JaFaJ

1. American and British warplanes carried out twelve strikes on several military sites and installations belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen. Strikes targeted military sites in the vicinity of Sanaa and Hodeidah Saada, Hajah, Dhamar, Abs and Taiz.
2. The list of military installations targeted includes radar sites, drone and missile platforms, and coastal observation sites. JaFaJ Western military sources in Qatar confirm reports of heavy casualties among the Houthi forces. They also confirmed an internet and cell phone communications outage in Houthi-controlled areas because of the air strikes.
3. The sources also confirmed the attacks were carried out from US aircraft carriers in the Red Sea as well as Al Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar [COMMENT: Al Udeid Air Base is one of the largest military bases in the Middle East. Based in the small Arab state of Qatar, Al Udied houses the United States Air Forces Central Command and No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group of Britain’s Royal Air Force and is positioned at a very strategic location in the heart of the Persian Gulf. END COMMENT]
4. Meanwhile, JaFaJ has learned that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has placed its air force and air defense system on alert as it is expecting the Houthis to carry retaliatory attacks on its oil fields, an act Houthis have carried out in the past.

1. Summary: JaFaJ has confirmed that Israel will target Hamas leaders outside of the usual boundaries. Previously, Israel has targeted Hamas leaders in territories deemed hostile to the United States (US), such as Gaza, West Bank, and Lebanon while Hamas leaders in Qatar and Jordan have thrived under the protection of two supposed US allies. If Israel follows through with its new policy, it will be a game changer for Hamas leaders because they will lose two preciously protected sanctuaries, sanctuaries that they have enjoyed for over two decades.
2. JaFaJ has learned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized the Israeli intelligence agency [the Mossad], to carry out the assassinations of Hamas political and military leaders “outside of the usual borders.” An Israeli government source confirmed to JaFaJ that “Hamas leaders will pay the price for the atrocities committed on 7 October, no matter where they live.”
3. An American intelligence source has confirmed with JaFaJ that, “the Israelis have already notified their allies in the US that they were going to carry out targeted killings outside of the usual realm.” The source explained “Israel has been targeting Hamas leaders in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and occasionally at other places.” The source continued by saying that, “The Israelis have refrained from killing Hamas leaders and operatives residing in countries deemed friendly to the United States,” but that this has changed.” The source continued that “The Israelis have already informed us that Arab countries hosting Hamas leaders are no longer out of the Mossad’s reach”.
4. Comment: Most of Hamas’ political leaders reside outside of Gaza, and consider Qatar and Jordan as their safest havens. Both countries are considered staunch allies of the United States. It is believed that in January 2010, Israeli agents took out Hamas leader and weapons provider, Al-Mabhough in Dubai. Al Mabhough was the Chief of Logistics and Weapons Procurement for Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The authorities of the United Arab Emirates accused Mossad agents of being the assassins carrying fake or fraudulently obtained Western passports. World media picked up this claim. As a result of this experience, Israel has refrained from targeting Hamas leaders in those two countries in an effort to avoid causing embarrassment to the USG.
5. Several Hamas leaders and affiliates reside in a variety of countries, including Algeria and several European nations. Nonetheless, Israel’s targeting of Hamas leaders has been limited to other countries, including Lebanon and Syria. Recently, speculation has it that Israel “took out” the West Bank’s Hamas leader, Saleh Al-Arouri in Lebanon. This shift in policy will destabilize Hamas leaders as they have enjoyed more than two decades of immunity and protection in Qatar and Jordan.

1. Summary: Israel has been conducting a massive ground incursion into the Southern part of the Gaza Strip. As part of the incursion, Israeli tanks have taken over Al-Qararah, a village located just 3.5 miles northern to Khan Younis city, the Governorate’s main town. The Israelis have also been carrying out aerial and artillery bombings because reports are circulating that Hamas militants are reported to be hiding among civilians. This has caused another wave of refugees with almost half a million departing Khan Younis to the Southern city of Rafah, which is located at the border with Egypt.
2. Since the late hours of December 1st, 2023 when the ceasefire fell apart, Israel has been conducting a massive military offense in the Southern half of Gaza against the Palestinian terror group Hamas. JaFaJ has learned through American and Israeli military intelligence sources that the offense has been focused on the Eastern part of the Khan Younis Governorate, South of Gaza. An American military intelligence source has confirmed with JaFaJ that “Hamas fighters have used the tunnels to flee the Northern part of Gaza to the South as Israel keeps sweeping and destroying the tunnels in the Northern region”.
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The Battel for Khan Younis
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3. JaFaJ sources in Gaza have confirmed that Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles have broken their way through Al-Qararah, a village in the Northern section of the Khan Younis Governorate, less than 3.5 miles away from Khan Younis city, the Governorate’s main town. A Gazan source said the following, “With the Israelis taking over Al-Qararah, it means that it’s just a matter of time before they take over Khan Younis.” [COMMENT: Al-Qararah is connected to Khan Younis City with the Salah Al-Dean Highway, which makes the Israelis’ mission easier than their very torturous progress in the densely populated Northern Gaza: END COMMENT].
4. JaFaJ’s Gazan source has reported that Israeli troops and tanks have been stationed at the Al-Tawaheen, “Windmills” region in Al-Qararh, a landmark for having Gaza’s largest wheat mills. At the same time, Hamas resistance was limited when compared to the Northern part of Gaza. Reports of Hamas’s militants using improved explosive devices [IEDs] and rocket launchers that have been effective at targeting Israeli troops. Nonetheless, the Israelis sustain their ability to advance and mobilize their troops across most parts of the Gaza Strip, and the number of Israeli casualties remains very low compared to the size of the operations.
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A Staggering Human Cost
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5. Since launching its offense on Southern Gaza, Israel has strategically been bombing several blocks in and around Khan Younis. This has proven to be highly effective in covering Israel’s troops as they advance into their designated zones. Nonetheless, it has come at a hefty cost to innocent lives. According to an American source, “It is easy to blame Israel, but the truth of the matter is that Hamas is hiding amongst the public, using them as both shields and cover to escape.” The source added, “The Israelis have provided an abundance of evidence to us that Hamas uses the public as cover (shields) and that they have switched to wearing civilian clothes.” The source continued by saying that “Israel has no other way of operating, either they give the terrorists a pass or it chases them where they hide, and sadly, this means many innocent people will die. The best advice we can give to the Israelis is to make sure their bombings are as surgical as possible to avoid civilian casualties”.
6. An American military source opined, “We are not giving Israel a carte blanch for a wholesale slaughter, but what can they do? There are 40,000 Hamas fighters and at least another 30,000 Hamas operatives purposely hiding behind civilians.” The source continued by saying, “This is a very complicated situation, and we do not have an answer to this. For now, we know the terrorists must be eliminated.” He added, “We cannot rule out mistakes, there have been certain incidents in which we still have questions on whether Israel did the right thing by causing so many casualties, but we are still jointly looking into those along with the Israelis”.
7. Sources in Gaza have confirmed that, “Hundreds of civilians have been killed in Khan Younis, and that most of them have been buried under rubble.” According to one medical source, “We cannot cope with the number of people injured, our medical facilities were never designed to handle this many people.” The source continued by saying, “Many of our emergency doctors have not slept in days, and first responders cannot cope with the deluge.” The source added, “This is a disaster and Israel must help us by providing medical assistance to the civilians.” The source continued by saying that, this cannot go on because the world will blame Israel.” The source concluded by saying, “Let’s cooperate with the Israeli army to provide medical assistance to the people, we are not Hamas”.
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The Refugee Crisis
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8. Southern Gaza was already burdened with 1.6 million Gazan refugees who fled the fighting in Northern Gaza and Gaza City. Makeshift tents can be seen all over and around Khan Younis, at schools and public facilities, housing families with no access to clean water or sanitation. The already dreadful conditions of Gazan refugees worsened over the past few days, as tens of thousands of residents fled different regions in Khan Younis governorate itself and the refugees began moving to Rafah city in the very southern tip of the Gaza strip right at the borders with Egypt. An estimated 450,000 refugees have relocated to Rafah since the 2nd of December 2023 amid growing fear that this might be another “Nakba,” in reference to the exodus of Palestinian Arab refugees from their homes in Israel in 1948.
9. Despite efforts by the United Nations and other international bodies, delivery of aid goods has been limited and the scarcity of food, medicine, blankets, and tents has been evident. Meanwhile, refugees are reporting Hamas operatives to be selling some of the aid material which is labelled “free” at unaffordable prices to the needy refugees.

1. JaFaJ has learned that both the United States (USG) and Israeli Governments (IG) are convinced that “Hamas is keeping more than a dozen hostages underneath the Shiffa hospital in Gaza.” JaFaJ has confirmed that, “most of those are dual nationals with passports from Israeli and other Western countries, including the United States.”
2. Al-Shiffa Hospital, better known as Al-Shiffa Medical Center, is the largest medical complex in Gaza. It is strategically located in Northern Gaza, in the Rimal Neighborhood, right in Gaza’s heart. The medical complex has been at the heart of international controversy during the war, especially as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) make advances around it.
3. Israeli military sources have confirmed to JaFaJ that, “IDF tanks have been deployed around the complex since November 13th, 2023.”
4. An Israeli source reported to JaFaJ that, “Al-Shiffa hospital is a major riddle for the IDF. We know that some Hamas terrorists are inside, along with thousands of patients and civilians and potentially a dozen of hostages, but we don’t know how many.” The source added that, “Attacking the hospital will cost innocent lives, and that is the last thing the IDF wants.” The source concluded by saying whats worse is that Hamas might “kill the hostages, and we are dealing with a very delicate and complicated situation.”
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Uncle Sam to the Rescue
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5. American intelligence sources have confirmed with JaFaJ that the USG is convinced that “at least one American hostage is being held within the premises of Al-Shiffa hospital.” The source added that “Talks are ongoing in Qatar between the Central Intelligence Agency, the Mossad and Qatari mediators representing Hamas, to secure the safe release of all hostages.” The source continue by saying that, “The Israelis share our concern for the safety of hostages as well as the civilians in the Al-Shiffa hospital.”

1. JaFaJ military intelligence source have confirmed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been engaged in a fierce door to door battle with Hamas terrorists in Western Gaza. The fighting ensued with the Israelis entering Southern tip of the Beit Hanoun area which is located West to Gaza. The IDF began their incursion around daw time as the tanks rolled in followed by hundreds of the Israeli elite commando force. A very fierce battle has been raging since then as the Israeli armored vehicles have strategically retreated out of the kill zone. Our military forces confirm Hamas terrorists have been putting up an “epic resistance” sustaining heavy causality.

1.JaFaJ has learned from a senior Israeli military source that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has been able to identify twenty different hospitals in Gaza which Hamas has been using as shields with tunnel military units underneath and also as holding centers for more and estimated 250 Israeli hostages.
2. According to the Israeli source, Hamas has separated hostages into several categories: men of fighting age (mostly Israeli soldiers), and women and children. A third category consists of foreign and dual national Israelis who hold Western passport(s). The source reported that, “Hamas broke down all three categories into groups of less than ten individuals distributed them in the tunnels under twenty different hospitals.”
3. An American intelligence-connected source has reported to JaFaJ that the Israelis claims are true. “By placing hostages in tunnels under hospitals, Hamas secures itself twice, because the Israelis do not want to kill their own hostages, nor do they want to be called the ones who attack hospitals”.

1. Summary: Since the October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel’s Southern villages and kibbutzim, the Palestinian terror group Hamas has been shaking under an unprecedented Israeli military campaign that is compounded by an angry population that is suffering the consequences of Hamas’s recklessness. JaFaJ has learned that Hamas, with hostages in hand, was expecting to have the upper hand over Israel, but Israel didn’t take the bait and budge. As a result, Hamas has proposed two ceasefires to the USA and Israel. Both were conveyed to United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the Israeli leadership. The first was presented by Egypt’s President Sisi, while the second was brought forward by Jordan’s King Abdullah. Israel turned down both offers saying that they would not negotiate before the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages Hamas has kidnapped. Government sources in Israel have reported to JaFaJ that “Israel won’t stop until Hamas has been erased from the face of the earth”.
2. JaFaJ has learned that the terrorist group Hamas made two distinct ceasefire offers to both Israel and United States. Both offers were presented to US Secretary of State Blinken and forwarded to Israeli officials for comment.
3. Strained under heavy Israeli blows and growing public discontent, Hamas presented its first ceasefire offer October 16, 2023. The offer was presented to the Secretary Blinken by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a recent visit to Cairo.
4. The Sisi-brokered offer stated that “Hamas would release all dual nationals held hostage, starting with the American Israeli ones, and once completed, an additional fifty Israeli hostages would be exchanged during an unrestricted ceasefire. During the ceasefire, Israel would restore both water and electricity to Gaza. JaFaJ has learned that Secretary Blinken was far from impressed with the offer, but shared it with the Israelis under “respectful pressure” from Sisi. The Israelis rejected this proposal, saying that they would never consider a ceasefire unless every hostage is accounted for, confirmed alive and immediately returned to their families with no preconditions.
5. JaFaJ sources have confirmed that Jordan’s King, Abdullah, presented a second ceasefire offer on Hamas’s behalf to Secretary Blinken when they met in Amman on November 4, 2023. The offer included providing the Israelis with the list of all hostages, a number that Israel suspects is possibly higher than Hamas is willing to admit. [COMMENT: The Israeli authorities are faced with the fact there are still people unaccounted for from Hamas’s October 7th attack inside Israel’s southern territories. END COMMENT].
6. Abdullah’s offer included the following specifics: releasing “most” of the hostages except for a “handful of soldiers and young men.” Additionally, both sides would immediately halt to all military operations, and Israel would restore both water and power supply to Gaza. Additionally, there would be the establishment of “a negotiation mechanism for the release of the remaining hostages.” Israel was also required to include “the future release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.”
7. JaFaJ has confirmed that like the first proposal, both the Americans and Israelis have utterly rejected the King’s offer. A confidential source confirms that “Secretary Blinken told the King that the United States wants a guarantee for a permanent cessation of hostilities in Gaza.” The source added that, “they could not see how a permanent peace could (can) be established in Gaza with an internationally recognized terrorist organization like Hamas in control.”
8. The Israelis have flatly rejected both offers saying that “they won’t even bother to negotiate until all the hostages are accounted for, are confirmed safe and alive, and are safely released.” An Israeli government source close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confided to JaFaJ that “Israel won’t stop until we have erased Hamas from existence”.

1. Summary: Challenged at the domestic level as the public questions its legitimacy and protests their deteriorating economic conditions, the Government of Tunisia (GOT) has recently been warming up to Israel by expanding its intelligence sharing and cooperation with the Government of Israel (GOI). JaFaJ has confirmed that Israeli officials have already visited Tunisia to discuss further cooperation as their Tunisian counterparts promise a peace deal “at the right time.” Nonetheless, Tunisia is one of many Arab countries holding secret ties with Israel. The GOT may be just seeking leverage from the Israelis during these challenging times for Tunisia. Hence, the sudden GOT warmth towards Israel may not translate into a peace agreement, much less a functioning sustainable peace between both countries.
2. JaFaJ sources have learned that Tunisia’s Government has been expanding its intelligence sharing and cooperation with the Israeli Government. The cooperation includes working on issues of mutual interests, countering terror groups, the Mediterranean’s safety and observing radical Islamists operating in Tunisia’s neighbor, Libya.
3. The sources confirmed the recent cooperation with the Israelis has been commissioned by “The highest office in Tunisia and blessed by the country’s military commanders.” The source added that “Tunisia hopes to enhance its standing with the United States, and hopes that by cooperating with Israel, they will be able to strengthen their regional position, and hope Israel will help garner America’s support for Tunisia’s current Government, which is influenced by the army generals. [Reftel: https://acuitywebtechnologies.com/jafaj/in-tunisia-a-soft-class-act-military-coup-is-cooking/]
4. JaFaJ sources in Tunisia have confirmed that high-ranking Israeli officials have secretly visited Tunisia and met with their Tunisian counterparts. The sources added that these meetings preceded lower-level meetings in Dubai, which were arranged by a wealthy Tunisian businessman who resides there. The sources then confirmed the Tunisian officials promised their Israeli guests “extensive cooperation on security related-matters and expressed their interest in a future peace deal with Israel in what they described as the right time”. An Israeli diplomatic source opined, “We are optimistic about future ties with Tunisia.” The source continued, “It’s not the only Arab nation we have secret ties with at the moment.” The source continued by saying, “Tunisia is a very strategic hub that rests on the Mediterranean Sea and borders Libya, a nation plagued by radicals and terrorists, this makes cooperation between us and Tunisia important.”
5. Note: The GOT has been going through challenging times. A squeezing economic crisis, rampant public dismay of GOT’s performance and unbridled disdain of the Tunisian President Qais Said. For a government whose local confidence is shrinking, and its legitimacy questioned, the GOT has not been able to find much Western support or a Western guarantor. Therefore, it is highly likely GOT is seeking peaceful ties with Israel to strengthen its weak standing on the regional and international scale. The Israelis are aware of this, but have been sustaining a decades-long policy of not turning away anyone who outreaches them in the region. Nonetheless, it would be too optimistic to assume the GOT’s sudden warmth towards Israel may bring a functioning peace agreement with Israel. And even if such an agreement were to come to be, it may be like the peace between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel, which UAE seems to use more for international leverage and public diplomacy rather than achieving real peace between both countries.

1. Summary: JaFaJ sources have confirmed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) has warned the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom that Russian President Putin was now “very likely” to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine to achieve “a final victory.” JaFaJ sources in both nations are not ruling out the likelihood of MBS concerns materializing.
2. JaFaJ sources have confirmed that Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) of Saudi Arabia is convinced that “Russia has decided to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine to end the war and deter further action from the United States and NATO countries.” According to JaFaJ sources, MBS has warned the United States that they are “underestimating the length Russia is willing to go to achieve victory in Ukraine” and warned them that “It is now a matter of when, not if, Putin will use a limited scale nuclear strike in Ukraine.” An American intelligence source confirmed the report with JaFaJ by saying that “It is true, the Saudis have recently warned the White House and Britain that Putin is a nudge away from using nukes against Ukraine.” He added, “According to the Saudis, Putin is not bluffing.”
3. A Washington, DC based American diplomatic source has confirmed that “The Department of State is very concerned about the escalation of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.” The source continued, saying that “My opinion does not represent the Department of State, but I think Putin is a man who has too much pride to lose this war.” The source added that “regardless of cost, nobody can predict how far Putin will go to win in Ukraine.” The source continued by saying, “I will not personally rule out the threat of Putin using nuclear weapons in Ukraine if we keep pushing him to the battlefield instead of the negotiation table.”
4-Note: Saudia Arabia has been neutral concerning the war in Ukraine. MBS has been very aware of America’s diminishing power in the Middle East, and as such, MBS has been forging alliances with other forces, focusing on China. This position, and MBS remaining neutral towards Russia, is against what MBS’s Western allies have wanted. At the same time, MBS is convinced that Putin may use tactical nuclear weapons to win Ukraine war. MBS seems so sure, that he personally brought this news to the attention of the White House and President Biden. Therefore, it is a possibility that MBS has directly heard this from either the Russian or Chinese leadership.

1. Summary: Israel has announced it will acquire 25 additional F35 joint strike fighters. Paraded as the ultimate sky-fighting machine, the highly computerized multirole fighter is over-engineered and requires complex maintenance, thanks to a rather embarrassing history of glitches. The Israelis seem to have overcome those to the point that they are eager to buy more F35s because their F16 Fighting Falcon fleet is ageing. The Israeli-modified F35 Adir is considered one of the most well-equipped F35 variants. The Israelis are sharing their developments and know-how knowledge of the F35 with the Government of the United States.
2. On 2 July 2023, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMD) announced Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has approved the request of the Army Chief of Staff, Bentzi Halevi, to purchase a new squadron of the American-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (F35) joint strike fighters. The planned deal is worth about $3 billion, and Israel will acquire 25 new fighters, raising the total number of F35s operated by the Israeli Air Force to 75. IMD said the purchase of the fighters will be funded by the United States Military Assistance Program.
3. Note: By operating the F35, Israel belongs to a very exclusive club of barely 20 nations. Nonetheless, the F35’s effectiveness has been questioned. Marketed as a stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions, the F35 has been criticized by experts as being over-designed and therefore prone to breakdowns and not fit for the multirole missions it has been promoted to be able to do. What has not helped is the F35’s operational record, which includes a rather high number of incidents in its short history of service. Despite those not being extreme, they remain higher than those the F16 Fighting Falcon has incurred over its first decade of operations. Still, the F35 is a formidable fighter jet that has exhibited its combat ability, the over-complex design remains a challenge as it requires equally complicated maintenance. In addition, the heavily computerized F35 system has exhibited some glitches, an embarrassment to what was supposed to be a technologically unsurpassable fighter jet.
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Israel’s Almighty F35
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4. Since acquiring the F35, Israel has been working on fixing its glitches and simplifying its maintenance. The work has been undertaken by the renowned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The IAI is a government-owned aviation industry manufacturer. The IAI is known for innovative solutions and for enhancing already advanced aircraft. An example is the Israeli F16 Fighting Falcon, which the IAI has carried out over 80 modifications to its original system. This has produced an almost entirely different jet fighter called the F16 Sufa (Storm). Thanks to the changes, for over a decade and a half, the Sufa has become one of the world’s most advanced F16 variants – that was until Lockheed Martin introduced the F16V Block 70/72 variant. Eventually, the IAI’s final product was the F35 Adir, which means “almighty” or “superior” in Hebrew, and includes several “classified modifications.”
5. An Israeli defense official reported to JaFaJ sources: “IAI has been able to enhance the F35 system, with a focus on the computerization and avionics systems. Israeli engineers have enhanced or eliminated several “glitches.” Israel has shared these changes through the F35 centralized maintenance management system agreement, which has benefited all other F35 operators.” He added, “Our modifications have also included enhancing countermeasures and weapon delivery accuracy. This has allowed us to build systems that are adaptable to the F35.”
6. The Israeli official added, “We are a nation of innovation. Innovation is centric to our survival, and I won’t apologize for striving to enhance the F35.” The official added “Personally, I think our F35 Adir is one of the most advanced and best-equipped F35s in the air today, and when used in combat, the Adir has scored the F35’s first kills.”
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Israel Sharing the Knowledge, Only with Some
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7. An American defense industry source opined to JaFaJ that, “The Israelis are smart to have developed their own version of the F35. Nonetheless, they are not sharing everything with everyone.” The source continued by saying that “the technology they have developed remains mostly a secret.” Furthermore, the source added, “The reasons they are buying more F35 is most likely because they can trust the bird in combat, especially with the additions they have made to it.” The source continued by saying that “The Israelis have had their doubts about the F35’s ability to eventually replace its ageing F16 fleet. To overcome this, the Israelis have developed their own electronic warfare systems for the F35, and have agreed to share its specifics with the Pentagon.” The source concluded by saying that, “in my opinion, this was the price they had to pay to get more F35.”
8. A British military source in close working proximity to Israel confirmed to JaFaJ that “The Israelis are sharing with the Americans some of their technological modifications made to the F35.”