The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 18th, 2023: IDF’s Lethal Mistake & Red Sea Task Force

Episode Date: December 18, 2023

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:   We delve into the heart-wrenching incident in northern Gaza, where a grave mistake by the IDF resulted in the death of three Israelis who were trying to surrender. This tragic event has placed the Netanyahu government under renewed scrutiny, prompting calls for the resumption of hostage negotiations.   We explore the United States' forthcoming announcement of an international maritime task force. This initiative is designed to safeguard shipping vessels navigating the Red Sea, a critical commercial route under threat from Iranian-backed Houthi militants.   Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.   Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Monday, December 18th. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. The IDF admits its soldiers killed three Israeli hostages, attempting to surrender during military operations in northern Gaza. The incident has renewed pressure on the Netanyahu government to restart hostage negotiations.

Also, the U.S. is getting ready to announce an international maritime task force to protect shipping vessels in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi militants. Question is, will it be enough to deter the Iranian regime? But first, our afternoon spotlight. This weekend, we learned details surrounding a situation where Israeli soldiers shot and killed three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza, reportedly after misidentifying them as threats. Now, the three men have been identified as Yotam Khaym, Alon Shmurz, and Samar Talalca, all of whom were kidnapped from Kabbutz collective farms on October 7th. The incident occurred in a neighborhood of Gaza's city notorious for intense combat and where Hamas militants have reportedly adopted civilian disguises

to deceive the IDF. The circumstances of the deaths are particularly harrowing. Reports indicate the men were attempting to surrender to the IDF. waving a makeshift white flag and crying for help in Hebrew. Their bare tors evidence that they were unarmed. Now, despite these signs of distress, a fatal error in judgment led to their deaths. The IDF has acknowledged that the soldier's actions were in breach of the rules of engagement. With the investigation ongoing, there's a possibility that those responsible may face criminal charges. The incident has sparked a wave of anger within Israel, leading to demonstration.

in Tel Aviv. This public outcry has added pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu's government to re-engage in hostage negotiations, and on that front, there might be some good news. According to reports, David Barnier, the chief of the Mossad, met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Nautani in Europe on Friday. This marked a significant diplomatic step, as it was the first reported interaction between senior officials from Israel and Qatar since a recent ceasefire lapse. Now, the ongoing discussions aimed at securing the release of hostages still in Gaza are in their early stages. Sources describe these talks as the start of what promises to be a protracted and challenging process. However, there are indications that both the

Israeli government and Hamas are interested in getting this done. The news of the tragic mistake by the IDF in Gaza City has brought condemnation down on both the Israeli government and the IDF, including from countless keyboard warriors sitting comfortably in their homes, pushing out endless missives about the horror of IDF's actions since the 7 October Hamas attacks started this war. Well, just a few points. First, any civilian non-Hamas deaths are sad and terribly tragic. Second, the mistaken shooting of the hot, is likewise, sad and tragic. And the IDF has been quick to take responsibility and investigate openly. Third, if you haven't been in combat, perhaps sit this one out regarding what happens

on the battlefield. And fourth, Hamas started this conflict. Their deliberately brutal actions were designed to start this war with Israel. All death that has resulted since 7 October can be in one way or another traced back to Hamas. They started a war. that nobody but them and their Iranian sponsors asked for. Coming up after the break, as Iranian-backed Houthi missile attacks continue against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, U.S. officials are expected to make a major announcement

about steps it's taking to defend the region. I'll be right back. How many discounts does USAA auto insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount, safe driver discount, new vehicle discount, storage discount, How many discounts will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usaa.com

slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. Following up on the story we brought you this morning regarding the Houthi threat in the Red Sea, U.S. officials are expected to announce an expanded maritime task force to protect vessels from ongoing militant assaults in the region. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will reportedly announce the security measure

during a visit to the Middle East this week, where he's expected to meet with officials from Bahrain, Qatar, and Israel. While details remain unconfirmed, the Maritime Task Force will likely be an expansion of Combined Task Force 153, which already operates out of Bahrain. This task force, formed in April of 2022, is made up of a coalition of 39 nations with a focus on anti-piracy efforts in the Red Sea, Bob Almonda Strait, and Gulf of Aden. According to a report from the Guardian, the U.S. has secured the participation of Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Bahrain, and most notably Saudi Arabia.

There were concerns that the Saudis wouldn't participate in an expanded maritime task force as they're currently pursuing a peace deal with Houthi rebels in Yemen to end an eight-year civil war. Now, the task force would ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping vessels through the Red Sea, a channel that's vital to international trade and whose disruption affects economies throughout the world. As we discussed earlier on the PDB, roughly 7.8 million barrels of crude oil and fuel shipments pass through the Babel and Debt

Strait on a daily basis. Officials hope the expanded protection force can provide reassurances to shipping companies that have been spooked already out of the region. As the attacks mount, five major shipping companies have now halted operations in the Red Sea, including Danish shipping giant Merisk and German shipping company Havag Lloyd. Merrisk currently represents roughly 14.8% of the global shipping containers market. In addition, any long-term suspension of shipping through the Suez Canal could deal a major blow to Egypt's economy, which relies heavily on revenue from global transport. Officials from the Suez Canal Authority have also already confirmed that 55 commercial vessels

have been redirected around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid further Houthi attacks. As we discussed this morning, Houthi militants have rapidly escalated their attacks on merchant vessels and U.S. naval ships in the Red Sea. On Saturday, the warship USS Carney shot down 14 one-way attack drones sent from Yemen, while elsewhere in the Red Sea, a British Royal Navy destroyer intercepted a drone targeting commercial ships. The attacks have become an almost daily occurrence and are forcing the Biden administration to reevaluate their deterrence strategy, meaning they need to come up with a deterrence strategy. The U.S. has sent three more guided missile destroyers to the Mediterranean Sea in recent weeks, and the Biden administration is reportedly

weighing options to strike the Iranian Bhaktoutis in Yemen. Now, the Biden administration has been reluctant to approve more aggressive response options, fearing that that could spark a wider regional conflict with Iran. Here's the thing. Iran warned the U.S. recently against establishing a maritime Task Force in the Red Sea, saying, if the U.S. makes such an irrational move, they'll be faced with extraordinary problems. That was their quote. Now, the Iranian regime apparently believes that they can threaten and bully the U.S. and allies with impunity. They believe that, because to date, there's been no meaningful pushback. And they are now, at will, destabilizing global trade and critical international shipping routes. I don't want to sound cynical.

But firing a couple missiles at their proxy, the Houdi militants in Yemen, will likely do nothing to deter the Iranian regime and its IRGC. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday, 18 December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this,

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