News Digest — 7/22/24
Israel Responds To Houthi Attack On Tel Aviv – Maya Gur Arieh
The IDF on Saturday (20th) struck Houthi military targets and enemy infrastructure at the port of Hudaydah in western Yemen. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel’s action was in response to the Houthi drone attack that killed Yevgeny Ferder, 50, in Tel Aviv early Friday (19th). “The fire that is currently burning in Hudaydah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear,” Gallant said. “The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them.”
Chairman of the National Unity Party Benny Gantz said, “We are always willing to do the work to protect the citizens of Israel ourselves. It was so in the past, and will be in the future, in front of everyone who hurts us, on every front.” Opposition leader and Yesh Atid party chairman Yaid Lapid said, “The attack in Yemen is justified and accurate. Congratulations to the Air Force, the IDF, and the security forces for a perfect performance.”
IDF Spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari said, “Our pilots attacked the Port of Hudaydah, a supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons. We also attacked energy infrastructure.”
Israel updated its allies before carrying out the strike.
Tel Aviv Drone Attack Grave Error, Former Houthi Official Says
In an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom, a former high-ranking Houthi official criticized the pro-Iranian terror group’s continuous attacks against Israel as a grave miscalculation.
The ex-official argued that support for Palestinians could have been channeled through financial assistance, media campaigns, or humanitarian aid, mirroring the approach of other Arab nations. Instead the Houthis’ pursuit of direct confrontation with Israel places Yemen’s civilian population, already grappling with a humanitarian crisis, at greater risk.
“The Houthis are exploiting tens of millions of Yemenis as human shields when they fire rockets and kill Israeli civilians. This action will lead to the port’s bankruptcy. The core conflict is between Israel and the Palestinians; we have no direct dispute with Israel,” the official explained.
He further noted that the pro-Iranian militia lacks even a rudimentary air defense system to safeguard Yemen. Leader of the Houthis “Abdul-Malik al-Houthi launches these rockets despite being unable to down even a single Israeli aircraft,” he criticized, voicing concerns that Israel might impose a naval and air blockade on Yemen – with civilians bearing the brunt of such actions.
Al-Houthi falsely claimed Israel’s strike on Hudaydah port aimed to damage Yemen’s economy. In fact, the attack was a response to a Houthi drone strike that killed an Israeli civilian in Tel Aviv and targeted military assets used by the Iranian-backed group.
Security Forces Thwart Hamas Terror Plot Directed From Turkey
Israeli security forces have successfully foiled a significant terror plot orchestrated by Hamas operatives in Turkey and involving students from Birzeit University in the West Bank. The operation, a collaborative effort by the Shin Bet security agency, IDF, and a specialized police unit, led to the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of weapons and funds earmarked for the attack.
The cell, operating under the banner of “Kutla Islamiya,” was in the advanced stages of planning a major attack when it was uncovered. Intelligence gathered by the Shin Bet indicates that the suspects were acting on directives from Hamas’ leadership in Turkey, with the ultimate goal of establishing a foothold for Hamas operations against Israeli targets.
The Shin Bet’s investigation revealed that the cell members were actively preparing to execute a significant attack and were involved in a complex network of Hamas fund transfers to operatives in the field. These activities were reportedly coordinated by high-ranking Hamas officials based in Turkey.
At the center of the plot was a resident of a village in the Benjamin region, who is suspected of leading the cell. This individual allegedly recruited a military unit of activists from Birzeit University in Ramallah. The investigation uncovered that the suspected leader utilized connections with another activist, a student from Ramallah studying at Al-Quds University, to establish communication channels with the Hamas command in Turkey. These connections were reportedly used to secure funding for weapons acquisition and to facilitate the planned attack.
As the investigation unfolded, all cell members involved in the attack planning were swiftly arrested by Israeli police. The security operation also led to the surrender of an M16 rifle and the confiscation of tens of thousands of dollars, which had been funneled from the Hamas command in Turkey to finance the plot.
The evidence collected during the investigation has been handed over to the military prosecution for review and potential indictment.
Earthquake Reported Near Dead Sea, Felt In Jerusalem
There was an earthquake reported near the Dead Sea with a magnitude of about 3.7 on the Richter scale on Sunday night (21st) around 11:15 p.m., according to the National Geological Institute.
The Institute confirmed the presence of the earthquake after reports from the residents of the area, N12 reported.
A Ynet report stated that the earthquake could also be felt in Jerusalem, Beersheba, Dimona, and Eilat, with the report claiming that the Dead Sea was the epicenter of the area.
One Jerusalem resident told Ynet, “My mother and I felt the earthquake – the bed and the couch moved, and books fell off the shelf.”
The last earthquake that occurred in Israel was four months ago in the north of the country, where a magnitude 3,8 earthquake was felt in the Sea of Galilee area. Alarms were even activated in several schools throughout the Jordan Valley.
Herzog To Attend Olympics In Paris, Meet Leaders Of France, Italy
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will depart on Wednesday (24th) to attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 summer Olympic Games in Paris on Friday, July 26.
The president will greet the Israeli delegation at the start of the competition, along with Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar. He will also visit the Olympic Village and affix a mezuzah at the Israeli delegation’s building.
On Wednesday evening, (24th) Herzog will participate in a memorial commemoration together with the Israeli delegation, members of the Olympic Committee, and bereaved families marking 52 years since Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli sportsmen at the Munich Games.
The president will then watch Israel’s soccer team play against Mali at the Parc des Princes Stadium.
On Thursday (25th), Herzog will visit Rome where he will meet with President Sergio Mattarella, Prime MInister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
He will then return to Paris to attend a reception hosted by President Emmanuel Macron for heads of state arriving for the opening of the Olympics. Herzog will meet with the French leader on Friday (26th).
Also on Friday (26th) Herzog will meet with members of the Jewish community in France.
“We are in the midst of a difficult and painful war, which is also reflected on the international stage. At this time, it is especially important for the State of Israel to take our place resolutely and appear on every global stage, and particularly on such an important stage as the Olympics,”said Herzog on Sunday (21st).
“Our determination is to hold our heads high despite the pain we endure, and in defiance of terror and hatred, to stand firm in our right – as any sovereign nation – to participate in the Games and do so with a high profile, with honor and great pride, as an expression of the resilient and inspiring Israeli spirit,” he continued.
“At every moment, our thoughts are with the hostages and their families. This is our highest mission and duty as a state – to never forget for a moment and to constantly work for their release, both in Israel and abroad.”
“I am embarking on this diplomatic visit with this mission in mind, and I know our athletes feel the same way. We have a wonderful delegation with tremendous potential, with an entire nation behind them, embracing, supporting and encouraging each and every one of them. We all hope to see the Israeli flag raised as many times as possible and know that for us, they are already winners,” concluded the president.
Quietly And Deep Underground, Israelis Are Preparing For Another War – Carrie Keller-Lynn
Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa has set up four operating rooms, a maternity ward and a dialysis center three levels down in its underground parking garage, part of its plan to keep functioning in an all-out conflict with Hezbollah. Homeowners associations across Israel are clearing out dusty shelters in apartment buildings, fixing plumbing and stockpiling water and supplies to be ready for long stays underground. Some in Tel Aviv keep GO-bags of essentials packed by the door.
Emergency crews are being beefed up, and supplies of necessities such as blood are being secured. Magen David Adom, which manages Israel’s emergency medical response, has been stockpiling field dressings, syringes and medications for the past few months in an underground facility. The warehouse in the parking bay is packed with some of the 200 ambulances Magen David Adom has added to its fleet since the war in Gaza began. Magen David Adom also manages Israel’s national blood bank, which moved underground in October. Israel’s strategic blood reserve is guarded in a chilled vault three floors underground.
Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services is training more than 150 civilian response teams in communities within 18 miles of Israel’s border with Lebanon. Haifa has created more than 100 new public shelters, outfitting them with generators and internet access. (Wall Street Journal)
(wsj.com)
Vilifying Israel’s Use Of 2,000-Pound Bombs Only Ends Up Costing More Lives – John Spencer
Last week, Israel very likely killed the long-time head of Hamas’ military, Mohanned Deif, with multiple 2,000-pound bombs. President Joe Biden has been blocking shipments of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, saying, “They cannot be used in Gaza or any other populated area without causing great human tragedy and damage.”
To be sure, the war in Gaza has been incredibly destructive and thousands of Palestinians have tragically been killed. The numbers are as high as they are because Hamas has cynically dug itself in, beneath densely populated areas. Israel has used its 2,000-pound bombs against military targets in bunkers and tunnels, even while knowing that there would be unavoidable civilian casualties – just as the U.S. has done in its past wars.
Some claim that the U.S. has rarely used 2,000-pound bombs. That’s simply not true. During the first Gulf war, the U.S. dropped more than 16,000 2,000-pound bombs on Iraqi targets. During the opening month of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it dropped more than 5,000 of these bombs in Baghdad, a city of over 5 million residents. The U.S. dropped four of the bombs on one building in a residential neighborhood after receiving intelligence reports that senior Iraqi officials, possibly including Saddam Hussein and his two sons, were there.
A human rights advocacy coalition has sought to have all bombs, missiles, artillery, and mortars banned from use in any urban area, even if a military was able to evacuate all the civilians from the area. As a scholar of urban warfare, I have concluded and presented to the UN that banning bombs and artillery in urban warfare would perversely result in more destruction, not less.
Restrictions on the use of bombs in cities sucks the fight into cities from rural areas. If the attacking army is deprived of those weapons, defenders engage in protracted block-by-block street fights that lead to mass destruction and thousands of lost lives. Without bombs or artillery, urban battles can become bloody-sieges that drag out a war.
In the 1945 battle of Manilla, Gen. Douglas MacArthur banned the U.S. Army from using bombs for fear of destroying the city and killing civilians. Nevertheless, 100,000 civilians perished and most of the city was destroyed to defeat a Japanese force not even half the size of Hamas in Gaza.
The writer is chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point. (Newsweek)
