War Summary, Day 482: New information about the conditions they were held in, Hamas promises safer releases for next hostages, Gazans dress up car as UN vehicle to get past security, Trump insists he will get Egypt and Jordan to take in Gazans, Witkoff says 10-15 years to rebuild Gaza, and IDF shoots down Hezbollah surveillance drone.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
82 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
136 living hostages rescued.
41 hostage bodies rescued.
1,817 Israelis killed.
411 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
87 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
16 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:
– Hostages released
– PIJ terrorists orchestrate horrific mob around hostages
– New information about the conditions they were held in
– Hamas promises safer releases for next hostages
– Gazans dress up car as UN vehicle, to get past security
– Trump insists he will get Egypt and Jordan to take in Gazans
– Witkoff says 10-15 years to rebuild Gaza
– IDF hero killed in Jenin
– Terrorists eliminated in Jenin
– Terrorists celebrate release
– IDF shoots down Hezbollah surveillance drone
Hostages:
Three Israeli hostages and five Thai hostages were released today.
Agam Berger, 19, was the last of the IDF surveillance (observer) soldiers to be released. Hamas repeated the same dramatic show as they had done for her four friends on Shabbat–she was forced to wear a fake IDF uniform, and go on a stage for a ceremony in which the Red Cross signed nonsensical release papers. Agam stood bravely through the whole ordeal, and reached Israel safely.
After her release, we learned that Agam had been with her friend Liri Albag for most of the time. The two were very stubborn and resisted being brought underground into tunnels, and therefore spent most of the time overground. They faced cruel abuse at the hands of their captors, including a “civilian” family. However, they kept each other strong. Last week, Hamas told them that Lili would go free but not Agam, and they refused to separate, until the terrorists tricked them into it.
Arbel Yehud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, were released later in the day. The two had been kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz, and held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The PIJ terrorists organized a huge crowd of terror supporters outside the destroyed home of Yahya Sinwar, in Khan Younis. The terrorists deliberately parked at a distance from the Red Cross vehicles, so that the two hostages would have to walk through the mob. Al Jazeera broadcast the whole event live. Footage shows hundreds of jeering men trying to attack the young woman and elderly man, while the terrorists barely manage to hold them back.
Gadi Moses was in stable condition, and was able to walk on his own, and held his head high. He told his family that what kept him going over the last 14 months was his determination to return and rebuild his kibbutz. Gadi had been with other hostages during his captivity.
Arbel Yehud was kept in horrific conditions in a dark tunnel completely on her own for 14 months. The first human (non-terrorist) face she saw was that of Gadi Moses, this morning. Gadi, a kibbutz grandfather, embraced and comforted her. Arbel was barely given any food during captivity, and suffered severe malnutrition. After being greeted by her family, she learned that her brother had been killed on October 7th, and her partner is still in captivity. Arbel’s family requested privacy, and asked that the public not share the footage of her being pulled through the terrorist mob today.
Hamas also released Thai hostages Pongsak Thenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Lamnau, without any drama.
After the terrifying and life-threatening fiasco around Arbel and Gadi’s release, PM Netanyahu stopped the busses with the 110 terrorists to be released, and said that they wouldn’t continue until Israel received guarantees for the safe release of the next hostages. An agreement was eventually made, and the terrorists were released at 5:00 p.m.
One of the “civilian” woman who kept the hostages in her home, went on live TV to show off about it.
Tomorrow (Friday), Hamas is required to release the names of three hostages to be released on Shabbat. Now that the women have all been released, the next are the injured, ill, and elderly men.
Gaza:
The private American security groups operating the crossing into Northern Gaza caught a vehicle dressed with UN stickers, which turned out to be a Gazan vehicle attempting to avoid inspection. There’s at least one business in Gaza that sells custom stickers to dress up vehicles as of they belonged to the UN or other authorized humanitarian groups.
The IDF announced that shortly before the ceasefire begun, they successfully eliminated two terrorists who had attacked the Nir Oz IDF base on October 7th, and were involved in the brutal kidnapping of the female surveillance soldiers—including the terrorist who was filmed pulling an injured Naama Levy by her hair. The IDF had waited for these hostages to be safely in Israel before making the announcement.
After months of denying it, and claiming he was alive and well, Hamas finally made an announcement confirming the death of Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military wing, who the IDF had eliminated in June.
In a press conference, a reporter asked U.S. President Trump what he would do to make Jordan and Egypt take in the Gazans, after they both insisted that they wouldn’t. Trump responded, “They’re gonna do it. Okay? We do a lot for them, and they’re gonna do it.”
(A major question is how they will do it, and survive. Jordan is already extremely unstable, and has a history of Palestinian groups attempting to overthrow the kingdom.)
Trump’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, who is also a real estate developer, told Axios that rebuilding Gaza would take 10 to 15 years, including at least 5 years just to clear the rubble. He described Gaza as “uninhabitable,” and explained that “there is nothing left standing. Many unexploded ordnances. It is not safe to walk there. It is very dangerous. I wouldn’t have known this without going there and inspecting.”
While in Israel, Witkoff was shown the exclusive and horrific IDF film with footage of the October 7th massacre. Witkoff was reportedly very affected by the film, and the IDF hopes that he came to understand the importance of completely eradicating Hamas and the PIJ.
Steve Witkoff also met with Israeli Minister of Finance, Betzalel Smotrich, who the Biden administration had sanctioned over his right-wing views. Witkoff may be working to convince Smotrich to accept a second phase of the deal. His strongest selling point would be the deportation of Gazans, something which Smotrich is very interested in.
Judea & Samaria:
Operation Iron Walls is ongoing.
The IDF announced the name of a hero who fell in battle in Jenin:
Staff Sgt. Liam Hazi, 20, from Rosh Haayin.
Liam Hazi was killed in a close-combat gunfight with several terrorists, in which his unit was ambushed after entering a building. Five other soldiers were injured in the incident, with one listed in serious condition.
The IDF confirmed that last night’s airstrike eliminated 10 armed terrorists. (According to the flags draped over their coffins, the terrorists were a mix from Hamas, PIJ, ISIS, and the PFLP. Amongst the terrorists killed, were two who detonated a bomb in Tamnun ten days ago, which killed Sgt. First Class (res.) Eviatar Ben Yehuda and injured several others.
Israeli police of the elite Yamam counterterrorism unit eliminated a wanted terrorist in Shechem (Nablus). The terrorist, who was armed, attempted to flee. The Shin Bet say that he was involved in “planning and advancing terror attacks against Israeli targets.” Israel is holding his body.
Israel gave several warnings against holding welcoming parties for terrorists released today, with individual warnings to each family. In cases where parties were actively being planned, the IDF carried out preemptive arrests. In one location, soldiers destroyed the setup for a welcome party planned for one of the terrorists, by breaking the wooden chairs which were set up.
Still, at least one party happened anyway. Footage on social media shows an indoor celebration in Ramallah, for Zacharias Zubaidi, in which he is lifted on celebrants shoulders, as they dance around him. Zubaidi is the former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Jenin, and is responsible for the murder of 6 Israelis. Because Zubaidi sent someone else to carry out the attack, which he planned, and because of his connection to the Palestinian Authority, Zubeidi wasn’t deported to a third country, and was instead sent back to his family in Ramallah.
Terrorists were also seen throwing Molotov cocktails at Jewish drivers on Highway 60, in Gush Etziyon. No injuries were reported.
Israel Hayom reported, and shared footage, of a young terrorist who was recently released in the hostage deal, working at a construction site in Jerusalem. In the video, the terrorist was operating a massive rotary hammer drill, which he briefly picked up to point like a gun, while dancing in place. The construction company later explained that the terrorist had been brought to work by a subcontractor, whose contract was immediately terminated.
Lebanon:
Two sirens on the northern border this morning were reported to be a false alarm. The IDF later announced that they intercepted a Hezbollah surveillance drone. No further information was given, though this is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement—which Hezbollah has already completely broken by remaining in Southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah is slowly upping their antics, pushing the limits of what the can get with while the ceasefire agreement still stands.
The IDF also announced that last night they carried out an airstrike to destroy Hezbollah engineering equipment which was being used to rebuild Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure.
Sponsored anonymously in honor of Bruria’s thorough & thought-provoking updates.
VIDEO:
1. There are currently 132 living hostages rescued.
2. Agam Berger is currently 20 years old.
3. Mohammed Deif was eliminated on July 13th, 2024.