Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this week Hamas was “on the verge of collapse” in areas throughout Gaza as it begins to run low on supplies, having to rely on stealing aid from Palestinian civilians to keep their terrorist activities going.
LIVE UPDATES — FROM DEC. 9TH – 15TH
Israel At War: Week Ten Coverage
TRUSTED ANALYSIS
ISRAEL WAR — TIMELINE
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Multiple Rockets Intercepted Over Jerusalem After Barrage From Gaza
Multiple rockets were intercepted over Jerusalem on Friday as sirens blared across the city for the first time since October.
Journalists saw explosions and heard several blasts as Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system engaged the incoming fire.
The rocket attack was claimed by Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, which said it was in response to “Zionist massacres of civilians.” Paramedics rushed to the area, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
At least six rockets were launched towards Jerusalem according to the Israeli military, with three intercepted. The military said the other rockets landed away from populated zones.
i24 news
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Three Hostages Mistakenly Killed By IDF During Fighting; Netanyahu: This Is An Unbearable Tragedy
In his first public comments on the mistaken IDF killing of three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza earlier today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, “Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the fall of three of our dear sons who were taken hostage, among them Yotam Haim and Samar Talalka.”
The third hostage killed was later named as Alon Lulu Shamriz.
“This is an unbearable tragedy. The entire State of Israel mourns this evening. My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time.”
“I strengthen our brave warriors who are pursuing the sacred mission of returning our abducted, even at the cost of their own lives.”
“Even on this difficult evening, we will dress our wounds, learn the necessary lessons and continue with our supreme effort to return all our hostages home safely,” Netanyahu says.
In his own statement, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says, “During this difficult time, my thoughts and my heart are with the families of the three hostages who were mistakenly killed by IDF fire in Gaza.״
״This is a painful incident for every Israeli. We must remain resilient and continue operating – for the hostages, for our citizens and for our soldiers.”
“This evening I spoke with the IDF Chief of the General Staff about the details of this tragic incident in order to learn lessons immediately,” Gallant adds.
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Pro-Israel Group Accuses Biden Of Fanning Flames Of Antisemitism For ‘Indiscriminate Bombing'
The Zionist Organization of America accused President Biden of fanning the flames of antisemitism with his claim that Israel was engaging in “indiscriminate bombing” in the Gaza Strip.
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein issued a statement on Thursday saying the pro-Israel group “strongly condemns President Joe Biden’s dangerous, indiscriminate remarks on December 12th, falsely accusing Israel of ‘indiscriminate bombing’ in Gaza; criticizing and calling for changing Israel’s democratically elected government; and calling for Israel to ‘strengthen’ and reward the Palestinian Authority (PA) terror regime with a Palestinian Arab state carved out of Israel’s lawful land (a so-called ‘two-state solution’) – while the PA is celebrating the October 7th atrocities, continuing to pay terrorists huge lifetime pensions to murder Jews and insisting that Hamas must be part of a Palestinian state ; and the PA’s ruling Fatah party is bragging about its brigades participating in the October 7th atrocities.”
“Falsely accusing Israel of ‘indiscriminate bombing’ creates more fuel for attacking American Jews. Biden’s widely disseminated, reckless remarks will likely inspire more antisemitism, at a time when American Jews are being attacked on college campuses and American streets at record breaking levels,” the statement continued.
“Even his spokesman John Kirby said no country, including America, does more to protect civilian lives.” “Biden voiced his unjustified criticisms of Israel and his statements interfering with and attempting to undermine Israeli democracy at a closed-door campaign reception on December 12, 2023,” the group said.
“Biden’s remarks were then published on the White House website and amplified in media around the world.”
According to a transcript shared by the White House, Biden told donors at a campaign reception in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday about recent conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Israel Carrying Out Biggest Counter-Terror Operation In West Bank Since Second Intifada
At least 1,300 Israeli military soldiers are continuing to carry out a massive counter-terror operation in the Palestinian town of Jenin, in what is shaping up to be the largest Israeli operation in the West Bank since the end of the Second Intifada in 2005.
The current operation has now lasted longer than Operation Home and Garden in Jenin, which took place last July.
The IDF confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the operation that began in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and whose scope wasn’t announced beforehand, was still taking place in the Samaria region.
So far, five Israeli soldiers have been injured during the fighting, mainly by shrapnel, and were evacuated to Emek Medical Center in Afula. One of them is now being hospitalized following an operation.
Over 1,300 soldiers of the IDF, the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet and Israel Border Police, most of them military reservists, are taking part in the searches throughout Jenin and its nearby refugee camp.
More than 600 suspects were detained, with more than 30 of them being transferred to interrogation facilities.
Israel Defense Forces discovered hundreds of explosives and destroyed 8 production laboratories.
More than 10 underground tunnel shafts were located, some of them being used as weapons caches, and will be prepared for destruction. In addition, 40 weapons have been confiscated.
Contrary to Israeli policy over the past 20 years, during this operation, the Israeli Air Force has carried out multiple airstrikes with drones. Seven terrorists who endangered the soldiers were eliminated.
Since the Second Intifada, Israel has generally refrained from using air power in the West Bank.
This is the 16th anti-terror operation in Jenin since the start of the war between Israel and the terror organization Hamas, according to Army Radio.
Jenin, in northern Samaria, has developed into a major terror center, especially since the creation of the terror group ‘Jenin Battalion’ a few years back.
During the 16 raids, more than 60 terrorists have been eliminated so far, and more than 100 arrested, which represents a significant part of the group’s strength.
Israeli security forces have stepped up anti-terror operations in the West Bank since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, having arrested over 2,200 wanted suspects, some 1,100 of whom are known-affiliates of Hamas.
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
Analysis — Amir Tsarfati: We Are No Longer In An Era Of Appeasement—We Are In The Era Of Vanquishment
(Galilee, Israel) — October 7 ushered in a new era in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In the past, we’ve allowed evil to live just on the other side of our borders. We didn’t like it but put up with it. The reasons for this tolerance came from both outside and inside Israel. Outside, there was great pressure from the world that a solution must be found that would allow independent states for Israel and the Palestinians. Any perceived slight by the Jews toward the Arabs was immediately pounced on by the United Nations who manufactured condemnatory resolutions against Israel like they were pickup trucks at a Ford plant.
Inside the country, we had a large population of liberal optimists who truly felt that if we were nice to the Palestinians, we could win them over. “They hate us now, and probably for good reason. If we just love them, then they’ll start to love us. After all, love always wins!” Tragically, the kibbutzim that were attacked along the border were largely populated with many of these well-meaning but naïve families. It’s truly heart-breaking.
As I said, we are in a new era in Israel. No longer does anyone foolishly hope that a relationship between Palestinians and Israelis can be forged. By the actions carried out by those Nazi monsters, they forfeited any right they thought they may have had to Gaza. There will be no Palestinian settlements south of our border.
“But, Amir, that isn’t fair to all the innocent civilians! They can’t help it if they had terrorists living among them!” I understand that there are innocents. And I also recognize that there are Christians amongst the Palestinians. However, the innocents and the believers in Gaza are a very small minority. Just yesterday, the Palestinian Center for Political Research and Surveys, based in Ramallah, released results of their inquiries. Of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, 82% said the massacre of October 7 was an appropriate response to the attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque (which never actually occurred) and to free prisoners from Israeli custody. 70% think that armed terrorism is a proper solution to ending occupation. 90% call for the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas and more than 60% called for the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority (PA). In other words, Abbas and the PA are not radical enough for them. They want Hamas in charge.
We are no longer in an era of appeasement or compromise. We are in the era of vanquishment. The Palestinians in our region and around the world have ceased masking their intentions to annihilate Israel. They have laid down the gauntlet – it is them or us. We did not ask for this fight. We did not desire to make this choice. But neither will we shy away from it. Outside pressure has always caused us to moderate our responses in the past. That is no longer true.
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
IDF Soldiers Capture 70 Armed Hamas Terrorists At Gaza Hospital
יוצאים מבית החולים עם נשקים: לוחמי צה״ל מצוות קרב חטיבה 460 ולוחמי שב״כ עצרו עשרות פעילי טרור שיצאו מבית חולים ברצועת עזה ולקחו אותם להמשך חקירה של שב״כ ויחידה 504 באגף המודיעין>> pic.twitter.com/lS29A9b9hN
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 14, 2023
A video shows dozens of suspected Hamas terrorists laying down their weapons, after being captured by Israeli troops at a northern Gaza hospital after days of shelling.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released the footage on X Thursday, showing a throng of men walking single-file with their hands up through an area piled high with rubble under the watchful eye of soldiers.
The next portion of the recording shows alleged Hamas terrorists, now with their shirts off, dropping their weapons, including assault-style rifles and ammunition, on the ground.
IDF soldiers from the 460th Combat Brigade of the 162nd Division, along with members of Israel’s security service Shin Bet, carried out the operation to capture 70 terrorists in the Kamal Adwan Hospital near the Israeli border.
The medical facility in Beit Lahiya has been surrounded and under heavy fire for days.
Israeli forces said they located a building near the hospital that was being used by Hamas. Firefights ensued, during which an unknown number of the enemy were killed in action, according to the IDF.
Others were captured alive and taken to the Shin Bet security agency and Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504 for interrogation.
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
Netanyahu: ‘We Will Destroy Hamas’ Regardless of ‘International Pressures’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told soldiers on Wednesday that Israel “will destroy Hamas” regardless of “international pressures.”
Netanyahu made his comments in conversation with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, a day after the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, and after U.S. President Joe Biden criticized Israel for what he called, without evidence, “indiscriminate bombing.”
A statement from the prime minister’s office said:
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke by radio with the 460 Brigade Commander, Col. Dvir Edri, who is currently fighting in the heart of the Gaza Strip and told him [translated from Hebrew]:
“Continue on but watch out for yourselves. I am certain that you will do this.
I want you to pass along to the last soldier: We are continuing to the end, until victory, until the destruction of Hamas. Let there be no doubt about this. This is important. This is the message that I want to reach every soldier there. Be strong and have courage. Thank you.”
The 460 Brigade Commander told the Prime Minister [translated from Hebrew]:
“Sir, we want to continue. Give us the force. We are strong here. We will carry out the mission – we will destroy Hamas. We have the strength for this. We have excellent soldiers and commanders and we will continue the mission until we destroy the last of the terrorists.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to the commanders [translated from Hebrew]:
“I want to express deep appreciation on behalf of all citizens of Israel for your efforts in the fighting, for the sacrifice, heroism and success. However, there is a great pain that we are feeling. Yesterday we had a very difficult day and every day we have dear sons who fall. They are true heroes of Israel, my heart and our hearts are with the fallen and with the families. We know that their lives have changed.
But I want to say as clearly as possible what I have just said to the commander in the field: we are continuing until the end. There is no question whatsoever about this. I also say this in light of the great pain, but also in the face of the international pressures. Nothing will stop us. We are going on to the end, until victory, nothing less. I thank you. We are doing this thanks to you, through you, and with G-d’s help and yours.
This war will continue but it is important that it continue with the sophistication that you bring. This sophistication saves many lives and gives us very great leverage. Thank you very much.”
Foreign minister Eli Cohen made a similar statement, according to the Times of Israel, declaring that Israel would continue its mission to destroy Hamas’s military and governance capabilities in Gaza, “with or without international support.”
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
Hand Of God?: Turkish MP Has Heart Attack Seconds After Saying Israel Will ‘Suffer Allah’s Wrath’
Turkish parliamentarian Hasan Bitmez was giving a speech to the Grand National Assembly on the war with Hamas when he collapsed, on Tuesday.
Bitmez, a member of the Islamist Felicity Party, was giving a speech about the war with Hamas to the Assembly and finished by saying “You will not escape the wrath of Allah. I salute you all.”
Bitmez collapsed almost immediately after finishing his sentence.
Parliamentarians rushed to his aid. MP Dr. Turhan Çömez began giving him CPR on the floor. Bitmez was taken out of the Assembly on a stretcher with Dr. Çömez still performing CPR, Çömez is a licensed surgeon.
THE HAND OF GOD?
Drama in the Turkish Parliament today.
MP Hasan Bismet spoke out strongly against Israel, and shouted about Israel suffering the “wrath of Allah”.
Seconds later, he had a heart attack. pic.twitter.com/Z2Y2Eq7dD3
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) December 13, 2023
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
IDF: Hamas Terrorists Have Fired Over A Hundred Rockets From Humanitarian Zone
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that Hamas terrorists have fired over a hundred rockets from the humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF said on X that 116 rockets were launched in total, including 38 that landed in Gaza.
“Hamas has fired 116 rockets from the humanitarian zone toward Israel since its opening on October 18,” the IDF post read. “38 of those rockets fell inside Gaza, endangering their own civilians.”
“Hamas continues to carry out terrorist activities from the humanitarian zone, designated to prevent harm to civilians, further endangering Gazan lives,” the Israeli military added.
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
Ten Soldiers, Including Senior Officers, Killed In Gaza Fighting And Deadly Ambush Tuesday Night
Ten IDF soldiers fell in heavy fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday night, including the commander of the 13th Battalion in the Golani Brigade, Lt.-Col. Tomer Greenberg and Col. Itzhak Ben Basat, head of the Golani Brigades commander’s team.
Colonel Basat is the most senior officer killed in the fighting so far.
The IDF announced that seven Golani soldiers fell during one intense firefight with Hamas terrorists as the soldiers attempted to clear the building where the terrorists were hiding.
During the fighting, a very large IED was set off, which killed and injured several of the soldiers and created an operational separation between some of the units.
As the fighting continued, a rescue team with medics came to retrieve the forces from the building to treat the wounded from the first explosion. At that point a second IED was activated, killing Lt.-Col. Greenberg, who had arrived with the rescue team.
Golani Company Commander Major Roy Meldassi was also killed during the fight. All terrorists were eliminated in the fighting.
Another IDF soldier, Staff Sergeant Oriya Yaakov, from the 614th Battalion, was killed in a separate incident during the fighting in Shejaiya.
all israel news
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
IDF Reportedly Begins Flooding Hamas Terror Tunnels With Seawater
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly started to destroy Hamas’ vast underground network of terror tunnels by flooding them with water from the Mediterranean Sea.
U.S. officials familiar with the IDF’s operations inside Gaza told The Wall Street Journal that the move is just one of several different methods that Israel is using to force the terrorists to the surface.
The news comes as large numbers of Hamas terrorists have been seen in recent days surrendering to Israel’s forces inside Gaza.
Hamas terrorists have used a significant portion of the aid that they received from foreign countries to build their tunnel network, which has been estimated to be hundreds of miles long.
The IDF’s flooding of the tunnels only started in recent days and is expected to potentially last for several weeks. The flooding began after Israel finished installing seven pumps and conducted some initial testing.
“Israel’s military said it was intensifying operations underground in northern Gaza and beneath the southern city of Khan Younis, one of Hamas’s last strongholds,” the report said. “The underground labyrinth remains one of Israel’s main challenges to achieving its goal of destroying Hamas’s military capabilities both in areas it controls above ground and those where it so far hasn’t operated. The tunnels under the southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border for example, analysts say, are used by Hamas to smuggle most of its weapons into Gaza.”
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
Hamas Used Toxic Substance To Kill Nahal Oz Troops On Oct. 7, IDF Probe Said To Show
An investigation into the nature of the deaths of IDF surveillance soldiers serving on the Nahal Oz base on October 7 has revealed that they were killed by a toxic gas that caused suffocation and loss of consciousness within a few minutes of exposure.
According to a report published by Channel 12, the main findings of the investigation indicated that an unspecified but toxic flammable substance was apparently thrown through the entrance of the building which housed the surveillance soldiers’ command center. One of the soldiers at the entrance to the building attempted to extinguish the flames but was unsuccessful and the fire continued to spread.
“They set fire to materials that ignited and spread, which contained toxic gases that could cause suffocation in a few minutes or even less than that,” Channel 12 quoted the officer delivering the report as saying, and added that the estimated time of a few minutes was an optimistic one.
As the fire continued to spread, the smoke began to enter the surveillance soldiers’ command center, where 22 people, including many of the surveillance soldiers, were hiding. In an attempt to ward off the smoke, the soldiers soaked some paper towels with water to fill the gap under the door but it didn’t work and the effects of the gas began to take hold.
“The soldiers began to leave the room and search for an exit. They were coughing and some couldn’t breathe,” the IDF officer told Channel 12. “Some told us that they felt they were stepping on some people, they tried to pick them up, and with the rest of their strength tried to call to them. They were simply surviving and trying to figure out how to get themselves out of there.”
When they reached the emergency exit, however, the soldiers realized that the door was on fire, and there was no way of opening it or even getting close to it. Those who were still able continued to search for an exit and eventually reached the bathrooms, where a small window led to the outside.
One of the officers climbed up to the window and smashed it, allowing him, five other officers and one surveillance soldier to escape the toxic inferno.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
UN Votes Against Israel; Erdan: If You Want A Real Ceasefire In Gaza, Call Sinwar
The UN General Assembly on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
153 countries voted in favor of the motion and 10 countries, including the United States and Israel, voted against. 23 countries abstained.
The resolution does not mention that the hostages are being held by Hamas and does not condemn the massacre carried out by the organization’s terrorists against Israel.
Speaking before the vote, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, clarified, “What would your countries do if you were in Israel’s shoes? Call for a ceasefire? What would Moscow do? Beijing? Istanbul? How would you respond? Everyone here knows exactly.”
The Ambassador presented a poster with the phone number for the Hamas office in Gaza and said, “…I have an idea: if you want a real ceasefire, here is the right address. This is the phone number of Hamas’ office in Gaza. You can all call +970-599-373765 and ask for Yahya Sinwar. Tell Hamas to put down their arms, turn themselves in, and return our hostages. This will bring a complete ceasefire that will last forever! So, why are you not doing this? Why are you not holding Hamas accountable?”
בדיון הדחוף בעצרת הכללית הבהרתי לכל השגרירים לפני ההצבעה: אם אתם רוצים הפסקת אש אמיתית, תתקשרו למשרדי חמאס בעזה ותבקשו את יחיא סינוואר. תגידו לו שכאשר חמאס יניחו את נשקם, יסגירו את עצמם ויחזירו את כל החטופים, אז תהיה הפסקת אש אמיתית שתימשך לתמיד.
צפו ורטווטו>> pic.twitter.com/1KDWtEm11R
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) December 12, 2023
Ambassador Erdan also said, “No piece of paper – especially one that is adopted by a biased politicized majority – will prevent Israel from defending itself against those that seek our destruction. Israel is fighting a war for her future! There is not a single Member State here, not a single Member State here, that would act differently in a similar situation. A ceasefire only serves to prolong Hamas’ reign of terror so I urge all Member States to vote against this resolution.”
The vote at the UN General Assembly comes after the US on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution which demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Among the other 15 members of the Security Council, 13, including France and Switzerland, supported the proposal. Britain abstained.
In late October, the General Assembly adopted a resolution urging an “immediate, lasting and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip. 120 countries voted in favor of the resolution, 14 voted against, and 45 abstained.
Israel and the US were among the 14 countries that voted against that resolution, due to the fact that it failed to condemn Hamas for the October 7 terrorist massacres against Israelis.
Unlike resolutions passed by the Security Council, resolutions approved in the General Assembly are non-binding.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
Israeli Air Force Releases Video Of Terrorist Rocket Launch Site Being Destroyed In Gaza
The Israeli Air Force has posted a video on X of a rocket launch site being destroyed in the Gaza Strip.
“Soldiers of the 162nd Division in Jabalya, in cooperation with the soldiers of the 636th Collection Unit of the Border Protection Corps, identified a launch site… launching rockets towards the city of Sderot.”
It said the forces “directed an aircraft that attacked and destroyed the launch site.”
Footage released by the IDF shows a building being flattened in an airstrike.
חיל-האוויר תקף ביממה האחרונה מספר עמדות שיגור ברחבי הרצועה. לוחמי אוגדה 162 בג׳אבליה בשיתוף לוחמי יחידת האיסוף 636 מחיל הגנת הגבולות, זיהו עמדת שיגור בעת שיגור רקטות לעבר העיר שדרות, הכוחות הכווינו כלי טיס שתקף והשמיד את עמדת השיגור. pic.twitter.com/O7AVD8jJQm
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) December 12, 2023
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
IDF's Hanukkah Message: 'When Faced With Destruction, The Maccabees Fought... Now It's Our Turn'
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, IDF spokesperson — This is a dark time in Jewish History, but together, we will fight for our future. From the depths of darkness, we have risen, stronger and more united.
Happy Hanukkah to the Jewish people celebrating around the world.
We light the Hanukkah candles at a dark time in the story of our people, a time of mourning, a time of pain, a timely reminder of what we’re fighting for.
But the story of Hanukkah should serve as a reminder that our hope will prevail over despair. Our light will dispel the darkness, our love of life will triumph over the forces of evil that seek our destruction.
The story of Hanukkah is a story of survival. When faced with destruction, the Maccabees fought. They sacrificed their lives so that we could survive.
Now it’s our turn.
From the depths of darkness on October 7, we have risen, stronger and more united. A nation small in size, but mighty in spirit. Our hostages are being held in Hamas captivity. The IDF is fighting for their freedom.
Israel is under attack in the north and in the south. We are fighting for our survival. Israel is at war, one that Jews around the world are feeling too.
And together, we will fight for our future. A future where there will once again be Hanukkah candles in the windows across Israel. In Kfar Aza, Nir Oz and Be’eri. where there will once again be no need for context when there are calls for genocide against Jewish students in universities.
Where there was horror, there will be hope. Where there was death, there will be life. Where there was darkness, there will be light.
“Me’At min Ha’Or, Doche Harbe Min Ha’Hoshech.” A bit of light dispels much darkness. And our people have a whole lot of light.
Chag Hanukkah Samea’ch.
Happy Hanukkah.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
Analysis — Hate And Hostility: ‘Saturday People Are The First Targets… The Sunday People Are Next’
Narratives, talking points, and propaganda against the biblical worldview have been effective and are increasing. This has caused hostility toward Christians and Jews to spike. Spiritual warfare has manifested as forces of darkness have been working overtime.
From the godless protesters in NY at the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center to useful idiots on U.S. college campuses supporting Hamas, to young people in the UK wanting to ban the Bible, to Democrats claiming that the faith of American Christians is more of a threat than al-Queda, enemies of God are coming after Saturday people first, then Sunday people.
I spoke with Jan Markell on Worldview Matters last week and she agrees that prophetic battles are reaching a boiling point and that it seems an unprecedented number of “demons were unleashed” to carry out the horrific attacks against Israel by Hamas in October. Since then, protests have erupted around the world and most disturbingly on U.S. college campuses and city streets.
It would appear the army is being assembled for the revolution in part because Satan knows his time is short.
Retired Israel Defense Forces Major and Middle East expert Amir Tsarfati points out the terrorists often say Saturday people are the first targets and the Sunday people are next. These terms are used to identify Jews and Christians based on the days we worship. It’s interesting to me they’re not even hiding their agenda any longer.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
Gantz Tells Blinken That Israel Will Have To Respond To Rising Hezbollah Attacks
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that the uptick in attacks by Hezbollah will require a firm Israeli response, as rocket fire by the Lebanese terror group continued to target towns on Israel’s northern border.
“Gantz stated that heightened aggression and increased attacks by Iranian-backed Hezbollah demand of Israel to remove such a threat to the civilian population of northern Israel,” according to an Israeli readout.
Gantz added that “the international community currently has an important role to play, and it must act to ensure that the state of Lebanon stops such aggression along its border,” the statement said.
Hezbollah-led attacks along the northern border with Lebanon have been constant since the Israel-Hamas war began. Daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups are raising fears of a broader conflagration.
On Monday night, Hezbollah fired a number of anti-tank missiles from southern Lebanon at a home in the northern Israeli town of Metula. According to Metula Regional Council bhead David Azoulay, some 15 homes in the northern city were damaged and one was completely destroyed in the attack.
In a statement, the terror group said the attack was a response to the death of the mayor of the Lebanese village of Taybeh, Hussein Ali Mansour, who was reported to have been killed in IDF shelling Monday, amid repeated cross-border Hezbollah attacks.
Hezbollah claimed a home hit in Metula was being used by the IDF.
There were no injuries in the attack. Metula has largely been evacuated of residents, given the Hezbollah attacks.
The IDF responded with artillery shelling at the source of the fire.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
1,300-Plus Terror Attacks In Judea And Samaria Since Oct. 7
Palestinian terrorists in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley have escalated their campaign against Israeli civilians and security forces in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre in the northwestern Negev, data published by Channel 14 News on Monday shows.
In the nine weeks since Hamas launched its cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip, the broadcaster counted 1,388 attacks in the disputed territories, including 569 cases of rock-throwing, 287 attacks with explosives, 143 Molotov cocktail assaults and 70 terrorist shootings.
Three Israelis—a civilian, a soldier and a Border Police officer—have been murdered in Judea and Samaria since Oct. 7.
In addition, at least 52 Israelis sustained injuries, according to Channel 14. The report said 16 people were wounded by rock-throwing, 10 sustained gunshot wounds, eight were violently attacked by Palestinians, and two were injured in a car-ramming attack.
At least 15 members of the security forces were wounded during counterterrorism raids in Judea and Samaria, while one Israeli was moderately injured as he neutralized a Palestinian terrorist.
In the first six months of 2023, Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) recorded a total of 3,640 acts of terrorism throughout all of Israel. Palestinian terrorists killed 28 people and wounded 362 others between Jan. 1 and July 1, 2023, the emergency service said.
According to a recent survey, 83% of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria support the crimes against humanity committed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
Gallant: 'Hamas Is On The Verge Of Dissolution, The IDF Is Taking Over Its Last Strongholds'
Many of the Hamas terrorists surrendering to the IDF were involved in the October 7 massacre, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Monday evening during a televised address.
“Hamas is on the verge of dissolution, the IDF is taking over its last strongholds,” Gallant said.
During his address, the defense minister spoke directly to Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar telling him either to surrender or face death on the battlefield.
He said that Hamas terrorists in Jabalia and Shejaia are being brought down, though they had thought they were unbeatable.
Next, he said that Hamas forces who surrender are saying they do not have enough ammunition or food.
Questioned about a security zone around Gaza, Gallant responded saying that anything that serves the military campaign is something Israel needs to do. The fighting will not be short, he added.
Nevertheless, the defense minister said, “There is no intent to stay permanently in the Gaza Strip.”
Further, he added that IDF commanders are taking big risks in a variety of strategic directions to save the lives of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.
Pressed whether the US is setting a deadline for Israeli operations, he replied, “The war will end when its goals are achieved…I take with seriousness what America does…and we will find a way to help the US to help us.”
jerusalem post
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
Analysis — Mike Pompeo: Dear University Presidents, Calling for Genocide of Jews Is Wrong in Any “Context”
Institutions of higher education in America – particularly at our once-vaunted universities – have a major antisemitism problem made evident by the reaction on so many campuses following the barbaric attacks on October 7th against the world’s only Jewish state – Israel. Universities such as Harvard, which have in the past been so quick to punish faculty, students, or even guest speakers that step out of line with radical progressive thought, have been disturbingly apathetic in the face of the most alarming swell of antisemitic hate in recent American history.
This week, the presidents of MIT, Harvard, and Penn were asked to testify before Congress to explain their respective school’s approach to the crisis; the broad theme of their testimony can be summarized in their answers to a question posed by Rep. Elise Stefanik: “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate [your university’s] code of conduct or rules regarding bullying or harassment?”
This simple question apparently stumped the three presidents, who prevaricated, obfuscated, and tied themselves into rhetorical knots to avoid answering, “Yes.”
MIT President Sally Kornbluth stated that such vitriol could be considered antisemitic, “depending on the context.” President Kornbluth would have us believe that calls for genocide against the Jewish people require more context than the statement itself.
Penn President Liz Magill responded that calls for genocide would have to be expressed in action to qualify as bullying or harassment according to Penn’s standards, stating “if speech becomes conduct, it can be harassment.” President Magill would have us believe that calls for genocide and intifada – calls for violence against Jewish people and fellow Jewish classmates – is not a manner of deplorable conduct in and of itself.
Saving the worst for last, Harvard President Claudine Gay responded to the question first by parroting the previous respondents – “it can be, depending on the context” – then added her own absurd qualification: Antisemitic rhetoric must be targeted at an individual to qualify as harassment. President Gay would have us believe that calls for genocide against Jews and intifada are not, in fact, targeting Jewish students, but instead harmlessly directed into the ether.
University administrators have clearly failed to protect and support their Jewish students. Indeed, this shameful performance confirms the sentiments expressed by Jewish students who shared their experiences dealing with antisemitism on campus with Congress this week, with one young NYU student detailing how she was assaulted by another student simply because she was wearing an American-Israeli flag. Her attacker, of course, has yet to be disciplined.
We should be clear: This is not an issue of free speech. Harvard, MIT, and Penn’s administrators have freely allowed a culture of bullying and harassment to thrive on their campuses so long as the institutions punish faculty, students, or guest speakers for expressing ideas and engaging in speech that conflict with the institutions’ radical progressive ideology. Indeed, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE) college free-speech rankings, Harvard currently ranks dead last in protecting free speech, with Penn just ahead of them at second to last. It is farcical for these schools to now claim their desire to protect free speech compels them to allow their Jewish students to be threatened, attacked, and demeaned. It is also why I am proud to serve as Distinguished Chair for the Helms School of Government at Liberty University, a Christian school that has roundly condemned antisemitism and showed clear moral support for the State of Israel and our Jewish countrymen.
In truth, the administrators at these schools – starting at the top with their presidents – hold to a worldview that embraces antisemitism, denies the right of the Jewish people to have their own legitimate nation-state, and provides the ideological basis for genocide against the Jewish people. This same progressive ideology has motivated many feminist organizations – ordinarily the self-proclaimed champions of consent and bodily autonomy – to justify Hamas’ atrocities on Oct. 7th, including sexual assault and rape. This is not an accident: Hypocrisy and double standards are the defining characteristics of progressive ideology. The rules only apply to their enemies; and whether they would admit it or not, their hatred of the Jewish nation-state extends to all Jews as well.
This hearing, and the infuriating treatment of so many young Jewish college students since the war in Israel began, should be a wake-up call for U.S. lawmakers and all Americans. Congress should not allow universities to hide behind claims of protecting free speech as they allow antisemitism and calls for intifada to threaten and harm students. Instead, congressional leadership should ensure that any university allowing this wicked ideology to fester on its campus should no longer receive government funding. If these university presidents find dealing with antisemitism to be such a difficult issue, America’s leaders should simplify the matter for them.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
Analysis — People Are Using Israel’s War With Hamas As An Excuse To Hate Jews
The world finds excuses to hate Jews. People across the globe are blaming individual Jews for Israel’s war on Hamas. Even Jews who do not support the invasion of Gaza are being blamed for it. On US college campuses, Jewish students are threatened, harassed, and no longer feel safe. Hate crime against Muslims is on the rise, but it’s even worse for Jews. The Bible says that this tendency toward Jew-hatred would get worse in the end times. And we’re seeing it right now.
You may have heard about the Williamsburg, Virginia street festival canceling a Hanukkah-related menorah lighting ceremony. After receiving criticism for the snub, festival organizers told the press that they rejected the menorah lighting because they have a policy against any kind of religious ceremony. But in an email to the rabbi who was supposed to have conducted the lighting, they said they would allow it if an Islamic group also took part. So, apparently, religious expression is okay if it includes Muslims.
An event organizer explained, “We are about Peace, Love & light… don’t want to make it seem we’re choosing a side — supporting the killing/bombing of thousands of men, women & children.” But they also told the rabbi he could go on with the ceremony if he held it beneath a banner calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. That’s called taking a side.
Do you see what they did? They identified the menorah with the IDF’s military action in Gaza. They don’t just blame Israel for what they call the “killing/bombing,” but all Jews. This one snub would be almost nothing if it were alone. But people all over the world are doing what they did — blaming the suffering of Palestinians on all Jews.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
20% Of Young Americans Believes The Holocaust Is A Myth, Poll Finds
One-fifth of US citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 believe that the Holocaust is a myth, according to a new poll from the Economist/YouGov.
The poll was conducted between December 2 and December 5, and among other issues, examined the beliefs held by US citizens on Israel, Jewish people and the Holocaust.
In response to the statement “The Holocaust is a myth,” 20 percent of participants between the ages of 18 and 29 said that they agreed with it, and an additional 30% said that they did not agree or disagree.
In comparison, 8% of people between the ages of 30-44 agreed with the statement, as did 2% of people aged 45-64. However, of those over the age of 65 who were surveyed, 0% agreed with the statement and just 2% said that they neither agreed nor disagreed.
Overall, 7% of Americans believe that the Holocaust is a myth.
Asked elsewhere in the survey whether they believe it is antisemitic to deny that the Holocaust took place, 17% of respondents in the 18-29 age group said that it was not antisemitic, and a further 37% said that they were not sure.
Similarly, 23% of those aged 18-29 said that they agreed with the statement: “The Holocaust has been exaggerated,” and 26% said they neither agreed nor disagreed.
The poll was conducted as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza entered its third month. The war was triggered on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst into Israel from the land, air and sea, killing more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians slaughtered amid brutal atrocities, and seizing some 240 hostages.
In response, Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip and launched an aerial campaign and subsequent ground invasion.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has claimed that more than 17,700 people have been killed since October 7, although these numbers cannot be independently verified and are thought to include at least 7,000 Hamas terrorists, as well as civilians killed by misfired Palestinian rockets.
The war in Gaza has led to a spike in antisemitic incidents worldwide, including in the US.
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
Hamas Warns It Could Kill All Hostages Unless Israel Meets Demands
A Hamas spokesman suggested Sunday that the terror organization could kill all of the presumed 137 hostages in its custody if Israel does not accede to its demands.
Abu Obeida, a familiar spokesman for Hamas who had not been seen for several weeks, released a video in which he made the threat clear.
“Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership… nor its supporters… can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance,” he said, according to the Times of Israel.
It is not clear if Hamas would deliver on that threat. The hostages are the only leverage that Hamas has over Israel, and it uses them as human shields. The Hamas leaders in exile — in luxurious accommodation in Doha, Qatar — would also likely to preserve the hostages alive to ensure that Israel negotiates with them, rather than killing them (as it has promised to do, eventually).
Hamas has tried to use the deaths of individual hostages to deter Israeli military action before. In the latest example, it claimed that Sahar Baruch, 25, a hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri, had been killed in an Israeli rescue attempt. Israel said that Baruch was murdered by Hamas and that the rescue attempt killed several terrorists but found no hostages in the location that was raided.
The new threat could be a sign that Israel’s military pressure is working, forcing Hamas to make sensational threats to survive.
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
'Beginning Of The End': Netanyahu Confirms Hamas Terrorists Are Surrendering By The Dozens
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night confirmed the authenticity of photos and videos showing dozens of Hamas terrorists surrendering to the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip.
“Over the past few days, dozens of Hamas terrorists have surrendered to our forces. They are laying down their weapons and handing themselves over to our heroic soldiers,” said Netanyahu in a video statement.
“It will take some more time—we are in the midst of the war—but this is the beginning of the end for Hamas. I say to Hamas terrorists: It’s over. Don’t die for [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar. Surrender now,” he urged.
Israeli TV networks on Thursday broadcast images showing dozens of blindfolded Palestinian men of fighting age, who apparently surrendered, in their undergarments and with their hands bound.
In one video clip, an armed Palestinian terrorist can be seen moving to the front of the line and laying his assault rifle down in front of Israeli soldiers.
“We are eliminating many terrorists, and increasingly are seeing terrorists who surrender during battle and turn themselves over to our forces,” IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said during a Friday night press briefing.
“In the last 48 hours, we apprehended more than 200 suspects, dozens of whom were transferred to the 504 Military Intelligence Unit and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) for investigation in Israel,” noted Hagari.
Amongst the suspects were terrorist commanders and members of Hamas’s Nukhba death squads. Nukhba was the leading force that infiltrated Israeli communities on the morning of Oct. 7—going on a murderous rampage and taking more than 200 hostages back to Gaza.
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Target Synagogues, Vandalize Church in Los Angeles
Pro-Palestinian protesters vandalized buildings near synagogues, as well as a nearby church, with anti-Israel graffiti on Friday night after demonstrating against President Joe Biden at a nearby fundraiser on Friday night.
As Breitbart News reported, the protesters gathered outside a fundraiser near Beverly Hills, waving signs that included “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — a call for Israel to be destroyed.
From there, some of the protesters went to Westwood, near the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and marched down Wilshire Boulevard toward an area where there are several synagogues, notably Sinai Temple. Some of them attacked police.
Two congregants at Sinai Temple, Shantal M. and Joseph C., spoke to Breitbart News.
“I felt this wasn’t a political movement based on knowledge or supporting Palestinians, but just based on hate,” said Shantal, who told Breitbart News that she is Israeli and has family in Israel.
“These people are not only not condemning Hamas, they’re supporting them.”
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
UPenn Jewish Students Feared For Their Safety Under Ousted President
A growing body of Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania have voiced their concerns about campus life in the wake of now-former university president Liz Magill’s controversial testimony earlier in the week.
UPenn student Kevin Bina told FOX 29 that his fellow fraternity members “don’t even feel comfortable walking outside our house wearing their kippahs just because they don’t know if they’re going to be harassed.”
Another student, Leah Weinberger, said many Jewish students are reconsidering their application to UPenn after Magill’s testimony.
“Even people who are thinking of applying — Jewish students from the Northeast, from where I’m from, and all around — are not even applying,” Weinberger told the outlet. “They’re choosing other schools because of, just, fears.”
Another student, Eyal Lubin, said Magill did not show “humanity what really is behind what’s going on here at Penn.”
Their comments come after controversial congressional testimony from Magill and her counterparts at Harvard and MIT concerning antisemitism on campus. Such incidents have proliferated in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
During a heated line of questioning, Magill was grilled during a five-hour hearing, along with Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, on how their institutions have responded to antisemitism on campus.
Much of the blowback centered on questioning from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who repeatedly asked Magill whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate each university’s code of conduct.
Magill said that whether hate speech crossed the line into violating Penn’s policies depended on context.
“If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment,” Magill said.
Her comments — and similar ones by Gay — drew swift international backlash. On Wednesday, Magill apologized and walked back some of her comments, but calls for her resignation — including from high-profile donors — quickly mounted.
The university’s board of trustees held an emergency meeting Thursday and on Saturday, Magill resigned.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Israeli Finance Minister: The Days Of Israel Transferring Money To The PA Are Over
The Palestinian Authority plans, with the help of Norway, to circumvent Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s decision to delay the transfer of approximately 70 million shekels of the funds that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
Sources with knowledge of the details in Ramallah told Channel 12 News on Saturday, “The idea is that the Norwegian government will transfer the 70 million shekels to the Palestinian Authority and at the same time ask Israel for guarantees to return the money.”
Smotrich responded to the report and stated, “Not a single shekel will go to Gaza, and on my watch, the days of Israel transferring money so that the Palestinian Authority can transfer salaries to the families of Nazi terrorists are over.”
“Last month the Cabinet accepted my position and deducted hundreds of millions of shekels that they wanted to transfer to Gaza and the terrorists, the same thing happened this month, and the same will be the case in the future. Not directly nor through any other party, period,” he added.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Analysis — Skip Heitzig: Hatred Toward Israel — It’s Not A Different Point Of View… It’s Evil Vs Good
On October 7, 2023, Israel was attacked by a group of terrorists from Gaza who indiscriminately killed about 1,400 people. The civilized world condemned the attack, but there were celebrations in many Muslim communities across the globe. And there were demonstrations in major cities around the world that included some anti-Israel rhetoric that was very Nazi-like.
Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, told me, “When they say things like ‘from the river to the sea,’ that’s a call for the genocide of the Jewish people. It’s not the ‘two-state solution.’ It’s the Final Solution.”
He continued, “A lot of people in politics don’t believe in evil. They just think that people have different points of view in the world.” But, he said, “No. There’s good, and there’s evil.”
Now, why such hatred of Satan toward Israel? What if God’s plan to redeem the world required the existence and continuance of that nation? Well, if that were true—and I believe it is—if you destroyed that nation, you would thwart God’s plan.
Since the beginning of time, Satan has waged a cosmic conflict to destroy the Seed of the woman. From Cain killing his brother Abel, to the murder of the male Hebrew children by Pharaoh, to Haman’s plot to kill every Jew in Persia in the book of Esther—the Old Testament is filled with this conflict.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Hamas Kills 25-Year-Old Israeli Hostage In Gaza After IDF Rescue Attempt
Israeli hostage Sahar Baruch, 25, an engineering student who was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, has been killed in Gaza — and the Hamas terrorist group is blaming Israel, saying that he was killed during an attempted rescue earlier this week.
As Breitbart News has noted, Kibbutz Be’eri was one of the hardest-hit communities in the October 7 terror attack by Hamas, with 100 people — roughly 10% of the population — murdered. Some of the killing was extremely brutal; homes were filled with blood.
Hamas released a propaganda this week video showing a blood-soaked floor and staircase, suggesting a body having been dragged through a building, and then showing Baruch’s bloodied, battered body (which Breitbart News will not publish). Israeli sources confirmed his death, and the community of Kibbutz Be’eri said that Hamas itself had murdered Baruch in captivity.
The Times of Israel reported:
Amid the continued fighting, Kibbutz Be’eri announced that its resident Sahar Baruch, who was kidnapped and taken hostage in Gaza on October 7, had been murdered while in captivity.
The statement did not detail how and when the 25-year-old died, but it came a day after Hamas released a propaganda video purporting to show his body.
…
Baruch, a Ben-Gurion University engineering student was with his grandmother, Geula Bachar, as well as his brother, Idan Baruch, 20, a soldier in the IDF’s Education Corps.
Sahar Baruch was reported to have run into his family’s home in an effort to retrieve his brother’s asthma inhaler. Both Geula and Idan were murdered and Sahar was taken hostage.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said this week that it had launched a rescue effort in which several Hamas terrorists were killed and two IDF soldiers were wounded. Hamas claimed that one IDF soldier had been wounded and one soldier had been killed in the effort. The IDF denied that a solder had been killed.
Hamas has lied about the deaths of hostages before. Last month, it claimed that kidnapped IDF soldier Noa Marciano, 19, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. After the IDF recovered her body near Shifa Hospital, it concluded that she had been murdered.
Hamas has a clear motivation in claiming that a hostage was killed during a rescue attempt: it wishes to discourage such attempts, perhaps also hoping to play upon the strong public support within Israel for diplomatic efforts to release the hostages.
The IDF has warned people not to circulate propaganda published by Hamas as part of its ongoing psychological warfare efforts.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Analysis — Amir Tsarfati: God Will Judge All Nations And Individuals That Come Against Israel
Lately I am being scolded by Christians for not loving the people of Gaza enough. They say I am not being a good example of a follower of Christ.
Just a reminder, Christ Himself will deny entry into His kingdom and send to destruction the goats who will not help His brethren, the Jews, during the tribulation.
In Joel chapter 3, God will judge ALL nations that will come against Israel during that time.
Anyone who wants to kill me and my people just because we are Jews cannot receive my sympathy. He can only get my hope and prayer that he will either repent and get saved or get killed before he kills me!
And if you have already killed, raped, or burned alive my people, my prayer is that either you will repent and then be punished by the authorities for your crimes or you’ll just be executed if repentance isn’t your thing. No matter what – actions such as those cannot go unpunished!
I can’t remember any time in the Bible when Jews were massacred by other people groups, and God just overlooked it without punishing the perpetrators!
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
US Vetoes United Nations Resolution Demanding Immediate Ceasefire; Israeli FM Accuses UN Chief Of Siding With Hamas
The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution Friday backed by almost all other Security Council members and many other nations demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where Palestinian civilians are facing what the UN chief calls a “humanitarian nightmare.”
US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood criticized the council after the vote for its failure to condemn Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacres in Israel in which thousands of terrorists killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, or to acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself.
Wood said the resolution was “divorced from reality” and “would have not moved the needle forward on the ground.” He declared that halting military action would allow Hamas to continue to rule Gaza and “only plant the seeds for the next war.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen post[ed] a scathing rebuke of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing him of standing with Palestinian terror group Hamas in his appeal before the UN Security Council earlier tonight for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
In his post, Cohen said Guterres’ call “disgraces his position and constitutes a mark of Cain on the UN.”
“The invocation of Article 99, after it was not used for the war in Ukraine or for the civil war in Syria, is another example of Guterres’ biased and one-sided stance,’ Cohen wrote.
Cohen says a “ceasefire at this time would prevent the collapse of the Hamas terrorist organization, which is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and would enable it to continue ruling the Gaza Strip.”
“With gratitude to our ally, the US, for its support to continue the fight to bring the hostages home and to eliminate the Hamas terrorist organization, which will bring a better future to the region,” he went on.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
74 House Members Issue Letter Calling On MIT, Harvard, UPenn To 'Immediately Remove' President
Seventy-four House members sent a bipartisan letter to the governing boards of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania, calling on all three to take immediate action to remove the president of each respective institution.
The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, was signed by 74 House of Representatives members from both parties, and specifically calls out MIT President Sally Kornbluth, UPenn President Liz Magill, and Harvard President Claudine Gay, for failing to say if calls for the genocide of Jewish people would violate university policies during a congressional hearing Tuesday.
The letter was signed by Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.; Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.; Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., and many more.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., among those who signed the letter, asked Gay, Magill and Kornbluth if calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their university’s policies.
“If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes,” Magill responded, later adding, “It is a context-dependent decision.”
“It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded.
Kornbluth responded to the question, saying it would be considered harassment only if it’s “targeted at individuals, not making public statements” and if it was “pervasive and severe.”
Kornbluth responded to the question, saying it would be considered harassment only if it’s “targeted at individuals, not making public statements” and if it was “pervasive and severe.”
“There is no context in which calls for the genocide of Jews are acceptable rhetoric. Their failure to unequivocally condemn calls for the systematic murder of Jews is deeply alarming. It stands in stark contrast to the principles we expect leaders of top academic institutions to uphold,” the bipartisan letter states. “It is hard to imagine any Jewish or Israeli student, faculty, or staff feeling safe when presidents of your member institutions could not say that calls for the genocide of Jews would have clear consequences on your campus.
“If calls for genocide of the Jewish people are not in violation of your universities’ policies, then your universities are operating under a clear double standard.”
ISRAEL WAR — TIMELINE
Day 71 — Saturday, December 16
Netanyahu Warns That Terrorist Riddled Gaza Is A Picture of What A Palestinian State Would Be
At the Tel Aviv press conference, Netanyahu is asked by a reporter why he did not withdraw from the Oslo Accords, given that he keeps criticizing them.
“I inherited the Oslo Accords,” he says. “The decision to bring the PLO from Tunis, and plant it in the heart of Judea and Samaria [West Bank], and in Gaza, was a decision made and implemented before I became prime minister. I thought it was a terrible mistake and I still do.”
Turning on the reporter, he says: “You and your journalist friends have been blaming me for almost 30 years for putting the brakes on the Oslo Accords, and preventing the Palestinian state. That’s true,” he says.
“I’m proud that I prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state because today everybody understands what that Palestine state could have been, now that we’ve seen the little Palestinian state in Gaza. Everyone understands what would have happened if we had capitulated to international pressures and enabled a state like that in Judea and Samaria, surrounding Jerusalem and on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant describes his own role in the 1990s as a senior IDF officer in Jenin tackling terrorism, and reducing it to a low. Then came the Oslo Accords, “and after a short time, 500 armed Palestinian policemen landed” in the Jenin area, “another 5,000 elsewhere in Judea and Samaria and 7,000 in Gaza.” That started a process with dire consequences, including the vast proliferation of weapons. “The Oslo Accords started that process” and the accords were rife with errors, Gallant says.
Day 71 — Saturday, December 16
Israel's War Cabinet Set To Discuss Gaza Hostage Release Deal
Israel’s war cabinet is set to convene on Saturday evening to discuss a reported deal to rescue more hostages from Gaza captivity, Israel media reported.
According to the report, the deal discussed in talks between Mossad chief David Barnea and Qatar includes the release of elderly men and civilians in exchange for ‘senior’ Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.
jerusalem post
Day 71 — Saturday, December 16
'Elaborate Hamas Ambush' Used Dolls, Children's Backpacks, Crying On Speakers To Lure IDF Toward Explosives
Israeli soldiers foiled “an elaborate Hamas ambush” that used dolls and children’s backpacks rigged with speakers playing sounds of crying to lure them into a terrorist tunnel in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said Friday.
Footage released by the IDF showed the alley where the ambush would have been staged.
“Here in every corner were … explosives,” an IDF soldier explained in an official video.
The forces subsequently found children’s dolls and backpacks with speakers to imitate crying sounds and songs, the footage showed.
“The goal is to draw us in to look for, to see these things … they play voices in Hebrew so we’ll think there are hostages and missing persons here. In order to draw us into the area that’s rigged with explosives,” the soldier explained while gesturing at the pile of troubling objects.
“There’s ammunition and weapons here, explosives hidden in UNRWA bags,” he added, referring to the UN agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees.
“Hamas anti-tank and intelligence positions were also located in the area, along with an extensive network of explosives aimed at targeting IDF troops,” the statement concluded.
The footage of the scuttled ambush was released on the same day that the IDF shared graphic footage of a Hamas terrorist being killed inside a tunnel in northern Gaza.
new york post
Day 71 — Saturday, December 16
Analysis — Amir Tsarfati: The Fig Tree Is Alive: Are We Among The Generation That ‘Shall Not Pass Away’?
Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus’ words will not pass away. Just like God said through Isaiah: “The flower fades, the grass withers, but the Word of God stands forever” (40:8). Wow!
So, Jesus stopped His entire description of the end times of Israel to tell His disciples, “Now listen. I want to talk to you now, not as Israel, but as My followers. If you follow Me, you can escape destruction. And, if you’re following Me and alive to see the fig tree blooming… that’s it! That’s the last generation.” Wow!
Before we talk about the fig tree, let’s talk about the word “generation.” Scholars, theologians, teachers, and pastors have pondered and debated about the timeframe of a generation. Some say it’s 20 years, some 30 years, some 40 years, others say longer.
But none of those answers are correct. We need to understand that biblically, a generation has always referred to the longevity of mankind. That means the time between conception and natural death. So, the average lifespan of a group of people living at about the same time constitutes the length of a generation. Before the Flood, the Bible tells us the average lifespan of a man was over 900 years. Today, if a man makes it to 100, he’s a celebrity.
So, which generation was Jesus talking about when he said, “this generation shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:34)? He was speaking of the generation that will see the fig tree come back to life. Wow!
I believe He is referring to believers who witness the most significant end-time prophecy: the “rebirth” of the fig tree—the rebirth of Israel.
Day 71 — Saturday, December 16
UK Government Launches Probe, After School Asks Students If Hamas' Oct. 7 Attack On Israel Was 'Fair'
A school is being investigated after its teaching material asked pupils if Hamas‘ terror attack on Israel was ‘fair’.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said she was left horrified to see educational material attempt to ‘justify’ the murderous attacks on October 7 which left more than 1,400 dead and hundreds kidnapped.
In slides that were shared on Mumsnet, pupils at the unnnamed school were asked if it was ‘fair for Hamas to attack’ the Jewish state, and were then invited to give their opinions on the conflict.
Ms Keegan said: ‘I’m horrified to see this. Hamas are terrorists. Their actions are indefensible and anyone encouraging support for them should feel the full force of the law.’
The Education Secretary added: ‘Extremism has no place in education and I have launched an urgent review.’
The Mumsnet user who first shared the material said their child was shown 11 slides on Israel taking land and Palestinian suffering.
In posts seen by MailOnline, the parent claimed the material built up a very ‘one-sided’ picture of the conflict.
‘By contrast, there is one line on the Holocaust and two lines on the October 7 attacks.’, they added.
They then claimed to have demanded a meeting with the head, adding: ‘To me, this is inviting students to justify terrorism.’
Ms Keegan has previously been dragged into discussing the issues surrounding the war in Gaza after pupils were found to have missed lessons and were instead participating in protests backing a ceasefire.
The Education Secretary said schools should treat such classroom absences ‘with the utmost seriousness’.
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Multiple Rockets Intercepted Over Jerusalem After Barrage From Gaza
Multiple rockets were intercepted over Jerusalem on Friday as sirens blared across the city for the first time since October.
Journalists saw explosions and heard several blasts as Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system engaged the incoming fire.
The rocket attack was claimed by Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, which said it was in response to “Zionist massacres of civilians.” Paramedics rushed to the area, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
At least six rockets were launched towards Jerusalem according to the Israeli military, with three intercepted. The military said the other rockets landed away from populated zones.
i24 news
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Three Hostages Mistakenly Killed By IDF During Fighting; Netanyahu: This Is An Unbearable Tragedy
In his first public comments on the mistaken IDF killing of three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza earlier today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, “Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the fall of three of our dear sons who were taken hostage, among them Yotam Haim and Samar Talalka.”
The third hostage killed was later named as Alon Lulu Shamriz.
“This is an unbearable tragedy. The entire State of Israel mourns this evening. My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time.”
“I strengthen our brave warriors who are pursuing the sacred mission of returning our abducted, even at the cost of their own lives.”
“Even on this difficult evening, we will dress our wounds, learn the necessary lessons and continue with our supreme effort to return all our hostages home safely,” Netanyahu says.
In his own statement, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says, “During this difficult time, my thoughts and my heart are with the families of the three hostages who were mistakenly killed by IDF fire in Gaza.״
״This is a painful incident for every Israeli. We must remain resilient and continue operating – for the hostages, for our citizens and for our soldiers.”
“This evening I spoke with the IDF Chief of the General Staff about the details of this tragic incident in order to learn lessons immediately,” Gallant adds.
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Pro-Israel Group Accuses Biden Of Fanning Flames Of Antisemitism For ‘Indiscriminate Bombing'
The Zionist Organization of America accused President Biden of fanning the flames of antisemitism with his claim that Israel was engaging in “indiscriminate bombing” in the Gaza Strip.
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein issued a statement on Thursday saying the pro-Israel group “strongly condemns President Joe Biden’s dangerous, indiscriminate remarks on December 12th, falsely accusing Israel of ‘indiscriminate bombing’ in Gaza; criticizing and calling for changing Israel’s democratically elected government; and calling for Israel to ‘strengthen’ and reward the Palestinian Authority (PA) terror regime with a Palestinian Arab state carved out of Israel’s lawful land (a so-called ‘two-state solution’) – while the PA is celebrating the October 7th atrocities, continuing to pay terrorists huge lifetime pensions to murder Jews and insisting that Hamas must be part of a Palestinian state ; and the PA’s ruling Fatah party is bragging about its brigades participating in the October 7th atrocities.”
“Falsely accusing Israel of ‘indiscriminate bombing’ creates more fuel for attacking American Jews. Biden’s widely disseminated, reckless remarks will likely inspire more antisemitism, at a time when American Jews are being attacked on college campuses and American streets at record breaking levels,” the statement continued.
“Even his spokesman John Kirby said no country, including America, does more to protect civilian lives.” “Biden voiced his unjustified criticisms of Israel and his statements interfering with and attempting to undermine Israeli democracy at a closed-door campaign reception on December 12, 2023,” the group said.
“Biden’s remarks were then published on the White House website and amplified in media around the world.”
According to a transcript shared by the White House, Biden told donors at a campaign reception in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday about recent conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Day 70 — Friday, December 15
Israel Carrying Out Biggest Counter-Terror Operation In West Bank Since Second Intifada
At least 1,300 Israeli military soldiers are continuing to carry out a massive counter-terror operation in the Palestinian town of Jenin, in what is shaping up to be the largest Israeli operation in the West Bank since the end of the Second Intifada in 2005.
The current operation has now lasted longer than Operation Home and Garden in Jenin, which took place last July.
The IDF confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the operation that began in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and whose scope wasn’t announced beforehand, was still taking place in the Samaria region.
So far, five Israeli soldiers have been injured during the fighting, mainly by shrapnel, and were evacuated to Emek Medical Center in Afula. One of them is now being hospitalized following an operation.
Over 1,300 soldiers of the IDF, the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet and Israel Border Police, most of them military reservists, are taking part in the searches throughout Jenin and its nearby refugee camp.
More than 600 suspects were detained, with more than 30 of them being transferred to interrogation facilities.
Israel Defense Forces discovered hundreds of explosives and destroyed 8 production laboratories.
More than 10 underground tunnel shafts were located, some of them being used as weapons caches, and will be prepared for destruction. In addition, 40 weapons have been confiscated.
Contrary to Israeli policy over the past 20 years, during this operation, the Israeli Air Force has carried out multiple airstrikes with drones. Seven terrorists who endangered the soldiers were eliminated.
Since the Second Intifada, Israel has generally refrained from using air power in the West Bank.
This is the 16th anti-terror operation in Jenin since the start of the war between Israel and the terror organization Hamas, according to Army Radio.
Jenin, in northern Samaria, has developed into a major terror center, especially since the creation of the terror group ‘Jenin Battalion’ a few years back.
During the 16 raids, more than 60 terrorists have been eliminated so far, and more than 100 arrested, which represents a significant part of the group’s strength.
Israeli security forces have stepped up anti-terror operations in the West Bank since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, having arrested over 2,200 wanted suspects, some 1,100 of whom are known-affiliates of Hamas.
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
Following US Pressure To Wrap Up Fighting By End Of 2023, Gallant Warns War Will Take ‘More Than Several Months’
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday told visiting US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that the military campaign against Hamas will not be completed within the next few months, as intense battles raged for control of the terror group’s redoubts in the northern Gaza strip.
Gallant’s comments to Sullivan flew in the face of an increasingly strident push by the US for Israel to wrap up the fighting quickly, warning of dwindling support for the campaign even as Israeli leaders vow not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
“Hamas is a terrorist organization that built itself over a decade to fight Israel, and they built infrastructure under the ground and above the ground and it is not easy to destroy them,” Gallant said, according to a readout from his office. “It will require a period of time — it will last more than several months, but we will win and we will destroy them.”
After sweeping through the north of the Strip with little resistance, soldiers are now battling for hard-fought gains in Shejaiya and Jabaliya, two Hamas strongholds outside of Gaza City.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells visiting US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that the war against Hamas in Gaza will take “more than several months.” pic.twitter.com/JCmOmWO6F5
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 14, 2023
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
Analysis — Amir Tsarfati: We Are No Longer In An Era Of Appeasement—We Are In The Era Of Vanquishment
(Galilee, Israel) — October 7 ushered in a new era in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In the past, we’ve allowed evil to live just on the other side of our borders. We didn’t like it but put up with it. The reasons for this tolerance came from both outside and inside Israel. Outside, there was great pressure from the world that a solution must be found that would allow independent states for Israel and the Palestinians. Any perceived slight by the Jews toward the Arabs was immediately pounced on by the United Nations who manufactured condemnatory resolutions against Israel like they were pickup trucks at a Ford plant.
Inside the country, we had a large population of liberal optimists who truly felt that if we were nice to the Palestinians, we could win them over. “They hate us now, and probably for good reason. If we just love them, then they’ll start to love us. After all, love always wins!” Tragically, the kibbutzim that were attacked along the border were largely populated with many of these well-meaning but naïve families. It’s truly heart-breaking.
As I said, we are in a new era in Israel. No longer does anyone foolishly hope that a relationship between Palestinians and Israelis can be forged. By the actions carried out by those Nazi monsters, they forfeited any right they thought they may have had to Gaza. There will be no Palestinian settlements south of our border.
“But, Amir, that isn’t fair to all the innocent civilians! They can’t help it if they had terrorists living among them!” I understand that there are innocents. And I also recognize that there are Christians amongst the Palestinians. However, the innocents and the believers in Gaza are a very small minority. Just yesterday, the Palestinian Center for Political Research and Surveys, based in Ramallah, released results of their inquiries. Of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, 82% said the massacre of October 7 was an appropriate response to the attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque (which never actually occurred) and to free prisoners from Israeli custody. 70% think that armed terrorism is a proper solution to ending occupation. 90% call for the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas and more than 60% called for the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority (PA). In other words, Abbas and the PA are not radical enough for them. They want Hamas in charge.
We are no longer in an era of appeasement or compromise. We are in the era of vanquishment. The Palestinians in our region and around the world have ceased masking their intentions to annihilate Israel. They have laid down the gauntlet – it is them or us. We did not ask for this fight. We did not desire to make this choice. But neither will we shy away from it. Outside pressure has always caused us to moderate our responses in the past. That is no longer true.
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
IDF Soldiers Capture 70 Armed Hamas Terrorists At Gaza Hospital
יוצאים מבית החולים עם נשקים: לוחמי צה״ל מצוות קרב חטיבה 460 ולוחמי שב״כ עצרו עשרות פעילי טרור שיצאו מבית חולים ברצועת עזה ולקחו אותם להמשך חקירה של שב״כ ויחידה 504 באגף המודיעין>> pic.twitter.com/lS29A9b9hN
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 14, 2023
A video shows dozens of suspected Hamas terrorists laying down their weapons, after being captured by Israeli troops at a northern Gaza hospital after days of shelling.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released the footage on X Thursday, showing a throng of men walking single-file with their hands up through an area piled high with rubble under the watchful eye of soldiers.
The next portion of the recording shows alleged Hamas terrorists, now with their shirts off, dropping their weapons, including assault-style rifles and ammunition, on the ground.
IDF soldiers from the 460th Combat Brigade of the 162nd Division, along with members of Israel’s security service Shin Bet, carried out the operation to capture 70 terrorists in the Kamal Adwan Hospital near the Israeli border.
The medical facility in Beit Lahiya has been surrounded and under heavy fire for days.
Israeli forces said they located a building near the hospital that was being used by Hamas. Firefights ensued, during which an unknown number of the enemy were killed in action, according to the IDF.
Others were captured alive and taken to the Shin Bet security agency and Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504 for interrogation.
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
Netanyahu: ‘We Will Destroy Hamas’ Regardless of ‘International Pressures’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told soldiers on Wednesday that Israel “will destroy Hamas” regardless of “international pressures.”
Netanyahu made his comments in conversation with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, a day after the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, and after U.S. President Joe Biden criticized Israel for what he called, without evidence, “indiscriminate bombing.”
A statement from the prime minister’s office said:
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke by radio with the 460 Brigade Commander, Col. Dvir Edri, who is currently fighting in the heart of the Gaza Strip and told him [translated from Hebrew]:
“Continue on but watch out for yourselves. I am certain that you will do this.
I want you to pass along to the last soldier: We are continuing to the end, until victory, until the destruction of Hamas. Let there be no doubt about this. This is important. This is the message that I want to reach every soldier there. Be strong and have courage. Thank you.”
The 460 Brigade Commander told the Prime Minister [translated from Hebrew]:
“Sir, we want to continue. Give us the force. We are strong here. We will carry out the mission – we will destroy Hamas. We have the strength for this. We have excellent soldiers and commanders and we will continue the mission until we destroy the last of the terrorists.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to the commanders [translated from Hebrew]:
“I want to express deep appreciation on behalf of all citizens of Israel for your efforts in the fighting, for the sacrifice, heroism and success. However, there is a great pain that we are feeling. Yesterday we had a very difficult day and every day we have dear sons who fall. They are true heroes of Israel, my heart and our hearts are with the fallen and with the families. We know that their lives have changed.
But I want to say as clearly as possible what I have just said to the commander in the field: we are continuing until the end. There is no question whatsoever about this. I also say this in light of the great pain, but also in the face of the international pressures. Nothing will stop us. We are going on to the end, until victory, nothing less. I thank you. We are doing this thanks to you, through you, and with G-d’s help and yours.
This war will continue but it is important that it continue with the sophistication that you bring. This sophistication saves many lives and gives us very great leverage. Thank you very much.”
Foreign minister Eli Cohen made a similar statement, according to the Times of Israel, declaring that Israel would continue its mission to destroy Hamas’s military and governance capabilities in Gaza, “with or without international support.”
Day 69 — Thursday, December 14
Hand Of God?: Turkish MP Has Heart Attack Seconds After Saying Israel Will ‘Suffer Allah’s Wrath’
Turkish parliamentarian Hasan Bitmez was giving a speech to the Grand National Assembly on the war with Hamas when he collapsed, on Tuesday.
Bitmez, a member of the Islamist Felicity Party, was giving a speech about the war with Hamas to the Assembly and finished by saying “You will not escape the wrath of Allah. I salute you all.”
Bitmez collapsed almost immediately after finishing his sentence.
Parliamentarians rushed to his aid. MP Dr. Turhan Çömez began giving him CPR on the floor. Bitmez was taken out of the Assembly on a stretcher with Dr. Çömez still performing CPR, Çömez is a licensed surgeon.
THE HAND OF GOD?
Drama in the Turkish Parliament today.
MP Hasan Bismet spoke out strongly against Israel, and shouted about Israel suffering the “wrath of Allah”.
Seconds later, he had a heart attack. pic.twitter.com/Z2Y2Eq7dD3
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) December 13, 2023
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
IDF: Hamas Terrorists Have Fired Over A Hundred Rockets From Humanitarian Zone
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that Hamas terrorists have fired over a hundred rockets from the humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF said on X that 116 rockets were launched in total, including 38 that landed in Gaza.
“Hamas has fired 116 rockets from the humanitarian zone toward Israel since its opening on October 18,” the IDF post read. “38 of those rockets fell inside Gaza, endangering their own civilians.”
“Hamas continues to carry out terrorist activities from the humanitarian zone, designated to prevent harm to civilians, further endangering Gazan lives,” the Israeli military added.
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
Ten Soldiers, Including Senior Officers, Killed In Gaza Fighting And Deadly Ambush Tuesday Night
Ten IDF soldiers fell in heavy fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday night, including the commander of the 13th Battalion in the Golani Brigade, Lt.-Col. Tomer Greenberg and Col. Itzhak Ben Basat, head of the Golani Brigades commander’s team.
Colonel Basat is the most senior officer killed in the fighting so far.
The IDF announced that seven Golani soldiers fell during one intense firefight with Hamas terrorists as the soldiers attempted to clear the building where the terrorists were hiding.
During the fighting, a very large IED was set off, which killed and injured several of the soldiers and created an operational separation between some of the units.
As the fighting continued, a rescue team with medics came to retrieve the forces from the building to treat the wounded from the first explosion. At that point a second IED was activated, killing Lt.-Col. Greenberg, who had arrived with the rescue team.
Golani Company Commander Major Roy Meldassi was also killed during the fight. All terrorists were eliminated in the fighting.
Another IDF soldier, Staff Sergeant Oriya Yaakov, from the 614th Battalion, was killed in a separate incident during the fighting in Shejaiya.
all israel news
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
IDF Reportedly Begins Flooding Hamas Terror Tunnels With Seawater
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly started to destroy Hamas’ vast underground network of terror tunnels by flooding them with water from the Mediterranean Sea.
U.S. officials familiar with the IDF’s operations inside Gaza told The Wall Street Journal that the move is just one of several different methods that Israel is using to force the terrorists to the surface.
The news comes as large numbers of Hamas terrorists have been seen in recent days surrendering to Israel’s forces inside Gaza.
Hamas terrorists have used a significant portion of the aid that they received from foreign countries to build their tunnel network, which has been estimated to be hundreds of miles long.
The IDF’s flooding of the tunnels only started in recent days and is expected to potentially last for several weeks. The flooding began after Israel finished installing seven pumps and conducted some initial testing.
“Israel’s military said it was intensifying operations underground in northern Gaza and beneath the southern city of Khan Younis, one of Hamas’s last strongholds,” the report said. “The underground labyrinth remains one of Israel’s main challenges to achieving its goal of destroying Hamas’s military capabilities both in areas it controls above ground and those where it so far hasn’t operated. The tunnels under the southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border for example, analysts say, are used by Hamas to smuggle most of its weapons into Gaza.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this week Hamas was “on the verge of collapse” in areas throughout Gaza as it begins to run low on supplies, having to rely on stealing aid from Palestinian civilians to keep their terrorist activities going.
Day 68 — Wednesday, December 13
Hamas Used Toxic Substance To Kill Nahal Oz Troops On Oct. 7, IDF Probe Said To Show
An investigation into the nature of the deaths of IDF surveillance soldiers serving on the Nahal Oz base on October 7 has revealed that they were killed by a toxic gas that caused suffocation and loss of consciousness within a few minutes of exposure.
According to a report published by Channel 12, the main findings of the investigation indicated that an unspecified but toxic flammable substance was apparently thrown through the entrance of the building which housed the surveillance soldiers’ command center. One of the soldiers at the entrance to the building attempted to extinguish the flames but was unsuccessful and the fire continued to spread.
“They set fire to materials that ignited and spread, which contained toxic gases that could cause suffocation in a few minutes or even less than that,” Channel 12 quoted the officer delivering the report as saying, and added that the estimated time of a few minutes was an optimistic one.
As the fire continued to spread, the smoke began to enter the surveillance soldiers’ command center, where 22 people, including many of the surveillance soldiers, were hiding. In an attempt to ward off the smoke, the soldiers soaked some paper towels with water to fill the gap under the door but it didn’t work and the effects of the gas began to take hold.
“The soldiers began to leave the room and search for an exit. They were coughing and some couldn’t breathe,” the IDF officer told Channel 12. “Some told us that they felt they were stepping on some people, they tried to pick them up, and with the rest of their strength tried to call to them. They were simply surviving and trying to figure out how to get themselves out of there.”
When they reached the emergency exit, however, the soldiers realized that the door was on fire, and there was no way of opening it or even getting close to it. Those who were still able continued to search for an exit and eventually reached the bathrooms, where a small window led to the outside.
One of the officers climbed up to the window and smashed it, allowing him, five other officers and one surveillance soldier to escape the toxic inferno.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
UN Votes Against Israel; Erdan: If You Want A Real Ceasefire In Gaza, Call Sinwar
The UN General Assembly on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
153 countries voted in favor of the motion and 10 countries, including the United States and Israel, voted against. 23 countries abstained.
The resolution does not mention that the hostages are being held by Hamas and does not condemn the massacre carried out by the organization’s terrorists against Israel.
Speaking before the vote, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, clarified, “What would your countries do if you were in Israel’s shoes? Call for a ceasefire? What would Moscow do? Beijing? Istanbul? How would you respond? Everyone here knows exactly.”
The Ambassador presented a poster with the phone number for the Hamas office in Gaza and said, “…I have an idea: if you want a real ceasefire, here is the right address. This is the phone number of Hamas’ office in Gaza. You can all call +970-599-373765 and ask for Yahya Sinwar. Tell Hamas to put down their arms, turn themselves in, and return our hostages. This will bring a complete ceasefire that will last forever! So, why are you not doing this? Why are you not holding Hamas accountable?”
בדיון הדחוף בעצרת הכללית הבהרתי לכל השגרירים לפני ההצבעה: אם אתם רוצים הפסקת אש אמיתית, תתקשרו למשרדי חמאס בעזה ותבקשו את יחיא סינוואר. תגידו לו שכאשר חמאס יניחו את נשקם, יסגירו את עצמם ויחזירו את כל החטופים, אז תהיה הפסקת אש אמיתית שתימשך לתמיד.
צפו ורטווטו>> pic.twitter.com/1KDWtEm11R
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) December 12, 2023
Ambassador Erdan also said, “No piece of paper – especially one that is adopted by a biased politicized majority – will prevent Israel from defending itself against those that seek our destruction. Israel is fighting a war for her future! There is not a single Member State here, not a single Member State here, that would act differently in a similar situation. A ceasefire only serves to prolong Hamas’ reign of terror so I urge all Member States to vote against this resolution.”
The vote at the UN General Assembly comes after the US on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution which demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Among the other 15 members of the Security Council, 13, including France and Switzerland, supported the proposal. Britain abstained.
In late October, the General Assembly adopted a resolution urging an “immediate, lasting and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip. 120 countries voted in favor of the resolution, 14 voted against, and 45 abstained.
Israel and the US were among the 14 countries that voted against that resolution, due to the fact that it failed to condemn Hamas for the October 7 terrorist massacres against Israelis.
Unlike resolutions passed by the Security Council, resolutions approved in the General Assembly are non-binding.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
Israeli Air Force Releases Video Of Terrorist Rocket Launch Site Being Destroyed In Gaza
The Israeli Air Force has posted a video on X of a rocket launch site being destroyed in the Gaza Strip.
“Soldiers of the 162nd Division in Jabalya, in cooperation with the soldiers of the 636th Collection Unit of the Border Protection Corps, identified a launch site… launching rockets towards the city of Sderot.”
It said the forces “directed an aircraft that attacked and destroyed the launch site.”
Footage released by the IDF shows a building being flattened in an airstrike.
חיל-האוויר תקף ביממה האחרונה מספר עמדות שיגור ברחבי הרצועה. לוחמי אוגדה 162 בג׳אבליה בשיתוף לוחמי יחידת האיסוף 636 מחיל הגנת הגבולות, זיהו עמדת שיגור בעת שיגור רקטות לעבר העיר שדרות, הכוחות הכווינו כלי טיס שתקף והשמיד את עמדת השיגור. pic.twitter.com/O7AVD8jJQm
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) December 12, 2023
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
IDF's Hanukkah Message: 'When Faced With Destruction, The Maccabees Fought... Now It's Our Turn'
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, IDF spokesperson — This is a dark time in Jewish History, but together, we will fight for our future. From the depths of darkness, we have risen, stronger and more united.
Happy Hanukkah to the Jewish people celebrating around the world.
We light the Hanukkah candles at a dark time in the story of our people, a time of mourning, a time of pain, a timely reminder of what we’re fighting for.
But the story of Hanukkah should serve as a reminder that our hope will prevail over despair. Our light will dispel the darkness, our love of life will triumph over the forces of evil that seek our destruction.
The story of Hanukkah is a story of survival. When faced with destruction, the Maccabees fought. They sacrificed their lives so that we could survive.
Now it’s our turn.
From the depths of darkness on October 7, we have risen, stronger and more united. A nation small in size, but mighty in spirit. Our hostages are being held in Hamas captivity. The IDF is fighting for their freedom.
Israel is under attack in the north and in the south. We are fighting for our survival. Israel is at war, one that Jews around the world are feeling too.
And together, we will fight for our future. A future where there will once again be Hanukkah candles in the windows across Israel. In Kfar Aza, Nir Oz and Be’eri. where there will once again be no need for context when there are calls for genocide against Jewish students in universities.
Where there was horror, there will be hope. Where there was death, there will be life. Where there was darkness, there will be light.
“Me’At min Ha’Or, Doche Harbe Min Ha’Hoshech.” A bit of light dispels much darkness. And our people have a whole lot of light.
Chag Hanukkah Samea’ch.
Happy Hanukkah.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
Analysis — Hate And Hostility: ‘Saturday People Are The First Targets… The Sunday People Are Next’
Narratives, talking points, and propaganda against the biblical worldview have been effective and are increasing. This has caused hostility toward Christians and Jews to spike. Spiritual warfare has manifested as forces of darkness have been working overtime.
From the godless protesters in NY at the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center to useful idiots on U.S. college campuses supporting Hamas, to young people in the UK wanting to ban the Bible, to Democrats claiming that the faith of American Christians is more of a threat than al-Queda, enemies of God are coming after Saturday people first, then Sunday people.
I spoke with Jan Markell on Worldview Matters last week and she agrees that prophetic battles are reaching a boiling point and that it seems an unprecedented number of “demons were unleashed” to carry out the horrific attacks against Israel by Hamas in October. Since then, protests have erupted around the world and most disturbingly on U.S. college campuses and city streets.
It would appear the army is being assembled for the revolution in part because Satan knows his time is short.
Retired Israel Defense Forces Major and Middle East expert Amir Tsarfati points out the terrorists often say Saturday people are the first targets and the Sunday people are next. These terms are used to identify Jews and Christians based on the days we worship. It’s interesting to me they’re not even hiding their agenda any longer.
Day 67 — Tuesday, December 12
Gantz Tells Blinken That Israel Will Have To Respond To Rising Hezbollah Attacks
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that the uptick in attacks by Hezbollah will require a firm Israeli response, as rocket fire by the Lebanese terror group continued to target towns on Israel’s northern border.
“Gantz stated that heightened aggression and increased attacks by Iranian-backed Hezbollah demand of Israel to remove such a threat to the civilian population of northern Israel,” according to an Israeli readout.
Gantz added that “the international community currently has an important role to play, and it must act to ensure that the state of Lebanon stops such aggression along its border,” the statement said.
Hezbollah-led attacks along the northern border with Lebanon have been constant since the Israel-Hamas war began. Daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups are raising fears of a broader conflagration.
On Monday night, Hezbollah fired a number of anti-tank missiles from southern Lebanon at a home in the northern Israeli town of Metula. According to Metula Regional Council bhead David Azoulay, some 15 homes in the northern city were damaged and one was completely destroyed in the attack.
In a statement, the terror group said the attack was a response to the death of the mayor of the Lebanese village of Taybeh, Hussein Ali Mansour, who was reported to have been killed in IDF shelling Monday, amid repeated cross-border Hezbollah attacks.
Hezbollah claimed a home hit in Metula was being used by the IDF.
There were no injuries in the attack. Metula has largely been evacuated of residents, given the Hezbollah attacks.
The IDF responded with artillery shelling at the source of the fire.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
1,300-Plus Terror Attacks In Judea And Samaria Since Oct. 7
Palestinian terrorists in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley have escalated their campaign against Israeli civilians and security forces in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre in the northwestern Negev, data published by Channel 14 News on Monday shows.
In the nine weeks since Hamas launched its cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip, the broadcaster counted 1,388 attacks in the disputed territories, including 569 cases of rock-throwing, 287 attacks with explosives, 143 Molotov cocktail assaults and 70 terrorist shootings.
Three Israelis—a civilian, a soldier and a Border Police officer—have been murdered in Judea and Samaria since Oct. 7.
In addition, at least 52 Israelis sustained injuries, according to Channel 14. The report said 16 people were wounded by rock-throwing, 10 sustained gunshot wounds, eight were violently attacked by Palestinians, and two were injured in a car-ramming attack.
At least 15 members of the security forces were wounded during counterterrorism raids in Judea and Samaria, while one Israeli was moderately injured as he neutralized a Palestinian terrorist.
In the first six months of 2023, Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) recorded a total of 3,640 acts of terrorism throughout all of Israel. Palestinian terrorists killed 28 people and wounded 362 others between Jan. 1 and July 1, 2023, the emergency service said.
According to a recent survey, 83% of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria support the crimes against humanity committed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
Gallant: 'Hamas Is On The Verge Of Dissolution, The IDF Is Taking Over Its Last Strongholds'
Many of the Hamas terrorists surrendering to the IDF were involved in the October 7 massacre, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Monday evening during a televised address.
“Hamas is on the verge of dissolution, the IDF is taking over its last strongholds,” Gallant said.
During his address, the defense minister spoke directly to Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar telling him either to surrender or face death on the battlefield.
He said that Hamas terrorists in Jabalia and Shejaia are being brought down, though they had thought they were unbeatable.
Next, he said that Hamas forces who surrender are saying they do not have enough ammunition or food.
Questioned about a security zone around Gaza, Gallant responded saying that anything that serves the military campaign is something Israel needs to do. The fighting will not be short, he added.
Nevertheless, the defense minister said, “There is no intent to stay permanently in the Gaza Strip.”
Further, he added that IDF commanders are taking big risks in a variety of strategic directions to save the lives of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.
Pressed whether the US is setting a deadline for Israeli operations, he replied, “The war will end when its goals are achieved…I take with seriousness what America does…and we will find a way to help the US to help us.”
jerusalem post
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
Analysis — Mike Pompeo: Dear University Presidents, Calling for Genocide of Jews Is Wrong in Any “Context”
Institutions of higher education in America – particularly at our once-vaunted universities – have a major antisemitism problem made evident by the reaction on so many campuses following the barbaric attacks on October 7th against the world’s only Jewish state – Israel. Universities such as Harvard, which have in the past been so quick to punish faculty, students, or even guest speakers that step out of line with radical progressive thought, have been disturbingly apathetic in the face of the most alarming swell of antisemitic hate in recent American history.
This week, the presidents of MIT, Harvard, and Penn were asked to testify before Congress to explain their respective school’s approach to the crisis; the broad theme of their testimony can be summarized in their answers to a question posed by Rep. Elise Stefanik: “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate [your university’s] code of conduct or rules regarding bullying or harassment?”
This simple question apparently stumped the three presidents, who prevaricated, obfuscated, and tied themselves into rhetorical knots to avoid answering, “Yes.”
MIT President Sally Kornbluth stated that such vitriol could be considered antisemitic, “depending on the context.” President Kornbluth would have us believe that calls for genocide against the Jewish people require more context than the statement itself.
Penn President Liz Magill responded that calls for genocide would have to be expressed in action to qualify as bullying or harassment according to Penn’s standards, stating “if speech becomes conduct, it can be harassment.” President Magill would have us believe that calls for genocide and intifada – calls for violence against Jewish people and fellow Jewish classmates – is not a manner of deplorable conduct in and of itself.
Saving the worst for last, Harvard President Claudine Gay responded to the question first by parroting the previous respondents – “it can be, depending on the context” – then added her own absurd qualification: Antisemitic rhetoric must be targeted at an individual to qualify as harassment. President Gay would have us believe that calls for genocide against Jews and intifada are not, in fact, targeting Jewish students, but instead harmlessly directed into the ether.
University administrators have clearly failed to protect and support their Jewish students. Indeed, this shameful performance confirms the sentiments expressed by Jewish students who shared their experiences dealing with antisemitism on campus with Congress this week, with one young NYU student detailing how she was assaulted by another student simply because she was wearing an American-Israeli flag. Her attacker, of course, has yet to be disciplined.
We should be clear: This is not an issue of free speech. Harvard, MIT, and Penn’s administrators have freely allowed a culture of bullying and harassment to thrive on their campuses so long as the institutions punish faculty, students, or guest speakers for expressing ideas and engaging in speech that conflict with the institutions’ radical progressive ideology. Indeed, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE) college free-speech rankings, Harvard currently ranks dead last in protecting free speech, with Penn just ahead of them at second to last. It is farcical for these schools to now claim their desire to protect free speech compels them to allow their Jewish students to be threatened, attacked, and demeaned. It is also why I am proud to serve as Distinguished Chair for the Helms School of Government at Liberty University, a Christian school that has roundly condemned antisemitism and showed clear moral support for the State of Israel and our Jewish countrymen.
In truth, the administrators at these schools – starting at the top with their presidents – hold to a worldview that embraces antisemitism, denies the right of the Jewish people to have their own legitimate nation-state, and provides the ideological basis for genocide against the Jewish people. This same progressive ideology has motivated many feminist organizations – ordinarily the self-proclaimed champions of consent and bodily autonomy – to justify Hamas’ atrocities on Oct. 7th, including sexual assault and rape. This is not an accident: Hypocrisy and double standards are the defining characteristics of progressive ideology. The rules only apply to their enemies; and whether they would admit it or not, their hatred of the Jewish nation-state extends to all Jews as well.
This hearing, and the infuriating treatment of so many young Jewish college students since the war in Israel began, should be a wake-up call for U.S. lawmakers and all Americans. Congress should not allow universities to hide behind claims of protecting free speech as they allow antisemitism and calls for intifada to threaten and harm students. Instead, congressional leadership should ensure that any university allowing this wicked ideology to fester on its campus should no longer receive government funding. If these university presidents find dealing with antisemitism to be such a difficult issue, America’s leaders should simplify the matter for them.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
Analysis — People Are Using Israel’s War With Hamas As An Excuse To Hate Jews
The world finds excuses to hate Jews. People across the globe are blaming individual Jews for Israel’s war on Hamas. Even Jews who do not support the invasion of Gaza are being blamed for it. On US college campuses, Jewish students are threatened, harassed, and no longer feel safe. Hate crime against Muslims is on the rise, but it’s even worse for Jews. The Bible says that this tendency toward Jew-hatred would get worse in the end times. And we’re seeing it right now.
You may have heard about the Williamsburg, Virginia street festival canceling a Hanukkah-related menorah lighting ceremony. After receiving criticism for the snub, festival organizers told the press that they rejected the menorah lighting because they have a policy against any kind of religious ceremony. But in an email to the rabbi who was supposed to have conducted the lighting, they said they would allow it if an Islamic group also took part. So, apparently, religious expression is okay if it includes Muslims.
An event organizer explained, “We are about Peace, Love & light… don’t want to make it seem we’re choosing a side — supporting the killing/bombing of thousands of men, women & children.” But they also told the rabbi he could go on with the ceremony if he held it beneath a banner calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. That’s called taking a side.
Do you see what they did? They identified the menorah with the IDF’s military action in Gaza. They don’t just blame Israel for what they call the “killing/bombing,” but all Jews. This one snub would be almost nothing if it were alone. But people all over the world are doing what they did — blaming the suffering of Palestinians on all Jews.
Day 66 — Monday, December 11
20% Of Young Americans Believes The Holocaust Is A Myth, Poll Finds
One-fifth of US citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 believe that the Holocaust is a myth, according to a new poll from the Economist/YouGov.
The poll was conducted between December 2 and December 5, and among other issues, examined the beliefs held by US citizens on Israel, Jewish people and the Holocaust.
In response to the statement “The Holocaust is a myth,” 20 percent of participants between the ages of 18 and 29 said that they agreed with it, and an additional 30% said that they did not agree or disagree.
In comparison, 8% of people between the ages of 30-44 agreed with the statement, as did 2% of people aged 45-64. However, of those over the age of 65 who were surveyed, 0% agreed with the statement and just 2% said that they neither agreed nor disagreed.
Overall, 7% of Americans believe that the Holocaust is a myth.
Asked elsewhere in the survey whether they believe it is antisemitic to deny that the Holocaust took place, 17% of respondents in the 18-29 age group said that it was not antisemitic, and a further 37% said that they were not sure.
Similarly, 23% of those aged 18-29 said that they agreed with the statement: “The Holocaust has been exaggerated,” and 26% said they neither agreed nor disagreed.
The poll was conducted as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza entered its third month. The war was triggered on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst into Israel from the land, air and sea, killing more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians slaughtered amid brutal atrocities, and seizing some 240 hostages.
In response, Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip and launched an aerial campaign and subsequent ground invasion.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has claimed that more than 17,700 people have been killed since October 7, although these numbers cannot be independently verified and are thought to include at least 7,000 Hamas terrorists, as well as civilians killed by misfired Palestinian rockets.
The war in Gaza has led to a spike in antisemitic incidents worldwide, including in the US.
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
Hamas Warns It Could Kill All Hostages Unless Israel Meets Demands
A Hamas spokesman suggested Sunday that the terror organization could kill all of the presumed 137 hostages in its custody if Israel does not accede to its demands.
Abu Obeida, a familiar spokesman for Hamas who had not been seen for several weeks, released a video in which he made the threat clear.
“Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership… nor its supporters… can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance,” he said, according to the Times of Israel.
It is not clear if Hamas would deliver on that threat. The hostages are the only leverage that Hamas has over Israel, and it uses them as human shields. The Hamas leaders in exile — in luxurious accommodation in Doha, Qatar — would also likely to preserve the hostages alive to ensure that Israel negotiates with them, rather than killing them (as it has promised to do, eventually).
Hamas has tried to use the deaths of individual hostages to deter Israeli military action before. In the latest example, it claimed that Sahar Baruch, 25, a hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri, had been killed in an Israeli rescue attempt. Israel said that Baruch was murdered by Hamas and that the rescue attempt killed several terrorists but found no hostages in the location that was raided.
The new threat could be a sign that Israel’s military pressure is working, forcing Hamas to make sensational threats to survive.
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
'Beginning Of The End': Netanyahu Confirms Hamas Terrorists Are Surrendering By The Dozens
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night confirmed the authenticity of photos and videos showing dozens of Hamas terrorists surrendering to the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip.
“Over the past few days, dozens of Hamas terrorists have surrendered to our forces. They are laying down their weapons and handing themselves over to our heroic soldiers,” said Netanyahu in a video statement.
“It will take some more time—we are in the midst of the war—but this is the beginning of the end for Hamas. I say to Hamas terrorists: It’s over. Don’t die for [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar. Surrender now,” he urged.
Israeli TV networks on Thursday broadcast images showing dozens of blindfolded Palestinian men of fighting age, who apparently surrendered, in their undergarments and with their hands bound.
In one video clip, an armed Palestinian terrorist can be seen moving to the front of the line and laying his assault rifle down in front of Israeli soldiers.
“We are eliminating many terrorists, and increasingly are seeing terrorists who surrender during battle and turn themselves over to our forces,” IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said during a Friday night press briefing.
“In the last 48 hours, we apprehended more than 200 suspects, dozens of whom were transferred to the 504 Military Intelligence Unit and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) for investigation in Israel,” noted Hagari.
Amongst the suspects were terrorist commanders and members of Hamas’s Nukhba death squads. Nukhba was the leading force that infiltrated Israeli communities on the morning of Oct. 7—going on a murderous rampage and taking more than 200 hostages back to Gaza.
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Target Synagogues, Vandalize Church in Los Angeles
Pro-Palestinian protesters vandalized buildings near synagogues, as well as a nearby church, with anti-Israel graffiti on Friday night after demonstrating against President Joe Biden at a nearby fundraiser on Friday night.
As Breitbart News reported, the protesters gathered outside a fundraiser near Beverly Hills, waving signs that included “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — a call for Israel to be destroyed.
From there, some of the protesters went to Westwood, near the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and marched down Wilshire Boulevard toward an area where there are several synagogues, notably Sinai Temple. Some of them attacked police.
Two congregants at Sinai Temple, Shantal M. and Joseph C., spoke to Breitbart News.
“I felt this wasn’t a political movement based on knowledge or supporting Palestinians, but just based on hate,” said Shantal, who told Breitbart News that she is Israeli and has family in Israel.
“These people are not only not condemning Hamas, they’re supporting them.”
Day 65 — Sunday, December 10
UPenn Jewish Students Feared For Their Safety Under Ousted President
A growing body of Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania have voiced their concerns about campus life in the wake of now-former university president Liz Magill’s controversial testimony earlier in the week.
UPenn student Kevin Bina told FOX 29 that his fellow fraternity members “don’t even feel comfortable walking outside our house wearing their kippahs just because they don’t know if they’re going to be harassed.”
Another student, Leah Weinberger, said many Jewish students are reconsidering their application to UPenn after Magill’s testimony.
“Even people who are thinking of applying — Jewish students from the Northeast, from where I’m from, and all around — are not even applying,” Weinberger told the outlet. “They’re choosing other schools because of, just, fears.”
Another student, Eyal Lubin, said Magill did not show “humanity what really is behind what’s going on here at Penn.”
Their comments come after controversial congressional testimony from Magill and her counterparts at Harvard and MIT concerning antisemitism on campus. Such incidents have proliferated in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
During a heated line of questioning, Magill was grilled during a five-hour hearing, along with Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, on how their institutions have responded to antisemitism on campus.
Much of the blowback centered on questioning from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who repeatedly asked Magill whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate each university’s code of conduct.
Magill said that whether hate speech crossed the line into violating Penn’s policies depended on context.
“If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment,” Magill said.
Her comments — and similar ones by Gay — drew swift international backlash. On Wednesday, Magill apologized and walked back some of her comments, but calls for her resignation — including from high-profile donors — quickly mounted.
The university’s board of trustees held an emergency meeting Thursday and on Saturday, Magill resigned.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Israeli Finance Minister: The Days Of Israel Transferring Money To The PA Are Over
The Palestinian Authority plans, with the help of Norway, to circumvent Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s decision to delay the transfer of approximately 70 million shekels of the funds that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
Sources with knowledge of the details in Ramallah told Channel 12 News on Saturday, “The idea is that the Norwegian government will transfer the 70 million shekels to the Palestinian Authority and at the same time ask Israel for guarantees to return the money.”
Smotrich responded to the report and stated, “Not a single shekel will go to Gaza, and on my watch, the days of Israel transferring money so that the Palestinian Authority can transfer salaries to the families of Nazi terrorists are over.”
“Last month the Cabinet accepted my position and deducted hundreds of millions of shekels that they wanted to transfer to Gaza and the terrorists, the same thing happened this month, and the same will be the case in the future. Not directly nor through any other party, period,” he added.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Analysis — Skip Heitzig: Hatred Toward Israel — It’s Not A Different Point Of View… It’s Evil Vs Good
On October 7, 2023, Israel was attacked by a group of terrorists from Gaza who indiscriminately killed about 1,400 people. The civilized world condemned the attack, but there were celebrations in many Muslim communities across the globe. And there were demonstrations in major cities around the world that included some anti-Israel rhetoric that was very Nazi-like.
Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, told me, “When they say things like ‘from the river to the sea,’ that’s a call for the genocide of the Jewish people. It’s not the ‘two-state solution.’ It’s the Final Solution.”
He continued, “A lot of people in politics don’t believe in evil. They just think that people have different points of view in the world.” But, he said, “No. There’s good, and there’s evil.”
Now, why such hatred of Satan toward Israel? What if God’s plan to redeem the world required the existence and continuance of that nation? Well, if that were true—and I believe it is—if you destroyed that nation, you would thwart God’s plan.
Since the beginning of time, Satan has waged a cosmic conflict to destroy the Seed of the woman. From Cain killing his brother Abel, to the murder of the male Hebrew children by Pharaoh, to Haman’s plot to kill every Jew in Persia in the book of Esther—the Old Testament is filled with this conflict.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Hamas Kills 25-Year-Old Israeli Hostage In Gaza After IDF Rescue Attempt
Israeli hostage Sahar Baruch, 25, an engineering student who was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, has been killed in Gaza — and the Hamas terrorist group is blaming Israel, saying that he was killed during an attempted rescue earlier this week.
As Breitbart News has noted, Kibbutz Be’eri was one of the hardest-hit communities in the October 7 terror attack by Hamas, with 100 people — roughly 10% of the population — murdered. Some of the killing was extremely brutal; homes were filled with blood.
Hamas released a propaganda this week video showing a blood-soaked floor and staircase, suggesting a body having been dragged through a building, and then showing Baruch’s bloodied, battered body (which Breitbart News will not publish). Israeli sources confirmed his death, and the community of Kibbutz Be’eri said that Hamas itself had murdered Baruch in captivity.
The Times of Israel reported:
Amid the continued fighting, Kibbutz Be’eri announced that its resident Sahar Baruch, who was kidnapped and taken hostage in Gaza on October 7, had been murdered while in captivity.
The statement did not detail how and when the 25-year-old died, but it came a day after Hamas released a propaganda video purporting to show his body.
…
Baruch, a Ben-Gurion University engineering student was with his grandmother, Geula Bachar, as well as his brother, Idan Baruch, 20, a soldier in the IDF’s Education Corps.
Sahar Baruch was reported to have run into his family’s home in an effort to retrieve his brother’s asthma inhaler. Both Geula and Idan were murdered and Sahar was taken hostage.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said this week that it had launched a rescue effort in which several Hamas terrorists were killed and two IDF soldiers were wounded. Hamas claimed that one IDF soldier had been wounded and one soldier had been killed in the effort. The IDF denied that a solder had been killed.
Hamas has lied about the deaths of hostages before. Last month, it claimed that kidnapped IDF soldier Noa Marciano, 19, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. After the IDF recovered her body near Shifa Hospital, it concluded that she had been murdered.
Hamas has a clear motivation in claiming that a hostage was killed during a rescue attempt: it wishes to discourage such attempts, perhaps also hoping to play upon the strong public support within Israel for diplomatic efforts to release the hostages.
The IDF has warned people not to circulate propaganda published by Hamas as part of its ongoing psychological warfare efforts.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
Analysis — Amir Tsarfati: God Will Judge All Nations And Individuals That Come Against Israel
Lately I am being scolded by Christians for not loving the people of Gaza enough. They say I am not being a good example of a follower of Christ.
Just a reminder, Christ Himself will deny entry into His kingdom and send to destruction the goats who will not help His brethren, the Jews, during the tribulation.
In Joel chapter 3, God will judge ALL nations that will come against Israel during that time.
Anyone who wants to kill me and my people just because we are Jews cannot receive my sympathy. He can only get my hope and prayer that he will either repent and get saved or get killed before he kills me!
And if you have already killed, raped, or burned alive my people, my prayer is that either you will repent and then be punished by the authorities for your crimes or you’ll just be executed if repentance isn’t your thing. No matter what – actions such as those cannot go unpunished!
I can’t remember any time in the Bible when Jews were massacred by other people groups, and God just overlooked it without punishing the perpetrators!
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
US Vetoes United Nations Resolution Demanding Immediate Ceasefire; Israeli FM Accuses UN Chief Of Siding With Hamas
The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution Friday backed by almost all other Security Council members and many other nations demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where Palestinian civilians are facing what the UN chief calls a “humanitarian nightmare.”
US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood criticized the council after the vote for its failure to condemn Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacres in Israel in which thousands of terrorists killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, or to acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself.
Wood said the resolution was “divorced from reality” and “would have not moved the needle forward on the ground.” He declared that halting military action would allow Hamas to continue to rule Gaza and “only plant the seeds for the next war.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen post[ed] a scathing rebuke of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing him of standing with Palestinian terror group Hamas in his appeal before the UN Security Council earlier tonight for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
In his post, Cohen said Guterres’ call “disgraces his position and constitutes a mark of Cain on the UN.”
“The invocation of Article 99, after it was not used for the war in Ukraine or for the civil war in Syria, is another example of Guterres’ biased and one-sided stance,’ Cohen wrote.
Cohen says a “ceasefire at this time would prevent the collapse of the Hamas terrorist organization, which is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and would enable it to continue ruling the Gaza Strip.”
“With gratitude to our ally, the US, for its support to continue the fight to bring the hostages home and to eliminate the Hamas terrorist organization, which will bring a better future to the region,” he went on.
Day 64 — Saturday, December 9
74 House Members Issue Letter Calling On MIT, Harvard, UPenn To 'Immediately Remove' President
Seventy-four House members sent a bipartisan letter to the governing boards of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania, calling on all three to take immediate action to remove the president of each respective institution.
The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, was signed by 74 House of Representatives members from both parties, and specifically calls out MIT President Sally Kornbluth, UPenn President Liz Magill, and Harvard President Claudine Gay, for failing to say if calls for the genocide of Jewish people would violate university policies during a congressional hearing Tuesday.
The letter was signed by Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.; Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.; Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., and many more.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., among those who signed the letter, asked Gay, Magill and Kornbluth if calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their university’s policies.
“If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes,” Magill responded, later adding, “It is a context-dependent decision.”
“It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded.
Kornbluth responded to the question, saying it would be considered harassment only if it’s “targeted at individuals, not making public statements” and if it was “pervasive and severe.”
Kornbluth responded to the question, saying it would be considered harassment only if it’s “targeted at individuals, not making public statements” and if it was “pervasive and severe.”
“There is no context in which calls for the genocide of Jews are acceptable rhetoric. Their failure to unequivocally condemn calls for the systematic murder of Jews is deeply alarming. It stands in stark contrast to the principles we expect leaders of top academic institutions to uphold,” the bipartisan letter states. “It is hard to imagine any Jewish or Israeli student, faculty, or staff feeling safe when presidents of your member institutions could not say that calls for the genocide of Jews would have clear consequences on your campus.
“If calls for genocide of the Jewish people are not in violation of your universities’ policies, then your universities are operating under a clear double standard.”
