Israel Brief: Friday, January 23
Davos schedules Rafah like Israel is a subcontractor. Iran signals it may try to shoot first.
Shalom, friends.
The U.S. has assembled real strike reach near Iran. Gaza’s “governance” layer is already trying to set timelines that ignore Israel’s red lines. Add a domestic crime strike and a fresh lawfare filing in Europe, and you get the same lesson across fronts: control doesn’t come from signatures, it comes from consequences.
We’re back on the East Coast and watching the winter storm unfold. We expect to publish as usual, but prolonged power or internet outages may interfere—meteorology occasionally outranks intent.
⚡️Flash Brief: The Day in 90 Seconds or Less
Iran Window: U.S. carrier group moves toward Gulf of Oman; Tehran issues trigger warnings. See The War Today.
Israel Readiness: Netanyahu convenes a small forum; ministries order weekend availability; airlines plan aircraft relocation from Ben Gurion. See The War Today.
Gaza Lever: Gaza administrator says Rafah opens next week; Israel ties opening to Ran Gvili’s return. See The War Today.
Near-Border Tunnels: Kfir and Yahalom dismantle a one-kilometer Hamas tunnel east of the Yellow Line. See The War Today.
Judea & Samaria: Hebron Jabal Johar operation ends with 14 arrests and eight weapons seized. See Developments to Watch.
Home Front Crime: Arab towns run a general strike over extortion murders as drone pistol drops keep arriving. See Inside Israel.
Lawfare Abroad: Swiss group files a criminal complaint against Israel’s economy minister during Davos meetings. See Israel and the World.
Below: Iran decision pressure and retaliation risk, Gaza leverage and tunnel reality, Turkish constraint moves, home-front enforcement stress, and lawfare exposures abroad.
