War Day 251: Israel Considers Exiting UN, Rescue Details Revealed

War Summary, Day Two Hundred and Fifty One: In response to the UN adding Israel to the “blacklist” of countries who harm children during war, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said that Israel needs to weigh leaving the UN, incredible details about the hostage rescue revealed, and four soldiers killed in booby-trapped building in Rafah.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

War Summary, Day Two Hundred and Fifty One:

120 held captive in Gaza.
45 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
116 hostages freed.
19 hostage bodies rescued.
1,546 Israelis killed.
301 fallen soldiers in the battle in Gaza.
15 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
7 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
19,400 estimated rockets fired at Israel.
90,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

• Hamas responds to proposal deal with unreasonable demands
• Incredible details about the hostage rescue revealed
• Four fallen heroes in Rafah
• Further advances in Rafah
• Major escalation in the north with hundreds of rockets, dozens of fires
• IDF eliminates top Hezbollah commander
• Northern officials threaten action if the government doesn’t act on Hezbollah
• Three successful counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria
• Finance Minister confiscated Palestinian Authority funds, sends it to victims of terror
• Israel to consider leaving the UN or other action

Hostage Updates:

Hamas responded to the Biden ceasefire proposal (which Israel had agreed to) with a large number of unreasonable changes. According to Israel’s Channel 13 news, those changes include a demand that the IDF completely evacuate all positions in Gaza during the first week of the deal, otherwise the hostages won’t be returned; a demand that Gaza begin rebuilding immediately; that a complete permanent ceasefire go into effect even if no agreement comes before the second phase of the deal; that Israel have no veto on Hamas’s demands for which terrorists are released from prison; and that release terrorists from Judea and Samaria be allowed to return to their homes rather than be exiled to Gaza or elsewhere.

According to a report on Politico, US President Biden today expressed doubts about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which he believes will not come soon. According to him, “Hamas needs to move forward.” However, he is “not losing hope yet.”

In an interview with Kan 11, former war cabinet minister, Benny Gantz, said that he thinks “Israel knows what happened” to the three members of the Bibas family – Kafir, Ariel, and Shiri. The interviewer asked Gantz when the public will hear about it, and Gantz replied: “When things mature, and right now we need to make every effort so that they will all return.” He added, “There is no doubt that this is a terrible, human disaster, and it is also to no small extent the painful symbol of the war.”

The Bibas family was upset by his comments, and wrote: “We witnessed tonight the irresponsibility of a politician and the media without considering the family that sits at home and has to deal with it, without any prior preparation and the ability to stop it. The family is in continuous contact with the intelligence, and we still believe wholeheartedly that we will hear good news.”

The Jewish Chronicle published further details of the incredible rescue of the four hostages form Nuseirat. According to report, the IDF learned about the presence of hostages in the Nuseirat neighborhood on May 12th. They then focused heavy intelligence on the area, in order to figure out the exact locations. Two teams of undercover agents, including men and women who are fluent in Arabic with a Gaza accent, were sent to Nuseirat. The teams arrived in beat up cars, piled with luggage and mattresses. They claimed to be refuges from Rafah, and asked locals to help them find an apartment. They settled into apartments right near the hostages, and spent 19 days undercover, gathering intelligence from locals.

When they were ready, all but two undercover agents evacuated. The two remained to observe the rescue operation. When the Yamam forces entered the apartment holding the three male hostages, they found 30 terrorists inside—a larger number than expected, which had likely shown up the night before. A fierce gun battle broke out, during which hero Arnon Zamora was mortally injured.

After leaving the building with the hostages, the forces found that hater escape vehicle had been hit with a missile. IDF troops from nearby stepped in to help, assisted by heavy fire—at one point an airstrike eliminated terrorists who were just 10 meters from the rescuers and hostages. The IDF says that 104 Gazans were killed or injured in the battle, of which all were either terrorists, or accomplices to holding the hostages.

Gaza Front Updates:

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launched a barrage of seven rockets today towards Ashkelon, Sderot, and other Israeli communities near the Gaza border, where people had 15 seconds or less to run for safety. Four rockets were intercepted, three landed in open areas.

On Tuesday, the IDF announced the names of four fallen heroes:

Maj. Tal Pshebilski Shaulov, 24, from Gedera
Staff Sgt. Eitan Karlsbrun, 20, from Modiin
Sgt. Almog Shalom, 19, from Hamadia
Sgt. Yair Levin, 19, from Givat Harel

In addition, the IDF formally recognized Sgt. Maj. (res.) Eliran Mizrahi as a fallen soldier. Eliran was called up to reserve duty on October 7th, and spent the first weeks of the war helping to clear the bodies of victims at the Nova Festival. He was then sent with his unit to fight in Gaza, where he fought bravely until he was injured in April. He battled severe PTSD for the following months, until he succumbed to suicide on June 7th, when his unit was called to fight in Rafah.

Three divisions of IDF troops are currently operating in Gaza: the 99th Division along the Netzarim Corridor, and in select neighborhoods of Gaza City; The Gaza Division in various areas in Gaza on pinpoint operations, and in the buffer zone; and the 162nd Division in Rafah and along the Philadelphi Corridor. The Israeli airfare struck around 45 terror targets across Gaza over the last day, including tunnels, terror cells, and rocket launchers. Contrary to media reports, the IDF says that it did not carry out any airstrikes in the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone.

Earlier this week, IDF troops from the 99th Division completed an operation in Gaza City’s Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods, during which they demolished around 50 Hamas sites—including rocket launchers and weapons, and eliminated dozens of terrorists.

On Tuesday, the IDF’s 98th Division was withdrawn from the central Gaza Strip, from where they had assisted in the rescue of four hostages. Prior to the rescue, the division conducted an offensive in east Bureij and east Deir al-Balah, where they eliminated around 100 terrorists, destroyed over 100 Hamas sites, and demolished two Hamas attack tunnels.

The IDF continues to hold the Netzarim corridor, as a center from which to easily operate in most area of Gaza. This week troops demolished an 800-meter-long and 30 meters deep tunnel in the nearby Juhor ad-Dik area. Today, at least 10 terrorists were eliminated in the area, including one who participated in the October 7th massacre.

On Tuesday, the IDF announced that four Givati soldiers had been killed in a booby-trapped building in Rafah. The troops had thrown a small explosive into the three-story building first, to detonate any possible explosives inside before entering, and entered only after seeing that there was no secondary blast. After two soldiers entered, the building exploded and collapsed on them, and others who were standing outside. Four soldiers were killed, and seven wounded—five seriously. Later a tunnel shaft was found inside the building, indicating that it belonged to a Hamas terrorists. The soldiers did not have a drone to search the building before entering.

The IDF has now cleared over 40% of Rafah. Out of the four Hamas battalions in Rafah, the Yabna battalion (which guarded the Philadelphi Corridor) is completely dismantled, the Tel Satoun and East Rafah battalions are partially dismantled, and the IDF recently began encircling the Shaboura battalion.

Recent battles in Rafah were intense, with close-combat gun fighting.

In Southern Israel, a decayed body was found at the Sha’ar Hanegev Junction. Next to the body, police found a military vest with Arabic writing on it, and what appears to be the logo of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades. Forensic scientists are working to identify the body, which is largely thought to be that of a terrorist who entered Israel on October 7th.

Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:

Over one billion pounds of food were transferred to Gaza since the start of the war.

Today (June 13) 220 aid trucks entered Gaza. Only 70 trucks were collected by the UN aid agencies throughout the day. The content of 1,000 aid trucks is still waiting to be collected from the Gazan side of Kerem Shalom. UN aid agencies continue to complain about a lack of food in Gaza, but fail to pick up and deliver the aid.

Northern Front Updates:

Following Hezbollah’s escalation in the last week, they have escalated attacks even further, in response to the IDF eliminating a senior Hezbollah commander.

On Wednesday alone, Hezbollah fired around 250 rockets at Northern Israel, and a large number of attack drones. The pattern continued into Thursday, with barrages of up to 90 rockets at a time. The range of attacks widened, with several sirens in Tzfat (Safed), Tiberia, and as far as Degania Bet at the southern edge of the Kineret (Sea of Galilee). Almost all rockets and drones which were headed to populated areas were intercepted, but some hits were made, and a few civilian homes and community buildings were damaged.

Rockets and drones which landed in fields and forests, and fallen shrapnel from interceptions, caused a large number of wild fires, including 15 today, with at least 21 fire fighting teams dispatched to get them under control. The locations with the most fires were near Amiad, in the Ein Zeitim forest, and near Beit Jann.

At least four men were injured from rocket shrapnel.

The IDF confirmed that on late Tuesday night, the Air Force carried out a strike in Southern Lebanon, which eliminated senior Hezbollah commander, Taleb Abdullah. Abdullah commanded Hezbollah’s Nasr unit, which is one of three Hezbollah units in Southern Lebanon, and responsible for heavy attacks on Israel, especially on the city of Kiryat Shemona. He was an experienced commander, who has been known to Israel since 2005, when he was involved in the attempted kidnapping of an IDF soldier, and then fought against Israel in the 2006 Lebanon war. He was heavily experienced and knowledgable.

Hezbollah announced his elimination, titling him a “commander” something which they’ve only done for one other eliminated terrorist before. Abdullah is the highest ranking Hezbollah commander eliminated in Lebanon since the start of the war.

The IDF knew that the response to his elimination would be heavy, and says they were prepared for the rockets.

The IDF also carried out airstrikes against a large number of Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon, and shelled new Hezbollah positions along the border. Several reservist units were called up to the north.

Late Thursday night, initial reports are emerging of another senior Hezbollah commander eliminated by the IDF.

The Lebanon side of the border is filled with a large amount of shrubbery and weeds, which has long been a challenge for the IDF, as terrorists easily hide in the vegetation. In order to prevent Hezbollah infiltrations into Israel, the IDF needs to clear the area. Footage across social media to day showed IDF soldiers having fun trying out various medieval methods to launch fireballs over the border, including with an elaborate hand-built trebuchet, a bow and arrow, and a hand sling. The IDF clarifies that these methods were local initiatives from troops on the border, and not for a lack of more modern equipment.

While a large number of troops have been dispatched to the north, many suspect that the IDF will not begin a ground-incursion into Lebanon until the Rafah operation is complete, which can be another 5-6 weeks. Until then, it’s possible that smaller missions into Lebanon may begin, but silently, with other escalations limited to heavier airstrikes.

The Confrontation Line Forum, which is made up heads of regional councils in the line of fire in the north, met today, and demanded that the government present an immediate plan for the security of residents of the north—threatening that if no such plan is presented, then the forum will take a series of steps, which will be announced later.

Judea and Samaria Updates:

One Tuesday the IDF announced that it wrapped up two successful counter-terrorism operations in Judea and Samaria. No soldiers were hurt in either operation.

During an 18-hour raid in Fur’a, troops located a bomb-making lab, located more than 80 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and a large number of barrels packed with explosive materials. Eight wanted people were arrested for their suspected involvement in terror activities, and one armed terrorist was eliminated after he attacked IDF troops.

In a second operation in the town of Kafr Dan, near Jenin, troops used the “pressure cooker” method, in which they encircled a building used by terrorists, and slowly escalated the amount of attacks against the site, until the terrorists are pressured to act, or come out. Clashes erupted, and six armed terrorists were eliminated. In addition, two assault rifles, a hand gun, and several explosives were confiscated.

Air strikes assisted troops in both missions.

Today, troops operated in Qabatiya, also near Jenin, and again used the “pressure cooker” method. Two armed terrorists were eliminated. One IDF soldier was lightly injured.

Finance Minister, Betzalel Smotrich, ordered his office to confiscate $35 million from Palestinian Authority tax money (which Israel collects for them), and redirect it to the families of terror victims.

Houthi & Iraqi War Front Updates:

The United States Central Command announced that the Houthis hit two Ukrainian-owned ships. A fire broke out on one of the ships and one person was seriously injured. The Houthis also confirmed that they attacked three military ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

International Updates:

In response to the UN adding Israel to the “blacklist” of countries who harm children during war, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said that Israel needs to weigh leaving the UN. He said the move was “a despicable decision by the Secretary General who hates Israel, who in his conduct serves dictators and murderers and will be remembered in history as a failed Secretary General who degraded the UN to an all-time low.”

Erdan added that “The distorted UN gives an incentive to terrorists to use children and teenagers for terrorist purposes and to hide behind them by using schools and hospitals. The Secretary-General completely ignores the unimaginable reality that the IDF is dealing with and bases it on false data from a terrorist organization with a Nazi ideology.”

General Updates:

In the backdrop of growing frustration with the slow pace of the war, and the lack of deterrence in the north, an Israel Hayom poll found that 57% of Israelis want early elections. While the number of left-wing voters wanting elections is much higher, there is also a large representation of right-wing voters who want to elect a new government—including 32% of Likud voters.

June 13: Katzrin, in Northern Israel, surrounded by fire after large barrages of rockets from Hezbollah

IDF troops on the northern border have fun exploring medieval methods of launching fires over the border wall. This is being done in order to remove shrubbery right next to the Israel-Lebanon border, which Hezbollah terrorists are hiding behind.

Footage shows numerous interceptions over northern Israel, after sirens sound in the cities of Safed, Rosh Pina, and Tiberias, as well as many other towns in the Galilee.

From the IDF’s COGAT unit, June 13: The content of 1,000 aid trucks is still waiting to be collected from the Gazan side of Kerem Shalom.