DAY 40 OF THE GAZA WAR: IDF Enters Shifa Hospital,40 Days Where Do We Stand?US Public Opinion On The War
Today marks the 40th day of the war. Our losses on the first day were overwhelming beyond fathomable. October 7th was a day that will take an unquantifiable amount of time to overcome. Funeral services are still being held today for several of those slaughtered by Hamas. Among today’s burials was the symbolic interment of 12-year-old Li’el Hetsroni. Her family was compelled to bury a small collection of the girl’s favorite things, as identification of her body and confirmation of her death were only possible through DNA analysis of the ashes collected from her family’s home. Li’el was buried next to her aunt, who was also murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7th.
After 40 days, including 18 of on-the-ground combat, the IDF has seized Northern Gaza, including Gaza City, eliminating or driving out most Hamas terrorists from those areas. Despite concerns of becoming mired in Gaza, the Army's casualties have been significantly lower than many anticipated. The IDF's heightened effectiveness in 2023 has been attributed to recent technological advances and improved battlefield integration (of the various arms of the military— land, sea, and air). I do not believe that this sort of successful advance, with the loss of fewer than anticipated casualties, would have been possible, even five years ago
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The IDF's successful penetration of Northern Gaza culminated last night with their entry into Shifa Hospital, believed to be Hamas's central headquarters. The operation was conducted unopposed, and IDF special forces continue a methodical examination of the facility. Weapons and military items were discovered; however, no hostages were found, which was a deep disappointment, albeit expected
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The nearly 6-weeks of continual rocket barrages have been effectively managed, with minimal casualties and structural damage, thanks to the Iron Dome, and strict public adherence to safety instructions of the Home Front Command. The palpable decrease in rocket launches is attributed to Israel's control of northern Gaza and the depletion of Hamas's rocket supply. Today there were only ten rockets fired and all at the immediate Gaza border area.
The IDF has begun preparations to advance toward southern Gaza, as indicated by flyers distributed in Khan Yunis. The possibility of a hostage release deal, particularly for the release of women and children, is being debated daily by political commentators.
IRAN
Today, there was also low-intensity warfare with Hezbollah on Israel’s Northern border. Iran's Supreme Leader reportedly informed Hamas that Iran would not participate in the war Hamas started, as Iran had not been informed of the initial attack.
AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
A new poll by Reuters IPSOS reveals a decrease in overall American support for Israel; with a drop from 41% to 32% in just one month.
The poll shows a majority (57%) view Israel favorably, a seven-point drop from October. Both political parties view Israel favorably, though Republicans (71%) more so than Democrats (57%). Americans are split on whether Israel's response is excessive (50% agree, 50% disagree), with more Democrats (62%) than Republicans (30%) believing so. A significant majority (76%) agrees that Israel is responding as any country would to terror attacks and a hostage situation. However, two-thirds (68%) agree that Israel should call a ceasefire and negotiate for the release of hostages.
These findings indicate that while Israel is still viewed favorably, there's a lack of understanding among most Americans regarding the situation Israel faces. This ties back to Yossi Klein's article, "The Lonely People of History," which discusses the unique position of Jews, and particularly Israelis. Unfortunately, I forgot to include a link to the article in yesterday's post, completed at midnight. I invite you to read it and share your thoughts.
BUSINESS
Refine Intelligence, a company developing technology for combating financial crime, has raised 13 million dollars in a seed funding round led by Glilot Capital Partners and Fin Capital, with participation from SYN Ventures, Valley Ventures — the strategic investment arm of Valley Bank (who is also the company's first client), and Ground Up Ventures. The company was founded in 2022 by Uri Rivner, who serves as CEO, Oren Kedem as COO, Alon Shacham as CTO, and was joined by Zack Delgarno who leads the data analysis sector. The company employs 15 people, 10 of whom are based in the development center in Israel.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent year, Zim, a key player in the shipping industry, achieved record profits, reporting billions in earnings. However, this trend sharply reversed due to a significant decrease in shipping costs, leading to financial losses in the following year. Zim faced a net loss of $2,270 million, in stark contrast to a net income of $1,166 million in the same quarter of 2022. This was primarily due to a non-cash impairment loss of $2,063 million. The diluted loss per share was $18.904, a reversal from earnings of $9.66 per share a year earlier. Additionally, Zim's Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $211 million, an 89% decrease year-over-year. The operating loss (EBIT) stood at $2,276 million, compared to an operating income of $1,544 million in the third quarter of 2022. Adjusted EBIT also showed a loss of $213 million, a significant drop from the previous year's $1,554 million. Revenues for the quarter were down by 61% year-over-year, totaling $1,273 million.