Sunday
Yom Rishon
21 Kislev 5785
December 22 2024
Special Notice:
OneIsrael’s Chanukah Fund For Soldiers
Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins on December 25 and ends on January 2. We are accepting donations for a Chanukah Fund for Our Soldiers.
OneIsrael will be working with organizations to lift the spirits of our soldiers by bringing them warm clothing, souvganiot (doughnuts), and latkes.
Please donate by clicking the “donate button” on the right of this page.
UPDATE 11:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
On the Ground in Gaza
*Two “aerial” events along the Gaza border yesterday:
First, at 14:53 alarms sounded for a “hostile aircraft intrusion” in the area around Talmei Eliyahu and Ein Habsor. A short time later, a Houthi drone was shot down by an IAF helicopter.
Later at 19:00 alarms sounded in the Gaza Envelope near Holit for incoming missiles from Gaza. They exploded in “open spaces.”
**From the IDF spokesman:
“Overnight, with the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating inside a command and control center in the area of Daraj Tuffah in Gaza. The command and control center, which was embedded inside a compound that previously served as the ‘Musa bin Nusayr’ School, was used by the terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”
*Two more Hamas commanders were eliminated in northern Gaza this morning: Tharut al-Bik and Abu Khaled Abu Askar.
*Also this morning, the IAF struck a vehicle carrying four terrorists in the Elanzaz neighborhood.
All four were killed.
Update on the Hostage Negotiations
Apparently (because one never knows whether to believe leaks or not), hostage negotiations are now down to how many hostages and which hostages will be released in the first phase of the proposed agreement.
The report is that Israel is demanding 34 specific hostages including sick, elderly, children, females, 5 female soldiers–and the sticking point–11 male IDF soldiers.
On the Ground in Lebanon
Defense Minister Israel Katz has been in Lebanon today, along with the commander of Division 91, Brigadier General Shai Klapper and the commanders of Brigade 188 and commanders of Battalions 13 and 605.
Katz made these comments:
“We have pulled out the snake’s teeth, and if Hezbollah does not withdraw beyond the Litani and tries to violate the ceasefire – we will crush its head.”
I came here to the IDF outpost, which overlooks the Shiite villages of Maron a-Ras and Yaron, which posed a great threat to the Galilee settlements, to make sure up close that the IDF’s achievements in Lebanon are preserved.
We will not allow Hezbollah operatives to return to the villages of the south and re-establish the terrorist infrastructure that will pose a threat to the settlements of the north, and we will ensure the IDF’s ability to continue to fully enforce the reality on the ground.
We will ensure the removal of the threat and the restoration of security to allow the residents of the north to return safely to their homes.”
Update on the Houthi Problem
As you probably know, a combination of American and British aircraft hit targets in Yemen again last night. There is no word on what was hit.
The overarching problem is that the Houthis have found two ways to hit Israeli targets.
First, the Houthis–as evidenced by the strike yesterday in Tel Aviv/Yafo–are now using advanced Iranian ballistic missiles.
How are they advanced? Because they can change direction when re-entering the atmosphere hence making it difficult for Israeli Arrow missiles and Iron Dome interceptors to hit.
Second, the Houthis seemed to have mastered the art of flying UAVs into Israel under the radar. Sometimes, the IAF is able to intercept the drones, but other times not–as evidenced the one that exploded on the top floor of Yavne apartment building just over a week ago.
So, high tech and low tech: this is the problem facing Israel at the moment from Yemen.
And so it goes in Israel today . . . so far . . .
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.