War Day 111: Hostage Families Block Aid, Herzog Pleads for Unity

War Summary, Day One Hundred and Eleven: protesters gathered at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and blocked the flow of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog begged politicians and all Israelis to continue with the political unity, and Hamas did not succeed in firing any rockets.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

War Summary, Day One Hundred and Eleven:

136 held captive in Gaza.
110 hostages freed.
11 hostage bodies rescued.
34 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
1,400+ Israelis murdered.
219 fallen soldiers in the battle in Gaza.
5 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
3 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
8,000 injured.
12,900 rockets fired at Israel.
187,533 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Hostage Updates:

This morning, Qatar confirmed reports, and told Israel that Hamas has rejected the proposal that would bring the hostages home and provide a two month ceasefire.

According to reports, there is a tiny chance of a deal being made now.

The Organization of State-Employed Physicians in Israel sent a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu and the War Cabinet asking that they pressure Qatar and Egypt to provide proof that the medications meant for the hostages have actually reached them.

Gaza Front Updates:

For the third day in a row, Hamas did not succeed in firing any rockets onto Israeli civilians.

Thank G-d, the IDF did not announce any fallen heroes in Gaza today.

After the UN claimed that the IDF targeted a shelter in Khan Younis, resulting in the deaths of 9 Gaza civilians, the IDF announced that they will investigate the issue further. Preliminary findings showed that it could not have been IDF fire, because IDF forces were not operating in the area. The IDF is investigating the likelihood that the strike was actually Hamas fire.

In both northern and Central Gaza, IDF troops continue to uncover and destroy tunnel shafts, rocket launchers, and weapons caches, as well as come by the occasional Hamas terror cell, and eliminate them.

In the Central Gaza Strip, just 1.5 kilometers from the border with Israel, the IDF demolished a Hamas tunnel. The tunnel was one kilometer long, 20 meters deep, and connected Northern Gaza to the south.

Fierce battles continue in Khan Younis, with many terrorists eliminated both by airstrikes, and in close combat. The IDF says they are increasing the pressure on Hamas senior commanders by closing in on them and eliminating many terrorist cells

According to a report in Bloomberg, Israel and the US believe that a few nonprofit organizations that pose as raising funds to aid civilians in Gaza, are actually directly funding Hamas, with a total of in between %8012 million per month. The money is delivered through aid groups to avoid the International sanctions placed on Hamas and Hamas leadership.

Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:

In Israel today, protesters gathered at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza, and blocked the flow of trucks carrying humanitarian aid. The protesters were families of hostages, released reservists, and mothers of IDF soldiers who are fighting in Gaza. They demanded a halt to the flow of aid into Gaza until the hostages are released.

Only nine out of the 60 trucks that arrived at the crossing made it through, the remaining 51 returned to Egypt. Another 106 trucks carrying aid crossed into Gaza after being inspected at the Rafah Crossing.

The IDF shared video footage of Gaza civilians at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, demanding an end to the war. One sign being held at the protest read “Yes to handing the prisoners over.”

Northern Front Updates:

Hezbollah continued to fire heavily on Israel’s far north today. No casualties were reported in Israel.

The IDF responded with a series of attacks on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

Earlier, the IDF gave a warning to Lebanon that a diplomatic solution must be found before the end of the month, in order to prevent a war. The end date is approaching, with no sign of diplomatic solutions with Hezbollah any times soon. Meanwhile there are strong hints from the IDF that a wider operation in the north is very close to beginning.

Houthi War Front Updates:

The US military carried out two more strikes against the Houthis in Yemen early on Wednesday, and destroyed two anti-ship missiles that were prepared and aimed at the Red Sea.

The Houthis continued to carry out their attacks, and today fired missiles at a US-flagged and owned container ship from M/V Maersk Detroit. The US Navy intercepted the missiles while escorting the ships. There have been no reports of injuries or damage to the ship.

Judea and Samaria Updates:

The IDF operated in Ramallah and Shechem (Nablus).

International Updates:

The International Court of Justice is scheduled to rule on Friday whether emergency measures will be granted against Israel, following South Africa’s accusation that the IDF is carrying out a genocide. This ruling will only be about emergency measures. A wider-ruling about genocide will take much longer, possibly years.

A small rift broke out between Israel and Qatar, after Israel’s channel 12 news shared recordings of Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu calling out Qatar as problematic. In the recordings, Netanyahu says that Qatar is no different from the UN and the Red Cross, but possibly more problematic. He points out that Qatar funds Hamas, which is the only reason they have their ears.

Majed Al Ansari, the spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, responded calling Netanyahu’s words “irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising.”

The US National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, responded to questions about IDF activity in Gaza, and said, “The Israelis have taken steps to transition their operations. They have removed a division [from Gaza] — that’s thousands of troops. They are pursuing on the ground more targeted operations against the military leadership. They are relying less on airstrikes.”

Kirby’s comments about reduced airstrikes are likely a hint of what the US is pressuring Israel into.

General Updates:

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog addressed the Knesset today, and begged politicians and all Israelis to continue with the unity, and not retreat to the societal rifts and arguments that existed before October 7th.

“It is imperative not to return to the fractious political discourse prior to October 7. Those who have fallen in battle in Gaza represent “the best of the best” of Israeli society and reflect a mosaic of people “from all over the country, from every community, a variety of lifestyles, worldviews, beliefs and religions.”

Herzog quoted the mother of a fallen soldier, who said “if the heavy price of losing my son was for the unity of the people, I am ready to accept it with submission and love.”