Today’s Image
Meet, from top left to bottom right, Hersh Goldberg-Polin - 25 (Z’’L), Ori Danino -25 (Z’’L), Eden Yerushalmi - 24 (Z’’L), Almog Sarusi - 27 (Z’’L), Alexander Lobanov - 32 (Z’’L) and Carmel Gat - 40 (Z’’L). They all were participants in the Nova Music Festival on October 7 and were kidnapped by Hamas, taken to Gaza. After more than 325 days in captivity, much of it spent underground in tunnels, they were killed in cold blood by multiple shots to their heads sometime late Thursday to early Friday last week. Their bodies were found last evening, Saturday, and brought back to Israel where they were examined. Their bodies showed evidence of massive malnutrition, neglect and weeks without showers. Most were buried today in various ceremonies around the country. In most cases, thousands of people were in attendance.
Ironically, in the current round of hostage/ceasefire negotiations it is likely that Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi and Carmel Gat would be among those that would have been released in the first phase.
Tomorrow, American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin will be buried at the main cemetery in Jerusalem tomorrow. Many, many citizens of Jerusalem announced that they will line the streets along which the car carrying the family to the cemetery will travel tomorrow on its way from their home in the neighborhood of Baka (not far from my wife’s home) to the cemetery. All will be standing in silence holding Israeli flags.
The mood across Israel today ranged from somber to anger. Most everyone felt that it was a tragic loss for such young people at early stages of their lives to have their entire future robbed by blood thirsty terrorists who believe somehow that Jihad against the Jews will bring them some crazy form of redemption. Others felt just outright anger/hatred at the brutal, crazed terrorists who took their lives for no reason. And others felt anger at the Israeli government for not doing more to bring them back safely. And many felt all three emotions at one time. A very difficult day for all of us.
We attended a small celebration of life, a Sheva Bracha. According to Jewish tradition for seven evenings after a wedding, friends of the bride/groom host a meal each evening inviting family and friends of the couple. Blessings are recited to honor the couple and it is a real happy mitzvah. My wife was torn as the news of the hostages got her really down. But I pushed her to go as it was the daughter of a good friend of hers and it is important to also celebrate those happy occasions so life continues…
Gaza Rockets
No rockets fired from Gaza crossed into Israel over the last 2 days.
Casualties
Three Israeli police offered were shot and killed today in the southern part of Judea/Samaria (West Bank). Those murdered include: Ch. Insp. Arik Ben Eliyahu - 37 (Z’’L), Command Sgt. Maj. Hadas Branch - 53 (Z’’L) and First Sgt. Roni Shakuri - 61 (Z’’L). The assailant, who was later killed when IDF soldiers tried to take him in for questioning, is identified as Muhammed al-Aswad, age 31. He is affiliated with Fatah, not Hamas, and previously served in the Palestinian Authority’s presidential guard.
Gaza Operations
Here are a few more details regarding the hostages whose bodies were recovered last night. IDF troops were searching through a tunnel about 22 meters (65 feet) below ground. As always in these tunnel operations they are searching for people, dead or alive. It was clear to the troops that terrorists were hiding there not long before they arrived, but had left before the troops made it deep inside the tunnel. Before the troops entered the tunnel they encountered armed terrorists who were quickly neutralized, but they did not encounter any fighters inside the tunnel as they were exploring it. Like in the case of Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, the Israeli Bedouin rescued a couple days ago, the terrorists had left the tunnel long before the IDF troops arrived. Condolences and anger came from Israeli and International figures. I document some of them below in the hostages/ceasefire section below.
This afternoon the IDF carried out an air strike on a vacant school in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City was it was being actively used by Hamas in the planning and execution of its operations. Before striking the building, the IDF watched the facility via an aerial drone to ensure that civilians were not in the building on the campus that was hit.
Lebanon Operations
This evening a barrage of 20 rockets were fired by Hezbollah into theUpper Galilee region of Israel. Some were intercepted by aerial defense systems and others landed resulting in light damage but no injuries.
Earlier in the day Hezbollah fired anti-tank guided missiles into Kfar Yuval on the Lebanese border. Three people were injured, one seriously and had to be evacuated to a hospital by a helicopter.
This evening Israeli fighter jets attacked the facilities used to launch the rocket barrage earlier as well as other Hezbollah facilities in southern Lebanon.
In a speech attacking Hezbollah, Samir Geagea, who heads the main Christian bloc in parliament, accuses the terror organization of “confiscating the Lebanese people’s decision on war and peace, as if there were no state.” He continued with, “It is a war that the Lebanese people do not want and over which the government has had no say. This war does not serve Lebanon, it has brought nothing to Gaza, nor alleviated its suffering one iota".” You can read this analysis of the rising anger inside Lebanon against Hezbollah here. But the reality is that Iran has funded Hezbollah to the extent that no entity inside Lebanon, including the Lebanese Army has the strength to influence the terror organization’s decisions.
Yemen Operations
USA CENTCOM said early this morning that it carried out a preemptive attack on two Houthi drones inside staging areas of Yemen.
It has been 47 days since the IDF struck Yemen’s port of Al-Hodeidah, and without any missiles fired from Yemen towards Israel.
Syria/Iran/Jordan/Egypt/Iraq
Meanwhile in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, their Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi vowed that his Peacock Throne “will oppose any attempt to displace the Palestinian people inside or outside their occupied land with all our means.”
IDF - General
The IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Herzi Halevi visited the site in southern Gaza where the bodies were recovered late last night.
This afternoon Defense Minister Gallant called for the Security Cabinet to reconvene for the purpose of deliberating and give due consideration to reversing its decision not to evacuate the Rafah border crossing as part of a hostage/ceasefire deal. He came under fire from the extreme right wing cabinet members, immediately.
Aid
Polio vaccination administration continues into its second day in Gaza.
COGAT reports that 19 truck loads of aid were collected from the staging areas in Gaza and distributed to those in need. More than 350 trucks worth of aid remain in Gaza awaiting distribution by the International Aid Organizations.
Hostages/Ceasefire
With the recovery of these six hostage bodies only 97 of the original hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza. Of these, the IDF has confirmed 33 dead, leaving the possibility that up to 64 remain alive. But most likely some of them are also likely dead.
As I lay out the comments and activities that are resulting from the tragedy unfolding regarding the outright murder of Israeli hostages, I thought it worthwhile to provide some background. There are actually three groups representing the hostage families. The main one is known as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. You can find their web site here. It is in English. This is the organization holding nightly vigils in Tel Aviv, block main highways in the country and calling daily for the resignation of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Some months ago, their efforts merged with the groups demanding new elections so one cannot tell the groups apart. But there are two other, smaller, groups of hostage families. One of them today is called The Tikvah Forum of Hostage Families. You can read more about them here. Today the organization called on the government today to cease negotiations for a hostage deal with Hamas in response to the murder of the six hostages. In a statement, the Forum extended its condolences to the families of the six hostages and released this statement:
They (sic Hamas) are murderers and rapists of the lowest kind. Human animals. In these difficult moments we support the heroic IDF soldiers who give their lives to rescue the hostages.
There is a third group, even smaller. At the moment I can’t find references for it.
Politics/Protests
Crowds gathered in Tel Aviv at the nightly hostage family protests. But this time the crowds were estimated to be more than 100,000. Still smaller than the Judicial Protests, but much larger than previous. After the formal talks ended and the protest reached the deadline for it to end, some demonstrators walked to the main thoroughfare in Tel Aviv (and the country) lit bonfires and blocked traffic for a few hours.
The Histadrut, the national labor union, has called for a national strike for tomorrow. It will affect government workers, workers for the municipalities across the country, public transportation. The leader of the national union, Arnon Bar-David, spoke at the demonstration in Tel Aviv this evening saying that it was time to use the power of the union to shut down the economy. Despite, his calls many mayors across the country, including Jerusalem, announced that their cities will not participate in the shut down and their workers must report to work.
The major universities in the country announced that they will join tomorrow’s strikes. Classes are not in session at the moment so it will have little impact. But schools will be impacted. Yesterday was the first day of classes for the year. Teachers in the secondary school system (high school) were already on strike for higher wages. But those in grade schools, kindergartens and middle schools will be affected. Also, the inbound and outbound flights at the airport will be halted beginning at 08:00 in the morning tomorrow.
Prime Minister Netanyahu personally reached out to the families of all six families in order to express his regret over the loss of their loved ones. Two of the families refused to take his call. He did speak with the parents of Alexander Lobanov, saying:
I want to tell you how sorry I am, and I ask for your forgiveness for not succeeding in bringing Sasha home alive.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid Party, said today regarding the six dead hostages:
They were alive. Netanyahu and the death cabinet decided not to save them. There are still live hostages there, a deal can still be made. Netanyahu is not doing it for political reasons. I call on every citizen whose heart is broken this morning to come at seven [in the evening] to Begin [Road in Tel Aviv] to demonstrate with us.
Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video late last night in which he said:
This is a difficult day. The heart of the entire people is torn. Along with all the citizens of Israel, I was shocked to the depths of my soul by the terrible coldblooded murder of six of our hostages. I express my deep appreciation to the IDF and Shin Bet teams who risk their lives for the return of our sons and daughters. Together with the entire people, my wife and I share the terrible grief of the families; we all mourn together with them. I say to the Hamas terrorists who murdered our abductees and I say to their leaders — you have forfeited your lives. We will not rest and we will not be silent. We will pursue you, we will catch up with you and we will settle accounts with you….
President Isaac Herzog has this to day today:
In the name of the entire State of Israel, I hold the families of the murdered hostages in my heart and ask forgiveness. Forgiveness for not being able to return your loved ones home safely. Their murder proves Hamas’s readiness to carry out crimes against humanity. The blood of our brothers cries out to us. Our sisters and brothers are still there, enduring hell. The supreme covenant between the state and its citizens is to ensure their safety. We have the sacred and urgent mission to bring them home.
International
US President Joe Biden spoke earlier this morning with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, to “offer his condolences over the death of their son at the hands of Hamas.
US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris phoned the parents of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin today to express her condolences over his murder in captivity. Separately her office issued a statement in which it was said that “Hamas must be eliminated and cannot be allowed to control Gaza”. In the statement, she extended her condolences to Jon and Rachel Polin and:
I have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza. Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas’ depravity is evident and horrifying.
In a statement released from the office of former President and current Presidential Candidate Donald Trump it was said today:
We grieve the senseless death of the Israeli Hostages, horrifically including a wonderful American Citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, murdered by Hamas due to a complete lack of American Strength and Leadership. Make no mistake - This happened because Comrade Kamala Harris and Crooked Joe Biden are poor Leaders.
Ambassador Jack Lew visited of Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Rachel and Jon, last night at 3 a.m., several hours before the IDF formally announced that it had recovered his body.
As a sign of sympathy, diplomats from some 30 countries, including, Britain, Germany, Austria, the Unites States, and India, attended today the regular vigil held by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum at the Tel Aviv Art Museum, not far from my apartment in Tel Aviv.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today he is “completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing of six hostages in Gaza by Hamas”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the release of all the hostages and an end to the war in Gaza. He posted on his X.com account “I will never forget my meeting last October with the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other hostage families. Today’s tragic news is a devastating reminder of the need for the unconditional release of all hostages and an end to the nightmare of war in Gaza”.
And from Cairo, Egypt we hear from the Hamas official spokesperson, Izzat al-Rishq, who today blamed Israel for the death of the hostages that were assassinated by Hamas terrorists, claiming that Israel was unwilling to reach a deal. You can read more from this despicable liar here.
And In Your Copious Spare Time…
If you find the time to read one report today I highly recommend you read this. It lays out the real issues related to the Philadelphi Corridor at the Rafah border crossing and the implications of the IDF evacuating it, now or later. It is a report based on interviews with several well respected Israeli officials, including Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser (who was head of the Research and Assessment Division of Israel’s Military Intelligence and a senior research fellow at Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy). In it
I find this OP-ED from The Wall Street Journal Editorial Staff a very sound analysis of the current situation and encourage you to read it.
Here is a transcript of an interview by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour of Lt. General (ret.) H. R McMaster and former National Security Advisor. In it he spends much of his time at the beginning answering questions regarding The War. Early on, Amanpour tries to set up the status by parroting the position of the Biden Administration that there is no more fighting for the IDF to do. McMaster disagrees vehemently and provides a lucid (something missing in the current US Government) explanation as to why.