Yom Chamishee
Thursday
19 Cheshvan 5784
November 2 2023
UPDATE 10:00 PM
333 IDF soldiers have fallen in battle since October 7.
242 hostages are being held by HamISIS.
On the Ground in the South:
According to PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Galant, the IDF is making “significant achievements” in fighting along three axes:
The below map is courtesy Amir Tsarfati on Telegram:
The above map is courtesy Amir Tsarfati on Telegram.
With Gaza City becoming increasingly encircled, it is reasonable to think that the IDF will go after Hamas headquarters in and under the Shifa Hospital in the coming week. Going into the tunnels under the Shifa Hospital will be an arduous task.
The obvious goal is to eventually unite the two blue areas and control all of the area between the red line (Nahal Aza) and the Israel border (where you read “Beit Lahiya axis”). What you will notice from the above map is that the IDF has yet to enter the heavily built up areas focusing on a methodical campaign that takes care of terrorists as they appear. Today, the IDF reports that 130 terrorists were killed.
There have been a number of missile barrages today. Here in Ashdod was hit again one hour ago. There are no reported casualties.
Biden Demands A Temporary Humanitarian Ceasefire
President Biden is apparently insisting that Israel go along with a humanitarian ceasefire in order to facilitate the release of hostages. Israel is resisting.
One More Horrific Note About Shani Louk
We will never forget Shani Louk, the young girl who was stripped naked, raped, and tied to the back of a pickup truck and paraded through Gaza to the joyous shouts of men, women, and children lining the streets.
It turns out that the IDF rescue team never found Shani Louk’s body. What they found was her head.
On the Ground in the North
The day has seen a drastic increase in the fighting in the North. Hezbollah issued a statement early in the evening declaring that it had attacked 19 sites and military posts during the day. There were direct hits in Kiryat Shmona and at other locations.
The IDF spokesman also issued a statement concerning the IDF response to firing from Lebanon:
“In recent hours, IDF warplanes and helicopters have been attacking targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in response to the shooting that was carried out from Lebanese territory earlier today, at the same time as attacks using artillery fire and tanks by the IDF. Among the targets that were attacked, infrastructures and military headquarters, infrastructures for directing terrorism, rocket launching positions, munitions warehouses and military complexes used by the terrorist organization. The IDF considers the terrorist organization Hezbollah to be responsible for what is happening in Lebanon. We consider the terrorist organization Hezbollah to be responsible for what is happening in Lebanon.”
UPDATE 2:00 PM
The Firefight Last Night
In an intense gun battle between midnight and 3 am this morning, a force of about 30 elite HamISIS terrorists emerged from a tunnel and mounted a frontal attack on soldiers in the Golani Brigade with anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers, and even drones. The fighting is described as being “face to face.”
More than 20 of the terrorists were killed, but 10 escaped back into their holes. There were no casualties to our forces.
Between 08:00 and 14:00
In the South
Mortars and missiles fired in the last 6 hours:
Nirim (12:56); Ashkelon (12:11); Mivathim (11:04); Holit (11:00); Nirim (10:41); Ashdod (09:50).
In the North
The IAF attacked Hezbollah sites in Lebanon (12:32).
In Judea and Samaria
Palestinian terrorists opened fire on a car between Einav and Shavi Shomron. The driver was shot numerous times and his car overturned. His death was determined at the scene. The terrorists escaped.
Palestinian terrorists attacked IDF forces with IEDs in Bazariya (Samaria).
Government Idiocy On Parade
If you can believe these:
1. There remains a proposal to transport Palestinians from the Palestinian territories to the Gaza border communities to help with agricultural harvesting. How quickly we seem to forget how the barbaric Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 7 had also worked on farms in the area and gathered information to be used in the massacres.
2. Another proposal from the “security echelon” is to keep Palestinians “quiet” by using Israeli taxpayer money to pay Palestinians in Judea and Samaria a stipend to replace money they would have earned if the war had not taken place.
Your humble servant wants to scream at the world. The entire conception of our relationship with the Palestinians must be thrown out the window. If the events of Oct. 7 showed anything it is that paying money to keep Palestinian terrorists quiet is a fool’s game, and trusting Palestinians to work in Israel is a horrible mistake.
Another Idiotic Supporter of Hamas
Click here to see “Rabbi” Jessica Rosenberg interrupting President Biden during a speech in Washington to demand a ceasefire. Her idiotic comment: “Genocide will not be committed in our [the Jews’] name.”
“Rabbi” Rosenberg has missed the boat. An attempted genocide was already carried out by HamISIS on October 7, and just yesterday (see our 08:00 update) a HamISIS leader proclaimed that HamISIS will continue such attacks until the genocide is completed, and Israel is destroyed.
All a ceasefire will do is enable HamISIS to catch its breath and rearm. Calling for a ceasefire is a statement of support for barbaric terrorism. Perhaps “Rabbi” Rosenberg should go to Gaza to call for a ceasefire. Everyone knows what would happen to her if she did.
UPDATE 8:00 AM
From Hamas leader Gazi Hamed on Lebanese television:
“Our goal is to wipe out Israel. We will repeat the events of October 7 again and again until Israel is removed from the map.”
In the South
The IDF has increased attacks in northern Gaza in the past few hours with massive artillery fire directed at Hamas targets and an intensified air campaign.
At the moment, Israeli forces are encircling Gaza City.
Missile and Mortar Attacks from Gaza
Mivathim (06:40), Kissufim (06:09)
In the North
(04:18) The IAF attacked a surface to air missile site in southern Lebanon that Hezbollah launched a missile from two hours earlier.
(03:32) 3 mortars were fired into Israel from Shoba in Lebanon.
(03:20) The IAF intercepted an “aerial threat” over the Golan.
A Logistical Nightmare and Equipment Shortage
Because of anti-tank missiles, IEDs, mines, craters caused by IAF bombing, and destruction in the area, it has proven difficult to evacuate wounded Israeli soldiers and to resupply troops with weapons and ammunition. However, Israel has worked through the problems, and officers now report it “only” takes 1 hour to evacuate soldiers. That one hour needs to be reduced to 15 minutes.
At the same time, vast shortages of equipment have appeared in the south and in the north. Tens of thousands of reservists are sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags or in tents they brought from home. A major push is being made to supply large air-conditioned and heated tents. “Heated” is necessary because the weather is changing, and the war is projected to last into and perhaps throughout the winter. In the north, snow is already in the forecast for later this month.
Thanks to Amir Bohbut for the above reportage on logisitics and equipment.
One final note in this update
OneIsrael will give one update in the evening which reports on the number of soldiers who have fallen during the day rather than giving out the information piecemeal during the day.
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.