Yom Chamishee
Thursday
19 Tammuz 5784
July 25, 2024
UPDATE 9:00 PM ISRAEL TIME
May Their Memories Be For A Blessing
Capt. Ariel Topaz
Capt. Ariel Topaz, 24, from Pardes Hana, was an intelligence officer in the IDF research division. Last night he died of wounds suffered ten days ago in a run-over attack at the Nir Zvi intersection near the Zirifin IDF base.
In a combined IDF-Shin Bet Operation, 5 hostage bodies were recovered in Khan Younis:
The bodies “rescued” in Khan Younis. Badly decomposed, they were found in a tunnel and brought to this room after which they were transported to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.
Those bodies are:
L-R top: Sgt. Tomer Ahimas, Mia (Maya) Goren, Sgt. Kiril Brodsky L-R bottom: Sgt. (res) Ravid Katz, Oren Goldin
Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, was killed in action on October 7, along with other members of the forward command team led by Col. Asaf Hamami, commander of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade.
Maya Goren, 56, was abducted into Gaza by Hamas terrorists on October 7. The IDF had previously confirmed in December that Goren was no longer alive
Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, was confirmed to have been killed on October 7 and his body abducted to Gaza. He was murdered alongside the aforementioned Ahimas during the battle at Kibbutz Nirim.
Ravid Katz, 51, was a member of the Kibbutz Nir Oz security team who battled the terrorists on October 7.
Oren Goldin, 33, was a member of Kibbutz Nir Yitzchak’s emergency response squad. He fell in battle against Hamas terrorists on October 7th.
All of the above except for Ravid Katz were known to be dead. It had been hoped that Katz was alive and being held hostage.
With the rescue of these hostage bodies, 115 abductees are still being held–at least 40 of these are dead.
On the Ground in Gaza
The IDF Spokesman:
“Due to significant terrorist activity and rocket fire from Khan Yunis, IDF troops are continuing intelligence-based operational activity in the area of Khan Yunis. The troops eliminated terrorists, mostly using sniper fire, and located underground terror infrastructure in the area.
In the Bani Suheila area, the troops identified a terrorist cell approaching them in a vehicle. In a combined aerial and ground strike, the IAF and an IDF tank struck the vehicle, eliminating all terrorists inside.
Additionally, over the past day, IDF troops conducted targeted raids on several terrorist infrastructure sites in the Rafah area, located weapons, and eliminated terrorists who were operating nearby and posed a threat to the troops.
Moreover, over the past day, the IAF struck dozens of terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including military structures, terrorists, observation posts, and additional terror infrastructure.”
On the Ground in the North
The IDF Spokesman:
“Overnight (Wednesday), the IAF struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Odaisseh, Meiss El Jabal and Chihine in southern Lebanon. Additionally, yesterday, the IDF struck Hezbollah military structures in the area of Khiam. Furthermore, IDF Artillery struck several areas in southern Lebanon.”
There have already been Hezbollah missile attacks this morning targeting Rehaniya, Kerem Ben Zimra, Baram, Yir’on, and Hanita.
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria
This morning, Palestinian terrorists in a vehicle opened fire on Israelis driving on Highway 55 near Azzun. 2 Israelis were wounded.
Netanyahu’s Dramatic Speech To The U.S. Congress
PM Netanyahu at the podium. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson left rear, and Ben Cardin, senator from Maryland, right rear. Cardin is where Kamala Harris should have been but she refused to attend.
Despite every attempt to disrupt and demean it by the “Left”*, PM Netanyahu’s speech last night to the U.S. Congress was a tour de force. Interrupted more than 80 times by applause, most of which were standing ovations, Netanyahu strongly made the case for Israel.
He recounted the events of October 7 calling attention to former hostage Noa Argamani and 4 soldiers in the gallery. He forcefully called out the shame due the pro-Hamas demonstrators. He powerfully explained how Iran is connected to those protesters and how Iran is the source of much of the world’s terror–especially the terror directed at Israel and the U.S.
Throughout, the prime minister emphasized the bond between Israel and U.S., and generously thanked President Biden and former President Trump for the efforts on our behalf. In the process, PM Netanyahu emphasized the 4000 year Jewish connection to the land of Israel, and belittled those who chanted “from the river to the sea” without even knowing what river and what sea they were referring to.
Perhaps the most refreshing characteristic of his speech was the prime minister was dramatically unapologetic:
“Israel is a colonial power”: hogwash
“Israel is not protecting Gazan civilians”: hogwash
“Gazans do not have enough to eat”: hogwash
. . . and on and on.
PM Netanyahu deserves a huge “kolakevod” for his speech last night.
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*Many of those leftists were Israelis. Former PM and leader of the anti-Netanyahu movement in Israel Ehud Barak appeared on CNN before the speech and said that no one should believe anything that Netanyahu would say in his speech.
Former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz who did a disastrous job leading the IDF during the second Lebanon War, said that Netanyahu is an existential threat to Israel and democracy.
Outside the Capitol building before during and after Netanyahu’s speech, pro-Palestinian “demonstrators” tore down American flags and burned them, defaced monuments with statements such as “Hamas is coming”, and even burned an effigy of Netanyahu:
There is no end to the evil facing Israel.
And so it goes here in Israel this Thursday morning . . .
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.