Israel News for 7-4-2022
News Update
The IDF shot down three Hezbollah drones heading from Lebanon towards the Karish offshore gas field Saturday night. The drones were destroyed by an IDF fighter jet and navy missile boat. The gas field is currently a point of contention between Israel and Lebanon. For more on the dispute, click here.
Syrian media reported an alleged Israeli air strike near the Syrian port city of Tarsus over the weekend. The Russians have a major naval base in Tarsus.
The Palestinian Authority handed over the bullet that killed an Al Jazeera reporter in May to a US security coordinator. Israel has said that it will conduct tests on the bullet, under US supervision. The Palestinians claim that they handed over the bullet on the condition that Israel will not be able to conduct tests on it.
The Israel Police is preparing for potential terror attacks during US President Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel on Wednesday. The police is reportedly aware of dozens of potential terror attacks all around the country. The IDF arrested 13 terror suspects in overnight raids in the West Bank.
Israel’s Supreme Court has voted unanimously to overturn a policy limiting the number of Ukrainian refugees allowed to enter Israel to 5,000. Ukrainians will now be able to enter Israel for up to 3 months without a visa. The Interior Ministry will still be able to restrict entry to some Ukrainians contingent upon cooperation between the two countries and the approval of the Knesset’s Internal Affairs Committee. Ukrainians eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return were never included in the original quota. For more, click here.
Leaders of the outgoing Knesset’s opposition parties told U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides that they will pass the necessary legislation for Israel to qualify for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. For more, click here.
The IDF is planning to build a wall around the town of Metula, which is Israel’s northernmost town along the Lebanese border.
Current Prime Minister Yair Lapid invited opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu to a security briefing, which the opposition leader is required to receive by law. But Netanyahu rejected the meeting with Lapid and instead has demanded to be briefed by Lapid’s military secretary. Netanyahu is apparently reluctant to be seen as accepting Lapid as prime minister before the upcoming election. Netanyahu also refused to be briefed by former Prime Minister Bennett, and instead was briefed by Bennett’s military secretary.
