Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Fighting, Political Firestorm over Release of Shifa Hospital Head, IDF Manpower Requirements Not Being Met

Tel Aviv Diary, July 1, 2024

DAY 269 OF THE WAR

The major news this morning in Israel involved the release of Abu Salamiya from an Israeli prison. Salamiya, who was the head of Shifa Hospital, had been detained for collaborating with Hamas by allowing the hospital to function as a command center for the group. Hamas-held hostage Noa Marciano (19) was murdered in Shifa Hospital.

Salamiya was released due to a prison cell shortage in Israel. The Prison Service has not been able to accommodate all of the security prisoners that the IDF and the Shin Bet have arrested. The release of such a high-profile prisoner, even though he was not directly involved in terrorism, sparked a firestorm in Israel. Ben-Gvir, Minister for National Security, called for the resignation of the General Security Service (GSS/Shabak). In an unprecedented public response, the security service stated that it had been pleading to create additional prison facilities for the past year and a half — particularly over the last six months. The GSS also asserted they had repeatedly refrained from making arrests due to the lack of available prison space.

Over the past year, the government had allocated funds twice to build additional prisons, even implementing an across-the-board budget cut to finance the construction. Unfortunately, the Minister for National Security, who lacks any relevant experience, is in charge of Israel’s Prison Service. Minister Ben-Gvir’s primary concern appears to be ensuring prisoners do not get fresh pitas rather than overseeing the construction of new facilities. Salamiya was just one of 50 Hamas prisoners released today. The responsibility for this negligence rests with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who appointed the woefully unprepared MK Ben-Gvir despite having previously stated he would never do so. Unfortunately, this government continues to demonstrate incompetence, causing harm on multiple fronts.

TIME FOR REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN

My article in Newsweek today calls for a concerted effort to overthrow the regime in Iran.

THE IDF’S PERSONNEL CRISIS

Today, Defense Minister Gallant testified in the Knesset regarding the Army’s needs. Before his testimony, Gallant criticized various government sectors for failing to address the Army’s personnel needs. The Defense Minister highlighted the lack of approval from the Ministry of Finance to extend regular service, the absence of a legal framework to extend reservists' service, and the unresolved issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription. The Army has requested to extend standard compulsory military service to 36 months, as had been the case in previous years. However, a law enacted before the war, which reduced service to 30 months, took effect today. Consequently, the service term of approximately 6,000 soldiers ended today, with many immediately called up for reserve duty.

At the Knesset, Gallant stated that the IDF requires an additional 10,000 troops to compensate for those killed and wounded, as well as to meet other defense needs. Gallant reiterated that the Army has the capacity to integrate 3,000 ultra-Orthodox recruits this year, beyond the 1,200 ultra-Orthodox that typically enlist annually. The path forward remains uncertain. Last night, protests escalated with stone-throwing incidents and blockades targeting the vehicles of ultra-Orthodox Knesset members. While drafting the ultra-Orthodox was never expected to be easy, the process is proving to be exceedingly difficult

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WEST BANK

This morning, as Israeli troops were conducting a raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp (next to the town of Tulkarem), an IED detonated under one of the IDF’s armored carriers. The explosion killed Sergeant First Class (res.) Yehuda Geto (22) from Pardes Hanna-Karkur

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This is the second time within one week that an Israeli soldier was killed due to the explosion of an IED in this area of the West Bank.

GAZA

Prime Minister Netanyahu stated today that we are nearing a declaration of victory over Hamas’s terrorist army, and we are preparing to move on to the next stage. However, on the ground, heavy fighting continued today in Gaza.

In the morning, Hamas launched 20 rockets from the Khan Younis area towards the communities around Gaza, constituting the largest barrage in a long time. Tragically, a soldier was killed in the Rafah area by an IED explosion. The soldier was identified as Sergeant Ori Itzchak Hadad (21) from Beersheva

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Additionally, today, the IDF targeted and destroyed the largest rocket assembly workshop of the Islamic Jihad, located in a tunnel under Rafah.

The IDF Spokesperson provided the following update on the fighting in Gaza:

The combat team fighters of Division 98 eliminated several terrorists in the Shuja'iyya area in close-range encounters and discovered numerous weapons during raids in the area. In dozens of air force strikes directed by the division forces, dozens of terrorists were killed, and several sites for the production and storage of weapons were destroyed.

In Rafah, the combat team fighters of the Nahal Brigade, under the command of Division 162, identified a terrorist who launched an anti-tank missile at them. In a rapid closure of the loop, they directed an air force aircraft that killed the terrorist.

Yesterday (Sunday), Division 99 forces identified a terrorist who launched an attack at them in the central Gaza Strip. There were no injuries, and in an airstrike closure, an aircraft attacked and killed the terrorist.