DAY 185 OF THE GAZA WAR: Hostages How Many Are Still Alive? Aerial Attacks, Right Wing Anti-Semitism, McDonald’s

Tel Aviv Diary, April 8, 2024

HOSTAGES

Wild fluctuations best characterize this day in Israel. Overnight, there were reports of substantial progress in the hostage negotiations taking place in Cairo, with suggestions that a consensus on the major issues had been reached.

An Israeli involved in the negotiations remarked:

We have conducted very significant conversations in the last few hours. The U.S.A. has taken a significant lead and is applying heavy pressure on the mediators. The American proposal is far-reaching — it has a very broad mandate. No one can say that the Israeli rope is short. All the elements are in it — moving IDF forces and returning Gazans to the north of the Strip.

The reports of substantial progress in negotiations have elicited threats from the government's right flank. Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir declared that if Israel does not advance into Rafah, the government should be dissolved. Prime Minister Netanyahu is reportedly in discussions with Finance Minister Smotrich to ensure he does not leave the coalition, even if an agreement is reached that does not align with his views.

However, all these efforts might be in vain if recent reports that Hamas has rejected the latest American proposal are accurate. The clarity of Hamas's stance is uncertain, as statements made by a Hamas spokesman to Reuters do not constitute an official response.

Currently, with our troops now withdrawn from Khan Younis and an accelerated delivery of food and other essentials into Gaza, it remains unclear what incentive Hamas has to engage in negotiations. Moreover, there’s a report indicating that Hamas has expressed its inability to release the 40 hostages under discussion, potentially because many of them are no longer alive.

GAZA

Israelis are striving to fully comprehend the seemingly abrupt decision to withdraw forces from Khan Younis. Currently, there are no troops directly engaged in Gaza. We are simply maintaining a force that ensures the division of Gaza from North to South. The need to withdraw forces likely stems from the operational needs of forces that have been in combat for far too long without a pause. However, this move still prompts numerous questions.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that the date for the operation in Rafah has been determined. This represents the fifth or sixth time Netanyahu has mentioned approving or ordering the Rafah operation. Yet, there is still no concrete operational plan to relocate the refugees from Rafah. While I am not opposed to a Rafah operation, I do question its value, especially after we declared that our victory in Khan Younis would be decisive … despite spending 4 months there, where we killed numerous Hamas members and destroyed tunnels, our efforts evidently did not achieve the anticipated outcome.

MISSILE ATTACKS

There were an above-average number of attacks on Israel from Lebanon today. Warnings were issued for either rocket attacks or drone attacks Nine times during the day. The Navy discovered a drone heading towards Eilat over the Red Sea tonight. For the first time, the Navy downed a drone using the Navy-based Iron Dome system. It is believed the drone was sent from Iraq

MEDIA MANIPULATION

Watch the following video, in which a terrorist from the Islamic Jihad reveals how they manipulate the media:

COMMEMORATING GENOCIDE IN RWANDA

President Herzog is visiting Rwanda to partake in the remembrance of the genocide that occurred there.

DISCOURAGING GALLOP POLL SHOWS WANING SUPPORT

The latest Gallup poll on support for Israel, including military aid, is not exactly encouraging.

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Right-Wing Antisemitism (Part II)

While antisemitism diminished after World War II, it never completely disappeared. In the 1950s and 1960s, there remained areas where Jews were not welcome. For instance, in Greenwich, Connecticut, until the late 1960, Jews primarily resided above their downtown stores. It was only by the end of the 1960s that Jews were finally permitted to purchase homes in the residential sectors of the town. However, as the final barriers to Jewish integration in American life were overcome, a new strain of antisemitism began to emerge on the far right.