War Summary, Day 514: Israel threatens to cut supplies in Gaza if hostages aren’t returned, deadline for new deal or war may be Purim, terrorists eliminated after approaching IDF positions in Gaza, unusual terror attack in Haifa, more IDF action in Syria, Druze in Syria raise Israeli flag, IDF reveals that the brush on the Lebanese side of the border has been cleared, and representatives of Bibas family file lawsuit against Al Jazeera.
By Mrs. Bruria Efune
59 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
147 living hostages rescued.
49 hostage bodies rescued.
1,828 Israelis killed.
413 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
87 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
18 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,683 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
70,000 Israelis displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.
Top Headlines:
– Footage of IDF hostage, Matan Engerst, released
– Israel turns off power for two desalination plants in Central Gaza
– Threats of more power outages and water supply cuts if hostages aren’t returned
– Deadline for new deal or war may be Purim
– Hamas refuses to release hostages for anything but end to war
– At least two terrorists eliminated after approaching IDF positions in Gaza
– Hamas training new terrorists, reorganizing
– Unusual terror attack in Haifa
– More IDF action in Syria, troops reported well past the buffer zone
– Druze in Syria raise Israeli flag
– Israel working on security fence all along Jordan border
– IDF reveals that the brush on the Lebanese side of the border has been cleared
– Israeli Defense Minister and US Secretary of Defense discuss joint efforts to combat Iran
– Shurat HaDin representing uncle of Shiri Bibas in lawsuit against Al Jazeera
Hostages:
Footage from a video of Matan Engerst was released, with the permission of his family. He does not look well in the footage. Matan, 22, was taken wounded and unconscious from a tank at the Nachal Oz outpost when he went out to defend the outpost and the kibbutzim with his team. Along with reports from recently released hostages, this was the first sign of life from Matan.
After halting all deliveries to Gaza, Netanyahu had threatened that if the hostages aren’t released, the next steps would come without hint or warning. Today, the Hamas municipality in Deir al-Balah, Central Gaza, announced that Israel cit off the electricity to two desalination plants, which together supply 70% of the city’s water, or 20,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day. Unlike the rest of Gaza, Deir al-Balah was barely touched by the IDF, and largely remains standing. Most Hamas leadership are now holed up in the city.
Israel’s Finance Minister, Smotrich, threatened that the next step would be to disconnect electricity and water, followed by an attack which would lead to the takeover of Gaza, and then the Trump relocation plan.
News 12 reports that Israel is giving Hamas 10 days, and will resume the war by the next weekend if no new deal to release the hostages comes about. This lands around March 13th, or the eve of Purim. Analyst Ron Ben-Yishai told Ynet that he expects the IDF to use 5 IDF divisions for a rapid takeover of Gaza. These forces are already in place, and prepared to attack. In the renewed attack, expect the IDF to heavily target Hamas terrorists who stole aid supplies, and Hamas’s personal storehouses.
The government cabinet will need to vote before the return to war. Keep an eye out for this vote to know if the war’s restart is imminent.
Defense Minister Israel Katz once again threatened, “Hamas should make no mistake, this is just the beginning. If Hamas does not release the hostages soon, the Gaza gates will be locked and the gates of hell will open. We will return to fighting and [Hamas] will face the IDF with strength and methods that it did not know, until [Hamas] is totally defeated. We will not allow Hamas to rule in Gaza.”
However, Hamas may not be taking Israel’s threats seriously. Senior Hamas official in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, responded to the halt of humanitarian aid and other deliveries to Gaza, calling it a “war crime” (as explained in yesterday’s update, it is a perfectly legal action). He then said: “We will not give Netanyahu free gifts in releasing the hostages without a complete halt to the war,” and added, “the occupation’s threats of siege and starvation do not scare us and are worthless.”
Meanwhile, Hamas’s terror military in Gaza are enjoying the free 1-day ceasefire, and are preparing for the return to war—an indication that they think they can win.
Some Israeli analysts think that Netanyahu doesn’t actually want to return to full war or have to take over the Gaza Strip, and will instead just launch intensive action in the hopes to pressure Hamas to return the hostages and surrender. They assess that for the longterm Netanyahu prefers to keep the IDF in the buffer zone and Philadelphi Corridor. However, more outspoken cabinet members, such as Smotrich, are pushing for a full takeover.
Gaza:
This morning, a suspicious motorboat violated the security restrictions of the coats of Khan Younis, and posed a threat to Israeli security. The Navy fired several warning shots, which were ignored. The Navy forces then fired directly at the boat.
Later, two suspected terrorists approached IDF positions around Rafah, and continued approaching even after troops fired warning shots. The troops then fired directly at them, and eliminated the threat.
Hamas are repeatedly testing the boundaries of the IDF buffer zone around the perimeter of Gaza, and the hold on the Philadelphi Corridor. They did this frequently before October 7th, leading IDF higher up to instruct IDF soldiers to ignore them. This allowed Hamas to approach the fence without raising suspicion or facing repercussion on October 7th.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Hamas is preparing for a return to war by reorganizing their terror military. They appointed new commanders, reorganized the military, and remapped positions for each battalion. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of new recruits are being trained. Hamas have also begin to repair whatever they can of their underground tunnel network, and their engineers are repurposing unexploded ordinances into roadside bombs.
Meanwhile, in response to Trump’s Gaza relocation plan, Egypt will be hosting a major Arab emergency meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. The meeting will focus on finding an alternative plan for Gaza, and Egypt will present their rebuilding plan. Egypt’s plan appears to depend on Hamas agreeing to give up full control of Gaza—but doesn’t say how they’ll achieve that agreement, or how they’ll prevent an undefeated Hamas from retaking control in the future.
Attack in Haifa:
A tragic and odd terror attack took place in Haifa today. A terrorist went on a stabbing rampage, and murdered a 70-year-old Israeli (who happened to be Arab), and injured 5 other Israelis, some severely. The terrorist turned out to be a 20-year-old Druze who had recently moved to the Druze town of Shfaram, from Germany.
The Druze community and leaders unequivocally condemned the attacker, and said that they refuse to bury him in their towns, or attend his funeral. They also raised suspicion that he suffered from mental illness, and may have been radicalized or taken advantage of by Islamic terrorists while in Germany. The Druze are historically loyal to Israel, and serve in the IDF.
Syria:
In the evening, the IDF announced that they used airstrikes to attack a military site from the previous Syrian regime, in Qardaha, northwestern Syria, in the Latakia Governate.
Around midnight, reports began to surface that the IDF was attacking a former Syrian military post on the Tel al-Mal peak, in the Daraa Governate, which is approximately 13 kilometers from Israel’s border. This is an area outside the buffer zone, but which fell under IDF protection after the fall of Assad. Locals report hearing bulldozers in the area, as well as jets and helicopters above.
The IDF attacked this same mountain peak twice in 2019, and explained that Assad, Hezbollah, and the Iranians were using it to spy on Israel and gather intelligence on IDF movement. The IDF may be working to prevent new militia from taking over the strategic post.
The IDF has not yet commented on the recent reports.
This evening, in the Druze town of As-Suwayda, southwestern Syria, Druze raised the Israeli flag, in gratitude for the IDF’s protection. Within minutes, nearby Syrians took the flag and set it on fire
Judea & Samaria:
The IDF is continuing counterterrorism operation in Samaria. Troops are still driving tanks and APCs in Jenin, in an action that seems to be intended to send a strong message to local terror groups.
Defense Minister Katz visited the Jordan Valley, where Israel shares a largely unprotected border with Jordan, which is frequently used by terrorists to smuggle weapons into Judea and Samaria. There have also been a few recent attempted infiltration attacks from Jordan.
Katz announced that the Defense Ministry will begin building a fence along the border, and will establish small IDF community bases (known as Nachal outposts) along the border.
The new security fence will stretch 425 kilometers from the southern Golan Heights all along the border with Jordan through Judea & Samaria, the Negev region, and down to Eilat. Construction will use a budget of 5.2 billion shekels, and is expected to take three years to complete.
In the past, Jordan protested any construction along the border.
Lebanon:
A video story by Ynet details how the IDF worked to clear all the brush and trees along the Lebanese border, leaving the Lebanese side completely exposed. Hezbollah terrorists used to hide in the thick brushes in order to launch attacks on Israeli communities. There were also concerns that mass amounts of Hezbollah terrorists could hidden the brush and avoid detection before launching a mass attack on Northern Israel. The cleared area now makes it easy for the IDF troops stationed along the border to spot anyone approaching.
Iran:
Israel Defense Minister Katz had a phone call with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth reaffirmed 100% commitment to Israel’s security. The call then focused on the growing Iranian threat, and an agreement to work together to address this.
Other:
The Shurat HaDin legal forum announced that they are assisting the uncle of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas in a lawsuit against Al Jazeera. The lawsuit accuses the Qatari network of aiding the terrorists who murdered his niece and great-nephews.
Dedicated l’ilui nishmas my dear husband Chaim Avrohom Dov Ber Hacohen Blesofsky who always davened and longed for Moshiach. By Ella Blesofsky
Wars are collective action of one people against another.
Oct 7 was a collective action by the elected gov’t of Hamas against Israel. The taking of hostages who are placed in underground tunnels is not only a crime against the individual hostages as individuals, but meant as psychological torture to all of Israel collectively. Palestinian leaders speak about regret of Oct 7, because of the negative consequences, not because of morality. Proportionality should not be an argument because there are a disproportionate amount of Palestinians being demanded for each Israeli hostage. Therefore, Israeli actions which are collective and cause negative consequences should not be frowned upon, because that is the only language that Palestinians speak and understand. If conditions are too difficult in Gaza, the Trump relocation plan will help Palestinians relocate and live better in a place where they cannot plot to kill Israelis.
Jay