State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said such orders were in stark contrast with the female soldiers’ protection report published in November 2022.

A worrying 38% of female prison guards say they’ve been sexually assaulted by Palestinian security prisoners, a report of Israel Prison Service’s operations published in November 2022 revealed.

As such, Israel’s State Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, criticized on Tuesday the IDF for reportedly ordering female Cadets in Officers’ Course to guard Nukhba terrorists.

Englman said such orders were in stark contrast with the 2022 female soldiers’ protection report.

Engleman: ‘The writing is on the wall’

“It is not possible to accept the fact that after the State of Israel was hurt in the past by imprisoned terrorists who sexually harassed female prison guards, female cadets in the IDF will be tasked with guarding terrorists who were complicit in sexual crimes on October 7.

“If we add recent evidence that the hostages experienced sexual harassment – the writing is on the wall,” Engelman added.
The comptroller also called on the Defense Minister and Chief of Staff to forgo the decision and avoid unnecessary risk to female soldiers.

In 2021, following renewed complaints, the police reopened its investigation into the Gilboa prison affair regarding events that occured in 2014-2017 in which Gilboa prison wardens stated they had been pimped out by an intelligence officer to Fatah prisoner Muhammad Atallah.

In 2023, State Attorney Amit Aisman submitted an indictment pending a hearing for former Gilboa Prison commander Bassem Kashkosh and former intelligence officer Rani Basha for failing duties and breach of trust.

An official Hamas document recovered by IDF soldiers proves that many Gazan casualties are the direct result of failed rocket launches by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

IDF spokesperson in Arabic exposed close cooperation between terror groups in concealing information and choosing launch areas far from houses of Hamas leadership, not Gazan citizens.

Avichai Adraee, the IDF spokesperson in Arabic, revealed on Saturday an official Hamas document recovered by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, which openly refers to Gazan casualties as a result of failed rocket launches, hiding this information from their constituency and blaming the deaths on Israel instead.

The revealed documents date back to 2020 and Operation Breaking Dawn (2022), and they were issued by Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades and signed by high-ranking members of the militia. The findings showcase Hamas attempting to persuade members of other militias in the Gaza Strip, namely the al-Quds Brigades belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), to take responsibility for the disastrous outcomes of failed rocket launches (referred to euphemistically as ‘local rockets’). The PIJ responded by requesting to conceal these failed launches and their repercussions to “support the image of the resistance.”

Another document showed a recommendation by Hamas to deny PIJ launching rockets specifically in the vicinity of houses belonging to the Hamas leadership fearing repetition of such events, yet no mention of preventing firing rockets near other Gazan residents’ houses was mentioned.

Lastly, Hamas reports were exposed featuring names of Gazan casualties as a result of failed launches, which were then recycled by Hamas in their outward reports of casualties, alleging they stemmed from Israeli airstrikes. In other words, Hamas counted casualties from PIJ failed rockets as casualties from Israeli attacks, proving yet again the lack of accuracy of their propaganda reporting.

These documents attest to the extent of Hamas’s control over and coordination with other militias in the Gaza Strip, dismissing the perception of some thought to be “unruly factions” acting from Gaza against Israel “on their own will,” and proving yet again that Hamas was, in fact, in control of these factions.

‘11% of launches towards Israel since October 7 fell inside Gaza’

“These documents clearly show that terrorist organizations in Gaza are cooperating to hide the extent of the destruction and killing caused by failed launches that fall on the residents, while making an effort to protect Hamas terrorists, overlooking the danger to civilians,” said Adraee in his statement.

“These documents prove that the terrorist organizations in Gaza are lying and concealing failed missile launches that resulted in the deaths of civilians in the Gaza Strip. Hamas was aware of the high rate of failed launches carried out by the Islamic Jihad and the danger it poses to the homes in the vicinity of which the launches took place, and even directed it to them, demanding that they not set up launch pads in the vicinity to their members to avoid putting them in risk,” Adraee continued.

“Among other things, the names of the seven casualties appear as a result of a local rocket shell hitting near the Imad ‘Aql Mosque in Jabalia. Although Hamas reports indicated that they were killed as a result of failed launches, the report issued by the [Hamas] Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip claimed that they were killed as a result of an Israeli raid.

“The IDF seized many other documents indicating that terrorist organizations knew about the tragic consequences of the failed launches, but the method of action is clear: to hide the information and accuse Israel,” continued Adraee.

Adraee added that during the current war, high rates of failed launches carried out by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were recorded – with 11% of launches towards Israel since October 7 falling in the territory of the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this month, Adraee revealed a document showing Hamas was worried about PIJ’s propaganda plans on their media outlets, also fearing that the organization would steal credit for Hamas’s “resistance” efforts.

Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are designated as terror organizations by many countries in the West, both operating mainly in the Gaza Strip with a certain presence in the West Bank as well. Both groups garner support from Iran and its proxies; however, while Hamas is deeply rooted in political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, the PIJ aligns more closely with Iran’s revolutionary ideology and the “Axis of Resistance.”

Additionally, Hamas is intricately woven into Palestinian society, functioning akin to a semi-state entity, whereas PIJ operates with greater independence. Recent efforts to project solidarity between the two factions obscure underlying tensions, exemplified by Hamas’s hesitance to engage with Israel during Operation Breaking Dawn, causing discontent among PIJ members.

The IDF denied hitting a vehicle carrying United Nations observers outside the southern Lebanese border town of Rmeish.

Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah claimed to have struck Israel’s Ramim ridge, near the Lebanese border, on Saturday morning after Lebanese media reported that the IDF carried out three strikes in the southern village of Taybeh.

Local residents reported that a rocket fell in the northern border town of Margaliot later on Saturday, with no siren sounding prior. According to Walla, the locals observed a “louder explosion than usual.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency further reported that Israeli drones were observed flying over the Iqlim al-Tuffah and Nabatieh regions.

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Israeli strike hits car carrying UN observers near south Lebanon border, security sources say

One Israeli drone strike reportedly hit a vehicle carrying United Nations observers outside the southern Lebanese border town of Rmeish, two security sources told Reuters.

According to Lebanese reports, four people were injured in the strike.

Four United Nations observers were wounded on Saturday when a shell exploded near them as they were carrying out a foot patrol in southern Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping mission said, adding it was still investigating the origin of the blast.

The UNIFIL statement said the targeting of peacekeepers is “unacceptable.” Two security sources had told Reuters the observers were wounded in an Israeli strike but the Israeli military denied striking in the area.

One of the security sources said the car carried three UN technical observers and one Lebanese translator. That source, and a second security source, said that the Israeli strike had left several of those in the car wounded.

Various responses to the incident

There was no immediate comment from the UN peacekeeper mission in southern Lebanon UNIFIL, which accompanies technical observers monitoring the Blue Line, which delineates the border between Lebanon and Israel.

Israel did not carry out an airstrike on a vehicle carrying United Nations observers in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the IDF said.
“Contrary to the reports, the IDF did not strike a UNIFIL vehicle in the area of Rmeish this morning,” the IDF said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the ‘targeting’ of UN forces in southern Lebanon that wounded three observers.