Israel-Hamas War – Week 9 commencing December 3, 2023

We present here a diary of reported news from Israel and elsewhere about the Israel-Hamas war of 2023, known in Israel as Swords of Iron. Our sources include the IDF Spokesman, Israeli Kan TV/radio service, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Twitter/X (@IsraeliPM) and other sources considered reliable…

Saturday December 9, 2023

• Situation: The IDF’s ground campaign in Gaza continues. Growing skirmishes continue on the Israel-Lebanon border. The son of a senior Hamas figure was reportedly eliminated in Syria  – Hasan Ali Daqdud, the son of Ali Mussa Daqduq (Kan, Jerusalem, Post)
• Hamas attacks: Hamas continues to fire missiles daily at Israel. No casualties reported. Yesterday’s barrage at Central Israel was fired from a South Gaza humanitarian safe zone.
• 137 hostages currently remain in Gaza (Channel 13).
• Red Cross: Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, spoke with the Rec Cross about the need for the Red Cross to start visiting Israeli hostages without conditions (Kan News).
• Veto: “The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the catastrophic situation in Gaza. This follows Wednesday’s  urgent letter by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging…..a lasting humanitarian ceasefire. A resolution tabled late afternoon in the chamber calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire was vetoed by the United States” (UN Website)
• Why the veto? According to US Representative Robert A. Wood: “Unfortunately, nearly all of our recommendations were ignored leading to an imbalanced resolution that was divorced from reality” (UN Website). Other reports clarify this: the US vetoed the proposed resolution as it “would simply leave Hamas in place able to repeat what it did on October 7” (Financial Times, Times of Israel
• The UK abstained in the vote saying: “Calling for a ceasefire ignores the fact that Hamas has committed acts of terror and is still holding civilians hostage….Israel needs to be able to address the threat posed by Hamas.” (UN Website).
• Deadline? The US reportedly gave Israel until the end of the year (2023) to wrap up its war on Hamas….But said that the administration is not imposing a hard deadline on Israel to end its military operation in Gaza. However, when Israeli officials said that fighting in southern Gaza would last several months, reportedly Anthony Blinken replied “You don’t have that much credit.” But Israeli leaders are prepared to incur an “overdraft”…..(Kan News quoting Politico). Comment: It is clear that President Biden has one eye on his own re-election in November 2024. But a deadline puts pressure on the IDF to speed up its campaign which presumably might affect the casualty figures. Some commentators note the US veto of another ceasefire motion in the UN Security Council yesterday evening and estimate 1-2 months.
• Iran: The Commander in Chief of the Iranian Army, Mohammad Bagheri, has called on Israel to stop its assault on Gaza (Kan News)
• Egypt is apparently preparing for a wave of refugees from Gaza in 2024 and is looking for assistance. The intention is that the process be organized and for specific purposes such as education and immigration (Kan News).
• Unsuccessful: The IDF attempted to release hostages held by Hamas in a special operation overnight Thursday-Friday. Unfortunately, the operation failed, two IDF soldiers were seriously injured. One hostage, Sahar Baruch, died in captivity. Details are still emerging (Kan News).
• Feeding Hamas: Footage was shown on Kan TV of Hamas stealing food aid supplies and beating up civilians getting in their way. Civilians interviewed said they were fed up with this. Comment: Hamas is becoming a dictatorship rather than an idea – reminiscent of Soviet communism.
• Red Sea Menace: The Houthis are threatening to attack shipping heading for Israel unless it is to supply humanitarian aid to Gaza (Kan/Houthi announcement). Comment: Will this endanger ships heading from China/Asia to the Suez Canal? Will it affect insurance of
• Double tragedy: Maor Meir Cohen, Dec’d, the nephew of War Cabinet Member and IDF Ex-Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, was killed in combat in Gaza. Gadi’s son Gal Meir Eisenkot, Dec’d was killed in combat only a day earlier…..those ships and their cargoes?

Friday December 8, 2023

• Situation: The IDF’s ground campaign in Gaza continues. Growing skirmishes continue on the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Hamas attacks: Hamas continues to fire missiles daily at Israel
• First night of Chanukah: The first candle was lit throughout the IDF in commemoration of the battles fought by the Maccabees (IDF Spokesman).
• Hamas stockpiled so much fuel ahead of the war in its tunnels, that Israel changed its mind and is now acceding to US requests to let in more fuel to Gaza for civilian use, it won’t change the tunnel warfare (Kan TV News).
• Aid: Israel and the United Nations signaled on Thursday that the Kerem Shalom crossing in Israel could soon be opened to help speed up delivery of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, where the Israel-Hamas war has left people desperately short of basic needs (Jerusalem Post)
• Red Cross: Parents of hostages in Gaza were invited to meet with the Red Cross. There they were admonished and told: “Think of the Palestinian side, the Palestinians face difficulty, they are being bombed” (Kan News).
• Potential reply: “There isn’t a home without weapons” (Kan journalist embedded with IDF unit in Jabalia, Gaza). “Every building that received fire is one which we located terrorists…there isn’t a building where there isn’t weaponry” (Jerusalem Post correspondent embedded with IDF unit in Shejaia, Gaza).
• Orange: The Foreign Ministry has directed all Israeli embassies and consulates to light up their buildings in orange or display images of the Bibas family. Kfir, aged 11 months, and his four-year-old brother Ariel, along with their parents Yarden and Shiri. They have been hostages since October 7. (Jerusalem Post)
• After the war? Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh told Bloomberg his preferred outcome of the conflict that started Oct. 7 would be for Hamas to become a junior partner under the broader Palestine Liberation Organization, helping to build a new independent state that includes the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem…Israel’s aim to fully defeat Hamas is unrealistic and the militant group should instead join it under a new governing structure (Bloomberg and Kan). Comment: PM Netanyahu and others oppose both the PA and Hamas ruling in Gaza. President Biden has referred to the possibility of a “revitalized Palestinian Authority”.
• Here’s our taken on the day after the war: https://israelok.com/the-day-after-the-gaza-war/

Thursday December 7, 2023

• Situation: The ground campaign in Gaza continues. Growing skirmishes continue on the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Hamas attacks: Hamas continues to fire missiles daily at Israel
• How UNWRA helps Hamas: Stores missiles and other weapons, holds Israeli hostages, gave UNWRA badges to terrorists which they wore on October 7, teaches children to fight Israelis, provides tunnel entrances on their premises (Galei Tsahal).
• Blinken blinks: “We’re determined to help Israel ensure that October 7th never happens again. We have to back that up with resources. We also must do everything possible to help the many innocent civilians in Gaza who desperately need humanitarian assistance.” (Anthony BlinkenX/Twitter). Comment: Why doesn’t Hamas just surrender?
• Gal Eisenkot, 25, son of war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot (ex IDF Chief of Staff) died in combat in Gaza (Kan and others).
• An Israeli farmer in the North near Lebanon died in his fields after being hit by an anti tank missile. The IDF retaliated.
• Several dozen terrorists surrendered in North Gaza to the IDF. Pictures of them sitting stripped on the ground waiting to be processed were televised. Israel was surprised by the surrender.
• Gaza tent refugees near Rafah appeared on Al Jazeera (and Israeli) TV moaning about Hamas, saying Hamas should give back the hostages and give them back stolen food and other humanitarian aid.
• Turf war: South Lebanon is largely deserted because of Hezbollah’s skirmishes with Israel. Now there is concern that if Hamas does collapse in Gaza, Hamas members may re-group in Lebanon where they will not be very welcome (Kan TV).
• Hamas stockpiled so much fuel ahead of the war in its tunnels, that Israel changed its mind and is now acceding to US requests to let in more fuel to Gaza for civilian use, it won’t change the tunnel warfare (Kan TV News).
• First night of Chanukah: The first candle was lit throughout the IDF in commemoration of the battles fought by the Maccabees (IDF Spokesman).

Wednesday December 6, 2023

• Situation: The ground campaign in Gaza continues. Growing skirmishes continue on the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Hamas attacks: Hamas continues to fire missiles daily at Israel
• Fuel: The US government is publicly demanding that Israel allow 120 fuel trucks into Gaza instead of 60 per day at present (Kan).
• Russians: 120 Russian nationals were evacuated from Gaza to Russia (Jerusalem Post and others)
• Thais: “Today we shared a moment of joy and light in the darkness, as Thai hostages freed from captivity in Gaza were discharged from the wonderful care of the staff at the Shamir Assaf Harofeh Medical Center.” A film clip is posted showing Thais passing between two lines of cheering doctors and hospital staff (Israeli President Herzog on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_Herzog/status/1731768373791314194)
• Lebanese soldiers: The IDF says it wis reviewing a strike that harmed Lebanese troops in south Lebanon, an apparent reference to Israeli shelling that killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded three others the previous day. “The Lebanese Armed Forces were not the target of the strike. The IDF expresses regret over the incident. (Jerusalem Post)
• Hamas Commanders 1: IDF forces eliminated five Hamas commanders and operatives of the Northern Gaza Strip Brigade—the second largest brigade of Hamas—who were hiding in a tunnel located near the Indonesian Hospital (IDF X/Twitter).
• Hamas Commanders 2: “We eliminated the commander of the Sajaiya Battalion, who oversaw many of the horrific acts on October 7th as well as many other acts of murder. As of now, we have eliminated around half of Hamas’s battalion commanders. This follows the elimination of a string of other Hamas Commanders.” (Israeli PM Office X/Twitter).
• Where the hell are you?: The Israeli PM’s Office amplified on X/Twitter what PM Netanyahu said on TV yesterday: “I say to the women’s rights organizations, to the human rights organizations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation. Where the hell are you? I expect all civilized leaders, governments, nations, to speak up against this atrocity.”
• Readout of National Security Advisor to the US Vice President Phil Gordon’s Trip to Israel: “Dr. Gordon emphasized that Hamas is a barbaric terrorist organization and that no nation could accept the threat Hamas poses, and that we support Israel’s legitimate military objectives….Dr. Gordon made clear that the Palestinian people must have a meaningful political horizon and reiterated our commitment to a two-state solution” (White House website).
• Arms store: The IDF seized a huge arms dump of Hamas containing drones, antitank missiles, long range missiles pointed at central Israel and plenty more.
• Home sweet home: The IDF has encircled the home of Hamas leader Sinwar in Khan Younis. Apparently, he isn’t at home right now.
• Hana Katzir: Went into Gaza healthy, is now back Israel in hospital, in a critical condition. Her son is still held hostage in Gaza.
• Lord David Cameron: “I spoke to China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi today. We discussed our intention to have a constructive relationship, the situation in Israel and Gaza, and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The UK will continue to engage with China where it furthers our interests.” (X/Twitter)
• Pause: A pause today is in effect today until 2pm by the Rafah crossing from Egypt to Israel to enable humanitarian supplies to enter.
• Fuel: The Israeli war cabinet resolved this evening to increase fuel supplies to Gaza. The war cabinet heard that rape and other attrocities are continuing in Gaza (Kan).
• Red Cross visits: Israel has asked the US to persuade Qatar to bring about Red Cross visits to hostages as apparently promised (Kan)
• Circular logic: Hamas want a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and ceasefire before opening any negotiations about a ceasefire…..(Kan).
• Red Sea: A Houthi missile aimed at Eilat was intercepted over the Red Sea. The IDF spokesman said this is a worldwide problem. Comment: Looking at a map shows that shipping using the Suez Canal generally pass through the Red Sea.
• UN Security Council: Invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter which is rarely used, Secretary-General António Guterres called on the Security Council to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants. Article 99 says “The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.” (https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/12/1144447). Then what? Article 25 of the UN Charter says “The Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the present Charter.” This assumes there is no veto (e.g by the USA) in the Security Council.
• President Biden’s Virtual Meeting today with G7 Leaders: G7 leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and expressed deep regret that Hamas refused to release all of its women hostages and military operations resumed.  President Biden thanked Leaders for their enduring support of Israel….and collective efforts to advance a durable, lasting peace culminating in a Palestinian state part of a two-state solution.  
  The Leaders also discussed threats to freedom of navigation in the Middle East region, condemning Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and noted that they have reason to believe Iran enabled these attacks” (White House website)
• US University antisemitism: In testimony to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Harvard President Professor Claudine Gay acknowledged a rising tide of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus since 7 October. She said it has been a challenge to balance freedom of speech and protest on campus while also protecting students against hate. “This is difficult work. And I know that I have not always gotten it right,” Prof Gay said. (BBC and others).

Tuesday December 5, 2023

• Situation: The ground campaign in Gaza continues. Growing skirmishes continue on the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Hamas attacks: Hamas continues to fire missiles daily at Israel
• Tunnels: Israel has reportedly assembled large pumps in Gaza capable of sucking salt water from the Mediterranean to flood underground tunnels. Israel is said to be discussing this possibility with the US. Depending on the tunnels. sea water seeping into the soil can seep into underground water and affect crop growing. Any substances stored in the tunnels could also seep into the soil (Wall Street Journal, Kan and others). Comment: Presumably publication now might be intended to encourage terrorists to flee the tunnels with their hostages (for future negotiation purposes).
• What the US says: US National Security advisor Jake Sullivan says Israel is expected to refrain from attacking the “no-strike” zones it created for Palestinian civilians it designated in Southern Gaza. “In those zones we do expect Israel to follow through without striking,”(Jerusalem Post, Kan).
• Also the US says about Hamas: “they don’t want to turn women over…they don’t want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody” (US State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller, re-posted by Israeli Foreign Ministry on X/Twitter)
• Who is the senior Palestinian Authority member that might rule the Gaza Strip after the Israel-Hamas war? According to reports in the Arab press, Egypt and the United States want Salam Fayyad to lead the PA government in Gaza after the war. (Jerusalem Post and others). Israel is said to object to the PA as it is not very effective on the West Bank.
• Data: 137 Israeli hostages are still held by Hamas in Gaza, including 17 women and children (IDF X/Twitter).
• Where was the IDF on Oct 7: Around 200 IDF commandos were moved just before October 7 from Southern Israel to Harawa on the West Bank due friction there (Kan TV). The IDF spokesman said this followed a routine weekly operational decision that will be investigated after the war. Comment: Most Israelis have already made up their mind.
• Are you living in a dangerous country? The threat level for many countries in Western Europe (including the UK, France and Germany), South America (including Brazil and Argentina), as well as Australia and Russia, has been raised to level 2, with the recommendation to exercise increased precaution. Therefore, the NSC reiterates and underlines its recommendation to Israelis to weigh the essentiality of travel at this time. (Israeli National Security Council)(https://www.gov.il/en/departments/news/news_public32)
• The OECD: “Today I met with OECD Secretary-General Mathias Corman, and we talked about promoting regional projects, with an emphasis on cooperation with the Abraham Accords countries. The Secretary-General also offered the organization’s assistance in dealing with the challenges of the war, and expressed that he expects strong growth next year…..past experiences prove that times of war are followed by high growth. In addition, we expect increased immigration to Israel from around the world, which will also contribute to the Israeli economy” (Israeli Foreign Minister on X/Twitter).
• Relatives of hostages still held in Gaza met the Israeli War Cabinet today. Voices were raised and they came away dissatisfied as the hostages are suffering in captivity.
• US visa restrictions: The US has imposed visa restrictions on violent Jewish and Arab extremists, including settlers, who have attacked innocent civilians in the West Bank. “We expect this action to impact dozens of individuals and potentially their family members,” US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said (Jerusalem Post and others).
• “Where the hell were you?”: Israeli PM Netanyahu discussed in a televised press conference this evening what Hamas terrorists did to Israeli women on October 7, saying (shouting) in English “Where the hell were you?” to women’s rights organizations.
• “Nothing will stop us” said War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz at the televised press conference this evening. He went on to say is door is open 24/7 to relatives of the hostages still held by Hamas, every opportunity to bring them back will be realized. He went on to say in public to PM Netanyahu it is not too late to stop the controversial coalition funds for Haredi educational purposes in the Budget bill first reading scheduled tomorrow (Dec 6).
• PM Netanyahu defended the coalition funds, saying the budget will support secular and religious institutions alike.
• Fuel: Is Israel losing a bargaining chip by letting fuel into Gaza? PM Netanyahu said the main bargaining chip is the IDF ground campaign (Televised press conference).

Monday December 4, 2023

• Situation: The ground campaign in Gaza continues. Growing skirmishes continue on the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Hamas attacks: Hamas continues to fire missiles daily at Israel
• Aid: Israel agreed with US Secretary of State an increase in humanitarian aid for Gaza as soon as Israel can step up its checks on the aid passing into Gaza. This is considered essential for international legitimacy. (Kan news)
• Apology: The head of Israeli intelligence (Shin Bet, Ronen Bar) apologized for not succeeding in preventing the October 7 massacre. He also undertook to assassinate Hamas leaders wherever they may be (Kan News).
• After the war: Vice President Kamala Harris held two separate but similar phone conversations with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Harris “underscored” US commitment to a two-state solution, discussed U.S. ideas for planning for the day after the fighting ends in Gaza, and reiterated U.S. support for a unified West Bank and Gaza under a revitalized Palestinian Authority. She said National Security Advisor, Dr. Phil Gordon, would travel to Israel and the West Bank this week for additional discussions (White House website). In short, the US cavalry is on the way
• Hamas bet against Israel? US economic professors say there was massive shorting of Israeli shares on US stock exchanges in the week before October 7. When October occurred, investors profited from the resulting share price drop. It seems only Hamas could have known to di such a thing and may have pocked hundreds of millions of dollars (Kan News and others).
• Why won’t Hamas release women now? Reports are circulating that if they return they might reveal how they were mistreated as women in Hamas captivity…(Kan News and others)

Sunday December 3, 2023

• Situation: The ground campaign in Gaza continues. Growing skirmishes continue on the Israel-Lebanon border.
• Hamas attacks: Hamas continues to fire missiles daily at Israel
• The issue with the US: seems to be not only whether there should be a two state solution, but whether a revitalised PA should rule Gaza as well as the West Bank. Zeev Elkin, a senior Likud Minister, said the PA can’t even control Jenin (on the West Bank).
• Scrambled: egg farmers on the Lebanon border told Kan radio that whenever they go to collect eggs, an anti tank missile from Hezbollah comes their way. So far they have managed to take cover, but it is annoying.
• International Criminal Court of The Hague: Israel is not a signatory to the ICC agreement of 2002 but the PA is, including Gaza is. Hence the importance of the visit to Israel of the ICC prosecutor (lawyer in Galei Tsahal). It helps create legal pressure on Hamas leaders in Gaza and Qatar…
• Hamas leader: Unofficially a Qatar delegation indicated to an Israeli delegation that Sinwar is a dominant power hungry psychopath. The way for Israel to treat such a person is nearly normally, close down negotiations for the short term, let the IDF machine continue (Galei Tsahal)
• The Jerusalem terror incident is causing waves. It appears the third death was of the Israeli hero Yuval Doron Castleman that neutralized single handed a Hamas attack at a Jerusalem bus stop last Thursday Nov 30. Two off duty IDF reservists mistook him for a terrorist even though he realized their mistake, dropped his gun, dropped to the ground with his hands up and begged them in Hebrew not to shoot. One of the reservists shot him dead anyway. At first it was announced no inquiry was needed, This caused an outcry in the Israeli public ands press. Film clips emerged. The two reservists are now being questioned by the IDF military Police. Furthermore, PM Netanyahu said on TV yesterday evening “That’s life”. This was taken to mean he supports Interior Security Minister Ben Gvir’s recent calls to arm civilians. The reply of many Israelis is “That’s death not life”. Could this be a turning point for Netanyahu?
• Surrender warning: IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned on X (formerly Twitter) the commanders of Hamas’s Shujaiya Battalion and presented them with two options: surrender, or end up like former battalion commander Wessam Farhat, who was killed yesterday in an Israeli airstrike (Jerusalem Post).
• Branded: Hamas terrorists branded Israeli children hostages in case they escaped. Brothers Yagil Yaakov, 12, and Or Yaakov, 16, were freed last Wednesday during a temporary cease-fire that saw the release of approximately 110 hostages. Their uncle said the terrorists branded each boy by using the exhaust pipe of a motorcycle to identify them in case they escaped, the Times of Israel reported (Israeli Foreign Ministry X/Twitter quoting Fox and Times of Israel).
• Britain: “Almost 80 years after the end of the Second World War it is shocking to hear nakedly anti-Semitic chants on the streets of London today. There are people who plainly want to ignore the Hamas massacre of October 7. They want to wipe Israel off the map. That is what they were chanting for today. They must not and will not succeed. I thank the police for all their efforts to keep people safe – but we must all do more, because an ancient hatred is rising again in Europe. It must be stamped out” (Boris Johnson on X/Twitter, re-posted by Israeli FM Eli Cohen).
• US demands: Israeli TV (Kan) reports that the US is demanding the following from Israel in Gaza now that the war has resumed: (1) More fuel, (2) More humanitarian aid trucks, like in the ceasefire, (3) Broader safe areas in South Gaza.
• Houthis: Houthis reportedly attacked two commercial container ships in the Red Sea and a US warship which apparently dealt with the threat. One commercial ship has minimal Israeli ownership, one has no Israeli ownership as it was sold to an unrelated British purchaser 4 years ago (Kan). Details are still emerging.
• Shafted: IDF troops have so far eliminated 500 of the 800+ shafts uncovered to Hamas’ underground tunnels located near or inside kindergartens, schools, playgrounds and mosques (IDFD X/Twitter).
• Should Hamas lay down their arms? Moderate Israeli Arab politician, Mansour Abbas, who served in the Lapid-Bennet government 1-2 years ago, called for Hamas to lay down their arms. After criticism from many quarters, his Ra’am party issued a clarification saying all this should happen after the war once a Palestinian state is formed.