Defense Minister Benny Gantz has warned that violence between Israel and Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip could erupt again at any moment.
“Gaza is a very sensitive place. We know that a strategic incident can quickly lead to a deterioration of the situation,” Gantz said, adding: “We are, of course, ready to act. We identify dozens of targets, we have already spotted hundreds. I absolutely do not recommend Hamas test the military capabilities of the IDF.”
Tensions between Israel and the US-designated terrorist organization that rules Gaza have been high since Hamas resumed its airborne arson attacks into southern Israel. The incendiary balloons have caused significant damage, sparking at least seven forest fires over the last few days. Experts believe the forests could take up to 30 years to recover from the devastation.
In response, the IDF has retaliated by attacking Hamas sites in Gaza used for weapons manufacturing and the launching of rockets. Security officials fear that the terrorist group will soon shift from balloons to rockets.
However, Gantz noted that despite the incendiary attacks, he still believes that May’s 11-day campaign was a success, having dealt a significant blow to Hamas’ and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s capabilities.
In preparation for an international drill set to take place in southern Israel later this week, a Royal Moroccan Air Force C-130 arrived at the Israeli Air Force’s Hatzor base. This was the first time an air force platform belonging to the Northern African country landed in the Jewish state.
The multinational exercise is among many that the IDF participates in year-round in order to be ready for a variety of scenarios, as well as strengthen ties with other countries. In June, the IAF participated in two international drills, including deploying F-35s to bases abroad for the large-scale Falcon Strike in Italy.
According to an Israeli military official, “the IDF cooperates with a variety of foreign countries and armies and conduct exercises, senior meetings, joint research and more.”
Jerusalem and Rabat signed a historic normalization agreement in December that was brokered by the Trump administration. Military ties between Israel and Morocco primarily involve intelligence cooperation and trade in arms.
New restrictions are expected to be reinstated by the Israeli government this week to combat the latest COVID-19 outbreak. Regulations could include limiting access to unvaccinated individuals to certain venues and public gatherings.
On June 25, Jerusalem reinstated the country’s indoor mask mandate, placed restrictions on travelers arriving from countries that have high infection rates, and enforced stricter quarantine measures for those entering the state. Yet, COVID-19 cases have continued to climb, with approximately 300 new cases being recorded daily.
The vast majority of new cases are of the so-called Delta variant of the virus — an especially contagious mutation. However, the risk of the Delta variant causing serious health problems for those who have been vaccinated is low.
So far, over 5.62 million people out of a population of more than 9.2 million Israelis have received at least one vaccine shot.
At the end of July, roughly 1.4 million vaccine doses are set to expire. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is thus planning to use as many as possible to inoculate children between the ages of 12-15.
Israel’s premier and the CEO of Pfizer have reportedly discussed a possible deal to exchange vaccines between the Jewish state and other countries.
The US National Education Association’s (NEA) Representative Assembly overwhelmingly voted down an anti-Israel resolution, while another was sent back to committee. The NEA has more than three million members, and is the largest union in the United States. It has considerable control over the curriculum of American schoolchildren and other educational activities.
The defeated proposal, known as ‘New Business Item 29,’ stated that the NEA should “publicize its support for the Palestinian fight for justice” against “military repression and ‘ethnic cleansing’ by the Israeli state and extreme nationalist forces in Israeli society.” The resolution also called on the United States to “stop arming and supporting Israel and Saudi Arabia,” with no mention of Hamas or any other Palestinian terrorist group.
When the numbers were tallied, 77 percent of the 8000-member Representative Assembly voted against, with 23 percent having voted in favor.
The other resolution, known as ‘New Business Item 51,’ called on the NEA to “use existing digital communication tools to educate members and the general public about the history, culture, and struggles of Palestinians.”
The assembly adjourned before Item 51 came to a vote, sending it back to committee. It is expected to be voted on at a later date.
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Recommended Reading
- UAE-Israel Peace Is More Than an Agreement. It’s a Way of Life. (Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Yair Lapid, Times of Israel)
- Is Iran Preparing a New Series of Attacks on US, Israel With Proxies? (Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post)
- Attacks on Jews Sparks Demand for Self-Defense Classes (Jewish News Syndicate and Israel Hayom)
- Israeli Hospital Pilots Rapid Diagnosis of Blood Cancer (Simona Shemer, NoCamels)
- Tokyo Olympics: All the Jewish Athletes to Watch (Emily Burack, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
