Israel Brief: Monday, November 10

Washington wants a pilot in Rafah, Ankara wants a role, Hamas wants oxygen. Israel is busy removing tunnels, not theater props.

Shalom, friends.

The map is taut. In Gaza, the “pause” now runs through Rafah’s concrete, where 100–200 Hamas men sit in tunnels while mediators try to rename them “civilians.” Up north, precision attrition keeps grinding—houses wired in Houla, a courier car erased near Sidon—while Hezbollah stitches faces and messages. Iran hums: deeper vaults, busier lines, louder threats. At home, funerals give the country a conscience and the High Court will test whether the state still has a spine.

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⚡️Flash Brief: The Day in 90 Seconds or Less

• Rafah: IDF 10th Brigade killed dozens, cut tunnels behind the Yellow Line; no safe passage for gunmen. See The War Today.

• Gaza: Jerusalem reiterates “no Turkish boots”; Kushner/Witkoff pitch Rafah “pilot city” concept today. See The War Today.

• South Lebanon: Sixth strike in 48 hours; three Houla houses blown on-site; LAF stood down. See Developments to Watch.

• Iran: “Pickaxe Mountain” sealed to inspectors; stockpile moved; missile lines 24/7; another war “a matter of time.” See The War Today.

• Hostages: Islamic Jihad holds two of four bodies; Israel ties any coordination to full returns. See Inside Israel.

• Courts & politics: Sde Teiman probe control argued live tomorrow; UTJ to oppose terror death-penalty bill. See Inside Israel.

• Readiness: Three-day IDF drill across Judea, Samaria, Jordan Valley; Kiryat Shmona urban defense exercise. See Inside Israel.

The full brief and analysis continue below.

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We’ve warned that the truce is paperwork and the war is muscle memory. Today proves it. Rafah’s “pilot” proposal meets a wall of Israeli policy; the north keeps losing Hezbollah nodes with no press conference attached; and Tehran’s escalator runs, inexorably, up. The rest of this brief takes you through the operational verbs, not the diplomatic adjectives.

The War Today

Gaza: Ceasefire’s Fault Line Runs Through Rafah