Yom Shnee
Monday
8 Cheshvan 5784
October 23 2023
UPDATE 6:00 PM
The last four hours have seen more missiles launched against southern Israel:
Beersheva (4:01); Sderot–2 wounded–Nir Am (3:59); Holit, Sufa (3:51); Ein Hasor (2:47); Nir Oz (2:40); Sufa, Nir Itzhak (2:03).
And more missiles launched against northern Israel:
Kiryat Shmona (4:52); Kfar Masaryk, Ein HaMifratz (3:27).
Is this Entebbe all over again?
A report has just come over the wires that HamISIS is now ready to release 50 hostages.
50 hostages with foreign or dual-citizenship. Not any hostages who are “only” citizens of Israel.
Your humble servant does not need to remind you that if this is true, it is the same script terrorists followed at Entebbe back in 1976. In that hostage situation, the terrorists first separated the passengers into Israeli and non-Israeli groups. They proceeded to release 148 non-Israelis over several days before Israeli commandos arrived to rescue the Israelis.
Your humble servant would be amiss not to report that emphasis on the release of foreign citizens and dual citizens—while a positive development for which we are happy— is beginning to leave a somewhat bitter taste in our mouths.
As we noted earlier today, concern for the hostages is one reason that a ground invasion of Gaza has been delayed and left our soldiers like sitting ducks on the border.
Our Israeli concern is for all hostages–not just the non-Israeli ones.
UPDATE 2:00 PM
Why Hasn’t The IDF Invaded On The Ground?
The List Grows Longer
First, it was because we had to make sure we had enough soldiers in place.
Second, it was because we have to consider the hostages.
Third, it was because Biden imposed his “humanitarian” will on us.
Fourth, it was because American forces had to be in place in case Hezbollah decides to attack.
Fifth, it was that Israel cannot attack as long as the drizzle of foreign leaders coming here continues (Biden, and the leaders of Germany, the UK, France, and apparently endless others including even the Governor of California).
Sixth, it was simply that the IDF doesn’t have the wherewithal to carry out such an attack without further pulverizing of northern Gaza.
Seventh, today, it is that Biden wants a delay so that more American forces can reach the region in case Iran decides to attack American assets.
Of course, some of these reasons are extremely legitimate. If there really are live hostages, and if the IDF really doesn’t have the leadership or the capability on the ground, and if, and if, and if . . .
But what seems to be increasingly clear is that it may be–despite all the tough talk–that PM Netanyahu doesn’t have the will to see this through. Let’s hope that is not true.
On the Ground Since 8:00 am
Missile and mortar attacks on southern Israel:
Beersheva (1:05 pm), Nahal Oz (1:00), Mivathim (12:17), Ashkelon (11:40), Ashkelon (11:30 am).
According to the IDF spokesman, 308 soldiers have been killed, and there are 222 hostages now being held–a number that continues to grow.
UPDATE 8:00 AM
What The World Needs To Know:
The Horrific Forensic Findings
For the first time, forensic pathologists at Israel’s Abu Kabir Forensic Institute yesterday discussed and showed photos of some of their gruesome findings as they try to identify the dead from the October 7 slaughter on the Gaza Border.
Among their findings (with the comment of the head of Abu Kabir, Dr. Chen Kugel in quotation marks):
*The age range of victims was from 3 months to 90 years old: “Many bodies including the babies are without heads.”
*Many victims had their hands tied behind their backs with metal wire before being burned alive: “We know they were burned alive because soot is in their tracheas.”
*Many victims were tied together with metal wife–such as an adult and a child–before being burned alive.
*Many have gunshot wounds in their hands indicating they put their hands in front of their faces before being shot and burned.
*Many of the bodies are dismembered, and their body parts such as heads and limbs are missing.
*350 bodies remain unidentified because they were so gruesomely butchered and burned that the only possible identification is through extractable DNA from their bones: “However, some 200 of the 350 have no extractable DNA meaning they will never be identified.”
These findings confirm what we already knew. The monstrous demonic evil that is Palestinian HamISIS must be eradicated.
Overnight and this morning:
In the South:
The IAF intensively bombed the areas around the Gaza and Shifa Hospitals. The IDF has ordered that both hospitals be evacuated. Everyone knows that HamISIS headquarters is located below the Shifa Hospital.
In the North:
The massive evacuation of Israeli border communities continues with 10 more being evacuated overnight. There are reportedly 200,000 Israeli soldiers now on the Lebanon border.
The IDF attacked a terror cell at an undisclosed location in Lebanon overnight, eliminated it, and destroyed its anti-tank missile launcher.
The IAF attacked several Hezbollah outposts in southern Lebanon.
In Judea and Samaria:
A Palestinian terrorist was killed in an exchange of gunfire at Jilazon this morning.
Palestinian terrorists opened fire at the Amichai Farm near Shiloh.
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.