π️Lonny's War Update- October 261, 2023 - June 23, 2024 π️
π️Day 261 that 120 of our hostages in Hamas captivity
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!ΧΧΧ Χ Χ¦ΧΧΧ Χ’Χ Χ©ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧΧ€ΧΧ ΧΧΧΧͺ
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*6:50am- north - hostile aircraft Beit Hillel, Dafna, Hagoshrim, Ajar, Kibbutz Dan, Shaar Yeshuv, Snir - UAV exploded in Kibbutz Beit Hillel, no injuries. And interceptor missile which was launched at the drone failed to intercept it.*11:25am - north - Rokets/missiles Manof, Yuvalim, Abu Alhijia, Atzmon-Segev, Rakefet, Misgav - first time since October in this area*12:05pm - hostile aircraft north - Dishon, Yiftach, Malcia, Mevo'ot Hermon, Ramot Naftali*12:10pm - north - rockets/missiles Avivim, Baram, Yiron- Several explosive-laden drones were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel, setting off sirens in the Upper Galilee between 12:05 p.m. and 12:12 p.m., the military says. According to the IDF, one of the drones was shot down by air defenses, while several more impacted, sparking fires.
The IDF does not immediately provide information on possible casualties in the attack. Footage circulating on social media shows one of the Hezbollah drones impacting before a second one is shot down by air defenses. Hezbollah has launched several explosive-laden drones at northern Israel today. video of two explosive drones from Lebanon
Hostage Updates
The leader of the Hamas terror group in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is stalling on the negotiations for a hostage-ceasefire deal with Israel in hopes that a new full-blown war will erupt on the Lebanon front before a deal is finalized, an unnamed Israeli official involved in the talks is quoted as saying by the Haaretz news site.
“Hamas doesn’t want a deal now,” the source says. “It doesn’t want to release the hostages, but rather to play for time. Yahya Sinwar… wants war to erupt in the northern border and therefore will not move toward a ceasefire.”
The report also says mediator Qatar is holding talks with the Hamas leadership to try and bridge the gaps between the latest Israeli proposal — endorsed by the US and the UN Security Council — and the reservations listed by the Palestinian terror group, some of which were cast by Washington as not workable.
While foreign sources are expressing cautious optimism about the prospect of a breakthrough, senior Israeli officials are pessimistic, the report adds. link This is, of course the message that Netanyahu's people are putting out. While dealing with Hamas is no easy task (my brother knows that better than most people), their bottom line remains the same as it has been - no hostage release without a total ceasefire. Even though, Biden's proposal is based 100% on the Israeli proposal which calls for a ceasefire with hostage, and in Israel is begin referred to the 'Netanyahu proposal' by the supporters of the hostages and families to push Netanyahu on it, he certainly doesn't want a ceasefire. He doesn't want the war to end because of the political implications he will have to face: a State Commission of Inquiry, admitting defeat in the war, and hopefully new elections, none of which Netanyahu is willing to accept. Therefore, we are at a full stop. The negotiating team is hamstrung and the negotiating partners: The US, Egypt and Qatar can continue to pressure Hamas as well as Israel, but we have 2 intransigent people on either side of the equation and neither cares about the lives of the hostages.
Gaza
Israeli fighter jets shot down a drone heading toward Israel from the eastern direction overnight, the military says. The IDF has described past attacks from Iraq as “from the east.” According to the IDF, the drone did not enter Israeli airspace, and therefore sirens did not sound in any towns.
The announcement comes after the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have launched a drone at Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat early this morning. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed dozens of drone attacks on Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with the IDF reporting downing many of them. Many of the militia’s claims have been exaggerated, but in one case it managed to hit an Israeli Navy base in Eilat, causing damage.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets and drones struck dozens of targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says in a morning update. The IDF does not, however, provide an update on yesterday’s airstrikes in Gaza City that reportedly targeted senior Hamas official Raad Saad.
Sites struck by Israeli aircraft in Gaza over the past day included infrastructure and buildings used by terror groups, as well as cells of gunmen, the army says. The strikes come as troops continue to operate in southern Gaza’s Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor in the Strip’s center.
In Rafah, the IDF says troops killed several cells of gunmen and located weapons and tunnel shafts. In the Netzarim Corridor, several more gunmen were killed, according to the military.
The IDF says it has raided and demolished a Hamas training complex in the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The so-called Abu Said outpost, belonging to Hamas’s Tel Sultan Battalion, was captured by the 401st Armored Brigade. The IDF says that at the Hamas base, troops located the office of the commander of the Tel Sultan Battalion, Mahmoud Hamdan, as well as a weapons depot and several tunnel shafts.
The tunnels are being investigated and demolished, the army says. Also in the outpost, the IDF says troops raided the office of Yasser Natat, a Hamas commander responsible for the Rafah Brigade’s rocket fire on Israel and troops in Gaza.
The 401st Armored Brigade raided a separate training site in the area, where weapons, additional tunnels, and intelligence materials were found, the military adds. Drone Video of the outpost and blowing it up Footage posted to social media shows an apparent interception over the Misgav area in the Lower Galilee, after sirens sounded.
The area houses a major factory belonging to the Rafael defense contractor.
Israeli tanks have advanced to the edge of the Mawasi displaced persons’ camp in the northwest of the southern Gaza city of Rafah in fierce fighting with Hamas-led operatives, residents say.
Images of two Israeli tanks stationed on a hilltop overlooking the coastal area went viral on social media, but could not be independently verified. Residents say Israeli tanks pushed deeper into western and northern Rafah in recent days.
Last week, the Israel Defense Forces said it dismantled about half of Hamas’s fighting force in Rafah, killing at least 550 gunmen in the area, as the operation against the terror group in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city continued.
Hamas to recruit
Gazan youths in Khan Yunis comeback
Hamas is now
holding new training camps for its new recruits to replace the 14,000-16,000 of
its fighters who the IDF has killed
Hamas is making a comeback to regain control of Khan Yunis as
well as recruiting new fighters from young adolescents in the 18-year-old range
both in southern and northern Gaza.
The trend has continued since the IDF withdrew from Khan Yunis
on April 7. Still, Army Radio reported on Sunday, and the Jerusalem Post confirmed
with multiple sources that the Hamas comeback trend in Khan Yunis could be
crossing crucial thresholds.
Hamas to recruit close to 20,000 new
Palestinian terrorists?
Could the IDF launch a second invasion of Khan Yunis?
Israeli fighter jets shot down a drone heading toward Israel from the eastern direction overnight, the military says. The IDF has described past attacks from Iraq as “from the east.” According to the IDF, the drone did not enter Israeli airspace, and therefore sirens did not sound in any towns.
The announcement comes after the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have launched a drone at Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat early this morning. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed dozens of drone attacks on Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with the IDF reporting downing many of them. Many of the militia’s claims have been exaggerated, but in one case it managed to hit an Israeli Navy base in Eilat, causing damage.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets and drones struck dozens of targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says in a morning update. The IDF does not, however, provide an update on yesterday’s airstrikes in Gaza City that reportedly targeted senior Hamas official Raad Saad.
Sites struck by Israeli aircraft in Gaza over the past day included infrastructure and buildings used by terror groups, as well as cells of gunmen, the army says. The strikes come as troops continue to operate in southern Gaza’s Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor in the Strip’s center.
In Rafah, the IDF says troops killed several cells of gunmen and located weapons and tunnel shafts. In the Netzarim Corridor, several more gunmen were killed, according to the military.
The IDF says it has raided and demolished a Hamas training complex in the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The so-called Abu Said outpost, belonging to Hamas’s Tel Sultan Battalion, was captured by the 401st Armored Brigade. The IDF says that at the Hamas base, troops located the office of the commander of the Tel Sultan Battalion, Mahmoud Hamdan, as well as a weapons depot and several tunnel shafts.
The tunnels are being investigated and demolished, the army says. Also in the outpost, the IDF says troops raided the office of Yasser Natat, a Hamas commander responsible for the Rafah Brigade’s rocket fire on Israel and troops in Gaza.
The 401st Armored Brigade raided a separate training site in the area, where weapons, additional tunnels, and intelligence materials were found, the military adds. Drone Video of the outpost and blowing it up Footage posted to social media shows an apparent interception over the Misgav area in the Lower Galilee, after sirens sounded.
The area houses a major factory belonging to the Rafael defense contractor.
Israeli tanks have advanced to the edge of the Mawasi displaced persons’ camp in the northwest of the southern Gaza city of Rafah in fierce fighting with Hamas-led operatives, residents say.
Images of two Israeli tanks stationed on a hilltop overlooking the coastal area went viral on social media, but could not be independently verified. Residents say Israeli tanks pushed deeper into western and northern Rafah in recent days.
Last week, the Israel Defense Forces said it dismantled about half of Hamas’s fighting force in Rafah, killing at least 550 gunmen in the area, as the operation against the terror group in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city continued.
Hamas to recruit
Gazan youths in Khan Yunis comeback
Hamas is now
holding new training camps for its new recruits to replace the 14,000-16,000 of
its fighters who the IDF has killed
Hamas is making a comeback to regain control of Khan Yunis as well as recruiting new fighters from young adolescents in the 18-year-old range both in southern and northern Gaza.
The trend has continued since the IDF withdrew from Khan Yunis
on April 7. Still, Army Radio reported on Sunday, and the Jerusalem Post confirmed
with multiple sources that the Hamas comeback trend in Khan Yunis could be
crossing crucial thresholds.
Hamas to recruit close to 20,000 new
Palestinian terrorists?
Could the IDF launch a second invasion of Khan Yunis?
The Gaza terror group is now holding new training camps for its new recruits to replace the 14,000-16,000 of its fighters who the IDF has killed, the approximate similar number who have been wounded, and the around 4,000 who have been arrested, though an unidentified number of these may have been released.
Even without reinforcements, it is believed that Hamas retains around 5,000-10,000 of its pre-war fighters, though in recent months, they have often been more spread out and operating in much smaller cells close to single digits as opposed to operating in organized battalions with 1,000 or thousands of ground forces operating in unison.
With reinforcements and organizing actual training camps, there are concerns that Hamas could start the process of reconstituting its battalions in Khan Yunis.
No sources knew the volume of new recruits that Hamas has managed to engage so far in the last 10 weeks since Israel's withdrawal.
18-year-olds choosing whether to join Hamas or not, on the one hand, face the reality that so many who have joined Hamas have been beaten and killed by the IDF. On the other hand, they currently have no horizon for finding work or doing much of anything other than sitting around in refugee camps, since no one has even started planning the rebuilding Gaza process, which is likely to take many years. The IDF rejected the idea that Hamas might be anywhere near reconstituting its battalions in Khan Yunis.
Neither the IDF nor other defense sources knew when the IDF might initiate a second invasion of Khan Yunis as it has done in many parts of northern Gaza, such as Shifa Hospital and Jabalia - in cases where Israeli officials believed Hamas's reorganization efforts were progressing too far.
It is possible that the IDF is planning a second invasion of Khan Yunis soon and is just being tight about information security.
But the impression the Post received was that there really is no plan or timeframe for dealing with the growing Khan Yunis issue at the moment.
If this is true, it could be due to the rising push within Israel and globally, especially by the US, to end the war. Opening a new front in Khan Yunis in such an atmosphere could be difficult, though Israel might manage it if it was with smaller forces and a very short second invasion followed by a quick pullout.
Meanwhile, IDF sources said that even if Hamas is rallying somewhat in Khan Yunis with reinforcements, it will not represent anywhere near the threat it constituted before the IDF's first invasion of Khan Yunis in December.
Sources said that any new Hamas force would no longer have their strategic tunnels, manufacturing sites for weapons like rockets, improvised explosives, and drones, be short of talented and experienced commanders (since so many have been killed), and bases for communications, intelligence, and coordinating operations. link It is stated that there is no plan or timeframe to deal with this recruitment, which should not be a surprise to anyone. The proper way to deal with it is to have an alternative to Hamas already working in Gaza and taking on all of the municipal governing operations, but this can't happen due to Netanyahu's continuous refusal to allow this to happen or to have any strategic plan. Netanyahu is personally the biggest danger to Israel now and is doing everything he can to sustain the war and not have strategic solutions.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah
- In retaliation to the UAV attack on Beit Hillel, fighter jets struck a building and an observation post used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon’s Kafr Kila last night, the IDF says.
A separate strike targeted a group of Hezbollah operatives in Taybeh, the military adds.
- Metula mayor: ‘The government has disappeared, the PM is probably busy with other things’
A separate strike targeted a group of Hezbollah operatives in Taybeh, the military adds.
Metula Mayor David Azoulay says that his town on the northern border has been abandoned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
“Just yesterday, three houses were damaged and an entire street of yards was burned,” he tells Army Radio “Forty percent of residents’ houses have been damaged, almost 200 houses were burned in the last eight months.”
“The Israeli government has disappeared, the prime minister is probably busy with other things,” he says. Since October 8, Hezbollah has attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a daily basis with rockets, drones, anti-tank missiles and other means. link Azoulay is not the only mayor or local council head in the north who feels this way. It is more likely a unanimous sentiment. Just last week, after almost 9 months of the war, a Project Director for rebuilding and rejuvenating the north was supposed to be officially appointed after going through selection process. He had even set up meetings with Mayors and Council heads when, all of a sudden, his appointment was cancelled. It turns out the a knesset member and a former knesset member who are close to Netanyahu and his wife were against this appointment and instead wanted the Knesset member's brother to be appointed instead. Just another case of Netanyahu's little politics taking over instead of what is good for the country.
Lebanese whistleblowers have come forward with allegations that Hezbollah is using Lebanon’s international airport in Beirut to store large quantities of Iranian weapons, the Telegraph reports. According to the report, the Iran-backed terror group is using the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport to store a variety of weapons, including ballistic missiles, unguided artillery rockets and laser-guided anti-tank guided missiles.
A highly explosive and toxic white powder known as RDX is also being stored at the airport, the whistleblowers say. Speaking to the Telegraph, an airport worker says that the weapons arrive at the airport on flights from Iran in “mysterious large boxes.”
“When they started to come through the airport, my friends and I were scared because we knew that there was something strange going on,” he says, adding that the situation is “extremely serious.” According to the whistleblowers, the shipments from Iran increased dramatically since the start of the war in Gaza, leading to fears that the airport could become a military target if war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah.
“If they keep bringing in these goods I’m not allowed to check, I really believe I’ll die from the explosion or I’ll die from Israel bombing ‘the goods,'” one of the whistleblowers says. “It’s not just us, it’s the ordinary people, the people coming in and out, going on holiday. If the airport is bombed, Lebanon is finished.”
West Bank
- A day after an Israeli man was killed in the West Bank city of Qalqilya, police reiterate that it is against the law for Israeli citizens to enter areas of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority control.
“In recent times we have witnessed many cases of Israeli citizens entering Area A, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority,” police say. “Entry into these areas is prohibited by law for citizens of the State of Israel and may cost human lives, as has happened in recent days.”
Police note that some Israelis enter these areas for shopping, trading and repairing their cars, leaving them at risk of being targeted. Police also say that some Israelis enter these areas due to mistakes in navigation, and urge vigilance.
“The Israel Police reiterates that entry into area A is prohibited by law and constitutes a real danger to life,” the statement concludes. The statement comes after Amnon Muchtar, 67, of Petah Tikva was shot in his vehicle by unknown gunmen in Qalqilya yesterday. The army said it was probing the shooting along with police as a potential terror attack, but was also exploring the possibility it could have been criminally motivated.
On Thursday, Moshe Dadoush died after he apparently collapsed during a violent car-jacking at the entrance to Qalqilya. Area A of the West Bank is officially under complete Palestinian Authority control, though the Israeli military regularly enters despite Palestinian opposition.
“In recent times we have witnessed many cases of Israeli citizens entering Area A, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority,” police say. “Entry into these areas is prohibited by law for citizens of the State of Israel and may cost human lives, as has happened in recent days.”
Police note that some Israelis enter these areas for shopping, trading and repairing their cars, leaving them at risk of being targeted. Police also say that some Israelis enter these areas due to mistakes in navigation, and urge vigilance.
“The Israel Police reiterates that entry into area A is prohibited by law and constitutes a real danger to life,” the statement concludes. The statement comes after Amnon Muchtar, 67, of Petah Tikva was shot in his vehicle by unknown gunmen in Qalqilya yesterday. The army said it was probing the shooting along with police as a potential terror attack, but was also exploring the possibility it could have been criminally motivated.
On Thursday, Moshe Dadoush died after he apparently collapsed during a violent car-jacking at the entrance to Qalqilya. Area A of the West Bank is officially under complete Palestinian Authority control, though the Israeli military regularly enters despite Palestinian opposition.
Politics
- Defense Minister Yoav Gallant heads to Washington, touting the importance of Israel’s relationship with the United States and saying that the meetings will be decisive for the war.
“The relationship with the US is more important than ever,” Gallant says in the newly-released statement, filmed shortly before he left for the US.
“The meetings with the senior government officials are critical for the future of the war,” he says. “During these meetings I plan to discuss developments [on the southern and northern fronts], in Gaza and Lebanon,” he says. “We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in additional areas.”
“The transition to ‘Phase 3’ in Gaza is of great importance. I will discuss this transition with US officials, touching on how it may enable additional things [to take place], and I know that we will achieve close cooperation with the US on this issue as well,” he says.
According to Hebrew media, Gallant is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns and Special Envoy Amos Hochstein. The main aim of the whirlwind is to get the US to unfreeze a shipment of heavy-duty bombs it has been withholding from Israel.
The trip comes amid a public spat between US President Joe Biden’s administration and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Tuesday issued a video statement attacking the US for its “inconceivable” weapons holdup, claiming that more arms shipments have also been held back.
The White House has since repeatedly insisted it has “no idea” what Netanyahu was referring to besides the one shipment, though the premier has since doubled down.
Some analysts have speculated that Netanyahu’s video was aimed at ensuring the premier would receive the credit if the US agreed to move forward with the transfer following Gallant’s visit. link The US Administration's relationship with Netanyahu is extremely strained and Netanyahu doesn't miss an opportunity to make it worse. The administration is tired, frustrated, angry at him and prefer to deal with Galant and others.
The Knesset is expected to approve a bill delaying retirement for IDF reservists this week, extending a temporary measure passed last December by another three months.
The proposal, a Defense Ministry-backed “draft Security Service Law,” calls to extend a temporary measure raising the exemption age for reserve military service from 40 to 41 for soldiers and from 45 to 46 for officers for several additional months due to an ongoing manpower shortage. Specialists such as doctors and air crewmen will be required to continue serving until 50, instead of 49.
It was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation last Sunday and on Monday it is slated to be debated by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in preparation for the first of three meetings it must pass to become law.
If eventually approved by the Knesset, the draft bill would mark the second extension of the measure, which was intended as a stopgap solution to prevent a mass release from the reserves of those soldiers reaching the exemption age amid ongoing combat operations in Gaza.
The latest proposed extension was initially supposed to last for six months but has been reduced to three months after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated that the bill was legally unacceptable unless an immediate effort is made to draft extra military power “from the entire population,” a reference to the tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who receive blanket exemptions from military service.
The government has faced harsh public backlash over extending reservists’ service while appearing to take little action to draft the ultra-Orthodox. The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is also currently debating a bill lowering the age of exemption from mandatory service for Haredi yeshiva students.
In a tweet, Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman protests that “the government is exempting tens of thousands of eligible young men from regular service with one hand while extending the service of reservists with the other.”
The Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) announces it is examining an incident last night in which Channel 12 reporter Yollan Cohen was violently slung against a tree by a police officer while covering the anti-government protests in Tel Aviv.
In video footage of the incident, Cohen can be seen speaking with Border Police officers, and then grabbed by another police officer and hurled aside toward the tree. It is the latest of many such incidents, including others recorded during the Saturday night protests.
In an apparent response to criticism of DIPI by the Public Defender’s Office earlier in the day, the DIPI statement adds that all complaints against the police are “thoroughly, professionally and comprehensively examined,” and that the department often opens up investigations of its own accord.
DIPI also states that the State Attorney’s Office and DIPI’s directorate have recently issued instructions to give priority to allegations of police violence during demonstrations. “In light of the importance the State Attorney’s Office ascribes to dealing with police violence in general, and in incidents during protests in particular,” it says.
Earlier today, the Public Defender’s Office said that police violence was a result of “a lack of enforcement against violent police officers” and an attitude of leniency toward such officers. video of the police assault Violence by the Israel police is, unfortunately not a new thing but it has gotten progressively worse since Ben Gvir has been the minister. He has personally encouraged police violence against demonstrators for the hostages and against the government and has commended the specific police who committed the violence. On several occasions, he even showed up at the Department for Internal Police Investigations (internal affairs) to show ministerial backing for the actions.
A doctor who was violently detained by police at an anti-government protest three weeks ago has filed a complaint at the Department of Internal Police Investigations, Channel 12 news reports.
“When you look in-depth at the incident I went through, the police acted against the law,” Dr. Udi Baharav tells Channel 12.
“Even in policing there are clear laws,” he says. “There are laws on how the police should treat medical teams, and how the police should act with medical teams. Their duty is to help save human lives, their duty is to clear the area for this purpose, and what they did was exactly the opposite.”
“[The police] see people lying on the ground and instead of helping them, they just push and hit them,” he says.
The Department of Internal Police Investigations is under the auspices of the Justice Ministry, and investigates allegations of police brutality. It launched a probe of the incident involving Baharav following a demand by member organizations of the Israeli Medical Association.
Baharav, a 71-year-old retired internist and general practitioner, volunteers with an informally organized group of physicians, nurses and mental health professionals who attend rallies and protests.
Their purpose is to be on-hand within the crowd to treat anyone — protesters and police alike — injured or ill. The group members are visible by their clearly labeled orange or purple vests and headlamps that identify them as health aid personnel, and they make themselves known ahead of time to both civilians and security forces.
The June 8 incident involving Baharav provoked condemnation from opposition politicians.
- Defense Minister Yoav Gallant heads to Washington, touting the importance of Israel’s relationship with the United States and saying that the meetings will be decisive for the war.
“The relationship with the US is more important than ever,” Gallant says in the newly-released statement, filmed shortly before he left for the US.
“The meetings with the senior government officials are critical for the future of the war,” he says. “During these meetings I plan to discuss developments [on the southern and northern fronts], in Gaza and Lebanon,” he says. “We are prepared for any action that may be required in Gaza, Lebanon, and in additional areas.”
“The transition to ‘Phase 3’ in Gaza is of great importance. I will discuss this transition with US officials, touching on how it may enable additional things [to take place], and I know that we will achieve close cooperation with the US on this issue as well,” he says.
According to Hebrew media, Gallant is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns and Special Envoy Amos Hochstein. The main aim of the whirlwind is to get the US to unfreeze a shipment of heavy-duty bombs it has been withholding from Israel.
The trip comes amid a public spat between US President Joe Biden’s administration and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Tuesday issued a video statement attacking the US for its “inconceivable” weapons holdup, claiming that more arms shipments have also been held back.
The White House has since repeatedly insisted it has “no idea” what Netanyahu was referring to besides the one shipment, though the premier has since doubled down.
Some analysts have speculated that Netanyahu’s video was aimed at ensuring the premier would receive the credit if the US agreed to move forward with the transfer following Gallant’s visit. link The US Administration's relationship with Netanyahu is extremely strained and Netanyahu doesn't miss an opportunity to make it worse. The administration is tired, frustrated, angry at him and prefer to deal with Galant and others.
The Knesset is expected to approve a bill delaying retirement for IDF reservists this week, extending a temporary measure passed last December by another three months.
The proposal, a Defense Ministry-backed “draft Security Service Law,” calls to extend a temporary measure raising the exemption age for reserve military service from 40 to 41 for soldiers and from 45 to 46 for officers for several additional months due to an ongoing manpower shortage. Specialists such as doctors and air crewmen will be required to continue serving until 50, instead of 49.
It was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation last Sunday and on Monday it is slated to be debated by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in preparation for the first of three meetings it must pass to become law.
If eventually approved by the Knesset, the draft bill would mark the second extension of the measure, which was intended as a stopgap solution to prevent a mass release from the reserves of those soldiers reaching the exemption age amid ongoing combat operations in Gaza.
The latest proposed extension was initially supposed to last for six months but has been reduced to three months after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated that the bill was legally unacceptable unless an immediate effort is made to draft extra military power “from the entire population,” a reference to the tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who receive blanket exemptions from military service.
The government has faced harsh public backlash over extending reservists’ service while appearing to take little action to draft the ultra-Orthodox. The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is also currently debating a bill lowering the age of exemption from mandatory service for Haredi yeshiva students.
In a tweet, Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman protests that “the government is exempting tens of thousands of eligible young men from regular service with one hand while extending the service of reservists with the other.”The Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) announces it is examining an incident last night in which Channel 12 reporter Yollan Cohen was violently slung against a tree by a police officer while covering the anti-government protests in Tel Aviv.
In video footage of the incident, Cohen can be seen speaking with Border Police officers, and then grabbed by another police officer and hurled aside toward the tree. It is the latest of many such incidents, including others recorded during the Saturday night protests.
In an apparent response to criticism of DIPI by the Public Defender’s Office earlier in the day, the DIPI statement adds that all complaints against the police are “thoroughly, professionally and comprehensively examined,” and that the department often opens up investigations of its own accord.
DIPI also states that the State Attorney’s Office and DIPI’s directorate have recently issued instructions to give priority to allegations of police violence during demonstrations. “In light of the importance the State Attorney’s Office ascribes to dealing with police violence in general, and in incidents during protests in particular,” it says.
Earlier today, the Public Defender’s Office said that police violence was a result of “a lack of enforcement against violent police officers” and an attitude of leniency toward such officers. video of the police assault Violence by the Israel police is, unfortunately not a new thing but it has gotten progressively worse since Ben Gvir has been the minister. He has personally encouraged police violence against demonstrators for the hostages and against the government and has commended the specific police who committed the violence. On several occasions, he even showed up at the Department for Internal Police Investigations (internal affairs) to show ministerial backing for the actions.
A doctor who was violently detained by police at an anti-government protest three weeks ago has filed a complaint at the Department of Internal Police Investigations, Channel 12 news reports.
“When you look in-depth at the incident I went through, the police acted against the law,” Dr. Udi Baharav tells Channel 12.
“Even in policing there are clear laws,” he says. “There are laws on how the police should treat medical teams, and how the police should act with medical teams. Their duty is to help save human lives, their duty is to clear the area for this purpose, and what they did was exactly the opposite.”
“[The police] see people lying on the ground and instead of helping them, they just push and hit them,” he says.
The Department of Internal Police Investigations is under the auspices of the Justice Ministry, and investigates allegations of police brutality. It launched a probe of the incident involving Baharav following a demand by member organizations of the Israeli Medical Association.
Baharav, a 71-year-old retired internist and general practitioner, volunteers with an informally organized group of physicians, nurses and mental health professionals who attend rallies and protests.
Their purpose is to be on-hand within the crowd to treat anyone — protesters and police alike — injured or ill. The group members are visible by their clearly labeled orange or purple vests and headlamps that identify them as health aid personnel, and they make themselves known ahead of time to both civilians and security forces.
The June 8 incident involving Baharav provoked condemnation from opposition politicians.
The Region and the World
- A merchant ship was damaged by a drone attack in the Red Sea near Yemen, though no injuries were reported, according to a British maritime security agency.
Vessels in and around the Red Sea have come under repeated attack for months by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who say they are acting in support of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The attack occurred about 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) west of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, says the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by the British navy.
“The Master of a merchant vessel reports being hit by uncrewed aerial system (UAS), resulting in damage to the vessel. All crew members are reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” says a bulletin from the agency. “Authorities are investigating,” it adds, offering no attribution for the attack.
June 22 U.S. Central Command Update
In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea.
It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This action was taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.
Separately, Iranian-backed Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. There were no injuries or significant damage reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels.
Recent claims about a successful attack by Houthi forces on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) are categorically false.
This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza, and yet they threaten and have taken the lives of innocent civilians who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. CENTCOM will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says that the captain and crew of a vessel 96 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Nishtun were forced to abandon ship after it suffered flooding that could not be contained.
The crew has been recovered by an assisting ship while the abandoned ship remains adrift, it adds.
UKMTO earlier reported that it had received a report of a distress call from the vessel and that it was investigating the incident. It is as yet unknown if this was the result of a Houthi attack
Personal Stories
Vessels in and around the Red Sea have come under repeated attack for months by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who say they are acting in support of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The attack occurred about 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) west of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, says the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by the British navy.
“The Master of a merchant vessel reports being hit by uncrewed aerial system (UAS), resulting in damage to the vessel. All crew members are reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” says a bulletin from the agency. “Authorities are investigating,” it adds, offering no attribution for the attack.
June 22 U.S. Central Command Update In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea. It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This action was taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels. Separately, Iranian-backed Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) from a Houthi controlled area of Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. There were no injuries or significant damage reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels. Recent claims about a successful attack by Houthi forces on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) are categorically false. This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza, and yet they threaten and have taken the lives of innocent civilians who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. CENTCOM will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says that the captain and crew of a vessel 96 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s Nishtun were forced to abandon ship after it suffered flooding that could not be contained.
The crew has been recovered by an assisting ship while the abandoned ship remains adrift, it adds.
UKMTO earlier reported that it had received a report of a distress call from the vessel and that it was investigating the incident. It is as yet unknown if this was the result of a Houthi attack
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Comments
Post a Comment