Shalom and good evening, this is TV7 Israel
News broadcast to you from Jerusalem.
And in today’s top stories:
Israeli aircraft allegedly target Iranian
and Syrian military installations south of
Damascus.
A cessation of hostilities has been announced
between Gaza and Jerusalem – thanks to Qatari
mediation.
The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah voices
its anger over the direct Israeli flight to
the United Arab Emirates; labelling it “a
clear and shameful violation to the Arab position.”
Delegations of senior Israeli, Emirati and
American officials are currently holding extensive
meetings in the city of Abu Dhabi for the
purpose of hammering-out some practical facets
before a normalization agreement, dubbed the
“Abraham Accord,” is expected to be signed.
A senior Israeli official told TV7 that the
anticipated signing-ceremony, which is set
to take place in Washington, is estimated
to be held within the next two to three weeks.
And while yesterday’s historic flight from
Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi signified a momentous
occasion for the Jewish State, the flight
path of El Al Flight 971 was not less historic
than the destination itself.
Speaking to TV7 onboard the commercial-carrier,
Reuters correspondent Dan Williams highlighted
the significance of an Israeli airliner crossing
through Saudi Arabia’s airspace.
"The captain has just come over the PA system
to announce that this EL AL airliner has crossed
into Saudi airspace.
Now, overflight rights may be a trifling matter
elsewhere.
In the Middle East they are very significant,
not least because Saudi Arabia does not recognize
Israel, and heretofore did not allow publicly
acknowledged Israeli flights to overfly its
territory.
There are no doubt people on board this plane
who are hoping this gesture by Saudi Arabia
may presage future normalization with Israel."
During the historic flight, senior White House
adviser Jared Kushner seized the opportunity
to reiterate ‘the importance of the latest
developments vis-à-vis the Israeli-Emirati
normalization accord’ – asserting that
it ushers a new type of hope in which Mideast
peace is indeed possible.
“Over the last years, people have spoken
about all of the bad things that have happened
in the Middle East and all of the conflict
and the chaos and the division that has existed
for the last decades.
But I do believe that this is ushering in
a new hopefulness among all people that peace
is possible and that there's a new chapter
that can be written.”
Upon landing in the Emirati capital, the Israeli
and American delegations received a warm welcome,
during which Jerusalem’s National Security
Council Chairman Meir Ben Shabbat relayed
a message of peace and hope to the people
of the United Arab Emirates – while calling
on other countries in the region to follow-suit,
by joining the circle of peace.
"Peace be upon you.
I am proud and very happy to be here as the
president of the Israeli delegation.
We arrived here to transform the vision into
reality.
There are no limits to the cooperation that
can be developed in the fields of science,
innovation, health, aviation, agriculture,
energy and many other fields.
I invite other countries to participate with
us in the peacemaking process for the sake
of all people in the region.
Thanks to our Emirati hosts and our American
partners for their leadership."
While normalizing relations between Abu Dhabi
and Jerusalem marks a historic achievement;
It is important to remember that the American
regional peace initiative ultimately aims
at realizing a viable solution to the decades-old
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nevertheless, the head of the American delegation
stressed that unless the Palestinians themselves
seek peace, any viable’ resolution presented
will remain out of reach.
"The message that we carry for the Palestinians
is also one of hope.
We've done a lot of great work to lay out
a pathway for them to improve their future,
we've put an offer to their leadership on
the table that will enable them to have a
state and self-determination and an economic
plan that can revitalize their economy, but
we can't want more peace - we can't want peace
more than they want peace and so, when they
are ready, the whole region is very excited
to help lift them up and move them forward,
but they can't be stuck in the past, they
have to come to the table."
Meanwhile in the West Bank city of Ramallah,
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh
condemned the direct flight from Jerusalem
to Abu Dhabi, labeling it, “a clear and
shameful violation to the Arab position.”
"It hurts us very much, when we see, today,
the landing of an Israeli plane in the UAE
that holds the name of Kiryat Gat, a settlement
that was built on the lands of al-Faluja village
- the place where Gamal Abdel Nasser (former
President of Egypt) was besieged in a clear
and shameful violation to the Arab position
regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict.”
The Palestinian Premier went on to blatantly
note that he had hoped for a first flight
from Abu Dhabi to land in a Jerusalem that
is “liberated” from Israeli control (as
he put it), while further praising other Arab
nations in the region that continue to reject
normalization of ties with the Jewish State
– despite American pressure.
While the Western-backed Palestinian Authority
in Ramallah continues to reject any dialogue
with the Jewish State; The Islamist Hamas
organization has confirmed that an understanding
has been reached with Israel via foreign mediation;
according to which - effective immediately
- a cessation-of-hostilities has gone into
force.
The Islamist Hamas revealed in a statement
that Qatari Ambassador to the Palestinian
enclave Mohamed al-Emadi successfully brokered
the ceasefire understandings, which included
“a set of humanitarian projects to alleviate
the difficult situation in the Gaza Strip.”
Confirming the arrangement, the Israeli Military’s
Coordinator of Government Activities in the
Territories announced that “in light of
security consultations led by (Alternate Premier
and) Minister of Defense Benny Gantz, a decision
was taken to resume the routine activity of
the Kerem Shalom Crossing (between Israel
and Gaza), including the entry of fuel products…
In addition, the fishing zone of the Gaza
Strip will be expanded to 15 nautical miles.”
The Israeli statement noted, however, that
“The resumption of the civilian policy toward
the Gaza Strip is subject to the continuation
of the calm and the security stability.”
Since the announcement was made late last
night, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld
informed TV7 that the so-called balloon terrorism,
directed at Israel’s southern region, had
indeed halted.
“The Israeli National Police are continuing
security measures down south and police bomb
disposal experts are on standby to respond
if necessary to any suspicious explosive devices
that are attached to balloons that will land
in Israel.
As of now things are relatively calm and quiet
and no balloons have landed.
Heightened security continues.”
It has been revealed to TV7 that in addition
to the civilian measures undertaken by Israel;
Qatar has pledged to transfer some 30 million
U.S. dollars to the Hamas-controlled enclave.
An intelligence source, who asked to remain
anonymous, further told TV7 that additional
relief-measures were agreed-upon – which
will be gradually implemented in the next
several weeks – contingent upon quiet being
maintained across Israel’s southern region.
Turning to Jerusalem, where,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
voiced Israel’s excitement over the latest
developments with regard to the normalization
of relations with United Arab Emirates.
In a televised address to the nation, Netanyahu
proclaimed that the Israeli-Emirati normalization
accord was the direct consequence of a series
of policies that bolstered the state’s economy
on the one hand, while on the other, standing
with full force against Iran.
“We changed Israel.
We turned it, first of all, into a strong
economy.
This created the strong technology that – of
course – created our strong military capability.
But this was not enough because we did something
else in these 25 years – we led the struggle
against Iran arming itself with nuclear weapons.
We have reached this day because I went on
your behalf, citizens of Israel, and I stood
with full force against Iran.”
Less than two hours after the Israeli premier
highlighted Jerusalem’s resolve to confront
Tehran’s regional aggression, unidentified
aircraft reportedly struck a number of military
installations south of the Syrian capital
Damascus.
The bombardment occurred at approximately
10:40 PM, when a number of advanced precision-guided
missiles targeted a warehouse (believed to
store Iranian weapons) near the Damascus international
airport - and separately - an Iranian facility
housing Hezbollah militants in the north-eastern
countryside of Dara’a Governorate.
In response, the Syrian aerial defense array
attempted to intercept the incoming projectiles
and the aircraft firing them – an attempt
that drew dozens of incoming surface-to-surface
projectiles toward the Syrian army positions
in the rural regions of al-Swida and Dara’a
in southern Syria.
According to local Syrian sources ‘three
Iranian-backed militants were killed and at
least ten others were injured.’
Furthermore, extensive damage was reported
to both Iranian and Syrian military infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the IDF did not confirm nor deny
its involvement in response to TV7’s request
for comment.
Thank you for watching us.
As part of TV7’s prayer initiative, I would
like to encourage you to join myself and the
team here in Jerusalem to lift up in prayer
the Palestinian-Arab population in both the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, for their salvation
and peace – in addition to our ongoing prayers
for the peace of Jerusalem and Salvation of
Israel, and for all those who are impacted
by the corona contagion and its economic ramifications
worldwide.
Furthermore, I would like to thank all of
you who partner with us through prayer and
finance.
I am Jonathan Hessen, wishing you an Erev
Tov U Mevorach and we will see you again tomorrow
at the same time.
