Shalom all,

This was prepared last night, but due to a technical problem with the computer, it was not able to be sent out, so it is being sent tonight. It will be followed by the report for Day 66.

The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is up to 98.

Timetable to end the war? There are three weeks remaining before the end of the year. This, apparently, is the timetable that Uncle Sam is placing on Israel to complete its military operation in the Gaza Strip, to withdraw Israel’s troops and re-deploy them along the border areas. Of course, no one can state with absolute certainty that Israel will stop the war at the stroke of midnight before the second hand of the clock marks the new year. Israel, for its part, may not be able to conclude the war and may stretch it out for a few more weeks into January. But, at some point, Netanyahu will have to refuse the “urgings” of the United States for Israel to withdraw from Gaza, particularly if Yahya Sinwar is still alive and the remaining hostages are not released or freed.

If the reports are true, and the U.S. is, in fact, pressuring Israel to end the war within a relatively short period of time, then Sinwar may well understand that all he has to do is hang in there for another 3 to 6 weeks and trust that Washington will do the rest to bring the present round of fighting to an end.

According to various reports, the IDF is expecting to exercise complete control of the northern sector of the Gaza Strip. After that, will devote its energies to the battle for Khan Yunis, which is a major Hamas stronghold where Sinwar and other senior members of Hamas are believed to be hiding. The IDF is trying to obtain strategic information from the approximately 2,500 Gazans, which include Hamas fighters, who have surrendered to the IDF. But, given the massive tunnel network established by Hamas, it is not beyond the realm of reason to anticipate that Sinwar may attempt to move further south, toward the Rafiah Crossing, or, more likely, that he will try to enter into Egypt through the system of tunnels used for smuggling. If that were to happen, we may have to search for Sinwar elsewhere and Egypt will be drawn into the web of war, something that it is making every effort to avoid.

These possible developments add to the pressure on Israel to “get the job done”. P.M. Netanyahu also delivered a message to the Hamas terrorists, telling them that the war was going to end soon and that there was no reason for them to lose their lives fighting to protect Sinwar. So, he urged them to put down their weapons. Some are taking that advice.

Another reason to end the war is due to the presence of viruses in the water supply of the Strip. This contamination, coupled with the overburdened hospitals and shortage of medicine and food, could affect the population as a whole, as well as possibly the approximately 140 hostages that remain under the control of Hamas. A number of hostages have already died – or have been killed – and, from reports of hostages who were released, the sanitary conditions accompanying their captivity is far from healthy, adding to the urgency of extricating them in one way or another.

When we finish with Hamas, we’ll most probably have to deal with Hezbollah: There’s always some threat coming from Lebanon. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, has been making threats against Israel for years. The last time his threats took the form of action was during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, which lasted 33 days. Since then, Hezbollah has built up a substantial arsenal of projectiles, short-range and long-range, numbering well over 100,000, all pointing in the direction of Israel. While Hezbollah has not fully entered into the military fray between Israel and Hamas, nevertheless, it slowly, but steadily, increases its missile launches into northern communities in Israel. It also is moving closer to the border with Israel, in violation of a UN Security Council resolution of 2006, which set a 30 km buffer zone in southern Lebanon. A not-so-small concern of Israel is that it would have to actively fight a northern front, while still massively involved in the Gaza Strip. As long as Hezbollah’s rockets and UAV remain on the level of taunts, Israel has the opportunity to finish the war in the south and then take appropriate action against Hezbollah.

Then there are the Houthis from Yemen, who continue to make their presence known, either by launching missiles towards the southern city of Eilat, or by hijacking shipping in the Red Sea. They have undertaken to become another thorn in our flesh. At some point, they will cross a “red line”, either of ours or of the United States, and action will have to be taken that goes beyond shooting their projectiles out of the air. Who would have thought it? Houthis from Yemen. And all the while, Iran, who pulls all the strings of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi, sits on the sidelines, while its proxies take center stage.

No “Palestinian” workers to be allowed back from Judea and Samaria: Israel’s socioeconomic cabinet discussed the issue of whether “Palestinian” workers from the West Bank (=Judea and Samaria) should be allowed back into Israel. Contrary to the position taken by P.M. Netanyahu, who was in favor of allowing them entry, the cabinet overwhelmingly voted against it. National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, said that he was opposed to the idea of “allowing thousands of day workers residing in the ‘Palestinian’ Authority to start entering Israel regularly again”. He is fighting even the idea of ever again allowing Arab workers from Judea and Samaria back into Israel, referring to such a desire as part of the old “conception”. What may not be widely known is that prior to October 7th, Israel issued about 17,000 work permits for “Palestinians” entering from Gaza. They were “employed” in whatever areas were necessary – agriculture, industrial areas, food factories, medical facilities, hotels and even burial societies. Some of them carried out reconnaissance for Hamas, providing detailed drawings and locations of specific targets that ended up in the hands of Hamas. The final decision regarding the re-issuance of work permits for “Palestinians” will be decided by the Security Cabinet. But, hopefully, the days of Israel’s reliance on “Palestinian” workers are over.

Renewed negotiations for release of hostages? Qatar’s Foreign Minister said that mediation efforts are continuing to secure a new ceasefire arrangement and secure the release of more hostages held by Hamas. At the same time, he said that Israel’s continued bombardment in the Gaza enclave narrows the window of negotiation. Hamas has threatened that none of the hostages will leave alive, unless Israel agrees to its demands. Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, said “Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership… nor its supporters… can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance.” P.M. Netanyahu refused to enter into negotiations at this time, saying that conditions were not yet right. Faced with that demand of Hamas, conditions will never be right.

A brief look at some of the rockets of Hamas: The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade is the military wing of Hamas and, at least for now, is led by the elusive Mohammed Deif. They managed to update a brief video revealing some of the missiles that they launch against Israel.

This is the fourth night of Hanukkah. Each night, as we light an additional candle, we remember the miraculous victory over our enemies that God brought about.

The Dry Bones Blog – 10 December, 2023

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin