SECURITY/DEFENSE:

*Tuesday, day 35 of the virtual Gaza ceasefire.

*Today is Gilad Shalit’s 759th day in Hamas captivity. (CORRECTED)

*Arabs in Shomron told the IDF that Jews from the Gilad Outpost set many olive trees ablaze.

*IDF officials announced that the project to collect personal protection kits, including the gas masks is complete. 77% of all gas masks that were distributed were collected, amounting to over 4 million kits.

*2 Arabs were arrested in the Bet Lechem district for their involvement in rock-throwing attacks against soldiers.

*IDF soldiers involved in counter-terror operations throughout Yehuda and Shomron on Monday night arrested 10 suspects. The suspects were turned over to ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) custody.

*Pathologists completed identifying the remains of 6 soldiers from the body parts returned last week by Hizbullah. Some of the families held funerals on Monday.

POLITICS, DOMESTIC & MORE:

*The Kadima Party governing board voted to approve the amendments to the party charter, permitting primary elections in September.

*The Knesset in a 50-25 vote approved a preliminary bill to approve an increased budget for higher education. The bill sponsored by Meretz MK Chaim Oron is being opposed by the government.

*The Knesset on Monday voted no-confidence against the government in three out of five no-confidence motions. Since the number of MKs present was not sufficient for a 61-vote majority, the no-confidence motions were nothing more than symbolic.

*Supreme Court President Justice Dorit Beinish criticized the handling of the Olmert investigation in the media.

*US Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama will be arriving in Israel on Tuesday. He asked to arrange to meet with the families of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.

*Authorities report that most schools in Sderot will not be fortified against rocket attacks by the new school year as promised.

*Soldiers who enlisted together with Gilad Shalit will be released from military service this morning.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)