War Day 471: Hostages Reunited with Family, Plan to Relocate Gazans to Indonesia

War Summary, Day 471: Three hostages reunited with family, terrorists eliminated during 3-hour Hamas ceasefire delay, hostage body recovered, 90 terrorists released to Judea & Samaria and East Jerusalem, IDF, Trump considering relocating Gazans to Indonesia, and outgoing U.S. President Biden claimed that there’s no threat of Hamas returning to power in Gaza.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

94 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
120 living hostages rescued.
41 hostage bodies rescued.
1,814 Israelis killed.
411 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:

  • Body of Oron Shaul rescued
  • Hamas causes ceasefire delay of three hours
  • Terrorists eliminated during delay
  • Three hostages returned, in non-emergency physical condition
  • Cruel schedule for the return of the remaining hostages
  • 90 terrorists released to Judea & Samaria, and East Jerusalem
  • Hamas parades throughout Gaza, chants for death to Jews
  • Hamas putting on a show of strength for the PA
  • IDF withdrew from populated areas
  • Warnings of incoming rise in terrorism

Hostages:

Sometime in the past few days, the IDF and Shin Bet rescued the body of Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was killed and captured by Hamas in 2014. During Operation Protective Edge, Oron Shaul entered Shejaiya with his battalion in an armored personnel carrier (APC). The APC got stuck in a narrow alley, and as the unit stepped out to attempt to extract it, they came under fire. Seven soldiers were killed in the incident, including Iron Shaul, and the terrorists dragged his body into a tunnel.

Oron Shaul’s body was moved around Gaza several times, and the Shin Bet continued to search for it over the last decade. Years of intelligence plus recent developments led up to the recent miraculous rescue operation. His body was identified with DNA testing.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m., Hamas handed three hostages to the Red Cross, who then brought them to the IDF. The three were first reunited with their mothers at the IDF waiting point, and after an initial medical checkup, were transferred to a designated area in Sheba Hospital. The three newly released hostages are:

Romi Gonen, 24, from Kfar Vradim. Romi was taken hostage from the Nova festival after hours or running and hiding with her friends. She was shot in her hand while trying to escape the terrorists.

Emily Damari, 28, was taken by terrorists from her own home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Her mother described how she was “shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, blindfolded, bundled into the back of her own car, and driven back to Gaza.”

Doron Steinbrecher 31, a veterinary nurse, was also taken from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The last message received from her was at 10:30 am on October 7, when she sent a voice message to friends saying, “They’ve arrived, they have me.”

The terrorists made a cruel and dramatic show of handing the hostages to the Red Cross, with hoards of Hamas supporters lurching forward on them. Hamas then gave the hostages paper “gift bags,” which included photos of them in captivity, maps of Gaza and locations they were held, and a “certificate of release.”

Romi, Emily, and Doron were all able to walk on their own upon arrival, and doctors determine that there was no extreme urgency for tests—they could first take some time to reunite with their families. Emily lost two fingers after being shot on October 7th, but her hand did not show any current signs of infection. The three will have to go through a slow process of gradually reintroducing food, as to avoid referring syndrome.

After today’s three, the remaining hostages are expected to be returned in a slow and cruel pattern, in which Hamas will only reveal the names of those released the night before (or violate the terms like today, and only release the names hours before).

Day 7: 4 hostages
Day 14: 3 hostages (priority to women)
Day 21: 3 hostages
Day 28: 3 hostages
Day 35: 3 hostages
Between day 35 and 42: Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed
Day 42: 12 hostages

Terrorists & Ceasefire:

After Hamas delayed telling Israel the names of the hostages to be released today, the ceasefire began almost three hours late, at 11:15 a.m. While Hamas began celebrations immediately in the morning, the IDF continued airstrikes up until 11:15. Hamas can be expected to continue to make small violations of the ceasefire, but only enough that they know won’t cause the ceasefire to collapse.

Israel was ready to release the terrorists at the agreed time, at 8:00 pm, from Ofer Prison. However, the Red Cross representatives caused mild drama, in what sources say was a deliberate attempt to slow things down, and make it look like Israel was violating the terms.

90 terrorists were released. 78 were released to their homes in Judea and Samaria. 12 were released to their homes in East Jerusalem, from where they have free access to all of Israel.

Today’s release was for terrorists of more “mild” terror convictions, including incitement to terrorism, and identifying with intent to terror. They include 70 women (including one minor), 8 male minors, and 12 men.

Learning from previous exchanges, the IDF and Shin Bet acted to prevent celebrations surrounding the release of the terrorists, and called their families to warn against it. The IDF also significantly increased presence in Judea and Samaria, and is preparing additional counterterrorism operations in an effort to prevent Hamas from growing in strength in the area due to the newly released terrorists. The Palestinian Authority is also afraid of Hamas gaining power as a result, and is working together with the IDF to combat the local Hamas presence.

According to IDF statistics, of the 150 terrorists who were released in the November 2023 deal with Hamas, 3 were since eliminated in airstrikes and clashes while actively participating in terror activity, and around 30 were re-arrested for returning to terror activity. These 150 were also considered to have been more “mild” terrorists.

Israel’s Central Command says they intend to monitor the terrorists being released in areas under Israel’s control, and will rearrest them if necessary.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s mideast envoy, told NBC that the administration is exploring the possibility of relocating two million Gazans to a different country, maybe Indonesia, as a temporary measure until Gaza is reconstructed.

Some quick research says that such a transfer would take either 2,500 flights on the world’s largest aircraft (Airbus A380), or 265 voyages on the world’s largest cruise ships. Getting to the air or sea port would take 40,000 busses. On the flip side, it would be even more difficult to bring them all back.

Gaza has a long road ahead: According to UN estimates from late September, which was before the IDF began heavy operations in Northernmost Gaza, there was 42,000 tons of construction waste in Gaza. (After the 2021 war, for comparison, there was 6,000 tons of construction waste.) Just clearing this will take months.

Gaza:

Sirens in Sderot this morning were determined to be a false alarm.

The IDF has fully withdrawn from populated areas, and now remains only in the Netzarim Corridor, Philadelphi Corridor, and buffer zone. They are expected to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor in one week.

The IDF carried out several airstrikes in Gaza today before the ceasefire took effect at 11:15 a.m, eliminating an estimated 19 terrorists, who had stepped out in uniform too soon. Warning shots were also fired to disperse suspected who were approaching troops in the Philadelphi Corridor. (Many in Gaza only found out today that the IDF would be staying there for the first 6 weeks, after Hamas told them that the IDF fully surrendered.)

Starting at 8:30 a.m., armed Hamas terrorists returned to the streets, in full clean-pressed uniform. Uniformed Hamas police also immediately returned to the streets. In Al Jazeera footage, armed terrorists were seen parading in Rafah, in the notorious white pickup trucks. In another video, Hamas terrorists are seen leading children in chants of “Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Yahud” — an ancient Islamic rallying cry to murder Jews.

Al Jazeera also documented groups of heavily armed Hamas terrorists pouring out of the Nasser Hospital complex, the moment they thought the ceasefire went into effect.

Hamas made several large displays of strength throughout the day, however, much of it was camera illusion. Al Jazeera reporters were instructed to film from angles that made crowds look far bigger, and so a crowd of a few hundred around the hostages being released, was made to look like thousands of Hamas supporters.

Israel’s News 12 commentators explained that Hamas is working to project power, in a show mostly for the Palestinian Authority. According to Egyptian reports, the PA is expected to take over control of Gaza, and Hamas is begging to be included in their government. While the PA is refusing to have them included, Hamas is attempting to manipulate and threaten them with a puffed-up show of strength.

Al Jazeera, which is known as a Hamas mouthpiece, reported that Hamas claims that they do not want to rule Gaza after the war, and instead plans to hand it over to an independent technocratic committee which will govern all “Palestinian” areas. They want this committee to enjoy the endorsement of “all political factions.”

Hamas is notorious for taking over governments from the inside. They did it in Gaza, and nearly did it 14 years ago in the PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria (which is why they no longer have elections). Mideast experts, such as Seth Frantzman, say this is the start of Hamas’s plan to retake control, not only of Gaza, but also of Judea and Samaria.

Security has been increased all around the perimeter of Gaza, within Israel. Defense Minster Katz visited the area and said that Israel will not end the war until all hostages are returned home. However, he did not mention the second goal of the war, which was to defeat Hamas, instead, he said that Israel will remain in the buffer zone along the Gaza border, and “will respond strongly to any violation and threat.”

In a press conference today, outgoing U.S. President Biden claimed that there’s no threat of Hamas returning to power in Gaza. He lauded his choice to back Israel in the war, praising the accomplishments of severely beating Hamas, eliminating Sinwar, the chance of Lebanon rebuilding without Hezbollah, the fall of Assad, and the weakening of Iran. He added that the Palestinians now have a path to their own state, and Israel to normalization with Saudi Arabia.

Judea & Samaria:

Amichai Chikli, a Likud minister who voted against the ceasefire deal, warned that Israel needs to prepare heavily for an incoming rise in terrorism.

He explained that releasing terrorists with life sentences removes the consequences for murder: “A deal in which hundreds of murderers responsible for hundreds of Israeli deaths are released unequivocally gives a tailwind to terrorism. A life sentence becomes a fiction. If you’re not released within a decade, you’ll be released within 20, and if not within 20, then 30. It all depends on how many Israelis you kidnap along the way.”

Shikley also described how the return of hundreds of terrorists to Judea and Samaria is keeping him up at night: “I don’t think adding seven IDF companies will be enough. We need to prepare for an operation like Defensive Shield. We have a lot of work to do to make sure that this deal doesn’t become a death sentence for hundreds of civilians.”

Operation Defensive Shield was the largest counterterrorism operation in Judea and Samaria to date. Executed over six weeks in 2002, it led to the elimination of over 480 terrorists, and imprisionment of 7,000.

Sponsored anonymously by friends in Central Florida.

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