Today’s photos are of the six IDF soldiers who paid the ultimate price on behalf of their nation in the last 48 hours. A very sad moment here in Israel. Details follow below.
Hamas Rockets
Rockets were fired this afternoon at the Kerem Shalom border crossing without damage or injury.
Casualties
It was a difficult day today. Yesterday, during operations in Jabaliya, five IDF soldiers died as a result of friendly fire from a tank unit. While an investigation is underway, it appears as if the tank unit was unaware that IDF soldiers were using a building for staging when they fired an artillery shell. The soldiers in question were: Cpt. Roy Beit Yaakov, 22 (Z’’L), Staff Sgt. Gilad Arye Boim, 22 (Z’’L), Sgt. Daniel Chemu, 20 (Z’’L), Sgt. Ilan Cohen, 20 (Z’’L) and Staff Sgt. Betzalel David Shashuah (Z’’L). Then today, Sgt. Major (Res.) Ran Yavetz, 39 (Z’’L) was killed during operations in Jabaliya. He was a reserve officer and left behind a wife and three children. A painful day here. Cohen was a Lone Soldier from Argentina. His family was informed early yesterday and they caught an immediate flight to Israel. He was buried on Mt. Herzl this afternoon. Most soldiers killed in action are buried in a cemetery near the community they lived in. But Lone Soldiers are typically buried at the national cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
IDF Operations in Gaza
Defense Minister Gallant announced that additional troops will be sent to Rafah in order to expand the operation. As a result of existing operations, the IDF has uncovered more than eight tunnels each with multiple entrances/exits. This in consistent with what most of us in Israel expected. That is, we are seeing an operation in Rafah that expands slowly, in stages, to enable the need for residents to evacuate. So far about 500,000 residents have left for the humanitarian corridor, not too far from where the US built aid pier will be. IDF troops in Rafah found more 30 rocket launchers, not rockets, launchers including one capable of long range rockets that could reach Tel Aviv. So far, all have been destroyed. Another set of launchers was loaded and ready to fire when it was destroyed. And then, also in Rafah, the IDF uncovered a complex interconnected set of rocket launchers configured in a way that many rockets could be launched in a short period of time. You can see photos of the Rafah Operations here.
Lebanon
Late last night IDF fighter jets destroyed several arms manufacturing sites in north eastern Lebanon’s Baalbek area, close to the Syrian border. You can see an image here and a video here. They must have blown up something sensitive as Hezbollah responded today with a fury. This morning two Hezbollah kamikaze drones were launched headed for the Golan Heights. One hit a sensitive IDF facility there causing damage. The level of damage has not been disclosed publicly. Then Hezbollah fired more than 40 rockets at sites in the Golan Heights, at Israel’s north east. Some of the rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome. No damage or injuries were reported. At around the same time, five rockets were fired at the Israeli town of Zar’it, an Israeli town within 0.5 km of the Lebanese border. This was followed by IDF fighter jets attacking the launch sites and destroying them. And IDF UAVs striking a vehicle with two Hezbollah operatives that they claim were on their way to a planned attack on Israel. Hezbollah fired rockets from Lebanon this afternoon triggering sirens in multiple towns in north western Israel. No injuries or damage was reported. Also, this afternoon an UAV launched by Hezbollah fired two missiles that struck the northern Israeli town of Metula causing injuries to three IDF soldiers. One of the soldiers was rushed to the hospital and remains in serious condition. This appears to be the first time that Hezbollah has employed a drone that carries airborne missiles. Until now the drones were kamikaze UAVs. Lebanese newspapers reported that two Hezbollah terrorists were assassinated by a missile fired from anIDF fighter jets hitting the automobile they were driving.
Yemen
Today, the Houthis announced that they will target any ship bound for Israeli ports regardless of their location. As best I know they have been doing this, and a lot more, for some time now so I don’t see the need for the announcement. This morning US Centcom announced that one of their naval destroyers operating in the Red Sea intercepted an Houthi anti-ship missile. Centcom also destroyed two Houthi launched drones.
Egypt
Apparently, in yesterday’s trip to Cairo, high ranking Israel security officials had proposed to Egypt that the two countries coordinate together to manage the border crossing in order to facilitate inbound aid shipments. In the plan that Israel had proposed to Egypt, it discussed how the border could be managed after an Israeli IDF troop withdrawal. But Egypt is insisting that only Palestinians should be allowed to manage the border crossing. This is not productive and disappointing. In the case of the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Jordan and Israel, there is a combined mechanism where both the Palestinian Authority and Israel manage the western side of the border crossing. And almost no problems are reported. It could have been a model for what to do in Gaza… Meantime, Egyptian government officials claim to be meeting for the purpose of formulating moves against Israel as they are angry about the IDF entry into Rafah. As their anger rises, it only prompts us to imagine just how big those tunnels are that traverse the Gaza-Egyptian border.
Jordan/Iraq
Pressure must be building in Jordan resulting from attempts by Iranian proxies in Syria to smuggle arms and drugs into the country. Today King Abdullah announced that there was an attempt by these proxies to smuggle in weapons of late for the purpose of sabotage inside Jordan. In his statements the King, while at an Arab League summit, said “We should confront armed militant groups who commit crimes above the law, especially smuggling drugs and arms…”.
Aid
The US announced today that they have completed the installation of the “Gaza Pier”. Previously, IDF Engineering Corp cleared land leading up to the beach so it could be properly anchored. You can see an image of the beach area here and read more about it if you like. And the UK announced that they are loading the first boat laden with aid in Larnaca, Cyprus. It must be inspected by Israel prior to departure, but the logistics for all this had been previously coordinated. And IDF troops being interviewed after exiting Zeitoun are telling the Israeli press that along with large underground warehouse for arms they found “many tons” of aid being hoarded by Hamas operatives.
There appear to be about 20 US doctors and medical workers in Gaza that are trapped and cannot get out at this time. They are a part of the Palestinian American Medical Association, a US based non-profit. The government and the Biden Administration are working on finding a solution.
Politics/Demonstrations
You may remember that yesterday I reported on Defense Minister Gallant insisting that Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly rule out the possibility that the IDF will apply military rule over Gaza as a “day after” plan. Well, that has set off a political storm here in Israel. Right wing members of the current government have taken to writing articles in the local papers castigating the Defense Minister and this evening they have taken to the street in peaceful, yet ugly, demonstrations demanding Gallant’s resignation. While, I believe that Gallant’s timing for forcing this issue now was ill advised, he is fundamentally correct. Again, this is only my opinion.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was asked today about Gallant’s public comments about the “day after”. He replied that the two of them would meet tomorrow to discuss, in private.
International
The Arab League met and called for the UN to assign “peacekeepers” to be deployed in Gaza. The Biden Administration’s State Department spokesman replied that this would put Israel’s mission in Gaza in jeopardy. I believe that this was the intent of the Arab League. Thank you President Biden!!
The Arab League met and called for the UN to assign “peacekeepers” to be deployed in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank… NOW. The Biden Administration’s State Department spokesman replied that this would put Israel’s mission in Gaza in jeopardy. I believe that this was the intent of the Arab League. Thank you President Biden!!
And South Africa is at it again. They insisted on a hearing at the International Court of Justice in order to demand that the court issue an order for Israel to cease operations in Rafah. Israel appears tomorrow in front of the court. But for some reason I do not understand yet, the ICJ announced that it insists that Israel pull out of Gaza completely. I do not understand how that could happen before hearing the Israeli position. But, I guess that the ICJ is really IC, that is an International Court without Justice.
After months have passed Geert Wilders, who won the recent Dutch national elections, appears to have successfully formed a government. Part of his party platform was to move the Dutch Embassy to Jerusalem.
Ultra-Orthodox Draft Exemptions
The government continues to push forward with its approach to this problem that I detailed yesterday. This is the plan that reduces the exemption age from the current 26 years old to 21 years old. The Attorney General announced that she would not support the proposed legislation as it is based on “obsolete data” and is not supported by the IDF and security agencies. To become law the legislation must pass three “readings” in the parliament, or three positive votes, after coming out of committee. It is not clear yet whether it will pass. All it will take is 5 members of the current government to vote against the law and it will fail. And even if it passes, it is not clear that it will be allowed by the Supreme Court.
Economy/Business
As would be expected the GDP took a major hit in the fourth quarter of 2023 resulting from the aftermath of the Hamas led massacre and the IDF’s launch of its Gaza Operation. The annualized GDP rate for that quarter came in at -21.7%. Today, the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics announced that the annualized GDP growth for the first quarter of 2024 reached 14.1%. Not yet a full recovery. But the country is still at war.
Israel collects taxes on Palestinian wages earned by those working in Israel as well as some VAT taxes. By agreement in the Oslo Accords, those taxes are supposed to be turned over to the Palestinian Authority. However, nearly all electric power and water used by the Palestinians is sourced from Israel. And they are delinquent in paying. In addition, the Israeli government argues against their policy of paying stipends to terrorist that kill Israelis for life (or their families). So the governments appointed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of one of the far right wing parties, is telling his staff to hold up transfer of the tax payments. This has happened before, and each time Israel ultimately transfers the funds without any changes in PA policies. This time the amount of funds in question amounts to ~$50M. The PA announced that it can only pay about 50% of the wages owed to its public sector employees. I do not know why the government does this, when each time this same thing happens. For sure, the government will eventually give in and transfer the funds. One of the problems that came up earlier in the war was that the government insisted that tax revenues bound for Gaza could not be distributed because they would end up in the hands of Hamas. So a compromise involving Norway was reached whereby Israel would transfer the funds to Norway, they would be held in escrow until a proper government emerges in Gaza to receive and make use of the funds.
Israel Aircraft Industries, a privately held defense contractor, announced that it is seeing interest from several countries in the purchase of its defensive Arrow anti-ballistic missile defense system after its very successful operation in the midst of the April Iran missile attack against Israel.
In Your Copious Spare Time…
Here you will find an interesting read on how Egypt was on the verge of bankruptcy until Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
And while not agreeing with all its contents, I found this, rather long, article in The New Yorker relevant and interesting. It is written by Dennis Ross who has been in middle of most all negotiations between Israel and the PA for many years.
And in the words of Jerry Maguire “Show Me the Money”, we find this document written by this well researched paper on how Hamas filters money to an enormous network of front organizations in the West to support its military operations. Did you think that these demonstrations in European Capitals and US University Campuses was “spontaneous”?? Think again… The authors are not Jewish and they are on the faculty of George Washington University… not a very pro-Israel environment these days.