DAY 138 OF THE GAZA WAR: Guarded Optimism About Hostage Deal, Major Tunnel Destroyed, Draft the Ultra-Orthodox?

Tel Aviv Diary February 21, 2024

134 REMAINING HOSTAGES

Yesterday’s very cautious optimism has grown slightly stronger tonight. Former Defense Minister and War Cabinet member Benny Gantz held a press conference this evening during which Gantz indicated there are signs Hamas might be open to negotiate. If Hamas shows any degree of flexibility, there’s potential to reach an agreement. Let's hope that this is indeed the case. The Egyptians are advocating for a resolution before Ramadan, which begins in three weeks. However, even with potential adjustments from Hamas, the disparity between Israel's stance and that of Hamas remains substantial.

GAZA

The IDF continues to concentrate its operations in Khan Younis. At this point, much of the combat is occurring in the tunnels. Today, the IDF disclosed the discovery of another vast tunnel network utilized by Hamas's senior leadership. There was initial hope that hostages might be located in those tunnels, especially given the vigorous defense mounted by Hamas, but regrettably, none were found. The tunnel complex has been demolished.

Clashes continued in Gaza’s Zeitoun neighborhood. Yesterday, a soldier from the Nahal Brigade was killed in action there. He was Staff Sgt. Avraham Wovagen (21) of the Nahal Brigade's 932nd Battalion, hailing from Netanya. The IDF spokesperson provided the following description of the combat in Zeitoun:

Brigade 162 launched a raid in the Zeitoun area in the northern Strip. During the operation, terrorists were eliminated and many weapons were found; simultaneously, forces from Brigade 98 are intensifying combat in Khan Younis.

The combat team of Brigade 401 operated during the last day in the Zeitoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City, and eliminated dozens of terrorists in ground encounters and through aerial targeting

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The fighters cleared the area and raided suspected buildings. During the operation, the fighters found weapons, RPGs, and Kalashnikovs inside a residential house. The fighters identified a terrorist in the area using a drone, and after identification, they closed in and eliminated him.

The brigade coordinated with the Air Force several airstrikes, including fighter jets and attack helicopters that completed the circuit and eliminated terrorists who fired anti-tank missiles at our forces, targeting the sources of the gunfire.

The Air Force carried out several sorties in the Zeitoun area planned by Fire Brigade 215. Dozens of targets were attacked, including terror infrastructures threatening our forces, observation posts, weapons warehouses, and underground targets.

SEEDS OF RESISTANCE IN GAZA

Opposition to Hamas within Gaza is on the rise. A small group, known as the Gaza Liberators, has issued a statement (see below) urging the overthrow of Hamas. As the fear of Hamas diminishes, it's possible we'll see an increase in such opposition.

OCTOBER 7TH

The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel issued a report on the events of October 7th. The following were the main conclusions of the report:

✖️ Multiple instances of gang rape by terrorists.

✖️ Rapes were frequently carried out in front of the spouses, relatives, or friends of the victims.

✖️ Girls, women, and men were all targeted for sexual assault.

✖️ In most cases, victims were murdered after, or even during, the rape.

SYRIA

Israel launched an aerial attempt to assassinate a high-ranking Iranian official in Damascus, who seems to have survived. A subsequent attack targeted weapons in the vicinity of Damascus, as well.

LEBANON

Today was another day of cross-border exchanges of fire. Israel has stepped up its response, launching more aggressive strikes against Hezbollah targets. Through these actions, Israel aims to convey a decisive message to Hezbollah: If there is a war, Israel has a defined list of targets, and will strike with precision and effectiveness.

ULTRA-ORTHODOX

The contentious issue of drafting the ultra-Orthodox into military service was once again presented before the Supreme Court. Various civil organizations are suing the government, insisting on the conscription of the ultra-Orthodox, as the legal exemptions previously granted to them have expired. In her submission to the court, the Attorney General indicated that if new legislation was not in process by April 1st, the authorities would have no alternative but to commence induction of ultra-Orthodox conscripts. Since October 7th, 540 ultra-Orthodox individuals have been conscripted into various army programs specifically designed for them. Currently, exemptions from military service have been provided to 66,000 ultra-Orthodox youths.

TRAVEL

United Airlines has notified the Israel Airports Authority of its plan to resume flights to Israel starting March 3rd. This move will end El Al’s monopoly on transatlantic flights from Israel

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BUSINESS

In January 2024, Israeli tech companies secured $348 million, across 31 deals. Although this amount marks a slower month compared to the Januaries of the past decade, it was not significantly unusual— particularly when excluding the extraordinary funding peaks of January 2020-2022, which regularly surpassed $1 billion. Omitting these outliers, the figures for January 2024 align well with the average of previous years. Funding levels for the Israeli tech sector have shown fluctuations, with the lowest at $162 million from 15 deals (in October 2016), and the peak at $3,050 million from 90 transactions (in October 2021).

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

The Fourth Aliyah

The Fourth Aliyah began in 1924, with the influx of 12,000 immigrants to Palestine—doubling the total of 6,000 arrivals over the preceding three years. The momentum of immigration escalated further in the following year, with 35,000 newcomers. Contrasting with the earlier immigration waves of primarily young, single settlers, the Fourth Aliyah consisted largely of married, middle-class individuals, many of whom were financially well-off. This shift heralded the beginning of industrial development in Palestine. Nonetheless, the pace of immigration decelerated by 1926, and by the decade's end, Palestine was grappling with an economic downturn, leading to several years where the number of emigrants surpassed immigrants

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