🇬🇧 Wednesday 20/11/24 🇮🇱 Day 411🎗️HEADLINES from Israel

1️⃣0️⃣1️⃣ HOSTAGES 🎗️

  • PM Netanyahu at the Netzarim Corridor in the Gaza Strip: “Anyone who harms our hostages will pay with their life. We will pursue and capture you.” He warned captors that harming hostages would lead to dire consequences, promising relentless pursuit. Netanyahu offered a $5 million reward per hostage for safe return and pledged secure passage for those who cooperate.  

———

IRAN 🇮🇷

  • Iran has warned European powers against going ahead with plans to submit a resolution to the UN nuclear watchdog censuring Tehran for its lack of cooperation with inspectors, the country’s Foreign Ministry says.
  • The Iranian woman who stripped to her underwear in protest after she was allegedly assaulted for improperly wearing her hijab has been released and will not face charges, BBC reported, citing Iranian authorities. https://lnk.sk/cmyb 

———

HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON 🇱🇧

  • Hezbollah rockets hit two UNIFIL bases in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF. One attack targeted the Italian contingent’s headquarters in Shama, with eight rockets launched from Maaliyeh. Another hit a UNIFIL position in Ramyeh. No injuries were reported.
  • Italy’s defense ministry admits Hezbollah staged an attack on itself when a UN Interim Force in Lebanon base was hit by rocket fire that it initially blamed on Israel, Barron’s reported on Tuesday. https://lnk.sk/npiu
  • The IDF has uncovered a large cache of Russian weapons in southern Lebanon, revealing that 60-70% of Hezbollah’s arsenal originates from Russia.  
  • Biden’s envoy, Amos Hochstein, met with the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and discussed efforts for a ceasefire. Following the meeting, Hochstein stated: “There is a real opportunity to end the conflict. I hope the coming days will lead to decisions.” 

———

ISRAEL 🇮🇱 

  • Israeli President Isaac Herzog canceled his visit to the UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, because Turkey refused to allow Israel’s official Wing of Zion plane to enter its airspace on the way https://lnk.sk/mbnz 
  • Israel has agreed to establish a new bilateral channel through which the US will be able to raise concerns regarding specific military incidents in which civilians have been harmed, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced Tuesday. https://lnk.sk/ifxw 

———

GAZA, JUDEA & SAMARIA (so-called West Bank)

  • Touring Gaza, PM vows Hamas won’t return to power, offers $5 million for hostages. Netanyahu says captives will be freed regardless, even as defense officials said to warn him that a ceasefire deal is the only way to rescue them https://lnk.sk/cnue 
  • In the past 24 hours, 97 aid trucks entered Gaza to deliver essential supplies, but reports suggest they were looted, allegedly by Hamas operatives, with stolen aid reportedly sold on the black market. When asked, a UN spokesperson responded, “We’re not asking questions,” declining to identify those responsible.
  • US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says looting of humanitarian aid convoys in Gaza cannot be fully addressed until a new Palestinian-led governing and security force replaces Hamas in the Strip. https://lnk.sk/nxmw 
  • COMMENT: Critics argue this highlights a failure to address Hamas’ exploitation of international aid. Observers note that Hamas continues to profit from international support, leveraging it as part of a broader strategy to maintain control while civilians bear the brunt of the crisis. 

———

USA 🇺🇸

  • The Biden administration is lobbying Democratic senators to vote against legislation being advanced by several of the party’s most progressive members that would block more than $20 billion in weapon shipments to Israel. https://lnk.sk/ovbr 

Sources: Times of Israel, Wall Street Journal, Israel Realtime, Jewish Breaking News and the sources cited directly in some reports

©️ ICEJ Slovakia; peter.svec@icej.sk