Yom Shnee
Monday
29 Cheshvan 5784
November 13 2023
A Special Note of Thanks
Once again, we here at OneIsrael want to thank you for your support of Israel through your support of this website. All donations made here via the DONATE button you see on this page go straight to support IDF soldiers on the front lines which are 16 miles (25 km) south of here.
UPDATE 10:00 PM
In the last 30 minutes, the IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari has delivered a blistering indictment of HamISIS. Having just returned from Gaza where he went to the Rantisi Children’s Hospital which has been evacuated, Hagari showed video of the HamISIS facility in the basement.
That facility contained RPGs, grenades, and other weapons. Importantly, it also contained evidence that it was a location where those who committed the massacres on October went to hide.
It also contained evidence that hostages were once there–particularly babies. Hagari went through a litany of HamISIS crimes against humanity.
In The Last 10 Hours
In the South and Center
*Three more Israeli commandos have fallen in battle, bringing to 364 the total number of soldiers, police, and first responders.
Since October 28th, 48 soldiers have been killed. 31% of these soldiers are from Judea and Samaria–much in excess of the percentage of Judeans and Samarians in the overall population.
*The fighting continues around the Shifa Hospital complicated by the number of civilians (more than 1000) who have taken refuge there. In the last hour, our soldiers killed terrorists who were firing RPGs from the hospital’s upper floors.
*Missile and mortar attacks:
Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Rishon Lezion, Bat Yam, Rehovot, Nes Ziona (20:01); Ashkelon (20:00); Zikim, Ashkelon (19:46); Netiv HaAsara, Zikim (19:38).
In the North
*Hezbollah says that 74 of its fighters have been killed in hostilities along the border.
*Missile and mortar attacks:
Menachem, Goren (14:39); Dishon (12:59); Avivim, Dalton, Tzfat (12:48)
From the IDF Spokesman Earlier Today
At the outset of the war, HamISIS had 30,000 terrorists divided into 5 regional brigades, 24 battalions, and 140 companies. Each group is highly trained with anti-tank, sniping, and engineering (aka tunneling) capabilities.
What the IDF has been focused on is taking out brigade, battalion and company commanders and deputy commanders.
One of the main points of attack has been on the Gaza City Brigade and its Shati Battalion in particular because of its central importance to HamISIS in terms of being in charge of the Shifa Hospital Headquarters and because of its central participation in the October 7 massacres.
Thus far, Shati’s command structure has been killed down to the Maj. and Sgt. level along with 200 more of its fighters.
How many HamISIS fighters have been killed?
The IDF reported that more than 1,500 were killed on October 7 when our troops arrived on the scene. Since then, another 11,000 have reportedly been killed.
The bottom line is that HamISIS still has some 60% of its fighting force.
UPDATE 12:00 PM
There is a disturbing feeling here that the IDF has stalled in its attack on northern Gaza. There have been virtually no bombings, no artillery or naval cannon fire, and no advance by our troops in 36 hours.
What is the problem? The government and the IDF General Command.
On the government/political side, PM Netanyahu, Defense Minister Gallant, and Benny Gantz seem consumed with “humanitarian” ceasefires, evacuating hospitals, and dealing with international criticism.
On the IDF side, the General Command cannot decide whether the army’s energies should be focused on Gaza or the Lebanese border. There even seems to be the dangerous thought that the Army should stop advancing in Gaza and merely try to exert control over the limited territory that we have taken.
All in all, it is a very disappointing situation that we have a political and military leadership that seem to be in the first stages of paralysis. But worse, dithering in Gaza makes all of the soldiers there sitting ducks for out-of-tunnel terrorist ambushes.
Decisions need to be made, and focus needs to be regained.
Missiles and Mortars in the Last 4 Hours
In the South:
Sderot (10:30); Shuva (09:43).
In the North:
Netua (11:22); Arab Al Aramsha (10:31); HaGalil–2 mortars (08:50).
Why Has It Taken So Long?
It is simply incomprehensible why Hezbollah’s al-Mayadeen television channel and Hamas’ Al-Jazeera channel have been allowed to continue to operate here. Not only have been broadcasting anti-Israel propaganda 24 hours a day, they both actually have reporters on the ground reporting on the position and movement of our soldiers.
Freedom of information be damned.
Any media which endangers the lives of our troops should be closed and kicked out of the country.
Fortunately, this happened to al-Mayadeen this morning when Communications Minister Karhi signed an order closing it down and confiscating all of its equipment.
Al-Jazeera continues broadcasting.
American Casualties
Since October 17th, 56 American soldiers have been wounded in 48 attacks carried out by Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq.
Yesterday, a UH-60 U.S. Blackhawk helicopter crashed in the Mediterranean while on a training mission in preparation for evacuating American citizens from Lebanon. All 5 crew members were killed.
May their memories be for a blessing.
My Morning Walk
We have had a relatively quiet two days and a sense of uneasy normalcy has returned to our neighborhood in Ashdod. Many people have made “vigils” for the babies, toddlers, and children held hostage in the tunnels of Palestinian Gaza:
And:
UPDATE 8:00 AM
Morning Reports
In the South:
*The IAF is currently attacking HamISIS targets in southern Gaza around Khan Younis.
In the North:
*The IAF attacked more deeply into Lebanon overnight, hitting an area near Sidon.
*In another attack, the IAF struck a large Hezbollah ammunition depot resulting in an explosion that was heard throughout central and northern Israel.
In the Northeast:
*Hundreds of terrorists trained in Iraq by Iran and Hezbollah have arrived in Syria and are arrayed on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.
*The U.S. attacked Iranian Revolutionary Guards sites at Abu Kamal and Mayadin in eastern Syria following an Iranian proxy attack on U.S. forces at Deir ez-Zor.
Over the Red Sea:
U.S. Navy ships intercepted suicide drones and missiles fired yesterday afternoon from Yemen at Israel (see map below).
In Judea and Samaria:
The IDF attacked terrorists in Aqbat Jericho killing an unknown number.
Other confrontations with terrorists took place in Shechem, south Mt. Hebron, Qalqilya, and Boudros west of Ramallah.
Two Maps For Your Consideration This Morning
As the “Morning Reports” section above shows and as you already knew, Israel faces threats on multiple fronts. What we are seeing is the realization of the vision of Iranian Gen. Qassam Soleimani who wanted to envelop Israel in an Iranian noose. Below you can see how his “Axis of Resistance” of Iranian proxies has developed:
A second map shows how U.S. vessels are now positioned–essentially to counter the threats you see on the above map:
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.