DAY 25 OF THE GAZA WAR:Israel Suffers Casualties,Houthis Attack Israel,Ground Offensive Thrusts Deep Into Gaza
Tel Aviv Diary October 31, 2023
This morning, I broke into tears when I was near Ichilov Hospital and watched an army helicopter land on the hospital's roof. In the 12 years we have lived near the hospital, this was the first time I had seen a helicopter land there. (A helicopter landed at Ichilov a week ago, carrying two elderly women hostages released by Hamas but I not see it in person.) Seeing the helicopter land, I feared we had serious casualties (the army would only evacuate a soldier to Ichilov in Tel Aviv if he was severely wounded.
This evening, it was announced that two soldiers, Staff Sgt. Lavi Lipshitz (20), from Modiin, and Staff Sgt. Roei Wolf (20), from Ramat Gan—both from the Elite division of Givati—were killed. Two other soldiers were wounded last night from an anti-tank missile in the Northern Gaza Strip
.
Regrettably, these will not be the last casualties. At the moment, Israeli troops are deep into Gaza, reaching as far as Gaza City. According to all reports, many Hamas troops have emerged from their tunnels to engage Israeli forces. This is considered a good sign, as Hamas’ troops are no match for the combined arms of the IDF. Hundreds of Hamas fighters have been killed just in the last three days. It appears Israel plans to push further into the very center of Gaza in the coming days. The move into the center of Gaza will be costly, but everyone is convinced there is no other alternative.
Today, Israel endured a significant number of rocket attacks. There were three barrages aimed at the Tel Aviv Metro region, with only the last one targeting our area. I was out walking past a neighborhood bar when the sirens sounded. Everyone put down their glasses, and the employees quickly directed everyone around the corner to the back of the building, where stairs led down to a bomb shelter. In this latest barrage over Tel Aviv, four Hamas rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome.
Earlier in the day, a heavy barrage hit the city of Ashdod. One missile fell in an apartment complex, wounding four people, one seriously.
The most surprising attack of the day came from the Red Sea. Earlier today, Yemeni Houthis fired two cruise missiles aimed at Eilat, taking noticeable efforts to avoid U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea. These missiles were intercepted by Israeli fighter jets. However, the Houthis were not finished for the day. The Houthis fired a large Iranian ballistic missile at Eilat. Israel deployed the Arrow missile system in combat, and for the first time, a ballistic missile was successfully intercepted over 100 km south of Eilat.
Houthi leader, Ansar Allah, proudly claimed responsibility for the attack. Tzachi Hanegbi, head of the National Security Council, said that Israel will find a way to respond. Consultations are underway between the U.S., Israel, (and probably Saudi Arabia, which has long been an enemy of the Houthis.) In his evening briefing, the Israeli Army spokesperson noted that Israel’s integration into the U.S. Army’s CENTCOM (Central Command) two years ago has proved to be very beneficial. This integration has allowed for the instantaneous transmission of mission-critical information between U.S. and Israeli forces — such as the launch of the ballistic missile.
U.S. bases have been attacked repeatedly in the last week by Iranian militia. 29 American U.S. service members have been wounded in Syria and Iraq.
Israel's UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, faced widespread condemnation in Israel today for his actions at the UN yesterday. Erdan and his staff wore Yellow Star patches, symbols categorically identified with the Holocaust. Most commentators and politicians in Israel thought that comparing our current situation to the Holocaust was a disservice to both
. The Holocaust was a unique event in world history, and despite the indescribable horrors of October 7th, it lasted just one day. Moreover, today, we have a powerful army to protect us.
Roy Dean and his wife were killed by Hamas, but managed to protect their children. His brother requested that these specific photos be published. This is the closet where they hid for 14 hours. The blood stains belong to their mother, Samdar, who was murdered.
WASHINGTON
The US Senate confirmed the appointment of former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to be new US Ambassador to Israel. In addition, while testifying in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee, Director of the FBI, Christopher A. Wray stated:
We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago,”
Wray went on to say that: the Oct. 7 attacks would inspire individuals or small groups in the United States to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives. That includes not just homegrown violent extremists inspired by a foreign terrorist organization, but also domestic violent extremists targeting Jewish or Muslim communities.
ANTISEMITISM
While much of our attention has been turned toward the rising antisemitism in the U.S., violence directed against Jews is as bad or worse in many parts of Europes. This is what is happening in France
:
BUSINESS
The cyber company, Palo Alto announced it agreed to purchase the Israeli cybersecurity firm Dig Security. Founded two years ago, Dig Security raised a total of $45 million and specialized in cloud security. It is expected that the 100 workers will join Palo Alto's R&D center, which currently employs 1,000 people in Israel.
Intel announced it would give all of its 14,000 Israeli employees a $5,000 bonus to help with additional expenses related to the war.
MY WEEKLY RADIO SHOW
The following is the weekly radio show I do on Foreign Affairs. This week its mostly about events here in Israel and on campuses. The last part is on Ukraine. I have been doing this show for 16 years, this was a particuarly good one
WHO ARE THE HOUTIS?
The Houthi movement in Yemen originated under Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, as a response to perceived corruption of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, exacerbated by Saleh’s alignment with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. In 2003, the Houthis adopted the slogan, "God is great, death to the U.S., death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam," which became the group's trademark.
Hussein was killed in 2004, igniting the Houthi insurgency. The movement has since been primarily led by his brother, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. The group appeals to followers by advocating for economic development and fighting against the political marginalization of Zaidi Shia Muslims. They often propagate conspiracy theories involving U.S.-Israeli plots and Arab collusion.
Since 2015, the Houthis have opposed the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, aimed at restoring the internationally recognized government. They seek to govern Yemen and resist U.S., Israeli, and Saudi influence. The group has continually launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities. The war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis is often viewed as a proxy battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Today there is no question that the Houthis are operating under the direction of Iran.
ISRAEL’S MISSILE DEFESENE SYSTEM
Israel has a multi-level aerial defense system. The country began developing the first Arrow (“Chetz”) system in the late 1980s, with joint funding from the United States. The Chetz was designed to intercept long-range missiles. The first Chetz-2 missiles were deployed in the early 2000s. The Chetz-3 is designed to be an extra-atmospheric interceptor with a longer range. It was first tested in 2013 and deployed in 2017.
Israel's second level of defense is “David's Sling,” a multi-stage interceptor that consists of a solid-fuel rocket motor booster, followed by an asymmetrical kill vehicle with advanced steering for super-maneuverability during the kill stage. A three-pulse motor provides additional acceleration and maneuverability during the terminal phase. David's Sling became operational in April 2017, and is designed to intercept medium-range missiles (like Scuds).
Israel's final level of defense is the Iron Dome. Development of the Iron Dome began in 2007, and it was deployed for the first time in 2011. The United States has participated in its development and shared in the deployment costs. The Iron Dome system is designed for the interception of shorter-range rockets. Since its deployment, the Iron Dome has intercepted thousands of rockets.
In addition, Israel has a number of batteries of Patriot missiles. Although they proved ineffective during the Gulf War, the missiles have since been updated and are now more accurate.
Lastly, as we saw this morning, Israeli planes are also able to intercept some missiles with their own missiles.
A GOOD CAUSE
My daughter Tali highly recommended this organization who are doing good work:
Healing Fund for English Speakers in Israel which will give English speaking soldiers and civilians affected by the Israel–Hamas war the emotional, mental and physical support they need to move through this unfathomably traumatic time.
These donations will help sponsor thousands of discounted therapeutic sessions for English speakers in Israel (an often underserved community with little resources in English).
One-on-one sessions ranging from talk therapy, to reflexology, to acupuncture to support groups, workshops, healing as a collective and so much more will be offered through this fund.
To read more and donate click here: https://gofund.me/b6a6f79f
To read about the sponsor of this healing fund please visit our website: Houseofhealingtlv.com