DAY 104 OF THE GAZA WAR: Netanyahu Rants at Press, Herzog in Davos, Israeli Fears, Inside Gaza

Tel Aviv Diary, January 18, 2024

REMINDER ZOOM BRIEFING SUNDAY AT 6 PM ISRAEL TIME 11AM EST

NETANYAHU’S PRESS CONFERENCE

Prime Minister Netanyahu hosted a press conference, marking his second such event this week. I did not report on his previous conference on Saturday night, as there were no new developments. However, tonight's press conference was newsworthy. Netanyahu didn't reveal any new information, but his tone was notably confrontational. He vehemently criticized the media, accusing them of dividing the country. Netanyahu firmly stated his opposition to holding elections, and, most crucially, expressed his disapproval of the American peace initiative.

When asked about “the time after Netanyahu”, Netanyahu stated that “the time after Netanyahu means a Palestinian State”. Netanyahu's address was distinctly framed as a campaign speech, emphasizing the message, “Only I stand between Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian State.” He reiterated his firm stance that the sole objective of the current war is to achieve a complete and unequivocal victory over Hamas.

It is possible that Netanyahu’s press conference and his visible anger could stem from reports about the framework of a Saudi-American peace plan. The proposed Saudi-American plan calls for Israel to consent to a cessation of the current hostilities, without demanding the removal of Hamas, and outlines strategies for the formation of a Palestinian State. In exchange, Israel would secure the release of all hostages, achieve normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, and the United States, along with these Arab nations, would assume responsibility for Gaza, including its reconstruction.

The plan additionally advocates for the demilitarization of Gaza. Reports suggest that Gantz, Gallant, Eizenkot, and possibly Deri view the Saudi-American plan as a viable starting point for negotiations. In response, Netanyahu's emphatic rejection of the plan was evident in his press conference: a clear “NO.”

Netanyahu's staunch message will likely resonate with many Israelis, including many who support the idea of a Two-State solution. Following the profoundly tragic events of October 7th, Israelis want assurances on how we can confidently trust that a Palestinian State will not attempt to replicate the horrific massacre that occurred on Simchat Torah 2023.

ISRAELI FEARS

President Herzog is currently attending the Davos World Economic Conference. Herzog spoke at the conference’s main forum and expressed the prevailing sentiment in Israel, saying, “If you ask an average Israeli now about his or her mental state, nobody in their right mind is willing to think about what will be the solution of the peace agreements.” The focus, Herzog emphasized, is on immediate concerns: “Because everybody wants to know: Can we be promised real safety in the future?”

Following the violent massacres in southern Israel on October 7 by Hamas, Herzog noted, “Every Israeli wants to know that he will not be attacked in the same way from the North, the South, or the East.”

There is a clear disconnect that much of the world— even our friends — fail to fully understand us. NPR’s All Things Media presented a segment in which they discussed how Israelis “do not see the women and children being killed in Gaza, and thus, they are stuck on October 7th.”  Israelis have a pretty good idea of what is going on now in Gaza. But, to be candid, they truly do not care. We have been so traumatized by October 7th — an occurrence we repeatedly vowed would "Never Again" happen – the unspeakable tragedy has significantly diminished our capacity for compassion towards anything else.

We are also afraid — whether it's rational or not, the fear is tangible. Genuine peace would be the solution, and I am confident that nearly 85% of Israelis would support a plan that ensured real peace. Only the far-religious-right cares about settling the West Bank and holding on to all of the land of Eretz Yisrael. However, after October 7th, Israelis are not willing to take any risks to achieve peace. Herein lies the problem — one that has no real solution.

I should mention another point. While Israelis do not see what the world sees in terms of what is going on with the population in Gaza, they also are not fully exposed to the extreme atrocities committed by Hamas within Gaza. Just last night, Israeli television aired a video, also shown on CNN, depicting Hamas engaging in executions. However, the footage was edited to stop just before the actual act of beheading occurred. The gruesome story of an IDF soldier who was beheaded, and whose head was taken to Gaza and then auctioned off for $10,000 was not broadcasted in Israel until our soldiers retrieved the head. Reports of the sexual assaults Hamas perpetrated on Israeli women initially emerged in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. The Israeli media was at first either incapable, or unwilling, to cover the story.

So, yes, Israelis are stuck on October 7th — Not because we are ignorant of what has happened in Gaza, but because the national trauma is so profound that it leaves no room for other emotions. We are a nation under attack on multiple fronts, with each of our adversaries aiming for our complete destruction.

IN THE NORTH

Combat in Lebanon continued in its usual pattern, with a number of missile barrages on villages along our border. Israel responded with attacks on Hezbollah's position in Southern Lebanon. In addition, a barrage of rockets was fired from Syria toward the Moshav Yonatan, in the Central Golan Heights. All of those rockets fell in open fields.

IN GAZA

Most of the efforts continue to be centered on Khan Younis. Bodies were removed from a cemetery near Nasser Hospital and sent back to Israel for identification.

In an interview with CNN Today, former Hamas-held hostage Sharon Aloni-Cunio revealed that she and other hostages had been held captive at Nasser Hospital. Aloni-Cunio said there were three rooms at Nasser Hospital, each holding between 10 and 12 captives, and that they were tended to by a male nurse every other day. “He knew who we were, he went along with it,” Aloni-Cunio said.

Significant effort is being dedicated to systematically dismantle as much of Hamas's infrastructure as possible. Here's what the IDF spokesperson said regarding today's actions:

Combat teams of Brigade 36, in cooperation with Yahalom fighters and Shaldag, exposed and destroyed the heart of Hamas's weapons manufacturing industry near Salah al-Din road. The area consists of above-ground and underground factories and workshops that supplied ammunition and weapons to Hamas terrorists.

The brigade's fighters located dozens of tunnel shafts connected to a network stretching hundreds of kilometers, including a shaft in a house that was a key part of Hamas's production system. The tunnels were divided into spaces used for manufacturing rockets and weapons. These tunnels facilitated the distribution of weaponry throughout the Gaza Strip.

Concurrently, the tunnel department of the Southern Command managed the entire destruction process — from coordinating between the different brigades to supplying and planning the demolition of the tunnel. “We oversee all engineering activity in the field,” explained the head of tunnel operations in the Southern Command, Sergeant Major Maya. “We know the bigger picture, which helps us understand the best way to destroy the tunnels.”

HOSTAGES

It would be a massive understatement to say that the families of the hostages are displeased with Netanyahu's press conference tonight. Tonight, a group of hostage family members blocked Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv, lighting 136 fires, one representing each of the 136 hostages. A number of these families were arrested by police. The families have threatened to block humanitarian aid trucks from entering Gaza, while their loved ones remain in captivity for 104 day, and counting…

Today, the 1 year birthday of Hamas-held hostage Kfir Bibas was marked in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square. People wore orange, as a tribute to the red-headed toddler and his family. A number of popular musicians performed, and bouquets of orange balloons were released.

AN INSIGHT ON HAMAS AND GAZA

The following is very long tweet by Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who describes himself as: A Proud American from Gaza City; pro-Palestine & anti-Hamas/violence; Pro-Peace/Coexistence; scarred by violence; stop the war/release all the hostages.

I spent hours today listening in on multiple 'Twitter Spaces' in Arabic with diverse Palestinian voices, including those of Gazans in and outside of the coastal enclave. Many vehemently opposed Hamas, while others supported resistance as they opposed Hamas; there were some casual supporters of the group and believers in Hamas’s propaganda. Most offered details, perspectives, facts on the ground, and relevant information that is difficult to obtain from traditional media or online. Many spoke of the horrendous conditions that make daily life and meeting basic needs incredibly difficult while dodging Israeli bombs and bullets. However, they also offered painful details about corruption, Hamas’s violent rule, lawlessness & chaos, the ignorance of Hamas’s supporters, combat conditions and details, Hamas’s nefarious backers, the destructive role of Aljazeera Arabic, and the use of Gazans as human shields by the group.

Here are the top ten most interesting takeaways they shared from & about the War in Gaza:

1. The majority of Hamas’s battalions in northern Gaza have been decimated, and there are only a few disconnected pockets of resistance by leaderless cells that are operating on their own without any direct contact with commanders in the al-Qassam Brigades. Most of Hamas’s units there are no longer combat-effective even though caches and stores of munitions, as well as various tunnels, continue to enable small-scale operations against the IDF.

2. The 200k+ estimated civilians who remain in Gaza City are facing famine-like conditions due to the extremely limited food supplies that are making it in. Additionally, criminal mobs and networks are now operating openly and freely throughout the north and systematically stealing from homes, robbing people, hijacking bags of aid, and carrying out “revenge” killings in line with tribal traditions, given the lack of law and order. Weeks ago, some Gazans suggested the formation of local protection committees/councils but were opposed by Hamas which did not want the emergence of anyone who could compete with its rule. The idea here is that Hamas would rather have crime and chaos spread and proliferate than see Gazans get organized because they could potentially replace the group after the war or prevent it from returning to governance.

3. Hamas regularly and grossly steals aid and prevents large quantities of it from reaching desperate and needy civilians. This is done through elaborate and sophisticated mechanisms whereby the group uses small trucks, pickups, and even donkey carts to siphon tons of aid and food from warehouses and storage facilities. In addition to stealing aid, Hamas, through its Ministry of Economy and other bodies, sells aid items to Palestinians at enormously inflated prices to make money and secure revenue for the group’s post-war reemergence as a governing body. Hamas is even charging taxes and customs fees on the very aid that it is selling to private enterprises and even offers a “payment plan” that allows people to pay after the war ends.

4. Despite this being a controversial claim that is often raised by the pro-Israel side to justify horrendous bombardment and the killing of thousands of Gaza’s civilians, Hamas deliberately and specifically operates in a manner that not only puts people’s lives at risk, but seeks to derive some protection from having civilians around – aka, uses them as human shields. This has been true in numerous cases where Hamas authorities fail to give civilians information about evacuation orders or the presence of Israeli ground troops – with the goal of having people remain in their place to make it impossible for the IDF to operate and to indirectly maximize the number of casualties to put pressure on the Israelis. Some Gazans ironically now look at the “Monasiq” or COGAT’s Facebook page, or that of the Arabic-speaking IDF spokesperson to get updates on ground operations, while Hamas spokespeople regularly tell people nothing’s happening and everything’s fine, don’t go anywhere. This has resulted in numerous casualties that could have been avoided had Gazans been warned to leave or head to safety – but instead, Hamas sacrificed some of these people to ensure that there’s a civilian population throughout which it could operate.

5. Hamas’s regional backers, especially in Qatar, have enabled the group to hide the massive disaster that has befallen Gaza’s people and the enormous setback facing the Palestinian cause by acting as mouthpieces for Hamas's propaganda. This is especially true with the Arabic-speaking Aljazeera, not the English Channel, which runs a professional operation. Aljazeera starts all news broadcasts with Hamas’s propaganda videos showing attacks against the IDF and attempts to inflate the military capabilities of the group. Aljazeera does not talk about aid theft, crimes, Hamas’s corruption, or many details that could actually help paint a real picture of what’s happening in Gaza. Instead, the channel has brainwashed millions of Arab and Muslim audiences into believing that Hamas is racking up victories and achievements and is killing/maiming an unbelievable number of IDF soldiers. Additionally, the Iranian-led “Axis of Resistance” is the most dangerous, deadly alliance that used Hamas and the Palestinians in their nefarious calculous and sells empty slogans that have fooled so many non-Palestinians. In essence, the Qatari-backed Sunni Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian-back Shia “resistance” have been the most destructive, destabilizing forces within the Middle East and have used Gaza as a piece in their evil chessboard with no actual regard for the long-term well-being and prosperity of the Palestinians.

6. There are numerous things that Gazans see and detest about Hamas but are terrified of speaking out. Despite the ferocious Israeli bombardment and massive killings of Gaza’s civilians, Hamas’s police, intelligence, and various authorities are still actively cracking down on opposition and preventing people and journalists from showing dissent and anti-Hamas voices. Importantly, people are terrified of how Hamas uses civilian infrastructure and puts its tunnels and assets underneath homes and even medical facilities without any regard for the consequences. People want to share their disapproval and anger about those things but are also worried about this being used in Israeli propaganda to justify further atrocities and targeting of civilians and infrastructure.

7. Hamas is in on the corrupt business of “coordination fees” that some Gazans have paid for years, but especially during the war, to leave the Strip through Egypt. These fees can reach up to $9,000 per person and the group collects a percentage for every Gazan leaving the Strip.

8. People feel empathy for the “foot soldiers” or Hamas’s rank and file who are being needlessly sacrificed by their leaders in a futile fight that will get thousands more of them killed, on top of the thousands of fighters who have already perished in the IDF’s ground operation. Imagine if these young men were given a different path and if they had a chance to build lives and establish families instead of dying to put some scratches on Israeli tanks while Hamas’s leaders are hiding in safety or living abroad.

9. Talk of full liberation from the river to the sea is not only illiterate, stupid, and ridiculous, but it overlooks the fact that the best Palestinians could have hoped for would have come out of the imperfect yet viable Oslo peace process, which Hamas helped destroy. Additionally, Yasser Arafat made a mistake when he partly militarized the Second Intifada that he helped launch because that gave a deadly opening for Hamas to enter the scene and grow out of control with its violent attacks. This led to the group’s 2006 electoral victory and ultimately gave it a chance to expand its political power.

10. The fingernails of Gaza’s children are 1000 times more worthy than all of Hamas’s leaders and empty talk of victorious armed resistance, which has set Gaza back and destroyed generations to come. Gaza’s going to take decades to rebuild and will likely need tens of billions. That can’t/won’t happen if we don’t learn from past mistakes and keep doing the same thing expecting a different outcome. For now, the priority should be on alleviating the unbelievably horrendous humanitarian conditions, but after the war, there needs to be a reckoning with Hamas, which must be held accountable by its people for dragging them along its grossly miscalculated adventure.

BUSINESS

The Israeli AgroTech company SeeTree has raised $17.5 million. This brings its total fundraising to $60 million. The round is led by new investors including HSBC's Climate Fund, the European bank EBRD, and with the participation of OurCrowd and Smart Agro. This is in addition to existing investors: Hanaco Ventures, TFK fund of entrepreneur Uri Levine, Orbia, and the Brazilian Citrosuco, one of the world's largest orange juice producers. SeeTree has developed technology for farmers to monitor trees in orchards and forests. This is done using data collected from the field and analysis based on artificial intelligence, combined into an 'operating system for trees' as a tool for the farmer.”

Cybersecurity company Vicarius, which developed vRx, the industry's first end-to-end autonomous repair platform for security breaches in cloud-based organizations, announced today a $30 million Series-B round, led by the cybersecurity fund Bright Pixel Capital (formerly Sonae IM). Other participants in the round include Allegis Cyber Capital, AlleyCorp, and Strait Capital. This current round brings the company's total fundraising to $56 million, with investors including the JVP fund.

Vicarius, founded in 2016 by Michael Assraf, Roy Cohen, and Yossi Ze'evi, operates today from New York and Tel Aviv, and employs 50 workers. According to estimates, the company operates in the vulnerability management market, which is expected to grow to more than $21 billion by 2028. Vicarius has developed a groundbreaking solution in this market that automatically and autonomously corrects vulnerabilities, significantly reducing cyber risk for companies and organizations. Unlike Vicarius' innovative solution, previous-generation solutions generate too many alerts and work for already overloaded security teams.