Yom Rishon
Sunday
10 Av 5782
August 7 2022
UPDATE 9:00 pm
(the last of the day)
As we only found out minutes ago, Israel has not attacked Islamic Jihad since 5 am this morning.
But the missiles keep falling–despite the fact that all signs seemed to suggest that this war would come to a ceasefire at 8:00 pm.
But 8:00 came and went. Here is what has happened in the last hour alone:
At 8:03 pm, missiles targeted Ashkelon and Chof Ashkelon. A direct hit on a factory in Ashkelon wounded a Palestinian worker.
At 8:06 pm, Kissufim, Nirim, and Ein Hashlosha.
At 8:30 pm, Nirim and Ein Hashlosha.
At 8:42 pm, mortar fire at IDF troop positions.
At 9:00 pm, Nirim and Ein Hashlosha again.
2 more launches out of Gaza fell in Gaza killing 8 children.
In total, 200 more missiles have been fired out of Gaza in the last 4 hours bringing the total missile count targeting Israeli men, women, and children to more than 1000.
The most noteworthy firings were at Tel Aviv-Yaffo and at Ben Gurion Airport which had to be closed for an hour when a missile flew over the airport. In Yaffo, Arabs held hands and chanted Allahu Akbar.
What is holding up the ceasefire? Islamic Jihad is demanding the moon: the release of all Islamic Jihad prisoners in Judea and Samaria, Egyptian guarantees that Israel will not pursue targeted assassinations, compensation for losses thus far sustained, and, and, and.
Still, there is every reason to believe that we soon have a ceasefire.
UPDATE 5:00 pm
Attack helicopters have been heavily used by the IAF in this mini-war. Here is a photo from yesterday of a helicopter dropping burning flares to deflect any ground fire (photo: Walla)..
All signs point to a ceasefire in the coming hours. The Egyptians want a ceasefire to begin at 10 pm; Islamic Jihad wants one at 8 pm; Israel has not indicated a time–but has indicated that it is receptive to a ceasefire.
Since our last update, southern Israel has been rocked by numerous incoming missiles–most of which have fortunately been shot down by Iron Dome interceptors.
An Iron Dome interceptor going up near Ashkelon earlier today.
At 3:23 pm this afternoon, our neighborhood in Ashdod was attacked.
Click below to see and hear a video which I recorded as I was scurrying down the stairway from my study upstairs to our bomb shelter in the bottom of the house. You will notice the siren in the background and that my wife and daughter were already there “urging” me to hurry up. Note what appear to be slapping noises–in reality, they were loud concussive blasts.
Normally, we hear the boom of the Iron Dome interceptor going up followed by the explosive intercept of the incoming missile. This time there were only the explosive blasts because the missiles hit the sea in front of our house and so were not shot down by the Iron Dome.
As I arrive at the bomb shelter with its iron door, you will notice that our air vent is covered with plastic and tape–in the event of a chemical attack.
Thus far, nearly 800 missiles have been fired at southern and central Israel.
UPDATE 1:00 pm
It is expected that in the coming hours the intensity of missile firings out of Gaza will increase as the funerals for those Islamic Jihad terrorists killed in the last 48 hours take place.
There have been 14 barrages of missiles from Gaza in the last 4 hours since our 9:00 am update. These have been the communities (and nearby surroundings) that have been targeted:
9:03 am: Eshkol, Mate Yehuda
9:21 am: Sde Nitzan, Zohar, Yesha, Amiauz
10:11 am: Nirim
10:49 am: Nir Am
11:07 am: Ein Hashlosha, Kissufim
11:12 am: Ra’im
11:17 am: Ashkelon, Chof Ashkelon
11:45 am: IDF staging area (mortar attack in Kissufim Forest)
12:04 pm: Ashkelon Industrial Area
12:23 pm: Nahal Oz
12:27 pm: Nir Oz
12:50 pm: Kissufim
12:55 pm: Nir Am
12:57 pm: Ashkelon (heavy booms heard here in Ashdod three minutes ago)
As you may not know, all of these communities are along the Gaza border in what is called “Otef Gaza” (the Gaza Envelope).
In addition to the above barrages, we constantly hear explosions here in Ashdod for which there are no warning sirens or notice of missiles fired. Seconds ago, there were major concussive blasts nearby. Apparently, no warnings are sounded when missiles from Gaza explode in the sea.
At the moment, the total number of missiles fired is 710.
UPDATE 9:00 am
After a relatively quiet night during which “only” about two dozen missiles were fired at southern Israel, a massive barrage of missiles from Gaza at 8:15 am targeted the towns and cities along Highway 1 near Jerusalem: Mevasseret Zion, Abu Ghosh, Har Adar, Shoresh and others.
At the same time, another barrage pummeled the south again from Sderot to Netivot.
620 missiles have now been fired at Israel.
This was taking place as Jews by the hundreds ascended the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to worship on the day after Tisha B’Av (because Tisha B’Av fell on Shabbat this year, the usual remembrances began last night and continue today). Here is a photo of the first Jews to walk across the Mount this morning:
At the Temple Mount, the site of the holiest place in Judaism.
A small segment of those waiting to ascend:
The Police only let Jews ascend in groups.
Knesset legislator and head of the Jewish Power Party, Itamar Ben Gvir, has just arrived at the Kotel on his way to the Mount.
The extent of damage done to terrorist leadership in Gaza has become clear this morning. Among the Islamic Jihad dead include:
Tayseer al-Jabari, the commander of Islamic Jihad forces in northern Gaza
Khaled Mansour, the commander of Islamic Jihad forces in southern Gaza
Ziad Ahmed Al-Mudalal, deputy commander of Islamic Jihad forces in southern Gaza, son of a senior Islamic Jihad leader
Khatab Amassi, commander of Islamic Jihad’s Rafah Brigade
Rafat Al-Zamili, the commander of the missile unit of the Al-Quds
Much ado was made yesterday about a missile strike that killed 4 children in the Jabaliya neighborhood of Gaza. That missile was an Islamic Jihad missile that went awry. Click here to see the video of that errant strike. An estimated 20% of all Islamic Jihad missiles fired at southern Israel have exploded in Gaza.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.