News Digest — 5/15/23
Israel Hits Back After Rocket Fired From Gaza Amid Fragile Truce
Palestinian terrorists fired a rocket into southern Israel on Sunday (14th), prompting Israel Air Force planes to hit back, targeting Hamas observation posts. The launch on Sunday (14th) came less than 24 hours after a ceasefire was reached between Israel and the Islamic Jihad group in the Gaza Strip. The army said the rocket set off air-raid sirens in southern Israel but landed in an open area.
A fragile ceasefire between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip had appeared to be holding on Sunday (14th) after a five day clash that killed 33 Palestinians and two israelis. The latest round of fighting was sparked Tuesday (9th) when Israeli jets killed three top commanders from the Palestinian Jihad group in response to earlier rocket launches from Gaza. Those killings set off a barrage of fire and threatened to drag the region into an all-out war until an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire took hold at 10 pm Saturday (13th).
While the calm appeared to bring a sense of relief to millions of Israelis who had been largely confined to bomb shelters in recent days, the agreement did nothing to address many of the causes of the repeated fighting, including the Gaza border, the large arsenals of weapons possessed by Hamas and PIJ, as well as the linkage to the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.
Gaza’s main cargo crossing with Israel reopened Sunday (14th) because keeping it closed would force Gaza’s power plant to shut down. Israel was gradually lifting restrictions on residents in southern Israel, which had borne the brunt of the rocket fire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the targeted attacks on the terrorists’ hideouts would reverberate around the region. “Israel’s enemies in Gaza and much farther than Gaza know that even if they try to hide, we are able and prepared to reach them at any time,” he told a meeting of his Cabinet.
Israel says it does its utmost to avoid harming civilians in its strikes and says terrorists operate from within the territory’s densely populated areas to fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli communities.
Throughout the fighting, Israel’s repeated attacks targeting PIJ and its command centers and rocket-launching sites showed no signs of stopping the rocket fire, prompting PIJ to declare victory and send cheering Palestinians out into the streets late Saturday (13th). The Israeli military reported over 1,400 launches throughout the fighting, with some rockets reaching as far as the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas. Israeli jets struck more than 400 targets, according to a preliminary military tally, which also showed about a fifth of the rockets were misfired and landed in Gaza, while most of the rest were either intercepted or landed in open areas.
The more powerful Hamas has praised PIJ’s strikes but remained on the sidelines during the latest round of fighting, limiting the scope of the conflict. As the de facto government, held responsible for the abysmal conditions in the coastal enclave, Hamas has recently tried to keep a lid on its conflict with Israel. PIJ, on the other hand a more ideological and unruly group determined on violence, has taken the lead in the past few rounds of fighting with Israel.
(israelhayom.com; jpost.com)
Netanyahu To Cabinet: Our Operation Against Islamic Jihad Was ‘Perfect’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted the just completed Operation Shield and Arrow against Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza as being “perfect” in its execution, claiming the operation surprised the terrorist organization.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday (14th), Netanyahu lauded Israeli security forces for the operation, which led to the elimination of six top Islamic Jihad terrorists and dozens of other members of the organization.
“On Saturday night (13th), we successfully concluded five days of fighting against the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization. Before starting the operation, the directive I gave, together with the Defense Minister, to the IDF and ISA amounted to two words: ‘initiative’ and ‘surprise.’ ”
“I congratulated the IDF Chief-of-Staff and the Director of the ISA Saturday (13th) also with two words: ‘Well done.’ Indeed the operation was perfect. With complete surprise and continuous initiative, we targeted the entire Islamic Jihad leadership in Gaza. We destroyed 17 Jihad command centers. We eliminated dozens of terrorists. We hit rocket and missile arsenals, took out anti-tank units, etc.”
“For two months, since the establishment of the government, I have reiterated: Whoever harms us or even tries to harm us – will pay the price. Today, the enemies of Israel in Gaza and far beyond Gaza, know that even if they try to hide, we can, and we will, always reach them. This awareness was significantly strengthened during Operation Shield and Arrow. We changed the equation.”
Earlier on Sunday (14th), Foreign Minister Eli Cohen declared that Israel had won a diplomatic victory during the conflict, securing widespread support around the world for the five-day operation.
Minister Cohen told Radio 103FM that the operation was a significant success. “We showed intelligence and operational capabilities, I think we strengthened our deterrence. We changed the equation to one where we initiated and operated in a significant manner, and we managed to isolate Jihad,” said Cohen.
(maariv.co.il; isnn.com)
Rocket Victim Laid To Rest Sunday In Rishon Lezion
Inga Abramian, the resident of Rehovot, in her 80s, who was killed by a rocket strike in the city, was laid to rest on Sunday (14th).
The rocket was fired from Gaza and directly hit a four-story building on Smilansky Street, killing Inga and injuring thirteen other people to varying degrees. Inga is survived by her husband and two children.
Inga and her husband immigrated from Armenia to Israel about 30 years ago. She worked as a Russian teacher. Her family members said that her husband, who was confined to a wheelchair, had difficulty getting around. They estimated that this was the reason they did not have time to reach the shelter when the rocket attack sirens sounded. Her funeral was held at the Rishon Lezion Cemetery.
Eva Gur, a member of the Rehovot City Council, wrote on her Facebook account: “We are pained by the fall of a rocket in a building in the center of our city. We have been informed of a fatality and several more were injured. On this occasion, I send my condolences to the family and wishes of health to the injured.
The head of the Home Front Command, Major General Rafi Milo, said that in the building hit by the rocket there was an old and inactive shelter, which had become a storage room. The tenants could not enter it when the warning sounded and were exposed to the incoming rocket. Due to the damage caused to the building the tenants were evacuated to a hotel for fear of its collapse.
(isnn.com)
Ambassador Erdan: ’UN Nakba Event Destroys Any Chance Of Peace’
The United Nations General Assembly will be holding an event on Monday (15th) marking what it calls the “Nakba” (Arabic for ‘catastrophe’), and the Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel. Ahead of the event, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, sent a personal letter to all UN ambassadors calling on them to boycott the anti-Israel event.
“On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its establishment in line with the United Nations’ Partition Plan. The Arab states, including the Palestinians who lived in Israel, rejected the Partition Plan, and immediately following Israel’s Declaration of Independence, five Arab armies invaded Israel in order to obliterate the nascent state,” the letter opened, adding: “75 years later, on Monday May 15, the United Nations will commemorate the momentous occasion of Israel’s independence, not by celebrating Israel and its accomplishments, but rather by holding a special event in the General Assembly branding Israel’s establishment as the Nakba – the catastrophe in Arabic.”
The letter continued by expressing disgust with the event: “The thought that an international organization could mark the establishment of one of its member states as a catastrophe or disaster is both appalling and repulsive. The event is a blatant attempt to distort history, neglecting the fact that those who paint themselves as the victims were actually the aggressors who initiated a five-front war on the newly established State of Israel. This horrifying falsification must not be condoned in any way, shape, or form.”
The Ambassador called on UN members not to attend the event: “Those who attend one-sided hypocritical initiatives, such as the abominable event taking place on May 15, only serve to promote the anti-Semitic practice of holding the Jewish State to a different standard than any other member state. Not only does this condone Jew-hatred, but it also gives a green light to the Palestinians to continue exploiting international organs to promote their libelous narrative. Attending one-sided Palestinian initiatives that falsely brand Israel as the source of all evil does not bring the conflict closer to an end but only serves to inflame tensions.”
In a video message, Ambassador Erdan stated that the UN is distorting its own history: “I’m working so that member states understand that this event means destroying any chance of peace by adopting the Palestinian narrative calling the establishment of the State of Israel a disaster while ignoring Palestinian hate, incitement, terror, and refusal to accept the legitimacy of a Jewish state.”
He added that several member states already confirmed that they would not attend the event.
(isnn.com)
Police Make Heavy Security Arrangements Ahead Of Jerusalem Flag March
The Jerusalem Police are completing their preparations for the controversial Flag March, which will take place in the capital on Thursday (18th) under police security.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s spokesman said that he is expected to participate in the procession. In addition to the Flag March, the police have approved an additional parade that will take place during the event.
As part of the police preparations for Jerusalem Day, thousands of police officers are expected to be deployed in the capital to secure the marchers who are expected to pass through several friction points in the Old City, including the Damascus Gate and Hagai Street.
Meanwhile, the police have approved an additional march organized by the “Israel Forever” movement, composed of French immigrants and Zionist activists. The march is expected to be attended by Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer from the Religious Zionist Party, Chairman of the Knesset Education Committee MK Yossi Taieb from Shas, and other members of parliament.
Last week amid the rocket fire toward the south of Israel, during Operation Shield and Arrow, the Jerusalem police issued a statement saying that the traditional march scheduled for Jerusalem Day this year will proceed along its usual route, including through the Damascus Gate.
The police noted that “over two thousand officers will be deployed in preparation for the Flag March and during it. The police will ensure the security of the crowds and facilitate the movement of pedestrians and vehicles in the area, particularly in the vicinity of the Old City.
The Flag March, also known as the “Flag Dance,” takes place every year on Jerusalem Day to celebrate the reunification of the city in the 1967 Six-Day War. The parade is associated with the Religious Zionist Movement.
Police said their purpose on Jerusalem Day and during the Flag March is “to maintain a normal way of life as much as possible, allowing both march participants and the general public, including pedestrians and worshipers of all faiths, to reach their destinations and desired areas, while preventing any incidents of friction and violence of any kind.”
(ynetnews.com; afp.com)
