Yom Chamishee
Thursday
17 Kislev 5784
November 30 2023
UPDATE 9:00 PM
*Here in Israel we sit in yet another hostage release holding pattern as HamISIS wrings every drop of stress it can from hostage families and the public.
Oddly, several hours ago, two female hostages were released. Where are the remaining ones? No one seems to know.
*Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken is back in Israel issuing demands. His newest one is that Israel cannot enter southern Gaza unless it can protect all Gazan “civilians.” What Blinken and his boss Biden really want is a permanent ceasefire that brings the war to an end.
*There are even reports that the Bidenites have been secretly negotiating with Benny Gantz to drop out of the current emergency government, force new elections, and help establish a Palestinian state. There have been no denials thus far from the odious Gantz.
UPDATE 2:00 PM
On the Ground and In the Air in the Last 4 Hours
*The 3rd Israeli murdered in the Jerusalem attack this morning was a 60-year-old woman. HamISIS–with whom there is supposed to be a ceasefire–has claimed responsibility. It also turns out that 10 terrorists released in the past few days live in the same neighborhood of Tzur Bahar as the terrorists who carried out the attack.
*Another terror attack has taken place at a checkpoint in the Jordan Valley. A Palestinian terrorist rammed a vehicle into Israeli wounding several. The terrorist was shot and killed.
*An Israeli Patriot missile shot down a Hezbollah drone over northern Israel at 10:47 am.
*HamISIS has announced that it is going to turn over 3 bodies tonight in addition to released live hostages.
UPDATE 10:00 AM
The number murdered in the Jerusalem attack has risen to three: a 24 year old woman, a 73 year old man, and another person as yet unidentified. Eight more Israelis were wounded, some critically. The terrorists (aged 38 and 30) were brothers and members of HamISIS. They had both served time in Israeli prison for terrorism and lived in the Tzur Baher neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem.
One cannot help but wonder how many times the Jerusalem attack this morning will be replayed as the hundreds of terrorists we are now releasing onto the streets begin their attacks.
One more item: it turns out that both terrorists were eliminated by a soldier who was on a day leave from Gaza; he pulled up to the bus stop as the attack happened.
UPDATE 8:30 AM
Clarifications on the shooting attack in Jerusalem:
*Two Israelis were murdered: a 24-year-old woman, and an unnamed man.
*7 other Israelis were wounded: they are in conditions ranging from critical to moderate.
*The attack took place on Weizman Blvd at the junction to the entrance of the city near Ramot.
*The two terrorists were from eastern Jerusalem; it remains unclear whether one of the terrorists (scene in the photo below) survived.
*The terrorists were shot by 2 soldiers on the scene and a civilian.
UPDATE 8:00 AM
Breaking News
There has been a terror attack at the entrance to Jerusalem in the last 15 minutes. At least one Israeli 16-year-old teenager has been murdered; 7 more Israelis are badly wounded–one critically. Two terrorists armed with M16s were killed:
The terrorists who carried out the terror attack a few minutes ago were both killed.
The Morning Hostage Update
The sixth “batch” of hostages was finally released around midnight last night. They were:
The sixth group of Israelis released late last night.
Moran Yanai (40)
Liat Atzili (49): a dual Israel-US citizen
Yarden Gat (36): a dual Israel-German citizen
Raz Ben Ami (57): a dual Israel-German citizen
Raaya Rotem (54): mother of Hila Rotem released several days ago
Gali Tashansky (13)
Amit Shani (16)
Ofer Engel (17)
Itay Regev (18): brother of Maya Regev who was released several days ago–Maya was shot on October 7, and underwent surgery yesterday
Liam Or (18): his cousins Alma and Noam were released last Saturday
Two other Russian-Israelis were released prior to the above 10 and were not part of the release agreement:
Yelena Trupanov (50) and her mother Irena Tati (73)
Almost all of the above 12 have fathers, brothers, and uncles still underground in Gaza.
You will also notice that 5 of the releasees were under 19 years old, classified as “children”. A few more children remain in captivity.
The Dispute Over The Hostage Release Today
HamISIS submitted a list last night that included 6 women, 2 children, and 3 bodies. Israel rejected it. This morning HamISIS has submitted a new list of that apparently replaced the dead with 3 more living hostages. The exact numbers are not clear.
On the Ground in Gaza Yesterday
Ceasefire or no ceasefire? Three terrorists who tried to ambush our soldiers were killed yesterday.
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria Yesterday
Mohammed Zubeidi, the long wanted terrorist commander of the Islamic Jihad Battalion was killed yesterday in a firefight with YAMAM counter-terrorism forces.
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.