Ceasefire in Gaza - Ukraine Artillery Shortage

1. Ceasefire Goes Into Effect in Gaza

2. Ukraine Faces Ammunition Shortage

3. Russia Presses at Avdiivka, Tough Winter Ahead

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6. How Islamic State is Exploiting the Israel-Hamas Conflict

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1. Ceasefire Goes Into Effect in Gaza

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four day ceasefire in Gaza during which Hamas will release 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinians held in Israel. Additionally, these four days will allow the flow of humanitarian aid into the strip as well as permit civilians to transit the battlefield to a degree.

The ceasefire comes as Israel continues to uncover and clear tunnel networks around the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City in support of their claim that the facility was used to protect Hamas military infrastructure. So far, Israel has shown about 30 minutes of footage from inside the tunnels that span from the hospital grounds underneath the facility itself and into neighboring homes.

Israel continues counterterrorism operations in the West Bank with daily raids resulting in multiple arrests over the past few weeks. The settler violence in the West Bank appears to have slowed as of late but that’s an aspect of this war that is largely underreported and could quickly lead to an escalation of violence in the area.

To the north, Hezbollah continued their regular attacks into Israeli territory up until the moment the ceasefire went into effect. Hezbollah has stated their desire to abide by the Hamas-Israel ceasefire although the Lebanese organization was not a part of those negotiations and it’s not clear if Israel will consider them in the temporary cessation of hostilities.

2. Ukraine Faces Ammunition Shortage

Ukrainian president Zelensky recently told reporters, “our supplies have decreased. It is life, and it is normal, as everyone is fighting for survival.” According to Axios, 155mm artillery rounds that could have been sent to Ukraine were instead shipped to Israel in recent weeks amidst their ongoing war with Hamas. Given the nature of the war in Ukraine, artillery ammunition has long been a focus when it comes to what their western allies can and will supply.

The US and multiple EU nations have pledged to increase artillery production given the intensity of the fighting between Ukraine and Russia but those goals are months, even years away. With the exception of a few areas of the front for limited periods of time, Russia has long held the overall artillery advantage in Ukraine and reports are that the imbalance has increased in recent weeks.

https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/11/ukraines-artillery-supply-declines-shells-go-israel/392130/

3. Russia Presses at Avdiivka, Tough Winter Ahead