Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh will meet Morocco's main opposition party on Thursday as part of a visit to build support for the Palestinians despite the country's recent diplomatic accord with Israel.

Haniyeh arrived in Morocco on Wednesday and met the Islamist PJD, the largest party in the governing coalition, and will hold talks with several other main parties during his four-day visit.

On Thursday, he is meeting PAM and Istiqlal, two of the main opposition parties, with other party meetings scheduled before he leaves on Sunday.

The trip comes after King Mohammed VI in December agreed to improve Moroccan relations with Israel as part of a deal with the United States that also included American recognition of Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara.

In Morocco, the visit is seen as a way to balance ties with Israel and the Palestinians and demonstrate that despite its more friendly relations with Israel, Rabat still supports Palestinian independence hopes.

On Tuesday, King Mohammed congratulated the new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on forming a government. The king, who holds ultimate power in Morocco, backs a two-state solution with east Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

By David Hacham

A month after the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that rules Gaza has experienced a dramatic rise in popular support, both in the coastal Strip and in the West Bank. 

On the other side of the fence, Hamas’s rival, the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, is seeing a visible drop in support.

Hamas absorbed a serious military blow during Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls last month, a conflict that was labelled Sword of Jerusalem by Hamas. Yet in the weeks that have passed, Hamas is working to consolidate a picture of political ‘victory’, irrespective of events on the ground, and it has done so with a significant degree of success. 

During the hostilities in May, Israeli air and artillery strikes degraded many key Hamas capabilities, although this blow was not decisive enough to prevent Hamas from recovering in a relatively short amount of time. 

Following the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel mediated by Egypt’s General Intelligence Directorate, Hamas’s political bureau chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, has been working hard to shape Palestinian-Arab and international perception, and to transmit the message that Hamas is continuing to function as a strong, stable, undisputed regime. Hamas has been able to transform its image, and is now perceived as an element in the Palestinian arena that cannot be ignored. At the same time, it has revived the centrality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

 
Hamas is now pursuing a strategic objective designed to gain maximum political benefits from the post-conflict era. 
 
It is seeking to cash in on its image as a Palestinian movement that did not surrender to Israel, and it even claims to have ‘come out on top’ during the clash with the IDF, able to withstand the Israeli war machine. 
 
To drive home this message, Hamas held victory marches, military parades, and memorial ceremonies for those killed in Gaza, while its commanders made many media appearances. 

It is Sinwar who is personally orchestrating this political and PR campaign, which is helping him to consolidate his position at the apex of Hamas’s leadership. 
 
Sinwar is well known to the Israeli defense establishment for his cruelty, even before Hamas was founded. During his time in the Al-Mujama Al-Islami organization, a precursor to Hamas, he was arrested by Israel before the start of the First Intifada and sentenced to five life sentences for murdering Palestinian collaborators with Israel. Behind bars, Sinwar was well known for his willingness to employ violence in his relations with other prisoners when he thought this was necessary. 
 
In recent weeks, Sinwar has delivered impassioned, fiery speeches, claiming that Hamas came out as the winning side, and employing psychological warfare by claiming that Israel will crumble against Palestinian ‘resistance.’ He ensured that a photograph showing him sitting confidently outside of his destroyed office made the rounds. 

Sinwar’s propaganda efforts stand in stark contrast to reality. Hamas absorbed far more damage than it inflicted on Israel, and dragged Gaza’s long-suffering residents into another destructive, bloody war. The military balance sheet is obviously in Israel’s favor. 

Still, Hamas’s large rocket arsenal and variety of projectiles, and its ability to set up a joint command center with Gaza’s other armed terror factions, served its political consolidation campaign. The dominance of Muhammed Deif, commander of Hamas’s military wing, and Sinwar’s brother, Muhammad Sinwar, another senior military wing commander, both of whom are close to Hamas’s political leadership, served it well too. 
 
Sinwar’s image was boosted significantly following the conflict, and Hamas’s overall political bureau chief, Ismael Haniyah, and its overseas political bureau chief, Khaled Mashaal, do not currently enjoy the same level of support. 
 
This is all due to the confidence that Sinwar was able to exhibit following the conflict, when he was seen wondering Gaza’s streets without fear, looking unconcerned and carefree, and speaking cordially to passers-by. 

Thus, while Israel was able to degrade Hamas’s military-terrorist capabilities, and employ targeted killings effectively, targeting mid-level and field operatives, the conflict regained the international community’s attention, and placed the Palestinian issue squarely back on the American agenda. This has contributed to Hamas’s growing self-confidence, which has been visible since the end of the conflict. Even before the conflict, Hamas’s confidence had been growing, as seen in its decision to fire rockets on Jerusalem and issue ultimatums against Israeli actions in Jerusalem.

Hamas has excelled in promoting itself as the ‘Guardian of Jerusalem,’ and is continuing to act in this capacity these days, issuing new threats against Israel.

PA, Hamas in power struggle over funds

It is now clear that the conflict has caused significant harm to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, whose image following the Gaza conflict is one of a marginal element in the Palestinian arena, lacking influence and real power, and of being someone who failed to play any significant role during the conflict. 
 
Abbas is also facing accusations in the Palestinian arena of refusing to take part in the nationalist wave following Israeli actions in Jerusalem. In reality, Abbas has no significant influence in Jerusalem, in Gaza, or among Israeli Arabs. 

The PA President’s main role is limited to defending his rule in the West Bank, and continuing security coordination with Israel. He has also been engaging in legal and diplomatic warfare on Israel through the ICC and the court of international public opinion. His ability to prevent a security deterioration in the West Bank last month is noteworthy and important. 

Currently, Hamas is focusing its efforts on attempting to take control of Gaza reconstruction money. Many have pledged to flood Gaza with cash, including Egyptian President Abd Fattah Al-Sisi, who promised half a billion dollars toward this goal, and Qatar, which immediately matched the Egyptian pledge. 

A long list of additional countries soon appeared, promising funds as well. Egypt sent trucks into Gaza via its Rafah border crossing filled with humanitarian goods, and construction vehicles to reconstruct destroyed buildings. Gazans warmly received the Egyptian convoys. 

The money being pledged to Gaza is supposed to go to rebuilding buildings that were destroyed in air strikes, particularly to high rise buildings, roads, water pipes, and electricity infrastructure damaged during Israeli strikes on Hamas’s ‘metro’ network of underground combat tunnels. 
 
Intense competition between the PA and Hamas is now developing over who will control those funds. The PA is demanding exclusive control of the reconstruction process, as a reflection of its self-view as the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Hamas, for its part, is demanding the same, based on its position as the exclusive ruling regime in Gaza. 
 

The PA has correctly warned that should Hamas receive the money, some of it will be diverted to supporting Hamas’s armament program and military-terrorist activities, and that not all of the funds would further the objective of reconstruction. 
 
As part of this competition, PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayah visited Gulf states to try and ensure that the PA and UNRWA receive the aid money rather than Hamas. 

The PA’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ziad Abu Amr, a former resident of Gaza who has good ties with Hamas, met with the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate head, Maj. Gen. Abbas Kamel. The meeting is a strong indication regarding who Egypt thinks should be responsible for handling and allocating the reconstruction cash. 

Kamel also held a series of official meetings with senior Hamas representatives, and stated that Cairo’s goal is to reach a long-term ceasefire that will include a prisoner and MIA swap between Israel and Hamas, but he also signaled that the two negotiation channels – one for a long truce and one for the swap – should not be dependent on one another. 

Sinwar has called for no fewer than 1,111 Palestinian security prisoners to be released – a deliberate figure designed to remind Palestinians of the 2011 Schalit prisoner exchange, in which Israel released 1,027 prisoners (including Sinwar himself) for the captive Israeli soldier. The figure includes Schalit prisoners who have since been re-arrested by Israel. 

Egypt’s rising influence on events in Gaza, meanwhile, became further apparent when the first construction work on a new Gazan neighborhood – built on the ruins of the former Israeli settlement of Netzarim in the southern outskirts of Gaza City, and named after Egypt – began in recent days. The ceremony was attended by PA and Fatah officials, including the Fatah Chairman in Gaza, Ahmed Hillis. 

Meanwhile, Hamas is also aware that a new government in Israel, lacking in experience, will seek to avoid controversial dramatic steps that could lead to its own downfall. 

The resistance by the international system to Israel’s positions regarding the Palestinian issue has also served to increase Hamas’s brinkmanship. 

Meanwhile, Iranian assistance to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in funding, weapons know-how, and training looks set to continue. In the event of a new conflict with Israel, the scenario of Iran attempting to inject military advisors into Gaza, under false aliases, to assist Hamas attacks looks plausible. 

As Hamas’s confidence continues to grow, the ability to deter it over a long-term period is in serious question. 

The King of Morocco, The Sixth Muhammad had congratulated newly appointed Israeli PM as Hamas delegation, affiliated with Ismail Haniyya, visit is planned to visit to Morocco.

The king emphasized in the letter, "Morocco is interested in contuining to continue its active role and its efforts to facilitate long term peace in the Middle East, for all the nations of the region to live side by side, peacefully, stability and in harmony."

Naftali Bennett had thanked the Moroccan King and said in a statement that his coalition is "determined to strengthen Israel-Morocco relations in every area." He added, "Israel sees Morocco as a friendly country and an important partner in the peace efforts in the region."

Morocco is the fourth muslim country to revive its diplomatic relations with Israel last year with former US President Donald Trump, with the US acknowledgement of Morocco's sovereighty over West Sahara that was controversial. 

On Wednesday a Hamas delegation is arriving to Morocco, tied to Ismail Haniyya to meet with the Justice and Development party, the coalition leader in Morocco, which is ideologically close with Hamas. 

Since the normalization of relations between Israel and Morocco, King of Morocco, who is part of the Al Quds Committee, had approved the "strong stance of the kingdom" in support of the two state solution, and emphasized that negotiations is the only way to acheive a settlement. Morocco's foreign ministry rehashed this position during 'Guardian of the Walls' operation in May.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the terrorist wing of Hamas, are registering Palestinians at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and elsewhere for summer camp this week.

A Hamas video explaining the camps was posted by the Center for Near East Policy Research.    

Dubbed “Pioneers of Return” summer camps, “The Sword of Jerusalem,” the boys and young men are shown in intensive military training including marching with guns, jumping through rings of fire, and crawling out of hole in the ground armed with an automatic weapon – presumably illustrating a terror tunnel.

The Hamas promotional video says registration for the camps will be held “at your nearest mosque as well as at registration points in public places between the afternoon prayers and the evening prayers.”

It offers four age groups: Primary School, High School, (College) Students and Adults and says the High School camp will begin after exams.

David Bedein, director of the Center for Near East Policy Research said that includes recruiting and registering the children UNRWA schools in Gaza. The children are shown in the video being trained with advanced weapons, he said.

“How can the United Nations School allow their students to register for a program designed to kill people?” Bedein asked.

The UN school is allowing people to register for military training and as child soldiers, Bedein told CBN News.

The song in the video proclaims, “I will return to my land. I will return to Lod”.  Lod is a mixed Arab-Jewish city in Israel next to Israel’s main international airport, Ben Gurion.

During the 11-day Guardians of the Walls conflict between Israel and Hamas in May, Arab riots erupted in Lod and elsewhere, shocking Jewish Israelis. Several synagogues were burned during those incidents.

The administration of US President Joe Biden has said it will restore $32 million in funding to UNRWA, that former President Trump dropped due to its support for terrorism.

Bedein has long argued that the curriculum in the UNRWA schools promotes terrorism and advocates getting rid of Israel, and that UNRWA facilities are used to indoctrinate and train Palestinian children for terrorism.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the US would condition its renewal of UNRWA funding on its reform of educational materials and in disseminating anti-Semitic or anti-Israel information like erasing Israel from the map and praising terrorism and martyrdom.

Blinken said the State Department would be “looking very, very carefully” at UNRWA’s mechanism for addressing problems in the educational material.

Bedein said it’s up to the donor nations to make sure that changes are enforced.

“UNRWA can change policy if the donor nations ask them to do so,” Bedein said.

- The IDF attacks Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to launching incendiary balloons at Gaza Envelope settlements The new Israeli government is trying to change the equation that Hamas is trying to impose on the issue of Jerusalem.
- Sources in Hamas say that the battle for Jerusalem is just beginning and that the organization is preparing "surprises" for Israel
- Hamas is busy underground rebuilding its stock of rockets for renewed fighting.

The flag parade passed last night in Jerusalem without any special events. About 5,000 people participated in it and it was secured by 2,000 policemen. At the same time, marches by hundreds of Palestinians took place in the Gaza Strip against the flag parade in which the demonstrators set fire to Israeli flags and photos of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

The march led to a violation of the ceasefire declared between Israel and Hamas at the end of Operation "Guardian of the Walls". During the day yesterday, the Palestinians launched dozens of incendiary balloons from the Gaza Strip that ignited 26 fires in the Gaza Envelope area. In response, during the night, the IAF attacked Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, the first military response by the new government led by Naftali Bennett to Hamas ceasefire violations.

The new government in Israel has made the right decision to hold the parade of flags despite the threats of terrorist organizations and to preserve Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. Egypt played an important role in moderating the reactions of terrorist organizations to the march. The Egyptian effort focused on trying to prevent rockets from being fired at Israel after the political echelon in Israel clarified that Israel would not contain rockets fired into its territory and this would lead to another round of fighting and a complete collapse of the ceasefire.

Egypt is finding it difficult to motivate its initiative to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip, achieve national reconciliation between the Palestinian factions, stabilize the ceasefire and move toward a long-term ceasefire that also includes a new prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.

The donor countries have not yet transferred money to rehabilitate the Strip, Israel refuses to allow entry into Gaza of the Qatari monthly grant in the same format as before, border crossings are only partially open for humanitarian purposes and fishing space is limited to only 6 miles. Heavy engineering tools that arrived in the Gaza Strip from Egypt deal with the evacuation of the rubble, however, according to sources in the Gaza Strip, Hamas is not preparing to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip but rather for additional rounds of fighting against Israel and overthrowing the PA rule in the West Bank.

According to sources in the Gaza Strip, on the orders of Muhammad Deif, the chief of staff of Hamas' military wing, the organization's operatives began immediately after the declaration of a ceasefire with Israel to rehabilitate the tunnel system ("Metro") destroyed during the operation. The rockets and the manufacturing workshops were lowered into the tunnels and are working around the clock to replenish inventory. 

Hamas fired about 4,700 rockets at Israel during the last round of fighting. The Israeli Air Force destroyed about 1,000 rockets, and it is estimated that Hamas remained among 6,000 to 7,000 rockets.

Hamas has taken into account that the campaign announcing the "liberation of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque" is very long, so it is already preparing for the next round of fighting against Israel.

A leap in Palestinian support for Hamas. 77% believe: The organization won Operation "Guardian of the Walls"

Dramatic increase in Judea and Samaria and Gaza in support of Hamas after military operation: 53% believe that the terrorist organization should lead the Palestinians, only 14% prefer Abu Mazen. Palestinian pollster: "In the eyes of the public, Hamas is clearly the winner."

Militarily, Hamas was clearly beaten, but so far, has been able to convince Palestinians the opposite.

- Sources in Gaza: Muhammad Deif prepares surprise for Israel
- Large forces of police and IDF prepare for the flagship parade to be held in Jerusalem this afternoon in the face of terrorist organizations' threats to disrupt the parade through riots and rocket fire from the Gaza Strip 
- Hamas tries to challenge it "Gaza Jerusalem"

According to Hamas sources, the organization has increased its readiness in its units ahead of the flag parade in Jerusalem this afternoon and is preparing for the possibility of another round of fighting against Israel.

Sources in the Gaza Strip believe that Muhammad Deif is preparing a surprise for the new government in Israel in the form of infiltration into Israel and the abduction of civilians and soldiers through one of the tunnels on the Gaza Strip border or through Hamas naval commando units.

Hamas claims that there is a consensus among all Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip to prevent the holding of a flag parade in East Jerusalem in any outline. According to Hamas sources, messages were conveyed to the new government in Israel through the UN and Egyptian intelligence that the march should be canceled to avoid unnecessary friction that would jeopardize the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hamas and Hezbollah, reported yesterday that Hamas had sent a message to Egyptian Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel that the flag parade would blow up the situation because Hamas intends to respond exactly as it did the previous time the parade was fired at Israel.

Hamas spokesman 'Abd al-Latif al-Qa'an issued the following statement:

"The settlers' parade of flags is an explosive that will blow up a new campaign to defend Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It requires the vigilance of our people in Jerusalem and among the Israeli Arabs to confront the settlers by all means and we are behind you."

All Palestinian organizations declared the day a "day of rage" and an "intifada." Fatah did not lag behind, the movement's central committee issued a call to all Fatah activists and forces to confront the marchers and defend Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The IDF is preparing for all scenarios, including the scenario of another round of fighting in the Gaza Strip, and will strengthen the air defense system, including the deployment of "Iron Dome" batteries. The Jerusalem Police is preparing with increased forces in East Jerusalem and the police will also deploy forces near the Arab communities in Israel and the nearby deputies.

Attempt to impose on Israel the "Gaza Jerusalem" equation

This is the first security test of the new government in Israel against Hamas, which wants to challenge the new government and try to force the new "Gaza Jerusalem" equation on it.

Against the background of the formation of the new government in Israel, the Palestinian leadership appointed a special negotiating team on the initiative of the United States - to "improve the situation and relations with Israel and strengthen the Palestinian Authority." The PA is losing ground against Hamas which has succeeded in convining Arabs that they have "beaten" Israel and Abbas is under great pressure!

Yahya Sinwar tried to be clever. He thought that if he threatened rockets and inflated terrorist balloons, he would be forgiven in Jerusalem. Wrong.
For the avoidance of doubt:
1. Sinwar came out very bruised from the election to the top of Hamas
2. Sinwar received a severe blow (yes!) In operation "Guardian of the Walls"
3. Sinwar is now trying to achieve gains but fails to do so
4. This is the moment of truth for Israel to shape a new reality.

Picture: Reuters

Hamas claims that it has forced a new equation on Israel regarding East Jerusalem.
Israeli activity must be increased not only in the Western Wall area but throughout the east of the city and sovereignty must be enforced on a daily basis.

The new government is trying to change the equation that Hamas is trying to impose on Israel, the answer is simple:
It is impossible to defeat Hamas only from the air to destroy its terrorist infrastructure and there is no other way than from a ground entry into the Gaza Strip, or we will continue to roll from one round of fighting to another!

Picture: Hamas tunnel

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IDF spokesman: Fighter jets had recently attacked were Hamas military complexes that served as camps 
and meeting places for terrorist operatives in the Khan Yunis and Gaza brigades. Terrorist activity took place in the attacked compound.

The attack was carried out in response to the inflating of incendiary balloons into Israeli territory.
The terrorist organization Hamas 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.

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The Israeli military said its aircraft attacked Hamas armed compounds in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in response to the launching of incendiary ballons from the territory that caused fires in fields in southern Israel.

In a statement, the military said that it was "ready for all scenarios, including renewed fighting in the face of continued terrorist acts emanating from Gaza".

The attacks, following an Israeli nationalist march in East Jerusalem that angered Palestinians, were the first launched by Israel and Gaza militants since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire ended 11 days of cross-border fighting last month.

Today on the Middle East Analysis Daily Show Dr. Martin Sherman shares his expertise on Hamas. Watch:

The IDF is increasing the use of unmanned aircraft. During Operation Guardian of the Walls, the IDF managed to destroy rocket launchers using drones. The establishment of a dedicated unit with advanced drones heralds a new era on the battlefield, but it is not enough to stop Hezbollah. Israel must prepare for the war of the future, and UAV's may be a key to success. Moshe Reuveny, from Young Diplomats, analyzes the situation and gives us both context and insight.

The difficult and bloody battle in Binat Jabal from the Second Lebanon War is deeply ingrained in the Israeli public. This is due to the heroism and courage of Golani combat soldiers who were outnumbered, in a tactically inferior position- surrounded by Hezbollah fighters. The price was heavy: eight Golani soldiers were killed as well as 23 wounded. Along with the commendable heroism of the soldiers, the incident could have ended completely differently without the intervention of then-Golani Battalion Commander Tamir Yedi, who was in the command bunker in Malkia. Thanks to a drone that filmed the incident, and despite the difficulty to identify the source of the shooting, Yedi noticed that most of the Hezbollah members were stationed near the mosque that was close to colliding. Yedi immediately summoned Air Force fighter jets, which assisted in the elimination of several terrorists.

As mentioned, this is one of many examples of the increasing use of unmanned aircraft in the IDF. According to Dr. Uzi Rubin, an expert in missile threats and missile defense, the use of unmanned aircraft began as early as the middle of the 20th century. According to him, the modern UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is an Israeli production. Its source is toy planes, on which ordinary commercial cameras have been installed, to gather intelligence about the Egyptian army's deployment in the west bank of the Suez Canal during the War of Attrition. Rubin added that the fame that the Israeli UAVs gained came in the wake of Operation Mole Cricket 19 during the first Lebanon war, which led to the almost complete destruction of the Syrian air defense system. As a result, there has been a growing demand in various armies around the world for this industry.

In Operation Guardian of the Walls, the IDF and Israel's defense establishments succeeded in severely damaging Hamas' strategic asset: the "metro," which included tens of kilometers of tunnels, thanks to quality intelligence. Contrary to Hamas' attempt this week to present business as usual on the metro, the IDF has managed to torpedo the strategic weapon that the organization has been working on for many years (at the expense of Gaza residents of course) which included combatant lodgings, command and control systems, military equipment, weapons, and even rocket launch sites that include mortar shells and anti-tank weapons, intelligence gathering capabilities, the possibility of sniping, and the preparation of explosives.

In addition to destroying the metro, the IDF eliminated 200 reported terrorists, including senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad figures. In addition, the IDF severely damaged Hamas' production capabilities and damaged both regime structures and terrorist infrastructure. Moreover, according to an IDF spokesman before the operation, Hamas had autonomous submarines that could carry explosives weighing tens of kilograms and were intended to hit Israel's gas rigs and damage Israeli Navy ships. During the operation, the IDF managed to hit the naval force, which also included a unit of divers and speedboats. Needless to say, quite a few of these capabilities were under Iranian aid and guidance.

During Operation Guardian of the Walls, the IDF managed to destroy rocket launchers using drones, which prevented Hamas from launching rockets into Israeli territory. Unlike the Second Lebanon War, this was not done through a senior commander and from a remote bunker, but near the border by a specially trained company of soldiers, whose whole purpose is to expose the enemy before firing, and attack just before he disappears using UAVs that do not endanger human life (fighter pilots or fighters in the field). Furthermore, the tiny aircraft are dozens of times cheaper to operate. However, their increasing use has not yet helped neutralize the power of Hamas and the Jihad to stop the massive firing on Israel.

And perhaps here lies the difference between a clear decision and a vague victory and temporary deterrence over the terrorist organizations. The purpose of Operation Wall Guard was to deprive Hamas of its capabilities as much as possible and bring about deterrence. Israel entered the current round against Hamas reluctantly and therefore did not intend to overthrow the organization. According to IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi, during the operation, Israel severely damaged Hamas and Islamic Jihad and denied these organizations many capabilities, including in the field of missile production capability.

Such a strategic decision has a price and means that Hamas' launch capability cannot be eliminated from the air alone since its rocket array (similar to that of Hezbollah) is in underground tunnels. That is, Hamas copied Hezbollah's model that the IDF faced in 2006. To harm the functional continuity of the organization and eradicate the Strip from the terrorist nests and thousands of rockets still in the organization's possession, a massive ground entry is required.

In 2007 as part of the lessons learned from the Second Lebanon War, The National Emergency Authority (Reshut Heyrum Le'umit or "Rachel" for short),  was established under the Ministry of Defense, with the role of uniting all the organizations involved in dealing with the home front in an emergency. In addition, in 2012, "Rachel" was merged with the Ministry of Home Front Defense.

The next government, in coordination with the Ministry of Defense together with "Rachel", must prepare the ground for the public, for what may happen in the next confrontation in the north. The current round against Hamas will be seen as a child's play in comparison with Hezbollah, which has an arsenal of 150,000 missiles. 

Meanwhile, the establishment of a dedicated unit with advanced drones heralds a new era on the battlefield that should, among other things, prevent casualties among our forces. However, it is not enough to stop Hezbollah during an armed confrontation with it. The only way it will be possible to stop the barrage of missiles that will fly non-stop towards Israel is through a wide military maneuver.

Images Source: Moshe Reuveny, Young Diplomats

Several fires have broken out in the Gaza Envelope as the result of incendiary balloons. Fire department teams are working at the scene. 



2 more fires erupted in the Gaza Strip, near the Israeli territory of Kibbutz Nir. 

A fire broke out this morning in a wheat field in the Gaza Strip. Residents said they saw incendiary balloons in the air before the fire broke out. Fire crews are on the way to the scene. 

The armed wing of Hamas in Gaza has once again threatened to attack Israel during a parade in Gaza City. Instead of taking care of its citizens, building infrastructure, schools and bettering life for the Palestinian people, they continue to build rockets, use innocent Palestinians as human shields and threaten violence against innocent Israelis. 

This is unacceptable.

Any new escalation on the part of Hamas will harm Egyptian initiative and the reconstruction efforts of the Gaza Strip, but Hamas is driven by intoxication of power.
Hamas estimates that following the recent war, it has become an important regional factor that could change the balance of power of the Palestinians vis-à-vis Israel.

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The IDF and the GSS are preparing for the possibility of a security deterioration due to the Jerusalem Flag March, after the Minister of Internal Security and the Police commissioner decided to hold the event in an approved outline. 

The defense establishment estimates that Sinwar will be afraid to act, but the situation is explosive, and we are preparing for the possibility of resumed fighting."

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