DAY 304 OF THE WAR: More Rockets from Gaza, Targeted Strikes in Gaza, Ultra-Orthodox Draft, Our Humanity

Tel Aviv Diary, August 5, 2024

Another day of waiting has passed, and suddenly, the rhetoric from Iran appears somewhat more moderate. Today, Iran has expressed a desire to avoid an all-out war. Reports indicate that we conveyed a message to the Iranians: if they target our population centers, we will destroy all their nuclear sites—a mission the Air Force has been preparing for over a decade. It remains unclear what Iran's next move will be, but there are increasing signs that they wish to avoid a full-scale conflict at this time.

General Michael Kurilla Commander of CENTCOM Meeting IDF General Staff

The Iranian government called for a meeting with all ambassadors in Tehran. While it's impossible to know Iran’s exact plans, it seems that their initial response was driven by anger and embarrassment. They may have since recognized that escalating to an all-out war is not in their best interest. In Israel, there is a belief that Iran is still undecided, with various factions advocating different courses of action.

So we continue to wait… Today featured the first television appearance of the Home Front Command representative, (which is responsible for homeland defense, including emergency services and providing timely warnings of imminent threats) since the early stages of the war. We can only hope for the best. We truly don’t know what might develop, and neither does anyone else, it seems. In the meantime, we will keep waiting and remaining on edge.

GAZA

Today, fifteen rockets were fired from Gaza into the border communities. Despite nine months of warfare, Hamas continues to launch rockets. The ongoing issue in Gaza remains the absence of a post-conflict, “day after” governance plan, although that "day after" has long since arrived. Consequently, each time we withdraw from an area, Hamas returns and rebuilds. According to a widely cited report by CNN, half of the Hamas brigades have been reconstituted.

Additionally, reports indicate that Israel has never fully taken control of the camps in Central Gaza due to the presence of a large number of live hostages there. This aspect of the CNN report echoes several from the past few months. The most recent rescue of hostages occurred in Nuseirat, a location CNN reported as being outside of Israeli operations. In a recent attack, one of the rockets injured an Israeli. In total, 40 rockets have been launched from Gaza in recent days.

This raises the question: How close are we to a “total victory” (which Netanyahu consistently claims is our goal)? I fear we are very far from it, and without a solid plan, achieving victory seems unlikely— which is the saddest, most discouraging reality. In the meantime, we continue to attack all the terrorists we can find.

The IDF Spokesperson issued the following statement regarding operations in Gaza today:

Yesterday (Sunday), fighter jets, guided by intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN), Shin Bet, and the Southern Command, attacked Hamas militants operating within a command and control complex disguised within the "Hassan Salameh" and "Nasser" school areas in the city of Gaza.

According to intelligence held by the IDF and Shin Bet, the strike in the "Hassan Salameh" school area eliminated the militant Jaber Aziz, who served as the commander of the Al-Furqan Battalion. Alongside him, several other militants were also killed.

Aziz had served as the commander of the Al-Furqan Battalion since 2020, having previously held positions as deputy commander of Al-Furqan, deputy commander of Zeitoun, and commander of Zeitoun. In his current role, he played a significant part in planning the deadly attack on October 7 and led the preparations and training of the Al-Furqan Battalion. In addition to these preparations, Aziz participated in the raid on the surrounding settlements on October 7.

Throughout the war, he was responsible for directing and promoting numerous terrorist operations against IDF forces in the Gaza Strip and in the Israeli rear. Aziz was a significant commanding figure in managing the fighting in the Gaza Brigade, and his elimination represents a substantial blow to Hamas.

The IDF also announced it had eliminated Hamas’s Finance Minister earlier today, and reported the following:

Air Force fighter jets, guided by intelligence from the IDF Intelligence Directorate and Southern Command, struck and killed Abd al-Zari, a terrorist in the production headquarters of Hamas’ military wing and the organization’s Minister of Economy in the Gaza Strip, yesterday (Sunday).

The production headquarters works to enhance the weapon capabilities of the Hamas terrorist organization, including through knowledge exchange with other terrorist organizations across the Middle East.

In his role, al-Zari played a significant part in managing Hamas’ control over the entry of humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip and overseeing the markets under Hamas’ control. Additionally, he was responsible for the distribution of fuel, gas, and funds for terrorist activities.

In addition, seven IDF reserve soldiers were injured today in the Rafah area, with four sustaining severe injuries.

ARIEL BIBAS TURNS 5

Talking about heartbreaking matters, today marks the profoundly sad 5th birthday of Ariel Bibas, who was abducted by Hamas into Gaza. There is fear that he, his little brother, and both his parents may no longer be alive, though this has not been confirmed. So, for the moment, everyone is hoping that the Bibas family will return alive. Ariel’s birthday was marked by a large public march from Habima to Hostage Square, where a ceremony was held.

ULTRA-ORTHODOX DRAFT …

Today was the first day that ultra-Orthodox individuals were required to report for initial army testing to begin the draft process. Out of 500 invitees, only a handful appeared. However, several dozen protesters did show up, attempting to block the entrance to the army office. The police managed to prevent the blockade, but did not arrest any demonstrators. Optimists had hoped for a higher turnout from the ultra-Orthodox youth. Those who failed to appear will now receive a second notice, and if they ignore this as well, they will be officially classified as draft evaders, facing all associated legal consequences.

IS THIS WHAT WE’VE BECOME …

Finance Minister Smotrich said today that “the moral thing to do would be to starve the population of Gaza until they release the hostages, however, the world will not let us.”

Smotrich’s severe stance raises a very difficult, challenging question. I often quote Palestinian-American blogger Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, and this is what he wrote today:

Displays of ignorance, hatred, and antisemitism will never help Gaza, advance the Palestinian cause, or win over new allies and partners in pursuit of equality, justice, and peace for all. There is child-level cognition among agents of hate and chaos that equate all things Jewish with the actions of Israel and blame the Jewish people for all the ills of the world. Interestingly, I only learned of who Anne Frank was and her story from my friend Margrit Polak who is the president and founding board member of Anne Frank LA (@AnnefrankLa).

She helped put together an event at which I spoke to members of the Jewish community in LA two months ago about October 7, the war in Gaza, and hopeful paths forward. Margrit educated me on the history of Anne Frank, her legacy, her iconic status for survivors of the Holocaust, and her significance in Jewish history. It pains me to see this blind act of vandalism that does nothing but sow the seeds of division and hate when communication, engagement, healing, and reconciliation are what are desperately needed the most at the moment. Shame on all who commit or tolerate such despicable acts that do nothing for Gaza or the Palestinian people – stand against hate in all of its forms.

However, this is what Alkhatib wrote yesterday:

I have a dream: that one day, just one single post, I will write about the awful humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip affecting my people and what remains of my family, without having rabid “pro-Israel” personalities on social media display callous and inhumane lack of empathy for suffering and pain; and that it is unreasonable to expect sick, battered and hungry civilians to do what the mighty IDF has failed to achieve after nine months of ferocious warfare. These characters won’t even bother pretending to be decent. They spew their vile inhumanity and lack of consideration, always taking up space and feeling that what they have to say matters or that they are more important voices. I yearn for one post: a single post when replies aren’t full of such hostile disregard for circumstances over which Gazans have no control.

How would you answer Alkhatib? What can explain Smotrich’s statement? What has