Yom Shishee
Friday
16 Tishrei 5785
October 18 2024
UPDATE 5:00 PM ISRAEL TIME
Major News Since The 9:00 AM UPDATE
*Two terrorists, dressed in Jordanian army uniforms, crossed the border in the Dead Sea area and opened fire on civilians and soldiers. They were killed by IDF soldiers who arrived on the scene.
*It turns out that Yahya Sinwar’s death was caused by a sniper shot by a cadet tank commander to his head. He was found with multiple passports and about $10,000 (40,000 shekels) in cash. In all likelihood, he was trying to escape Gaza into the Egyptian Sinai. Also found were hand-drawn maps of tunnels in the area which presumably enabled him to reach the spot where he was eventually caught and killed:
Hezbollah Missile Attacks Since 10:00 AM
10:13 Zarit, Shomera; 10:39 Margaliot; 10:54 Matzok Orvim, Ramat Trump; 13:42 Misgav Am, Kfar Giladi, Metulla, Tel Hai; 14:40 Zarit, Shomera; 15:02 Shomera; 15:25 Netua, Fassuta; 15:34 Meron; 16:02 Kfar Giladi, Kiryat Shmona, Misgav Am, Tel Hai; 16:22 Shlomi, Betzet; 16:26 Metulla.
UPDATE 9:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
The Quotes of the Day
It has been completely pathetic to read and listen to the comments concerning the elimination of Yahya Sinwar from all of those Western leaders who opposed Israel going into Rafah (where Sinwar was found and killed), and from those who demanded that Israel agree to a ceasefire, and from those who have condemned PM Netanyahu and every step that the IDF has taken.
Included in this group are President Biden, Kamala Harris, Emanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, and, and, and . . .
The statements of each of the above yesterday and today have been couched in terms “Sinwar’s death represents an opportunity to help the poor Palestinians.”
It’s enough to make anyone sick.
One person who does not suffer from moral decline is Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander, U.S. Central Command, who issued this statement:
“Congratulations to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, the mass-murdering leader of the terrorist group, Hamas. Sinwar was the ruthless mastermind of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel that massacred more 1,200 innocent civilians, including more than 40 Americans. More than 250 innocent men, women, and children were taken hostage,
including 12 Americans. 101 hostages remain missing, including
seven Americans.
U.S. Central Command’s support to the Israel Defense Forces remains ironclad. Our commitment to countering terrorists throughout the Middle East, with allies and partners, continues to be a top priority. Those who choose the path of terrorism should expect the same fate as Sinwar.”
It is refreshing to hear one statement of clarity in a sea of “this is a golden opportunity for peace with Hamas and Hezbollah”.
By the way, the most ludicrous comment of the day came from Qatar–the patron of Hamas. FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani: “I am concerned that Sinwar’s death might complicate future peace efforts and a hostage deal.”
What a joke.
What Qatar is concerned about are the billions and billions and billions of dollars it spent building up Hamas over the last 15 years which have now gone down the drain, as has the influence it was commanding in the faux “negotiations” because of its ties with Sinwar and Hamas.
Overall Statement of the IDF Spokesman This Morning
“During the night, the combat team of the Givati Brigade in Gaza joined the expansion of the activities of Division 162 in the Jabaliya area. During the last day, the forces of the division and the air force planes eliminated dozens of terrorists in incidents and airstrikes, and destroyed terrorist infrastructures in the region. In the center of Gaza, the forces of Division 252 attacked a military building from which terrorists were operating during the last day.
During the last day, the Air Force attacked about 150 targets in Lebanon, in the depths of Lebanon and in aid of maneuvering, including munitions warehouses, launch shafts, sniping and observation positions and terrorists in the area.
An Air Force aircraft directed by the 98th Division eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Hossein Ramal, commander of Hezbollah’s A-Taiba compound. Ramal carried out many terrorist acts against Israel and the IDF forces in the field. In addition, forces of the divisional combat team of the 7th Brigade located and destroyed loaded launchers ready to be launched towards settlements in the north of the country.
At the same time, the fighters of the 36th and 91st divisions continue to operate in the area of South Lebanon, the forces located many weapons of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, including sniper weapons, a lot of combat equipment, anti-tank launchers and Burkan-type rockets ready for use and aimed at the territory of the country. An Air Force pilot attacked a terrorist squad in a military structure in the area of South Lebanon before it fired an anti-tank missile at our forces.”
On the Ground in Gaza
The IDF Spokesman:
“With the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted a precise strike on an operational meeting point for Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. The terrorists were operating inside a command and control center embedded inside a compound that previously served as the ‘Abu Hassan’ School in northern Gaza.
At the time of the strike, dozens of terrorists from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations were present in the compound, including:
* Hussam Muhammad Atiya Salah
* Ahmad Abd al-Naser Awad Hamdouna
* Akram Maher Namar Zaqoul
* Ahmad Abd al-Rahman Mahmoud Abu al-Jabeen
* Mustafa Ali Khalil Ouda
* Muhammad Abdullah Abd al-Rahman Tamraz
* Muhammad Muhammad Rafat Hussein Daher
* Mahmoud Musa Abd al-Wahab Atal
* Abd al-Karim Hassan Awad Hamdouna
* Youssef Hosni Ali Salem
* Muhammad Samih Atwa Sheir
* Abd al-Rahman Fawzi Kamel
These terrorists were involved in rocket attacks against Israeli territory, as well as in planning and committing terrorist attacks against IDF troops and Israel in recent days.
The command and control center where they were operating was used by the terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”
More on Sinwar’s Elimination
The soldiers involved were from the 828 Bislamach Brigade of Division 162 including a tank from Battalion 195 and infantry from Battalion 450. These were all young soldiers who had not even been in the IDF back on October 7th of last year. The soldiers were not on a specific mission targeting Sinwar, but “happened” upon him.
The sequence of events:
1. At 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, a soldier from Battalion 450 spotted a suspicious figure entering and exiting a building in Tel Sultan, Rafah. The soldier alerted the Brigade commander, and the force began to move toward the target, suspecting the presence of terrorists.
2. Around 3:00 p.m., as tanks and infantry forces were deployed, a drone identified three figures moving from house to house. It became clear that these were likely terrorists, possibly part of an entourage, who were moving ahead of a single terrorist to “clear the area.” A shot was fired at the terrorists, and they began to scatter.
3. One terrorist entered one building and the others entered another. The single terrorist moved to the second floor, and the tank force fired a shell into the building.
4. The platoon commander from Battalion 450 entered the building. Two grenades were thrown at him.
5. The force deployed a drone, which spotted the terrorist (later confirmed to be Sinwar). He was wounded in the hand and masked, sitting in a room. He attempted to throw a wooden stick at the IDF drone, at which point the force fired another tank shell.
6. On Thursday morning, when the force re-entered to scan the area, they discovered several bodies. Only then did they realize that one of the bodies bore a resemblance to Yahya Sinwar.
7. The body was lying in a pile of rubble. The person had apparently applied a tourniquet to his arm to stem bleeding, but a section of his head had been severely hit by bullets or shrapnel.
8. The soldiers took photos of his head–especially his readily identifiable teeth–and cut off his forefinger before carrying the body out.
9. An analysis of the photos, as well as a print from the finger, and eventually DNA, identified the body.
On the Ground in the North
The message from Hezbollah this morning: “Under direct orders from the Resistance leadership, we are entering a new, intensified phase of confrontation with the Israeli enemy. Details of this escalation will be revealed in the coming days.״
The resistance leadership = Iran.
*Hezbollah missile and drone strikes so far today:
01:51 Zarit; 06:58 Haifa, Akko, Kiryat Biyalik [15 missiles]; 09:07 Idmit, Eilon, Ya’ara; 09:41 Rosh HaNikra (drone attack).
*Reports from Lebanon indicate that a senior military commander in Hezbollah, Abbas Muhammad Salama, was killed in one of the IAF’s strikes.
*A follow-up to our previous blog piece about UNIFIL and how the soldiers in the UNIFIL contingent in south Lebanon are mostly from countries which are enemies of or are non-supportive of Israel.
One of those countries we mentioned was China. Yesterday we had this photo taken by the Chinese themselves showing Hezbollah missiles being fired at Israel from a position directly beside the Chinese compound:
“China is here for peace.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
On the Ground in Yemen
Following the American targeting of Houthi facilities with B2 bombers we had the spokesman for the Houthis in this military statement yesterday: “We ask the neighboring countries and all the countries of the world to stop the aggression of Israel and the USA and we are ready to agree to peace and a ceasefire.”
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.