Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 133?
Benny Gantz: IDF will invade Rafah if hostages are not freed, war could continue into Ramadan • Gazan riots erupt near Rafah's border with Egypt
Netanyahu seeks to plug leaks with legal action against journalists
The Union of Journalists in Israel attacked the plan saying it was anti-democratic and would harm press freedoms, with "no equal" in democratic countries.
Due to several leaks from cabinet meetings, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for criminal prosecutions of those who publish cabinet meeting leaks, according to Israeli media.
Netanyahu has asked that all elements of cabinet meetings stay private and that publishing any of the details of the meetings, even those that are not defined as security-related, should be forbidden.
Any cabinet meeting details not pre-approved by the censor could lead to the leaker and the journalist publishing the details being criminally prosecuted.
It is expected that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara will oppose the move, which would make the prosecution of any leakers difficult.
The Knesset Speaker's Office confirmed that there had been a request made to the Attorney General on January 8, 2024, requesting that an investigation be opened into the leaking of sensitive information from the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee to the media by a Knesset member.
Knesset investigation
Speaker Amir Ohana ordered an investigation into the leaks to determine their source, appointing an officer to investigate.
The investigating officer collected witness testimony as well as accessed the security cameras in the committee's compound, along with other evidence.
The investigation revealed that only a single Knesset member had accessed the information from the time it arrived at the committee six months ago to the inspection date. The MK accessed the information twice close to the time it was leaked to the media.
Further inspection revealed that the MK had marked on the meeting's notes the same parts which were eventually published. The committee director stated that that copy was the only existing copy of the meeting and that the MK had received it without any markings.
The investigating officer said, "It must be remembered that on the other side sits a foreign intelligence agent gathering every detail of information in order to complete its intelligence puzzle."
Ohana asked the Attorney General to open a criminal investigation immediately and prosecution if the evidence warrants it.
"Refraining from taking all legal measures will encourage and incentivize more leaks from more meetings, something that will not only harm the security of the state but also the Knesset's ability to maintain proper supervision of the government and its institutions, which will not, to put it mildly, share confidential information in the future," Ohana wrote in his letter to Baharav-Miara.
Gilad Kariv identified as the leak
Israeli media identified the leaker MK as Labor MK Gilad Kariv.
"Any investigation in connection with the leakage of information from the war cabinet, an expanded cabinet, government discussions, and Knesset committees is welcome and appropriate," Kariv said in response.
"To the extent that it is a political inspection, selective enforcement, or an inspection aimed at terrorizing members of the Knesset, it will run into the steel wall of democracy."
"I intend to contact the Attorney General with a request to start an immediate investigation of the leaks from the War Cabinet about attack plans in Lebanon and Gaza that endangered IDF soldiers, at the same time as the investigation concerning the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee," he said. "If necessary, a petition will be submitted to the High Court of Justice to order the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) to investigate the leaks that endanger the soldiers' lives."
The Union of Journalists in Israel criticized the plan saying "The Prime Minister's proposal to allow the prosecution of journalists for legitimate press publications is a bright warning sign on the way to a serious attack on the freedom of the press."
The Union attacked the plan saying it was anti-democratic and would harm press freedoms, with "no equal" in democratic countries.
"If the prime minister feels that there is a problem with leaks, let him deal with the accomplices and not with the journalists who are doing their job," the Union said.
Go to the full article >>IDF strikes three Hezbollah buildings in southern Lebanon
The IDF struck targets belonging to Hezbollah on Thursday evening according to an IDF spokesperson.
The jets struck three buildings and terrorist infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The strikes were in the area of the villages of Kantara, Yarin, and Tayba.
The IDF struck more terror infrastructure in the area of Lavona.
Go to the full article >>German Minister of Justice expresses support for Israel
He made a plea with the media: “That Hamas not be confused with a news agency.”
Those who are not German citizens and spread antisemitic hate or commit violent acts must have their residential status put into question in Germany, according to German Minister of Justice Dr. Marco Buschmann.
He spoke at Joint Perspectives, a cooperative conference hosted by WELT (Axel Springer SE) and The Jerusalem Post, to discuss the challenges and obstacles that have arisen in the wake of the October 7 massacre and the resulting war.
Upon beginning his speech, he confessed that it is only “half-true” that he was happy to be in attendance. “Of course, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to talk to some distinguished individuals,” he clarified. “But I am not happy about the reason for being here today, none of us are.”
“Jews were so indisputably the victims” on October 7, he explained, repeating the concern over rising antisemitism in the wake of the war, in the world and in Germany specifically, too.
“Those who plan or commit acts of violence against Jews in this country will face charges,” he said. “Those who disseminate propaganda… who condone criminal acts are engaging in criminal acts and will be prosecuted accordingly. And if they are not German citizens… we must look at their residence status.”
He explained that the last thing the German government wishes is for antisemites to become German citizens.
Not just in person
Antisemitism is just as prevalent online as it is in person – even more so. “Since the 7th of October, the [police] has sent… 2,977 deletion requests to service providers,” Buschmann revealed.
He additionally said that the German government “has banned the use of the slogan, ‘From the River to the Sea/Palestine will be Free.’
“I have every confidence that the commission will keep a close eye on the situation and take appropriate action when necessary. It is not acceptable for t-shirts questioning the existence of Israel to be available to order on the internet.”
He made a plea with the media: “That Hamas not be confused with a news agency.”
“Antisemites hate Jews, but in doing so, they hate people,” he continued. “In fact, they hate humanity itself because those that oppress a particular group of people would do the same to another. In this conflict, we stand beside Israel. That is where Germany belongs.
He further stated that those say Germany should look at both sides of the conflict must know that is “exactly what we do… On the one side, we see a fanatical Islamist regime, on the other, we see a liberal democracy.
“We know exactly where we stand. We stand with the victims, with liberal democracy, with Jews; we stand with Israel. We stand with Israel because we know who started the terror of the 7th of October.”
Finally, he hinted at the need for a ceasefire by stating, “We stand with Israel because we are convinced that our friends in Israel know that even a legitimate war must come to an end one day.”
Go to the full article >>US carries out cyberattack on Iranian warship in Red Sea - NBC News report
The US operation was meant to inhibit the Iranian ship’s ability to share intelligence with Houthi militants in Yemen.
The United States conducted a cyberattack recently against an Iranian military ship in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing three US officials.
The cyberattack took place a week ago as part of a government response to a drone attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq that killed three US service members in Jordan late last month and wounded dozens of others, the report said.
NBC reported that the operation was intended to inhibit the ship’s ability to share intelligence with Houthi militants in Yemen.
The Iran-aligned Houthi, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have launched a wave of exploding drones and missiles at commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in recent weeks, calling it a response to Israel's military operations in Gaza and a show of solidarity with Palestinians.
The attacks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and raised fears of supply bottlenecks.
The US military has responded with strikes against the group. President Joe Biden said in January that strikes on Houthi targets would continue even as he acknowledged they may not be halting their attacks.
The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the NBC News report.
Go to the full article >>Israel-Hamas War: What you need to know
- Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza
- Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 in the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities
- 134 hostages remain in Gaza, IDF says