Thank G-d, the IDF did not announce any fallen heroes today, and no Israeli civilians were killed!

Due to many questions, I included an explanation of the Galant firing at the end of this report. I did my best to present just the objective facts, as I try to keep out of politics.

Hostages:

Netanyahu is preparing to present a new plan, which will offer a reward of $5 million USD and safe passage to a third country, to anyone in Gaza who helps return a hostage to Israel alive. Once written up, the offer will be advertised all over.

Gaza:

The IDF has now completed the division of Northern Gaza into two parts. In the northern tip, which includes Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun, there are almost no civilians left, and Hamas is no longer able to block anyone from evacuating. Humanitarian aid will no longer be transferred to this area, and no one will be allowed to re-enter it.

In Jabaliya, which was a Hamas stronghold, 55,000 out of an estimated 60,000 civilians have evacuated in recent weeks. Up of 1,000 terrorists were eliminated in Jabaliya, and around 700 were detained. IDF troops stationed in the area are hunting down the few remaining. The others will eventually be starved out of their positions.

The IDF is now putting more pressure on the remaining civilians in Beit Lahiya to evacuate, warning that anyone who stays is risking their life.

If the operation proves successful, it may be repeated in the second half of Northern Gaza, which includes Gaza City. After that, once completely clean of Hamas, it may be possible to begin allowing the return of civilians who have proven not to be associated with Hamas.

Humanitarian aid continues to enter Northern Gaza, with an average of 120 trucks daily. Over 500 trucks Wirth of aid is sitting at the border waiting to be picked up by UN aid organizations. Hamas continues to control much of the aid, and sells it to friends, to sell at high prices. Civilians have begun to protest the high prices.

Yesterday, Hamas planted a bomb near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, while were arriving to receive aid and Polio vaccinations, and a WHO convoy was being escorted to the area. Six children were injured in the explosion.

Lebanon:

The rate of Hezbollah fire is on a slow decline, barrages are also smaller. The furthest barrage today reached just north of Haifa.

The IDF destroyed 30 villages which were controlled by Hezbollah, and used to attack Israel. In these villages, most houses had Hezbollah weapons, and many homes were used to launch rockets and missiles at Israel. Hezbollah planned to use these villages as bases from where to invade the Galilee.

If no ceasefire agreement is reached, the IDF will begin expanding the ground campaign to reach up until the Litany River. Israel insists that a ceasefire agreement will allow Israel to continue preventing Hezbollah from rearming.

Airstrikes against Hezbollah targets continue, today mostly in Southern Lebanon, and some in the Baalbek area. The IDF also carried out an airstrike in Syria, near the border with Lebanon, targeting a Hezbollah weapons warehouse.

Iran:

Iran is continuing to threaten Israel with plans to attack. Estimates of when they will attack vary up until January. There is evidence that Iran has begin moving ballistic missiles and drones to Iraq, to launch from there. The attack is expected to come from multiple locations.

Israel is preparing for a massive response, and is considering some preemptive strikes to minimize the attack.

There are now six USAF B-52 bombers at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Iraq:

Iranians-backed militia in Iraq launched 7 attack drones into Israel today. Due to Iraq’s location, and the ability to control a more complex flight path with drones, the range of targets areas is very wide, reaching from Israel’s northern tip, and down to the Arava area, near Eilat. In the past, the Iraqi militia has even targeted Ashkelon, which is on the mid-southern coast

With the attacks increasing from Iraq, and Iran preparing to launch a larger coordinated attack from Iraqi soil, Israel may soon be forced to start targeting the militia in Iraq.

Judea & Samaria:

Israeli security forces conducted several operations last night in the Samaria area. During activity in the Jordan Valley, forces surrounded the villages of Tammun and Far’a, where they found seven explosive devices in a mosque. An aircraft attacked and eliminated two armed terrorists, and another terrorists was later neutralized in an encounter.

In the Menashe area, an airstrike targeted a cell of terrorists throwing explosives at the forces. An explosives lab was discovered, and several wanted individuals were arrested.

In Samaria, forces launched an operation in the areas of Duma and Burin, seizing four weapons in Etzion, uncovering terror funds, and arresting nine wanted individuals. In Tapuach and Qalqilya, improvised explosives were found and destroyed, and five additional weapons were seized. In the Jordan Valley area, an underground infrastructure without exit points was identified.

This morning, the IDF used a drone strike to target terrorists in Qabatiya, Samaria.

Yesterday Palestinian security forces uncovered a primed rocket launcher in the village of Budrus, just 10 kilometers from Tel Aviv. Today, the IDF safely detonated and removed the rocket.

Galant:

Netanyahu announced that he dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Galant from his position. Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz will take over his position, and Gideon Saar will take over as Foreign Minister. This announcement brought thousands of Israelis to the streets to protest, most from the political left and center-left.

This is not the first time Netanyahu dismissed Galant—he did so a few months before the war broke out, but then took it back. In the early months of the war, Netanyahu and Galant worked well together. Over time, gaps in opinion began to grow.

Below are some of the main cited causes for Galant’s dismissal:

1. The main issue: Disagreement over a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Galant believes that the IDF should agree to give up the Philadelphi Corridor and completely evacuate from Gaza in an agreement that will bring home some of the hostages. He estimates that the IDF will be able to retake the areas after, since Hamas is severely weakened. Netanyahu does not believe that Israel can afford to evacuate the corridor, and that it will lead to Hamas rearming, and heavy IDF losses. Bottom line, there’s a significant gap in between Netanyahu’s red line for negotiations and Galant’s.

2. Disagreement over the Charedi draft. Due to the shortage of combat soldiers, and after the Supreme Court ruling, Galant has been pushing for a Charedi draft. He earlier sent out 3,000 draft notices, and today approved 7,000 more. He also said that he will not vote for legislation that will give daycare subsidies to families of those who evade the draft. The Charedi parties have threatened to leave the coalition if the legislation isn’t passed. Netanyahu denies that this is connected to Galant’s dismissal, though Galant says it it. Gideon Saar, who is appointed as the new Foreign Minister, also said he won’t vote for the legislation.

3. Galant says that Netanyahu dismissed him because he supports the establishment of a state investigative committee into the failures of October 7th. Netanyahu want to hold that off until after the war.

4. Galant was largely in favor of toeing the line with the Biden administration, even when it was against Israel’s best interest. According to Netanyahu’s office, Galant was against entering Rafah and eliminating Nasrallah, and also advocated for a diplomatic solution in Lebanon instead of a war (Galant may deny these to be true).

5. Moving forward, Galant is against the IDF taking over distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, due to the threat it poses to IDF lives. Netanyahu sees this as an important step to removing Hamas from power.

In many areas, Netanyahu wants a defense minister who will not just rubber stamp everything that the IDF brass want, but will bring counter ideas when needed.

Before entering politics, Yoav Galant was an IDF general, and candidate for Chief of Staff. Yisrael Katz is a career politician, and has been a government minister since 2003. During his IDF service, Katz was a platoon commander in the paratroopers brigade, he later sat in the security cabinet while in the government. While Galant’s views can be seen as center-right, Katz is considered further to the right, and opposes a two-state solution.

Galant is seen as well liked by the Biden administration, it’s unlikely that Katz is, and likely that someone else will have to fill that role as mediator (possibly Ron Dermer).

Over the next few months we’ll see what the real intentions were, based on if and how the war plans in Gaza and Lebanon change, hostage negotiations, and perhaps also in the story of the charedi draft.

Reports that Netanyahu plans to fire the IDF and Shin Bet chiefs next appear to be false.

My biggest hope here is that we stay united, and not turn to petty politics when we need each other most.