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Yoni Ben Menachem

Yoni Ben Menachem, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center. He served as director general and chief editor of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

The Iranians have resumed their airlifts to Syria, in which they transfer weapons to Hezbollah. They also feel encouraged by the American president’s decision to withdraw U.S. military forces from Syria.
The Israel Security Agency and the Israel Defense Forces pulled off a successful intelligence operation when they caught and killed Ashraf Na’alwa, responsible for two murders in the Barkan Industrial Park on Oct. 7, and Salah Barghouti, a member of the terror cell that carried out the attack at the Ofra Junction on Dec. 8.
It is making every effort to perpetrate terror attacks from Judea and Samaria perpetrated by “sleeper cells,” exploiting the fact that the Israel Defense Forces are busy on two fronts in the north and the south.
The Hamas Interior Ministry has publicized the sentences of 14 people convicted of collaborating with Israel as a deterrent to Gaza residents and to highlight its “control” of the security situation.
The Palestinian Authority and Hamas are working together to sabotage a draft resolution drawn up by the United States, condemning the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
The possibility of Israel launching a preemptive military strike should not be ruled out.
Recently, the larger clans in eastern Jerusalem held gatherings where they threatened to banish anyone who sells buildings and lands to Jews. Those selling are risking death.
Another round of violence broke out in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 27, when dozens of missiles were fired towards Israel. In response, the IDF attacked some 80 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets within Gaza.
The purpose of the rocket attack was to pressure Egypt to increase efforts to end the Gaza embargo and to serve as a warning to Israel before making a decision to launch a military strike against Hamas.
It has become clear that Hamas has learned some lessons; it tried to scupper any chances of the IDF finding the tunnel by using certain materials and new building techniques.
Hamas is ramping up the demonstrations on the Gaza border in order to achieve the complete removal of Israel’s blockade.
Egypt is maintaining an open channel with the Palestinian Authority, even though it believes that Mahmoud Abbas is playing a dangerous game that could inflame a fragile situation in the area.