240 confirmed kidnapped.
5 hostages freed.
1,400+ Israelis murdered.
59 police officers killed.
5,431 injured.
8,500+ rockets fired at Israel.
500,000+ Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.
*Hostage & Injured Updates:*
About a month after they received a message that she was murdered by Hamas, the family of 8-year-old Emily Hand was informed that she was apparently kidnapped to Gaza.
Netanyahu spoke with the president of the Red Cross, Miriana Spolirik, and demanded that the Red Cross demand the immediate release of the Israeli abductees as required by international law, and that it uphold its right to immediately visit all the abductees to ensure their safety and health.
This morning, the Prime Minister of Thailand, Sarta Thawisin, said that he has information according to which the 23 abducted Thai workers are all alive and being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Thawisin claimed that all 23 abductees “are in good condition and will be released soon.”
*Gaza Front Updates:*
Sergeant Shachar Cohen, 22 years old, from Karmiel, fell in battle in the Gaza Strip.
Rocket and missile fire from Gaza decreased significantly today. The largest barrage was to the Ashdod area, and the rest were confined to mortars around the Gaza envelope communities—which are mostly evacuated, aside from soldiers and workers. A failed launch landed in the sea next to Tel Aviv. No casualties were reported.
Reports indicate that Hamas still has a large stockpile of rockets, but the IDF has eliminated most of the on-ground commanders who coordinate the attacks. The IDF also located many hidden launchers (and rockets) on ground, including several that pointed north to Ashkelon and the Tel Aviv area. Some of the launchers were inside a youth club building. Hamas has not succeeded in firing from any of the areas taken by the IDF’s 36th Division.
Last night the IDF completed the encirclement of northern Gaza, and killed over 20 Hamas commanders, eliminated 450 terror targets, and took over a Hamas outpost in Gaza. The forces are now working their way into Gaza City—the main Hamas stronghold.
The IDF spokesman again addressed Hamas’s use of Gaza hospitals for terror headquarters. Shortly after this address, at around 10:30pm, it was reported that the IDF launched large flares lighting up the area around Shefa Hospital in northern Gaza—an indication that they may be cautiously operating in the area.
The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, entered the Gaza Strip today with ground forces to carry out an assessment. The assessment, with the head of the Combat Engineering Corps, Brig. Gen. Ido Mizrahi, dealt with the issue of Hamas tunnels. This is Finkelman’s second time entering Gaza during this war, and again shows great confidence in achievements on-ground.
Lt. Gen. Halevi spoke about the incredibly advanced cooperation between ground and air, in which F-35I jets are directly providing air support to troops some 200 meters below in the Gaza Strip, with heavy war munitions and strong ground-to-air communication. He implied that the cooperation is working even better than he knew it could.
Defense Minister Galant also spoke about the impressive combined work of ground and air-forces, especially over the last day, and mentioned that the IDF has been eliminating dozens of Hamas ground commanders, including new commanders who had only just replaced the old ones a day or two earlier.
Notable amongst today’s IDF and Shin Bet assassinations in Gaza, is Wail Asfa, a commander who took part in directing the October 7th attacks, and was planning more.
In an emotional moment for Israel, the Nachal Oz war room and observation tower reopened today. This observation post was the first to be attacked on October 7th.
The IDF again opened a humanitarian crossing for Gaza civilians to evacuate to the south from 10am until 2pm through a designated corridor. The IDF shared aerial footage of civilians using the corridor to evacuate.
In coordination with the IDF, Jordan airdropped food and hospital supplies into Gaza last night. It appears that the aid was not inspected by the IDF first.
PM Netanyahu and President Biden have been having frequent conversations throughout the war. Biden is pushing for more aid trucks into Gaza, and discussed ways to inspect the contents of the trucks before entry. Biden is also pushing for a temporary ceasefire to allow civilians in Gaza to move to safety, and the possibility of the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The Emirati news agency announced that Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed will be sending a field hospital to treat civilians in Gaza.
*Northern Front Updates:*
The north is continuing to heat up at a slow but steady pace. In addition to several short-range launches by Hezbollah, Hamas’s faction in Lebanon fired a barrage that reached the shores of Nahariya, Akko, and Kiryat Yam—not far from Haifa. No casualties were reported.
The IDF attacked Hezbollah and Hamas positions in Lebanon both by air and ground artillery fire. Among the targets that were attacked were a number of sites where technological means of Hezbollah are located, a warehouse of weapons, launching positions, and terrorist infrastructures.
The IDF emphasized to Israeli residents of communities on the far northern borders that it is too dangerous to stay, and they must follow the earlier orders to evacuate. A significant amount of homes in the northern communities have already been damaged by rocket and missile fire.
The New York Times reported that the Biden administration sent messages to Iran and Hezbollah that the US would intervene militarily if an attack was launched on Israel from their side. It’s unclear what more Hezbollah needs to do to be considered as attacking Israel.
*Additional War Fronts Updates*
On Monday night, the Houthis’ spokesman claimed that “the Yemeni army launched drones towards sensitive Israeli targets during the last few hours.” According to him, as a result, traffic at the bases and airports was stopped for several hours. There is no evidence of this happening.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi gave a warning to any other armies thinking of joining in the war, that Israel’s airforce “knows how to reach anywhere in the Middle East.” He added, “We are already a month into the war, hitting Hamas very, very hard, hitting the leadership of Hamas, hitting the commanders, hitting the terrorists, destroying Hamas’s infrastructure in Gaza, and we are also constantly ready for other areas.”
Jordanian Prime Minister Bashar Hasawana announced that “any attempt to create circumstances for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank is a red line. Jordan will regard this as a declaration of war.”
After sending two aircraft carriers, the US announced that the Ohio-class submarine is also deployed to the Middle East. It is one of the most serious weapons in the US Navy’s arsenal, and includes nuclear capabilities.
*Judea and Samaria Updates:*
Magav police officer, Elisheva Lubin, 20, was stabbed and killed by a terrorist while guarding Jerusalem. Elisheva made Aliyah to Israel from Atlanta in 2021.
The IDF and Shin Bet continue to crack down on terrorist strongholds in Judea and Samaria. One the last 24 hours, three printing houses used by Hamas to print incendiary materials were sealed, and 38 wanted persons who associate with terror organizations were arrested.
The IDF eliminated a commander military wing of Hamas, and a senior member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Tulkarem, a Palestinian Authority controlled city in Judea and Samaria.
*International Updates:*
After UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres claimed that Gaza is a “cemetery for children,” Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, again called on him to resign. Pointing out that Guterres has still not spoken about the Israeli children murdered by Hamas, Erdan wrote “Any UN representative who makes the false immoral comparison between a brutal terrorist organization that commits war crimes and a law-abiding democracy proves that he suffers from moral rot.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu met with 80 ambassadors of various countries in Tel Aviv. They expressed their support for Israel and stated that they will act, each in their own country, so that what happened here on October 7th will never be forgotten. Netanyahu called on them to “support Israel’s demand for the immediate release of the abductees and put pressure on Qatar.”
*General Updates:*
William Burns, director of the CIA, has had several meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Mossad director Dedi Barnea, and other senior officials in Israel over the past day. Burns discussed with the Israeli officials all the main aspects of the war in Gaza, and possibility of war with Hezbollah. Burns and Netanyahu also discussed the efforts to free the hostages held by Hamas, as well as the threats of international terrorism, in particular against Jews, which have greatly increased since the outbreak of the war.
IDF soldiers find Hamas launchers in a youth clubhouse in Gaza. These were pointed north, towards Ashkelon and the Tel Aviv area.
©2023 B. Efune