Shalom all,
Day 68

The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is up to 115, with a total of 444 killed from October 7th. 

Today’s updated figures include 10 IDF soldiers K.I.A. yesterday, 9 of whom in the battle in Shejaiya and 1 in a separate incident in the northern Gaza Strip. Among those killed in an ambush in Shejaiya was Colonel Itzhak Ben Basat, 41, the most senior member of the IDF to be killed in the present ground offensive. The fighting in Shejaiya, one of most heavily fortified strongholds of Hamas, is particularly difficult because it is a densely populated area. It is one of the major challenges of urban warfare. This is deadliest single military loss since October 7th. May all their memories be blessed.

Almog Boker, is an award-winning journalist of Israel’s Channel 13. Upon hearing of the warriors who fell in the battle of Shejaiya, he commented in his post on “X” (formerly Twitter), Boker wrote: “Shejaiya cannot exist the day after. Shejaiya is the backyard of Kibbutz Nahal Oz [one of the hardest hit communities in the “Gaza Envelope”], and if we want to allow the residents of Natal One to return home, we must demolish all the buildings and flatten this neighborhood of Nazi terror. The soldiers report that every house there is a Hamas house! There is no reason to go from house to house and endanger the soldiers. We have to destroy all the buildings from the air, with tank shells and artillery batteries and thus cleanse this dangerous area. It’s either them – or us.” [translation from his post in Hebrew] At last, a national reporter not afraid to suggest leveling a Hamas-controlled area. It sounds better than suggesting that it be turned into a parking lot, although that would not be a bad idea.

Some of Israel’s top political echelon want to present the situation, and particularly the hard-fought battle in Shejaiya, as being part of Hamas’s final efforts and that the terrorist organization is showing signs of collapse. But, it cannot be said with any degree of certainty to what extent the IDF has succeeded in eliminating Hamas or its capabilities. Despite considerable, international pressure to force Israel to immediately cease its military actions in the Gaza Strip, Israel continues to pursue its goals with the backing, at least for now, of the Biden Administration. Still, there are rumblings emanating from Washington that there is an unstated countdown for Israel to end the war. With the clock ticking, Israel has to act in a race against time, to accomplish its goals of defeating Hamas, destroying its military capabilities and find and free the hostages who remain alive.

Against the hour glass of unspecified time for Israel to achieve its objectives is the resistance on the part of Hamas to roll over and die. According to some of Hamas’s senior officials (who reside in Qatar, of course), only a small percentage of its resources (in manpower and weaponry) has been used. While we don’t know how many of its fighters are still alive, we do know that Hamas continues to have the capacity to launch missiles against Israel from Gaza, even though the quantity is considerably less. Despite the destruction and/or capture of the parliament building, legal structures and even mosques, Hamas continues to put up resistance, revealing, in a sense, that it doesn’t need any outward symbols of power to continue to exist and to keep up its fight. Everything else is secondary and of lesser importance. 

The international community rants about the collapse of Gaza infrastructure and about the need for increased humanitarian aid to be sent into the Gaza enclave, with the recognition that a lot of the humanitarian aid is appropriated by Hamas. The terrorist organization has little concern for the civilian population in Gaza and is willing to offer it up on the altar, if it would advance its purposes of fighting against and destroying Israel. Moreover, while capturing or killing Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas mastermind behind the October 7th massacres, it is doubtful that this, in itself, would cause the total collapse of Hamas. And it could well be that the “resistance” called for by Hamas will continue with a leader by a different name. But, the war MUST continue until Israel’s stated goals are achieved. The international community, which sits in its ivory towers, has little understanding of the pure evil of Hamas and even less concern for what Israel has suffered and continues to deal with. Many countries, particularly in Europe, are pulling out all the stops in an effort to force Israel into a unilateral ceasefire. On the other hand, Israel is facing increased internal pressure from relatives of those still held hostage by Hamas, who are demanding to “bring them all home, NOW” – meaning, at any cost. I wonder how they would react if the events of October 7th would happen to them.

Despite the pressures that Uncle Sam is exerting upon Israel to expedite the conclusion of the Gaza War, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, made clear that the war against Hamas will continue, “with or without international support. A ceasefire at the current stage is a gift to the terrorist organization Hamas, and will allow it to return and threaten the residents of Israel.”

If the world is really interested in bringing about a ceasefire, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, has the clearest and easiest suggestion how to do it. He held up a sign at a meeting yesterday of the General Assembly, which stated: “For a Ceasefire Dial: +970-599373765 Ask For Yahya Sinwar”, who bears the responsibility for the present war. The number is Sinwar’s Hamas office. The General Assembly did what it usually does, namely, voted against Israel and passed yet another overwhelming, but non-binding, resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. The resolution failed to condemn Hamas atrocities. Amazingly, it added that it demands “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access” – a demand that will fall on the deaf ears of Hamas. The full text of the resolution can be seen here.

Little by little, a speech here, a speech there, and the ultimate goal of the Biden Administration is revealed: Yesterday, President Biden told a group of donors to his re-election campaign that Israel “can’t say no” to a Palestinian state.” Sounds like a replay of the Obama Administration.

A “Palestinian” state has to connect Gaza and Judea (i.e., the “West Bank” of the Jordan River) and Samaria under one rule, one leadership … and one contiguous area. Take a look at a map of Israel (you may need a magnifying glass to see it on a world map) and draw a line from the Gaza Strip to the area known as the West Bank. In order to have a contiguous area, Israel needs to be divided into northern Israel and southern Israel. One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to under that this “Two-State” setup is a plan for disaster.

For all those in the European Union who keep pressuring Israel and demanding a ceasefire, this simple photo should suffice (translation: “Simple enough for everyone to understand, true enough to annoy many” – my emphasis and apologies in advance to my friends in Italy if I did not translate the words correctly).

The present war is designated as “Operation Iron Swords”. Coincidently, National Geographic reports on a finding of four, well-preserved, Roman swords, probably from the time of the Bar Kochba Revolt in 132-135 C.E. They are steel swords, “with crafted iron and wood-made handles”. The finding and the excellent condition of the swords caused National Geographic to list them as the “Number-One Find for 2023”.

Adding Insult to Injury:  Yaakov Ozeri served in the armored corps and was killed in a battle in the Gaza Strip on November 7th. He was 28. Upon visiting his grave site yesterday, his family was devastated to discover that the gravestone was defaced and that the emblem on his tombstone of the Israel Defense Forces and the flags placed around the grave were marked with an “X.” Yaakov’s sister, Nora, expressed the reaction of the family, stating in part:  “We are shocked, our brother fell defending the State of Israel, and this is what they do to him in the State of Israel. It’s hard for me to hear that they say it’s not personal, it’s against the symbols of the State of Israel. It’s very personal. My brother gave his life for this country.” Yaakov’s widow related that they were high-school sweethearts and that she is now 27 weeks pregnant. He felt their pre-born daughter kicking for the first time before returning to his unit, from which he never returned. She added, “He could have been an amazing dad.” May his memory be blessed.

There is mixed opinion regarding the situation with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Some believe that a political solution can be worked out that will cause the terrorists organization move further northward, away from the border with northern Israel. Others believe that it’s just a matter of time before a full-blown war with Hezbollah will break out. Last Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to the terrorist group: “If Hezbollah chooses to start an all-out war, it will single-handedly turn Beirut and southern Lebanon into Gaza and Khan Younis.” But, what about Israel, with well over 100,000 Hezbollah missiles aimed in our direction? No matter how we look at it, the next war involving Hezbollah will also involve other players and it’s going to be a mess. May God keep us under the shadow of His wings and cause that no weapon formed against us would prosper.

And what about Yemen’s Houthis? Their slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”. Even though they deny being an Iranian proxy, it is now unquestionably part of the “Axis of Resistance”, rallying behind the “Palestinians”, and aligning itself with Hamas, Hezbollah and, of course, Iran, which provides the armaments, the training and the funding of the Houthis. Part of the ripple effects of the war in Gaza is that the Houthi rebels, located about 1,000 miles south of Israel, are increasing their attacks on shipping close to the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They claim to be doing so in protest over Israel’s actions in Gaza, notwithstanding that many of the ships that they attack are not owned by Israelis. This not only imperils cargo and shipments coming through the Suez Canal, but it also increases the international impact of the Gaza War. The Houthis also launched drones and missiles targeting Israel. In the last few days, they threatened to attack any vessel that they believe is coming to, or leaving from, Israel. According to Duncan Potts, a former Vice-Admiral in the British Navy, “These attacks have the potential to become far more of a global strategic economic threat than simply a regional geopolitical one.” Shipping costs for vessels traveling in the Red Sea have already begun to Israel and have to take other, lengthier and more costly routes to arrive at their destinations. Right now, the Houthis are an annoyance and for some, an expensive annoyance. But, when their annoyance becomes an irritation, they will have to be dealt with, either by the U.S., or another foreign country – like Saudi Arabia, or Israel, or a combination of them.

This is the seventh night of Hanukkah. Part of the celebrations of Hanukkah involve the spinning of 4-sided tops called “dreidels”. On each side is a letter, with a slight difference between a dreidel from outside of Israel and one from inside of Israel. Written on the sides are the Hebrew letters “nune”, “gimel”, “hay” and “shin”, being an anagram for “A great miracle happened there!”. In Israel, they are “nune”, “gimell”, “hay” and “poh”, representing “A great miracle happened here!” The city of Netanya, located along the Mediterranean coast between Haifa and Tel Aviv, put up a sign to the entrance of the city, saying in words: “A Great Miracle Will Happen Here”, adding below that statement, “A joyful and bright Hanukkah to all of the residents of Netanyahu and its visitors.”

Amen, despite the difficulties of the Gaza War, may that great miracle happen and may the remainder of Hanukkah be joyful and bright for us all.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin