News Digest — 11/22/23
Hamas To Provide Israel With List Of Ten Hostages To Be Released
On Wednesday evening (22nd), Hamas will provide Israel with a list of ten hostages expected to be released on Thursday (23rd), under the prisoner swap agreement approved early Wednesday morning (22nd).
The agreement will see the release of over 100 convicted terrorists, in exchange for civilians – mostly women and children – who were kidnapped by Hamas on the morning of Oct.7th. The agreement also includes a four-day ceasefire and a promise that Israel will not use surveillance drones during the break in the fighting.
The ten hostages will be transferred to Israel on Thursday morning (23rd), via the Red Cross. Later, terrorists will be released.
The ceasefire will take effect between 6:30 and 7:00 on Thursday morning (23rd), in accordance with operational considerations. On the fourth day of the ceasefire, Hamas is expected to release an additional 20 hostages.
On Wednesday morning (22nd), Israel’s Justice Ministry released a list of 300 terrorists who are in line to be released as part of the prisoner swap.
Among the terrorists to be released is the terrorist who stabbed and severely injured a resident of Bnei Brak in a Jerusalem terror attack; the female terrorist who attempted to stab a Border Police officer near Jerusalem’s Old City; the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack near the grave of Shimon Hatzadik, severely injuring two civilians; and the terrorist who carried out a stabbing attack near Rachel’s Tomb, severely injuring a female soldier.
IDF Spokesperson Provides New Details On Tunnels At Shifa Hospital
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari On Tuesday evening (21st) presented new photos of the breach of the blast door from the terror tunnel underneath Shifa hospital in Gaza.
“Over the course of the day, the IDF continued to deepen its operation and objectives in the Gaza Strip. We completed the encirclement of the Jabalya area, which is a significant zone of combat, and we deepened and concluded the fighting in the Zeitun area. The forces are exposing terrorists and killing them. We have the upper hand in every battle. We will continue to kill Hamas terrorists wherever they are,”said Hagari.
He added, “Today we continued in exposing the Hamas subterranean tunnel route under the Shifa hospital. We will continue to expose other hospitals in Gaza. Hamas terrorists systematically built a vast subterranean infrastructure, using patients and hospital staff as human shields. Human shields for terror. This is a war crime, against international law, and we will continue to expose this to the world in order to highlight this practice.”
“In the north,” he said, “We killed a few anti-tank cells who attempted to fire anti-tank missiles along the border into Israel. We are thwarting all imminent threats to our territory. This area, along the line of contact, is a combat zone, from which Hezbollah carries out terror attacks and in contravention of the Security Council and UN resolutions. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that operates from built up areas in southern Lebanon, endangering civilians. Additionally, we targeted military installations, weapons, and weapon production sites in response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli civilian areas in the north. We are at a high level of preparedness in the north, on offense and on defense.”
He also noted that “to date, we have notified the families of 390 IDF fallen soldiers who died in the battles for the defense of Israel. We embrace the families in their most difficult hour. We will continue to accompany them.”
Czech MPs Seek Global Recognition For Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital
Czech parliamentarians will push for the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital by parliaments around the world at an international legal conference that will take place Wednesday (22nd) in the House of Representatives of the Czech Republic.
The parliamentarians will also push countries to move their embassies to the Holy City.
“At this time, Israel should feel the power of international solidarity in practical actions,” said Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) Czech Republic Country Director Karel Sedlacek. “Moving embassies to Jerusalem is one of them.”
The international legal conference on “Embassies in Jerusalem and International Law” is being organized by Sedlacek, the Czech Parliamentary Israel Allies Caucus Chairman MP Miloslav Janulik and Chairman of the Committee on Security Pavel Zacek. It aims to present the legal arguments under international law supporting the transfer of embassies to Jerusalem and to extend the IAF Europe Prague Declaration to other parliaments.
The IAF Europe Prague Declaration, formulated during the IAF Europe European Policy Summit in June, calls upon the parliaments of European nations and the European Parliament to pass resolutions officially acknowledging Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. Furthermore, the declaration advocates for relocating their respective embassies to Jerusalem.
The Czech republic was the first country to implement the declaration in October, unanimously adopting a resolution calling on the government to move the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Jerusalem. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala subsequently expressed his wish to make this move, saying it would be “a desirable step.”
Wednesday’s (22nd) conference in Prague will mark the start of an international IAF campaign to encourage countries worldwide to move their embassies to Jerusalem.
The IAF coordinates 53 Israel Allies Caucuses worldwide, working to educate and empower pro-Israel faith-based legislators. The IAF network includes the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus.
Israel’s establishment of Jerusalem as its capital should not be a matter for debate, “said the IAF President Josh Reinstein. “It is simply another expression of anti-Semitism – one which the IAF and its network of parliamentary caucuses around the world will continue to combat.”
“We commend our allies in the Czech House of Representatives for standing on the side of truth and calling on governments worldwide to join the Prague Declaration based on international law,” he said.
“What was started in the Czech Republic is the beginning of an international movement,” said IAF Europe’s Executive Director Leo van Doesburg. “A movement of solidarity with Israel by recognizing Jerusalem as the indivisible capital of Israel and encouraging countries worldwide to move their embassies to Jerusalem. This support for Israel is particularly meaningful during these difficult times,” he added.
One Million Olim Expected Amid Rising Anti-Semitism
The Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Major General Doron Almog told News12 on Tuesday (21st) that he expects to see one million new olim as a direct result of the dramatic rise of anti-Semitism.
Almog, who lost family on Oct. 7th to the Hamas massacre in Kfar Aza, said, “Over the next few years, we anticipate a million new immigrants due to the increasing anti-Semitism in Jewish communities around the world.”
At the same time, he declared a commitment to rebuild ravaged communities in the north and the south of the country.
He continued, “The Jewish community, still reeling from the trauma, will forge ahead in building the State of Israel with unparalleled vigor and creativity. We aspire to become a beacon of hope and inspiration for the nations of the world.”
In the 48 hours after the October 7th massacre, anti-Semitic posts increased on dark web channels by 500% according to the New York Times.
The ensuing war between Israel and Hamas has led to an escalation of anti-Semitic hate speech and violent incidents, which have seen a 400% increase year over year according to the ADL.
With the increase in anti-Semitic incidents, the number of Jews exploring the option of making aliyah to Israel increased by 81% in North America and 149% in France as of late October, according to Aliyah and Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer.
Sofer described global anti-Semitism as a “global emergency” and according to an agency statement, “The Minister has been actively engaged in emergency discussions with key security and international agencies.”
France in particular has seen a huge rise in anti-Semitic harassment and violence, surpassing record numbers in 2012.
Addressing the problem in France and the rest of the world, Sofer continued, “The reports I have been receiving are very concerning. Our goal now is to strengthen the ties between us and support the communities that stand with Israel.”
Israeli Military, Border Residents Demand Action To Eliminate Hezbollah Threat – Dion Nissenbaum
In the days after the Oct.7 Hamas attacks in Israel, Orna Rayn searched frantically for someone to build a barricade to secure the door of a safe room in her house in Lehavot Habashan, 6 miles from the Lebanon border. Orna’s sister, Einat Rothem-Nechushtan, moved into the safe room on Oct. 10, even before the Israeli government ordered the evacuation of her small farming community of She’ar Yashuv, 2 miles from Lebanon. The sisters have mapped out a plan of escape if Hezbollah fighters stage an Oct.7-style cross-border attack. “This is the first time in my life that I don’t feel safe in my home,” said Rothem-Nechushtan, 54.
Many Israelis who live near the border say their military can’t end the fighting without assuring them that Hezbollah can’t do to them what Hamas did to Israelis in the south. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has pushed for broader military action against Hezbollah, while the Biden administration has put consistent pressure on Israel to refrain from taking steps in Lebanon that could drag the American military deeper into the fight.
Netanyahu has so far acceded to American pressure, but military officials say Israel is one deadly Hezbollah strike away from a new war in Lebanon. Tens of thousands of Israelis from 42 communities near the Lebanon border have been officially evacuated by the government. Israeli officials say that there are thousands of Hezbollah fighters positioned along the border. Security officials in border communities estimate that 100,000 Israeli soldiers have deployed along the northern border. (Wall Street Journal)
(wsj.com)
Will International Pressure Force Israel To Limit The Ground War In Gaza? – Max Boot (Washington Post)
• It has been more than six weeks since the barbaric Hamas attack on Israel on Oct.7 – Israel’s 9/11 – and more than three weeks since the Israel Defense Forces began ground operations in Gaza. The IDF has encircled northern Gaza and is now conducting operations in the heart of “Hamastan.”
• “The ground operation was successful with fewer casualties than all the predictions forecast,” Maj-Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, a former director of Israeli military intelligence, told me. “There has been excellent cooperation between ground forces and the air force and intelligence. And they basically control northern Gaza – with one caveat, which is that many of the Hamas fighters who were not killed are in their underground fortress, which still exists.”
• There is little doubt that Hamas has suffered a serious blow, but its senior leadership has not been captured or killed. Israel suspects that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is hiding in his hometown of Khan Yunis, the biggest city in southern Gaza. The process of destroying Hamas’ hold on Gaza will be a lengthy one. “We are only at the beginning.” Zohar Palti, a former official at the Israel Defense Ministry, told me, while Yadlin estimated that it will take an additional six months to dismantle Hamas.
• In all of its wars going back to the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, international outrage over civilian casualties forced Israel to curtail offensive operations before achieving a clear-cut victory. A short ceasefire of up to five days might occur as part of a deal to release some hostages held by Hamas, but a longer ceasefire is a complete nonstarter for the Israelis.
• Israel is still reeling from the worst one-day attack in its history, and some 200,000 Israelis still cannot return to their homes in the north and south because of ongoing fighting. Israelis know that a longer ceasefire now means Hamas has won.
• “I’ve never seen such determination since 9/11,” a US official told me. “They are utterly and totally committed to dismantling Hamas, and whatever is required to get the job done, they will do it.” Israel’s implacable determination to defeat the terrorists who attacked it on Oct.7 is likely to ensure that the IDF has the time it needs to secure Gaza. no matter how much blowback it receives from abroad.
