Tomorrow, the summit in Qatar is scheduled to take place. Late this afternoon, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with the negotiating team, which includes the heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet, and Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon authorized them to travel to Qatar and negotiate. The scope and flexibility of their mandate remain unclear. Previously, some team members had declined to participate when they believed their mandate was too restrictive.
Today, Netanyahu conducted extensive meetings with all branches of the defense establishment, suggesting he has granted the negotiators enough leeway to potentially reach an agreement. Of course, that being said, it is still uncertain whether Hamas and Sinwar will consent to a deal at this juncture. For now, it appears that Iran and Hezbollah are holding off on their attacks—the very attacks that Hamas has been hoping for since the war began. It remains to be seen how earnestly Sinwar desires an agreement.
CYBER ATTACK ON BANKS IN TEHERAN
In a related story, there have been reports of a cyberattack targeting banks in Tehran. While I cannot confirm whether it was indeed a cyberattack, if I were in a position of authority, I would consider launching a strategic cyberattack on critical elements within Iran. This would serve as a demonstration, signaling to the Iranians that it is merely a show of capability and that we possess the means to cripple their entire economy should they attack us. If they fire on us, that is what I would do.
EVERYTHING IS NOT RIGHT
A very disturbing story reported today, both in the Haaretz newspaper and on TV. Reports allege that soldiers in Gaza have been using Palestinian civilians to enter buildings they suspect are booby-trapped. This kind of action not only violates international law but breaches Israeli law, as well. I assume we do not have enough robots, and from what I understand, the dogs used for these tasks have become less effective after nearly a year of warfare. Regardless, none of these factors excuse such behavior. However, we shouldn’t be surprised.
Forty years ago, I feared what the occupation was doing to us, especially to young soldiers. Now, as I think about the 19-year-olds who have spent nearly every day of the last year fighting in Gaza, seeing some of their friends killed and badly wounded—I can fathom how the distinction between right and wrong could begin to blur.
Here’s the link to a related and equally disheartening article written by Omer Bartov, a former IDF soldier and historian of genocide. I was deeply disturbed by my recent visit to Israel. In the essay, Bartov shares his unsettling experience during a recent visit to Israel, where he encountered protests from far-right students at one of his lectures. Their rhetoric disturbingly reminded him of some of the darkest periods of 20th-century history and alarmingly mirrored mainstream Israeli views. Despite its difficult content, I highly recommend this article.
Another difficult related story concerns the tragic death of twin newborns killed in Gaza. While I do not know the full details, this incident received coverage on Israeli TV after a year during which Israelis saw no images of the suffering in Gaza.
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ULTRA-ORTHODOX DEMONSTRATE AT THE ARMY BASE IN THE NORTH
The ultra-Orthodox community held a demonstration at the entrance to the Mikveh Alon Base in the Galil. During an interview, one of the protesters compared enlisting in the Army to the death marches of the Holocaust.
Thousands of Israeli Soldiers Injured, Many with PTSD
The Ministry of Defense has announced that since October 7th, 10,036 Israeli soldiers have been classified as wounded, with 34% suffering from post-traumatic stress.
WEST BANK
The Army conducted operations in several villages in the Jordan Valley. The IDF Spokesman described the action as follows:
IDF forces, along with Border Police, Israel Prison Service, and the Shin Bet, completed a 12-hour counter-terrorism operation today in the areas of the villages of Tubas, Tammun, and the Far’a refugee camp in the Jordan Valley and Samaria Brigade sector
.
During the operation, Air Force aircraft carried out several airstrikes in the villages of Tammun and Tubas, resulting in the elimination of four armed terrorists. The forces also eliminated a senior wanted terrorist and engaged in firefights with additional terrorists in the area, with confirmed hits.
The forces found and confiscated five M-16 and 'Carlo' rifles, along with other weapons and explosive devices discovered in the area.
As part of the operation, the forces arrested three wanted individuals suspected of terrorist activities, who were transferred to security forces for further investigation.
During the operation, an IDF vehicle struck an explosive device, resulting in two soldiers being moderately injured and two others lightly injured. The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families have been notified.
HAMAS’S “EVIL NIHILISM”
This post was shared by Palestinian-American Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib:
At this point, it's as if Hamas is begging the Israeli military for more attacks against civilians in Gaza. They launched two totally useless rockets toward Tel Aviv; one fell inside Gaza, and the other fell off the coast of the Israeli city. Despite the blurring of the launch segment of the video, it is easy to tell that it took place from a civilian neighborhood in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. While the group is trying to send a statement that it is still able to “put up a fight” ahead of the August 15th negotiations, they are stubbornly insisting on continuing with the reckless and criminal endangerment of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
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