War Summary, Day 474: Israel preparing for return of four hostages on Shabbos, preparations for both ceasefire and war in Gaza, terrorists break ceasefire terms and approach IDF positions, Hamas commander who was fought to be eliminated, emerges, UAE agrees in principal to control Gaza, Terrorists eliminated in Operation Iron Walls and Houthis threaten a return to action.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
94 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
120 living hostages rescued.
41 hostage bodies rescued.
1,815 Israelis killed.
411 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
87 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
15 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,683 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
80,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.
Top Headlines:
– Israel pushing for Arbel Yehud’s release, with three observers
– Hamas expected list with status of the 30 hostages to be released
– Preparations for both ceasefire and war in Gaza
– Terrorists break ceasefire terms, approach IDF positions
– Hamas commander who was fought to be eliminated, emerges
– Barel Samuel’s killer eliminated
– UAE agrees in principal to control Gaza
– Terrorists eliminated in Operation Iron Walls
– Houthis threaten a return to action
Hostages:
Israel is preparing for the return of the next four hostages on Shabbat. According to the agreement, three of the five female IDF soldiers are supposed to be released this time. The five female IDF hostages were observers, whose job was to surveil Gaza for suspicious activity. They were taken hostage from the Nachal Oz base right next to the Gaza border. Hamas video footage from their capture shows that Hamas subjected them to severe abuse.
Israel is pushing for the fourth hostage released on Shabbat afternoon to be Arbel Yehud was 28-years-old when she was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was home to three generations of her family. Her brother, Dolev Yehud, was killed on October 7th, and her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, was also taken hostage. Arbel’s family voiced strong concerns that she might be abused by her Hamas captors.
Also on Shabbat, the ceasefire agreement stipulates that Hamas must provide a full list of the remaining 30 hostages, with their health statuses—including who amongst them was killed. Israel currently estimates that at least 22 are still alive. The combination of the release of the four hostages, and the publication of which hostages were killed, will make it an extremely emotional day for Israel.
Once Hamas provides this list, and releases the hostages, Israel will open up the coastal road to allow unarmed Gazans to return to the strip’s north. Those re-entering by foot will not need to go through any security inspection. Vehicles will be inspected by a private company, which is yet to be determined by the mediators and Israel. Starting from the 22nd day, Gazans will also be able to return via the Salah a-Din road, under the same conditions.
Israel emphasized that the first road will only be opened after Hamas returns the next four hostages, and provides the full list.
There are still dual reports about whether the second phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal will come about. Israel is clearly preparing for both possible scenarios.
Even though negotiations for the second phase were only supposed to start on the 16th day pf the ceasefire, the Mossad and Shin Bet heads have already met with Egyptian intelligence to discuss security arrangements for the second phase. The second phase is supposed to include a full IDF withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Gazan side of the border between Gaza and Egypt. Gazans, including terrorists, have already attempted to approach the area.
Israeli cabinet ministers told Israel Hayom that in theory, if it were possible to achieve the goals of the war through the framework of the ceasefire agreement, then they wouldn’t oppose the second phase. But, they stipulated that the chances of Hamas agreeing to disarm and dissolve are very slim. The cabinet ministers said that Trump clearly committed to Netanyahu that he will fully support a return to war if Hamas violates the agreement or does not agree to the Israeli demands for the second phase of negotiations.
According to Politico’s sources in the Trump administration, Trump’s team is hard at work on bringing about the next phase of the ceasefire. On Monday night, Trump did say he was “not confident” whether the second phase would happen, and added that “It’s not our war, it’s their [Israel’s] war. I’m not confident, but they’re very weakened on the other side.”
The IDF is preparing military plans for both possibilities, and Netanyahu seems to be as well. Perhaps most telling, is that Netanyahu is ensuring that the ministerial positions left by the Otzma Yehudit party will be easy to return to them when/if they return at a restart to the war. Netanyahu assigned these positions to members of his own party who are considered to be low power, and won’t shake anything up.
Gaza:
IDF soldiers stationed in the buffer zone, and particularly in the Philadelphi Corridor, were again forced to open fire several times, after Gazans violated the ceasefire agreement and approached their positions.
In one incident, armed terrorists—including one identified as a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist, approached an IDF position and ignored warning shorts. The IDF troops then shot directly at them, and eliminated the PIJ terrorist. In other incidents, the terrorists approached wearing masks.
Hamas and the PIJ can be executed to continue testing Israel’s seriousness in the buffer zone. They know that at least for the first phase, Israel does not want the deal to break. Hamas wants to weaken the strength of the buffer zone rule, as they did with the pre-October 7th rule not to approach the border fence.
Gazan media reports that after the ceasefire, the body of Hamas terrorist Muhammad Jasser was found—indicating that he was recently eliminated in battle. During a Hamas-planned riot in 2021, in which thousands of Gazans mobbed the border fence, Jasser approached the fence, and shot through a sniper hole, killing an IDF Border Police at close range. The hero officer killed was Staff Sgt. Barel Hadaria Shmueli.
The IDF announced that the Givati Brigade has fully withdrawn from Gaza, and is now preparing for future operations. The Givati Brigade lost 86 soldiers since the morning of October 7th, 2023.
Gaza Day After:
Hamas has been severely weakened in Gaza, and their ability to operate as an organized army was nearly dismantled. But they have not been defeated, and are quickly reorganizing and recruiting. Hamas police are back in control of the streets, and Gazans are once again extremely afraid to dissent. If Hamas still exists during the rebuilding of Gaza, they will take full advantage of the construction to rebuild their terror infrastructure and mafia power.
Whether the war restarts or not, Israel needs a solution to ensure that Hamas does not control Gaza in the future. There are four main options under discussion:
- Retaking Gaza. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, under beliefs that giving the Gazans a state of their own would end, or at least reduce, terrorism. Seventeen Jewish communities totaling 8,600 residents were forcefully evacuated, to make Gaza Jew-free. Ahead of the withdrawal, U.S. President Bush promised Israel that America would help remove all terror threats from Gaza, were they to arise. This plan failed.
However, Israel is not strongly considering retaking Gaza, primarily due to both international opinion, and the cost of keeping an IDF presence throughout Gaza, under constant risk of attack by small terror cells. - Military occupation. In this scenario, the IDF would control the government and security of Gaza, which would severely weaken Hamas. However, the IDF soldiers would still be under constant risk of attack by terror cells.
- A Palestinian State, run by the Palestinian Authority (PA). While many friends of the Palestinians want this, the wide consensus is that the PA is too corrupt and too weak for this, and will easily lead back to another terror state.
- A third country take control of Gaza. Here the concern is both if the third country will be safe, and if they are capable and trustworthy of keeping terrorism at bay in the longterm.
Israel Hayom reported that Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached an agreement in principal to manage the Gaza Strip after the war. The UAE says they would rebuild Gaza in a way that doesn’t threaten Israel, and will use their experience in de-radicalization to lead the Gazans away from violent jihad, and towards more peaceful Islamic values. The UAE is one of the few countries in the world with such experience. The UAE is also likely to invest in the economy of Gaza, taking advantage of the beautiful beaches and ideal weather.
However, the UAE says they will only do this if the people of Gaza want it, and request it. Being that the plan was raised by the Israeli government, it’s unlikely Gaza will show support for it, unless other countries push for it, particularly Qatar.
The UAE believes in a two-state solution, and wants a Palestinian State. While they see the PA is too corrupt and weak at the moment, they think they can shape a different future. Many Israelis are very skeptical of this, and believe that any promises of a state only encourage further terror. In addition, there are concerns that it will lead to a forced Palestinian State in Judea and Samaria, despite it being against Jewish law to give away biblical Jewish lands, and of course, another path to further terrorism.
Judea & Samaria:
In a first, a drone with a pipe bomb was found near the Jewish town of Yitzhar. IDF sappers neutralised the device. The IDF is investigating the incident, and the likelihood of a planned terror attack.
Operation Iron Wall is ongoing in Jenin.
The IDF and Shin Bet hit more than 10 terrorists during the operation today. Several airstrikes were used, and numerous explosive devices were neutralized.
In the nearby Burqin area, troops used the “pressure cooker” tactic to eliminate two armed terrorists. The tactic involves surrounding a building, and slowly escalating use of fire, until the terrorists are flushed out. Today’s pressure cooker operation took four hours.
Troops also operated in Shechem (Nablus), Chevron (Hebron), Bethlehem, Tulkarem, and other villages, where they arrested 12 terror suspects.
According to local reports, the PA is also at work in Jenin, and had their security forces arrest the commander of the PIJ in Jenin, Muslim Masarwa, who was hiding in a Jenin hospital. While the PA has strong ties to terrorism under their own wings, they are threatened by Hamas and PIJ groups who have taken control of much of the PA’s northern cities and villages.
In the evening, terrorists threw Molotov cocktails at the Huwara bypass road, and large stones and possibly a Molotov cocktail at a bus on the Hosen bypass road near Beitar.
Lebanon:
With just four days left until the IDF is expected to withdraw from Southern Lebanon, troops are still finding Hezbollah weapons along the border. The IDF says that this week, troops on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov captured numerous weapons, including anti-tank missiles and launchers, rocket launchers, and machine guns. These are all weapons which pose a high risk to the Israeli border towns.
Iran is already back at work rearming and funding Hezbollah. Sky News in Arabic reports that Iran is using international airlines to transfer money to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The regime is doing this by sending “diplomats” with suitcases full of cash on commercial flights operated by foreign countries. These money messenger, fly from Iran to various countries in the region, and from there continue to Lebanon.
Yemen:
Arab media reports that the Houthis are threatening to resume their missile launches at Israel, in response to the IDF operation in Jenin.
Earlier today, the Houthis announced the release of 25 crew members of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which they had hijacked more than a year ago. The ship, owned by Israeli businessman Rami Unger, was chartered to a British company. There were no Israelis on board, only crew members of various nationalities. The Houthis had famously tried to pretend that the captured crew were Israelis, and published a list of Israeli names they found on the internet—without realizing that it was a list of pun names.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump today put the Houthis back on the list of designated foreign terror organizations. The Houthis were removed from this list by the Biden administration in 2021.
Iran:
Iranian regime leader, Ayatollah Khameni, who has an excessive X/Twitter habit, voiced some propaganda which encapsulates the mindset and current belief of Islamic terror groups. He wrote:
“The oppressive, brutal Zionist regime has come to the negotiating table with the same Hamas that they wanted to destroy, and they’ve accepted its terms for a ceasefire. This is why we say that the Resistance is alive.”
Other:
Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he will interview three candidates for the next IDF chief of staff starting on Sunday:
Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, current deputy chief of staff
Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, Director General of the Defense Ministry
Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, former Ground Forces chief.
Eyal Tamir is thought to be Netanyahu’s top choice. He’s known for his more proactive military leanings, and advocacy for preemptive action—especially against Iran.
Sponsored by Tamar and Gary Moskow in honor of the Yartzheit of our father, Betzalel Ben Avraham (Cyril Shlagman) on the 23rd of Tevet.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I find very little good news in these posts unfortunately. Maybe no need to post everyday? Idk just a thought.
It’s true that these roundups are far superior to anything else that exists these days, but still. We come to Anash for a place where not EVERYTHING must be reported, etc etc
Just some food for thought
Our actions here in Crown Heights or wherever you are have an effect on Eretz Yisroel and can bring baout that Good News we are all looking for.
These posts show us how much we need to shape ourselves up so that it has positive effects on Eretz Yisroel and Yidden worldwide.
With all the appreciation for this writers work, I would like to suggest that the Rebbe’s approach be addapted and voiced.
This is in reference to the written above about establishing a Palestinian state in Judah and Samaria as being against Jewish law in giving away biblical jewish land.
The Rebbe’s opinion is clearly that this is against Jewish law of Pikuach Nefesh and that limiting it only to the claim for biblical Jewish land, undermines the claim and pronouncement about Pikuach Nefesh.
In our time today when the truce in the Rebbe’s words about Pikuach Nefesh has proven itself beyond all doubt, and at the same time, there isn’t a single voice anywhere (besides in Lubavitch) that is even mentioning the Rebbe’s opinion, the open Chilul Hashem – and open Chilul Pikucah Nefesh of Yidden – transpassses all limits.
This is only exacerbated when in a news report that targets the Lubavitcher reader, the voice of Bnei Akiva and Mizrachi (with all the validity that it may have) about biblical land is being voiced, and not that of the Rebbe about Pikuach Nefesh. [The added few words about risk of terror etc, doesn’t help].
All this is being written with the fullest respect for the wonderful work of the writer, and I’m sure it will dealt with the fullest responsibility. Thank you.
The point of publishing these reports is to enable us to get a comprehensive and factual view of the situation in Eretz Yisroel without all the smoke and confusion one experiences when reading the news on various websites etc. If the news is good then it is good, if the news is the opposite of good then it is the opposite of good R”L.
Presumably most people reading this website are familiar with the Rebbe’s view based on siman 329 in Shulchan Aruch but perhaps it would be kedai that in addition to publishing these reports, an additional feature outlining the Rebbe’s view be published as well because most people are not aware of the basis of it and can mistakenly assume that Chabad is another right wing, pro Zionist organization R”L.
Just a thought. Thank you for doing what you do.
If anyone actually checks for news on Anash.org every day, you would notice that they have published many aricles explaning the Rebbe’s opinion on almost every part of the conflicts in the middle east. There are so may well written articles published on the site to date with all this info.
And regarding the point of articles not sounding posotive when theres little good news, I don’t understand, you want people to go on CNN or the other C to check news!? Chas VeSholom. Only use Anash.org for news.
Yes, I agree, anash.org does convey the Rebbe’s opinion clearly, and I also very much appreciate the information that the writer of these reports shares with us. May Hashem bless her.
Nevertheless, the total indifference (if I may say so) that exists today among the frumer parties in Israel (and actually everywhere), regarding the issue of Pikuach Nefesh as spelled out by the Rebbe, defies all boundaries, and if I dare to say so, there are also many in Lubavitch who may not have it clear. Therefore, in a report that is targeted for the Lubavitch reader, and especially in such an issue, the Rebbe’s opinion should be voiced and come through clearly.
As I wrote initially, I’m fully appreciative of this writers work, and my intention is only to bring this point to her attention, and I’m sure she’ll deal with it responsibly.