Yom Chamishee
Thursday
16 Tevet 5784
December 28 2023
UPDATE 10:00 PM
The IDF announced the deaths of three soldiers today:
Maj. (res.) Asaf Pinhas Tubul, 22, from Kiryat Motzkin, a fighter in the 77th Battalion, designated ‘Saar Megolan’ ( 7), fell yesterday in a battle in southern Gaza.
Capt. (res.) Neriya Zisk, 24, from Mashuat Yitzhak, from the Armored Brigade in the 52nd Battalion, “Iron Traces” formation (401), was killed yesterday in a battle in central Gaza.
Maj. Dvir David Fima, 32, from Kfar Yona, deputy commander of the 198th Battalion, ‘Bnei Or’ formation (460), was killed yesterday in a battle in central Gaza.
The military rabbinate revealed today that included in those who have already fallen, are 15 soldiers whose bodies are still in Gaza.
May The Memories Of All These Soldiers Be For A Blessing
The fighting in the south has been especially intensive today with more that 30 buildings destroyed along with 217 IEDs in the Harvat Aza neighborhood of Khan Younis–the neighborhood where most of the terrorists who massacred those in Nir Oz came from. One especially large tunnel network was destroyed:
The same area saw the surrender of more than a hundred more terrorists:
Who knows how many of these terrorists butchered Israelis on October 7?
UPDATE 5:00 PM
On the Ground in the North
It has been a morning and afternoon of massive attacks on northern Israeli communities by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon:
Gornot HaGalil, Goren (16:29); Arab Al-Aramshe (16:16); Kfar Giladi, Margaliot, Tel Hai, Kiryat Shmona, Misgav Am (16:00); Majdal Shams, Mas’ade, Neve Ativ, Nimrod (15:32); Ha Goshrim, Ghajar, Dafna, Kibbutz Dan, Snir (14:08); Dishon, Iftach, Malkia, Mt. Hermon Regional Council, Ramot Naftali (14:05); Sha’ar Na’aman, Kiryat Bialik, Akko Industrial Zone, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Yam (13:30); Evan Menachem, Zarit, Shomera, Shtula (09:17).
Many of these locations are virtually depopulated as residents have evacuated to the south, but in locations like Kiryat Shmona the purpose of the missile fire seems to be to destroy as much of the city as possible. Two of the missiles in the last volley were not intercepted and exploded in the city.
On the Ground in the South
Another “hostage” has been declared “dead”. Judy Weinstein Haggai, 70-year-old mother of 4 and grandmother of 7, and wife of recently declared “dead” hostage Gadi Haggai, has been determined to be dead.
Judy and Gadi earlier this year.
They were residents of Nir Oz. Their bodies are still held by HamISIS.
A Statement From A Former Hostage
Miya Shem who was released after more than 50 days in HamISIS captivity was interviewed last night on Israel TV Channel 13.
Why did she decide to give an interview now?
“It was important for me to take time to reflect on the true situation of the people living in Gaza, who they really are and what I went through there. I want people to understand that I went through a holocaust, and that everyone there is a terrorist.”
A Followup To Our Reportage Yesterday Concerning The Number of Religiously Observant Soldiers Who Have Been Killed in Gaza
From Makor Rishon:
“167 soldiers have fallen, and there is a feeling that many of them are graduates of religious Zionist educational institutions. But this is not just a feeling – but a fact, since 40 percent of those who have fallen are members of the religious Zionist sector – 66 casualties so far.
Seven of the religious Zionist institutions, yeshivas and seminaries, have had more than one fallen student or graduate:
–from the Baali seminary 15
–from the Hesder Yeshiva Yeruham 8
–from Mt. Etzion 3
–from the Sderot Yeshiva 3
–from the Tzfat, Kiryat Shmona and Ma’ale Gilboa Yeshivas- 2 each
May the memory of all of these who died be for a blessing.
UPDATE 12:00 PM
Humanitarian Aid To Gaza?
In the past few days, numerous people have expressed the obvious opinion that the longer we give humanitarian aid to Gaza, the longer it will take for HamISIS to surrender. After all, why should they? Everyday, hundreds of trucks are carrying in everything they need to survive in the tunnels indefinitely.
This morning, Sima Hasson, Chair of the “Mothers of Fighters March” and mother of 2 sons–one in the paratroopers and one in the Golani Brigade, demanded to speak to PM Netanyahu to present a petition signed by 13,000 Israelis to stop the humanitarian aid immediately.
The Hezbollah Tunnel Problem
In the last update yesterday, we discussed the necessity of doing something about Hezbollah on the Lebanese border. In previous blogs, we have pointed out that the terror group has some 150,000 missiles pointed at every asset in Israel (a much greater number than that of HamISIS and Islamic Jihad).
Another problem is that Hezbollah, like HamISIS, has gone underground with a massive system of tunnels–some of which are believed to reach into Israel. Going in on the ground would prove extremely dangerous. Below is a graphic of how one small sliver of south Lebanon is covered with 45 km of tunnels:
One of the problems with Hezbollah–an extensive tunnel system (graphic: the Alma Institute).
What’s the solution? Bypass all land operations, and turn Beirut into a parking lot like northern Gaza.
UPDATE 9:00 AM
On the Ground
On the Gazan Front:
The IDF destroyed three tunnels in the Rantisi Hospital area which were part of a larger network of HamISIS command headquarters:
The above photo is from the IDF Spokesman’s Office.
From the IDF Spokesman this morning:
“The 162nd Division operates in the heart of the Tupah echelon. Fighters of the Bislah Brigade destroyed a terrorist infrastructure inside a building, from which RPG missiles were launched shortly before at the fighters’ vehicles. Also, the fighters of the Nahal Brigade directed an Air Force fighter jet to attack a building where terrorists were found in order to launch an anti-tank missile. The fighters of the 401st Brigade Combat Team are operating in the Derj Tupah area, and have eliminated terrorists from the ground and the air in the last two days. In addition, the fighters of the 460th Brigade Combat Team eliminated terrorists from the air and by firing tanks in the Darje Tafah sector in the last day. During raids by fighters from the 14th Brigade Combat Team, terrorists fired at our forces. After searching the house from where the shooting took place, the fighters located many weapons. Also, during the last day, our naval forces continued to assist the forces maneuvering in Gaza with fire from the sea.”
In addition “millions of shekels earmarked for Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza and Israel were confiscated as part of the economic fight against terrorist organizations. Nine foreign exchange entities will be declared as terrorist organizations due to their activity of transferring funds for terrorist purposes, into the hands of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. With the signing by the Minister of Defense of the decree declaring exchange offices as terrorist organizations, the security forces raided the nine branches of the exchange offices, confiscated funds in the amount of ten million NIS and arrested approximately 20 Palestinians suspected of transferring funds to the terrorist organizations.”
On the Judean and Samarian Front:
*Terrorists attacked our soldiers with IEDS and Molotovs in the Ramallah area. One terrorist was killed; 1 soldier was seriously wounded.
*IDF operations continue in Tulkarm and Noor Al-Shams where six terrorists were killed in an air strike yesterday.
On the Northern Front:
After yesterday’s missile attacks on Rosh HaNikra, Kiryat Shmona, and other places, there have been no reports of missile attacks so far today.
However, a drone was shot down in the vicinity of Katzrin on the southern Golan Heights.
In Other Israeli News:
*According to a draft decision leaked to the press yesterday, the Israel High Court of Justice is about to rule against the Knesset law passed this year that negates “the reasonableness clause”. According to the draft the vote in the court was 8-7 in favor with the deciding vote cast by former Chief Justice Esther Hayut who is not even on the Court anymore. If the draft is correct, this is one more step in the complete judicial takeover of the country and nail in the coffin of Israel democracy. There is no reason whatsoever to even have a Knesset.
*Yet another emergency government Coalition crisis was averted yesterday. Benny Gantz threatened to leave the government because Minister of National Security Ben Gvir refused to extend the tenure of Katy Perry who heads the Prison Service. During Perry’s tenure we have seen nothing but one disaster after another in the prisons–from a wholesale escape from one prison to a sex scandal in another involving the unbelievable pimping of female IDF prison guards to Palestinian security prisoners. In any case, the crisis was finally resolved late yesterday; Perry will not continue.
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.