Israel Weekly News Roundup - July 26, 2024

Five things you need to know

Israel at War - Day 294

1. IAF Strikes Hodeidah in Yemen in Response to the Houthis Drone that Hit Tel Aviv

The Israel Air Force (IAF) attacked facilities in the port city of Hodeidah, killing six people and wounding 87, in response to the Houthi drone that killed one person in Tel Aviv. They hit cranes, piers, and oil storage tanks, causing fires that burned for days. The Houthi drone that hit Tel Aviv was made in Iran and launched by the Houthis from Yemen.

Israel's military spokesperson said the port had been used by the Houthis to receive weapons shipments from Iran. The targets included dual-use sites such as energy infrastructure, he said. Hodeida lies more than 1,800 km (1,120 miles) South-South-West of Israel and South of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea close to the approaches to the Gulf of Aden. The attack was coordinated with Israeli allies.

The Israeli airstrikes are the first known Israeli attack against the Houthis since October 7, 2024. After Israel struck back on Saturday, the Houthis said they launched a fresh barrage of missiles toward Israel, promising a response that will be “huge and great.”

2. Netanyahu Visit to USA

PM Netanyahu and his wife departed earlier this week to Washington DC, in an inaugural flight of the official PM carrier, “Wing of Zion”. The aircraft is a modified Boeing 767-338ER wide body twin jet airliner belonging to the Israeli Air Foce. Traveling with Netanyahu were Noa Argamani, rescued from Hamas captivity several weeks ago, her father, family members of hostages still in captivity and IDF combatants who fought Hamas fighters on October 7^th.

In DC, PM Netanyahu made a long speech, in a joint address to the Senate and the House, where he spoke of post-war Gaza, and the need to root out the threats posed by Iran and Hamas. He also said that a ceasefire/hostage deal is within reach, but did not elaborate, although several family members of hostages were present in the hall. Several of them, wearing t-shirts calling for an immediate deal, were detained and removed from the hall by Capitol Hill security guards. The media reported that the address received applause by members of congress from both parties, but more so from Republican members. Several prominent Democratic representatives, including ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris, did not attend the session.  Israeli senior officials criticized VP Harris for not attending Netanyahu’s address to Congress, and the Israeli media and public are sure to closely follow Harris’ position on the Gaza war and on Israel.

Analysts commented that Netanyahu’s address did not receive the coverage and public interest he expected, because it was overshadowed by President Biden’s oval office speech. During the speech, while addressing his decision to step down from the presidential race, President Biden said that he is "gonna keep working to end the war in Gaza and bring home all the hostages."

While Netanyahu spoke, hostage families and their supporters demonstrated outside. Pro-Palestinian activists also held a rally during the speech at Union Station. One relative of a 79-year-old hostage told the media: "the Israeli government insists Israel is inches from total victory. Under this pretense, the fascist-backed Netanyahu administration is leaving no stone unturned not to rescue the hostages but to justify his failed image and shift blame and responsibility."

On Thursday, Netanyahu met with President Biden at the White House for a meeting that lasted an hour and a half. Following the meeting, the White House released a statement saying that the time has come to end the war in Gaza. PM Netanyanu also met with VP Kamala Harris, who reiterated the same message, saying it is time to reach a ceasefire and release the hostages. At the meeting, PM Netanyahu also voiced his reservation vis-a-vis U.S. sanctions against far-right Israeli activists, however, the issue was not resolved at the meeting. On Friday, PM Netanyahu will meet with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Miami.

3. Far Right Minister Ben Gvir Vows to Change Ban on Jewish Prayer at Temple Mount

Minister of Homeland Security, Itamar Ben Gvir (Jewish Power) vowed to change the status quo on the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa Mosque Compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, which bans Jewish prayer on site. He made the statement at a conference in the Knesset entitled "Israel's Return to the Temple Mount." His statement drew criticism from members of the Knesset from both the opposition and the coalition.

Defense Minister Gallant wrote on social media network X that "Ben-Gvir is constantly trying to blow up the Middle East. I categorically reject any ideas of hurting the Status Quo in the holy City of Jerusalem." The Prime Minister's Office also released a statement saying: "Israel's policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change."

PM Netanyahu, already en-route to Washington DC, told reporters that the status quo on the Temple Mount will remain intact.

Ben Gvir’s statement comes at a time of heightened tensions within the government coalition, concerning his request to form a new “war cabinet” that will include him. In response, minister of Defense Gallant said that he opposes any attempt to have Ben Gvir join the war cabinet, and added that Ben-Gvir is "a pyromaniac sitting in the Israeli government, who is trying to set the Middle East on fire."

4. Hostages Update

Out of a total of 251 people abducted to Gaza on October 7, there remain 111 hostages in Gaza. Thirty nine have been declared dead by the IDF. The bodies of five Israeli hostages were brought back to Israel in a special operation on Wednesday. They were recovered from a tunnel located in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference said the “complex” operation to recover the bodies took place in “the heart of Khan Younis,” where the military had operated and withdrawn from earlier this year.

IDF forces in Gaza have successfully rescued seven hostages alive, along with the remains of 24 others, including the five recovered Wednesday and three hostages who were mistakenly killed by the military after they escaped from their captors.

Netanyahu and his coalition government face increasing pressure to finalize a deal with Hamas that will lead to the release of all the remaining hostages. Thousands of protestors continue to attend weekly rallies in Tel Aviv and many locations across the country urging the government to make the compromises needed to free the hostages.

5. Escalation in Violence in West Bank, Settler Violence and International Sanctions

Earlier this week, an officer of the Palestinian Customs Authority, Abed Sarhan, was killed by IDF gunfire in the West Bank town of Tubas. The IDF said it is investigating the circumstances that led to Sarhan's killing. Another Palestinian was also killed by Israeli forces in the village of Kalandia and six were wounded in gunfire exchange.

Masked Jewish settlers torched vehicles in the village of Hawara and vandalized properties in the village, after stones were thrown at settlers driving through the village. This, several days after Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and Israeli and international volunteers who accompanied them.

The international community continues to respond to settler violence in the West Bank by imposing sanctions on prominent figures and organizations involved in violence against Palestinian residents. This week, Australia imposed sanctions on seven Israelis. In a statement, the Australian foreign ministry said: "The individuals sanctioned today have been involved in violent attacks on Palestinians. This includes beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injury and in some cases, death."

Japan also imposed asset-freeze sanctions on four Israeli settlers for their violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

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