News Digest — 2/14/22
Seeking To Test Underground Border Barrier, Hamas Ups Terror Tunnel Construction
Hamas is accelerating the construction of terror tunnels seeking to breach the underground barrier Israel dug on its border with the coastal enclave, a military official told the Walla news website on Sunday (13th).
In early December, Israel announced the completion of a sensor-equipped underground wall on its side of the Gaza border – a countermeasure developed after Hamas terrorists used tunnels to blindside IDF troops during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
Stretching 40 miles, the barrier also includes an above- ground fence, a naval barrier, command and control centers, hundreds of cameras, radars and sensors, as well as a range of other defenses. Over 140,000 tons of iron and steel were used in its construction, which took over three years to complete.
The above-ground “smart fence” is more than 20 feet high and it’s maritime barrier includes means to detect infiltration by sea and a remote-controlled weapons system.
Military officials in the Gaza Division told Walla that while the construction of the barrier was underway, dozens of terror tunnels that crossed into Israel’s territory were exposed.
The majority of Hamas’ grid of terror tunnels was eliminated during Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021, when the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of massive raids that destroyed miles of offensive tunnels and killed what the IDF believes to be dozens of Hamas terrorists.
Hamas has vowed to rebuild the labyrinth of underground passageways and has placed its military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, in charge of the effort.
According to a report, some of the terror tunnels Hamas has been trying to rebuild reached the wall, where a terrorist cell is likely to try and breach it using explosives.
Hamas is also likely to “test” the underground wall’s various sensors and radars to devise ways around them, the report said.
“This is a game of cat and mouse,” the report cited a defense official as saying.
“They [Hamas] are still busy studying the IDF’s technological systems. Once they understand how strong it is and that it’s impossible to cross the underground wall, they will look for another path with which to threaten us,” the official added.
(israelhayom.com; walla.co.il)
No Panic Yet – Israelis In Ukraine Downplay Invasion Fears
Despite calls from Israel’s Foreign Ministry to leave Ukraine as soon as possible and remarks from the Diaspora Minister signaling that the Jewish State is readying to absorb tens of thousands of refugees, some Israelis in Ukraine aren’t in a rush to flee the country.
According to a report from Channel 12, Israeli airlines operating flights between Ukraine and Israel have not reported an unusual spike in ticket purchases, something that would indicate a mass exodus ahead of a potential Russian invasion.
The Foreign Ministry estimates that there are some 15,000 Israeli citizens currently in the eastern European country.
Rabbi Yonatan Binyamin Markovich, Kiev’s Chief Rabbi, who is also an Israeli citizen, said he was not planning on leaving Ukraine in the near future.
“Because of my role, my situation is a bit different,” he told Walla news. “An Israeli businessman or high-tech worker can leave, and there are quite a few who do, but I can’t do it.”
He explained he felt compelled for spiritual reasons to remain in Ukraine. “The Rebbe of Lubavitch sent us here, to be with every Jew who is still here, and here we stay,” he said.
“To a large extent it’s like being the captain of a ship.”
However, Israeli government officials issued calls for citizens to return home before logistical challenges caused by a military conflict make evacuation flights increasingly difficult.
“Come home,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday (13th), addressing Israelis in Ukraine.
“Don’t take unnecessary risks. Don’t wait until you badly want to come home – when it’s impossible. Take responsibility for your lives. Leave Ukraine as fast as possible and come home.”
“The flights that arrived [in Israel] from Ukraine on Saturday (12th) were full,” said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. “Thirty-two flights are scheduled for this week. I call on the citizens of Israel to board these flights.”
(worldisraelnews.com; walla.co.il)
Sudan’s Top General Says Intelligence Sharing With Israel Helped Arrest Militants
CAIRO – Sudan’s top general has lauded recent ties with Israel in a Saturday (12th) interview, saying that intelligence sharing between the two former adversaries helped arrest suspected militants in his country.
The two countries normalized relations late in 2020 as part of a series of US-brokered deals between Israel and four Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. Israel and Sudan have since crafted security and intelligence relationships that have seen officials exchange meetings repeatedly in unannounced trips.
Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, said exchange of intelligence has enabled Sudan to dismantle and arrest suspected militant groups in Sudan that “could have determined the security of Sudan and the region.
Speaking in an interview with Sudan’s state-run TV, which aired late Saturday (12th), Burhan said it is legitimate for Sudanese security and intelligence agencies to have ties and exchange visits with Israel.
He insisted his country’s relations with Israel are not of a political nature, saying that no senior Sudanese officials have yet made a visit to Israel. He did not elaborate.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
Israel has been silent on the October military coup in Sudan, led by Burhan, and the ensuing October 25 military takeover which has upended Sudan’s transition to democratic rule after three decades of repression and international isolation under Omar al-Bashir. The African nation has been on a fragile path to democracy since a popular uprising forced the military to remove al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019.
The coup triggered near-daily street protests, plunging the country further into turmoil. Security forces launched a deadly crackdown on protesters, killing around 80 people and wounding over 2,200 others since the coup, according to a Sudanese medical group.
The UN, the US and other Western governments have pressured the military to end the crackdown on protesters and restore a civilian-led government to complete the country’s transition. Congressional members also have called for sanctions on military leaders in Sudan.
In the Saturday (12th) interview, Burhan pushed back against threats of punitive measures, saying that sanctions and threats of sanctions will not be helpful.
Sudan was once one of Israel’s fiercest rivals in the Arab world. It hosted the landmark Arab conference after the 1967 Mideast war at which eight Arab countries vowed never to make peace with Israel.
(timesofisrael.com; ap.com; afp.com)
A Terrorist’s Worst Nightmare! Israeli Camera Sees Through Walls At 300 Feet
A ground-breaking camera developed in Israel can see through walls, even from a distance of 300 feet.
“It can be used remotely from one apartment to another, inside a shelter, or an autonomous car,” said Amir Beeri, managing director and founder of Cameo, of the Xaver Long-Range (XLR80).
“So, it can position itself up to 300 feet from its target, and see inside a room or house, if there are people inside, how many, whether they are on the move, and decide how to operate,” he said.
In case of a terrorist attack or kidnapping in an urban environment, security forces in theory, will no longer need to perform certain dangerous tasks such as house-to-house searches, to gather information. They will be able to concentrate their efforts on the whole building at once.
“It’s like a long-range sight. It’s an observation system but it sees through walls. So we aim the sight precisely at the target,” Beeri added. “It’s calibrated with an antenna, so we know exactly what is happening in a room through the concrete walls.”
This ‘detector’ understands how far from the wall people are standing, their position, and therefore, the way the security forces can operate.
“It’s a tactical tool that gives an exceptional operational advantage to military forces, police and rescuers. We can know what is happening on the other side of the wall,” Beeri added.
London: ‘We Don’t Want Jews Here’
London Metropolitan Police have opened investigations into several recent anti-Semitic incidents in the British capital, including an assault on a Jewish man and harassment of a Jewish woman and her children.
On Friday afternoon (11th), a haredi man was assaulted in a north London apartment building, the Shomrim community watch group reported.
Close circuit television footage of the incident shows the assailant arguing with his victim in the building, before stealing his phone. The victim tried to recover his phone – the two struggled – then the attacker repeatedly punched the haredi man and ran off.
Police said that a probe into the incident was launched, but claimed that they had no evidence that the crime was an anti-Semitic act.
In a separate incident reported Friday (11th) by the Shomrim group, a woman and her two children were harassed as they walked down the street in the Stamford Hill neighborhood.
During the incident, a man shouted at the woman and children “We don’t want Jews here – Heil Hitler!”
(isnn.com)
