Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 90?

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday presented his plan to the War Cabinet and the State Security Cabinet for Israel's security status once the war in Gaza is over. 

The plan included the integration of existing Palestinian civilian leadership in Gaza into a more substantial local government. "Hamas will not rule Gaza," said Gallant in a press briefing before the meeting, "and Israel will not hold a civilian governorship over Gaza."

While The Jerusalem Post previously reported that top defense officials want local Gazan Palestinians to run Gaza once the IDF starts to withdraw, this was only part of the picture, with the remainder of the picture involving the US, the EU, and moderate Sunni allies, it can now be revealed.

Essentially, the concept of the defense establishment, which includes Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, is that eventually, more and more civil administration should be handled by local Gazans without Hamas loyalties themselves, but that this will not be possible all at once.

In some undefined transitional period, the IDF will retain broad security responsibility, including over the borders and with authority to conduct raids, but some hybrid mix of forces provided by the US, European allies, and Arab allies, such as the Saudis, Egypt, the UAE and others will assist with aspects of internal security and administration.

Israeli soldiers in a tank hold an Israeli flag near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip (credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)

Only once the local Palestinian Gazans get their bearings, have more stable residences and lives, and appear ready to stand on their own if facing minor challenges from remnants of Hamas and other terror groups would the international conglomerate of countries yield more management to the local groups.

Palestinian Authority's role to be minimized

The defense establishment and Gallant also do not completely disqualify the Palestinian Authority from playing some role, though the defense minister would prefer to minimize its role or only give it a role if aspects of its policies toward Israel improve.

To date, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has avoided public debates on these issues and has mostly talked about what he is against: Such as no involvement for the PA.

However, the US, the EU, and the moderate Arab states may not agree to participate and provide funding, which could leave Israel stuck if Jerusalem does not show flexibility.

Further, Israel may be going to elections, in which case officials like Benny Gantz, who appear more open to the PA and to global suggested solutions in general, may end up deciding the issue.

It is also unclear how Israel will select Gazans who are truly disconnected from Hamas after the terror group's 16-year rule, but Gallant is confident that groups can be found or formed.

British maritime security firm Ambrey has received intelligence of missiles fired from Yemen's Taiz towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the firm said in an advisory note on Thursday.

Later in the speech, Haliva made a push for the new intelligence officers to express their opinions stridently, even if it was to superior officers and even if they knew they were likely to be in the minority.

While this last portion of the speech is fairly standard, it carried some extra tension to it this time, since there are a wealth of accusations that senior officials in IDF intelligence, possibly including Haliva himself, rejected all warnings from more junior officials that Hamas might mount a massive attack like it did on October 7.

In fact, Haliva himself is expected to resign mid-term over the failure to anticipate the October 7 Hamas invasion, despite there being warnings about it within the intelligence ranks.

Generally, senior intelligence officials brushed off the warnings as "fanciful" and shoddy unrealistic intelligence work, grasping at demons and scenarios which were disconnected from the consensus reality that Hamas was too afraid of the IDF's power to risk such a brazen attack.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari termed the largest Hamas terrorism tunnel just outside of the Erez Crossing the “flagship project” of the vast subterranean project used by the jihadi movement before it invaded Israel on October 7.

The Jerusalem Post inspected the tunnel in December. According to the IDF, Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, supervised the construction of the tunnel.

The tunnel‘s width and height permit automobiles to travel through it.

IDF soldiers operating in the tunnel used by Yahya Sinwar's brother in the Gaza Strip (credit: BENJAMIN WEINTHAL)

R.-Adm. Hagari said, “We estimate it is 50 meters deep and 4km long, and have found RPGs and AK-47s stored in depots. Many smaller tunnels lead off it.”

A few days after The Post’s inspection of the Gaza tunnel, the IDF published a Hamas video showing Mohammad traveling in a small jeep with another Hamas terrorist through the tunnel.

The IDF termed the terrorist tunnel the “ Sinwar Project” and said it was not utilized on the day of the massacre but it was in “full readiness” for an underground launch attack. The tunnel is a mere 400 meters from the Erez Crossing into Israel.

Colonel Moshe Tetro, Head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) for Gaza, said ”The Sinwar project is meant to attack the Erez Crossing of Hope.” Tetro added that his unit’s work at the Erez Crossing involved aiding Palestinians from Gaza to secure entry into Israel for medical care 
and employment.

The Erez Crossing was the scene of a major Hamas assault on October 7, resulting in the slaughter of 1,200 people in various locations in southern Israel.“Hamas killed three of my soldiers,” said Tetro, who added those soldiers gave permits to Gazans for medical aid.

Entrance into the ''Sinwar Project'' terror tunnel (credit: BENJAMIN WEINTHAL)

Three of Tetro’s soldiers were kidnapped on October 7 from the Erez Crossing. The Ashkelon resident, Tetro, announced on the day of the Post’s tour of Gaza and the Erez Crossing that the  bodies of two of his soldiers, CPL Nik Beizer from Beer Sheva,  and SGT Ron Sherman  from Lehavim—both 
both 19 years old—were recovered by the IDF in Gaza.

Before entry into the tunnel, an IDF soldier showed an Arabic language poster produced by Hamas, stating that mobile phones should not be brought into the tunnel and only landline telephones should be utilized.

A thick oxygen pipe meandered its way through the tunnel along with a complex network of electrical wiring. Tetro said Hamas “took oxygen for hospitals and gave it to their militants to breathe underground.” Hagari noted that the IDF “will demolish” the tunnel in a few days.

IDF air strikes pounding Gaza just a few kilometers to the south could be heard during the inspection.

Hagari stressed that “Hamas took advantage of Israel’s desire to promote prosperity in Gaza” via the benefits of the Erez Crossing. He continued that if Hamas “cared about the Gazans, they would not have forced Gazans into the position of being a human shield.”

The IDF declined to say if it was aware of the Sinwar tunnel before October 7.  After Israel's prosecution of its war against Hamas, the Sinwar project will likely be one of the topics for the government commission slated to investigate the intelligence failures surrounding Hamas’ invasion.
 
The role of the tiny oil-rich Gulf country, Qatar, will surely also come under the magnifying glass for its role in pumping billions of dollars into Gaza that was used by Hamas for its labyrinth system of terror tunnels and its robust military apparatus.

When the Post asked about former Israeli counter-terrorism advisor Yigal Carmon’s statement that “Qatar is Hamas and Hamas is Qatar, “ an IDF spokesman said “It is more complex than that” because Qatar is involved in the negotiations to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Carmon, who speaks fluent Arabic, served for 20 years in military intelligence and was the counter-terrorism advisor for Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin. He is the founder and president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Carmon predicted the Hamas invasion in an article on the MEMRI website titled “Signs Of Possible War In September-October.” This journalist reported on Carmon’s prescient analysis on September 5 for Iran International.

Carmon advocates that Egypt replace Qatar as the lead mediator to secure the release of the 129 hostages held by Hamas.  Qatar served as a controversial mediator when it negotiated a deal providing for the release of over 100 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian terrorists and criminals.  
Hamas kidnapped over 240 people on October 7.

As the 90th day of war unfolds, the goals of the IDF, as stressed by Hagari in December, remain the same: “To defeat Hamas and rescue the hostages.”

Five IDF soldiers serving in Gaza were badly wounded in the line of fire on Wednesday and Thursday, according to an IDF statement. 

The statement did not include their names. Two of them serve in the 94th Batallion of the Kfir Brigade and were wounded in the south of Gaza on Thursday.

Another serves in the 931st Batallion of the Nachal Brigade and was wounded in Gaza's North on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, a soldier in the 7421st Battalion of the Kiryati Brigade and another in the 6261st Batallion of the IDF's Infantry Unit 261 were wounded in the south of Gaza.

All four were taken to Israeli hospitals for continued medical treatment. 

A soldier from the Bedouin patrol battalion broke into a container in an IDF base and stole equipment on October 11, four days after the war broke out, KAN News reported.

In addition to military equipment, the soldier also stole the personal computer of Captain Omer Wolf, who was killed during combat on October 7.

A disappointing discovery 

The investigation initially started following a request from the Wolf family. Once filed, the Military Investigative Police were able to locate the computer inside the soldier's house.

The ruling of the trial sentenced the soldier to three months of prison time, a demotion in rank, and to financially compensate the Wolf family for the amount of NIS 2,000.

The prosecution did not accept the ruling 

After the ruling was revealed, the Military Prosecution appealed the decision and requested to double the amount of jail time to six months. This appeal was made after the Military Prosecution commented that the acts were shameful and ugly. 

Due to the prosecution's appeal, an additional hearing has been scheduled for this coming Sunday.

The IDF responded to the incident, saying, "We are talking about a very serious incident, which is contrary to what is expected of IDF officers and IDF values. The military prosecution is in contact with the bereaved family and will continue to update them on every development, and the computer was returned to them after the investigation was opened. The IDF shares in the family's grief and will continue to stand by them."

Israel will complete all of its war goals in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US Senator Lindsey Graham, who visited Israel on Thursday.

"We will bring our residents back to their homes in the South and North," Netanyahu vowed.

The IDF attacked a rocket launch site in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to an official statement, which contained terrorist infrastructure and Hezbollah lookout posts. 

The strike was carried out by an Israeli Air Force fighter jet. 

In the few hours leading up to the strike, several launches were detected toward northern Israel. The IDF responded to these launches by attacking their origin sites.

An informed source told Iranian state media that the first explosion in Iran yesterday was caused by a suicide bomber.

This claim comes after a review of evidence, including CCTV footage.

The explosions occurred yesterday in the city of Kerman, Iran, near the grave of Qassem Soleimani.

A soldier from the Bedouin patrol battalion broke into a container in an IDF base and stole equipment on October 11, four days after the war broke out. 

In addition to military equipment, the soldier also stole the personal computer of Captain Omar Wolf, who was killed during combat on October 7.