The Gaza war has been going on for almost six months. Protests against Israel’s government are violent. Discussions about the planned ground offensive in Rafah are now to take place virtually. The news at a glance.
According to a media report, representatives from Israel and the USA are to meet virtually today for discussions about Israel’s planned ground offensive against the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The meeting will take place via a secure connection as a video conference, the news portal “Axios” reported overnight, citing four Israeli and US officials. The White House and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have not yet commented on the possible meeting.
An Israeli delegation was actually supposed to travel to Washington last week to hear the US’s concerns about the planned ground offensive and to be shown alternatives. But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu canceled the trip after the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire without opposition from the US.
The Israelis then suggested postponing the talks until today, the US broadcaster CNN reported on Friday. Washington considers a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah to be wrong because of the hundreds of thousands of civilians there and would like to show Israel alternatives.
The fact that the meeting will now take place virtually could help Netanyahu “save face,” Axios reported, citing senior Israeli officials. This would allow him to continue the discussion with the White House without having to send a delegation to Washington. The scheduling was made more difficult, among other things, by the fact that Israel’s government was supposed to develop a new law on the question of conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.
Conscription exemption for strictly religious men is expiring
Exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men from compulsory military service in Israel that have existed for decades expired on Monday night. Netanyahu’s government had failed to pass a law that would cement the relief measures.
Starting today, state subsidies for ultra-Orthodox men of military age studying in religious schools will be eliminated, according to an interim order from the Supreme Court. According to a decision by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the military is also obliged to immediately draft in religious students who have previously been largely exempt. According to media reports, there are more than 60,000 men. However, the military is not expected to immediately send them muster notices, even though the army has reportedly been short of soldiers since the start of the Gaza war.
The dispute over compulsory military service, which has been simmering for decades, has recently escalated dramatically and, according to observers, could endanger Netanyahu’s coalition in the medium term. This is also based on strictly religious partners who strictly reject the drafting of young men from their community. In Israel, men have to do military service for three years and women for two years.
Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrate against the government
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against Netanyahu’s government in Israel for the second day in a row. During angry protests near parliament in Jerusalem, demonstrators called for the government to resign, a new election and a quick deal to release the hostages held by the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas.
Netanyahu firmly rejected criticism of his conduct of the negotiations and calls for a new election. “The calls for an election now, at the height of the war, a moment before victory, will paralyze Israel for at least six months, in my estimation even eight months,” said the head of government. Negotiations about the release of more hostages in return for a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of Palestinian prisoners would also be disrupted by a new election, Netanyahu continued.
In the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas and other extremist groups from the Gaza Strip on October 7, terrorists kidnapped more than 250 people from Israel to the coastal area. Just over 100 hostages were released as part of a deal in November. According to Israeli estimates, almost 100 people abducted by Hamas are still alive. Relatives of the hostages have accused Netanyahu of having no real interest in securing their release.
Talks about hostage deal and ceasefire continue
An Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo in an effort to secure a deal to release more hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza war, according to media reports. The aim of the new talks in the Egyptian capital is to first explore whether it even makes sense for the Israeli intelligence chiefs to take part in the indirect negotiations in the coming days, the Times of Israel reported, citing an Israeli representative. Israel is “disappointed” in the mediator Qatar. The negotiations were last held there before they collapsed a few days ago.
Activists: Israel is bombing targets in Syria again
According to activists, Israeli forces attacked a military research facility near the Syrian capital Damascus with four rockets. This was reported by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. There were fires at the impact site. The Syrian air defense fired on incoming missiles, it said. The extent of the property damage initially remained unclear. The Syrian state news agency Sana confirmed the attack and reported two people were injured. Israel generally does not comment on attacks in Syria.
Israel’s air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria in an attempt to prevent Iran and its allied militias such as the Lebanese Hezbollah from expanding their military influence in the country. Attacks have increased since the Gaza war began. Just on Friday, more than 50 people were killed in heavy air strikes in northwest Syria.
Drone attack on Israeli city of Eilat
According to the Israeli army, a building was damaged in a drone attack on the southern Israeli coastal city of Eilat. The military announced on Telegram that night that the projectile was fired from the east towards Israel. There was only minor damage and no people were injured in the incident. Israel’s army had previously reported siren alarms in the city on the Red Sea.
According to Israeli media reports, the origin of the drone could point to a group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. This is a kind of umbrella group of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq that have been operating together under this name since the beginning of the Gaza War. Israel borders directly on Jordan to the east.
Netanyahu successfully operated on hernia
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu underwent surgery for a hernia. The operation went as planned and the 74-year-old is now recovering, Israeli media reported that night, citing the treating hospital. According to Netanyahu’s office, the hernia was discovered during a routine examination on Saturday. Parts of the intestine, organ parts or fatty tissue protrude through a gap in the abdominal wall.
Most patients can leave the hospital quickly after hernia surgery and return to normal physical activity after a few days or weeks. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Jariv Levin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, took over the official duties.