DAY 290 OF THE WAR: Two More Hostages Declared Dead, Granddaughter Speaks Out, Israeli Forces Return to Khan Younis

Tel Aviv Diary, July 22, 2024

This was another lousy day. A few minutes before I began writing this update, the IDF confirmed that two of the 120 hostages previously believed to be alive — Alex Dancyg (75) and Yagev Buchshtav (35) — have been declared dead. Alex was a colleague with whom we collaborated on converting his guidebooks about various regions of Poland into Ebooks. He was an expert on Poland, leading groups and authoring a wide array of guidebooks on Poland. Alex’s popular guidebooks were the inspiration for the apps we developed to teach about Poland and the Holocaust.

It appears that Dancyg and Buchshtav were killed a few months ago during an Israeli operation in Khan Younis. The IDF is currently investigating whether our forces were responsible for their deaths. Today’s announcement brings the number of confirmed dead hostages to 47 out of the 120, with their bodies still held by Hamas. In response, the families of the hostages have intensified their appeals, emphasizing the urgency of negotiating a swift resolution. Many question why Prime Minister Netanyahu has directed the negotiating team to depart only on Thursday instead of immediately.

In some respects, I see this delay as a positive sign, suggesting that Netanyahu might be planning to make a deal but is waiting until the Knesset begins its summer recess, which would complicate any attempts to bring down the government. The exact number of hostages still alive remains uncertain, as does the number who may have died during this two-week delay in responding to Hamas. I just hope that Netanyahu will finally take decisive steps to free the hostages because if they all perish in captivity, the damage to our society will be irreparable— not to mention there is no other way to end this war.

To underscore the urgent need to end this war as soon as possible, one needs to look no further than a group of reservists from a tank brigade. They have already completed 220 days of reserve duty this year and have just been summoned again for August. This relentless duty is taking a devastating toll on them. One reservist has missed an entire school year, another has hardly spent time with his four children, missing all their birthdays and significant milestones, and a third has been absent from his new job since October 7th.

TWO CONFLICTING WORLDVIEWS

Tonight, one of Alex Dancyg’s 13 grandchildren, Talia Dancyg (age 18), appeared on TV, tearfully calling for an end to the bloodshed and the return of as many hostages as possible while decrying the notion of a “Total Victory." Additionally, this impressive, articulate young woman poignantly and defiantly stated that from the moment Hamas was able to infiltrate the Kibbutzim, commit acts of murder, rape, and kidnap the members, there would never be such a thing as “total victory.”

Here’s a transcript of Talia Dance’s moving remarks:

Anyone who thinks there is a price for bringing back the hostages has forgotten the value of life, the value of redeeming captives, and what it means to be a human being. We must remember what it means to be human, to be friends with one another, to be moral and humane. My grandfather taught me all my life what it means to be a person, to listen to others, and to care about justice and truth. I ask that the truth come to light; there was a terrible failure on October 7th. Too many good people left us, people who could have led this country and not allowed this disgrace to continue.

I also personally ask Benjamin Netanyahu to look us in the eyes and say that the hostages are only suffering, and we can take comfort in that they are 'only' suffering. What is this supposed to be? This is not the country my grandfather taught me to love so much; this is not it. And I believe it will return to what it once was. I believe, but for that, we need to fight, and for that, we need to bring all our hostages home. It is unacceptable that children who returned from captivity are begging to rebuild their lives and for their fathers to come back as well.

This neglect of nine months must stop because otherwise, we will not heal this wound, we will not return to who we were, and we will continue to deteriorate. We must bring them back now. And I want to say that to everyone who shares my grief, and I am very grateful for the support, to everyone who shares my grief and is asking what can be done? Go out into the streets. Go out into the streets and help bring the heart back to its place, not just mine but yours as well. Because you know well that our hearts have been out of place for a long time. Go outside, go outside! Not just for my grandfather, not just for me, but for all of us. This is our future. We have to stop this. We must stop this.

In contrast, earlier today, a prominent rabbi from the religious Zionist movement issued a statement asserting that although freeing prisoners is a paramount Jewish principle, the demands being asked in this hostage deal are excessive and endanger the security of the state.

GAZA

Today, Israeli forces reentered Western Khan Younis, following Hamas’s reestablishment there. Will the reentry into Khan Younis intensify pressure on Hamas? Unclear. Is there a possibility we will accidentally kill additional hostages in Khan Younis? That is also possible. While the IDF might possess specific intelligence prompting this move, such operations have been conducted before with varying outcomes

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Here is the statement issued today by the IDF Spokesman detailing other Army operations in Gaza:

The 162nd Division continues fighting in the Rafah area.

The combat team forces of the 401st Brigade eliminated dozens of terrorists in the Tel al-Sultan area in close combat and in cooperation with Air Force aircraft. The combat team forces of the Givati Brigade eliminated several terrorists, including an armed terrorist cell.

An Air Force aircraft, directed by the Gaza Division, Military Intelligence, and Shin Bet, attacked and eliminated Mohammad Abu Sido from the Hamas terrorist organization. Mohammad, a Nukhba operative in the organization, infiltrated Israel on October 7 and participated in terrorist activities against our forces during the maneuver.

The combat team forces of the Alexandroni Brigade (3) eliminated several terrorists in the central area of the Gaza Strip.

Tonight, the IDF Spokesman released the following notification:

The 98th Division forces began this morning with combined above-ground and underground operations in Khan Younis, following intelligence information indicating the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure in the area, as well as attempts by the Hamas terrorist organization to rebuild.

As part of the operation, the forces attacked and eliminated terrorists through airstrikes and tank fire.

Since the morning hours, Air Force aircraft, in combination with artillery forces, have attacked more than 30 terrorist infrastructures in Khan Younis, including the area from which a launch that fell in an open area near Nirim earlier today was carried out. There were no casualties in the incident.

Additionally, the Air Force attacked weapons depots, observation posts, underground shafts, and buildings used by the Hamas terrorist organization.

UNUSUAL ATTEMPTED TERROR ATTACK AT NETIV HA’ASARA

Today, a strange event occurred. A car approached Moshav Netiv Haasara, located near Gaza. The driver exited the vehicle and began to speak with the guards, stating, "Israel is committing genocide in Gaza." He then exited the vehicle wielding a knife and was subsequently shot by the guards. It was later discovered that the terrorist was a Muslim Canadian tourist who had just arrived in Israel yesterday.

NETANYAHU EN ROUTE TO THE U.S.

This morning, Prime Minister Netanyahu departed for the United States on his extravagantly refurbished plane. Before his departure, Netanyahu said all the right things, expressing his intention to use this visit to thank President Biden for his substantial support of Israel during the war and throughout his tenure.

As of this update, Netanyahu’s meeting with Biden on Tuesday is unlikely due to Biden’s ongoing Covid isolation. However, the Prime Minister does have a meeting scheduled with Vice President Kamala Harris. Netanyahu is also attempting to secure a meeting with former President Trump. Several families of hostages accompanied Netanyahu on his plane. There has been disagreement within the community of hostage families regarding whether or not to join Netanyahu on the trip. Both views are valid. I am glad some representatives went to ensure a visual presence is maintained at all times. Other community members chose to remain in Israel as a protest, signaling that Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure the release of the hostages.

THE NORTH

Hezbollah dispatched seven drones toward Israel this morning, all of which were successfully intercepted, a clear indication that the Air Force has been improving.