SECURITY/DEFENSE:

*Today, Wednesday, is day 99 of the virtual Gaza ceasefire.

*Today is Gilad Shalit’s 822nd day in Hamas captivity.

*An explosion in a Gaza weapons smuggling tunnel at about midnight resulted in the deaths of 2 terrorists. A number of others are missing.

*IDF soldiers involved in counter-terror operations throughout Yehuda and Shomron on Tuesday night arrested 16 suspects. The suspects were turned over to the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) for interrogation.

*A wanted terrorist was shot and wounded by IDF soldiers operating in PA-occupied Beit Lechem. He was transported to a hospital in Israel.

POLITICS, DOMESTIC & MORE:

*Today, Wednesday 24 Elul, is the 75th yahrzeit of the Chafetz Chaim. The Kaliver Rebbe Shlita will be observing a Taanis Dibur, calling on others to do whatever they can, several minutes or hours on the yahrzeit of the gadol who gave us Shmiras HaLoshon.

*Hundreds of northern area farmers took part in an end-of-shmitah event to acknowledge their mesirus nefesh in adhering to the laws of shmitah.

*A “work dispute” was declared on Tuesday by the nation’s Ports Authority which starts the two-week countdown clock. After the two-week period, if an agreement is not in hand, the workers may declare a strike which would impact Ben-Gurion International Airport, just in time for the Yomim Tovim.

*Payment to Holocaust survivors due to enter their bank accounts on Thursday. Since the publication of the Dorner Commission report a few months ago, another 500 survivors died.

*Askanim are already working to ensure the continuation of Jerusalem’s mehadrin bus service even after the light rail begins operating.

*The election for the Chief Rabbinate’s Rabbinical Council was held on Tuesday. Shas emerged the big winner.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)