Shalom all,

As of this writing, the number of reported IDF casualties since the beginning of the ground offensive now stands at 75.

Up to this point, I made every effort not to show or link to videos of the atrocities that took place during the Hamas-led massacre of October 7th. Nevertheless, a grisly montage of video and photos of the massacre and brutality was put together by Israel, from body cams of the terrorists, as well as from security cameras of the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip that were attacked, and they were shown to selective audiences. With the release of 81 Israeli hostages, it was inevitable that their stories and what they experienced while in captivity, would begin to be revealed and shared. And, after almost two full months since the events that took place on the Shabbat of Simhat Torah, now referred to as the Black Saturday, numerous accounts are being gathered from survivors of the terrorist invasion and some are being screened.

I was considering attaching today a link to some of the testimonies of survivors of the Nova festival. But, the testimonies are beyond difficult to hear and I opted not to link to it. 

Different kinds of reports are also emerging following the release of some of the hostages. Seasoned social workers, with dozens of years of experience, reported the difficulties of dealing with so much trauma, not only on the part of the released hostages, but on the part of their families as well. One article (unfortunately, it is only in Hebrew) states, in part (my translation): 

According to Etti Kisos, VP and head of the Social and Personal Services Administration, there is a very large difference between the abductees: “Even in the experience they went through, they were held in different conditions, by different people, some above ground, some underground, some in groups, some alone. And this is also where complexities come in, of how the family members contain this thing? How many are encouraged to share? How many are even able to hear? This is a very complex period. What feels very strong to us is that there is no uniform line for everyone.”

“Families were actually torn apart because some were in captivity and some here, and what we see now after they are reunited does not resemble anything that was before October 7 … The people who were there came back different, and the people who were here are not the same people either. The struggles are different, you have to find everyone’s place within the family, even before the consequences of what everyone brings with them from the captivity and the trauma, a little to see how to reconnect. How you are bridging a gap of what was here two months, when the person closest to you was not part of this thing.” Many are suffering from depression and panic and are trying to deal with them There is a need to pray for those who were released, to pray for their families and to pray for those professionals trying to help them all to cope with what happened and is happening and to be victorious in their efforts.

Two weeks after the massacre of Black Saturday, it was reported that the Mossad and Shin Bet set up an operations center to track down and kill members of the Hamas commando unit (the Nukbha forces) that spear-headed the onslaught of October 7th. The unit will be named “Nili”, after the World War I-era Jewish underground organization. The name is actually an acronym for a Hebrew phrase: “Netzach Yisrael Lo Yishaker”, which means “the Eternal One of Israel will not lie.” 

The command center’s goals will include the elimination of all the Nukbha members who were involved in the terrorist assault.

The two masterminds of the massacre that are at the top of the command center’s “most wanted” hit list are: the political leader of Hamas,, Yahya Sinwar, and Hamas’s military commander, Muhammad Deif. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, said at the time: “Hamas members have two options: Either die in their positions or surrender unconditionally. There is no third option. We will wipe out the Hamas organization and dismantle it of all its capabilities.”

The 61-year-old Sinwar, of course, is more widely known, after he was elected Hamas leader in Gaza in 2017. He is a founding member of Hamas and rose through the ranks as the prime mover and instigator against Israel in the terrorist organization. He was referred to as “the face of evil” and a military spokesman declared him a “dead man walking.” He was serving four life sentences for killing two Israeli soldiers, but was released in 2011, as part of the deal for the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, which saw 1,100 “Palestinian” security prisoners released at the same time. The results of that “deal” are being dealt with now. Before being released, Sinwar spent 23 years in Israeli jails and learned Hebrew, among other things. 

Sinwar and Deif were both born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza and they were added to the United States’ list of most wanted international terrorists in 2015.

Muhammad Deif is less known and there are not many up-to-date, full-face photos of him. He is referred to by an assumed name, that means “Guest” in Arabic, because, reportedly, he never spends more than one night in the same place. He has survived at least half a dozen attempts to kill him.

Prime Minister Netanyahu gave instructions to eliminate every member of Hamas, even if they are located abroad. But, then, he made a concession to the Qatari negotiators that Israel would not target Hamas members on Qatari soil, who are enjoying the comforts of “the good life”, as well as the protection of the Qatari government.

The elimination of Sinwar and Deif would be a devastating blow to Hamas, which has lost many senior members during the present Gaza War.  Clearly, one of the reasons that Sinwar has insisted on the release of all of the “Palestinian” prisoners being held by Israel is due to the need to train many of them to replace the depleted leadership of Hamas. But, Sinwar and Deif, continue to elude the forces of the IDF … at least for the moment!

Renewed targets: Notwithstanding P.M. Netanyahu’s concession to the Qatari negotiators, The Wall Street Journal reported on December 1st that “Israel’s intelligence services are preparing to kill Hamas leaders around the world when the nation’s war in the Gaza Strip winds down, setting the stage for a years long campaign to hunt down militants responsible for the Oct. 7 massacres.” Senior members of Hamas (which is designated as a terrorist group by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the United States) who are residing in Qatar are living it up in 5-star hotels, while enjoying privileged treatment by the Qatari government. Some are also in Lebanon, Iran and Turkey and enjoy varying measures of protection in those countries, as well.

In a recording aired by one of Israel’s leading television news stations, Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet, is reported to have said: “The cabinet has set us a goal, in street talk, to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich [a reference to the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre]. We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar. It will take a few years but we will be there to do it.”

Following the release of that report, a spokesman for Hamas reportedly said that it is not concerned by the threats and that if Israel tries to carry out those threats, it would constitute a violation of the sovereignty of the foreign country. Without question, a targeted killing of Hamas leaders on Qatari or Turkish soil, while the hostage-release negotiations were ongoing would have endangered the diplomatic efforts to free the hostages, so the plan was tabled, at least for a while.

But, now that the negotiations are over and Hamas has stated categorically that it will not release any more Israeli hostages until Israel stops its military action in the Gaza Strip, there is no longer any reason not to pursue senior Hamas leaders and eliminate them – clearly, one of the moves that could well shorten the present war.

It didn’t take long for Turkey to respond to the report of possible targeted killings of senior Hamas leaders. It warned Israel of “serious consequences”, if Israel tried to assassinate Hamas members living outside of Israel, including Turkey. What can we expect from “birds of a feather” that flock together?

There goes our planned vacation! As a result of rising antisemitism worldwide, particularly since October 7th, Israel’s National Security Council is urging citizens to reconsider non-essential travel and not to visit countries with travel warnings in place. According to a report of i24new a few hours ago, Israel raised the travel warning for 80 countries, including Western Europe. The report added: “Travelers were also advised to avoid anti-Israel demonstrations, to remain vigilant and not to openly display Israeli or Jewish symbols.”

The full list of travel advisory alerts can be found on the National Security Council’s website.

Sky News “Interview”: I’ll leave you with this incredible claim during an interview with Sky News, where the interviewer said that “Palestinians” in Gaza don’t have electricity. The response of the IDF Spokesman was that the “Palestinians” have enough power to film on their phones. Then, all of a sudden, there was no more time for the interview. This is truly priceless.

The Gaza War: The media are reporting serious battles taking place now in Gaza. Those words are intended to prepare the public for an increase in casualties and wounded. May it not be! Let us keep in prayer, with faith.

“But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Psalm 3:3)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin