DAY 74 OF THE GAZA WAR: Rockets on Tel Aviv, Ben-Gvir vs Army Head, More Stats on 18-24 Year Olds

Tel Aviv December 19, 2023

This coming Sunday, December 24th, will be our next bi-weekly Zoom update at 11 AM EST and 6 PM Israel time.

It appears my comment yesterday that “the number of rockets being fired at Israel has dropped precipitously” was premature. In the middle of the afternoon today, sirens wailed throughout in Tel Aviv. Four rockets were launched towards the general TLV area. Thankfully, all were successfully intercepted.

Today, the Army announced the deaths of three additional soldiers. The IDF also claimed they have gained operational control of Jabaliya. However, it is unclear to me why there was a large airstrike in Jabaliya today, if the IDF has already truly seized control of the city. Initially, the Army stated they anticipated they would capture Jabaliya prior to the first ceasefire. However, the IDF had no such expectation regarding Shuja’iyya, which we still do not fully control. Extra effort is now being focused on operations in Khan Younis, where additional troops have been sent. In Khan Younis, the main focus of the military action is centered on locating the leadership of Hamas.

Ahmad Kahalot—A senior Hamas Member since 2010 and director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalya in northern Gaza, admits that Hamas has used hospitals as military facilities under their control.

Two announcements shared by the Army spokesman made news tonight. First, the spokesman reported that the IDF has found and destroyed 1,500 Hamas tunnel entrances and portions of tunnels — though they are aware there's still a long way to go to locate all of them. Second, the spokesman disclosed that specialized IDF units are now fighting inside the tunnels using new, specialized technology.

IN THE NORTH

The Northern border endured another day of rockets and drone attacks today. Two soldiers were injured tonight and there was some property damage. Israel responded with standard air and artillery attacks.

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE TO PROTECT RED SEA PASSAGE

Despite the US announcement yesterday regarding the formation of a new multinational force to protect safe passage for vessels near Yemen, the Houthis attacked two ships today. Additionally, reports emerged that the US launched strikes against Iranian militia bases in Iraq last night. These strikes were aimed at militias implicated in recent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.

HOSTAGE FAMILIES MEET WITH NETANYAHU

Representatives from families of the hostages met with Prime Minister Netanyahu this evening. Netanyahu told the families he would do all he could to free the hostages. Israel is willing to consider a new hostage deal that would include the release of the remaining women, two children, and older men, in exchange for terrorists “with blood on their hands” and a longer ceasefire. However, to date, Hamas has not expressed interest in negotiating any further deals.

BEN-GVIR vs HERZI HALEVI

Last week, during the extended Israeli operation in Jenin, a group of reservist soldiers (reservists) entered inside Jenin's main Mosque and sang "Chanukah songs” over the loudspeaker system, while filming the episode. IDF commanders immediately condemned the action and subsequently terminated the involved individuals' reserve service. Some right-wing politicians condemned the removal of the reservists, claiming it “harmed army morale”. At the security cabinet meeting, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the IDF’s decision to remove the reserve soldiers. IDF Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, asserted that the Army decides the correct moral actions for all of its forces. Ben-Gvir retorted, “I am a cabinet member and I am part of the political echelon. We decide." The HaLevi responded, "You are wrong. I will decide what is or isn’t moral behavior in the Army. Do not threaten me."

MK Shasha-Biton came to the IDF Chief of Staff's defense, saying that this is not how one should speak to the Army’s top soldier. Ben-Gvir reportedly responded, “Ma’am, don’t tell me what to do.” To which Shasha Biton replied: “Don’t call me ‘Ma’am!’”

NETANYAHU TRIAL

Prime Minister Netanyahu has asked that his ongoing criminal trial be delayed until after the war, since he claims he does not have enough time to prepare for the trial; a trial he has not been attending.

NEW YORK TIMES POLL

The New York Times conducted a poll to assess views regarding Israel and Palestine. Results from the Times survey closely mirrored those of the Harvard poll I discussed two days ago, showing that individuals aged 18-24 were more supportive of Palestine than Israel. You can view the results below.

However, I want to quote another part of the story the Times reported:

Those who identify as regular TikTok users were the most adamant in their criticism [of Israel]. The social media platform, owned by a Chinese company, has faced heated criticism from both parties, especially Republicans, for a stream of inflammatory videos aimed at very young users. TikTok users were more critical of the Biden administration’s policies toward Israel, even when controlling for their age.

I have written about the biased brainwashing of the TikTok algorithm before, but it is imperative that we understand the critical role TikTok is playing in the shaping of American (and probably global) opinions

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BUSINESS

Compugen, specializing in identifying cancer drug targets using computational technologies, has secured a significant partnership with biotech giant Gilead, valued at $99 billion. Compugen has signed a deal granting Gilead exclusive rights to develop and market the company's cancer-fighting antibody, COM 503. Gilead will pay Compugen $60 million upfront, plus an additional $30 million upon human trial approval for COM 503, expected in 2024. This deal has resulted in a 170% surge in Compugen's stock in Tel Aviv.

Salvador Technologies raised $6 million in a Seed funding round, led by Pico Venture Partners and joined by existing investors like Pitango VC. Specializing in rapid cyberattack recovery, the Salvador Technologies platform caters to critical control systems, blending hardware, software, and a central management system. It features a unique air-gap technology for secure backups, automatic daily scheduling, and electrical disconnection post-backup. The system also includes comprehensive monitoring and alerts for potential malicious activities.