Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended his congratulations on the capture of the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus on Tuesday.

Describing the terrorist as “one of the most senior Hamas leaders,” the prime minister said he had been “responsible for hiding and transporting our abductees [and] hiding senior Hamas officials.”

More recently, the captured official was involved in efforts to restore Hamas’s control in Gaza and to carry out attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, Netanyahu said. “My directive is clear: The State of Israel will continue to persecute all Hamas leaders and all those who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed earlier on Tuesday in a Hebrew-language recorded message while visiting the Israeli community of Netiv HaAsara, situated near the northern border of the Gaza Strip, that “a senior Hamas terrorist operative was arrested a short while ago—and this is our policy: we do not wait for threats; we pursue Hamas terrorists, neutralize them, and destroy their terrorist infrastructure,”

Earlier in the day, local Gaza reports said that the Israel Defense Forces had carried out “unusual” strikes in the Gaza City area.

A local, allegedly Israeli-backed Gaza militia came under fire in western Gaza City during an operation to apprehend a Hamas associate, according to those reports.

The Israeli Air Force provided heavy cover fire to secure the militia’s escape route, the reports continued. Israeli missiles subsequently struck two vehicles carrying militants; however, their condition remains unknown.

In his recorded message, Katz added, “We are not moving from Gaza until the Strip is demilitarized, Hamas is disarmed, and all the terrorist underground tunnels are dismantled; and even after that, the IDF will remain in defensive positions in Gaza and ensure the security of the western Negev communities.”

https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/katz-top-hamas-terrorist-captured-in-gaza

I'm of the opinion that Netanyahu is a tactical genius who mistakenly believes that this amounts to strategy. Since the war in Gaza ended (or decelerated), I've been waiting to see what Israel would do next, but as near as I can tell, everything is kind of frozen. I can't really tell is Neyanyahu thinks this is a desireable new status quo, or if he's genuinely waiting for the Board of Peace process to deliver something (Hamas disarmament, however unlikely that seems), or if he has some other plan that he's just not talking. Do the Israelis here have the impression he actually has a long term vision?

Also...let's say come October, a brand new party springs up out of nowhere, wins 80 seats in the Knesset, and puts you in charge of that party, making you prime minister: what would you do with Gaza?

Leave the Golan Heights in the morning and start the drive south. There's really no way around the distance.

The road drops through the Jordan Valley and gradually into the desert basin, and somewhere along the drive the air becomes noticeably warmer and drier.

Your first stop should be Qumran National Park, the famous archaeological site where the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. After exploring the caves, continue driving south along the coast toward Masada. When you first see this ancient fortress, your jaw will drop. The rugged natural plateau inside the Judaean Desert stands roughly 1,300 feet above the surrounding terrain, overlooking the Dead Sea below.
Plan for at least three hours on site. In the summer, Masada is open until 5 pm and in winter, until 4 pm, so time the visit accordingly.

Head down to the Dead Sea in the afternoon. The lowest point on earth. The elevation and dense desert air create a heaviness that subtly slows the pace of the day. There honestly isn't much to do besides float, which is the entire point. The salt concentration is so high that sinking feels almost impossible, and along the shoreline, make sure to cover yourself in the mineral-rich mud. For the night, stay along the Dead Sea shore, about 20 minutes from Masada. It makes the logistics of both this day and the following much easier.

OPTIONAL DESERT EXTENSION
Travelers particularly interested in the desert may want to shorten the northern portion of the trip by a day and spend additional time in the Negev. Southwest of the Dead Sea, Makhtesh Ramon is one of the region's most significant geological formations, while Mitzpe Ramon sits directly on its rim. Nearby, Avdat National Park and Ein Avdat National Park offer a combination of archaeological sites and dramatic desert landscapes. If you’re drawn to wide-open spaces, this part of the country can easily justify an extra day before returning north to Tel Aviv.

On your final morning head north along the shore to Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a dramatic desert oasis with waterfalls and natural springs before continuing onward to Ein Feshkha (Einot Tzukim), where wetlands and freshwater pools create an unexpected pocket of greenery along the Dead Sea, before making your back to Tel Aviv.

WORTH KNOWING
Some travelers choose to hike up via the Snake Path, the steep trail climbing the eastern side of the mountain that typically takes 45 minutes to an hour, depending on pace. The desert heat is real, especially later in the day, so it's important to factor the temperature into the decision. There's also a cable car from the visitor center that reaches the top in just a few minutes and is often the more practical option for travelers wanting to save their energy for the rest of the day. If you plan on riding the cable car, make sure you reserve your spot in advance.

Ada Yonath, the renowned Israeli crystallographer who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Israel Prize, died Monday at the age of 87.

Yonath’s death was announced by the Weizmann Institute, Yonath’s professional home for decades, which said in a statement that her work helped “pave the way for the development of more advanced antibiotics and the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria – one of the most pressing medical challenges of the 21st century.”

Her groundbreaking crystallographic research was vital for reaching a scientific understanding of the structure of the ribosome, which is basically a cellular factory that builds proteins.

i keep seeing all of these “boycott Starbucks” videos on Tiktok and although it makes me laugh, I am worried for the reading comprehension and general intelligence of people. Do they not understand that there is 0 Starbucks in Israel?? also wasn’t it a fake letter that circulated around saying Starbucks donated to the IDF.

Why in the world would Starbucks donate to the IDF if they have zero operations in Israel. In a country they make zero money from.

The critical thinking is at an all time low

Lebanon and Gaza are very different arenas, and Hezbollah is not Hamas. But the strategic principle is the same: When restrictions on Israeli military action appear before the enemy has been substantially disarmed, the political process risks becoming a mechanism that preserves the threat rather than removes it.

This does not mean that Israel should act recklessly or respond to every incident with a major escalation. Force should be precise, intelligence-driven and connected to a clear strategic objective. But there is a fundamental difference between restraint and passivity. A state that retains the initiative can decide when not to strike. A state that repeatedly waits until the enemy strikes first is no longer choosing the terms of confrontation.

by Eyal Dror

https://www.jns.org/opinion/eyal-dror/when-israel-gives-up-the-initiative-hezbollah-takes-it

Hezbollah is learning from its past military failures and developing capabilities to deploy FPV drones in current and future campaigns against Israel. In this video, ISW Middle East Team Lead Kelly Campa explains how FPV systems have become a cheap, indispensable tool of warfare and how Hezbollah has deployed FPVs in its most recent campaign against Israeli forces in Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s FPV drone threat remains limited for now but is likely to feature in Hezbollah's future campaigns against Israel. The IDF will need to anticipate how Hezbollah’s drone-and-strike complex could evolve over the medium term and develop the appropriate countermeasures to counter the new FPV challenge.