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SvennoJ on 06 July 2025
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Far-right Israeli minister slams Gaza aid decision as ‘grave mistake’

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also accused Netanyahu of failing to ensure that Israel’s army is following government directives in prosecuting the war against Hamas in Gaza.

He said he was considering his “next steps” but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the coalition.

“The cabinet and the Prime Minister made a grave mistake yesterday in approving the entry of aid through a route that also benefits Hamas,” Smotrich said on X, saying the aid would ultimately reach Hamas and serve as “logistical support for the enemy during wartime".

Israeli media reported that the government had voted to allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.


Netanyahu delays departure to Washington: Report

Israeli media is reporting that the Israeli prime minister is delaying his departure for Washington, scheduled at 4pm (13:00 GMT), to take part in discussions on an updated bill proposal on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men for military service.

The Times of Israel cited Hebrew media as saying that PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight schedule had been pushed back to later this evening.

The controversy over the conscription of Haredi Jews threatens to destabilise Netanyahu’s coalition government, which is reliant on religiously conservative parties that oppose the move.

The military has called up tens of thousands of soldiers and says it needs all the manpower it can get, as casualties in Gaza continue to mount.


Israeli army to send recruitment summons for 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews

The Israeli military has announced it will begin sending draft notices to members of the ultra-Orthodox community this week as the law giving them exemptions from military service has expired.

The notices will be sent out in several phases in July until all 54,000 summonses are issued, the army said in a statement. It added that the army intends to ramp up its “enforcement actions against draft evaders and deserters from the entire population”.


Israeli army chief visits ultra-Orthodox brigade amid measures against draft dodgers

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir has visited the training base for the ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade as the military calls up the Haredi for service and acts against dodgers.

“You are proof that there is no contradiction between a Haredi lifestyle and serving” in the Israeli military, Zamir told the troops, according to a statement by the army.

The brigade has been involved in military attacks on Gaza, too, so the army chief “emphasised the importance” of the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military at a time when the war is ongoing and Israel has been attacking Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen as well.

This comes as Israeli media report that the army is adopting measures against draft dodgers and deserters, including shortening the process of being declared a draft dodger.