War Summary, Day Two Hundred and Eleven: Elyakim Libman, who was thought to have been taken hostage was declared dead after his body was found in Israel mixed up and buried together with another victim, An airstrike in Rafah eliminated Iman Zareb a senior PIJ commander with a notorious terrorism record, and satellite imagery shows the beginnings of a road being constructed leading towards Rafah in southernmost Gaza.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
War Summary, Day Two Hundred and Eleven:
132 held captive in Gaza.
112 hostages freed.
12 hostage bodies rescued.
38 hostages confirmed murdered in Gaza.
1,495 Israelis murdered.
263 fallen soldiers in the battle in Gaza.
7 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
4 fallen soldiers in Judea & Samaria.
11,600+ injured.
13,570 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 continues to drag out negotiations
- Senior PIJ terrorist eliminated in Rafah
- The IDF appears to be building a direct road from Israel to Rafah
- Hamas has been stealing millions from the Bank of Palestine
- A woman was injured by Hezbollah fire in the north
- The IDF carried out a major counterterrorism operation to eliminate a terror cell
Hostage Updates:
Elyakim Libman, who was thought to have been taken hostage to Gaza on October 7th, was declared dead, after his body was found in Israel. His remains had sadly been mixed up and buried together with another victim. Elyakim was a hero security guard and medic at the Nova Festival, who stayed through the attack, treating other victims, until he himself was killed.
Negotiations for a deal are ongoing, with reports both that it may happen and that it won’t. It appears as though both sides don’t want the deal, but need to make it look like they do want it and tried before it falls through. Hamas is also benefiting from dragging talks as long as possible, and delaying the Rafah operation. Some say they may drag it out for another week.
Hamas is continuing to demand that any deal include a complete IDF withdrawal from Gaza and end of the war—something which Israel continues to say will not happen. Hamas leaks claim that the U.S. guaranteed that the deal will include an end to the war in a second stage—and that if Israel opposes it, the U.S. will force it.
Other rumors include the release of Fatah arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti, though only to Gaza and not his previous home in Judea and Samaria. Barghouti is largely considered to have been the leader of the terror attacks in the first and second intifadas.
The Washington Post reported that U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the Prime Minister of Qatar that the country should expel senior Hamas officials from Doha if they continue to oppose the deal. Reuters reported that Qatar might close Hamas’s political office in Doha, in response to the pressure. It’s unclear why the U.S. didn’t demand that Qatar kick out the leaders of Hamas on October 7th, when they first took 244 hostages.
Gaza Front Updates:
Hamas tried but failed to launch rockets at Israeli civilians over the last few days.
Thank G-d, the IDF did not announce any fallen heroes today.
The IDF are carrying out operations in various areas throughout Gaza, but are not speaking about much of it, perhaps not to derail negotiations. I’ll only write what the IDF did release, or what has become public information.
In Central Gaza the Air Force supported ground forces with airstrikes against Hamas mortar launching positions, as well as other Hamas positions and terrorists during operations along the coast.
In a display of confidence that humiliated Hamas across Arabic social media, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi was photographed meeting with troops on the beach of Central Gaza on Friday afternoon.
In Southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, terrorists attempted to fire rockets at Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha in Israel, but the rocket fell short just before the border fence. The IDF struck the site of the launcher and various associated sites. The rocket had been launched from an area where Gazan civilians were sheltering, and the IDF evacuated them before carrying out the airstrike.
An airstrike in Rafah eliminated Iman Zareb, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander with a notorious terrorism record, who had led elite PIJ forces in the October 7th massacre on Kibbutz Sufa and a nearby IDF outpost.
Zareb had been spending the last few days training and preparing his terrorist fighters for the IDF’s offensive in Rafah, and was eliminated in his hideout with two other terrorists.
Late at night after Shabbat, more heavy airstrikes were reported in Rafah.
Satellite imagery now shows the beginnings of a road being constructed just south of the Kerem Shalom crossing in Israel, leading towards Rafah in southernmost Gaza.
Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:
On May 2:
400 trucks of humanitarian aid transferred to Gaza.
56 pallets, containing thousands of meals airdropped over northern Gaza.
According to UN reports, the problem in Gaza no longer is supply of food, but money for civilians to purchase it with. The food in Gaza is all humanitarian aid sent by other countries, which is supposed to be distributed for free. However, Hamas and some other terror groups and local gangs hijack and sell the aid for whatever prices they feel like, to both profit, and create a famine.
Hamas isn’t only drying up Gaza cash via the aid: French daily Le Monde cited a Bank of Palestine document sent to “certain international partners,” detailing the theft of around $70 million from the bank coffers by militants sent by Hamas.
Northern Front Updates:
Hezbollah continues to fire from Lebanon onto Israeli communities in Israel’s far north. On Friday a 43-year-old woman was injured from the shrapnel of an intercepted attack drone over the Upper Galilee, and a heavy barrage at Mount Meron caused no damage or injuries.
The Israeli Air Force struck several Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon, and shelled Hezbollah positions along the border. Troops in the north continue with readiness exercises preparing for a possible larger war with Hezbollah.
Judea and Samaria Updates:
The IDF eliminated 5 terrorists and detained one in an operation near Tulkarm today. The terrorists, three of which had previously been in Israeli prison, belonged to Hamas and PIJ, and were behind two terrorist attacks: a shooting in April, which killed Sgt. First Class (res.) Elhanan Klein, and a shooting and attempted bombing in April which injured two Israelis. They were also planning more terror attacks, using bombs.
The operation, which lasted over 12 hours, was carried out using the “pressure cooker” method, in which the IDF’s elite Yamam unit surrounded the building where the terrorists holed up, and used increasing attacks and airstrikes to force them out. One Yamam officer was severely wounded and is in very serious condition.
Thank you for these updates. We know it takes time, energy etc. Really appreciate them.
Bsurot tovot!