DAY 265 OF THE WAR: Heavy Fighting in Gaza, Soldier Killed in Jenin, Flight School Graduation, Hezbollah Fires on Tzfat

Tel Aviv Diary, June 27, 2024

ZOOM BRIEFING THIS SUNDAY 6 PM Israel, 11 AM EDT, 8 AM PDT

While most of our attention has been focused on Gaza and the North, the situation in the West Bank has continued to be difficult. Israeli troops have repeatedly entered Jenin, a city over which the Palestinian Authority has not been able to maintain control. Most of the troop entries into cities in the West Bank have been carried out without casualties despite facing over 1,000 explosive devices thrown at IDF forces.

However, last night’s entry into Jenin proved highly costly. During the operation, around midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, a Panther armored personnel carrier (APC) used by a medical force was struck by a bomb planted under the road. As a result, Cpt. Alon Sacagiu (22) was killed, and many others were wounded by the roadside bomb

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were conducting the Jenin raid to arrest or neutralize members of a Hamas terror network as part of a series of ongoing counter-terrorism efforts in the area. During this operation, a total of 16 soldiers sustained injuries ranging from serious to light due to the bombing attacks. According to the IDF’s initial investigation, the soldiers outside their armored vehicle, including the slain soldier and the more seriously wounded, were struck by a second bomb. The armored personnel carrier (APC) provided significant protection for those inside, resulting in only minor injuries from the blast and smoke inhalation. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.

GAZA

Today was a day of relatively heavy combat in Gaza. Israeli troops returned to the Shejaiya neighborhood in northeastern Gaza, an area where Israeli troops had previously operated. Reports indicate that Hamas was reorganizing their forces there, which led to substantial clashes as Israeli tanks and other armored vehicles entered the area. There was also significant combat today in Rafah.

THE NORTH

Most of the day was very quiet in the North. There was one attack by drones on Rosh Hanikra.  The IAF continued its attacks without interruption and described its activities today as follows:

Earlier today, an Air Force aircraft attacked in the Sahmar area and eliminated a UAV launch operator from Hezbollah's air unit who had been conducting launches into Israeli territory. Additionally, Air Force fighter jets attacked military structures of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the areas of Hula and Aitaroun. Simultaneously, IDF forces conducted artillery fire into the Wadi Hamoul area and the area near al-Naqoura.Last night (Wednesday), the organization's terror infrastructure was attacked in the areas of al-Adaisah and al-Khiyam.

Hezbollah responded tonight with a barrage of 35 rockets in the area of Tzfat, where the Northern command headquarters are located. Twenty of the rockets were downed by Iron Dome.

Tonight, the Army spokesman released the following statement:

Earlier today, Air Force fighter jets attacked a military structure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Ramia area. Additionally, an Air Force aircraft eliminated two operatives affiliated with the organization who were identified in the al-Tiri area of southern Lebanon.

36 NEW PILOTS GRADUATE

Today was graduation day for the latest crop of Israeli pilots. During his address, the commander of Hatzerim Air Base, where the flight school is located, stated that the Air Force is ready for a multi-front war and possesses sufficient armaments on hand to engage both Hezbollah and Iran simultaneously. In his remarks, Air Force Commander Tomer Bar expressed confidence that Hamas will soon be defeated and asserted that we are now equipped for a war with Hezbollah, including the deployment of new technologies against them.

Twin Sisters.

MOST OF GAZAS BUILDINGS REMAIN STANDING

As we have seen, much of the world press has readily accepted Hamas's reporting on the number of casualties in Gaza, the extent of the starvation, and the scale of destruction — without question. We have detailed (in previous updates) why the figures alleged by Hamas for both casualties and starvation in Gaza have not been correct. Here is why Hamas statistics regarding the degree of destruction in Gaza are also incorrect.

The intelligence gathering unit in the IDF received a task to digitally map all the buildings in the Gaza Strip both before and during the war. According to findings revealed this morning, as of October 7th, there were 453,188 buildings in the entire strip. Half of these were permanent structures for residences, businesses, and government, while the rest were temporary structures (e.g., sheds and pens). In the first eight months of combat, the IDF destroyed only 16% of the permanent structures and 36% of the temporary ones. In absolute numbers, this means the IDF destroyed 35,952 permanent buildings in the strip and 84,276 temporary structures.

The definition of “building destruction” involves flattening or rendering the building unusable by destroying walls or staircases. A single shell landing in a room or causing damage to a roof does not destroy a building. The IDF data significantly contradicts publications attributed to the UN and foreign media, which accuse the Israeli Army of destroying 50%-70% of the buildings in the strip, making comparisons to the destruction of Dresden in WWII. According to the IDF, the explanation for the discrepancy is that foreign entities collect data via satellite. In contrast, the IDF collects and analyzes data regularly using large drones and advanced UAVs from all angles and in 3D.

The IDF Intelligence Unit’s findings are compiled in a large and updated digital map of the Gaza Strip, collected in an evidence file to be presented to international tribunals and foreign investigation committees. The IDF data also includes the hundreds of buildings destroyed to create the new buffer zone on the border.

The Gaza Strip has turned into a massive urban terror zone. IDF commanders observed that literally every other house they saw was either utilized by terrorists or was booby-trapped. To neutralize this threat, soldiers had to destroy such dwellings.

In conclusion, most Palestinians have homes they can return to. Those who remained in the strip witnessed significant destruction up close. However, from the view on a building’s roof or a hilltop, it is easy to see, even recently, that the majority of Gaza’s buildings are still standing.

RABBIS IN POLITICS

If you are interested in the historical background behind the involvement of the ultra-Orthodox in Israeli politics, I recommend reading "Rabbis In Politics: The Leadership Approaches of Rabbis Ovadia Yosef & Elazar Shach," by Eliav Taub, a book I translated nearly ten years ago.

POLICE

I have not been writing about the repeated, overly aggressive actions of the police against demonstrators, but this story was too good of a story not to tell. The police confiscated foam and cardboard tank models used by protesters from the “Fighters of the ’73 Yom Kippur War" organization as part of the demonstration the group staged in Caesarea. The tank models, along with a truck and a trailer, were impounded for a week, costing the protesters tens of thousands of shekels.

The protesters went to the Hadera court to secure the release of the tank models, where the police enumerated why it was important to continue confiscating the cardboard tanks. Here are some of the police's arguments: bringing a tank into a residential neighborhood causes shock and fear among residents; Seeing a tank moving through neighborhoods is stressful; Bringing in a tank to an area poses a potential risk to infrastructure; Since the tank serves as a platform for speakers and, therefore, it could be considered a safety hazard; The tank increases the disturbance of protests towards the local residents, and lastly, due to the tank's size, one of the gates to the community was broken open, even though it was not the tank exhibit operators who broke the lock but others.

Judge Eran Zeller dismissed all of the police's arguments, explaining that their reasons for the confiscation were baseless. Zeller added that the claim of residents “being frightened by the sight of the tank” was unfounded and forced. Additionally, the judge authorized up to five people to stand on the tank simultaneously to deliver speeches.

WORTHWHILE READS

Here are a number of instructive articles on Antisemitism in the US, especially on University campuses:

The first, by Eva Illoz, "Of Campus Protests and Virtuous Antisemitism." In the article, Illoz questions: On what cultural soil is the radical condemnation of Israel based? Eva Illouz applies the principle of “deconstruction of representations” so beloved by part of the Left to address the question of antisemitism. She sheds light on the old trope that feeds militant passion and allows it to clear its conscience: the idea that Jews represent a danger to humanity.

The second article is "Liberal Jews Deluded Themselves on Palestine," in which Hussein Aboubakr Mansour writes: “The antisemitism of the Palestinian cause is not a bug; it’s a feature of the new politics in America.”

Finally, you need to read and review two New York Times articles and form your conclusions:

The first piece tells about a series of organizations founded by someone who works with Chinese Intelligence, including Code Pink and People Forum: "A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a U.S. Tech Mogul." The second article relates how the students at the Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School took a field trip to learn about the Gaza War at the People’s Forum Office.

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

Bus 300 Affair

On April 12, 1984, four Palestinian terrorists hijacked an Israeli bus traveling from Tel Aviv to Ashkelon, taking 41 passengers hostage. The hijackers demanded the release of 500 Palestinian prisoners and safe passage to Egypt. After a high-speed chase, Israeli forces managed to stop the bus about ten miles north of the Egyptian border. Following failed negotiations, Israeli Special Forces raided the bus the following morning, resulting in the deaths of two hijackers and one passenger.

The incident took a controversial turn when it was revealed that the two surviving hijackers were executed after being captured. This revelation contradicted the official account, which claimed all four terrorists had been killed during the raid. The truth came to light when photojournalist Alex Levac published images showing the hijackers being led away alive, sparking a major scandal and public outcry.

The subsequent investigation implicated senior Shin Bet (Israeli Internal Security Service) officials, including its head Avraham Shalom, in a cover-up of the executions. They were accused of providing false testimonies and pressuring others to obstruct justice. Shalom and several other high-ranking Shin Bet officials were forced to resign as the scandal unfolded. President Chaim Herzog granted these Shin Bet officials preemptive pardons in a controversial move, preventing further legal action.

The “Bus 300 Affair” had far-reaching consequences for Israeli society and institutions. It led to significant reforms within the Shin Bet, including leadership changes and a reassessment of operational protocols and oversight mechanisms. The incident sparked ongoing debates about the ethical boundaries of counter-terrorism operations and the balance between national security and human rights. It also impacted public trust in Israel's security services, highlighting the need for greater accountability and transparency in security operations.