Thursday
Yom Chamishee
13 Adar 5785
March 13 2025
UPDATE 8:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
Photo of the Day
Photo: Inbar Shlomit Rubin, KKL-JNF
Chag Purim Sameach! Happy Purim Holiday!
At sunrise this morning the Fast of Queen Esther began and will conclude at sundown when the holiday begins. During the day, those who observe the fast are forbidden to eat or drink, but other daily activities such as showering or bathing are permitted.
The Fast remembers the fast of Esther during the war that took place on Purim. While the soldiers were in combat, she remained in the palace praying and fasting.
Purim may begin tonight, but for the last few days, children have already been wearing their costumes to school and elsewhere. And not just children: adults everywhere get into the spirit and don costumes as well.
Some photos from yesterday:
And at a parade:
On the Ground in Gaza
Hamas is beginning to employ the same reconnaisance techniques it used prior to October 7th. Last night, numerous terrorists approached IDF forces in the buffer zone and were pushed back by machine gun fire over their heads.
By the way, just as before October 7, Hamas is not only sending adults on these recon missions but also children. Last night a 4-year-old boy entered an IDF base, sat down with soldiers there, explained that he had been sent to gather information, and was escorted back to the border:
The IDF announced this morning that its engineering forces have located about 90 tunnels of various types along the Philadelphia axis (from the closed Rafah crossing to the sea area): “Some of the tunnels crossed the border, some reached the Palestinian-Egyptian border area, and some were unusable and partially built.”
The IDF further announced that more tunnels are yet to be discovered–all of which show why the IDF must remain the Philadelphi Corridor.
On the Ground in the North
In Syria:
From the IDF Spokesman:
“Israeli fighter jets carried out a major operation in southern Syria, targeting dozens of sites, including radar systems, intelligence-gathering equipment, military headquarters, and weapon storage facilities belonging to the old Syrian regime.
A total of 22 fighter jets participated in the strike, dropping over 60 munitions across the region.”
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria
Palestinian terrorists carried out a shooting attack near Ari’el; an 18-year-old Israeli was “moderately” wounded:
Palestinian terrorists attacked Israeli buses and cars on the Hosen Bypass. One person was wounded.
From the IDF:
“Overnight, Israeli security forces conducted counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria.
In Al-Ram, the forces located a significant weapons stockpile, including weapon parts, an explosive device and a large quantity of ammunition.
During searches in Qabatiya, IDF soldiers located approximately 100 kilograms of materials for explosive devices, combat posts, and other equipment used by terrorists.
During the operation, the forces apprehended 12 suspects involved in terrorist activity and confiscated weapons. The apprehended suspects and confiscated weapons were transferred to the Israel Police and the ISA for further investigation.”
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.