War Day 461: Houthis Launch Drones, Congress to Sanction ICC

War Summary, Day 461: One of the most influential journalists in Israel pushes for annexation, an Arab is arrested for an attempted bombing attack, three drones are launched by the Houthis, a new Lebanese president is elected, and Congress passes a bill to sanction the ICC.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

99 held captive in Gaza.
37 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
117 living hostages rescued.
39 hostage bodies rescued.
1,803 Israelis killed.
403 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
87 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
14 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,683 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
88,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

– Thank G-d, no Israeli war casualties today!
– Amit Segal pushes annexation
– Top Hamas commander and his deputy eliminated
– Israeli-Arab arrested for attempted bombing attack
– Israeli airstrike in Lebanon against Hezbollah ceasefire violation
– New Lebanese president
– Three drones from the Houthis
– IDF finds in Syria
– Al-Julani leaks his Jihadi aspirations against Israel
– Congress passes bill to sanction ICC
– Two Israeli Americans sue the Biden admin over sanctions

Hostages:

Reuters reported that negotiation talks are progressing, even though major differences remain. The Reuters report also claimed that Netanyahu added a new condition, but it is in fact something that Israel has always insisted on from the beginning: Israel insists on maintaining the buffer zone, which stretches along the perimeter of Gaza. The IDF paved this buffer zone over the past year, with a width of one kilometer into Gaza. The buffer was created to ensure that Hamas cannot break into civilian communities in Israel again.

Israel’s most popular political commentator, Amit Segal, published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, in which he says that annexing part of Gaza is the only way to unleash hell on Hamas. Unlike normal governments, Hamas sees the destruction in Gaza and suffering of its people as a good thing. They are not afraid of death either—jihadist terrorists embrace martyrdom. But the biggest—and perhaps only—failure to any Jihadi group, is losing land.

Segal suggests that Israel annex parts of Northernmost Gaza, which once was home to Jewish communities, and was after turned into Hamas’s greatest strongholds. These areas have the heaviest concentration of Hamas infrastructure, especially tunnels, and were used for some of the heaviest attacks against Israel. Creating an expanded buffer zone in Northern Gaza, Segal says, will both significantly weaken Hamas, and provide more security to Israel. The threat of losing even more land, would ultimately force Hamas to return the hostages.

In the history of Arab wars against Israel, no Muslim country or terror group ever admitted defeat or agreed to a lasting ceasefire without first losing land to Israel.

(Another, more wildly creative suggestion came from Eyal Ofer, an expert on Hamas’s finances. Hamas owns an estimated $1 billion in Israel 200 shekel bills, stashed away in Gaza. Ofer suggests that the bank of Israel give Israelis a chance to trade in all their 200 shekel bills, before cancelling the bill altogether. Hamas would then lose a billion in fortune, which Israel could offer to reinstate only once all the hostages are returned.)

Gaza:

Thank G-d, there were no fallen heroes today!

There are currently three divisions operating in Gaza. The 162nd Division is in Northernmost Gaza, destroying remaining Hamas infrastructure. The 99th Division is in the Netzarim Corridor, which is used to launch small-scale operations in Gaza City, Central Gaza, and Khan Younis. The 143rd Division (aka the Gaza Division) is operating in Rafah, along the Philadelphi Corridor, and in the buffer zone which stretches along the length Gaza’s border with Israel.

An IDF drone strike eliminated Osama Abu Namus, who was the commander of Hamas’s Sabra Battalion, which is part of the Gaza City Brigade. A follow-up airstrike eliminated his deputy commander and several terror operatives from his charge. Abu Namus was considered a “significant source of knowledge” in Hamas, and was responsible for directing attacks on Israel, particularly targeting IDF soldiers who were operating in the Netzarim Corridor.

Significant parts of Central Gaza still remain largely untouched by the war.

Some activists from Gaza have launched a new campaign called “We Want Dignity,” revolting against Hamas, and demanding an end to the war.

Counterterrorism:

The Shin Bet and Border Police arrested Muhammad Bushkar, an Israeli-Arab from the town of Kabul who was planning a bombing attack. Bushkar’s father lived in Palestinian Authority controlled areas, and likely gained Israeli residency through marriage. Bushkar was found to be researching explosive production, and had purchased the supplies needed to create an explosive belt. He also owned a handgun. The attempted bomber had tried to recruit other Arab Israelis to carry out the attack with him, but was unsuccessful.

Lebanon:

This morning, the IDF spotted Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon loading up a vehicle with weapons, taken from a building known to be used by Hamas. The IDF used an airtime to eliminate the threat.

After two years of a deadlock, the Lebanese parliament held elections, and voted Joseph Aoun as president. Joseph Auon is a Maronite Christian, and had been the Chief-of-Staff of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). Aoun was the Biden Admin’s first choice, and with background assistance from the Americans and Saudis, takes over from the Hezbollah-friendly interim president.

Aoun is an opponent of Hezbollah, and in his inaugural speech, said that he would ensure that the LAF would be the only body in Lebanon to bear arms. He received an extended applause from much of the parliament floor for this statement. While Aoun did not bow to Hezbollah as commander of the LAF, he doesn’t either have a track-record for disarming them.

Auon is favored by the west for his opposition to Hezbollah, but he is not either a clear friend of Israel. Also in his inaugural speech, Auon said he intends to ensure that none of the nearly 500,000 Palestinians in Lebanon receive Lebanese citizenship. He explained that this is specifically in order to ensure their “right of return.” Aoun also aligns with Lebanon’s official stance, considering Israel an “enemy state,” and promised to remove “the enemy” from Lebanese territories.

While it is definitely an improvement, Israel does not seem overly optimistic about Aoun’s presidency. Still, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, wrote: “I congratulate Lebanon upon the election of a new President, following a lengthy political crisis. I hope that this choice will contribute towards stability, a better future for Lebanon and its people and to good neighborly relations.”

Yemen:

The Houthis in Yemen launched three attack drones towards Israel this evening. The first triggered sirens in the small community of Gevulot, bear the Gaza border, and was intercepted by air defenses over Israel. The next two followed shortly afterwards, and were intercepted over the Mediterranean Sea. No physical injuries were reported.

Overnight, the US and British Air Forces attacked Houthi military sites in northwestern Yemen, in the provinces of Amran and Al-Hudaydah, and in an area south of the capital Sanaa.

Since the beginning of the war, the Houthis in Yemen have launched over 40 ballistic missiles at Israel. Almost all were intercepted by Israeli air defenses, except for one which the IDF failed to intercept, and two which were only partially intercepted. A few fell short.

The IDF also recorded over 320 drones launched by the Houthis towards Israel, most of which fell short. Over 100 were intercepted by Israel, a few landed in empty desert areas of Israel, and two made impact on populated areas.

Iran:

PM Netanyahu held a discussion on Iran today with the participation of Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, the top brass of the defense establishment, and the ministers in the smaller government cabinet. Such a meeting indicates strong discussion, but no decision yet. For any action, Netanyahu must first convene the wider government cabinet, though he may do this at the last moment, in quiet, in order to catch Iran by surprise.

Perhaps without realizing it, the Iranian regime has shifted much of their rhetoric from threats against Israel to posturing about their defense capabilities. Lately, the IRGC has been releasing videos and statements displaying drills and (imaginary) capabilities for defending against Israeli war planes and heavy bombs. In other words, Iran has shifted from the offensive to the defensive.

Syria:

IDF soldiers in southern Syria discovered a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle loaded with ammunition. The troops were operating in the buffer zone near the border and slightly beyond it. Along with the armored vehicle, they also found other weapons stockpiles, which were either seized or destroyed. The IDF says the goal is to stop these weapons from reaching enemies who could use them to attack Israeli soldiers or civilians in the Golan Heights.

A recent video of Syria’s new leader, al-Julani, shows him talking about his Jihadi aspirations, and particularly the “Palestinian cause,” explaining that “it’s a big duty for Muslims to strive for its liberation.” Al-Julani may be keeping these aspirations quiet for now, in order to gain western support and rebuild Syria, but the aspirations still exist.

Other:

– The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), to pressure it over “actions deemed unfairly directed against Israel.” The bill passed by a majority of 243 to 140. The sanctions could include economic restrictions or restrictions on the entry of court officials into the United States. Despite bipartisan support in the House, it is still unclear how the bill will fare in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to pass.

– Issachar Manne of “Manne Farms, and Yitzhak Levi Pilant, both American-Israeli dual citizens, have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration after they faced sanctions meant to apply to “foreign persons” who engaged in extremism in Judea and Samaria. In addition to being illegally categorized as “foreign persons,” their constitutional right to a due process was violated. The vague sanctions led to their bank accounts being frozen, which damaged Manne’s business, and made Pilant unable to receive pay for IDF reserve duty, which he’s been on nonstop since October 2023.

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