Yom Chamishee
Thursday
5 Tammuz 5784
July 11 2024
10:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
May Their Memories Be For A Blessing
Three days ago they were a happy family: Noa (wife) and Nir Baranes and their three children (faces blurred) aged 18, 16, and 13. Today, the children are orphans after their parents were killed when their car was hit by a Hezbollah missile on the Golan Heights.
Noa was a chocolatier and in charge of Kibbutz Ortal’s agriculture; Nir had been in charge of tourism to the Kibbutz and had other jobs on the kibbutz. Now, they are gone and a family is torn apart.
The Exhilarating Photo of the Day
Ari Spitz giving a blessing at his best friend’s wedding yesterday.
The caption that accompanied Ari’s blessing on Twitter yesterday:
“Meet the hero of Israel Ari Spitz arrives to greet his best friend on a scooter after his two legs and right hand were amputated. The groom and his friend studied together at a yeshiva in Hispin, fought together, and were both seriously injured in the same incident in Zeytun. It took months of hospitalization without consciousness, surgeries and prayers to reach this exciting status. Salute!”
Kolakevod to Ari, and best wishes to his friend on his marriage.
The View From Here in Ashdod
From late yesterday until early this morning, our house here in Ashdod has been shaken by thunderous booms coming from Gaza–and perhaps closer.
Last night at 10:45 as we were watching the England-Netherlands soccer game, incoming missile warnings for just south of here flashed on the screen, and shortly thereafter a tremendous explosion apparently took place on or just off the beach here. There were no advance warnings of whatever it was.
As for the other massive explosions, we have discovered this morning they are being produced by bunker busting bombs being dropped on tunnels in Gaza City.
On the Ground in Gaza
50 minutes ago, incoming missiles from Gaza sounded for these border communities: Yated, Holit, Sdeh Avraham, Yevul, Kerem Shalom:
Note: remember that there is a Rafah, Egypt and a Rafah, Gaza.
Just when it looked like the war was winding down, it suddenly isn’t; IDF actions in the last 24 hours include:
–continuing operations in Rafah
–wrapping up the 3rd invasion of Shujaieh
–carrying out a new, intensified attack on northern Gaza
–carrying out a re-invasion of Gaza City
–preparing for another invasion of Khan Younis
By the way, the Bidenites in Washington have released some of the ammunition that Israel has been seeking. 1000 pound bombs are on the way–but not the 2000 pound ones that do the most damage to HamISIS.
A Followup To The Three Boys Who Were Bizarrely Arrested For Murdering A Terrorist On October 7
It turns out that these three heroic young men who sped to the Gaza Border to help repel the terrorists:
–eliminated 49 terrorists and captured dozens of others
–rescued dozens of civilians including men, women, and children and rescued soldiers and policemen
–rescued the bodies of Yamam Police Counter-terrorists who had been killed and were being taken back to Gaza
And they were arrested and charged with murder.
Unbelievable.
Large protests took place last night in front of the home of the Tel Aviv District Attorney who is bringing the charges–which by the way have been dropped against two of the boys.
On the Ground in the North
The IDF Spokesman a short time ago:
“Overnight, following the projectile that was launched toward the area of Shtula in northern Israel yesterday (Wednesday), the IAF struck a truck transporting the launcher used in the attack in the area of Ayta ash Shab in southern Lebanon.
Moreover, the IAF struck several military sites in the areas of Rab El Thalathine and Odaisseh in southern Lebanon. In parallel, a Hezbollah observation post was struck in the area of Ramyeh, along with military infrastructure in the area of Khiam in southern Lebanon. In addition, IDF artillery fired to remove threats in multiple areas in southern Lebanon.”
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.