Sunday
Yom Rishon
5 Tevet 5785
January 5 2025
UPDATE 9:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
The View from Ashdod and on the Ground in Gaza
It has been a night with explosions in all directions.
At (00:20), just after midnight, another missile from Yemen was intercepted over central Israel at Talmi Elazar:
But you should notice a dramatic difference between this target map and previous ones. For unknown reasons, 183 communities did not have warning sirens; instead, only Talmi Elazar had one. Why was the IDF suddenly not worried about falling shrapnel?
So, we heard no sirens here in Ashdod, but we heard the explosive intercepts.
**At the same time, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza continued firing missiles at border communities. Most of them were intercepted though not all. The most damage was done at the Erez Crossing:
What was hit in Erez were warehouses full of “humanitarian” good for Gaza:
**Of course most of the booms we heard overnight were from IDF/IAF attacks on Gaza.
From the IDF spokesman:
“On Saturday, the Hamas terrorist organization fired a number of projectiles from Gaza toward Israeli territory.
In an activity based on IDF intelligence, the IAF struck over 100 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, and eliminated dozens of Hamas terrorists throughout the weekend.
In addition, the IDF struck a number of launch sites, from which some of the projectiles fired toward Israeli territory over the weekend were identified . . .
Forces from the Kfir Brigade Combat Team, in cooperation with fighters from the Yahalam Unit and under the command of Division 162, completed a brigade operation in a neighborhood that was used by Hamas terrorist organization commanders as a hideout and terror compound in northern Gaza–the so-called”Officers’ Neighborhood.”
The area consists of structures overlooking Israeli territory, and serves as a central terror hub containing anti-tank firing positions, booby traps, shafts, numerous explosives, and launch sites for targeting Israeli territory.
During the operation, Yahalom Unit soldiers and the brigade’s engineering troops destroyed the complex and the terror infrastructure it contained.”
Of course one might ask the question “Why did it take 15 months for this compound to be destroyed?”
**The disingenuous quote of yesterday came from U.S. Secretary of State Blinken who blamed Israel for making hostage negotiations more difficult:
“The elimination of Sinwar damaged talks on a hostage deal. Sinwar’s absence, who was essentially the sole decision-maker, happened just when we thought we could bring about the deal. Suddenly there was no one making the decision, and that was much more difficult.”
So killing Sinwar was a bad idea?
By the way, because of Hamas, there has never been a time when anyone but the delusional Bidenites in Washington thought a deal could be made.
Nevertheless, Israeli negotiators are back in Doha this morning.
On the Ground in the North
The ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel is jeopardy.
As we have previously noted, the Lebanese Army is not taking over Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and is instead sending soldiers to the Lebanese-Syrian border.
There are warnings this morning that Hezbollah is using the moment to regroup and plan a major missile and ground attack on Israel.
IDF Soldiers Beware!
As we suspected would happen, IDF soldiers have endangered themselves by taking photos and videos of themselves while operating in Gaza–and then posting them on social media.
This morning comes word that a Brazilian court has ordered the police to investigate an IDF soldier (who by the way is a survivor of the NOVA party) who is visiting in Brazil.
The court order was initiated by a complaint from the Palestinian organization “Hind Rajab” (HRF). The organization “searches the social media of IDF soldiers who visit the world in order to search for documentation of their military service, and files arrest requests against them when they post content while visiting abroad.”
According to reports, the Israeli soldier is suspected of “involvement in the destruction of a residential building in the Gaza Strip, using explosives outside of a combat situation last November.”
This is what the future holds for our brave soldiers.
The Clown Biden Strikes Again
Eager to finish his presidency on an upbeat note, President Biden awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people yesterday, “individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, to world peace, or to other significant social, public, or private endeavors.”
Looking at the list which contains such names as Hillary Clinton, Bono, Denzel Washington, Lionel Messi, and Magic Johnson, one doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The most egregious name on the list is George Soros whose description reads: “George Soros is an investor, philanthropist, and founder of the Open Society Foundations. Through his network of foundations, partners and projects in more than 120 countries, Soros has focused on global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice.”
Here in Israel we know George Soros as the malevolent force that has endlessly tried to manipulate Israeli elections and has done everything in his power to overthrow the democratically elected government of PM Netanyahu.
And so it goes in Israel this morning . . . 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.