The Gaza War Day 367; The War in the North

Yom Shnee

Monday

5 Tishrei 5785

October 7 2024

UPDATE 5:00 PM ISRAEL TIME

By all accounts, there has been a wave of IAF attacks across Lebanon today focusing again on Beirut. Areas near the airport have been especially hard hit:

Hezbollah Missile Fire Since 9:00 am This Morning:

09:38 Dovev; 10:20 Misgav Am; 10:46 Katzrin; 12:38 Avdon, Manot, Metzuba, Idmit, Maalot Tarshicha, Lapidot, Deir Al-Asad, Majd al-Krum; 14:05 Yir’on; 14:26 Malkia; 14:47 Misgav Am Kfar Giladi, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, Metulla; 14:56 Zarit, Shomera, Even Menachem, Arab al-Aramshe; 15:06 Iftach; 15:19 Beit Jann, Eilabun, Hodayot, Lavi, Misgav Am; 16:13 Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai.

Hamas Missile Fire Since 9:00 am This Morning:

11:00 am Rishon LeZion, Kfar Chabad, Tel Aviv, Mikveh Israel; 12:58 Gavim, Mefalsim, Sderot, Ibim.

Apparently 5 missiles were fired in each barrage. Most significant about the 11:00 barrage is that there was a direct hit in Kfar Chabad that wounded two people. Also significant is that Kfar Chabad is located directly across Highway 1 from Ben Gurion Airport. As we noted in our last update, it is remarkable that Hamas is still shooting missiles at all much less ones reaching Tel Aviv and the airport as well as Sderot.

UPDATE 12:00 PM ISRAEL TIME

At 11:00 am, Hamas launched M90 missiles out of Khan Younis toward Tel Aviv. We heard what appeared to be 5 intercepts over Ashdod; however, there are reports of missile “falls” in Holon and Bat Yam.

It is simply astonishing that Hamas can continue to strike Israel with missiles after one year of war.

What is perhaps even more astonishing is that the IDF warned early this morning that Hamas was likely to fire missiles at Tel Aviv today. In other words, we somehow knew what was going to happen and still could not stop it from happening.

The IDF Data After One Year Of War

Terrorists Eliminated

At least 18,490 terrorists have been killed: 17,000 in Gaza, 800 in Lebanon, 690 in Judea and Samaria.

Air Strikes Carried Out

45,200 air attacks have been carried out: 40,300 in Gaza, 4,900 in Lebanon.

Terrorist Launches Into Israel

26,240 missiles have been launched at Israel: 13,200 from Gaza; 12,400 from Lebanon; 60 from Iraq/Syria; 180 from Yemen; 400 from Iran. [It should be noted that the IDF always understates the number of missiles fired at us].

Fallen and Wounded IDF soldiers

726 soldiers have fallen, 346 since the beginning of the ground maneuver in Gaza.

4576 have been wounded, 696 of them seriously. 2299 wounded (out of the total) since the beginning of the ground maneuver in Gaza.

The Interesting Quote of the Day

Israeli reporter Ohad Hamu said on Channel 12 television last night that a Palestinian official linked to Hamas abroad told him that the organization understands/admits that 80% of the 40,000 casualties in Gaza since the beginning of the war are Hamas operatives and their families.

By The Way In Case You Missed It

It is now believed that an earthquake that measured 4.5 on the Richter scale in the Iranian desert was actually an underground Iranian nuclear test.

The earthquake occurred in Semnan province in Iran, but at a depth of only 10 km suggesting strongly that it was nuclear in origin.

Here at OneIsrael, we have long suspected that Iran has nuclear weapons.

UPDATE 9:00 AM ISRAEL TIME

The View from Here in Ashdod

If you can believe this, this morning began exactly the way that October 7 2023 began with HamISIS firing missiles at the communities on the Gaza border. At precisely 6:30 am, we heard “booms” as Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired missiles at the Gaza border communities of Sufa, Holit, and Pri Gan.

What was different is that immediately IAF planes were in the air bombing the terrorists and destroying the launchers. One can only imagine how the world would be different if we had had that response a year ago.

Also at 6:30 this morning, hundreds gathered for a memorial service at Reim the site of the Nova Party massacre a year ago. That service continues now and is a solemn reminder of what happened.

Hezbollah Missile Attacks

The Gaza border is not the only place where missiles are falling, Hezbollah has already carried out these attacks late last night and today: 23:58 Tiberias, Massad, Migdal; 02:35 Arab al-Aramshe, Eilon, Metzuba, Goren; 02:48 Betzet, Lehman, Shlomi; 02:50 Dishon; 03:24 Kfar HaYarden, Sdeh Ilan; 06:52 Carmiel, Harashim, Migdal Tefen, Pekin, Lapidot, Abirim; (08:51) Kfar Vradim, Fassuta, Maona.

More than a dozen Israelis have been wounded–some severely–in these attacks mostly from shrapnel and shattered glass.

Also, the IAF intercepted two missiles (or drones?) targeting Palmachim (Rishon LeZion) at 05:15 this morning.

May Their Memories Be For a Blessing

Maj. (res.) Etay Azulay, 25 years old from Oranit, a fighter in the 5515 mobility unit, was killed in battle on the Lebanese border.

This morning comes the sad news that another hostage has been declared “dead” by the IDF:

Idan Shtivi, 28 years old from Petah Tikva, was volunteering as a photographer at the Reim Peace Party when he was killed. He tried to escape in his car with two of his friends but was blocked by terrorists and run off the road into a tree. The bullet-riddled car was later found by IDF troops with the bodies of the friends inside. Shtivi’s body was taken to Gaza.

The Jerusalem Post Oped This Morning

“They are more than numbers, more than headlines – they are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and friends. Over a year on, these are the names, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, of those still languishing in the hands of Hamas. Each name is a heart still waiting to come home.

Tamir Adar, 38, taken from Nir Oz; Muhammad Al-Atarash, 39, taken from a Gaza border community; Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, taken from the south of Gaza; Hamzah Al-Zayadni, 23, taken from Holit; Yosel Al-Zayadni, 53, taken from Holit; Liri Albag, 19, taken from Nahal Oz; Edan Alexander, 20, taken from a Gaza border community; Matan Angrest, 21, taken from Nahal Oz; Karina Ariev, 20, taken from Nahal Oz; Aviv Atzili, 49, taken from Nir Oz; Sahar Baruch, 24, taken from Be’eri; Uriel Baruch, 35, taken from the Nova music festival; Ohad Ben Ami, 55, taken from Be’eri; Agam Berger, 20, taken from Nahal Oz; Gali Berman, 27, taken from Kfar Aza; Ziv Berman, 27, taken from Kfar Aza; Ariel Bibas, 5, taken from Nir Oz; Kfir Bibas, 1, taken from Nir Oz; Shiri Bibas, 33, taken from Nir Oz; Yarden Bibas, 34, taken from Nir Oz; Elkana Bohbot, 34, taken from the Nova music festival; Rom Braslavski, 20, taken from the Nova music festival; Itay Chen, 19, taken from Nahal Oz; Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, taken from Nir Oz; Eliya Cohen, 27, taken from the Nova music festival; Nimrod Cohen, 20, taken from a Gaza border community; Amiram Cooper, 85, taken from Nir Oz; Ariel Cunio, 27, taken from Nir Oz; David Cunio, 34, taken from Nir Oz; Evyatar David, 23, taken from the Nova music festival; Itzhak Elgarat, 69, taken from Nir Oz; Ronen Engel, 54, taken from Nir Oz; Daniella Gilboa, 20, taken from Nahal Oz; Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 23, taken from the Nova music festival; Meny Godard, 73, taken from Be’eri; Hadar Goldin, 23, taken from the south of Gaza; Romi Gonen, 24, taken from the Nova music festival; Ran Gvili, 24, taken from an unknown location; Gad Haggai, 73, taken from Nir Oz; Judi Weinstein Haggai, 70, taken from Nir Oz; Tal Haimi, 41, taken from Nir Yitzhak; Inbar Hayman, 27, taken from the Nova music festival; Maxim Herkin, 36, taken from the Nova music festival; Eitan Horn, 38, taken from Nir Oz; Iair Horn, 46, taken from Nir Oz; Tsachi Idan, 50, taken from Nahal Oz; Guy Illouz, 26, taken from the Nova music festival; Bipin Joshi, 23, taken from Alumim; Ofer Kalderon, 53, taken from Nir Oz; Segev Kalfon, 26, taken from the Nova music festival; Ofra Keidar, 70, taken from Be’eri; Bar Abraham Kupershtein, 23, taken from the Nova music festival; Eitan Levi, 53, taken from route 232; Shay Levinson, 19, taken from a Gaza border community; Naama Levy, 20, taken from Nahal Oz; Or Levy, 34, taken from the Nova music festival; Oded Lifshitz, 84, taken from Nir Oz; Shlomo Mantzur, 86, taken from Kisufim; Eliyahu Margalit, 75, taken from Nir Oz; Avera Mengisto, 38, taken from the north of Gaza; Omri Miran, 47, taken from Nahal Oz; Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21, taken from Nahal Oz; Eitan Abraham Mor, 24, taken from the Nova music festival; Gadi Moshe Mozes, 80, taken from Nir Oz; Omer Neutra, 22, taken from a Gaza border community; Tamir Nimrodi, 19, taken from the Erez crossing; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 24, taken from Nova Festival; Alon Ohel, 23, taken from Nova Festival; Avinatan Or, 31, taken from the Nova music festival; Dror Or, 48, taken from Be’eri; Daniel Oz, 19, taken from Kisufim; Daniel Peretz, 22, taken from a Gaza border community; Lior Rudaeff, 61, taken from Nir Yitzhak; Yonatan Samerano, 22, taken from the Nova music festival; Eli Sharabi, 52, taken from Be’eri; Yossi Sharabi, 53, taken from Be’eri; Oron Shaul, 20, taken from the south of Gaza; Omer Shem Tov, 21, taken from the Nova music festival; Tal Shoham, 39, taken from Be’eri; Idan Shtivi, 29, taken from the Nova music festival; Keith Samuel Siegel, 65, taken from Kfar Aza; Doron Steinbrecher, 31, taken from Kfar Aza; Itay Svirsky, 38, taken from Be’eri; Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, 28, taken from Nir Oz; Ilan Weiss, 56, taken from Be’eri; Omer Wenkert, 23, taken from the Nova music festival; Yair Yaakov, 59, taken from Nir Oz; Ohad Yahalomi, 50, taken from Nir Oz; Arbel Yehoud, 29, taken from Nir Oz; Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, taken from Nir Oz; Matan Zangauker, 24, taken from Nir Oz.

Let them go home, now!” 

It is important to note that many of these hostages have already been declared “dead”, and that it is their body that is being held hostage. PM Netanyahu recently said that he believes about 50 of them are still alive.

Israeli Resilience Despite The Situation

A survey this morning indicates that 61% of Israelis still do not feel safe. And why should they? With wars raging with Hamas which is still able to shoot missiles at us and Hezbollah which is shooting anywhere between 100-200 missiles a day, how can anyone feel safe?

And this is not even to mention attacks from Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and terror attacks in all parts of Israel such as the one in Beersheva yesterday.

Nevertheless, 77% of the bravely resilient residents of the Gaza border communities have already returned to their homes*.

Back on October 7, 2023, there were 64,000 residents of the Gaza communities living in 19,300 households. About half of these people lived in Sderot, the other half in 46 other kibbutzim and moshavim.

On October 7th, 259 people in these communities were murdered (this number does not include security forces, foreign workers, and people who were visiting on that day: the total murdered was more than 1,200). 251 more were kidnapped by terrorists and taken to Gaza.

525 buildings were destroyed and another 330 needed extensive renovation. 2500 more were merely “damaged.”

As of October 8, tens of thousands had already been evacuated away from the border.

As of this morning, October 7, 2024, 44,449 residents have returned to their homes. 1,821 residents are still living in hotels, and 12,708 are living in other housing situations (such as with relatives).

*These statistics are from Takuma.

Final Food For Thought: Herb Keinon’s Observations Today

Columnist Herb Keinon has written the following today to explain the trauma that the country has experienced over the last year by comparing what happened in and after the Yom Kippur War in 1973:

” . . . Another comparison worth keeping in mind, to put October 7 in some type of proportion, and perhaps help understand where Israeli society, so bruised and battered right now, will go from here, is to look at fatality rates.

Part of understanding the weight of these two events lies in the sheer human toll they exacted on the nation.

In 1973, the population of Israel stood at approximately 3.3 million people. Two thousand six hundred fifty-six soldiers were killed in that war, or about one Israeli for every 1,242. The number of soldiers killed in proportion to the size of the population, and the impact that loss had on the nation’s psychology, was astounding.

In addition, also weighing heavily on the nation’s psyche, 295 IDF soldiers were taken prisoner. Dozens of others were tortured and killed.

By contrast, just two weeks before October 7, 2023, Israel’s population stood at 9.8 million. Since then, 1,697 people have been killed – 885 civilians and 812 soldiers and security forces. The scale of civilian involvement in this tragedy is stark: 255 people were kidnapped, 91% of them civilians. A year later, 101 remain in captivity, with only half believed to still be alive.

The circumstances of the fatalities are completely different. All of those killed in the Yom Kippur War were soldiers, while more than half who have been killed since October 7 are civilians. Plus, there is no comparison between prisoners of war and civilian hostages – including babies in their mothers’ arms – kidnapped from their homes.

Yet the psychological impact on the country is the same – the mourning, the heaviness, the loss, the pain.

Comparing figures like this may seem callous, but it is not meant to be, nor intended in any way to minimize the nation’s horrible losses since October 7. It is meant only to put those losses in the wider context of Israel’s history.

Though it seems unfathomable, Israel has faced catastrophes of similar, even greater proportions in the past – the war that began 51 years ago on October 6 – and survived. Nationally, this offers some solace. Yet, for those who have lost loved ones since October 7, or have relatives languishing in Hamas’s dungeons, there is little personal consolation.

Not only did the country survive October 6 and the Yom Kippur War – and the nation was much smaller then, had far fewer resources and fewer friends around the world – but afterward, it was able to find its footing again, made peace with its greatest enemy at the time, and grew economically and militarily in ways few might have dreamed back then.

October 6, 1973, marked the beginning of the Yom Kippur War – a conventional war. October 7, 2023, was a pogrom – a conventional pogrom, with medieval fervor: raping, mutilating, burning, looting, and everything associated with the worst pogroms in 20th-century Poland, 19th-century Russia, 14th-century Germany, and France.

[Today] . . . on Monday, October 7, the nation is commemorating and mourning this latest pogrom. But that is not the end of the story.

October 7 was followed by October 8. October 7 was the pogrom. October 8 was the day after the pogrom. And here is where Jewish history took a twist into new territory.

In the past – before the Jews had a state – the day after a pogrom was marked by counting the dead, sweeping the streets clear of debris, burying the fallen, and wondering where to flee to somewhere safe.

On October 8, Israel counted the dead, began mopping up the terrorists, and buried the fallen – but then the Jews did something unprecedented in Jewish history: they responded to the pogrom with fierce might.

The Jewish state fought back with a fist of steel and tremendous force. It chased the enemy across the border and hunted the pogromists down in their holes, and it struck – and continues to strike – at anyone who lashes out.

October 7 was an all too familiar moment in Jewish history, a cruel flashback from the past. October 8 was unique.

On [this] October 7, that – too – bears remembering.”