Archive for month: December, 2023

News Update

Rocket were fired at Kiryat Shemona and other locations in the north continues. The IDF continues to strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Since October 7, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. At least 20% of them have fallen in Lebanon.

IDF troops secured and destroyed the Hamas Shejaiya Battalion’s command and control center and conducted a targeted raid in Khan Yunis. Dozens of terrorists were killed and tunnel shafts discovered and destroyed. In 1 of the tunnels, troops found motorbikes used by the terrorists on Oct. 7. To view an IDF video of combat in Gaza, click here.

IDF soldiers killed in southern Gaza in the last day:

Sgt. First Class (res.) Shay Uriel Pizem, 23, a tank commander in the 401st Armored Brigade’s 9th Battalion, from Kibbutz Ein HaNatziv.

Sgt. Oz Shmuel Aradi, 19, Combat Engineering Corps’ 603rd Battalion, from Kibbutz Hatzor near Ashdod.

Master Sergeant (res.) Tomer Shlomo Myara, 28, Combat Engineering Corps’ 710th Battalion, from Netanya.

The IDF has recovered the bodies of 3 Israelis abducted by Hamas on Oct.7:

Elia Toledano, 28, a civilian abducted during the Supernova music festival. He was a French citizen.

Corporal Nik Beizer, 19, abducted from his base near the Erez Crossing, where he worked with the IDF’s Gaza District Coordination and Liaison office to improve the life of Palestinians.

Sergeant Ron Sherman, 19, who’s last communication came from his base near the Gaza border.

Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office say that Hamas is shooting at civilians trying to access food from aid trucks sent into Gaza. They are also intercepting the aid.

Earlier today, Houthi rebels launched missile attacks on two cargo ships who they allege were transporting goods to Israel.

Let us not forget the young women and children, the elderly and the wounded still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. There can be no cease-fire until Hamas releases every one of them. 

 

News Update

In a fierce combat operation in the Shujaya neighborhood of Gaza City, part of the IDF forces entered a building that was rigged with explosives. Ten soldiers were killed in the fight:

– Lt. Col. Tomer Grinberg, 35, commander of Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, from Almog.
– Maj. Roei Meldasi, 23, company commander in Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, from Afula.
– Maj. Moshe Avram Bar On, 23, company commander in Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, from Ra’anana.
– Sgt. Achia Daskal, 19, soldier in Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, from Haifa.
– Cpt. Liel Hayo, 22, platoon commander in Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, from Shoham.
– Maj. Ben Shelly, 26, squad commander in the Israeli Air Force’s Unit 669, from Kidron.
– Sgt. First Class Rom Hecht, 20, Israeli Air Force’s Unit 669, from Givatayim.
– Staff Sgt. Oriya Yaakov, 19, Combat Engineering Corps’ 614th Battalion, from Ashkelon.
– Colonel Itzhak Ben Basat, 44, commander of a command room in the Golani Brigade, from Sde Yaakov.
– Sergeant Eran Aloni, 19, Battalion 51 of the Golani Brigade, from Ofakim.

Three other soldiers sustained serious injuries in the operation. [As you can see from the list, officers in the IDF lead their men from the front, and are the first to enter combat situations.]

Shujaya is the last remaining Hamas stronghold in northern Gaza. The neighborhood is so densely populated, that it is extremely difficult to bring in tanks and bulldozers to level buildings, making it necessary for ground troops to directly engage terrorists face to face. Hamas has booby trapped all of the buildings they are firing from, hoping to lure as many soldiers into them as possible.

The IDF recovered the bodies of Eden Zacharia, 28, from Rishon Lezion, who was abducted from the Nova music festival in Re’im, and Sergeant Major Ziv Dado, 36, from Rehovot, who was killed during the Hamas surprise attack on October 7. As part of the operation during which the bodies were located, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot and Master Sgt. (res.) Eyal Meir Berkowitz were killed, and other soldiers were injured.

IDF aircraft and tanks struck Syrian Army military posts and infrastructure in response to rockets launched from Syria. The IDF also struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Israel informed US officials that it has begun flooding the Hamas tunnels with seawater on a limited basis to test its effectiveness.

The UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian cease-fire” in the Gaza Strip. The vote was 153 countries in favor, 10 against and 23 abstained or absent. The countries that voted against include the United States, Israel, Czech Republic, Micronesia, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Liberia, Nauru, Guatemala and Austria. The countries that abstained include Germany, Great Britain, Ukraine, Georgia, Argentina, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Panama, South Sudan, Togo, Tonga, Slovakia, Uruguay and Lithuania.

News Update

Rocket barrages were fired at the Central Israel and Tel Aviv area this morning. One rocket hit a building in Holon, injuring one man with shrapnel and causing heavy damage. Rocket were also fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. The IDF is striking the sources of the rocket fire.

Syrian media reported Israeli strikes in the Damascus area last night. Syria claims to have intercepted several missiles. No casualties have been reported.

IDF troops are operating in the Hamas strongholds of Jabalya, Shejaiya, Beit Hanoun, and Khan Yunis, in coordination with the air force and navy.

Israel claims to have eliminated around 7,000 terrorists, wounded over 12,000, arrested hundreds and struck over 22,000 targets since the start of the war. Many of those arrested are Hamas terrorists who surrendered, laying down their weapons. Some are military aged men detained for questioning, who are later released if found to have no connection with Hamas. All prisoners are stripped to their underwear to make sure they are not carrying explosives. The surrender of large numbers of terrorists indicates a significant breakdown in the Hamas command structure and communications.

These are the soldiers who were killed in Gaza since Sunday:

Lieutenant Nethanel Menachem Eitan, 22, from Jerusalem.

Major (res.) Roman Bronshtein, 46, from Bat Yam, 5th Brigade’s 8111th Battalion.

Cpt. (res.) Eliya Yanovsky, 24, from Jerusalem, 5th Brigade’s 8111th Battalion.

Master Sgt. (res.) Ari Yehiel Zenilman, 32, from Jerusalem, 5th Brigade’s 8111th Battalion.

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Gideon Ilani, 35, of Asa’el, 55th Paratroopers Brigade.

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Etay Perry, 36, of Modiin, Kiryati Brigade’s 8111st Battalion.

Maj. (res.) Eviatar Cohen, 42, from Kfar Saba, Kiryati Brigade’s 8111st Battalion.

Maj. Gal Becher, 34, from Oranit, who served in the Northern Command’s 36th Division, was killed in a military traffic collision in southern Israel.

On Friday, the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. The vote was 13-1, with Britain abstaining.

Yesterday, the Security Cabinet discussed allowing Palestinian workers back into Israel, after they were prohibited from entering on Oct. 7. Prime Minister Netanyahu, along with the IDF and Sin Bet, support the proposal. The police and many cabinet ministers oppose it. Prior to the war, 150,000 Palestinians and 17,000 from Gaza had permits to work in Israel. Since the 30,000 workers from Thailand have mostly left the country, there is a severe labor shortage in the agricultural sector.

News Update

Hamas rocket launches have been identified as coming from areas near civilian tent encampments in southern Gaza. Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields and is directly responsible for the civilian deaths in Gaza.

IDF forces are battling in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City. Over the last day, there were over 50 battles with terrorist squads in the neighborhood, and around 200 terrorists were eliminated. This morning IDF forces captured scores of terrorists from the Shijaiyah Brigade, en masse, after breaking through their defensive lines. Battles also continue in Khan Younis and Jabaliya.

In a recent statement, Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, indicated a readiness to resume comprehensive negotiations with Israel. He stipulated that for these talks to proceed, Israel must cease its military actions and withdraw forces from all areas of the Gaza Strip. Egyptian sources estimate that there could be a resumption of a hostage release deal that could include female soldiers, elderly people and wounded soldiers.

The IDF released the names of the following soldiers, killed fighting in Gaza:

Staff Sergeant Amit Bonzel, 22 years old, from Shoham, Paratroopers Brigade’s reconnaissance unit.

Staff Sergeant Alemnew Emanuel Feleke, 22 years old, from Kiryat Gat, Commando Brigade’s Duvdevan unit.

Sergeant First Class (Res.) Maor Gershoni, 24 years old, from Yokneam Illit, was killed yesterday while fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.

Several soldiers have been seriously wounded.

Israeli military rescue and medical teams have transported 11 Palestinians from Gaza to Israeli territory for medical treatment since the start of the ground operation. At least 5 of those have already been returned to Gaza.

The Cabinet approved doubling the amount of fuel supplied to Gaza in order to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The move came under pressure from the White House.

Rockets were fired from Lebanon this morning. The IDF is responding by striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

The US Justice Department is investigating the murder and kidnappings of Americans by Hamas on Oct.7. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “Hamas murdered more than 30 Americans and kidnapped more. We are investigating those heinous crimes and we will hold those people accountable.” The White House believes there is one American woman and seven men still being held hostage in Gaza.

[Today we commemorate 82 years since the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, which caused the US to enter WWII and culminated in the dropping of atomic bombs on 2 Japanese cities killing hundreds of thousands of civilians. After the “day that will live in infamy”, there was no question that the US would have to use any and all means in an all out war to defeat Japan.

Israel is facing the exact same scenario, but is being held to different standards. Israel is taking every possible measure to avoid civilian casualties even if it puts the lives of its soldiers at greater risk. There can be no cease-fire until Hamas is eliminated and victory is achieved.

Remember Pearl Harbor, and remember October 7th.]

News Update

Rockets were fired at southern and central Israel from Gaza today. A residential building was hit in Ashkelon, injuring 2 elderly women. Several rockets fell in open areas in Beersheba, a rocket fell on a Tel Aviv beach and on a street in Holon.

Several rockets were fired into Israel from Lebanon. The IDF responded with strikes against Hezbollah targets.

IDF troops are operating in the area of Jabalya in northern Gaza, attacking and destroying Hamas command centers, tunnels, rockets, weapons depots and eliminating terrorists. Much of the Hamas terror infrastructure has been found embedded within or beneath schools and residential buildings.

The Shin Bet, 551st Brigade reserve forces and Shayetet 13 commandos raided the Hamas General Security headquarters in Jabaliya, where surveillance and control equipment, weapons and maps were found.

IDF forces are also surrounding the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, where the Hamas leadership is thought to be hiding.

The IDF is taking extreme measures to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza. At least a third of the people killed in Gaza were terrorists. Civilians also have been killed by Hamas rocket misfires and as a result of being used as human shields by the terrorists.

The names of 5 IDF soldiers killed in Gaza have been released:

• Sergeant Yakir Yedidya Schenkolewski, 21 years old from Migdal Oz, 188th Armored Brigade.
• Captain Eitan Fisch, 23 years old, from the yishuv of Paduel, 188th Armored Brigade.
• Sgt. Tuval Yaakov Tsanani, 20 years old from Kiryat Gat, 188th Armored Brigade.
• Captain Yahel Gazit, 24, a 188th Armored Brigade officer, from Rakefet, 188th Armored Brigade.
• Sergeant First Class (res.) Gil Daniels, 34, from Ashdod, 261st Infantry Reserve Brigade.

Saudi media reported that explosions were heard in Yemen’s capital last night, assumed to be the result of an Israeli strike.

US officials are saying that Hamas is not releasing the rest of the female hostages because they do not want them to talk about what was, and is being, done to them in captivity and they have witnessed. Testimony from people who witness the atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 continues to be released and publicized. The eye witness accounts of the brutal gang rapes, mutilations and executions of Israeli women are too painful to read or listen too, but they must be heard and shared.

The civilized world must know about these barbaric crimes to understand that Israel has no choice but to completely eliminate the Hamas terrorists from Gaza. There can be no cease-fire until the terrorists are either out of Gaza or in Hell (the latter being preferred). Hamas has made it very clear that they will perpetrate the same barbaric crimes of Oct. 7 again  and again. And their next targets will be the women of Western Europe and the US, if Israel does not stop them now.

Israel is fighting not only for its own safety, but for the safety of the entire world. It is truly a battle of good against evil. Good will prevail. It must.

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