Once again, it appears my statement last night about Hamas not firing rockets was made prematurely. This morning began with rocket attacks near Gaza. Later, while I was riding a scooter in the early afternoon, my watch vibrated. I checked and saw red alert notifications for Ashkelon, then the Lachish region, followed by Ashdod. The alert warnings rapidly moved north. Soon, an alert appeared for Rishon LeTzion.
I wondered briefly if the rocket barrage would reach further. Within seconds, the sirens began to wail. I saw a woman walking her dog right in front of me and asked if she knew the location of any nearby shelters. The woman guided me, along with others who soon joined, leading us to a windowless stairwell inside an apartment building. This experience once again highlighted the unique aspects of life here in Israel.
Standing in the stairway with strangers, counting the minutes and seconds until the “all clear” sounds, the interconnectedness of our destinies entirely evident. Two minutes after we entered the stairwell, a series of explosions, sounding like intercepts, began one after another. In total, Hamas launched 30 rockets towards central Israel, including Tel Aviv. Although all of the 30 rockets were intercepted, fragments from the rockets and interceptors fell in various locations —Fortunately, no injuries were caused, as a result.
COMBAT IN GAZA
Meanwhile, the combat in Gaza continued without pause. Israel managed to rotate the Golani Brigade and the Paratroopers out of Gaza for a rest period. Tonight's TV news featured joyful footage of paratroopers' parents reuniting with their children for the first time since October 7th, as they returned home for an extended weekend.
The IDF officially announced it has control over all of Shuja'iyya. Although, what that means exactly is unclear. Israel has started attacking what are known as the “central camps” in Gaza, such as, Dir Al Balah (an area I patrolled as a soldier, 43 years ago). The troops that recently left Gaza are likely to reenter next week to operate in areas where the IDF has not yet been active.
A new IDF military division has entered Gaza, increasing the troop presence and intensifying efforts to weaken Hamas — a primary war goal that has not been achieved so far. Israel has bolstered its forces in Khan Younis, focusing on the underground network in that area. In Gaza City, the engineering corps demolished the underground tunnels discovered near Palestine Square in a massive explosion.
The IDF announced that since the ceasefire, it has eliminated 2,000 Hamas operatives. Sadly, the Army also released the names of three additional soldiers who were killed in combat.
Today, a 60-year-old man approached soldiers In Gaza’s Rimal area, refused to stop, and then detonated himself. This incident marks the first occurrence of a suicide bombing in Gaza since our entry. Unfortunately, it is not likely to be the last.
Hamas released a video showing three hostages (Elia Toledano, Nik Beizer, and Ron Sherman) alive. The bodies of the three had already been recovered by the IDF. Hamas claimed that these Israelis were killed in an IDF airstrike. However, citing a pathological investigation, Israeli sources, once again, indicate otherwise.
HOSTAGES
Yesterday, the prospects for an agreement on releasing additional hostages appear slim. Today, it is clear that, at least for now, there is no chance for an agreement. Several Hamas spokespersons reiterated today that no discussion regarding hostages will commence until a total ceasefire is in place
The clock in Hostage Square Tonight
.
THE NORTHERN BORDER
In the North, the situation appears to be deteriorating. Hezbollah has been directly attacking civilian targets, launching seven anti-tank missiles at locations including Metula, Dolev, Avivim, Margalit, and Ramat Naftali. The IDF has escalated its airstrikes on Hezbollah targets deeper within Lebanon.
Thanks for reading Tel Aviv Diary! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Hezbollah has reported the loss of 119 of its members in the border area. It remains unclear how much longer this tit-for-tat can continue without spiraling out of control. This is not to mention the challenge of returning tens of thousands of Israeli residents back to their homes in towns and villages throughout the North. There is still some hope for a diplomatic resolution to Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah, as a military solution would be very costly, in every regard.
Public opinion POLL in Israel
Regarding the conflict:
46% are dissatisfied with the speed of the army's advances, while 43% are satisfied. Among right-wing voters, only 29% are dissatisfied.
When asked about the future of Gaza post-war, 32% support Israel remaining in and resettling Gaza, 30% favor involvement of the international community, 10% trust the Army to administer the area, and another 10% favor handing over control to the PLO.
Concerning the Israeli government's efforts to free hostages: 72% believe the government is doing all it can, however, 34% are skeptical.
On the question of what Israel should do next, 50% favor more military pressure on Hamas, while 42% support increased efforts in negotiations.
When informed that increased military action might lead to no hostages surviving, 42% of the initial 50% favoring military pressure shifted their stance and advocated for enhanced negotiation efforts instead.
A final question asked: What Percentage of time do you think the following people are currently spending on politics vs. military affairs:
A different survey conducted Hadassah College reported that 56% of Israeli indicated being depressed. 75% of respondents stated they were anxious and tense, while only 8% said they were happy these days.
Thank you Marc for these very informative briefings. Much appreciated!