Thursday
Yom Chamishee
9 Tevet 5785
January 9 2025
UPDATE 9:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
May Their Memories Be For A Blessing
L-R: Staff Sgt. Matityahu Ya’akov Perel, 22, from Beit El; Staff Sgt. Kanaoo Kasa, 22, from Beit Shemesh; and Staff Sgt. Nevo Fisher, aged 20, from Bruchin.
The three were soldiers in the 46th Armored Battalion, 401st “Iron Trails” Brigade.
According to the IDF, during a Nahal Brigade operation in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, their tank from the 401st Brigade drove over high-powered explosives planted underground. The resulting explosion killed the soldiers and wounded three others, including an officer who was critically wounded. (It should be pointed out that it was originally reported that a terrorist came out of a tunnel and placed an IED on their tank).
Whatever the cause of the explosion, three more of our soldiers have fallen, and Israelis are beginning to ask for what? Beit Hanoun is largely destroyed, and “cleaning the area” is not worth the cost in lives.
*In addition to this incident in Beit Hanoun, another drama unfolded in Rafah yesterday when the IDF and ISA issued a statement that they had recovered the bodies of hostage father and son Youssef and Hamza al-Ziyadne, Bedouins from Rahat who were taken on October 7 from Kibbutz Holit where they worked on a dairy farm. Two more of Youssef’s children, Aisha and Bilal, were also taken on October 7 but were subsequently released in November of last year in the hostage/prisoner exchange.
The actual sequence of reportage was first that only Youssef’s body had been found in a tunnel in Rafah; then the IDF said that Hamza’s body was also found and the family had been notified; then there was a retraction of sorts to the effect that Hamza’s body had not been found but that there were other bodies in the tunnel, and it was strongly believed that one of the bodies was that of Hamza and that remains were being analyzed at Israel’s Forensic Institute. This morning there is still no definitive answer to this.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that also found in the tunnel were the bodies of two Hamas terrorists who were apparently the Ziyadne’s captors.
Youssef leaves behind two wives and 18 children.
Hamza (left) and his father Youssef al-Ziyadne
By the way, Youssef’s name was on the list that Israel gave Hamas back in July to be among those in the next release of hostages (that never happened). This past week, it was fraudulently claimed that this list was produced by Hamas.
Where do we stand now in the hostage situation?
98 hostages remain.
36 of these are confirmed dead.
Of the remaining 62, no one knows how many are alive and how many are dead.
On the Ground in Gaza
Palestinian terrorists in Gaza continue firing missiles at Israeli border communities.
Kerem Shalom was targeted (at 13:37) yesterday afternoon.
Another missile was fired later that was filmed from Sderot; shortly thereafter, there was a large explosion. No alarm was sounded. After some time the IDF spokesman bizarrely said the explosion was that of an Iron Dome interceptor that was “fired at a false target.”
Say what?
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria
*In a Cabinet meeting yesterday following the terror attack in Al-Funduk, PM Netanyahu said that “the IDF must be more on the offensive in Judea and Samaria.” To which IDF Central Commander Maj. Gen. Avi Balut replied: “More soldiers are needed.”
Last night at an urgent meeting of the heads of authorities in Judea and Samaria, Defense Minister Katz said:
“The intention to attack Jewish communities was part of the terrorists’ plan on October 7. We see increasing threats from the Iranian axis and the radical Sunni Islam axis. We are on the verge of war in Judea and Samaria.”
On the verge of war? Virtually no day goes by without terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria.
*Remember how the Biden Administration strong-armed Israel into supplying the PLO with more weapons to fight Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Jenin?
Early this morning a 20-man contingent of these heavily armed PLO “police” appeared deep in Area C in the Jordan Valley in violation of every agreement. Security forces finally confronted them after hearing gunfire at 4am.
Apparently they had tracked down and killed a man only 200 meters from the Jewish community of Mevot Jericho. They eventually retreated back to Areas A and B after failing to retrieve the body of the man they had killed.
What is to stop such PLO “raids” from happening all over Judea and Samaria?
On the Ground in Lebanon
Southern Lebanon is anything but quiet. There may be a ceasefire but yesterday we had two missiles fired by Hezbollah toward Kiryat Shmona. They exploded outside of the city.
In the meantime, we had this statement from the IDF (emphasis mine):
“Troops of the 300th Brigade, under the command of the 146th Division, continue defensive activities to neutralize threats and dismantle terrorist infrastructure in accordance with the ceasfire understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
The brigade’s troops completed a targeted operation in thicketed, fortified, and mountainous terrain, aiming to search and neutralize an operational area used by Hezbollah terrorists.
The troops located five weapons storage facilities in the area, containing over 200 mortar shells, loaded rocket launchers, military vests, and a rocket launcher concealed underground. All of the weapons were confiscated and destroyed.
The soldiers discovered a truck carrying three medium-range rocket launchers, concealed in mountainous terrain. The truck and rockets were confiscated.”
It’s Long Past Time
Following the incident in Brazil this week in which a NOVA survivor and IDF soldier was nearly arrested by authorities for alleged “crimes” in Gaza, IDF Chief of Staff Halevi has ordered all media to conceal the identity of everyone participating in the fighting, from the rank of brigadier general and below. Photographs from the field will require exceptional permission, the Military Prosecutor’s Office will be briefed before any interview.
And so it goes in Israel this morning . . . so far . . .
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.