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An official in the American government claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office informed the White House that it would send a delegation to Washington to discuss the upcoming Rafah operation.

Netanyahu had previously canceled the delegation following the U.S.’s decision to allow the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister’s Office denied the report. “Contrary to publications, the Prime Minister did not approve the departure of the delegation to Washington.” Netanyahu said, “My decision not to send the delegation to Washington in the wake of that resolution was a message to Hamas: Don’t bet on this pressure, it’s not going to work. I hope they got the message,”

However, just today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the War Cabinet he will dispatch a delegation to Washington next week. No date for the meeting has been set and the delegation’s departure is not yet approved.

If Prime Minister Netanyahu’s message is a bit confusing, too bad! Israel is conducting its business as a sovereign nation as it sees fit. That’s the message here.

Sources:
After dodging, Netanyahu greenlights delegation to Washington, by. Ynetnews, March 28, 2024

Report: Netanyahu to send delegation to DC despite UN vote, by Israel National News, March 27, 2024

Three people were injured Thursday morning by gunfire after shots were fired towards a bulletproof bus transporting students and two cars near the Palestinian Authority Arab village of Al-Auja in the Jericho area. The attack was perpetrated by Abu Rida al-Saadi, a PA security officer from Jenin. Magen David Adom reported that a 30-year-old man was seriously injured, and a young man and 13-year-old boy were lightly injured. Reportedly, the injured adults were “peace activists” in their newly acquired bus.

The Response from the Heads of the Land of Israel Lobby in the Knesset to the terror attack this morning:

“Promote Israeli Sovereignty over the Jordan Valley”

The terror attack this morning in the Jordan Valley is a painful reminder that the entire Land is a battlefront, and that our enemies seek to harm us in every place in the Land.

The State of Israel should have applied its sovereignty over the Jordan Valley a long time ago. But after this morning’s terror attack, promoting Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley will also be a clear statement to our enemies during the war: The Land of Israel, in its entirety, belongs to the People of Israel.

Land of Israel Statement courtesy of The Sovereignty Movement on WhatsAPP.

Source:
‘Shoot and run’: Three injured after shots fired towards bus in the Jordan Valley, by Israel National News, March 28, 2024

Israel has decided to cut off all ties with UNRWA – Gaza headquarters pictured here – over their terror ties, a government spokesman said Monday.

“UNRWA are part of the problem, and we will now stop working with them,” said David Mencer of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, which operates out of the Prime Minister’s Office. “We are actively phasing out the use of UNRWA because they perpetuate the conflict rather than try and alleviate the conflict,” Mencer said at a press briefing.

Jerusalem revealed in January that an investigation into the agency had found that a dozen of its staff members had taken part in Hamas’ October 7 invasion of Israel, when 1,200 people were massacred and 253 abducted into the Gaza Strip.

Israelis have been protesting in front of UNRWA’s Jerusalem office for weeks, demanding that the agency be thrown out of the country for aiding and abetting Hamas. Now their voices have been heard!

Source:
Israel cuts ties with UNRWA, by Batya Jerenberg/World Israel News, March 26, 2024

Message from the Prime Minister’s Office:

The US withdrew from its consistent position in the Security Council where it only a few days ago linked a ceasefire with the release of the abductees (Article 1).

China and Russia vetoed the previous resolution partly because they supported a ceasefire without the release of the abductees.

Russia and China supported the current decision, along with Algeria and other countries.

The US did not veto today the new text that calls for a ceasefire without the condition of releasing the abductees.

This is a clear retreat from the consistent position of the US in the Security Council since the beginning of the war.

This withdrawal hurts both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages, because it gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to accept a cease-fire without the release of our hostages.

Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear last night that if the US withdraws from its principled position, he will not send the Israeli delegation to the US to confer on the upcoming Rafah operation.

Source:
Prime Minister’s Office: ‘USA changed position, no delegation to Washington’, by Israel National News, March 25, 2024

In a significant development yesterday confirmed by Israeli officials, Israel has agreed to release between 700-800 jailed Palestinian terrorists in exchange for the release of 40 hostages.

The prisoners slated for release by Israel include hundreds serving life sentences for their involvement in terror attacks targeting Israelis.

This move marks a major concession by Israel, aimed at securing the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas since October 7th.

Upon first read, it’s mind blowing the number of jailed terrorists offered for release in exchange for only 40 hostages. We cannot understand or condone this agreement.

Despite the concessions, Israeli officials are reportedly ruling out any deal that calls for the complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza, one of Hamas’ key demands. Israel might only be dangling a carrot here.

Source:
Israel offers to release 800 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 murderers in hostage deal, by Social Links for Ronny Reyes/New York Post, March 24, 2024

The Central Command filed a request last Friday against the ruling of the military court Thursday, which delayed the implementation of the administrative order against activist Elisha Yered until after Purim. After the holiday, a hearing will be held regarding his appeal against the order.

Honenu criticized the request: “This request is detached and is persecution for persecution’s sake. General Fox is busy appealing this decision, which allows a settler to celebrate Purim in his home and is clearly confused. Israel deserves better.”

Attorney Adi Kedar, who represents Yered, wrote in the appeal: “The appellant takes no part in violent action and there is no security reason justifying his removal from the area.” There continues to be “no new information about the appellant’s danger to the security of the region and that there is no justification for keeping him out of it.”

It’s high time to differentiate between who is a terrorist and who is not. That Israel knowingly treats someone like Elisha Yered as a terrorist is a disgrace. Continued actions such as this do not best represent the Israeli people politically or legislatively.

Source:
IDF appeals to bar activist from Judea and Samaria, by Israel National News, March 22, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Wednesday about his most recent conversation with US President Joe Biden.

“From the beginning, we agreed that we must eliminate Hamas. But during the war, it is no secret, we had disagreements on the best manner to achieve this goal,” Netanyahu stated.

“At the beginning I told the President: We can not beat Hamas without the IDF entering the Gaza Strip. In our most recent conversation, I told him: We can not complete the victory without the IDF entering Rafah, to eliminate the remaining Hamas battalions. That is what we will do now as well,” he explained.

Netanyahu added: “As we prepare to go into Rafah, and it will take time, we continue to work with full force. We continue to operate in Khan Yunis, the central camps, eliminating and apprehending Hamas officials as we did now in Shifaa Hospital, eliminating hundreds of terrorists.

As I committed to you time and again – we are determined to reach total victory, and we will achieve it,” he concluded.

Source:
Netanyahu vs. Biden: ‘We will go into Rafah, we do what’s vital for security’, by Israel National News, March 20, 2024

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wants to appoint his man to the post of Deputy Head of the Civil Administration, with powers over the enforcement of illegal construction in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. As a result, the commanders of the regional divisions in Judea and Samaria will have to justify their decisions on the demolition of “illegal” construction to Smotrich’s Deputy Head, whereas today, such decisions are in the hands of the current Commander of the Central Command.

Smotrich wants the systemic change and the appointment to be done by an executive order rather than legislation, which could be problematic under the gaze of the State Dept. in Washington and the ICC in the Hague.

The former IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and his successor Herzi Halevi are both staunchly opposed to Smotrich’s plan, which probably means it’s a good one. As Smotrich’s office put it on Sunday: “We couldn’t have received a better proof of our opposition to the round of appointments in the IDF by the General Staff that failed on October 7 than the fact that the defense minister and the chief of staff also understand that they have no serious argument on the merits of the matter and are going into the realms of unfounded, made-up accusations. Those who failed will not shape the perception of security, the building of power, and the next high command of the IDF. Period.”

Without a shadow of a doubt, Smotrich’s plan is viewed as problematic because it is another step to the full application of Sovereignty. May it be so!

Source:
Smotrich to Take Control Over ‘Illegal’ Construction Away from Central Command, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 20, 2024

The IDF Central Command has decided to establish a professional team to check for the presence of offensive tunnels in Judea and Samaria.

In the months since the team was established, it has received reports of tunnels in Judea and Samaria, including in the Mt. Hebron and Binyamin regions. A report was also filed several months previously from the town of Bat Hefer, which is near Tulkarm. In each case, no tunnels were found.

A security source stated: “We have seen the use of underground facilities as hideouts and weapons depots in the past. We understand that terrorist organizations are attempting to imitate some of the techniques used in Gaza. We are very involved in this, and our main response will be the offensive operations that we frequently carry out.”

Source:
Judea and Samaria: IDF creates tunnel detection team, by Israel National News, March 19, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday that an operation in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in southern Gaza, would take place.

“Since the beginning of the war, we have been fighting on two fronts – the military front and the political front,” Netanyahu began, adding that “on the political front, we have so far managed to allow our forces to fight in an unprecedented manner for five full months. But it is no secret that the international pressure against us is increasing.”

Any approved the operational plans for the operation in Rafah, includes the promotion of the steps to evacuate the civilian population from the battle zones.

Netanyahu also conveyed a message to the world: “Instead of putting pressure on Israel, which is fighting the most just war, against the cruelest of enemies, direct your pressure against Hamas and its patron – Iran. They are the ones who pose a danger to the region and the entire world.”

“I repeat – we will act in Rafah. It will take a few weeks, and it will happen,” Netanyahu said.

Source:
Netanyahu to world: Did you lose your moral compass so quickly?’, by Israel National News, March 17, 2024