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DAILY ALERT

Thursday,
March 20, 2025

In-Depth Issues:

Israel to Escalate in Gaza in Stages to Leave Room for Hamas to Accept U.S. Ceasefire Proposal - Yoav Zitun (Ynet News)
The IDF launched a fresh assault on Gaza early Tuesday. Security officials describe the operation as a rolling event, meaning it will progress or pause in stages, depending on developments.
This approach leaves room for Hamas to decide whether to accept a ceasefire proposal put forward by the U.S.
The next phases of the operation include intensifying airstrikes and moving civilian populations out of areas adjacent to the border.

Latest U.S. Strikes on Houthis Reflect Tactical Shift at the Pentagon - Alison Bath (Stars and Stripes)
The recent U.S. military attacks on Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen came with more firepower and less hesitancy to strike in populated areas than under the Biden administration, military analysts say.
The strikes targeted larger radar, command and launcher sites in towns, said Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Defense Concepts and Technology.
Similar actions during the previous administration were limited to isolated, rural facilities that were small weapons depots or minor command and sensor nodes, he said.
The recent strikes "likely degraded the Houthis' capabilities more effectively than previous strikes," said Clark.
U.S. forces successfully struck more than 30 Houthi facilities over three days, likely killing dozens of Houthi fighters, Lt.-Gen. Alex Grynkewich, director of operations for the Joint Staff, said Monday.
At least one drone facility was included in strikes Saturday.

Ceasefire Allowed Hamas to Enrich Itself - Peled Arbeli (Jerusalem Post)
Hamas took advantage of the ceasefire to enrich itself and prepare for the next round, Eyal Ofer, an expert on Hamas's economy, said Tuesday.
"Israel allowed Qatar to transfer 978 fuel tankers into Gaza, containing tens of millions of liters worth over NIS 1 billion to Hamas."
Hamas strategically stored most of this fuel in large tanks at the power station in Nuseirat.
"If they manage to sell all this fuel at current Gaza prices... they could use the revenue to pay salaries for 40,000 operatives for an entire year and still have money left over."
Hamas has repurposed civilian equipment for military preparations.
"They used tractors imported from Egypt to clear roads and pathways. For instance, they removed roadblocks on the Netzarim axis, enabling the movement of vehicles that had not undergone security checks."
"They also repurposed unexploded Israeli bombs with military-grade explosives to manufacture numerous IEDs."

UN Officials in Gaza Harmed by Clearing Landmines, Not by Israeli Airstrike - Yonah Jeremy Bob (Jerusalem Post)
Any UN officials wounded in central Gaza were the result of clearing landmines and not by Israeli airstrikes, sources told the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Gaza's health ministry told Reuters that one person was killed and four were wounded in an air strike on the site of UN headquarters in Gaza City.
The IDF said it "did not strike a UN compound in Deir el Balah."

Google Parent Company Alphabet to Buy Israeli Cyber Security Group Wiz for $32 Billion - Ivan Levingston (Financial Times-UK)
Google parent Alphabet has agreed to buy cyber security start-up Wiz for $32 billion, it was announced Tuesday.
As part of the deal, Alphabet agreed to pay employees of Wiz, founded in 2020 by alumni of Israel's elite cyber intelligence unit 8200, a $1 billion retention bonus.
Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said, "Google Cloud and Wiz will turbocharge improved cloud security and the ability to use multiple clouds."
See also Google's Wiz Acquisition Could Deliver $3.5 Billion Tax Windfall for Israel - Gad Lior (Ynet News)

Israel Still in Top 10 on World Happiness Index despite War - Anat Lev-Adler (Ynet News)
Israel ranked 8th in the world in life satisfaction in the 2025 UN World Happiness Report published Thursday.

Panic in Hamas over Using Phones and Social Media - Shachar Kleiman (Israel Hayom)
A Hamas security source claims that in the past 24 hours most of the terrorists eliminated in the latest wave of Israeli airstrikes were targeted because they had "used phones and social media accounts."
As a result, Hamas has ordered all operatives to cease using phones and the internet.

Heavy Lift Drones Are Driving Smuggling on the Israel-Egypt Border - Oded Yaron (Ha'aretz)
In the past, smuggling along the Egyptian border was mainly carried out by teams who would approach the border fence and toss packages over it or through breaches, where they were quickly picked up by smugglers on the Israeli side.
To counter this, Israel restricted movement within hundreds of meters of the border and changed its rules of engagement to permit shooting at suspects.
Over the past decade, smugglers began using small drones capable of carrying a few kg. of drugs to bypass the border fence.
Last year, Israel identified the use of large agricultural drones capable of carrying dozens of kg. A drone carrying 13 assault rifles from Sinai into Israel was intercepted at the border in January.
Since October, Israeli security forces have intercepted dozens of heavy lift drones along the Egyptian border.
There are also dozens of drone smuggling attempts every week along the Jordanian border.
Due to the deployment of counter-drone defenses, smugglers first send a small "scout drone" on a reconnaissance mission to detect where Israel's jamming systems are strongest.

Jews, Not Palestinians, Were the Ones Who Suffered Ethnic Cleansing - Lyn Julius (Jerusalem Post)
The charge of ethnic cleansing is habitually leveled at Israel, although the Palestinian Arab population never ceases to rise.
But true ethnic cleansing is what happened to the Jews, 99% of whom were driven out of their pre-Islamic communities in a single generation.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas just sought to finish the job.
The writer is the author of Uprooted: How 3,000 Years of Jewish Civilization in the Arab World Vanished Overnight.

Israeli Companies to Supply Ship-Defense Electronic Countermeasures to European Frigates - Tzally Greenberg (Defense News)
Israel's Rafael and Elbit Systems will supply a European NATO country with electronic countermeasures for protecting 5 frigates from ship-killing missiles, the companies announced on Monday.
Rafael's passive and active decoy countermeasures were designed to neutralize threats such as advanced Anti-Ship Missile (ASM) seekers.
Elbit provides a maritime electronic warfare capability for repelling complex missile attacks.

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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:

Trump Gives Iran Two-Month Deadline to Reach New Nuclear Deal - Alayna Treene
President Donald Trump, in a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing negotiations on a new nuclear deal, made clear that Iran has a two-month deadline to reach an agreement, a source told CNN. "President Trump made it clear to Ayatollah Khamenei that he wanted to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program diplomatically - and very soon - and if this was not possible, there would be other ways to resolve the dispute," National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said. (CNN)
U.S. Keeps Up Strikes on Houthis in Yemen - Ephrat Livni
President Trump on Wednesday warned Tehran to "immediately" stop supplying the Houthis in Yemen with military equipment, as the U.S. continued a wave of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen in an effort to stop the group's attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The military has been striking the group's training sites, command centers and weapons facilities. (New York Times)
U.S. Says Hamas Solely to Blame for Resumption of Gaza Hostilities
"The blame for the resumption of hostilities [in Gaza] lies solely with Hamas," acting U.S. Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea said Tuesday, charging that the group had refused every proposal and deadline to extend the ceasefire. "We support Israel in its next steps," she said, rejecting allegations that the IDF was conducting indiscriminate attacks. (Reuters)

News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

IDF Tanks Enter Netzarim Corridor in Gaza - Yonah Jeremy Bob
The IDF has begun focused ground operations in central and southern Gaza, aiming to expand the security zone and create a partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza. Israeli tanks entered the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza on Wednesday and extended their reach to the center of the corridor, blocking Salah al-Din Road, a key passage for Gazans returning north by vehicle. (Jerusalem Post-Ynet News)
See also IDF Begins Ground Operations in Northern Gaza on Thursday - Yoav Zitun (Ynet News)
Netanyahu: Hamas Rejected All Proposals, Future Talks Will Be "Under Fire"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that negotiations with Hamas will now take place under fire, following the resumption of Israeli military operations in Gaza. He said, "For weeks, we worked toward one goal - to exhaust every effort to bring our hostages home. We extended the ceasefire for weeks, sent delegations, made proposals with mediators, and accepted the U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's offer. Hamas, in contrast, rejected every proposal time and again."
Netanyahu stated that he and Defense Minister Israel Katz had accepted the IDF's recommendation to resume fighting against Hamas. "Israel will now act against Hamas with increasing force....This is just the beginning. We will keep fighting until we achieve all of our war objectives. Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel....It has been proven in the past that military pressure is a necessary condition for freeing more hostages." (Ynet News)
IDF Intercepts Missile from Yemen on Thursday - Shir Perets
Sirens sounded across central Israel following a missile launched from Yemen early Thursday morning. The missile was intercepted before entering Israeli territory, the IDF announced. (Jerusalem Post)
See also IDF Intercepts Missile from Yemen on Tuesday (Ynet News)

Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:

The Gaza War

Israel Renews the Fighting in Gaza: Breaking the Paradigm - Oded Ailam
In recent weeks, it has become clear that Hamas is not genuinely interested in reaching a final agreement for the return of all hostages. Instead, it has been using the negotiations as a tactic to strengthen its military and political stance. Hamas has added new demands, insisting on a prolonged ceasefire without making significant concessions.
Israel has decided to break the paradigm by resuming military action. While this step does carry risks for the hostages, the alternative - giving Hamas more time to prepare and solidify its control - is far worse. Further delays could result in hostages dying in tunnels while the IDF is forced to fight a more fortified and emboldened enemy.
Renewing the fighting is meant to exert real pressure, making Hamas leadership understand that it cannot continue to stall and dictate the rules of the game. Israel has chosen not to be dragged into endless talks that only benefit Hamas, but rather to apply calculated and powerful force to create real change on the ground.
The fact that the Americans have given a bright "green light" to this operation signals to Hamas and its backers that they should not expect leniency from the U.S. Hamas now finds itself more isolated than ever, as its allies in the Middle East begin to realize that continuing this struggle is a lost cause.
The writer, former head of the Counterterrorism Division in the Mossad, is a researcher at the Jerusalem Center. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
Israel Had No Choice: Military Escalation Is a Necessary Reset for Hostage Talks - Meir Ben Shabbat
The Israeli strikes on Gaza are primarily intended to break the deadlock in hostage release negotiations. An additional goal is to preserve Israel's commitment to achieving all its war objectives.
Hamas's self-confidence and capabilities have strengthened considerably since the beginning of the ceasefire. The large number of hostages in its possession allows it to realize additional deals for some of them. The challenge Israel faces is not simple, but the alternative Hamas presents - surrendering to its dictates and leaving it as the central power factor in Gaza - limits its options.
The conditions under which Israel is required to operate to achieve its goals today are incomparably better than those at the beginning of the war: the backing from the Trump administration and the umbrella it provides against the diplomatic system and international institutions, the change in the Middle East balance of power, the situation in other combat zones, the state of Hamas, and, distinctly, the experience and confidence gained by IDF forces.
The writer, head of the Misgav Institute for National Security & Zionist Strategy, is a former Israeli national security advisor and head of the National Security Council who served for 30 years in the Israel Security Agency. (Israel Hayom)
No More Free Gaza Ceasefire for Hamas - Editorial
After Israel hit Hamas with air strikes beginning on Monday, the Arab mediators and terrorist echo chamber are crying bloody murder. But what did they expect when Hamas refused to release hostages for 2 1/2 weeks after the ceasefire ended?
It was never tenable to give Hamas a reprieve while it wasn't giving up hostages. Nor was it effective to let Hamas negotiate in peace and quiet while it regrouped, with every incentive to drag out talks. But it was important for Israel to give a hostage deal every chance.
Military force isn't replacing negotiations - it's Israel's best leverage. That's the theory of Israel's new campaign, which is designed to escalate steadily but stop when Hamas comes to terms. (Wall Street Journal)
With Ceasefire Talks Stalled, Israel Puts War Back on the Table - Patrick Kingsley
Gaza ceasefire talks stalled because Hamas refused to release significant numbers of hostages unless Israel promised to permanently end the war - a commitment Israel would not make unless Hamas agreed to give up power in Gaza. Now, Israel has returned to war in an attempt to crush Hamas's hopes of retaining control of the territory.
Israel's heavy aerial attacks on Tuesday stopped short of a ground invasion but could develop into one if Hamas refuses to give up control of Gaza. If Hamas doesn't show more flexibility, Israel could potentially capture large parts of the territory. (New York Times)
Israel Will No Longer Allow Hamas to Use Ceasefires to Regroup and Rearm - Editorial
On Monday night, the IDF launched a new wave of airstrikes targeting Hamas positions across Gaza in response to Hamas's refusal to release the hostages still held in Gaza. Defense Minister Israel Katz has made it clear that the IDF will continue its operations until "Hamas understands that the rules of the game have changed." This reflects a shift in Israel's strategic approach - no longer allowing Hamas to use ceasefires as a means to regroup and rearm.
For weeks, Hamas stalled negotiations in Doha, rejecting opportunities to release hostages and de-escalate the conflict, while simultaneously pretending to engage in good-faith discussions. Hamas consistently seeks ceasefires it never intends to honor while using the lull to strengthen its forces.
Israel understands the cost of waiting; every delay emboldens Hamas and prolongs the suffering of the hostages it continues to hold. Israel has no obligation to allow Hamas to dictate the battlefield. The era in which Hamas could launch attacks, retreat under the cover of a ceasefire, and then reemerge stronger must come to an end.
Israel's objective is to ensure that Hamas can no longer function as an organized terrorist entity. This requires sustained military pressure, strategic strikes, and a refusal to engage in futile negotiations that only serve to prolong Hamas's grip on power. (Jerusalem Post)
Hamas Knew the Consequences of Not Releasing the Hostages - and Now It Is Paying the Price - Stephen Pollard
Israel resumed Gaza strikes because Hamas has stalled on releasing the remaining hostages, rejecting or simply ignoring every Israeli and U.S. proposal for further release, as the U.S. National Security Council's spokesperson has confirmed. Thus, Israel has effectively been giving Hamas a ceasefire for free - which has never been part of any agreement. Hamas believed that there would be no consequences to it ending the release of hostages, but Israel will not be played.
The ceasefire had a purpose: the release of the hostages. Hamas decided to stop further releases, which meant the ceasefire was over. (Jewish Chronicle-UK)
Israel Must Destroy Hamas Once and For All - Robert Clark
We now all know beyond any doubt that peace is impossible as long as Hamas remains in power in Gaza. Thankfully, Washington has now realized this too, and has thrown its support behind Netanyahu's campaign to eradicate Hamas.
War is not a crime. And no other conflict in recent memory has demonstrated the imperative of eradicating a security threat by using highly efficient means against an uncompromising foe. The West and London need to be mindful about the pro-Hamas information campaign reporting the "horrors of Gaza" to a public too gullible to realize they are subscribing to terrorist propaganda.
Our political leadership must resist pressure to condemn Israel, which is conducting a just and targeted military campaign against a ruthless enemy that celebrated the 7/7 and 9/11 terror attacks. We must stand up and support Israel in its fight. Now, with a supportive administration in Washington, Israel must finally end attempts to bring an intransigent enemy to the table, and destroy it once and for all.
The writer, a Fellow at Yorktown Institute and Director of the Defense and Security Unit at Civitas, a London think-tank, served in the British military for 16 years. (Telegraph-UK)

Israel and the West

Minorities Abandoned: Europe's Double Standard on Islamist Oppression in the Middle East - Amb. Freddy Eytan
The European Union's latest joint statement in Brussels regarding the new Syrian regime proves that its double standard persists. Just weeks after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Europeans rushed to meet with the new master of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa. How can we believe that this notorious jihadist would so quickly abandon Islamist terror and transform himself into a moderate head of state?
Worse still, Europeans are incapable of saving minorities in the Middle East and are abandoning Christians. They systematically condone all the horrific crimes committed by Arab dictators, such as Saddam Hussein or the Assad family. On the other hand, Europeans still persist in condemning Israel for daring to defend itself against its enemies.
When Palestinians violate international law and pay salaries to terrorists and their families, it is completely legitimate in European eyes. But when the Jewish state reacts after an attack or even builds apartments in its own capital and in a territory that remains "disputed," it is always unanimously condemned.
But Israel will not give in to terrorism as the Europeans systematically do. We will always be the first to come to the aid of minorities in distress, such as the Druze, the Kurds, the Yazidis, or the Maronite Christians in Lebanon.
The writer, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, is a former Foreign Ministry senior adviser who was Israel's first ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. (Jerusalem Post)

International Law

U.S. Attacks in Yemen Provide a Security Blanket for Israel in The Hague - Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch
The latest wave of U.S. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen was an expression of clear U.S. support for a legal position long held by Israel. The Laws of War define civilians who take part in hostilities - i.e., people who present themselves as innocents but are combatants - as "direct participants in hostilities" (DPHs). Under the Laws of War, DPHs are legitimate targets and do not enjoy the protection of the Third or Fourth Geneva Conventions.
Using the widely accepted definition of DPH, Israel has targeted hundreds of terrorists from Hamas and other Gazan terror organizations. Many of these terrorists were targeted, similar to the U.S. strikes against the Houthis, in their homes. While these strikes sometimes also resulted in the death of civilians, they remained legal and legitimate under the Laws of War and the principle of "proportionality."
The Laws of War and "proportionality" accept that incidental or collateral damage may be caused when a military target is attacked. Attacks of this nature are legitimate so long as the loss of life and damage to property incidental to the attack is not excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage expected to be gained. As the value of the military target grows, so too does the extent of permitted incidental damage.
In its strike in Yemen, the United States was implementing the same position held by Israel. The Houthis are terrorists, no different from their Hamas partners in the Iranian axis of terror. As such, its members and leadership are legitimate targets even when sleeping in their beds.
If hostile elements such as the UN and the International Criminal Court were to rule that Israel's actions were illegitimate, in practice, they would also be condemning the similar U.S. approach.
The writer, former director of the Military Prosecution in Judea and Samaria, is director of the Palestinian Authority Accountability Initiative at the Jerusalem Center. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)

U.S. Crackdown on Hamas Supporters

The Columbia Protest Case Is about Immigration Law, Not Free Speech - Tal Fortgang
The reactions to the Trump administration's attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil are not just overblown. They are completely misplaced. This is simply not a case that implicates free speech or the First Amendment. Undisputed facts, and the law that allows the U.S. government to deport even lawful permanent residents without a criminal conviction, make that abundantly clear.
No one disputes that Khalil was the face of Columbia University Apartheid Divest during CUAD's "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia last April. CUAD does not just have an implied affinity for terrorists; it celebrates them. When Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli troops last year, CUAD published a "tribute" to this "hero of the revolution," extolling him for organizing Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
CUAD and its affiliate groups organize the mass commission of minor crimes, such as trespassing, vandalism and disorderly conduct, with a clear aim of trying to intimidate others into capitulating to their demands. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, the government may deport a noncitizen who serves as "a representative...an officer, official, or spokesman" of "a political, social, or other group that endorses or espouses terrorist activity."
The U.S. government may also deport anyone for whom there is "reasonable ground to believe, seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in...any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means." Last summer, CUAD called for the "total eradication of Western civilization."
Finally, the Act says a noncitizen who "endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization" is liable to deportation. Supporting terrorism through action is precisely CUAD's stance and strategy. None of its actions are protected by the First Amendment or merit protection on principled free-speech grounds.
Distinguishing between speech and conduct is crucial. CUAD's trespassing, vandalism and destruction of property cannot be ignored merely because its members expressed political reasons for its actions.
The writer is a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute. (Washington Post)

Observations:

The Chilling Truth of 7 October - Jonathan Sacerdoti (Spectator-UK)

The 7 October Parliamentary Commission Report, chaired by Lord Andrew Roberts, has now been published. It provides a meticulously researched, forensic account of the atrocities committed against Israel by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Compiled by the UK-Israel All Party Parliamentary Group, this report is an essential document, recording in stark detail the murder, torture, and sexual violence inflicted upon innocent civilians.
The idea that a massacre of nearly 1,200 people, the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, might require Britain's parliament to painstakingly document it to secure belief is obscene. Yet, this is the world in which we find ourselves. A world where Jewish suffering is questioned, where atrocities against Israelis are met not with immediate, unqualified horror but with hedging, justification, or outright denial. That is why the work of Lord Roberts and his parliamentary colleagues is so crucial. It is about ensuring that history cannot be rewritten by those with a vested interest in its erasure.
Andrew Roberts is among Britain's most distinguished historians, known for his scholarship on Churchill, Napoleon, and the Second World War. Roberts understands that historical memory is not merely about what happened - it is about what societies are willing to accept as fact. His commitment to ensuring the 7 October Report is published and widely disseminated is an act of immense moral importance.
The report establishes, with irrefutable detail, the full scale of the attack. It confirms that Hamas's invasion of Israel was not an impulsive act but the result of years of meticulous planning. On 7 October, over 7,000 attackers breached Israel's defenses at 119 different points along the border. Armed terrorists used drones to disable Israel's surveillance systems, paragliders to bypass security barriers, and specialist explosive charges designed to breach the doors of Israeli safe rooms where civilians hid in terror.
The report details the full horror of the massacre of 375 people at the Nova music festival, where attackers hunted down fleeing civilians, throwing grenades into bomb shelters and shooting those who attempted to escape in their cars. The deliberate targeting of families in their homes, the use of rape as a weapon of war, the desecration of bodies. The report confirms that Hamas terrorists gang-raped women before executing them, that bodies of female victims were found stripped, bound, and mutilated.
The fact that such a document is necessary here in the UK - that Jewish suffering must be recorded in exhaustive, forensic detail to be accepted - reveals something deeply unsettling about the moral landscape of our time. This report is a testament to the integrity of those in Britain who still believe in objective truth. And that matters. Because history is not owned by those who shout the loudest. It belongs to those who tell the truth.

See also Text: 7 October Parliamentary Commission Report - Lord Roberts of Belgravia, Chairman (All-Party Parliamentary Group for UK-Israel)

See also Video: The Killing Roads
The Killing Roads (2024), directed by Igal Hecht, is a gripping 2-hour documentary - available online - that exposes the terror unleashed on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched coordinated attacks into Israel.
Through raw, unfiltered stories from victims, survivors, and first responders, the film reveals the unimaginable violence that turned Israel's peaceful roads into scenes of horror.
The film contains extremely graphic scenes from the massacre, including shootings, extreme violence, and murder. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. (Chutzpa Productions)

See also Mapping the October 7th Massacre
An interactive map documents the atrocities committed by Hamas at each attack site. (October 7th Geo-visualization Project)

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