Israel Briefing Day 531: Israel’s new campaign in Gaza has expanded to land operations

Just days into renewed fighting, mediators have unexpectedly expressed optimism about ceasefire negotiations. According to Channel 12, intermediaries believe an extended truce is within reach. The report suggests that Israel’s return to the Netzarim Corridor is intended to pressure Hamas into negotiations. In recent hours, Israel has scaled back airstrikes, signalling a possible opening for diplomatic progress.

Medical professionals in Israel are weighing plans for a protest strike in response to the renewed military campaign in Gaza and the failure to secure hostages’ release. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, social workers, and administrative staff are being urged to back the proposal and participate.

Houthi terrorists fired a missile at Israel overnight. Missile defence systems downed it before it entered Israeli airspace. The attack came as America is upping its operations against the Iranian-backed Houthi militants.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu has “no moral authority to send soldiers to war” in light of the latest allegations in the so-called Qatargate scandal.

First the key context, then back to Bennett’s fury:

1. Qatargate is a term coined by Israeli media to refer to allegations that Qatar secretly funded Israeli officials and influencers, including some connected to the Prime Minister’s Office, hoping to influence public opinion. A police investigation is underway.

2. Yesterday, Channel 12 reported that Eli Feldstein, who was a spokesman in the Prime Minister’s Office, may have been indirectly funded by Qatar.

3. According to Channel 12, at a time when he was working at the PMO but not getting a salary from the bureau for doing so, Qatari government funds were transferred to him by an American consultant.

Bennett’s criticism of Netanyahu is related to these developments. “How can you trust a decision of someone whose office is full of moles funded by Israel’s enemies?” Bennett asked yesterday. He accused Netanyahu of either knowingly allowing Qatari influence—“If this was done knowingly, it is treason against the State of Israel. Plain and simple.” He warned: “The Prime Minister’s Office is the sanctum of Israel’s security. Whoever receives money or a salary from another country is in severe breach of trust.” Bennett demanded a full investigation, stating: “The government and its leader have completely crushed any shred of public trust in their motives.”

As Qatargate dominated headlines yesterday, Netanyahu hit out against what he called Israel’s “deep state,” suggesting that it is working to undermine right-wing leaders through the justice system. Netanyahu is angry about the Qatar investigation, about the ongoing corruption trial against him, and about the Attorney General taking stances that are critical of the coalition. In particular, Netanyahu is furious about the AG questioning the legality of his plan to fire the Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

In Netanyahu’s tweet, he wrote: “In America and Israel, when a strong right-wing leader wins elections, the deep state, serving the left, distorts the justice system to thwart the will of the people. They will not win—not in Israel and not in America. We stand strong together.” President Isaac Herzog issued what appeared to be a sharp response, tweeting: “Israel’s strong and independent judicial system is an asset to our democracy, and the President of Israel is very proud of it.” A few hours later, Netanyahu was filmed in a video made specifically to address the “young” wanting to know what he meant by deep state. He claimed it is a "permanent bureaucracy that is barely replaced and sits deep in the Israeli government and decides that it knows better than the voters" -- and portrayed it as an arm of the establishment that leans left and tries to undermine the right.

After the first post, the centrist Yesh Atid responded, saying: “Netanyahu has completely lost it. The Prime Minister of Israel is spreading dangerous conspiracy theories, undermining the rule of law, and tarnishing Israel’s reputation. He is in a panic—he knows those closest to him are entangled in foreign interests, and the truth will come out. This is not leadership; it is dangerous and embarrassing panic.”

There were mass anti-government demonstrations across Israel yesterday. Protesters raged against both Jerusalem’s decision to return to fighting instead of pursuing further negotiations, and against the government’s latest political moves such as firing the Shin Bet chief and sparring with the legal establishment. Protesters poured into streets in several cities, with major disruptions reported in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. There were clashes between demonstrators and police, leading to at least four arrests.

In Jerusalem, tensions escalated when a taxi drove into a group of protesters. Oded Rotem, one of the demonstrators, described the incident, saying: “During the protest against [the collapse of] the deal and the return to Netanyahu’s war for survival, a taxi driver burst into the intersection we were blocking.” Protest leaders Shikma Bressler and Yaya Fink condemned the attack, saying: “We are shocked, violence is the erosion of the foundation of democracy.”

Israel’s controversial decision to invite European far-right leaders to an antisemitism conference is causing ever-greater fallout. Now, President Isaac Herzog has refused to take part, as has Anti-Defamation League chief Jonathan Greenblatt. Their withdrawal follows that of Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and others. In an apparent attempt at compromise, Herzog is now working to arrange a private meeting with Jewish leaders before the main event.

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