DAY 53 OF THE GAZA WAR: Truce Extended, Horrors of Hamas Captivity Emerge, Lies Lies and More Lies
Tel Aviv Diary, November 28, 2023
It was another evening of anxious waiting in Israel, as part of the two-day extension of the pause in fighting. We all restlessly hold our breath until it is announced that the daily allotment of hostages has arrived back home in Israel. It appears to have become a nightly ritual for everyone here. Tonight, 12 hostages, including two Thai workers were set free
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Hamas first displays pictures of the hostages they are handing over to the Red Cross. Some hostages are quickly identified by reporters in the studio. Tonight's hostage release unfolded relatively quickly, unlike last night, when a delay in agreement on the list of hostages to be returned prolonged the release efforts. There were no small children on the release list tonight, only one 17-year-old girl. The rest of the list was made up of women of various ages. The 17-year-old returned with her dog, who was somehow kidnapped along with her. The hospital where she was taken, (Sheba in Beersheba), ensured a veterinarian was on the premises to examine the dog.
Tomorrow, another 10 people will be released. Israel hopes that tomorrow’s list will include most of the eight children still in Hamas's custody. Ongoing negotiations are in place to extend the truce for another two days and arrange for the release of 90 hostages in total.
The first stories from the hostages are emerging, all of whom have lost significant amounts of weight, contracted lice, and suffer from scabies. Eitan's story is particularly chilling. The 12-year old was beaten by bystanders upon his arrival in Gaza, then held for 16 days alone in a dark room. He was also forced to watch films of Hamas's actions on October 7th.
Tonight, the head of Mossad, (who is in Qatar for talks on extending the current truce), made it clear that his first and foremost priority is to insure the safe release of all the women and children— and that he refuses to discuss any other deals until they are all returned. At that point, the negotiations will become more challenging, and the Israeli government will face decisions that I am relieved not to have to make. Regrettably, the impossible choice might be the only right decision for the State of Israel and its people.
Hamas is already hinting at its willingness to release all hostages in exchange for the release of all the terrorists in Israeli jails. This might be bearable, though incredibly problematic. However, Hamas also demands a permanent ceasefire; in other words, an end to this war. A Prime Minister, who is afraid of his own shadow, must look into the eyes of the parents of soldiers who may not return and tell them that we cannot accept this deal. Accepting an end of the war at this juncture would mean Hamas wins and remains in power.
After October 7th, Israel cannot allow Hamas to remain in control. Absolutely no proposal that leaves Hamas in power can be accepted, as it would mean not only a defeat for Israel, but an existential threat to the state. Residents of the border communities surrounding Gaza have made it crystal clear they will not return to the region unless the threat of another massacre is removed.
Every day that passes, Hamas's popularity grows. Each day more Palestinian prisoners are released, more people in the West Bank and Gaza become Hamas supporters (not that they weren't popular before). Hamas are the one group that has managed to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. Therefore, in the eyes of the Palestinians, Hamas’s actions are justified — they provide results. The only way to change this view of this terrorist organization is to ensure Hamas’s total defeat.
Our public relations will always be at a disadvantage, because we stick to basic truths and do not fabricate stories. Today, one of the most popular videos in the Arab world shows a young Palestinian, recently released from an Israeli prison with bandaged, broken hands, claiming that Israeli jailers beat him, broke his bones, and starved him.
When asked about this teenager, the prison service produced a video of him being released yesterday— in perfect health. But who will believe the Israeli story, especially after millions have seen the other video? Of course, there's the New York Times, which ran a picture of a Palestinian terrorist with a deformed face, leaving readers to believe she had been injured in prison — rather than wounds she suffered from the bomb she set off.
Today marked the first set of serious ceasefire violations, which occurred when Hamas members placed IEDs near Israeli forces, lightly wounding several soldiers.
EILAT IN CRISIS
The city of Eilat is in a uniquely challenging position. Thanks to the war, its population has doubled, but most businesses are failing. Eilat, being a tourist town, has businesses that cater to tourists. However, while the hotels are full, they are occupied by evacuees from the Gaza border, who do not spend money at tourist attractions. The government is exploring ways to assist these businesses.
"A Prime Minister, who is afraid of his own shadow, must look into the eyes of the parents of soldiers who may not return and tell them that we cannot accept this deal. Accepting an end of the war at this juncture would mean Hamas wins and remains in power."
You've pointed out a hard truth, difficult to swallow, but true all the same.
Eugene Sledge, in "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa", wrote of this incongruous state of the poles of the preciousness of the individual and the sacrifice of one for the survival of the whole. It is hard for those raised in the West to truly grasp.
"We received the password as darkness settled on us, and a drizzling rain began. We felt isolated listening to moisture dripping from the trees and splashing softly into the swamp. It was the darkest night I ever saw. The overcast sky was as black as the dripping mangroves that walled us in. I had the sensation of being in a great black hole and reached out to touch the sides of the gun pit to orient myself. Slowly the reality of it all formed in my mind: we were expendable!
It was difficult to accept. We come from a nation and a culture that values life and the individual. To find oneself in a situation where your life seems of little value is the ultimate in loneliness. It is a humbling experience. Most of the combat veterans had already grappled with this realization on Guadalcanal, or Gloucester, but it struck me out in that swamp."
Yet this is precisely the situation that all Israelis must grapple with. God bless them all, and Godspeed.