Yom Shabbat
Saturday
21 Cheshvan 5784
November 4 2023
UPDATE 10:00 PM
4 more IDF soldiers have fallen in battle bringing to 345 the number who have lost their lives defending Israel.
It is reported that 200 of the terrorists who carried out the massacres on October 7 are hiding in the HamISIS complex under the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
On the Ground in the Last Four Hours
In the South
There have been multiple missile and mortar attacks:
Rishon LeZion, Nes Ziona (22:00); Beit Shekham. Beit Hadar (21:11); Sderot (21:02); Shaar Hanegev (20:53); Saad (20:51); Sderot (18:01)
In Judea and Samaria
Palestinian terrorists shot and wounded an IDF soldier in Samaria.
Palestinian terrorists opened fire at the Rachlim Community.
The “Humanitarian” Fraud, Again
Every effort of Israel to provide “humanitarian aid” to the “poor Palestinians” is fraught with danger to our soldiers.
Whether it is ammunition smuggled to the barbaric monsters in bags of rice or oxygen generators for the tunnels hidden amidst boxes of cookies, or who knows what else, the bottom line is that “humanitarian aid” is inhumane.
Take today for another example. Under pressure from the international community (especially from the Biden Administration) to be more humane, Israel once again begged Palestinians living in northern Gaza to move south of the Wadi Aza River.
To facilitate this “humanitarian” movement, the IDF opened a “humanitarian corridor” between 1 pm-4 pm on Salah al-Din Street that transverses the area.
And then put IDF soldiers along the route on both sides to mark the way.
So what happened?
Immediately, HamISIS terrorists attacked our soldiers firing RPGs and mortars. Miraculously, there were no Israeli casualties, but the results could have been much different.
Every time we provide “humanitarian aid”, our brave soldiers are put further into harm’s way.
UPDATE 6:00 PM
In the South
Reports of a massive “Belt of Fire” from the bombing by the IAF west of Gaza City this afternoon.
Missiles and mortars fired from Gaza since noon today:
Arava–Yotvata, Grofit (17:05); Ashdod, Ashkelon (16:01); Kfar Aza (15:20); Kerem Shalom (15:10); Nirim (14:09); Nirim (13:53)
In the North
For the first time, Hezbollah launched 2 “Burkan” missiles (larger 100 kg warhead with more explosives) at an IDF outpost on the border.
UPDATE 5:00 PM
Life in Ashdod seemed back to normal this morning.
By 8:00 am, the beachfront promenade under a blue sky was full of people jogging, walking, bicycling seemingly without a care in the world.
Except for the fact that people were just anxious to get out of their bomb shelters, it all seemed strangely inappropriate because everyone knows our soldiers are fighting and dying just 16 miles (25 km) to the south.
And, by 10:00 am, we began to hear bomb blasts from Gaza, but those booms are so common now that it did not faze the locals.
All day long the park beside our house was full of families: young children on swings and slides, dog owners playing frisbee with their pets, and the elderly with their caregivers just sitting on benches in the warm sun.
But in our family here, we were sure that this was all an illusion. Having not been hit by missiles yesterday and barely the day before–it seemed almost certain that we would be in the crosshairs today.
We were especially wary of the time because another thing we all know is that the missile launchers in Gaza are on automatic timers.
You may recall that it was at 4:01 pm 3 days ago when we were caught outside during a missile attack. Almost on cue, at exactly 4:01 pm this afternoon, the sirens suddenly screeched and cried out once again.
These were the target areas–just like three days ago:
This time however we were in our bomb shelter as 18 missiles were intercepted over our heads.
Such has been the day here in Ashdod.
So far.
UPDATE 12:00 PM
About that “Humanitarian” Aid
We have already seen how ammunition for assault weapons was smuggled into Gaza in sacks of Basmati rice (terrorists were carrying the bags on Oct. 7).
This morning comes news that since the humanitarian trucks began entering Gaza a few days ago, Israeli inspectors have found “oxygen generators” for tunnel ventilation hidden among boxes of cookies.
By the way, the process for “humanitarian aid” entering Gaza are first inspected by Egyptians; then, they are then driven to the Nitsana Crossing where they are inspected by Israeli security. Only after these inspections are they allowed to go to the Rafah Crossing where they enter Gaza.
On the Ground in the Last 3 Hours
In the South:
The IAF attacked the A-Sabra section of Gaza.
At (09:21), incoming missile sirens were sounded in Eilat. However, an hour later it was declared to be a false alarm.
Missiles and mortars: Kissufim (11:38); Kissufim (10:49
In the North:
The IDF has attacked two more squads of terrorists in Lebanon just before they were going to launch missiles into Israel.
Missiles and mortars: Dishon, Malkia (11:00)
A number of other launches have been detected from Lebanon in the Dvornit and Yakinton areas. IDF forces are attacking the sources of the launches.
UPDATE 9:00 AM
From the IDF Spokesman one hour ago:
“Infantry and armor fighters under the command of the 460th Brigade operated in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, in an area from which many attempts to attack the IDF forces through tunnel shafts and military compounds were detected. The forces eliminated terrorists operating in the area, uncovered tunnel shafts used for terrorist purposes and located the organization’s weapons.
In one of the battles yesterday, infantry and armor fighters fought 15 terrorists in the north of the Gaza Strip . . . During a targeted raid in the south of the Gaza Strip, armored and engineering forces under the command of the Gaza Division worked to map buildings and neutralize explosives. During the operation, the forces encountered a terrorist squad that came out of a tunnel shaft. In response, the fighters fired shells at the terrorists and killed them.”
It is important to note from the above that, while focused on northern Gaza, IDF forces are also operating in southern Gaza.
Since Midnight on the Ground
In the South:
At this moment, the IAF is attacking HamISIS assets in the Shujayieh area across the border from Nahal Oz.
The White House announced that the evacuation of American citizens from Gaza has been delayed because HamISIS was attempting to use the evacuations to smuggle terrorists out of Gaza and into Egypt. One third of the names on the next list of people to be evacuated were HamISIS.
In the North:
The IDF attacked another anti-tank missile firing squad near Yiftah.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced that 72 of its fighters have been killed since the war started.
In Judea and Samaria:
IDF troops captured 20 terrorists at dawn this morning in Al-Fawwar south of Hevron.
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.