Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on terrorist targets inside the Gaza Strip, in response to incendiary balloons flown from the coastal enclave that caused at least 20 fires in southern Israel. The Israeli Air Force targeted facilities used by Hamas for meetings to plan attacks against the Jewish state.
“The Hamas terrorist organization is responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip and will bear the consequences of its actions. The IDF is prepared for all scenarios, including the resumption of hostilities, in the face of continued terrorist operations from the Gaza Strip,” an IDF statement said.
A Hamas spokesman said that Palestinians would continue to pursue their “brave resistance and defend their rights and sacred sites” in Jerusalem.
The flare-up followed an annual flag march that traversed through parts of eastern Jerusalem. In advance, Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, had warned that it would respond with violence unless the parade was canceled.
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi is slated travel to Washington, D.C., to take part in a series of high-level security meetings with US officials. Kochavi was meant to go last month but the trip was postponed due to the war between Israel and Gaza-based terrorist groups.
During his visit, which will be his first as Israel’s top military officer, Kochavi is expected to meet with his American counterpart and many other top security official with a view to persuading them to not reenter the Iran nuclear deal. The chief of staff will also discuss the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, Iranian entrenchment in Syria and Operation Guardian of the Walls against Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Support for Hamas has increased dramatically while backing for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s ruling Fatah faction dropped significantly, according to a new public opinion poll. Conducted by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, the poll revealed that 77 percent of Palestinians believe that the Gaza-based US-designated terrorist organization won last month’s 11-day conflict with Israel.
The results showed that 72 percent of respondents think that Hamas’ decision to launch rockets at Israeli cities came in defense of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque. Only nine percent said they believed the attacks came in protest of the cancelation of the Palestinian general elections.
According to the poll, if new Palestinian presidential elections were held today, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would get 59 percent of the votes, compared to 27 percent for Abbas. Hamas would also win in a parliamentary election, with more than 40 percent of respondents saying they would cast their ballots for Gaza’s rulers as opposed to 30 percent for the West Bank-based Fatah.
The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research also found that 58 percent of those questioned oppose the two-state solution.
The Palestinians have reportedly assembled a new team of negotiators, with the encouragement of the United States, in preparation for potential renewed peace talks with Israel. The Palestinian Authority will reportedly demand that Israel Defense Forces soldiers be blocked from entering Area A of the West Bank, which is under full PA control.
Ramallah is also likely to push for expanded authority — including on security issues — in Areas B and C. The PA has civil control in Area B, while Israel has security control. The Jewish state maintains control over both civil and security matters in Area C.
The Palestinian Authority is also aiming for unspecified “trust-building measures” in an attempt to keep a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict viable.
In a congratulatory phone call with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett earlier this week, US President Joe Biden “conveyed that his administration intends to work closely with the Israeli government on efforts to advance peace, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians,” according to the White House.
President Joe Biden nominated Tom Nides to be Washington’s ambassador to Israel. Nides was the deputy secretary of state for management and resources from 2011 to 2013. In the position, Nides built effective working relationships with several Israeli officials and played a key role in the Obama administration’s approval of loan guarantee extensions for the Jewish state worth billions of dollars.
He also helped carry out the White House’s policy against congressional efforts to limit US support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNWRA) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Congratulations to my good friend Tom Nides on his nomination to serve as US Ambassador to Israel! It will be one of the best jobs he’ll ever have, and he will do it with skill and charm. A great choice!
Plus he continues the Duluth, MN-Israel connection forged by @JulieFisher4.
— Dan Shapiro (@DanielBShapiro) June 15, 2021
A recipient of the secretary of state’s Distinguished Service Award, Nides was reportedly considered by Hillary Clinton as White House chief of staff had she won the 2016 election. He also served as former senator Joe Lieberman’s campaign manager when he ran for vice president in 2000.
Nides, who most recently served as managing director and vice-chairman of Morgan Stanley, still needs to make it through a Senate confirmation hearing, though no significant opposition to his nomination is expected.
HonestReporting is pleased to inform you that it is organizing a remarkable mission to the Jewish state from October 5-12, 2021.
The behind-the-scenes trip includes:
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- Tour of the Lebanon border with an anti-terrorism expert
- Insider’s look into the complexities of the disputed West Bank
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For more information, please contact us.
Recommended Reading
- An Appeal to Politicians, Journalists, and Scholars: Stop Excusing Jew Haters (Gunther Jikeli, Algemeiner)
- Iran’s Nuclear Secrets Have Been Exposed (Clifford D. May, Jewish News Syndicate)
- Why Did BLM Hop on the BDS Wagon? Follow the Money (Brandy Shufutinsky, Times of Israel)
- A New Jewish News Site Makes a Play in LA Amid a Difficult Climate for its Jewish Journalists (Andrew Lapin, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
- 5 Israeli Firms Named World Economic Forum Tech Pioneers (Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21C)
