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Israel-Hamas War - What happened on day 68?

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
IDF soldiers light the candles of a hanukkiyah amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel December 13, 2023. (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
IDF soldiers light the candles of a hanukkiyah amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, near Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel December 13, 2023.
(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)

Four IDF soldiers wounded in 30-hour raid of West Bank

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Four IDF soldiers were lightly wounded by controlled explosions and friendly fire during a widespread IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police operation in the West Bank, the Israeli military said Monday.

The four were injured during a raid of the Jenin refugee camp. They were treated at the scene and rushed to a nearby hospital for further treatment, the IDF said.

The IDF continued operating for over 30 hours in Jenin, Hebron and other sites used by Palestinian terrorists across the West Bank.

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IDF website attacked by pro-Palestinian hackers

A series of cyberattacks have targeted Israel since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 A screenshot of the IDF spokesperson's website after it was hacked. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
A screenshot of the IDF spokesperson's website after it was hacked.
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The IDF spokesperson's website was attacked by pro-Palestinian hackers on Wednesday evening, with the hackers replacing the site's homepage with a threat to Israel.

"Your arrogance and injustice towards our people in Gaza will only harm you through terror, killing, and war, whether it is on land, in the air, or electronically," wrote the hackers, who signed the message as "Anonymous Jo" and identified themselves as Jordanians.

"This is nothing but a response to your dirty actions and barbarism and the killing of our vulnerable people in Gaza," added the hackers. "This is only the beginning, and from here we tell you that we will only accept the liberation of our land, Palestine, from the river to the sea. Even if our war with you lasts an eternity, you will find nothing from us but killing and terror."

Hackers target Israel amid war

A series of cyberattacks have targeted Israel since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October.

 A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (credit: REUTERS/KACPER PEMPEL/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO) A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (credit: REUTERS/KACPER PEMPEL/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO)

Earlier this month, a hacker group claimed to have stolen over 500 gigabytes of data, including hundreds of thousands of IDF medical records, in a cyberattack on Ziv Medical Center.

In recent weeks, Israel's National Cyber Directorate (INCD) announced that the government has approved emergency regulations to enhance the country's ability to defend against widespread cyberattacks.

Since the start of the war with Hamas in Gaza, the INCD has identified approximately 40 attempted cyberattacks on companies and digital storage services that cater to numerous Israeli businesses.

Yinon Ben Shushan/Walla contributed to this report.

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WATCH: IDF confronts terrorists in Gaza school

IDF soldiers found an underground combat complex in a school in southern Gaza.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A school where the IDF fought Hamas terrorists in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
A school where the IDF fought Hamas terrorists in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The battlegroup of the IDF's 55th Brigade battled terrorists in a school in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on Wednesday, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

The IDF soldiers raided the school after receiving intelligence about suspicious activity and after terrorists launched attacks on IDF soldiers from within the school.

During the raid, the Israeli soldiers encountered a terrorist cell who fired at the Israeli forces with firearms and RPGs. The soldiers carried out a firefight with the terrorists, eliminating them.

In the school, the soldiers found an underground combat complex. An airstrike was carried out on the complex to destroy it, as well as to destroy control and observation centers used by Hamas.

IDF battles terrorists in a school in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. December 13, 2023. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

IDF finds terrorist infrastructure in civilian buildings

During the ground offensive in Gaza, Israeli forces have repeatedly found terrorist infrastructure, including tunnels and weapons storage, in and next to schools, hospitals, homes, and other civilian areas.

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Israeli hostage Tal Chaimi murdered in Hamas captivity

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
  (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

Tal Chaimi, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, was murdered while being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the kibbutz announced on Wednesday evening.

Chaimi's body is still being held by Hamas.

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116 rockets fired from humanitarian zone in southern Gaza since October - IDF

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

116 rockets have been fired from a humanitarian zone designated by the IDF in southern Gaza since the zone was designated in mid-October, the IDF spokesperson for Arabic media, Avichay Adraee, said on Wednesday evening.

Of those rockets, 38 have fallen within the Gaza Strip. "Hamas continues to use the humanitarian zone to conduct terrorist activities, which increases the danger to Gaza civilians and citizens of the State of Israel," wrote Adraee on X.

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IDF strikes terrorists, Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a series of attacks along the Lebanese-Israeli border throughout the day.

By TZVI JOFFRE
 Israeli artillery unit firing shells towards Lebanon near the Israeli border with Lebanon, northern Israel, December 11, 2023 (photo credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)
Israeli artillery unit firing shells towards Lebanon near the Israeli border with Lebanon, northern Israel, December 11, 2023
(photo credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)

The IDF and Israeli Air Force struck several Hezbollah targets and terrorist cells in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, after a series of attacks on northern Israel, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

A number of rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Rosh Hanikra in northern Israel, with Hezbollah taking responsibility for the rocket fire on Wednesday afternoon.

Later in the day, four rockets were fired toward Kiryat Shmona, with all the rockets falling in open areas in and near the city, according to the Kiryat Shmona Municipality. No injuries or damage were reported.

Additionally, projectiles were fired toward Nir's Cliff in northern Israel, with one rocket falling in an open area near Gome Junction. The IDF responded to the rocket fire by targeting the locations the rockets were fired from.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes targeted several locations along the Lebanese-Israeli border throughout the day.

IDF strikes sites belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. December 13, 2023. (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

The IDF said that it struck a Hezbollah terrorist cell in southern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, as well as terrorist infrastructure and a building used by the terrorist organization.

On Tuesday night, Lebanese media reported that a home in Kfarkela in southern Lebanon was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Videos and photos reportedly from the scene showed heavy damage to structures in the area.

On Wednesday morning, Hezbollah announced that one of its members who lives in Kfarkela had been killed amid the exchanges of fire along the border. It is unclear if they were killed in the airstrike in Kfarkela or in a separate incident.

US mediator pushing for land border demarcation talks

On Wednesday, the Hezbollah-aligned al-Akhbar newspaper reported that Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to US President Joe Biden who helped arrange the maritime border agreement between Israel and Lebanon, was pushing American and Israeli officials to enter negotiations with Lebanon concerning the land border between Israel and Lebanon.

According to the report, Hochstein's proposal includes giving Lebanon a location near Rosh Hanikra called Point B1, resolving disputes concerning 13 locations which Lebanon claims as Lebanese territory, Israel's withdrawal from the half of Ghajar located north of the Blue Line, and Israel's withdrawal from the Shebaa Farms and the transfer of the area to international forces as the area is disputed by Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

The report cited informed sources as saying that some Lebanese officials are against entering such negotiations now as Lebanon still has not elected a new president since former president Michel Aoun ended his term and still lacks a stable government.

IDF warns Syrians to stop terrorism against Israel

On Wednesday, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over southern Syria warned residents of the area that the Assad regime was allowing terrorists to conduct operations from their land, saying "the launching of missiles harms the local population first," according to Syrian reports.

"Events like this harm the restoration of your normal life after the period of civil war. You must stop this terrorism from your lands in order to preserve your safety," read the leaflets.

On Tuesday night, several rockets were fired from Syria toward northern Israel. The IDF responded to the rocket fire by striking sites belonging to the Syrian Army in southern Syria.

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ACRI demands IDF explain use of AI targeting system

The IDF uses an AI system crafted to identify potential targets for military attacks.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
 The IDF’s Digital Transformation Division (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)
The IDF’s Digital Transformation Division
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the IDF Spokesperson legal division demanding more transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for targeting.

ACRI’s move is typical for lining up a later move to the High Court of Justice to declare some military practices, in this case using AI for targeting, as illegal.

The request centers on a specific AI system known as “HABSORAH” (The Gospel) System, developed by the IDF.

This AI system is crafted to identify potential targets for military attacks. According to military publications, The Jerusalem Post, and other media, the “HABSORAH” System is designed to “convert vast amounts of irregular intelligence information into actionable recommendations for targeted attacks.”

An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli airforce pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel June 30, 2016. (credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli airforce pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel June 30, 2016. (credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)

“It employs an algorithm drawing data from diverse sources, processing it to propose potential targets at an accelerated rate,” said ACRI.

Understanding the HABSORAH system, and the ability of intelligence decision-makers to comprehend its output and justify it, is crucial for compliance with the laws of war, said ACRI.

The Post has exclusively spoken to sources familiar with the IDF’s use of AI and the balance it strikes with human legal approvals for targeting. It is claimed that the human approval element is still a critical part of the process.

AI use for targeting raises 'substantial' ethical, legal questions

The NGO noted that, “The deployment of AI systems, which involve a certain degree of autonomy in information processing, raises substantial technological, ethical, and legal questions. The use of AI systems capable of making decisions in sensitive areas or potentially violating human rights is a cause for genuine concern.”

Next, a statement from ACRI said, “These concerns arise from the ‘dark side’ of AI, manifested in potential acceptance of incorrect decisions due to machine errors and severe biases.”

“The reliance on complex algorithms that lack transparency may create a ‘black box,’ where critical decisions are made by computers without human comprehension of the underlying considerations or evaluation of the reliability of conclusions,” warned the statement.

Moreover, the human rights group wrote, “The inherent lack of transparency in AI technology has prompted some researchers to recommend limitations on AI use in decisions affecting human rights.”

In fact, ACRI remarked that the EU is moving toward formal legislation to regulate the use of AI systems, “especially those impacting human rights, necessitating special transparency measures and stringent regulation.”

Further, the statement said that human rights concerns “intensify when applied to AI systems in intelligence, as they thrive on large-scale, high-quality information and prolonged supervised learning. Real-time intelligence on the battlefield relies on frequently changing, new information.”

During the current war, “decisions to incriminate a building or location for attack, while aiming to gain a military advantage and shape the campaign, can pose life-and-death risks. Such decisions not only endanger innocent [Gazan] civilians, but also Israeli soldiers and the hostages taken by Hamas.”

The laws of war mandate compliance “to the principles of distinction between combatants and civilians, proportionality, and caution. Relying on AI-generated intelligence for attack decisions, without the ability to explain and understand the decision-making process, undermines international humanitarian law obligations to which Israel is committed,” argued ACRI.

Human rights advocates demand IDF ensure AI compatible with law

ACRI has formally requested that the IDF Military Advocate General scrutinize the compatibility between reliance on the AI system and Israel’s obligations under both Israeli and international law.

Included in this request, ACRI has urged an urgent examination of the “HABSORAH” system and the “use of AI in making decisions about attack targets, emphasizing the need to ensure alignment with Israeli military obligations.”

ACRI explained that it wants to analyze how much the IDF can rely on the mix of AI with big data in terms of how it assesses  information as reliable and current, “and its potential biases that could lead to the erroneous identification of targets for attack, resulting in severe harm to civilians who are not taking a direct part in hostilities.”

The NGO asserted that “this review is especially crucial given the substantial increase in targets approved by the system compared to those previously approved by human intelligence, and in light of the high number of fatalities among non-combatant Gazan civilians, including women and children.”

Noa Sattath, ACRI’s executive director added, “ACRI remains committed to safeguarding human rights and promoting accountability, ensuring that the use of AI in military operations aligns with legal and ethical standards.”

The IDF declined to respond on Wednesday, but it or the Justice Ministry is expected to respond within a certain amount of weeks or months.

FOIA requests are often slow-walked by government and defense agencies, which frequently claim that the information requested is classified or would endanger national security.

If ACRI is unsatisfied with the IDF-government response, as it likely will be, the next likely move would be a petition to the High Court.

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IDF strikes terrorists, Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

The IDF and Israeli Air Force struck several Hezbollah targets and a terrorist cell in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, after a series of attacks on northern Israel, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

A number of rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Rosh Hanikra in northern Israel, with Hezbollah taking responsibility for the rocket fire on Wednesday afternoon.

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Indiscriminate bombing of Gaza is costing Israel, US President Joe Biden warns

"They’re starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place” in Gaza, Biden said, in a statement that implied  Israel was needlessly targeting civilians.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
 Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 13, 2023 (photo credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 13, 2023
(photo credit: REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA)

Israel is losing international support due to its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza, US President Joe Biden said, issuing his most scathing critique of Israel since the start of the war and calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to switch out his coalition partners.

“Israel’s security can rest on the United States,” Biden stated during a campaign event Tuesday, as he touted his government’s strong support of Israel.

Right now, however, Israel has wider support than just the US, Biden explained, as he pointed to the European Union and the international community which has also backed the Jewish state in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 attack.

“But they’re starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place” in Gaza, Biden said, in a statement that implied  Israel was needlessly targeting civilians.

Speculation is high that Biden will ask Israel to constrain its military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza as attention in Washington is redirected to the 2024 run for the White House within in a geo-political atmosphere of low Democratic support for the Gaza war.

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Amid war, far-right minister attacks IDF reserve officers' 'fat pockets'

Struck made the comment while being asked about the hundreds of millions of shekels being added to her ministry in the amended 2023 budget for uses like "family purity" counseling.

By ARIELLA MARSDEN
 EVEN NATIONAL Missions Minister Orit Struck knows that closing one junction is not what will stop a future attacker, says the writer. (photo credit: OREN BEN HAKOON/FLASH90)
EVEN NATIONAL Missions Minister Orit Struck knows that closing one junction is not what will stop a future attacker, says the writer.
(photo credit: OREN BEN HAKOON/FLASH90)

Far-right National Missions Minister Orit Struck attacked IDF reserves officers for their "fat pockets [stuffed with money]" in an interview with N12 on Tuesday.

Struck made the comment while being asked about the hundreds of millions of shekels being added to her ministry in the amended 2023 budget for uses like "family purity" counseling and "Jewish identity".

"If the fat was trimmed elsewhere, like for example, the money that goes to the IDF chief of staff, which isn't written in any law, and rewards the fat pockets of reserve officers, it would cut so much more than my tiny budget for Jewish identity," she said.

She later took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify.

"In an interview with N12, I said that 'fat would be trimmed from the 2024 budget'," she said. "I gave the chief of staff's funds as an example - illegal additions to the pensions of retired officers who have long since stopped fighting and still get tens of thousands of shekels. That was what I meant. Not to cut the salaries of officers serving in reserves. I clarified, move on."

Israeli opposition leader calls for far-right minister's firing

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire Struck immediately.

"This is an outrageous and despicable comment of contempt against IDF soldiers and officers who fight and risk their lives from someone who never served in the army," he said. "She's a shameless extortionist who sits in studios and slanders our heroic soldiers. Anyone who damages national security during a war cannot continue to serve in the government."

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Israel-Hamas war: What you need to know

  • Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza
  • Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 in the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities