Today’s Image
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Please excuse the Israeli humor in this political cartoon.
Gaza Rockets
Two rockets. were launched from Gaza landed today, one targeting Ashkelon and the other a border community called Mefalsim. The rocket heading towards Ashkelon was intercepted by Iron Dome. There were a couple minor injuries went elderly had to rush to bomb shelters and hurt themselves in the rush. It is believed that the rockets were fired from a part of Rafah that has not yet been taken by the IDF. I guess that Palestinian Islamic Jihad is trying to fire whatever they can before its destroyed by the IDF.
Casualties
No IDF casualties were reported in the past 48 hours.
Gaza Operations
Most of the action remains in the fighting in and around the southern Gaza city of Rafah where fighting started about one month ago. The Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi went to visit the commanders leading the Rafah Operations today in southern Gaza. There he announced to the press that much of the Hamas Rafah Brigade has been either killed, captured or defeated. He believes that the IDF will need another 3 weeks to complete their current operations at which point what remains will most likely be tunnel destruction and waiting for the next major operation.
Earlier today a focused missile attack from an IDF drone stuck and killed a Muhammed Salah in Gaza today, along with his team, near the Netzarim Corridor in the center of Gaza. Salah and his staff are attributed with the development of specialized rockets and drones responsible for killing many IDF soldiers. You can see a video here and read more details.
At the same time, Defense Minister Gallant is now in Washington DC meeting with officials in the Biden Administration in an effort to sort out this “slow down in arms shipments”. I return to the subject later in this post, During his meeting today with US envoy Hochstein, he informed the special envoy that the IDF was moving the Gaza War into what it calls “Phase C”. But this Gallant is saying that “Phase C” will consist of low-intensity military operations deployed to root out remaining terrorists combatants as they try to regroup and initiate new operations. This Phase will consist of operations initiated by solid intelligence for the purpose of destroying terrorist infrastructure and eliminate combatants. He also said that during this Phase it will the time to start putting together groups/individuals that can step in to start administering Gaza for civil order purposes. He did not say, but this phase is likely to last a year or more.
Lebanon Operations
Yesterday, I reported on staff at the Rafic Hariri Beirut International Airport complaining that crated arms shipments sent by Iran to Hezbollah are dangerously accumulating in storage facilities at the airport. In response, the Minister of Transportation (member of Hezbollah) took reporters (International and local) and ambassadors on a tour of the airport and its facilities. But, “OOPS” the reporters were excluded from entering the Cargo Operations Center for reasons that remained mysterious. Here is a local Lebanese Reporter standing outside the Cargo Area telling her listeners that they were prevented from seeing the inside of the facility. I guess that the idea of opening the area so all could see what not possible. I wonder why. Here you will find more coverage on the subject, identifying the Hezbollah official who intimidates airport staff and isolates the arms shipments. And here is the Telegraph investigative report.
Hezbollah fired two anti-tank missiles towards a small IDF security team in the northern town of Metula. Two IDF soldiers were injured and evacuated to a hospital.
Yemen Operations
The Houthis claim to have successfully attacked two merchant vessels today in and around the Red Sea. In one case, the Transworld Navigator was attacked in the Red Sea using unmanned marine drone. The Transworld Navigator most recently departed Malaysia and we en route to Egypt. This ship has been attacked four times. In the seance, the Stolt Sequoia, was attacked using cruise missiles while it was transiting in the Indian Ocean. So far, reports suggest that the damage was not sufficient to deter the ships from continuing on their journeys.
IDF General
It was reported today that an F-16 fighter jet squad involved in operations around Gaza was put on suspension today. It was found that the crew had entered the wrong coordinates for a missile attack, twice. Apparently it did not result in civilian deaths, but it violates protocol and is being investigated.
And I reported yesterday that a squad of IDF soldiers were found yesterday to have tied a Palestinian to the top of their jeep. Initial reports suggest that the IDF soldiers tried to hand over the injured to the Red Crescent but they had no room in their ambulance. The soldiers also did not have room in their jeep for the injured Palestinian. So, with his permission, they tied him to their jeep and rushed him to the hospital for treatment.
In a totally separate incident the IDF is investigating an ICRC report that the IDF has killed Palestinian civilians during the course of an aerial attack last week. The ICRC claims that the attack killed 25 Palestinians and wounded 40 others. The IDF has now launched a full investigation.
Aid
With the securing of Rafah and the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing seriously ill Gazan children are now being examined to see if they should leave for special field hospitals in Egypt for special care. This operations was suspended for a few months due to the intensity of the war. Actually, the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Egypt is now being opened for Gazans to leave after going through a security check, coordination with civil administration and coordination with Egypt.
Day After
Today a ceremony was held in Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the communities devastated by the October 7 attack. The cornerstone laying ceremony marked the creation of a new neighborhood at the kibbutz where 52 new homes will be built.
And in another sign that things are starting to return to normal, Thailand announces that it is permitting its agricultural workers to return to Israel. Most workers were flown back to Thailand immediately after October 7 as a few were killed and some taken hostage. The Thai works are considered foreign workers. They typically come to Israel for 3-5 years and work in the agricultural fields. They are paid according to a contract with all medical benefits covered. At the end of their work period they have typically saved enough money to buy/build a home back in their native country to which they return. It is a system that has worked well for both countries for many years now. The Thai workers work primarily in agricultural fields.
Hostages/Ceasefire
The IDF created a video from GoPro camera footage extracted from the cameras worn by the Hamas terrorists on October 7. The video shows what happened to three of the young men taken captive by Hamas on that day. It has been released for public view and you can see it here if you like.
The Prime Minister made a set of confusing statements today that managed to find a way of making everyone angry. Just to remind everyone, the War Cabinet (which at the time included Benny Gantz) had taken a version of a ceasefire/hostage proposal that Hamas had countered on May 6 and with no modifications submitted it as the official Israeli proposal submitted on or about May 28. President Biden took that initiative and made a major policy speech about it on May 31 and then pushed it through the UN Security Council (with only Russia Abstaining). At the time the War Cabinet submitting the proposal, the decision was unanimous amongst its members, including Prime Minister Netanyahu. But Netanyahu was consistently cagey about publicly endorsing it as his far right coalition partners were threatening to blow up the government. So, his personal position was left somewhat ambiguous. Today, Netanyahu stated in a policy speech that:
I am prepared to do a partial deal… that would return some of the people to us “while being” obligated to continue the fighting after a pause in order to complete our goal of destroying Hamas.
Well the Forum of Hostage Families got wind of it and went ballistic until ultimately the Prime Minister has to issue a second statement afterwards:
Israel is “committed to the Israeli [ceasefire] proposal welcomed by [US] President Biden. Our position has not changed.
For the moment the crisis has quieted down.
The IDF announced today that one of its soldiers, Sgt. Major Muhammed El Atrash-35, was killed on October 7. It was previously thought that he might be alive as a hostage, but videos and other evidence collected from that day show that he was actually killed. El-Atrash is Bedouin.
Politics/Protests
As many of you know Prime Minister Netanyahu has been subjected to investigations into four cases accusing him of criminal activity. This is not the time or place to review each and every case. In my view, some call into question the Prime Ministers hubris and abuse of his office. But they, in my opinion, are not criminal. But, the cases continue moving at a snail’s pace through the Israeli legal system. Three of the four have brought into court by the prosecution. Hearing these cases is taking years by the courts. So far, in two of the cases, the judges involved turned to the prosecution and informed them that their cases were too weak to convict the Prime Minister and they should seek an out of court settlement. Today, the Prime Minister was formally notified that the fourth case, one involving the purchase of submarines for the Israeli Navy, by a formal commission appointed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that the findings of the commission may negatively impact the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was one of four public figures informed that the findings of the commission could negatively impact them. The impact of this is that the findings of the commission could be easily entered as evidence in a future court case.
The Ministry of Finance realized that there was a $2.7B surplus from the 2023 budget as the government recently closed the books on the fiscal year. Rather than apply that surplus to reducing the 2024 deficit budget, the government is allocated those funds to the special interests of the current coalition partners - far right party for new settlements and various ultra-orthodox causes. Corruption at its finest.
In a sign that the public is starting to think about new elections, a bit prematurely I think, one of the leaders of an opposition party, Avigdor Liberman, met with the press today to say that he is the one with the most experience and qualifications to lead a new right of center party. There is a lot of talk and must polling suggesting that there is an opportunity for a new right of center party to form. The polls are suggesting that it would be best led by form Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. In those same polls, Bennett comes out ahead of Netanyahu as the favored Prime Minister. But, polls in this country are like weather vanes and change very quickly. Already, those polls that once put National Unity Party Leader Benn Gantz as the favored Prime Minister, now place him either neck and neck with Netanyahu or slightly behind.
A respected senior figure in Likud, Yuli Edelstein, seems to be coming out publicly in support of the current government proposal to deal with draft exemptions for the ultra-orthodox. Edelstein is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee which is deliberating on the current bill. In publicly released comments today, Edelstein said:
I would like to hear members of the committee from all factions supporting this proposal.
And at the same time that the Knesset (Parliament) is meeting to discuss how best to exempt the ultra-orthodox from drafting into the IDF, the same committee is fast tracking a bill that will extend reservist military service from the current age of 40 to 41 and for officers from 45 to 46. This is going to cause some issues as it moves through the Knesset for approval.
International
China, in following Russia, attempted to hold a reconciliation meeting between Hamas and Fatah in China. Fatah, to remind you is the party currently associated with the Palestinian Authority which has been in power for more than 20 years ruling the Palestinian Territories until they were killed and removed from power by Hamas in Gaza in 2007. Those attempts seem to have failed as the meeting is now indefinitely postponed.
And those of you following me, may remember that on Friday I reported that the Biden Administration said that it would stand by Israel in the event of a war with Hezbollah. And I commented that here in Israel we do not know what that means since arms shipments appeared to be deliberately slowed down because the US was fearful of Israel engaging in a war with Hezbollah. Well today, US Air Force General Charles Brown warned Israeli officials to think twice before considering escalations with Lebanon as “the US won’t be able to help Israel in case of war with Hezbollah”.
While we are on the subject of the pace of arms shipments there is some new information coming out. According to reports form the Biden Administration, until recently arms shipments to Israel were “fast tracked” bypassing the usual review processes in place between the Dept. of Defense, Congress and the Administration, in order to get to Israel what it needed for the war. But now, all future shipments will follow normal procedures. I am not sure I buy this explanation. If it was this simple, why did the Biden Administration continue to say that “we have no idea what Netanyahu is talking about?”. If it was so simple they could have come out and simply state that from the onset. I still do not think we know the full story on this issue yet.
Israel has formally submitted its report on the Rafah Operation to the International Court of Justice as it was requested to do.
And In Your Copious Spare Time…
Well, I guess that the ICC is going to have a hard time with the charge of deliberately starving the Gazan population. Read this article appearing in a Canadian newspaper.
And for those of you, like me, waiting for the collapse of this insane DEI movement here is some encouraging news.