holds the special status of “friend of the court.” The UK submitted its request to the three judges comprising the pre-trial chamber on Jun 10. If the judges determine the court lacks jurisdiction over Israeli citizens, they could nullify the arrest warrants altogether.
Israel argues that international agreements, particularly the Oslo Accords, precede the court’s decisions. Under the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority agreed it has no criminal jurisdiction over Israelis. Since the PA requested the ICC to open an investigation, Israel claims this violates Oslo. The ICC will allow the UK to submit comments on the matter until Jul 12. It will then take additional time to issue a decision. This means the court will not issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant for several more weeks, if at all. If the judges determine they do not have jurisdiction over Israeli citizens, this will leave the court only to issue arrest warrants against Palestinian leaders. Chief Prosecutor Khan also applied for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh. Yediot Ahronot stated:
It is believed that the UK’s move was made at Israel’s request. London has a special status at the ICC, and its position holds significant weight. Israel, not being a member of the court, could not have made such a move itself. Efforts are now likely underway to enlist other pro-Israel countries to support the UK’s stance.
Israel has significant influence within the UK government. Sunak has provided unequivocal backing for Israel’s war on Gaza, his family profits from a business that has appointed Israeli military intelligence veterans to senior positions. At the same time, one-third of MPs from Sunak’s Tory party have accepted over £430k from Israel lobby groups and made 187 trips to the country. 20% of MPs from the UK’s opposition Labour party have been directly funded by pro-Israel groups or individuals, including 15 who the Israeli state has directly funded.
US, Israel in talks to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense system: Report
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
Washington is in talks with Tel Aviv and Kiev to supply the Ukrainian army with Israel’s US-made patriot air defense system, as reported by Financial Times on Jun 28. The developing agreement would see the air defense system transferred first from Israel to the US before being sent to Ukraine. The deal is being discussed by ministers and senior officials from the US, Israel and Ukraine, five people familiar with the matter told FT. Israel had said in April that it was planning to retire the eight Patriot batteries in its possession and replace them with more sophisticated systems. But the batteries have still not been uninstalled over fears of an escalation with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The transfer would significantly uptick Ukrainian defensive capabilities, marking a shift in Israeli policy toward Ukraine and its relationship with Russia. Tel Aviv has been cautious not to supply Ukraine with lethal aid, over concerns that it could compromise its use of Syrian airspace, where Russian and Israeli air forces have coordinated for years. In the past, Israel has rejected providing Ukraine with air defenses. Despite this, Israeli military vehicles and radars have been spotted on the Ukrainian battlefield, and Tel Aviv has provided intelligence and training assistance. Moscow has previously threatened retaliation if Israel sends weaponry to Ukraine. According to three people informed on the talks, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has discussed the potential transfer with Blinken in recent weeks. The three sources added:
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan had spoken on the issue at least twice with Andrei Yermak, the chief of staff to the Ukrainian president.
FT cites analysts and former officials as saying:
The Israeli systems would most likely be sold back to the US, which could then send them on to Ukraine.
Washington and Kiev have declined to comment. The Israeli prime minister’s office referred questions to the defense ministry, which did not immediately respond. Reports from Hebrew media have acknowledged that the transfers “could complicate relations with Russia.” The FT report comes as Israel’s air defense capabilities have increasingly come into question. Officials in Washington have recently raised concerns that Tel Aviv’s Iron Dome system could fail in the event of a wider war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese resistance group has already demonstrated its ability to strike and destroy Iron Dome platforms in Israel’s north.
US approves transfer of 500lb bombs to Israel as preparations for Lebanon war underway
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
The White House is expected to soon release a large shipment of 0.5k lb bombs to Israel that it put on hold in April, Axios reported on Jun 28, amid increasing reports that Israel plans to invade Lebanon in the coming weeks. One US and one Israeli official told Axios that about 1.7k 0.5k lb bombs are expected to be delivered after Israel’s operation in the southern city of Rafah ends, likely in the coming weeks. The US-supplied bombs have been crucial in helping Israel kill vast numbers of Palestinian civilians. Israel uses the bombs to destroy homes and apartment buildings in densely packed neighborhoods, often killing entire families as they sleep at night. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed over 37k Palestinians, the majority women and children, over the past eight months. Already in Nov 2023, AP reported that Israel’s bombing campaign was turning Gaza into an “uninhabitable moonscape.”
Israel claims it needs the bombs in case fighting with Hezbollah on the northern border escalates into an all-out war, which appears more and more likely. In December, Netanyahu threatened to do to Beirut what he has done to Gaza. NBC News reported on Jun 27 that the Pentagon is moving US military assets closer to Israel and Lebanon to be ready to evacuate US citizens as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies. Israel wants to create a 16-km buffer zone above the Lebanese border, according to US and Israeli officials speaking with NBC, whether through negotiations or a full-fledged invasion.
US and Israeli officials told Axios that a shipment of 1.8k 2k lb bombs is still under review. The White House allegedly put the shipment of both the 2k lb and 0.5k lb bombs on hold in April due to concerns over Israel’s invasion of Rafah, where over a million displaced Palestinians were sheltering. At the time, Biden was facing harsh criticism from members of his own political party for his support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. However, after talks in Washington this week, the US and Israel managed to resolve some of the problems that have slowed down US weapons shipments to Israel, Axios reported. An Israeli official said:
During the meetings in Washington, we were told that the 0.5k lb bombs will be released after the Rafah operation is over in two weeks.
A source with direct knowledge of the meetings with Gallant said White House officials clarified there is no hold on the 0.5k lb bombs and that the pause is only on the 2k lb bombs. Netanyahu released a video last week criticizing Biden for withholding the bombs. According to two US officials speaking with Axios, the video made it appear that Biden was “taking orders from Netanyahu.”
Millions take to the polls across Iran in snap presidential election
The Cradle, Jun 28 2024
The ballot boxes for Iran’s presidential election opened early on Jun 28, as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranians took to the polls to cast their vote. Khamenei cast his vote at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya in the capital Tehran early on Friday.
The Supreme Leader urged a high voter turnout in the election, saying:
Election Day is the day of activity and enthusiasm in Iran, especially since it is the presidential election. Whoever wants to see the Islamic Republic strong must participate in these elections.
As soon as the polls opened, Iranians made their way to cast their votes, semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.
There are more than 61.45m eligible voters. Mohsen Eslami, the secretary and spokesperson of the Election Headquarters, told Iranian media on Jun 27 that over 58k polling stations have been established across the country. Over 300 polling stations across 100 countries have also been set up for Iranians abroad who wish to vote.
Two of the candidates, Alireza Zakani and Amir-Hossein Qazi-Zadeh Hashemi, announced their withdrawal from the presidential race this week. The remaining candidates are Saeed Jalili, Mustafa Pour-Mohammadi, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, and Masoud Pezeshkian. The snap election comes fifty days after the sudden death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and several others in a helicopter crash on May 19. Some of the candidates, including Ghalibaf, have vowed to continue Raisi’s policy, which focused on developing ties with regional countries, forming new alliances by looking eastward, safeguarding Iran’s interests, and taking a firm stance against western interference. Some have described Pezeshkian as leaning more towards the vision and policy of former president Hassan Rouhani, who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal with Washington. Vali Kaleji wrote for The Cradle on Jun 26:
The election has the potential to reshape the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy direction or further entrench the direction set by the Raisi administration.
The government that assumes power will be the 14th since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Niqnaq 