War Day 41: Terror in Yerushalayim; Biden Defends Israel

Daily war summary from Eretz Yisroel: Hostage’s body recovered, three soldiers killed, terror attack in Yerushalayim and President Joe Biden says war will continue until Hamas can no longer murder Israelis.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

War Summary, Day Forty One

239 confirmed kidnapped.
5 hostages freed.
1,200+ Israelis murdered.
54 fallen soldiers since entering Gaza.
7,262 injured.
10,000+ rockets fired at Israel.
500,000+ Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Hostage & Injured Updates:

The IDF recovered the body of Yehudit Weiss, 65, who was kidnapped by Hamas from her home on October 7th.

In response to questions, the IDF spokesman said, “Unfortunately, Yehudit was murdered by the terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and we did not manage to reach her in time. We promise that at any moment we have new information about the abductees, we will update the families and then the public.

The IDF reported that during the searches in the Shifa area, “technological means” were located which provided definitive evidence that the hostages had at some point been held at Shifa hospital. Amongst the evidence are computers with information and documentation about the evidence, including a laptop from the Hamas command and control center, which had a photo of Uri Magidish before the IDF rescued her. As of the announcement, the IDF had not yet reviewed all the information on the computer.

Gaza Front Updates:

Very few rockets were fired from Gaza today; sirens were triggered six times, all within 7 kilometers of Gaza. No injuries were reported.

The IDF announced the names of three soldiers who fell in combat in Gaza yesterday:

Capt. Shlomo Ben Nun, 22, from Modi’in
Capt. Assaf Mester, 22, from Kibbutz Bahan
Capt. Kafir Yitzhak Franco, 22, from Jerusalem,

The Chief of Staff told IDF forces inside the Gaza Strip: “We are close to destroying the military system in the north of the Gaza Strip. As much as it depends on us – we will continue to more areas.”

Defense Minister Yoav Galant gave an assessment of the situation on the civilian home front, and determined that the residents of the Gaza envelop communities (the towns and city within 7 kilometers of Gaza) would be able to return home in January.

Commander of the Air Force Major General Tomer Bar said “We are working with intensity, the face of Gaza will change, every bomb out of the tens of thousands of bombs we dropped is an intelligence-based target, it hits Hamas operatives, its commanders, the organization’s infrastructure, and its headquarters.”

The Air Force destroyed the house of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas.

The IDF release a video of rockets found underneath the bed of a little girl in Gaza, and an anti-tank missile in a baby carriage.

Shifa hospital is now a closed military zone. The IDF is continuing a slow but steady comb-through and takeover of the entire hospital, which was used as Hamas military headquarters.

Amongst the many findings in the hospital, the IDF spokesman shared, “We located at the Shifa Hospital a vehicle belonging to Hamas terrorists, which was prepared to launch an attack on October 7, and filled with many weapons.”

The IDF found Hamas weapons in many areas throughout the hospital, including Kalashnikov-type weapons and an RPG missile near the body of Yehudit Weiss.

The IDF released a video of a hole that the IDF dug on the hospital campus, which uncovered a Hamas tunnel.

In response to questions about senior Hamas officials who escaped to the south of Gaza, the IDF spokesman, the IDF spokesman said that the IDF is “fighting all over the Strip.” And that the elimination of Hamas leadership is a top priority—which the Intelligence Division and Air Force are working on.

The IDF spokesperson spoke about an attack in which senior Hamas officials were eliminated: “In recent days, reports have been published about several significant attacks by the IDF. At this point it can be said that two powerful attacks were indeed carried out on two different underground compounds. In one, several senior commanders were hiding. Among them were Ahmed Randour of the Northern Gaza Brigade, and Ayman Siam, head of the Talul Track firing system.” He later added that two other Hamas terrorists had been in the tunnel when the IDF attacked it: Rohi Moshtaha, a member of the political leadership of Hamas, and Issam Delis, who served as the head of the shadow government of Hamas in Gaza.

Gaza Humanitarian Efforts Updates:

The humanitarian corridors opened again today, and the IDF again guarded the evacuating civilians from Hamas.

1,373 trucks of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and water, have entered Gaza since October 7th.

Cyprus and Israel have begun promoting an initiative to establish a humanitarian corridor between the island and the Gaza Strip, so that the necessary aid to the residents of Gaza from around the world will be delivered through it. If established, the corridor is intended to replace the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings, so that civilian supplies are no longer transferred from Israel to Gaza, both during and after the war.

Northern Front Updates:

Sirens were triggered in the north only four times today, no injuries were reported.

The IDF responded by attacking Hezbollah military targets in Lebanon, as well as in Syria.

Major General Tomer Bar, Commander of the Air Force threatened, “The Air Force as the strategic arm of the State of Israel is prepared and operates all over the Middle East and in every required arena. Everywhere. We are of course well prepared with operational plans for the northern arena.”

Judea and Samaria Updates:

Three terrorists from Chevron arrived at the tunnel checkpoint in Jerusalem, and opened fire. IDF security responded quickly and eliminated the terrorists before more harm could be done.

Sadly, one police solder was killed:

Corporal Avraham Patna, 20 years old, from Haifa

Inside the terrorists car, the police found two M-16 weapons, 2 pistols, hundreds of bullets for weapons, about 10 cartridges full of bullets, 2 axes, and clothing similar to IDF uniforms.

Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai arrived at the scene of the attack, and said that the many weapons found in the hands of the terrorists “indicate that they intended to carry out an attack on a completely different scale elsewhere, and only the vigilance of the police and checkpoint personnel [and the help of G-d] led to their elimination. There is no doubt that there was an intention to commit a massacre here.”

The IDF has now closed the northern entrance to Hebron and isolated it from the Bethlehem district.

Israeli security forces arrested 33 wanted persons, 20 of them are associated with Hamas.

International Updates:

There was a failed attack near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo. Activists of an extreme right organization drove a commercial vehicle into a police guard post near the embassy building. One policeman was moderately injured.

During a press conference held by US President Joe Biden, the President said: “I think that Israel’s war in Gaza will stop when Hamas does not have the ability to murder and abuse Israelis.”

Minister Benny Gantz spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who stated his support for Israel and its right to defend itself, as well as the need to act to return the abductees immediately.