Yom Rishon
Sunday
6 Kislev 5784
November 19 2023
UPDATE 9:00 PM
64 IDF soldiers have fallen in the ground operation in Gaza.
385 (including the 64 above) soldiers, police, and first responders have died since October 7.
236 hostages are believed to be held (unknown how many are alive and how many are dead).
The Most Recent IDF Deaths Announced
Lt. (res.) Adir Portugal, 23, from Mezkerat Batia, an officer in the Shaked Battalion of the Givati Brigade
Sgt. Gal Mishaelof, 21, from Modi’in, a fighter in the Saber Battalion of the Givati Brigade
May Their Memories Be For A Blessing
The IDF Spokesman’s Statement Tonight
Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesman, just released video confirmation that at least 3 hostages were taken to Shifa Hospital. One, Noa Marciano, was murdered there. The fate of the other two is unknown.
A Remarkable Example of the Tunnel Situation
Click here to see the incredible result of a bomb that was dropped down a tunnel shaft in Beit Hanoun. Note how the blast spreads out like a spider web indicating tunnels underneath virtually every building in the vicinity.
The Weather Has Changed
In the South today, we have seen heavy rains and wind.
In the North:
The first snow of the winter tonight on Mt. Hermon on the Lebanon border.
UPDATE 5:00 PM
On the Ground in the South
Heavy fighting has been taking in the Rimal and Sheikh Ejalin neighborhoods of Gaza for the last two days. Soldiers from the Combat Team of the Paratroopers’ Brigade located 35 tunnel shafts, 7 rocket launchers, numerous weapons and weapons depots, and killed dozens of terrorists.
On the Ground in the North
Hezbollah attacked has attacked Israeli targets along the border 9 times since this morning. Israel has responded with artillery fire, and almost certainly, will hit Hezbollah assets in southern Lebanon tonight.
In the Red Sea
The Houthis in Yemen claim that they have taken over “an Israeli cargo ship” in the Red Sea. Actually the ship is owned by an Israeli but flagged in the Bahamas and leased to a Japanese company which was carrying cargo from Turkey to India. No Israelis were on board.
Is Anyone Surprised?
The same PLO headed by Mahmoud Abbas who wrote his so-called “doctoral dissertation” at Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow half a century ago about how the Holocaust was exaggerated, has now issued a declaration that “Israeli helicopters killed all the Israelis at the Forest Peace Music Festival” on Oct. 7.
Just like Abbas denied all the evidence of the Nazi crimes, his PLO now ignores thousands of video hours filmed by the terrorists themselves with their body cams as they carried out the massacres–and HamISIS bragging about what they did . . . and proclaiming that it will continue carrying out such massacres.
From Our Friendly Neighbors
Come buy yourself a cup of Holocaust Coffee and watch our barista burn Israeli flags–just like Jews were burned on October 7 and in the Holocaust.
The ad is for a major coffee chain in Jordan.
Insanity, Pure and Simple
The IDF simply cannot learn from its own disasters.
In an astonishing decision that bespeaks of its inability to deal with its own misconception about Arab workers, the IDF has brought in Arab workers to reconstruct the IDF base at Kisssufim that was nearly overrun by HamISIS on October 7th.
On that day, fighters from the 51st Battalion of the Golani Brigade later joined with the Agoz Patrol heroically fought HamISIS terrorists armed with assault rifles, anti-tank missiles, and grenades. The fight at the base went on for 15 hours during which time 13 IDF soldiers were killed and many more were wounded. Eventually our forces prevailed.
In the past month, it has come to light that the terrorists received much of their information about the base from Arab workers from Gaza.
And now we have Arab workers in exactly the same place undoubtedly gathering the same information as before.
What is happening now is nothing if not insane.
Thanks to the Jewish Voice for elements of this piece.
Say what?
The infamous Amos Hochstein, the Biden emissary who engineered the egregiously absurd deal with Lebanon last year that resulted in Israel giving away maritime territory in return for “peace with Hezbollah” was at it again yesterday.
In an interview with an Emirates newspaper, Hochstein went to great lengths to say that when the war in Gaza is over, the apparent gas field off the coast needs to be developed for the benefit of the Palestinians: “It does not belong to the Israelis, the gas belongs to the Palestinian people.”
Talk about a grossly inappropriate and untimely comment. All Hochstein can think about are helping the enemies of Israel.
UPDATE 1:00 PM
A Reminder of Why We Are Fighting This War
Liel Hetzroni from Be’eri. May her memory always be for a blessing.
A few of the body parts of 12-year Liel Hezroni, butchered and who knows what else was done to her before that by terrorists, have been identified and buried.
Her funeral was held today. Actually, her family had held out hope that she had been kidnapped but had already buried her belongings since no body had been found.
Barbaric evil monsters. That is who we are fighting.
Missile and Mortar Activity Since 9:00 AM
In the North:
Margaliot (09:56); Manara (09:58); Avivim, Baram (10:28); Dalton, Dovev, Matat, Sassa, Peki’in, Kerem Ben Zimra (10:32); Hatzor Glilit, Amuka (10:40), Misgav Am (11:30); Bazat, Shlomi (12:45)
In the South:
Kfar Azza (09:50): Nachal Oz (09:53); Kissufim (12:42)
Clearly, there has been an increase in attacks in the north along the Lebanese border. However, there are no reports of casualties. In the South, HamISIS is continuing to fire mortars at our soldiers in staging areas.
Bad Weather
From a sunny morning, the weather along the coast here in Israel has quickly devolved into heavy wind and rain that is supposed to last for the next 24 hours–and is sure to affect our soldiers on the ground in Gaza 16 miles to the South.
UPDATE 9:00 AM
On the Ground in Gaza This Morning
A combined attack of infantry, tanks, and a combat helicopter this morning (photo IDF).
Since early this morning, the IAF has struck Beit Lahia in the north of Gaza and Khan Younis in the south. Meanwhile the IDF is hitting HamISIS targets in the north and center with massive artillery fire.
Two More Soldiers Have Fallen
Sgt. Binyamin Meir Airly, 21, from Beit Shemesh, a fighter in the 101st Battalion, Parachute Brigade
Capt. (res.) Roey Biber, 28, from Tzur Moshe, team commander in the Yehlam unit, Combat Engineering Corps
May their memories be for a blessing.
In the North
Another border strike from Lebanon.
The first missiles of the morning have hit Shlomi (08:31) near the Lebanese border. There is no report of any casualties.
Threats from the Neighborhood
Jordan proclaimed yesterday that it is going to terminate all energy and water agreements with Israel. If you believe that water and energy starved Jordan will actually do this, then OneIsrael will sell you some beachfront property in the middle of the Negev.
Then came egregiously anti-Semitic Turkey which said that it is considering severing all relations with Israel but will try a “diplomatic” approach first. To which your humble servant says: “Sever ties: good riddance!“
More about the “Journalistic” Reports Coming Out of Gaza
You will remember how it was discovered that “photojournalists” working for CNN and Reuters were actually embedded with HamISIS on October 7 and knew about the attacks in advance.
Yesterday, an apparent link between NBC News and HamISIS:
Here we see NBC “reporter” Samed Wajjeh wearing his press vest.
And here we see Samed Wajjeh as he really is:
A HamISIS terrorist (photos Amir Tsarfati).
“Journalism” among international media entities is dead.
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.