War Day 599: IDF Separating Terrorists From Hostages, Rare Syrian Talks

War Summary, Day 599: IDF advances in Gaza, trying to lure terrorists from hostages, new aid distribution has begun – sending Hamas into a panic, two intercepted rocket launches from Yemen, Israel and Syria are talking face to face, Israel warns it will annex Yehuda and Shomron if Europe recognizes a Palestinian State, and the 800th U.S. military equipment plane has arrived.

By Mrs. Bruria Efune

58 held captive in Gaza.
35 hostages confirmed murdered held in Gaza.
148 living hostages rescued.
49 hostage bodies rescued.
1,844 Israelis killed.
424 fallen soldiers and police in the battle in Gaza.
88 fallen soldiers in Northern Israel.
18 fallen soldiers and police in Judea & Samaria.
30,730 estimated projectiles fired at Israel.
10,000 Israelis estimated remain displaced from their homes.
1 Jewish nation united in prayer, charity, and good deeds.

Top Headlines:

– No fallen heroes, thank Gd!
– IDF advancing forward, attempting to lure terrorists away from hostages
– New humanitarian aid distribution begun, sending Hamas into a panic
– Hamas no longer able to profit off aid, or use it to control Gazans
– Two launches from Yemen
– Israel and Syria talking face-to-face
– Israel warns: if Europe unilaterally recognizes a Palestinian State, Israel will annex Judea and Samaria

Hostages:

Same as yesterday: Hamas is claiming to have accepted the “Witkoff Framework, but is actually agreeing to something entirely different, and unacceptable to Israel.

Steve Witkoff says that his offer is still on the table, and Israel has accepted it, but not Hamas.

Gaza:

Thank G-d, the IDF did not announce any fallen heroes. One reserve engineering officer was seriously injured in combat in Northern Gaza.

The IDF is continuing with the “fog of war” strategy, and has not given information on recent activity. Five IDF divisions remain in Gaza, and are slowly moving forward, while destroying all Hamas infrastructure in their paths.

One of the most significant challenges is that the top Hamas leadership are using hostages as human shields, and threatening to kill the hostages if troops near. This issue is primarily in Central Gaza (and seems also to be in parts of Gaza City). The IDF is attempting several tactics to either lure or force the terrorists away from the hostages. One method of doing this, is by turning the locals against Hamas. The IDF has dropped pamphlets and messages warning Gazan civilians of the terrorists in their midst, and the danger they pose to everyone around them.

(Muhammad Sinwar, who was eliminated last week, had been with a hostage almost constantly, and was caught in a brief moment when he was not.)

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The IDF published internal Hamas intelligence reports from 2020, in which Hamas outlined a plan to take control of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group’s military. Hamas was frustrated with the PIJ’s independent action, including firing rockets at Israel when it wasn’t coordinated or in the best interests of Hamas.

Humanitarian Aid:

The first two aid distribution centers opened today, with aid distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF). Both are in Rafah, one in Tel Sultan, and one in the Morag Corridor. Two more stations are ready, and will be opened soon—another in Southern Gaza, and one in the north.

8,000 family food boxes were distributed, consisting of 460,000 meals.

Hamas tried very hard to prevent the distribution. They issues threats at anyone who would go, tried putting up a barrier on the road to the centers, and then even went so far as to offer their own free boxes of food (revealing that they have plenty of everything in storage). The new distribution method means that Hamas is no longer able to profit off the aid, or control the population by withholding food.

Thousands of Gazans ignored Hamas’s warnings, and overran the Hamas barriers in order to line up for aid. The line reached as long as 2 kilometers (1.24 miles).

The aid was distributed by the GHF, under supervision of hired American security officers.

Videos show Gazans thanking the Americans, and chanting curses at Hamas. Some Gazans told the Americans that it was the first time that they received a box of humanitarian aid, without having to pay for it.

Towards the end of the day, hundreds of Gazans breached the site of one of the distribution centers, and took whatever they could. The American contractors said that they had anticipated this situation, and followed a preplanned protocol. The lined up crowd had grown too dense, and the contractors were concerned about crowed crushing. When the Gazans were about to breach the site, the contractors carried out a brief tactical retreat. The Gazans only entered a controlled delivery area, where they were able to collect the remains aid planned for delivery that day.

When ready, the American security fired warning shots, and regained full control of the site. The IDF did not fire any shots at the distribution center, but was carrying out airstrikes as part of operations within hearing distance of the site.

Hamas and Al Jazeera had initially been acting as though no Gazan went to collect American aid. But when the breach happened, they were eager to report and show footage of the massive crowd that broke in, claiming the project to be a failure. However, in doing this, they allowed all of Gaza to see that thousands of others cooperated with Israel, and got free food.

Despite the hiccup with the breach, the day was deemed to be a success—which signifies the start of the end of Hamas’s rule in Gaza.

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Meanwhile, the IDF is still allowing the delivery of aid to Northern Gaza, via UN organizations, since there is not yet any GHF distribution center in those areas. Israel inspected and delivered hundreds of trucks into Gaza, where they wait on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing, to be delivered by the UN. However, 400 trucks remain waiting, not yet picked up by the UN.

Yemen:

The Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Israel.

The first one, at 5:10 am, activated sirens in some villages in Samaria. It was successfully intercepted by the Air Force.

The second one, at 7:40 am, was intercepted by the IAF before it entered Israel, and did not activate any sirens.

Iran:

Israeli Minister Ron Dermer arrived in Washington for a series of meetings on the issue of the hostages and Iran

Lebanon:

Yesterday, an Israeli airstrike eliminated a terrorist from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces, who was operating in Southern Lebanon.

Syria:

A Reuters report quoted multiple sources stating that Israeli and Syrian officials held face-to-face meetings, in order to reduce security tensions.

Other:

Today, the 800th plane with military equipment from the U.S. arrived. Israel received over 800 planes, 140 ships, and 90,000 tons of armaments and military equipment from the United States, since the start of the war. Equipment includes armored vehicles, munitions, ammunition, personal protection gear, and medical equipment.

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Israel Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer sent a personal warning to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy that if their countries recognize a Palestinian state, Israel will respond by annexing Area C of Judea and Samaria.

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Sponsored anonymously, in honor of the Efunes selfless work for the soldiers.