Israeli army planning for more fighting in Gaza, Lebanon, West Bank
The chief of staff of the Israeli military offered a short assessment of the current situation as ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon are mostly holding.
“Along with the intense defence preparations in the Gaza Strip, we must be prepared for significant operations in Judea and Samaria in the coming days in order to preempt and capture the terrorists before they reach our citizens,” Herzi Halevi said in a statement. “Judea and Samaria” is a reference to the occupied West Bank.
Halevi also instructed Israeli forces “to formulate plans for continued fighting in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon”.
War fighting continues to roil Israel’s jobless rate
Israel’s economy continues to absorb shockwaves from the war on Gaza with more than 22 percent of the labour force temporarily absent from work in December after being called for military reserve duty.
Israel forged a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon in late November. Prior to that it was fighting both Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza, requiring a massive call-up of reservists.
The percentage of women temporarily absent from work because of military service rose to 6.3 percent in December from 5.4 percent in November. Israel’s employment rate stood at 61.2 percent in December.
Smotrich threatens to ‘bring down the government’ over fighting in Gaza
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a staunch opponent of any Gaza ceasefire agreement, refused to commit to any specific date for leaving the Israeli government when asked by reporters.
“We do not need to talk about one day or another. If we do not return to fighting, I will bring down the government,” Israeli media quoted him as saying.
“I demanded and received a commitment from Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel would return to the campaign to destroy Hamas and eradicate this threat to the State of Israel.”
Unlike far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his allies, Smotrich has yet to quit the government, but maintains the ceasefire will hurt Israel. The government and army have sought to reassure the powerful ultranationalist factions represented by the two ministers that Israel will keep military control of Gaza.
Smotrich confirmed that his Religious Zionist Party will retain its Knesset seats after Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit quit the coalition.
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