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| DAILY ALERT |
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 |
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Israel at War: Daily Zoom Briefing
by Jerusalem Center Experts News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
Iran is "very directly involved" in ship attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, said Monday. "Clearly, the Houthi actions, probably in terms of their attacks on merchant shipping, are the most significant that we've seen in two generations. The facts simply are that they're attacking the international community; thus, the international response I think you've seen....What we need is a Houthi decision to stop attacking international merchant ships. Period." (AP-Washington Post) The U.S. and Britain on Monday struck eight targets in Yemen, including an underground storage facility and sites linked to missiles and aerial surveillance, the Pentagon said. "Let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats." (Washington Post) Khaled Mashal, the leader of Hamas abroad, told Kuwaiti podcaster Amar Taki in January 2024: "We have nothing to do with the two-state solution. We reject this notion, because it means you would get a promise for a [Palestinian] state, yet you are required to recognize the legitimacy of the other state, which is the Zionist entity. This is unacceptable." "Especially following October 7, I believe that the dream and the hope for Palestine from the River to the Sea, and from the north to the south, has been renewed. The Palestinian consensus - or almost a consensus - is that we will not give up on our right to Palestine in its entirety, from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, and from Rosh Hanikra to Eilat or the Gulf of Aqaba." "I believe that October 7 has enhanced this conviction, has narrowed the disagreements, and has turned the idea of liberating Palestine from the River to the Sea into a realistic idea that has already begun....We are standing on its threshold." (MEMRI) See also EU's Top Diplomat: Palestinian State May Need to Be Imposed on Israel from Outside - Jacob Magid EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell suggested on Friday that the creation of a Palestinian state might need to "be imposed from the outside," without Israel's agreement. While some international actors believe the recent violence only underlines the need for a peace deal, Israeli leaders argue the Oct. 7 attack highlighted the extreme danger of an autonomous Palestinian entity near its population centers. Amid soaring support for Hamas among Palestinians in the wake of the atrocities, there appears to be little appetite in the Israeli public for peace efforts. (Times of Israel) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
The IDF said Tuesday that 21 soldiers were killed in Gaza as they were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings on Monday in central Gaza. A terrorist firing a rocket-propelled grenade triggered the explosives, causing the buildings to collapse on the soldiers inside. (Israel Hayom) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Monday was "the most challenging day since the onset of the war....The IDF has initiated an investigation into this disaster. It is crucial that we extract the necessary lessons and take every measure to safeguard the lives of our soldiers. In the name of our heroes and for the preservation of our lives, we will continue our fight until achieving complete victory." IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated, "Even in the face of this painful and challenging event, the reservists exhibit immense bravery and unwavering dedication in this war. They are driven by motivation and a firm belief in the righteousness of the cause, remaining resolute in their commitment to contribute further." (Ynet News) The fatal incident on Monday highlights how necessary the IDF's incursion into Gaza was and is. The explosion occurred just 600 meters from the border and Kibbutz Kissufim. Residents of the border communities in the Western Negev would not be able to return to their homes safely if the mission was not completed. One lesson that can already be learned is that when there are explosives prepared to detonate, all those not directly involved in the final stages must clear out of the danger zone. (Ynet News) The IDF began a new operation in Khan Yunis Sunday night, its most significant offensive in Gaza in almost a month, ramping up the intensity of the fighting considerably. The IDF encountered fierce resistance from Hamas as soon as it advanced to the new areas. In northern Gaza, the IDF maintains a relatively small presence, mainly on the outskirts of urban areas, while periodically entering those areas to quash Hamas' efforts to regain control of them. In addition, the Gaza Division is maintaining a security perimeter along the Gaza-Israel border - a strip about a kilometer wide on the Palestinian side of the border. But more than half the troops who were in Gaza a month ago have already left, including many reservist units. (Ha'aretz) In northern Gaza, Israeli forces are carrying out mop-up operations to locate every last rocket launcher and any other Hamas threat. In Gaza City's Tuffah neighborhood on Sunday, Lt.-Col. Daniel said, "The war has definitely not ended for us....We receive an area where there is intelligence on rockets that were fired or are intended to be launched at Israel, and we arrive at the area, capture it, and destroy these capabilities." IDF forces were still encountering small Hamas cells, Daniel said. On Sunday, IDF forces located eight long-range rocket launchers embedded in the ground and covered by an olive grove. Beneath the launchers was a tunnel. (Times of Israel) Two supporters of Islamic State were arrested in eastern Jerusalem for planning to detonate a car bomb full of gas tanks near the Knesset in Jerusalem, the Israel Security Agency said Monday. They had acquired chemical materials for explosives. (Jerusalem Post) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
President Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to commit to a Palestinian state once the Israel-Hamas war ends, and Netanyahu said no. Israel sees that its 2005 withdrawal from Gaza gave Hamas a sanctuary to plan, train for and ultimately launch an attack on Israel. In Israel's view, a two-state solution would only compound this problem. So, Israel asks, what would prevent Hamas or a similar group from usurping control of a Palestinian state much as they did in Gaza? This is not just Netanyahu's view but Israelis' view. In a survey conducted several months before the Hamas attack, a mere 35% of Israelis thought two states could "coexist peacefully." Even if Netanyahu were to depart from the political scene, such Israeli opposition may remain. The U.S. can promise incentives such as normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia, but the fear of another Oct. 7 will trump any potential benefits. The writer is director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program of the Rand Corp.'s Project Air Force. (Los Angeles Times) In bustling Istanbul, AG Plaza boasts terraces, pools and commercial space. It was built by a company controlled by what the U.S. Treasury Department describes as "Hamas elements." Hamas has a financial empire that operates in the UAE, Turkey, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. On Jan. 5, the Biden administration announced it is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that could dismantle the group's economic foundations under its Rewards for Justice Program. On May 24, 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department estimated that the Hamas-linked construction empire was worth $500 million. On Oct. 29, the Israeli embassy in the U.S. said that Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy chair of the Hamas Political Bureau, was worth $3 billion, while senior leaders Khaled Mashal and Ismail Haniyeh were each worth about $4 billion. (Newsweek) Observations: Palestinians Deny Hamas' Oct. 7 Atrocities - Gianluca Pacchiani (Times of Israel)
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