DAY 142 OF THE GAZA WAR: Intense Fighting in Gaza, On to Rafa? Will Gantz And Eizenkot Leave the Government?

Tel Aviv Diary, February 25, 2024

The last two days of combat in Gaza have been intense, with three main zones of conflict. The first zone is in Zeitoun, an area in northern Gaza that was cleared earlier during the war, but where Hamas has resurged. The IDF has deployed a division in Zeitoun to clear the area of Hamas presence once again, killing over 100 Hamas fighters in the recent two-day period.

The second zone of conflict is Abasan, located between Khan Younis and the Israeli border near the town of Nir Oz. When Israeli troops attacked Khan Younis, they bypassed Abasan. Since then, Hamas has reinforced the area. The third zone of ongoing conflict remains Khan Younis itself, where soldiers continue to meticulously comb through tunnels and other installations in search of weapons.

During the latest round of combat, Israel has lost two additional soldiers in the past day: Staff Sergeant Ido Eli Zrihen, (20) of Jerusalem, and Staff Sergeant Nerya Belete (21) of Shavei Shomron, both from the Givati Brigade. Additionally, it was announced today that Sergeant Oz Daniel (19) of Kfar Saba, who was previously believed to be held hostage by Hamas, was actually killed on October 7th, and his remains were taken to Gaza.

NETANYAHU INTERVIEWED ON CBS

Prime Minister Netanyahu gave an interview to CBS today, in which he stated that the war “will be over in few weeks, after we enter Rafah.” There is a pressing need to address the situation in Rafah. Unless Israel gains control of the Egyptian border in some manner, there will be no way to stop arms from entering Gaza. However, to believe that conquering Rafah is a magic elixir is simply incorrect. We were told the same thing about Khan Younis, and now, six weeks later, after having destroyed much of the Hamas infrastructure in Khan Younis, we find ourselves fighting in other places.

Netanyahu also shared that in the coming days, he will present a plan to the defense cabinet on how to move the refugees out of Rafah and then attack the remaining Hamas forces in the city. That being said, the Rafah offensive will be postponed if a deal to secure the release of our hostages is reached— although reaching such a deal remains a big “if”.

THE NORTHERN BORDER

Exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah continue on the northern border. Kiryat Shemona, along with Shlomi and Hanita, were all subjected to several attacks. Defense Minister Yoav Galant visited the North today. In his statement, Galant remarked Hezbollah's difficulties in replenishing the ranks of its senior leadership who have been killed. Galant further cautioned that a ceasefire in Gaza would not deter Israel from continuing its strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

FALLOUT FROM LAST NIGHTS DEMONSTRATIONS

In last night’s update, I mentioned that the police deployed horses and water cannons against demonstrators in Tel Aviv. Today, the severity of the police’s violence became more evident, through video footage that surfaced, depicting a demonstrator being struck by a mounted policeman, as well as both the mother of a current hostage and a released hostage being directly struck by a water cannon operated by the police.

There have been demands for an inquiry into the conduct of the police, yet the widespread belief is that the police were simply carrying out the directives of Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Minister in charge of overseeing Police. Last night’s occurrences represent the most recent in a sequence of police actions that are increasingly causing concern among many Israelis.

HOW LONG WILL GANTZ AND EIZENKOT REMAIN IN THE GOVERNMENT?

Last night, I reported on a confrontation between Gantz and Eizenkot with Netanyahu concerning the directives given to the hostage negotiators. This dispute has once again sparked discussions in the media about Gantz and Eizenkot’s continued participation in Netanyahu’s government. Some are urging them to resign, arguing they are merely propping up the government and lending legitimacy to the far-right elements that are calling some of the shots. Conversely, others argue they must remain until there is a reasonable plan for how to bring down the government. Gantz and Eizenkot are seen as a clear tempering influence, who both possess more military experience than anyone else in the government. Moreover, despite their political rivalries, Netanyahu does seem to value their advice. In my opinion, they will stay as long as they feel their input shapes decisions. I for one, like many of my peers, am reassured by Gantz and Eizenkot’s presence in the government.

BUSINESS

Loora, a company developing specialized AI designed specifically to enable learning and improving English anytime and anywhere through a virtual private tutor, announced the completion of a Series A funding round of $12 million. The investment comes at the peak of the war and just eight months after the company launched with seed funding of $9.25 million. The current funding round was led by QP Ventures with participation from the new investor Hearst Ventures, the global investment arm of the media giant Hearst Emerge, which led the seed round, Two Lanterns Venture Partners, which participated in the seed, and additional investors also took part in this round

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

Hebron Riots

During the economic crisis of 1926-28, opponents of the Jewish State perceived an opportunity for its failure. At the sixteenth Zionist Congress, held in Zurich from July 29 to August 10, 1929, the establishment of the Jewish Agency was announced. The Agency, comprising individuals from the United States who were not philanthropists, was regarded as a major source of revitalization for the Yishuv. This event coincided with the rise of power of Mufti Amin el-Hussein, who decided to incite religious violence against Jews, by spreading rumors that they were planning to seize the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Mufti utilized the installation of a Mechitza at the Western Wall as a pretext to initiate action.

On Friday, August 23, 1929, violence erupted in Jerusalem as Arabs indiscriminately attacked Jews throughout the city. Jewish defenders repelled the Arab attacks in Jerusalem, but the violence spread throughout Palestine. In Hebron, where Jews had lived peacefully for thousands of years, 66 Jewish men, women, and children were massacred. In most places, Jewish defenders managed to hold off the numerically superior Arab attackers. Altogether, 133 Jews were killed and 400 injured in this wave of sudden violence. In the aftermath, the British government appointed a commission to investigate the causes of the riots. The commission, while blaming the Arabs for starting the riots, concluded that the underlying causes of the violence were Zionist settlements and land purchases. The report's conclusions were hotly disputed, but ultimately, the British took actions that limited Jewish land purchases in Palestine.