DAY 107 OF THE GAZA WAR: Tunnels Which Held Hostages, New Hostage Deal? Polling Shows Netanyahu Losing Election if Held

Tel Aviv Diary January 21, 2024

The North remained relatively quiet, with only a few missile salvos, causing no casualties and limited damage. Israel attacked a car carrying several Hezbollah members in Southern Lebanon. It appears the prime target may have survived, whereas his guards were killed.

GAZA

Fighting continued both in Khan Younis, and in the Central part of Gaza. Despite intense combat, a number of reserve troops are being released, at least temporarily. It's nearly impossible to keep Israeli reserve troops in active service for so long; for more than 100 days

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The IDF shared additional photos and details on the the extensive tunnel complex discovered beneath Khan Younis, recently used to hold hostages:

Here is the description provided by the IDF:

Division 98 forces raided an underground tunnel in Khan Younis where hostages were held. The tunnel was about 830 meters long and about 20 meters deep. The entrance to the tunnel was booby-trapped, and inside, there were many obstacles, explosives, sliding doors, and hinged doors. During the advancement of the forces in the tunnel, the soldiers encountered a number of terrorists. The soldiers engaged in combat with the terrorists and eliminated them. When the forces reached the tunnel, there were no hostages, and they had been moved to another location.

During exploration of the tunnel, a central chamber was uncovered that had been used to detain hostages, with five barred detention cells. In addition, the forces found evidence indicating the presence of hostages, alongside intelligence documents, and Hamas weaponry.

According to testimonies, there were approximately 20 hostages held in the tunnel at different times. Some of them have been released, and others are still being held in Gaza.

The tunnel was constructed in the heart of a civilian area in Khan Younis, with its entrance from inside the house of a Hamas terrorist. According to intelligence estimates, millions of shekels were invested in its construction.

The IDF announced the death of Sgt. First Class (res.) Uriel Aviad Silberman (23) in fighting in Southern Gaza over Shabbat. It was also revealed that Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson (19), who had been considered missing, was killed on October 7th and his body taken to Gaza by Hamas.

Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson and Sgt. First Class (res.) Uriel Aviad Silberman

For those who believe it is possible to negotiate a political settlement with Hamas … Today, Khaled Mashal, the head of Hamas’s political wing stated in a podcast: “We will not accept part of Palestine. We want one nation of Palestine from the River to the Sea; from Rosh Hanikra to Eilat.”

AGREEMENT FOR MONEY TRANSFER TO THE P.A.

After a stormy meeting, the cabinet reached an agreement on the transfer of money to the Palestine Authority, without giving money to Gaza. The portion of the money designated for Gaza will be held by Norway, and will not be transferred until after the war. The US government supported and pushed for this arrangement.

HOSTAGES

There is a new proposal a foot to secure release of the hostages, spearheaded by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. The plan’s key components include: a 90-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of the older men and the women soldiers. During the 90 days, Israel would withdraw from the main cities of Gaza and release an unknown number of security prisoners. After that initial ceasefire, negotiations would commence regarding the reconstruction of Gaza with Saudi funding. Subsequently, Israel would completely withdraw from Gaza, and the remaining hostages would be returned, and a large number of security prisoners (maybe all) would be released.

At the moment, neither Israel nor Hamas are willing to accept the plan outlined above. Netanyahu has stated that accepting Hamas's terms for the release of the hostages would essentially equate to a loss in the conflict against Hamas. Finance Minister Smotrich’s comments to the families of the hostages were even more strident. According to Channel 12 News, the families approached the Minister and said to him:

If you do not agree to a deal — you will have to return 136 bodies in coffins.

At which point, Smotrich decided to respond to them:

I think differently from you. Only if we do not stop the fighting, they will return. If we stop and do not demolish Hamas, there will be 136,000 murdered here.

Smotrich’s office stated:

Minister Smotrich told the families that he has a responsibility for the 9 million citizens of Israel, and under no circumstances should we stop before Hamas is eliminated.

The viewpoint shared by both Netanyahu and Smotritch aligns with that of the majority of Israelis. According to a poll conducted by Channel 13, when respondents were asked if they supported ending the war and releasing all Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for the release of the hostages — 46% opposed such a deal, while 35% were in favor.

POLITICS

Channel 13’s chief pollster, Prof. Camil Fuchs has released a new election poll.

If the election for the next Knesset was held today, the current coalition would receive just 46 seats, while the opposition would receive 69 seats. The Arab parties of Chadash-Taal would receive 5 seats.

Pollsters also explored how the political landscape might change if Nir Barkat were at the helm of the Likud party. Likud is projected to secure 21 seats in this scenario, compared to the 16 they would likely receive under Netanyahu's leadership. Essentially, Netanyahu is proving to be a significant burden to the Likud party.

Another interesting finding from the poll was the hypothetical scenario of Gadi Eisenkot leading the National Unity Party, instead of Gantz. In this case, the party would secure 39 seats, an increase from the current projection of 37 seats with Gantz at the helm. Although a leadership change with Eisenkot replacing Gantz is not likely, the substantial public support Eisenkot has received bolsters his standing and influence within the party.

Zoom Briefing from today:

BUSINESS

SolarEdge, a company that develops and manufactures inverters and power optimizers for solar systems plans to lay off 900 employees, constituting 16% of the company's global workforce. This move aims to reduce the company's operational expenses and align them with the sharp decline it anticipates in its sales in Europe and the USA. SolarEdge noted that 550 of the laid-off employees will be from the company's headquarters in Herzliya and its manufacturing plant in the Tziporit industrial area.