The IDF have made huge progress in their aims to destroy the capabilities of Hamas. It is reported that over 8,000 Hamas terrorists have been eliminated, but at a great cost to both the IDF and the people of Gaza. 300 tunnels have been discovered and 100 destroyed. Hamas continue to use civilians as human shields and are sending small children out on scouting missions to report the whereabouts of the IDF.
The whole population of Gaza is co-operating with Hamas as their eyes and ears and the returned hostages reported that they were placed with families in flats who guarded them, but gave them little food and no access to showers or daylight. It is still unclear if the civilians are assisting Hamas out of fear or if they are supporters of the organisation that has controlled everything there since 2007. After the war we will see if the people wish to continue in their drunken blood lust for killing Jews or if they accept a new future in which they can prosper and raise their children in love instead of hate.
The extent of the tunnels that have been discovered is amazing. There are tunnels that are deeper than the deepest underground in London. A whole labyrinth running all over Gaza from north to south connecting every area, large enough to drive through large trucks, even with air conditioning.
Every hospital and school it seems was covering up tunnel entrances, so terrorists could enter as doctors and teachers and access the underground city that was constructed to destroy Israel. Quite an incredible achievement that cost hundreds of millions of dollars that the Europeans provided in their desire to help the Palestinians.
30,000 weapons have been discovered to date and more are being found daily. Israel was really bamboozled and did not understand or even have a proper inkling of the depth and the extent of the underground military cache that had been amassed over the past few years.
This war is like no other war any country has yet fought. Hamas’s fighters are not soldiers who want to return home to their families, no , they are martyrs whose family pride is elevated if they are killed trying to kill Jews and a life long stipend is paid to their families, while they go on their way to their imagined paradise where they will be greeted as hero’s and can indulge in their sexual depravities for eternity. Going to their deaths they are supported and encouraged by their woman folk. These are the innocent civilians that Israel is being urged so heavily to avoid harming.
How any country can fight a war like this is an unprecedented conundrum that Israel is trying to negotiate while preserving life.
The enemy in the north that are supporting Hamas have caused 80,000 Israelis to evacuate their homes while sending around 60 rockets a day into Israel. Residents of the north have reported hearing tunnelling around and under their homes and Hezbollah are threatening a copy cat invasion. It is something Israel will ignore at her peril. We cannot sit and wait for the next atrocities to happen. Meanwhile, no one can safely return home to the north.
A Hezbollah drone struck the IDF command centre in Safed this week, probably in retaliation for the death of one of their top commanders, Wisam al-Tawil, who was eliminated in his car about 10 kilometres from the border.
The Yemenite Houthi rebels have continued to violate the Shipping rights of passage through the Red Sea and rockets aimed towards Eilat have been intercepted daily. Last night an offensive coalition of 6 nations led by the US have hit back at the Houthi. Iranian proxies should take note that Iran has crossed a red line and the US will not tolerate any interruptions to international shipping.
There is another war raging too and it is one of diplomacy as Israel tries to maintain international support for her actions. Social media is swamped with anti-semitism and anti-Israel rhetoric, and all accusations are allowed in the defence of free speech. These accusations have now moved from the screen to the ICJ, with South Africa, supported by Jeremy Corbyn bringing an accusation of genocide against Israel, and demanding an emergency suspension of Israel’s campaign. While the court has no teeth to enforce its findings, it could leave Israel isolated if the charges are upheld.
Israel has the capability of totally destroying Gaza ( not the tunnels ) in a matter of days and killing all the residents without any harm to her own IDF. Therefore , the fact that this war is approaching 100 days next week and we have lost 185 soldiers and thousands lay injured, in itself shows that Israel is not committing any sort of genocide. In fact, the war has now entered its third phase and many reservist soldiers are going home as the fighting will be more precise as the IDF concentrate of finding the leaders. especially Yahya Sinwar, who is thought to be the architect behind October 7th. The IDF have surrounded Khan Younis where they suspect he may be hiding with or near the hostages.
The fighting has been so intense that Israel suffered a mass casualty event when a tank fired on a suspected terrorist but hit the explosives ready to destroy a tunnel together with six of their own men, killing all six and injuring others.
The country continues to hold its breath hoping for the 136 hostages to be released or rescued and for an immediate surrender of Hamas which would lead to an immediate cessation of all hostilities. Shabbat Shalom