As the Israel-Gaza conflict reached a one-month milestone, Israeli military forces launched multi-faceted attacks around Gaza City. On November 7, the Israeli army officially entered Gaza City to conduct operations, while Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic resistance organization, also used tunnels to counterattack against Israel.
Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that Hamas' top leader, Yahya Sinwar, is increasingly weakened and currently trapped in a bunker within Gaza City. Hamas' military wing did not immediately respond to this claim.
The United Nations has repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the region. On the day of November 7, UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric conveyed the Secretary-General's strong condemnation of Hamas' terrorist acts against Israel and expressed deep sorrow for the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, reiterating calls for a humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.
Israel insists that they will not cease fire unless Hamas releases hostages, with U.S. President Joe Biden mediating. A statement from the White House two days prior mentioned that Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of a humanitarian pause, with Biden hoping Netanyahu would agree to a three-day humanitarian pause to ensure the release of 10 to 15 hostages by Hamas.
Netanyahu said he would consider multiple one-hour tactical pauses in future conflicts to provide time for humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.
Israeli Forces Plan to Destroy Underground Tunnels in Gaza City On November 6, Israel's Defense Minister approved a military plan for further action in Gaza City and the northern part of Gaza. Sources revealed that the plan includes locating and destroying Gaza's underground tunnel system, known as the "Spider's Web," which is hundreds of kilometers long and up to 80 meters deep.
Previous Israeli airstrikes caused minimal damage to the tunnels, and now ground surveys are being organized. The Israeli military has trained its ground forces to locate and block tunnel entrances and has selected a specialized assault team from the combat engineering corps, named Yahalom, also known as "Mole," to search for and destroy tunnels.
Due to concerns about ambushes, the Israeli military has developed detailed plans. Before taking action, they use robots and sniffer dogs to locate tunnel entrances, and specialized ground troops explore the tunnels. Former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told Reuters that they would advance inch by inch, meter by meter, to avoid casualties and inflict maximum damage on Hamas.
Additionally, Israel is using information from Gaza residents to gather specific intelligence about the tunnels. Currently, Israeli combat engineers are using explosive devices to destroy the tunnels. As of the morning of November 8, they had destroyed 100 shafts.
Israel has been ambiguous about the future governance of Gaza. On November 7, Netanyahu publicly stated that Israel would take full security responsibility for the Gaza Strip after the conflict with Hamas ends. However, Defense Minister Gantz said neither Israel nor Hamas would take over Gaza after the conflict.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told The Wall Street Journal that Israel hopes to bring the Gaza Strip under the jurisdiction of an international alliance or have it directly managed by local political leaders in Gaza.
The Biden administration opposes Israel taking over Gaza. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby stated on November 7 that Israel and the United States are friends and do not need to agree on every issue.
International Community Calls for Ceasefire, Anti-Semitism Surges Since October 7, Hamas militants have killed 1,400 people in Israel and taken about 240 hostages. Israel's counterattacks have resulted in over 10,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, an average of 160 children are killed daily, with the total death toll exceeding 10,000.
As of November 7, over two-thirds of Gazans have been displaced. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported that 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip live in fear and inhumane conditions, struggling daily for food and water, with over 710,000 people taking refuge in 149 UNRWA buildings.
The international community is calling for a ceasefire to provide more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. UN health agency spokesperson Christian Lindmeier emphasized the urgent need for water, fuel, food, and safe medical services for Gazans, calling for the delivery of aid materials in 500 trucks daily to meet local needs.
On November 6, the European Union announced it would provide 25 million euros in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, with the total planned aid exceeding 100 million euros. Meanwhile, the EU is working with Israel, Egypt, and the United Nations to allow more aid convoys into Gaza.
Due to Israel's firm opposition to a ceasefire, the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has intensified, leading to a rise in anti-Semitism internationally. Post-World War II, Germany has been closely allied with Israel and has made gestures of atonement to regain its international reputation tarnished by the Nazis. However, a wave of protests has erupted in Germany recently, with the public expressing dissatisfaction with Israel's month-long bombing campaign. German sociologist Beate Kuepper noted that 5.7% of the German population exhibits anti-Semitic attitudes, three times more than two years ago. The UK's Community Security Trust also reported a more than 300% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the country within just four days of the conflict's outbreak.
In the United States, both online and offline anti-Semitic incidents have surged. According to the Anti-Defamation League, within just 18 hours of the outbreak of the Israel-Palestine conflict on October 7, anti-Semitic threats on the social platform Telegram increased by 488%. In Salt Lake City, Utah, a Jewish synagogue received a bomb threat, and there have been multiple threats against Jewish restaurants and individuals. As a result, some Jewish day schools have canceled classes, and synagogues have been locked down.
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona condemned all forms of anti-Semitism on campuses on November 7, stating that college campuses should not tolerate anti-Semitism or anti-Islamic hatred. He warned that schools failing to combat these behaviors could lose federal funding.
Next Monday, Jewish organizations in the United States will hold a pro-Israel march in Washington, D.C., to condemn anti-Semitism.
