SECURITY/DEFENSE:

*Wednesday, day 43 of the virtual Gaza ceasefire.

*Today is Gilad Shalit’s 767th day in Hamas captivity.

*A firebomb was hurled at an Israeli vehicle traveling on Tuesday night in the Chevron Hills area near the community of Otniel. No injuries were reported.

*IDF soldiers involved in counter-terror operations in Yehuda and Shomron on Tuesday night arrested 10 suspects. Arrests were made in the Shechem, Sabastia and Jenin areas. The suspects were turned over to the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) for interrogation.

POLITICS, DOMESTIC & MORE:

*A number of injuries were reported in an explosion in a Hamas training facility in Gaza during the night.

*The Knesset on Tuesday passed a bill in its first reading towards granting amnesty to persons who opposed the expulsion from Gush Katif. Peace Now has announced if the bill is passed, the radical left-wing organization will appeal against it to the Supreme Court.

*El Al and American Airlines signed a deal to begin on Sept. 2nd to begin selling tickets on each others connecting flights. This ends El Al’s previous relationship with Delta Airlines.

*31-year-old Margarita Lautin, from Yahud, who was shot dead on a Bat Yam beach on Monday, was a survivor of the Dolphinarium attack seven years ago which claimed 23 lives, leaving over 100 injured.

*DM Ehud Barak in meetings in Washington secured a deal to obtain an Israeli link to the US’ global defense system.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)