DAY 81 OF THE GAZA WAR: Heavy Casualties With No End in Site, Fighting in the North Escalates
Tel Aviv Diary December 26, 2023
The difficult days continue. Today, the deaths of six additional soldiers were announced, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since the ground offensive began to 161. Fighting is now taking place in three sections of Gaza: the North, Center, and South. The IDF is now fighting inside the refugee camps in the center of the strip, one of the areas the Army had not yet entered. Fighting also continues in the city of Khan Younis
.
IDF Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi spent time today in Northern Gaza. When Halevi exited Gaza he stated that we are close to securing complete control of Northern Gaza. Halevi went on to say that achieving the declared objectives of the war will be a challenging and prolonged process. He emphasized the IDF’s commitment to continue fighting until these goals are achieved, acknowledging there are no shortcuts and that it could take several more months.
It's hard to imagine this war dragging on for many more months, but it's equally difficult to believe it's been 81 days since October 7th, which still feels like it was just yesterday.
IN THE NORTH
The situation in the North is worsening. Today, Hezbollah fired an anti-tank missile at a church. Then, when soldiers arrived to investigate and rescue an injured civilian, Hezbollah fired additional missiles, wounding nine soldiers. One of the soldiers whose death was announced today was of a soldier who was critically injured a few days ago on the Lebanese border and subsequently succumbed to his wounds.
Fighting in the North intensifies slightly each day. At this rate, it won't take much for us to find ourselves embroiled in a full-scale war, regardless of our intention to avoid such a conflict. Meanwhile, the villages along the Northern border are being slowly destroyed, with residents residing in hotels far from their homes and businesses, and without any plan or idea of when they can return.
THE HOUTHIS
The Houthis continue to pose a threat to worldwide shipping and to Israel. Today, the Houthis fired on a ship in the Arabian Sea and sent suicide drones towards Eilat. The Houthi drones were all intercepted. Although the ship they attacked was damaged, it appears there were no casualties. In an interesting development, (seemingly a direct result of last week's attack on a ship off of India), the Indian Navy has deployed three vessels in the Arabian Sea to support the allied effort to maintain freedom of the seas. India possesses a significant Navy.
The US Central command issued the following statement tonight:
U.S. assets, to include the USS LABOON (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26. There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.
While Israel and India maintain close defense ties, with Israel supplying India with numerous advanced weapons systems, India has generally tried to remain neutral regarding the Israel-Arab conflict. Therefore, its allocation of ships to help the international fleet is significant.
BOMB AT ISRAELI EMBASSY IN NEW DELHI
Today, a bomb detonated outside the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi. Initial assessments suggest that Iran is likely responsible for the bombing.
LIVING DURING A WAR
Last night, news programs reported a minor scandal involving Former Defense Minister and Member of the War Cabinet, Benny Gantz, who was photographed at a reception honoring the relentless Hasbara efforts of Noa Tishby. Gantz’s brief appearance, lasting only 18 minutes, drew criticism, as it coincided with the announcement of the deaths of a considerable number of soldiers (15 in one day). This timing led some to question the propriety of Gantz’s attendance at the event.
The details of the Gantz story are not crucial, as there were compelling reasons for his attendance. However, the fact Gantz’s attendance at an event was debated on the news raises a larger issue, one to which, frankly, I have no clear answers. As Raviv Drucker stated on air yesterday, Hamas aims to make life so difficult for us that we lose the desire to live here, or live our lives normally. Drucker suggested Israelis should continue attending concerts, watching movies, and living our lives, despite the ongoing challenges.
Despite what is sound advice, in the midst of what seems to be our longest war, continuing life as if nothing is happening is difficult. The daily list of the fallen affects us all deeply. This isn’t like the U.S. during the Vietnam War. This war is not thousands of miles away — and occasional rocket barrages serve as a stark reminder. Additionally, the constant fear of an all-out war with Hezbollah makes normalcy nearly impossible. Everyone has their favorite method of temporary escape; mine is watching some junk TV now and then.
ANTI-ISRAEL SENTIMENT AMONG 18-24 YEAR OLDS
Last week, I wrote about two surveys, particularly highlighting their results among 18-24-year-olds — i.e., how in this age group more respondents expressed support for Hamas than those who expressed support for Israel. Today, I participated in a panel on i24News discussing the war's impact on American politics, where these surveys were a topic of discussion.
Owen Alterman, an i24 Senior correspondent noted that of those surveyed among the 18-24 age group, 6% of respondents were Muslim, while only 2% were Jewish. Owen maintains that the future is predetermined, with little we can do, a point I disagreed with — both on and off-air. I believe that the right campaigns can still impact this largely uneducated generation. When Owen mentioned our fortune in having Biden as President during the war, I was pleasantly surprised when the Republicans Abroad representative agreed.
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER
I had an interesting encounter today with Alona Rivlin (from the Jerusalem Rivlin family, related to the former President Ruby Rivlin). She produced a film about Israelis held as prisoners by the Jordanians during the War of Independence. Her father, who defended the Kibbutz in Gush Etzion and was captured, had warned her about the unmentionable cruelty of Arabs. She, however, always believed in peace and worked in the peace camp for most of her life. Post-October 7th, Rivlin expressed a wish that her father were alive so she could apologize and acknowledge his viewpoint.
POLITICS
A potential political crisis is brewing. As part of the agreement for Gantz and his party's entry into the government, it was decided there would be no major personnel changes during the war. Claiming he was not part of this agreement, Tonight, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, announced his decision to fire the Commissioner of the Prison Authority, Major General Katy Perry.
Minister Ben-Gvir justified his decision not to extend her tenure citing:
a total absence of trust, irreconcilable differences, the Commissioner’s failure to implement his policies, and at times, even acting in opposition to them. Among other things, Perry managed negotiations with Hamas terrorists on their terms, her conduct in a serious incident that occurred in Rimonim Prison, during which she attempted to gloss over and hide the events from the Minister. The failed handling of the treatment of the crime organization leader Kotier, and returning him to his cell only a week after riots occurred in the prison.
Here is Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service, Major General Katy Perry’s response to Minister Ben-Gvir’s announcement:
This decision is not surprising from an irresponsible Minister, combined with baseless, unfounded claims that are detached from reality and childish, demonstrating his lack of understanding of the Israel Prison Service.
BUSINESS
As part of the upgrade process for the Singaporean Navy's Formidable-class frigate fleet, which includes six ships, Blue Spear anti-ship missiles will be installed on these vessels as a replacement for the existing American Harpoon missiles. This is according to the Italian website: aresdifesa.it.
The Blue Spear missiles are a fifth-generation version of the well-known Israeli "Gabriel" missile.