SECURITY/DEFENSE:

*Today, Wednesday, is day 148 of the virtual Gaza ceasefire.

*Today is Gilad Shalit’s 872nd day in Hamas captivity.

*Two firebomb attacks against soldiers on Tuesday night in Nachal Kifira area near Har Hadar. No injuries.

*A soldier was lightly injured in a rock attack near Yishuv Tekoa. He was transported to a hospital.

*Burning tires on the road near Yitzhar Jct. Katan in Shomron. No injuries.

*Rock-throwing attacks during Tuesday evening rush hour on Gush Etzion-Chevron Road. No injuries. Damage reported.

*Migdalim residents on Tuesday night were instructed to enter their homes after gunfire was heard in the area.

*A policeman was attacked by an Arab stone-thrower in the Tel Sheva area on Tuesday evening. He sustained light injuries. The attacker was placed in custody.

*Egyptian security forces on Tuesday shot and killed 3 Egyptian Bedouins in border clashes. A number of Egyptian troops were injured in the shootout. It was the second day of Bedouin border violence in as many days.

*A female motorist was lightly injured in rock-throwing attacks near Bet Lechem on Tuesday night.

*25 Egyptian policemen abducted by Egyptian Bedouins on Tuesday were freed later in the day.

*Health officials are working to deal with what they are calling a lice epidemic.

*Knesset Police have assigned security to Yaakov Litzman surrounding his opposition to Meir Porush in the Jerusalem race. Litzman was attacked with rocks in one incident on Tuesday.

POLITICS, DOMESTIC & MORE:

*According to police, one of the four people arrested posing as a poll-watcher on Ezras Torah St. in Yerushalayim on Tuesday evening was a Porush campaign worker.

*Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit was pleased that for the first time in 10 years, there was an increase in voter turnout, adding he hopes this is a sign of what lays ahead for the February general election.

*Temperatures today, Wednesday, are expected to drop, bringing an end to a week of unseasonable hot and dry weather. Rain is expected to begin in the afternoon hours, increasing in intensity and continuing through the night, tapering off on Thursday morning. Friday should be cold and dry with an increase in temperatures expected over Shabbos. No rain in the forecast for Friday and Shabbos.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)