News Digest — 5/12/23
Netanyahu/Gallant Order: ‘Continue Exacting A Heavy Price From The Islamic Jihad’
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement at the conclusion of a security situation assessment conducted on Thursday evening (11th) by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense praised the IDF and the Shin Bet for the achievement during Operation Shield and Arrow and instructed them to continue to exact a heavy price from the Islamic Jihad for its aggression against the citizens of Israel. The campaign will continue for as long as necessary.”
Earlier, a senior diplomatic official commented on the continued rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and the direct hit in Rehovot which resulted in the death of one person, and said that these rocket attacks make the possibility of a ceasefire much more distant.
“If the firing at Israel continues, the attacks on the Strip will continue, including the continuation of the countermeasures and the exacting and another heavy price from the Islamic jihad. Fire will be answered with fire,” said the official.
He noted that, within the last day, despite Egypt’s efforts to bring about a ceasefire, the Islamic Jihad kept launching barrages of rockets at Israel. In response, a fourth significant senior official in the Islamic Jihad was eliminated, and the organization continued to suffer severe damage.
“The equation has changed, Israel will exact a price for directing terrorism from the Gaza Strip to Judea and Samaria. The IDF is prepared to continue to protect the citizens of Israel with strength, while at the same time attacking terrorist targets, and is ready for any scenario,” he added.
It was reported Thursday (11th) that Iran was encouraging PIJ not to ceasefire, but to continue with the rocket launches and not stop.
As of Thursday (11th), Palestinian Islamic Jihad had launched 800 rockets at Israel within 36 hours. In response, the IAF struck 191 Islamic Jihad targets, killing key leaders of the Islamic Jihad organization.
One Killed, Five Hurt As Rocket Hits Rehovot Residential Building
A rocket fired by terrorists from the Gaza Strip struck a residential building in Rehovot on Thursday evening (11th). A 70-year-old man was killed in the strike, and five people were injured. This is the first fatality on the Israeli side since Operation Shield and Arrow began Monday night (8th).
Four of the injured are in moderate condition, while one person is in light condition. The injured were taken to Kaplan Hospital.
Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics pronounced 1 victim dead with severe shrapnel wounds, and evacuated five victims, including a 74-year-old male, a 50-year-old male, two females in their 70s, and a fourth one in mild condition. Two further victims were evacuated with stress symptoms.
MDA EMT’s Yedidya Hakmon and Tomer Pashko said: “When we arrived on scene we saw massive destruction, we immediately went in to search the apartments. In a third-floor apartment we found an unconscious male victim with severe multi-trauma injury, and could only pronounce him dead. In another apartment a 74-year-old male was found trapped with his leg under the rubble, he was rescued by the Fire Department and taken by stretcher to the MDA ambulance that evacuated him to the hospital. Further MDA teams arrived on the scene and provided treatment to three further victims.
The Islamic Jihad terrorist organization told i24News that the rocket which struck the building in Rehovot and the rocket that was fired at Tel Aviv on Wednesday (10th) and intercepted by the David’s Sling system were both the Iranian made ‘Burak 85’ long-range rockets.
Also, a chicken coop was struck on Thursday (11th) during a rocket barrage, and on Wednesday (10th) homes in Ashkelon and Sderot were hit by rockets.
Islamic Jihad To Gaza Children: ‘Head to the Rooftops To Celebrate Israeli Death’
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group issued a statement urging children in Gaza to go onto their rooftops at 9 p.m. to celebrate the death of the first Israeli by rocket fire.
Three hours earlier, one person died and at least five were injured when a residential building in Rehovot collapsed after sustaining a direct hit from rocket fire.
Palestinian terrorists launched more than 800 rockets and mortars at Israel in a period of 36 hours, the IDF said.
Missile defense systems intercepted 179 of the 620 that made it over the border. 152 fell short in Gaza.
The IDF continued to take out targets in Gaza on Thursday evening (11th), including an Islamic Jihad observation point, a mortar launching position and underground rocket launchers.
The airstrikes did not deter the PIJ from encouraging children to head for the rooftops to celebrate.
Senior PIJ leaders who were killed in Israeli raids also gathered their children around them in the hope of using them as human shields.
On Thursday (11th), the IDF showed a video of the Israel Air Force aborting an airstrike on a PIJ target when two Gaza children were spotted near the target.
Israel’s Gilad Erdan: ‘US Blocked UN Security Council Condemnation On Gaza’
The United States, together with the UK, blocked the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) from issuing a statement condemning the IDF’s operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said Thursday (11th).
“We succeeded in blocking condemnation of Israel with the help of the US, whom we worked in conjunction with,” he told Army Radio.
“The US, together with Great Britain, clarified that they would not allow a statement,” he added.
Erdan spoke after the 15-member Security Council held a closed-door meeting on Thursday (11th) about the situation in Gaza at the request of the United Arab Emirates, France and China, with Russia’s support.
The US and the UK, together with Russia, China and France, are among the five UNSC members that have permanent seats on the council and veto power.
Their (the US and UK) opposition to the issuance of such a statement or condemnation, meant the issue never came to a vote. The US has a strong record of supporting Israel at the UN, particularly in the Security Council.
After the meeting, Switzerland, which holds the council’s rotating presidency this month, said on Twitter it was alarmed by the outbreak of violence between Israel and Gaza this week, during which the IDF killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders as well as the head of its rocket-launching force.
Erdan successfully pushed for the UNSC to condemn the Palestinians’ indiscriminate firing of rockets.
The UNSC has held nine meetings on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this year, including four that were regularly scheduled monthly events. In February, the UNSC issued a consensus statement of dismay about Israeli settlement activity. It last issued a statement on Gaza during the 2014 war.
(gglz.net; jpost.com)
Exclusive: Terror Groups Seek To Destabilize Israel By Inciting Arab Israelis To Riot
Police security forces are working to crackdown on incitement to violence, especially ahead of the Jerusalem Day Flag March next week, Israel Hayom has learned.
According to law enforcement officials, terror groups in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority are using social media to spread fake news about the IDF’s Operation Shield and Arrow in an effort to incite Arab Israelis to riot.
“Behind the scenes, there is a national effort to curb and deal with incitement to terrorism,” one source said. The terrorists seek to “inflame” the region and push Arab Israelis to demonstrate and protest, which is why our mission is to “maintain calm.” The efforts are led by a special team in charge of dealing with incitement to terrorism and violence, which was established by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shortly after taking office. It includes officers of the police, the State Attorney’s Office and the Shin Bet security agency. Since its establishment a few months ago, it has already identified 372 posts, of which 163 included incitement to terrorism. Sixty-three investigations were launched and 18 individuals were arrested, against five of whom indictments have already been filed.
Terror groups are essentially looking for a repeat of Operation Guardian of the Walls when the Israeli military not only had to deal with an escalation in Gaza but Israel’s mixed cities as well.
Violent riots by Arab Israelis and night time curfews, such as in the mixed city of Lod, and even lynches against Jews, led to the death of one Israeli.
Again, “we see that the intention is to harness Arab Israelis and take them out to demonstrate or confront Israeli security forces,” a senior police officer told Israel Hayom.
He said efforts to counter fake and inciting information have already proved successful. “This worked well during Ramadan, and our explanatory videos against the terror operations were distributed throughout the entire Middle East.”
Ben-Gvir also addressed the matter on Thursday (11th), saying, “The war on incitement to terrorism is always important, all the more on days like this, such as Jerusalem Day, when incitement is increased.”
The US And Europe Use Facial Recognition Technology. When Israel Uses It, The New York Times Calls It “Apartheid” – Ira Stoll
→ On May 1, the New York Times reported “Facial Recognition Powers ‘Automated Apartheid’ in Israel,” which began: “Israel is increasingly relying on facial recognition in the…West Bank to track Palestinians.” Yet the US uses the same technology.
→ A June 2021 report by the US Government Accounting Office (GAO) found that 20 federal agencies reported owning systems with facial recognition technology or using systems owned by other entities, such as other federal, state, local and non-government entities.
→ Likewise, facial recognition technology is used for security reasons throughout Europe. Airports in the Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, and the UK, as well as bus and metro systems in Berlin, Paris and Madrid, use it for security screenings, including border control and identification.
→ Police in the UK use this technology to scan crowds for individuals wanted for serious crimes. The Irish Department of Social protection deploys a facial recognition system to prevent social welfare fraud.
→ When the Times singles out Israel for negative headline treatment, it is effectively holding the Jewish State to a different standard than every other government that is using security cameras to fight crime and increase national security.
→ The New York Times itself reported in March 2023 that Manhattan businesses, including Madison Square Garden, Macy’s, and Fairway, are using facial recognition to improve security and fight shoplifting. It didn’t accuse them of “apartheid.”
