Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 28 of the War.

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 24.<https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rk9005izqt> The Hamas terror organization is suffering the loss of major command posts and weapons systems, as Israeli ground forces pressed on towards Gaza City. The IDF is able to reach, militarily, everywhere in that city, and can soon create a situation from which the leadership of Hamas would be unable to escape. However, to accomplish its goals, the IDF will undoubtedly have to engage is urban warfare, which could well increase the number of Israeli casualties. As a result, Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas political leader flew to Tehran (from his comfortable living quarters in a hotel in Qatar, via a private jet) in an effort to convince Iran’s leadership to pull the Hezbollah’s puppet strings and get it to take a formal stance to enter the present war, opening a major second front in the north, that would cause Israel to re-direct its weapons and manpower away from the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. There is no question that the Ayatollahs recognize the seriousness of the situation in Gaza and they activated their Lebanese terrorist proxy to increase the cross-border engagements with the IDF. Various Lebanese media, basing reports on sources affiliated with the Hezbollah, state that Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, is not looking an all-out war with Israel, as he knows that it would result in disastrous consequences for Lebanon, as well as Shi’ite locations in the Beqaa Valley. The position of the IDF, as revealed yesterday, was that if the Hezbollah formally open a second front, Israel would act and Lebanon, as a nation state, could cease to exist. “Intelligence” sources tend to believe that Nasrallah will keep the fires in the north on a low flame. We’ll soon see, after Nasrallah’s public speech today, his first in ages. Well, he threatened, but did not make a commitment to a broader war.

Governments and media around the globe are expressing concern over what they claim is a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They are all clamoring for a cease fire, or a temporary halt in the fighting, so that increased humanitarian aid can be sent into Gaza via the Rafiah crossing from Egypt. Dozens upon dozens of trucks have been entering Gaza since the ground operation began, all bring humanitarian aid, most of which ends up in the hands of Hamas, who couldn’t care less about the citizens of the Strip. One of the major concerns is an alleged lack of fuel needed to avoid a severe humanitarian crisis. BUT, the IDF released today a recording of a phone call with a healthcare system official in Gaza, who said that Hamas has fuel reserves of more than a half million liters under Shifa Hospital and further admitted that all energy and fuel resources in the Strip are controlled by Hamas that directs them for terrorism. A recording of the conversation can be heard here: <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hywp1vfqp#autoplay>.The IDF has consistently maintained the position that “if fuel is allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, Hamas plans to seize those resources. The IDF will continue to expose information that proves that the Hamas terrorist organization uses the resources of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip for terrorism.” The recording of the IDF shows that its concerns are correct.

The “West’s” misunderstanding of the mentality of the civilian population in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip results in the continued claim that Hamas does not represent the civilian population. However, recent polls in the Strip reveal that a majority of the “civilians” there support not only Hamas, but Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations, not only in Gaza, but in Judea and Samaria (i.e., “the West Bank” [of the Jordan River]) as well. The polls further indicate that almost two-thirds of Gazans support “armed Intifada and confrontations” against Israel and further, that they were in favor of armed attacks on Israeli civilians. <https://unitedwithisrael.org/gazans-alarming-support-for-attacks-on-israeli-civilians/?utm>

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has been interviewed by a number of international media, who almost always focus the content of the interview on Israel’s military action in Gaza, which results in civilian casualties. He regularly tries to re-direct the interviewer to the questions that should be asked at the outset, namely: Why isn’t Hamas releasing the babies, girls, boys, that are being held hostage that breaks all the rules of war. But, there is an “agenda” that is focused on the casualties among the Gaza civilians who, on the whole, identify with Hamas and other terrorist organizations, rather than on the civilians in Israel, who were the victims of the brutal, barbaric and murderous act of terrorism <https://unitedwithisrael.org/bennett-calls-out-cnn-silence-on-hamas-and-baby-hostages/?utm>.

“Your pain is mine.”We all know that Ilhan Oman, a Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota, is a member of “The Squad”, that is deeply anti-Israel and anti-semitic. Somehow, he managed to be re-elected during the last round of voting for congressional representatives, with 74% of the votes from her district. Now, Dalia Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi-born Muslim immigrant to the United States, is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Omar as the representative of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Al Aqidi is a former journalist and media adviser to the U.S. Department of Defense in Iraq, who openly and boldly refers to Hamas as a terrorist organization. During an interview with The Media Line, she said that “[Whoever] supports these terrorists doesn’t belong to the United States of America, the land of the free.”

Al-Aqidi came to Israel “to show solidarity with the Israelis, with the Jewish people, to tell the Jewish people that you’re not alone.” During interviews with her while in Israel, she expressed her support of Israel and her commitment to fight against terrorism, as well as to replace Ilhan Omar, whom she referred to as the “No. 1 antisemitic lawmaker in the United States.” According to Al-Aqidi, Omar was appointed as representative of a district that she described as a hotbed for anti-semitism, fomented largely by the rhetoric of Omar, who claims that the state and country are anti-Jewish and they are pro-Hamas.“Somebody has to say no. Somebody has to correct the records.” I fully agree, Dalia Al-Aqidi. May you be successful in your quest to replace Omar. <https://unitedwithisrael.org/a-visit-of-solidarity-muslim-journalist-on-a-mission-to-replace-ilhan-omar-travels-to-israel/?utm>

Well, darkness has descended upon Israel and we have entered into Shabbat. Many will bless the provision of “challah” (traditional bread for the entry of Shabbat) as they sit around the table for dinner. Amid war, many Israelis turn to baking challahs to raise their spirits and bring the comforting aroma of baking into homes <https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/bjtbkifq6> The imagination is fruitful and often results in a sweet-smelling savor and a mouth-watering taste. 

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom.

Marvin