Yom Chamishee
Thursday
28 Sivan 5784
July 4 2024
UPDATE 10:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
May Their Memories Be For A Blessing
Capt. Elay Elisha Lugasi
Capt. Lugasi, 21, from Kiryat Shmona, a team commander in the 7th Armored Brigade’s 75th Battalion, was killed by an anti-tank missile in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City. He had been wounded earlier in the war and insisted on returning to his team.
Capt. Roy Miller
Capt. Roy Miller, 21 from Herzliya, was a Platoon Commander in the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade. He fell in combat in northeastern Gaza.
Sgt. Aleksandr Iakiminskiya
Sgt. Iakiminskya, a driver in the 71st Battalion of the 188th Brigade, was killed yesterday when he was stabbed in the Karmiel Mall in northern Israel. Remarkably, after being stabbed in the neck and chest and before he collapsed from his wounds, Sgt. Iakiminskya was still able to shoot and kill the terrorist.
On the Hostage Front
There may be something new insofar as negotiations are concerned, though we here at OneIsrael find it hard to believe.
An unnamed senior Israeli official said today:
“We received an answer [to the last hostage proposal] without Hamas demanding a commitment to stop the war in phase one. It is possible to return the observers, the women, the children, the wounded, the sick, the elderly, and there is an escape route to return to fighting – if Hamas violates. There is a basis for a good deal here”.
Almost simultaneously, HamISIS released a statement from a senior terrorist who said “We are eager for a deal. We want the Zionist Army out of Gaza immediately.”
On the Ground in Gaza
From the IDF Spokesman in the last hour:
“The IDF continues fighting in Shujayieh, Rafah and the center of Gaza.
In Shujayieh, the brigade combat teams under the command of the 98th Division continue fighting in the space above and below the ground at the same time. In the last day, the fighters eliminated dozens of terrorists in face-to-face encounters, tank fire and air force aircraft attacks. In addition, the forces destroyed several tunnel routes in the area. The fighters of the paratrooper brigade’s combat team eliminated seven terrorists in face-to-face battles, and the fighters of the 7th brigade eliminated an armed terrorist squad in a short-range encounter.
In Rafah, the fighters of the Nahal Brigade’s combat team under the command of Division 162 eliminated, using a drone, a number of armed terrorists who posed a threat to our forces in the area. In the center of Gaza, the forces of the 99th Division killed a number of terrorists in the last day and destroyed terrorist infrastructures with IAF strikes. Throughout the last day, fighter jets and aircraft of the Air Force eliminated dozens of terrorists and destroyed more than 50 additional terrorist targets throughout Gaza.”
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria
*Nidal al-Amer, a terrorist commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military arm of the Fatah movement headed by PLO Chairman Abu Mazen, was killed by an undercover elite squad in Jenin.
In its ongoing effort to whitewash the PLO, the IDF spokesman did not mention the terrorist’s connection to the PLO.
*Elsewhere, an Israeli was wounded in a hit-and-run Palestinian attack in Asael in southern Hebron. The terrorist was later captured.
On the Ground in the North
*At this moment, northern Israel from Kfar Blum to Kiryat Shmona to Tel Hai is under Hezbollah missile attack.
*Following the targeted assassination yesterday of Hezbollah senior commander Muhammad Nimah Nasser via a drone attack on his car near Tyre in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah launched more than 100 missiles and explosive drones into northern Israel.
Nasser was one of the highest ranking Hezbollah commanders killed thus far. He was in charge of much of the missile fire on Israel and especially on Metulla. Two other Hezbollah leaders were killed in the same strike.
Hezbollah commander Muhammad Nasser.
Ironically, Nasser’s demise continues the curse of Soleimani. Virtually every terrorist leader who was ever photographed with Qassam Soleimani–the former leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Quds Force– has been killed, as was Soleimani in 2020.
Happy 4th of July
There are muted celebrations of the holiday here in Israel. Yesterday, President Herzog attended the annual celebration at the American Embassy in Jerusalem.
Herzog shaking hands with Ambassador Jack Lew.
Herzog rightfully thanked the U.S.: “Time and time again, the United States has shown, in words and deeds, and with absolute bipartisan support, that it is Israel’s greatest ally, and that we stand together in the long and difficult struggle to protect our values, our lives, and the way in which We choose to live our lives.”
Herzog continued: “As in any family, there is not always agreement on everything, and that’s okay. Differences of opinion do not undermine the broad basis of friendship and alliance between the countries, which keep us connected to our common story and advance the vital interests of our two countries.”
Herzog is correct. Despite President Biden’s continued efforts to slow down Israel by forcing “humanitarian” efforts down our throats and denying Israel some needed weapons, the U.S. is without doubt Israel’s greatest ally.
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.