Yom Rishon
Sunday
24 Sivan 5784
June 30 2024
UPDATE 10:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
May Their Memories Be For A Blessing
Sgt. Yair Avitan
Sgt. Avitan, 20, from Ra’anana, a fighter in the 890th Battalion Parachute Brigade, was killed in northern Gaza.
Maj. Yakir Shmuel Tatelbaum
Maj. Tatelbaum, 21, from Ma’ale Adumim was a fighter in the 77th Battalion (Megolan formation); he fell in battle in northern Gaza.
With the deaths of Sgt. Avitan and Maj. Tatelbaum, 316 IDF soldiers have fallen in Gaza since the Gaza operation began on October 27, 2023 (this number does not include the hundreds of IDF soldiers who died on October 7).
A further note. There was outrage in Israel last night. Immediately after the deaths of the two soldiers were announced, Channels 12 and 13 switched to “Dancing with the Stars” and “Big Brother”–as if no announcement had just taken place. One comment from social media is that we have started seeing on the Israeli “Left” is the “trivialization of bereavement.”
The Horrible Photo of the Day
Lest we forget: these 4 Israeli women have been held by monstrous Palestinian terrorists in Gaza for the last 267 days.
What a tragedy.
The View From Here In Ashdod
We’ve had another restless night with intermittent booms from IAF bombs and IDF artillery shells hitting terrorist targets in Gaza. Yesterday, we heard a nearby explosion. There was no alarm, but yesterday evening we found exploded shards beside the road in front of our house.
On the Ground in the South
IDF forces are getting close to wrapping up operations in Rafah with an estimate that basic operation will conclude in a week. After that the question is “will the IDF withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor?” or “will the IDF remain along the border to continue to cut off the smuggling of materials from Egypt into Gaza?”
At the same time, IDF forces have been engaged in hand to hand combat with terrorists in Shujayieh. More than 40 terrorists have been killed and numerous missile launchers have been destroyed.
On the Ground in the North
Hezbollah missiles hit the 769th Brigade near Beit Hillel, the Air Control Base at Mount Dov, and an IDF base in Sheba Hills. Hezbollah drones also targeted the 411th Artillery Battalion, and a Hezbollah anti-tank missile struck a residential building in Metulla.
The IDF carried out numerous attacks in southern Lebanon, and also carried out a flyover of Beirut setting off sonic booms and alarms on the ground.
Iran said again that if Israel attacks then Israel “will be annihilated.” On the Israeli side, several leaders said yesterday, that if such an attack comes from Hezbollah and Lebanon, then it is time for Israel to use the nuclear option.
The Cost of the War in Financial Terms . . . So Far
The IDF and Ministry of Defense estimated yesterday that the current cost of the war is around 130 billion shekels (approximately $35 billion dollars).
And so it goes this morning in Israel . . .
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.