DAY 415 OF THE WAR: Heaviest Day of Fire From Lebanon Amid Reports Possible Ceasefire May be Near, Rabbi Tzvi Kogan’s Body Discovered, Fallout From Netanyahu Rant Against Security Services & Military
Tel Aviv Diary, November 24, 2024
Today was marked by the heaviest fire from Lebanon since the war began, with Hezbollah firing over 250 rockets into Israel. The onslaught started early in the morning along the confrontation line. One attack struck a factory in Hatzor Haglili, causing damage. Shortly after 7 a.m., while I was walking with our dog Milo, my phone buzzed with notifications about rockets targeting the Sharon Plain and the Dan region. The nearest rocket landed in Herzliya to the north, although no damage was reported in this initial wave
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At 12:45 p.m., as I was out walking Milo again, my phone lit up with another alert. This time, rockets reached as far as Tel Aviv, impacting areas north of the Yarkon River, Herzliya, and Petah Tikva. Shortly afterward, a substantial barrage targeted the Haifa area. In this second wave, several rockets breached our defenses. In Petah Tikva, a rocket struck two homes, seriously injuring five people. At Moshav Rinatya, near Ben Gurion Airport, one house was completely destroyed. Thankfully, the elderly couple who reside there were away visiting kibbutzim near Gaza. In Haifa, a direct rocket hit damaged a building, but no injuries were reported as the residents had taken shelter. Nahariya also reported two direct hits, resulting in property damage.
Later in the evening, two separate missile attacks targeted central Israel, prompting large numbers of people to seek refuge in shelters. In both instances, the missiles were intercepted. Near Kfar Blum, a man working in the fields suffered critical injuries from a rocket. The surge in attacks is largely attributed to the weather conditions, as cloudy skies and significant fog in Lebanon have obscured the visibility, making it more difficult to detect Hezbollah operatives launching rockets.
In response to today's attacks by Hezbollah, the Israeli Air Force carried out an unprecedented number of strikes on Beirut. Below is the statement issued by the IDF Spokesperson detailing today's operations:
The IDF attacked 12 Hezbollah military headquarters in Beirut’s Dahiya: Headquarters of the Intelligence Directorate, Unit 4400, and the organization’s coastal missile unit were targeted.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets, guided by Military Intelligence, recently struck 12 military headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Dahiya area of Beirut. Among the targets were headquarters of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Directorate, its coastal missile unit, and Unit 4400, which is responsible for transferring weapons from Iran through Syria to Lebanon.
The attacked headquarters were used by Hezbollah to plan, command, and execute terror operations against Israeli civilians and IDF forces operating in southern Lebanon. These strikes are a key component of the IDF’s efforts to undermine Hezbollah’s capabilities to carry out various terror activities against Israel.
All the targets were deliberately located by Hezbollah in the heart of civilian areas. This is another example of Hezbollah’s cynical use of Lebanese civilians as human shields. Prior to the strikes, extensive measures were taken to minimize the risk to civilians, including gathering precise intelligence, conducting careful surveillance, and issuing advance warnings to evacuate the area.
CEASEFIRE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL & HEZBOLLAH/LEBANON
US envoy Amos Hochstein has returned to Washington. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, Hochstein is not expected back until next week. Reports indicate that Hochstein has warned that he would cease his mediation efforts, if no agreement is reached in the coming days. Israeli media offer conflicting accounts on the status of the negotiation. Some sources assert that an agreement has been finalized and Netanyahu is considering ways to present it to his base, which opposes the deal. Other reports indicate substantial differences still remain between the parties involved. Late tonight a number of sources have reported that Israel has agreed to the latest proposal by Hochstein.
RABBI TZVI KOGAN, Z”L
This morning brought the tragic news of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan’s body being found near El Ain, close to the Oman-UAE border. Initially, his car was discovered, followed by his body. It is believed that Iranians orchestrated Kogan’s kidnapping and murder, employing an Uzbekistani mercenaries. Following the murder, the UAE Interior Ministry announced several arrests. In response, the Israeli government has advised against non-essential travel to Dubai, highlighting concerns about a potentially active terror cell in the area. Despite this advisory, travel to Dubai remains popular, with seven fully booked FlyDubai flights departing from Ben Gurion Airport today. A similar travel warning has been issued for travel to Thailand, another popular destination among Israeli tourists.
NETANYAHU STAUNCHLY SUPPORTS FELDSTEIN, ROUNDLY SLAMS SECURITY & JUSTICE MINISTRY
The fallout from Netanyahu’s nine-minute tirade in support of Eli Feldstein and against the Security Services, the Army, and the Justice Ministry continued to capture headlines today. In his diatribe, Netanyahu labeled these gatekeepers of Israel’s security and democracy as the "eighth front” against which Israel is battling. Netanyahu cited other instances of alleged leaks that he claimed were never investigated, which was misleading for two reasons. Firstly, the current controversy does not concern a leak—the top-secret document in question was neither cleared by the censor, nor handled correctly. Secondly, nine previous cases of leaks were indeed investigated.
Furthermore, Netanyahu wrongly shifted blame to the Army, claiming they were responsible for his failure to receive the top-secret document Feldstein provided—despite reports that the information had already been conveyed to the Prime Minister’s office several months earlier. The Prime Minister’s remarks drew sharp criticism from most former heads of the Security Services, and even one of Netanyahu’s typically supportive ministers publicly spoke out against him.
GOVERNMENT PRIVATIZES PUBLIC BROADCASTING AUTHORITY
In a separate development, the coalition successfully pushed through a bill in the law committee aimed at privatizing the Public Broadcasting Authority. This is the first step in a lengthy parliamentary process. This act is broadly perceived as an attempt to undermine independent journalism in Israel and enhance the influence of Channel 14—which is frequently likened to Fox News, but with an even more tenuous commitment to factual reporting. Meanwhile, Channel 13, Israel’s most independent broadcaster, is facing financial difficulties and needs a deep-pocketed investor to sustain its operations and ensure its continued independence..
HOSTAGES
Yet another day has ended without progress on the hostage situation. While Hamas did block a smaller hostage agreement, the group has firmly stated it will only discuss releasing hostages in return for an end to the war. Netanyahu, constrained by coalition partners advocating for new settlements in Gaza, has rejected any such proposal
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INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT RE: NETANYAHU AND GALLANT
In international news, an ICC spokesperson announced today that the arrest warrants against Israeli officials could be revoked if Israel shows that it is conducting its own investigations into the alleged crimes. This development has increased pressure on Israel to handle these accusations through its domestic judicial system.
NETANYAHU SEEKS POSTPONEMENT OF TESTIMONY
Prime Minister Netanyahu has requested a 15-day postponement for his testimony, scheduled to commence on December 2nd. Netanyahu asserts that the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) have impeded his ability to prepare adequately.
Ministerial Committee for Military Purchases
Today, the Ministerial Committee for Military Purchases approved the acquisition of a new missile boat for the Navy and a new vehicle for the ground forces. That being said, I would strongly advocate for a pause in future procurement decisions until the lessons of this war— especially the events of October 7th—are thoroughly analyzed and appropriate lessons are learned
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BUSINESS
TailorMed, an Israeli digital health company, has successfully raised $40 million in equity and debt. The funding round was led by Windham Capital Partners, with additional participation from Samsung Next, Citi Impact Fund, and BrightEdge. Existing investors, including Accelmed, Almeda, Sanara, Triventures, and Bridges, also contributed. The debt segment of $12.5 million was led by Poalim Tech, the technology investment division of Bank Hapoalim. With this latest round, TailorMed’s total funding now stands at $69 million across three rounds.
TailorMed was founded in 2016 by CEO Srulik Dvorsky and CTO Adam Siton. The company employs 96 people, about half of them in Israel. It operates in a unique category of digital health, providing solutions to help patients secure funding and access medications, primarily in the U.S. market. Medication affordability is a significant issue in the U.S., where only 55% of the adult population can afford the treatments they need, leading to delays or abandonment of care. Additionally, over 100 million Americans carry medical debt, contributing to 65% of all household bankruptcies.
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A PIECE OF HISTORY
The Three Boys
On June 12, 2014, Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah were hitchhiking near their yeshiva in Gush Etzion, when they tragically got into a car driven by a Palestinian disguised as an Israeli. One of the boys managed to call his parents and report that they had been kidnapped before the call abruptly ended.
Over the next eighteen days, one of the largest searches in Israel’s history unfolded. Prayer rallies for the boys’ safe return were held throughout Israel, and in cities around the world, including New York. The Israeli government, along with the U.S. government, exerted significant pressure on the Palestinian Authority to participate in the search for the teenagers.
Israeli forces focused their search for three missing teenagers in the Hebron area of the southern West Bank, conducting house-to-house searches, occupying rooftops, and seizing security camera footage from local businesses. The teenagers disappeared in an area under Israeli security control, leading some Palestinians to urge the destruction of surveillance videos to escape scrutiny. Palestinian Authority police spokesman Maj. Gen. Adnan Dameiri emphasized that the incident occurred outside their jurisdiction, likening it to being held accountable for events in Tel Aviv. Nevertheless, Dameiri reaffirmed the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to its agreements with Israel.
The search heartbreakingly ended on June 30, when the bodies of the teenagers were found buried under rocks in a field approximately 15 miles from their last known location. The Israeli government accused Hamas of the killings and vowed a severe response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently condemned the perpetrators as “beasts” and declared that Hamas would be held accountable. In the immediate aftermath, Israeli forces demolished the homes of two key suspects, Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Aisha, in Hebron.
Tuesday, July 1, was declared a day of national mourning. The teenagers were laid to rest side by side in a joint funeral attended by thousands. Draped in Israeli flags, their burials transcended divisions, uniting a fractured nation in shared grief. Their families displayed remarkable poise, becoming symbols of strength and grace. Avraham Fraenkel, Naftali’s father, delivered a eulogy for his son, affirming his belief in a higher purpose by stating, “Your death has led this entire nation forward, and there is some comfort.”
The funerals were held after ceremonies in the boys’ hometowns, reflecting the close-knit communities from which they came. In Talmon, Gilad Shaar’s sister Shir-El envisioned her brother’s future as a proud soldier in the Israeli Army. The significance of the 18 days leading to the discovery of their bodies was not lost on many in the religious communities, as the number “18” holds spiritual significance in Judaism, symbolizing life.
The profound grief stemming from this heart-wrenching loss reverberated throughout Israel, touching the hearts of people across the nation.