News Digest — 5/31/24
IDF Completes Three-Week Op In North Gaza’s Jabaliya, Described As War’s Most Intense Fighting
On Friday morning (31st) the IDF said its 98th Division had wrapped up a nearly three-weeks long operation in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya, during which troops killed hundreds of terror operatives, recovered the bodies of seven slain Israeli hostages, and demolished major tunnels.
IDF officers have described the fighting in Jabaliya as some of the most intense amid the war. Jabaliya’s historic refugee camp is one of Gaza’s most dense areas, and troops came under massive RPG fire by Hamas operatives.
The IDF said Hamas turned Jabaliya’s civilian infrastructure into “a fortified combat complex,” opened fire at troops from schools and other sites where civilians were sheltering, and built tunnel networks under civilian buildings.
Some 120 anti-tank projectiles were launched at the troops, along with dozens more incidents of planted explosive devices, sniper fire, and drones that dropped bombs, according to the military.
Overground, the division’s 7th, 460th, and paratroopers brigades killed hundreds of gunmen in “intense battles” and destroyed dozens of sites belonging to terror groups, the IDF said.
The IDF estimates that it killed around 500-600 terror operatives during the operation in Jabaliya. Only 350 have been verified so far, following battles and airstrikes.
More than 200 airstrikes were carried out adjacent to the ground forces amid the operation, killing gunmen, including Hamas field commanders, the IDF said.
Hundreds of weapons, as well as several weapon-manufacturing sites and several rocket launchers were located and destroyed by troops in the operation, the IDF said.
Underground some 7 miles worth of Hamas tunnels were demolished by combat engineers, after troops raided the underground networks, the IDF said.
In one tunnel network, troops recovered the bodies of Ron Benjamin, Itzhak Gelerenter, Amit Buskila, Orion Hernandez Radoux, Hanan Yablonka, and Michel Nisenbaum. All seven were murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 and their bodies were kidnapped to Gaza, according to the IDF.
In another tunnel in Jabaliya, the commander of Hamas’ Beit Hanoun Battalion, Hussien Fiad, along with several more operatives, were killed by special forces.
Two Hamas attack tunnels were also demolished amid the operation. The tunnels had reached around 500 meters from the Israeli border, according to IDF assessments.
Ten Israeli soldiers were killed amid the Jabaliya operation, the last being Sgt. First Class (res.) Adar Gavriel, 24, who was killed Thursday (30th).
According to an initial probe, Gavriel was hit by a grenade hurled by a terror operative from a building as troops were scanning the area. The soldiers killed the operative a short while later.
The 98th Division will now be given time for R&R, training, and going over plans for future operations in Gaza.
Hamas And Islamic Jihad Seek To Inflame West Bank – Analysis
A shooting attack aimed at the Israeli community of Bat Hefer on Wednesday (29th) has led to concerns that terrorist groups are stepping up operations in the West Bank. These types of attacks have spread over the last year. They began with the Islamic Jihad in Jenin and also with other armed groups in Nablus, but they have now spread across the northern West Bank. A ramming attack killed two soldiers near Nablus on Thursday (30th).
It is important to see the elephant in the room here. The attacks on Bat Hefer are part of a growing number of terror incidents emanating from Tulkarm’s Nur Shams. The IDF has carried out numerous raids in this area in the last year. However, the armed groups continue to operate in the region. It appears that Hamas and the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have put down more roots in the West Bank.
The attacks in the area are fueled by Iranian support as well as other types of outside support such as from Hamas in Gaza. Hamas and Iran have wanted to leverage October 7 to increase support for Hamas in the West Bank. The goal is to position Hamas in a way that will allow it to take over the West Bank area when Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, is replaced or leaves office due to old age or other reasons. Hamas is now laying the groundwork.
Another way that Hamas and terror groups are preparing is through weapons trafficking. In the last year, despite the IDF’s Break the Wave operation and its campaign in Jenin called, “Home and Garden” last year, the number of illegal rifles in the West Bank has fueled terrorism.
These rifles can be spotted in videos of the perpetrators of such attacks or in photos featuring Palestinian gunmen who have been killed. They also appear at terrorists’ funerals. The weapons often include M-4 or M-16-style rifles. These rifles are often adorned with modern hardware, such as new rifle sights and grips. Many of these grips and sights include the architecture of rifles that are clearly new, meaning that even if not all of these rifles were purchased recently, they are being upgraded by terrorist groups aided by newly smuggled systems.
In recent years, the number of illegal weapons found on terrorists in the West Bank or in IDF raids has increased. The types have increased as well, especially the M-4 and M-16 type rifles. These are rifles that have an origin in the West. They are not AK-47s.
The prominence of the rifles being smuggled into the West Bank illustrates that the terrorists have increased access to dangerous weapons. The rifles are so common that the new videos of the attacks from Tulkarm demonstrate that the young men carrying them could easily acquire them. This is a dangerous phenomenon and it reminds us of the complacency before October 7, when threats by Hamas were not taken seriously.
The IDF has increased its raids into the West Bank and it has been using new methods as well. However, the shooting attacks are a dangerous development. The attacks have also affected Israeli communities that are on the Israeli side of the fence near the northern West Bank.
Concerning Survey: Majority Of Jews Concerned About Safety At NYC Pro-Israel Parade Sunday
A new survey of Jewish New Yorkers about the upcoming Israel Day on Fifth Avenue parade to be held Sunday (2nd) shows that only one in five of those who attended the parade in the past five years plan to do so again this year, voicing concerns for their safety. Of those planning on attending, 64 percent are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned for their safety for the first time.
Of Jewish New Yorkers surveyed who had attended the annual Fifth Avenue Israel parade in the past five years,16 percent said they were probably attending” and only five percent said they would “definitely” attend, while 79 percent said they were either ‘Unlikely” to attend or had not decided yet.
Meanwhile, among those definitely planning on attending, 78 percent said they are “very concerned” about their safety due to Israel’s war against Hamas and the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States. In contrast, 77 percent of respondents who had attended previous Israel parades said they had never felt such concerns, while only 18 percent said they had been concerned in previous years.
The majority of those planning on attending the parade said the situation in Israel and the US since October 7 had influenced their decision. Of those respondents definitely planning on attending, 67 percent said Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas had impacted their decision.; 78 percent said attacks on Jews in New York since October 7 as well as ongoing anti-Israel campus protests had impacted their decision; and 56 percent said increased anti-Semitism nationwide impacted their decision to attend.
The survey of 287 Jewish New Yorkers was conducted May 22-23 by Liraz Margalit, PhD, of Topicx, an advanced AI platform, through virtual phone interviews powered by generative AI, which engages participants in conversations to gain a deeper understanding of their views, perceptions, and emotions. The respondents statistically represented a cross-section of age and demographic groups and the survey carried a plus-minus 5.8 percent margin of error.
The survey was commissioned by a new Israeli company for immigration to Israel. -“Belong”- which provides a range of concierge relocation services to immigrants to Israel and to those seeking travel and temporary Israel experiences including study abroad and post-graduate degree programs.
The majority of respondents planning on attending the parade said they are between the ages of 35-64, with 56 percent of them identifying as female and 44 percent identifying as male. Of those respondents 24 percent had a college degree and 26 percent had a postgraduate degree.
“Jews are worried about being supportive of Israel and scared for their safety in the streets of New York City, and this should concern American and Israeli decision-makers alike. It is important for the American Jewish community to know: we see you and we support you,” said Eilon Gilad, CEO of “Belong.”
“This year’s parade isn’t like any other year. Every Jew marching in solidarity with Israel needs to know the Israelis are supporting them and their stance against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attacks. That’s why it is so important that even more people attend this year. Israeli and American Jews stand shoulder to shoulder during these challenging times.”
The New York Police Department has said it plans to add extra patrols to the parade route this year because of the ongoing anti-Israel protests.
Rhetoric Turned To Violence: Incendiary Device Thrown At Vancouver Synagogue Doors
An incendiary device was thrown at the front doors of a Vancouver synagogue on Thursday evening (30th), causing minor damage and no injuries, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver announced.
The Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services conducted a search of the Schara Tzedek Synagogue after the arson attack damaged the building’s entrance at around 9:30 pm, according to the Federation, and the emergency services declared the site safe for use.
Law enforcement is reportedly still investigating the incident and has increased patrols around local Vancouver Jewish institutions. The Federation said it was contacting and advising Jewish institutions to remain vigilant and follow security protocols.
“We extend our steadfast support to the families and staff of Congregation Schara Tzedek,” the senior Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt, congregation president Jonathan Leipsic, Federation Board Chair Lana Marks Pulve, Federation Chief Executive Office Ezra Shanken, and Federation Security Advisory Committee Chair Jason Murray, said in a joint statement. “Anti-Semitic rhetoric has reached a feverish pitch in our city and region recently, and it has always been our concern that the next step would be violence. This deliberate act of hate was an attempt to intimidate our Jewish community. But we refuse to be intimidated or to hide. Our community is resilient, and we are proud to be an important part of the multicultural fabric of our city. Our province, and our country”
B’nai Brith Canada British Columbia regional manager Aron Csaplaros said on social media that his organization was in touch with law enforcement and would work to ensure the perpetrator is brought to justice.
“We are far, far past the need for words and condemnations,” Csaplaros said on X on Thursday night (30th). “If our elected leaders do not immediately act, it is only a matter of time before people are injured, or worse.”
The arson attack comes after a Montreal Jewish school, located in a synagogue, was hit by gunfire on Monday night (27th) but did not result in casualties. Only two days prior, two men opened fire on a Jewish girl’s school in North York, a Toronto suburb, causing no injuries but leaving bullet holes in the building. Montreal has seen three other incidents of shots fired at Jewish houses of worship since October 7.
Toronto has seen repeated acts of vandalism and arson against its synagogues, with a vandal smashing the Kehillat Shaarei Torah synagogue’s windows for the second time in a month on May 17. The synagogue’s windows had previously been smashed on April 19. Another Bayview Avenue area synagogue had signs set on fire on April 26 and April 28.
How “Ironclad” Are Promises To Israel From Allies? – Douglas J. Feith and Ze’ev Jabotinsky
Israelis, like Americans, often have excessive faith in the trustworthiness of promises from abroad. This applies to Arms-control and peacekeeping arrangements, diplomatic accords, mutual-defense agreements and membership in multilateral organizations. But one should be realistic. Commitments from foreign powers are never “ironclad,”
When Hamas started this war on Oct.7, President Biden declared: “We stand with Israel.” He promised U.S. arms for Israel “to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens.” His commitment to Israel, Biden said, is “ironclad.” Yet later he began withholding delivery of munitions. He now emphasizes stopping the fighting and protecting Gazan civilians rather than destroying Hamas’ remaining military and governing capabilities. This is emboldening Israel’s enemies, which increases the danger to Israeli civilians.
International commitments are only as strong as the interests of the people who make them. In no event are they enforceable, even if written down or called “legally binding.” There is a State of Israel now because Zionists grasped that no other country in the world would or could assign top priority to the safety of the Jewish people. That was true when the other country was Britain, and it is true even when it is the U.S. This is not because of anti-Semitism but human nature. Sovereign states take care, first and foremost, of their own people. And sometimes they do not succeed in rightly identifying and protecting their own national interests.
For 2,000 years, Jews had no choice but to depend on others for refuge, tolerance and security. As a result, they suffered centuries of maltreatment, including murders and massacres, expropriation and expulsion. Israel should, of course, maintain and cultivate connections with the U.S. and other powers. But Zionism is, in essence, about the Jewish people taking responsibility for their own fate. That our people’s survival is a top priority in only one country is because the Jews are the majority in only one country.
Alliances can be useful, but history warns that when life-and-death issues are at stake, endangered countries should rely no more than is necessary on foreigners.
Douglas J. Feith, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, served as Undersecretary of Defense in the George W. Bush administration. Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the grandson of Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky (1880-1940), served as a pilot in the Israeli Air Force. (JNS)
(jns.org)
