Yom Shnee
Monday
17 Iyar 5783
May 8 2023
UPDATE 4:30 am Israel time (Wednesday)
The IDF has named the operation against Islamic Jihad in Gaza “Shield and Arrow.”
All crossings from Israel into Gaza have been closed.
All schools within 40 km of Gaza are closed.
9 Islamic Jihad leaders and commanders have been killed including:
Khalil Albahatini, the commander of the Gaza division of the Islamic Jihad organization.
Tarek Ezz a-Din, the spokesman for the Islamic Jihad in the West Bank.
Abu Hadi al-Bahtami the commander of the Rafah division of Islamic Jihad.
Jahad A’nam, (no more info at the moment).
Special Notice:
Tonight at sundown, the 18th of Iyar began–the day on which Jews celebrate Lag B’Omer. It is celebrated as the day on which the plague ended that killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students and commemorates the beginning of the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans.
Lag B’Omer is also mourned as the day on which Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai died and was buried in Meron. Ben Yochai is famed for being the first to explore the mystical side of Judaism, Kabbalah, through his book the Zohar. For this reason, tens of thousands of orthodox Israelis travel to the site of his grave each year.
Israelis are celebrating the holiday by lighting bonfires throughout the country.
Orthodox celebrations tonight (photo: Times of Israel).
The News on the Israeli Street
The war in Judea and Samaria.
Shooting attack:
Palestinian terrorists opened fire on Israelis at Beit Sahour.
Molotov, “rock”, and IED attacks:
Palestinian terrorists attempted to kill Israelis at Machmash Junction, on Road 450, in Hawara, on the Gush Etzion-Hevron Road near Beit Omer, at the Karmi Tzur Junction, Halhol, Einbus Square, Road 55 between Karnei Shomron and Azzun, Mevo Dotan, and dozens of other locations.
Shin Bet revealed that it has uncovered and captured the 6-person terror cell of the Popular Front For the Liberation of Palestine which carried out the bomb attack on a bus in Beitar Illit in early March. The six terrorists are residents of Deheisha, Batir, and Beit Jala.
On the economic front . . .
According to Israel Treasury, there has been a 4.3% decrease in the amount of money collected through taxes since the beginning of the year–along with a 7% increase in government spending.
Fun in the neighborhood . . .
Several items caught your humble servant’s eye this morning:
–at the moment, there is an intense firefight in Jenin between Islamic Jihad forces and PLO forces.
–last night Jordanian aircraft attacked Hezbollah positions in Syria.
There is nothing new about the Islamic Jihad-PLO warfare. On the other hand, Jordanian planes operating in Syria is unprecedented.
TODAY’S BLOG
Israel Attacks in Gaza (3:00 am Tuesday)
Fast moving events: within the last hour, Israel has attacked in Gaza.
According to reports, the Rafah and Gaza Brigade commanders of Islamic Jihad have been killed.
Residents of communities in the south up to 40 km have been told to go to their bomb shelters.
This is a continuing story. Updates to come.
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.