News Digest — 7/30/24
16 Children Wounded in Saturday Rocket Attack In Majdal Shams Still Hospitalized; 7 In Serious Condition
Sixteen children wounded in the Hezbollah rocket attack on the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights on Saturday (27th) are still hospitalized, including seven in serious condition.
Eight of the wounded are in Ziv Medical Center including three in serious condition, two of which are still sedated and ventilated. All three have abdominal and chest injuries, and limb fractures, the hospital said.
One child is in moderate condition and four others are lightly wounded, mainly suffering with shrapnel injuries.
The Rambam Medical Center in Haifa said that 5 children are still hospitalized there. Three are in serious condition, sedated and ventilated in the pediatric intensive care unit; two children are in mild condition in the pediatric surgery unit. All are suffering from shrapnel injuries.
There are three children at Tzafon Medical Center (Pouriya) near Tiberias. One remains in serious condition and another in moderate condition, A third child is expected to be discharged soon.
IDF Waits For Right Opportunity To Retaliate Against Hezbollah In Lebanon
Israel is still waiting for the operational opportunity for a retaliatory strike in Lebanon that was approved by the Security Cabinet on Sunday (28th), three days after the massacre that claimed the lives of 12 children and teenagers in Majdal Shams. The target of the strike was decided by Israeli officials and brought for approval in the Cabinet discussion.
The IDF is waiting for the right chance to carry out the strike, which involves many considerations, including the possible presence of non-combatants near the target, the possibility of striking senior Hezbollah figures, or striking strategic terror sites.
Other preparations also include defense needs and readiness efforts. The response options, prepared by the IDF, weren’t presented to the Cabinet out of fear they would be leaked and thereby influence future decisions.
Israel also estimates that while several days of fighting may follow the strike, the move would still be a “limited” one only. Similar statements were made by Israeli officials to the Reuters news agency.
“Israel wants to hurt Hezbollah but not drag the Middle East into an all-out war,” a senior security official told the agency. “We’re preparing for the possibility of several days of fighting,” two other officials said.
Meanwhile, a Hezbollah Radwan force operative was killed Monday (29th) in a strike in southern Lebanon. Local reports mentioned two dead and three injured, in an airstrike on a vehicle and a motorcycle in the Meiss Ej Jabal area.
The government ministers authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to choose the manner and timing of the response on Sunday (28th).
A security source said, “You have to decide what your goal is and derive actions from that goal in order to respond more harshly than you have in the past while trying to circumvent an all-out war. You can’t base your actions on avoiding war because things might get complicated.” At the end of the Cabinet meeting, estimations were that a severe response to the attack was very likely.
The international stage, including the United States, is putting pressure on Israel to opt for a measured response, while the French are pressing the Lebanese.
Lebanese Parliament Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab told Al Jazeera on Sunday (28th), “If civilian casualties occur or if Beirut and its suburbs are attacked, we won’t consider this as a limited response.”
Another senior Israeli official said that although Israel’s response would be severe, it wouldn’t lead to a full-scale war. However, he noted that the Israeli strike is expected to be met with an unusually harsh response from Hezbollah.
Israelis, Jewish Groups Give Millions To Support Families Of Murdered Druze Children
The entire nation is rallying for the Druze community. Close to $530,000 has been donated for the 12 bereaved families from Majdal Shams, whose children were killed over the weekend by a Hezbollah rocket that hit a soccer field in the village. Since the attack, countless citizens have made pilgrimages to the local playground, laying down bouquets of flowers or tying black ribbons to the charred fence, all in an effort to show support for the residents of the Druze village.
Shmuel Hazan, a resident of the Ani’am village in the Golan Heights, also arrived at the shrapnel-strewn site on Monday morning (29th), which had been washed with the blood of dozens injured by the rocket. “This is such a massive tragedy for the families, the village, the Golan, the Druze community, and the people of Israel,” Hazan said. “We are all brothers and one people. We must only strengthen and support each other.”
Since the GiveBack campaign launched online on Sunday (28th), about 6,700 people have donated over $285,000 for the bereaved families and village residents. Yaya Fink, one of the initiators of the fundraising campaign, explained that 80% of the donations will go directly to the bank accounts of the families who lost their children, and 20% will be allotted to strengthening the mental health and community resilience system in Majdal Shams, in coordination with the Druze Council.
Additionally, the heads of the Jewish Agency, the Jewish Federations of North America, and Keren Hayessod have announced immediate emergency assistance of $160,000 to the leaders of the Druze community in Majdal Shams, “to demonstrate solidarity on behalf of the Jewish people and to help provide immediate relief to the circles of trauma they are dealing with in these difficult hours.”
Microsoft and its employees in Israel also announced on Sunday (28th) that they would donate more than $70,000 for the grieving families and the Majdal Shams community. “I have no doubt that more organizations and many people from across the country will join us and take action for them,” Michal Braverman- Blumenstyk, CEO of Microsoft Israel, said.
At the Golan Regional Council Building, flags were lowered to half-mast on Sunday (28th) alongside the Druze community flags. Residents of the Jewish communities in northern Golan plan to set out in a massive car convoy to the heart of the village in a show of support on Wednesday (31st). The cars will fly the Druze community flag and a flag that reads in Hebrew and Arabic, “The Golan community is one heart.”
They will arrive at the soccer field and lay a wreath in memory of the killed youth.
On Sunday (28th), during the funeral of the children and teenages, about 100 residents of Kibbutz El-Rom and the surrounding area gathered and supported the funeral participants. “We want to pay respects to the murdered children and the pain of our neighbors,” explained Dudi Morad, a member of Kibbutz El-Rom.
At the annual Galilee Conference of the Galilee Development Authority and the Ministry of the Negev and Galilee, which is being held Tuesday (30th) in Acre with the participation of President Isaac Herzog, a memorial ceremony will be held for the children of Majdal Shams.
Months After Direct Iranian Attack, Bedouin Girl Victim Leaves Hospital
Amina Alhasoni, the 7-year-old girl who was critically wounded by Iran’s April 13 missile attack on the Jewish State, has been released from Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva.
Alhasoni sustained a severe head wound when shrapnel from a ballistic missile hit her family’s home in a Bedouin town near the Negev city of Arad, and was hospitalized for more than three months.
The girl was rushed to Soroka with a severe head injury. A multidisciplinary team worked to stabilize her condition, and she subsequently underwent a series of neurosurgeries in collaboration with other hospital departments.
“Amina’s head injury was severe, complex and devastating,” said Dr. Miki Gideon, head of pediatric neurosurgery, who operated on the girl during her protracted hospitalization.
“To see Amina today–fully conscious, communicating, smiling and ready for the next step in her rehabilitation – fills our hearts with hope and strengthens our hands.”
Dr. Tzachi Lazar, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at the hospital, said: “When Amina was admitted to the unit that Saturday night, it was hard to believe that the small and fragile girl survived her severe injury.”
The doctor added, “All of us in the pediatric intensive care unit wish her and her family members good health and success in the future.”
As part of the April 13 attack, Iran fired more than 300 missiles and UAVs directly at Israel, the vast majority of which were intercepted by the air defense systems and jets of Israel, the United States, and other friendly militaries.
Alhasoni was the only casualty in the Iranian attack on the Jewish State.
Elbit Systems Secures $190 Million IDF Contract For Iron Sting Guided Mortar Munition
Elbit Systems, a leading global defense technology company has been awarded a $190 million notable munition contract to provide the Israeli defense ministry with its Iron Sting guided mortar munitions, the military technology company announced.
General Manager of the land division, Yehuda Vered, noted that the contract comes amid growing global security concerns and the need for precise military technology. This agreement, which will last two years, will help deliver advanced and precise-driven technology, according to Israeli-based Elbit.
Elbit stated that an Iron Sting munition is a cutting-edge, advanced 120 mm mortar shell that uses GPS and laser guidance to hit its target accurately.
Reaching targets up to 10 kilometers away (6.2 miles), the shell reportedly has a flexible fuse system that can be set to different modes – instant explosion, delayed explosion, or explosion when close to the target – all within as little as 15 seconds. The warhead can smash through two layers of concrete and cause a large explosion, scattering debris.
“Our guided mortar munition’s proven combat performance reaffirms our leadership in precision-guided technologies,” he said. “As conflicts increasingly occur in urban settings, accurate and reliable munitions like Iron Sting are crucial for minimizing collateral damage.”
Elbit stated that this new contract reinforces their dedication to meeting the continuously changing demands of modern military forces with precision defense technology.
Elbit Systems boasts its position as a leader in advancing military technology. The company stated that it continues to focus on developing tools that meet and anticipate the needs of armed forces worldwide, ensuring it stays ahead and serves armies to the best of its ability in a constantly evolving battlefield environment.
Christian College Students Trained To Combat Campus Anti-Semitism
Hundreds of pro-Israel Christian college students received training this past weekend to prepare them to combat anti-Israel and anti-Jewish activity on campus during the coming academic year.
“Passages,” an organization dedicated to bringing Christian college students to Israel on organized trips – modeled after the 10-day Birthright Israel trips – held the weekend training program for over 250 Chrisitan students and alumni in Washington DC.
The students, from dozens of universities and colleges across the U.S. and South Africa, received sessions on Israel, its history and how to advocate for the Jewish State and show solidarity with Jewish students on their campuses.
The participants also met with two families of hostages brutally taken from Israel and held in Gaza and held a prayer session with the families at the National Mall, where anti-Israel and anti-Semitic demonstrations had taken place recently while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke before a joint session of Congress.
They chanted “Bring Them Home” as a group, standing behind the hostage families, and then sang Israel’s National Anthem, HaTikvah.
“This was a really important weekend of training and uplifting hundreds of passionate Christian students who want to advocate for Israel and stand with their fellow Jewish students on campuses, where they are expecting an extremely challenging upcoming semester,” said Rivka Kidon, Co-Founder of Passages and a former adviser to Israel’s Prime Minister.
“Passages was created precisely for these moments, as an organization that will be a force-multiplier to help spread Israel’s case in the places where they are most challenged. They have been given the most important tools to meet these challenges and stand with Israel and the Jewish people.”
The students met with the families of Romi Gonen and Or Levy, who were kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, who spoke to the conference participants about their experiences and how they are working to free their relatives.
“Meeting with these passionate Christian students has been an extremely uplifting experience for us,” said Yarden Gonen, Romi’s sister, who has become one of the faces of the hostage families around the world.
“We know that they have taken on our mission of ensuring that our loved ones are not forgotten, and that they will share our stories with their families, friends, churches, communities and on their campuses.”
“It was a special moment for us to feel their love, hear their prayers and their chants of “Bring Then Home” in the heart of Washington, openly and proudly, and that they will maintain this passion and commitment until all of the hostages have been brought home.”
Passages also had a delegation of South African students which was brought by South African Friends of Israel, who face arguably even greater challenges back on their campuses, in a nation whose government has taken an extremely hostile position towards Israel.
“We at South African Friends of Israel thank Passages for inviting our students to their DC conference,” said Danny Born, CEO of South African Friends of Israel. “Our students are devoted Christians and see the importance of strengthening our bonds with Israel, especially at such challenging times in South Africa with our government taking a discriminatory stand against the Jewish state, which is not a true reflection of the average African.”
“I am not sure there is another organization that can have such an impact on our university campuses,” said Michael McAfee, President and Founder of Inspire Experiences, which partnered with Passages to coordinate the conference. “Now better-prepared, thanks to this conference, these students will go back to their campuses and create networks with other student bodies and organizations, especially Jewish and Zionist ones, to ensure that pro-Israel students are not caught unaware again, as many were last semester, when many universities became no-go areas for them.”
